the Scots. But the commons were fo back

ward in complying with the king's defires, that he found himself under the neceffity of diffolving the parliament, which elfe had blafted his defign, and openly declared in favour of the publick enemies. This puts the discontented rabble into such a fury, that they violently affaulted Lambeth House, but were as valiantly repulfed; and the next day break open all the prifons in Southwark, and release all the prisoners, whom they found committed for their inconformities.

* « Nor was it long before it openly ap

peared, what great power the prefbyterian party had in London, which animated Pennington attended with fome hundreds of inferior note, to tender a petition to the house of commons, against the government of bifhops here by law established. It was affirmed, that this petition was fubfcribed by many thousands; and it was probable enough to be fo indeed. But whether it was fo or not, he gave thereby fuch an occafion to the house of commons, that they voted down the canons, which had paffed in the late convocation, condemned the bishops and clergy in great fums of money, which had fubfcribed

Heylin Aerius Redivivus, c. xiii. p. 438, 439.

to

The Scotch re

bels counte

nanced by many

in England.

petition to parliament against

Pennington's

the bishops.

Impeachment

of the arch

bishop of Can

terbury, and

other bithops

and clergy.

Doctrinal Calvinism eftablished by the meeting in Westminster.

to the fame, decry the power of all provin cial or national fynods, for making any canons or conftitutions, which could bind the fubject, until they were confirmed by an act of parliament. And having brought this general terror on the bishops and clergy, they impeach the archbishop of high treason, cause him to be committed to the Black Rod, and from thence to the Tower. Which being done, fome other of the bishops and clergy must be singled out, informed against by fcandalous articles, and those articles printed, without any confideration either true or falfe.

"And though a convocation were at that time fitting, yet to increase the miseries of a falling-church, it is permitted, that a private meeting should be held in the deanry of Westminster, to which fome orthodox and conformable divines were called, as a foil to the reft, which generally were of prefbyterian or puritan principles. By them it was propofed, that many paffages in the liturgy fhould be expunged, and others altered to the worfe. That decency and reverence in officiating God's public fervice should be brought within the compafs of innovations. That doctrinal Calvinifm fhould be entertained in all parts of the church; and all

their Sabbath fpeculations, tnough contrary to Calvin's judgment, fuperadded to it. But before any thing could be concluded in those weighty matters, the commons fet their bill on foot against root and branch, for putting down all bishops and cathedral churches, which put a period to that meeting without doing any thing. And though the bill, upon a full debate thereon amongst the peers, was caft out of that house, and was not, by the course of parliaments, to be offered again; yet contrary to all former cuftom, it was preft from one time to another, till in the end they gained the point, which they fo much aimed at."

By the perfonal infults offered to the king, and the open ufurpation of the executive part of the government by the house of commons, his majesty was neceffitated to fly into Yorkfhire, where the party at Hull and elsewhere unmasked their defigns by open armed rebellious resistance. And now, as Heylin obferves, "comes Calvin's doctrine for reftraining the power of kings to be put in practice." From henceforth the very relation of fovereign and fubject seems to have ceased between that party and the king, as

Heylin's Aerius Redivivus, p. 144..

appears

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 majefty'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 houses 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 popish lord. (as long as he 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 houses should 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 seven 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 lefs 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 ook a guard unto themselves in December laft; but they conceived the king had fo much innocence, that he needed none; and therefore

Q9

The majority

of the nation

wished to pre

serve epifco

pacy and the liturgy.

The gentlemen openly declare

of Yorkshire

for the king.