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EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT.

THE volume of Mr. Neal's "History of the Puritants" now presented to the public, besides the additions made to it in the form of Notes, is considerably enlarged by Supplements to the different chapters. These comprize the continued history of the English BAPTISI's and QUAKERS; and furnish the reader with the substance of Mr. Crosby's history of the former, and a full abstract of Mr. Gough's work concerning the latter Sect. The Editor hopes, that in this part of his undertaking he has not only done justice, and shewed respect, to two denominations who, in the last century, were treated neither with humanity or equity, but afforded the reader information and entertainment.

Where he has seen reason to animadvert on and correct Mr. Neal, it were sufficient to rest his justification on the plea of impartiality and the love of truth. But to the honor of his author he can add, he has only done what was wished by him; who, in his preface to the first volume has said, "I shall be always thankful to any that will convince me of my mistakes in a friendly manner;" and in that to the third volume has more fully expressed himself in this manner: "In historical debates, nothing is to be received on trust, but facts are to be examined, and a judgment formed upon the authority by which those facts are supported; by this method we shall arrive at truth, and if it shall appear that, in the course of this long history, there are any considerable mistakes, the world may be assured, I will take the first opportunity to retract or amend them."+

The Editor can declare, that it has been his own aim to do full justice to the sects and characters of those who † P. xxiv, xxv.

* Ρ. χίν.

VOL. IV.

have, in this work, come before him in review, and he can boldly appeal to his pen itself to prove the sincerity of his declaration. He scarcely would have thought of making this appeal, if in an early stage of his undertaking it had not been insinuated, that it was his design to make this work a vehicle for conveying particular opinions in theology, and that his own sentiments made him an unfit person for the task. He has, indeed, sentiments of his own; but he can estimate goodness and worth wherever they are found. He has sentiments of his own, but he rejoices in the consciousness of a disposition to grant to others a full liberty to avow, defend, and disseminate their sentiments, though opposite to his own; and can give them the praise due to their abilities and characters.

It is a pleasure to him, that the examination of the writers, who have censured Mr. Neal with severity, has eventually established the authenticity of the history, and the candor and impartiality of the author, in all the main parts of his work. It reflects high and lasting honor on this ecclesiastical history, that if the author were convicted by a Warburton, a Maddox, and a Grey, of partiality, it could be only such a partiality as might arise from a zeal against tyrants and oppressors. The work has, on the whole, a liberal cast; it is on the side of civil and religious liberty; it is in favor of the rights of Englishmen, against unconstitutional prerogative; it is in favor of the rights of conscience, against an imperious and persecuting hierarchy, whether episcopal or presbyterian; it is in favor of the great interests of mankind; and, to adopt the words of a most able and liberal writer ;* "A history that is written without any regard to the chief privileges of human nature, and without feelings, especially of the moral kind, must lose a considerable part of its instruction and energy."

* Dr. Kippis: Preface to the first volume of the 2d edition of the Biographia Britannica, p. 21.

CONTENTS OF THE FOURTH VOLUME.

CHAPTER 1.

From the Death of King Charles I. to the Coronation of King Charles
II. in Scotland.

:

THE monarchy turned into a commonwealth. Remarks. Opposed
by the levellers, and by the Scots. Cromwell reduces Ireland: his
rapid success. Summary account of the state of Ireland. Conduct of
the presbyterians towards the new government. Cromwell and the
army petition for a toleration. The engagement enforced to be taken
by the whole nation: the presbyterians refuse it. Cavaliers and sec-
tarians take the oath. Reasons against it and for it. Measures of the
parliament to support their authority. Scots declaration against the
English. Parliament vindicate their proceedings. Scots treaty with
the king in Holland. They will include the English presbyterians.
Augmentation of the poor livings by tithes and first-fruits. Presbyte-
rian government established. Propagation of the gospel in Wales and
in Ireland. A corporation for the propagation of the gospel among the
Indians. Ordinances against seditious libels, Ministers forbid to med-
dle in politics. Remarks. Marquis of Montague executed. Condi-
tions of the Scots treaty with the King. He arrives in Scotland.—
Cromwell marches against the Scots. Battle of Dunbar. Scots min-
isters invited to return to their churches. Cromwell's letter to the
governor of the castle. Scots ministers reply. Cromwell's answer.
The governor's complaint. Cromwell's reply. Remarks. Proceed-
ings against the presbyterians in England. Cromwell chosen chancel-
lor of Oxford. Penal laws taken away. Ordinances against vice and
profaneness; against blaspehmous opinions; for strict observation of the
sabbath; for maintenance of such clergymen belonging to cathedrals
whose offices were abolished. Laws to be translated into English.→→
Rise of the quakers, and of George Fox: he is joined by others. They
are first called quakers; their behaviour; their doctrines.

A SUPPLEMENT.

The quakers called Friends, and the grounds of the name. Rise of
the Muggletonians, and history of Lodowick Muggleton.

CHAPTER 11.

From the Coronation of King Charles II. in Scotland, to the Protec-
torship of Oliver Cromwell.

