be to hard for them all and therby know the bottome of their greatest designes before they be a quarter ripe for execution Secondly because by my discourse with some of them I find that not only the Prince himselfe but his cheisest Councellours are for his comeing in by force and conquest which is a principle I as much hate as any man in the World doth and have given as cleare testimonie against such a Principle and practise in any person what soever as any man upon the face of the earth ever did or durst doe I am confident of it But besides I have professed to be a man of Conscience and one that could die for his principles and never could be threatned from them nor courted out of them by anie persons in the World what soever And it hath bin one of my maine principles and so declared by the constant series of my practise that evil must not be done by any that good may come thereby The Apostle by the Spirit of God haveing concluded the damnation of sach practisers to be just Romanes 3 8. but if I should out of Machiavel or any other Politic Author learne such Principles as to joine with the Prince or any other Interest whatsoever out of a designe of being revenged of my adversaries to conquer the People of England that therby he or any else might rule over them by his will and pleasure I should not only account my selfe one of the greatest murtherers in the World but also one of the basest fellowes that ever breathed upon the face of the earth Knowing very well that none is to rule over the sonns of men by will and pleasure but God only and alone But truly I am afraid my LORD GENERALL CROMWELL HIMSELFE hath really that latitude in his Principles that will easily lead him out and permit him to act such a practise as I dare pawne my head by his actions for many yeares together clearly to evince and Manifest And it may without a speedy reconciliation in short time prove the subject of my pen. And therfore he haveing such Principles within himselfe may judge thereby that I have the like and thereby may be left to as large an elbow-roome as himselfe takes But for disputacions sake at present admit that I am so Yet truly I must tell you I have red Machiavil and the History of the Kings of Israel and of Iudah contained in the Scripture and many other Histories and also within this 15 yeares have seene aboundance of experince even in England it selfe out of all which I cannot see the least ground to draw any manner of inference to induce me to side with a man or Interest of men that are beaten out of all and totally to forsake mine owne Interest among those that live under those that are in possesion of all manner of power and strength or to thinke that ever by a forreign Arme or power of force he can ever probably overturne them Especially considering experience teacheth me assuredly to knowe that his bare attempting and endeavouring of it joines them in England all together in one against him although in many other things they are much divided amongst themselves I am sure of it in Scripture I read that when Absalom had a mind to be King of Israel he did not presently goe about to raise force to obtaine it although he nor none of his interest were ever beaten before but he courted the People and stole away their hearts by observeing to them his Fathers negligence to doe the people right when they came to complaine and handsomely reproveing of it in him by telling the People there was no man deputed by the King to heare them and therfore before the People he wished O THAT HE WERE MADE A JUDGE IN THE LAND that every man that had a suit or cause might come unto him and he would doe them justice and when any man came nigh to doe him obeysance he complemented to the purpose with them and put forth his hand and tooke them and kissed them by meanes of which he rivetted himselfe in the Peoples hearts and affections and in process of time therby he made his Father King David to flie before him 2 Sam 15 1 2 3 4 c. So likewise JEHV for his owne ends could cry out come with me and see my zeale for the Lord 2 Kings 10 16. And as I have red the Scripture so I have seene much experience in England and first I have observed the Parliament by their curious oylie and sweet declarations in reference to the People out-courted and out bid the King who in his stood upon the punctillioes of his prerogative and therby won the hearts of the people from him which proved his ruine And afterward in process of time the independent party or the great men of the Armie served the Presbyter or the Parliament the same trick and therfore Sir had I nothing of God in me but only a graine or two of reason left me I should never side with anie partie in the World in endeavouring the overturning the men that rule in England unles it were a partie that in boones and priviledges did in reference to the People outbid all parties that ever went before them in Just and rationall things and soe to ty their hands that if they would they should not without the apparēt running the hazard of there owne ruine doe any mischeef ād therfore it is that by all the honest and industrious meanes that a laborious or studious man can invent or take will I by the assistance of God preserve my Interest in their owne bowells amongst those honest and gallant men that live amongst them which have held forth that in worth and exellency that in it selfe is good and profitable for all sorts of reasonable men that are not sotts and brute beasts in their understandings that never any held out before them videlicet THE AGREEMENT OF the people DATED MAY THE 1. 1649. And this Interest I shall Increase widen and strenghten as much as possible I can with all persons what soever that will embrace it not doubting but that in the conclusion it will prove like Aarons rod that devoured the rods of all the Egiptian conjurers Exodus the 7 and the 20 „ Swallowing up all Interests into it selfe „ And you may remember when I was indited for my life at Guildhall October 1649 that it was laid unto my charge in the said Inditement as an act of treason that I had held out in print the same thing to the Prince by name the words of which as they were conteined in the inditement yow may read in the first part of the historie of my said tryall page 58 59 60. And I must now acknowledge unto yow that a learned and I am sure of it as honest a judge as ever I knew in England videlicet BARON RIGBY upon a serious discourse with him told me in these verse words that if
in December 1648 which expresseth the reasons of their then advance with their Army to London to purge OR RATHER PLVCK VP BY THE ROOTES the Parliament and doe they not in that Declaration positively declare that the Parliaments treating with the King and rejecting all better wholsomer counsells given them IS NO LESS THEN A TREACHEROVS OR CORRVPT NEGLECT OR AN APOST ATIZING FROM THE PVBLIC TRVST REPOSED IN THEM Yet not ASSVMING to themselves as there in words they say a standing power of judgement AS OF RIGHT OR TRVST to conclude others thereby acknowledging that to lie most properly in those whom the people DVLY CHOOSE AND TRVST TO IVDGE FOR THEM But considering that such power where ever it is IS COMMITTED BVT IN TRVST and that neither this Nation nor any other people DID EVER GIVE VP THEIR NATVRALL CAPACITIES OF COMMON SENSE OR REASON as to the ends fundamentalls of that trust And as for the Parliaments breach of trust there being no formal power of man in beeing to appeale to in the present case they positively declare They cannot but exercise that common judgement which in their NATVRALL CAPACITY is left to them and therfore considering that the Parliaments then BREACH OF TRVST was so transcendently great as that it was an hazard of totall destruction to that Interest to those people for which especially they say the trust was reposed And seeing there is no orderly open way left for a just succession of another formal and proper judicature to bee appealed unto in due time therfore they there renounced the then Parliament AS NO PARLIAMENT AT ALL with confidence APPEALED TO THE COMMON IVDGEMENTS OF INDIFFERENT AND VNCORRVPTED MEN exciteing all those that yet were faithfull to their trust in the Parliament to COME OVT joyne with them and in such a case of extremity they promise to looke upon them not as a Parliament but as persons materially haveing the cheife trust of the Kingdome remaining in them THOVGH NOT A FORM ALL STANDING POWER to be continued in them or drawne into ordinary president yet the best and most rightfull that can be had as the present State and exigency of affaires then stood and wee shall say they accordingly owne them adhere to them be guided by them in their FAITHFVLL PROSECVTION OF THEIR TRVST which they there declare to be onely in order unto MARKE IT WELL and VNTILL THE INTRODVCEING OF A MORE FVLL AND FORMALL POWER IN A JVST REPRESENTATIVE TO BE SPEEDILY INDEAVOVRED AND RATIFIED BY AN AGREEMENT AND SVBSCRIPTION OF THE PEOPLE THEREVNTO And did not the present Generall for upon him I principally looke and judge him in a manner to be all in all and not only one man but his word in England to be more then ten thousand lay it as an act of treason to the late King Charles charge his in his for so I may truly call it late impeachment of him dated the 20 of January 1648 that he had KEPT OF FREQVENT AND SVCCESSIVE PARLIAMENTS OR NATIONAL MEETINGS IN COVNCEL which as before is averred ought to be once