may be feared, these are our times. For when men forget all rules of Law and Nature, and break all the bonds that fallen man hath on him 'obscuring' the remainder of the image of God in their nature, which they cannot blot out, and yet shall endeavor to blot out, “having a form of godliness without the power," surely' these are sad tokens of the last times!

And indeed the character wherewith this spirit and principle is described in that place of Scripture,' is so legible and visible, that he who runs may read it to be amongst us. For by such "the grace of God is turned into wantonness," and Christ and the Spirit of God made a cloak for all villany and spurious apprehensions. [Threatening to go a strange course, those Antinomian, Levelling, day-dreaming Delusionists of ours!] And though nobody will own these things publicly as to practice, the things being so abominable and odious; yet the consideration' how this principle extends itself, and whence it had its rise, makes me to think of a Second sort of Men, 'tending in the same direction ;' who, it's true, as I said, will not practise nor own these things, yet can tell the Magistrate "That he hath nothing to do with men holding such notions: These, 'forsooth,' are matters of conscience and opinion: they are matters of Religion; what hath the Magistrate to do with these things? He is to look to "the outward man, not to the inward,”—and so forth.' And truly it so happens that though these things do break out visibly to all, yet the principle wherewith these things are carried on so forbids the Magistrate to meddle with them, that it hath hitherto kept the offenders from punishment.*

6

Such considerations, and pretensions to "liberty of conscience," what are they leading us towards!' Liberty of Conscience, and Liberty of

tant: but to gain any meaning from it whatever, some small changes have been necessary. I do not encumber the reader with double samples of what at best is grown obsolete to him: such as wish to see the original unadulterated unintelligibility, will find it, in clear print, p. 321, vol. xx., of Parliamentary History, and satisfy themselves whether I have read well or ill.

*The latest of the Commentators says: This drossy paragraph has not much Political Philosophy in it, according to our modern established Litany of “toleration,” “ freedom of opinion,” “no man responsible for what opinions he may form," &c., &c.; but it has some honest human sagacity in it, of a much more perennial and valuable character. Worth looking back upon, worth looking up towards,-as the blue skies and stars might be, if through the great deep element of “ temporary London Fog” there were any chance of seeing them !-Strange exhalations have risen upon us, and the Fog is very deep: nevertheless very indubitably the stars still are.

the Subject,-two as glorious things to be contended for, as any that God hath given us; yet both these abused for the patronising of villanies! Insomuch that it hath been an ordinary thing to say, and in dispute to affirm, "That the restraining of such pernicious notions was not in the Magistrate's power; he had nothing to do with it. Not so much as the printing of a Bible in the Nation for the use of the People, 'was competent to the Magistrate,' lest it should be imposed upon the consciences of men," for "they would receive the same traditionally and implicitly from the Magistrate, if it were thus received! The afore-mentioned abominations did thus swell to this height among us.

It was

'So likewise' the axe was laid to the root of the Ministry.* Antichristian, it was Babylonish,' said they.' It suffered under such a judgment, that the truth is, as the extremity was great according to the former system,† I wish it prove not as great according to this, The former extremity' we suffered under' was, That no man, though he had never so good a testimony, though he had received gifts from Christ, might preach, unless ordained. So now I think we are at the other extremity, when' many affirm, That he who is ordained hath a nullity, or Antichristianism, stamped 'thereby' upon his calling: so that he ought not to preach, or not be heard.-I wish it may not be too justly said, That there was severity and sharpness 'in our old system!' Yea, too much of an imposing spirit in matters of conscience; a spirit Unchristian enough in any times, most unfit for these times ;'-denying liberty of conscience' to men who have earned it with their blood; who have earned civil liberty, and religious also, for those [Stifled murmurs from the Presbyterian Sect.] who would thus impose upon them!

6

We may reckon, among these our Spiritual evils, an evil that hath more refinedness in it, more color for it, and hath deceived more people of integrity than the rest have done;-for few have been catched by the former mistakes except such as have apostatized from their holy profession, such as being corrupt in their consciences have been forsaken by God, and left to such noisome opinions. But, I say, there is another error of more refined sort; 'which' many honest people whose hearts are sincere, many of them belonging to God, 'have fallen into:' and that is the mistaken notion of the Fifth Monarchy-

[Yes, your Highness!-But will his Highness and the old Par. iament be pleased here to pause a little, till a faithful Editor take the great liberty of explaining somewhat to the modern part of

* Preaching Clergy.

'On that hand' in orig. He alludes to the Presbyterian system.

the audience? Here is a Note saved from destruction; not without difficulty. To his Highness and the old Parliament it will be inaudible; to them, standing very impassive, serene, immovable in the fixedness of the old Eternities,-it will be no hardship to wait a little! And to us who still live and listen, it may have its uses.

