<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2010-04-28</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Alexis Jakobson</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>*Proofed title page(s).
*Reviewed structure.
*Checked division-marking material at heads and feet of divisions (HEADS, CLOSER, OPENER, ARGUMENT, EPIGRAPH, SIGNED, BYLINE, etc.).
*Added TYPEs to DIVs in order to validate.
*Checked for N=""s.
*Checked ^s.
*Checked placement and completeness of PBs.
*Checked for foreign, damage and missing-page GAPs, #, --.
*Checked for LBs, startqs / endqs, q;s, &abque;s, ABBRs and Qs.
*Checked for FIGUREs and decorated initials.
*Checked proofsheets and made corrections found there.
*Corrected <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">s and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word">s etc.
*Converted <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">s to GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="[vendor name]".
*Revalidated.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A92239">
<STC T="W">r51</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99895924</BIBNO>
<VID>153509</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>TWELVE HUMBLE PROPOSALS To the Supreme Governours of the three Nations now a&s;&s;embled at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter,</HI> concerning The
<LIST>
<ITEM>Propogation of the Go&s;pel,</ITEM>
<ITEM>New modling of the Univer&s;ities,</ITEM>
<ITEM>Reformation of the Laws.</ITEM>
<ITEM>&s;upply of the nece&s;&s;ities of the poor;</ITEM>
</LIST>
And many other things of great moment, which may conduce to the honour of God, and the comfort and joy of his people.</P>
<P>By <HI>M. R.</HI> an admirer and adorer of the good provi|dence of God, in making &s;uch happy changes in the&s;e Nations.</P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Prov. 29.2.</HI></BIBL> When the righteous are in authority the people rejoice, but when the wicked beareth Rule, the people mourn.</Q>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Judges 5.9.</HI></BIBL> My heart is toward the Governours of I&s;rael, who offered them|&s;elves willingly among the people.</Q>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Prov. 28.16.</HI></BIBL> The Prince that wanteth under&s;tanding is a great oppre&s;&s;or, but he that hateth covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e &s;hall prolong his dayes, <HI>Prov. 22.16.</HI> He that oppre&s;&s;eth the poor to increa&s;e his riches, and he that giveth to the rich &s;hall &s;urely come to want.</Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>Henry Hills,</HI> for <HI>R. C.</HI> and are to be &s;old by <HI>Giles Calvert,</HI> at the <HI>Black-&s;pread Eagle,</HI> at the We&s;t-end of <HI>Pauls</HI> 1653.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Right Honourable the Supreme Governours of the three Nations now a&s;|&s;embled at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Right Honourable,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_WHen I read and con&s;ider tho&s;e &s;acred Chronicles of the Kings and Governours of <HI>Judah</HI> and <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> how variou&s;ly they acted in their &s;everal affairs towards God and man; &s;ome|times finding that the Kings and Governours of tho&s;e times were not upright with God, but turn'd a&s;ide from him, and con&s;equently, they were of profane and carnall hearts, and then the wor&s;hip of God was laid a&s;ide, and Idols were &s;et up, and their actions were profane and unju&s;t, and every one loved covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and none called for ju&s;tice; And &s;ometimes again, finding as it were the tide turned, and a good <HI>Joa&s;h,</HI> &s;ucceding a wicked <HI>A|haziah,</HI> and <HI>Athaliah,</HI> and a good <HI>Jo&s;iah</HI> &s;ucceeding the mo&s;t wicked reign of <HI>Mano&s;&s;eth,</HI> and then a mo&s;t ble&s;&s;ed and glorious change is made in the Nation, and O how greatly is the Lord honoured by &s;uch Governours? and how are the hearts of his people made glad? and how doth Ju&s;tice and Righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e flouri&s;h? and the Nation in General, fare the better? I &s;ay, when I con&s;ider the&s;e things, and compare them with the pre&s;ent proceedings of God towards the&s;e Nations, in laying a&s;ide the late Tyrannicall King that reigned over them, and putting the Government into the hand of a Parlia|ment, among whom there were many good men, (though too many bad al|&s;o) who brought in a ble&s;&s;ed change, (though not &s;uch a reformation as was expected) and gave free liberty to the people of God, to wor&s;hip God ac|cording to his will, and protected them from the oppo&s;itions and malice of forein enemies (though not from the oppre&s;&s;ions of &s;ome inte&s;tine inmates, I mean the Lawyers, and wicked men that oppre&s;&s;ed by the Law;) And con|&s;ider withall, how God hath removed that mixed Parliament, and convened together a company of men, of whom it is to be hoped, that every individu|al member of them have their hearts upright with God; I do comfortably hope, and am per&s;waded, that God will now grant &s;uch daies to the&s;e three Nations, as they injoy'd in <HI>Iudah</HI> in the daies of <HI>David, Solomon, A&s;a, Ieho|&s;aphat, Ioa&s;h, Hezekiah,</HI> and <HI>Io&s;iah;</HI> when Judgement did run down as wa|ter, and Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e as a mighty &s;tream, and the people were called up|on every where, throughout that Realm to cleave unto the Lord, and to walk in his waies, and Ju&s;tice was duly admini&s;tred; I will in&s;tance but in that good King <HI>Ieho&s;aphat,</HI> of whom it is &s;aid, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 19.8, 9. that he did &s;et Judges in all parts of the land, giving them a charge in the&s;e words, Take heed what ye do, for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you
<PB N="2" REF="3">in Judgement, Wherefore now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you, take heed and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor re&s;pect of per&s;ons, nor taking of gifts.</P>
