<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2010-10-27</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="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">s and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 word">s etc.
*Converted <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">s to GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="[vendor name]".
*Revalidated.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A90228">
<STC T="W">O622</STC>
<STC T="T">E356_14</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99861690</BIBNO>
<VID>159917</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>AN ARROW AGAINST ALL TYRANTS And Tyrany, &s;hot from the Pri&s;on of New-gate into the Prerogative Bowels of the Arbitrary Hou&s;e of Lords&punc; and all other U&s;urpers and Tyrants <HI>What&s;oever.</HI></P>
<P>Wherein the originall ri&s;e, extent, and end of Magi|&s;teriall power, the naturall and Nationall rights, freedomes and pro|perties of Mankind are di&s;covered, and undeniably maintained; the late oppre&s;&s;ions and incroachments of the Lords over the Commons legally (by the fundamentall Lawes and Statutes of this Realme, as al&s;o by a memorable Extract out of the Records of the <HI>Tower</HI> of <HI>London)</HI> condemned; The late Presbyterian Ordinance (invented and contrived by the Divaners, and by the motion of Mr. <HI>Bacon</HI> and Mr. <HI>Taet</HI> read in the Hou&s;e of Commons) examined, refuted, and exploaded, as mo&s;t inhumaine, tyranicall and Barbarous.</P>
<P>By <HI>RICHARD OVERTON</HI> Prerogative Archer to the Arbitrary Hou&s;e of Lords, Their Pri&s;oner in <HI>New</HI> gate, for the ju&s;t and legall properties, rights and <HI>freedoms of the Commons of</HI> England: <HI>Sent by way of a Letter from him, to Mr.</HI> Henry Martin, <HI>a Member of the Hou&s;e of Commons.</HI></P>
<P><TEXT LANG="lat">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="imprimatur">
<P>IMPRIMATUR <HI>Rectat Ju&s;titia.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT></P>
<P>Printed at the back&s;ide of the Cyclopian Mountains, by <HI>Martin Claw-Clergy,</HI> Printer to the reverend A&s;&s;embly of Divines, and are to be &s;ould at the &s;igne of the Subjects Liberty, right oppo|&s;ite to per&s;ecuting Court. 1646.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="treatise">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="3" REF="2">
<HEAD>AN ARROVV AGAINST ALL TYRANTS And Tyrany, &s;hot from the pri&s;on of <HI>New-gate</HI> into the Prerogative bowels of the Atbitrary <HI>Hou&s;e of Lords, and all other U&s;urpers and Tyrants what&s;oever.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Sir,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_TO every Individuall in nature, is given an individuall pro|perty by nature, not to be invaded or u&s;urped by any: for every one as he is him&s;elfe, &s;o he hath a &s;elfe pro|priety, el&s;e could he not be him&s;elfe, and on this no &s;e|cond may pre&s;ume to deprive any of, without manife&s;t violation and affront to the very principles of nature, and of the Rules of equity and ju&s;tice between man and man; mine and thine cannot be, except this be: No man hath power over my rights and liberties, and I over no mans; I may be but an Individuall, enjoy <HI>my &s;elfe</HI> and my &s;elfe propriety, and may write my &s;elfe no more then my &s;elfe, or pre&s;ume any further; if I doe, I am an encroacher &amp; an invader upon an other mans Right, to which I have no <HI>Right.</HI> For by naturall birth, all men are equally and alike borne to like propriety, liberty and free|dome, and as we are delivered of God by the hand of nature into this world, every one with a naturall, innate freedome and propriety (as it were writ in the table of every mans heart, never to be obliterated) even &s;o are we to live, every one equally and alike to enjoy his Birth|right and priviledge; even all whereof God by nature hath made him free.</P>
