Liberty of Conscience and the Whitehall Debates of 1648-9

The Journal of Ecclesiastical History

Volumn 26, Issue 1, 1975, Pages 69-82

  Polizzotto, Carolyn ^a  

^a NONE

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EID: 84972482361     PISSN: 00220469     EISSN: 14697637     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1017/S0022046900060310     Document Type: Article

References (69)

1. Vol. 67 of the Clarke Papers, Worcester College, Oxford; C. H. Firth (ed.), The Clarke Papers, London 1891-1901 (Camden Society New Series nos. 49, 54, 61, 61), vol. ii; A. S. P. Woodhouse (ed.), Puritanism and Liberty, London 1938.
2. W. K. Jordan, The Development of Religious Toleration in England, London 1932-1940, 3. 120.
3. C. Hill, The World Turned Upside Down, London 1972, 294.
4. Cf. Jordan, Development of Religious Toleration, iii. 119-131
5. H. N. Brailsford, The Levellers and the English Revolution, London 1961, c. 19
6. M. Ashley, John Wildman, London 1947, 62-65
7. W. Haller, Liberty and Reformation in the Puritan Revolution, New York 1955, 321-327.
8. Brailsford, The Levellers, 385; cf. Woodhouse, Introduction, 11-13.
9. Thomas Goodwin, Philip Nye, Sidrach Simpson, Jeremiah Burroughes, William Bridge, An Apologeticall Narration, London 1643/4.
10. [Adam Stewart], Some Observations and Annotations upon the Apologeticall Narration, London 1644; Adam Stewart, The Second Part of the Duply to M.S., London 1644.
11. [John Goodwin], M.S. to A.S. with a Plea for Libertie of Conscience in a Church Way, London 1644. The contemporary attribution of this work to Goodwin is upheld by Jordan, Development of Religious Toleration, iii. 380 n. 2; but queried by William Haller in Tracts on Liberty in the Puritan Revolution 1638-47, New York 1933-4, 1. 52 n.40.
12. A Paraenetick, or Humble Addresse to the Parliament and Assembly for (not loose, but) Christian Libertie, London 1644. Wing’s attribution of this tract to Roger Williams is unacceptable: Short-Title Catalogue, New York 1945-51, W2768.
13. [Roger Williams], The Bloody Tenent, of Persecution, for Cause of Conscience, [London] 1644.
14. [William Walwyn], The Compassionate Samaritane, vnbinding the Conscience (Second Edition), London 1644/5. for the attribution of this work to Walwyn and for information concerning the first edition, see Haller, Tracts, 1. 123-5.
15. [Henry Robinson], Liberty of Conscience, London 1643/4; [Henry Robinson], John the Baptist, [London 1644]. For the attribution of these works to Robinson, see W. K.Jordan, Men of Substance, Chicago 1942, 8g-go.
16. Christopher Blackwood, The Storming of Antichrist, London 1644.
17. John Cotton, The Bloudy Tenent, Washed, London 1647.
18. George Gillespie, Wholsome Severity reconciled with Christian Liberty, London 1645.
19. Thomas Edwards, The Casting Down of the Last and Strongest Hold of Satan, London 1647.
20. Samuel Rutherford, A Free Disputation against pretended Liberty of Conscience, London 1649.
21. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. 1 ijv; Clarke Papers, 2. 105; Woodhouse 149.
22. Gillespie, Wholsome Seventy, e.g. 11.
23. For attribution of this work to Joshua Sprigge, and denial of Jordan’s attribution of it to Francis Rous, see B. Keifer, ‘The Authorship of Ancient Bounds’, Church History, xxii (1953), 192-5.
24. The Ancient Bounds, London 1645, 7-8.
25. Jeremiah Burroughes, Irenicvum, to the Lovers of Truth and Peace, London 1646. Although the date printed on the title page is 1646, Thomason notes its date as 24 October 1645 (British Museum E. 366[9]).
26. Ancient Bounds, 70-1.
27. [Richard Overton], The Araignement of Mr. Persecvtion, [London] 1645, 31. For evidence of Overton’s authorship, see Haller, Tracts, 1. 98.
28. An Ordinance presented to the Honourable House of Commons … For the Preventing of the Growing and Spreading of Heresies, [London 1646]. For its unauthorised publication, see A Vindication of a Printed Paper, London 1646, Ep. to Reader.
29. [John Goodwin], Some Modest and Humble Queries, London 1646; John Goodwin, Hagiomastix, or the Scourge of the Saints displayed, London 1646/7; John Goodwin, A Postscript, London [1647]; John Goodwin, A Candle to see the Sunne, London 1647.
30. Richard Overton, An Arrow against All Tyrants, London 1646.
31. See esp. A Vindication of a Printed Paper, London 1646, and Thomas Edwards, The Casting Down.
32. Published in mid-December by John Lilburne as Foundations of Freedom; or An Agreement of the People, London 1648.
33. See John Lilburne, The Legall Fundamentall Liberties of the People of England, London 1649, 32-4.
34. A Petition from His Excellency Thomas Lord Fairfax and the General Council of Officers of the Army to … Parliament … concerning the Draught of an Agreement of the People, London 1649.
35. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 (cf. vol. 16 for a summary of the conclusions reached). For details of the surviving accounts of the discussion on other days, see Woodhouse, 169-78, 467-71.
