The zeal of the puritanical par ty in forwarding the rebel lion. 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 domeftick 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 adhæfion 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 raising of which army, the prefbyterian preachers fo beftir themselves, that the wealthy citizens fend in their plate, the zealous fifters robbed themselves of their bodkins and thimbles, and fome poor wives caft in their wedding-rings, like the widow's mite, to advance the service. Befides which, they fet forth inftructions, difperfed into all parts of the realm, for bringing in of horfes, arms, plate, money, jewels, to be repaid again on the publick faith; appoint their treafurers 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 oppofed 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 deftroy Charles Stuart without hurt ,, ing the king. This was good prefbyterian doctrine; but not fo edifying at York, as it was at Westminster. For his majefty 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 vari ous fuccefs; the rebel party pillaged the towns and laid wafte the country with unparalleled ferocity, and demolished the churches with more than pagan fury and hatred to religion; but after their success Qq2 feemed 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 so dear a rate. Hereupon Armin and some others are difpatched for Scotland; where they applied themselves fo dextrously to that proud and rebellious people, that they consented at the last to all things, which had been defired. But they confented 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 service to be rewarded with the lands and houses of the English bishops, and their commiffioners 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 supra, 1. xiii. p. 453. folemn folemn league and covenant is agreed between them, first taken and fubfcribed to by the Scots themselves, and afterwards by all the members in both houses of parliament, as alfo by the principal officers of the army, all the divines of the assembly, almost all thofe, which lived within the lines of communication, and in the end by all the fubjects, which either were within their power, or made fubject to it. Now by this The league and covenant. officers depending on it. And thirdly, That he would endeavour the difcovery of fuch as have been, or fhall be incendiaries, malignants, and evil inftruments, either in bindering the reformation of religion, or in dividing between the king and bis people, &c. whom they should bring to condign punishment before the fupream judicatories of either kingdom, as their offences should deServe," It would be impoffible to make a juft representation of the rebellious tyranny practised by this reforming herd of zealots over the king, clergy, and people, without entering more largely into the hiftory of that disgraceful ufurpation, than the intent and bounds of this publication will admit of. By whatever nominal religious diftinction or appellation the rebels were then known, whether as prefbyterians, puritans, or independents, their actions reprefent them as raging with that favage lust for levelling, that knew no political medium between the fierceft tyranny, and the most unbridled anarchy. A leveller of the last century a leveller of the was well defcribed by one, who probably Defcription of Taft century. was perfonally acquainted with many of the actors in that bloody fcene of our national difgrace. *"He has more ambition in his * Secret Hift, of the Calves Head Club, p. 24, breaft, |