<P>And this by nature every one de&s;ires aimes at, and requires, for no man naturally would be befooled of his liberty by his neighbours craft, or in&s;laved by his neighbours might, for it is natures in&s;tinct to pre&s;erve it &s;elfe, from all things hurtfull and obnoctious, and this in
<PB N="4" REF="3">
nature is granted of all to be mo&s;t rea&s;onable, equall and ju&s;t, not to be rooted out of the kind, even of equall duration with the creature: And from this fountain or root, all ju&s;t humain powers take their original; not immediatly from God (as Kings u&s;ually plead their prerogative) but mediatly by the hand of nature, as from the repre&s;ented to the repre&s;entors; for originally, God hath implanted them in the crea|ture, and from the creature tho&s;e powers immediatly proceed; and no further: and no more may be communicated then &s;tands for the better being, weale, or &s;afety thereof: and this is mans prerogative and no further, &s;o much and no more may be given or received thereof: even &s;o much as is conducent to a better being, more &s;afety and freedome, and no more; he that gives more, &s;ins again&s;t his owne fle&s;h; and he that takes more, is a Theife and Robber to his kind: E|very man by nature being a King, Prie&s;t and Prophet in his owne na|turall circuite and compa&s;&s;e, whereof no &s;econd may partake, but by deputation, commi&s;&s;ion, and free con&s;ent from him, who&s;e naturall right and freedome it is.</P>
<P>And thus Sir, and no otherwi&s;e are you in&s;tated into your &s;ove|raign capacity, for the free people of this Nation, for their better be|ing, di&s;cipline, government, propriety and &s;afety, have each of them communicated &s;o much unto you (their <HI>Cho&s;en Ones)</HI> of their natu|rall rights and powers, that you might thereby become their ab&s;olute Commi&s;&s;ioners, and lawfull Deputies, but no more; and that by con|traction of tho&s;e their &s;everall Individuall Communications confer'd upon, and united in you, you alone might become their own naturall proper, &s;overaign power, therewith &s;ingly and only impowred for their &s;everall weales, &s;afeties and freedomes, and no otherwi&s;e: for as by nature, no man may abu&s;e, beat, torment, or afflict him&s;elfe; &s;o by nature, no man may give that power to an other, &s;eeing he may not doe it him&s;elfe, for no more can be communicated from the generall then is included in the particulars, whereof the generall is com|pounded.</P>
<P>So that &s;uch &s;o deputed, are to the <HI>Generall</HI> no otherwi&s;e, then as a Schoole-ma&s;ter to a particular, to this or that mans familie, for as &s;uch an ones Ma&s;ter&s;hip, ordering and regulating power is but by deputati|on, and that <HI>ad bene placitum,</HI> and may be removed at the parents or Head ma&s;ters plea&s;ure, upon neglect or abu&s;e thereof, and be con|&s;er'd upon another (no parents ever giving &s;uch an ab&s;olute unlimited
<PB N="5" REF="3">
power to &s;uch over their children, as to doe to them as they li&s;t, and not to be retracted, controuled, or re&s;trained in their exorbitances) Even &s;o and no otherwi&s;e is it, with you our Deputies in re&s;pect of the Generall, it is in vaine for you to thinke you have power over us, to &s;ave us or de&s;troy us at your plea&s;ure, to doe with us as you li&s;t, be it for our weale, or be it for our wo, and not to be enjoyned in mercy to the one, or que&s;tioned in ju&s;tice for the other, for the edge of your own arguments again&s;t the King in this kind, may be turned upon your &s;elves, for if for the &s;afety of the people, he might in equity be op|po&s;ed by you in his