<P>And having this hope, that things will now be carryed in &s;uch a current among you, I am encouraged to pre&s;ent unto your Honours, the&s;e few pro|po&s;als; being per&s;waded, that all things of this nature will be acceptable unto you, and that you having the Spirit of God in you, which pre&s;&s;eth after Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e and Holine&s;&s;e, all motions tending thereto, will be wel|come, and al&s;o u&s;efull unto you, from whom&s;oever they come; and as for me, I could not chu&s;e but communicate tho&s;e few things, that were upon my heart, by way of propo&s;al to you; though I &s;hould have been glad if others had been more forward, and prevented me herein: for &s;o it had been done, I &s;hould have been &s;atisfied, and I could wi&s;h, if any others had any other thing upon their Spirits, that may be of publique advantage, that they would all pre&s;ent them to your confiderations: for it being done onely by way of propo&s;al, it can be no way prejudicial, but may be &s;everall wayes advan|tageous, to you: (if your Spirits be humble, as I hope they are, and will not &s;light any thing becau&s;e it is propounded by another) for if it &s;hould be &s;o, that the &s;ame things are propounded to you, upon &s;ollid and good grounds; which you had in your hearts before to do; or if it &s;hould be &s;o, that what is, or &s;hall be propounded to you by any of Gods people (though a great number &s;hould make propo&s;als to you) &s;hould come &s;hort of what you have already in your heart to do, the Spirit of God, being powred out upon you, to fit you for Government, as it was upon the &s;eventy Elders:</P>
<P>Yet this advantage you would have by their propo&s;als, that you would be incouraged, to go on vigorou&s;ly in the doing of tho&s;e things, which both God and his people do per&s;wade you to.</P>
<P>And thus leaving you to the con&s;ideration of the following Propo&s;als, I on|ly de&s;ire you (if there be any thing herein that &s;uits not with your inclina|tions or intentions) to remember they are but Propo&s;als: and may be either waved or improved as the Lord &s;hall guide your hearts.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t four propo&s;als &s;hall be concerning General, and the re&s;t concerning particular things.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t Propo&s;al</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Propo&s;al. That the Su|preme Gover|nours alwaies would reme~|ber that they <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hat Rule over men mu&s;t be <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">u&s;t, Ruling in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">he fear of God.</NOTE>And the fir&s;t thing that I do propound to you in general is, that you la|bour to keep alwaies fre&s;h upon your Spirits, tho&s;e la&s;t words of <HI>David,</HI> the Son of <HI>Ie&s;&s;e,</HI> the man who was rai&s;ed up on high, the annointed of the God of <HI>Iacob,</HI> and the &s;weet P&s;almi&s;t of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> mentioned 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 23.1.2.3.</P>
<P><HI>The Spirit of the Lord &s;pake by me, and his word was in my tongue, the God of I&s;rael &s;aid, the rock of I&s;rael &s;pake to me.</HI></P>
<P><HI>He that ruleth over men mu&s;t be ju&s;t, ruling in the fear of God: and he &s;hall be as the light of the morning, when the &s;un ri&s;eth; even a morning without clouds; as the tender gra&s;s &s;pringing out of the earth by clear &s;hining after rain.</HI> Wherein ye that are called to be Rulers over men, have your great duty, and your very great incouragement thereunto laid down; your duty being to be ju&s;t, and to Rule in the fear of God, which I hope you will &s;eriou&s;ly con&s;i|der dayly; for your incouragement thereunto is exceeding great, for if you &s;o be and do, you &s;hall never be put out in ob&s;curity, not but your light
<PB N="3" REF="3">&s;hall be glorious: and the fruits that you bring forth in that light &s;hall be pre|tious, for you &s;hall not be unfruitful, (if you be ju&s;t, and Rule in the fear of God) but you &s;hall be as the tender gra&s;s, &s;pringing out of the earth by clear &s;hining after rain, which is exceeding de&s;ireable to all whom lt concerns. Oh therefore let this pretious word be alwayes &s;ounding in your ears, and make deep impre&s;&s;ions in your hearts! HE THAT RULETH OVER MEN, MUST BE JUST, RULING IN THE FEAR OF GOD.</P>
<P N="2"><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Propo&s;al. That they would alwaies remember that Je&s;us Chri&s;t mu&s;t now reign, &amp; &s;o act as tho&s;e that are offi|cers deputed by him.</NOTE>2. Prop. That you would con&s;ider, that the time of the reign of Chri&s;t is at hand; either per&s;onally, or by the glorious powrings out of his Spirit upon his people, which will as vi&s;ibly demon&s;trate that he is King and reigneth, as if he were per&s;onally on earth, and when he reigneth, he will Judge the world with equity, and the people with his truth. Oh therefore do you &s;trive to be his forerunners! and to give the world a ta&s;t, what it is to have Je&s;us Chri&s;t to reign over the Nations of the earth (either immediately in his own per&s;on, or mediately by his Saints, making them Princes in all Lands) by doing &s;uch Ju&s;t and Righteous things, as you do know, or may know, Je&s;us Chri&s;t will do when he reigns on earth; &s;o will you do as much as in you lieth to &s;et up the Kingdom of Je&s;us Chri&s;t on earth, and to ha&s;ten that glorious time for which the Spirit, and the Bride, the Spou&s;e of Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath &s;o long waited, Saying, <HI>come Lord Ie&s;us, come quickly.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Prop. that you would take up holy re&s;olutions in the &s;trength of the Lord, <NOTE>PLACE="marg" 3. Prop. That they would make it all their care to do &s;ervice for Chri&s;t in their place, and leave the care of them&s;elves, and their po|&s;terity whol|ly to him.</NOTE> and not your own &s;trength, to lay a&s;ide all your own intere&s;ts, and outward advantages, and to be in a manner carele&s;s of your own outward e|&s;tates, not caring what becomes of them, &s;o you may advance Chri&s;t: but re&s;olving with a holy indignation to trample upon any worldly advantages, when they come in competition with doing &s;ervice for Chri&s;t, not taking care to lay up great e&s;tates for your po&s;terity, or to gain great e&s;tates for your &s;elves, aiming at being accounted great and honourable among men (leave you that to others that believe not, <HI>for how can you believe that &s;eek honour one of another</HI>) but knowing that the more carele&s;s you are of providing e|&s;tates for your children, and of &s;eeking the honour of men; upon the account of doing &s;ervice for, and the honouring of God, who&s;e great name you have taken upon you, and who&s;e &s;ervants you profe&s;&s;e your &s;elves to be, the more care will God take for you, and yours, and the more honour &s;hall ye receive from men, &s;aid I from men onely? I might &s;ay from God al&s;o, for they that honour God, God will honour. Oh there&s;ore make it your work to honour God! and tru&s;t him for e&s;tates, <NOTE>PLACE="marg" 4. Propo&s;al. That they would be &s;peedy in do|ing the work of Chri&s;t <HI>made ha&s;t an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> delayed not <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> keep thy righ|teous judge ments.</HI> P&s;. 11<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> and what&s;oever &s;hall be good for you and yours.</P>
