spectations of that justice that was due n by your sitting thus long; and what ou brought forth? I did not, nor cannot, end what it is; I would be loath to call e, that were too Paganish a word; but was something in it that we have not in pectations. I did think also, for myself, in like to meet with difficulties; and is nation will not, as it is fit it should deluded with pretexts of necessity in eat business of raising of Money: and not that I can make some dilemmas, which to resolve some things of my cone, judgment, and actions, I should sink very prospect of my encounters; some m are general, some are more special. sing this cause, or this business, must be I on, it is either of God, or of man; if f man, I would I had never touched it finger. If I had not had a hope fixed that this cause, and this business, is of I would many years ago have run from be of God, he will bear it up; if it be of t will tumble, as every thing that hath of man since the world began hath done. what are all our histories, and other tras of actions in former times, but God esting himself, that he hath shaken and ed down, and trampled upon, every thing e hath not planted? and as this is, so the ise God deal with it.-If this be of human ure and invention, and it be an old plotnd contrivance to bring things to this isand that they are not the births of Proce, then they will tunible: but if the Lord pleasure in England, and if he will do us he is able to bear us up; let the difficulbe whatsoever they will, we shall, in his th, be able to encounter with them. I bless God, I have been inured to difficuland I never found God failing when I ed in him: I can laugh and sing in my heart I speak of these things to you, or elsewhere. though some may think it is an hard thing, but parliamentary authority, to raise ey upon this nation; yet I have another ment to the good people of this nation, if would be safe, and have no better prin; whether they prefer the having of their though it be their destruction, rather comply with things of necessity? that excuse me; but I should wrong my native try to suppose this. For I look at the le of these nations as the blessing of the , and they are a people blessed by God. y have been so, and they will be so, by reaof that immortal seed which hath been and mong them, those regenerated ones in the of several judgments who are all the flock Christ, and lambs of Christ, though perhaps er many unruly passions and troubles of t, whereby they give disquiet to themselves others; yet they are not so to God as to he is a God of other patience, and he own the least of truth in the hearts of people; and the people being the blessing God, they will not be so angry but they JOL, III. will prefer their safety to their passious, and their real security to forms, when necessity calls for Supplies. Had they not well been acquainted with this principle, they had never seen this day of Gospel-Liberty.-But if any man shall object, It is an easy thing to talk of necessities, when men create necessities; would not the Lord Protector make himself great, and his family great? Doth not he make these necessities? And then he will come upon the people with this argument of necessity. This were something hard indeed; but I have not yet known what it is to make necessities, whatsoever the judgments or thoughts of men are. And I say this, not only to this assembly but to the world, that that man liveth not that can come to me and charge me that I have, in these great revolutions, made necessities; I challenge even all that fear God; and as God hath said, my Glory I will not give unto another;' let men take heed, and be twice advised, how they call his revolutions the things of God, and his working of things from one period to another, how, I say, they call them necessities of men's creation; for by so doing they do vilify and lessen the works of God, and rob him of his glory, which, he hath said, he will not give unto another,' nor suffer to be taken from him. We know what God did to Herod when he was applauded, and did not acknowledge God; and God knoweth what he will do with men when they shall call his revolutions human designs, and so detract from his glory, when they have not been forecast, but sudden providences in things, whereby carnal and worldly men are enraged; and under and at which many, I fear, (some good) have murmured and repined, because disappointed of their mistaken fancies: but still they have. been the wise disposings of the Almighty, though instruments have had their passions and frailties; and I think it is an honour to God to acknowledge the necessities to have been of God's imposing, when truly they have been so, as indeed they have, when we take our sin in our actings to ourselves; and much, more safe than to judge things so contingent as if there were not a God that ruled the earth. We