<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2011-06-24</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Kayla Ondracek</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Checklist: x Add TEMPHEAD, change DATE, validate x Add DIV TYPEs, validate x Review structure, use BODY or rarely GROUP x Check PB placement and completeness, ensure sequence of N="" x Proof title page(s) x Check HEAD TRAILER ARGUMENT EPIGRAPH OPENER CLOSER SIGNED SALUTE BYLINE x Check ^, oe, abq, italic I / J, _Initals, space between &amp;c. x Check # @ -- UNCLEAR LB FIGURE x Check q; startq endq Q x Search for GAPs x Correct illegibles from proofsheet x Check illegible page, para, line, span, word, dollar signs x Final validate Corrected [ ] illegible groups out of [ ]. Converted [ ] illegible groups to GAP DESC="illegible". DONE</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A91886">
<STC T="W">R1678</STC>
<STC T="T">E575_31</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99863351</BIBNO>
<VID>165455</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P> A SHORT DISCOURSE BETWEEN MONARCHICAL AND ARISTOCRATICAL Government.</P>
<P>Or a Sober per&s;wa&s;ive of all true-hearted Engli&s;hmen, to a willing conjun|ction with the <HI>PARLIAMENT</HI> of <HI>ENGLAND</HI> In &s;etting up the Government of a Common-wealth.</P>
<P>By a true Engli&s;hman, and Well-wi&s;her to the good of this NATION.</P>
<P><HI>Ad juga cur faciles populi cur &s;aeva volentes Regna pati; Pereunt.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Quoniam non contenti certa libertate in dubiam imperii &s;ervitiique aleam imus.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL>1 SAM. 8. 6, 7.</BIBL>
<P><HI>In asking a King, they have not rejected me, but thee, that I &s;hould not raign over them.</HI></P></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>John Macock</HI> for <HI>Francis Tyton,</HI> and are to be &s;old at his &s;hop at the three Daggers neer the <HI>Inner-Temple, Fleet&s;treet.</HI> 1649.</P>
<PB REF="2">
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="3" REF="2">
<HEAD>A Short Di&s;cour&s;e BETWEEN MONARCHICAL, AND ARISTOCRATICAL Government.</HEAD>
<P>_IT is not to be expected by any wi&s;e, or con&s;iderate per&s;on, to finde an exact Logical &s;eries, or Mathe|matical Demon&s;tration in Publike or Political Tran&s;|actions; In which, as there are commonly many un|known difficulties to be waded through, &s;o there are multitudes of emergencies (not po&s;&s;ible to be be fore&s;een) dayly breaking forth, which give cau&s;e, as of altering mens thoughts, &s;o of changing, and &s;hifting the <HI>Medi|ums,</HI> by which they &s;hould have been at fir&s;t effected. Nor can it be imagined, That the ab&s;olute order of Nature &s;hould be &s;trictly kept in the&s;e affairs, which only <HI>Prudence,</HI> and <HI>Providence</HI> Govern.</P>
<PB N="4" REF="3">
<P> The want of &s;uch like con&s;iderations as the&s;e, hath been a great rea|&s;on of the di&s;contents, and di&s;affections of the mo&s;t &s;pirits, concerning the management of the great concernment of this Nation. Some have looked more after <HI>Modum,</HI> then <HI>Rem,</HI> the circum&s;tance, then the acti|on; rather how things are done, then what is done, thinking nothing well done, but what they have either been predominant in&s;truments in them&s;elves, or el&s;e could Analitically re&s;olve, according to the rule of their own prejudiced apprehen&s;ions. It is to be acknowledged, That of late (through the Apo&s;tacy of &s;ome, and the Indifferency of others, and the change of many &s;pirits by cunning, yet Malignant influences) our affaires in this Nation, for the external, and circum&s;tantial acting of them, have not gone one &s;o &s;moothly, or takingly unto every &s;pirit; pre&s;ent nece&s;&s;ity, ab&s;olute conveniency, and providence (which e&s;peci|ally hath had a &s;upremacy over them) putting us on many &s;uddain o|vertures, and to leap over many le&s;&s;er things (which &s;ome think con|&s;iderable) yea, hath forc'd us to do much at once, and to ha&s;ten on to the&s;e works, which at another time, and in &s;ome other ca&s;es, would have admitted many &s;teps and degrees, in the attaining of them. Though it's no great di&s;advantage to a work, if it be done throughly, that it's done &s;uddainly, and expeditiou&s;ly; yea, many times, more time and co&s;t is &s;pent in a Ceremony, then by diligent pro&s;ecution of advantages, would be to attain the thing it &s;elf. As in great mens hou&s;es, the paint and the hangings, co&s;t more then the hou&s;e it &s;elf. But be&s;ides, the nature of &s;ome affairs call for a doing them now or never; and men being remote from the Actors, and &s;o unacquainted with the pre&s;ent grounds, and rea&s;ons on which they are acted, &s;torm at that, which they them&s;elves in the &s;ame ca&s;e, and on the &s;ame principles, would be mo&s;t forward to attempt; not con&s;idering (until it come to their own ca&s;es) That where men have to deal with humors, as well as per|&s;ons, with Forces, and Fictions, with general, and particular, Subor|dinate, Divided, and Sub-divided Intere&s;ts, &s;ome &s;pecial liberty mu&s;t be given, to act according to pre&s;ent overtures, and &s;ome occult rea&s;ons pre-&s;uppo&s;ed, which every eye cannot, nor may not look into.</P>
<P>The&s;e things premi&s;ed; He that with a &s;ober, and untainted judge|ment, con&s;iders the late Tran&s;actions of the Parliament, and Army, with the King, Their own members, and the changing of the former Go|vernment, into a <HI>Common-wealth,</HI> hath more rea&s;on to be a&s;toni&s;hed at what is done, then be di&s;contented at the way, and manner of do|ing them; no man being able to imagine, That by any means what e|ver
<PB N="5" REF="3"> we &s;hould have been able to attain to the condition we are now in, and e&s;pecially not &s;o &s;uddenly, and with &s;o much advantage, to free our &s;elves from &s;uch a yoke, that neither our fathers nor we were able to bear; and certainly had not there bin &s;omething divine in it, (which men care not to ob&s;erve) and had not the finger of the <HI>Almighty</HI> wrought it for us, we had been far from &s;o much as a hope of recovery, and ere this day had been reduced to a wor&s;e bondage then ever <HI>England</HI> yet &s;aw<HI>:</HI> And if we will con&s;ider what &s;traits and extremities they have been often put unto, by the fal&s;ene&s;s of &s;ome, and the folly of others, what varieties of difficulties they have been encompa&s;&s;ed about with, through the malice of the common enemy, and the imprudence of their own friends, and &s;ubtle de&s;igns of many pretented <HI>Patriots,</HI> we &s;hall &s;ee cau&s;e enough to wonder where we are come, and by what a miracu|lous &s;train of providence they have been carryed on to this happy change: And however things may be repre&s;ented in the Gla&s;&s;es of <HI>Malignant and humorous Spirits,</HI> yet if men will make u&s;e of a plain <HI>Optique,</HI> and not look through their <HI>PASSI|ONS</HI> or <HI>ENGAGEMENTS,</HI> they will &s;ee no &s;uch <HI>Di&s;proportion</HI> between the fir&s;t <HI>PRINCIPLE</HI> of this <HI>WAR,</HI> and the pre&s;ent actings of things, e&s;pecially (con&s;idering how we have been led into them) though the fir&s;t In&s;truments could not &s;ee the ultimate end at &s;o great a di&s;tance of time, and through &s;o many mountains of difficulties that lay in their way: God him&s;elf al&s;o is (who loves to <HI>non-plus</HI> the be&s;t of men) by his providence acting his own de&s;igns, beyond the fir&s;t motions and intentions of men.</P>
