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ON THE

NEW FORCERS OF CONSCIENCE

UNDER THE

BECAUSE

LONG PARLIAMENT.

you have thrown off your Prelate lord, And with stiff vows renounc'd his Liturgy, To seize the widow'd whore Plurality

From them whose sin ye envied, not abhorr'd; Dare ye for this adjure the civil sword

5

When

Ver. 1. Because you have thrown off your Prelate lord, &c.] In railing at establishments, Milton condemned not episcopacy only. He thought even the simple institutions of the new reformation too rigid and arbitrary for the natural freedom of conscience. He contended for that sort of individual or personal religion, by which every man is to be his own priest. these verses were written, which form an irregular sonnet, presbyterianism was triumphant: and the independents and the churchmen joined in one common complaint against a want of toleration. The church of Calvin had now its hereticks. Milton's haughty temper brooked no human controul. Even the parliamentary hierarchy was too coercive for one who acknowledged only King Jesus. His froward and refining philosophy was contented with no species of carnal policy. Conformity of all sorts was slavery. He was persuaded, that the modern presbyter was as much calculated for persecution and oppression as the ancient bishop. T. WARTON.

Ver. 2. And with stiff vows renounc'd his Liturgy,] The Directory was enforced under severe penalties in 1644. The legislature prohibited the use of the Book of Common Prayer, not only in places of publick worship, but in private families.

T. WARTON.

To force our consciences that Christ set free,
And ride us with a classick hierarchy

Taught ye by mere A. S. and Rotherford?
Men, whose life, learning, faith, and pure intent,

Ver. 7. And ride us with a classick hierarchy] In the presbyterian church now established by law, there were, among others, classical assemblies. The kingdom of England, instead of so many dioceses, was now divided into a certain number of Provinces, made up of representatives from the several Classes within their respective boundaries. Every parish had a congregational or parochial presbytery for the affairs of its own circle; these parochial presbyteries were combined into Classes, which chose representatives for the provincial assembly, as did the provincial for the national.. Thus, the city of London being distributed into twelve classes each class chose two ministers and four layelders to represent them in a Provincial Assembly, which received appeals from the parochial and classical presbyteries, &c. These ordinances, which ascertain the age of the piece before us, took place in 1646, and 1647. See Scobell, Coll. P. i. p. 99. 150. T. WARTON.

Doctor Newton says, Some book might have

Ver. 8. Taught ye by mere A. S.] "I know not who is meant by A. S. been published, signed by these letters, and perhaps an equivoque might also be intended." The independents were now contending for toleration. In 1643, their principal leaders published a pamphlet with this title, "An Apologeticall Narration of some Ministers formerly exiles in the Netherlands, now members of the Assembly of Divines. Humbly submitted to the honourable Houses of Parliament. By Thomas Goodwyn, Sydrack Sympson, Philip Nye, Jer. Burroughs, and William Bridge, the authors thereof. Lond. 1643." In quarto. Their system is a middle way between Brownism and presbytery.' This piece was answered by one A. S. the person intended by Milton. "Some Observa

tions and Annotations upon the Apologeticall Narration, humbly submitted to the honourable Houses of Parliament, the most reverend and learned divines of the Assembly, and all the protestant churches here in this island and abroad. Lond. 1644."

Would have been held in high esteem with Paul, 10 Must now be nam'd and printed Hereticks

In quarto. The Dedication is subscribed A. S. The independents then retorted upon A. S. in a pamphlet called "A Reply of the two Brothers to A. S. Wherein you have Observations, Annotations, &c. upon the Apologeticall Narration. With a plea for liberty of conscience for the apologists church-way: against the cavils of the said A. S. formerly called M. S. to A. S. &c. &c. Lond. 1644." In quarto. I quote from the second edition enlarged. There is another piece by A. S. It is called a "Reply to the second Return." This I have never seen. His name was never known. T. WARTON.

His name was well known; and a doughty champion he appears to have been in the polemicks of that time: Witness his effusions, entitled "Zerubbabel to Sanballat and Tobiah: or, The first part of the Duply to M. S. alias Two Brethren, by Adam Steuart, &c. Imprim. March 17, 1644." 4.-Again, "The second part of the Duply to M. S. alias Two Brethren. With a brief Epitome and Refutation of all the whole Independent-Government: Most humbly submitted to the King's most excellent Majestie, to the most honourable Houses of Parliament, the most Reverend and Learned Divines of the Assembly, and all the Protestant Churches in this island' and abroad, by Adam Steuart. Imprim. Octob. 3. 1644." 4°. In this second part the observations of the Two Brethren are stated, and the replies all commence with A. S. prefixed. Possibly Milton ridicules this minuteness, in here writing only "mere A. S." However, the Tracts, above stated, contain in their title-pages the name at large. See also "An Answer to a Libell intitled A coole conference betweene the cleered Reformation and the Apologeticall Narration, brought together by a Well-willer to both &c. By Adam Steuart. Lond. 1644." 4o. I have found him called, in other tracts of the time, Doctor A. Steuart, a Divine of the Church of Scotland. TODD.

