ADDRESS FROM NORTHUMBERLAND. 333 ordained of God (Rom. xiii. 1); happy in your glorious conquests and wonderful victories by land and sea, which hath spread Christ's fame, with England's worthies, through Europe and the world, many of whose nations daily court. our favours; happy in those lovely twins, peace and plenty (the unexpected issue of cruel wars), attending truth in her triumphant robe of liberty; happy in that excellent instrument, the saints' civil Magna Charta,' for the government of this commonwealth, wherein such blessed provision is made for the tender lambs of the Lord Jesus, seconded by the late affectionate fatherly breathings of your highness at the dissolution of the last parliament. These are the mercies many thousands have long prayed for, but never truly enjoyed till your highness's happy government. Eternal praises to the Lord Jehovah, who, through your highness's indefatigable labours, hath given us our lives (and more) for a prey; to behold a glimpse of that glorious promise in our days (Oba. 21), And saviours shall come upon mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord's. Sir, you have our affectionate prayers, that your government may be established in righteousness; that we may long enjoy a quiet and peaceable life under you, in all godliness and honesty; that your highness, with your excellent council, may effectually endeavour (by the rule of God's word) to suppress all profaneness, idolatry, atheism, blasphemy, the contempt of scriptures, ordinances, and seasons of God's worship. Our 3 [The Instrument of Government, under the provisions of which Cromwell took the Protectorate. It provided for the encouragement and maintenance of "able and painful" teachers, for the instruction of the people and confutation of error and heresy; that no person should be forced by penalties to a public profession; and that persons of differing judgment, should be protected in the exercise of their religion and the confession of their faith. Popery and prelacy, however, were not to enjoy this liberty. Whitelocke, p. 557.] souls cannot but mourn and lament (in the midst of our enjoyments) over these threatening abominations-injustice, oppression, pride, drunkenness, uncleanness, cursing, and swearing. We humbly conceive these latter impieties, with their concomitants, shall never be suppressed until those filthy cages and nurseries of wickedness (the swarms of alehouses that abound in darkest corners) be prohibited and moderated. If God shall thoroughly affect your highness's heart with these our just complaints, our confidence will be raised upon substantial grounds, to behold these nations, under your protection, to be the Lord's indeed. we further crave of your highness is, a gracious acceptance and Christian construction of these our honest addresses, for the vindication of our integrity and affection; no longer desiring protection from you than we shall in all humble subjection demean and approve ourselves, That which Your highness's faithful and obedient subjects, THOMAS TILLAM, Messenger.* RICHARD ORDE,) JOHN WARDE, Elders. Signed in the name and with approbation of the church of Christ at Hexham, the 11th day of the 12th month, 1654. Signed in the name of the church of Christ at Derby and Burton upon Trent, the first day of the first month, 1654. ROBERT HOLpe, WILLIAM TOMBLINSON. In the name of the church of Christ at Wharton, near Bradford, the 12th month, 25th day, 1654. DAVID LUMBEY, JOHN CLAYTON. 4 [See Hexham Church Records, H. K. Soc. edit. I have been unable to trace any particulars of the other two churches.] ADDRESS OF THE ANABAPTIST MINISTERS IN LONDON, TO THE LORD PROTECTOR.5 MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HIGHNESS, As we judge it our duty to appear before the Lord for you, so we conceive it necessarily incumbent on us from the Lord (especially considering the encouragements some of us have received from you, and the engagements of this kind laid upon us by you) to address ourselves unto you in this sad and unexpected juncture of affairs, wherein our godly jealousies, fears, and inexpressibly sorrowful thoughts of heart, are multiplied and daily increased, with respect to yourself and the whole interest of Christ and his people in the three nations; many of whom have, for many years together, hazarded themselves with yourself in the high places of the field, lost and shed much blood, and made great [From Milton's State Papers, p. 142. Late in February and throughout March, 1657, the Parliament was engaged in the discussion of a new instrument of government, of which the offer of the title of king to Cromwell should form a part. On the 31st March the House rose at eleven o'clock, and attended by the whole house the Speaker repaired to Whitehall, and laid before the Protector the splendid bait. Meanwhile remonstrances had already been made to him by the officers of his army, to which he had sharply replied. On the 3rd April, the day on which the address of the baptist ministers was presented, Cromwell desired of parliament the formation of a conference to confer desolations in this and the neighbour nations; and have appeared upon the mount in solemn professions, prayers, appeals, and thanksgivings to the most high God, owning different principles, and professing different ends from the generality of the people of the three nations; many monuments whereof remain upon record, in papers of several sorts emitted from them in a military and civil capacity, upon several occasions. By all which professions, actions, and successes from the Lord of hosts therein, what amazement, horror, and confusion was brought upon men of carnal and corrupt principles and interests in this and neighbour nations, what refreshings, encouragements, and holy rejoicings have been produced in the hearts of the people of God, is so notorious as not to be forgotten. But (sir), we cannot but spread before your highness our deep resentment of, and heart bleedings for, the fearful apostacy which is endeavoured by some to be fastened upon you, upon plausible pretences, by such who, for the most part, had neither heart nor hand to engage with you, and the good people of the nation, in the day of straits and extremities, by persuading you to re-edify that old structure of government, which God by you and them had signally borne testimony against and destroyed, and assume that office, which was once declared and engaged against by the parliament, March 17th, 1648, and approved of by the honest party as unnecessary, burdensome, and destructive to the safety and liberty of the people. Sir, we have in the capacities wherein we stand, with freedom and faithfulness to the good old cause, borne our testimonies against this retrogradation; and should with much peace and satisfaction to our consciences acquiesce therein, but that we are persuaded the honour of God, the interest of his people, the safety of yourself and family, and the peace and tranquillity of the nations, lie so eminently at the stake, that should you be charmed into a compliance, and thereby be talked out of that, by your new pretending friends, which you could not be beaten out of by all your old enemies (to use your highness's expression), we cannot but fear that blasphemy, ruin, and confusion would inevitably follow; the grounds of which fears we humbly submit to your judicious consideration, and are reducible to these four heads : 1st. The glory of God, whose name and cause will thereby be reproached and made a bye-word, as too, too much [it] is already. 2ndly. The interest of God's people in general, though of different apprehensions, not rationally to be secured under the old form. 3rdly. The grieving of the spirits of many good people, in and out of the army, who generally are wounded at the thoughts of it (as appears by the sober attestations of many thousands, which we have seen), who have been accounted the horsemen and chariots of Israel, and to whom, usually, God reveals his mind. 4thly. The hardening the hearts and strengthening the hands of the enemy, who will say-This is that which we looked for (all the successes have been but chances of war), the advancing of persons, not things, was from the first designed. Our day is coming, &c. Your highness cannot but know how easy it were to enlarge, with much demonstration, upon these generals: which we shall forbear, conceiving that the naming of them may be a sufficient remembrance to you, and consequently an effectual preservative against tergiversation, in this hour of temptation. We beseech you, in the bowels of Jesus Christ, remember what God did for you and us at Marston Moor, Naseby, Pembroke, Preston, Tredah, Dunbar, and Worcester, and upon what grounds, also what boasts we have made of God thereupon, and give not cause to the enemy to say, that because God is not able to perfect his work, therefore we must return into Egypt. If our persons, lives, liberties, and |