126 JOHNSON-COTTON MATHER-SOBER INSPECTIONS. the Holy Image suffered by Heretics, and particularly by that monstrous infernal Queen Elizabeth,' which induced the forming of English Colleges in this and other places as Houses of Refuge; a list of Englishmen belonging to the College of Valladolid is given at page 89, the resorting to which seems to have produced great sensation in Spain, and perhaps was the immediate cause of the attempt at Invasion by the Spanish Armada to reduce the English by force, to the Catholic Religion-entrando en un santo corage y zelo contra la heregia que à tanta desdicha, y miseria tenia reducida su patria; vistiendose de nuevo ferbor para hazer guerra y reducir à INGLATERRA a la sinçera y pura Religion Catholica.'"-Book Catalogue. [Doctrine of Universal Grace.] "THE doctrine of universal grace, says the editor of Thomas Letchworth's Dis courses, of which a manifestation or portion is given to every man, and by obedience to which he is enabled to fulfil his duty, and to walk acceptably with his Creator, is the leading principle of the Society,-and they hold as the necessary result of it, that true worship consists in a humble prostration of heart and communion of spirit with the Father of mercies, and is therefore perfectly consistent with a state of silence." Johnson on Women's Preaching. "WHEN Boswell told Johnson one day that he had heard a woman preach that morning at a Quaker's meeting, Johnson replied, Sir, a woman preaching is like a dog's walking on his hind legs. It is not done well; but you are surprized to find it done at all.'" [Fervency of Prayer.] IT is related of Edward Hopkins, one of the early Governors of Connecticut, that "his prayers were so fervent that he frequently fell a bleeding at the nose through the agony of spirit with which he laboured in them."-COTTON MATHER, B. 2, p. 23. [Women's Offerings preceding the Covenant.] "THE Seamstress brought in her silver thimble, the chamber maid her bodkin, the cook his silver spoon, the vintner his bowl into the common treasury of war; and they who contributed to so pious a work were invited more than others in some churches to come to the Holy Communion in the very time of administration. And observed it was that some sorts of females were freest in those contributions, so as to part with their rings and ear-rings, as if some golden calf were to be molten and set up Covenant a little after was set up."-Sober to be idolized,-which proved true, for the Inspections, &c., p. 128. [Sin against the Holy Ghost.] "SOME do sin of human frailty, as did Peter: and this is called a sin against the Father, who is called Power. Some do sin of ignorance, as did Paul; and this is called a sin against the Son, who is called Wisdom. Some do sin of mere will and malice, choosing to sin, although they know it to be sin; and this is the sin against the Holy Ghost, to whom is appropriated particularly grace and goodness, the which a man most wickedly contemneth and rejecteth when he | sinneth wilfully against his own conscience; and therefore Christ saith, that a man shall be forgiven a sin against the Father and the Son, as we do see it was in Peter and Paul; but he that sinneth against the Holy Ghost, shall never be forgi.cn, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." A brief Discourse contayning certayne reasons why Catholiques refuse to go to Church, f. 4.-Doway, 1580. [Letters of Cromwell.] rect even now. Those who wish for further HE Letters annexed were information will find it in the remarks of forwarded to the lamented the late Samuel Tilbrooke, of Peter House, Southey by the Rev. J. Ne-affixed to the originals in the Fitzwilliam ville White, the brother of Museum. They have been before printed. Kirke White, who states:Southey's excellent Life of Cromwell, "These three Letters of Oliver Crom-drawn more or less from the present colwell were found among the Court Rolls lections, was first printed in No. 50 of the belonging to the Manor of Wymondham Quarterly Review, vol. 25, pp. 279-347. Cromwell, in the County of Norfolk, and were given by the Steward of that Manor to the Rev. J. Neville White, who has presented them to his friend the Rev. Samuel Tilbrook, of St. Peter's College, Cambridge, in conformity to a wish expressed on his part, that through him these interesting relics of the Protector Cromwell, CROMWELLI TRES EPISTOLE AUTOGRAPHE quêis "tempus edux rerum" pepercit.' might be deposited in the Fitz-William To the Right Noble the Lord Wharton, Museum at Cambridge. "N. B.-The Manor of Cromwell is situated in the parish of Wymondham, and was formerly in the possession of a branch of the Cromwell family,-from whom, it in the early part of the 17th Century passed by purchase to John, Lord Hobart,-in whose family it now continues."-Vide PLUMFIELD'S History of Norfolk, vol. 1, p. 120; and NOBLE'S Memoirs of the Cromwells, vol. 2, p. 132, &c. The Editor has had them collated by his brother, the Rev. Edward Warter, M.A., President of Magdalen College, Cambridge, but he is not sure that all the words are cor Theise. My deare friende my Lord, IF I knowe my hart, I love you in truth, and therefore if from the jealosi of unfaynned love I playe the foole a little, and say a word or two att guesse, I know you will pardon itt. It wear a blithe thinge by letter to dispute over your doubts or to undertake answare your objections.