394- . Common– wealth. 165o. ~ Governor's complaint. Cromwell's reply. Collier, p. 864• The HISTORY of the PuRITANs. VoL. H. " the fcriptures. Approbation is an act of convenience in refpect of order · '' not of neceility, to give faculty to preach the gofpel. ' '' Your pretended fear, lefl: error lhould fiep in, is like the man, that " would keep all the wine out of the country left men lhould be drunk. " It will be found an unjuil and unwife jealoufy, to deny a man the liber– " ty he hath by nature, upon a fuppofition he may abufe it. When he " cloth abufe it, then judge." The governor complained to the general, that the parliament at We!l– minfier hadfallenfrom their principles, not being true to the ends of the cove– nant. And then adds with the minifiers, that men if jecular employments had ufurped the qffice qf the minijlr)', to the Jcandal if the riformed churches. In anfwer to the firfi part of this expoftulation, general Cromwe/1 de– fired to know, whether their bearing witnefs to themfelves, was a good e– vidence of their having profecuted the ends of the covenant? " to infer " this (fays he) is to have too favourable an opinion of your own judg– " ment and impartiality. Your doctrines and practice ought to be tried by " the word of God, and other people mufl: have a liberty of examining " them upon thefe heads, and of giving fentence." As to the charge of indulging the ufe of the pulpit to the laity, the ge– neral admits it, and adds '' are ye troubled that Chrifl: is preached ? does " it fcandalize the reformed churches, and Scotland in particular? is it " againfi the covenant? away with the covenant if it be fo. I thought " the covenant and thefe men would have been willing, that any ihould " fpeak good of the name of Chriil:; if not, it is no covenant of God's ap– " proving; nor the kirk you mention fo much the fpoufe of Chrifi." Thegeneral in one of his letters, lays confiderable ftrefs upon the fuc– cefs of their arms, after a moD: folemn appeal to God on both fides. To which tbefcots governor replied, we have not fo learned Chrijl, as to hang the equity qfa caufe upon events. To which Cromwell anfwers, " We " could wilh that blindnefs had not been upon your eyes to thofe marvel– " Jous difpenfations which God has lately wrought in England. But did " not you folemnly appeal and pray? Did not we do fo too? and ought not " we and you to think with fear and trembling on the hand of the great " God in thb mighty and firange appearance of his, and not Dightly call " it .an event ? were not your expectations and ours renewed from time to '' time, whilfl: v:e waited on God to fee how he would manifefr himfelf " upon our appeals? and !hall we after all thefe our prayers, fafiings, « tears, expeCtations, and folemn appeals, call thefe bare events ? the lord " pity you--" From
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=