Thomas Carlyle, Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches: with elucidations in five volumes, VOL. III.
New York, Scribner, Welford, and Company.
1871
(According to a Wikipedia article on Thomas Carlyle, this book was originally published in 1845.)
The author is the same famous Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) who wrote Sartor Resartus (1831) and The French Revolution (1837).
[...]
P.15
[Introductory, by Thomas Carlyle]
Cautious David Lesley lies thus within his Line 'flankered' from Leith shore to the Calton Hill, with guns to 'scour' it; with outposts or flying parties, as we see, stationed on the back slope of Salisbury crags or Arthur's Seat; with all Edinburgh safe behind him, and indeed all Scotland safe behind him, for supplies: and nothing can tempt him to come out. The factions and distractions of Scotland, and its Kirk Committees and State Committees, and poor Covenanted King and Courtiers, are many: but Lesley, standing steadily to his guns, persists here. His Army, it appears, is no great things of an Army; 'altogether governed by the Committee of Estates and Kirk,' snarls an angry Uncovenanted Courtier, whom the said Committee had just ordered to take himself away again; 'altogether governed by the Committee of Estates and Kirk,' snarls he, 'and they took especial care in their levies not to admit any 'Malignants or Engagers' (who had been in Hamilton's Engagement); 'placing in command, for most part, Ministers' Sons, Clerks and other sanctified creatures, who hardly ever saw or heard of any sword but that of the spirit!' The more reason for Lesley to lie steadily within his Line here. Lodged in 'Bruchton village,' which means Broughton, now a part of Edinburgh New Town; there in a cautious solid manner lies Lesley; and lets Cromwell attempt upon him. It is his history, the military history of these two, for a month to come.
Meanwhile the General Assembly have not been backward with their Answer to the Cromwell Manifesto, or 'Declaration of the English Army to all the Saints in Scotland,' spoken of above. Nay, already while he lay at Berwick, they had drawn up an eloquent Counter-Declaration, and sent it to him; which he, again, has got 'some godly Ministers' of his to declare against and reply to: the whole of which Declarations, replies and Re-replies shall, like the primary document itself, remain suppressed on the present occasion. But along with this 'Reply by some godly Ministers,' the Lord General sends a Letter of his own, which is here:
LETTER CXXXVI. (136) (Thomas Carlyle's numbering)
SIRS, Your Answer to the Declaration of the Army we have seen. Some godly Ministers with us did, at Berwick, compass this Reply;15 which I thought fit to send you.
That you or we, in these great Transactions, answer the will and mind of God, it is only from his grace and mercy to us. And therefore, having said as in our Papers, we commit the issue thereof to Him who disposeth all things, assuring you that we have light and comfort increasing upon us, day by day; and are persuaded that, before it be long, the Lord will manifest His good pleasure, so that all shall see Him; and His People shall say, This is the Lord's work, and it is marvellous in our eyes: this is the day that the Lord hath made; we will be glad and rejoice therein. Only give me leave to say, in a word, 'thus much:'
You take upon you to judge us in the things of our God, though you know us not, -- though in the things we have said unto you, in that which is entitled the Army's Declaration, we have spoken our hearts as in the sight of the Lord who hath tried us. And by your hard and subtle words you have begotten prejudice in those who do too much, in matters of conscience, -- wherein every soul is to answer for itself to God, -- depend upon you. So that some have already followed you, to the breathing-out of their souls:16 'and' others continue still in the way wherein they are led by you, -- we fear, to their own ruin.
And no marvel if you deal thus with us, when indeed you can find in your hearts to conceal from your own people the Papers we have sent you; who might thereby see and understand the bowels of our affections to them, especially to such among them as fear the Lord. Send as many of your Papers as you please amongst ours;17 they have a free passage. I fear them not. What is of God in them, would it might be embraced and received! -- One of them lately sent, directed To the Under-Officers and Soldiers in the English Army, hath begotten from them this enclosed Answer;18 which they desired me to send to you: not a crafty politic one, but a plain simple spiritual one; -- what kind of one it is, God knoweth, and God also will in due time make manifest.
And do we multiply these things,19 as men; or do we them for the Lord Christ and His People's sake? Indeed we are not, through the grace of God, afraid of your numbers nor confident in ourselves. We could, -- I pray God you do not think we boast, -- meet your Army, or what you have to bring against us. We have given, -- humbly we speak it before our God, in whom all our hope is, -- some proof that thought of that kind prevail not upon us. The Lord hath not hid His face from us since our approach so near unto you.
