In this journey he found Mr. Chillingworth in the hands of the parliament's troops, of whofe sickness and death he gave the account, which has been fufficiently made known to the learned world by Mr. Maizeaux, in his life of Chillingworth.

With regard to this relation, it may be obferved, that it is written with an air of fearless veracity, and with the spirit of a man who thinks his cause just, and his behaviour without reproach: nor does there appear any reason for doubting that Cheynel spoke and acted as he relates; for he does not publish an apology, but a challenge, and writes not fo much to obviate calumnies, as to gain from others that applause which he feems to have bestowed very liberally upon himself for his behaviour on that occafion.

Since, therefore, this relation is credible, a great part of it being fupported by evidence which cannot be refused, Mr. Maizeaux seems very justly, in his Life of Mr. Chillingworth, to oppofe the common report, that his life was shortened by the inhumanity of those to whom he was a prifoner; for Cheynel appears to have preserved, amidst all his deteftation of the opinions which he imputed to him, a great kindness to his perfon, and veneration for his capacity: nor does he appear to have been cruel to him, otherwise than by that inceffant importunity of disputation, to which he was doubtless incited by a fincere belief of the danger of his foul, if he should die without renouncing fome of his opinions.

The fame kindnefs which made him defirous to convert him before his death, would incline him to preserve him from dying before he was converted; and accordingly we find, that, when the caftle was yielded,

he

he took care to procure him a commodious lodging: when he was to have been unfeasonably removed, he attempted to fhorten his journey, which he knew would be dangerous: when the phyfician was disgufted by Chillingworth's diftruft, he prevailed upon him, as the fymptoms grew more dangerous, to renew his vifits; and, when death left no other act of kindness to be practifed, procured him the rites of burial, which fome would have denied him.

Having done thus far juftice to the humanity of Cheynel, it is proper to enquire how far he deferves blame. He appears to have extended none of that kindness to the opinions of Chillingworth, which he fhewed to his perfon; for he interprets every word in the worst fenfe, and feems induftrious to difcover in every line herefies, which might have escaped for ever any other apprehenfion: he appears always fufpicious of fome latent malignity, and ready to perfecute what he only fufpects, with the fame violence as if it had been openly avowed: in all his procedure he fhews himfelf fincere, but without candour.

About this time, Cheynel, in purfuance of his natural ardour, attended the army under the command of the earl of Effex, and added the praise of valour to that of learning; for he diftinguished himself so much by his perfonal bravery, and obtained fo much skill in the fcience of war, that his commands were obeyed by the colonels with as much refpect as those of the general. He feems, indeed, to have been born a foldier, for he had an intrepidity which was never to be shaken by any danger, and a fpirit of enterprize not to be dif 'couraged by difficulty; which were fupported by an unusual degree of bodily ftrength. His fervices of all

kinds

Kinds were thought of fo much importance by the parliament, that they bestowed upon him the living of Petworth, in Suffex. This living was of the value of 700l. per annum, from which they had ejected a man remarkable for his loyalty, and therefore, in their opinion, not worthy of fuch revenues. And it may be enquired, whether, in accepting this preferment, Cheynel did not violate the proteftation which he makes in the paffage already recited, and whether he did not fuffer his refolution to be over-born by the temptations of wealth.

In 1646, when Oxford was taken by the forces of the parliament, and the reformation of the University was refolved, Mr. Cheynel was fent, with fix others, to prepare the way for a visitation; being authorized by the parliament to preach in any of the churches, without regard to the right of the members of the university, that their doctrine might prepare their hearers for the changes which were intended.

When they arrived at Oxford, they began to execute their commiffion, by poffeffing themfelves of the pulpits; but, if the relation of Wood is to be regarded, were heard with very little veneration. Those who had been accustomed to the preachers of Oxford, and the liturgy of the church of England, were of fended at the emptiness of their discourses, which were noify and unmeaning; at the unusual gestures, the wild distortions, and the uncouth tone with which they were delivered; at the coldness of their prayers for the king, and the vehemence and exuberance of thofe which they did not fail to utter for the bleffed councils and actions of the parliament and army; and at, what was

* Vide Wood's Hift. Antiq. Oxon. Orig. Edit.

furely

furely not to be remarked without indignation, their omiffion of the Lord's Prayer.

But power easily supplied the want of reverence, and they proceeded in their plan of reformation; and thinking fermons not fo efficacious to converfion as private interrogatories and exhortations, they established a weekly meeting for freeing tender confciences from fcruple, at a house, that, from the business to which it was appropriated, was called the Scruple-shop.

among

With this project they were fo well pleafed, that they sent to the parliament an account of it, which was afterwards printed, and is afcribed by Wood to Mr. Cheynel. They continued for fome weeks to hold their meetings regularly, and to admit great numbers, whom curiofity, or a defire of conviction, or compliance with the prevailing party, brought thither. But their tranquillity was quickly disturbed by the turbulence of the Independents, whofe opinions then prevailed the foldiers, and was very industriously propagated by the difcourfes of William Earbury, a preacher of great reputation among them, who one day gathering a confiderable number of his moft zealous followers, went to the house appointed for the refolution of fcruples, on a day which was fet apart for a difquifition of the dignity and office of a minifter, and began to dispute with great vehemence against the Prefbyterians, whom he denied to have any true minifters among them, and whose affemblies he affirmed not to be the true church. He was oppofed with equal heat by the Prefbyterians, and at length they agreed to examine the point another day, in a regular difputation. Accordingly they appointed the twelfth of November for an enquiry, "whether, in the "Chriftian

"Chriftian church, the office of minifter is committed "to any particular perfons?"

On the day fixed, the antagonists appeared each attended by great numbers; but when the queftion was propofed, they began to wrangle, not about the doctrine which they had engaged to examine, but about the terms of the propofition, which the Independents alleged to be changed fince their agreement; and at length the foldiers infifted that the question fhould be, "Whether those who call themfelves minifters have "more right or power to preach the gospel, than any "other man that is a Chriftian?" This queftion was debated for some time with great vehemence and confusion, but without any prospect of a conclufion. At length, one of the foldiers, who thought they had an equal right with the reft to engage in the controverfy, demanded of the Prefbyterians, whence they themfelves received their orders, whether from bishops or any other perfons? This unexpected interrogatory put them to great difficulties; for it happened that they were all ordained by the bishops, which they durft not acknowledge, for fear of expofing themselves to a general cenfure, and being convicted from their own declarations, in which they had frequently condemned Epifcopacy as contrary to Chriftianity; nor durft they deny it, because they might have been confuted, and must at once have funk into contempt. The foldiers, seeing their perplexity, infulted them; and went away boafting of their victory: nor did the Prefbyterians, for fome time, recover fpirit enough to renew their meetings, or to proceed in the work of eafing confciences.

7

Earbury,