Clarend. Vol.

ill. p. 174.

Vol. I. p. 92.

Tind. Cont.

kat. p. 10.

El. p. 320.

Page 662.

"vernment of the Church established, at least not affected to any other.And in Truth very few of them defired the Extirpation should take "effect. The Church was not repined at, nor "the leaft Inclination to alter the Government and Difcipline of it, or to change the Doctrine "fhewn. Nor was there any confiderable Num"ber of Perfons of valuable Condition who did "wish either. The Caufe of fo prodigious a Change (as happened) a few Years after was too "vifible from the Effects. The Archbishop's "(Laud's) Heart was fet upon the Advancement

66

'

of the Church; in which he well knew he had "the King's full Concurrence, which he thought "would be too powerful for any Oppofition, and "that he fhould need no other Affiftance."-To the violent and illegal Measures therefore by which that furious Archbishop fought to advance it, was its confequent Overthrow, without all Peradventure, principally owing.

"Even when the Covenant was fubfcribed by "both Houses, and enjoined to be taken by the · People, it is far, fais Tindal, from appearing "that the Prefbyterians were the Majority in the "Parliament: But there feem to be very strong

A

Arguments to the contrary." Lord Clarendon Clarend. Vol. reprefents them as "an Handful of Men, not ex"ceeding the Proportion of three to ten, i. e. not "a third Part of the Houfe of Commons." gain, "The Number of those who really intended thefe prodigious Alterations was very inconfider"able." And even the Independant Party, his Lordfhip declares, comprehended many who "were not fo much Enemies to the State, or to "the Church, as not to defire heartily that a "Peace might be established upon the Foundations "of both, fo their own particular Ambitions might be complied with."

Vol. IV.

P. 746.

"his

"They

"They were therefore Gentlemen, Members of "the Church of England, who began the Quarrel "with the King, and first drew the Sword against "him. The Earl of Effex the Parliament's Gene"ral, and whofe very Name raised an Army, "was epifcopal. Lord Clarendon fais of him, that Bennet's "he was rather displeased with the Perfon of the Memor.p. 287. "Archbishop and fome other Bishops, than inde- (Clarend. V. 1. "voted to the Function; and was as much de- P. 223. V. IV. p. 564. "voted as any Man to the Book of Common

66

Prayer, and obliged all his Servants to be conftantly prefent with him at it. Of the Admiral "who feized the King's Ships, and employed "them against him, in the Service of the Parlia"ment, the fame noble Hiftorian fais, he never "discovered any Averfion to Epifcopacy, but pro"feffed the contrary. Sir John Hotham, who fhut "the Gates of Hull against the King, and was Vol. II. p. 389. "the first Man proclaimed a Traitor by him, he "declares to have been very well affected to, and "to have unqueftioned Reverence for the Govern "ment both in Church and State: The fame of v. III. p. 214. "Sir Hen. Vane; and of Lenthall the Speaker: V. IV. p. 620. "And of Pym, a Perfon of the greatest Influence Vol. V. p. 63. "in the Houfe, that he profeffed to be very en"tire to the Doctrine and Difcipline of the "Church. Nay we are told, by the fame great V. III. p.462.) "Author, that all thofe who were countenanced

66

by the Earl of Effex, or in his Confidence, were "fuch as defired no other Alteration in the Church or Government, but only of the Perfons who "acted in it. And Mr. Baxter fays, That the great Officers in Effex's Army were CON FORMISTS; and fome of them fo zealous for the Liturgy and Diocefans, that they would not hear a "Man as a Minifter that had not EPISCOPAL Ordi"nation. Tis alfo known that a noted Clergyman, "Dr. Williams, Archbishop of York, accepted a

66

έσ

C 2

Com

V.

(Clarend. Vol. II. p. 350.)

Ibid. Vol. III. p. 11, 12.

..

"Commiffion from the Parliament, and went into the Army (a), (and did in Person affift the Rebels, as Lord Clarendon expreffes it, to take a "Caftle of the King's, in which there was a Garrifon, and which was taken by a long Siege.) "So that it is, I think, paft Difpute with reafon"able Men, if there was any Fault in Oppofing "the King's Measures and Taking up Arms against him, it must be imputed to the Church of England, for they were the first and the deepest in "the Quarrel."

