to put himself into his hands, whatever he could expect from a perion of honour or honefty, his Majefty fhould have it made good by him.' The particulars of this period of our Hiftory, are already made fufficiently public, by numbers of Writers, of both Parties, fince the time of action; fo that little now remains to be added, or can, indeed, be added, toward cafting any new light on the general tranfactions. From thefe Letters, however, may be gathered fome particular anecdotes relating to the fchemes contrived, to extricate the unfortunate Monarch from the hands of his enemies. Thefe Letters cannot be read without making fome obvious reflections on the peculiar complexion of the popular Party, or rather of that Party which crufhed the King, only to fucceed him in the feat of tyranny. How excellently were their proceedings interwoven with enthufiaftic profeffions! from which may be gathered, of what extenfive application the externals of religion are capable; and how little worthy to be trusted, ab. ftracted from fome farther evidence of the rectitude of measures too often difguifed by them. The Reader will fee by the Letters fubjoined, that Cromwell and Ireton were no inconfiderable profeffors of this art: they relate to fome fcruples made by Col. Hammond, on the subject of his royal charge, which thefe Letters were calculated to remove. They are really curiofities, with reference to the Parties which wrote them; and when compared with their fubfequent conduct, teftify how fincerely Cromwell was inclinedto exalt the Lord!' and- abafe the flefh!' and to placehis reliance on the good-will of him who dwelt in the bufh.' Commiffary General Ireton, to Colonel Hammond. Dear Robin, TH HOU wilt receive herewith a letter from the General, by which thou wilt fee what tenderness there is here towards thee. I fhall not at this diftance undertake a difpute concern-' ing our ground or proceedings; but leave thee for the one, to our Remonftrance; for the other, to farther trial of us. I fhall only, in the love of a friend and brother, fpeak a word or two to that which I find the ground of thy fcruples against what hath been from hence defired, or rather of thy declared refolution to the contrary. Thou lookeft on thyfelf as a fervant under truft; and fo both in honour and confcience obliged to discharge that faithfully. And thus far thou art in the right. But the only meafure of that difcharge thou tåkeft to be the mere formal obferv-. ance As to ance of commands; and thofe carrying but that name of power from which thou apprehendeft it was committed to thee. the first part, the faithful discharge of the truft, the Lord forbid, that I fhould tempt thee from it. Nay, I will charge and challenge it at thy hands, that with all faithfulness and fingleness of heart, as before the Lord, thou perform thy truft to thofe perfons, by whom, and to thofe public ends and interefts for which it was committed to thee. But for these things I fhall appeal to the witness of God in thy confcience, as follows: I. For the perfons trufting, whether thou didst receive thy prefent place from the affections or truft of the formal Parlia ment only, even as then it ftood; or whether of the General or Army? And whether, fo far as thou feemeft to have the formality by way of confirmation from the Parliament, it were from any affection or truft of that fort or generation of men, which now, through accident, bear the fway and name? Or whether from them, whose judgment and affections are most opposite to the prefent proceedings there? II. For the ends, whether thou receivedft thy truft in order to the ends now carried on by the prevailing party there? Or whether, in confidence of thy faithfulness, to fome other higher and more public ends? Whether for the King's and the present prevailing Faction's; or for the public intereft, and the generality of honeft men, that have engaged for the fame.. Upon the answer of thy confcience in thefe, I propound farther; in cafe fuch perfons as neither did, nor would have committed any fuch truft unto thee, but only gaining fince the name of that power, from which thou hadst the formal compliment of the truft, and yet but partly that, fhall require things destructive to, or not for the best advantage of, those public ends for which really thou receivedft thy truft; and at the same time those, from whofe affection and confidence in thee, thou hadft the matter of thy power and truft, fhall defire and expect from thee other things neceffary for the fecurity, or but really for better advantage, of thofe public ends for which thou wert trufted, and for the common benefit and intereft of that people, for which all pretend their employments and intereft; in this cafe, I fay, I fhall appeal farther to thy confcience, or but ingenuity, to determine, to which of thefe feveral perfons, and according to which commands and expectations, thou art to ex hibit and approve thy faithfulness in the truft: and whether part to obferve and follow is the more real and fubftantial performance before God, and reasonable men. I fhall not prefs thee, but thus plainly lay the cafe before thee; thee; only defiring thee not to flight it, but seriously weigh it, as thou tendereft the approving thy felf to God and his people. And, I hope, he will not give thee up to fuch delufion, as to follow an air of honour, and mere form or fhadow of faithfulnefs, to the rejection or neglect of that which is the reality and fubftance of both, as furely thou wouldft, if in the prefent cafe thou fhouldft neither do the thing expected thyfelf, nor leave it other. to any Dear Robin, I will yet hope God hath better endued thee with truth and judgment in the inner parts, and more sense of his righteous judgments appearing abroad in this age and nation. So I leave thee to his gracious guidance; and the weight of what I have writ, lying not in authority to indemnify thee, but reafon to lead thee. I fhall not need to fubfcribe other name than, what I muft defire to be known by unto thee, Nov. 220, 1648. Governor of the Isle of Wight. Thy moft dearly Affectionate and faithful • Oliver Cromwell, to Colonel Hammond. Dear Robin, No man rejoiceth more to see a line from thee, than myself. I know thou haft long been under tryal, Thou shalt be no lofer by it. All muft work for the best. Thou defireft to hear of my experiences. I can tell thee, I am fuch a one as thou didft formerly know, having