tt Chamber was another Court, the moft rigorous Rap. Vol. X. "that ever was, the Severity whereof fell chiefly p. 247. ઠંડ upon those who pretended to dispute the Prero gative-Royal. The High-Commiffion was per"fectly of a Piece with the other two; and under "a Colour of putting a Stop to Schifm, oppreffed, as Puritans, those who refused to submit to a "defpotick Power." And here one cannot but obferve with Lord Clarendon," that a Man fhall not unprofitably "fpend his Contemplation who confiders, on this Occafion, the Method of Go D's Justice, a Method terribly remarkable in many Paffages, that "the fame Principles and the fame Application of "thofe Principles, fhould be used to the Wrefting "ail Sovereign Power from the Crown, which "the Crown had a little before made Ufe of for "the Extending its Authority and Power beyond "its Bounds, to the Prejudice of the juft Rights "of the Subject." CHAP. IV. The Confufions and Civil War proceeded not from any Religious Sect or Party among ft the People; but folely from the Oppreffions and Tyranny of the Court. 66 ડ Clarend. Vol. TO Man, fais Lord Clarendon, can fhew me a Source from whence these Waters of Bit"ternefs more probably flow'd, than from the "unreasonable, unskilful, and precipitate Diffolu❝tions of Parliaments," efpecially as the King had Clarend. V. I. publickly declared, "That he would account it p. 4. Prefumption for any Man to prefcribe any Time to 66 bis Majefty for Parliaments, which Words were 66 generally Welw. Mem. 66 "generally interpreted as if no more Affemblies of that Nature were to be expected; and that "all Men were prohibited, upon Penalty of Con"fure, fo much as to speak of a Parliament.-The King had always the Disadvantage (the great "Weakness) to harbour Perfons about him, who with their utmost Industry, falfe Information and Malice improved the Faults and Infirmities "of the Court to the People: and again, as much as in them lay, rendered the People fufpected, if not odious, to the King." Welwood, fpeaking of the King's Minifters, fais, "Some of them drove fo faft, that it was no "Wonder the Wheels and Chariot broke: and "it was in great part to the indifcreet Zeal of a mitred Head (Bifhop Laud) that had got an Afcendant over his Mafter's Confcience and "Councils, that both the Monarchy and Hierarchy ❝owed afterwards their Fall." "All those who were not fubmiffive enough "to the King were looked upon as Puritans, Rapin, Vol. X. " and frequently oppreffed as fuch. So by a fatal p. 258. "Policy; Men well affected to the Church of 66 England, but Enemies to arbitrary Power, were "driven in fpite of themselves, to fide with the "Puritans, in order to strengthen their Party and "enable them to oppofe the Defigns of the "Court." The Parliament which oppofed and levied War against the King, confifted chiefly, almoft entirely, of Perfons who were Members of the Church of England and well affected to it. They were "Men attached to the Conftitution, as well in "Church as State, and Enemies only to the Abufe Tindal's Cont. of Power in both. The Subverfion therefore Int. P. 5.. "of the Civil and Ecclefiaftical Constitution which "afterwards happened, was not owing to any fettled Defign at the firft, but to certain Acci * dents dents and Conjunctures not to be foreseen by "the most acute Understanding." "In the House of Commons, fais Lord Claren don, were many Perfons of Wisdom and Gra- Clarend. Vol vity, who being poffeffed of great and plentiful I. p. 184. "Fortunes, though they were undevoted enough "to the Court, had all imaginable Duty to the "King, and Affection to the Government efta"blifhed by Law; and without Doubt the MAJOR PART of that Body confifted of Men who had no "Mind to break the Peace of the Kingdom, or to "make any confiderable Alteration in the Government "of Church or State." Yea his Lordship acknowledges, "that as to "the Church the Major Part even of thofe Per"fons (i. e. of the Anti-Courtiers and Leaders of Ibid. p. 2127 "the House of Commons, viz. Bedford, Say, "Pym, Hollis, St. John, &c.) would have been "willing to have fatisfied the King: The rather, "because they had no Reason to think the two "Houfes, or indeed either of them, could have "been induced to have purfued the contrary.". "In the House of Commons, though of the chief Leaders, Nath. Fiennes and young Sir "Harry Vane, and fhortly after Mr. Hambden, Ibid. p. 233. "(who had not before owned it) were believed to be for Root and Branch: Yet Mr. Pym was not "of that Mind, nor Mr. Hollis, nor any of the "Northern Men, or thofe Lawyers who drove on r moft furiously with them; all who were pleased "with the Government itself of the Church." So then, the most FURIOUS DRIVERS in the Parliament were Men well attached to the Church. 