This matter of Cromwell has been a high and mighty plot of the Independent party to have gotten an army for themselves under Cromwell, with the ruin, and shamefully unjust crushing, of Manchester’s person, of dissolving the union of the nations, of abolishing the House of Lords, of dividing the House of Commons, of filling the city, and most of the Commons, with intestine wars, of setting up themselves upon the ruins of all; but God, who has drawn us out of many desperate dangers, is like to turn this dangerous mischief on the heads of the contrivers. I hope it shall break the far more supposed than real strength of that party, and unite us more strongly; but we are yet wrestling with them. By the next you may have more.
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Publick Letter. December 26, 1644.
We daily now make good progress in the assembly. We have sent up our directory for marriage and thanksgiving; we have also got through burial. We have some little thing to say of fasting, and visiting of the sick; and so our long-looked for directory will be closed. It is exceedingly liked by all who see it. Every piece of it passes the Houses as fast as we send it. Our answers to the Independents reasons are now ready, and I hope this week may be sent up to the House. We have also put together all our votes of government, and will send them up to-morrow to both Houses. The Independents have entered their dissent only to three propositions: “That in Ephesus was a classical presbytery; That there is a subordination of assemblies; That a single congregation has not all and sole power of ordination.” Their reasons against these three propositions we expect to-morrow. Against the end of the next week we hope our committees will have answers ready to all they will say; and after all is sent up to the House, by God’s help, we expect shortly an erection of presbyteries and synods here; for there appears a good forwardness to expede all things of that kind in both Houses since the taking of Newcastle. If the directory and government were once out of our hands, as a few days will put them, then we will fall on our great question of excommunication, the catechism, and confession. There is here matter to hold us long enough, if the wrangling humour which long predominated in many here did continue; but, thanks to God, that is much abated, and all incline towards a conclusion. We have drawn up a directory for church-censures and excommunication; wherein we keep the practice of our church, but decline speculative questions. This, we hope, will please all who are not Independents; yea, I think even they needed not differ with us here: but it yet appears they will to separation, and are not so careful to accommodate, as conscience would command peaceable men to be. However, we hope to get the debates of these things we most feared either eschewed or shortened. We have near also agreed in private on a draught of catechism; whereupon, when it comes in publick, we expect little debate. I think we must either pass the Confession to another season, or, if God will help us, the heads of it being distribute among many able hands, it may in a short time be so drawn up, as the debates of it may cost little time. All this chalking is on the supposition of God’s singular assistance, continuing such a disposition in the assembly and parliament as has appeared this month or two bypast. On this supposition, two months, or three at most, may do much to put on the cope-stone of our wonderful great work.
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We hope this day to close in the assembly, the remainder of our directory, and to send it up to-morrow to the Houses; so the next week we expect an ordinance of parliament for the whole directory. We have transmitted our answers to the Independents reasons against our presbytery. They are well taken, and now upon the press. We hope, in the beginning of next week, to send up also our answer to their reasons against synods. We make no question but shortly thereafter the Houses will pass an ordinance for the government; what is behind, a good part of it, will be ended, and follow us to our general assembly; and all the rest, by all appearance, will be closed in a month or two thereafter; for all men now incline to a conclusion.
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For Mr William Spang. December 27, 1644.
We have ended this day the directory in the assembly. The Houses are through the most of it already. Before we go they will pass all. What remains of the government concerning the hard questions of excommunication, Mr Henderson has drawn it up by way of a practical directory, so calmly, that we trust to get it all past the assembly next week, without much debate. The men whom most we feared, profess their satisfaction with that draught. It is certainly true of what you wrote, of the impossibility ever to have gotten England reformed by human means, as things here stood without their brethrens help. The learnedest and most considerable part of them were fully Episcopal. Of these who joined with the parliament, the greatest and most countenanced part were much Episcopal. The Independents had brought the people to such a confusion, that was insuperable by all the wit and strength which was here; but God has so guided it, that all has contributed for the main work. The wickedness of the Popish and Prelatical faction still continuing and increasing; the horrible extravagancies of the sectaries; the unreasonable obstinacy of the Independents; the strange confusions of this long anarchy; and, most of all, God’s good hand on us here in the assembly, and on our armies in the fields, has contribute to, dispose this land to a very fair reformation above all their hopes.
[See continuation of the Account of the Westminster Assembly, appended to the Acts of 1645.]