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by their counsel, in settling the government, worship, and doctrines of the church of England. This was the famous Westminster Assembly of divines; which continued to meet, and to discuss such subjects as the parliament submitted to their consideration, during several years. They were men of different sentiments, Presbyterians, Erastians, and Independents, with some moderate Episcopalians. great majority were Presbyterians. Besides, not long after this assembly met, the General Assembly of the Scotish church, at the request of the English parliament, sent four commissioners to this body, on condition that the whole Westminster Assembly and the parliament would take the solemn League and Covenant, and agree to establish one uniform religion throughout the three kingdoms. The parliament reluctantly assented to the condition, for the sake of securing the cooperation of the Scotch in their political designs. Before the Scotish commissioners arrived, the Westminster Assembly commenced revising the 39 Articles; and went over the first 15, making some slight alterations. After the arrival of the Scotch commissioners, and the adoption of the solemn League and Covenant, in Feb. 1644, the Assembly, by order of parliament, drew up an Exhortation to the people of England, to assent to the solemn League. The November following, they were ordered to write a circular letter to the foreign Reformed churches, acquainting them with the proceedings in England. Through this Assembly, the parliament licensed preachers, and directed all ecclesiastical affairs. They next drew up a Directory for public worship; which was sanctioned by the Parliament, January, 1645. The same year, they drew up a Directory for the ordination of ministers; and a Directory for church discipline and government. After warm debate, the majority of the Assembly declared for Presbyterianism, as of divine institution; but the parliament voted for it, only as "lawful, and agreeable to the word of God."

The Assembly also put the supreme ecclesiastical power wholly into the hands of the church judicatories; but the parliament imposed restrictions ; and to the great dissatisfaction of the Scotch and most of the English Presbyterians, allowed an appeal from the highest ecclesiastical judicatory, to the parliament. In March, 1646, parliament ordered ruling elders to be chosen, in all the churches of England; and also the erection of Presbyteries, Synods, and a General Assembly, for a trial of the system. The Scotch church objected to several imperfections, in the Presbyterianism thus established by the English parliament; and particularly to the right of appeal, in the last resort, from the ecclesiastical court, to the parliament: and the English Presbyterians, and the Westminster Assembly, sided with the Scotch. In May, 1646, the king, being now in the hands of the Scotch, the English Presbyterians determined to enforce Presbyterianism, jure divino, on all England; and to allow no toleration of dissenters. For this purpose, they caused a strong remonstrance to be presented to the parliament, in the name of the lord mayor, aldermen, and common council of London; and they were supported by the whole weight of the Scotish nation. On the contrary, the Independents and other sectarians in the army, procured a counter petition from numerous citizens of London. The commons were divided in sentiment, and at a loss how to proceed. To gain time, they demanded of the Westminster Assembly, scripture proofs for that jus divinum in church government, which they had maintained. It may be remarked, that from 1644 to 1647, the Independents, who were rapidly increasing in number, uniformly pleaded for the free toleration of all sects holding the fundamental doctrines of christianity.

And the parliament were not unwilling to admit toleration, at least of the Independents. But the Presbyterians were utterly opposed to it; and their influence prevented the parliament from pursuing the course they

would have done. This it was, alienated the Independents and the army from Presbyterianism, and from the parliament; and finally led to the subversion of the whole Presbyterian establishment set up in England. The demand of the house of commons for scriptural proof of the divine authority of Presbyterianism, produced long and warm debates in the Westminster Assembly. The Erastians and Independents at length protested, and withdrew. The Presbyterians, 53 in number, now left alone, voted, with but one dissenting voice, that "Christ has appointed a church government, distinct from the civil magistrates." On the other points, referred to them, they were afraid to report their views, lest the parliament should put them under a præmunire. But the Presbyterian divines of London met at Sion College, answered fully the questions of the house of commons, and maintained in strong terms the jus divinum of Presbyterianism. Yet in a second meeting, they lowered their tone somewhat; and agreed to set up the limited Presbyterianism, already sanctioned by the parliament. This consisted of parochial presbyteries, (or church sessions,) classes, (or presbyteries,) provincial assemblies, (or synods,) and a national assembly; with an appeal to the parliament, in the last resort. The Province of London was now distributed into 12 classes, containing 138 parochial presbyteries. The next year, (1647,) provincial assemblies (synods) actually met in London, and in Lancashire; and in those counties only, under the act of parliament. The provincial assembly of London, continued to meet semi-annually, till the end of Cromwell's reign. In the other parts of England, the Presbyterians continued to meet in their voluntary conventions for ecclesiastical affairs, which had not the sanction of law. The king, though a prisoner, refused his assent to this new ecclesiastical constitution of England. At the same time, he tried to detach the Scotch from the