a body of fin and death; but, I thank God, through Jefus Chrift our Lord, there is no condemnation, though much infirmity, and I wait for the redemption; and in this poor condition I obtain mercy and fweet confolation through the Spirit; and find abundant cause every day to exalt the Lord,-abase flesh. And herein I have fome exercife. As to outward difpenfations, if we may fo call them, we have not been without our fhare of beholding fome remarkable providences and appearances of the Lord. His presence hath. been amongst us, and by the light of his countenance we have prevailed. We are fure the good-will of him, who dwelt in the bush, has fhined upon us; and we can humbly say, we know in whom we have believed, who is able, and will perfect what remaineth, and us alfo in doing what is well-pleafing in his eye-fight. Because I find fome trouble in your fpirit, occafioned first, not only by the continuance of your fad and heavy burthen, as call it, upon you, but by the diffatisfaction you take at the ways of fome good men, whom you love with your heart, who you through through this principle, that it is lawful for a leffer part (if in the right) to force, &c. To the first: Call not your burthen fad nor heavy. If your Father laid it upon you; he intended neither. He is the Father of lights, from whom comes every good and perfect gift; who of his own will begot us, and bad us count it all joy when fuch things befall us; they being for the exercise of faith and patience; whereby in the end (James i.) we shall be made perfect. Dear Robin, our fiefhly reafonings enfnare us. Thefe make us fay, heavy, fad, pleasant, eafy was not there a little of this when Rob. Hammond, through diffatisfaction too, defired retirement from the army, and thought of quiet in the Ifle of Wight. Did not God find him out there? I believe he will never forget this. And now I perceive, he is to feek again, partly through his fad and heavy burthen, and partly through diffatisfaction with friends actings, Dear Robin, thou and I were never worthy to be door-keepers in this fervice. If thou wilt feek, seek to know the mind of God in all that chain of Providence whereby God brought thee thither, and that Person to thee; how before and fince God has ordered him, and affairs concerning him. And then tell me, whether there be not some glorious and high meaning in all this, above what thou hast yet attained. And laying afide thy fleshly reason, seek of the Lord to teach thee what that is; and he will do it. I dare be pofitive to fay, it is not, that the wicked fhould be exalted, that God should so appear, as indeed he hath done. For there is no peace to them: No, it is fet upon the hearts of fuch as fear the Lord, and we have witnefs upon witness, that it fhall go ill with them, and their partakers. I fay again, feek that Spirit to teach thee, which is the Spirit of knowlege and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, of wisdom and of the fear of the Lord. That Spirit will clofe thine eyes, and ftop thine ears, fo that thou shalt not judge by them; but thou shalt judge for the meek of the earth, and thou shalt be made able to do accordingly. The Lord direct thee to that which is well-pleasing in his eye-fight. As to thy diffatisfactions with friends actings upon that fuppofed principle, I wonder not at that. If a man take not his own burthen well, he fhall hardly others; especially if involved by fo near a relation of love and Christian brotherhood as thou art. I fhall not take upon me to fatisfy; but I hold myfelf bound to lay my thoughts before fo dear a friend. The Lord do his own will. You fay, "God hath appointed authorities among the nations, to which active or paffive obedience is to be yielded. D 4 This This refides in England in the Parliament. Therefore active or paffive, &c." Authorities and powers are the ordinance of God. This or that species, is of human inftitution, and limited, fome with larger, others with ftricter bands, each one according to its conftitution. I do not therefore think, the authorities may do any thing, and yet fuch obedience due; but all agree, there are cafes in which it is lawful to refift. If fo, your ground fails, and fo likewife the inference. Indeed, dear Robin, not to multiply words, the query is, whether ours be fuch a cafe? This ingenuoufly is the true queftion. To this I fhall fay nothing, though I could fay very much; but only defire thee to fee what thou findeft in thy own heart, as to two or three plain confiderations First, Whether Salus Populi be a found pofition? Secondly, Whether in the way in hand, really and before the Lord, before whom confcience muft ftand, this be provided for; or the whole fruit of the war like to be fruftrated, and all moft like to turn to what it was, and worfe. And this contrary to engagements, declarations, implicit covenants with thofe who ventured their lives upon those covenants and engagements, without whom, perhaps, in equity, relaxation ought not to be. Thirdly, Whether this army be not a lawful power, called by God, to oppofe and fight against the King, upon fome stated grounds; and being in power to fuch ends, may not oppofe one name of authority, for thofe ends, as well as another? the outward authority, that called them, not by their power making the quarrel lawful, but it being fo in itfelf. If fo, it may be, acting will be juftified in Foro humano. But truly thefe kind of reafonings may be but flefhly, either with or against; only it is good to try what truth may be in them. And the Lord teach us. My dear friend, let us look into providences; furely they mean fomewhat. They hang fo together-have been fo conftant, fo clear and unclouded-Malice, fwoln malice against God's people, now called Saints, to root out their name. And yet they, by Providence, having arms, and therein bleffed with defence, and more. I defire, he, that is for a principle of fuffering, would not too much flight this. I flight not him who is fo minded; but let us beware, left fleshly reafoning fee more fafety in making ufe of the principle, than in acting. Who acts, and refolves not through God to be willing to part with all? Our hearts are very deceitful on the right and on the left. What think you of Providence difpofing the hearts of fo many of God's people this way, especially in this poor army, wherein the great God has vouchsafed to appear. I know not one Officer amongst us, but |