On the new forcers of conscience under the LONG PARLIAMENT. ECAUSE you have thrown off your Prelate BE Lord, And with stiff vows renounc'd his Liturgy, From them whofe fin ye envied, not abhorr'd; To force our confciences that Christ set free, 5 1. Because you have thrown off your prelate lord, &c.] In railing at establishments, Milton not only condemned epifcopacy. He thought even the fimple inftitutions of the new reformation too rigid and arbitrary for the natural freedom of confcience. He contended for that fort of individual or perfonal religion, by which every man is to be his own prieft. When thefe verfes were written, which form an irregular fonnet, prefbyterianifm 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 heretics. 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 philofophy was contented with no fpecies of carnal policy. Conformity of all forts was flavery. He was perfuaded, that the modern prefbyter was as much calculated for perfecution and oppreffion as the antient bishop. 2. And with ftiff vows renounc'd his liturgy.] The Directory was enforced under fevere penalties in 1644. The legislature prohibited the use of the Book of Common Prayer, not only in places of public worship, but in private families. 7. And ride us with a claffic hierarchy.] In the prefbyterian church now established by law, there were, among others, claffical affemblies. The kingdom of England, inftead of fo many diocefes, was now divided into a certain number of Provinces, made up of reprefentatives from the feveral Claffes within their respective boundaries. Every parish had a congregational or parochial prefbytery for the affairs of its own circle; these parochial prefbyteries VOL. I. were Taught ye by mere A. S. and Rotherford? Men whofe life, learning, faith and pure intent were combined into Claffes, which chofe reprefentatives for the provincial affembly, as did the provincial for the national. Thus, the city of London being distributed into twelve claffes, each class chose two ministers and four lay-elders, to represent them in a Provincial Affembly, which received appeals from the parochial and claffical prefbyteries, &c. Thefe ordinances, which ascertain the age of the piece before us, took place in 1646, and 1647. See Scobell, COLL. P. 1. p. 99. 150. 8. Taught ye by mere A. S. and Rotherford.] Doctor Newton fays, "I know not who is meant by A. S. Some book might have have been published, figned by thefe 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 fome Ministers formerly exiles in the Netherlands, "now members of the Affembly of Divines. Humbly fubmitted to the honourable Houses of Parliament. By Thomas Goodwyn, Sydrack Sympfon, Philip Nye, Jer. Burroughs, and William Bridge, the authors thereof. Lond. 1643." In quarto. Their fyftem is a middle way, between Brownifm and prefbytery. This piece was answered by one A. S. the perfon intended by Milton. 86 Some Obfervations and Annotations upon the APOLOGETICALL "NARRATION, humbly fubmitted to the honourable Houfes of "Parliament, the most reverend and learned divines of the Affem"bly, and all the proteftant churches here in this ifland and abroad. "Lond. 1644." In quarto. The Dedication is fubfcribed 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 Obfer"vations, Annotations, &c, upon the APOLOGETICALL NARRA"TION. With a plea for liberty of confcience for the apologists church-way against the cavils of the faid 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 Reply to the fecond Return." This I have never seen. His name was never known. called a "C Samuel Rutherford, or Rutherfoord, was one of the chief commiffioners of the church of Scotland, who fate with the Affembly at Westminster, and who concurred in fettling the grand points of prefbyterian difcipline. He was profeffor of divinity in the univerfity of Saint Andrew's, and has left a great variety of Calvinistic tracts. He was an avowed enemy to the independents, as appears from his Difputation on pretended liberty of confcience, 1649. This was anfwered by John Cotton a Separatist of New England. Would have been held in high esteem with Paul, 10 Must now be nam'd and printed Heretics By shallow Edwards and Scotch what d'ye call: But we do hope to find out all your tricks, It is hence easy to fee, why Rotherford was an obnoxious character to Milton. Rutherford's LETTERS, called JOSHUA REDIVIVUS, are the moft genuine specimen I remember to have seen of the enthufiaftic cant of the old Scotch divines: more particularly of the eloquence of thofe preachers, who oppofed the hierarchy in Scotland about 1637. Their ninth edition, and what is more wonderful in an elightened age, with a laboured Preface high in their commendation, appeared at Glasgow fo late as the year 1765. 