ed them in a good measure of their mainte

nance,

And that no perfon, who for delinquency or scandal, hath been fequeftered or ejected, fhall from and after the first day of January aforefaid, preach in any public place, or at any private meeting of any other perfons than thofe of his own family, nor fhall adminifter baptifm or the Lords Supper, or marry any perfons, or use the book of Common-Prayer, or the forms of prayer therein contained, upon pain that every perfon fo offending in any of the premises, fhall be proceeded againft, as by the faid orders is provided ⚫ and directed. And to the end all perfons concerned may take notice hereof, and avoid the danger of any of the faid penalties, his highness doth charge and ⚫ command all fheriff's within their respective counties, cities and towns, to cause this declaration to be proclaimed and published. Nevertheless his highness doth declare, that, towards fuch of the faid persons, as have fince their ejection or fequeftration given, or fhall hereafter give, a real teftimony of their godliness and good affection to the prefent government, fo much tenderness shall be used, as may confift with the fafety and good of the nation (9).It would be useless 249. Mer- to fpend words in expofing the cruelty of this declaracurius Poli- tion. Perfecution is written on the face of it, nor is it ticus, No. capable of a vindication. We are told that some of the moft confiderable epifcopal clergy, on the iffuing forth of this decree, applied to archbishop Ufher, to use his intereft with the Protector, That as he granted liberty of confcience to almoft all forts of religions, fo the epifcopal divines might have the fame freedom of ferving God in their private congregations, (fince they were not permitted the public churches) according to the liturgy of the church of England; and that: neither the minifters, nor thofe that frequented that fervice, might be any more hindered or disturbed by his foldiers. So according to their defires, continues Dr. Parr, he went and used his utmost endeavours with • Crom

(0) Harleian

Mifcellany,

vol. v. P.

255. R.

5774.

nance, and of their liberty of worshiping God according as appeared best to their own

under

• Cromwell, for the taking off this restraint, which was at laft promised, (though with fome difficulty) that they fhould not be molefted, provided they medled not with any matters relating to his government: but when the lord primate went to him a second time, to 6 get this promife ratified, and put into writing,

6

Cromwell anfwered him to this effect, that he had fince • better confidered it, having advised whith his council about it, and that they thought it not fafe for him to < grant liberty of confcience to thofe fort of men, who < are restless and implacable enemies to him and his go⚫vernment; and fo took his leave of him, though with good words, and outward civility: the lord primate feeing it was in vain to urge it any farther, faid little · more to him, but returned to his lodgings very much troubled, and concerned that his endeavours had met with no better fuccefs; when he was in his chamber, ⚫he faid to fome of his relations and myself, that came to fee him, This falfe man hath broken his word with ine, and refufes to perform what he promifed; well, he will have little caufe to glory in his wickedness, for he will not continue long; the King will return; though I fhall not live to fee it, you may: the government both in church and ftate is in confufion, the papists are advancing their projects, and making (p) Life of Usher, p. fuch advantages as will hardly be prevented (p). This truly venerable primate had reafon to be out of humour. For whatever might have been the practices of many of the epifcopal clergy, 'tis certain there were amongst them wife, pious, learned, and peaceable men, who merited a very different treatment from this which was given them by Oliver. Not to take notice that it is a very barbarous thing to prohibit men the use of thofe forms of addrefs to the Deity, which they imagine are most honourable and acceptable to him.However, in juftice to the Protector, it must be faid,

Ff4

that

75.

(4) See

gy, part ii.

P. 23, 24.

understandings. The cavaliers had hard measure from him, as they were (sss) with

out

that notwithstanding this declaration, he winked at, or Walker's permitted fome worthy epifcopalians to officiate in the Suffering's public places of worship, nor do we find that they fufof the Cler- fered any inconveniences on account of it. The books referred to in the margin will be deemed full authority 26. 69. Fol. by thofe acquainted with the character of their auLond. 1714. thors (9). So that fome tenderness was used towards Life of fuch as were not of obnoxious characters, though it Bishop Bull, cannot be doubted but many innocent and worthy men P. 29. 47 must have received very hard measure.

