'Ihe HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANS. VoL. n. K. Charles I." confident will not abufe me and poll:erity therein, that Mr. Herbert ~)cc Palmer (an anti-independmt to the height) being convinced that Mr. " Edwards had printed fome !alihoods i? one {beet of his Gangrana, pro– " ferred to have a lheet reprmted at lm own charge, but fome accident '' ob{huCl:ed it." However our author went on publilhing a fecond and third Gangrana, full of moft bitter inveCl:ives and reproaches, till his own friends were naufeated with his performances. Mr.Baxter's The reverend Mr. Baxter, who attended the viCl:orious army, men. ''/,'ount of tions the independents, anabaptifls and antinomians, as the chief fepara• t em. ratifis, to whom be adds fome other names, asfeekers, ranters, 6eheminifts 'Vanijts, all which died in their infancy, or united in the people after~ wards known by the name of Q!JAKERS; but when he went into the ar– Eaxte(s my he found " aimofi one half of the religious party among them ortho– Life, P· 53· cc dox, or but very lightly touched with the above-mentioned miftakes, and "' almofi another half honefi men, that had ftepped further into the con- " tending way than they ought, but with a little help might be recovered;. " · a few fiery, felfconceited men among them kindled the rift, and made all " the noife and buflle ;. for the greateft part of the common foldiers were " ignorant men, and of little religion ; thefe would do any thing to pleafe. " their officers, and were in{huments for the /fducers in their great work, " which was to cry down the covenant, to vilify parilh miniflers, and ef– " pecially the ftots and the presb)'terians." Mr. Baxter obfervcs, that " thefe fiery hot' men were hatched among the oldjeparatifts; that they " were fierce with pride and conceit, and nncharitablenefs, but many of " the honeft foldiers, who were only tainted with fome doubts about li8erty " if conjcience, and independmcy, would difcourfe. of the points of fanc– " tification and. chrifiian experience. very favou rily ; the ftducers above– ,, mentioned were great preachers, and fierce difputants, but of no " fettled principles of religion ; fome were. of levelling principles aa " to the fiate, hut aiL were agreed, that the civil magiftrate had no-. " thing to do in matters qf religion,. any further than to keep the peace,. " and proteCl the churches liberties." The fame writer adds, " To " fpeak imp1rtially, fome of the prdbyterian miniflers frightened the fee– " taries into this fury, by the unpeaceablenefs and impatience of their " minds; they ran from libertinifm into the. other extream, and were fa "little fenfible of their own infirmity, that they would not have them Lord Cla· " tolerated, who were not only tolerable, but worthy inflruments and Jendon's. " members in the churches." Lord Clarendon fqs, that CRoMWELL and his officers preached and prayed publicly wit-h their troops, and admit~ ted few or no chaplains in the army, except fuch as bitterly inveighed againfl: the prefbyterian gov.ernment, as more tyrannical - than epif~ copacy ;. and that the common foldiers as well as the officers, did not only pray and preach among ther~fe~ves, b~t went ur, into the pulphits inhall c urc es._
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