(e) Thurloe, built, the Sion of the holy one of Ifrael (e). The vol. i. p. governor in his reply telling Cromwell the Scots minifters faid, that they had not fo learned Christ as to

159.

(f) Ja. P. 161.

hang the equity of their cause upon events:' he reaffumed his pen on the fame fubject, and writes as follows: In answer to the witneffe of God upon our • folemn appeal; you fay, you have not fo learned Chrift, to hang the equity of your caufe upon events. • We could with blindneffe hath not been upon your eyes to all thofe marvellous difpenfations, which God hath wrought lately in England. But did not you folemnly appeal and pray? Did not we do fo too? And ought not you and we to think with fear and trembling of the hand of the great God in this mighty and ftrange appearance of his? But can flightly call it an event. Were not both yours and our expec⚫tations renewed from time to time, whilst we waited upon God, to fee which way he would manifeft himself upon our appeals? And fhall we after all thefe our prayers, faftings, tears, expectations, and folemne appeals, call thefe bare events? The Lord pity you. Surely we fear, because it hath been a merciful and gracious deliverance to us. I beseech you in the bowels of Chrift, fearch after the mind of the Lord in it towards you, and we fhall help you by our prayers, that you may find it out; for yet (if we know our hearts at all) our bowels do in Chrift Jefus earn after the godly in Scotland (ƒ).'—--Bishop Burnet tells us, that when Cromwell was in the great

eft ftreights and perplexities, juft before the battle at • Dunbar, he called his officers to a day of feeking the Lord. He loved to talk much of that matter all his life long afterwards. He faid he felt fuch an enlarge'ment of heart in prayer, and fuch quiet upon it, that he bade all about him take heart, for God had certainly heard 'them, and would appear for them. After prayer they walked in the Earl of Roxborough's gardens that lay under the hill; and by profpective glaffes they difcerned a great motion in the Scottish camp. Upon which Cremtuell faid, God is deliver

6

ing them into our hands, they are coming down to (g) Burnet's us (g). The event was comformable to his expecta- Hiftory of

tion.

his own

times, vol. i.

Dutch edit.

(LL).

Whitlock, who well knew the man, writes as follows: p. 82. 12mo. From the council of ftate Cromwell and his fon Ireton See Cromwent home with me to fupper, where they were very well's letter 'chearful, and feemed extremely well pleafed; we to Lenthalk difcourfed together till twelve a-clock at night, and in note they told me wonderful obfervations of God's providence, in the affairs of the war, and in the business of the army's coming to London, and feizing the ' members of the house, in all which were miraculous (b) Mepaffages (b).'

morials, Thefe paffages are, I think, abundantly fufficient to P. 384. establish the enthufiafm of Cromwell. However, that the reader may determine the better, let him attend to the following anecdotes which feem to indicate him an hypocrite. His rude cant and fpiritual fimplicity were downright affectation: than which nothing can be ' more evident from Mr. Waller's obfervation, and his 'confeffion to him. Mr. Waller often took notice, that in the midst of their discourse a fervant has come • in to tell them fuch and fuch attended; upon which • Cromwell would rife, and ftop them, talking at the • door, where he could over-hear them fay, The Lord • will reveal, The Lord will help, and feveral fuch ex' preffions; which when he return'd to Mr. Waller he 'excus'd, faying, Coufin Waller, I muft talk to these

men after their own way; and would then go on where they left off. This created in Mr. Waller an ⚫ opinion that he fecretly defpifed thofe whom he feem- () Waller's ed to court (i).'

Life, p. 30.

And the author of the Political history of the age, thinks the enthufiafm of Cromwell entirely affum'd and politic; quoting the following anecdote from Oliver St. John, in proof of it, viz. That being one day • at table with his friends, and looking for the cork of C a bottle of champaign which he had opened, on being informed, that fome perfon attended for admittance to see him, Tell him, fays Cromwell, we are (*)Monthly • in fearch of the Holy Spirit (*).' Review, for Aug. 1757.

C

These

(1) Jortin's

Thefe are the paffages which feem to destroy the enthufiafm of Oliver; feem, I fay, to destroy it-for allowing their truth, in my opinion, they do not in reality do it. For what do they prove, but that Cromwell fometimes talked inconfiftently with his principles? or being at times lefs under their power, he indulged himfelf in jefting and raillery, to which he was naturally prone? If two or three cafual expreffions are to determine a man's character in oppofition to his whole fpeech and behaviour, woe be to those who think themselves virtuous and good. Whoever will confider the times in which Oliver liv'd; the part he bore in the tranfactions of them; his real principles with respect to returns of prayer; and his opinion exprefs'd in his laft moments, will not be long at a lofs to determine about his real enthusiasm.

