1637. King James had made in that Nation, for, the better Regulation of that Church, both as to the Government and Worship of it. Which Act too many finifter Perfons oppofed, because it favoured of eltablishing Epifcopacy. October the 13th was James Duke of York born. The Book for tolerating Sports on the Lord's-Days, first published by King James, was now ratified, which greatly distalled the Puritannical Party, and many Epifcopalians alfo. A. D. 1634, the English Coafts being infefted with Pickeroons, Turks, and Dunkirk Pirates, and the Fishing ufurped by the Hollanders, on the King's Dominions, in the narrow Seas, and the Exchequer not being able to furnish out a Fleet fufficient for the repreffing thefe Incroachers, his Majefty hereupon confults his Attorney-General Noy, what might be done herein; Noy acquaints him with ancient Precedents of raising a Tax upon the Nation, for fetting forth a Fleet in cafe of Danger, and affures him of the Legality of the way in proceeding by Writs to that Effect; which Counsel being embraced, there were Writs directed to the feveral Counties, for fuch a Contribution, as might in the whole build, furnish, and maintain 47 Ships for the Safety of the Kingdom; but this Tax was by many difrelifhed, and cenfured as a Breach of the Civil Liberties, and to be against Law, because not laid by Parliament; and Mr. John Hampden and others refufed to pay this Ship-Money, ftanding it to a Tryal of Law; against whom feveral of the Judges, to whom the King had referred the Caufe, gave Judgment, Hutton and Crook excepted. The Pirates were curbed by the King's Fleet, and the Hollanders re duced to a precarious Ufe of the English Seas. A. D. 1637, Mr. Pryn, Dr. Bafi wick, and Mr. Burton, a Lawyer, Phifician, and Divine, for writing against Epifcopacy and Bishops, were fentenced to pay 5,000 to the King, to lofse their Ears in the Pillory, which they did, and then were fent into Banifhment, or remote Confinement. Dr. Williams Bishop of Lincoln was fined, and fufpended from his Offices and Benefits, and imprisoned, for underhandly fomenting popular Dif affections, and venting fome difhonourable Speeches concerning the King. Now about thefe Times many of thofe called Puritans, by reason of the fevere Proceedings against them, paffed over into New England, and there feated themfelves; others into Holland. July 13. While the Dean in his Sacerdotal Habiliments was reading a new compofed Liturgy, in St. Giles's Church at Edinburgh, the common People, both Men and Women, flung Cudgels, Stones, Stools, or any Thing that came next Hand, at him; and after that was done, reinforced their Affauks upon the Bishop then prefent. Nor was it the Rabble only, that were difaffected to the Church Liturgy and Difcipline, but Perfons of al Degrees and Orders, who mutually obliged themfelves, and the Stottja Nation, in a Hellish Covenant, to extirpate Epifcopacy, and to defend each other againit all Perfons. To reduce this People to a more peaceful Practice, the King fent Marquis Hamilton as his Commiffioner; but he fecretly encouraged the Cove nanters, directing by his Counfels the first Motions of thofe his De pendants, the Lords Traquaire ard Roxborough. All his Allies were o the Covenanting Party. 'Tis alfo faid, that his Mother rid armed with Pitals at her Saddle-bow for the Defence of the Covenant; and his Actings fuch, that new Seeds of Difcontents and War were daily fown; fo that to pacify the Difcontents of the Scots, his Majefty at length gave Order for revoking the Liturgy, the High Commifion, the Book of Canons, and the Five Articles of Perth made by King James; alfo granted, that a General Affembly of the Kirk fhould be holden at Glafcow, Nov. 21, 1638, and a Parliament at Edinburgh the 15th of May, 1639. When the Affembly were met, they fell to declare against Bishops, to excommunicate them and their Adherents, and to abolish Epifcopacy; and the Covenanters were allo fo daring, that they feized upon the King's Revenue, furprized his Forts and Caftles, and at last put themfelves in Arms; Cardinal Richelieu of France heightning hem, 'tis faid, in their factious Proceedings, by promifing them Affittance from the French King. King Charles now well perceiving that his Clemency to the Scots was converted to his own Prejudice, railed a gallant Army, with which he marched to Berwick, within Sight of the Rebel Scots; but they petitioning for a Pacification, the King yielded thereunto. A. D. 1639, June 17, the King disbanded his Army, expecting that the Scots would have done the like, according to the Articles agreed on; but the Covenanters, initead of keeping thefe Articles, retained their Officers in Pay, changed the old Form of holding Parliaments, invaded the Preroga tives of the Crown, and follicited the French King for an Aid of Men and Money. His Majefty hereupon calls a Parliament in England to 1639. fit April the 13th, 1640, and another in Ireland. The Irish Parlia- William ment granted