English, by promising them Presby terianism for Scotland, with Episco

pacy for England. But they rejected his offers, hoping still to bless England as well as Scotland with Presbyterianism jure divino. He also tried to gain over the Independents, by promising them free toleration: but they would not accept it for themselves alone. The country now swarmed with sectarians, and numerous lay preachers, of every description. Thomas Edwards, in his Gangræna, mentions sixteen sects; namely, Independents, Brownists, Millenaries, Antinomians, Anabaptists, Arminians, Libertines, Familists, Enthusiasts, Seekers, Perfectionists, Socinians, Arians, Antitrinitarians, Antiscripturists, and Sceptics. Mr. Baxter mentions the Independents, Anabaptists, and Antinomians, as being the chief separatists from the established or Presbyterian church: to whom he adds Seekers, Ranters, Behemists, and Varists, which either became extinct, or were merged in the Quakers. The English divines would have been satisfied with revising the 39 Articles; and therefore commenced such a revision. But the Scotch divines insisted on a new Confession. Hence the Westminster Assembly, after the arrival of the Scotch commissioners, drew up their elaborate Confession; which the house of commons approved, with some amendments, in the summer of 1647, and the winter following. But the house of lords objecting to the articles on church government, only the doctrinal part of the Confession obtained parliamentary sanction, in the year 1648. The Scotch nation adopted the Confession as drawn up by the Assembly. The Assembly's Shorter Catechism was presented to parliament in 1647; and the Larger Catechism in 1648. Both were allowed to be used, by authority of the English parliament. The Scotch commissioners in the Assembly, now returned home; but the Assembly was continued, as a sort of counsel to parliament, yet did little else than to license preachers. The army being composed chiefly of dissenters from the establishment, of various descriptions, upon finding that no toleration of dissenters was allowed

:

by the new ecclesiastical constitution, demanded of the parliament free toleration for all protestant dissenters. This the Presbyterians vigorously opposed and the parliament endeavoured to disband the army. But the army now rescued the king from the hands of the parliament, and became peremptory in their demands. Pressed by the Presbyterians on the one hand, and by the army on the other, parliament wavered for a time, but at length fell under the control of the army, and not only allowed of dissent from the establishment, but also made no vigorous efforts to set up Presbyterianism. But in May, 1658, the Scotch having made a separate treaty with the king, invaded England, in order to rescue him. The war obliged the army to march in various directions; and the Presbyterians seized the opportunity, in the parliament, to enforce Presbyterianism. An act was proposed, declaring eight specified heresies to be capital crimes; and sixteen others to be punishable with unlimited imprisonment. The act was not passed. But in June following, another did pass, placing "all parishes and places whatsoever, in England and Wales," except chapels of the king and peers, under the Presbyterian government, with allowance of no other worship yet without making it penal to neglect this worship. The parliament likewise commenced a negotiation with the king, for his restoration, upon the basis of a single religion, with no toleration of any other. The king insisted on Episcopacy of some sort; and the parliament, on Presbyterianism. The army, after repelling the Scotch invasion, finding that neither the king nor the parliament intended ever to allow toleration to sectaries, again seized the king's person; and marching to London, sifted the house of commons; new modelled the government; and caused the king to be impeached, and beheaded. The Common-wealth, without a king, or a house of lords, was now set up. But the Scotch refused to acknowledge it, recognized Charles II. for their king, and threatened war