every yeare or oftner if need require And did not the Generalls then two principall agents to wit the LORD PRESIDENT BRADSHAW and Mr. JOHN COOKE now Lord cheife justice in Ireland notably with all their Eloquence and Rhetoric aggravate that against the King as a most transcendent crime see the 11 page of the Lord Bradshawes last speech against the King being upon the 27 of January 1648 and Mr. Iohn Cooke his State of the Kings Case page 7 11 14 17 18 20. in the last of which Mr. JOHN COOKE averrs THAT THE PEOPLE OF ENGLAND NOT ONLY BY SEVERAL STATVTE LAWES OVGHT TO HAVE A PARLIAMENT ONCE A YEARE OR OFTNER IF NEED REQVIRE BVT ALLSO OF COMMON RIGHT THEY OVGHT TO HAVE IT and that the Kings makeing of Parliaments when he called them VSELES to the END for which they were instituted was a crime in him EQVALL to his not calling them for nine or ten yeares together And I wish the present Generall were not much more guiltie then ever the King was of all those tamperings juggleings machiavilian devices that he speakes of in his 17 18 and 20 pages to make a Parliament useles in any thing BVT TO SERVE HIS OWNE LVSTS AND OPPRESS THE PEOPLE THEREBY So that then by Mr. Iohn Cookes conclusion to speake in his owne words the Generall may throw the gauntles challenge all the MACHIAVELS IN the world to invent such an EXQVISITE PLATFORME of tyrannicall domination such a PERFECT TYRANNIE without MAIME or BLEMMISH as he is Prince or Emperour of and that by a Law which saith Mr. JOHN COOKE is worst of all And did not the present Generall before the late battel at Worcester ingage and promise before God several Officers of his Armie of the good people of England that if God blessed him with that victorie he would immediately be the effectual instrument to procure unto the people of England their naturall common legal and undoubted birth-right TO ELECT AND CHOOSE A NEW PARLIAMENT and did he not after the battaile engage the same and did he not come up to London and in the Parliament House immediately after his comeing up express himselfe full of zeale for the immediate calling a new-Parliament „ As that which they were bound in Conscience and duty both to God and Man forthwith to call „ And were not the Spirits and Hearts of thousands and ten thousands of the honest people of England refreshed thereby and cried him up as their earthly Saviour Redeemer therfore yet was his carriage therein any other then A PERFECT CHEAT AND DECEIT on purpose in peace quietnes to get disbanded scatterd all those forces that in their hearts longed for it and in their words expressed so much and it may be he feared were at Worcestor twice so many as hee all those that durst then joyne with him against it which necessitated him to give them good woords and faire promises till he got all the „ new-raised forces who were full of Life for a new Parliament disbanded „ all his owne Regiments that he was jealous of disperst scattered into small companies abroad in the Nation¿ and under the pretence of case of the Peoples taxes ordered hee not his Officers to disband a certaine number our of their troopes companies of the most choycest men that he was afraid were Possessed with such principles and did he not to the saddening of the Vniversality of honest mens hearts in England when hee imagined he had done his worke to his hearts desire vote declare the Parliament should after they had sate almost twelve yeares sit three yeares longer if they pleased and at three yeares end they may sit as long as they or hee lives if he please So that the people shall never have a New Parliament And upon this did not you and divers other honest men
build me a wide house and large chambers and cutteth him out windores and it is seeled with cedar and painted with vermilion Shalt thou reigne because thou clothest thy selfe in Cedar did not thy Father eat and drinke and doe judgment and justice and then it was well with him he judged the cause of the poore and the needie then it was well with him was not this to know me saith THE LORD But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy Coveteousnes and FOR TO SHED INNOCENT BLOOD and for oppression and for violence to doe it therfore saith the Lord thou shalt be buryed with the buryal of an Asse without lamentation saying AH MY BROTER or AH LORD or AH HIS GLORY Therfore let not the Generall for all his greatnes despise the day of small things For who would have beleived or immagined 10 yeares agoe that Oliver Cromwell a meane private inconsiderable man in comparison should by this day have had 3 Nations at his becke and command for I am sure of it when he I about 10 yeares agoe by the Parliaments authoritie were first made captains my particular Interest in England was soe far beyond his that I could then have easily raised a hundred volenteers to have followed my banner for his one and injoy really a greater power in them then ever any of there most Absolute Kings this 500 yeares had Fiftly I answere that I have heard from travellers that the ELEPHANT which of all the beasts in the world is the most warlike one carrying a Castle able to secure many men upon it's backe and being in many places in the East-Indies soe expert in warr that if an Iron chaine be tyed to its trunke it will with it mowe downe whole rows of men and yet for all this of all the creatures in the world is the most affraid of the little silly contemptible pismire the which if it Creepe up it's trunke and git into it's brains as some tyms they doe the little creature will more mad that great furious strong beast then the shakings of multitudes of speares and the powring of shewers of warlike darts and arrows upon it I wish my LORD GENERALL for his owne sake haveing done soe great things in England as he hath done may seriously consider what he will git at my hands when he hath done the worst he can to me for if I fall I can as I have often through the goodnes of God rise againe but soe can not he for his fall if it come will bee soe great it will breake his necke and I looke upon him as my grand adversary and against great nor small must I now not fight nor contest with to the purpos saveing only himselfe And truly I am apt to thinke how contemptable soever he may Judge me to be that if he force me to it to the utmost nesessitie I shal be able through the strength of almighty God to trouble him as bad as the greatest Army of Cavileers that ever he fought with in his life did and to make his very hartstrings to ake for skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life But peace with him not only for my owne good but the good and benifit of the whole Nation is the thing I desire from my hart and soule Therefor I will heere presume to advice him as Joab advises David when he had like to have taken in the City of Rabbath and therefore advised him to gather his people together take it in himselfe least he tooke it and it should be called by his name even soe say I a New Parliament is the people of Englands right and the obtaineing of one for them is even at the very doore I am sure of it therfore let my Lord Generall arise and gather his Army about him and effectually and in good earnest revive his or our Agreement and speedily procure thereby a New Parliament for the people which I dare avow infalliby to demonstrate he may as easily freely and safely doe it if he will but say the word as kiss his owne hand I will maintaine it he hath no real dureable safety in the world but in the doeing of it but I thinke Politicus in his notable preambles to his thursday newes-bookes hath already sufficiently cleared that point I say therfore if he will in the hearts of the honest and understanding people of England be esteemed and bee really their darling let him arise and doe it with all his might quickly least I or some other contemptible or unthought of instrument or instruments doe it for the people in despight of him and so run away with the honour of it and have it called by our name For let him remember when the Scots first invaded England in the yeare 1639 by their declareing they came in for to procure the English people their liberties and that they might enjoy a Parliament which they had bin without ten or eleven yeares together they tied the Kings hands behind his back therby and won the Zealous stout English peoples hearts away from him and thereby procured for the English People a Parliament in spight of the teeth of all that opposed it Nay and thereby made the Kings owne Soldiers knock their commanders on the head that were leading them against the said Scots I say no more at present but bid himselfe make the farther application only adding that I am consident of it that hee will be the highlyest esteemed man to the people of England that is in the world that can or shall be an Instrument upon the principles aforesaid to procure a New Parliament for them thereby rationally probably to free deliver them from their unsupportable and un-imaginable oppression bondage and slavery which they are under worse and greater by a thousand degrees then ever it was in the worst of the late Kings times For now I will maintaine it there is no man in England that can rationally or upon any probable grounds call either his land his trade his Estate his life his wife or his children his owne or be sure to enjoy them free from violence one single day to an end And in the multitude of instances I need to give you no more then mine owne which is now upon me For have I done the Generall or the Nation or any particular man in it any wrong oppression or injustice if it be said I have I challenge the sight of my whole charge and a particular declaration that I shall enjoy the benefit of the Petition of right and the Parliaments and Generalls pass freely to come into England „ and there to stay for a time and returne back againe without let or molestation and I doe hereby engage with speed to meet by Gods assistance the greatest and stoutest adversary that I have in England there at the barr of iustice And I am sure if they can legally prove me guilty of any wickednes or oppression
