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<DATE>2010-07-04</DATE>
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<NAME>Pip Willcox</NAME>
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<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A LETTER TO General Monck, In An&s;wer to His of the 23^t^h of <HI>January,</HI> DIRECTED To Mr. <HI>ROLLE,</HI> To be communicated to the Gentlemen of the County of DEVON.</P>
<P><HI>By one of the</HI> EXCLUDED MEMBERS <HI>of Parliament.</HI></P>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed for <HI>R. Lowndes,</HI> at the White Lyon in S. <HI>Paul</HI>'s Church-yard. 1659.</P>
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="3" REF="2">
<HEAD><HI>A Letter to General</HI> Monck, <HI>in An&s;wer to his of the</HI> 23 <HI>of</HI> January, <HI>directed to Mr.</HI> Rolle, <HI>to be com|municated to the Gentlemen of the County of</HI> Devon.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SIGNED>By one of the Excluded Members of <HI>Parliament.</HI></SIGNED></OPENER>
<DIV2 TYPE="body of letter">
<OPENER><SALUTE>SIR,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>UPon reading your Letter of the 23 of January, directed to Mr. <HI>Rolle,</HI> to be communicated to the Gentlemen of <HI>Devon,</HI> I thought, that to an&s;wer &s;ome mi&s;takes, as it is due to the &s;ub|ject, &s;ea&s;onable to the occa&s;ion, and proper for me, (therein concerned;) &s;o it cannot be ungrateful to you, if you be that lover of truth and candour, I alwayes e&s;teemed you, and not a per&s;on ob&s;tructed with Intere&s;t, or engaged in Faction. With wi&s;e and good men, the &s;hrill &s;ound of Trumpets doth not &s;ilence the whi&s;pers of Rea&s;on and Con&s;cience; nor the power of acting without controll, encourage them to oppre&s;s: And I per&s;wade my &s;elf, that vertue and prudence will equally re&s;train you from treading in the foot&s;teps of the Ambitious, or any other by-path, (though yet untrodden.) Give me leave, therefore, (with the freedom of an Engli&s;hman, and your friend) to &s;hew you, That, in waving the original merit of the Cau&s;e, as im|pertinent, (whereas, indeed, it is onely con&s;iderable) You argue too much at large, and without a principle: For, be|ing once propounded, and admitted, (as it needs mu&s;t be) That the Force upon the Parliament in 1648. was the great Breach, at which our Confu&s;ions have entred like a Torrent; It will then follow, Not that Actions, in them&s;elves, unju&s;ti|fiable and ruinous, ought however to be ju&s;tified, though with ruine: But that the continuance of the &s;ame force mu&s;t
<PB N="4" REF="3">needs enlarge the Breach, level all our Fences, and let in an Ocean of Mi&s;eries; It will not &s;eem rea&s;onable, nor accor|ding to good Art, to skin the Wound, and make a pallia|tive Cure, but rather to &s;earch the bottom, how tender &s;o|ever the fle&s;h may there be: It will then appear, That accu|mulation of Violences is not the way of Peace. And that Errour can never become Truth by per&s;everance, It will be demon&s;trable, That for the <HI>minor</HI> part of the Parliament to exclude the <HI>major,</HI> in con&s;tituting of the Government, is to &s;ettle a Commonwealth upon the Ba&s;is of a Faction: A Foundation too narrow for the Fabrick; which having no principle of &s;tability within it &s;elf, mu&s;t be always &s;upported with external Props. For, Sir, I dare appeal to your Rea|&s;on, whether &s;uch a State can &s;ub&s;i&s;t one hour longer, than the force continues, by which it was fir&s;t con&s;tituted. Fi|nally, it will then be evident, That the danger of endle&s;&s;e Di&s;tractions, is more terribly threatned by the oppre&s;&s;ion of tho&s;e, who are, without compari&s;on, the <HI>major</HI> part, and di&s;|inheriting the Nation of its Laws and Birthright, than the di&s;|obliging of &s;uch as are, in re&s;pect of the people, very few, being &s;o confe&s;t by the Argument it &s;elf. For what makes them, with &s;o much ob&s;tinacy, decline freedome of Parlia|ment, but the con&s;cience of their own weakne&s;s, as to a le|gal civil Intere&s;t?</P>
<P>But admitting (for Arguments &s;ake) That the many corrupt Intere&s;ts (now on foot) ought to over-rule that of Ju&s;tice and Common Freedome: And that tho&s;e Intere&s;ts outweigh their Oppo&s;ites in the ballance, (whereas every man knows, they have <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">nely rendred them&s;elves con&s;ider|able, for the pre&s;ent, by getting the &s;tart in Armour; And &s;o, if ever di&s;armed, mu&s;t vani&s;h of them&s;elves.) Yet by your favour, Sir, I marvel, you can, from thence, &s;o po&s;i|tively conclude, That Monarchy cannot po&s;&s;ibly be re&s;tor'd in the&s;e Nations: The Rea&s;ons you alledge are two;