36. For their reasons for refusing, see A Serious andFaithfull Representation of the Judgements of Ministers of the Gospell within the Province of London, London 1649.
37. Legall Fundamentall Liberties, 31.
38. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. 1081; Clarke Papers, 2. 73; Woodhouse, 125. The full account of the debate must not be confused with the summary of conclusions reached (see above, 75 n.4), which both Firth and Woodhouse place at the beginning of their printed versions of the debate: Clarke Papers, 2. 71-2; Woodhouse, 125.
39. [John Lilburne], Foundations of Freedom, 10. This may not have been the exact wording of the clause debated on 14 December, since Lilburne later acknowledged that, in publishing the Levellers’ draft, he ‘mended a clause in the first Reserve about Religion, to the sense of us all but Ireton’: Legall Fundamentall Liberties, 35. For suggestions as to what may have been altered, see Brailsford, The Levellers, 382.
40. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. 1081; Clarke Papers, 2. 73; Woodhouse, 126. 5 Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. io8T; Clarke Papers, 2. 74; Woodhouse, 126.
41. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. ioo,r; Clarke Papers, 2. 75; Woodhouse, 127.
42. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. ii7T; Clarke Papers, 2. 104; Woodhouse, 148.
43. Esp. by Colonel Thomas Harrison: Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fols. 1 i4r, 1 i6r; Clarke Papers, 2. 92, 100; Woodhouse, 140, 145. Cf. Clarke’s note: ‘All. Calling for the Question’, Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. ii7v; Clarke Papers, 2. 104; Woodhouse, 148.
44. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. 115T; Clarke Papers, 2. 98; Woodhouse, 144.
45. This may have been the point at which Lilburne ‘took his leave’ of the officers ‘for a pack of dissembling juggling Knaves’, and ceased to attend the Debates: Legall Fundamentall Liberties, 35.
46. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. 117; Clarke Papers, 2. 105; Woodhouse, 149.
47. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. 1 i6T; Clarke Papers, 2. 102; Woodhouse, 146-7.
48. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. 117V; Clarke Papers, 2. 105; Woodhouse, 149.
49. William Ashhurst, Reasons against Agreement, London 1648, 8.
50. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. 1 if; Clarke Papers, 2. 105; Woodhouse, 14g. 4 Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. iigr; Clarke Papers, 2. 109; Woodhouse, 152.
51. E.g., Worcester MSS. vol. 67 1 i7v-i i8r; Clarke Papers, 2. 105-6; Woodhouse, 149.
52. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. n8r; Clarke Papers, 2. 107; Woodhouse, 150.
53. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. 1 igr; Clarke Papers, 2. 109; Woodhouse, 152.
54. H. N. Brailsford has been the only commentator on the Debates to note the central role of the restrictive power question in the discussions on 14 December: The Leaellers, 379-80, 386.
55. John Lilburne, A Plea for Common-Right and Freedom, London 1648, 3.
56. A Petition from His Excellency Thomas Lord Fairfax and the General Councel of Officers of the Army to … Parliament … concerning the Draught of an Agreement of the People, London 1649, 24.
57. John Lilburne, Englands New Chains discovered, London 1648/9, sig. A2r.
58. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. 1 iov; Clarke Papers, 2. 81; Woodhouse, 131-2.
59. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. 1 i6r; Clarke Papers, 2. 100; Woodhouse, 145.
60. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. 1 i6r-v; Clarke Papers, 2. 101; Woodhouse, 145-6.
61. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. 1 i6v; Clarke Papers, 2. 101; Woodhouse, 146.
62. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. i2ir; Clarke Papers, 2. 115; Woodhouse, 156.
63. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fols. I2iv-I22r; Clarke Papers, 2. 117; Woodhouse, 158.
64. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. 124’; Clarke Papers, 2. 125; Woodhouse, 164.
65. Worcester MSS. vol. 67 fol. i27r; Clarke Papers, 2. 131; Woodhouse, 16g. 4 See above, 71 and n.7.
66. John Owen, A Sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons … on January 31., with a Discourse about Toleration, London 1649.
67. A Necessary and Seasonable Testimony against Toleration … from the Commissioners of th Kirk of Scotland, London 1649.
68. Cf. Roger Williams, The Bloody Tenentyet more Bloody, London 1652; Real Examined London 1652; Thomas Cobbet, The Civil Magistrates Power in Matters of Religion, Londoi 1653; Master John Goodwins Queres questioned, London 1653.
69. John Milton, A Treatise of Civil Power in Ecclesiastical Causes, London 1659,47.