tions of the Miniftry, and exert in it the Talents 1649. and Abilities which God had given him.

The o

ther Sectaries, who had joined the Independents because they found in that Party a full Toleration, were united with them in the firft of thefe Principles, and declared for a Republican Government: But with regard to Religion there were fome Differences, which the Independents the lefs regarded, as they were intent upon increafing the Number of their Adherents; and befides this, believed that in the Cafe of Religion a Toleration was abfolutely neceffary.

Fourthly, There was ftill in the Army a Remnant of Levellers, who ftill adhered to their Principle, and were always ready for any Attempt which might recover their Credit and Authority. It is true that Cromwell, after having himself raised this Faction, had in fome measure difperfed it; but it was not entirely destroyed. An able Leader would ftill have made it as formidable, and given as much Uneafiness as in any time before.

Fifthly, It was not without the laft Vexation that the Presbyterians faw the Independents in Poffeffion of Sovereign Power. By this all their Measures were broken The Progrefs of eight Year's Succefs came to nothing, and the Storm which they had raifed against the King was poured upon their own Heads, or at leaft it was apparent, that they had all this while been labouring for others without any Thing done for themselves. For indeed the Independents were equally Enemies to Presbyterian and Epifcopal Government. As to Civil Government, it is certain that the Presbyterians were not averse to Kingly Authority in general. If they had attempted to retrench its Power, this was not from a Belief that the Thing was Evil in itself as it was established by the Laws of England, but because the two laft Kings had made ufe of their Power to deftroy Presbyteria nifm. So that whatever they had done against King Charles I, was not pointed fo much against his Authority

1649. thority as his Perfon, because he was looked upon as their Enemy, and they had no Hopes of ever being in a Capacity to establish a Presbyterian Government in the Church, while he should have any Power to prevent it. It is neverthelefs very likely, that Numbers of them would have complied with a Republican Government, in fpite of the Tenour of the Covenant, had that Governinent not been lodged in the Hands, of Independents, who were by no Means inclined to fupport Presbyterianifm, and had Principles of Toleration which were entirely rejected by the Presbyterians. On this Account an Union between the Presbyterians and Independents was morally impoffible.

Sixthly, The Royalists, equally Enemies of both, could unite with neither of the Parties, confidering the Oppofition there was between their Principles. The Independents were for a Common wealth, with which the Royalifts could not comply. On the other fide, the Presbyterians were for maintaining their Government in the Church; and the greatest Part of the Royalifts, as they had no Bishops, could hardly believe that the Presbyterians were any Part of the true Christian Church. Thus the Royalists, though perfecuted by both Parties, yet were far from joining themselves to either. On the contrary they conceived fome Hopes, that the Divifion amongst their Enemies would, one Day, give them a good Opportunity to restore the Monarchy upon its old Foundation. In this Expectation they fomented the Difference with all their Power, and hoped that the Prejbyterians would at laft be obliged to abandon their Projects, and come over to the Royal Party, to free themfelves from the Perfecution which they then laboured under.

Such were the Views and Interefts of the Parties which divided the People of England immediately after the Death of Charles I. It is abfolutely neceffary for the Reader to carry this in his Mind,

to give him the clearer Comprehenfion of what paffed 1649. in this Interregnum.

the King.

the Com

mons.

Upon the Death of the King, the Houfe of Com- An Atto mons immediately published an A&t forbidding the forbid proproclaiming of Charles Stuart eldeft Son of the late claiming the son of King, or any other Perfon whatever, under the Pain of High-Treafon. Here was laid, as it were, the Baker, Foundation of the Common-wealth, which the Inde- Clarend. pendents were aiming to erect in England. The fame . Day the House of Lords demanded of the Commons a Conference, about Settling the Government, and the Adminiftration of Justice, the Judges Commiffions being determined with the Death of the King. The Commons, without any Notice taken of The House the Meffage, voted the Houfe of Lords to be Ufe- of Lords alefs and Dangerous, and therefore to be abolished. bolished by A Priviledge was only left to the Lords to be elected Members of Parliament in common with other Clarend. Subjects. This Priviledge was embraced by a few*, Baker. but the greater Part rejected its nay, fome there P. 588. were that publifhed a Proteft against the Power Proteft, which the Houfe of Commons affumed, to which Baker, ib. that Houfe paid little Regard. Thus this Parliament, Clarend. which in its Beginning was compofed of a King, of V. p. 262. an Upper-Houfe of about Six-fcore Lords, and a Lower of five Hundred and Thirteen Reprefentatives, faw it felf reduced to a Houfe of Commons confifting of about Eighty Members, very few of which at the Beginning of it had five Hundred Pounds. yearly Income. Nevertheless thefe Members, fo few Clarend. in Number, affumed the Name of a Parliament, and acted as if in their Body had been united the Power, which had formerly refided in the King, Lords, and Commons. This might appear furpri fing,