God should suffer the Prince to follow the advice conteined in the three foresaid pages that in one three or 4 moneths after he would not give SIXE PENCE for all the Parliaments Interest in England And least I should faile of my purpose in maintaineing the peace of mine owne Conscience and my Interest among my foresaid honest Freinds in England I have for many yeares together and still doe give unto my selfe this mot to „ that honesty is the best Policy „ as being the truest most lasting and successfull ïn the world all things being truly and duly weighed and confidered from first to last In the maintaining of which I have for many yeares walked and doe resolve by the assistance of God allmighty so to doe to my dieing day all though all the sorrowes of the world should be my portion therfore And therfore it is that I have fixed my resolution „ to be irrevocably „ one of those that doe and shall hold forth such a thing to the people of England as is truly able to take of all their jealousies and feares from them that if I should get up with my Interest I intend by my selfe or by my Interest to doe that with them which the forementioned persons did when they had obteined their ends to get uppermost which was to ride the people and abuse them rather worse then those that were before them whom they had pulld downe and walke in larger way ies of wickednes then their predecessors as may be clearly seen in ABSALOM and JEHU for which God cut them short as is verified by 2 Sam 15 10 11 12 14 23. and Chap. 16 20 21. and Chap. 17. 1 2 18 23 26. and 2 Kings 10 29 30 31 32. and „ who ever shall read but the Parliaments first Remonstrance „ dated December 1641 „ printed in the first part of the booke of their declarations „ page 3 4 5 c. „ and their declaration of the 19 of May 1642 page 207 214. and their declaration of the 26 of May 1642 page 263 264 267 270. and their declaration of August 1642 page 491 492 494 496 and their Reply to the Kings answer of theirs of the 26 of May 1642 page 693. and read also their said booke page 36 342 656 660 690 and their declarations of the 6 of May 1643 and of the 17 of April 1646 in the 2 de part of the booke of their declarations „ fol 95 879 and you shall clearly find they held forth most glorious expressions to the People of regaining their „ lost Lawes liberties and freedomes „ as that which was not only their principal aime but also as that which was their obliged duty and say they „ woe be to us „ if we discharge not our duty in order to which they adjure and call out upon all those that have any sense of piety honour or compassion to come in and helpe a distressed state But they walkeing in too nigh an affinity „ to Absaloms and Iehues „ latter steps the Army layes seige unto them and tells them soundly and particularly of it and holds forth in effect the same things which they had done before them but with a great deale of more lustre and glorie then they had done As appeares by the Booke of the Armies declarations page 23 25 26 35 37 39 42 43 44. Which pages being red with seriousnes will make it clearly appeare that their words were smoother then oile nay dropped like the hony combe into the mouths of the hungry oppressed People How were their words seemingly bedewed with teares of pitty and compassion to the distressed people how did they represent their hearts divided and rent in sunder with heareing the doleful cryes and beholding the bloodie teares of the oppressed what professed gallant resolutions did the seeming deepe impressions that the peoples miseries had made upon their hearts beget in them how did they appearingly slight their estates and the injoyment of their nearest relations yea and of their dearest blood in comparison of the Peoples liberties what gallant principles of freedome and righteousnes did they then profess how lowd were their cries against all arbitrary powers whatsoever and all seekers of private and particular Interests how positive and absolute were they in their resolutions to have all the Liberties of the Nation cleared and secured how did they seeme impatient of any delaies or protraction of time What Valiant Champions did these men appeare to bee for Englands Freedome how did old English valour and undaunted courage to oppose the stoutest enemies of the Public Interest and advantage sparkle forth in them upon June 4 5 1647. When they boldly engaged in opposition to the Parliament and their special orders not to disband nor to divide nor suffer themselves to be disbanded or divided untill they had security that the free borne people of England should not be subject to the like injury oppression and abuse as had bin lately attempted to be exercised upon them Did ever the most faithfull patriots to the most noble Nation of England pass a larger engagement to their Countrie then this who could have forborne to conclude that these would have bin our worthy Ehuds of whose valour and bravery for his Country you may read in Judges the 3.12 13 14 c. that would have peirced the bowells of every oppressour and destroyer of England who could upon the sight of this engagement but imagin that these would never have given themselves rest untill they had seen the top-stone laid in the beautyous Fabric of Englands native Freedome did they not oblige themselves in this ingagement to bid defiance to every oppressor and abuser of the People in Parliament Committees amongst Iudges or Lawyers and all others whatsoever were they not hereby bound to stand like the Jewes with good Nehemiah with their swords in their hands not only untill Englands breaches were repaired but also untill the strongest possible iron gates were composed and set up to defend the Conscientious Persons Liberties and Estates of all English men from oppressors indeed could any engage to procure more perfect Freedome for the People then they did in this engagement can more be said then this that they would have security that the People should not be subjest to the like injuries or abuses as had bin attempted All men know there had bin attempts to offer all kinds and degrees of wrong and abuse to the people and therfore they promised and engaged to secure them for the future from them all Secondly how were the purest and most exact principles of Freedome and of righteousnes professed by these to be the only grounds upon which they thus engaged even against the Parliament The undefiled Law of Nature was declared to be the rule of their proceedings In their Declaration of June 14 1647. the establishment of common and equall right and Freedome to the whole Nation was promised should be their Study all purposes and designes to advance
any private Interest were most solemnly dis-avowed and disclaimed Yea when the Parliament unvoted and expunged at their desire from their journal Booke those votes wherby the Soldiers were declared enemies for petitioning in order to their satisfaction yet these men professed such principles of Freedome and common good that they slighted that particular reparation given them in that great case of common concernement And in their Remonstrance of the 23 of June 1647 declared that they did not value or regard their owne injuries or reparations in comparison to the consequence of the one or prejudice of the other videlicet „ the future security of common right and Freedome in the Nation Nay how did these pretended heroic patriots seeme to disdeigne selfish private Interests or advantages they seemed to thinke it too base sordid and unworthy for their pure Spirits to be a mercenary Armie to serve the Arbitrary power of a state for money or gold and therfore they disavowed their standing as such an Armie and declared that they tooke up Armes in judgement and conscience as called forth by the Parliaments Declarations to the defence of their owne and the Peoples rights Freedomes and Liberties and were not their avowed Principles as purely free as thus truly public for they declared the equitable sense of the Law to be supreme to the Letter and to dispense with it when the Safety of the People is concerned And likewise That all authority is fundamentally seated in the Office and but ministerially in the persons Were ever clearer principle of Freedome planted in any heroic hearts then proceded from these mens mouthes and they penned even by Ireton himselfe the present Generall his sonn in Law and apeece of his heart and soule die not every discerning eye see the tendency of these gallant pure principles to be perfect Freedome and common justice Were not the hearts of the oppressed people by the sight of these declared principles and ingagements upon them Filled with liveing hopes of perfect Freedome from all Kinds of tyrannie and oppression though sheltred under never so visible and specious formes of