The hiftory of the INTER-REGNUM, from the death of CHARLES I, to the reftoration of CHARLES II, BOOK XXII. The biftory of the Inter-regnum is divided into three principal parts. The first contains what passed, whilft England was reduced to a DEMOCRACY. The fecond, what happened during the protectorates of OLIVER and RICHARD CROMWELL. The third, what paffed from the deprivation of RICHARD CROMWELL, to the restoration of CHARLES II. T PART I. The Commonwealth of ENGLAND. O understand the revolutions in England after the 1649. not be amifs to make here a fhort recapitulation. Firft, The parliament now fitting confifted properly but A recapitu of a houfe of commons, who refufed to acknowledge the lation of fome impor A 2 210703 nega- tant matters. 1649. negative voice of the peers. This they had manifeftly fhowed in erecting a court of juftice to try the king,without the concurrence of the lords, whofe confent was voted unneceffary. Secondly, This houfe of commons was compofed of a fmall numbor of members, all independents, anabaptifts, or other fectaries. All the prefbyterian members who fat in the house the 6th of December were expelled by the army; and the abfent, whofe principles agreed not with those of the independents, durft not refume their places. If ever there was an ufurpation, it was this mutilated parliament's government, founded only in violence, and wholly fupported by the army. For though the house of commons pretended to represent the people of England, it is very certain, the nation afforded but few perfons, who were pleased to fee the fovereign power lodged in the hands of fuch reprefentatives. Thirdly, The independents, of whom this houfe was chiefly compofed, were diftinguifhed by two principles, one relating to the civil, the other to the ecclefiaftical government. By the first, they afferted, that the republican government was not only the most perfect, but also abfolutely neceffary for England, after fo many oppreffions from her kings, who had changed the government into a real tyranny, With regard to religion, though they called themselves proteftants, their principle was, that every particular church was independent, and might be governed as the members thought proper. Their notions concerning the vocation of the minifters of the gospel, were alfo very fingular, as they believed that, without any other call, every man was free to difcharge the office of minifter, and ufe the talents given him by God. The other fectaries, who had joined the independents because they found in that party a full toleration, were united with them in the firft of thefe principles, and had declared for a republican government. But with respect to religion, there were between them fome differences, which the independents regarded the lefs, as they wanted to increase their adherents, and befides, believed that in matters of religion, toleration was abfolutely neceffary. Fourthly, There was ftill in the army a remnant of leyellers, who ftill adhered to their principles, and were always ready for any attempt to recover their credit. It is true, Cromwell, after having himfelf raised this faction, had in fome measure difperfed, but not entirely deftroyed it. An able leader would have made it as formidable as ever. Fifthly, 5 Fifthly, It was with the utmost concern that the prefbyte- 1649. rians faw the independents in poffeffion of fovereign power. By that all their measures were broken: their progress for eight years became fruitlefs, and the storm they had raised against the king, returned upon their own heads, or at least, it was apparent, they had all this while been labouring for others without any thing done for themselves. For indeed the independents were equally enemies to prefbyterian and epifcopal government. As to civil government, it is certain, the prefbyterians were not averse to royalty in general. If they had undertaken to limit its power, it was not from a belief that the thing was evil in itself, as established by the laws of England, but because the two laft kings had used their power to deftroy prefbyterianism. So, whatever they had done against king Charles I. was not pointed fo much against his dignity as his perfon, because they confidered him as their enemy, and defpaired of establishing a prefbyterian government in the church, fo long as he had power to prevent it. Very likely however many of them would have complied with a republican government, notwithstanding the tenour of the covenant, had that government not been in the hands of the independents, who were by no means inclined to fupport prefbyterianifm, and whofe principles upon toleration were entirely rejected by the prefbyterians. And therefore an union between the prefbyterians and independents was morally impoffible. Sixthly, The royalifts, equally enemies of both, could unite with neither of the parties, confidering the oppofition there was between their principles. The independents were for a commonwealth, to which the royalifts could not confent. On the other hand, the prefbyterians were for maintaining their government in the church, and most of the royalifts could hardly believe, the prefbyterian churches, as they had no bishops, to be true chriftian churches. Thus the royalifts, though perfecuted by both parties, were far from joining with either. On the contrary, they conceived fome hopes, that the division among their enemies would, one day, give them a good opportunity to reftore the monarchy to its former ftate. Wherefore they induftriously fomented this divifion, in expectation that the prefbyterians would at laft be obliged to abandon their projects, and unite with the royal party, to free themfelves from the perfecutions they fuffered. Such were the interefts of the parties which divided the people of England immediately after the death of Charles I. A 3 The 1 1649. The remembrance of all this is abfolutely necessary for un derstanding the tranfactions during the inter-regnum. An act to forbid pro Rushworth, Whitelock. commons. March 9. Whitelock, protest. Prefently after the king's death, the house of commons claiming the published an act to forbid the proclaiming of Charles Stewfon of the art, eldest fon of the late king, or any other person whatking. ever, on pain of high treason. Here was laid, as it were, Jan 30. the foundation of the commonwealth, which the indepenVII. p.1431 dents meant to erect in England. The fame day the lords Clarendon, defired a conference with the commons about fettling the goIII. p. 201. vernment and the administration of juftice, the judges comThe houfe miffions being determined by the death of the king. The of lords abo commons, without answering the meflage, voted the house lifhed by the of lords to be useless and dangerous, and therefore to be abolished. They only left the lords the power of being electClarendon, ed members of parliament, in common with other subjects. III. p. 201. This privilege was embraced by a few, but rejected by P. 377, 390, most of the peers, nay, fome published a proteftation against Phillips. the power affumed by the commons, which was little reSome lords garded. Thus, the parliament, which at firft was comPhillips. pofed of the king, fixscore lords, and five hundred and thirHeath, teen commoners, was reduced to a houfe of commons, confifting of about eighty members, of whom very few at the Clarendon, beginning, had five hundred pounds yearly income. And III. p. 203.yet, thefe members, though fo few in number, affumed the name of a parliament, and acted as if in their body had been united the power, which before refided in the king, lords, and commons. This might appear very furprising, if we had not feen the foregoing tranfactions, and the univerfal terror infpired by the army. Hence appears with what care and ability Cromwell and his affociates had, upon the selfdenying ordinance, filled the army with their creatures. Certainly, nothing less than an army entirely independent and republican could have procured a power to exceffive and extraordinary to fo inconfiderable a number of members of parliament. But it must also be confeffed, that, of these new governors, fome were men of great genius and uncommon capacity, and that if they erred in their principles, they wanted death of fir Francis Pile, a writ iffeed out for a new election, and the earl of Pembroke, with all his titles, was returned for knight of the hire for Berks, primæ impreflionis, and his lordship was accordingly admitted into the houfe with great refpect. Whitelock, p. 396. a The earl of Salisbury, and the |