know the Lord hath poured this nation from vessel to vessel, till he poured it into your lap, when you came first together: I am confident that it came so into your hands; and was not judged by you to be from counterfeited or feigned necessity, but by divine providence and dispensation. And this I speak with more earnestness, because I speak for God, and not for men; I would have any man to come and tell of the transactions that have been, and of those periods of time wherein God hath made these revolutions, and find where they can fix a feigned necessity. I could recite particulars, if either my strength would serve me to speak, or yours to hear; if that you would revolve the great Hand of God in his great dispensations, you would find that there is scarce a man that fell 5 B off at any period of time when God had any pieces; I will leave thee to fall into God's ba work to do, that can give God or his work, at thou deniest me my sovereignty and po this day, a good word. It was, say some, the committed to me; I will not intercede nor cunning of the Lord Protector; I take it to ate for thee, thou fallest into the hands of myself: it was the craft of such a man, and living God therefore whatsoever you in his plot that hath brought it about: and, as judge men for, and say, This man is cu they say in other countries, there are five or and politic, and subtle; take heed again, I s six cunning men in England that have skill, how you judge of his revolutions, as the m they do all these things: Oh what blasphemy is ducts of men's inventions.-I may be th this! because men, that are without God in to press too much upon this theme; but I tr the world, and walk not with him, know not God it may stick upon your hearts and what it is to pray, or believe, and to receive The worldly-minded man knows nothing of it returns from God, and to be spoken unto by but is a stranger to it; and because of this, a the spirit of God, who speaks without a writ- atheisms and murmurings at instruments, fil ten word sometimes, yet according to it. God repining at God himself and no wonder, onbath spoken heretofore in divers manner, let sidering the Lord hath done such th him speak as he pleaseth: hath he not given amongst us as have not been known it ta us liberty? Nay, is it not our duty to go to the world these thousand years; and yet, law and to the testimony? And there we shall withstanding, is not owned by us.-Ibere : find that there have been impressions in extra- another necessity which you have put up ordinary cases, as well without the written and we have not sought. I appeal to Gest word as with it; and therefore there is no angels, and men, if I shall raise Money acons difference in the thing thus asserted from truths ing to the Article in the Government generally received, except we will exclude the had power to call you hither, and did; 2. Spirit, without whose concurrence all other instead of seasonably providing for the Ateachings are ineffectual. He doth speak to you have laboured to overthrow the Gr the hearts and consciences of men, and leadeth inent, and the Army is now upon Free Quar them to his law and testimony; and there he and you would never so much as let me b speaks to them, and so gives them double a tittle from you concerning it: where teachings according to that of Job, God fault? has it not been as if you had a per speaketh once, yen twice; and that of David, to put this extremity upon us and the a God hath spoken once, yea twice have II hope this was not in your minds, I am 2heard this. Those men that live upon their willing to judge so; but this is the state Mumpsimus and Sumpsimus, their masses and which we are reduced. By the designs ofs Service-Books, their dead and carnal worship, in the Army, who are now in castodę, it va no marvel if they be strangers to God, and designed to get as many of them as o the works of God, and to spiritual dispensa- (through discontent for want of money, the tions. And because they say and believe thus, my being in a barren country, near S0 ma inust we do so too? We in this land have been behind in pay, and upon other specious otherwise instructed, even by the Word, and tences) to march for England out of Scotla works, and spirit of God. To say that men and, in discontent, to seize their generalta, bring forth these things, when God doth them, a faithful and honest man, that so anot judge you if God will bear this. I wish that might head the Army, and all this opportun every sober heart, though he hath had temp- taken from your delays: whether will the tations upon him of deserting this cause of God, a yet may take heed how he provokes, and falls into the hands of, the living God by such blasphemies as these, according to Hebrews, c. x If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sin.' It was spoken to the Jews that, having professed