<P>As the fir&s;t beginnings of all things are u&s;ually fair and mode&s;t, &s;o were they among us in the beginning of this War; and though our fir&s;t principle was fundamental, and large enough, when we took up Arms, <HI>viz. The Liberties of this Nation,</HI> from that Tyrannical Power which was exerci&s;ed by the late <HI>King,</HI> and for the &s;etting up a free Court of Ju&s;tice in the <HI>Nation,</HI> in order to which, care was taken to put the power of the <HI>Militia</HI> in the be&s;t hands we could find, yet the hopes we then had of a &s;udden effecting it, and that by the fir&s;t means we could u&s;e, and the controver&s;ie being &s;uddenly to be debated, and hone&s;t men not &s;o well acquainted with their own priviledges, nor the ground of the quarrel, the Parliament was con&s;trained to expre&s;s great re&s;pects to the <HI>King,</HI> and to &s;tate the difference very tenderly, and put all the weight of mi&s;carriages on his Councel, &s;alving as much as they could his honour, yea made many Engagements for advancing of his
<PB N="6" REF="4"> Grandure and Maje&s;ty, which was carefully kept and ob&s;erved, as ho|ne&s;tly intended, until that the nece&s;&s;ity of affairs grew on, and the <HI>King</HI> took advantage by all re&s;pects to harden his own heart, and had quite changed his own condition from what it was when the&s;e Engagements were made; yea, almo&s;t all the <HI>principles</HI> and <HI>&s;pirits</HI> of men, both in <HI>Parliament, City</HI> and <HI>Country,</HI> being altered, by the &s;ubtle In&s;inuations of the <HI>King</HI> and his <HI>Agents,</HI> and not only a fir&s;t but &s;econd War levyed by the <HI>Kings Commi&s;&s;ion</HI> again&s;t the <HI>Parliament,</HI> more dangerous then the former, though miraculou&s;ly pa&s;t over: It was now time to take the advantage of providence, and make u&s;e of that hone&s;t power yet left to pro&s;ecute our fir&s;t <HI>principles</HI> to the be&s;t end, and go through with that which we did but dally with before; and &s;eeing that the <HI>King</HI> was the only cau&s;e of the fir&s;t and &s;econd War, and of corrupt|ing all <HI>intere&s;ts</HI> and <HI>&s;pirits</HI> which ever came nigh him, and that his evil Councel (on whom all was formerly laid) was &s;eque&s;tred from him, and yet the &s;ame things and wor&s;e done by him, could imagine no other Expedient to pre&s;erve the <HI>Nation,</HI> but by removing the prime cau&s;e of their mi&s;ery; and &s;eeing the di&s;ea&s;e was grown de&s;perate to apply a remedy proportionable. That if any thing have been acted, that &s;eems <HI>Heterodox</HI> to our fir&s;t Intentions and Engagements, it hath been but to follow the <HI>King,</HI> who fru&s;trated all our hopes, and grew to be &s;o dan|gerous and implacable an Enemy, that he left us no other remedy but his death to give us any hope of recovery. And now you &s;ee that we are like to attain our End, Liberty and Ju&s;tice, though we could not at fir&s;t &s;ee the way how, and it's brought about by other <HI>mediums</HI> then we fir&s;t intended it; neither is any di&s;paragement to us, that our <HI>Liber|ties</HI> are procured by &s;uch a <HI>Royal Sacrifice.</HI> But it is in vain to repeat; Tho&s;e which &s;tumble &s;o much at that unparaleld, and mo&s;t <HI>glorious act of Ju&s;tice</HI> done on the late <HI>King,</HI> may be de&s;ired to con&s;ider, what way el&s;e was left us to pre&s;erve the hone&s;t party of this <HI>Nation,</HI> yea the whole <HI>Nation</HI> be&s;ides; and to prefer the life of our grand Enemy before the good of a <HI>Nation,</HI> is fooli&s;h pity indeed: for that our <HI>Liberty</HI> and his <HI>life</HI> were grown to be incompetible, and incon&s;i&s;tent, is mo&s;t demon|&s;trative, &s;eeing he was not &s;o much as &s;en&s;ible of any mi&s;carriages, nor repented of a drop of blood &s;hed &s;o plentifully by his <HI>Commi&s;&s;ion,</HI> but grew &s;o hardned, that he would rather dye, then con&s;ent to the&s;e ab&s;o|lute and ju&s;t grounds of <HI>Liberty and Safety</HI> that the <HI>Parliament</HI> &s;o often &s;ent him, in order to his advancement, and the &s;ecurity of the <HI>Kingdom.</HI> What ever had been done be&s;ides, would have been but
<PB N="7" REF="4"> the skinning over the wound while it did inwardly fe&s;ter and gangrene, and have given our Enemies advantage to undo us by our own re|&s;pects, which they could not by their open ho&s;tility and force.</P>
<P>But I am &s;orry I have detained the Reader &s;o long from a ready com|pliance with this pre&s;ent <HI>Government,</HI> by repeating the mi&s;eries of the old: But it's good &s;ometimes to look back, that we may &s;ee what Mercies we enjoy at pre&s;ent. For my part, I cannot but think that <HI>Scaffold</HI> &s;acred, and no other Sacrifice could have been &s;o expiatory before God, or men, for that Blood which hath been &s;hed in this <HI>Na|tion,</HI> then His who was the onely cau&s;e of it; And yet I cannot blame tho&s;e that think him to be above Law, &s;hould judg him to be above puni&s;hment: And though, unto &s;ome tender &s;pirits, it may &s;eem hard, and of ill con&s;equence, yet, upon &s;econd thoughts, they will &s;ee it nece&s;&s;ary, and ju&s;t, and the fruits an&s;werable, if our new <HI>di&s;contexts,</HI> as well as former <HI>pity,</HI> and <HI>indulgence,</HI> do not fru&s;trate it: And cer|tainly our <HI>Ancestors,</HI> were they alive, would admire their <HI>Childrens</HI> fortunes and happine&s;s, who have had the opportunity to act that, which they thought (but dur&s;t not &s;peak) would be their greate&s;t Mercy, <HI>viz. To ca&s;t off that u&s;urped Government, which they felt the Tyranny and Oppre&s;&s;ion of &s;o many years, without hope of Remedy.</HI> But if any thing of Con&s;cience &s;hould be in that, your di&s;&s;ent and non|acting may &s;atisfie you, and their acting again&s;t them, who held their Judgments well informed, and acted accordingly in that great and impartial work of Ju&s;tice: Let us therefore forget the&s;e things which are impo&s;&s;ible to be helped, and fall on to tho&s;e things which are po&s;|&s;ible, and nece&s;&s;ary; and labor to be as con&s;cientious in avoyding ways of making new Divi&s;ions, as we are in remembering former Mi&s;car|riages: We are now (through providence) on a new Foundation, and have time to con&s;ider our own good, and want nothing to make us the happie&s;t <HI>Nation</HI> under the Sun, but the ble&s;&s;ing of the <HI>Gospel,</HI> which yet we have, (and are like to have it &s;hine in greater &s;plendor,) and a hearty and free compliance with the <HI>Government</HI> now &s;et up, by all hone&s;t and ingenuous men, who mean to &s;hare in the fruits of <HI>Truth</HI> and <HI>Peace</HI> together.</P>
