which can only respect civil things: opposite to the Jews' conversion to Christ, by not permitting them a civil life or being: opposite.. to the civil peace and the lives of millions, slaughtered upon this ground, in mutual persecuting each other's conscience: .. opposite to the souls of all men who, by persecutions, are ravished into a dissembled worship which their hearts embrace not!"

From one anonymous writer,—or writers, if so they were,-we turn to another, of a very different character, called, "Some Observations and Annotations upon the 'Apologetical Narration,' Humbly Submitted to the Honourable Houses of Parliament; The Most Reverend and Learned Divines of the Assembly; And, all the Protestant Churches, here in this Island, and Abroad.-Lond. 1644." 4to. pp. 71.

In the front of this work we are met with a Licenser's allowance conveying his approval of what he terms "These judicious Observations,' etc." as being "at this time, necessary and seasonable for the vindication of all Protestant Churches; defending of the authority of Parliaments, and Synods; and prevention of sad Divisions amongst ourselves; though I reverence the Persons of the Apologists, yet, I approve to be impressed.-James Cranford." a

The Introductory Epistle, signed "Your very loving Brother in Christ, A. S.," is addressed "To the Right Reverend and Learned Divines, the Authors of the Apologetical Narration. He tells them of the "high esteem" he ever had of their "persons," and of the "great holiness" of their "lives;" desiring ever to be such himself as he esteems them to be, "except only" in their "particular opinions," wherein, he says, they "dissent from all Protestant, yea all Christian churches in this world!" And he enumerates among the considerations which induced him to publish, "your hard expressions against them that love and pity you; your apparent resolution in desiring a Toleration of your religion, and consequently of a separation from our churches, which, howsoever they have power to hinder you [!] yet condescend to be suppliants to you, that you will entertain union and communion with them." A little after, he says, "yet after all these testifications of so great and tender affections towards you, ye Five men, Five Members of the Assembly, by whose counsel and instigation, or upon what motions we know not,-joined yourselves in a particular combination; without the knowledge of either Parliament or Assembly, to draw up and publish unto the world an 'Apologetical Narration,' as ye term it; containing, in effect, howsoever ye name it, a singular desire of Separation from them that so cherish you; with some unworthy nicknaines ye put upon them who style you by no worse names than Brethren.' By such

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a James Cranford, A.M., was Rector of St. Christopher's, near the Old Exchange; and, according to Whitelock's Memorials, p. 144, incurred the heavy censure of the House of Commons, for a political charge against some of its Members.

These initials are attributed, in "The Life of John Goodwin, A.M., by Thomas Jackson, 1822," 8vo, p. 116, to Dr. Adam Stewart [Steuart], who wrote "An Answer to A Cool Conference between the Scottish Commissioners' Cleared Reformation,' and the Holland Ministers' 'Apologetical Narration;' brought together by a Well-Wisher to both. Lond 1644." 4to. pp. 18.

proceedings what else have ye done, but erected.. in one word, an Assembly to overthrow the Assembly?" He terminates the Epistle with these words, "My main aim has been God's glory, and the editication of weak Brethren who may have been misled by your most learned discourse; esteeming, that during the rest of my pilgrimage, which cannot be long, having no other thing to do, I shall do well to do this, and so improve my talent to His glory, the edification of the church, and the salvation of my own soul; and so I remain,-Your very loving Brother in Christ, A. S.”

Nine "General Considerations" follow the Epistle; the fifth of which contains the remark that the Narration "is commonly thought to be particularly intended" against the Scots, who at this very time," according to their duty, hazard their lives and estates for God's church, all this kingdom, and you also." Many, he writes in the seventh, are desirous to know" Whether this Apologetical Narration' published by you Five alone, be published in the name of you Five alone, or of all those also, or a part of those, whom ye pretend to hold your tenets?' To the end, we may know in what esteem to have it. And, if in the name of you Five only, the promoters and contrivers thereof, Whether ye Five can arrogate a power unto yourselves, to maintain these tenets,' as the constant opinion of all your churches, having no general Confession of their Faith thereabout? If in the name of all the rest; we desire you would show your commission from all your churches, by what authority ye do it? Or if ye do it on that commission and authority from thein, If that be not to assume unto yourselves a greater authoritative power,' than that ye call Presbyterial? Yea, than ever was the Episcopal?"

