1h~ HISTORY oj the PuRITANS. Vet. II. King And t.hough i.t mufl: be allowed that fome few dijfenters, from an exJ·~ss/!. cefs of JOy, or 1t may be, from a fl:rong refentment againfl: their late per– ~ fecutors, publilhed fome fevere pamphlets, and gave too much counte– 'Ihey ~re ne· nance to the meafures of the court, as Mr. Lobb, A/fop, and Pm the ":erre t h quaker, yet the body of them kept at a difl:ance, and '' as thankful as 1Jz:;~sc:n ! '" they werefor their liberty (lay s lord Hallifax), they were fearful of the dutl. " iffue ; neither can any number of confideration among them, be charged " with hazarding the public fafety, by falling in with the meafures of the " court, of which they had as great a dread as their neighbours." Aryd the lords, in a conference with the houfe of commons upon the occajional bill, in the firfl: year of queen A~tne, £q, " that in the !all: and greatefl: " danger the church was expofed to, the d([{enters joined with her, wi th " all imaginable zeal and fincerity, againfl: the papifl:s their common ene– " mies, !hewing no prejudice to the church, but the utmofl: refpeCl: to " the bilhops when fent to the 'To1ver." pe .church But as the king and minifl:ry carried all before them, the church party 'jdiflr;J';f· were in defpair, and almofl: at their wits end; they faw themfelves on j/,1~~:/o/f the brink of-ruin, imagining that they !11ould be turned out of their free– af!tjlance. holds, for not reading the king'; declaration, and that the non-c07iformifls llurnet, P· would be admitted into their pulpits; as Dr. Sherlock, mafl:er of the 7oS, 7::09. · 'l'emple, acknowledged in converfation to Mr. Howe; and that, as the papit1s had already invaded the univerjities, they would in a little time overfet the whole hierarchy. In this diftrefs they turned their eyes all around them for relief: They applied to the d[!fenters, giving them the il:rongefl: affurances of a comprehe7!Ji01z, and toleration, in better times, if they would but ailifl: in delivering them out of their prefent troubles. lPitbjlrong BiGwp Burnet fays, that the clergy here in England writ to the prince of promije: of Orange, and deiired him to fend over fome of the d(f!enting preachers, Javour<ftbet h h . 'j f h .c · h d d · · u !I d d ter tilllis. w om t e VIO· ence o t e 10rmer tanes a nven mto nottan , an By t/;c inlt– rejl of tbe prince of Orange. to prevail effeCl:ually with them, to oppofe any fa!fe brethren, whom the cou rt might have gained over; and that they fent over very folemn affu– rances, wh ich paffed through his own hands, that in caje they jfoodjirm now to the common intereft, they would in a better time, come i~tto a comprehmjion of Juch as could be brought into a cpnjunction with the church, and to a toleration of the reft. Agreeably to thefe affurances, when the reverend Mr. Howe, Mr. Mead, and other refugee minifl:ers, waited on the prince of Orange, to return him thanks for the prot~Cl:ion of the country, and to take their leave, his highnefs made them fomeprefents to pay their debts, and defray their charges home; and having wilhed them a good voyage, he advifed them to be very cautious in their addreffes; and not to fuffer themfelves to be drawn in to the meafures of the court, fo far as to open a door for the introducing of popery, by defiring the taking off
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