Nelfon's

8vo Lond. 37331

(sss) The cavaliers bad hard measure from him, being fubjected to heavy taxes, &c.] Cromwell, though an enemy, had fhewn favour to the cavaliers in a variety of inftances, and zealously promoted the act of oblivion whereby they obtained many folid advantages. But they could not be quiet. They were continually plotting how to bring in the young King, and reftore him to what they called his right. For in the eyes of these men nations and kingdoms were patrimonial estates, and as fuch were to pafs from father to fon, without afking the confent of those who constituted them.—— What made them more forward was the difcontent which had arifen among their adverfaries, on Cromwell's feizing the government, and exercifing the fupream rule. For many zealous republicans now turned against him, and even joined with their fworn foes, to compleat his deftruction. So blind is revenge! Among (~) See Note these were Overton and Wildman, men of parts and in(zzz). tereft in the army (r). But nothing was concealed from the eye of Cromwell. He feized many of the confpirators, and difappointed their intended infurrections. Grove and Penrudduck appeared however in the west, and with a small body of men, carried off the judges on the circuit at Salisbury; but being pursued, were taken, and executed at Exeter. Had Cromwell stopt here, had he only punished fuch as had appeared-in

arms,

out exception, almoft, rendered fubject to heavy

arms, or truly engaged in the plot against him, there had been no blame. Men who will venture on fuch exploits, must take the confequences; nor is a government to be blamed for making them examples. But provoked, Cromwell went much farther. He punished the whole body of cavaliers, and made little distinction between them. An order was made that all those who • had ever borne arms for the King, or declared themfelves to be of the royal party, thould be decimated, that is, pay a tenth part of all that eftate which they had left, to fupport the charge which the commonwealth was put to, by the unquietness of their tem'pers and the juft caufe of jealoufy which they had ad• miniftered.'-By another declaration, they were • rendered incapable to be elected, or give their vote in the election of any perfon or perfons to any office or place of truft or government, within the commonwealth; or to hold or execute by themselves or depu- (1) See Claties, any fuch office or place till his highness's com- rendon, vol. • mand was farther known (s).' And a great number of vi. P. 570. perfons of quality were clapt up in prifon, against Politicus, whom little more was to be alledged than that they had No. 276. been of the royal party. This treatment could not P. 5639. but be deemed by many, hard, and unjuft. But Cromwell and his council undertook to vindicate it, in a declaration, publifhed October 31, 1655, wherein, after taking notice of the events of the late war; the punctual performance of the articles granted to the cavaliers; and the act of grace and oblivion granted to them, in order to heal and cement, and take away all feeds of difference and feparation: I fay, after taking notice of these things, the declaration goes on to obferve, That there can be no other conftruction made of the actings of that party, to the disturbance of the publick peace, and to the fubverfion of the government, but that they are implacable in their malice and revenge, and never to be drawn from their adhering to

• that

Mercurius

heavy taxes and other inconveniences, upon

ac

that curfed intereft, which hath been the fhedding of fo much innocent blood, and almoft the ruin and • deftruction of these lands.'--As to the act of oblivion, against which thefe proceedings were deemed contrary, it was anfwered, That the parliament, by that act, intended not only an oblivion of the offences of the party, [the cavaliers] but that this kindnefs fhould be answered with obedience on their part, and produce a real change in their principles and intereft, as to the common cause this great conteft had been about, for otherwife this act cannot be confidered as obligatory to those who gave it and in this cafe forbearance from outward action will not avail, to 'intitle to the benefit of the pardon, if yet there be • malice and revenge in the heart, and fuch a leaning and adhering to the old intereft, that nothing is wanting in the difcovery thereof, but a fitting opportunity; for as fuch men cannot in justice and ingenuity, claim the benefit of an act of favour from the fupream magiftrate, to whom they themselves be enemies, fo neither is that magiftrate bound in justice before God or men to give it to them, if he hath reafon to believe from the course of their converfations that they are fuch, and that their intentions towards the government, under which they live, are the fame as when they were in open arms against it, and is at liberty to carry himself towards them, as if no fuch act had been. Nay, he may proceed against them with greater feverity, inasmuch as he hath used the laft means to reclaim them without fruit, and knows by experience, that nothing but the fword will reftrain them from blood and violence. Then if this be the cafe between us and the late King's party, to wit, that they have notorioufly manifefted it to the confciences of all men, that they do not only retain their old principles and ftill adhere to their former intereft, in direct oppofition to the government established, but have been all < along