A committee was appointed to salute and welcome them;" by whom it was arranged that " their access to the Assembly, as private spectators, should be when they would;.. but as commissioners, their access should not be immediately to the Assembly, but to some deputed to wait on them, who should report from them to the Assembly, and from it to them, what was needful... When we met, four gentlemen appeared, Sir W. Armin [e], Sir H. Vane, younger, one of the gravest and ablest of that nation, Mr. Hatcher and Mr. Darley, with two ministers, Mr. Marshall and Mr. Nye." a Besides their credentials and other documents, the English commissioners presented a letter “subscribed by above seventy of their divines, supplicating in a most deplorable style, help from us in their present most desperate condition... All these were presented by us to the Assembly, and read openly. The letter of the private divines was so lamentable, that it drew tears from many. We had hard enough debates. The English were for a civil league, we for a religious covenant. When they were brought to us in this, and Mr. Henderson had given them a draught of a covenant, we were not like to agree on the frame; they were, more than we could assent to, for keeping of a door open, in England, to INDEPENDENCY. Against this, we were peremptory... At last.. to that draught.. all our three committees.. did unanimously assent: from that meeting it came immediately to our Assembly:.. it was received with the greatest applause that ever I saw anything... In the afternoon, with the same cordial unanimity, it did pass the Convention of Estates. This seems to be a new period and crisis of the most great affair which these hundred years has exercised these dominions. What shall follow from this new principle, you shall hear as time shall discover." Friday, August 11th, "was the first day of the English appearing in our Assembly." The 15th, "I told.. Mr. Henderson," says Baillie, "my opinion, that the Directory might serve for many good ends, but no ways for suppressing, but much increasing, the ill of novations. However, I assured I would make no din, but submit to him, who was much wiser than I. These my thoughts, I would not communicate to others... Mr. Henderson, Mr. Calderwood, and Mr. Dickson, were voiced to draw with diligence that Directory; wherein I wish them much better success than I expect; yet in this I am comforted, that in none of our brethren who are taken with these conceits, appear, as yet, the least inclination to Independency!" Thursday, the 17th, Baillie continues, "was our joyful day of passing the English Covenant... Friday, the 18th, a committee of eight were appointed for London.. Our last session was on Saturday... On the Sabbath, before noon, in the new church, we heard Mr. Marshall preach with great contentment: but in the afternoon, in the Grayfriars, Mr. Nye did not please. His voice was clamorous: he touched, neither in

P. 380.

See it in "Acts of Gen. Assembly.” Printed, 1682. 12mo. p. 168. “In a deeper sense of this extreme danger," say they, "threatening us and you, and all the churches, than we can express, we have made this address unto you... Oh, give us the brotherly aid of your reinforced tears and prayers, that the blessings of truth and peace which our prayers alone have not obtained, yours conjoined may!"

P. 380--382.

d P. 384.

P. 386.

prayer nor preaching, the common business. He read much out of his paper-book. All his sermon was on the common head, of a spiritual life, wherein he ran out above all our understandings, upon a knowledge of God as God, without the Scriptures, without grace, without Christ. They say he amended it somewhat the next Sabbath." a

We can readily admit that Nye was heard with prejudice; and regret that, not having met with it, we are not benefited by particulars in "A Letter from Scotland, to his Brethren in England, concerning his success of affairs there. 1643." We cannot doubt, however, that he watched with Vane, with the most indefatigable care and foresight, every turn and construction in the frame of the Covenant; and not only concurred in Vane's religious but civil securities. "The main of it,” Echard says, 66 was managed by the superior cunning and artifice of Sir Henry Vane, who, as Dr. Gumble tells us, was very earnest with the Scots to have the whole called a League, as well as a Covenant, and argued it almost all night, and at last carried it. He held another debate, about Church government, which was to be according to the example of the best Reformed churches;' he would have it only according to the Word of God!' but after a great contest, they joined both, and the last had the precedence. One of his companions afterwards asking him the reason why he should put them to so much trouble with such needless trifles; he told him, "He was mistaken, and did not see enough into that matter, for a League showed it was between two nations and might be broken upon just reasons, but not a Covenant. For the other, that church government according to the Word of God,' by the difference of divines and expositors, would be long enough before it be determined, for the learned held it clearly for episcopacy; so that when all are agreed, we may take in the Scotch Presbytery!" Thus, remarks one, he "effected a saving retreat for the supporters of a just toleration."

b

Three of the Scotch commissioners, with "Mr. Hatcher and Mr. Nye, made sail on Wednesday the 30th day [of Aug.], the wind made no sooner; but some eight days before, the English had dispatched a ketch, with a double [duplicate] of our Covenant, which, when it came, was so well liked at London, that Friday, the 1st of Sept., being sent to the Assembly of Divines, it was there allowed by all, only Dr. Burgess did doubt for one night. On Saturday it passed the house of commons; on Monday, the house of peers."

