er's First Protectorate extended over three years and six months
in all, or from December 16, 1653 to June 26, 1657. The first nine
months of it, as far as to September 1654, have been already
sketched; and what remains divides itself very distinctly into three
Sections, as follows:--

Section I:--_From Sept._ 3, 1654 _to Jan._ 22, 1654-5. This
Section, comprehending four months and a half, may be entitled OLIVER
AND HIS FIRST PARLIAMENT.

Section II:--_From Jan._ 22, 1654-5 _to Sept._ 17, 1656.
This Section, comprehending twenty months, may be entitled BETWEEN
THE PARLIAMENTS, OR THE TIME OF ARBITRARINESS.

Section III:--_From Sept._ 17, 1656 _to June_ 26, 1657.
This Section, comprehending nine months, may be entitled OLIVER AND
THE FIRST SESSION OF HIS SECOND PARLIAMENT.

We map out the present chapter accordingly.

SECTION I.

OLIVER AND HIS FIRST PARLIAMENT:
SEPT, 3, 1654-JAN. 22, 1654-5.

MEETING OF THE FIRST PARLIAMENT OF THE PROTECTORATE: ITS
COMPOSITION: ANTI-OLIVERIANS NUMEROUS IN IT: THEIR FOUR DAYS' DEBATE
IN CHALLENGE OF CROMWELL'S POWERS: DEBATE STOPPED BY CROMWELL: HIS
SPEECH IN THE PAINTED CHAMBER: SECESSION OF SOME FROM THE PARLIAMENT:
ACQUIESCENCE OF THE REST BY ADOPTION OF _THE RECOGNITION_:
SPIRIT AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE PARLIAMENT STILL MAINLY
ANTI-OLIVERIAN: THEIR FOUR MONTHS' WORK IN REVISION OF THE
PROTECTORAL CONSTITUTION: CHIEF DEBATES IN THOSE FOUR MONTHS:
QUESTION OF THE PROTECTOR'S NEGATIVES: OTHER INCIDENTAL WORK OF THE
PARLIAMENT: QUESTION OF RELIGIOUS TOLERATION AND OF THE SUPPRESSION
OF HERESIES AND BLASPHEMIES: COMMITTEE AND SUB-COMMITTEE ON THIS
SUBJECT: BAXTER'S PARTICIPATION: TENDENCY TO A LIMITED TOLERATION
ONLY, AND VOTE AGAINST THE PROTECTOR'S PREROGATIVE OF MORE: CASE OF
JOHN RIDDLE, THE SOCINIAN.--INSUFFICIENCY NOW OF OUR FORMER SYNOPSIS
OF ENGLISH SECTS AND HERESIES: NEW SECTS AND DENOMINATIONS: THE
FIFTH-MONARCHY MEN: THE RANTERS: THE MUGGLETONIANS AND OTHER STRAY
FANATICS: BOEHMENISTS AND OTHER MYSTICS: THE QUAKERS OR FRIENDS:
ACCOUNT OF GEORGE FOX, AND SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF THE QUAKERS TO
THE YEAR 1654.--POLICY OF THE PARLIAMENT WITH THEIR BILL FOR A NEW
CONSTITUTION: PARLIAMENT OUTWITTED BY CROMWELL AND DISSOLVED: NO
RESULT.

Before the 3rd of September, 1654, the day fixed by the
Constitutional Instrument for the meeting of the First Parliament of
the Protectorate, the 460 newly elected members, or the major part of
them, had flocked to Westminster. The