presented by the puritans who had been many years under close confinement; when the parliament favourably received them, released the prisoners, and voted them to receive considerable sums out of the estates of their persecutors, by way of damages. They released Dr. Leighton, who had been imprisoned ten years; Mr. Smart, eleven, or twelve years; and Mr. Brewer, fourteen years. Also, Burton, Prynne, Bastwick, Walker, Lilburne, Bishop Williams, and many others, now obtained their liberty. The above canons were, at the same time, condemned in the house of commons, as being against the king's prerogative, the fundamental laws of the realm, the liberty and property of the subject, and as containing divers other things tending to sedition and dangerous consequence. For which several of the bishops were impeached of high crimes and misdemeanours. The archbishop was impeached of high treason, and committed to the Tower.+ The committee of accommodation was appointed by the upper house, to consider of such innovations as were proper to be taken away. It consisted of ten earls, ten bishops, and ten barons. They also appointed a sub-committee of bishops and learned divines, to prepare matters for debate, Bishop Williams being chairman of both. The result of their conference was drawn up for the debate of the_committee, in a number of propositions and queries. But all attempts at an accommodation were blasted by the obstinacy of the bishops, and by the discovery of the plot for bringing the army up to London to dissolve the parliament. This widened the distance betwixt the king and the two houses, and broke up the committee, without bringing any thing to perfection. The moderation and mutual compliance of these divines, it is justly observed, might have saved the whole body of episcopacy, and prevented the civil war : but the court bishops expected no good from them, suspecting that the puritans would betray the church. Some hot * Rushworth's Collec, vol. iv. p. 359. + Prynne's Breviate of Laud, p. 23, 24. The names of these bishops and learned divines, were as follows: Dr. Williams, bishop of Lincoln, Dr. Usher, archbishop of Armagh, Dr. Hall, bishop of Exeter, Dr. Samuel Ward, Dr. John Prideaux, Dr. Richard Holdsworth, Dr. John Hacket, Dr. William Twisse, Dr. Cornelius Burgess, Mr. Stephen Marshall, Mr. Edmund Calamy, Mr. Thomas Hill. Fuller's Church Hist. b. xi. p. 174. spirits would abate nothing of the episcopal power or profit, but maintained, that to yield any thing was giving up the cause to the opposite party.* In the year 1641, the parliament introduced two bills, one to abolish the high commission court, the other the star-chamber, both of which obtained the royal assent.+ The former of these courts, observes Lord Clarendon, had assumed a disputable power of imposing fines; that it sometimes exceeded in the severity of its sentences; that it rendered itself very unpopular; and had managed its censures with more sharpness, and less policy, than the times would bear: but he declares he did not know that any innocent clergyman suffered by any of its ecclesiastical censures. The abolition of these courts effectually clipped the wings of the persecuting prelates. Numerous petitions being sent up from all quarters for preaching ministers, a committee of forty members of the house was appointed, called the committee of preaching ministers, to send ministers where there were vacancies, and provide for their maintenance. And there being many complaints of idle and licentious clergymen, another committee was appointed, called the committee of scandalous ministers, to examine these complaints. A third committee was appointed, called the committee of plundered ministers, for the relief of such godly ministers as were driven from their cures, for adhering to the parliament.¶ Many pious and learned divines were members of these committees, who employed their abilities to the utmost for public usefulness. Upon the presentation of numerous grievances from all Fuller's Church Hist. b. xi. p. 175. + Scobell's Collections, part i. p. 9, 12. Clarendon's Hist. vol. i. p. 221, 222.—The high commission, says Hume, extended its jurisdiction over the whole kingdom, and over all orders of men; and every circumstance of its authority, and all its methods of proceeding, were contrary to the clearest principles of law and natural equity. The commissioners were impowered to administer the oath ex officio, by which a person was bound to answer all questions, and might thereby be obliged to accuse himself or his most intimate friend. The fines were discretionary, and often occasioned the total ruin of the offender, contrary to the established laws of the kingdom. This court was a real Inquisition; attended with all the iniquities, as well as cruelties, inseparable from that tribunal. It was armed, says Granger, with an inquisitorial power, to force any one to confess what he knew, and to punish him at discretion. -Hume's Hist. of Eng. vol. v. p. 189.-Granger's Biog. Hist. vol, i, p. 206. Clarendon's Hist. vol. i. p. 295. Sylvester's Life of Baxter, part i. p. 19. 1 Walker's Suf. Clergy, part i. p. 73. parts of the kingdom, the parliament appointed a committee to draw out of them all, such kind of remonstrance as would give his majesty an impartial representation of the deplorable state of the nation. The remonstrance* was presented to the king, December 1, 1641; and enumerates the grievances, oppressions, and unbounded acts of the prerogative, since his majesty's accession: among which were "The suspension, deprivation, excommunication, and degradation of laborious, learned, and pious ministers.