Christ, apostatized from him: what then? nothing but a fearful falling into the hands of the living God.' They that shall attribute to this or that person the contrivances and production of those mighty things God hath wrought in the midst of us; and that they have not been the revolutions of Christ himself, upon whose shoulders the government is laid, they speak against God, and they fall under his hand without a mediator; that is, if we deny the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the glory of all his works in the world, by which he rules kingdoms, and doth administer, and is the rod of his strength, we provoke the mediator: and he may say, I will leave you to God, I will not intercede for you, let him tear you to thing of feigned necessity? what could se nify, but that the Army are in disons already; and,we will make them live upon state we will make them cast off their governors & discipline; what can be said to this? Is not to unsaddle myself, and put the faalt p others backs: whether it hath been for good of England, whilst men have been ta of this thing or the other, and pretending (be ty, and many good words, whether it has ben as it should have been? I am confident 14 cannot think it has, the nation will not ta so. And, if the worst should be made of th I know not what the Cornish men, or the Lo colnshire men, may think, or other counts. but I believe they will all think they are safe. A temporary suspension of caring i the greatest liberties and privileges (if it we so, which is denied) would not have been that damage, that the not providing Free Quarter hath run the nation upon. A if it be my liberty to walk abroad in the fri or to take a journey, yet it is not my wisdom so when my house is on fire. I have ed you with a long speech, and I believe y not have the some resentment with all thath with some but because that is own to me, I shall leave it to God, and ude with this; That I think myself bound my duty to God and the people of these 1s, to their safety and good in every re, I think it my duty to tell you, That it for the profit of these nations, nor for on and public good, for you to continue any longer; and therefore I do declare you, That I do dissolve this Parliament." dinances passed by Cromwell and his CounCromwell having now got rid of his Parnt, he and his Council applied themselves ly to the making of Laws without them. irst thing they did was to pass an Ordie for laying an Assessment of 60,000l. per em for the maintenance of the Army and 7; and another for inforcing the Acts and hances made before the meeting of the Parliament, touching the collecting of the se: besides which, some other Ordinances also framed to soften the minds of the le, and reconcile them to the Protector's niment, by lightening the burdens and ineniences in the proceedings of the Law, other matters. Plot against Cromwell defeated.] Feb. ut this time, a Plot was discovered, which been laid by the royalists, and was to been executed in different parts of the dom at the same time: but being unsucful, it proved a lucky incident to Cromwell, erving the more effectually to strengthen usurpation: besides, it diverted the minds e people from reflecting so warmly on the sector's late actions, as they otherwise at have done. Upon the first information eof he sent for the lord mayor, aldermen, common council of London; and, acinting them with the conspiracy against required them to take care of the peace the city, for which purpose he gave them a mission to raise forces under major-gen. opon. He also issued a Proclamation for ibiting Horse-Races for 6 months, lest the at concourse of people, usually frequenting meetings, should furnish opportunities for ing fresh troubles in the Commonwealth; ther, for putting in execution the Laws and dinances against Jesuits and Romish Priests, I for the speedy conviction of Popish Recuts; and a third, for commanding all persons, had been of the late king's party, or his 's, to depart out of London and Westmin, and within 20 miles thereof, (unless it re their proper place of habitation) within ays after the publication of the said Proclation. Mr. Ludlow seems to blame the king Scots, as he calls him, for engaging his ends in this desperate undertaking, which st the lives of many, when he might see arly his game was playing by the usurper, ough the divisions he made amongst those ose interest it was to be united in opposition to the king, Cromwell, who spared no money to get intelligence of these designs, was before hand with the royalists, and seized upon many of them, ere they had time to draw together; others, that were up in arms, were discomfited and taken, and all the prisons in England were filled with them. Cromwell appoints a number of Major-Ge nerals to prevent Insurrections against his Government.] April. Now followed Executions