world look at with fear;1 and 'if' while many thousands of saints in England rejoice to think of it, and have received from the hand of God a liberty from the fear of like usurpations, and have cast off him 2 who trod in his father's steps, doing mischief as far as he was able (whom you have received like fire into your bosom, -of which God will, I trust, in time make you sensible): if, 'I say,' ministers railing at the civil power, and calling them murderers and the like for doing these things, have been dealt with as you mention,—will this be found a personal persecution? Or is sin so, because they say so? They that acted this great business have given a reason of their faith in the action; and some here 5 are ready further to do it against all gainsayers. 6 But it will be found that these reprovers do not only make themselves the judges and determiners of sin, that so they may reprove; but they also took liberty to stir up the people to blood and arms; and would have brought a war upon England, as hath been upon Scotland, had not God prevented it. And if such severity as hath been expressed towards them be worthy of the name of personal persecution, let all uninterested men judge: 'and' whether the calling of this practice "railing" be to be paralleled with the malignants' imputation upon the ministers for speaking against the Popish innovations in the Prelates' times,7 and the 'other' tyrannical and wicked practices then on foot, let your own consciences mind you! The Roman Emperors, in Christ's and His Apostles' times, were usurpers and intruders upon the Jewish State; yet what footstep have ye either of our blessed Saviour's so much as willingness to the dividing of an inheritance, or their 'ever' meddling in that kind? This was 8 [Mr. Goldwin Smith, in his Three English Statesmen, p. 59, states that Cromwell never touches on the King's death, either in his letters or speeches. This is not the only time, as he alluded to it also in his specches of March 23, 1648-9, and of May 20, 1653. See Supplement, Nos. 42, 78. See also p. 13 above and p. 275 below.] 2 Your Charles II., as you call him. 3 Because you call it so. 5 I for one. 4 Of judging Charles First. 70 Oliver, my Lord General, the Lindley-Murray composition here is dreadful; the meaning struggling, like a strong swimmer, in an element very viscous ! * Vestige. The Apostles'. not practised by the Church since our Saviour's time, till Antichrist, assuming the infallible chair, and all that he called church to be under him, practised this authoritatively over civil governors. The way to fulfil your ministry with joy is to preach the Gospel ; which I wish some who take pleasure in reproofs at a venture, do not forget too much to do. Thirdly, you say, You have just cause to regret that men of civil employments should usurp the calling and employment of the ministry; to the scandal of the Reformed Kirks. Are you troubled that Christ is preached? Is preaching so exclusively your function?1 Doth it scandalise the Reformed Kirks, and Scotland in particular? Is it against the Covenant? Away with the Covenant, if this be so! I thought, the Covenant and these 'professors of it' could have been willing that any should speak good of the name of Christ: if not, it is no Covenant of God's approving; nor are these Kirks you mention in so much the Spouse of Christ. Where do you find in the Scripture a ground to warrant such an assertion, That preaching is exclusively your function? Though an approbation from men hath order in it, and may do well, yet he that hath not a better warrant than that, hath none at all. I hope He that ascended up on high may give His gifts to whom He pleases: and if those gifts be the seal of mission, be not 'you' envious though Eldad and Medad prophesy. You know who bids us covet earnestly the best gifts, but chiefly that we may prophesy; which the Apostle explains there to be a speaking to instruction and edification and comfort, which 'speaking,' the instructed, the edified and comforted can best tell the energy and effect of. If such evidence be, I say again, take heed you envy not for your own sakes; lest you be guilty of a greater fault than Moses reproved in Joshua for envying for his sake. Indeed you err through mistaking of the Scriptures. Appro 1' so inclusive in your function,' means that. So far as their notion of the Covenant goes. 3["is included in," in Thurloe.] [Carlyle here inserted "and say whether it is genuine."] bation is an act of conveniency in respect of order; not of necessity, to give faculty to preach the Gospel. Your pretended fear lest error should step in, is like the man who would keep all the wine out the country lest men should be drunk. It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy, to deny a man the liberty he has by nature upon a supposition he may abuse it. When he doth abuse it, judge. If a man speak foolishly, ye suffer him gladly because ye are wise; if erroneously, the truth more appears by your conviction. Stop such a man's mouth with sound words that cannot be gainsayed. If 'he speak' blasphemously, or to the disturbance of the public peace, let the civil magistrate punish him if truly, rejoice in the truth. And if you will call our speakings together since we came into Scotland, to provoke one another to love and good works, to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and