'lhe HISTORY ol the PuRITANS. V II J OL, , Oliver The protector and his council were in more generous fentiments of liPr~ellar. berty, as will appear hereafter. Mr. Baxter fays, the proteCtor and his ~ friend~ gave our, that ~h;y could not undn:fland 'U1 bat the magijlrateJ had Pr.otec1o>· for to do tn matten of re!tgtan ; they thought that all men jhould be lift to the unzvnfallt- .liberty of their own con(ciencn, and that the magijlrate could not interher{"3 pofe without enfnaring himfe!f in the guilt of perjecution. And were not P· 9 · thefe jufl: ~nd .noble fe?timents, _thou.gh the parliamen.t w~uld not accept Life of Cromwell, p. 3°7· them ? H1s h1ghnefs therefore, m hts fpeech at thetr dilTolution, re– proaches them in thefe words; - " How proper is it to labour for Ii– " berty, that men fhould not be trampled upon for their confciences? '" Had we not lately laboured under the weight of perfecution; and is it '" fit then to fit heavy upon others? Is it ingenuous to afk liberty and not " to give it? What greater hypocrify, than for thofe who were opprelTed " by the bi01ops, to become the greatefl: opprelTors themfelves fo foon as " their yoke is removed? I could wiili, that they who call for liberty now ·" alfo, had not too much of that fpirit, if the power were in their hands. " As for prophane perfons, blafphemers, fuch as preach [edition, con– ·« tentious railers, evil-fpeakers, who feek by evil words to corrupt good " manners, and perfons of loofe converfation; puniiliment from the ci– ,, vi! magifl:rate ought to meet with them; becaufe if thefe pretend " confcience, yet walking diforderly, and not according but contrary to " the gofpel and mtural light, they are judged of all, and their fins be– " ing open, make them the fubjeCl: of the magi!lrates fword, who « ought not to bear it in vain -- " Agreeable to thefe principles, Dr. George Bates an eminent royali!l, and a great enemy of Cromwell's, writes " that the protecl:or indul"ed " the ufe of the common-prayer in familie~, and in private conventicles; " and though the condition of the church of England was but melancho– .. ly, yet (rays the doCtor) it cannot be denied, but they had a great deal " more favour and indulgence than under the parliament; which would '' never have been interrupted had they not infulted the protector, and " forfeited their liberty by their feditious praCtices, and plottings againfl: '' his perfon an~ governmen~." . . . . The approbation of public mxndlers had been hitherto referved to the feveial prefbyteries in city and country; b~t the y~oteCtor obferving fame B , • inconvenience in this method, and not bemg wlllmg to entrufl: the quaax.e• s E l ' b c · Life, p. 72. li fication of candidates all over 'ng ana, to a num er o, preJbytertans Ol'di~ance only, who might admit none but thofe oftheir own perfuafion, contrived appoz~~ng a middle way of J, oining the feveral parties together, and entru!ling comtn'Jj!Oncrs . ·"' f h d • · f for approba-. the affair with. ~:ream con:mllil~ners o eac t:non:mauon, men ~ tion of publtc as known abthttes and mtegnty as any the natiOn had. TI11S preachers. was done by an ordinance of council, bearing date March 20, ;~~~el, P• 1 6 53 _4 , the preamble to which fets forth, "that whereas for fome time t' pall,
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