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appears upon the face of all their future acts, The demands of They infifted, by their nineteen propofitions

the rebels.

to the king, amongst many other infolent demands, "That all the lords of his majesty's council, all the great officers both of court and ftate, the two chief justices, and the chief barons of the exchequer, fhould be from henceforth nominated and approved by both boufes of parliament. That all the great affairs of the kingdom fhould be managed by them, even unto the naming of a governor for his majesty's children, and for difpofing them in marriage at the will of the boufes. That no popib lord (as long as be continued fuch) fhould vote in parliament. And amongst many other things of like importance, That he would give confent to fuch a reformation of church-government and liturgy, as both the houfes fhould advife. But he knew well enough that to grant all this was plainly to diveft himself of all regal power, which God had put into his hands; and therefore he returned fuch an anfwer to them, as the neceffity of his affairs compared with thofe impudent demands, did fuggeft unto him. But as for their demand about reformation, he had answered it in part before they made it, by ordering a col

* Heylin, p. 145. & feq.

lection

lection of fundry petitions prefented to himself, and both houses of parliament in behalf of epifcopacy, and for the preservation of the liturgy to be printed and published.

By

which petitions it appeared, that there was no fuch general difaffection in the fubjects unto either of them (whether they were within the power of the houses, or beyond their reach) as by the faction was pretended; the total number of fubfcribers unto feven of them only (the reft not being calculated in the faid collection) amounting to four hundred eighty-two lords and knights, one thoufand feven hundred and forty efquires and gentlemen of note, fix hundred thirty-one doctors and divines, and no fewer than fortyfour thousand five hundred fifty-nine freeholders of good name and note.

The

"And now the war begins to open. gentlemen of Yorkshire being fenfible of that great affront, which had been offered to his majefty at the gates of Hull, and no less fenfible of those dangers, which were threatened to him by fo ill a neighbourhood, offered themselves to be a guard unto his perfon. The houses of parliament upon the apprehenfion of fome fears and jealoufies, had took a guard unto themselves in December laft; but they conceived the king had fo much innocence, that he needed none; and Qq therefore

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The zeal of the

puritanical par

ty in forward

ing the rebellion.

therefore his accepting of this guard of gentlemen is voted for a levying of war against the parliament, and forces must be raised in defence thereof. It happened alfo, that fome members of the houfe of commons, many of his domestick fervants, and not a few of the nobility and great men of the realm, repaired from feveral places to the king at York; fo far from being willing to involve themselves in other men's fins, that they declared the conftancy of their adhæsion to his majesty's fervice. These men they branded first by the name of malignants, and after looked upon them in the notion of evil counsellors; for whofe removing from the king they pretend to arm, (but now the ftale device must be taken up) as well as in their own defence; towards the raifing of which army, the prefbyterian preachers fo beftir themselves, that the wealthy citizens fend in their plate, the zeal

ous fifters robbed themselves of their bodkins and thimbles, and fome poor wives cast in their wedding-rings, like the widow's mite, to advance the fervice. Befides which, they fet forth instructions, difperfed into all parts of the realm, for bringing in of horses, arms, "plate, money, jewels, to be repaid again on the publick faith; appoint their treasurers for the warr; and nominate the earl

of

of Effex for their chief commander, whom fome difgraces from the court had made wholly theirs. Him they commiffionate to bring the king from his evil counsellors, with power to kill and flay all fuch, as opposed them in it. That which ferved their turns beft was a new diftinction, which they had coined between the perfonal and political capacity of the fupreme magiftrate; alledging, that the king was present with the houses of parliament in his political capacity, though in his personal at York; that they might fight against the king in his perfonal capacity, though not in his politick, and confequently, might destroy Charles Stuart without hurting the king. This was good prefbyterian doctrine; but not fo edifying at York, as it was at Westminster. For his majesty finding a neceffity to defend Charles Stuart, if he defired to fave the king, began to entertain fuch forces, as repaired unto him, and put himself into a pofture of defence against all his adverfaries."

The war was openly carried on with various fuccefs; the rebel party pillaged the towns and laid waste the country with unparalleled ferocity, and demolished the churches with more than pagan fury and hatred to religion; but after their fucceft Q92 seemed

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Stipulation

with the Scots to join in the rebellion.

feemed to fail them, both in the north and weft, "no course was found fitter for them, than to invite the Scots to their aid and fuccour, whofe amity they had lately purchased at fo dear a rate. Hereupon Armin and some others are difpatched for Scotland; where they applied themfelves fo dextrously to that proud and rebellious people, that they confented at the last to all things, which had been defired. But they consented on fuch terms, as gave them an affurance of one hundred thousand pound in ready money; the army to be kept both with pay and plunder; the chief promoters of the fervice to be rewarded with the lands and houses of the English bishops, and their commissioners to have as great an influence, in all counfels both of peace and war, as the lords and com

mons.

"But that, which proved the strongest temptation to engage them in it, was an affurance of reducing the church of England to an exact conformity in government and forms of worship to the kirk of Scotland; and gratifying their revenge and malice, by profecuting the arch-bishop of Canterbury to the end of his tragedy. For compaffing which ends, a

• Heylin, ubi fupra, l. xiii. p. 453.

folema

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