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Subject Area: Political Theory
Subject Area: History
Topic: The English Revolution

Generall Councill. a - Sir William Clarke, The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, vol. 2 [1894]

Edition used:

The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, Secretary to the Council of the Army, 1647-1649, and to General Monck and the Commanders of the Army in Scotland, 1651-1660, ed. C.H. Firth (Camden Society, 1894). 4 vols.

Part of: The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, 4 vols.

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Generall Councill.a

Mr. Erbury.

Question uppon the matter concerning Religion. Whether they doe by that goe about to sett uppe a State Religion?b

Men should bee call’d before they can teach publiquely.

[a ]The Perfect Diurnall gives the following account of this day’s proceedings: “Thursday last the Generall Councell of Officers sate at Whitehall. The Agreement of the People as it was fully concluded of was read: and it was referred to some officers to nominate some other trustees for the making the divisions in the severall counties for elections, besides the Lord Grey, Sir John Danvers, etc. Also that two petitions should be drawn up in the name of the Councell to the House; the one for the taking off of Tythes; and the other for the repealing of the statutes for the banishment of the Jews in regard it was not held fit to mention them in the Agreement.

[b ]By the first section of Article 9 of the Agreement. The question of the existence of an Established Church was one of the chief causes of division amongst the Independent party. It led to the dissolution of the Little Parliament in 1653, and produced a permanent breach between Cromwell and many persons, officers of the army and Independent ministers, who had hitherto been his strongest supporters. See Masson, Life of Milton, iv., 513-518.