"d

Heylyn records of the Covenant, that " the Commons were so quick at their work, that on Monday, Sept. 25th, it had been solemnly taken by all the members of that house, and the Assembly of Divines, at St. Margaret's in Westminster: in the same church, within two days after, it was administered with no less solemnity to divers lords, knights, gentlemen, colonels, officers, soldiers, and others, residing in and about the city of London, a sermon being preached by Coleman,—though, otherwise, a principal Erastian, in point of government,—to justify

a P. 387, 388.

b Hist. of Engl. fol. vol. ii. p. 450. Foster, Life of Vane. 1838. 16mo. p. 62. d Baillie, sup. p. 390. The copy printed Feb. 1643—4. 4to. pp. 20, is followed by two hundred and twenty-eight names only.

the piety and legality of it: and, finally, enjoined to be taken on the Sunday following, in all churches and chapels of London, within the lines of communication, by all and every the inhabitants within the same, as afterwards by all the kingdom in convenient time. Prosecuted, in all places, with such cursed rigour that all such who refused to subscribe the same, and to lift up their hands to God in testimony that they called him to witness it, were turned both out of house and home-as they use to say,--not suffered to compound for their goods or lands, till they had submitted thereunto... It was compared, by some, to the six-knotted whip, or statute of the six articles' in the time of Henry VIII., this Covenant drawing in the Scots, and thereby giving an occasion of shedding infinitely more blood than those 'articles did... Others, with no unhappy curiosity, observing the number of words.. abstracted from the preface and conclusion of it, found them amounting, in the total, to 666, neither more nor less; .. being the number of the Beast in the Revelation: . . for if the Pope showed anything of the spirit of Antichrist, by bringing Cranmer, the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, to the stake at Oxon. this Covenant and the makers of it, did express no less, in bringing the last Protestant archbishop to the block, in London !" b

The only portions we can present of the Covenant are the first two articles; which, and the other four, with the preamble, etc., would extend over the space of about three of these pages.-Art. I. “That we shall, sincerely, really, and constantly, through the grace of God, endeavour, in our several places and callings, the preservation of the Reformed religion in the church of Scotland, in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, against our common enemies; the reformation of religion in the kingdoms of England and Ireland, in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, according to the Word of God, and the example of the best Reformed churches; and we shall endeavour to bring the churches of God in the three kingdoms to the nearest conjunction and uniformity in religion, confessing of faith, form of church. government, directory for worship and catechising; that we, and our posterity after us, may, as brethren, live in faith and love, and the Lord may delight to dwell in the midst of us."-Art. II. "That we shall, in like manner, without respect of persons, endeavour the extirpation of popery, prelacy-that is, church government by archbishops, bishops, their chancellors and commissaries, deans, deans and chapters, archdeacons, and all other ecclesiastical officers depending on that hierarchy, superstition, heresy, schism, profaneness, and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound doctrine, and the power of godliness; lest we partake in other men's sins, and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues; and that the Lord may be one, and his Name one, in the three kingdoms."

Various constructions were endeavoured to be put on several words

"The Heart's Engagement: A Sermon preached at St. Margaret's Westminster, at the Public entering into the Covenant: &c. Sep. 29, 1643. By Thomas Coleman, Pastor of Blyton, in the County of Lincoln; and being thence driven by the Cavaliers, now Preacher at St. Peter's Cornhill, London. 1643." 4to. pp. 39.

