Í.5F5 OF RICHARD BAXTER. Û; Coventry did keep to our old principles, and thought all others had done so too, except a very few inconsiderable persons. We were unfeignedlyfor king and parliament ; we believed that the war was only to save the parliament and kingdom from Papists and delinquents, and to remove the dividers, that the king might again return to his parliament ; and that nochanges might be made in religion,but by the laws which had his free consent. We took the true happiness of king and people, church and state, to be our end, and so we understood the covenant, engaging both against Papists and schismatics; and when the Court News-book told the worldof the swarms of Anabaptists in our armies, we thought it had been a mere lie, because it was not so with us, nor in any ofthe garrison or county forces about us. But when I came to the army, among Cromwell's soldiers, I found a new face of things, which I never dreamt of; I heard the plotting heads very hot upon that which intimated their intention to subvert both church and state." "Abundance of the common troopers, and many of the officers, I found to be honest, sober, orthodox men ; and others tractable, ready to hear the truth, and of upright intentions. But a few proud, self-conceited, hot-headed sectaries had got into the high- est places, andwere Cromwell's chief favorites ; and, by their very heat and activity, bore down the rest, or carried them along with them. These were the soul of the army, though much fewer in numberthan the rest, being, indeed, not one to twenty throughout the army ; their strength being in the general's, in Whalley's and in Rich's regiments of horse, and among the new- placed officers in many of the rest. "I perceived that they took the king for a tyrant and an enemy, and really intended absolutely to master him, or to ruin bim. They thought if they might fight against him, they might also kill or conquer him ; and if they might conquer, they were never more to trust him, further than he was in their power. They thought it folly to irritate him either bywars or contradictions in parliament, if sobe they must needs take him for their king, and trust him with their lives, when they had thus displeased him. They said, ' What were the lords of England, but William the Conqueror's colonels ; or the barons, buthis majors ; or theknights, but his captains !' They plainly showed me, that they thought God's providence would cast the trust of religionand the king- dom upon them as conquerors ; they made nothing of all the most wise and godly in the armies and garrisons, that were not of their way. Perfas out nefas, by law or without it, they were resolved to take down not only bishops, and liturgy,and ceremonies, but all that did withstand their way. They were far from thinking of a
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=