<P>And truly Prudence and Rea&s;on, that teacheth men to make ver|tues of nece&s;&s;ities, may well make men ingenuous in improving advan|tages and conveniences. I know there are many &s;orts of men to be delt with in this <HI>paranatick:</HI> Some who can onely be per&s;waded by force and violence, as <HI>Malignants</HI> and <HI>debauched &s;pirits;</HI> and we can onely
<PB N="8" REF="5"> &s;ecure their per&s;ons, hardly ever gain their con&s;ents, they have drank &s;o deeply of that cup of delu&s;ion: Yet the remembrance of their former Compo&s;itions may po&s;&s;ibly aw them, and &s;crue them into obedience. I have better matter to deal withal in this Di&s;cour&s;e, <HI>viz.</HI> with hone&s;t hearts, which are either mi&s;carryed through deceitful pretences, or di&s;|contented through mi&s;taken apprehen&s;ions, or have been at lea&s;t di&s;|heartened through want of ob&s;ervance of Gods actings in the&s;e affairs, and &s;o &s;it at too great a di&s;tance from compliance with this pre&s;ent <HI>Go|vernment:</HI> For it's mo&s;t true, that as many men get their own ends through pretence of Religion, &s;o others weakly look on Religion through the di&s;guizes of cunning Politicians, which they conver&s;e with|all. And it hath been a great mi&s;ery to our Cau&s;e, That hone&s;t men have, either in the actings of things, con&s;ul<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ed too much with fle&s;h and blood, or &s;uffered them&s;elves to be abu&s;ed by the &s;pecious in&s;inuations of tho&s;e men, who have had no re&s;erve of honor and re&s;pect, but what they could get by &s;uch &s;tratagems. I dare not undertake to plead for any per&s;on, or party, or to ju&s;tifie men in any thing; I am now pleading for a common good, by a convenient <HI>Government,</HI> (though I know no rea&s;on why men &s;hould di&s;-affect good things out of any prejudice to parties and per&s;ons). I can love Gold, though in the Oar, and prize Diamonds, though unfiled and un&s;et: But to the thing. It is not onely to be wi&s;hed and de&s;ired, but that which all hone&s;t men (who love the Intere&s;t of <HI>England,</HI> and de&s;ire to &s;ee but any comfortable i&s;&s;ue of the&s;e late &s;ad Di&s;tractions) &s;hould be engaged in, unanimou&s;ly to clo&s;e in with the pre&s;ent Overtures, and promote, by all means and faith|fulne&s;s, the <HI>Government</HI> &s;et up by the <HI>Parliament,</HI> and laying a&s;ide all particular animo&s;ities, and waving le&s;&s;er differences, pa&s;s an Act of Obli|vion for all former mi&s;carriages, whether real or &s;uppo&s;ed, and take the advantage of advancing our good by the pre&s;ent opportunity, having cau&s;e to fear, that if we neglect this, we &s;hall never enjoy the like ad|vantage for <HI>Truth and Liberty.</HI></P>
<P>And lea&s;t men might pretend Con&s;cience or Rea&s;on to countenance their di&s;-affection to this <HI>Government of a Commonwealth,</HI> I &s;hall hum|bly entreat hone&s;t men to con&s;ider, That there is no &s;uch &s;upernatural &s;tamp, or <HI>Jus Divinum,</HI> &s;et on <HI>Monarchical Government,</HI> which &s;hould engage mens hearts unto it &s;o peculiarly, more then on any other, excepting onely &s;uch a <HI>State</HI> which hath not form and order in it. What ever mens affections may be to one Government more then ano|ther, I know not, but there is no Divine Character of re&s;pect more on
<PB N="9" REF="5"> one then other; But God, who is a God of Order, hath ordained <HI>Go|vernments,</HI> and delights to &s;ee his <HI>Creatures</HI> made happy by them, and therefore hath left them to choo&s;e what they think may be mo&s;t fit for that end, and to call it by what name they plea&s;e; and that <HI>Govern|ment</HI> which is in one place called, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>an Ordinance of God,</HI> is in another called, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>a creature, or institution of man,</HI> the power it &s;elf being from God, the di&s;tinction and per&s;onal admi|ni&s;tration from man; and if it were not &s;o, no <HI>Government</HI> but one could be lawful, or to be obeyed by any people as an Ordinance of <HI>God:</HI> And by con&s;equence, if <HI>Monarchy</HI> have this impre&s;sion onely from Heaven no <HI>Government</HI> but that is to be accounted lawful, or obedi|ence to it from any <HI>&s;piritual rule</HI> but <HI>force and nece&s;&s;ity,</HI> which not any that hath his veins never &s;o full of royal blood will maintain. Tho&s;e that take the <HI>divinity</HI> of Regal power from its &s;imilitude and likene&s;s it hath unto God and his Supremacy, and onene&s;s in the <HI>Government</HI> of the World, plead rather for the <HI>Turki&s;h,</HI> or <HI>Ru&s;&s;ian Monarchy,</HI> then for <HI>Englands,</HI> they holding for a more exact likene&s;s to God (in their &s;ence) ruling all by their own wills independently from any; whereas onely that <HI>Government</HI> hath Gods heart in it &s;pecially which is founded in <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> and propagated by <HI>Ju&s;tice,</HI> and doth mo&s;t ble&s;s a <HI>Na|tion</HI> with <HI>Truth</HI> and <HI>Peace</HI> But if men will refer the judgment of <HI>Mo|narchy</HI> to what God &s;ays of it when it was fir&s;t mentioned to him by his own People, as de&s;irous to be under it, it's mo&s;t ob&s;ervable (though I would not make it an argument) That no di&s;tinct <HI>Order of Govern|ment</HI> had ever &s;uch a &s;ignal blur, and &s;tamp of di&s;like from God, as <HI>Mo|narchy,</HI> nor did ever any people receive a publique check from Heaven for choo&s;ing any <HI>Government,</HI> but <HI>King-&s;hip;</HI> and it &s;tands on re|cord to this day, that God was di&s;plea&s;ed but at the <HI>motion of the chil|dren of I&s;rael to have a King,</HI> as the <HI>Heathens,</HI> they being not content with the wi&s;dom of God, who cho&s;e another <HI>Government</HI> for them, as better, and more fit for hone&s;t and godly men, he gave them a <HI>King,</HI> but in <HI>wrath.</HI> And if God were &s;o di&s;plea&s;ed with them, but for ask|ing a King after the manner of the <HI>Heathens,</HI> which King God him&s;elf &s;hould have a vote in the choyce of, how will he be with us, who will have a King which God hath rejected.</P>