-The sharpness and severity of the high commission, assisted by the council-table, not much less grievous than the Romish inquisition. The rigour of the bishops' courts in the country, whereby numbers of tradesmen have been impoverished, and driven to Holland and New England.The advancement to ecclesiastical preferments, of those who were most officious in promoting superstition, and most virulent in railing against godliness and honesty.The design of reconciling the church of England with that of Rome. And the late canons and oath imposed upon the clergy, under the most grievous penalties."+ But the king was displeased with the remonstrance; he published an answer to it, and issued his royal proclamation, requiring an exact conformity to the religion as by law established.‡ During the year 1642, the king and the parliament put themselves respectively in a posture of defence, and used those military precautions which soon led to all the horrors of a civil war, and deluged the land with blood. Both parties published their declarations, in justification of their own cause. The king set up his standard at Nottingham, where about 2,000 came to him; and greatly augmented his forces out of Shropshire, Worcestershire, and other counties. The parliament raised a gallant army under the command of the Earl of Essex. Many excellent divines became chaplains to the several regiments. Dr. Burgess and Mr. Marshall, to the general's own regiments; Mr. Obadiah Sedgwick, to Colonel Hollis's regiment; Dr. Downing, to Lord Roberts'; Mr. John Sedgwick, to the Earl of Stamford's; Dr. Spurstowe, to Mr. Hampden's; Mr. Perkins, to * The debates in parliament about the remonstrance lasted from three o'clock in the afternoon, till ten next morning, which occasioned Sir B. R. to say, "It was the verdict of a starved jury." Oliver Cromwell told Lord Falkland, that if the remonstrance had been rejected, he would have sold all his estates next morning, and never have seen England any more.→ Whitlocke's Mem. p. 49.-Clarendon's Hist. vol. i. p. 246, 247. + Rushworth's Collec. vol. v. p. 438-Nalson's Collec. vol. ii. p. 694. Rushworth's Collec. vol. v. p. 456. Colonel Goodwin's; Mr. Moore, to Lord Wharton's; Mr. Adoniram Byfield, to Sir Henry Cholmley's; Mr. Nalton, to Colonel Grantham's; Mr. Ashe, either to Lord Brook's or the Earl of Manchester's; and Mr. Morton, to Sir Arthur Hasilrigg's; with many more.* The house of commons had already resolved, "That the Lord's day should be duly observed and sanctified; that all dancing and other sports, either before or after divine service, should be forborn and restrained; that the preaching of God's word be promoted in all parts of the kingdom; and that ministers be encouraged in this work."+ May 5, 1643, the parliament issued an order, "That the Book of Sports shall be burnt by the common hangman, in Cheapside and other public places," which was done by direction of the sheriffs of London and Middlesex. By an ordinance of both houses, it was appointed, "That no person shall henceforth on the Lord's day, use or be present at any wrestling, shooting, bowling, ringing of bells for pleasure, mask, wake, church-ale, games, dancing, sports, or other pastime, under the several penalties annexed." An ordinance also passed for removing all monuments of superstition and idolatry, commanding all altars and tables of stone to be demolished, communion tables to be removed from the east end of the church, the rails to be removed, the chancel to be levelled, tapers, candlesticks, basons, &c. to be removed from the communion tables; and all crosses, crucifixes, and images, to be taken away and defaced. And by another, it was appointed, "That all copes, surplices, superstitious vestments, roods, fonts, and organs, be utterly defaced."ş June 12, 1643, an ordinance passed both houses for calling the assembly of divines. This assembly was not a convocation according to the diocesan modal, nor was it called by the votes of ministers according to the presbyterian way; but the parliament chose all the members themselves, merely with a view to obtain their opinion and advice, in settling the government, liturgy, and doctrine of the church. Their debates were confined to such things as the parliament proposed. Some counties had two members, and some only one. But to appear impartial, and • Sylvester's Life of Baxter, part i. p. 42. + Nalson's Collec. vol. ii. p. 482. An act of greater scorn, or greater insolency and disloyal impudence, says Dr. Heylin, was never offered to a sovereign and anointed Prince, than this severe usage of the Book of Sports.-Hist. of Pres. p. 465. Scobell's Collec. part i. p. 53, 69. Ibid. p. 42. give each party the liberty to speak, they chose many of the most learned episcopalians, as well as those of other denominations. Lord Clarendon reproaches these pious and learned divines, of whom a list is given below,+ by saying, "That some were infamous in their lives and conversation, and most of them of very mean parts, if not of scandalous ignorance, and of no other reputation than of malice to the * Many of the episcopal divines, several of whom were bishops, did not attend. + William Twisse, D. D. Newbury, William Greenhill, Stepney. prolocutor. Corn. Burgess, D.D. Watford, John White, Dorches-( ter, Assessors. William Gonge, D.D. Blackfriars. Thomas Temple, D.D. Battersea. verton. Tho. Micklethwaite, Cherryburton. Francis Taylor, A.M. Yalding. Giles. Edward Peale, Compton. Andrew Perne, Wilby. Samuel de la Place, French Church. Philip Delme. Sydrach Sympson, London. William Carter, London. William Price, Covent-Garden. |