Among his "Annotations" A. S. notices, in course, the passage in the "Narration," where it is stated by its authors, that they had " no preferment or worldly respects" to shape their opinions for. On this, he put several queries, one being "What' preferment' or worldly respects' could they have, that refused them when they were offered unto them, and preferred death and perpetual exile, before good fat Bishoprics?" Adding, "We know king James's round answer when some asked him Wherefore he preferred not good men to bishoprics? The devil an honest man,' says he,' will accept them!'"a Nothing of any historical importance presents itself through a succession of pages, nor even of powerful reasoning; the character of the composition being carping and disputatious, with abundance of elenchs and quiddities; we may, however, stop to transcribe what this writer thought of the Apologists, "That they condemn not others who approve of set Forms of Prayers prescribed,' and the Liturgy.' But whether these of New England," he tells us, " and others of their profession, will not condemn them in this, we know not. I wish that this were not added rather in a compliance with the present time than otherwise! "b

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The Apologists had said that nothing was written to show "a clear patent" from Christ for authoritative Classical Government, before those books written by two Divines of Scotland, one of England, and others of Holland. Here ye mistake," says A. S., "for we can produce you sundry others of good note, here printed in London. We

66

a P. 11.

b P. 25.

C

Ap. Nar. p. 15.

are sorry ye have not seen them, or disdained to read them. If there were not many written 'before' those, it was in pity of your affliction, Neither thought they your party so considerable: neither were your opinions much known or published abroad; being only written in English, and not in Latin, except by one or two of your Divines, for anything 1 know. Neither thought they that ye were so averse from their Discipline, as ye appear in this Assembly; but that ye suffered only for not conforming yourselves unto Episcopal Gevernment." a

He tells them, that reasons dependent on the charge against "Congregational Governinent,' ,"b that there is "no allowed sufficient remedy" for various evils, induced his side to think, "That these reasons, within these two years, have made you to refine your opinion, and to mould some new solutions, and to suit your opinions more close to the current of the time than you were wont to do." c

e

"d

“As for myself,” he writes, "I believe truly, that ye be very learned, pious, and honest men; and howsoever ye may fail by infirmity, yet believe I not that ye err out of malice; and, consequently, that ye are no Schismatics hitherto. And I hope and am confident, that God will not permit that so good and godly men fall away from his church. And this I say by moral probability, because of the good opinion I have conceived of you by good men's relations, and some observation of your carriages in the small conversation I have had with some of you.' "You disclaim not 'Brownism and their opinions' absolutely, but with a restriction and secundum quid; videlicet, as they have stated and maintained them.' By another limitation, namely, that ye 'differ much from them,'' not in re, sed in modo rei, it may be, ye hold and maintain the same ' opinions,' but not in the same way!" "Ye also declare what ye confess and believe,' namely, the truth to lie in a middle way betwixt Brownisin, and the authoritative Presbyterial Government,' But this is nothing but your error. Verity consisteth not in the 'middle' of this or that which ye imagine; but in a conformity of our conceptions with their object and due measure; which, in this matter, is only God's Word revealed in the holy Scriptures. And, according to this rule, I take Presbyterian Government rather to be the 'middle' betwixt Popish tyranny and Independent anarchy." h

As a specimen of this writer's analogical reasoning, this single position may suffice, "God in the Old Testament granted no Toleration of divers religions, or disciplines; and the New Testament requireth no less union amongst Christians than the Old amongst the Jews!"i

On the place where the Apologists complain of calumnies and reproaches cast upon their persons, and that their "silence" was interpreted that they were either" ashamed" of their opinions, or able to say but little for them; their present opponent answers, "If any man hath uttered any such expressions out of malice, or contempt of your persons, they are to be blamed: If out of zeal to the truth, and of the good opinion they have of you, I believe ye will not blame them; for all good men esteem you to be very godly men; and no men of learning

know you, but know you to be very learned men, as some of your books testify abundantly. But if 'little' can be said, to the purpose, for that cause which ye maintain, what marvel is it, that ye can say little' for it? Neither can honest men doubt but an ill man can and will say more for it than all ye Five can say, so soon as ye have considered it more profoundly, and the better men ye be, the less ye will have to say! Ye are not so able to maintain an ill cause, as an ill man [is]"a "The two Houses would never recommend men thither, either ignorant or vicious, but the learnedest and godliest of the kingdom; so this your Apology is unseasonable. Only this needs an apology, That being Members of the Assembly,' ye will not submit yourselves unto the Assembly of Divines, but take odd ways, proper to you Five alone, to publish particular Apologies, and desire a particular Toleration; which no other 'Members of the Assembly' do. But as for this, transeat cum cæteris erroribus." "Ye excuse yourselves from false 'doctrine;' whereof, no man accuseth you." That this piece was not suffered to pass unnoticed, will be seen in the appropriate place.

