The HI 8 T 0 R Y of the PuRITANs. VoL. II. Oliver plot or ot_her againfl: the proteCtor's perfon and government, he always beProteElor. h d h d 1654 . ave Wit ec~ncy towards ti:em, as long as- they kept within tolerable ~ bound.s; and without all queibon, the fevere laws that were made againfl: the ep1fcopal party, were not on the account of religion, but of their irreconcileable averfion to the government. - <J?• presbyteThe whole body of the presbyterians were in principle for the king and nans. the covenant, but after the batde of Worcejler, and the t:xecution of Mr. Loove, they were terrified into a compliance with the commonwealth, tho' they dif.11lowed their proceedings, and were pleafed to fee them broken in pi~ces; but the f~rprizing advancement of Cromwell to the proteC:tor– thip, filled them With new terror<, and threatened the overthrow of their church power, for they coniidered him not only as an ufurper, but a )ec– tarian, who would countenance the free exercife of religion to all who would live peaceably under his government; and though he affured them he would continue religion upon the foot of the prefent efl:ablifhment, yet nothing would fatisfy them, as long as their difcipline was difarmed of its coercive power. '!'he republi· But the proteCtor's moll: determined adverfaries were the commonwealth •~n~. party; thefe were divided into two branches; one had little or no religion, but were for a democracy in the fl:ate, and univerfalliberty of confcience in religion ; the heads of them were deijts, or in the language of the pro– teCtor heathens, as Algernoon Sidney, Henry Nevil!e, Martin, Wildman, and Harrington. It was impoi:Iible to work upon thefe men, or recon– cile them to the·government of a fingle perfon, and therefore he difarmed them cf their power. The other were high enthufiafl:s, and fifth mo– narchy men, who were in expeCtation of king Jefus, and of a glorious thoufand years reign of Chrifl: upon earth. They were for pulling down p. 67; churches (fays bifhop Burnet), for difcharging tithes, and leaving religion free (as they called it}, without either encouragement or reftraint. Moll: of them were for defl:roying the clergy, and for breaking every thing that looked like a national efl:abliG1ment. Thefe the proteCtor endeavoured to gain, by aifuring them in private converfation, " that he had no manner " of inclination to affume the government, bot had rather have been con– " tent with a fhepherd's fl:aff, were it not abfolutely neceffary to keep " the nation from faliing to pieces, and becoming a prey to the common " enemy; that he only fl:ept in betwe~n the living and the dead, as he ex– '' preffed it, and this only till God thould direCt them on what bottom to " fenle, when he would furrender his dignity with a joy equal to the "' farrow with which be had taken it up." V/ith the chiefs of this.party ; he affeCl:ed to converfe upon terms of great familiarity, !butting the door, ! and making them fit down covered in his prefence, to let them fee h~w little he valued thofe difl:ances he was bound to obferve for form fake with . others;
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