Your own guilt is too much for you to bear: bring not therefore upon yourselves the blood of innocent men, -- deceived with pretences of King and Covenant; from whose eyes you hide a better knowledge! I am persuaded that divers of you, who lead the People, have laboured to build yourselves in these things; wherein you have censured others, and established yourselves "upon the Word of God." Is it therefore infallibly agreeable to the Word of God, all that you say?
I beseech you, in the bowels of Christhn1, think it possible you may be mistaken. Precept may be upon precept, line may be upon line, and yet the Word of the Lord may be to some a Word of Judgment; that they may fall backward, and be broken and be snared and be taken!20 There may be a spiritual fulness, which the World may call drunkenness;21 as in the second Chapter of the Acts. There
may be, as well, a carnal confidence upon misunderstood and misapplied precepts, which may be called spiritual drunkenness. There may be a Covenant made with Death and Hell!22 I will not say yours was so. But judge if such things have a politic aim: To avoid the overflowing scourge;22 or, To accomplish worldly interests? And if therein we23 have confederated with wicked and carnal men, and have respect for them, or otherwise 'have' drawn them in to associate with us, Whether this be a Covenant of God, and spiritual? Bethink yourselves; we hope we do.
I pray you read the Twenty-eighth of Isaiah, from the fifth to the fifteenth verse. And do not scorn to know that it is the Spirit that quickens and giveth life.
The Lord give you and us understanding to do that which is well-pleasing in His sight. Committing you to the grace of God, I rest, your humble servant,
OLIVER CROMWELL *
Footnotes (by Thomas Carlyle):
16 -- In the Musselburgh Skirmish, etc.
17 -- Our people
18 -- The Scotch Paper 'To the Under-Officers,' etc., received on the last day of July; and close following on it, this 'Answer' which it 'hath begotten from them,' addressed To the People of Scotland (especially those among them that know and fear the Lord) from whom yesterday we received a Paper directed To the Under-Officers etc. of date 'Musselburgh, 1st August 1650:' in King's Pamphlets, small 4to, no. 475, #10 (Printed, London, 12th August 1650). -- this Answer by the Under-Officers,' a very pious and zealous Piece, seems to have found favour among the pious Scots, and to have circulated among them in Manuscript Copies. A most mutilated unintelligible Fragment, printed in Analecta Scotica (Edinburgh, 1834), ii. 271 as 'a Proclamation by Oliver Cromwell,' turns out to be in reality a fracton of this 'Answer by the Under-Officers:' -- printed there from a 'Copy evidently made at the time,' evidently a most ruinous Copy, 'and now in the possession of James Macknight, Esq.'
19 -- Papers and Declarations.
20 -- Bible phrases.
21 -- As you now do of us; while it is rather you that are "drunk."
22 -- Bible phrases.
23 -- i.e. you.
* -- [source of text?] Newspapers (in Parliamentary History, xix. 320-323).
[further comment, by Thomas Carlyle]
Here is the passage from Isaiah: I know not whether the General Assembly read it and laid it well to heart, or not, but it was worth their while, -- and is worth our while too:
[Isaiah 28:5-14]
'In that day shall the Lord of Hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of His People. And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.
'But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way! The Priest and the Prophet have erred through strong drink; they are swallowed up of wine; they are out of the way through strong drink. They err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness; so that there is no place clean.
'Whom shall He teach knowledge? Whom shall He make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line;
here a little and there a little. For with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people. To whom He said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest, and this is the refreshment; -- yet they would not hear.'
No. 'The Word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little, That they might go, and fall backward, and be broken and snared and taken! -- Wherefore hear ye the Word of the Lord, ye scornful men that rule this people which is in Jerusalem!'
Yes, hear it, and not with the outward ear only, ye Kirk Committees, and Prophesying and Governing Persons everywhere: it may be important to you! If God have said it, if the Eternal Truth of things have said it, will it not need to be done, think you? Or will the doing some distracted shadow of it, some Covenanted Charles Stuart of it, suffice? -- The Kirk Committee seems in a bad way.
David Lesley, however, what as yet is in their favour, continues within his Line; stands steadily to his guns; -- and the weather is wet; Oliver's provision is failing.
[end of quoted text]