Coronation of king Charles. He signs the covenant and a declara-
tion. Remarks. Presbyterian plot. Mr. Love's trial. The evidence,

A remarkable incident. Mr. Love's speech at his execution. The
progress of the English army in Scotland. The king marches into
England with the Seats army. Preparations of the parliament. The
king at Worcester. Battle of Worcester. Low condition of the king
and church of England. He neglects the presbyterians, and turns his
eyes towards the papists. Low condition of the kirk in Scotland.—
English commissioners settle liberty of conscience in that kingdom.--
The kick insulted. State of Scotland. Act of indemnity, and a new
counsel of state. Death of Lieut. Gen. Ireton, of Mr. Woodcock, of
Mr. George Walker, and of Mr. Wilson. Low terms of conformity,
Petition against tithes. Attempts to regulate law-suits. Propagation
of the gospel in Wales. State of the commonwealth. War with the
Dutch. Quarrel between the parliament and army. Remarks. De-
bates about a new form of government. Cromwell's ambitious designs.
Cromwell dissolves the long parliament, and dismisses the council of
state. Character of the commonwealth. Remarks on the change of
government. Cromwell and the council of officers assume the govern-
ment. The little parliament; their proceedings. Liberty of con-
science. Ordinance for marriages. Oliver Cromwell declared PRO-
TECTOR by a council of officers. Abstract of the new instrument of
government. New model of a parliament. Articles relating to reli-
gion. Instalment of the protector. Remarks on the instrument of
government. Episcopalians tolerated. Protector's council. State of
the presbyterians. Copies of Testimonials. Association of the min-
isters in the country, not countenanced by the LONDON presbyterians,
The death of Dr. George Gouge, and of Dr. Hill.

CHAPTER III.

From the Beginning of the Protectorship of Oliver Cromwell to his
Death.

State of the nation. The protector gives peace to the Dutch. His
high reputation among foreign nations. French ambassador's speech.
The protector's domestic enemies; of the cavaliers, the presbyterians,
and the republicans. His friends. Remarks. Scotland and Ireland
incorporated with England. Plot of the royalists. Portuguese am-
bassador's brother executed. A new parliament. The protector's
state: his speech. Proceedings of the house. Protector's speech.-
The recognition. The protector dissolves the paliament. Plot of the
republicans and of the royalists: the protector's vigilance and severity
against them by decimation. Affairs of religion. Attempts to settle
fundamentals. Committee to draw up the fundametals of religion,
The articles. Remarks. Protector for universal liberty. Ordinance
appointing commissioners for approbation of public preachers. Their
instructions. Remarks. Additional ordinance. Complaints against
the Tryers. Objections to their management. Their proceedings.
Remarks. Mr. Baxter's opinion of them. New ordinance for ejecting
scandalous ministers. Their instructions. Objections against it. Dr.
Pordage ejected, and Mr. Bushnel. Commissioners for Wales: sud
state of that principality. Ordinance for propagating the gospel in

Wales. Numbers ejected. Their crimes. Their method of supplying
the vacancies. Petitions against the commissioners. Further com-
plaints against them. Ordinance for uniting small livings, and divid-
ing the greater. Protector for encouraging learning. Visitors for the
universities. Their influence. The protector's zeal for the protestant
religion. State of the royal family. Death of Mr. Selden, of the Rev.
Mr. Gataker, Mr. Strong, Mr. Pern, Dr. Samuel Bolton, Mr Whitaker,
and Mr. Richard Vines. The protector appoints major generals. En-
ters into an alliance with France, and sends admiral Blake to the Med-
iterranean. Jamaica taken from the Spaniards. Proceedings of the
provincial assembly. Account of Mr. Biddle the Socinian. A severe
ordinance against the old sequestered clergy. Protector is willing to
dispense with the ordinance. Reasons of his severity against the pap-
ists. He is for encouraging the Jews. Arguments for and against it.
Remarks. He assists the protestants in the valleys. Original of the
society for the sons of the clergy. Death of archbishop Usher; of Mr.
Marshall. The protector calls for a new parliament. They are oblig-
ed to recognize the government. Their acts. Syndercombe's plot.
Spanish Plate fleet taken. History of the quakers continued: their ex-
travagancies. History of James Naylor, and of his sufferings. Ordi-
nance for the better observation of the sabbath: against papists; their
oath. The protector assists the protestants of Nismes. The death of
Dr. Hall, bishop of Norwich, and of Mr. Capel. Debates about the ti-
tle of king, and the protector's reasons for declining it. Remarks. Par-
liament's petition and advice. Article relating to religion. The pro-
tector's new title. Remarks. The protector's second instalment. His
grandeur and wise administration. The protector's treaty with France.
Admiral Blake destroys the Spanish galleons. His death and charac-
ter. The protector constitutes an upper house of parliament; bad con-
sequences of it. The protector's speech at the dissolution of the par-
liament. He purges the army, and projects an union of the whole re-
formed interest. Biblia Polyglotta. The protector resigns his chan-
cellorship, and appoints his son Henry, lieutenant of Ireland. Original
of the Royal Society. Death of Mr. Langley, Mr. Sedgwick, Mr. Cor-
bet, and of Mr. Cranford. Dunkirk delivered to the English. Plot of
the fifth-monarchy men and of the cavaliers. Dr. Hewet's trial. Con-
fession of faith by the Independents; their assembly: abstract of their
confession; of their discipline; their sentiments of liberty. Remarks.
Danger of the hierarchy. Address of the Anabaptists. The protec-
tor's sickness and death. His character, as a soldier, as a statesman;
his public character; his religious and moral character; his enthusi-
asm. Objections against him considered. His dissimulation, ambition,
and cruelty. Sum of his character. Death of Dr. John Harris, of Mr.
Sydrach Sympson, of Dr. Robert Harris, and of Mr. William Carter.

CHAPTER IV.

Richard, protector, summonses a parliament. Wallingford-house
party. Richard deposed by the army. Rump parliament restored. H.
Cromwell's letter from Ireland. Letter to Lieut. Gen. Fleetwood. Pe-

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