the Rev. W. Turner , Jun. , MA., Lives of the eminent Unitarians

[49] times considered, Cromwell had imbibed more just ideas of religious liberty; and in many instances shewed himself not indisposed to act upon them, where political interests and the establishment of his own precarious ascendancy did not appear to demand a different course. It is true he frequently adopted very harsh and arbitrary measures, both against the Episcopalians and the Catholics; but he seems to have been influenced herein, not by religious bigotry, but by the persuasion, doubtless not ill-founded, that these parties were almost unanimously hostile to his government. On the present occasion, it was contrary to his policy to strengthen the hands of the Presbyterian party, who, in that age, were the most active abettors of rigorous proceedings against those whom they deemed heretics. All that were for liberty, especially many congregations of Baptists, petitioned for Biddle's discharge, and earnestly protested against the revival of this tyrannical ordinance, by which their own liberties would be endangered, and the leading articles of the ‘instrument,’ on which the Protector's government was founded, infringed. Of these articles one of the most remarkable was as follows:— ‘Such as profess faith in God by Jesus Christ (though differing in judgment from the doctrine, worship, or discipline publicly held forth) shall not be restrained from, but protected in the profession of their faith and exercise of their religion.’ And again, ‘all statutes, ordinances, &c., to the contrary of the aforesaid liberty, shall be esteemed null and void.’

Notwithstanding this, it would not have been prudent in Cromwell to set Mr. Biddle completely