tyranies oppre&s;&s;ions &amp; cruelties, even &s;o may you by the &s;ame rule of right rea&s;on, be oppo&s;ed by the people in generall, in the like ca&s;es of di&s;truction and ruine by you upon them, for the &s;afety of the people is the Soveraigne Law, to which all mu&s;t be|come &s;ubject, and for the which all powers humaine are ordained by them, for tyrany, oppre&s;&s;ion and cruelty what&s;oever, and in whom&s;oever, is in it &s;elfe unnaturall, illegall, yea ab&s;olutly anti ma|gi&s;teriall, for it is even de&s;tructive to all humaine civill &s;ociety, and therefore re&s;i&s;table.</P>
<P>Now Sir the Commons of this Nation, having impowred their Body Repre&s;entative, wherof you are one, with their own ab&s;olute Soveraignty, thereby Authoritively and legally to remove from a|mong&s;t them all oppre&s;&s;ions and tyranies, oppre&s;&s;ors and tyrans, how great &s;oever in name, place or dignity, and to protect, &s;afegard, and defend them from all &s;uch unnaturall mon&s;ters, vipers and pe&s;ts, bred of corruption or which are intru&s;ted among&s;t them &amp; as much as in them lies, to prevent all &s;uch for the future. And to that end, you have been a&s;&s;i&s;ted with our lives and fortunes, mo&s;t liberally and free|ly, with mo&s;t victorious and happy &s;ucce&s;&s;e, whereby your Armes are &s;trengthned with our might, that now you may make us all hap|py within the confines of this Nation, if you plea&s;e; and therfore Sir, in rea&s;on, equity and ju&s;tice, we de&s;erve no le&s;le at your hands, and (Sir) let it not &s;eem &s;trange unto you, that we are thus bold with you for our own.</P>
<P>For by nature we are the &s;ons of <HI>Adam,</HI> and from him have legiti|matly derived a naturall propriety, right and freedome, which only we require, and how in equity you can deny us, we cannot &s;ee; It is but the ju&s;t rights and prerogative of mankind (whereunto the people of England, are heires apparent as well as other Nations) which we
<PB N="6" REF="4">
de&s;ire, and &s;ure you will not deny it us, that we may be men, and live like men; if you doe, it will be as little &s;afe for your &s;elfes and po&s;terity, as for us and our po&s;terity, for Sir, look what bondage, thraldome, or tyrany &s;oever you &s;ettle upon us, you certainly, or your po&s;te|rity will ta&s;t of the dregs: if by your pre&s;ent policy and (abu&s;ed) might, you chance to award it from your &s;elves in particular, yet your po&s;terity doe what you can, will be liable to the hazard thereof.</P>
<P>And therefore Sir, we de&s;ire your help for your own &s;akes, as well as for our &s;elves, chiefly for the removall of two mo&s;t in&s;ufferable e|vils, daylie encroaching and encrea&s;ing upon us, portending and threatning inevitable de&s;tiuction, and coufu&s;ion of your &s;elves, of us, and of all our po&s;terities, namely, <HI>the encroashments and u&s;urpations of the Hou&s;e of LORDS, over the Commons liberties, and freedomes, to|gether with the barberous, inhumaine, blood-thir&s;ty de&s;ires and endevours of of the Presbyterian Clergy.</HI></P>
<P>For the fir&s;t, namely, <HI>the exhorbitances of the LORDS,</HI> they are to &s;uch an hight a&s;pired that contrary to all pre&s;idents the free Co~mo|ners of <HI>England</HI> are impri&s;oned, fined &amp; condemned by them <HI>(their in|computent illegall, unequall, improper judges)</HI> again&s;t the expre&s;&s;e letter of <HI>Magna char.</HI> chap. 29. (&s;o often urged and u&s;ed) that no free man of <HI>England &s;hall be pa&s;&s;ed upon, tryed, or condemned, but by the lawfull judge|ment of his equals, or by the Law of the Land.</HI> W^c^h as &s;aith Sir <HI>Edw. Cooke</HI> in his expo&s;ition of <HI>Mag. chap.</HI> 28. la&s;t li. is <HI>Per pares,</HI> by his peeres, that is, by his equals. And page 46. branch 1. 2. 