On these terms of difference they came over into England, being on both sides generally godly Protestants. The Queen (Eliz.) took part with the Conformists, and made them Bishops and Dignitaries, and discountenanced the Nonconformists. The first Race of these good Bishops loved the godly Nonconforming Preachers, and connived at them, and encouraged them in their fervent, plain Preaching, and pious Living. But as that Race wore out by death, Bishoprics having great honour, power and wealth, had many seekers; and seekers had many friends: And he that loveth wealth and honour most, is like to seek it most; and he that most seeketh is likest to find: And the greatest Lovers of the World are the worst men: And so Bishops (not all at once, but) by degrees were altered. Then the Nonconformists not only refusing to be Bishops, but too many declaring their Judgments to be for their fall, the Bishops having more power, resolved first to cast them down, and to do their utmost to root them out: And made their Book of Canons and Acts of Uniformity fitted to that use. ⟨p. 63⟩And so the Enmity turned into a ruining War, became remediless, save that on both sides the godly and moderate lived peaceably, lamenting the extremes of the rest. Qu. Eliz. and K. James I. having silenced many hundred Dissenters that were of great worth & extraordinary piety, and the Bishops causing this, and in jealousy of the strictest People forbidding them to fast and pray together, and some other exercises of piety, and in K. Charles I. days carrying it yet higher to greater severity, and this settled them in an Enmity to Bishops as the Enemies of serious Piety, and the Bishops more sought to root them out of the Land: Till Laud carrying it further, and seeking a Coalition with those that were for a Foreign Jurisdiction (Universal Councils with a Praetorian Power, &c.) raised jealousies in Parliaments, who being for their Liberties against Arbitrary Government, were the more against those Bishops that seemed to be for it; till Innovation provoking the Scots, the English Lords encouraged by them, and the Irish murdering two hundred thousand Protestants, affrighted England into a miserable War, and made the most zealous Adversaries of Popery and Ungodliness, think that the Papists would destroy them all, if they did not help the Parliament to defend them.
On these terms of difference they came over into England, being on both sides generally godly Protestants. The Queen (Eliz.) took part with the Conformists, and made them Bishops and Dignitaries, and discountenanced the Nonconformists. The first Race of these good Bishops loved the godly Nonconforming Preachers, and connived at them, and encouraged them in their fervent, plain Preaching, and pious Living. But as that Race wore out by death, Bishopricks having great honour, power and wealth, had many seekers; and seekers had many friends: And he that loveth wealth and honour most, is like to seek it most; and he that most seeketh is likest to find: And the greatest Lovers of the World are the worst men: And so Bishops (not all at once, but) by degrees were altered. Then the Nonconformists not only refusing to be Bishops, but too many declaring their Judgments to be for their fall, the Bishops having more power, resolved first to cast them down, and to do their utmost to root them out: And made their Book of Canons and Acts of Uniformity fitted to that use. ⟨p. 63⟩And so the Enmity turned into a ruining War, became remediless, save that on both sides the godly and moderate lived peaceably, lamenting the extreams of the rest. Qu. Eliz. and K. James I. having silenced many hundred Dissenters that were of great worth & extraordinary piety, and the Bishops causing this, and in jealousie of the strictest People forbidding them to fast and pray together, and some other exercises of piety, and in K. Charles I. days carrying it yet higher to greater severity, and this setled them in an Enmity to Bishops as the Enemies of serious Piety, and the Bishops more sought to root them out of the Land: Till Laud carrying it further, and seeking a Coalition with those that were for a Foreign Jurisdiction (Universal Councils with a Pretorian Power, &c.) raised jealousies in Parliaments, who being for their Liberties against Arbitrary Government, were the more against those Bishops that seemed to be for it; till Innovation provoking the Scots, the English Lords encouraged by them, and the Irish murdering two hundred thousand Protestants, affrighted England into a miserable War, and made the most zealous Adversaries of Popery and Ungodliness, think that the Papists would destroy them all, if they did not help the Parliament to defend them.