Parliamentary power c. did not every unprejudiced and truly English heart expect that the crooked wills of men should no more have bin the measure of Englands Freedome But only the streightest rule of Nature Thirdly what fiery zeale and burning Indignation did these our seeming saviours breath forth against those they judged the invaders of our native Freedomes and obstructers of their speedy settlement Were not their words speares and swords and hot burning coales against Sir Philip Stapleton and the rest of that faction Did not these our hopefull and seeming Patriots teach the tongues of the whole Soldiery to cry aloud at New-market and Triploe heaths justice justice justice against those invaders of Englands Freedomes Was it not the first borne of their desires yea were they not so transported with zeale for the removall of those membres whom they called apostates that in their said remonstrance of June 23 1646 dated at St. Albans they pręfixed a certaine day to the Parliament for their suspension from the house menaceing and threatning them to take an extraordinary way unless that by the preęfixed day they were suspended And appearingly so sollicitous were they of purgeing the house from all obstructers of justice common good and Freedome that when the Parliaments commissioners on July the 7 1647 incited them to hasten the treaty betweene the Armie and Parliament for a settlement they answered that no comfortable effect of a trealy could be expected so long as the Parliament was constituted of some persons whose Interests were contrary to common good booke of their Declarations page 78 thus they presented themselven even jealous for the peoples sake and industrious even to emulation for „ freedome and justice Fourthly how tedious irkesome to these our seeming deliverers were the delaies in clearing and secureing the peoples liberties when the hopes of the People deferred made their very hearts sick page 77 How did they profess the nearest and dearest sympathy with the peoples oppressions in their said Declaration of June 14 And did they not upon July 23 declare that their respect to the peoples safety inforced them to admit of no longer delayes and that they could allow the house not above four or 5 daies wherein they might give assurance and security to them and to the People of a safe and speedy proceeding to settle the Armies and Nations Rights and Freedomes Thus the speedy settleing of common right and Freedome was visibly and declaredly the choycest object of all their actions and intentions that was seemingly the golden ball of all their contention „ the fruit that their soules so exceedingly seemed to lust „ after and the ultimate pretended end of all their painfull and hazardous race Whatsoever they desired for themselves was professed to be insisted upon onely in relation to the public ends asore said Did not their Hearts seeme so far inflam'd with desire of the settlement of the peoples right and Freedomes that no quiet rest content or satisfaction of mind could possess them so long as the People groaned under tyranie and oppression yea they seemed so far to preferr the peoples good before their owne advantage that they declared they would never have entred into so hot a contest with the Parliament for reparations for their private wrongs and abuses suffered from them or their incroachments upon their particular Freedomes had not their suffering those particular wrongs bin prejudicial to common and universal right and Freedome Now Sir Behold these your great commanders and seemingly Religious Freinds thus cloathed with the glorious garment of their owne Declarations of such a curious texture thus adorned with variety of the fairest promises as so many „ bright oriental pearles „ and doe they not appeare like „ Absolom without spot or blemith from head to foote „ 2 Samuel 14 25 „ are they not like to Saul higher by the head then all the people 1 Sam 9 2. „ can you forbeare to cry there is none in the world like unto them „ Did ever more hopefull sonns spring from Englands fruitfull wombe Did ever more lightsome starrs arise in this Horizon Did not their hearts seeme to be the thrones of righteousnes and their brests the habitation of goodnes and compassion to the oppressed and afflicted was not justice as a robe to them and mercy as a diademe did they not appeare to goe forth in the strength of the Lord To breake the Jawes of the wicked and oppressors to pluck the spoile out of their teeth Did they not then give such hopes of deliverance to those who were bound in chaines of tyrranie and of releife to the poore afflicted who had none to helpe them that the cares that heard their words rejoyced and the blessing of many which were ready to perish came upon them And what Egle-eye could at first discerne „ that this glorious cloathing was but
painted paper „ what jealous heart could have imagined „ that these promiseing Patriots were only sweet mouthed dissemblers „ Who could have harboured the leasts suspition that these seeming visible starrs of heaven „ were but blazing Comets „ that would quickly turne their backs as they have perfectly done upon all these glorious promises and declarations and prove the vilest apostates that ever the earth bore and have made it their worke „ to imprison arreigne condemne shoot and murder men that have but put them in mind of their owne serious promises and ingagements in which the present General himselfe hath bin the cheif ringleader And I wish that you and many of those that „ outwardly profess godlynes and honesty in England „ were free from a zealous countenanceing of him in it Although both they and hee cannot out know that the righteous god of Heaven and earth brought a desperate famine upon Israel for three yeares together because Saul had broke and violated that solemne contract and engagement that the Israelites had made with the heathen Gibeonites although it was not voluntary but obteined by fraud and deceit Yet nothing would appease the wrath of God and satisfie the Gibeonites but the hanging up of seven of the sonns of Saul before the Lord who was the man that had broken and violated the contract with them At the doeing of which „ the anger of God was turned away from Israel „ All which appeares by Joshua 9 3 4 5 16 17. and 2 Sam 21 1 2 3 4 5 6 14. And though it were that god prospered IEHV while he was doeing his worke in cutting of the „ wicked house of Ahabs „ made him prosperous and victorious in all his encountres wherby his heart was so elevated and lifted up that he cried out Come see my zeale for the Lord yet when he turned his back upon God and the waies of Justice and righteousnes „ god then cut him and Israel short and gave them up with a mighty slaughter to their Enemies „ the 2 Kings Chap. 10. Therfore as a man that intirely loves my native Countrey I shall request you to commend unto the serious and hearty consideration of the LORD GENERALL and his Confederates the Advice of their valiant and learned Champion MR. MILTON who haveing much spent his eloquence to rout the forces of SALMASIVS in the Epilogue of his Latin booke „ called a Defense of the People of England „ turnes his speech to his Masters that had set him on worke whom he with much faithfullnes and Freedome bespeakes on this manner One thing is remaineing and that haply of the greatest moment that you o my Countrymen and Fellow-Cityzens should your owne selves undertake the refutation of this your adversary which I doe not see how you can otherwise possibly effect save by endeavouring with tooth and naile to make your gallant actings the eternall confutation of all your Enemies raileings God did graciously give care to your Vowes and most ardent petitions when being oppressed with more then a single bondage you fled to him for succour You in the first place among all Nations has he gloriously delivered from Tyranny and Superstition the greatest plagues donbtles of humane life and most prejudiciall to all virtue and true Gallantry Into you it is that he hath insused that height of courage as that you have not doubted to be the first of Mankind that have by a famous judgement tryed a King and punnished him being condemned after that you had by your Armes procur'd his Conquest and surrender After which so glorious a transaction you ought not now to thinke much less to act any thing that is Mean and Low Which that it may be your commendation you have no more to doe but to take this course namely to make it appeare to all the World that you are as well able in the middest of peace and disarmed most valiantly to conquer Ambition Avarice Mammon and those corruptions of manners that attend prosperity wich are wont to conquer other Nations and generations of men as you have bin to vaquish your Enemies in a time of Warr and to shew forth as much Iustice Temperance and Moderation in the preservation of your Liberties as ever you have manifested courage in casting the yoake of bondage from of your necks By these arguments and these alone by such testimonies as these alone you will be able to evince that you are none of those public Enemies Traitors Theives Murderers Parricides Fantastic Enthusiasts whom this man railes upon that you have not moved with ambition or a desire to invade anothers right nor pricked and spurred on with sedition any base lusts madnes or sury murdered a King but that you have being inflamed with the love of liberty religion justice common