vote, a motion to abolish patronage. On De it was ordered that a bill to that effect be bro December 6. On the following day the com tithes made a report embodying a scheme missioners to eject unfit ministers, and for tinuance of tithes, with a provision that scrupled tithe should be allowed some other payment. After protracted discussions, the fi was rejected on December 10 by a majorit The moderates had endeavored to present in t a compromise acceptable to all, but this vote them that no compromise was possible. They concocted and carried out the scheme whereby liament resigned its powers back into the Cromwell. Thus ended the Little Parliament. There co better illustration of the tenacious spirit of th than was furnished by the little band of twenty thirty, headed by Harrison, who sat dogged claring that they had been " called of God to t and that they apprehended that the said call w for the promoting the interest of Jesus Chr was therefore necessary for a file of soldiers end to the solitary attempt to govern Engla assemblage of the saints. The attempt to rule England by means of men chosen for their godliness was a failur those men were unwilling to temporize, to a measures when the complete attainment of th was plainly impossible, to agree upon what dient instead of insisting upon what they b 41 Commons Journals, Nov. 17, Dec. 1, 2, 10, 12; Great B Dec. 14-21, 1653; cf. Politique Post, Jan. 4-11, 1653/4. cated a program far more radical than did the B and Independents; but they all agreed that the L England needed reformation, and that the sys tithe should be abolished. Their numbers wer cient to obstruct legislation on controversial su and since the uncompromising minority had fa devise what has remained undevised from that this—a means of carrying on any government s absolute despotism without compromise, withou porizing, without the acceptance of a little good a greater good seems unattainable-government saints was forced to give way to another form ernment. be no icals ht or de lace, iefly - It t an y an y of ause half eals pe to Post, THE PROTECTOR AND THE SAINTS. THE establishment of the Protectorate was a grea blow to the Fifth Monarchy men. They objected to i not as did the Levellers and Parliamentarians, becaus it was a government set up by the army, but because was a government by a single person. The only go ernment with a single person at its head which they fe that they could conscientiously support was the Fift Monarchy, or kingdom of Christ. The manner i which the new order was established was also a sourd of offense. Yesterday the General was proclaime protector", wrote Hugh Courtney, "I will not inse the solemnities, which were too much after the ol fashion, and so grievous to many. It is hard now t tell you where the greatest joy is; but I am sure som rejoice with trembling, their sorrow being oppresse by reason of the present shame and reproach they judg to be upon the gospel and the profession thereof.' My heart is full, and often akes to consider what come to pass, and what is at the door.' The peop 66 of God are highly dissatisfied." hearty, high, and heavenly." 99 2 66 "Mr. Powell is ver These were not the adjectives applied to Powell b an adherent of the new order who heard him say in 1 Hugh Courtney to John Jones, Dec. 20, 1653, Thurloe, I, 640. great ecause gov- Fifth er in ource imed nsert e old w to some essed udge of."1 at is ople very 1 by in a of Cromwell, which was bound to be but tempo indeed, "a small matter should fetch him down little noise". He intimated that Cromwell wa " vile person" referred to in Daniel, xi, 21, "to v they shall not give the honor of the kingdom, b shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdo flatteries". "Lord", he cried, " have our army m apostatised from their principles! What is becom all their declarations, protestations, and profess Are they choked with lands, parks, and manors? us go home and pray, and say, 'Lord, wilt Thou Oliver Cromwell or Jesus Christ to reign over us Feake, preaching at the same meeting, declared Cromwell was the little horn of Daniel's prophecy was to make war upon the saints, and whom the s would finally destroy. On the preceding day thes had held similar discourse at Blackfriars, where o them called Cromwell "the dissemblingest per villain in the world", and on the day following, preaching in the chapel at Whitehall, they were arr and brought before the Council of State. As behavior there was far from conciliatory, they sent to prison.* They were released after a few days, and a Blackfriars meetings had been prohibited, P 5 Information of Marchamont Needham, Dec. 20, 1653. Cal. Dom., 1653-1654, 304 ff. • Intercepted letter, Dec. 22, 1653, Thurloe, I, 641; Cal. St. P., 1653-1654, 308, 309; Bordeaux to Mazarin, Dec. 22, and to Brienne date, P. R. O. Transcripts; Severall Proceedings, Dec. 29, Hugh Peters, in a sermon preached December 18, advised the peop were looking for Christ's coming to do so at home, peaceably. M Publisher, Dec. 21-23, 1653. preached at Christ Church. One of his hea with approval the peaceable tone in which he his discourse, "perswading his brethren to more with Civil matters, but to speak of spi ries, which he held forth in the Reigne of C the Saints with him on earth". However, t was reported less favorably to the governme the following day a warrant was issued for He escaped into Wales, but before leaving he at Christ Church and Blackfriars, declaring ruled as kings, without the advice of the sai the Lord would pull down, for the present g was not of God, and would soon be destroyed Feake and Simpson, less fortunate than Po arrested under the new ordinance which dec deliberate attack upon the existing governm treason, and were imprisoned at Winds whence they wrote copiously to their respectiv gations, bidding them wait on the Lord, and their imprisonment a season of great spiritual 7 Erbery, An Olive Leaf: or, Some peaceable consider Christians meeting at Christs-Church in London (Thomason 8 Faithful Scout, Jan. 27-Feb. 3, 1653/4; Cal. St. P., Do 353. Efforts were made at this time by some of the leading divines of London, both to clear themselves of the suspici shared the ideas of the Fifth Monarchy men, and to preve ment from spreading. A circular letter, signed by John O Goodwin, Philip Nye, and Sidrach Simpson, was addre "Churches of Christ ", concerning "those high and open atte of our Brethren in London: who in pursuit of an opinion co Kingdom of the Saints, or Fifth Monarchy, to be adminis Saints, by immediate Commission from Jesus Christ, have other Government that is the Ordinance of men, as peices monarchy, to which Christ in this juncture of time they hath put a period ". January 9, 1653/4, Carte MSS., 81, fo 9 Cal. St. P., Dom., 1653-1654, 449; Faithful Scout, Jan 1653/4; Severall Proceedings, Feb. 2-9; Moderate Intelli 16-23; Loyal Messenger, April 3-10; Weekly Intelligencer, Ap |