(m) Perin

chiet 's Life

of Charles I.

that (HH) time, to defend his conduct.—The King

knew had formerly prevailed upon him, concealing that they had that very morning figned the warrant for the affaffination; they alfo defired him with them, to feek the Lord by prayer, that they might know his mind in the thing. Which he affenting to, Harrison was appointed for the duty, and by compact to draw out his prophane and blafphemous difcourfe to God in fuch a length as might give time for the execution, which they privately fent their inftrument to haften ; of which when they had notice that it was paffed, they rofe up, and perfwaded the general that this was a full return of prayer, and God having fo manifefted his pleafure they were to acquiefce in it (m).' The writer of this was but little acquainted with Harrison's' character, when he defcribes him as drawing out his prayer by compact, in order to gain time for the execution. Harrifin was bold, artlefs, honeft and highly enthufiaftical, and therefore the unfittest man in the world to act a part. Whether the other parts of the ftory are more probable, the confiderate reader will determine. Thefe paffages are, I think, fufficient to fhew the part Cromwell had in this affair, though after all, Burnet af-* ferts, That Ireton was the perfon that drove it on: () Hiflory for Cromwell was all the while in fome fufpence about of his own • it (z).'

P. 57.

Times, vol. i. p. 69.

(0) Life of Hammond,

P.55.12mo. 1651.

(i) His name has been reproached, &c.] No fact recorded in hiftory has been more cenfured than the execution of Charles. Dr. Fell calls it a horrid mockery' of juftice, the rape and violence of all that's facred, • made more abominable by pretending to right and piety; in order to prevent which, he fays Dr. Hammond drew up an addrefs to the general and council of officers, and tranfinitted it to them (0).'-And the minifters of London, alarmed at the proceedings againstthe King, publifhed a vindication of themfelves against the unjuft afperfions caft upon their former actings for the parliament, as if they had promoted the bringing of

the

King being thus executed, that part of the

house

the King to capital punishment. In this vindication they fay, They hold themselves bound in duty to God, religion, the King, parliament and kingdom, to profefs before God, angels and men, that we verily be⚫lieve that which is fo much feared to be now in agitation, the taking away the life of the King, in the prefent way of tryal, is not only not agreeable to any word of God, the principles of the proteftant religion (never yet ftained with the leaft drop of blood of a king) or the fundamental conftitution and government ⚫ of this kingdom; but contrary to them, as alfo to the oath of allegiance, the proteftation of May 5, 1641, ⚫ and the folemn league and covenant: from all, or any of which engagements; we know not any power on earth, able to abfolve us or others. Therefore, fay they, according to our covenant, we do, in the ' name of the great God (to whom all muft give a 'ftrict account) warn and exhort all who either more 'immediately belong to our respective charges, or any way depend on our miniftry, or to whom we have adminiftred the faid covenant (that we may not by ' our filence suffer them to run upon that highly provoking fin of perjury) to keep close to the ways of God, and the rules of religion, the laws, and their ' vows, in their conftant maintaining the true reformed religion, the fundamental conftitution and government of this kingdom (not fuffering themselves to be feduced from it, by being drawn in to fubfcribe the late models or agreement of the people, which directly tends to the utter fubvertion of the whole frame of the fun⚫damental government of the land, and makes way for an univerfal toleration of all herefies and biafphemies, directly contrary to our covenant, if they can but get their abettors to cover them under a falfe guife of the christian religion) as alfo in preferving the priviledges ' of both houses of parliament, and the union between the two nations of England and Scotland; to mourn

P

bitterly

210

house of commons which remained by the

6

per

bitterly for their own fins, and the fins of the city, army, parliament, and kingdom, and the woful mifcarriages of the King himfelf, (which we cannot but acknowledge to have been very great) in his government, that have coft the three kingdoms fo dear, and caft him down from his excellency into an horrid pit of mifery, almoft beyond example: and to pray that God would both give him effectual repentance, and fanctify the bitter cup of divine difpleafure, that the divine providence hath put into his hand; as alfo that God would teftrain the violence of men, that they may not dare to draw upon themselves and the kingdom, the blood of their fovereign.' This bold piece, in fuch a critical conjuncture, raifed the indignation and refentment of the house of commons, (for the houfe of lords had unanimoufly refused to meddle with the bufinefs, and for that reafon it had been voted, That the commons of England in parliament affembled, have the fupream power in the nation)' who conftituted a committee, among whom were Cromwell and Ireton, To examine the authors, publifhers, printers, and fubfcribers to the faid book; and by what means the fubfcriptions to the faid book were obtained, and by whom and the committee were likewife to have power to take information of fuch as have already preached, published, or printed, feditiously, the proceedings in bringing the King to juftice: and alfo to bring in an ordinance to restrain public preaching and printing any thing againft the proceedings of the house, and the high court of juftice, in relation to bring the King to juftice (p).' But nothing could hinder men from declaring their diflike to the deed. They reproached, they reviled, they threatned, and did every thing to make Cromwell and his fellows odious and abominable in the eyes of the whole world. Take a specimen from a fermon entitled The Martyrdome of King Charles, or his conformity with Chrift in his fuffer

