favour of the Puritans. In historical debates, nothing is to be received upon trust, but facts are to be examined, and a judgment formed upon the authority by which those facts are supported; by this method we shall arrive at truth; and if it shall appear, that in the course of this long history, there are any considerable mistakes, the world may be assured, I will take the first opportunity to retract or amend them; having no private or party views, no prospect of preferment, or other reward for my labours, than the satisfaction of doing some service to truth, and to the religious and civil liberties of mankind; and yet, after all, I must bespeak the indulgence and candour of my readers, which those, who are sensible of the labour and toil of collecting so many materials, and ranging them in their proper order, will readily allow to one, who sincerely wishes the prosperity and welfare of all good men, and that the violence and outrage of these unhappy times, which brought such confusion and misery both on king and people, may never be imitated by the present, or any future age. London, Nov. 4, 1735. DANIEL NEAL. CHAP. II. From the calling of the assembly of divines at Westminster, to the Oxford parliament CHAP. III. The Oxford parliament.-Progress of the war.— Visitation of the university of Cambridge by the earl of CHAP. IV. Of the several parties in the assembly of divines -Presbyterians-Erastians-Independents.-Their pro- CHAP. V. Abstract of the trial of archbishop Laud; and of CHAP. VI. The progress of the war.-Debates in the assem- bly about ordination.-The power of the keys.-The divine right of the Presbyterian government.-Committee for comprehension and toleration of the Independents CHAP. VII. The conclusion of the first civil war, by the king's surrendering his royal person to the Scots.-Peti- tions of the assembly and city-divines against toleration, and for the divine right of the Presbyterial government, which is erected in London.-Debates between the king, Mr. Henderson, and the Scots commissioners.—His ma- 86 142 271 CHAP. VIII. Proceedings of the assembly upon their confession of faith and catechisms.-Provincial assemblies of Lon- don. The king taken out of the custody of parliament, and conveyed to the army.-His majesty's conduct.—He CHAP. IX. The visitation of the university of Oxford.-State of religion at the end of the year CHAP. X. The second civil war. The conclusion of the as- sembly of divines.-The progress of presbytery.-Treaty of the Isle of Wight.-Death and character of king HISTORY OF THE PURITANS. CHAP. I. FROM THE BATTLE OF EDGEHILL TO THE CALLING THE ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES AT WESTMINSTER. THE king having recruited his army at Oxford, after the battle of Edgehill, by the assistance of the university, who now gave his majesty all their money, as they had before done their plate, resolved to pursue his march to London, in order to break up the parliament, and surprise the city; while the earl of Essex, imagining the campaign was ended, lay quiet about Warwick, till being informed of the king's designs, he posted to London, and ordered his forces to follow with all expedition. The earl arrived November 7, 1742, and was honourably received by both houses of parliament, who presented him with a gratuity of 5,0001. and to strengthen his army passed an ordinance, that such apprentices as would list in their service should be entitled to a freedom of the city at the expiration of their apprenticeship, equally with those who continued with their masters. In the beginning of November, the king took possession of Reading without the least resistance, the parliament-garrison having abandoned it, which alarmed both houses, and made them send an express to desire a safe conduct for a committee of lords and commons, to attend his majesty with a petition for peace ;* the committee waited on his majesty at Colnbrook, fifteen miles from London, and having received a favourable answer,† reported it to the two houses, who immediately gave * Rushworth, vol. 5. p. 58. "He seemed to receive the petition with great willingness; and called God to VOL. III. B orders to forbear all acts of hostility, and sent a messenger to the king, to desire the like forbearance on his part; but the committee had no sooner left Colnbrook, than his majesty, taking the advantage of a thick mist, advanced to Brentford about seven miles from London,* which he attacked with his whole army, November 13, and after a fierce and bloody rencounter with the parliament-garrison, wherein considerable numbers were driven into the Thames and slain, he got possession of the town, and took a great many prisoners. The consternation of the citizens on this occasion was inexpressible, imagining the king would be the next morning at their gates; upon which the lord-mayor ordered the trained bands immediately to join the earl of Essex's forces, which were just arrived at Turnham-green, under the command of major-general Skippon; and there being no farther thoughts of peace, every one spirited up his neighbour, and all resolved as one man to live and die together. Major Skippou went from regiment to regiment, and encouraged his troops with such short soldier-like speeches as these; " Come, my boys! my brave boys! I will run the same hazards with you; remember, the cause is for God and the defence of yourselves, your wives and children. Come, my honest brave boys! let us pray heartily, and fight heartily, and God will bless us." When they were drawn up, they made a body of about witness, in many protestations, that he was tenderly compassionate of his bleeding people, and more desirous of nothing than a speedy peace." May's Parliamentary History, b. 3. p. 33.-The immediate subsequent conduct of the king was, certainly, not consistent with such professions: yet Dr. Grey is displeased with Mr. Neal, for insinuating that it was a breach of promise, and accuses him of not giving the fairest account of this action, which, he says, the king sufficiently justified. But, when the doctor passed this censure, it seems that he had not looked forward to the next paragraph, where the motives of the king's behaviour are stated. The committee, depated by the parliament to Colnbrook, consisted of the earls of Northumberland and Pembroke, lord Wainman, Mr. Pierpoint, sir John Ipsley, and sir John Evelyn: when the king refused to admit the last gentleman, because he had named him a traitor the day before; the parliament, though extremely displeased with the exception, so as to vote it a breach of privilege, yet, from their ardent desire of accommodation, permitted the petition to be presented without sir John Evelyn. May, b. 3. p. 32.This yielding conduct leaves the king more inexcusable, as it serves to shew the sincerity of the parliament in their overtures; and lord Clarendon says, that it was believed by many, that had the king retired to Reading, and waited there for the answer of the parliament, they would immediately have withdrawn their garrison from Windsor, and delivered that castle to his majesty for his accommodation to have carried on the treaty he had proposed. History, vol. 2. p. 73.-The motives, on which the king acted, in the action at Brentford, which Mr. Neal has compressed into one paragraph, Dr. Grey, by large quotations on different authorities, has extended through four pages, which affords a parade of confuting Mr. Neal.-ED. *Whitelocke, p. 62. |