The Earls of Pembroke and Salisbury, and the Lord Edward Howard figned the Engagement to be true and faithful to the Common wealth, as it was established without a King or Houle of Lards, and took their Seats in Parliament by Virtue of an Election from the Feople. Ludlow's Memoirs, Vol. 1. p. 293

Some Lords

1

1649.

fing, if we had not feen the foregoing Tranfactions, and the Terrour which the Army had every where infpired. The Care and Addrefs of Cromwell and his Affociates in the new Model of the Army, and the Filling it with their own Creatures are thereby very visible. Certainly nothing below an Army entirely Independent and Republican could have procured a Power fo exceffive and extraordinary to a Parliament fo inconfiderable for its Number. But it is likewise to be acknowledged, that, of thefe New Governours, fome were Men of a great Genius and uncommon Capacity, and that if they erred in their Principles, they never failed of Skill to pursue the Principles Confequences. Their main Principle was, that the of the Com- Sovereign Authority refided originally in the People, lating to who had intrufted the King with one Part or Share of Govern it, whom they had chofen to govern them according to the Laws. That the King's having abused this Truft, had broken the primitive Contract between the King and the People; and in Confequence of this Violation, the Contract fubfifting no longer, the Sovereign Power returned back to the People as the Proprietors of it. So confidering themselves as the Reprefentatives of the People, they believed, they had a right to change the Form of the Government, without any Notice taken of the primitive Contract which the King had annulled in his Violation thereof.

mons re

ment.

Baker.

Clarend.

In Confequence of this Principle it was that the They abolifh the House of Commons affuming the Name of ParliaMonarchy. ment, voted, and afterwards enacted, that Monarchy fhould be abolished as unneceffary, burdenfome, and dangerous, and that the State fhould be governed by the Representatives of the People in a House of Commons without King or Lords, and under the Form of a Common-wealth. This material Alteration in the Government produced many others in Things which had fuited Monarchy, but were by no Means agreeable to a Common-wealth. The

Divers
Alterati

ons.

Baker, p. 588.

Oaths

made.

Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy were to be abo- 1649. lished *, Juftice was no longer to be adminiftred in the Name of the King *1, a new Great-Seal was to be made, new Money to be coined *2; in a Word, every Thing to be removed which bore any Characters or Marks of Royalty. A Great-Seal was there- 4 Newfore made, on one Side of which was feen the Parlia- Great Seal ment fitting, with this Infcription, The Great-Seal of Ludlow. the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England; on Clarend. the other Side a Cross and a Harp, which are the V. p. 262. Arms of England and Ireland, with thefe Words, The firft Year of Liberty restored by the Bleffing of God *3. This Seal was committed to a certain Number of Perfons, who were ftiled Keepers of the Liberties of England. And it was ordained that for the future, all publick Orders fhould be dispatched in the Name of thefe Keepers, under the Direction of the Parliament *4. Laftly, the Parliament made choice of Council of Thirty-nine Perfons to form a Council of State, for the Administration of publick Affairs under the Parliament. The Projects of thefe Changes were formed in the Month of February, but could not be fully executed till fome Months afterwards,

State,

In

Inftead thereof a New Oath was prepared called the Ingagement, whereby every Man fwore. That he would be True and Faithful to the Government established without King or House of Pears. Clarend. V. p. 260.

* The Name, Stile, and Teft of the Writs were to be, Cuftedes Libertatis Anglia, Authoritate Parliamenti.

*2 The Money, inftead of the King's Impreffion, bore the Cros and Harp, with this Motto, God with us.

*3 The Lord Clarendon and Baker fay, on one side was engraven the Arms of England and Ireland, viz. a Red Cross and Harp, with this Infcription, The Great Seal of England; and on the other, the Portraiture of the House of Commons circumfcribed, In the First Year of Freedom by God's Bleffing restored, 1648.

*4 Widdrington and Whitlock were first appointed Keepers of the New Great Seal, but Widdrington defired to be excused, and his Excufe being admitted, an Act paffed appointing Bulstrode Weislock, Richard Kreble, and John Life, Lords Commiffioners of the Great Seal, quam diu fe bene gessering. Whitlock, p. 374.