have to ascertain it unto myself And to affirm this is neither blameable in me nor Scandal to this House For it is no dishonour to any Society to have it affirmed that some of them are corrupt or faulty The soundest Flock may have some rotten Sheep There is no natural body without a blemish nor any Politick Body or Civil Constitution without defects There was one Traytor among those 12. Apostles which were chosen by Christ himself and if there be one faithful one among 12. of those Prelates who in these later Ages as they are now Elected do claim to be their Successors many good People are deceived It were a Miracle if the People had not chosen some to sit here who are not such as they ought to be Though you have an Eloquent Tongue an undistempered Brain an intelligible common Sense if you have therewith some Organs of the External Senses maimed and other members defective without your default which is not impossible how can you help it or why should the whole Body be therefore blamed I am not ignorant how tender I ought to be of your Honour and to let you know how far I am from being a malitious prosecutor of any mans Personal Crimes One to me allied who in that respect craved my advice and assistannce brought me a Paper containing the effect of Articles by him intended to be exhibited against a Member of this House with confidence and probabilities of making unquestionable proof of the whole Charge which comprehended such unmanly unchristian impudent and Barbarous misdemeanours in words and deeds that the Crimes being proved as I think they might evidently have been you could not have waved his expulsion with preservation of your Honour yet for some good reasons I made a stop of that intended Prosecution and in hope to reclaim him immediately declared the whole matter to an Honourable Earl who to my knowledge had power over him desiring his endeavour to reform him by his Authority and advice for which Civility I had thanks returned and heartily wish the Gentleman may be so truely reclaimed that no further notice be taken of what is past to his dishonour For by my wilful default no man shall be Personally defamed if reformation may be otherwise effected There is without question in some degree a just occasion of every Fame wholly or in part whether good or evil true or false and a discreet taking notice thereof might be a means of rectifying somewhat which is or may be misdone to private or publick detriment If there were such misactings as Fame reports no great offence can be justly taken by the repetition thereof in my Poem For a verbal mention of Prevarications whether in general or particular terms is the least punishment due to Transgressors If reproofs be misapplyed to them who are not faulty or Scandalously to them that are guilty the misapplyer not the Writer is the Lybeller To prove that which is written to be a Lybel all these following particulars must be concomitant First it must be written and devulged with a malicious intent and the malice evidenced by some Circumstances Secondly it must be so published that neither the Authors name is expressed nor ought else whereby it may be discovered if reputed Scandalous Thirdly it must either Scandalize the Persons by Name or by such marks as can make it applyable to no other man or if it Scandalize Societies it must Scandalize them wholly for to say some of them did such foolish or wicked actions is no Scandal to them who never did them I mention no offences but such as are known to have been committed by some for to write against that whereof I knew not any one to have been guilty were to teach men new Sins by naming them which perhaps never came into their thoughts There are few things misdone by any one but such as many know others to have committed and if they make a Scandalous application be it at their own peril for it concerns not me To be debarr'd from a general reproving of such Enormities as are dayly found in Persons and Societies would be a paliating of Transgressors and an infringment of the Priviledges due to Justice and the Moral Vertues and therefore when all the Circumstances afore mentioned concur in a reproof to denominate it a Lybel it must be intirely and openly produced also to be judged of by those whom it may concern and not by fragments and then such onely are to pass Judgement thereupon who are Competent Judges thereof by being no parties and who have taken every part of it into consideration For it is a Prerogative due to God onely who is Justice it self to be judge in his own Cause and is I think a Priviledge Usurped by none else except Tyrants because I have observed that Just Kings and lawful Judicatories presume to judge none in matters relating to themselves but by standing Laws justly constituted and their infringments by the Common Law of this Nation ought to be evidenced to the Consciences of twelve good and Lawful men as well as to the Judges before the party accused is Condemned to suffer In this Mode if I shall be found an offender I will patiently submit unto the Verdict be it right or wrong be sorry for my offence if I have committed any and make what other satisfaction I can as I will also do by whomsoever I shall be convicted of a Crime though I intended none For having been many wayes a transgressor to Godward I will not repine though he shall deliver me into the hands of Men even of those men who having been forgiven many Talents shall take me by the throat and cast me into Prison who trespassed against them to