On The Dissolution Of Parliament

Oliver Cromwell January 22，1655

Now to speak a word or two to you．Of that，I must pro-fess in the name of the same Lord，and wish there had been no cause that I should have thus spoken to you！I told you that I came with joy the first time；with some regret the sec-ond；yet now I speak with most regret of all！I look upon you as having among you many persons that I could lay down my life individually for．I could，through the grace of God，desire to lay down my life for you．So far am I from having an unkind orunchristian heart towards you in your particular capacities！I have this indeed as a work most incumbent upon me；this of speaking these things toyou．I consulted what might be my duty in such a day as this；casting up all considerations．I must confess，as I told you，that I did think occasionaly，this nation had suffered extremely in the respects mentioned；as also in the disappointment of their expectations of that justice which was due to them by your sitting thus long．“Sitting thus long；”and what have you brought forth？I did not nor cannot comprehend what it is．I would be loath to call it a fate；that were too paganish a word．But there has been something in it that we had not in our expectations．I did think also，for my-self，that I am like to meet with difficulties；and that this na-tion will not，as it is fit it should not，be deluded with pretexts of necessity in that great business of raising of money．And were it not that I can make some dilemmas upon which to resolve some things of my conscience，judgment and actions，I should shrinkat the very prospect of my encounters．Some of them are general，some are more special．Supposing this cause or this business must be carried on，it is either of God or of man．If it be of man，I would I had never touched it with a finger．If I had not had a hope fixed in me that this cause and this business was of God，I would many years ago have run from it．If it be of God，He will bear it up．I fit be of man，it will tumble；as everything that hath been of man since the world began hath done．And what are all our histo-ries，and other traditions of actions in former times，but God manifesting Himself，that He hath shaken，and tumbled down and trampled upon，everything that He had not planted？And as this is，so let the all wise God deal with it．If this be of hu-man structure and invention，and if it be an old plotting and contriving to bring things to this issue，and that they are not the births of Providence then they will tumble．

But if the Lord take pleasure in England，and if He will do us good－He is very able to bear us up！Letthe difficulties be what so ever they will，we shall in His strength be able to encounter with them．And I bless God I have been inured to difficulties；and I never found God failing when I trusted in Him．I can laugh and sing，in my heart，when I speak of these things to you or else where．And though some may think it is a hard thing to raise money without Parliamentary authority upon this nation；yet I have another argument to the good people of this nation，if they would be safe，and yet have no better principle：Whether they prefer the having of their will though it be their destruction，rather than comply with things of necessity？That willexcuse me．But I should wrong my native country to suppose this．

熱詞空間

paganish a．異教的、信奉異教的

conscience n．良心

principle n．原則、原理、主義

necessity n．需要、必需品、必然