quotation: "I think it needless for me to mention any of the words of King Charles the First: His injuries and blood cry louder than the voice of thunder. If a robber,' says Salmawithstanding this answer, Cromwell seemed so sensible of his worth that he ordered, that, upon the first demand, there should be delivered to him three or four hundred pounds by a bookseller in Loudon, whose name was Cromwell, whenever his occasions should require, without acknowledging any benefactor at the receipt of it. But this offer he rejected, though his circumstances were then mean. At the same time it was proposed by Mr. G. who belonged to the library at St. James's, that if our author would gratify Cromwell in the request above-mentioned, he would restore to him all his father's books, which were then in the royal library there, being given by King James, and would give him a patent for three hundred pounds per annum, to be paid to the family as long as the youngest son of 'Dr. Casaubon should live:" But this was likewise refused."-Yet that was not a solitary instance, among the suffering Episcopal Clergy, of integrity and incorrupt fidelity. I produce it in this place, because the subject of it was afterwards called to endure some of Owen's coarse invectives, for having exposed his conduct when Vice-chancellor of Oxford, in putting his hat upon his head when the Lord's Prayer was repeated in Christ Church at the conclusion of Divine Service. In reference to the doctor's publishing "a solemn denial of the truth" of this report, Mr. Orme causes it to appear almost as plausible as his own ingenious figments about Baxter's "positive charges preferred against Owen, as the grand instrument in pulling down Richard" Cromwell: On which, in his usual style he magisterially asserts, "The internal evidence is by no means in favour of the correctness of these statements!" The memory both of Owen and Baxter was unaccountably treacherous and shy, when called upon to deliver their records of past misdeeds; too frequently, on such occasions, they took advantage of lapsus annorum, and could on no account be induced to recollect. It is on record, however, in one of Owen's publications, that he had a great antipathy to the use of the Lord's Prayer after "the good, long, solemn prayers" of himself and other gifted individuals. His own expressions on this subject are here subjoined: “I ask, whether the repetition of these words [Our Father which art in Heaven, &c.] after men have been long praying for the things contained in them, as the manner of some is, be not so remote from any pretence or colour of warrant in the scripture, as that it is, in plain terms, RIDICULOUS!" In those days of lax scholastic discipline," the 'man who could call the appendage of the Lord's Prayer to a mere human perfor mance" RIDICULOUS," would feel no hesitation at expressing his dislike of that Divine" Form of sound words," with consummate effrontery, by placing his hat on his pate, or by marching out of the Church.

But Mr. Orme is not content to rest his defence of Owen at that "critical juncture" on "the modesty and inoffensiveness" of his Fast-Day discourse immediately after the murder of his majesty: He tells us, Owen's superiors "were aware of the importance of having their conduct sanctioned, even in appearance, by a preacher of Owen's respectability; and on this account, it is probable, he was chosen to discharge a function which it is impossible to suppose he would have coveted." The reader may form some judgment of Owen's respectability as a preacher by comparing it with some of his violent associates in the ministry, whose seditious expressions are quoted in a succeeding note, page 387. His previous respectability is laid, even by Mr. Orme himself, on the very infirm basis of violent Republicanism and Independency. It appears principally to rest on his having deserted the ranks of Presbyterianism, for which act he was rewarded with the living of Coggeshall, after he had been deprived of that of Fordham. Of this latter event Mr. Orme relates some mystifying circumstances: "On a report that the sequestered incumbent of Fordham was dead, the patron presented another to the living, and dispossessed Owen. From this it would appear, that, in such cases, the parliamentary presentations did not permanently interfere with the rights of the patron," &c. In this carious manner is Owen's removal narrated: Some mystery lurks beneath the whole transaction, which requires some further elucidation.

sins, surprizing a traveller in a wood, should disarm him, rob him, strip him and tie him to a tree, and a wild beast of the 'forest, coming upon him thus bound should fall upon him, tear

"