5. in the&s;e words;</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>That no man be taken or impri&s;oned, but</HI> per legem terrae, <HI>that is, by the common Law, Statute Law or cu&s;tome of</HI> England: <HI>For the&s;e Words,</HI> per legem terrae <HI>being towards the end of this chapter, doe referre to all the pretended matters in this chapter, and this hath the fir&s;t place, becau&s;e the li|berty of a mans per&s;on is more precious to him then all there&s;t that follow, and therefore it is great rea&s;on, that he &s;hould by law be relieved therein, if he be wronged, as hereafter &s;hall be &s;hewed.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>No man &s;hall be di&s;&s;ei&s;ed, that is, put out of &s;ei&s;on, or di&s;po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed of his free-hold, that is, lands or livelyhood, or of his liberties or free cu&s;tomes, that is, of &s;uch franchi&s;es and freedomes, and free cu&s;tomes, as belong to him by his free birthright; unle&s;&s;e it be by the lawfull judgement, that is verdict of his equals (that is of men of his own condition) or by the Law of the Land (that is to &s;peak it once for all) by the due cour&s;e and proce&s;&s;es of Law.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>No man &s;hall be in any &s;ort de&s;troyed</HI> (de&s;truere&punc; 1. quod prius
<PB N="7" REF="4">
&s;tructum &amp; factum &s;uit, penitus evertere &amp; dimere) <HI>unle&s;&s;e it be by the verdict of his equals, or according to the Law of the land.</HI></P>
<P>And chapter 29. of <HI>Magna Charta,</HI> it is &s;aid, <HI>&s;ecundum legem &amp; con|&s;uetudinem Angliae,</HI> after the Law and cu&s;tome of <HI>England, non Regis Angliae,</HI> not of the King of <HI>England,</HI> le&s;t it might be thought to bind the King only, <HI>nec populi Angliae,</HI> nor of the People of <HI>England;</HI> but that the Law might tend to all, it is &s;aid, <HI>per legem terrae,</HI> by the Law of the Land. <HI>Magna chapta,</HI> 29.</P>
<P>Again&s;t this ancient and fundamentall Law, and in the very face thereof (&s;aith Sir <HI>Edward Cooke</HI>) he found an Act of the Parliament made in the 11. of <HI>Hen.</HI> the 7. chap. 3. that as well ju&s;tices of Peace without any finding or pre&s;entment by the verdict of 12. men, up|on the bare information for the King before them, &s;hould have full power and authority, by their di&s;cretions to hear and determine all offences and contempts committed or done by any per&s;on or per&s;ons again&s;t the forme, ordinance, and effect of any Statute made and not repealed: by colour of which Act, &s;haking this fundamentall Law, (it is not credible) &s;aith he what horrible oppre&s;&s;ions and exactions (to the undoing of infinite numbers of people) were committed by Sir <HI>Richard Emp&s;on</HI> Knight, and <HI>Edmund Dudly,</HI> being Ju&s;tices of the Peace through <HI>England,</HI> and upon this unju&s;t and injurious act, (as commonly in the like ca&s;es it falleth out) a new Office was errected, and they made ma&s;ters of the Kings Forfitures.</P>
<P>But at the Parliament holden in the 1. of <HI>Hen.</HI> 8. chap. 6. this Act of <HI>Hen.</HI> 7. is receited, made void and Repealed, and the rea&s;on there|of is yeelded, for that by force of the &s;aid Act, it was manife&s;tly known that many &s;ini&s;ter, crafty, and forged informations had been pur&s;ued again&s;t divers of the Kings Subjects, to their great damage and un&s;peakable vexation: (a thing mo&s;t frequent and u&s;uall at this day and in the&s;e times) the ill &s;ucce&s;&s;e whereof, together with the mo&s;t fearfull end of the&s;e great Oppre&s;&s;ors &s;hould deterre others from committing the like, and &s;hould admoni&s;h Parliaments in the future, that in &s;tead of this ordinary and precious try all <HI>Per legem Terrae</HI> they bring not in an ab&s;olute and parciall tryall by di&s;cretion, <HI>Cooke 2. in|&s;titute</HI> folio. 51.</P>