honesty and your native Countrey punished a tyrant But if which I beseech thee o good God may never come to pass your minds shall be otherwise enclined if haveing bin valiant in warr you shall in time of peace prove base and unworthy you who have had manifest experience of Gods fighting in such a manner for you and against your enemies if casting behind your backs so â—are and never to be for gotten an example of divine Presence you shall forget to seare God and execute Righteousnes for my part I shall certainly grant and consess for it will be past all denial that all those things are true which malignant liers and railers have at any time most ignonimiously thought or said of you and that you shall in a short time find God more incensed with wrath against you then ever yet your enemies have found him averse or you have felt him benigne favourable „ and fatherly-affected unto you more then to all the Nations at this time inhabiting the face of the whole earth and soe far for Mr. Miltons excellent and faithfull advice to them And therefor now to goe on Is it not true Sir that successive or new Parliaments equally chosen by the People of England are confessed on all hands to be the very soul and life of all their Freedomes and doe not the Law-bookes of England shew that a Parliament which in its owne constitution is excellent good physick but never was intended nor ever safely can be used for constant diet because it has allwaies bin pretended by the members thereof to be unlimited and arbitrary was called and held fresh and fresh some times twice a yeare and that even before the Conquest as is declared by Lambert in his collection of Lawes before the conquest amongst the Lawes of King Edgar chapter the 5 and by Sir Edward Cooke in his margent in the 9 page of his 4 part of Institutes in the Chapter of High-Court of Parliament which with other of the liberties of England being by force of armes subdued by the Norman Conqueror although the people of England forced him three severall times to take his oath after his being owned for King to
maintaine the English peoples Lawes and liberties as being not able nor judgeing his conquest so good just and secure a plea to hold his new-gat crowne by „ as an after mutuall compact or Agreement with the People or their representatives „ over whom he was to rule And therfore as the Lord Cooke in the foresaid Chapter page the 12 declares „ a Parliament or a kind of one was held even in the Conquerors time „ See also to this purpoose the Lawbooke of the 21 of Edward the 3 solio the 60 and „ the first part of the Lord Cookes Institutes „ lib 2. Chap. 10. Section 164. fol 110. a. and came to be more Frequently used in his Successors time „ yea even to be once in two yeares in Edward the 1 or 2 his time „ at which notwithstanding the people then grumbled as being an absolute abridgement of their ancient and undoubted libertie ‚ to meet more frequently in their nationall and public assemblies „ to treat and conclude of things for their weale better being The want of which in ancient time ‚ lost the Island of Brittanie to the Romans „ as the said Lord Cooke declares in the said 4 part of his Institutes folio 9 out of Tacitus in the life of Agricola page 306. whereupon it was enacted in full Parliament in Edward the third his time that the King who was the Peoples Officer of trust „ should assemble call the People together in Parliament once every yeare or oftner if need required „ as appeares by the statute of the 4 of Edward the 3 Chapter the 14. But because this was not constantly used by that King but that sometimes he made intervalls of three or sower yeares betwixt Parliament Parliament which was still a diminution of the very Soule and Life of all the Peoples liberties vide â—icet Frequent Often new Parliaments therfore in the 36 yeare of his raigne annuall Parliaments are provided In these very words Item for maintenance of the said articles statutes and redress of divers mischeifs greivances whieh daily happen a Parliament shall be holden every yeare as another time was ordained by a statute of the fourth of Edward the third Chapter the 14. and though in after ages it hath many times bin otherwise practised yet the statutes being still in force the parliaments answer to the King in the booke of Declarations pag 709 holds good that the practise is noe argument against the right But the late King Charles exceedingly faileing to put these Lawes in execution in the Frequent calling of Parliaments also when he had called them dissolved them at his pleasure so made them useles to the Nation Both which the Parliament most notably declared was against his trust in their Declaration of November the 2 1642. first part of the booke of their Declarations page 70 702 709 c. of which the Parliament most bitterly complained in their first Remonstrance Booke of Declarations Part 1 page 5 6 11 in page 10 11 ibidem they positively declare that his destroying of those two grand Freedomes of the People videlicet frequent new successive Parliaments free debates therein had corrupted and distempered the whole frame government of the Nation brought in nothing but destruction waies of tyranny For the preventing of which for the future the Parliament got an Act to pass in the 16 yeare of the late King which was the first yeare of this long-lived Parliament to confirme every tittle of the two fore mentioned acts for annuall Parliaments further in that act they say thus that whereas it is by experience found that the not holding of Parliaments according to the two forementioned acts hath produced sundry great mischeifes inconveniencyes to the Kings Majesty the Church comment weale for the prevention of the like mischeifs inconveniencyes for the time to come be it enacted by the Kings most excellent Majesty with the consent of the Lords Spirituall and temporall and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled that the said last Forementioned Lawes statutes be from henceforth duly keps and observed And most excellent worthy to be written in Letters of gold were and are those arguments that the Lord George Digby though since a Cavalier used in his public speech in the house of Commons January 19 1640 at and for the passing of the last forementioned Law which speech of his is recorded in a printed booke called speeches passages of Parliament page 12 13 to page 21. And hath not the PRESENT GENERALL in his verball expressions confirmed all these things as most righteous and just for was it not hee or his sonn in law IRETON lately deceased that drew that excellent declaration of the Army dated Iune the 14 1647 printed and published in the booke of their Declarations page 41 42 43 where they positively declare that they were so farr from designeing or complying to have an arbitary power fixed or setled for continuance in any persons whatsoever as that say they if we might be sure to obteine it we cannot wish to have it so in the persons of any whom we could most confide in or who should appeare most of our owne opinions and principles or whom we might have most personal assurance of or Interest in but we doe shall much rather wish that the authority of this Nation in Parliaments rightly constituted that is „ freely equally successively chosen „ according to their originall intention may ever stand have its course therfore we shall applie our selves cheifly to such things as by haveing Parliaments settled in such a right constitution may give most hopes of justice righteousnes to flow downe equally to all in that its ancient channel without any overtures tending either to overthrow that foundation of order government in this Kingdome or to engross that power for perpetuity into the hands of any particular persons or partie whatsoever And for that purpose though as we have found it doubted by many men minding sincerely the public good but not weighing so sully all consequences of things it may and is not unlike to prove that upon the ending of this ParliameÌ„t the election of a new the Constitution of succeeding Parliaments as to the persons elected may prove for the worse many waies yet since neither in the present purgeing of this Parliament nor in the Election of new we cannot promise to our selves or the Kingdome an assurance of justice or other positive good from the hands of men but those who for the present appeare most righteous most for common good „ haveing an unlimited power fixed in them for life or pleasure „ in time may become corrupt or settle into parties or factions „ or on the other side in case of new Elections those that should so succeed may prove as bad or worse then the former „ We therfore humbly conceive that „
