Chap. IT. The HISTORY of the PuRITANS. 57 ver be juflified, though it appears moft of the epifcopal divines who made K.Charles L the greateft figure in the church after the reftoration, did not refufe it. ~J Together with the exhortation of the afPmbly, the following orders and inftrucrions were difperfed over the kingdom. Ordered, " That copies of the covenant be fent to all commanders in InJh·utlions " chief, and governors of towns, forts, garrifons, and foldiers, that hfor taking ·" may be taken by all foldiers under their comman~. . :::et~:ev:;~7: " That copies be fent to the committees of parliament, m the feveral 1 ry. " counties that are under the power of the parliament, and that the cam- Hulb. Col. " mittees within fJx days difperfe the faid copies, and caufe them to be P· 4 7 · 0 • " delivered to the minifters, church- wardens, or conftables.of the fe~ " vera! pariihes. " That the feveral minifters be required to read the covenant to the « people, the next lord's day after they have prepared the people to " take it. " That the committees of parliament take it themfelves withi,n feven " days after they have received the copies ; and then difperfe themfelves " throughout their counties, fo as three or four of them may be toge– <' ther at the feveral places appointed for the people to take it. That they " fummon all the minifters. church-wardens, conftables, and other " officers, to that place, and after a fermon preached by a minifter " whom they 1hall appoint, they 1hall caufe the laid minifter to tender " the covenant to all fuch minifters, and other officers, to be taken and " fubfcribed in the prefence of the committee. " The faid minifters are then to be required to tender the covenant to " all the refi of their parilhioners next lord's day, and if any minifier re~ " fufe, or neglect to appear at the f<1id fummons, or refufe to take thi! " fa id covenant, the committee 1hall appoint another minifier to do it in " his place. " If any minifier refufe to take, or tender the covenant ; or if any ·cc o~her perfon refufes to take it after a fecond tender, upon two lord's " days, their names ihall be returned to the committee, and by them to " the houfe of commons ; and all perfons that abfent themfelves after " notice given, fhall be returned as refufers." T he Engli.fh in foreign parts were not exer_npted from this tefi ; di- Whitlock reB:ions were fent to Mr. Strickland, the parliament's agent at the Hague, p. 79· ' to tender it to all the Englijh in thofe countries, and to certi fy the names Pari. Chr. of iuch as r~fufed. Here the elector Palatine took it, and after fome P· 172 ' ti.me came into England, and condefcended to fit in the alfembly of diVInes. December 2.0, 16 4 3. it was ordered by the lords and commons, Hulb. Col. that no perfon 1hould be capableof being eleCted a common-council-man p. 404. '<>f the .city of London, or fa much as have a voice in fuch elections, who VoL. II. , 1 has
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