<P>And to this end the Judgement upon <HI>Symond de Berefrrd,</HI> a Commo|ner, in the 4. yeare of <HI>Edw.</HI> 3. is an excellent precident for the&s;e times (as is to be &s;een upon record in the <HI>Tower,</HI> in the &s;econd Roll of Par|liament
<PB N="8" REF="5">
held the &s;ame yeare of the &s;aid King, and delivered into the <HI>Chancery</HI> by <HI>Henry de Eden&s;ton</HI> Clerk of the Parliament) for that the &s;aid <HI>Simon de Bereford</HI> having coun&s;elled, aided and a&s;&s;i&s;ted <HI>Roger de M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">timer</HI> to the murther of the Father of the &s;aid King; the King commanded the Earles and Barons in the &s;aid Parliament A&s;&s;em|bled, to give right and lawfull judgement unto the &s;aid <HI>Symon de Bereford;</HI> But the Earles, Barons and Peers came before the Lord the King in the &s;ame Parliament, and &s;aid with one voice, that the afore&s;aid <HI>Simon,</HI> was not their Peer or equall, wherefore, they were not bound to judge him as a Peer of the Land: Yet notwith&s;tanding all this, the Earles, Barons and Peers (being over &s;waid by the King) did award and adjudge (as judges of Parliament, by the a&s;&s;ent of the King in the &s;aid Parliament) that the &s;aid <HI>Simon</HI> as a traitor &amp; enemy of the Realm, &s;hould behanged &amp; drawn, and execution accordingly was done: But as by the &s;aid <HI>Roll</HI> appeareth, it was by full Parliament condemned and adjudged as illegall, and as a precident not to be drawn into example; the words of the &s;aid <HI>Roll</HI> are the&s;e, <HI>viz</HI></P>
<Q><TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="document">
<P><HI>And it is a&s;&s;ented and agreed by our Lord the King, and all the Grandees in full Parliament, that albeit the &s;aid Peers as judges in full Parliament took upon them in pre&s;ence of our Lord the King, to make and give the &s;aid Judgement by the a&s;&s;ent of the King, upon &s;ome of them that were not their Peers,</HI> (to wit Commoners) <HI>&amp; by rea&s;on of the murther of the Leige Lord, and de&s;truction of him, which was &s;o neer of the blood royall and the Kings Fa|ther, that therefore the &s;aid Peers which now are, or the Peers which &s;hall be for the time to come, be not bound or charged to give judgement upon others then upon their Peers, nor &s;hall doe it; but of that for ever be di&s;charged, and acquit, and that the afore&s;aid Judgement now given be not drawn into ex|ample or con&s;equent for the time to come, by which the &s;aid Peers may be charged hereafter to Judge others then their Peers, being again&s;t the Law of the Land, if any &s;uch ca&s;e happen, which God defend.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Agreeth with the Record. William Collet.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT></Q>
<P>But notwith&s;tanding all this, our Lords in Parliament take upon them as Judges in Parliament to pa&s;&s;e judgement and &s;entence (even of them&s;elves) upon the Commoners which are not their Peeres, and
<PB N="9" REF="5">
that to fining, impri&s;onment, &amp;c. And this doth not only content them, but they even &s;end <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">orth their armed men, and be&s;et, invade, a&s;&s;ault their hou&s;es and per&s;ons in a warlike manner, and take what plunder they plea&s;e, before &s;o much as any of their pretended illegall warrants be &s;hewed, as was lately upon the eleventh of Augu&s;t 1646. perpetrated again&s;t mee and mine, which was more then the King him&s;elfe by his legall Prerogative ever could doe, for neither by ver|ball commands or commi&s;&s;ions under the Great Seale of <HI>England,</HI> he could ever give any lawfull authority to any Generall, Captaine, or per&s;on what&s;oever without legall tri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ll and conviction, forcei|bly to a&s;&s;ault, rob, &s;poile or impri&s;on any of the free Commo|ners of <HI>England:</HI> and in ca&s;e any free Commoner by &s;uch his illegall Commi&s;&s;ions, Orders or warrants before they be lawfully convicted, &s;hould be a&s;&s;aulted, &s;poiled, plundered, impri&s;oned, &amp;c. in &s;uch ca&s;es his agents and mini&s;ters ought to be proceeded again&s;t, re&s;i&s;ted, ap|prehended, indicted and condemned (notwith&s;tanding &s;uch com|mi&s;&s;ions) as Tre&s;pa&s;&s;ers, Theeves, Burglarers, Felons, Murderers both by Statute and common Law, as is enacted and re&s;olvd by <HI>Mag|na Charta, cap. 29. 15. Eliz 3. &s;tat. 1. cap. 1, 2 3, 42 Eliz 5. cap. 1 3. 28. Eliz. 1. Artic. &s;up. chartas, cap. 2. 4. Eliz. 3. cap 4 5. Eliz. 3 cap. 2. 24 Eliz. 3. cap. 1. 2. Rich. 2. cap. 7. 5. Rich. 2. cap. 5. 1. Hen. 5. cap. 6. 11. Hen. 2. cap. 1. to 6. 24. Hen. 8. cap. 5. 21. Jacob. cap 3.</HI></P>
<P>And if the King him&s;elfe have not this Arbitrary power, much le&s;&s;e may his Peeres or Companions, the Lords over the free Com|mons of <HI>England.</HI> And therefore notwith&s;tanding &s;uch illegall cen|&s;ures and warrants either of King or of Lords (no legall conviction being made) the per&s;ons invaded and a&s;&s;aulted by &s;uch open force of Armes may lawfully arme them&s;elves, fortifie their Hou&s;es (which are their Ca&s;tles in the judgement of the Law) again&s;t them, yea di&s;|arme, beat, wound, repre&s;&s;e and kill them in their ju&s;t nece&s;&s;ary de|fence of their own per&s;ons, hou&s;es, goods wives and families, and not be guilty of the lea&s;t offence, as is expre&s;ly re&s;olved by the Statute of 21. <HI>Edw. de malefactoribus in parcis,</HI> by 24. <HI>Hen. 8. cap. 5. 11. Hen. 6. 16. 14. Hen. 6. 24. 35. Hen. 6. 12. E. 4. 6.</HI></P>
<P>And therefore (Sir) as even by nature and by the Law of the Land I was bound, I denyed &s;ubjection to the&s;e Lords and their arbit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ry creatures; thus by open force invading and a&s;&s;aulting my hou&s;e per|&s;on, &amp;c. no legall conviction preceding, or warrant then &s;howen; but
<PB N="10" REF="6">
and if they had brought and &s;hewen a thou&s;and &s;uch warrants, they had all been illegall, antimagi&s;teriall &amp; void in this ca&s;e, for they have no legal power in that kind, no more then the King, but &s;uch their actions are utterly condemned, and expre&s;ly forbidden by the Law: Why therefore &s;hould you of the Repre&s;entative Body &s;it &s;till, and &s;uffer the&s;e Lords thus to devour both us and our Lawes?</P>
<P>Be awakned, ari&s;e and con&s;ider their oppre&s;&s;ions and encroach|ments, and &s;top their Lord-&s;hips in their ambitious carere, for they do not cea&s;e only here, but they &s;oar higher &amp; higher, &amp; now they are become arrogators to them&s;elves, of the natural Soveraignity the Re|pre&s;ented have conveyed and i&s;&s;ued to their proper Repre&s;entors, even challenge to them&s;elves the tittle of the <HI>Supreame&s;t Court of Ju|decature in the Land,</HI> as was claimed by the Lord <HI>Houn&s;den,</HI> when I was before them, which you may &s;ee more at large in a printed letter publi&s;hed under my name, intitled, <HI>A Defiance &amp;c.</HI> which challenge of his (I think I may be bold to a&s;&s;ert) was a mo&s;t illegall, Anti-par|liamentary, audacious pre&s;ump&s;ion, and might better be pleaded and challenged by the King &s;ingly, then by all tho&s;e Lords in a di&s;tinction from the Commons: but it is more then may be granted to the King him&s;elfe, for the Parliament &amp; whole Kingdom whom it repre&s;ents, is truly and properly the highe&s;t Supream power of all others, yea above the King him&s;elfe:</P>