<P>But though many good hearts may think the <HI>jus divinum</HI> to be alike, yet they may finde many Obligations to <HI>Kingly Government</HI> in <HI>Eng|land</HI> which are &s;acred, and may lie on their Con&s;ciences as an impedi|ment to a full clo&s;ing with this <HI>Government,</HI> which they may in
<PB N="10" REF="6"> Rea&s;on be convinced is fit and nece&s;&s;ary.</P>
<P>I confe&s;s there is nothing of more reverence in the eyes of any &s;erious &s;pirit then &s;olemn <HI>Oaths and Covenants,</HI> whereby men are obliged to God as well as men, and have their Con&s;ciences to an&s;wer as well as Rea&s;on: Yet there may be too &s;cruplous a Con&s;cience, and many times Con&s;cience is made too great a pretence and covert for <HI>inward malig|nity,</HI> and di&s;like of things them&s;elves. Yet what ever pretence men may make of their <HI>Obligation by Oath to another Government,</HI> &s;uch <HI>Oaths</HI> cannot be binding now, when not onely the <HI>per&s;ons,</HI> but the <HI>Govern|ment</HI> it &s;elf is removed; the very Commands of God, which are affir|mative, binde not <HI>ad &s;emper</HI> to all times and particular movements; and I hope no godly man thinks any other <HI>Covenant</HI> to be everla&s;ting, but the <HI>Covenant of Grace.</HI> We all grant, that no <HI>Oath</HI> bindes me when I am dead, neither can any <HI>Oath</HI> binde me to dead per&s;ons, or things not in being; and what ever <HI>Oaths</HI> men have taken, relating to the per&s;on of the <HI>late King,</HI> or that <HI>Government,</HI> cannot be in force, but mu&s;t needs be out of date, and unobliging, when the per&s;on is dead, and the <HI>Government</HI> it &s;elf nece&s;&s;arily altered; e&s;pecially when the matter a|bout which the <HI>Oath</HI> made is civil and changeable, and made not ab|&s;olutely, but conditionally, as the late <HI>Covenant</HI> was, we binding our &s;elves <HI>to pre&s;erve his Majesties per&s;on, &amp;c. in the Pre&s;ervation of Re|ligion and Liberty,</HI> which we have found ab&s;olutely contrary, and in|con&s;i&s;tent together. And let me &s;ay, it were to be wi&s;hed, that this <HI>tenderne&s;s of Con&s;cience</HI> were in &s;ome of the &s;cruplers about this <HI>Go|vernment;</HI> formerly, when the <HI>Covenant</HI> and <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Govern|ment</HI> was fir&s;t urged, the matters of which were &s;acred, as well as the <HI>Oath</HI> it &s;elf, and yet nothing would then &s;erve, but <HI>force and violence, bani&s;hment,</HI> with many &s;uch <HI>threats,</HI> to tho&s;e that would not &s;ub|mit to it, the matter and manner of which belonged properly to Con|&s;cience, and was controverted by the be&s;t and able&s;t men, and yet a rational di&s;&s;ent by one &s;ide entred, and the thing it &s;elf hardly deter|minable in &s;ome points: But I am for union, and may not open old &s;ores: It's well the Cau&s;e is changed, and the Tryal come about to others, that they may know what Con&s;cience means Yet it's &s;till to be de&s;ired, that men would con&s;ider, what &s;in again&s;t any mans <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> it can be, to joyn in with a <HI>Government,</HI> which is not onely mo&s;t lawful in it &s;elf, but mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary at pre&s;ent? or how they can in Con&s;cience (without &s;ome other Rea&s;on) maintain their <HI>engagements</HI> to a <HI>non-entity?</HI> or how they can di&s;charge their <HI>Con&s;cience</HI> from one <HI>&s;in,</HI> by
<PB N="11" REF="6"> doing <HI>another?</HI> or make an <HI>atonement</HI> for pre&s;ent di&s;obedience to an Ordinance of God, (as every <HI>Government</HI> in it &s;elf is) by former pre|tended <HI>Obligation</HI> to that which they have not at pre&s;ent, or, it may be, never &s;hall have <HI>opportunity</HI> to perform.</P>
<P>I know the <HI>Parliament</HI> will have regard to <HI>tender Con&s;ciences,</HI> and lay nothing which may be a <HI>burthen</HI> on them: But it will be very &s;ad and ominous, that all mens <HI>malignity and &s;tate-distempers</HI> &s;hould have &s;uch a plau&s;ible di&s;guize as <HI>Con&s;cience;</HI> or that nece&s;&s;ary and civil af|fairs, which are but reductively and &s;econdarily belonging to <HI>Con&s;ci|ence,</HI> &s;hould be &s;imple, and ab&s;olutely de&s;troyed by &s;uch a plea, which is common to one as well as another. But I doubt not but that the ju&s;tne&s;s and hone&s;t fruits of this <HI>Government</HI> will end at mens hearts to it, as their former <HI>Engagements,</HI> or rather <HI>di&s;-affections,</HI> have made men con&s;ciencious again&s;t it.</P>
<P>And now &s;eeing that there is no more <HI>divinity</HI> in one <HI>Government</HI> more then another, and former Obligations dye with the things them|&s;elves, that our <HI>Con&s;ciences</HI> (rightly informed) cannot be bound by them, let us con&s;ider our conveniencies, and reflect on Kingly power in this <HI>Nation,</HI> and the &s;ad fruits and effects of it, e&s;pecially of late, and we &s;hall &s;ee little rea&s;on of being &s;o endeared to it, much le&s;s to dote on it as we do. How nigh were all our Liberties to give up the gho&s;t under it? What bloody and cruel <HI>attempts</HI> have there been made by it on the Souls, E&s;tates, and per&s;ons of many thou&s;ands in <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Ireland,</HI> but onely to plea&s;e the will or lu&s;t of one <HI>Tyrant?</HI> We have felt too much of this, and I need not repeat; The&s;e have been the <HI>na|tural off-springs</HI> of that <HI>Government,</HI> not onely here, but in all <HI>Na|tions,</HI> no people living in peace under it, but tho&s;e which are quietly content either with no <HI>Liberty,</HI> or but with onely the &s;hadow or name of it; I may affirm it by all Hi&s;tories univer&s;ally, <HI>That Royalty and Liberty have never heartily embraced each other, or have &s;hined toge|ther in the &s;ame &s;plendor or beauty, but one hath either quite extin|gui&s;hed, or eclip&s;ed the others glory.</HI></P>
<P>God him&s;elf (who be&s;t knew the <HI>nature of all Governments,</HI> and fore-&s;aw their effects) makes <HI>Monarchy</HI> and <HI>Tyranny</HI> very neer of kin, and as &s;oon as ever <HI>I&s;rael</HI> would have a King, tells them what they mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily expect, as in&s;eparable adjuncts or effects of it, (2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 8. 11. 12, 13.) <HI>This &s;hall be the manner of the King which &s;hall reign over you, he will take your &s;ons and appoint them for him&s;elf, for his Charets, and Hor&s;emen, and &s;ome &s;hall run before his Charets;</HI> with
