might be removed, and the kingdom of Christ set up; another prayed two or three times, that the parliament might give liberty to tender consciences; another thanked God for the liberty of conscience granted in America; and said, why, Lord, not in England? Another prayed, since God had delivered both presbyterians and independants from prelatical bondage, that the former might not be guilty of bringing their brethren into bondage. The reader will judge of the spirit of this writer, by the foregoing specimen of his performance, which I should not have thought worth remembering, if our church-writers had not reported the state of religion from his writings. "I knew Mr. Edwards very well, (says Fuller*) my contemporary in Queen's college, who often was transported beyond due bounds with the keenness and eagerness of his spirit, and therefore I have just cause in some things to suspect him." He adds farther, "I am most credibly informed, by such 'who I am confident will not abuse me and posterity therein, that Mr. Herbert Palmer (an anti-independent to the height) being convinced that Mr. Edwards had print'ed some falsehoods in one sheet of his Gangræna,proffered to have a sheet reprinted at his own charge, but some accident obstructed it." However, our author went on publishing a second and third Gangrena, full of most bitter invectives and reproaches, till his own friends were nauseated with his performances.

The reverend Mr. Baxter, who attended the victorious army, mentions the independents, anabaptist, and antinomians, as the chief separatists, to whom he adds some other names, as seekers, ranters, behemenists, vanists, all which died in their infancy, or united in the people af terwards known by the name of QUAKERS; but when he went into the army he found almost one half of the religious party among them orthodox, or but very lightly touched with the above-mentioned mistakes, and almost another half bonest men, that had stepped further into the contending way than they ought, but with a little help might be recovered; a few fiery, self-conceited men among them, kindled the rest, and made all the noise and bustle; for the greatest part of the common soldiers were ignorant * Appeal, p. 58. 47

VOL. III.

́ men, and of little religion; these would do any thing to please their officers, and were instruments for the seducers in their great work, which was to cry down the corenant, to vilify parish ministers, and especially the Scots and the presbyterians." Mr. Baxter observes,* that these fiery hot men were hatched among the old separa'tists; that they were fierce with pride, and conceit, and uncharitableness, but many of the honest soldiers, who were only tainted with some doubts about liberty of con"science, and independency, would discourse of the points of sanctification and christian experience very savourily 'the seducers above-mentioned were great preachers, and 'fierce disputants, but of no settled principles of religion; 'some were of levelling principles as to the state, but all were agreed, that the civil magistrate had nothing to do in matters of religion, any further than to keep the peace, and protect the church liberties." The same writer adds, To speak impartially, some of the presbyterian ministers frightened the sectaries into this fury, by the unpeacea 'bleness and impatience of their minds; they ran from libertinism into the other extreme, and were so little sensible of their own infirmity, that they would not have them 'tolerated, who were not only tolerable, but worthy instruments and members in the churches." Lord Clarendon says, that Cromwell and his officers preached and prayed publicly with their troops, and admitted few or no chaplains in the army, except such as bitterly inveighed against the presbyterian government, as more tyrannical than epiecopacy and that the common soldiers, as well as the of ficers, did not only pray and preach themselves, but went up into the pulpits in all churches, and preached to the people, who quickly became inspired with the same spirit; women as well as men taking upon them to pray and preach; which made as great a noise and confusion in all opinions concerning religion, as there was in the civil ernment of the state.

goy

Bishop Bramhall,in one of his letters to archbishop Usher, writes, that "the papists took advantage of these confu'sions, and sent over above one hundred of their clergy, that had been educated in France, Italy, and Spain,

Baxter's Life, p. 53.

by order from Rome. In these nurseries the scholars were taught several handicraft trades and callings, according to their ingenuities, besides their functions in the church; they have many yet at Paris (says the bishop) fitting up to be sent over, who twice in the week oppose one the other; one pretending presbytery, the other independency, some anabaptism, and others contrary tenets. The hundred

that went over this year (according to the bishop) were most of them soldiers in the parliament army."+ But Mr. Baxter,s after a most diligent enquiry, declares, "that he could not find them out;" which renders the bishop's account suspected. "The most that I could suspect for papists amoug Cromwell's soldiers (says he) were but a few that 'began as strangers among the common soldiers, and by de'grees rose up to some inferior officers, but none of the superior officers seemed such." The body of the army had a vast aversion to the papists, and the parliament took all occasions of treating them with rigor; for June 30, Mor gan, a priest, was drawn, hanged, and quartered, for going out of the kingdom to receive orders from Rome, and then returning again. However, without all question, both church and state were in the utmost disorder and confusion at the close of this year, [1646.]

