! On the new forcers of confcience under the BE ECAUSE you have thrown off your Prelate And with stiff vows renounc'd his Liturgy, Dare ye To force our confciences that Chrift fet free, And ride us with a claffic hierarchy for this adjure the civil sword 5 1. Because you have thrown off your prelate lord, &c.] In railing at establishments, Milton not only condemned episcopacy. He thought even the simple 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 priest. When these verfes were written, which form an irregular fonnet, presbyterianifm 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 presbyter was as much calcu lated for perfecution and oppreffion as the antient bishop. 2. And with fiff vows renounc'd his liturgy.] The Directory was enforced under fevere penalties in 1644. The legiflature prohibited the ufe of the Book of Common Prayer, not only in places of public worfhip, but in private families. 7. And ride us with a claffic hierarchy.] In the presbyterian 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 refpective boundaries. Taught ye by mere A. S. and Rotherford ? Men whose life, learning, faith and pure intent 9 Would have been held in high esteem with Paul, Must now be nam'd and printed Heretics Every parish had a congregational or parochial presbytery for the affairs of its own circle; thefe parochial presbyteries 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 minifters and four lay-elders, to reprefent them in a Provincial Affembly, which received appeals from the parochial and claffical presbyteries, &c. Thefe ordinances, which afcertain 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 been "published, figned by these letters, and perhaps an equivoque might "alfo be intended." The independents were now contending for toleration. In 1643, their principal leaders published a pamphlet with this title, “An APOLOGETICALL NARRATION of some Ministers for"merly exiles in the Netherlands, now members of the Affembly of "Divines. Humbly fubmitted to the honourable Houses of Parlia"ment. 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 betwixt Brownism and prefbytery. This piece was anfwered by one A. S. the perfon intended by Milton. "Some Obfervations and Annotations upon the APOLO"GETICALL NARRATION, humbly fubmitted to the honourable Houses "of Parliament, the most reverend and learned divines of the Affembly, and all the proteftant churches here in this island 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 Observations, An"notations, &c. upon the APOLOGETICALL NARRATION. 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 called a "Reply to the fecond "Return." This I have never seen. His name was never known. 46 Samuel Rutherford 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 presbyterian difcipline. He was profeffor of divinity in the univerfity of Saint Andrew's, and has By fhallow Edwards and Scotch what d'ye call: But we do hope to find out all your tricks, has left a great variety of Calviniftic 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 Separatift of New England. It is hence eafy to fee, why Rotherford was an obnoxious character to Milton. 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. Edwards had attacked Milton's favourite plan of independency, in a pamphlet full of miferable invectives, immediately and profeffedly levelled against the APOLOGETICALL NARRATION abovementioned, and entitled, "ANTAPOLOGIA, or a full anfwer to the APOLOGETICALL NARRATION, &c. "Wherein is handled many of the Controverfies of thefe times, by "T. Edwards minifter of the gospel, Lond 1644." In quarto. But Edwards had fome time before publifhed his opinions against congregational churches," Reafons against the independent government of particular congregations: as alfo against the toleration of fuch "churches to be erected in this kingdome. Together with an answer "to fuch reasons as are commonly alledged for a toleration. Presented "in all humility to the honourable houfe of Commons, &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 presbyterian uniformity, that the parliament might check their growth by penal ftatutes. Against fuch enemies, Milton's chief hope of enjoying a liberty of confcience, and a permiffion to be of any religion but popery, was in Cromwell, who for political reafons allowed all profeffions; and who is thus addressed as the great guardian of religious independence, SONN. xvi, 11. New foes arife, Threatening to bind our souls in SECULAR CHAINS: Of HIRELING WOLVES, whofe gospel is their maw. 12. And Scotch what d'ye call.] Perhaps Henderfon, or George Galafpie, another Scotch minifter with a harder name, and one of the ecclesiastical commiffioners at Westminster. 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 all configned to oblivion. Your Your plots and packing worse than those of Trent, That fo the Parlament May with their wholesome and preventive shears 16 Clip your phylacteries, though bauk your ears, And fuccour our just fears, When they shall read this clearly in your charge, New Prefbyter is but Old Prieft writ large. 20 14. Your plots and packing worse than thofe of Trent.] The famous council of Trent. 17. Clip your phylacteries, though bauk your ears.] Tickell, I think, is the first who gives baulk, or bauk, from the errata of edition 1673, which has bank. Fenton retains the errour from Tonfon's text. The line ftands thus in the manufcript, Crop ye as close as marginal P―'s ears. That is, Prynne, whofe ears were cropped clofe 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 first 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 prefent context is, "Check your infolence, with"out proceeding to cruel punishments." To balk, is to spare. SONNETS*. O : I. To the NIGHTINGALE. Nightingale, that on yon bloomy spray Warbleft at eve, when all the woods are still, Petrarch, fays doctor Newton, has gained the reputation of being the first author and inventor of this fpecies of poetry. This is a great miftake for Guitone d'Arezzo, who flourished about the year 1250, many years before Petrarch was born, first ufed the measure observed in the Sonnet; a measure, which the great number of fimilar termipations renders easy in the Italian, but difficult in our language. Dr. J. WARTON. To the Nightingale.] Let it not be deemed invidious, although perhaps Thomson himself might have thought it fo,. to compare the folTewing exquifite Ode with this Sonnet of Milton, O Nightingale, beft poet of the grove, But we, vain flaves of interest and of pride, WORKS of Thomson. 4to. vol. i. p. 463. No |