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admirable dexterity in fheltering themselves from an
acts of Discountenance, which they had no mind
when it hath been visible, and was then notorious, t
of the Persons then, as the Earl of Rothes, and d
whom the King had the worst opinion, and from v
purposely with-held any grace by never speaking t
or taking notice of them in the Court, yet when t
was abroad in the Fields, or paffing through Villages, when
the greatest crouds of People flock'd to fee him, thofe Men
would still be next him, and entertain him with some dif
courfe, and pleasant relations, which the King's gentle difpo-
fition could not avoid, and which made thofe Persons to be
generally believ'd to be most acceptable to his Majefty; up-
on which the Lord Falkland was wont to fay, "that keep-
"ing of State was like committing Adultery, there must go
"Two to it: for let the proudeft or most formal Man re-
folve to keep what diftance he will towards others, a bold
and confident man inftantly demolishes that whole Machine,
and
gets within him, and even obliges him to his own Laws
of converfation.

THE King was always the most punctual obferver of all
Decency in his Devotion, and the ftricteft promoter of the
Ceremonies of the Church, as believing in his Soul the
Church of England to be inftituted the nearest to the Practice
of the Apostles, and the best for the propagation and ad-
vancement of Chriftian Religion, of any Church in the
World and on the other fide, though no man was more
averse from the Romish Church than He was, nor better un-
derstood the motives of their Separation from us, and Ani-
mofity against us, he had the highest dislike, and prejudice
to that part of his own Subjects, who were against the Go-
vernment establish'd, and did always look upon them as a
very dangerous, and feditious People; who would under
pretence of Confcience, which kept them from fubmitting
to the Spiritual Jurifdiction, take the first opportunity, they
could find, or make, to withdraw themselves from their Tem-
poral Subjection; and therefore he had, with the utmost vi-
gilance, caufed that Temper and Difpofition to be watch'd
and provided againft in England; and if it were then in
truth there, it lurk'd with wonderful fecrecy. In Scotland
indeed it cover'd the whole Nation, fo that, though there
were Bishops in Name, the whole Jurifdiction, and they
Themselves were, upon the matter, fubject to an Affembly,
which was purely Presbyterian; no Form of Religion in
practice, no Liturgy, nor the leaft appearance of any Beauty
of Holiness: The Clergy, for the most part, corrupted in
their Principles; at leaft, none countenanced by the great
Vol. I. Part 1.
F
Men,

Men, or favour'd by the People, but Such; though it must be own'd their Universities, especially Aberdeen, flourish'd under many excellent Scholars, and very Learned men. Yet, though all the Cathedral Churches were totally neglected with reference to thofe Administrations, over the whole Kingdom, the King's own Chapel at Holy-rood-boufe had ftill been maintain'd with the comeliness of the Cathedral Service, and all other Decencies used in the Royal Chapel; and the whole Nation feem'd, in the time of King James, well inclin'd to receive the Liturgy of the Church of England, which that King exceedingly defir'd, and was fo confident of, that they who were Privy to his Counfels, in that time, did believe, the bringing that Work to pass was the principal end of his Progress thither fome years before his death; though he was not fo well fatisfy'd at his being there, two or three of the principal Perfons trufted by him in the Government of that Kingdom, dying in, or about that very time; but though he return'd without making any vifible attempt in that Affair, yet he retain'd ftill the purpose and refolution to his death to bring it to pafs. However, his two or three last years having been lefs pleasant to him, by the Prince's voyage into Spain, the Jealoufies which, about that time, begun in England, and the high Proceedings in Parliament there, he thought it neceffary to fufpend any profecution of that Defign, until a more favourable conjuncture, which he liv'd not to fee.

Tranfactions THE King his Son, who with his Father's other Virtues, about intro- inherited that Zeal for Religion, propos'd nothing more to ducing a Li- himself, than to Unite his three Kingdoms in one Form of turgy into God's Worship, and publick Devotions; and there being

Scotland.

now so great a Serenity in all his Dominions as is mention'd before, there is great reason to believe, that in this Journey into Scotland to be Crown'd, he carried with him the refolution to Finish that important business in the Church at the fame time. To that end, the then Bishop of London, Dr Laud, attended on his Majefty throughout that whole journey, which, as he was Dean of the Chapel, he was not oblig'd to do, and no doubt would have been excus'd from, if that Design had not been in view; to accomplish which he was no lefs follicitous than the King himself, nor the King the lefs follicitous for his advice. He Preach'd in the Royal Chapel at Edenborough (which fcarce any English-man had ever done before in the King's prefence) and principally upon the benefit of Conformity, and the reverend Ceremonies of the Church, with all the marks of approbation and applause imaginable; the great civility of that People being fo notorious, and universal, that they would not appear unconformable

formable to his Majefty's wifh in any particular. And many Wife Men were then, and ftill are of Opinion, that, if the King had Then propos'd the Liturgy of the Church of England to have been receiv'd and practifed by that Nation, it would have been fubmitted to without oppofition: but, upon mature confideration, the King concluded that it was not a good Seafon to promote that Business.

He had pafs'd two or three Acts of Parliament, which had much leffen'd the Authority and Dependence of the Nobility, and great Men, and incens'd, and difpos'd them proportionably to cross, and oppofe any Propofition, which would be most grateful; and that overthwart humour was enough difcover'd to rule in the breasts of many, who made the greatest profeffions. Yet this was not the Obstruction which diverted the King: the Party that was averse from the thing, and abhorr'd any thought of Conformity, could not have been powerful enough to have stopp'd the progress of it; the mischief was, that They who moit defir'd it, and were most concern'd to promote it, were the Men who used all their credit to divert the Prefent attempting it; and the Bishops themselves, whofe Intereft was to be most advanc'd thereby, apply'd all their Counfels fecretly to have the matter more Maturely confider'd; and the whole defign was never confulted but Privately, and only fome few of the great Men of that Nation, and fome of the Bishops advis'd with by the King, and the Bishop of London, it being manifest enough, that as the Finishing that great Affair muit be very grateful to England, fo the English must not appear to have a hand in the Contriving, and Promoting it.

