like
founded in folly and in error. Men of such daring geniuses were not
contented with the ancient and legal forms of civil government; but
challenged a degree of freedom beyond what they expected ever to enjoy
under any monarchy. Martin, Challoner, Harrington, Sidney, Wildman,
Nevil, were esteemed the heads of this small division.

The Deists were perfectly hated by Cromwell, because he had no hold
of enthusiasm by which he could govern or overreach them; he therefore
treated them with great rigor and disdain, and usually denominated them
the heathens. As the Millenarians had a great interest in the army, it
was much more important for him to gain their confidence; and their size
of understanding afforded him great facility in deceiving them. Of late
years, it had been so usual a topic of conversation to discourse of
parliaments, and councils, and senates, and the soldiers themselves had
been so much accustomed to enter into that spirit, that Cromwell thought
it requisite to establish something which might bear the face of a
commonwealth. He supposed that God, in his providence, had thrown the
whole right, as well as power, of government into his hands; and without
any more ceremony, by the advice of his council of officers, he sent
summons to a hundred and twenty-eight persons of different towns
and counties of England, to five of Scotland, to six of Ireland. He
pretended by his sole act and deed, to devolve upon these the whole
authority of the state. This legislative power they were to exercise
during fifteen months; and they were afterwards to choose the same
number of persons, who might succeed them in that high and important
office.

There were great numbers at that time who made it a principle always to
adhere to any power which was uppermost, and to support the established
government. This maxim is not peculiar to the people of that age;
but what may be esteemed peculiar to them is, that there prevailed
a hypocritical phrase for expressing so prudential a conduct: it was
called a waiting upon providence. When providence, therefore, was so
kind as to bestow on these men, now assembled together, the supreme
authority, they must have been very ungrateful, if, in their turn, they
had been wanting in complaisance towards it. They immediately voted
themselves a parliament; and having their own consent, as well as that
of Oliver Cromwell, for their legislative authority, they now proceeded
very gravely to the exerc