Money to raise and Laud, pay, 8,000 Men in Arms, and to A. B. of furnish them with Ammunition; Cant, but the English Parliament were not fo free in granting Supplies against the Scots, although the King promifed them for ever to quit his Claim of Ship-Money, and give Satisfaction to their jutt Demands, if now they would fupply him. When his Majelly fent old Sir Henry Vane unto them to demand fix Subfidies, he either purpofely or accidentally (the firft is rather thought) nained Twelve, which put the Commons into fuch a Heat, that they were about to remonftrate against the War with Scotland. Whereupon the King was forced to diffolve the Parliament May the 5th, 1640. Howbeit he continued the Convocation of the Clergy which granted him Four Shillings in the Pound for all their Ecclefiaftical Promotions. Soon after this, a Tum lt was stirr'd up against the Bishop of Canterbury, infomuch that a great Number of Apprentices and vulgar Perfons affaulted his House at Lambeth, some of whom being apprehended and imprifoned, were by their Companions refcued out of Prifon; for which one of the Ringleaders was hanged and quartered. The People were now much diffatisfied, because fome obfolete things were revived and feverely inforced by fome Ecclefiafticks (the Popularity call'd them Introductions to Popery) as the Railing in of the Communion-Table, and raifing of Steps to it, &c. It hath been the Opinion of fome, reputed of good Judgment, that if moderate Bishop Jaxon had been in thefe times Primase of all England, this Kingdom A. D. 1640. had not been made fo unhappy by a himself wholly upon his Engli Civil War, as it was. Now whilst these things were acting at Home, the turbulent Scots had entred England, and defeated a Part of the King's Army before the whole could be imbodied, and had gained Newcastle and Durham. And no fooner was his Majefty come to his Army in the North, but there followed him from fome Englih Lords, a Petition conformable to the Scots Remonftrance, which they called the Intentions of the Army (viz.) not to lay down Arms till the Reformed Religion (meaning Scotch Prefbytery) was fettled in both Nations; and the Caufers and Abettors of their present Troubles were brought to publick Juftice, and that in Parliament. The King therefore fummons the Lords to appear at York, September the 24th, 1640, who accordingly met, where it was determined that a Parliament fhould be called to meet November the 3d following; then a Treaty was agreed upon betwixt the English and Scotch for the ceafing of all Acts of Hoftility; and one of the Articles was, That the Contribution of 850 1. per Diem, fhould be raifed out of the English Northern Counties, to maintain the Scotch Army during the Treaty, and till Peace was fecured. A. D. 1640, the fatal long Parliament began November the 3d, which Day, 'tis faid, was looked upon by the Archbishop of Canterbury as an unlucky Day for meeting of Parliaments in Reference to Church Affairs, having proved fo in the Time of King Henry VIII. Whereupon he advifed the King to put off their fitting to another Day; which his Majesty inclined not unto, but at their meeting acquainted them that he was refolved to put Subjects, that he would fatisfy all their juft Grievances; then commended to their Care, the chafing out of the faucy Scots, making Provifion for his own Army, and relieving the oppreffed Northern Counties. But the Parliament, instead of complying with their Sovereign in his juft Propofals, firft fet upon purging their House of such whom they thought would not comply with their Defigns; finding Fault either with their Elections, or elfe making them Criminals in fome publick Grievance; then fettled Committees for Grievances, and receiving Petitions, voted down Monopolies, impeached the Lord Went worth Earl of Strafford of High Treason, and committed him to the Black-Rod; committed Archbishop Laud likewife to the Black Rod, and Ten Weeks after voted him Guilty of High Treason, and fent him to the Tower. In the mean while Pryn, Burton, and Baftwick were freed from their Confinement, and conducted into London in great State and Triumph. Sir Francis Windebank, Secretary of State, fearing to be called to an Account by the Parliament, for reprieving Jefuits and Prietts, fled in to France. The Lord-Keeper Finch failed over into Holland. Alderman Penington, with fome Hundreds attending him, prefented to the Commons a Petition from the Citizens of London against the pre fent Church-Government. Divers Petitions from other Places came before them of the like Nature And now the Parliament, well per ceiving their own Strength ard Intereft, drew up a Bill for Trien nial Parliaments ; wherein the Power of calling that great Coun cil of the Nation was, upon Refu of the King, and Neglect of other devolve devolved upon Conftables. This the King through their Importunities granted unto them. February the 16th the Parliament voted, That no Bishop fhould have any Vote in Parliament, nor