of two inconveniencyes the less being to be chosen „ the maine thing to be intended in this case „ and beyond which humane providence cannot reach as to any assurance of positive good „ seemes to be this viz. To provide that how ever unjust or corrupt the persons of Parliament-men in present or suture may prove or what ever ill they may doe to particular Parties or to the whole in particular things during their respective termes or periods yet they shall not have the temptation or advantage of an unlimited power fixed in them during their owne pleasures wherby to perpetuate injustice and oppression upon any without end or remedie or to advance and uphold any one particular partie faction or interest whatsoever to the oppression or prejudice of the community the enslaveing of the Kingdome to all posterity but that the people may have an equall hope or possibility if they have made an ill choyce at one time to mend it in another and the members of the House themselves may be in a capacity to tast of subjection as well as rule may so be enclined to consider of other mens cases as what may come to be their owne And speakeing a little after of the Parliament whose power they say is so arbitrary in a manner unlimitted in which regard „ it is most unfitt dangerous „ as to the Peoples interest „ to be fixed in the persons of the same men dureing life or their owne pleasures „ they add that „ Neither by the Originall constitution of this state was it or ought it to continue so nor does „ it where ever it is continues so render that state any better then a meere Tyrannie or the People subject to it any biter then Vassals But in all states where there is any face of common Freedome and particularly in this state of England as is evident both by many positive Lawes ancient constant custome the people have a right to new and successive elections unto that great and supreme trust at certaine periods of time which is so essentiall fundamentall to their Freedome as it cannot or ought not to be denied them or with-held from them and without which the house of Commons is of very little concernment to the interest of the Commons of England And therfore a little below they positively defire that some determinate period of time may be set for the continuance of this and future Parliaments beyond which none shall continue and upon which the writts may of course yssue out and new Elections successively take place accordingly And thus say they a firme foundation being laid in the Authority and constitution of Parliaments for the hopes at least of common and equal right and Freedome to our selves and all the Free-borne people of this Land we shall for our parts freely and cheerfully committ our stock or share of interest in this Kingdome into this common bottome of Parliaments and though it may for our particulars goe ill with us in one Voiage yes we shall thus hope if right be with us to fare better in another And did not the present Generall in his proposalls of the 1 of August 1647 published to the view of the whole Nation press that a certaine period may by act of Parliament be set for the ending of this present Parliament and that such period be within a yeare at most See the booke of the Armies Declarations page 112. And did not the present Generall in his Remonstrance of the 8 of August 1647 declare that it was his ernest indeavour and the indeavor of the Armie to settle a sound and lasting peace on good termes for the Interest of the Nation but in stead of the hoped for fruit of their labours and hazards and of the Nations vast expence in the dispenceing of justice and righteousnes and the settleing and upholding of common right and Freedome to the people of England wee found saith the Generall c. immediatly the cross workings of a strong and prevalent partie in the parliament and Kingdome who walkeing under the maske of the Parliaments Freinds but being in truth men of corrupt and private ends and Interests different from and destructive to the real and common Interest of the Kingdome made use of their power to obstruct pervert justice to injure oppress and crush the peaceable and well-affected people of the Kingdome to abridge and overthrow all just Freedome and liberty and drive on designes to set up a partie and faction in the Parliament and Kingdome and by the advantage of a PERPETV AL PARLIAMENT to dominere over and enslave the Kingdome to posterity and for that end to make such a peace with the King if any as without any just provision for the common and true Interest of the People and the security therof for future which saith the Generall c. we were called out to vindicate and defend and had so long fought for those being saith he c. those just and public ends for which so much blood and treasure hath bin spilt and spent in the late warrs See the booke of the Armies Declarations page 129 132 134. Did not the Armie in their grand Remonstrance of 16 of November 1648 presented by them to the Parliament by the hands of COLL. EWERS once my Major and other Officers and tendered by them to the consideration of the whole Kingdome say as much for the necessity and utility of constant equall and successive Parliaments as it is all most impossible for any men in the world with tongues or penns to say more Reade their expressions in page 15 45 46 52 56 66 67 69. and are not these part of their words where speaking to the Parliament doe they not earnestly desire them First that they would set some reasonable and certaine period to their owne power by which time say they that great and supreme trust reposed in you shall be returned into the hands of the people for and from whom you received it that so you may give them satisfaction and assurance that what you have contended for against the King for which they have bin put to so much trouble cost and loss of blood hath bin only for their Liberties Common Interest not for your owne personall Interest or power Secondly that there may be a sound settlement of the peace and future Government of the Kingdome upon grounds of common Right Freedome and Safety to the effect here following First that from the end of this there may be a certaine succession of future Parliaments ANNV ALL OR BIENNIALL with secure provision 1 For the certainty of their meeting sitting and ending 2 For the equall distribution of Elections thereunto to render the House of commons as neare as may be an equall representative of the whole people electing 3 For the certainty of the peoples meeting according to such distributions to elect and for their full Freedome in elections Provided that none who have
Leaders or Preachers to severall of the most CONSCIENTIOVS CONGREGATIONS OF INDEPENDENTS AND ANABAPTISTS in and about the Cittie of London repaire to him and with greife of heart freely and fully to his face lay open his wickednes in this very thing as the most gross hypocrisie and basenes that could be acted by a man against which did you not tell him you judged your selves bound in duty and conscience before God the world to beare wittnes against this his practise to endeavour as of duty and of right to the hazard of your lives and all that in this world you could call yours „ immediately to procure a new Parliament and when by your discourses with him he grew choleric hot and would not well endure freely to be spoke to did not some of the „ cheifest Independents amongst your companie „ tell him to his face that seeing he was so altered changed from what he used to be that now he would not endure plainely to be told his owne you would leave him in his declined condition and goe home to your closets and by prayer cry aloud to God against him and have not some of the cheifest of the same company I meane Independents since declared to some of their acquaintance that they absolutely found and judged the Generall now by cleare experience to be as false as juggleing a man as the worst or highest of his adversaries had ever reported him to bee and that his juggleing deceit would be quickly the apparent hazard of the ruine of all the honest men in England And did not you all lay your heads together and abstract the very quint-essence of your braines into reasons deducted both from the Right Profit and Necessity of haveing a NEW PARLIAMENT out of hand the duty that lies upon your Consciences particularly to stickle vigorously for the procureing of it and did you not deliever the said reasons in writeing to the Generalls owne hands¿ and upon his continuing obstinate against your just desires have you not since kept SEVERALL FASTS AT GREAT ALL-HALLOWES IN THAMES STREET LONDON from morning till night twelve 14 or 16 of you praying in one day and have not your hearts bin lifted up to God earnestly to beg assistance from him to inable you to goe on couragiously and actively with faithfullnes and success not withstanding all opposition to the contrary to accomplish fully that great good for the people of England „ to wit the procureing a new-elected Parliamen for them And hath not the Generall himselfe with his Sycophantizeing agents Chaplaines MR. or Dr. OWEN the new Deane of Christ-church Mr. LOCKYER Mr. SYDRACH SIMPSON AND Mr. PHILIP NYE bin extremely curaged and mad with you therfore and used to severall of you not only threats but also sugred perswasions to cause you to desist there from have you not nevertheless persevered and gone on and sent your Letters and agents to all or the most part of your Freinds in all the Counties of England or Wales to excite them to joyne with you therein and can you now without horror of Conscience upon any pretences whatsoever and an apprehension of the Wrath Vengeance and curse both of God and man to seaze immediatly upon you and your Families goe back sit still or grow cold or lukewarme especially if you but seriously read ponder and meditate upon what I have here writt unto you which is all the Inference that at present I shall draw from the premises Only I shall now take the Libertie to give you the reasons why I write these lines to you the First is Because I know no man of mine ancient acquaintance that professeth Religion Zeale Conscience or Common-good as your selfe doth that is so