<PB N="12" REF="7"> many other expre&s;&s;ions of like nature, all the fruits of <HI>Tyranny</HI> which can be imagined, and all this in&s;eparably annexed to it, by the fore&s;ight of God him&s;elf. Yea, <HI>Liberty and Monarchy</HI> have been ever &s;o <HI>In|competible,</HI> That in the be&s;t Hi&s;tories of <HI>that Government,</HI> they have been not only <HI>di&s;tingui&s;hed,</HI> but <HI>oppo&s;ed;</HI> e&s;pecially, tho&s;e that look over the <HI>Roman Hi&s;tories</HI> (who had experience of both) will find, when <HI>Kingly Power began to flouri&s;h, LIBERTY</HI> decayed, and &s;o <HI>&egrave; contra. Tacitus Annal.</HI> 1. <HI>&V;rbem Romam ab initio Reges ha|buere, Libertatem &amp; Con&s;ulatum,</HI> L. Brutus <HI>in&s;tituit. The Ro|mans had fir&s;t KINGS, but</HI> L. Brutus <HI>brought in Liberty, and the Con&s;ul&s;hip:</HI> So <HI>Livy</HI> Lib. 45. <HI>Non in Regno Populam Roma|num, &s;ed in Libertate e&s;&s;e;</HI> and the &s;ame Author <HI>Lib.</HI> 1. <HI>Regem vo|lebant Libertatis dulcedine nondum experta: None love Kingly Government, or can de&s;ire to be under it, but tho&s;e that never ta&s;t|ed the &s;weets of Liberty.</HI> And &s;hall we now &s;trive to joyn tho&s;e two together in our expectations, which (I had almo&s;t &s;aid) <HI>God,</HI> and <HI>Nature</HI> have divided, I am &s;ure all Nations have had experience of incon&s;i&s;tency of? Have we ventured &s;o hard, for to gain our Liber|ties, and &s;hall not we now take the advantage of procuring them? Or do we think that &s;lavery is any whit the more amiable, becau&s;e it hath the name of <HI>Royalty</HI> annexed to it? If we be not yet &s;en&s;ible of our condition, we may hereafter; when &s;ome have got their wills, we &s;hall have our eyes opened, though it be but to &s;ee our mi&s;ery, when pa&s;t re|covery.</P>
<P><HI>Ari&s;tocracy</HI> hath many more curbs, and bridles on it to re&s;train it from <HI>Exorbitancy,</HI> then can be &s;et on <HI>Monarchy,</HI> and is &s;o le&s;s capa|ble of doing mi&s;chief to a <HI>Nation</HI> then the other. The di&s;tance of their place, the remotene&s;s of <HI>Princes</HI> from <HI>vulgar &s;ight,</HI> the many <HI>&s;creens</HI> they have between them and the people, and that great reverence they get by their retiredne&s;s from ordinary conver&s;e, give them <HI>unavoidable advantages</HI> of doing that more <HI>&s;ecretly,</HI> and <HI>effectually,</HI> and with le&s;s <HI>guilt,</HI> then can be imagined to be done by a <HI>Publique State,</HI> who are more open to the view of the world, and are but them&s;elves in power, <HI>quam ain bene &s;e ge&s;&s;erint.</HI></P>
<P>We have &s;een of late, how hard it hath been but to make the people think the <HI>King could offend,</HI> or was liable to <HI>any guilt, or charge,</HI> laying all on his <HI>Councel,</HI> while he was the <HI>Malignant Genius</HI> that led them; and yet being &s;o much out of <HI>&s;ight,</HI> &s;o far off from <HI>Popular view,</HI> went free for a long time from any po&s;itive charge, and had gone to
<PB N="13" REF="7"> this day as an <HI>Innocent one,</HI> and one uncapable of <HI>Spot, or blame,</HI> had not God &s;tirred up &s;uch a &s;pirit of <HI>courage and Justice in that rem|nant of faithful Patriots,</HI> who have <HI>Anatomiz'd his wicked, and Ty|rannical practi&s;es before all the world, and done &s;utable ju&s;tice on him for it;</HI> And yet the old <HI>Maxims,</HI> received by <HI>Cu&s;tome,</HI> and invented by his <HI>Para&s;ites,</HI> and <HI>Favourites, (That the King can do no wrong, That he is accountable to none but God for his Actions)</HI> lie in the bre&s;t of mo&s;t men, as <HI>Orthodox Law, and Gospel,</HI> and will be &s;oon embraced again, and reprinted in a larger <HI>Character,</HI> if ever the &s;ame power be &s;et up again, though never &s;o contrary to <HI>Rea&s;on,</HI> or <HI>Liberty;</HI> yea, the late King him&s;elf &s;ealed the confirmation of them with his own Blood, and therefore would not plead, or an&s;wer any thing to <HI>the High Court of Ju&s;tice,</HI> not &s;o much becau&s;e he thought the <HI>Authority</HI> of it to be il|legal, as that he thought him&s;elf <HI>above the judgment of any Authority on earth;</HI> and would have doubtle&s;s refu&s;ed to have an&s;wered to <HI>Lords and Commons,</HI> though in a full hou&s;e, and in one <HI>Judicature,</HI> if they &s;hould have laid &s;uch a Charge again&s;t him; for in his former De|clarations, he was &s;o far from owning their <HI>Authority,</HI> That he pro|claimed both Hou&s;es (when in their full <HI>power and grandure) Traytors and Rebels,</HI> becau&s;e they &s;ate <HI>without his pre&s;ence;</HI> and yet we have thought ours but a limited, and bounded <HI>Monarchy.</HI></P>
<P>And what hopes we can have of <HI>Kingly power in this Nation,</HI> which is founded on &s;uch principles, and propagated on the &s;ame terms, let wi&s;e and hone&s;t men judge.</P>
<P>Be&s;ides, when we have mo&s;t &s;olemnly con&s;idered <HI>Monarchy in its real u&s;e and end,</HI> it will be found to be in effect but an <HI>Aristocracy,</HI> though far more dangerous and mi&s;chievous; The &s;ame things are done, as to the <HI>good of the Publique,</HI> by <HI>States and Councels,</HI> which are done by <HI>Kings and Councels</HI> together; and either the King <HI>mu&s;t rule by his own will,</HI> and then he is a <HI>profest Tyrant,</HI> or el&s;e by <HI>Coun&s;el of his Par|liament,</HI> and <HI>Publique Senators,</HI> and then it's the <HI>Councel</HI> that rules the Kingdom, who can do it as well, and with le&s;s hazard, without him; As being free from the <HI>Temptations of Maje&s;ty,</HI> and the <HI>Court|&s;hip of Royal favours,</HI> whereby the be&s;t of men (ere they were aware) have been corrupted, and the wi&s;e&s;t <HI>Coun&s;ellors</HI> &s;uborned to act &s;uta|ble to the <HI>Regal intere&s;t,</HI> contrary to the <HI>good of the Common-wealth;</HI> whereas, while they act in a <HI>Parity among them&s;elves,</HI> as their judge|ments are mo&s;t free from being acted by <HI>Superior influences,</HI> &s;o their <HI>Debates,</HI> and <HI>Re&s;ults,</HI> mu&s;t needs be of more common and publique
<PB N="14" REF="8"> concernment, they them&s;elves, having an equal &s;hare in that <HI>good,</HI> which is done unto the whole.</P>
<P>That if we do but ca&s;t up our accounts right, we &s;hall find that Kings are but meer chargeable <HI>Ceremonies, or Ciphers,</HI> of little u&s;e but to con|tract humors, and promote per&s;onal de&s;igns de&s;tructive to the being, and well-being of <HI>Common-wealths;</HI> for they neither are executioners of ju&s;tice them&s;elves, nay, &s;carce (many times) <HI>Coun&s;ellors,</HI> nor do any &s;pecial or publique work; and yet for meer cu&s;tom and formalities &s;ake, we mu&s;t have one man adored, having a &s;upreme power inve&s;ted in him, and be maintained in the greate&s;t <HI>State,</HI> and <HI>Glory,</HI> meerly to &s;it &s;till and have the be&s;t, and wi&s;e&s;t, and mo&s;t faithful, and gallant in&s;tru|ments bow down, and rejoyce, <HI>but to ki&s;s his hand.</HI> If any King hath ever yet been more then ordinarily active, or in&s;trumental, it hath been to pro&s;ecute &s;ome de&s;ign which would advance his Supremacy more Independently again&s;t the <HI>Publique Good,</HI> as the late King was in his <HI>Wars</HI> again&s;t this Nation.</P>