any Judicial Power in the Star-chamber Court, nor have any Sway in temporal Affairs; and that no Clergyman fhould be in Commiffion of Peace. The Pope's Nuncio Rofetti, who was here in England to preferve Correfpondencies between the Queen and the Key-keeper of Purgatory, was fent away to Rome. And after about five Months from their Sitting, the Earl of Strafford, Lord Deputy of Ireland, was brought to his Tryal, in Westminster-hall, before the Lords as his Judges: The King, Queen, and Prince fitting behind a Curtain in an adjoining Gallery, and round about the Court flood the Commons his Accufers, and the Witneffes against him were English and Scotch Anti-Epifcopalians, and Irish Papifls. His Charge confifted of 28 Articles; to all which he answered with fuch firm Reafons, that he could not be found guilty of Treafon, either in Particulars, or in the Whole. The Parliament therefore refolved (for right or wrong this wife Man muft fall) to proceed against him by Bill of Attainder, and upon April the 19th, by making a Law after the Fact, vote him guilty of High Treafon; yet withal add a Caution for the Security of themfelves, that it should not be drawn into a Precedent. Which Vote of theirs paffed not without a long Debate and Contention, and 59 of the Members honeftly diffented from the Vote, whofe Names were after wards posted and marked for the Fury of the Rabble. In the Bill of Attainder, the Earl was charged for endeavouring to fubvert the ancient fundamental Laws and Go vernment of the Realms, and for exercifing a tyrannous and exorbitant Power over the Liberties and Eftates of his Majesty's Subjects; and for having by his own Authority commanded the laying and affeffing of Soldiers upon his Majefty's Subjects in Ireland. And alfo for that, upon the Diffolution of the laft Parliament, he did flander the Houfe of Commons to his Majefty, and did advife his Majefty that he was loofed and abfolved from Rules of Government, and that he had an Army in Ireland which he might employ to reduce the Kingdom. And that the faid Earl had been an Incendiary of the Wars betwixt England and Scotland, &c. May 1, his Majefty called both Houfes together, and told them, that he had been prefent at the hearing of the great Caufe, and that in his Conscience pofitively he could not condemn the Earl of Treafon, and yet could not clear him of Mifdemeanours; but hoped a Way might be found out to fatisfy Juftice and their Fears, without oppreffing his Confcience. May 2, the Prince of Orange was married to the Princess Mary at Whitehall. May 3, there came a feditious Rabble of about 5 or 6000 of the Dregs of the People, armed with Staves, Cudgels, and other Inftruments of Outrage, to the Parliament Doors, clamouring Jufice, Juftice; and pofted upon the Gate of Wefiminfter a Catalogue of the Names of thofe that would have acquitted the Earl, whom they ftyled Straffordians. Then at the Doors of the Houfe of Peers, they affronted fome of the Lords, efpecially the Bishops, at their paffing in and out; after this they forced open the Abby-Church, where they broke 1640. 1641. down the Organs, fpoiled the Veft- tuous May 10, with much Reluctancy the King figned Commiflion to fome Lords to pafs the Bill of At tainder, and another of ill Confequence alfo, which was for Conti nuation of the Parliament during the Pleafure of the two Houfes. May 12, 1641, was the Earl of Strafford strongly guarded to Towerbill, and there, with Courage befeeming a Chriftian, he fuffered the fevering of his Head from his Body. The Death of which great and able Minister of State did fo terrify the other Minifters of State, that many of them made a voluntary Refignation of their Offices. At the Request of the Houfe of Commons, the King for Peace Sake, relinquished his Claim of Tonnage and Poundage, and yielded to fign the Bills for taking away of the High Commiffion and Star-Chamber Courts. October 12, the Natives, or Wild Irish, began a molt bloody Rebellion throughout the whole Kingdom of Ireland, on a fudden invading the unprovided Engli that were fcattered amongst them, defpoiling them of their Goods, and maffacring 200,000 of them, with out any refpect of Sex, Age, Kin dred, or Friendship, making them as fo many Sacrifices to their bloody Superftition, the Popish Religion. The chief Heads of this Rebellion and Maffacre (befide the Priests were Sir Phelim O-Neal, Turbough O-Neal his Brother, Rouy M Guire, Philip O-Rely, Moelmurry 0. Rely, Sir Conno Mac-Gennis, Mat Brian, and Mac-Mahon. His Ma jefty then in Scotland, having Intelligence of the difmal Fate of the English in Ireland, fent Poft to the Parliament of England to have them fend Reliefs thither; but Differences ftill heightning betwixt the King and his Parliament, Succours were not feasonably fent, by which the Rebels much itrengthned themfelves, At the King's Return from Scotland, the Parliament prefented him with a Petition for taking away the Votes of Bishops in the House of Lords, |