—I have heard them all, and I have rest from the trouble of them, and what has risen in my 1 Copy of the Inscription on the cover of the book which contains the Cromwell MSS. owne hart, for which I desire to bee hum- good pleasure. You were with us, in the blie thankefull. "I doe not condemne your reasoninges, I doubt them, it's easie to object to the glorious actinges of God-if we look too much upon instruments. I have heard computations made of the members in par.at-good kept out, the most bad remayning; it has beene soe this 9 yeears, yett what has God wrought, the greatest workes last, and still is at worke-therefore take heede of this scandall.-Bee not offended att the manner, perhaps noe other way was left, what if God accepted the zeale? as he did that of Phineas, whoose reason might have called for a furye. (?) What if the Lord have witnessed his approbation and acceptance to this alsoe? not only by signall outward acts, but to the hart alsoe. What if I feare my friend should withdrawe his shoulder from the Lord's worke, (O it's greivous to doe soe) through scandalls, through mistaken reasoninges, there's difficulty- there's trouble-in the other way, there's saftye-ease-wisdom. "In the one noe cleerness, (this is an objection indeed) in the other satisfaction. It is well if wee thonght of that first and severed from the other considerations which forme of things-why not in the power? I am perswaded your hart hankers after the hearts of your poore friendes-and will untill you can find others to close with-which I trust (though wee in ourselves bee contemptible) God will not lett you doe. "My service to the deare little lady, I wish you make her not a greater temptation than she is-take heede of all relations— mercyes should not bee soe, yet wee too ofte make them soe. "The Lord direct your thoughtes into the obedience of his will, and give you rest and peace in the truth, pray for Your most true and affectionate Corke, 1st of Sept. 1649. "I received a letter from Rob. Ham mond whome trulye I love in the Lord doe often byace if not bribe the minde, alone. I have been often provoked)-in all the Lord Wharton. Note. For the Lord Wharton, that is Philip fast man" to the Parliamentarians. See notices in Lord Wharton, whom Clarendon describes as WHITELOCK and THURLOE and in Noble Memoirs. This first letter, as Mr. Tilbrook remarks, "was evidently intended to remove certain scru ples entertained by Lord Wharton as to the justice of bringing King Charles to a criminal trial without the benefit of a jury." Robert Hammond, mentioned in the postscript, was Cromwell's cousin, and had married a daughter of at the battle of Naseby, and was governor of the Hampden. He commanded as a general officer Isle of Wight, and "the humane gaoler of Charles I. during his confinement there."—J. W W. "For the Right Noble the Lord Wharton, Theise. "Dunbarr, Sept. 4th. 1650. "My deare Lord, "I PROVE I love you-love you the Lord -take heede of disputinge, I was vntoward when I spake last with you in St. Jeames parke, I spake crosse in stateinge groundes, I spake to my iudginges of you which was that you-shall I name others? H. Laurence-Rob. Hammond, &c. had ensnared | your selves with disputes -I believe you desired to bee satisfied and weyed and doubted your sinceritye, 'twas well- but vprightnesse (if itt bee not puerlye of God) may bee nay is comonlye deceaued, (?) the Lord perswade you, and all my deare friendes- the results of your thoughts concerning late transactions, I knowe all your mistakes by a better argument than successe, let not your ingaginge too far vpon your own judgments bee your tentation or snare -much lesse successes-least you should bee thought to returne vpon lesse noble argument-it is in my hart to write the same thinges to Norton, Mountagu, and others-I pray you reade or comunicate theise foolish lines to others. I have knowne my folly do good-when affection has overcome my reason-I pray you iudge mee sinceere least a preiudice or coil bee putt vpon after advantages. How gracious has the Lord beene in this great businesse. "Lord hyde not thy mercyes from our eyes-my servise to the deare Ladye. "I rest your most humble Servant, Note. This letter was written the day after the battle of Dunbar,-on which day Cromwell appears to have written two other letters at least, one to Mr. Speaker Lenthall, and another to his relation, Richard Major, Esq., Harsley, Hants. See HAWE'S Life of Oliver Cromwell, vol. 3, p. 238, and Appendix, p. 613. "For the Right Honble. the Lord Wharton. "My Lord, "I KNOW I write to my friend therefore give leave to one bould word, in my very hart, your Lordship Dick Norton, Tom Westrowe, Robt. Hammond (though not intentionally) have helped one an other to stumble att the dispensations of God, and to reason your selves out of his servicewhich (?) now you have an opportunitye to associate with his people in his worke-and to manifest your willingnesse, and desire, to serve the Lord, against his and his