<P N="4">4. Prop. That you be quick and &s;peedy in doing the work of the Lord, being diligent in bu&s;ine&s;s, fervent in Spirit, &s;erving the Lord. I &s;ay be &s;peedy (though not without &s;eriou&s;ne&s;s and con&s;ideration) for hope deferred maketh the heart &s;ick, and the tedious delays of your predece&s;&s;ours in au|thority, made the Common-wealth &s;ick and weary, and (with reverence be it &s;poken) God him&s;elf weary to the &s;puing them out; They &s;pending com|monly but &s;ixteen hours in a week, for the di&s;phatching of tho&s;e great and weighty things which God called for at their hands, and which they had no
<PB N="4" REF="4">heart unto, whereas they had more need to have &s;itten 16. hours in a day, to have di&s;patched their work, that &s;o there might have been no complainings in our &s;treets. But they accounted onely three or four houres &s;itting in the forenoon, onely of four dayes in the week, &s;ufficient for the doing the work they had to do; as if there were nothing now to be done, but to &s;pin out the time of a perpetuall Parliament from age to age, and therefore they would do but a little now, and a little then, con&s;ider of an Act for the relief of the poor, or for paying publique faith-money one day, and then lay it a|&s;ide for three, &s;ix, twelve moneths together, and do no more in it this year, than they did the la&s;t. But oh that by how much they have been negli|gent and carele&s;s of doing the work which they ought to have done, by &s;omuch the more you would be diligent and re&s;olved, and unwearied in your work, and labour of love for God, and for his people, and for the Common-wealth of the three Nations! I &s;ay not this as if things could be all done in a mo|ment, for they will de&s;erve to be blamed that &s;hall be too pre&s;&s;ing upon you, and be by and by offended if you make not &s;uch ha&s;t as &s;ome ha&s;ty Spirits may expect. But I only propound, that you take up re&s;olutions to be &s;pee|dy, and if you &s;o re&s;olve, and indeavour it, as you can approve your hearts in the &s;ight of God, you need not care though &s;ome troubled and ha&s;ty Spirits &s;hould be offended, only impute it to their zeal and ignorance: And their zeal being good, therefore di&s;pi&s;e them not, becau&s;e of their ignorance of the greatne&s;s of your work, and the ob&s;tructions that may po&s;&s;ibly be &s;ome|times in your way.</P>
<P>And thus much for the general Propo&s;als, and now I come to propound &s;ome particular work, which may tend very much to the honour of God, and the joy of his people being done by you.</P>
<P N="5"><NOTE PLACE="marg">5. Propo&s;al. That they would zea|lou&s;ly indea|vour to pro|pagate the Go&s;pel.</NOTE> 5. Prop. That it be your earne&s;t endeavour to propagate the Go&s;pel; and this I propo&s;e to you not &s;o much as you are Magi&s;trates, but as you are Chri|&s;tians, that is to &s;ay, as you have received Chri&s;t Je&s;us the Lord, and &s;o are become indeed the Sonnes of God: for it is the duty of every &s;uch &s;oul as is indeed not onely a Profe&s;&s;or, but a Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;or of Chri&s;t, to do all that in him lies in his particular place and Station to propagate the Go&s;pel the&s;e four ways. Fir&s;t, in praying that the Go&s;pel may run and be glorified. 2. In im|proving what talents he hath for publi&s;hing the Go&s;pel; for no man ought to hide his Talent or Talents, but to improve them for his Ma&s;ters advantage. 3. In exhorting others whom he finds to be gifted, and fitted to that work, (if he &s;ee them to neglect it) to improve their Talents for the honour of their Lord. 4. In admini&s;tring to the nece&s;&s;ities of &s;uch as do make it their work to preach the Go&s;pel, but have not any outward e&s;tates for the &s;upply of them&s;elves and their families, but what is communicated unto them for that work: for &s;uch mu&s;t live of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P>And the&s;e four things Right Honourable, I propound to you, as your du|ty, not as you are Magi&s;trates, as I &s;aid before, but as you are Chri&s;ti|ans.</P>
<P N="1">1. That you ince&s;&s;antly pray to the great Lord of the Harve&s;t, to &s;end forth Labourers into his Harve&s;t, that &s;o the Go&s;pel may be gloriou&s;ly publi&s;hed abroad in the world,</P>
<P N="2">2. That although you are Magi&s;trates, and have other great affairs in your
<PB N="5" REF="4">hands, yet remember you are al&s;o Chri&s;tians and Saints, and you ought to improve your gifts and Tallents this way al&s;o to your ma&s;ters honour as often as you have opportunity. <HI>David</HI> was a Magi&s;trate and a Saint, and he did the work of a Magi&s;trate in his place, and the work of a Saint al&s;o. He cea&s;ed not to publi&s;h the glorious truths of God in the great congregation.</P>
<P N="3">3. That you do not onely &s;o your &s;elves, but that you exhort and incou|rage others whom you know to be gifted (but of them&s;elves are &s;hie and back|ward) to improve their gifts, and this to do as you are Chri&s;tians; and you being not onely Chri&s;tians but Magi&s;trates, have a greater advantage in do|ing of it than other Chri&s;tians have: for Fir&s;t, you have power to protect tho&s;e whom you exhort to this duty from the violence of any enemies, if there be any that &s;hould dare to oppo&s;e them, though it is to be hoped that there are none in the&s;e three Nations under your Juri&s;diction, at lea&s;t none that will openly &s;hew them&s;elves to be &s;uch enemies of Chri&s;t. And Second|ly, you have power to command that the doors of the publick meeting places be &s;et open, and free to all that are known to be godly and faithfull di&s;pen|cers of the word of Chri&s;t, whether Presbyterians, or tho&s;e commonly called Anabapti&s;ts, or Independents, whereas &s;ome Presbyterian Mini&s;ters have taken upon them very lately, to keep the doors of &s;ome publick meeting-places &s;hut again&s;t all but them&s;elves, or whom they plea&s;ed, and would not &s;uffer godly Mini&s;ters to preach in tho&s;e places, <NOTE PLACE="marg">8. Particular things nece|&s;ary to be done in order to the propa|gation of the Go&s;pel.</NOTE> no not at &s;uch times as them|&s;elves did not preach, nor any others for them.</P>
<P N="4">4. That you admini&s;ter to the nece&s;&s;ities of &s;uch as out of love to Chri&s;t do feed the Lambs and Sheep of Chri&s;t, with whole&s;ome food, and make it their work &s;o to do, not having any outward e&s;tate for the &s;upply of them|&s;elves and their families, but what is admini&s;tred unto them for that work; and this likewi&s;e you may do as you are not onely Chri&s;tians but Magi&s;trates, with a far greater advantage than other Chri&s;tians may. But under this head I have the&s;e eight particulars to propound unto you.</P>