<PB N="5" REF="3">
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Becau&s;e its Support is taken away.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. Becau&s;e it is exclu&s;ive of the forementioned Intere&s;ts, which are likewi&s;e twofold, Spiritual and Civil.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>For the fir&s;t of the&s;e Rea&s;ons, I think no man, of &s;en&s;e, will deny, That the Exci&s;e, and Monethly Taxes (which were e&s;tabli&s;hed &s;ince the&s;e times, and wh ch probably can never cea&s;e, till Freedome of Parliament be re&s;tored) doth farre exceed the Charge of a Court: And I doubt not but <HI>Charles Stuart</HI> would readily accept a Monethly Tax of Sixty thou&s;and pounds, in lieu of his former Revenue, and abate us our Exci&s;e: So as that Objection is &s;uffici|ently an&s;wered, without Jealou&s;ie given to the Purcha&s;ors of his Lands.</P>
<P>For the Spiritual Intere&s;t, <HI>viz.</HI> Liberty of Con&s;cience; When I compare the great Moderation of the Church of <HI>England,</HI> in its Principle, with the pre&s;ent temper of the Age, which renders all thought of Spiritual Coertion ab|&s;urd and ridiculous, and the Uniformity you mention, (in the judgement of all knowing men) impo&s;&s;ible to be e&s;tabli&s;hed by Humane Endevours. I do not &s;ee, why we &s;hould not expect as great Indulgence, under Monar|chy, and Regulated Epi&s;copacy, as in a Commonwealth; And much greater than we can promi&s;e our &s;elves either from Presbytery, or Church-Anarchy, which (by con|founding our Doctrine, de&s;troying our Di&s;cipline, and weakning our Charity) will &s;oon make way for popular Fewds and Animo&s;ities, the mo&s;t licentious and turbulent of all Per&s;ecutions.</P>
<P>For the Civil Intere&s;t you mention, <HI>viz.</HI> the &s;ecurity of Publick Sales, (which, like a great Phili&s;tim, &s;eems to bid defiance to our Peace&punc; As, on the one &s;ide, our &s;ettlement cannot, probably, now be bought at a cheaper rate, than the &s;atisfaction of the Purcha&s;ors; &s;o, on the other &s;ide, me|thinks, the mo&s;t intere&s;&s;ed of them might, in prudence, ra|ther
<PB N="6" REF="4">&s;ubmit to &s;ome abatement, to procure a legal and un|que&s;tionable Title, than with extreme hazard to them&s;elves, and ruine to their Country, maintain an E&s;tate, which they can &s;ell to few, but Mortgage to none. Were there a mu|tual conde&s;cen&s;ion herein, I &s;uppo&s;e, there are many vi&s;ible Expedients to reconcile all pretences, and pre&s;erve the Com|monwealth, now expo&s;ed, as it were, to a daily <HI>Cri&s;is:</HI> I ve|rily believe, the mo&s;t con&s;iderable Freeholders in <HI>England</HI> would think it the di&s;creete&s;t Bargain that ever they made, if, by &s;acrificing the fourth Part of their Inheritances, they might enjoy the remainder in peace, freedom and &s;afety: A much le&s;s proportion, certainly, would do the Bu&s;ine&s;s. And, Sir, if you would now further &s;uch an Agreement, I dare freely &s;ay, it would be the greate&s;t Victory you ever obtain|ed. We &s;ee, that oft-times, in private &s;uits, where there is an Animo&s;ity between the Parties, much more is &s;pent, than the value of the thing Contended for: But this is farre more ob&s;ervable in Civil Di&s;&s;entions, where the Va&s;t Burthen of Warre is attended with infinite hazard, and commonly ends in publick Calamities. The War of <HI>Germany,</HI> having la&s;ted thirty Years, with utter de&s;olation to &s;ome Provinces, and exceeding great ruine to all, The &s;everal Princes, at length, bethought them&s;elves of a Temperament, Wherein, the di&s;inherited, (as it were) compounding, and the Conquerours receding, Peace was &s;ea&s;onably re&s;tored, and both &s;ides greater gainers by their pre&s;ent lo&s;s, than they could have been by future Victory; And, though, at fir&s;t, the difficulties &s;eemed in&s;uperable, Yet long &s;uffering, and common Exigence had &s;o di&s;po&s;ed the minds of all men concerned, that, (by admitting Ne|ce&s;&s;ity, in lieu of Ju&s;tice,) their Endevours proved very &s;ucce&s;&s;eful: How great a Ble&s;&s;ing would it be to this Nation, if wi&s;dome, moderation, piety to our Country, and cha|rity to our &s;elves, and each other, might produce the &s;ame
