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CHAPTER VIII.

AFTER the king had retired to York, as it has been before mentioned, every thing tended to an open rupture between his Majesty and the parliament, since the legislature was divided, and the constitution broken. At this time a long paper war (the prelude to one of a far more fatal consequence) ensued, between the king and parliament: both sides were loading each other with abundance of reproaches and bitter language, and neither was now thinking about an

accommodation.

In order to encourage the factious and schismatical, who were imagining that the reformation was carried on too slowly, the parliament published a declaration, "that they intended a due and necessary reformation of the government and liturgy of the church, and to take away nothing in the one or other, but what should be evil and justly offensive, or at least unnecessary and burdensome; and would speedily have consultation with godly and learned divines: but

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because that would never of itself attain the end, they would use their utmost endeavours to establish learned and preaching ministers with a good and sufficient maintenance through the kingdom."

This declaration, which was intended to encourage their friends who were anxious about their intended reformation of the church, as well as to allay the fears of others, whose eyes were beginning to open and to see the destruction threatened to church and state, was printed and dispersed in every market-town in the kingdom. June 2, 1642, the parliament, by a committee, presented the king with the sum of all their desires for the reformation and safety of church and state, in nineteen propositions. Those relative to the church were the following:"That his Majesty would be pleased to consent, that such a reformation be made of the church government and liturgy, as both houses of parliament shall advise, wherein they intend to have consultation with divines, according to the declaration above; and that his Majesty will contribute his best assistance for the raising a sufficient maintenance for preaching ministers through the kingdom; and will give consent to the laws for the taking away innovations, superstition, and pluralities, and against scandalous ministers."

In answer to these propositions, his Majesty

referred them to what he has said in his answer to their petition and remonstrance in his first declaration, and to his message sent on passing the bill against the bishops' votes. But as for the bills against superstitions, innovations, &c. his Majesty declared he could say nothing to them till he saw them.*

It was now manifest that the controversy between the king and parliament, which had been hitherto carried on with the pen, must be decided with the sword. Both sides collected as much strength as possible, and the horrible scene of civil war began, and the land was deluged with blood. The writer of this volume refers his courteous readers to Lord Clarendon's History of the Grand Rebellion, and other historians, for a copious and detailed account of that scene of confusion, of blood-shedding, and miseries, which now ensued in consequence of the unhappy differences between the king and parliament. Truly it was a scene as horrible and shocking to humanity, as it was scandalous, cruel, and dishonourable to the English nation. Those times will be an indelible blot on the page of English history, and a disgrace to our country. But the troubles of those times, may, however, be viewed

* Warner's Eccles. Hist. of England, vol. ii, p. 552.

as wisely ordered by Providence, as a memorable lesson and warning to posterity, to guard against factious parties in religion and politics. The result of those troubles and confusion brought then upon the church and state, teaches us how delusive and destructive must have been the principles of those patriots and puritans, who were the authors and promoters of those convulsions.

If any ways or means could have been adopted in time to restore a mutual confidence between the king and the parliament, the remaining differences in the church might easily have been reconciled and accommodated. But as the flames of the civil war spread wider and grew fiercer, the wounds of the church were also aggravated and enlarged. And when the parliament called in the Scots to their assistance, and the solemn league and covenant was subscribed, these wounds became incurable. The state of the controversy was then entirely changed, and the mask was stript off. The puritans no longer sought for a reformation of the hierarchy, and for liberty of conscience, but for the same spiritual power which had been exercised by the bishops, and to introduce the presbyterian government in its full extent, as the established religion of England. To this purpose a bill was passed by the Commons, for the utter abolition

and extirpation of episcopacy. And it was determined by them, that no overtures for peace should be made to the king till this bill was passed in the house of lords, where it would never otherwise have been submitted to.

From the year 1642 till the end of the civil war, the established form of government in the church was interrupted. So the ancient hierarchy of England was suspended, and lay prostrate for about eighteen years: but it was never legally dissolved, for the king would not, and did not give his royal assent.

The parliament now having usurped the sovereignty, by still requiring new concessions, and a further abridgment of the regal power, prevented the king from all possibility of an accommodation. Besides the nineteen propositions already mentioned, they requested the king in express terms to abolish episcopacy entirely, and that all ecclesiastical disputes should be decided by an assembly of divines but the king would not, by any means, assent to such measures. The parliament therefore passed an ordinance in June, 1643, "for the calling an assembly of learned and godly divines, and others, to settle the government and liturgy of the church of England, &c."

Before this assembly met, the king issued a proclamation to forbid their meeting, declaring

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