<P N="1"><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. That tithes be aboli&s;hed.</NOTE>1. That you re&s;olve with all po&s;&s;ible &s;peed to repeal the Law of Tithes, which is a great oppre&s;&s;ion not onely to the e&s;tates, but to the con&s;ciences of many good people.</P>
<P N="2"><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. That blind Prie&s;ts may have no in|couragement to mi&s;lead poor &s;ouls.</NOTE>2. That idle droans that have no acquaintance with Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and know onely how to fleeze and not how to feed the Sheep of Chri&s;t, may receive no incouragement from you in that work; but rather you &s;hould incourage them to leave that work, by inviting of them to &s;ome other imployment if you think that any of them may be fit for it. But if other private men that are like unto them&s;elves will &s;upport them, or maintain them they may, but they &s;hould have no incouragement from you in that work.</P>
<P N="3"><NOTE PLACE="marg">3. That the Pa&s;tors and gifted bre|thren of all the Churches of Chri&s;t in the Nation be de&s;ired to preach in publick meet|ing places.</NOTE>3. That &s;uch Preachers of the Go&s;pel as are Pa&s;tors of particular Congrega|gations baptized or others, be de&s;ired by you to bring their people into each publick meeting place that is mo&s;t commodious for &s;uch a congregation, and neere&s;t their habitations, both in the City and Country, that &s;o the people of that pari&s;h, and as many as &s;hall de&s;ire to hear the word there, may be made partakers of it freely without any charge. The Church in the primitive times did meet in &s;uch places where unbelievers might come to hear them, and by that means be convinced of them all, and converted to the faith, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.24.</P>
<P N="4"><PB N="6" REF="5">4. That in the City of <HI>London,</HI> two or three pari&s;hes that have but few people belonging to them,<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. That two or three Pa|ri&s;hes be re|duced to one 5. That god|ly Presbyteri|ans and all o|ther godly Preachers may have free liberty alike to preach.</NOTE> may be reduced to one, that &s;o there may be &s;o much the le&s;&s;e charge required for the maintenance of Go&s;pel preachers, whereas now one man takes a maintenance from a Pari&s;h, where &s;carce 40. or 50. u&s;ually come to hear him.</P>
<P N="5">5. That no Mini&s;ter, Presbyterian or other, that is of a Godly conver&s;ati|on, be taken from any people that do love and de&s;ire his Mini&s;tery, un|le&s;&s;e it be to remove only to the di&s;tance of two or three Pari&s;hes at mo&s;t, &s;o as the people that are affected with his Mini&s;tery, may hear him if they plea&s;e: provided that at other times when he doth not preach, the &s;ame pulpit may be free for any other godly man to preach there: for there may be other Godly people of the &s;ame pari&s;h, or Corporation, that may as much de&s;ire the Mini&s;tery of another, as they of him, and when it is &s;o, the one mini&s;ter &s;hould have liberty in the fore-noon, and the other in the after|noon, and &s;o both parties may be &s;atisfyed.</P>
<P N="6"><NOTE PLACE="marg">6. That &s;uch a are Magi|&s;trates, and all others that are gifted, and of holy and godly conver|&s;ations, be de|&s;ired to Preach.</NOTE>6. That for the &s;upply of the peoples wants of &s;ome to di&s;pence the word unto them, you do not only de&s;ire Pa&s;tors of Churches to preach the word in publick places, but you do al&s;o de&s;ire tho&s;e great men, and good men that have great e&s;tates, that have been &s;hy of going into the Pulpits hither|to (though they are better furni&s;hed with gifts, and fitted with abilities; for that work than many that call them&s;elves mini&s;ters and Clergy men) to go and preach the Go&s;pell freely, according to tho&s;e Talents they have received; for it is their duty to do &s;o, and as they are the Servants of Chri&s;t (as every one hathreceived a gift, &s;o he ought to mini&s;ter, as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God) they ought to improve their Talents, and in im|proving they may increa&s;e them. And being &s;en&s;ible of the great blindne&s;s people are in for want of teachers, you ought to incourage and invite them thereunto, and for this you have the example of that good King <HI>Ieho&s;haphat</HI> 2 <HI>Chron</HI> 17.7, 8. <HI>Who in the third year of his reign &s;ent to his Princes, even to Benhaill, and to Obadiah, and to Zachariah, and to Nethaneel, and to Mi|chaiah, to teach in the Cities of Iudah, and with them Levites, even Shema|iah, and Nethaniah,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>and they taught in Judah, and went throughout all the Cities of Judah, and taught the people.</HI> That good Kings heart being lifted up in the waies of the Lord, ver 6. that is wonderfully inlarged, and rai&s;ed up towards God, he therefore went on in the waies of the Lord vi|gorou&s;ly, throwing down the falfe prie&s;ts, and fal&s;e wor&s;hip practi&s;ed in tho&s;e times, and knowing that the generality of the multitude of the peo|ple were ignorant of the waies of the Lord, He therefore &s;ent to his Prin|ces to go up and down, and teach in the Cities of Judah, not that it may be &s;uppo&s;ed that all the Princes of Judah were fit for that work, but he &s;ent to &s;uch of them as he knew to be holy men, and men having the Spirit of the Lord in them, and therefore they are &s;ingled out, and menti|oned by name even <HI>Benhail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethan<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">el,</HI> and <HI>Micha|iah,</HI> and with them tho&s;e Prie&s;ts and Levites al&s;o that were fitte&s;t for that work, (for many of the Levites might be as bad as the wor&s;t&punc; of others) even &s;uch and &s;uch by name. Thus do you de&s;ire tho&s;e that are men of e&s;tates, whom you know to be gifted as afore&s;aid, of whom it may be there may be ten or twelve, or more or le&s;&s;e, in a City, or County, to ride abroad in|to
<PB N="7" REF="5">the Country, and improve their gifts among tho&s;e people <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 word"> want teaching.</P>