Life of Laud, p. 511.

and clauses in the Covenant, to elude their literal import; and many contrivances were resorted to, in order to evade it altogether: so difficult is it in any case to embrace all judgments in one form of words. Malignancy and exuberance of power alone, could have driven the major part of "the three kingdoms" to combine, by such an instrument, for self-preservation! It wrought evil, in its turn; for which surely they are more to be blamed, whose mal-administration of affairs occasioned it, than they who had not the pretext of "law", to sanction the injustice they but only repaid without interest. No wonder that his Majesty's prohibition of October 9th, against the Covenant taking, was slightly regarded, and that the framers of it should, in reply, humbly advise him" to take the Covenant himself." a

66 6

That a body also, constituted as the Westminster Assembly was, should draw upon itself the utmost scorn which the haughtiness of a superseded or displaced hierarchy could pour forth, is less to be wondered at than if it had been otherwise. Judging from their leaders, the now humbled party resolved to exhibit very little or no regard at all for truth: even his Majesty is made to assert, "That the far greatest part of those who had been nominated to the present service, were men of neither learning nor reputation;" and Laud, with his accustomed assurance, says, "The greater part of them" were Brownists' or Independents, or New-England ministers, if not worse;" while Clarendon affirms, cavalierly, that "Many of them" were "infamous in their lives and conversation, and most of them of very mean parts in learning, if not of scandalous ignorance, and of no other reputation than of malice to the Church of England." It must be owned, there was one among them who had the meanness to act as a spy, and was imprisoned on that account; but Dr. Featly, Chaplain in Ordinary to the King, was so loyal a churchman, that he must not be considered either infamous" or malicious! Echard, a no less zealous churchman than his lordship, imitates Clarendon in his slanderous imputation. Milton attacked them, it is true, but, unhappily for him, from pique.s Baxter honoured himself and them, where he remarks that "being not worthy to be one of them myself, I may the more freely speak the truth, even in the face of malice and envy; that, as far as I am able to judge by the information of all history of that kind, and by any other evidences left us, the Christian world, since the days of the apostles, had never a synod of more excellent divines than this and the synod of Dort." h

In this body, then, of more than a hundred other Divines, were five at the least,-Bridge, Burroughes, Goodwin, Nye, and Simpson,-called henceforward "The Dissenting Brethren," whose names will ever stand pre-eminent for their regard for the inalienable rights of conscience; and who contested on behalf of the utmost latitude of religious freedom, and have not only left their joint and separate testimonies, but merited and received the censure of the worst and

In his Hist. of Engl. bk. iii. p. 503. Work's. Ed. 1803, imp. 8vo; and Orme's Baxter, vol. i. P. 89. Baxter's Life. Ed. 1696. pt. i. p. 73.

the commendation of some of the best of opposite parties; whence, it is not to them, "scandalous ignorance" is justly imputable! If it appear, on sufficient authority, that one or all of them were guilty of occasional extravagance, we remark upon it here only by asking, who else was free of the charge in those days of such excitement? An opportunity occurring, one of this redoubtable little band was presently selected to improve the occasion, as our next chapter will show.

CHAP. XLVI.

SIMPSON'S FAST SERMON.-NYE'S EXHORTATION. THE SCOTS' COMMISSIONERS.-BAILLIE'S DISCLOSURES.-OF MIXT COMMUNION.

THE Concluding passage of the foregoing chapter gives notice of "Reformation's Preservation: Opened in a Sermon preached at Westminster, before the Honourable House of Commons, at the late solemn Fast, July 26, 1643. By Sidr. [ach] Simpson, Minister of the Word. -Published by Order of that House. 1643." 4to. pp. 30.

66

"All the well-affected in the Kingdom," Simpson tells the Commons, in the commencement of his Epistle, cry unto you, as the woman of Samaria did unto the King, 'help'a us; or, as the disciples did to Christ, you have 'bid' us come unto you upon the waters, 'save' us, for we are sinking! Sinking in our estates, our liberties, our religion; yea, in our hearts and courage too. You have many

ways before you for our safety, as the speedy execution of justice on offenders, their 'life' may be our death;"-the vigorous prosecution of the War; the taking hold of all advantageous opportunities; the wise and active improvement of that spirit God hath yet left in the People, which never was more high and great than now it will be. But there is no means like to Reformation: that is a 'defence' [which] cannot be beaten down... Some Evils have so subtilly laid themselves between the stones of the Commonwealth; gotten such laws; obtained such favour amongst men, because they are employed so much in Civil matters; that no Word of God alone can destroy them without sharp contentions, unless your hands be on them. Every one may reform himself, but you only can the nation, of those evils; and unless those be removed, actum est de religione. The God of heaven give to all and every of you such a spirit as may make you fearless of dangers, faithful to your trust, true to your professed ends, and successful in this work!"

The text is from Isaiah, For upon all the glory there shall be a defence." Chap. iv. v. 5.

"There are but two things,"-so Simpson opens his discourse,— "that are the desire of all good men in these times; The reformation