68 The HIS T 0 RY oj tbe PuRITANS.' VoL. II. K. Charles I. bilhop on account of his epifcopal character, but as a baron of the en– ~ glijh parliament. Nor is there any thing in the declaration that might encourage the foreign clergy to hope his majefiy would own their church– es, minifiers, or facraments, or unite with them againfi the common enemy of the reformation, any more than before thefc unhappy trvi.l~ bles began. All the epifcopal divines left the aifembly before the bringing in of the covenant, except Dr. }eatly, who was expelled for holdi ng_correr.. pondence with archbi!hop Ujher at Oxford, and for revealing their pro~ ceedings, contrary to the exprefs words of the ordinance, which obliges– them not to divulge by printing or qvriting or otherwife, their opinions or advices, touching the mattersproprfed to_them by parliament, .without the con" Jent oj both or either houfes. The doctor was a learned man, and a ea/~ vinijl, upon which account the a1fembly paid him a high regard, an d indulged him in all his fpeeches in favour of epifcopacy, and againfi the covenant, [ome of which. were afterwards publifhed to the world. They appointed him to anfwer a popiili pamphlet called the Safeguard; and he bore a part in the annotations. on the bible, which go under the name of the aifembly. Lord Clarendon- fays, , the king fent him a letter forbid– ding him to fit any long~r, but that the doCl::or excnfed it in a letter•to archbi(bop Ujher, which being intercepted, he was committed, prifoner to Lord Peter's boufe in .Alderjgate-flreet as a fpy-; the archbifhop at the fame time being declared incapable of fitting in the aifembly for the like reafon. And here was an end of all the public concern the epifcopar party h ad i11 the government of the church till the. refio• ration . .Dijci;,l;m of From the time of taking the covenant, we may date the entire di[o-– the church lution of the hierarchy, though it was not yet abolifhed by an ordinance– dijfo/vd. of parliament. There were no ecclefia!tical courts, no vifitations, no wearing the habits, no regard paid to the canons or eeremonies, ·nor even to the common-prayer itfelf. The archbinlOp of Canterbury, by an or– dinance of May 1.6. had been.forbid to collate any benefices in his gift, but to perfons nominated by parliament; for difobcdience to which he was by another ordinance of June 1O; " fufpended ab rfjicio & benflicio, " and from all archiepifcopal jurifdiction, till be fhould be acquitted, or Parliament " conviCl::ed of the high treafon of which he was impeached; and as to •mninate mm " fuch livings,, dignities, promotions, &c. in the fa id archbin10p's gift 10 ltvmgs- " or collation, as are, or fhall hereafter become void, infiitution or in- " duction, iball henceforward be given by the archbiibop's vicar general, " or any other having a<Jthority on his behalf~, upon the nomination and " recommendJtion of both houfes of parliament." By this extraordina– ry method the reverend Mr. Corbet was inducted into the living of Chat· 1 ham,
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