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tion. There have been, since the present Government 'began,' several Acts and Ordinances, which have been made by the exercise of that Legislative Power that was exercised since we undertook this Government: [Very cumbrous phraseology, your Highness for indeed the subject is somewhat cumbrous. Questionable, to some, whether one CAN make Acts and Ordinances by a mere Council and Protector!] And I think your Instrument speaks a little more faintly 'as' to these, and dubiously, than to the other! And truly, I will not make an apology for anything: but surely two persons, two sorts of them, 'very extensive sorts,' will be merely concerned upon this account: They who exercised that authority, and they who were objects of its exercise! This wholly dissettles them; wholly, if you be not clear in your expressions. It will dissettle us very much to think that the Parliament doth not approve well of what hath been done 'by us' upon a true ground of necessity, in so far as the same hath saved this Nation from running into total arbitrariness. 'Nay, if not,' why subject the Nation to a sort of men who perhaps would do so?* We think we have in that thing deserved well of the State. [Do not "dissettle" his Highness! He has "in that thing," of assuming the Government and passing what Ordinances &c. were indispensable, “deserved well. Committee of Ninety-nine agree to what is reasonable.]

Why, ah,

If any man will ask me, "But ah, Sir, what have you done since?" as I will confess my fault where I am guilty, so I think, taking things as they 'then' were, I think we have done the Com

*Why subject the Nation to us, who perhaps would drive it into arbitrariness, as your non-approval of us seems to insinuate?

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monwealth service! We have therein made great settlements, that have we. We have settled almost all the whole affairs in Ireland; the rights and interests of the Soldiers there, and of the Planters and Adventurers. And truly we have settled very much of the business of the Ministry; ["Triers" diligent here, "Expurgators" diligent everywhere; much good work completed] and I wish that be not an aggravation of our fault; I wish it be not! But I must needs say, If have anything to rejoice in before the Lord in this world, as having done any good or service, 'it is this.' I can say it from my heart; and I know I say the truth, let any man say what he will to the contrary, he will give me leave to enjoy my own opinion in it, and my own conscience and heart; and 'to' dare bear my testimony to it: There hath not been such a service to England since the Christian Religion was perfect in England! I dare be bold to say it; however there may have, here and there, been passion and mistakes. And the Ministers themselves, take the generality of them ["are unexceptionable, nay exemplary as Triers aud as Expurgators:" but his Highness, blazing up at touch of this tender topic, wants to utter three or four things at once, and his "elements of rhetoric" fly into the ELEMENTAL state! We perceive he has got much blame for his Two Church Commissions; and feels that he has deserved far the reverse.] They will tell 'you,' it is beside their instructions, 'if they have "fallen into "passion and mistakes," if they have 'meddled with civil matters, in their operations as "Triers!' And we did adopt the thing upon that ac

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"be not to secure the grave men" (Scott's Somers, p. 399) is unadulterated nonsense: for grave men read gravamen, and we have dubiously a sense as above; "an aggravation of our fault with such objectors."

count; we did not trust upon doing what we did virtute Instituti, as if 'these Triers were' jure divino, but as a civil good. But [Checks himself] So we end in this: We 'knew not and' know not better how to keep the Ministry good, and to augment it in goodness, than by putting such men to be Triers. Men of known integrity and piety; orthodox men and faithful. We knew not how better to answer our duty to God and the Nation and the People of God, in that respect, than by doing what we did.

as if

And, I dare say, if the grounds upon which we went will not justify us, the issue and event of it doth abundantly justify us; God having had exceeding glory by it, in the generality of it, I am confident, fortyfold! For as heretofore the men that were admitted into the Ministry in times of Episcopacy-alas what pitiful Certificates served to make a man a Minister! [Forty-fold better now.] If any man could understand Latin and Greek, he was sure to be admitted; he spake Welsh; which in those days went for Hebrew with a good many! [Satirical. "They studied Pan, "Bacchus, and the Longs and Shorts, rather than their "Hebrew Bible, and the Truths of the Living Jehovah!"] Certainly the poorest thing in the world would serve a turn; and a man was admitted upon such an account [As this of mere Latin and Greek, with a suspicion of Welsh-Hebrew]; ay, and upon a less. I am sure the admission granted to such places since has been under this character as the rule: That they must not admit a man unless they were able to discern some thing of the Grace of God in him. [Really it is the grand primary essential, your Highness. Without which, Pan, Bacchus, Welsh-Hebrew, nay Hebrew itself; must

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go for nothing, nay for less, if we consider well. some points of view, it is horrible!] 'Grace of God;' which was to be so inquired for, as not foolishly nor senselessly, but so far as men could judge according to the rules of Charity. Such and such a man, of whose good life and conversation they could have a very good testimony from four or five of the neighbouring Ministers who knew him, mitted unless he could give the Grace of God in him. speak my conscience in it,* are angry at it, nay if all are angry at it, for how shall you please everybody?

he could not yet be ada very good testimony of And to this I say, I must though a great many

Then say some, None must be admitted except, perhaps, he will be baptised 'again.' That is their opinion. [Anabaptists.] They will not admit a man into a Congregation to be Minister, except he commence by being so much less. The Presbyterians

'again,' they will not admit him unless he be "ordained." Generally they will not go to the Independents: truly I think, if I be not partial, I think if there be a freedom of judgment, it is there. [With the Independents: that is your Highness's opinion.] Here are Three sorts of Godly Men whom you are to take care for; whom you have provided for in your Settlement. And how could you put the selection upon the Presbyterians without, by possibility, excluding all those Anabaptists, all those Independents! And so now you have put it into this way, That though a man be of any of those three judgments, if he have the root of the matter in him, he may be admitted. [Very good, your Highness!] This hath been our care and work;

"I do approve it" is modestly left out.

both by some Ordinances of ours, laying the foundations of it, and by many hundreds of Ministers being 'admitted' in upon it. And if this be a "time of Settlement," then I hope it is not a time of shaking;

and therefore I hope you will be pleased to settle this business too: and that you will neither "shake” the Persons [U] who have been poorly instrumental in calling you to this opportunity of settling this Nation, and of doing good to it; nor shake those honest men's interests who have been thus settled. And so I have done with the offers to you, 'with these my sug

gestions to you.'

[His Highness looks now on the Paper again; looks at Article Seventh there, "That the Revenue shall be 1,300,0007;” and also at a Note by himself of the Current Expenses; much wondering at the contrast of the two; not having Arithmetic enough to reconcile them!]

But here is somewhat that is indeed exceedingly past my understanding; for I have as little skill in Arithmetic as I have in Law! These are great sums; it is well if I can count them to you. [Looking on his Note] The present charge of the Forces both by Sea and Land will be 2,426,9897. The whole present Revenue in England, Scotland and Ireland, is about 1,900,0007; I think this was reckoned the most, as the Revenue now stands. Why, now, towards this you settle, by your Instrument, 1,300,000l. for the Government; and out of that "to maintain the Force by Sea and Land," and "without Land-tax," I think! and this is short of the Revenue which now can be raised by the 'present Act of' Government 600,000l.! [A grave discrepancy!] Because, you see, the present Government has 1,900,0007; and the whole sum which can

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