CHARLES I.

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some vehement harangue against the usurpations chap.of the bishops, against the high commission , ltv.against the late convocation, against the new 1640.canons. So disgusted were all lovers of civilliberty at the doctrines promoted by the clergy,that these invectives were received withoutcontroul; and no distinction, at first, appearedbetween such as desired only to repress theexorbitances of the hierarchy, and such as pre-tended totally to annihilate episcopal jurisdiction.Encouraged by these favorable appearances, pe-titions against the church were framed in differentparts of the kingdom. The epithet of the igno-rant and vicious priesthood was commonly appliedto all churchmen , addicted to the establisheddiscipline and worship ; though the episcopalclergy in England, during that age , seem tohave been, as they are at present, sufficientlylearned and exemplary. An address against epis-copacy was presented by twelve clergymen tothe committee of religion, and pretended to besigned by many hundreds of the puritanical per-suasion. But what made most noise was the citypetition, for a total alteration of church-govern-ment; a petition to which 15,000 subscriptions weteannexed, and which was presented by AldermanPennington, the city-member It is remarkable,that, among the many ecclesiastical abuses therecomplained of , an allowance , given by thelicensers of books, to publish a translation of

11 Clarendon, vol. i, p. 30J. Wbitlodke, r p. 37.

Nelson, vol, i. p. 666 .