The HISTORy of the PuRITANS. Vot n: King Oxford paffed a decree in fu\1 convocation, 'July zr, 16'l3, againfi cerCharles H. t . ., . . . b k d d bl d o . d ,fJ =>-' • ' 1683 . ~zn re,' m~zous ov ~· an amna e oo.rznes, e 1 trUCJIVe to the .Jacred per- ~ jom of prmces, thetr jlate and government, and all buman jocicty. It co 11 .• Collyer., p. fifls of twenty [even propolitions, extracted from the writings of Bu902' chanan, Baxter, Owm, Milton, ']. Goodwin, Hobbs, Cartwright, Travers, and othe.rs, who bad maintained that there was an original eon– traEl between king and people; and that 7Vhm kings {ubvert the con– jlitution if their country, and become abfolute tyrants, they forfeit their right to the government, and may be refljled: Thefe, and other propolitions of a like _nature, they declare to be impious, _feditious, Jcandalous, damnable, herettcal, b!aJPhemous, and infamous to the chri/lian religion. They forbid their fl:udents to read thofe writers, and ordered their books to he burnt. But how well they practifed their own doCtrines at the revo– lution, will be feen in its proper place; and one of queen Anne's parlia– ments ordered the decree itje!J to be burnt, by the hands of the common hangman. Suffiringsof Dr. Benjamin Calamy, reCtor of St. Lawrence 'Jewry, in one of his Mr. Deprinted fer mons, entituled a Jcrupulou.s confcience, invited the non-con– laune, Jormijls to examine what each party had to fay for themfelves with refpeCt to the ceremonies impofed by the church, and inforced by the pe– nal laws, calling upon them modell:ly to propofe their doubts, and meekly to hearken to, and receive infl:ruction. In compliance with this invitation, Mr. Thomas Delaune an anabaptifl: fchool-mall:er, and a learn– ed man, printed a plea .for the non-conformijls, !hewing the true fiate of their cafe, and jull:ifying their feparation. But before it was publi!hed, he was apprehended by a meffenger from the prefs, and !hut up clofe prifoner in Newgate, by warrant from the recorder 'Jenner, dated No·v. 30, 1683. Mr. Delaune writ to Dr. Calamy to endeavour his enlarge– ment: " My confinement (fays he), is for accepting your invitation; I " look upon you obliged in honour to procure my !beets, yet unfini£11- ,, ed, a public paffport, and to me my liberty --There is nothing " in them but a fair examination of thofe things your fermon invited " to, and I cannot find that Chrift and his difciples ever forcedfcrupu.– ,, lous co??fciences to conformity, by fuch methods as fending them to " Newgate; I befeech you therefore in the fear of God, as you will " anfwer it to our great Lord and Mall:er Jefus Chrifl:, that you would " endeavour to convince a fl:ranger by fomething more like reafon and " divinity, than a prifon." The doElor at firfi faid, he would do him any kindnefs that became h1m. But in anfwer to a fecond let– ter he faid, he looked upon himfelf as unconcerned, becaufe he was not mentioned in that !beet he faw with the recorder. Mr. De– laune infifted that his honour was at ftake for his deliverance, and prayed him
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