llation which they assume, and the formal acknowledgment
of their title to it; nor is any thing more common and familiar in all
public transactions.

* Whitlocke, p. 110.

** Whitlocke, p. 111 Dugdale, p. 748.

*** His words are, "As for my calling those at London a
parliament, I shall refer thee to Digby for particular
satisfaction. This in general: if there had been but two
besides myself of my opinion, I had not done it; and the
argument that prevailed with me was, that the calling did no
ways acknowledge them to be a parliament; upon which
condition and construction I did it, and no otherwise; and
accordingly it is registered in the council books, with the
council's unanimous approbation." The King's Cabinet opened.
Rush. vol. i. p. 943.

The time and place of treaty being settled, sixteen commissioners from
the king met at Uxbridge with twelve authorized by the parliament,
attended by the Scottish commissioners. It was agreed, that the Scottish
and parliamentary commissioners should give in their demands with regard
to three important articles, religion, the militia, and Ireland; and
that these should be successively discussed in conference with the
king's commissioners.[*] It was soon found impracticable to come to any
agreement with regard to any of these articles.

In the summer of 1643, while the negotiations were carried on with
Scotland, the parliament had summoned an assembly at Westminster,
consisting of one hundred and twenty-one divines and thirty laymen,
celebrated in their party for piety and learning. By their advice,
alterations were made in the thirty-nine articles, or in the
metaphysical doctrines of the church; and what was of greater
importance, the liturgy was entirely abolished, and in its stead a new
directory for worship was established; by which, suitably to the spirit
of the Puritans, the utmost liberty both in praying and preaching was
indulged to the public teachers. By the solemn league and covenant,
episcopacy was abjured, as destructive of all true piety; and a national
engagement, attended with every circumstance that could render a promise
sacred and obligatory, was entered into with the Scots, never to
suffer its readmission. All these measures showed little spirit of
accommodation in the parliament; and the king's commissioners were not
surprised to find the establishment of presbytery and the directory
positively de