Chap. X. The HISTORY of the PuRITANs. 73-5 tcred feveral paifages in it before it was publifhed. Bifhop Burnet adas, King that when the congratulatory addreifes for the difcovery of this plot had Charles II. gone all round England, the.grandjuries made hi~h prefentment~ againfl: ~ all who were accounted whtgs and non-conformtfl:s. Great pams were p. s67. taken to find out more witneifes; pardons and rewards were offered very freely to the guilty, but none came in, which made it evident, (fays his lordlhip), that nothing was fo well laid, or brought fo near execution, . as the witneifes had depofed, otherwife the people would have crouded for pardons. Bilhop Kennet fays, that the dijfenters bore all the odium, and were not only branded for exprefs rebels and villains, in multitudes of congratulatory and tory addreifes from all parts of the kingdom, but were feverely arraigned by the king himfelf, in a declaration to all his loving fubjeCl:s, read in all the churches on Sunday Septemb~r 9• which Eachard: was appointed as a day of thankfgiving, and folemnized after an extra– ordinary manner, with mighty pomp and magnificence. There was hardly a parilh in England that was not at a confiderable expence to tefl:ify their joy and fatisfaCl:ion: N ay the papifts celebrated in all their chapels in London an extraordinary fervice on that account ; (o that theft had their places of public worlhip, though the protefl:ant diifenters were denied them. The quakers avowed their innocence of the plot in an addrefs to the ~akers king at Windfor, prefented by G. Whitehead, Parker, and two more, pwge them– wherein they appeal to the fearcher of all hearts, that " their principles~~~~:' ~~:1/•" do not allow them to take up defenfive arms, much lefs to avenge juffiringr. "· thcmfelves for the injuries they receive from others. That they con- Sewel. p. " tinually pray for the king's fafety and prefervation, and therefore take 585. " this occafion humbly to befeech his majefl:y, to compaffionate their '' fuftering friends, with whom the gaols are fo filled, that they want " air, to the apparent hazard of their lives, and to the endangering an " infection in divers places. Befides many houfes, ·!hops, barns and " fields are ranfacked, and the goods, corn and cattel fwept away, to · " the difcouraging of trade and huiliandry, and impoverilhing great num- " bers of quiet and induflrious people; and this for no other caufe but " for the exercife of a tender confcience, in the worlhip of Almighty " God, who is fovereign lord and king in mens confciences --" But this addrefs made no impreffion , all things proceeding trium- Oxford de– phantly on the fide of the prerogative; the court did what they me, pleafed; the king aifumed the government of the city of London· into Kennet, h. h d d . d il.. 'ffi d . h p. 410. IS own an s, an appomte a mayor, liJert s, an aldermen, wlt out the eleCl:ion ~f the people ; fermons were filled with the principles of abfolute obedtence and non-refifl:ance, which were carried higher than ever their forefathers had thought of or praCl:ifed. The univerfity of Oxford,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=