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presence of God, and before these witnesses, promise to be to thee a loving and faithful husband.

"Then the woman taking the man by the hand, shall plainly and distinctly pronounce these words, I C. D. do here in the presence of God, the searcher of all hearts, take thee A. B. for my wedded husband; and do also in the presence of God, and before these witnesses, promise to be to thee a loving, faithful, and obedient wife.

After this, the justice may and shall declare the said man and woman to be from henceforth husband and wife; and from and after such consent so expressed, and such declaration made of the same, (as to the form of marriage) it shall be good and effectual in law; and no other marriage whatsoever, within the commonwealth of England, after the 29th of Sept. 1653, shall be held or accounted a marriage, according to the law of England."

This ordinance was confirmed by the protector's parlia ment in the year 1656, except the clause, that no other marriage whatsoever within the commonwealth of England shall be held, or accounted a legal marriage; and it was wisely done of the parliament at the restoration, to confirm these marriages, in order to prevent illegitimacy, and vexatious lawsuits in future times. But the acts of this convention were of little significance, for when they found the affairs of the nation too intricate, and the several parties too stubborn to yield to their ordinances, they wisely resigned, and surrendered back their sovereignty into the same hands that gave it them, after they had sat five months and twelve days.

The general and his officers finding themselves reinvested with the supreme authority, by what they fancied a more parliamentary delegation, took upon them to strike out a new form of government, a little tending towards monarchy, contained in a large instrument of forty-two articles, entitled, The Government of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland. It appoints the government to be in a single person;-that the single person be the general 0. CROMWELL, whose stile and title should be his highness, lord protector of the commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and of the dominions thereunto bolonging that the lord protector should have a council, consisting of

no more than twenty-one persons, nor less than thirteen, to assist him in the administration. A parliament was to be chosen out of the three kingdoms every three years at longest, and not to be dissolved without their consent in less than five months. It was to consist of four hundred members for England and Wales; thirty for Scotland, and thirty for Ireland; whereof sixty were to make a house. The counties of England and Wales were to choose two hundred thirty-nine; the other elections to be distributed among the chief cities and market towns, without regard to ancient custom. The county of Dorset was to choose eleven members; Cornwall eight; Bedfordshire five; the several ridings of Yorkshire fourteen; Middlesex four; the city of London six; Westminster two; the whole number of cities and boroughs which had privilege of election were one hundred and ten, and the number of representatives to be chosen by them one hundred and sixty-If the protector refused to issue out writs, the commissioners of the great seal, or the high sheriff of the county, was to do it under pain of treason-none to have votes but such as were worth two hundred pounds. This regulation, being wisely proportioned, met with universal approbation. Lord Clarendon says, it was fit to be more warrantably made, and in a better time-all the great officers of state, as chancellor, treasurer, &c. if they became vacant in time of parliament, to be supplied with their approbation; and in the intervals with the approbation of the council-such bills as were offered to the protector by the parliament, if not signed in twenty days, were to be laws without him, if not contrary to this instrument.-In the present crisis, the protector and his council might publish ordinances which should have force till the first sessions of parliament-the protector was to have power to make war and peace, to confer titles of honor, to pardon all crimes except treason and murder; the militia was intrusted with him and his council, except during the sessions of parliament, when it was to be jointly in both. In short, the protector had almost all the royalties of a king-but then the protectorship was to be elective, and no protector after the present to be gen. eral of the army.

The articles relating to religion were these:

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Art. 35. "That the Christian religion contained in the scriptures be held forth and recommended as the public profession of these nations, and that as soon as may be, a provision less subject to contention, and more certain than the present, be made for the maintenance of ministers; and that till such provision be made, the present maintenance continue.

Art. 36. "That none be compelled to conform to the public religion by penalties or otherwise; but that endeavors be used to win them by sound doctrine, and the example of a good conversation.

Art. 37. That such as profess faith in God by Jesus Christ, though differing in judgment from the doctrine, worship, or discipline, publicly held forth, shall not be restrained from, but shall be protected in the profession of their faith, and exercise of their religion, so as they abuse not this liberty to the civil injury of others, and to the actual disturbance of the public peace on their parts; provided this liberty be not extended to popery or prelacy, or to such as under a profession of Christ hold forth and practice licentiousness.