Remarks on

ecclefiaftical history,

vol. ii.

P. 370.

1. The times in which Oliver liv'd were times of reformation. Now a reformation is feldom carried on without a heat and a vehemence which borders upon enthusiasm; and as Cicero hath obferved that there 6 never was a great man fine afflatu divino, fo in times of religious contefts, there feldom was a man very zealous for liberty civil and evangelical, and a declared and active enemy to infolent tyranny, blind fu'perftition, political godlinefs, bigotry and pious frauds, who had not a fervency of zeal which led him on • fome occafions fomewhat beyond the fober bounds of temperate reafon. When men are thus difpos'd, and have animated each other, and are inflam'd by oppofition, perfecution, and ill ufage, they are ftrongly inclin'd to fufpect a divine interpofition, and to explain every ftrange appearance that way. The impetuofity fpreads far and wide, and feizes even upon children (/).'

.

Another ingenious writer fpeaking concerning thefe times obferves, That in the high ferment of national fpirit, not only did the animofities ufual amidst the flames of civil war, fpread violently, on both fides; but that which was peculiar to the complexion and • temper of the people of that age; extravagant con

6

ceits of a religious kind, operated in the most forcible manner imaginable. 1 he crude mixture of religious and political opinions which is commonly found among the bulk of a people, being then fhook to the very bottom; it was no wonder, that, together with the moft fhining inftances of military skill and bravery, of penetrating fagacity and judgment in the manage⚫ment of particular conjunctures and events, of boldnefs, vigilance, and addrefs in planning and executing the most dangerous enterprizes; there may also ⚫ be difcerned many evidences of a wild and enthufiaftic genius affecting the manners and actions of the (m) Nation popular leaders (m).'

་

al spirit, confidered,

p.

8vo. Lond.

2. Not only the times in which Oliver liv'd, but the as a natural characters he bore, and the great and furprizing ac- fource of tions he perform'd, will lead us very naturally to fup- political lipofe that he might really think himself under the divine berty, P. 40. guidance. The age of Cromwell was an age of won- 1758. 2d. ders. The king and his nobles were brought low; edit. the poor and the mean were exalted; the foolish things of the world confounded the wife, and the weak things of the world confounded the things which were mighty; and bafe things of the world, and things which were defpis'd, yea things that were not, comparatively, brought to nought things that were. No wonder things fo marvellous, were deem'd by him and others to be the Lord's doings in a peculiar manner, fince they were fo much out of the usual course. And as to himself in particular, from fmall beginnings he had rofe to fuch heights of power and reputation, and done fuch very extraordinary things, that it must have been very difficult for a man of his conftitution, to have forborn thinking that he was perfonally favour'd by heaven in his undertakings. A magiftrate convinc'd of the being of

.

a God and a Providence, and confcious that every purpose of his heart intends the honour of that God and the good of the people he governs, cannot help believing himself under the fpecial care of the Deity. This flows from the very reafon and nature of things, and can never be otherwife: God, as furely as he

This, however, fpoil'd not his good nature, nor rendered him four, morofe, or fe

vere.

On

• exists, muft neceffarily favour fuch a man, and every fuch man must as neceffarily be convinc'd that God does fo favour him.And fuch a perfwafion will always have more or lefs influence on the mind, as it falls in with a conftitution more or lefs inclin'd to fuperftition or enthufiafm, which is apt to impute every laudable thought, and every fuccefsful action to the fpecial fuggeftion and affiftance of heaven (n). 3. Cromwell's real opinion concerning returns of prayer will clearly fhew his enthufiafm. What follows Lond. 1752. may, I believe, be depended on.

(n) Middleton's Tracts, P. 2co. 4to.

I had heard from

feveral (and it had been confirm'd to me by Mr. Jeremy White, who liv'd at Whitehall at the very fame time with Mr. Howe) that the notion of a particular faith in prayer, prevail'd much in Cromwell's court; and that it was a common opinion among them, that fuch as were in a special manner favour'd of God, when they offer'd up prayers and fupplications to him for his mercies, either for themselves or ' others, often had fuch impreffions made on their minds and fpirits by a divine hand, as fignify'd to them, not only in the general, that their prayers would be heard, and gracioufly anfwered, but that the parti'cular mercies that were fought for, would be certainly bestowed; nay, and fometimes alfo intimated to them in what way and manner they would be afforded; and pointed out to them future events before hand, which in reality is the fame as infpiration. Having heard of mifchief done by the prevalence of this notion, I took the opportunity that offered, when there was nothing to hinder the utmost freedom, to enquire of Mr. Howe, what he had known about this matter, and what were his apprehenfions concerning it? He told me the prevalence of the no

• tion