<P N="7"><NOTE PLACE="marg">7. That the U|niver&s;ities be new mod'led.</NOTE>7. That (for further &s;upply of the people with go&s;pel Preachers, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">or &s;upply of maintenance for &s;uch as are willing to preach the Go&s;pel, but have no outward e&s;tates) the Univer&s;ities be new modelled, And that tho&s;e e&s;tates which were intended by the Donors of them to &s;uppo&s;ed pious u&s;es, may be wholly converted to &s;uch u&s;es as are indeed pious, that is to &s;ay, a part thereof, to be for the &s;upply of &s;uch Preachers as are able and faithful Mini&s;ters of the New Te&s;tament, and have not outward e&s;tates of their own for their &s;upply; And another part of tho&s;e Univer&s;ity e&s;tates, for the &s;upply of &s;uch godly Scholars as are to be brought up at the Vniver&s;ities (and their godly Tutors,) and of &s;uch of tho&s;e Scholars onely, as who&s;e parents <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">re not able to maintain them there them&s;elves, and that others who de&s;ire to put their children to the Vniver&s;ities, to &s;tudy any of the liberal Sciences, do alwaies do it at their own proper charge, and not that things be &s;o corruptly carried as they have been, and yet are; That many Scholars that are mens &s;ons of va&s;t e&s;tates, mu&s;t have fellow&s;hips (as they now call them) and tho&s;e that are mean (though their children are godly) cannot have any thing to|ward their maintenance, if they &s;hould &s;end them thither; Yea and many of tho&s;e that they call fellows for love of their fellow&s;hips, continue in the Vni|ver&s;ities all the dayes of their lives, (&s;ome of them being ancient gray-headed men) living there an idle life, and never coming abroad to &s;et them&s;elves to any imployment wherein they may be u&s;efull to Church or Common|wealth.</P>
<P N="8"><NOTE PLACE="marg">8. That &s;ome ways of main|tenance out of the publick Trea&s;ury be provided for Go&s;pel Preachers, but none by way of compul&s;ion from the peo|ple.</NOTE>8. That be&s;ides the maintenance which may come out of the Univer&s;ity lands, you take care to provide &s;ome other maintenance for the &s;upply of all godly and able Preachers of the Go&s;pel, whether &s;uch as are commonly called Presbyterians, Independents, or others who do attend that work, or &s;hall attend that work of Preaching the Go&s;pel, and have not outward e&s;tates of their own to live upon: for you have power to imploy the publick trea|&s;ure for the publick benefit of the Nation, and if for outward benefit, much more for &s;piritual benefit, which you ought in an e&s;pecial manner to take care of as you are private Chri&s;tians, and have the better opportunity to do it as you are Magi&s;trates.</P>
<P>But &s;till remember this, that you ought never to pre&s;ume to take any more authority upon you to do any thing in the Churches of God, in ordering Church affairs, than you may do as private Chri&s;tians, wherein you may only advi&s;e, and de&s;ire things may be &s;o and &s;o, but may not impo&s;e any thing up|on the con&s;ciences of Saints by force, for that were to do as the Bea&s;t hath done, which I am confidently per&s;waded you will never do, nor &s;uffer any other under your Juri&s;diction to do, by authority from you (though they may de&s;ire it of you.)</P>
<P>But this let me add further as a caution; that as you take care that tithes be taken away, &s;o that by no means you impo&s;e any law upon the people, to pay &s;uch or &s;uch a rate, for the maintenance of Mini&s;ters, for of that cour&s;e &s;everall inconveniences will follow, 1. The con&s;ciences of many faithful Prea|chers will &s;cruple to take that maintenance of you, which you compel from o|thers, who are per&s;waded that they ought not to have any thing, but what is
<PB N="8" REF="6">freely <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">en, neither directly or indirectly: And 2. The con&s;ciences of ma|ny p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ople do &s;cruple to be tied to give &s;o much, or &s;o much to &s;uch a u&s;e, but are per&s;waded that what they give to that u&s;e, they ought to give freely. 3. Some that are of &s;uch particular Churches as meet not in the Pari&s;h or Town wherein they live (if you &s;hould rate people &s;everally) would be com|pelled to pay the rate, although they do contribute to their own officers, which will be unrea&s;onable; for what God makes them willing and able to give of their temporals, they will de&s;ire to give it to tho&s;e that do admini&s;ter to them in Spirituals, therefore by no means compell any contributions of this kind from any &s;ort of people: for &s;everal &s;orts of people are &s;everal wayes af|fected, and will de&s;ire liberty to give what they give in this kind, to &s;uch as they <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">and mo&s;t affected to, whether Epi&s;copal, Presbyterians, Indepen|dents, or any others, and this liberty they &s;hould have, and not be abridg|ed of it.</P>
<P>But when I propo&s;e it to you to take care to contribute to the mainte|nance of Godly Mini&s;ters, I mean (as I &s;aid before) that you do herein but as your duty is to do, being private Chri&s;tians, <HI>viz.</HI> to contribute bountiful|ly of your own e&s;tates; and the publick trea&s;ury being in your hands, to di&s;po&s;e a part thereof to this publick good work, but by no means (as I &s;aid before) by vertue of your authority, to impo&s;e any thing upon the con&s;cien|ces of particular people.</P>
<P>And thus by inviting tho&s;e that now preach onely in private to their Churches, to preach in publick, and incouraging and de&s;iring men of e&s;tates to preach the Go&s;pel freely, and by reducing two or three Pari&s;hes into one, and aboli&s;hing tithes, and &s;ilencing idle dreans, and making provi&s;ion for the maintenance of tho&s;e Go&s;pel-Preachers that have not e&s;tates out of the U|niver&s;ity lands and otherwi&s;e, you will do that which may very much tend to the propagation of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P N="6"><NOTE PLACE="marg">6. Prop. That the poor be &s;eriou&s;ly con&s;idered of, and &s;peedily provided for, being a work the Lord re|quires &s;pecial care &s;hould be taken of it.</NOTE>6. That you &s;eriou&s;ly and in good earne&s;t lay to heart the condition of the poor, and make it your care to provide for the &s;upply of their wants, and that con&s;ideration be had of their Condition before any rich mans ca&s;e what|&s;oever be taken into con&s;ideration, how neerly &s;o ever related to you, or any of you, (for I hope you will lay a&s;ide your &s;elves and your relations, and re|gard them rather le&s;&s;e than more than others) for certainly the crying of the poor, and the &s;ighing of the needy, maketh a louder noi&s;e in the ears of the Lord of Sabbath, than the complaints of any rich man what&s;oever; and his ear is more open to their cryes, and why &s;hould not yours? Tho&s;e pa&s;|&s;ages <HI>Deut.</HI> 24. from the 10. V. to the end of the Chapter, wherein there are &s;everal Laws made by God, in which he maketh provi&s;ion for the poor and needy, have taken great impre&s;&s;ion upon my heart, e&s;pecially con&s;idering that it is he that requires his people to do &s;o and &s;o in the behalf of the di&s;tre&s;&s;ed, and tells his people, that when they are compa&s;&s;ionate, and &s;hew acts of mer|cy and goodne&s;&s;e towards the poor, that he will ble&s;&s;e them for it in all the work of their hands, V. 19. and that it &s;hall be righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e unto them before the Lord their God, V. 13. which pa&s;&s;ages are worthy the &s;erious con|&s;ideration of every Saint, and e&s;pecially of tho&s;e that have mo&s;t power to help the poor, as your Honours have; for certainly this great duty of com|pa&s;&s;ion, and bowels of mercy and tenderne&s;&s;e, and doing good to the di&s;tre&s;|&s;ed
