52 The L 1 EE o f the L I B. 1, alfo was Orthodox in Religion, but engagedby Kindred and Intereft to Cromwell He invited meto be Chaplain tohis Regiment ; and I told him, I would take but a days time to deliberate , and would fend him an Anfwer, or elfe come to him. As foon as I came home to Coventry, I call'd together an Affembly ofMinigers, sir. Bryan, Dr.. Grew, and many others, ( there being many, as I before noted, fled thither from the Parts thereabouts). I told them the fad News of the Cor- ruption of the Army, and that Ithought all we had valued was like to be endan- gered by them ; teeing this Army having fitte conquered at Tork, (where Cromwell was under Mancbefler) and now at Nafebq, and having left the King no vifible Ar- my but Gorings, the Fate of the whole Kingdom was like tofollow the Difpofition and Intereftof the Conquerours. We have fworn to be true to the King and his Heirs in theOath ofAllegiance. All our Soldiers here do think that the Parlia- ment is faithful to the King, and have no other purpofes themfelves. If King and Parliament, Church andStatebe ruined by thofe Men, and we look on and do nothing to hinder it, how are we true to our Allegiance and tothe Covenant, which bindeth us to defend the King, andto be againft Schifm, as well as againft Popery and Prophanenefs ? For my part ( faid I ) I know that my Body is fo weak , that it is liketo hazard my Life to be among them, and I expeá their Fu- ry Ihould do little lefs than rid meout of the way ; and I know one Man cannot do much upon them: But yetif your Judgment take it to be my Duty, I willven- ture my Life amongthem, and perhaps fome other Minigers maybe drawn in,and chenfome more of the Evil may be prevented. TheMinigers findingmyown Judgment for it, and being moved with theCade, did unanimouflygive their Judgment formy going. Hereupon I went (trait to the Committee, and told them that I had an Invitation to the Army, and defired their Content to go. They confulted awhile, and then left it wholly to the Governour, faying, That if he contented they Ihouldnot hinder me. It fell out that.Col. Bar- ker the Governour was juif then tobe turned out, as a Member of Parliament, by the Self -denying Vote. And one of his Captains was to be Colonel and Gover- nour in his place, (Col. Willoughby). Hereupon Col. Barker was contentin his dif- content that I Ihould go out with him, that he might be miff the more ; and fo gave mehiscontent. Hereupon! fent word to Col. Wballeythat to morrow God willingI would come to him. As foon as this wasdone theeleâedGovernour was much difpleafed, and the Soldiers were fo much offended with the Committee for confenting to my go- ing, that the Committee all met again in the Night, and Pent for nie, and told nie I mutt not go. I told them that by.their Content I had promifed, and therefore mute go. They told me that theSoldiers were ready to mutiny againft them, and they could not fatisfie them, and therefore I mull (lay : I told them that I had not promifed if theyhadnot contented, though beingno Soldier or Chaplain to the Garrifon, but only preaching to them, I took my felt to be a Free-man ; and I could pot break my word when I had promifed by their Content. They teemed to deny their Content, and faid they did but refer me to the Governour. In a word, they were fo angry with me, that I was fain to tell them all the truth of my Motives and Defign, what a cafeI perceived the Army to be in, and that I was refolved.to do my bete againft it. I knew not, till afterward , that Col. WA Liam Purefoy a Parliament Man, one of the chief of them , was a. Confident of Cromwell! : and as foots as I had fpoken what I did of the Army, Magifterially he anfwerethme, [ Let me hear no more of that: If Nol. Cromwell Ihould hear any Soldiers fpeak hut fach a word, he would cleave his crown: You do them wrong; it hnot fo.) I told him, what he would not hear, he Ihould not hear from me; but I would perform my word though he teemed to deny his : And fo I parted with thole that had been my very great Friends, in force difpleafure. But the Sol- diers threatned to flopthe Gates and keepme in ; but beinghonete underftanding Men, I quicklyfatisfied the Leadersof them by a private intimation of my Rea- foes and Refolutions, and fòme of themaccompanied me onmy way. 4 701. As loon as I came to the Army, Oliver Cromwell coldly bid me welcome, and never fpake one word to memore while I was there ; nor once all that time vouchfafed me anOpportunity to come to the Head Quarters where the Councils and Meetingsof theOfficers were, fo that moll of my defign was thereby fru(tra- sed. And his Secretarygave out that therewas a Reformer come to the Army to undeceive them, and to fave Church andState, with tome filch other Jeers; by which I perceived that all that I had faid but the Night before to the Committee, was
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