head of which were the Earl of Warwick, high admiral, the Earls of Essex, of Bedford, and Lord Kimbolton, first generals in the parliament service.

The king, at the opening of Parliament, kindled the fire, by calling the Scots rebels in his speech, and afterwards declaring that he coul call them neither better nor worse." The king, at the request of the Parliament, appointed a fast, and upon their first entering upon business, they appointed four grand committees the first to receive petitions about grievances of religion; this was afterwards subdivided into twenty or thirty others upon the same subject.-The second for the affairs of Scotland and Ireland.-The third for civil grievances, as shipmoney, judges of courts, courts of justice, &c.—The fourth concerning Popery and Popish plots.

These were the great subjects that interested the deliberations of this Parliament. A convocation of the clergy was assembled in order to controul the proceedings of Parliament; but they found their influence could avail nothing, and they dispersed without even an adjournment. The most conspicuous feature of this Parliament, may be seen in their impeachment of Arch-Bishop Laud for high treason, and committing him to the tower, December 16, 1640. The next feature of importance, was their releasing from their imprisonment, such worthies as were now suffering under the rod of Laud's tyrannical government, and the Courts of Star-Chamber and High Commission.

When the tyrants fell, the people then felt their liberty, and began to express it by their excesses and violence against the trappings of the church. The Puritans took courage from this, and began to appear and hold their meetings openly; this opened a paper war in defence of Episcopacy, and the divine right of Episcopacy, and the primative manner of worship, all which . called forth the best talents of the nation. During this paper controversy, the Parliament were called to receive two petitions, the one called the Root and Branch Petition, for the abolition of the Hierarchy, and the other in support of it. These petitions occasioned great warmth of feeling and expression.

The Parliament granted the prayer of the Root and Branch Petition in full.

The Parliament next proceeded, with great severity, against Papists. The king appeared openly to defend, but was obliged to comply. They next proceeded to impeach the Earl of Strafford, for his arbitrary measures, and advice to the king, and brought him to the block :" which struck a general terror into the hearts of the king and the court. The king made an effort to bring his army (which had been raised against the Scots) up to London, to suppress, or overawe this Parliament : this plot was discovered, and the Parliament declared their sittings permanent, until they should be prorogued, or dissolved by their own consent. The king was down, and the Parliament became the great organ of government in the nation. The Parliament next proceeded to establish, upon their eaths, the Protestant religion of the Church of England, freed from all Popish innovations, &c. The Commons originated a bill for the removal of the bishops from the House of Lords, which was debated with much talents and warmth, and took up much time; but was finally lost. Great efforts were made in various shapes to change the Episcopal government of the church; but the nation were not yet ripe. The Parliament next proceeded to abolish the Courts of Star-Chamber and High Commission; the king at first withheld his assent, but finally yielded from necessity. This struck a mortal blow to the despotic The Parliament next impeached thirteen bishops, for compiling the late canons, contrary to the king's prerogative, with a view to drive them from their seats in the House of Lords, but it failed; yet it brought upon the bishops the odium of the nation.

power of the crown.

These proceedings alarmed the king, and he went down into Scotland, in order to strengthen himself with the Scots; here he went all lengths in his concessions and promises; but it only increased and hastened his own ruin.

The Parliament next proceeded to restore a due and solemu observance of the Sabbath, and provide for the free and extensive preaching of the word of God, together with the abolition

of all Popish rites and ceremonies which had crept into the church. This occasioned some excesses among the populace, and great liberties amongst the preachers.

1641. This year Arch-Bishop Laud was suspended from his jurisdiction; but his confinement in the tower continued.

1641. At this time a bloody insurrection of the Papists broke out in Ireland, consisting of a mob in arms, of 20 or 30,000, who commenced a general and indiscriminate butchery of the Protestants, and spread carnage and desolation throughout the northern counties. The alarm spread into England, and the Protestants and the Parliament were alive to their danger, and the Parliament provided themselves a guard of the military. This insurrection was traced to the privity of the king and queen, with a view to use their military force, to suppress the Parliament in England. The insurrection in Ireland were bound together by a solemn oath, and called themselves the queen's army. The Parliament proceeded with great severity against the Papists in England, and banished them from London, &c. This insurrection established the supremacy of the Parliament, and proved the king's ruin. The affairs of both church and state, from this time, progressed with renewed rapidity.