<PB N="9" REF="6">and needy, is more &s;trongly and eminently pre&s;t in the Go&s;pel, than in the Law: but O how little is it practi&s;ed (not to &s;ay in general in all Nations, but particularly) in <HI>England!</HI> it being a great &s;candal to religion in general, and a di&s;honor to the Nation al&s;o, that &s;o many beggars go up and down in all parts of this Nation as there do, &s;ome whereof may do it for nece&s;&s;ity, becau&s;e they cannot otherwi&s;e live, though mo&s;t do it out of idlene&s;&s;e, be|cau&s;e they will not work: wherfore if this cour&s;e were taken, that every one that goeth up and down begging were taken, and pre&s;ently carried to &s;ome work-hou&s;e, where they might be made to work, and allowed but &s;ome &s;hort al|lowance for their work, it would make them that are able to work to refrain going a begging, and to &s;et them&s;elves to &s;ome work or other whereby they might get more than po&s;&s;ibly they may have at &s;uch a work-hou&s;e. And for &s;uch as are poor, and withall known to be weak and &s;ickly, and unable to work, or have more children than their labour can afford bread for, it is a &s;ad thing, that among &s;uch as profe&s;&s;e them&s;elves to be Saints, they &s;hould be ex|po&s;ed to want bread. It is true; the Churches do make provi&s;ion for all their poor, but mu&s;t none but tho&s;e that are of Churches be provided for? as there are many godly people that are not in Church-fellow&s;hip, &s;o there may be many goodly poor al&s;o that are not in Church fellow&s;hip, which &s;hould be provided for, and not onely they, but others al&s;o, for we are to do good unto all, though e&s;pecially to tho&s;e who are of the hou&s;hold of &s;aith; and for this end it were nece&s;&s;ary that &s;ome way were found out for the &s;etting of all poor people a work, even &s;uch as do not beg (but will neer &s;tarve rather) but yet do want work, which they would willingly &s;et them&s;elves unto, if they had but work to do, and then for others that cannot work, &s;ome waies &s;hould be found out for their &s;upplies, and this might be one way.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">That the be|nefit of por|tage of letters may be con|verted to the u&s;e of the poor.</NOTE>That on the portage of all inland letters a price &s;hould be fixed at 3d a let|ter, or as your Honours &s;hall think fit, and that &s;ome faithfull men be im|ployed to mannage that bu&s;ine&s;s, who &s;hould be allowed &s;uch a certain &s;ti|pend, for &s;uch an imployment, and true accounts &s;hould be kept of what is received weekly for letters, and what is disbur&s;t quarterly or otherwi&s;e for the paying of &s;uch as are imployed in &s;everal places, about the carrying up and down of letters, and the remainder &s;hould come in for the u&s;e of the poor. And this being a publick thing, the benefit of it &s;hould not go into any pri|vate mens pur&s;es, and none of tho&s;e that are imployed about it &s;hould have more than they de&s;erve for their pains, and time &s;pent about doing the bu|&s;ine&s;s that concerns it, and &s;o &s;ome thou&s;ands of pounds might come in yearly to the poor that way.</P>
<P>Another way might be that a &s;eal might be made in every City, Town, and County, wherewith every con&s;iderable contract, bargain or agreement, be|tween man and man, &s;hould be &s;ealed, for the Ratification of it, and with|out which it &s;hould be of no force, for which &s;eal 6d. &s;hould be given which might be of great u&s;e to the publick, and bring in an in&s;en&s;ible income, for the u&s;e of the poor, faithfull men being appointed to be tho&s;e Seal-keepers, and to regi&s;ter all per&s;ons names, by whom &s;uch bargains are made, and &s;ealed, and the time when.</P>
<P>Other waies your Honours may al&s;o find out for the &s;upply of the poor, as you &s;ee occa&s;ion.</P>
<P N="7"><PB N="10" REF="7"><NOTE PLACE="marg">7. Propo&s;al. That the meaner &s;ort of people may have as much or more favour &s;hewn them in Courts of Ju|&s;tice or other wi&s;e than the riche&s;t &s;ort.</NOTE>7. Prop. That you having fir&s;t provided for the very poore&s;t &s;ort, then next that you con&s;ider the conditions of &s;uch as are next them and are in a mean condition, though not in &s;o mean a condition as to want bread, and to &s;tand in need of almes. And the con&s;ideration you are to have of their condition, is to provide that if they be wronged or defrauded by any, that you do them right, or appoint &s;ome to do them right, before you do &s;uch acts of ju&s;tice for per&s;ons of greater e&s;tates.</P>
<P>The ground of this propo&s;all is, becau&s;e it is ordinarily &s;o carried, that the rich mans cau&s;e is heard before the poors; but O do you extraordinary things and let not &s;uch corruptions be in your proceedings! and according to the peoples poverty or meane&s;s, wealth or riches, let care be taken for their relief, wherein they are wronged, and let the riche&s;t of all be relieved la&s;t of all, becau&s;e that ordinarily they have had relief fir&s;t formerly: But if this rea&s;on be not &s;ufficient then this is, Becau&s;e the riche&s;t are better able to bear delaies than meaner people are. But it is &s;ad to con&s;ider how contrary to this rule things have been formerly carried. As for in&s;tance, &s;everal &s;orts of peo|ple did contribute out of their e&s;tates in money and plate for the defence of the late Parliament, and the riche&s;t were fir&s;t paid, for they having money by them did double what was due to them, and had all their disbur&s;ements in lands, in which many of them had &s;uch good penyworths as it was bet|ter to them than ready money: But the poor that had not to double it, they could not have their money to this day, only there was an Act that all who&s;e debts were under ten pound, &s;hould be &s;atisfyed, by vertue of which Act, there were indeed a &s;mall number of poor people who&s;e debts were &s;atisfied. But alas there were many godly poor people that were &s;o zealous for that good cau&s;e that then was pro&s;ecuted; that they disbur&s;t, &s;ome above ten, others above twenty, thirty, fifty pounds for the Parliament, that it now may be, by rea&s;on of the warrs, and of their great &s;ufferings, have far le&s;s e&s;tates than many covetous per&s;ons that lent but 5 or 10. l. &s;o that &s;atis|faction &s;hould be made unto per&s;ons, &s;ooner or later, not according to the &s;um they disbur&s;t, but according to the pre&s;ent condition of meane&s;s, and ne|ce&s;&s;ities in which they are.</P>