<PB N="7" REF="4">Effects with us, which mi&s;ery and woful experience extorted from them! Which, <HI>Sir,</HI> I do not onely Offer; but ear|ne&s;tly pre&s;s upon your Con&s;ideration, For that, as I believe you a per&s;on of much integrity, and Temper, &s;o, I &s;up|po&s;e in this juncture of time, it may be in your Power to make your &s;elf an Arbitrator, or at lea&s;t, to promote an Agreement, for which, the Ages to come will ble&s;s your Memory. I doubt not, but, in your Progre&s;s, by the pub|lick Addre&s;&s;es you have received from many Counties, the Clamours of &s;ome, and mutterings of all, You under|&s;tand the Violent inclinations of the People, Now crying with <HI>Rachel, Give us freedome of Parliament, or we dye;</HI> It boots not therefore to alledge, That the Army will not endure it; For either that Yoak is indended to be perpetual; or not; If not, when ever it &s;hall either cea&s;e, or be ca&s;t off, In comes freedome, like a torrent, and in a moment overwhelms all, that hath been E&s;tabli&s;hed by <HI>Junto's,</HI> Whereof this very Parliament hath given a fair precedent; But, if our Yoak be intended perpetual, What tyranny like that of armed faction? What &s;ound &s;o har&s;h to <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> ears? And who, in after-ages, will believe, that tho&s;e very men, who &s;o branded the King, for an irregular im|peachment of five Members, and a&s;per&s;ed him with the bare rumour of an intention to bring in a few <HI>German</HI> Hor&s;e, &s;hould, them&s;elves, continue and own the forcible exclu&s;ion of much the <HI>major</HI> part of the Parliament, and entail upon their Country an Army of Jani&s;&s;aries and Timariots; which, I am confident, if they will &s;ub&s;i&s;t, mu&s;t, at lea&s;t, every third year, conquer it anew.</P>
<P>By that wi&s;dome, and courage, you have oft expre&s;&s;ed; By your love to Ju&s;tice, and bowels to your Countrymen; By the in&s;tability of humane affairs; The uncertainty of your Life, but certainty of your Account, I conjure you, not to lay the Corner-&s;tone of &s;uch a <HI>Babell,</HI> Whereof, it
<PB N="8" REF="5">were no pre&s;umption to pre&s;age, that it can never be per|fected, God having already &s;o confounded their Languages; To who&s;e holy guidance, and preventing grace, I heartily recommend you, and remain,</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><DATE><HI>Jan.</HI> 28. 1659.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SALUTE>Sir,</SALUTE>
<SIGNED><HI>Your mo&s;t faithfull and affectionate Friend and Servant,</HI>
R. M.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="postscript">
<HEAD>POSTSCRIPT.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>SIR,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>GIve me leave to offer this Po&s;t&s;cript to your further con&s;idera|tion; It is manife&s;t, That betwixt the Years 1643, and 1653. The great Mon&s;ter W r devoured, 1. The Benevolences of all the well affected, 2. The &s;poiles of all the Di&s;affected, 3. The Annual Rents of a Con&s;iderable Part of the Lands in <HI>England,</HI> &s;eque&s;tred, 4. The fifth and twentieth Part of all mens E&s;tates, 5. That pro|digious Contribution of fifty &s;ub&s;ides, at once, be&s;ides many more, at other times, 6. The infinite Summes rai&s;ed by the Compo&s;i|tions of many thou&s;ands of Delinquents, 7. A con&s;tant Exci&s;e upon almo&s;t all Commodities, 8. The monethly Taxe, &s;ome|times 120000 <ABBR><HI>l.</HI></ABBR> &s;eldome under 90000 <ABBR><HI>l.</HI></ABBR> 9. The Sales of Kings, Churches and forfeited Lands, And La&s;tly, in effect, the whole Kingdome of <HI>Ireland;</HI> And yet, (if we may believe the innume|rable Complaints of Reformades, Widows, and Lenders,) the publick faith, very lamely a&s;&s;erted; As evident it is, that the late <HI>Protector,</HI> continuing the &s;ame butthens and, otherwi&s;e, practi&s;ing all the &s;ubtilties of a Tyrant, in wracking the People; Yet, in four, or five years time, contracted a Ruinous and incredi|ble debt; The &s;ame forces are &s;till continued, And, probably, mu&s;t encrea&s;e, in mea&s;ure, as our di&s;&s;atisfa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="2 letters">ions multiply; There are, now, no con&s;iderable E&s;tates, left, to &s;eque&s;ter, Delinquents to compound, or publick Lands to &s;ell; The Common-wealth va&s;tly endebted, The trea&s;ury exhau&s;ted, Trade declining, Cu&s;tomes &s;inking, All future Contributions mu&s;t, of nece&s;&s;ity, be forced out of the very bowels of a poor, en&s;laved, exa&s;perated, and &s;tarving people; The perpetuating whereofs by our &s;ervitude, Whether it be fit, or ju&s;t, or &s;afe, or, indeed, po&s;&s;ible, I leave you to judge.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
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