upon Executions in different places; after which came Confiscations and other severe Penalties, exacted from the whole royal party; in which Cromwell broke through all their Compositions, and even the Act of Oblivion itself, in obtaining and passing of which he had so great a hand, when it was his interest to cajole the Cavalier Party; to this end. he and his Council passed an Ordinance for levying a tenth part of their Estates to maintain those extraordinary forces, which their turbulent and seditious practices obliged him to keep up; and, in order to put this detestable project in execution, he divided England into 12 Cantons, over each of which he placed a major-general, who was to have the inspection and government of inferior commissioners in every county, with orders to seize the persons and distrain the estates of such as should be refractory, and to put in execution such further directions as they should receive from him. This new tyranuous project of placing major-generals in each county, was first set on foot in the month of October this year; but they had not their Commissions to act by till the next month; when Instructions were given to them to take security of all who had been in arms for the king, for their peaceable demeanor and obedience to the Protector, as well as to exact from them the tenths aforementioned. A New Parliament called.] July 1656. Nothing occurs worth our notice this year till July; on the 10th of which month, Writs were sealed and sent out, by order of the Lord-Protector in Council, for calling a new Parliament. In August the Elections were made throughout the three nations. List of Cromwell's Third Parliament.] Lest the New Parliament should be as refractory as the last, Cromwell resolved to leave no means unattempted to pack together an assembly of men devoted to his own designs. In effecting this, his Major-Generals of Counties were highly serviceable; not only in procuring, by their influence and authority, themselves and their dependents, such as governors of castles and garrisons, colonels of regiments in the army, captains of county troops, civil officers, and relations of the Lord Protector, to be chosen; but also in preventing the election of many gentlemen of the best families and fortunes. Yet finding, nevertheless, that a great number of members of the last parliament, who had been the most resolute opposers of his measures, were returned to serve in the present; and apprehensive he should not, therefore, be able, by a legislative sanction, to ratify and establish his government, he determined that not a man should be permitted to sit in the house, without first producing a Certificate of his being approved by the Council of State. The following is a List of the Members of this Parliament: NAMES of the Persons returned to serve in the Parliament appointed to meet at Westminster Sept. 17, 1656. Bedfordshire, Sir Wm. Boteler, Richard Wagstaffe, Thomas Margets. William Trumbull, Thomas Holt. Richard Tymbes. John Thurloe, Chester, Edward Bradshaw. Thomas Ceeley, William Braddon, Walter Moyle. Launceston, Thomas Gewen, John Fox. Cumberland, M. Gen. Ch. Howard, Derby, Exeter, Dorchester, Edmund Prideaux. Poole, Thomas Lilburn, Durham, Sir Tho. Honeywood, Malden, Maj. Gen. Disbrowe, Cirencester, Maj. Gen. Berry, Col. Wroth Rogers, John Birch. Hertfordshire, Wm. E. of Salisbury, St. Albans, Col. H. Cromwelj John Barnard. John Dixwell, Thomas St. Nich Sir Rd. Houghtoe, Col. Rd. Shuttlewer. Thomas Birch. Manchester, Col, Tho. Beacon Sir Arthur HT Thomas Hall, Grimsby, m Wray, Middlesex, an Barkstead, n. Roberts, er Chute, Vi. Kiffen. Festminster, Edw. Grosvenor, -d Carey. London, as Foot, rist. Pack, as Adams, d Brown, hilus Biddulph, ones. nmouthshire, -Gen. Berry, John Nicholas, ward Herbert. Norfolk, es Fleetwood, in Hobart, m. D'Oiley, alph Hare, r. Townshend, Woodhouse, Robert Wilton, Robert Wood, Buxton, as Sotherton. Norwich, rd Church, Hobart. Lynne, --Gen. Disbrowe, Skippon, eat Yarmouth, es Geo. Cocke, · Wm. Burton. thamptonshire, bert Pickering, Lord Cleypole, m Boteler, s Langhain, as Crew, nder Blake, Peterborough, is St. John. Northampton, is Hervey. rthumberland, am Fenwick, ho, Widdrington, rt Fenwick. astle upon-Tyne, er Strickland. Berwick, George Fenwick. ttinghamshire, ard Whalley, ard Cludd, ard Nevil, ston Whalley. Nottingham, Jaines Chadwick, William Drury. Lord Dep. Fleetwood, Richard Croke. Maj. Gen. W. Packer. Shropshire, John Aston. Somersetshire, Wells, Taunton, Sir Tho. Wroth. John Lisle. Portsmouth, Thomas Smith. Isle of Wight, Staffordshire, Martin Noel. Dunwich, Sir Rd. Onslow, Chichester, Arundel, Sir John Trevor. Richard Lucy, Clem. Throckmorton. Thomas Burton. Rd. Grubham Howe. Marlborough, Jeremy Sankey. Edward Scotten. Maj. Gen. Js. Berry, Col, Hugh Bethell, West-Riding, Lord Lambert, North-Riding, Beverley, |