the value of a few pence onely Nevertheless I think it will not misbecome me to say that I have been somewhat over severely dealt withall in being upon a slight view of my imperfect Papers unpublished accused and committed without hearing to a destructive Imprisonment for but mentioning the Drunkenness Debaucheries Follies and other Exorbitancies of those who have not been ashamed to act them as well openly by day in the sight of the whole Country as by night to the occasioning of many disgraceful rumors whereof I thought to have made some good use And but that I presumed on the candor of this House and hoped that some Novices might have been improved for the better since their Election by sitting a while there as well as many have been heretofore made worse by sitting there over long I had not brought this Remonstrance hither but rather appealed to the King or House of Lords as my proper Judges in this Cause in regard none of them are Parties This Nation boasts of their great Charter and of other petty ones But how enjoy we the Priviledges by them confirmed when we are deprived of our Liberties unheard upon misapprehensions or the false accusation of beggarly and maliticious informers to the inriching
likewise for the Blood of some of the Nobility If we put the Question to the Generality of the People they will affirm that it was for the blood of their Parents Children Brethren and fellow Subjects If we demand the opinion of the Papists they will answer that it is for the blood of their Priests and Jesuites If we Interrogate the Protestants they unanimously cry out and say that it is for the blood of those three hundred sixty and odd Thousands who were in a most Treacherous and Barbarous manner Massacred in Ireland by the Papists If we think by our Laws and Parliaments to be rightly informed they not being infallible will leave us as doubtful as the rest For Laws contradict each other one Parliament Enacts that for Law which another makes Illegal and that to be Heresie and Treason which we are enjoyned by another Parliament to embrace for Orthodox Truth and Loyalty Hocus Pocus so that if we had no better Oracle to enquire at then these aforementioned we may add blood to blood by punishing Innocents as Offenders and Justifying Malifactors In truth a Blood-guiltiness more or less in all these respects lies upon some of all dissenting Parties throughout the whole Nation yea upon all without excepting one person though they perceive it not and a greater blood-guiltiness then the blood-shed of all those put together will amount unto even a guiltiness of the precious Blood of Christ Jesus and his Saints by oppressing them not onely in depriving them of their Liberties and Estates whereby Life is to be preserved until they lose their lives more miserably then by a quick murther but by Tyranizing over their Consciences also to the destroying of their souls if God prevent not Unless therefore we will heed and weigh this guilt and sanctifie out formal Humiliations with more works of Justice and Mercy then heretofore they will prove empty vanities and Sacrifices without Salt or Oyl And when we have according to Davids Example duely searched out the Sin for which God hath begun to punish us which probably is Bloodshed in chief the same blood-guiltiness will continue upon this Nation until as far as in us lies we shall proportionably apply what is justly deserved by the Principal accessary and causual Transgressors putting difference between them according to the quality and degree of their offences seeing some of those who have been accused and condemned may possibly be as far from being guilty of Bloodshed or Treason knowingly or intentionally as they who went with Absalom in the simplicity of their hearts to a sacrifice when he rebelled against his father and as guiltless of wilful Treason as the Priest was who gave the Shewbread to David and his Souldiers when pursued by Saul Two men may be Active in the same work grinding at the same Mill fight in the same Cause at one and the same Battle and yet one of them be justly excused and received to mercy the other as justly rejected And when the matter is doubtful we must labour to our utmost to find out the certainty inclining rather to compassion then to extream Rigor in such ambiguities else we do neither according to the mind of God nor make our selves to be so capable of his mercy as we may Solomon advised us not to be over just that is not to execute any Justice without mercy The very mercies of the wicked are cruel much more cruel then is their Justice They who think they expresse much love and Loyalty to the King or to do him the more honour by how much the more blood they shed to avenge his Fathers Death do more disadvantage and dishonour him thereby then they who took away his Life as it will be manifest at the last The Indulgence of David to the People who rebelled with his son Absalom doth imply that a difference should be put between offenders according to the degree and nature of their offence as did also the Cities of Refuge for man-slaughter The Jews who were guilty of the blood of Jesus Christ the King of Kings as Paul was also by Persecuting the Saints were capable of Divine Mercy in regard they did it meerly through ignorance and by being involved in the Epidemical Sin of the Nation at that time So may many be at this present And our King if I am not misinformed is so naturally inclined to extend compassion to such offenders that probably the issue of Blood