[136] The petition and advice was first presented to Cromwell, March the 31st, 1657. It was accepted by him May the 25th.
[137] It is related by Henry Neville, member for Reading, in Richard's Parliament, and the author of Plato Redivivus—That "Cromwell, upon this great occasion, sent for some of the chief city Divines, as if he made it a matter of conscience to be determined by their advice. Among these was the leading Mr. Calamy, who very boldly opposed the project of Cromwell's single government, and offered to prove it both unlawful and impracticable. Cromwell answered readily upon the first head of unlawful, and appealed to the safety of the nation being the supreme law. 'But,' says he, 'pray, Mr. Calamy, why impracticable?' Calamy replied, 'Oh, 'tis against the voice of the nation; there will be nine in ten against you.' 'Very well,' says Cromwell, 'but what if I should disarm the nine, and put the sword in the tenth man's hand; would not that do the business?'"—See Critical Review of the Life of Oliver Cromwell, p. 149, note. Cromwellian Diary, ii. 321.
[138] Parl. Hist., iii. 1508 and 1425.
[139] Carlyle, ii. 567.
[140] Carlyle, ii. 579-581.
[141] Ibid., 497.
[142] In 1651 "their High Mightinesses decreed that the sects should be restrained, and not suffered to spread. Sectas cohibendas et in ordinem redigendas, neque permittendum ut in plura loca quam hodie sunt diffundantur."—Bayle's Dict., Art. Anabaptists.
[143] Whitelocke, when Ambassador to the Court of Sweden, had the following conversation with the Archbishop of Upsala. Archbishop: "No one must vent his private fancies or new opinions contrary to the doctrine of the Church. If he does, we severely punish it." Whitelocke: "That is somewhat strict, and may be construed to a kind of assumption of infallibility." Archbishop: "We take no such thing upon us, but desire to preserve peace and unity in the Church and its members." Whitelocke: "Those are good things, but I doubt hardly to be settled in this world, where offences must come." Archbishop: "But woe to those by whom they come." Whitelocke: "They may possibly come by imposing too much on men's consciences as well as by new opinions."—Memoirs of Whitelocke, 375.
[144] April 28th. Cromwellian Diary, ii. 55, 58, 60., and Journals of the House of Commons.
[145] Cromwellian Diary, ii. 149-152.