court, that they held no manner of correspondence with it; which, together with their voting, that no one clause of what they had agreed upon should be binding, unless the whole were consented to, provoked the protector,* as derogating from his power of consenting to, or refusing particular bills, and therefore, having discovered several plots against his government ready to break out, in which some of the members were concerned, he sent for them into the painted chamber, Jan. 22; and after a long and intricate speech, in which, after some strong expressions in favor of liberty to men of the same faith, though of different judgments in lesser matters, he complained, that they had taken no more notice of him either by message or address, than if there had been no such person in being; that they had done nothing for the honor and support of the government, but spent their time in fruitless debates of little consequence, while the nation was bleeding to death; and instead of making things easy, that they bad laid a foundation for future dissatisfactions; he therefore dissolved them, without confirming any of their acts, after they had sat five months, according to the instrument of government, reckoning twenty-eight days to a month. This was deemed an unpopular action, and a renouncing the additional title the parliament would have given him; but thi GREAT MAN with the sword in his hand was not to be jostled out of the saddle with votes and resolutions; and if one may credit his speech, his assuming the government was not so much the effect of his own ambition, as of a bold resolution to prevent the nation's falling back into anarchy and blood. Upon the rising of the parliament major-general Hürrison, one of the chiefs of the republicans, was taken into custody; and Mr. John Wildman, who had been expelled the house, was apprehended as he was drawing up a paper, entitled, A Declaration of the free and well-affected people of England now in arms against the tyrant OLIVER CROMWELL; which prevented the rising of that party.† The royalists were buying up arms at the same time, and preparing to rise in several parts of the kingdom. They had procured commissions from the young king at Cologn, *Life of Cromwell, p. 291. Whitlocke, p. 600.. Clarendon, vol. iii. p. 554. and desired his majesty to be ready on the sea-coast by the 11th of March, when there would be a revolt in the army, and when Dover castle would be delivered into their hands. The king accordingly removed to Middleburgh in Zealand; but the protector had intelligence of it from his spies, and declared it openly as soon as he was arrived, which intimidated the conspirators, and made them fear they were discovered: however, about the time appointed, some small parties of royalists got together in Shropshire with an intent to surprise Shrewsbury and Chirk castle. A cart-load of arms was brought to a place of rendezvous for the northern parts, where they were to be headed by Wilmot earl of Rochester; but they no sooner met but they dispersed for fear of being fallen upon by the regular troops. In the west sir Joseph Wagstaffe, colonel Penruddock, captain Hugh Grove, Mr. Jones, and others, entered the city of Salisbury, with 200 horse well armed, in the time of the assizes, and seized the judges Rolls and Nichols, with the sheriff of the county, whom they resolved to hang. They proclaimed the king, and threatened violence to such as would not join them; but the country not coming in according to their expectations, they were intimidated, and after five or six hours marched away into Dorsetshire, and from thence to Devonshire, where captain Crook overtook them, and with one single troop of horse defeated, and took most of them prisoners; Penruddock and Grove were beheaded at Exeter; and some few others were executed at Salisbury, the place where they had so lately triumphed. The vigilance of the protector on this occasion is almost incredible; he caused a great many suspected lords and gentlemen to be secured; he sent letters to the justices of peace in every county, whom he had already changed to his mind, commanding them to look out, and secure all persons who should make the least disturbance. And his private intelligence of people's discourse and behavior, in every corner of the land, never failed. * If the reader will duly consider the danger arising from these commotions, and the necessity of striking some terror into the authors of them, he will easily account for the pro Whitlocke, p. 602. tector's severity against the royalists; when therefore the insurrection was quashed, he resolved to make the whole party pay the expense; and accordingly, with the consent of his council, published an order, "that all who had been in arms for the king, or had declared themselves of the royal party, should be decimated; that is, pay a tenth part of their estates, to support the charge of such extraordinary forces as their turbulent and seditious practices obliged him to keep up; for which purpose commissioners were appointed in every county, and considerable sums were brought into the treasury." To justify this extraordinary procedure, the protector published another