people's enemies. Would you bee blessed out of Zion-and see the good of his peopleand reioyce with his inheritance-I advise you all, in the bowells of love, let it apeare you offer your selves willingly to his workwherein to bee accepted is more honor from the Lord-then the world-can give or hath. "I am perswaded it needes you not saveas our Lord and Master needed the beastto shew his humilitye, meeknesse, and condescention-but you neede it to declare your submission to and owninge yourself the Lord's, and his people-if you can breake through ould disputes I shall reioyce, it you help others to doe soe-alsoe doe not say you are now satisfied, because it is the ould quarrell as if it had not beene soe all this while, I have noe leisure, but a great deale of entyer affection to you and yours— and those names, which I thus plainly expresse- thankes to you and the dear Lady for all love and for poor foolish in all. (?) I am in good earnest, and soe alsoe, "Yr Lordps faythfull Friend, " and most humble Servant, "Stratford on Avon, Augt. 27th. 1651. Note. This letter was written during CromThe persons alluded to in it are Colonel Robert well's pursuit of King Charles II. and just a Hammond, abovementioned: H. Lawrence, after-week previous to the memorable battle of Worwards Lord H. Lawrence; Colonel Norton; and cester, which was fought on the anniversary of Montague, afterwards Earl of Sandwich. See that of Dunbar. TILBROOKE'S MSS.-J. W. W. Mr. Tilbrook says, "of the third person m K ARCHBISHOP ABBOT, in his narrative (RUSHWORTH, Vol. 1,) speaks of him thus malignantly. ham to'd Lincoln, that St. David's was the man that undermined him with her son. And verily such is his aspiring nature, that he will underwork any man in the world, so that he may gain by it. "This man who believeth so well of him p. 440. "This man is the only inward counsellor self, framed an answer to my exceptions. with Buckingham, sitting with him some-But to give some countenance to it, he times privately whole hours, and feeding must call in three other bishops, that is to his humours with malice and spight. His say, Durham, Rochester, and Oxford, tried life in Oxford was to pick quarrels in the men for such a purpose; and the whole lectures of the public readers, and to ad-style of the speech runneth We and We." vertise them to the then Bishop of Durham, that he might fill the ears of King James with discontents against the honest men that took pains in their places, and settled the truth (which he called Puritanism) in their auditors. He made it his work to see what books were in the press, and to look over epistles dedicatory and prefaces to the reader, to see what faults might be found. It was an observation what a sweet man this was like to be, that the first observable act that he did was the marrying of the Earl of D. to the Lady R., when it was notorious to the world that she had another husband, and the same a nobleman who had divers children then living by her. King James did for many years take this so ill, that he would never hear of any great preferment of him; insomuch that the Bishop of Lincoln, Dr. Williams, who taketh upon him to be the first promoter of him, hath many times said, that when he made mention of Laud to the King his Majesty was so averse from it, that he was constrained oftentimes to say, that he would never desire to serve that master which could not remit one fault unto his servant. Well, in the end he did conquer it, to get him to the Bishopric of St. Davids, which he had not long enjoyed but he began to undermine his benefactor, as at this day it appeareth. The Countess of Bucking tioned in this letter, Tom Westrowe,' I can find no mention whatever. Had it been Desbrowe nodifficulty would have occurred."-MSS. Notes. J. W. W. 1626. LAUD wrote a kind letter in behalf of some Catholic Priests in the Clink prison whose rooms had been searched, and complaint made to the H. Commons of the superstitious matters found there. "Good Mr. Attorney (General)," he says, "I thank you for acquainting me what was done yesterday at the Clink. But I am of opinion that if you had curiously enquired upon the gentleman who gave the information, you should have found him to be a disciple of the Jesuits, for they do nothing but put tricks on these poor men, who do live more miserable lives than if they were in the Inquisition in many parts beyond the seas. By taking the oath of allegiance, and writing in defence of it, and opening some points of high consequence, they have so displeased the Pope, that if by any cunning they could catch them, they are sure to be burnt or strangled for it. And once there was a plot to have taken Preston, as he past the Thames, and to have shipt him into a bigger vessel, and so to have transported him into Flanders, there to have made a martyr of him. In respect of these things, King J. always gave his protection! to Preston and Warrington. Cannon is an old man, well affected to the cause, but meddleth not with any factions or seditions, as far as I can learn. They complain their books were taken from them, and a crucifix of gold, with some other things, which I hope are not carried out of the house, but |