CROMWELL AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY..
[TO THE EDITOR OP THE "SpzerAToz."]
Sin,—The Spectator of July 6th contains a letter on " Crom- well and Religious Liberty." At present, when the principle- of Local Veto is so popular with a section of the Liberal party, it may be well to recall what was Cromwell's attitude to personal liberty, as revealed in the following passage. It occurs in the "Dundas Correspondence," dated from Edin- burgh, September 12th, 1650 :—" Your pretended fear lest error should step in, is like the man who would keep all the wine out of the country lest men should be drunk. It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon a supposition he may abuse it. When he doth abuse it, judge."—(Oliver Cromwell's " Letters and Speeches," T. Carlyle, Vol. IL, p. 137, ed. 1886.)—I am, Sir, JOHN F. HALL. Sharcombe, Wells, Somersetshire, July 6th.
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