<P N="8"><NOTE PLACE="marg">8. Propo&s;al. That Commi&s;+&s;ioners be ap|pointed to di&s;patch all bu&s;ine&s;&s;es and redre&s;s all grievances of people in the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;pective Counties where they <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">ve.]</NOTE>8. Prop. That a certain number of per&s;ons be authorized by you to &s;it as Commi&s;&s;ioners in every County, to hear the grievances of people, and to di&s;patch all bu&s;ine&s;s for them, that they be not inforced to come to <HI>Lon|don</HI> for every occa&s;ion, as they have hitherto done, and yet do (which is ex|ceeding chargeable to all, but e&s;pecially to tho&s;e that live in remote parts) to wait upon Commi&s;&s;ioners here 3 moneths, 6 moneths, and &s;ometimes 12 moneths together, but that tho&s;e people may have their bu&s;ine&s;s done with|in a daies walk of their own habitations, as it may very well be in &s;ome lit|tle Counties, if the Commi&s;&s;ioners do &s;it in the mo&s;t commodious place for &s;ituation in &s;uch Counties, not &s;o much aiming at the bigne&s;s, or largene&s;&s;e, of &s;uch a Town or village, as the Situation of it, and in other Counties that are larger, there may be Commi&s;&s;ioners appointed to &s;it in two, or three &s;everal places in tho&s;e Counties, according to the largene&s;s of them, that &s;o it may be as ea&s;ie for them to di&s;patch bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, as for tho&s;e that are in le&s;&s;e Counties; and bu&s;ine&s;s might be thus carried on with le&s;&s;e charge to the Commonwealth in general, and be le&s;&s;e burt hen&s;ome to the particular mem|bers
<PB N="11" REF="7">of it, than now it is, As for in&s;tance, The Commi&s;&s;ioners for com|pounding, and the Commi&s;&s;ioners for removing Ob&s;tructions, and the Com|mi&s;&s;ioners for &s;ale of Lands, do all &s;it here, and all that have any bu&s;ine&s;s in either of the&s;e ca&s;es, mu&s;t attend them here, though they live as far as <HI>Cornwall</HI> and <HI>York &s;hire,</HI> and here wait &s;everal moneths before their bu&s;ine&s;s can be di&s;patched, whereas were there Commi&s;&s;ioners authorized to fit in every County, to di&s;patch the &s;ame bu&s;ine&s;&s;es, The rules which are pre&s;cri|bed to the&s;e here to proceed by, would al&s;o &s;erve for all the Commi&s;&s;ioners in every County, and bu&s;ine&s;s might be far better carried on; for they &s;itting in every County, would be better enabled to take cognizance of every par|ticular mans ca&s;e, than the&s;e here can; for here they take the oaths of they know not whom, and acording to tho&s;e oaths whether true or fal&s;e they pa&s;s the bu&s;ine&s;s; whereas in each particular County they might have more cleer knowledge what the per&s;ons are that &s;wear to &s;uch or &s;uch a thing, and be able to judge of what credit their oathes are, which here they can|not do: and then for the worth and value of Lands, they might be beter, and more fully informed than the&s;e Commi&s;&s;ioners here can; for they tru&s;t to their Surveyors, and the&s;e Surveyors may be and &s;ometimes are bribed, and lands are and have been undervalued, to the great prejudice of the Common-wealth. In the&s;e and &s;everall other re&s;pects, great inconvenien|ces come, for want of Commi&s;&s;ioners &s;itting in every County, for the relief of the people, and the righting of the Commonwealth.</P>
<P N="9"><NOTE PLACE="marg">9. Propo&s;al. That all un|profitable and &s;tri&s;-increa&s;|ing and &s;ub|&s;tance-devour|ing laws, and Lawiers be a|boli&s;hed and abandoned.</NOTE>9. Prop. That you do wholly aboli&s;h and repeal tho&s;e great and tedious volumes of Law, that are either in a &s;trange tongue or otherwi&s;e (which &s;erve for no other end, but to enrich the Lawyers, and impoveri&s;h others) and prepare in&s;tead thereof only &s;ome plain brief generall rules, which all men may be acquainted with, and appoint onely &s;uch pious, faithful and di&s;creet men, for the admini&s;tration of Ju&s;tice, as never knew what tho&s;e old laws meant, leaving them to do in matters of ju&s;tice what the Law of God, and nature guides them to; very much whereof is contained in this, that men do as they would be done unto: for the happine&s;&s;e of a people will never con|&s;i&s;t in good lawes, but in good Magi&s;trates, or admini&s;trators of Ju&s;tice, and you need not fear to aboli&s;h tho&s;e old ambiguous, &s;trife-increa&s;ing, and &s;ub&s;tance devouring laws, for fear that you &s;hall not find men enough fit, and able to judge with more righteous Judgement, then tho&s;e lawes of them&s;elves can guide them to; for ble&s;&s;ed be the great God he hath poured out his &s;pirit upon many already, and without all di&s;pute, he will pour out of that &s;pirit of his more and more, upon his people in the&s;e our daies; for the Kingdome and appearing of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, is now near at hand, it is even at the door<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">My ground for this are laid down a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> large in my Book entitu|led, <HI>New Je|ru&s;alems Glo|ry.</HI></NOTE>, and be you &s;trong and of good courage, and do his work, and your Lord when he cometh will ble&s;&s;e and reward you, if he find you &s;o doing.</P>
<P N="10"><NOTE PLACE="marg">10. Propo&s;al. That none be henceforth con&s;tituted Ju&s;tice of the Peace or ad|mini&s;trators of Ju&s;tice but <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">uch as are <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">en fearing God and hat|ting covetou&s;|ne&s;s.</NOTE>10. Prop. That you pick out the choice&s;t men in each County for holy|ne&s;s of life, and freedome from covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and for wi&s;dome, prudence and under&s;tanding, whether rich men, or mean men, for the mannaging of your waightie&s;t bu&s;ine&s;s, as to be Commi&s;&s;ioners, and doers of ju&s;tice between man and man, &amp; put down the&s;e old cu&s;tomes, of making the rich|e&s;t men of the places where they live, Aldermen, and Ju&s;tices of the Peace,