As to Mr. Orme's assumed "probability," that Owen "would not have coveted the discharge of this function," he is either himself grossly mistaken in the estimate which he has formed of the man's character, or he wishes to misrepresent him to others. For "it is impossible to suppose" any republican enterprise in which that rising and ambitious ecclesiastic would have refused to engage. His Calvinistic obsequiousness had been sufficiently approved: In compliance with "the signs of the times," which, according quotation in a subsequent page, from PHILLIPS's Continuation, then portended good to Independency, Owen soon took his station in the congregational ranks, and obtained a good and competent share of sequestered ecclesiastical booty. His ambition aimed at higher preferment, than either the living of Fordham in Essex or that of Coggeshall afforded. His biographer informs us, "It does not appear that Owen's silence on the subject of the King's death lost him the favour of Parliament: for, on the 19th of April following, we find him again preaching before it, and the chief officers of the army, when he delivered his celebrated sermon on the shaking and translation of the heavens and the earth; for which he next day received the thanks of the House and an order to print it. It was this sermon, I apprehend, that introduced Owen to the acquaintance of Cromwell, who then heard him for the first time, and was much pleased with the discourse. Cromwell,....laying his hand upon Owen's shoulder, in the familiar manuer which he used to his friends, said, 'Sir, you are the person I must be acquainted with.'Owen modestly replied, That will be much more to my advantage than yours.' [A very modest hint indeed!] -We shall soon see that,' said Cromwell. And they did "soon see it :" For, by the usurper's interest, Owen immediately received an order for £100 per annum, as one of the parliamentary chaplains; he was soon afterwards appointed Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, a situation which the excellent Dr. Hammond had long occupied, and from which he had only a short time previously been ejected; he was then appointed Vice-chancellor of the University and created Doctor in Divinily and he could proceed no further in the career of his ambition, than to his election as a member of Cromwell's servile Parliament, in which he sate as representative for Oxford. His prevarication and Jesuitry in that Parliament, as stated even by his admirers, cannot fail to remind one of the bebaviour of a modern ecclesiastic, more learned than Owen, yet his compeer in levelling notions: The reader will here anticipate my mention of the late JOHN HORNE TOOKE, who was, at the period to which I have alluded, a clergyman in orders. Owen was at length outwitted by some of his republican friends, who employed him as their instrument in drawing up a petition to hinder Cromwell's acceptance of the title of KING. Mr. Orme says, "This disappointment [of the usurper's hopes] was not likely to be forgotten by Cromwell. His conduct did not advance his interest at court; for, from this time, he does not appear to have been much about Cromwell. Cromwell's death took place in the same year, and Owen declares, that he had not seen him for a long time before.-All those are evidences of declining favour; but the most conclusive proof soon followed. On the third of July, the Protector resigned the Chancellorship of Oxford; his son Richard was chosen successor on the eighteenth; who, in six weeks after, dismissed Owen from the office of Vice-chancellor, and appointed Dr. John Conant, a Presbyterian and Rector of Exeter College, in his room.' It was a happy circumstance both for himself and mankind, that he was soon afterwards compelled to retire from public life, and had abundant leisure afforded to him of amend ing his ways, which had been exceedingly sinuous and cruel, and was left to lay a less exceptionable foundation for fame in the composition of such works of piety as his Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Discourse on the Holy Spirit, Meditations on the glory of Christ, &c.

But Orme proceeds thus in his exculpatory effusions: "Perhaps they expected he would defend or apologize for their measures. If they did, they must have been grievously disappointed, as the discourse maintains a pro

