It was to be a parliament of
saints, of men who had not offered themselves as candidates, or been chosen
by the people, but whose chief qualification consisted in holiness of life,
and whose call to the office of legislators came from the choice of the
council. With this view the ministers took the sense of the "congregational
churches" in the several counties; the returns contained the names of the
persons, "faithful, fearing God, and hating covetousness," who were deemed
qualified for this high and important trust; and out of these the council
in the presence of the lord-general selected one hundred and thirty-nine
[Footnote 1: Thurloe, i. 256, 289, 306.]
representatives for England, six for Wales, six for Ireland, and five
for Scotland.[1] To each of them was sent[a] a writ of summons under the
signature of Cromwell, requiring his personal attendance at Whitehall on
a certain day, to take upon himself the trust, and to serve the office of
member for some particular place. Of the surprise with which the writs were
received by many the reader may judge. Yet, out of the whole number, two
only returned a refusal: by most the very extraordinary manner of their
election was taken as a sufficient proof that the call was from heaven.
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