<P>And what ever other Nations may experiment, if we have found any good by <HI>Monarchy</HI> in this <HI>Nation,</HI> it is, that it hath made us (I hope) know what Liberty and Law is, and to prize them the more; <HI>Quae liber|tas ut laetior e&s;&s;et proximi Regis &s;uperbia &s;aceret, Which Liberty we &s;hould e&s;teem more, had we but one tryal of the next KINGS Raign.</HI></P>
<P>And as there is nothing more <HI>vertually,</HI> and <HI>really</HI> in <HI>Monarchical</HI> then what is in <HI>Ari&s;tocratical Government,</HI> and nothing to be expe|cted by the one, but what may be done by the other with le&s;s fear of danger, and without &s;uch co&s;tly formality: So <HI>Ari&s;tocracy, (or this Government of a Common-wealth the Parliament have &s;et up)</HI> is the mo&s;t even, and <HI>ju&s;t Government,</HI> that any men have yet come to the knowledge of, it being a middle <HI>State</HI> between <HI>Popular Anar|chy,</HI> and <HI>Prerogative Tyranny,</HI> whereby men are freed from the nece&s;|&s;ary <HI>exorbitancies of both,</HI> and &s;eated &s;ecurely in a <HI>uniform and equal condition</HI> free from all extreams, in which the people are <HI>be&s;t repre&s;ented,</HI> and by which the Laws and <HI>dispatches of Ju&s;tice,</HI> and other affairs have a quicker and ea&s;ier pa&s;&s;age, with le&s;s noi&s;e, &amp; Tumult, then if they &s;hould run down from the high mountains of <HI>Prerogative and Maje&s;ty,</HI> in the di&s;pen&s;ations of which, you have little cogni&s;ance of <HI>ju&s;tice, or rea&s;on,</HI> but of <HI>grace, and favor;</HI> Kings and Princes &s;eldom granting any thing, though never &s;o ju&s;t, but it's ever as from <HI>grace,</HI> &s;o with an expecta|tion of &s;omething from the people to advance their <HI>Prerogative,</HI> the
<PB N="15" REF="8"> doing of which may be a greater lo&s;s, and hazard, then the former grant could be of concernment to them.</P>
<P>But in this other <HI>Government,</HI> as ju&s;tice runs more <HI>&s;moothly,</HI> and <HI>clearer,</HI> and is not painted with <HI>Royal colours,</HI> &s;o the people have a more immediate way to the redre&s;s of all their <HI>grievanc<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">s,</HI> and are not forc'd as to clime too high, &s;o not to go to far about, or through &s;o ma|ny <HI>mercenary Favourites,</HI> or rooms of <HI>State,</HI> or be &s;car'd with the &s;uddain <HI>beams of &s;uppo&s;ed Maje&s;ty,</HI> but come to their own <HI>Repre&s;en|tatives</HI> that them&s;elves have cho&s;en, and who may be in the &s;ame condition, and are to be tryed by the &s;ame Laws them&s;elves, which they for the pre&s;ent judge others by. And it's ob&s;ervable, The&s;e few <HI>Nati|ons</HI> which have once got the opportunity (which &s;ome have ventured hard for with little &s;ucce&s;s) of ca&s;ting off <HI>Kingly Power,</HI> have natural|ly, and out of choice, fallen into this <HI>Government,</HI> as the middle, and be&s;t, and that which was mo&s;t &s;afe, and <HI>&s;utable to Liberty and Justice;</HI> and how the&s;e <HI>Nations</HI> which have been under it have flouri&s;hed, I could mention (if it were needful) in <HI>multitudes of te&s;timonies;</HI> And not to go &s;o far back unto the <HI>Roman State,</HI> that little time it enjoyed it; Let us view the&s;e little &s;pots of Land in <HI>Europe</HI> that live under this <HI>Government,</HI> how do they lift up their heads in <HI>&s;trength,</HI> and <HI>wealth,</HI> above all their neighbours, to name no more but the <HI>Netherlands,</HI> and <HI>Venice;</HI> The fir&s;t, even on a &s;uddain, even by it's Wars again&s;t <HI>Mo|narchy,</HI> enriching of it &s;elf beyond many Kingdoms of <HI>ten times a lar|ger continent;</HI> and the other defending it &s;elf, yea, <HI>annoying one of the greate&s;t Empires under the Sun.</HI> And there is no rea&s;on why <HI>Eng|land &s;hould not flouri&s;h under it much more,</HI> who hath a more <HI>Natu|ral defence</HI> of it &s;elf, then other places have, and more rea&s;on, and ad|vantage of &s;etting it up, then any other people have yet had; and doubt|le&s;s the <HI>Climate,</HI> and <HI>Air,</HI> is not <HI>incompetible</HI> to it. Had other <HI>Nati|ons</HI> but the <HI>Liberty to &s;peak,</HI> and the <HI>Freedom to choo&s;e</HI> as we have, we &s;hould &s;oon hear which way the <HI>Vote</HI> would go.</P>
<P>But let it be found out (as a <HI>Phoenix)</HI> That &s;ome <HI>Nations</HI> have had <HI>Liberty</HI> and <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> under the Raign of &s;ome <HI>Kings,</HI> which were of &s;ingular tempers and vertues; or, it may be, had not time enough, or opportunity, both to plot and act de&s;igns together; yet when <HI>Govern|ment</HI> &s;hal come to be <HI>hereditary,</HI> &amp; <HI>Regal Power</HI> advanced by <HI>&s;ucce&s;&s;i|on,</HI> there mu&s;t needs be unknown mi&s;chiefs propagated together with it: And all mens <HI>liberties</HI> are ca&s;t away on a peradventure at the be&s;t; for be he young or old, wi&s;e or unwi&s;e, vertuous or vicious, <HI>talis, qualis,</HI>
<PB N="16" REF="9"> he mu&s;t be entru&s;ted with all the <HI>Liberties</HI> (it may be, of many <HI>Nati|ons,)</HI> and a nece&s;&s;ity of bondage and mi&s;ery, without remedy, &s;ucce&s;|&s;ively entailed on men and their po&s;terity: All <HI>liberty</HI> of di&s;&s;ent or choice (which is the birth right of rational and free-men) being utterly denyed to them, and de&s;troyed by a titular plea of &s;ucce&s;&s;ion to that which, it may be, the per&s;on is neither fit for the mannagement of, being a child, or weak, or worthy of, through vice, or ill conver&s;ation.</P>
<P>And however other <HI>Nations</HI> may, out of hidden &s;ecrets of <HI>State,</HI> think <HI>Monarchy</HI> be&s;t for them, and be willing to venture at &s;ucce&s;&s;ion, yet to us it would not be only inconvenient, but mi&s;chievous; Having ju&s;tly cut off the Fathers head for a wicked and ill <HI>Goverment,</HI> to en|throne the Son, who was engaged in the &s;ame quarrel, and hath enter|tained the &s;ame <HI>principles,</HI> with an addition of more malice and re|venge; and what were it but to give that power to undo us, which we (through the providence of God) have happily deprived his Father of? For as we had no hopes of the late King, but were in continual danger of taking advantages by us; &s;o we cannot have any probable expectation from his Son, who was engaged Body and Soul in his <HI>Fa|thers Interest,</HI> and trained up from his cradle in blood, who, be&s;ides his Youth, (and &s;o his unfitne&s;s to manage the Affairs of &s;uch a <HI>State,)</HI> hath a double portion of his Fathers Spirit of Pride and Tyranny on him, be|&s;ides his Mothers ble&s;&s;ing, and is the perfect and natural Heir to his Fa|thers Quarrel and De&s;ign, as to his Crown and Dignity.</P>
