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The History of the Puritans; or, Protestant Nonconformists;
The History of the Puritans or Protestant Nonconformists Author:Daniel Neal Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Boetius, and most of the learned men of his time. He left behind him a son who was blind, but ejected for nonconformity in the year 1662, from St. Alphage-ch... more »urch in Canterbury, where he lies buried. CHAPTER V. FROM THE RESTORATION OF KING CHARLES II. TO THE CONFERENCE AT THE SAVOY. 1660. Before we relate the conference between the Episcopal and Presbyterian divines, in order to a comprehension it will be pro- Eer to represent the views of the court, and of the bishops, who ad promised to act with temper, and to bury all past offences under the foundation of the Restoration. The point in debate was, " Whether concessions should be made, and pains taken, to gain the Presbyterians?" The king seemed to be for it; but the court-bishops, with lord Clarendon at their head, were absolutely against it: Clarendon was a man of high and arbitrary principles, and gave himself up to the bishops, for the service they had done him in reconciling the king to his daughter's clan- | destine marriage with the duke of York. If his lordship had been I a friend to moderate measures, the greatest part of the Presbyte- I rians might have been gained; but he would not disoblige. the I bishops; the reasons of whose angry behaviour were, " 1. Their high notions of the episcopal form of government, as necessary to the very essence of a Christian church. 2. The resentments that remained in their breasts against all who had engaged with the long-parliament, and had been the cause of their sufferings. 3. The Presbyterians being legally possessed of most of tne benefices in church and state, it was thought necessary to dispossess them; and if there must be a schism, rather to have it out of the church than within it;" for it had been observed, that the half conformity of the Puritans bef...« less