Chap. II. 'I!Je HIS T 0 R Y of t!Je PuRITANS. 61 " ed by facrilege, and thy people miferably deceived by ]yes; fee it, 0 K. CharlesI; " God, as fee it thou daft, and vindicatt.: what thou.feeft on the heads of~ « thole who lead thefe wretches." Many of the earl of N c·wcqfl!e's fol- · diers in the_north, upon news of the ir!fb.cejfation threw down their arms, and offered a compof.ition; and if we may believe the parliamentary PartT!f, chronicle, this iingie aaion lof.l: the king all the northern counties. ToP· 86. put a ftop to the clamours of th_e people,. and prevent any farth er dcfertions, his majef.l:y refolved to fupport h1s own charaCte r as a protcjlant, and accordingly made the following proteftation in prefence of the con– aregation at Chrijl-cburcb Oxford, immediately before his receiving the ~crament from the hands of archbifhop Ujher. My Lord, "I Efpy here many refolved protefta.nts, who may declare to the King', pro– « world the declaration I do now make. I have to the utmoil: of my tejlaticn " power, prepared my foul to be a worthy receiver, and may I fo receive R~'w P· '' comfort from the bldTed facmment, as I do intend the eftablil11 men of ~~J~ Rapin, " the true reformed pmtef~ant religion, a'S it fl ood in its beauty in the p. r6g, &c, " happy -days-.of queen Elizabeth, without any conni"Jance at popery. I H blefs God, that in the midf.l: of thefe public difl raaions, I have fl: ill " liberty to €ommunica:te. And may this facrament be my d:-.mnation,, ,., if-my heart do not join with my lips in this prate, ation." How confonan t was this with his majefly's aCl:ions, when within a few days he -agreed t0 a-ce!Tation with the irijh papif.l:s for a year, and a tolera– tion of their religion ? all men knew, that his majefiy not on!y connived at popery , but indulged it as far as was in his power; hifl:orians there– fo re aPe at a lofs to reconcile this folemn appeal to heaven, with the king's piety and iincerity. The parliament was fo appreheniive of the confe– quences 0f bringing over the irijh papifis, that by an order of November 22. they ddired the aOembli bf div-ines, to write letters to the foreign churches of Holland, France; Switzerland, and other places, to inform them of the artifices ofhis majefiy's agents; of the confl:ant employment <i>f trijh rebels, and other papifis, to be governors, commanders, and fol– diers in his armies; of the many evidences of their inten tions to intro– duce popery ; to hinder the intended reformation, and to condemn other protef.l:ant churches, as un!ound becaufe not prelatical; and that the Scots commiffioners be deiired to join with them. In purfuance of this order,_ ~he affembly wrote the following letter, dated NO'lJember 3~· 1643. '.
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