46 Yea, "The Committee fent to the Parliament Clarend. Vol. "with their Answer to the King at York, con- II.p.515,518, cerning Sir John Hotham's Refufing him Entrance into Hull, and who were ordered to attend his Majesty there (as a kind of Spies upon « him) Clarend. Vol. Tind. Cont. Int. p. 5. 1. p. 233. him) viz. Lord Howard of Efcrigg, Lord Fair σε fax, Sir Hugh Cholmly, Sir Philip Stapleton and "Sir Harry Cholmly, were all reputed moderate "Men, and had not been thought difaffected to "the Government of Church or State." His Lordship further affures us, "There was through❝out the whole Kingdom a Love of the establish❝ed Government of Church and State, especially "of that Part of the Church which concerned "the Liturgy or Book of Common Prayer, which άσ was a moft general Object of Veneration with "the People. 66 "Accordingly, the Commons feventeen Days after their first Meeting made an ORDER, That "none should fit in their House, but such as would "receive the Communion according to the Ufage of the CHURCH OF ENGLAND. As for the Peers, "Lord Clarendon obferves, that when the Bill for "taking away the Votes of the Bishops in Parliaἐσ ment was brought into the House, there were only two Lords (Say and Brook) that appeared "as Enemies to the whole Fabrick of the Church, ἐσ of to defire a Diffolution of the Epifcopal Go"vernment. He alfo defcribes the principal "Members of the House of Commons to be well "affected, or at least not averfe, to the Govern"ment of the Church, as Pym, Hollis, Whitelock, "Selden, &c. It feems therefore unjust to charge "in general the Members of this Parliament with "having, from the Beginning, Defigns of fub verting the Constitution, or to blame their Op"pofition to the Proceedings of the Court, fince "Frequency of Parliaments, Redress of Grievances, "and Calling the King's Arbitrary Minifters to ac count were the Ends propofed by the major Part "of both Houfes, without the leaft Thought of deftroying the Civil or Ecclefiaftical Govern ment. The The Duke of Newcastle, the King's General in the North, in his Declaration affirms, "That the Clarend. Vol. Quarrel between the King and the two Houses II. p. 175. "was not grounded upon any Matter of Religion, "the Rebels profeffing themfelves to be of the "fame of which his Majefty was known to be." "The Militia, fais Nelfon, was the Apple of Introd. to Coll. "Contention: And though they have endeavour- p. 77. "ed to make it Bellum Epifcopale, yet, moft cer tainly, it was a War begun, not for the Mitre, "but for the Sceptre and the Sword." "It was not a few of either Houfe, fays Wel"wood, but indeed all the great PATRIOTS that "concurred at firft to make Inquiry into the "Grievances of this Reign. Sir Ed. Hide (af"terwards Lord Clarendon) the Lords Digby, "Falkland, Capel; Mr. Grimstone (Speaker of Welwood's "the Houfe of Commons) which brought in King Mem. p. 43. Charles II. Mr. Hollis (fince Lord Hollis) all "which fuffered afterward on the King's Side: "And in general moft of those who took the King's Part in the fucceeding War, were the "Men who appeared with the greatest Zeal for "the Redrefs of Grievances, and made the fharp"eft Speeches on thofe Subjects. Their Inten"tions were certainly noble and juft, and tended "to the equal Advantage of King and People." "The general Temper and Humour of the "Kingdom, Lord Clarendon affures us, was little "inclined to the Papift, and lefs to the Puritan. "The Murmur and Difcontent that was, appear"ed to be against the Excess of Power exercised 66 by the Crown, and fupported by the Judges in Westminster-Hall. Very much the Major Part, Clarend. Vol. "even of thofe Members who ftill continued with I. p. 92. "the Houfe (long after the War commenced and V. III. p.117. "after the Bill for the Extirpation of Epifcopacy "had paffed) were cordially affected to the Go |