CHAPTER VII.

CAUSES THAT PROMOTED THE SETTLEMENT OF NEW-ENGLAND. CHARACTER OF THE LONG PARLIAMENT CONTINUED.-CIVIL

WAR.

THE petition against the thirteen bishops (mentioned before) failed, it was overruled by the House of Lords; this produced indignation and tumults amongst the populace in the city of London, which originated the terms of Cavalier and Round-Head.* The king attempted to suppress these tumults by proclamation, but to very little effect; it became dangerousfor the bishops to appear abroad, even on their way to and from Parliament. They

The king's party were called Caviliers, and the mob Round-Heads, from their having their hair sheared off close, all round.

preferred a petition to the king for protection, accompanied with their protest against many resolutions of the commons in the king's absence, &c. The commons answered this by an impeachment of the bishops, as subverters of the rights of Parliaments. This led the king to go in person to the House of Commons, and attempt to seize five of its members, but he failed; the house protected their members; the city of London resented the outrage against the Parliament, and with great tumults protected the members, when out of Parliament, and the king feeling himself in danger, fled first to Hampton Court, thence to Windsor, and thence to York; but he never returned to London, until he returned as a criminal for execution. The impeachment against the bishops was next carried, and they were excluded from all further service in Parliament, 1642. This act was ratified by the king.

Petitions were presented to Parliament, to provide for the safety of the nation; and they accordingly voted that the kingdom be forthwith put into a state of defence, by authority of both Houses, and followed this resolution with an ordinance for that purpose. They petitioned the king to abandon his wicked counsellors, and return to White-Hall and join with the Parliament, and assured him of their protection and support; they also reminded him of the evils and dangers arising from his separation, (at so great a distance) from his Parliament. But the die was cast, the king had fled, and his haughty obstinate spirit could not yield, he chose to go forward.

The next step of the Parliament, was to take the militia of the kingdom into their own hands': this disarmed the king in a great measure, and left him to the mercy of the Parliament. At this time the Scots offered their mediation, which the king refased; but the Parliament accepted it, and published the fol lowing declaration.

Lord's Day, April 9th, 1642..

"The Lords and Commons declare that they intend a due and necessary reformation of the government, and discipline of the church, and to take away nothing in the one but what shall be

evil and justly offensive, or at least unnecessary and burdensome; and for the better effecting thereof, speedily to have a consultation with godly and learned divines; and because this will never attain the ends, they will use their utmost endeavours to establish learned and preaching ministers, with a good and sufficient maintenance, throughout the whole kingdom, wherein many dark corners are miserably destitute of the means of salvation."

This declaration was ordered for publication.

The court of the king at York, became numerous and splendid, by the resort of the nobility and gentry, and he sent word to the Parliament, "that he would have nothing extorted from him, nor grant them any thing further than the law had put into his hands."

The next step of the king was to attempt to sieze upon an important magazine at Hull, with an armed force, which failed, by a resistance of the governor, Sir John Hotham. The king caused Sir John to be proclaimed as a traitor, and reured to York, full of indignation. Here was the crisis that opened the war.

The king and Parliament both went forward with their preparations for war; but the Parliament continued their system of reform in church and state. In June both parties commenced borrowing money to carry on the war, at eight per cent interest; the universities loaned the king their plate, and then he applied to the Papists for their aid by way of loans, as a friend to their cause. The Parliament at this time, confederated with the Scots, and secured that nation in their interest. The General Assembly of Scotland, sent a letter of congratulation to the Parliament, and the Parliament in a most friendly and obliging stile replied. To unite the Scots more firmly in their interest, the Parliament next proceeded to abolish Episcopacy in England, which left the door open for a union with the Kirk of Scotland. Both parties proceeded to collect their armies, and the king set up his standard at Nottingham, and the Earl of Essex set up the standard of the Par