had been here stopt long since if he had not been urged to more severity then he is inclined unto And doubless they who submitted unto His late Proclamation which threatned that no mercy should be vouchsafed unto them who thereupon surrendred not their Persons were not so mad as to come in with a purpose to be hang'd seeing they might as possibly have secured their lives by flight as others have yet done But knowing their Consciences clear as I suppose from having had any malicious intention in those transactions wherein they were judged offenders they surrendred themselves into the Kings hands with a belief that their Indempnity was sincerely intended by the said Proclamation upon their submission seeing else it had either signified nothing as to them or somwhat worse then nothing to delude them with a false hope which to believe were such a Derogation from the Kings honour as I am not guilty of and I am perswaded he is so sensible how much it may concern him that he will not destroy the hope which was begotten by his own voluntary Act of Clemency I my self as it may be some other were though ingaged heretofore with such as opposed the Royal Interest was even then as far from intending any thing maliciously against the Kings Person or Dignity that I truly pittied his estate And so God prosper me as I would gladly have contributed what was in my power toward his Restoration or the setling of him in a safe and comfortable being if I had then known how to have done it without resisting God or infringing that fidelity to which I conceived I was then obliged For which respect I do verily believe I may now claim an interest in all his Majesties Publick Acts of Grace notwithstanding my former Misprisions And that according to his Royal Promises and Ingagements voluntarily made I may justly expect at least a competent subsistance for me and my Family out of that estate which I purchased and possessed before his Restoration For he is not more safe in any mans professed Allegiance or Principles then in mine who am probably perswaded in my heart to believe that after he hath tryed the temper of his People God will put into his heart a desire and resolution to declare and prosecute somewhat extraordinarily tending to his Glory and to the frustrating of the fears hopes and expectations of many thousands who are now opposites in their Judgements and Affections Nothing but a malicious wickedness can supersede this Mercy It is a more manly Principle
to ruine men speedily and outright in fury then by dissembling an intention of Mercy to linger out their Torments and destroy them at the last of which cruelty I conceive the Prelates to be less guilty at this time then many other by whom we suffer For they are for the most part so true to their Pride and Avarice that they devour us as quickly as they can without masking or hiding their Intentions Let there be sincerity therefore in executing Justice and extending Mercy and let us know and heed this to a maxime which ought undoubtingly to be received to wit that if any King Supream Power Prince Commander in chief or any other by them Authoritatively deputed to dispence their Mercy or other Priviledges or Concessions of Grace or of right due shall by his or their Declaration Proclamation Letter Promise or Ingagement make tender of them voluntarily to any real or suspected Delinquents without any capitulation or conditions actually insisted on by the said Delinquents especially the said Granters receiving benefit afterwards thereby If these Delinquents accept thereof submit and put themselves into their Protection without questoning the terms of expression or the sincerity of the said Granters intentions Then the said Concessions are to be construed to the utmost advantage of them who so confided and submitted And if in such cases there shall be any secret Reserve or Intention in the said Granters whereby they who so absolutely confided shall be deprived of their hope or if there be any explicite or equivocal terme therein whereby the Grace hoped for may be vacated by the future Judgement of the said Granters or of other men who are apparent Enemies or doubtful Friends to the Granters it will be so evident an Injustice so ignoble and so Hypocritical a Prevarication that what Reason of State soever is pretended it will be abominable to God and Men The said Granters will justly lose their honour both abroad and at home none will confide in their Grants Promises or Ingagements for the future and Divine Vengeance will also persue them This may perhaps be distastful to them who rellish not such assertions But he who truely fears God and declares necessary Truths in season with a good Conscience needs not fear men how furious or powerful soever they be For they will be afraid of him if his Assertions be of God Moreover let us take notice that we shall neither be freed from the Judgement threatned nor clear from the guilt of bloodshed past unless we prosecute every medium in our Power to prevent bloodshed to come by taking away the occasions of malicious Animosities which foment discord the Usher to Murthers and Rebellions And this will never be effected in meer Morral or Carnal Men but by executing of Justice between Man and Man without partiallity and by permitting them to enjoy their Liberties and Livelihoods according to Law without Oppressions For it being their Life-Blood they will struggle for it upon all advantages though it be by bloodshed let Divines Preach what they will and