THE fame Men, who did not only pretend, but really and heartily wish, that they might have a Liturgy to order, and regulate the Worship of God in their Churches, and did very well approve the Ceremonies establish'd in the Church of England, and defir'd to fubmit to, and practice the fame there, had no mind that the Very Liturgy of the Church of England fhould be propos'd to, or accepted by them; for which they offer'd two prudential Reasons, as their Obfervations upon the nature, and humour of the Nation, and upon the Conferences they had often had with the Best Men upon that Subject, which was often agitated in discourse, upon what had been formerly projected by King James, and upon what frequently occurred to Wife men in Difcourfes upon the thing it felf, and the defireableness of it.

THE Firft was, that the English Liturgy, how piously and wifely foever fram'd, and inftituted, had found great Oppofition: and though the matter of the Ceremonies had wrought for the most part only upon Light-headed, Weak Men,

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whose

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whofe fatisfaction was not to be labour'd for; yet there were. many Grave, and Learned Men, who excepted against some Particulars, which would not be fo eafily anfwer'd; "That "the reading Pfalms being of the old Tranflation were in many particulars fo different from the new and better "Tranflation, that many inftances might be given of im"portance to the Sence, and Truth of Scripture. They said fomewhat of the fame nature concerning the Tranflation of the Epiftles, and Gospels, and fome other Exceptions against reading the Apocrypha, and fome other Particulars of lefs moment; and defir'd "that in forming a Liturgy for Their "Church, they might, by reforming those several Instances, "give fatisfaction to Good Men, who would thereupon be "eafily induced to submit to it.

THE other Reafon, which no doubt was the principal, and took this in the way to give it the better introduction, was, "that the Kingdom of Scotland generally had been long "Jealous, that by the King's continued abfence from them, "they fhould by degrees be reduced to be but as a Province "to England, and fubject to their Laws, and Government, "which they would never fubmit to; nor would any Man "of Honour, who lov'd the King beft, and refpected Eng"land moft, ever confent to bring that Dishonour upon his "Country. If the very Liturgy, in the terms it is confti"tuted, and practifed in England, fhould be offer'd to them, "it would kindle, and inflame that Jealoufy, as the Prologue, "and Introduction to that Defign, and as the first Range of "that Ladder, which fhould ferve to mount over all their "Customs, and Privileges, and be opposed, and detested "accordingly: whereas, if his Majefty would give order for "the preparing of a Liturgy, with thofe few defirable Al"terations, it would easily be done; and in the mean time "They would fo difpofe the minds of the People for the reception of it, that they should even defire it. This Expedient was fo paffionately, and vehemently urg'd even by the Bishops, that however they defer'd to the minds, and humours of other Men, it was manifeft enough, that the Exception, and Advice proceeded from the pride of their own hearts.

THE Bishop of London, who was always prefent with the King at these Debates, was exceedingly troubled at this Delay, and to find thofe Men the Inftruments in it, who feem'd to him as Sollicitous for the expedition, as Zealous for the thing it felf, and who could not but Suffer by the deferring it. He knew well how far any Enemies to Conformity would be from being fatisfy'd with those small Alterations, which being confented to, they would with more

con

confidence, though less reason, frame other Exceptions, and infift upon them with more obftinacy. He forefaw the Difficulties which would arife in rejecting, or altering, or adding to the Liturgy, which had fo great Authority, and had, by the practice of near fourscore years, obtain❜d great Veneration from all fober Proteftants; and how much easier it would be to make Objections against any thing that should be New, than against the Old; and would therefore have been very glad that the former Refolution might be purfued; there having never been any thoughts in the time of King James, or the present King, but of the English Liturgy; befides that any Variation from it, in how fmall matters foever, would make the Uniformity the lefs, the Manifestation whereof was that which was most aim'd at, and defir'd.

THE King had exceedingly fet his Heart upon the matter, and was as much fcandaliz'd as any Man at the Disorder, and Indecency in the exercife of Religion in the Church: yet he was affected with what was offer'd for a little Delay in the execution and knew more of the ill humour, and practices amongst the Greatest Men of the Kingdom at that feafon, than the Bifhop did, and believ'd he could better compofe, and reduce them in a little time, and at a distance, than at the prefent, and whilst he was amongst them. Befides he was in his nature much inclin'd to the Scotifh Nation, having been born amongst them, and as Jealous, as any one of Them could be, of their Liberties and Privileges, and as Careful they might not be Invaded by the English, who, he knew, had no great reverence for them: and therefore the Objection, "that it would look like an Imposition "from England, if a Form, fettled in Parliament at West"minfter, thould without any Alteration be tender'd (though "by Himself) to be fubmitted to, and obferv'd in Scotland, made a deep Impreffion in his Majefty.

IN a word, he committed the Framing, and Compofing fuch a Liturgy, as would most probably be acceptable to that People, to a felect number of the Bishops there, who were very able and willing to undertake it: and fo his Majesty return'd into England, at the time he had defign'd, without having ever propos'd, or made the leaft approach in Publick, towards any alteration in the Church.

IT had been very happy, if there had been then nothing done indeed, that had any reference to that Affair, and that, fince it was not ready, nothing had been tranfacted to promote it, which accidentally alienated the Affections of the People from it; and what was done, was imputed to the Bifhop of London, who was like enough to be guilty of it; fince he did really believe, that nothing more contributed to the

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benefit,