Soo The HIS T 0 RY of the PuRITANs: Vo1 II. King mentioned. This act excufes all protdfant diffenters from the penalties William of the laws therein 'mentioned, tor not coming to church, provided they and queen Mary. take the oaths and fubfcribe the declaration therein mentioned. And 1689. d!/fonting minijlers are tolerated on the like conditions, and on theirfub– ~ Jcribing tbe doctrinal articles if tbe church of England. But this being the bafis and boundary of their prefent liberty, I have inferted the aCt in the Appendix. Bill for a While the bill for a toleration was depending, a motion was made in comprehenjithe houfe of lords for a comprehenjicn, which was received, and fome Dn. Burnet, p. 10, progrefs made towards effeCting it; but a provifo being offered, and pref– fed with great earnell:nefs by fome temporal lords, that in imitation of the aCts paffed in the reigns of king Henry VIII. and Edward VI. a number of perfons both of the clergy and laity, might be empowered to pre– pare materials for fuch a reformation of the church, as might be fit to offer the king and pariiament, it was warmly debated, and at length rejeCted by a fmall majority. Bii11op Burnet was againll: the provijo, for fear of offending the clergy, who would look upon it as taking the reforma– tion out of their hands; but adds, " I was convinced foon after, that I " had taken wrong meafures, and that the method propofed by the lords, '' was the only one like to prove effeCtual." Dr. 'Tillotfon being of the fame mind with Burnet, advifed the king to refer the affair to a jjnod of divines, whofe determinations he apprehended would flop the mouths of papiils, who reproached our reformation as built chiefly on a parliamentary authority, and would be better received by the body of the clergy. . An ecclejiaf- . ~ccordingly it was a~reed in council, that a felea number of learned tical commif- dtvznes, iliould be appmnted by the royal mandate, to meet and confult a– jion to prebout the moll: proper methods of healing the wounds of the church; ~are. matters that their determinations iliould be laid before the convocation, and from Jor 11 ' thence receive the fanCtion of parliament. Agreeably to this refolution, the king iffued out a commiffion to thirty divines, of whom ten were bilhops, whofe names were, Dr. Lamplugh Abp. of York, Compton Bp. London, Mew Bp. Winchejler, Lloyde Bp. St. Afaph, Sprat Bp. Rochijler, Smith Bp. Carlijle, Sir Jonath. 'Trelawney Bp. Exeter, Dr. Burnet Bp. Sarzun, Humphreys Bp. Ba11gor, Stratford Bp. Chejter. To thefe were added the following divines. De.
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