66 66 XIV. Martyn's of the story of Moses pose. to submit, seemed to think it necessary, for abat- BOOK ing the great envy, which was confessedly against the parliament throughout the kingdom, that they 1653. should be dissolved, to the end the people might make a new election of such persons as they thought fit to trust with their liberty and property, and whatsoever was dearest to them. But Mr. Martyn Harry told them," that he thought they might find the application "best advice from the scripture, what they were to "do in this particular: that when Moses was found to this purupon the river, and brought to Pharaoh's daughter, she took care that the mother might be found "out, to whose care he might be committed to be "nursed; which succeeded very happily." He said, "their commonwealth was yet an infant, of a weak growth, and a very tender constitution; and there"fore his opinion was, that nobody could be so fit "to nurse it, as the mother who brought it forth; " and that they should not think of putting it under any other hands, until it had obtained more years "and vigour." To which he added, "that they had “ another infant too under their hands, the war with "Holland, which had thrived wonderfully under "their conduct; but he much doubted that it would "be quickly strangled, if it were taken out of their "care who had hitherto governed it." 66 66 liament that they These reasons prevailed so far, that, whatsoever The parwas said to the contrary, it was determined, that determined, the parliament would not yet think of dissolving, would not nor would take it well, that any persons should yet think of dissolving. take the presumption any more to make overtures to them of that nature, which was not fit for private and particular persons to meddle with: and, to put a seasonable stop to any farther presumption of that X'V. BOOK kind, they appointed a committee "speedily to pre"pare an act of parliament for the filling up of their "house; and by which it should be declared to be 1653. 66 high treason, for any man to propose or contrive "the changing of the present government settled "and established." This bill being prepared by the committee, they resolved to pass it with all possible expedition. So Cromwell clearly discerned, that by this means they would never be persuaded to part with that authority and power, which was so profitable, and so pleasant to them: yet the army declared they were not satisfied with the determination, and continued their applications to the same purpose, or to others as unagreeable to the sense of the house; and did all they could to infuse the same spirit into all the parts of the kingdom, to make the parliament odious, as it was already very abundantly; and Cromwell was well pleased that the parliament should express as much prejudice against the army. All things being thus prepared, Cromwell thought this a good season to expose these enemies of peace to the indignation of the nation; which, he knew i, was generally weary of the war, and hoped, if that were at an end, that they should be eased of the greatest part of their contributions, and other impositions: thereupon, having adjusted all things with the chief officers of the army, who were at his devoCromwell tion, in the month of April, that was in the year officers dis- 1653, he came into the house of parliament in a parliament, morning when it was sitting, attended with the of and his solve the 8 for the filling up of their house; and] Not in MS. h contrive the changing of] contrive the dissolution of this XIV. 1653. ficers, who were likewise members of the house, and BOOK told them," that he came thither to put an end to "their power and authority; which they had managed so ill, that the nation could be no otherwise preserved than by their dissolution; which he ad"vised them, without farther debate, quietly to sub"mit unto." 66 66 Thereupon another officer, with some files of musketeers, entered into the house, and stayed there till all the members walked out; Cromwell reproaching many of the members by name, as they went out of the house, with their vices and corruptions; and amongst the rest, sir Harry Vane with his breach of faith and corruption; and having given the mace to an officer to be safely kept, he caused the doors to be locked up; and so dissolved that assembly, which had sat almost thirteen years, and under whose name he had wrought so much mischief, and reduced three kingdoms to his own entire obedience and subjection, without any example or precedent in the Christian world that could raise his ambition to such a presumptuous undertaking, and without any rational dependence upon the friendship of one man, who had any other interest to advance his designs, but what he had given him by preferring him in the war. When he had thus prosperously passed this Rubicon, he lost no time in publishing a declaration of the grounds and reasons of his proceeding, for the satisfaction of the people: in which he put them in mind," how miraculously God had appeared for ❝ them in reducing Ireland and Scotland to so great "a degree of peace, and England to a perfect quiet; whereby the parliament had opportunity to give 66 66 XIV. 1653. 66 BOOK "the people the harvest of all their labour, blood, " and treasure, and to settle due liberty in refe"rence to civil and spiritual things, whereunto they› "were obliged by their duty, and those great and "wonderful things God had wrought for them: But "that they had made so littlelprogress towards this good end, that it was matter of much grief to the good people of the land, who had thereupon applied themselves to the army, expecting redress by their means; who, being very unwilling to "meddle with the civil authority, thought fit that "some officers, who were members of the parlia"ment, should move and desire the parliament to 66 66 proceed vigorously in reforming what was amiss "in the commonwealth, and in settling it upon a "foundation of justice and righteousness: that they "found. this, and some other endeavours they had 66 66 66 used, produced no good effect, but rather an "averseness to the things themselves, with much "bitterness and aversion to the people of God, and "his Spirit acting in them: insomuch as the godly party in the army was now become of no other use, than to countenance the ends of a corrupt party, that desired to perpetuate themselves in "the supreme government of the nation: that, for "the obviating those evils, the officers of the army "had obtained several meetings with some mem"bers of the parliament, to consider what remedies might properly be applied; but that it appeared 66 66 66 very evident unto them, that the parliament, by "want of attendance of many of their members, "and want of integrity in others who did attend, * their duty, and those great] those great their duty, engagements, and XIV. "would never answer those ends, which God, his BOOK "people, and the whole nation, expected from them ; "but that this cause which God had so greatly J blessed, must needss languish under their hands, "and by degrees be last, and the lives, liberties, and "comforts of his people be delivered into their ene"mies' hands. All which being seriously and sadly "considered by the honest people of the nation, as "well as by the army, it seemed a duty incumbent "upon them, who had seen so much of the power "and presence of God, to consider of some effectual means, whereby to establish righteousness and "peace in these nations: that, after much debate, "it had been judged necessary, that the supreme 66 66 government should be, by the parliament, devolved "for a time upon known persons, fearing God, and "of approved integrity, as the most hopeful way to "countenance all God's people, preserve the law, " and administer justice impartially; hoping thereby, that people might forget monarchy, and un"derstand their true interest in the election of suc❝cessive parliaments, and so the government might "be settled upon a right basis, without hazard to "this glorious cause, or necessity to keep up armies "for the defence thereof: that being resolved, if possible, to decline all extraordinary courses, they "had prevailed with about twenty members of the parliament to give them a conference; with whom "they debated the justice and necessity of that proposition; but found them of so contrary an opi"nion, that they insisted upon the continuance of "the present parliament, as it was then constituted, "as the only way to bring those good things to pass which they seemed to desire: that they in 66 66 66 66 1653. |