Chap. XI. 'Ibc HI 8 T 0 R Y of the PuRITANs.· 755 mong the common people, which in the compafs of a year or two, proKing duced a valuable ~et of_ controverfial writings, a?ai~ll: the error_s of that Ja~~6.II. church. The ch1ef wnters were Dr. T zl!otfon, 5tzllmgjleet, Tenijon, Pa- ~ trick, Wake, Whitby, Sharp, Atterbury, Wz!liams, Aldrich, Burnet, · Fowler, &c. men of great name and renown, who gained immortal honour, and were afterwards advanced to the highell: dignities in the church. Never was a bad caufe more weakly managed by the papill:s, nor a more compleat viCtory obtained by the protefiants. But the church party not content with their triumph, have if late cen- Rcafam of Jured t he non-conformijls, for appearing only as JPeCfators, and not joining the di.f[e~ters them in the combat. But how could the clergy expeCt this from a fet ofnc•t 1 wn:mg. d r · fi l a am), p. men, whom they ha been per1ecutmg or above twenty years, and w10 373 . had the yoke of oppreilion fiilllying on their necks? Had not the non– conformill:s been before-hand with them, in their morning exercifes agail!fl popery? And did not Dr. 01ven, Mr. Pool, Baxter, C!arkfon, and others, wri te againll: the errors of the church of Rome, throughout the whole reign of king Charles II ? Had not the non-conformifis fl:ood in the gap, and expofed themfelves fufficiently to the refentments of the papill:s, for re-- fufing to come into their meafures for an univerfa! toleration, in which they might have been included ? Befides, the poor minijlers were hardly crept out of corners, their papers had been rifled, and their books fold or fecreted, to avoid feizure; they had little time to ll:udy, and therefore might not be fo well prepared for the argument, as thofe who had lived in eafe and fecurity. Farther, the church party was mofl: nearly concerned, the non-conformill:s having nothing to lofe, whereas all the emoluments of the church were at ll:ake; and after all, feme of the diffenters did write; and if we may believe Dr. Calamy, Mr. Baxter, and others, their traCts being thought too warm, were refufed to be licenfed. Upon the whole, biihop Burnet wifely obferves, that as the di/Jenters p. 702; would not engage on the fide of popery and the prerogative, nor appear ,l for taking off the tell:s in the prefent circumt1:ances; fo on the other hand, they were unw illing to provoke the king, who had lately given them hopes of libwy, left he ihould make up matters upon any terms with the church party, at their expence; nor would they provoke the church party, or by any ill behaviour drive them into a reconciliation with the court ; therefore they refolved to let the points qf controverfy alone, and leave them to the management of the clergy, who had a legal bottom to Th~ ~l,rgv'r fupport them. w_rztmg he~ 1'h I ' . . l l . n k 11 gms an opm e c erg~ s wntmg t Jus warm y agamn popery, bro ea meafures be- wa•· hew-an tween the kmg and the church of England, and made each party court the king and that body if men for their auxiliaries, whom they had been perfecuting and church. d a · f r. H' · 11 r. l d · d Burnet, P• enroymg or >0 many years. IS maJClly now re1o ve to mtro uce a~ 7 rs. 5 D 2 unz-
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