Chap. II. The HISTORY of the PuRITANs. " of pcpery,except theSupremacy, and introduced abundance of corrupt in- K. Charles r. "novations intothewor01ip of God; for noncompliance with which, many ~~ " have been forced to fly for refuge, to the remote parts of the world. ' " They ii11pofed upon the kingdom of Scotland a new popiili fervice " book and C[!nons, to which, when that nation would not fubmit, they " prevailed with his majefi:y to proclaim them rebels, and raife an army "againfi: them, to which all the papiils, and thofe who were popiilily " affected, contributed; and had not the lord, by his bleffing on the "]cots arms, and by the calling of this parliament prevented it, the two " nations had been imbruing their hands in each others blood. " But though we hoped through the goodnefs of God, and his bleffing " upon this parliament, whofe hearts were inclined to a more perfect re– " formation, that our winter had been pall:, yet alas! we find it to be quite " other wife. We know our fins have deferved all, and if we die and periili, '' the Lord is righteous; to his hand we fubmit, and to him alone we look " for healing. The fame antichrirlian faction not being difcouraged, by " their want of fuccefs in Scotland, have fi:irr'd up a bloody rebellion in Ire– " land, wherein above one hundred thoufand protefi:ants have been defi:roy– " ed in one province, within a few months. They·have alienated the heart " of his majeily from his parliament, and prevailed with him to withdraw " and raife an army, which at firll: pretended only to be made up of protef– " tants-but foon after papill:s were armed by commiffion from the king; " many great papill:s were put into places of public command, and the body '' of all the papifts have join'd his majefty with all their might; they pro– " (efs and exercife their religion publickly in feveral parts of the kingdom, " and go up and down plundering, murdering, and fpoiling of their '' goods, all fuch as adhere to the parliament, and to the caufe of religion. " Nor has the parliament been able, by their petitions and remonll:rances, " to recover his majefty out of their hands, or bring thefe men to deferv– " ed puniiliment, but the fword rages almoft in every corner of this wo– " fulland. " And to compleat our miferies, they have prevailed with his majefty " fo far to own the rebels in Ireland, as not only to call them his romall '' catbolick fubjeCls now in arms, but to grant them a celfation of arms ,, for a year, and to hold what they have gotten, with liberty to fi:rength– " en tbemfelves with men, money, arms, ammunition, &c. wh(;reby " tbey are enabled not only to defi:roy the remnant of proteftants in Ire– " land, but to come over hither, (as many of them are already) to aCl the " fame butchery upon us. " In the midll: of thefe troublefome times, the two houfes of parlia– " ment have called this affembly, to give them our bell: counfel for the ~.~ reformation of the church, requiring us to make God's word only our rule,
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