<P>But the great thing to be wondred at, is, That any which love <HI>Pre&s;|byterial Government</HI> &s;hould dote on <HI>Monarchy,</HI> e&s;pecially after the Raign of &s;uch a per&s;on, and &s;tand out again&s;t this <HI>Government</HI> which the <HI>Parliament</HI> have now &s;et up. <HI>Ari&s;tocracy</HI> in <HI>Church,</HI> and <HI>Mo|narchy</HI> in <HI>State,</HI> do not run &s;o paralel in the expre&s;&s;ions, what ever they may do in the &s;ence. <HI>Kingly Government</HI> hath never been yet very propitious, or benign to <HI>Pre&s;bytery;</HI> the mo&s;t favour it hath got in any <HI>Kingdom,</HI> is but to have a Toleration, as in <HI>France,</HI> and in this <HI>Nation;</HI> it's hardly a probationer: but <HI>Epi&s;copacy</HI> hath been that ancient <HI>Govern|ment,</HI> which hath been bred up with <HI>Monarchy,</HI> and hath of late been its greate&s;t Darling, to maintain which, much of the <HI>Royal Intere&s;t</HI> hath been engaged; the late <HI>King</HI> making one of the grounds of his War to be the taking away of that <HI>Government,</HI> which he thought to be &s;o fundamental and &s;acred, that all <HI>Religion</HI> was wrapt up in it, and to confirm his love unto it, dyed with a Bi&s;hop in his arms. And &s;uch in&s;eparable union is between <HI>Monarchy</HI> and <HI>Epi&s;copacy,</HI> that King
<PB N="17" REF="9"> <HI>James</HI> him&s;elf, as &s;oon as ever he came out of <HI>Scotland</HI> into <HI>England,</HI> (and found him&s;elf to be a <HI>King)</HI> made this State Maxime, <HI>No Bi&s;hop no King,</HI> which is to this day unrepealed, and by experience confirmed, for they have both dyed together as Twins in the bo&s;om of each other; and if we do but look a little back, we &s;hall find, that <HI>Pre&s;byterial Govern|ment</HI> never thrived well, no not in <HI>Scotland,</HI> (the mo&s;t fertile &s;oil, and na|tural climate wherein it flouri&s;heth mo&s;t) until the <HI>King</HI> was removed at &s;uch a di&s;tance; and yet what attempts have both <HI>King James</HI> and <HI>Charls</HI> made, but to overthrow it in <HI>Scotland,</HI> as being mo&s;t un&s;uitable to <HI>Kingly Government?</HI> and they have little cau&s;e to think, that their <HI>Charls the Second</HI> will forget his Grand-fathers and Fathers Le|gacy.</P>
<P>And now we have begun to mention <HI>Scotland,</HI> it may be &s;ome may bring in them as a pre&s;ident to us, (as formerly to the <HI>Church,</HI> &s;o now to the <HI>State,)</HI> who, notwith&s;tanding all their inconveniencies, which they have found by <HI>Monarchy,</HI> yet have thought fit to continue it, and that in the right line of Succe&s;&s;ion: It's well known, the <HI>Scots</HI> love the Name, but care little for the Company or Power of a <HI>King;</HI> Neither is it much to be admired, that they &s;hould proclaim <HI>King</HI> whom they never intend &s;hall rule over them; for they well know how to make u&s;e of the Name, though they mean not to &s;ubject to the Power: The <HI>Scots</HI> are not a <HI>Nation</HI> of as much &s;tate and riches as o|ther <HI>Kingdoms,</HI> but of as much de&s;ign as any, and they well fore-&s;ee, that who&s;e <HI>King</HI> &s;oever he be, <HI>England</HI> mu&s;t maintain him, and bear the greate&s;t burthen, while they enjoy his &s;mall Revenue in <HI>Scotland,</HI> and get places and pen&s;ions from him in <HI>England,</HI> &s;o that he mu&s;t be their <HI>King,</HI> but our <HI>Tyrant:</HI> All that under&s;tand the Affairs of <HI>Scot|land,</HI> know, that were it not for the name of the <HI>King,</HI> the factions of their <HI>Nobility</HI> and <HI>Gentry</HI> are &s;o great, that Peace could never be kept among them&s;elves, and yet if they had a <HI>King</HI> really among them, it would impoveri&s;h both Gentry and Nobility, who mu&s;t contribute to maintain him, who in <HI>England</HI> by pen&s;ions and places hath &s;et up them. But I would not too much open the nakedne&s;s of that Nation, but wi&s;h them much good with their King, and his hideous train of Malignants, which mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily follow him where ever he him&s;elf is entertained with any re&s;pect or honor: Onely they &s;hould have given him title to their own Nation, and have left our Parliament to have cho&s;en for us, who are come to &s;ufficient years of di&s;cretion, and have learnt to under&s;tand both their King and them; but it &s;eems it would
<PB N="18" REF="10"> profit them little to have him King of <HI>Scotland,</HI> if he were not al&s;o of <HI>Great Britain.</HI> It is for us to con&s;ult our own concernments, and not trouble our &s;elves with examples: If we chance to differ from other <HI>States,</HI> it's becau&s;e they have not the &s;ame advantages, nor we the &s;ame cau&s;es and grounds of following them. All that is propo&s;ed by the Par|liament, is, to reduce us into a <HI>Commonwealth,</HI> and if the name do not offend, I know not why &s;hould the thing.</P>
<P>And as to that reverent plea of the Antiquity of <HI>Monarchy</HI> in this Nation, we may an&s;wer with grief, it hath been too long; and we have had time enough to try and feel the &s;ad effects of it; and King&s;hip may very well, after &s;o long a per&s;onal reign and advancement of it &s;elf, give way to a <HI>Commonwealth,</HI> that the <HI>Nation</HI> may get &s;ome good, and enjoy &s;ome <HI>Liberty,</HI> after their long &s;ervitude to it. <HI>Antiquity</HI> is an argument for nothing but <HI>truth and goodne&s;s,</HI> el&s;e error and u&s;urpation will plead its gray hairs, and make a demon&s;tration of its <HI>divinity</HI> with the be&s;t advantage.</P>
<P>And wheras many wi&s;e men object the danger of changes in <HI>States</HI> and <HI>Governments,</HI> &amp; the unknown con&s;equences which may follow, it's con|fe&s;t, and therefore the <HI>Parliament</HI> hath took time and deliberation, and tryed all <HI>expedients;</HI> and made the be&s;t e&s;&s;ays for &s;ecurity of the <HI>Nation</HI> without it; But that change cannot be dangerous, where the continu|ation of a former <HI>Government,</HI> in &s;uch per&s;ons, hath proved, and is, in|evitably mi&s;chievous, as it is in our cau&s;e; and yet we have not chan|ged our Laws, or the Fundamentals of the former <HI>Government,</HI> but onely the per&s;ons and <HI>mal-admini&s;trators</HI> of it; that it's but a change of per&s;ons and names, which have acted, and are like to act to our de|&s;truction, and &s;o hinder mi&s;chief from running in a blood: And if we will with &s;eriou&s;ne&s;s and ob&s;ervance look about us, we may di&s;cern a <HI>bright Star of Providence</HI> leading us directly to it, and a harmony of wonders and mercies accompanying it, and ble&s;&s;ing on the <HI>Parliaments</HI> proceedings in it, that men which &s;hal oppo&s;e it, may wel be &s;aid to fight again&s;t the very arm of the <HI>Almighty,</HI> and &s;light many a glorious work which God hath done by weak and ordinary <HI>instruments.</HI> And where|as many men nouri&s;h their <HI>di&s;contents</HI> again&s;t it, by the pre&s;ent di&s;tem|pers they finde in the <HI>Nation,</HI> and are apt to think, and be made beleeve, That our condition is wor&s;e then it was in the time of the late King, by rea&s;on of Taxes and Oppre&s;&s;ions; They &s;hould con&s;ider the cau&s;e may be in them&s;elves, who give no better ground of &s;ecurity to the <HI>Parli|ament</HI> of an hone&s;t and faithful compliance, but by their new <HI>di&s;con|tents</HI>