familiarly acquainted with all the fower forementioned great Sword-men or the major-part of them as your selfe is and so well heard by them as you are and because I hate to grapple in good earnest with the greatest adversary I have in the world but I will if it bee possible tell him before hand what weapons I will bee at with him that so he may if he please choose a Composure if not let him doe his pleasure and I shall doe the best I can for my selfe Secondly because I understand since I saw you you have bin very civil and respective to my poore distressed disconsolate wife and least by any after actions of mine you should repent of any civilitie you have alreadie done her or be unwilling to doe her any more hereafter because I would give as much satisfaction to her whom my soule hath loved still doth love if I know any thing of mine owne heart as intirely as ever husband loved a wife as far as with a good conscience mine owne Sasetie I possibly can and that I am a rationall man willing to stoope for her Satisfaction so Farr as with the maintaineing of mine owne peace it may bee The Generall haveing medled with me without the least shadowe of ground or cause or the least provocation given him by me I am confident of it and thereby pickt a quarrell with me as Benhadad the King of Assyria did with the King of Israel who would not be contented with any thing that the King of Israel could profer to him unless he would give him every thing that was pleasaunt in his eyes as appeares the 1 Kings 20 who paid deare enough for his Insolency as in that Chapter you may read And I for my part challenge the Generall to instance if he can any one seemeing provocation that I have of late given him for I am sure of it since our last outwardly solemne reconcilement I never in the least Disserved him but waited upon him since his comeing from Worcester at his owne House and had an houre or two's private discourse with him in his Gallerie gave him all the ingagements from me that are fit either for a man of Honour Conscience or Integritie to give to a great man whose absolute vassall he cannot bee And he assured mee he would receive no Information against me behind my back but he would send for me and speak with me before it should stick or find beleife with him protesting he had absolutely buried in the grave of forgetfullnes the remembrance of all by-past things betwixt us and now should be as ready to serve me as any Freind I had in England commending my Ingenuitie and proffers to him in the difference betwixt SIR ARTHVR HASILRIG my Freinds which was in the first place I proffered the Generall that so hee might see as I told him that I had no desire to ruffle with any that I knew hee was intimate with that I had a very high apprehension of his Integritie of the Justice of the cause which for my Freinds I mannaged against SIR ARTHVR HASILRIG and therfore First that if his Honour with deliberation would vouchsafe to heare the buysines fully I
would engage if SIR ARTHVR would doe the like THAT MY FREINDS SHOULD ENGAGE THEMSELVES IN A BOND OF 20 THOUSAND POUND FINALLY TO STAND TO HIS JUDGEMENT AND THEREIN TO ACQUIESCE WITHOUT FURTHER STRUGGLEING But he told me his occasions were great many and would not permit him time fully to heare so large a busynes as he was afraid it was Vnto which I replied My Lord Then in the 2d place if your Lordship please to propound this unto Sir Arthur that if he please to choose any two Officers in your Armie of those that hee leaves wee will choose two more Or 3dly if he like better to choose two Members of Parliament wee will choose two more and I will engage my Freinds shall bind themselves in the foresaid bonds to stand to their final judgement provided that wherein they cannot agree that so we may have an end your Lordship shall decide it Vnto which he replied it was so faire as fairer could not be offered by any man in the world and most solemnly engaged himselfe unto me to use his owne words to speake effectually to Arthur about it and at that time tooke of me my printed Booke against SIR ARTHVR and the „ fower unjust commissioners at Haberdashers Hall And promised me seriously to peruse it But although I was often in his way on purpose to waite upon him to receive his commands about it yet I never heard more of it from him although this discourse betwixt him and me was many weekes before Mr. Primates appeale to the Parliament Therfore I say considering all these things I must have a care how I trust a twice reconciled Enemy especially one that hath made so many and so glorious transcendent promises to the Nation of England and all sorts of honest Men contained in it as hee hath allready done severall times over as is before truly repeated AND MAKES NO CONSCIENCE AT ALL TO PERFORME ANY ONE OF THEM Yet for peace sake for affections sake to my endeared and poore wise I will the third time now goe as low in my propositions as possible with any safety or imaginable security I can upon the granting of which I will ingage to sit still and write no more against him unless he breake the engagement first And therfore in order to a third reconcilement I propose in the first place that seeing by Common right severall ancient and moderne statute Lawes yet in force the Parliaments and Armies fore-cited Declarations and the Vnanimous confession of all Interests and parties whatsoever a new and successive Parliament once a yeare is the undoubted birthright of the people of England seeing by the GENERALLS owne forementioned Declarations this Parliament THAT NOW IS IS NO PARLIAMENT AT ALL nor upon „ his owne principles never was since he declared and avowed they were traitors to their trust „ which in the yeare 1648 he did as has bin truly before recited and seeing by his and his Armies owne confession as is before truly mentioned there is no other Safe Secure Honest or Iust way to provide for the calling of future parliaments in England but by a „ Popular Agreement signed amongst and by the people that therfore he would immediately declare and give good Cautionary security that within three soure or 5 Moneths time the people of England shall choose and have sitting a new Parliament either upon the principles of our Agreement dated at the Tower of London May 1 1649 or upon the principles of their owne forementioned Agreement delivered by them to the House of Commons upon these conditions I will wave all things concerning my selfe or the Collierie of Harraton or my Freinds related therunto And further to manifest to all the world that my present necessitated and compelled struggleing is not to appropriate to my selfe either Government Rule Domination Riches or Greatnes I will be willing to give my full consent unto it under my hand and seale that an act shall be passed by this present Parliament to make me by name uncapable of being chosen of the next Parliament or bearing any Office in the Common-wealth of England dureing its sitting or comeing into England till it bee sate Now Sir it may be the Generall may be full of Indignation and scorne that such a nothing as my selfe should dare to make such a proposition to him of whom it may truly by reason of his greatnes be said as it is said in the 41 of Job of the LEVIATHAN that when he raiseth up himselfe the mighty are afraid the sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold the speare the dart nor the habergeon He esteemeth iron as straw brass as rotten wood the arrow cannot make him flee sling stones are turned with him into stubble darts are counted as stubble he laugheth at the shakeing of a speare upon earth there is not his like who is made without feare But if the Generall doe rage and scorne at what I say In calmnes I answer him In the first-place with the words of himselfe and his Armie as they are written in the 70 and last page of their grand Remonstrance from St. Albans 16 Novemb 1648 which thus sollowes Wee hope say they that in Age of so much light mere will or resolution will not be held forth or pursued against what has bin said But that what reason or righteousnes there is in the things which we have said will be considered folowed nor let it find prejudice with you meaneing the Parliament from any disdaigne towards those from whom it comes being in the condition of an Armie looked upon as servants under you since servants may speake to their Masters and ought to be heard regarded even when they speake for their owne right only rather when they speake for the good and safety of them they serve but much more when they speake of that wherein they have some joint Interest with them and yet more when those their immediate Masters being themselves also servants and trustees for the benefit of others they speake for the Interest of those for whom they are employed But if the Generall shall hold forth nothing but mere will and resolution against what I have heere said then in the Second place Let me tell both you him I am confident of it very speedily in one Kind or another he will meet with one way or another as bad a portion as hee or they did against whom that Remonstrance was made But thirdly I answeer him in the words of the Scripture Samuel 2. 22 26 27 28 and Chapter 23 2 3. where David speaking of God saith With the mercyfull thou wilt shew they selfe mercyfull with the upright man thou wilt shew thy selfe upright with the pure thou wilt shew thy selfe pure and „ with the froward thou wilt shew thy selfe unsavoury „ and the afflicted people thou wilt save „ but thine eyes are upon the haughtie „ that thou maiest bring them downe And David