66

66

Finally, by the noble Hiftorian's own Account, the Horrors of that War and the Ocean of Blood it fpilt had happily been prevented, but for the fatal Inflexibility of the King himself, and his obftinate Refufal of the Counfel and Perfuafions of his moft intimate Counsellors and faithfulleft Friends. For even after his Standard was erected at Nottingham, and the Parliament by Meffages had invited him to return, his Lordship informs us," All Hopes of an Army feeming defperate, he was

66

privately advised by fome, whom he trusted as "much as any, and whofe Affections were as en"tire to him as any Men's, to give all other "Thoughts over, and inftantly to make all ima"ginable Hafte to London, and to appear in the "Parliament Houfe before they had any Expecta"tion of him. And they conceived there would "be more Likelihood for him to prevail that Way, "than by any Army he was like to raife. And it "must be folely imputed to his Majesty's own Re"folution that he took not that Course.”

To the Temerity of the King therefore, and the Rafhnefs of his own fingle and private Refolution, in Oppofition to the Advice of his wifest and best Friends, were the confequent Troubles owing: They

(a) He was Commander in Chief of the Parliament Forces in North-Wales.

They all are for pacific Measures; the King ALONE is for War; and plunges himself and his Kingdom in Blood.

Befides the Lives of fo many thoufand brave Tindal's Sum. Britons as fell in this fatal War, it coft immenfe p. 131. Sums. "From the Year 1641 to 1647, there

"was levied, on the Parliament's Side only, in

66

Money and Money-worth above Forty Millions."

CHAP. V.

The King's illegal Ways of Raifing Money.

TH

HE Power of Raising Money is justly accounted the grand Bulwark of the People's Liberties; for the Moment this is feifed by the King, and yielded by the People, He becomes abfolute,

they Vaffals and Slaves. "When once Kings may L'Clerk, on "impofe Duties, as they think fit, there's an End Clarend, Hift. "of Liberty." This has been ever the Senfe of pag. 21. the British Nation, which has made them always, with great Reason, extremely jealous of this Right; knowing their Freedom to depend entirely upon it. But King Charles not liking the Reftraints of Parliaments, and defigning to reign abfolute, ftrikes at this effential and vital Part of our Constitution, and refolves to raise Money without the Ceremony of Parliament, and by the mere Dint of his own Royal Prerogative and Will. "He told the Parliament in Rapin, Vol. X. "plain Terms by the Lord Keeper, and frequent- p. 284. ly hinted himself, that he knew how to find Mo

66

66

ney without the Help of Parliament."

To compafs this Point,-First, the Pulpits are fet to work; and the Clergy began by the Authority and Name of GOD, and the awful Sanctions of Religion, to promote the Schemes of the Court.

C 3

“They

Rapin, Vol.

X. p. 114.

Ibid. p. 114.

Ibid. p. 115.

"They got Minifters hired for that Purpose, to preach up as a Scripture Doctrine, that Subjects were obliged to obey the King's Will and Pleafure without Examination.' The Doctors Sybthorp and Manwaring in their Sermons and Writings folemnly declare -"That the Prince doth "whatsoever pleafeth him. Where the Word of a "King is, there is Power, and who may say unto "him, what doft Thou? That the King is not bound "to obferve the Laws of the Realm concerning "the Subjects Rights and Liberties; but that his royal Will and Command in Impofing Loans and "Taxes, without common Confent in Parliament, "doth oblige the Subject's Confcience upon Pain of ETERNAL DAMNATION. That those who refused to pay fuch Loans offended against the Law of GOD, "and the King's fupreme Authority, and became guilty of Impiety, Difloyalty, and Rebellion. And "that the Authority of Parliament is NOT NECES

66

SARY for the Raifing of Aids and Subfidies, &c." Thefe Doctrines were fo highly relished at Court, "That A-B-Abbot," a pious, learned, and moderate Divine, who fcorned to facrifice his Country's Liberty to the Ambition of his Prince, was "fuf"pended from all his Archiepifcopal Functions, and "confined to his Country House in a moorish un"healthy Place, for Refufing to licence Sybthorp's "Sermon. Manwaring was severely cenfured and "fined by the House of Lords, ordered to be im"prifoned, fufpended for three Years, and de"clared incapable of any Ecclefiaftical Dignity or "Secular Office.-" But the King (as if in determined Defiance of the House of Lords, and as refolved to let them fee, that he liked the Doctrine preached, and would ftand by and reward the Preacher)" upon the Rifing of the House pre

fently remits his Fine; gives him his Pardon; re"wards him firft with two good Livings, then with

"the