"I would rather," cried His Highness, "permit Mahometanism in the land than have one of God's people persecuted!"
His Council remained silent; not one of these men agreed with him, and it was a notable tribute to the respect and affection they had for him that none of them raised a voice in dissent.
He felt, however, their opposition, as indeed he felt the opposition of the entire nation to this dearest of his ideals—toleration.
It seemed as if men never would agree to leave their neighbour in peace on the question of religious belief; and the extraordinary bitterness of the feeling between the various sects was more and more vexing to Cromwell, who had always held tolerance as a matter of principle, and now, as he advanced more and more in greatness and power, recognised it as being a necessary element of wise government at home and useful alliances abroad.
"God," he continued, driving home his point with a certain labour, as if he struggled to put into words what no words would convey, "hath elected England—He hath made us the instruments of some work of His. He wishes us to go forward—to fight heresies and Antichrist—but also He wisheth us to remain united in brotherly love, not to be too nice and strict about the religion of the man next us, so long as he be working clearly in due fear of Him—were we not all kinds in the army? Did any fight the worse for being an Anabaptist? Nay, I do not think so. God hath need of all of us who love Him."
General Lambert answered—
"This is very well here, among sober men, but how shall Your Highness get such a doctrine accepted among the general?"
"Yea," said the Lord-Protector gloomily. "Truly the fools trouble me more than the knaves—most of all do the lukewarm vex me, for nought will bring them to any reason—give me a Saul sooner than a Gallio!"
"Sir," replied one of the officers, "there are Sauls, and plenty too, and maybe the Lord calleth us to combat these sooner than to smooth over heresies and live peaceably with those who are little better than the heathen and the infidel."
Cromwell groaned.