contended for as those sonns of wickednes and Belial as David calls them 1 Sam 30.22 that would now ingross all to themselves Who though Christians in name may yet infinitely be condemned and reproved by the Righteousnes and justice OF NEHEMIAH though a jew in the like case Who although he 12 yeares together was Governour over his Countreymen in martial and civil affaires in the daies of their distress yet neither he nor his Brethren all that time did eat the bread of the Government nor bought any land but provided for strangers at his owne cost and at his owne table because of the reproach of the heathen their Enemies because of the feare of God Nehem 5.9 14 15 16. Nay he would not suffer the rich men in that day to exact usury of the poore men and righteous Abraham though not so full of religious pretences as the Lord Generall Cromwel when he had redeemed from Captivity by force of Armes the People of the wicked Citty Sodome whose King would have given him for his paines all the goods he had redeemed with them yet he scorned it and would not take any thing that was his or theirs noe not to the value of a show-latchet least the heathen should say he had made Abraham rich Genesis 14 15 22 23. I say I must be forced to all sorts of people to cry out bitterly for helpe and assistance to enable me to print thousands and ten thousands of my mournfull ditties and lamentations and to beare the charges of my messengers and agents by whom I must send them gratis into all the parts coasts of England Scotland Ireland and all the Isles thereunto belonging that possibly I can get them conveighed unto and I doubt not but allthough the Magistrates of Amsterdam have allready seazed upon some of my Apologies and thereby stopt the public sale of them being almost ten-sheets of paper in ENGEISH AND DUTCH yet that I shall either beg or borrow mony enough to inable me within a little time to give them and ten thousands of other printed papers away gratis For I doubt not but the Spirit of magnanimity zeale conscience will worke so powerfully in some of my rich Countreymen c. that now have no assurance by reason of that arbitrary and tyrannicall power they are under of keepeing what they possess and enjoy nor of their lives nor of their Liberties wives nor children to find out wayes and meanes to send me a supply of money to inable me like a man of mettle courage and industry to struggle for the obtaineing of a New Parliament for them and my selfe to bind up heale and cure all the breaches of our greatly distressed and distempered Nation thereby to secure unto them and my selfe the Free enjoyment of our ancient ond undoubted birth-right liberties that so in peace and quietnes with rejoyceing and praising of God for all his Fatherly goodnes and loveing kindnes manifested to poore England we may sit downe in security peace tranquillity of mind under our owne vines So committing you as my owne soule to the sweet and gracious protection of the Lord God allmighty the rock Reâ—uge of all those that truly have a portion in him I rest From my Study at Mrs. BEZARS HOUSE in Sheepes-alley in the Holy-way-street IN AMSTERDAM this present Fryâ—â—â— being the 2 April 1652. old Style Yours and Englands true and through-pac 't Friend JO LILBURNE SEMPER IDEM MY LORD I Doe assure you I tooke all the care that possibly I could that this foregoeing Letter written to your fast and real Freind Mr. William Kiffen might be delivered to your Lordship but seeing I have staid the outrunning of the time I did prefix in the 30 page foregoeing and have not heard one word as yet from any body in the world what is become of it Although I writ divers Letters to severall persons signifieing that I had sent such an Epistle over yea also gave a hint of it to your Lordship in my Letter to your selfe sent by the Post the Copie of which thus foloweth For his Excellency the LORD GENERALL CROMWELL these persent MY LORD AT my discourse with you in your Gallery about 4 or 5 Moneths agoe I had thought I had given your Lordship so full satisfaction in every thing that might remove all jealousies from you of my disserveing you in any Kind that of all men in the Parliament I little imagined to have found your honour to be the principall man to bannish me into a strange Countrie where for the Safety of my Life I am forced to print an Apologie And because you are named in it I judge it but manlike to send you a Copie of it And if I had not bin travailing last post day I had sent it to you then And I have also by this post sent to a Freind three sheeres of Paper in writing to communicate to your Lordship the which if you please to read them you will find that you are deeply concerned in them I have no more to say to your honour but to desire God for you if it be his pleasure to make you speedily as righteous in actions as you were some yeares agoe in Declarations and to take leave to say I am yet as much honest Amsterdam April 2 1652 Old style JOHN LILBURNE as ever I was in my life that neither loves Flattery nor feares Greatnes or Threatning ANd now my Lord besides that Apologie which I sent your Honour I have also here in Dutch and English printed the reasons wherefore I was necessitated to print that Apologie and they are dated they 4 of March last old style and in the said Apologie to the People of the Netherlands pag 71 I promised them speedily to print in Dutch the manifestation Agreement of the 1 of May 1649 therein named which being two sheets I have accordingly prepared for them with about as much more additions by way of appendix to my Apologie But seeing that upon the Magistrates stopping the public selling my said Apologie and by the „ cheife Scout or high-Sherif of Amsterdam „ giveing me some reasons therefore which begot from me this Replication that I was a man commonly reputed to have some stock of reason in me but being but a private individual man and also a stranger of another Nation and banished from thence and come here to take up sanctuary and therfore in mine owne understanding I should judge my selfe totally void of reason or judgement if I should press to enjoy that at their hands which they themselves judged prÄ™judicial to their whole nation or any part of it they themselves alone and not I in the least being the only and proper Judges of their owne good and well fare and therfore with all respect to them must acquiesce in their pleasure In this regard I say my Lord to avoid offence I judge it not fit to publish the said Appendix till such time as one where or an other I can freely obtaine licence to print avowedly what in that kind I have to say Now my Lord it may be severall of my Freinds in England may wonder why all this time I have not published the full state of the case betwixt Sr. Arthur Hasilrig Mr. Primate and my selfe But I must Apologize for my selfe that to secure my person and reputation hath taken me up much time as also the Magistrates stopping my Apologetical Narration hath forced me to spend much money and time to travell and looke out for my selfe where Safely to abide and print without offence Besides that busynes is a long worke although I brought over with me above 150 sheetes of written paper of that busynes as it was taken at the said committee in short-hand yet for a long time I have wanted some part of the beginning and latter end of it as also copies of severall orders and of depositions I could not for want thereof goe on with it but now by Gods assistance I shall apply my selfe unto it with all the vigour that possibly I can And this before I conclude give me leave further to aver unto your Lordship I am an English-man borne and bred to breath in the ayre of England is as much my right as yours I have contested fought with my sword in my hand for the enjoyment of my share in the Lawes Liberties thereof never was convicted of doeing any action that forseited my portion therein And therfore by the assistance of God I will turne all the stones in the world that it is possible for a resolute man an industrious man a man of braines to turne to make way for my comeing to England againe for my liveing there in a rational security although in the indeavouring thereof I run the hazard of being exposed to all the miseryes and deaths that it is possible for a man to be exposed to And yet I hope through the strength of God I shall undertake nothing but righteous and honest wayes for the procureing thereof But this I assure you my Lord I groundedly thinke that I or any man else that will not be your absolute slave can never live in a rational probable Safety in England so long as your will is an absolute Law there Therefore My Lord sit as fast as you can In the strength of the Lord God almighty have at you and if I perish I perish But if you will let us have in England new and annuall Parliaments upon the termes before premised I have done in your doeing thereof shall rest Yours to serve you therein JOHN LILBVRNE From my lodgeing at that pleasant City of much refuge that little Zoar commonly called VIANEN May 1652. POSTSCRIPT My Lord if you set any of your Champions to write against me be sure they set their Names to their discourses or else truly my Lord I shall take you your selfe for the Author of every paper that comes out against me so nominally reply upon you FINIS