establishing their darling presbytery in England, and even extending it to the remotest regions, and some of them were allured with the prospect of sharing the spoils of the Royalists." "* * Whatever the Scotch designed by the league and covenant, it is certain that but few of the English patriots entered heartily into it. At the time when it was proposed, their affairs were in a critical posture, and it demanded the utmost circumspection on their part to keep their Scottish auxiliaries faithful to their cause. The Editor of Colonel Hutchinson's Memoirs says, "that when the various sects had almost crushed the Episcopalians, the Presbyterian ministers began to rise pre-eminent in power, and to show, that though they had changed the name, they had by no means intended to diminish the dominion of the hierarchy. There are preserved in Whitelock two speeches, one of his own, and one of Seldon's, on this subject. To resist this usurpation there arose a very powerful party, or faction, under the name of Independents, under whose banner enlisted all who desired liberty of conscience, of whatever particular persuasion they might be; and amongst others, most naturally, all such as wished to see the church of England restored to her purity, and redeemed from her servility and subserviency to the usurpations of the crown ; but whose hopes would have been totally destroyed if Presbytery had obtained a full and firm establishment. It is extraordinary that almost all the historians put the cause for the effect, and suggest that many members of the Parliament, and at the head of them Cromwell, raised this faction to obtain their own exaltation, whereas intolerancy raised it in the nation at large, and especially in the army, aud Cromwell availed himself of it when raised." In a scarce book, called Anglia Rediviva, or the Success of the Army under Fairfax, written by Joshua Sprigge, he says "the army was, by example and justice, kept in good order, both respectively to itself and the country: there were many of them differing in opinion, yet not in action nor business; they all agreed to preserve the kingdom; they prospered more in their unity than uniformity, and whatever their opinions were, they plundered none with them, nor disobeyed the state with them, and they were more visibly pious and peaceable in their opinions than But whatever were the views of the Scots in pressing the league and covenant, it is certain that it was far more popular in Scotland than in England, and that many of the English leaders were guilty of great dissimulation in taking it. However the fanatical preachers extolled it as a divine rather than a human composition, and in their publications addressed to the foreign reformed churches, particularly those of Geneva and Holland, continued to represent the King as an apostate from the Protestant religion, which occasioned his Majesty, who in truth was one of the best theological scholars of his age, to publish the following spirited address to the foreign churches of the reformed communion: "Whereas we are given to understand, that many false rumours and scandalous letters, are spread up and down amongst the reformed churches in foreign parts, by the politic, or rather the pernicious industry of some ill-affected persons, that have an inclination to recede from that orthodox religion which we were born, baptised, and bred in, and which we have firmly professed and practised through the whole course of our life to this moment; and that we intend to give way to the introduction and public exercise of Popery again in our dominions, which conjecture, or rather most detestable calumny, being grounded upon no imaginable foundation, hath raised these horrid tumults, and more than barbarous wars, throughout these flourishing islands, under pretext of a kind of reformation, which would not only prove incongruous, but incompatible with the fundamental laws and government of this our kingdom: we desire the whole Christian world to take notice, and rest assured, that we never entertained in our imagination the least thought to attempt such a thing, or to depart a jot from that holy religion which, when we received the crown and sceptre of this king many we call orthodox!" Let the blame of all the misfortunes that flowed from it rest with those who gave disturbance to such men, not to those who screened them from persecution. " dom, we took a most solemn sacramental oath to profess and protect. Nor doth our most constant practice, and daily visible presence in the exercise of this sole religion, with so many asseverations at the head of our armies, and the public attestation of our lords, with the circumspection used in the education of our royal offspring, besides divers other undeniable arguments, only demonstrate this, but also, that happy alliance of marriage we contracted between our eldest daughter and the illustrious Prince of Orange, most clearly confirms the reality of our intentions herein: by which nuptial engagement it appears further, that our endeavours are not only to make a bare profession thereof in our own dominions, but to enlarge and corroborate it abroad, as much as lieth in our power. This