8vo. The editor fays, that his author's "praife is already in the "churches." In what church, profeffing any degree of rational religion? 12. By fhallow Edwards.] It is not the GANGRENA of Thomas Edwards that is here the object of Milton's refentment, as Doctor Newton and Mr. Thyer have fuppofed. Edward had attacked Milton's favourite plan of independency, in a pamphet full of miferable invectives, immediately and profeffedly levelled against the APOLOGETICALL NARRATION abovementioned, and entitled, "ANTAPOLÓGIA, or a full answer to the APOLOsc GETICALL NARRATION, &C. Wherein is handled many of the "Controverfies of these times, by T. Edwards minifter of the gofpel, Lond. 1644." In quarto. But Edwards had fome time before published his opinions against congregational churches," Rea"fons against the independent government of particular congrega"tions: as alfo against the toleration of such churches to be erected "in this kingdome. Together with an answer to fuch reasons as are commonly alledged for a toleration. Prefented in all humi"lity 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 prefbyterian uniformity, that the parliament might check their growth by penal ftatutes. Against fuch enemies, Milton's chief hope of enjoying a liberty of conscience, and a permiffion to be of any religion but popery, was in Cromwell, who for political reasons allowed all profeffions; and who is thus addreffed as the great guardian of religious independence, SONN. XVI. II. 66 -New foes arife, Threatening to bind our SOULS in SECULAR CHAINS: Of HIRELING WOLVES, whofe gospel is their maw. S$ 2 12. Your plots and packing worse than thofe of Trent, That fo the Parlament May with their wholesome and preventive fhears 16. Clip your phylacteries, though bauk your ears, And fuccour our just fears, When they shall read this clearly in your charge, 12. 20 And Scotch what d'ye call.] Perhaps Henderfon, or George Galafpie, another Scotch minifter with a harder name, and one of the ecclefiaftical commiffioners at Westminster. John Henderfon 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 alfo, Ibid. p. 152. And Alexander Henderson, B. i. EPIST. 16. p. 33. But I wish not to bewilder myself or my readers any farther in the library of fanaticism. Happily the books, as well as the names, of the enthusiasts on both fides of the question, are almost configned to oblivion. 14. Your plots and packing worse than thofe of Trent.] The famous council of Trent. 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 perfecuting principles. W. Tickell, I think, is the firft who gives baulk, or bauk, from the errata of edition 1673, which has bank. Fenton retains the errour from Tonfon's text. It is wonderful that Tonfon, in edit. 1695, fhould have retained bank, without confulting the Errata of an edition which is his model. The line ftands thus in the manuscript, Crop ye as close as marginal P's ears. That is, Prynne, whose ears were cropped close in the pillory, and who was fond of oftentatiously loading the margin of his voluminous books with a parade of authorities. But why was the line altered when this piece was firft printed in 1673, as Prynne had been then dead four years? Perhaps he was unwilling to revive, and to expose to the triumph of the royalifts now restored, this difgrace of one of the leading heroes of the late faction. Notwithstanding Prynne's apoftacy. The meaning of the present context is," Check "your infolence, without proceeding to cruel punishments." To balk, is to spare. 20. Writ large.] That is, more domineering and tyrannical. W. SONNETS. SONNET S. I. TO THE NIGHTINGALE. Nightingale, that on yon bloomy spray Petrarch, fays doctor Newton, has gained the reputation of being the first author and inventor of this fpecies of poetry. This is a great mistake: for Guitone d'Arezzo, who flourished about the year 1250, many years before Petrarch was born, firft ufed the measure obferved in the Sonnet; a measure, which the great number of fimilar terminations renders eafy in the Italian, but difficult in language. Dr. J. WARTON. Dr. Johnson remarks that, for this reason, the fabric of the regular Sonnet has never fucceeded in English. But furely Milton and others have fhewn, that this inconvenience may be furmounted, and excellence refults from difficulty. To the Nightingale.] No poet has more frequently celebrated the nightingale than Milton. Where he fays in PARAD. LOST, B. iv. 603. -The wakeful nightingale, She ALL NIGHT LONG her amorous descant fung, &c. Perhaps he remembered Petrarch, SONN. X. El'rofignuol, che dolcemente a l'ombra See |