Among the illustrious men of the parliament's side who died about this time, was Robert D'Evereux earl of Essex, son of the famous favorite of queen Elizabeth; he was educated to arms in the Netherlands, and afterwards served the king and queen of Bohemia for the recovery of the Palatinate. King Charles I. made him lieutenant of his army in his expedition against the Scots, and lord chamberlain of the household; but the earl, being unwilling to go into the arbitrary measures of the court in favor of popery and slavery, engaged on the side of the parliament, and accepted of the commission of captain-general of their forces, for which the king proclaimed him a traitor. He was a person of great honor, and served the parliament with fidelity; but being of opinion, that the war should be ended rather by treaty than conquest, did not always push his success§ Life, p. 78.

+ Parr's Life of Usher, p. 611.

es as far as he might. Upon the new modelling of the army, the cautious general was dismissed with an honorable pension for his past services; after which he retired to his house at Eltham in Kent, where he died of a lethargy, occasioned by over-heating himself in the chace of a stag in Windsor-Forest, Sept. 14, 1646, in the fifty-fifth year of his age. He was buried with great funeral solemnity in Westminster-Abby, October 22, at the public expence, both houses of parliament attending the procession. His effigies was afterwards erected in Westminster-hall, but some of the king's party found means in the night to cut off the head, and break the sword, arms and escutcheons. Mr. Vines preached his funeral sermon, and gave him a very high encomium, though lord Clarendon has stained his character for taking part with the parliament, which he says was owing to his pride and vanity. The earl's countenance appeared stern and solemn, but to his familiar acquaintance his behavior was mild and affable. Upon the whole, he was a truly great and excellent person; his death was an unspeakable loss to the king, for he was the only nobleman, perhaps, in the kingdom, who had interest enough with both parties, to have put an end to the civil war, at the very time when Providence called him out of the world.

Among the remarkable divines may be reckoned the reverend and learned Mr. Thomas Colman, rector of St. Peter's church in Cornhill; he was born at Oxford, and entered in Magdalen-college in the seventeeth year of his age; he afterwards became so perfect a master of the Hebrew language, that he was commonly called Rabbi Colman. In the beginning of the civil war he left his rectory of Blyton in Lincolnshire, being persecuted from thence by the cavaliers. Upon his coming to London, he was preferred to the rectory of St. Peter's Cornhill, and made one of the assembly of divines. Mr. Wood says, he behaved modestly and learnedly in the assembly; and Mr. Fuller gives him the character of a modest and learned divine; he was equally an enemy to presbytery and prelacy, being of eras

Ludlow, p. 186, or 4to. edition 1771, p. 79.

tian principles; he fell sick while the assembly was debating the jus divinum of presbytery; and when they sent some of their members to visit him, he desired they would not come to an absolute determination till they heard what he had to offer upon the question; but his distemper increasing, he died in a few days, and the whole assembly did him the honor to attend his funeral in a body, March 30, 1646.*

About the middle of July died the learned doctor William Tuisse, vicar of Newbury, and prolocutor of the assembly of divines; he was born at Speenham-Land, near Newbury in Berkshire; his father was a substantial clothier in that town, and educated his son at Winchester school, from whence he was translated to New-college in Oxford, of which he was fellow; here he employed himself in the study of divinity with the closest application, for sixteen years together. In the year 1604, he proceeded master of arts; about the same time he entered into holy orders, and became a diligent and frequent preacher; he was admired by the university for his subtle wit, exact judgment, exemplary life and conversation, and many other valuable qualities which became a man of his function. In the year 1614, he proceeded doctor of divinity, after which he travelled into Germany, and became chaplain to the princess Palatine, daughter of King James I. After his return to England, he was made vicar of Newbury, where he gained a vast reputation by his useful preaching and exemplary living. His most able adversaries have confessed, that there was nothing then extant more accurate and full, touching the arminian controversy, than what he published and hardly any who have written upon this argument since the publishing Dr. Twisse's works, but have made an honorable mention of him. The doctor was offered the prebend of Winchester, and several preferments in the church of England; the states of Friesland invited him to the professorship of divinity in their university of Franeker, but he refused all. In the beginning of the civil war, he was forced from his living at Newbury by the cavaliers, * Church History, b. ix. p. 213, Wood's Athen. Oxon. vol. ii. p. 62. Athenæ. Oxon. vol. ii. p. 40, 41.