States-men threaten impose whatsoever Oaths and other manacles they can devise yea though they lose Liberty Estate Life Body and Soul to recover it Because they cannot be made so sensible of any thing as of their Self-Interest and present wants So that if their distempers be not asswaged by the means aforesaid occasion of blood-guiltiness will still continue And as for them who being by regeneration made so conscientious of yielding Active or Passive Obedience to the Commands of Authority that they will suffer any thing rather then resist to blood though they lose all that whereby the mainteance of their life-blood consisteth and are exposed to greater sufferings then by a speedy Murther they will make the Land lyable to greater blood-guiltiness and more dreadful Judgements then the former Because at last it will provoke God for the sakes of those Patient Innocents to arise from his Throne in Heaven and descend to be their avenger This I am warranted to declare therefore consider it Reason is reason and Truth Truth though spoken by Fools and Children The greatest Persons if they despise it shall be despised and the wisest if they slight it are Fools It is impossible to enjoy the Peace of GOD or long to preserve the Civil Peace without otherwhile giving an occasion of Bloodshed when the Consciences of men are intrenched upon by imposing that which is destructive to their Natural and Christian Freedom in things indifferent especially when they perceive them to be imposed for superstitious ends onely and to advance the covetuous designes and Interest of corrupt Persons in Societies For though they who are sincerely conscientious will as I said before suffer any thing rather then give a just occasion of offence or act ought whereby the Civil Peace may be violated yet it is so abominable to meer Natural and Moral men to see an unlawful Interest upheld and indulged under pretences of promoâ—ing Pietie or the Common Welfare that they cannot well bear it without such murmurings as may produce mischief at the last Among other things considerable in that kinde the Prohibition of meats on certain dayes and times makes many very sensible how impudently they have been fooled out of their Freedoms by Religious Impostors For though it be reasonable that the forbearing of Flesh and the eating of Fish at sometimes should be enjoyned for preserving the breed of Cattle or such like respects and that neither the Fishing Trade may be neglected nor that blessing of abundance of Fish seem to be despised wherewith God hath plentifully furnished these Ilands yet who can understand what prudence or Pietie it is that according to an Antichristian Principle which was introduced as it were in despight of what God hath declared in his Word those meats should be judged unlawful on some dayes in a Religious respect which being Sanctified by Prayer and Thanksgiving may be eaten at all times without offence to God If there be no thing of Religion in such a Restraint why should it be imposed as pertinent to Religion and managed by Officers thereto pretending If the observation of a Lent be not as truely a Turkish as a Christian Discipline or Ceremony Let us know by what Holy Text it is commanded equivolent to that Authority whereby that and such like Impositions and interdicted or at least reproved And if indeed it be of Divine Institution let it then be considered what an abominable hypocrisie abuse it is of that Discipline that the Prelates their Vicars or other Officers or Doctor Dodipol with such like Persons should make a sordid gain thereof to satisfie their Covetousness dispence with this Liberty to whomsoever they please for money even to those who desire it meerly to satisfie their Luxurius Appetite taking that Freedom also to themselves by licensing each other to eat Flesh when prohibited If a poor-man be so sick that he cannot eat Fish without hazzard of his
life or hath such an Antipathie thereunto that it alwayes indangers his health to eat it why should his life or health be put into the hands of such Persons who regard nothing so much as their Self-Interest what Religion or Charity is it to make this man pay money for it Is it not affliction enough that he hath such infirmities unless he shall be inforced also to add unto his Poverty by paying for that Liberty to some Shabby Fellow which God bestowed freely upon him yea to pay for it to one perhaps who whilst he is Fasting will consume in Feasting that which he exacted were it not more Christian like if such a Restraint be civilly necessary that sober honest and faithful men should take the money given for such Licenses to help relieve the sick and needy in necesitous times yea if it be expedient for a publick benefit that there should be a restraint from eating Flesh at some set times as I believe it may be if ordered according to the true intention of our Lawes It seems neverthelels unreasonable that a corrupt Magistrate should raise a large profit to himself and his Officers by Licensing Butchers Cooks and Powlterers to the making that dearer to the People which was over dear before It were therefore more agreeable to common Justice that the profit by Fees and Fines for such Licenses if they be necessary should be rather employed to ease publick Burthens or else to relieve the needy and oppressed For that Justice and Charity might somewhat allay their distempers who may perhaps be provoked beyond the Limit of their patience This last Paragraph was by forgetfulness omitted in the