'The common mode of treating Universal History,' says our latest impatient Commentator, not yet entirely fallen obsolete in this country, though it has been abandoned with much ridicule everywhere else for half a century now, was to group the Aggregate Transactions of the Human Species into Four Monarchies: the Assyrian Monarchy of Nebuchadnezzar and Company; the Persian of Cyrus and ditto; the Greek of Alexander; and lastly the Roman. These I think were they, but am no great authority on the subject. Under the dregs of this last, or Roman Empire, which is maintained yet by express name in Germany, Das heilige Römische Reich, we poor moderns still live. But now say Major-General Harrison and a number of men, founding on Bible Prophecies, Now shall be a Fifth Monarchy, by far the blessedest and the only real one, the Monarchy of Jesus Christ, his Saints reigning for him here on Earth,—if not he himself, which is probable or possible,—for a thousand years, &c., &c.-. O Heavens, there are tears for human destiny; and immortal Hope itself is beautiful because it is steeped in Sorrow, and foolish Desire lies vanquished under its feet! They who merely laugh at Harrison take but a small portion of his meaning with them. Thou, with some tear for the valiant Harrison, if with any thought of him at all, tend thou also valiantly, in thy day and generation, whither he was tending; and know that, in far wider and diviner figure than that of Harrison, the Prophecy is very sure, that it shall be sure while one brave man survives among the dim bewildered populations of this world. Good shall reign on this Earth has not the Most High said it? To approve Harrison, to justify Harrison, will avail little for thee; go and do likewise. Go and do better, thou that disapprovest him. Spend thou thy life for the Eternal; we will call thee also brave, and remember thee for a while!'

So much for that mistaken notion of the Fifth Monarchy:'

and now his Highness, tragically audible across the Centuries, continues again :]

-Fifth Monarchy. A thing pretending more spirituality than anything else. A notion I hope we all honor, and wait, and hope for the fulfilment of;' That Jesus Christ will have a time to set up His Reign in our hearts; by subduing those corruptions and lusts and evils that are there; which now reign more in the world than, I hope, in due time they shall do. And when more fulness of the Spirit is poured forth to subdue iniquity, and bring-in everlasting righteousness, then will the approach of that glory be. [Most true:—and not till then!] The carnal divisions and contentions among Christians, so common, are not the symptoms of that Kingdom!—But for men, on this principle, to betitle themselves, that they are the only men to rule kingdoms, govern nations, and give laws to people, and determine of property and liberty and everything else,-upon such a pretension as this is truly they had need 'to' give clear manifestations of God's presence with them, before wise men will receive or submit to their conclusions! Nevertheless, as many of these men have good meanings, which I hope in my soul they have, it will be the wisdom of all knowing and experienced Christians to do as Jude saith. · Jude,' when he reckoned up those horrible things, done upon pretences, and haply by some upon mistakes: "Of some," says he, " have compassion, making a difference; others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire."* I fear they will give too often opportunity for this exercise! But I hope the same will be for their good. If men do but 'so much as ' pretend for justice and righteousness, and be of peaceable spirits, and will manifest this, let them be the subjects of the Magistrate's encouragement. And if the Magistrate, by punishing visible miscarriages, save them by that discipline, God having ordained him for that end,—I hope it will evidence love and not hatred, 'so' to punish where there is cause. [Hear !]

Indeed this is that which doth most declare the dangert of that spirit. For if these were but motions,—I mean these instances I have given you of dangerous doctrines both in Civil things and Spiritual; if, I say they were but notions, they were best let alone. Notions will hurt none but those that have them. But when they come to such practices as telling us, for instance,' That Liberty and Property are not the badges of the Kingdom of Christ; when they tell us, not that we are to regu

* Jude, 22, 23. A passage his Highness frequently refers to. This fact, that they come so often to visible miscarriages,' these Fifth-Monarchists and Speculative Levellers, who have good meanings.'

late Law, but that Law is to be abrogated, indeed subverted; and perhaps wish to bring in the Judaical Law.

Latest Commentator loquitur: This, as we observed, was the cry that Westminster raised when the Little Parliament set about reforming Chancery. What countenance this of the Mosaic Law might have had from Harrison and his minority, one does not know. Probably they did find the Mosaic Law, in some of its enactments, more cognate to Eternal Justice and "the mind of God" than Westminster-Hall Law was; and so might reproachfully or admonitorily appeal to it on occasion, as they had the clearest title and call to do: but the clamor itself, as significant of any practical intention, on the part of that Parliament, or of any considerable Sect in England, to bring in the Mosaic Law, is very clearly a long-wigged one, rising from the Chancery regions, and is descriptive of nothing but of the humor that prevailed there. His Highness alludes to it in passing; and from him it was hardly worth even that allusion.']

-Judaical Law: instead of our known laws settled among us: this is worthy of every Magistrate's consideration. Especially where every stone is turned to bring in confusion. I think, I say, this will be worthy of the Magistrate's consideration. [Shall he step beyond his province, then, your Highness? And interfere with freedom of opinion? · “I think, I say, it will be worth his while to consider about it!”]

56

Whilst these things were in the midst of us; and whilst the Nation was rent and torn in spirit and principle from one end to the other, after this sort and manner I have now told you; family against family, husband against wife, parents against children; and nothing in the hearts and minds of men but "Overturn, overturn, overturn!" (a Scripture phrase very much abused, and applied to justify unpeaceable practices by all men of discontented spirits), the common Enemy sleeps not; our adversaries in civil and religious respects did take advantage of these distractions and divisions, and did practise accordingly in the three Nations of England, Scotland, and Ireland. We know very well that Emissaries of the Jesuits never came in such swarms as they have done since those things were set on foot. And I tell you that divers Gentlemen here can bear witness with me How that they, 'the

* Speculations of the Levellers, Fifth-Monarchists, &c., &c,