repentance from dead works; 'and' to charity and love towards you, to pray and mourn for you, and for the bitter returns to, and incredulity of, our professions of love to you, of the truth of which we have made our solemn and humble appeals to the Lord our God, which He hath heard and borne witness too if these things be scandalous to the Kirk, and against the Covenant, because done by men of civil callings,—we rejoice in them, notwithstanding what you say. For a conclusion: In answer to the witness of God upon our solemn appeal, you say you have not so learned Christ 'as' to hang the equity of your cause upon events. We could wish blindness have not been upon your eyes to all those marvellous dispensations which God hath wrought lately in England. But did not you solemnly appeal and pray? Did not we do so too? And ought not you and we to think, with fear and trembling, of the hand of the Great God in this mighty and strange appearance of His; instead of slightly calling it an "event!"4 Were not both your and our expectations renewed from time to time, whilst we 1 Or say 'Ordination,' Solemn Approbation and Appointment by men. 4' but can slightly call it an event,' in orig. At Dunbar. waited upon God, to see which way He would manifest Himself upon our appeals? And shall we, after all these our prayers, fastings, tears, expectations and solemn appeals, call these bare "events?" The Lord pity you.1 2 Surely we, 'for our part,' fear; because it hath been a merciful and gracious deliverance to us. I beseech you in the bowels of Christ, search after the mind of the Lord in it towards you ; and we shall help you by our prayers, that you may find it out : for yet (if we know our hearts at all) our bowels do, in Christ Jesus, yearn after the godly in Scotland. We know there are stumbling-blocks which hinder you: the personal prejudices you have taken up against us2 and our ways, wherein we cannot but think some occasion has been given,3 and for which we mourn : the apprehension you have that we have hindered the glorious Reformation you think you were upon : I am persuaded these and such like bind you up from an understanding, and yielding to, the mind of God, in this great day of His power and visitaAnd, if I be rightly informed, the late blow you received is attributed to profane counsels and conduct, and mixtures in your army, and such like. The natural man will not find out the cause. Look up to the Lord, that he may tell it you. Which that He would do, shall be the fervent prayer of, Your loving friend and servant, tion. OLIVER CROMWELL. 'P.S.' These following' queries are sent not to reproach you, but in the love of Christ laying them before you; we being ["They were not ordinary armies, but two politico-religious sects which now encountered each other. Their quarrel was not about faith and doctrine, for both were alike zealous Protestants, but about the constitution in Church and Statewhether there should be a king or not, whether there should be a ruling Church or not, this was the question in suspense between them. Both entertained an equally sure conviction of the immediate interference of the Deity in human affairs: their existence as sects depended on their being anxious to render themselves as worthy as possible of the divine support." Ranke's History of England, iii. 47 (Clar. Press ed.).] 2 Me, Oliver Cromwell. 3I have often, in Parliament and elsewhere, been crabbed towards your hidebound Presbyterian Formula; and given it many a fillip, not thinking sufficiently what good withal was in it. 4 Admission of Engagers and ungodly people. persuaded in the Lord that there is a truth in them, which we earnestly desire may not be laid aside unsought after, by any prejudice either against the things themselves, or the unworthiness or weakness of the person that offers them. If you turn at the Lord's reproofs, He will pour out His Spirit upon you, and you shall understand His words, and they will guide you to a blessed Reformation indeed,1 even to one according to the Word, and such as the people of God wait for: wherein you will find us and all saints ready to rejoice, and serve you to the utmost in our places and callings.* ENCLOSED is the Paper of Queries; to which the Editor, anxious to bring out my Lord General's sense, will take the great liberty to intercalate a word or two of Commentary as we read. QUERIES 1. Whether the Lord's controversy be not both against the ministers in Scotland and in England, for their wresting, straining, and employing 2 the Covenant against the Godly and Saints in England (of the same faith with them in every fundamental) even to a bitter persecution; and so making that which, in the main intention, was spiritual, to serve politics and carnal ends, even in that part especially which was spiritual, and did look to the glory of God, and the comfort of His People? The meaning of your Covenant was, that God's glory should be promoted: and yet how many zealous Preachers, unpresbyterian but real promoters of God's glory, have you, by wresting and straining of the verbal phrases of the Covenant, found means to menace, eject, afflict and in every way discourage !– 1' glorious Reformation,' ' blessed Reformation,' &c. are phrases loud and current everywhere, especially among the Scotch, for ten years past. 2 improving in the original. Thurloe, i. 158-62. |