Ver. 8. Rotherford?] Samuel Rutherford, or Rutherfoord, was one of the chief commissioners of the church of Scotland, who sate with the Assembly at Westminster, and who concurred

By shallow Edwards and Scotch what d'ye call:
But we do hope to find out all your tricks,

in settling the grand points of presbyterian discipline. He was professor of divinity in the university of St. Andrew's, and has left a great variety of Calvinistick tracts. He was an avowed enemy to the independents, as appears from his Disputation on pretended liberty of conscience, 1649. This was answered by John Cotton a separatist of New England. It is hence easy to see, why Rotherford was an obnoxious character to Milton. Rutherford's Letters, called Joshua Redivivus, are the most genuine specimen I remember to have seen of the enthusiastick cant of the old Scotch divines: more particularly of the eloquence of those preachers, who opposed the hierarchy in Scotland about 1637. Their ninth edition, and what is more wonderful in an enlightened age, with a laboured Preface high in their commendation, appeared at Glasgow so late as the year 1765. 8vo. The editor says, that his author's " praise is already in the churches." In what church, professing any degree of rational religion? T. WARTON.

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Ver. 12. By shallow Edwards] It is not the Gangrena of Thomas Edwards that is here the object of Milton's resentment, as Dr. Newton and Mr. Thyer have supposed. Edwards had attacked Milton's favourite plan of independancy, in a pamphlet full of miserable invectives, immediately and professedly levelled against the Apologeticall Narration abovementioned, and entitled Antapologia, or a full answer to the Apologeticall Narration, &c. Wherein is handled many of the Controversies of these times, by T. Edwards minister of the gospel, Lond. 1644.” In quarto. But Edwards had some time before published his opinions against congregational churches," Reasons against the independent government of particular congregations: as also against the toleration of such churches to be erected in this kingdome. Together with an answer to such reasons as are commonly alledged for a toleration. Presented in all humility to the honourable House of Commons, &c. &c. By Thomas Edwards, &c. Lond. 1641.” In quarto. However, in the Gangrena, not less than in these two tracts, it had been his business to blacken the opponents of presbyterian uniformity, that the parliament might check their

Your plots and packing worse than those of Trent,
That so the Parliament

May, with their wholesome and preventive shears, 16
Clip your phylacteries, though bauk your ears,

And succour our just fears,

growth by penal statutes. Against such enemies, Milton's chief hope of enjoying a liberty of conscience, and a permission to be of any religion but popery, was in Cromwell, who for political reasons allowed all professions; and who is thus addressed as the great guardian of religious independence, Sonn. xvi. 11.

"New foes arise,

"Threatening to bind our souls in secular chains:

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Help us to save free conscience from the paw
"Of hireling wolves, whose gospel is their maw."

T. WARTON.

And

Ver. 12. and Scotch what d'ye call:] Perhaps Henderson, or George Galaspie, another Scotch minister with a harder name, and one of the ecclesiastical commissioners at Westminster. John Henderson appears as a loving friend in Rutherford's Joshua Redivivus, B. iii. Epist. 50. p. 482. And Hugh Henderson, B. i. Epist. 127. p. 186. See also, Ibid. p. 152. Alexander Henderson, B. i. Epist. 16. p. 33. But I wish not to bewilder myself or my readers any further in the library of fanaticism. Happily the books, as well as the names, of the enthusiasts on both sides of the question, are almost consigned to oblivion. T. WARTON.

Ver. 14. Your plots and packing worse than those of Trent,] The famous council of Trent. T. WARTON.

Ver. 17. Clip your phylacteries, though bauk your ears,] That is, although your ears cry out that they need clipping, yet the mild and gentle Parliament will content itself, with only clipping away your Jewish and persecuting principles. WARburton.

Tickell, I think, is the first who gives baulk, or bauk, from the errata of edition 1673, which has bank. Fenton retains the errour from Tonson's text. It is wonderful that Tonson, in edit. 1695, should have retained bank, without consulting the Errata

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