Papers which I sent to the House of Commons This I have cast in by the way for a Supplement to my Remonstrance and now you have in effect the sum of what I have heretofore expressed publickly or in private as pertinent to my Vindication and I will hereupon request nothing simply relating to myself For to say truth I can ask nothing to any purpose nor can you give or take away any thing which will not be as advantagious or disadvantagious to your selves as to me according as it shall be justly or unjustly given or taken away and if my Flesh had as little sence of those torments the world can inflict upon me as my Soul hath at present of those pleasures of hers which I formerly enjoyed she had nothing in her power which would much delight or offend me If you restore unto me the Freedom of my Person and possession of my Estate they may be lost again to morrow and unless I might therewith enjoy the Liberty of my Mind according to the Law of Nature and of my Conscience according to the Law of Grace whereof I see no great likelihood at present I shall not greatly value either of those accommodations or my Life but as it relates to him who gave it I have lived almost three quarters of a hundred years upon Earth wherein I have observed the Works of God and men seen the Almighties Judgements disregarded and his Grace turned into Wantonness many Changes every one worse then the other and am now in Purgatory next Wall to Hell where I perceive those Fiery Tryals which melt and soften a few do harden most men into a froward impenitency the Gold and Silver is thereby purified the Wood Hay and Stubble consume and I shall shortly ascend from hence thither where though all things are already known I must give up that Testimony which I shall leave behind me of this Generation wherein Apostacies Hypocrisie Prophaness with all manner of Wickedness and impieties ripen so fast yea wherein the Doctrine of Christ is so disparaged by the Professors thereof who live contrary to the Life of Christ that if the Angels thereto appointed do not speedily thrust in their Sickles and gather the Wheat into Gods Garner and hack up the Tares for the fire there will be few handfuls of good Corn left upon Earth and little Faith found amongst men when Christ cometh This Testimony is true though expressed in much infirmity after the manner of men therefore I will conclude all with a Petition for those things onely wherein Gods Glory your Honour and the Interests of many Thousands are comprehended as well as mine The said Petition is that which follows The PETITION I Humbly beseech your Honours as you respect the many great and extraordinary Mercies of God lately vouchsafed to the King to your selves and to those whom you Represent As you stand in awe of those Judgements that are in part removed as you desire the total removal of those which yet lie upon us and the prevention of those that are feared as also to behold the Face of God with Joy at the last Judgement that in all your future Consultations Debates and Actings you seek the preservation of a good Conscience in preferring the Cause and Honour of God before all Royal Popular or Personal Interests That in particular you would be careful his Divine Worship may not be adulterated or clogged with the Superstitious Traditions of Men by your assent and that no Power Person or Persons by your neglect or means be permitted to Usurp a seat in the Conscience which is Gods Peculiar Throne upon Earth That you will so endeavour to Establish the Kings Throne in Righteousness that Justice and Mercy being the Supporters thereof neither the Just Royal Perogative nor the Lawful Liberties of the People by whom you are Intrusted may be infringed or clash But that Right may be equally dispensed That you would be merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful extending Compassion which is the best Sacrifice to other men according to that Mercy which you would willingly receive if you were in their stead rather mitigating then agravating their punishment who have offended through Ignorance Weakness or Inconsiderateness and not by Design or Malice And forasmuch as the Priviledges you Claim were not at first conferred for your own sakes but for the sakes of the People whom you represent and by whom you were chosen and intrusted That you make no farther use of those Priviledges for your Personal advantages then may consist with your Trust which is to be kept inviolable without respect of Persons Fear Favour or Reward These Petitions being by you approved and granted so far forth as it may be in your Power I shall have so large a share in them that it will be needless for me to Petition ought a part by my Self and I shall be fully contented with what God pleaseth to allow Praise him and Pray for you unfeignedly as in Duty I am bound who by vouchsafing these requests shall have a Joyful welcome home by all your Counties Cities and Burroughs when you are adjourned prorogued or dissolved And your Honour shall be so transcendant that no Tongue Pen Lybeller or Lybel shall have Power to cast a blemish the reupon Jamque Opus Exegi My Life and work for ought that yet I know Is either quite or almost ended now And my Quietus est within a Grave Is that which best would please me now to have For by their struggling many years together My Flesh and Spirit have nigh tir'd each other Lord let the short-snuff of my Life unspent Burn out with clear flames and a pleasing scent Newgate January the 27th 1661. Geo. Wither THE END