His text,

'him in pieces and devour him, which of these, properly speaking, would be the cause of this man's death ?'-It is most certain that the Independents were actually the murderers of King Charles the First, but it is as certain that the Presbyterifound and studied silence on the awful transaction of the preceding day."A profound and studied silence," when a wonderful and horrible thing was committed in the land," is maintained by a man who pretended to be a messenger of the gospel of peace! And this too at a time when another Calvinist minister of far greater piety informs us, the very stones cried out: For" at the instant when the blow was given, there was such a dismal universal groan among the thousands of people that were within sight of it, (as it were with one consent,) as he never heard before," &c.-After stating his text and the title of the sermon, the apologist tells us," From which adirect application to the recent events might be expected. Extremely little of this, however, occurs." But let any man read the text, (Jer. xv, 19, 20,) in conjuuction with the very significant title prefixed to the sermon, "Righteous ZEAL ENCOURAGED BY DIVINE PROTECTION," and he will instantly declare that these alone would speak volumes of approbation to the listening regicides: Yet good Mr. Orme calls this, and much more," extremely little!" What, then, does a modern republican desire? He next gives us an additional proof of the servility and time-serving propensities of his hero. Owen "is exceedingly cautious of committing himself by expressing an opinion either of the Court or the Country party; which plainly implies, that while he was not at liberty to CONDEMN, he was unwilling to JUSTIFY. title, and the contents of his sermon, undoubtedly "justified" the King's murderers; nor can any plausible reason be assigned why Owen" was not at liberty to CONDEMN" such a monstrous proceeding. How pusillanimous was this conduct when compared with that of Hammond and Gauden! Both these christian worthies addressed spirited remonstrances to General Fairfax and the army, when the latter were sitting "deep in consultation" on the death of his majesty. With wonderful resolution, and magnanimously braving all danger, which was far greater than any to which Owen subjected himself, these two good and loyal men considered themselves" at liberty to condemn" the bare contemplation of such a murderous deed, and caused several thousands of their unanswerable tracts on that subject to be printed and distributed. See, in the preceding notes, (pages 299, 303 and 305,) other points, on which, when compared with Dr. Hammond, this obstreperous parliamentary chaplain appears to manifest disadvantage. The "exceeding cautiousness" which his eulogist applies to him on that memorable occasion, is the greatest stain that could possibly attach itself to a Christian minister. Let us now briefly examine the grounds of this disinterested encomium of "exceeding cautiousness." Orme presents us with two extracts from this discourse: As the first of them is a servile copy of a passage which will be quoted from one of Dr. Samuel Annesley's sermons preached before the Commons a few months before the king's death, I forbear to quote it here. The other reads thus: "When Kings turn seducers, they seldom want good store of followers. Now if the blind lead the blind, they shall both fall into a ditch. When Kings command unrighteous things and people suit them with willing compliance; none doubts but THE DESTRUCTION OF THEM BOTH IS JUST AND RIGHTEOUS." The word "people" is evidently applied by Owen to the suffering royalists, who, according to his doctrine, were justly punished for "suiting with willing compliance the king's unrighteous commands."-1 now proceed to quote other two passages from the same discourse: "Give me the number of witnesses of Jesus whose souls under the altar cry for REVENGE against their false-worshipping murderers, and the tale of them who e lives have been sacrificed to the insatiable ambition and tyranny of blood thirsty potentates, with the issues of God's just vengeance upon the sons of men for complaining of these two things; and you will have gathered in the whole harvest of blood, leaving but a few straggling gleanings upon other occasions. And if these things have been found in England, and the present administration with SINCERE HUMILIATION do run cross to unravel this closewove web of destruction, all thoughts of recovery will be quickly too late: And thus far sin and providence drive a parallel.""He that is entrusted with

ans first murdered him in his political capacity, as a prelude to the murder of his person; they compelled him to give up all his power to them; and then did, as Dugdale observes,' worse 'than murder him in the manner and circumstances of his con'finement, before the Independents pulled them out of the saddle, and forced the King out of their hands; and were the actual executioners of that royal martyr whom the Presbyteri6. ans had in effect condemned. I cannot deny but as soon as

the sword, and dares not do justice on every one that dares do injustice, is afraid of the creature, but makes very bold with his Creator." I appeal to any reader possessing common sense, if these passages do not contain "a direct application to events that were then recent:" But the innocent and unsuspecting biographer says, " Extremely little of this occurs." I shall only give another sentence from the wise and redoubtable Mr. Orme, who, after presenting us with his two extracts, tells us with wonderful simplicity, "Had I been disposed to quote passages to shew that Owen disapproved of the death of Charles, I should have selected these as well suited for this purpose."

Suffering all this refined sophistry to pass, no one who reads Mr. Henry's statement in the preceding page will entertain any doubt concerning the need of "exceeding cautiousness" or the part of the court-preacher. A general detestation of the King's murderers had, on the day of execution, been unequivocally expressed. Public affairs at that crisis seemed to be almost in @quilibrio, and it could not then be discerned which of the rebellious parties would gain political ascendancy. Under such circumstances the subtle address and consummate hypocrisy of Owen displayed themselves: Not knowing which of the successful regicides to bespatter with his cheap and ready praise, he was "exceedingly cautious" about bestowing fulsome eulogies on any individual. These he reserved for brighter days and clearer times, but did not hesitate to afford his undisguised sanction to the general measures of the whole Calvinistic party, and to that bloody illustration of their principles which had been recently given. Owen's astuteness and hypocrisy are still further manifest, when it is considered, that the sermon, by which an impartial posterity is left to form a judgment on his spirit and conduct, was prepared for the press in the seclusion of his study, some days after the fashionable grimaces and passionate extacies employed in its delivery had subsided. Yet in those moments of coolness when he had an opportunity of softening down all the "rhetorical applications of the words of scripture" which his biographer palliates on another occasion, and of suppressing many objectionable passages which had escaped from his lips in the heat of preaching, he publishes to the world a discourse, the very text and title of which will consign his name to deserved execration, and the contents of which are unchristian, disloyal, enthusiastic, and infamous.

