Chapter 61, Footnote #04
Cromwell's Speech
These are his expressions: ``Indeed, I have but one word more to say to you, though in that perhaps I shall show my weakness: it is by way of encouragement to you in this work. Give me leave to begin thus: I confess I never looked to have seen such a day as this---it may be nor you neither---when Jesus Christ should be so owned as he is at this day and in this work. Jesus Christ is owned this day by your call, and you own him by your willingness to appear for him, and you manifest this (as far as poor creatures can do) to be a day of the power of Christ. 1 know you will remember that Scripture, `He makes his people willing in the day of his power.' God manifests it to be the day of the power of Christ, having through so much blood and so much trial as has been upon this nation, he makes this one of the greatest mercies, next to his own Son, to have his People called to the supreme authority. God hath owned his Son, and hath owned you, and hath made you to own him. I confess I never looked to have seen such a day; I did not.'' I suppose at this passage he cried, for he was very much given to weeping, and could at any time shed abundance of tears. The rest of the speech may be seen among Milton's State Papers, p. 106. It is very curious, and full of the same obscurity, confusion, embarrassment, and absurdity which appear in almost all Oliver's productions.