upon England. The English Presbyterians took sides with their Scotish brethren, disowned the parliament, and declared against a general toleration. All people were now required to swear fidelity to the new government : which many of the Presbyterian clergy refusing to do, were turned out. However, to conciliate the Presbyterians, the parliament continued the late Presbyterian establishment: but repealed all acts compelling uniformity. The Scotch, aided by the English Presbyterians, invaded England, in order to place Charles II. on the throne but they were vanquished, and all Scotland was compelled to submit to the parliament, and moreover, to allow of toleration in their own country. The solemn League and Covenant was laid aside; and nothing but the Engagement, (or oath of allegiance to the government,) was required of any man, to qualify him, civilly, for any living in the country. Hence many Episcopal divines, as well as those of other denominations, became parish ministers. In the year 1653, the army, being offended with the parliament, (which had now sitten twelve years, and, during the last four, had ruled without a king or house of lords,) ordered them to disperse; and general Cromwell, with the other officers, appointed a new council of state, and selected 140 men from the several counties to represent the people. After five months, these new representatives resigned their power to Cromwell and the other officers; who framed a new constitution, with a single house of representatives, chosen in the three kingdoms, and a Protector, with ample executive powers, elected for life. All sects of christians, except Papists and Episcopalians, were to have free toleration. Cromwell, the Protector, laboured to make persons of all religions feel easy under him; but he absolutely forbade the clergy from meddling with politics. Ministers of different denominations in the country towns, now began to form associations for brotherly counsel and advice. But the more rigid Presbyterians, as well

as the Episcopalians, stood aloof from such associations. The right of ordaining parish ministers, had for some years been exclusively in the hands of the Presbyterians: but Cromwell, in March, 1654, appointed a board of thirty Tryers, composed of Presbyterians and Independents, with two or three Baptists, to examine and license preachers throughout England. The same year he appointed lay commissioners in every county, with full power to eject scandalous, ignorant, and incompetent ministers and schoolmasters. Both these ordinances were confirmed by parliament. Such was the state of the English Presbyterians, during the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. On the accession of his son, Richard Cromwell, the Presbyterians, seeing no prospect of the restoration of the solemn League and Covenant, or of their obtaining ecclesiastical dominion over England, under the existing form of government, formed a coalition with the royalists, in 1659, in order to restore the king. The remains of the long parliament were resuscitated, and placed over the nation. The members, excluded from it in 1648, were recalled, and took their seats and thus it became more than half Presbyterian. This Parliament in 1660, voted that the concessions offered by the king in the negotiations at the Isle of Wight in 1648, were satisfactory; restored Presbyterianism completely, together with the solemn League and Covenant; appointed a new council of state; ordered that a new parliament should be chosen; and then dissolved. The Presbyterians, who now had the whole power of the country in their own hands, were so zealous to prevent the election of republicans to the new parliament, that when it met, it was decidedly in favour of a monarchy. Parliament now recalled the king, without making any stipulations with him respecting the religion of the country. He very soon restored Episcopacy; and then would grant no toleration to any class of dissenters. The Presbyterians, who had the most to lose, were the greatest sufferers. Some

VOL. IV.

hundreds of their ministers were immediately displaced, to make way for the old Episcopal incumbents. And in 1662, the act of uniformity made it criminal to dissent from the established or Episcopal church; and of course exposed all dissenters to persecution. A number of the Presbyterian ministers conformed, in order to retain their places: but more than 2000 ministers, most of them Presbyterians, were turned out. And during this and the succeeding reign, or till the accession of William and Mary, in 1688, the Presbyterians, equally with the other dissenters, suffered persecution. For, though the kings, after the year 1672, were inclined to give toleration to all, in order to advance popery, yet parliament and the bishops resisted it. When the revolution in 1688, placed a tolerant sovereign on the throne, and thus relieved the English Presbyterians from persecution, they were comparatively an enfeebled, and humbled sect; and being no longer strenuous for the solemn league and covenant, and for the jus divinum of Presbyterianism, they were willing to have friendly intercourse and fellowship with Independents, and soon became as catholic in their views, as most of the other English dissenters. See Heylin's History of the Presbyterians; Neal's Hist. of the Puritans; Bogue and Bennet's Hist. of Dissenters; Baxter's Hist. of his own times; Burnet's Hist. of his own times; Grant's Hist. of the Eng. Church and Sects; and others. Tr.]

5 Gilb. Burnet's Hist. of his own times, vol. i. p. 67. Neal's Hist. of the Puritans, vol. iv. ch. v. p. 113. 343, &c. Tr.]

6 [Dr. Mosheim seems to have taken it for granted, that the English Baptists of this age, because they were called Anabaptists, resembled the old Anabaptists of Germany; whereas they were Mennonites, and though illiterate, and somewhat enthusiastic. they were a people in whom was not a little christian simplicity and piety. Tr.]

7 Dan. Neal's History of the Puritans, vol. iv. p. 87. [ed. Boston, 1817. p. 112, 113. Tr.]

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