most holy religion, with the hierarchy and liturgy thereof, we solemnly protest that, by the help of Almighty God, we will endeavour to our utmost power, and the last period of our life, to keep entire and immoveable, and will be careful according to our duty to Heaven, and the tenor of the aforesaid most sacred oath at our coronation, that all our ecclesiastics, in their several stations and incumbencies, shall preach and practise the same." Whatever effect the King's declaration might produce upon the Protestant churches abroad, it is certain it produced no change in the disposition of his revolted subjects at home. The protestations of the King were treated with unreserved contempt, and Cromwell, who had succeeded in new modelling the army, by filling all the commissions with his own creatures, raised their suspicions of the King to the highest pitch of fanaticism. The new officers of the Parliamentary army exhi bited a strange compound of military and religious discipline; they acted the part of chaplains as well as of officers; and, in the intervals of military duty, they exercised themselves in sermon, prayer, and exhortation. Fanaticism, when it is once put in motion, proceeps with a rapid and accumulating force. The general and his officers were seized with extacies of de votion, and poured forth rhapsodies which they themselves mistook for prophecy and inspiration. Thus actuated, they mounted the pulpits, and held forth, in a torrent, that sort of eloquence, which, though least understood, is the most effectual in kindling the blaze of enthusiasm. The common soldiers were quickly infected by the same contagion; they were seized with the same holy fervour; they underwent the operation of grace; they communicated their mutual feelings; they gave utterance to the spirit; they advanced to battle singing psalms or religious songs; they fought with the most eager zeal, and died in full confidence of obtaining the crown of martyrdom. Against men animated with such principles, it was impossible for the King to contend. On the 14th day of June, 1645, the decisive battle was fought at Naseby Field, which extinguished the hopes of the Royal party. It is true the civil war was not absolutely put an end to by the battle of Naseby, but the Royal cause sustained so severe a loss on that occasion, that the King was never able afterwards to make head against his rebel subjects. To give a regular narrative of the events which afterwards led Charles to the block, would lead us much further than the nature of this preliminary discourse would allow, and therefore we shall only observe that, after his defeat at Naseby, the King's affairs went fast to ruin in all quarters. Hopeless of coming to any accommodation with the English Parliament, Charles, in an evil hour, was induced to withdraw himself from Oxford, and fly to the Scottish army, which at that time lay before Newark. He expected, perhaps, that the sight of their native prince, flying to them in the extremity of dis tress, would have roused every spark of generosity in their bosom, and procured him their favor and protection. The Scottish generals and commissioners affected great surprise on the appearance of the King; and though they paid him all the exterior respect due to his dignity, they instantly set a guard upon him, under colour of protection, and made him in reality a prisoner. They informed the English Parliament of this unexpected incident, and assured them, that they had entered into no private treaty with the King. Hearing that the Parliament laid claim to the entire disposal of the King's person, and that the English army was making some motions towards them, they thought proper to retire northwards, and to fix their camp at Newcastle. This measure was very grateful to the King, and he began to entertain hopes of protection from the Scots. He was particularly attentive to the behaviour of their preachers. It was the mode of the age to make the pulpit the scene of news; and on every great event, the whole scripture was ransacked by the clergy for passages applicable to the present occasion. The first minister who preached before the King chose these words for his text: "And behold all the men of Israel came to the King, and said unto him, Why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen thee away, and have brought the King, and his household, and all David's men with him over Jordan? And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us; wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? Have we eaten at all of the King's cost? or hath he given us any gift? And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the King, and we have also more right in David than ye: Why, then, did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our King? And these words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel." But the King soon found that the happiness chiefly of the allusion had tempted the preacher to employ this text, and that the cove nanting zealots were nowise pacified towards him. Another preacher, after reproaching him to his face with misgovernment, ordered this psalm to be sung: Why dost thou, tyrant, boast thyself |