Art. 38. "That all laws, statutes, ordinances, and clauses in any law, statute or ordinance, to the contrary of the aforesaid liberty, shall be esteemed null and void."

The protector was installed with great magnificence Dec. 16, 1653, in the court of chancery, by order of the council of officers, in presence of the lord-mayor and aldermen of London, the judges, the commissioners of the great seal, and other great officers, who were summoned to attend on this occasion. O. Cromwell, standing uncovered on the left hand of a chair of state set for him, first subscribed the instrument of government in the face of the court, and then took the following oath :

"WHEREAS the major part of the last parliament (judging that their sitting any longer as then constituted, would not be for the good of the commonwealth) did dissolve the same; and by a writing under their hands, dated the 12th of this instant December, resigned to me their powers and authorities. And whereas it was necessary thereupon, that some speedy course should be taken for the

settlement of these nations upon such a basis and foundation, as, by the blessing of God, might be lasting, secure property, and answer those great ends of religion and liberty, so long contended for; and upon full and mature consideration had of the form of government hereunto annexed, being satisfied that the same, through divine assistance, may answer the ends afore-mentioned. And having also been desired and advised, as well by several persons of interest and fidelity in the commonwealth, as the officers of the army, to take upon me the protection and government of these nations in the manner expressed in thesaid form of government, I have accepted thereof, and do hereby declare my acceptance accordingly; and do promise, in the presence of God, that I will not violate, or infringe the matters and things contained therein, but to my power observe the same, and cause them to be observed; and shall in all other things, to the best of my understanding. govern these nations according to the laws, statutes and customs, seeking their peace, and causing justice and law to be equally administered."

After this he sat down in the chair of state covered, and the commissioners delivered him the great seal, and the lord-mayor his sword and cap of maintenance; which be returned in a very obliging manner. The ceremony being over, the soldiers, with a shout, cried out, God bless the lord protector of the commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland. In their return to Whitehall the lordmayor carried the sword before HIS HIGHNESS uncovered, and presently after he was proclaimed in the city of London, and throughout all the British dominions.

Thus did this wonderful man, by surprizing manage ment, supported only by the sword, advance himself to the supreme government of three kingdoms without consent of parliament or people. His birth seemed to promise nothing of this kind; nor does it appear that he had formed the project, till after the battle of Worcester, when he appre hended the parliament had projected his ruin by disbanding the army, and perpetuating their authority among themselves: which of the two usurpations was most eligible must be left with the reader; but how he brought the

officers into his measures, and supported his sovereignty by an army of enthusiasts, anabaptists, fifth monarchy men, and republicans, will be the admiration of all posterity; and though by this adventurous act he drew upon himself the plots and conspiracies of the several factions in the nation, yet his genius and resolution surmounted all difficulties, his short empire being one continued blaze of glory and renown to the British isles, and of terror to the rest of Europe.

The reader will make his own remarks upon the new instrument of government, and will necessarily observe, that it was a creature of Cromwell's and his council of officers, and not drawn up by a proper representative of the people. How far the present circumstances of the nation made this necessary, must be concluded from the remarks we have made upon the change of government; but the articles relating to religion can hardly be complained of, though they disgusted all that part of the clergy who were for church power; the presbyterians preached and wrote against the 86th and 37th articles, as inconsistent with their establishment, and sinking it almost to a level with the sectaries. The republicans were dissatisfied because the ENGAGEMENT, by which they had sworn fidelity to a commonwealth, without a single person, or house of lords, was set aside. Bishop Kennet is angry with the protector's latitude, because there was no test or barrier to the establishment. "How little religion was the concern, or so much as any longer the pretence of Cromwell and his officers (says his lordship) appears from hence, that in the large instrument of the government of the commonwealth, which was the magna charta of the new constitution, there is not a word of churches or synods, or ministers, nor any thing but the christian religion in general, with liberty to all differing in judgment, from the doctrine, worship, or discipline, publicly held forth." Strange, that this should displease a christian bishop! But his lordship should have remembered, that this liberty was not to extend to any kinds of immoralities, nor to such as injured the civil rights of others, nor to such as disturbed the public peace. And do the scriptures authorize us to go further? The sixth article provides, "that the laws in being relating to

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