"Did he [King James] not say, that Monarchy and Presbytery agreed like God and the devil?' and have not we found it so, if we consider the carriage of our new-fangled Presbyterians in England to Charles the first, his son? But alas ! I am mistaken, they fasted and prayed, preached and writ against it, praying for a diversion of all such black intentions And yet the Presbyterian took the sceptre out of his hand, in taking away the militia, of which it was an emblem; cast down his throne, by depriving him of his negative voice; took his crown, the fountain of honour, off his head, by denying those honour on whom he had worthily conferred it, without them; took away his supremacy, signified by the sacred unction wherewith he was anointed, in denying him the liberty of his conscience in the point of Episcopacy and church-government. Nor would they treat a minute with their King, till they had made him acknowledge himself guilty (as they say) of all the blood that had been spilt throughout his dominions: And notwithstanding all the concessions on his part that could possibly be granted, even to the very grating of his princely conscience; when he bid them ask flesh from his bones, and he would not deny it, if it might in any measure redound to the benefit of his people, praying that he might keep his

this hellish murther was committed, many of the Presbyterians did loudly disclaim against it, seeming as much to wash their hands of the guilt, as Pilate did from the death of our Saviour.'" In their answer to this pamphlet, the Presbyterians say: "The sectaries, who all sheltered themselves under the name of Independents, (though of quite different principles from the sober party of that denomination,) were the true criminals. He likewise confesseth that those pulled the Presbyterians out of the saddle and forced the King out of their hands; which plainly shews, that they could not have compassed the King's ruin and the subversion of monarchy, but upon the ruins of the Presbyterian conscience whole,-the Queen regent of all good men's actions, and he hoped there were none would force this Queen before him in his house, as Ahasuerus said to Haman,-yet notwithstanding all this, was it voted unsatisfactory so long till the Independent army came from Edenborough, surprised and murthered him. He that said, the Presbyterian held him down by the bair, while the Independents cut off his head,' said true enough: They murthered him as a King, before ever they murthered him as a man: and when time serves, the philosopher's maxim will pass for good and current logic at court: Qui vult media ad finem, vult etiam et ipsum finem; He that wills the means conducing to the end, wills also the end it self:-Ergo, (will the royalists say) since the Presbyterian put such courses in practice as tended to the King's ruin, they certainly intended it, and are as deeply guilty as others.' Nay, may not the Independent say, 'You took off his authority, and we took off his head; you made him no King, and we 'made him no body; you made him a man of blood, and we treated him accordingly; therefore at your doors, O ye Presbyterian hypocrites, his 'innocent blood is laid: Nor is it any other than your actions have been all along, and those committed by your ancestors to former princes and 'Kings.'

"But sure there is some excuse remaining; they fought for religion! I wonder when the church did change her weapons: Must prayers and tears be turned into pike and musquet? Did God refuse to have his temple built by David, a man after his own heart, because only his hands were blood? and will he now condescend to have his church repaired, and her breaches made up with skulls and carcasses? Must blood be tempered with the mortar that must bind the stones of his temple with unity? or are the smitings of brethren, strokes fit to polish her stones withal? Hath God refused the soft voice to remain in thunder? or hath his Spirit left the gentle posture of descending down upon his apostles, to the approaching of a mighty and rushing wind? To go about the reforming of a church by human strength, is quite as opposite to the nature of reformation, as is the going about the repairing of a castle-wall with a needle and thread. He that looks to find such inestimable goodness within iron sides, [cannon] may as well expect to find a pearl in a lobster. No, no, the church must not be defended with helmets, the resisters of blows; but with mitres, which have received the cleft already; not by broken pates, but by cloven tongues; not by men clad in buff, but by priests clothed with righteousness. Decisions in matters of faith, must not be determined by armour of proof; nor did the sword of the Spirit ever make way to the conscience by cutting through the flesh. He therefore who takes up arms against his sovereign with pretences of defending his religion, doth but take such courses as are condemned by the same religion he would defend: and indeed, he doth but make religion his stalking-horse to blind him, whilst he aims at that which he would have us least suspect him; which when he hath effected, he means to get up upon the horse, and ride him at his pleasure. They pretend the good of the church, and intend nothing more but the GooDs thereof; and, like dissembling lapwings, make a show of being nearest the nest, when they are farthest off it."-Sphinx Lugduno-Genevensis.