<PB N="19" REF="10"> keep up our fears, which makes them keep up an Army: and had they been wi&s;e men who thus object, they would have con&s;idered, that we are not onely framing a new <HI>Government,</HI> but changing the old, and that we are not in <HI>in Republica Platonis,</HI> but <HI>in face Ro|muli.</HI></P>
<P>It's ea&s;ie to frame an <HI>Idea</HI> of a new <HI>Government,</HI> and as ea&s;ie to live under it in peace, had we all one minde; but not &s;o ea&s;ie (without much co&s;t) to alter an old one, where &s;o many parties are engaged and di&s;-affected, and &s;o much rubbi&s;h to be removed. Were we to begin the world again, and to choo&s;e for our &s;elves, having hearts, we &s;hould not need Swords, and then <HI>An AGREEMENT of the PEOPLE</HI> (though not according to the <HI>Levellers</HI> Anarchical model) might be a <HI>Foundation of PEACE;</HI> but as it is with us, Men mu&s;t be awed with Swords, as children are with rods, until they have learnt Rea&s;on, and come to be &s;en&s;ible of their own good, and learn to di&s;tingui&s;h between <HI>what is done for pre&s;ent nece&s;&s;ity to prevent farther mi&s;ery, and what is done in times of Peace, by ab&s;olute Prerogative and Tyranny. Me thinks to &s;ee what is done, and how hopeful affairs look, &s;hould be enough to &s;wallow up the pre&s;ent &s;ence of pre&s;&s;ures, and allay the mur|murings of mens spirits, whereby the&s;e oppre&s;&s;ions are like to be con|tinued and made heavier;</HI> And though it cannot be denied but the keeping up of the Army is a burthen, yet, it is &s;o nece&s;&s;ary, That it's an ab&s;olute pre&s;ervative again&s;t more intollerable oppre&s;&s;ions, that would not only <HI>burthen us, but utterly undoe us.</HI> And if we all expect ea&s;e, let us contribute to the procuring of it; if it &s;eem hard by our pur&s;es, let us go a neerer, and cheaper way by our compliances, and the intire union of our hearts and affections in the&s;e waies which are lawful and nece&s;&s;ary, for were it not for our <HI>Cla&s;&s;ical di&s;contents,</HI> and &s;ecret di&s;likes which we nouri&s;h again&s;t per&s;ons, and things, all the&s;e <HI>Taxes</HI> and <HI>Impo&s;itions</HI> would &s;oon be removed; and we may well bear a little of the trouble, who are cau&s;es or in&s;truments to create it; And truly for us who have had &s;uch experiences of the &s;ad and doleful effects of <HI>Monarchical Government,</HI> it were almo&s;t worth the hazarding the peace of one Generation, but to make an experiment of another <HI>Government,</HI> and &s;pend our time in War (if it mu&s;t be &s;o) to procure peace for our Po&s;terity, as our Ance&s;tors have done in &s;lavery, but to keep theirs.</P>
<P>I can only wi&s;h, That all hone&s;t men would reflect on their condi|tion, and what a perfect <HI>Dilemma</HI> is upon them, which cannot be a|voided,
<PB N="20" REF="11"> that either they mu&s;t e&s;pou&s;e the old quarrel they fir&s;t fought again&s;t, and incorporate with that Generation of <HI>Malignants</HI> which we have profe&s;t again&s;t, and God hath appeared again&s;t, and &s;o reco|ver their lo&s;t hopes, or el&s;e joyn in with the <HI>Parliament</HI> and Army in this pre&s;ent <HI>Government,</HI> and diligently pro&s;ecute the remainders of Peace and <HI>Liberty,</HI> which we are in &s;o promi&s;ing a way to obtain. How much better is it to joyn in with our friends, though they have acted a little fa&s;ter, or &s;omewhat beyond our model (&s;eeing a &s;urer foun|dation is laid, though it be &s;omewhat deep) then to give encourage|ment to our common enemy to de&s;troy both them&s;elves and us toge|ther; and if we cannot meet in every line of the Circumference, yet, it's &s;afe to meet in the Centre.</P>
<P>I can but &s;peak for my &s;elf, <HI>Quem fugiam &s;cio, I know whom to a|void:</HI> Two &s;orts of men which are the utmo&s;t <HI>extremes, The old Malignants, and the new Levellers;</HI> This la&s;t was begotten in the &s;ame womb, only there was a mixture of &s;eeds in the conception, and is de|&s;igned as a re&s;erve to effect that which malignancy could not do; they both have one end, the de&s;truction of this Government, though the pretences and ways of acting it are different; we have yet &s;ayled &s;afe between the&s;e two rocks, and may (if we have hearts) prevent the mi&s;chiefes of both, and &s;ee Liberty exactly &s;tated, and ju&s;tly re&s;trained with the Golden reynes of Ju&s;tice, Sobri|ety, and limited by Religion and Con&s;cience, and Ju&s;tice &s;itting on the Throne, poy&s;ed with Tru<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">h, who&s;e fre&s;h and Cri&s;tal &s;treams &s;hall glyde &s;weet|ly, and in&s;en&s;ibly, yea, run by every mans dore to refre&s;h all his injoyments. Wheras while we grate on the di&s;tempers of the times, and repine at former actings through incon&s;ideration of our pre&s;ent opportunity, and ignorance of the de&s;igns that are upon us under &s;pecious pretences, not making im|provement of what is before us, we &s;hall ere we are aware, either be reduced back to Prerogative Tyranny, and be a thou&s;and times in wor&s;e bondage then we were, or run into Levelling Confu&s;ion; The Parliament and Army have done their endeavor, if men wil be mi&s;erable, and &s;uffer them&s;elves to be de|ceived, they mu&s;t blame none but them&s;elves, if they be mi&s;erable. God will go on with his work, and fini&s;h it in righteou&s;ne&s;s, and will prepare hiding places for tho&s;e which have faithfully oppo&s;ed the common Enemies of Religion and Liberty, while the&s;e men, who to plea&s;e their own di&s;contents, or to gra|tifie Malignant in&s;truments, are contented to &s;ell away their birth right for a me&s;s of pottage, and &s;acrifice their dear bought advantages on their own hu|mours.</P>
<P>I would onely add this as my prayer and de&s;ire for any hone&s;t, zealous, abu|&s;ed hearts, That they may never feel that mi&s;ery, which, by their di&s;tance and &s;ecret differences, they may bring on this Nation, which is in &s;o fair and hope|ful a condition of enjoying that happine&s;s, which all the Kingdoms, round a|bout us, will envy us for, if our own unrea&s;onable di&s;tempers do not hinder.</P>
<CLOSER>&mdash;Et &s;ic liberavi animam meam.</CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
