728 The HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANs. VoL. U. King " but contemned by fame, it was therefore by the;·ufl:ices then a!Tembled Charles !I. " I68 r. delired, that the lord bilhop of London will pleafe to direct thofe offi- ~" cers which are under his jurifdict:ion, to ufe their utmofl: diligence, " that all fuch perfons may be excommunicated who commit crimes de– " ferving the eccleliafiical cenfure ; and that the faid excommunications " may be publilhed in the pari(hes where the perfons live, that they may " be taken notice of, and be obviou~ to the penalties that belong to " perfons excommunicate, (viz.) not to be admittedjor a witnifs, or re– " turned upon juries, or capable oj'jiLing for any debt." They further ordered at the fame time, " th at the fhtute of the firfl: of E!iz. and '' third of king Janm, be put in due execution, for the levying twelve '' pence per funday upon fuch perfons who repaired 110t to divine fervice " and fermons at their parilh, or fame other public church." All which (fays Mt. Eacbard), made way for all forts of profecutions both in city and country, which in many places were carried on with great fpight and fe– verity, where there never wanted bufy agents and informers, of which a few were fufficient to put the laws in execution; fo that the dilfenters this year, and much longer (fays he), met with cruel and uncbrijfimz zifage; which occalioned.great complaints among the people, and fame fevere reT,·eatifis publijhed in fovou•· of d!ffinters. flections on the king himfelf. It was not in the power of the church-whigs to relieve the non-cotiform– ifls, nor fcreen them from the edge of the penal laws, which were in the hands of their enemies. All that could be done was to encourage their confl:ancy, and to WJ ite fame compaffionate treatifes to move the people in their favour, by !hewing them, that while they were plundering and def– troying their protefl:ant difienting neighbours, they were cutting the throat of the reformed religion, and making way for the triumphs of popery up– on its ruins. Among other writings of this fort, the moll: famous was, the cof!formifls plea Jor the non-conjormifls, in four parts, by a bene/iced mi– nijler and a regular fon r:f the church qf England. In which the author undertakes to fhew, I. The greatnefs of their fufferings. 2. The hard– ihips of their cafe. 3· The reafonablenefs and equity of their propofids tor union. 4· The qualifications and worth of their minilters. 5· Their peaceable behaviour. 6. Their agreement with the church of E1zglancl in the articles of her faith. 7· The prejudice to the church by their exclulion; and then concludes, with an account of the infamous lives, and lamentable deaths, of feveral of the informers. It was a fenfi– ble and moving performance, but had no influence on the tory jull:ices, and tribe of informers. There was no ftemming the tide; every one who was not a furious tory (fays Rapin), was reputed a prefuyterian. Moll:
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