() Journal,

Feb. 3,

1648.

6

6

permiffion, and with the fupport of the ar

my,

at the

reprinted at

ings, preached at Bredagh, before his Majefty of Great Britain, and the Princess of Orange, June 3-13, (2) Printed 1649 (9). By Henry, Lord Bishop of Down and Con- Hague, by ne, in the kingdom of Ireland. As the murtherers of Samuel our fovereign, fays he, resemble the crucifiers of our Brown, and Saviour; fo we find them all acting the fame parts. London, And first Judas, who fold his mafter, of all that con- 1649. fpired against Christ, is most odious; for he was his difciple, a domeftick fervant, one whom he trusted with his purfe; and yet he, his familiar friend, who did eat of his bread, lift up the heele against him. So our fovereign was fold at a greater price than our Saviour, by those who had as neere a relation unto him, as Judas had unto Chrift: for they were his countrymen, brought up with him, his fervants and ⚫ familiar friends, whom he trufted with his purse, with his counfels, and his perfon, cherished in his bofome, and inriched with many princely favours. In many • refpects they were far worse than Judas.From Judas come we to the great counsel. The parliament is that great counsel, and hath acted all and more against their Lord and fovereign, than the other did againft • Chrift: they confulted how to put him to death, gave money to betray him, fent foldiers to apprehend him. In that great counsel, Annas and Caiphas were chief; in this Cromwell and Ireton; and Cromwell próphefied as Caiphas did, ufing almoft the fame words, It is expedient that he die, and unless he die the nation will perish. Bradshaw and Cooke are the fcribes ⚫ and lawyers who fiercely perfued him: they curfe themfelves with his blood, as the others did with Chrift's : for Bradshaw fpoke to this purpofe on the bench: • Our lives are threatned if we meddle with his blood; but whatfoever fhall befall us, we will do juftice upon him. And is not this juft as the scribes and pharifees faid, His blood be upon us and on our children. Fairfax was Pilat the governor, who feemed unwil

P 2

• ling

(x) Or

mond's State Papers, by Carte, vol. i. P. 255.

my,

affumed the fupream power of the nation,

ling to confent to his death, and fought to wash bis hands of his blood by laying it upon others. And his wife Lady Pilat, who diffwaded the murther of our • fovereign, more than the other did the killing of ⚫ Chrift. The army are the foldiers who apprehended ⚫ him, watched him, mocked him, reviled him, crying juftice and execution against him, and at laft crucified him, and parted his garments amongst them. • And London is the great city spiritually Sodome, where our Lord was crucified.'- -The preacher in the conclufion, addreffing himself to the King [Charles II.] fays, • God in his own good time, will certainly, Sir, look upon the justice of your caufe-For your caufe is God's caufe. And as it is God's caufe, fo it is the cause of all Kings: they are deeply concerned in it, and ought to purfue thofe bloody paracides.' This language may found harsh, but is fofter than fecretary Nicholas's, who ftiled them Devils (r).'

And in an act of parliament passed foon after the restoration of Charles II. the execution of the King is ftiled, An horrid and execrable murder, an unparalleled 'treafon,' which the faid parliament did renounce, abominate and protest against :' and it was declared, That by the undoubted and fundamental laws of the kingdom, neither the peers of the realm, nor the ⚫ commons, nor both together in parliament, nor the people collectively, nor representatively, nor any other perfon whatsoever, ever had, have, or ought to have, a coercive power over the perfons of the Kings of this realm'. And in virtue of this doctrine, Cromwell and many other of the King's judges were attainted of high treason, and fome fuffered as traytors for confenting to his death. It would be tedious as well as endlefs to reckon up the reproaches which have been caft on Cromwell for this action: fuffice it to say that the bigots, the time fervers, the party men, and many of the honeft and fenfible men of moft denominations, have joined