<PB N="12" REF="8">though they be very Dunces, and very profane in their lives, who cannot cha&s;ti&s;e &s;wearers and bla&s;phemers, becau&s;e they are &s;uch them&s;elves, nor drunkards, becau&s;e it is a vice they are guilty of them&s;elves; the like may be &s;aid of other vices; but let it be your &s;pecial care that faithfull and di&s;creet men be appointed to admini&s;ter ju&s;tice throughout the Nation; and then for other imployments, as the Cu&s;tom offices, and the like, if there be not godly men enough to be found for them, they may be di&s;po&s;ed of to others, that are of mo&s;t civil and blamele&s;&s;e conver&s;ation; but if Godly and con&s;cien|tious men may be found for all, then &s;uch &s;hould be cho&s;en before others, and things &s;hould not be carryed as they have lately been, that enemies and men of vicious lives &s;hould be imployed, when hone&s;t and faithful men that have &s;uffered much for their faithfulne&s;&s;e to the Common wealth, could never yet be imployed, becau&s;e they had not &s;o many friends to &s;peak for them, nor did not &s;o eagerly &s;eek after places as others did.</P>
<P N="11"><NOTE PLACE="marg">11. Prop. That no offi|cer that &s;erves the Common wealth in &s;uch <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">mployments as are not ha|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ardous to their lives or <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ealths be al|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">owed more <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">han 200 l. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">er annum.</NOTE>11. Prop. That moderate and rea&s;onable &s;tipends, be allowed unto all tho&s;e that are imployed, that they may have no temptation to do the work grudg|ingly, or &s;paringly, but may dilligently attend it, as they ought to do, pro|vided it be no &s;uch &s;tipend as may enrich men, but that it may be accoun|ted a di&s;honourable thing for to have it &s;aid that &s;uch a man was but in a mean condition the other day, and now is enricht by the publick trea&s;ure, I mean for &s;uch men as live at home and in ea&s;e, and do not at all hazard their lives, or health, or limbs, for the publick welfare; but as for &s;uch as &s;o do, it would be ingratitude in a high degree, if they were not well rewarded; but it is no ingratitude to give tho&s;e men but mean rewards, that do but mean a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">d ea&s;y &s;ervices; for to be Commi&s;&s;ioner of the Cu&s;toms is ea&s;ie &s;ervice, and to be a Trea&s;urer or the like, is ea&s;ie &s;ervice, and ordinary rewards may &s;uffice for them, &s;o that no man for the di&s;charge of &s;uch offices, &s;hould have more than 150 l. or 200 l. <HI>per annum,</HI> even they that have mo&s;t, and are in the mo&s;t honourable of &s;uch imployments, and others but 40.50.60. or 100 l. <HI>per an|num,</HI> according to the quality &s;uch per&s;ons have lived in, and the imploy|ment they &s;hall be fit for: for &s;ome men of mean parts, may be fit onely for mean imployments; whereas other imployments require men of better parts, learning and abilities for the mannaging of them, and &s;uch men as have been &s;o brought up, and are &s;o quallified, will de&s;erve greater &s;tipends an&s;wera|ble thereunto; but any man though he hath five or &s;ix children, may main|tain his family very comfortably with 200 a year, though not in outward &s;tate and pomp, and needle&s;&s;e vanities, in maintaining mu&s;ick and dancing-Ma&s;ters to teach their children, and decking of them in &s;ilks and &s;ilver, and the like; men that have e&s;tates of their own before, may do in the&s;e things what they plea&s;e, but it &s;hould never be &s;aid that the publick trea&s;ure &s;hould be &s;o expended, for there are many other more nece&s;&s;ary things to be done there|with, and not to be&s;tow a thou&s;and, or five hundred, or three hundred a year either, upon any man that is imployed in ea&s;y and peaceable imployments at home.</P>
<P>And &s;ome Gentlemen of noble and publick &s;pirits, who are men of great gifts for under&s;tanding and prudence, and have withall a holy heart, and zealous for God, who have great e&s;tates of their own, will be found no doubt ready and free when&s;oever they &s;hall be de&s;ired to officiate in Honou|rable
<PB N="13" REF="8">imployments (as in being admini&s;trators of ju&s;tice and Commi&s;&s;ioners in other ca&s;es, &amp;c.) and will not take any reward at all for it, but do it out of de&s;ire to be doing &s;ervice for Chri&s;t, and to be improving their Talents for his u&s;e, but will be unwilling that ever it &s;hould be &s;aid that they were made rich by the Common-wealths Trea&s;ure, (as to the Honour of many no|ble Gentlemen in the Land, it may be yet &s;aid of them they have not medled with it) even &s;uch as <HI>Abraham</HI> as would not take of the King of <HI>Sodom</HI> the worth of a thread even to a &s;hoe latchet, le&s;t it &s;hould be &s;aid he had made <HI>Abraham</HI> rich. But other men of mean e&s;tates being men of large abilities, and of great Wi&s;dom and Prudence, and Piety, being imployed in &s;uch of|fices (for want of rich men enough &s;o qualified) &s;hould be allowed as afore&s;aid.</P>
<P N="12"><NOTE PLACE="marg">12. Prop. That no more of the lands belon<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">+ing to the Common|wealth be henceforth &s;old, but re|&s;erved to ea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> the people Taxes &amp; Ex+ci&s;e &amp; cu&s;tom</NOTE>12. Prov. That you &s;ell no more of tho&s;e Lands that are forfeited to the Common-wealth, either in <HI>England, Scotland</HI> or <HI>Ireland,</HI> than of meer nece&s;|&s;ity you mu&s;t, at the lea&s;t that you do not &s;ell them wholly, but &s;ell them one|ly for &s;even or ten years time, that &s;o afterward they may come into the pub|lick cu&s;tody again, and &s;erve to defray publick charges, that &s;o taxes, exci&s;e, and cu&s;tomes, tho&s;e great burdens of the people may be taken off.</P>
<P>And thus I leave the&s;e few Propo&s;als to your Honours &s;erious-con&s;iderati|ons, having great expectations that the Lord will make of you repayers of breaches and re&s;torers of paths to dwell in.</P>
<P>And that to this end he will powre out his Spirit upon you, even the Spi|rit of Wi&s;dome, and Under&s;tanding, the Spirit of Coun&s;el and Might, and the Spirit of Knowledge, and of the Fear of the Lord, that &s;o you may be of quick under&s;tanding in the fear of the Lord, and may judge with Righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the Earth<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 11.2.</NOTE>, as it is &s;aid your Lord and Ma&s;ter Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;hall do when he cometh, is the fervent prayer of.</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>Right Honourable,</SALUTE>
<SIGNED><HI>The unworthy &s;er|vant of Chri&s;t and his people,</HI> M. R.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE><HI>London,</HI> <DATE><HI>July</HI> 7^t^h 1653.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