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CHAP. XLIX.

BAILLIE.—COTton's “keys.”—SION'S VIRGINS.

IN the forty-sixth chapter, we availed ourselves of some of the published confidential relations and sentiments of Robert Baillie, and we dismissed him there, f under the influence of foreboded apprehension. It has been seen, in the interval, what other disputants were employed upon; the dependent matters being kept in useful contiguity. On returning, to connect and continue in orderly succession, further details of practices and information exposed and recorded by the Scottish conspirator, we find him stating, that "Sundry things were in hands, but nothing in readiness to come in public; for this reason, among others,

b P. 69.

c Ap. Nar. p. 28.

d P. 70.

a P. 66. e Other pieces bearing the name of "Adam Steuart," are"Zerubbabel to Sanballat and Tobiah: Or, The First Part of the Duply to M.S. alias Two Brethren.-Imprim. Mar. 17, 1644." 4to.

"The Second Part of the Duply to M.S. alias Two Brethren: Wherein are maintained, The King's, Parliament's, and all Civil Magistrates' Authority about the Church. Subordination of Ecclesiastical Judicatories: refuted, Independency of Particular Congregations. The Licentiousness of wicked Conscience, and Toleration of all sorts of most detestable Schisms, Heresies, and Religions; as Idolatry, Paganism, Turcism, Judaism, Arianism, Brownism, Anabaptism, &c., which M.S. maintain in their Books.-With a Brief Epitome and Refutation of all the whole Independent Government. Most Humbly submitted to the King's Most Excellent Majesty To the Most Honourable Houses of Parliament: The Most Reverend and Learned Divines of the Assembly: And all the Protestant Churches in this Island and Abroad.-Oct. 3, 1644. Imprim. Ja. Cranford.-Lond. 1644." 4to. pp. 194. There was published also in 1644, "A Short Answer to the Second Part of his overgrown 'Duply to the Two Brethren."" 4to.

See back, p. 220.

many were the more willing to have the Assembly adjourned for the holidays of Zuil [Christmas], much against our minds... Yet we prevailed with our friends of the lower house, to carry it so in Parliament, that both houses did profane that holy day, by sitting on it, to our joy, and some of the Assembly's shame.'

a

"One of the committee-matters," he continues, "is the Psalter... Mr. Nye spake much against a tie to any psalter, and something against the singing of paraphrases, as of preaching of homilies. We, underhand, will mightily oppose it; for the Psalter is a great part of our uniformity, which we cannot let pass till our church be well advised with it." b

"Some of the Anabaptists came to the Assembly's Scribe with a Letter, inveighing against our Covenant, and carrying with them a printed sheet of 'Admonitions to the Assembly' from an old English Anabaptist at Amsterdam, to give a full liberty of conscience to all sects, and to beware of keeping any Sabbath, and such like. The Scribe offered to read all in the Assembly. Here rose a quick enough debate. Goodwin, Nye, and their party, by all means pressing the neglect, contempt, and suppressing all such fantastic papers: others were as vehement for the taking notice of them, that the Parliament might be acquaint therewith, to see to the remedy of these dangerous sects. The matter was left to be considered as the committees should think fit; but many marvelled at Goodwin and Nye's vehemency in that matter. Yet the day following, their passion gave greater offence. We were called out before twelve, to dine with old Sir Henry Vane... The question came, What should follow the Widows? There were left some branches of the apostles and evangelists' duties yet undiscussed. We thought these questions needless, and wished they had been passed; but sundry, by all means would have them in, of design to have the dependency of particular congregations from the apostles in matters of ordination and jurisdiction determined. The Independents, foreseeing the prejudice such a determination might bring to their cause, by all means strove to decline that dispute; as indeed it is marked by all, that to the uttermost of their power, hitherto they have studied procrastination of all things, finding that by time they gained [!] We indeed did not much care for delays, till the breath of our army might blow upon us some more favour and strength. However, that day, we being gone, the one party pressing the debate of the apostles' power over congregations; the other, sharply declining, there fell in betwixt Goodwin and Burgess hotter words than were expected from Goodwin. Mr. Marshall composed all so well as he could. Men's humours, opinions, engagements, are so far different, that I am afraid for the issue. We doubt not to carry all in the Assembly and Parliament clearly according to our mind; but if we carry not the Independents with us, there will be ground laid for a very troublesome schism. Always it is our care to use our utmost endeavours to prevent that dangerous evil; and in this our purpose, above any other, we had need help of your prayers.

a Let. 41," For Scotland" Jan. 1. 1644. P. 411.