declaration; in which he complains of the irreconcilableness of those who had adhered to the king, towards all those who had served their country on the side of the parliament; that they were now to be looked upon as public enemies, and to be kept from being able to do mischief, since it sufficiently appeared that they were always disposed to do all they could. Upon these accounts he thought it highly reasonable, and declares it to be his resolution, that if any desperate attempts were undertaken by them for the future, the whole party should suffer for it. To return to the affairs of religion: though the presbyterian discipline was at a low ebb, it was still the established religion of the nation. The provincial assembly of London continued their sessions at Sion college every half year, and endeavored to support the dignity of the ministerial office. Complaint having been made that the pulpit doors were set open to laymen, and gifted brethren, they appointed a committee to collect materials for the viudication of the ministerial character, which being revised by the synod, was published this summer under the title of Jus Divinum Ministerii Evangelici: or, the Divine Right of an Evangelical Ministry, in tupo parts. By the provincial assembly of London. With an appendix, of the judgment and practice of antiquity. In the debates of parliament upon the instrument of gov ernment it was observed, that by the thirty-seventh article, all who professed faith in God by Jesus Christ should be protected in their religion.* This was interpreted to im. * Baxter's Life, part ii, p. 197. 16 VOL. IV. ply an agreement in fundamentals. Upon which it was voted, that all should be tolerated, or indulged, who professed the fundamentals of christianity; and a committee was appointed to nominate certain divines to draw up a catalogue of fundamentals to be presented to the house : the committee being about fourteen, named each of them a divine; among others archbishop Usher was nominated, but he declining the affair, Mr. Baxter was appointed in his room the rest who acted were Dr. Owen Dr. Goodwin Dr. Cheynel Mr. Marshal Mr. Reyner Mr. Nye Mr. Manton Mr. Jacomb. Mr. Baxter* would have persuaded his brethren to offer the committee the apostles' creed, the Lord's prayer, and the ten commandments alone, as containing the fundamentals of religion; but it was objected, that this would include socinians and papists. Mr. Baxter replied, that it was so much fitter for a centre of unity or concord, because it was impossible, in his opinion, to devise a form of words which heretics would not subscribe, when they had perverted them to their own sense. These arguments not prevailing, the following articles were presented to the committee, but not brought into the house; under the title of The Principles of Faith, presented by Mr. THO. GOODWIN, Mr. N¥E, Mr. SYDRACH SIMPSON, and other ministers, to the committee of parliament for religion, by way of explanation to the proposals for propagating the gospel. 1st. That the holy scripture is that rule of knowing God, and living unto him, which whoso does not believe cannot be saved. 2 Thess. ii. 10, 11, 12, 15. 1 Cor. xv. 1, 2, 3. 2 Cor. i. 13. John v. 39. 2 Peter ii. 1. edly. That there is a God, who is the creator, governor, and judge of the world, which is to be received by faith, and every other way of the knowledge of him is insufficient. Heb. xi. 8, 6. Rom. i. 19, 20, 21, 22. 1 Cor. i. 21. 2 Thess. i. 8. * Life, part ii. p. 198. 3dly. That this God, who is the creator, is eternally distinct from all creatures in his being and blessedness. Rom. i. 18, 25. 1 Cor. viii. 5, 6. 4thly. That this God is one in three persons or subsistences. 1 John v. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, compared with John viii. 17, 18, 19. 21. Matth. xxviii. 19, compared with Ephes. iv. 4, 5, 6. 1 John ii. 22, 23. 2 John, ver. 9, 10. 5thly. ThatJesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man,without the knowledge of whom there is no salvation. 1 Tim. ii. 4, 5, 6. 2 Tim. iii. 15. 1 John, ii. 22. Acts iv. 10, 12. 1 Cor. iii. 10, 11. 6thly. That this Jesus Christ is the true God. 8thly.That this Jesus Christ is God and man in one person. Isaiah, liii. 11. Tim. ii. 4, 5, 6. 1 Pet. ii. 24, 25. 1 Cor. xv. 2, 3. 1 10thly. That this same Lord Jesus Christ is he that was crucified at Jerusalem, and rose again, and ascended into heaven. John viii. 24. Acts iv. 10, 11, 12. Acts x. 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43. 1 Cor. xv. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Acts xxii. 8. Acts ii. 36. 11thly. That this same Jesus Christ, being the only God and man in one person, remains for ever a distinct person from all saints and angels, notwithstanding their union and communion with him. Col. ii. 8, 9, 10, 19. 1 Tim. iii. 16. 12thly. That all men by nature are dead in sins and trespasses; and no man can be saved unless he be born again, repent, and believe. John iii. 3, 5, 6, 7, 10. Acts xvii. 30, 31. Acts xxvi, 17, 18, 19, 20. Luke xxiv. 47. Acts xx. 20, 21. John v. 24, 25. 13thly. That we are justified and saved by grace, and faith in Jesus Christ, and not by works. |