<P>And therefore much more above the Lords, for they can que&s;tion, Cancell, di&s;anull and utterly revoake the Kings own Royall Charters, Writs, Commi&s;&s;ions, Pattents, &amp;c. Though ratified with the Great Seale, even agian&s;t his per&s;onal wil, as is evident by their late abroga|tion of &s;undry, Patents, Co~mi&s;&s;ions, writs, Charters, Lone, Shipmony &amp;c. yea the body Repre&s;entative have power to enlarge or retract the very prerogative of the King, as the Statute <HI>de praerog. Reg.</HI> and the Parliament Roll of 1. <HI>Hen.</HI> 4. num. 18. doth evidence, and there|fore their power is larger and higher then the Kings, and if above the Kings, much more above the Lords, who are &s;ubordinate to the King, and if the Kings Writs, Charters &amp;c. which intrench upon the weale of the People, may be abrogated, nul'd and made voide by the Parliament, the Repre&s;entateve body of the Land, and his very prerogatives bounded, re&s;trained &amp; limited by them, much more may the Orders, Warrants, Commitments &amp;c. of the Lords, with their u&s;urped prerogatives over the commons and People of <HI>England</HI> be re|&s;trained,
<PB N="11" REF="6">
nul'd and made void by them, and therefore the&s;e Lord<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> mu&s;t needs be inferiour to them.</P>
<P>Further the Legi&s;lative power is not in the King him&s;elfe, but only in the Kingdome and body Repre&s;entative, who hath power to make or to abrogate Lawes, Statutes &amp;c. even without the Kings con&s;ent, for by law he hath not a negative voyce either in making or rever&s;ing, but by his own Coronation Oath, he is &s;worne, <HI>to grant fulfill and defend all rightfull Lawes, which the COMMONS of the Realme &s;hall chu&s;e, and to &s;trengthen and maintain them after his power;</HI> by w^c^h clau&s;e of the oath, is evident, that the Co~mons not the King or Lords) have power to chu&s;e what Lawes them&s;elves &s;hall judge mee|te&s;t, and thereto of nece&s;&s;ity the King mu&s;t a&s;&s;ent, and this is evident by mo&s;t of our former Kings and Parliaments, and e&s;pecially by the &s;taignes <HI>Edw. 1. 2. 3. 4. Rich 2 Hen.</HI> 4. 5. &amp; 6. So that it cannot be denied, but that the King is &s;ubordinate and inferiour to the whole Kingdome and body Repre&s;entative: Therefore if the King, much more mu&s;t the Lords vaile their Bonets to the Commons and may not be e&s;teemed the upper Hou&s;e, <HI>or Supreame Court of Judicature of the Land.</HI></P>
<P>So that &s;eeing the Soveraigne power is not originally in the King, or per&s;onally terminated in him, then the King at mo&s;t can be but chief Officer, or &s;upream executioner of the Lawes, under whom all other legall executioners, their &s;everall executions, functions and offices are &s;ubordinate; for indeed the Repre&s;enters (in whom that power is inherent, and from whence it takes its originall) can only make conveyance thereof to their Repre&s;entors&punc; vicegerents or De|puties, and cannot po&s;&s;ibly further extend it, for &s;o they &s;hould go be|yond them&s;elves, wich is impo&s;&s;ible, for <HI>ultra po&s;&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 words">,</HI> there is no being beyond the power of being: That which goes beyond the &s;ub&s;tance and &s;haddow of a thing, cannot po&s;&s;ibly be the thing it &s;elfe, either &s;ub&s;tantially or vertually, for that which is beyond the Repre&s;entors, is not repre&s;entative, and &s;o not the Kingdomes or peoples, either &s;o much as in &s;haddow or &s;ub&s;tance.</P>
<P>Therefore the Soveraigne power (extending no further then from the Repre&s;ented to the Repre&s;entors) all this kind of Soveray|nity challenged by any (whither of King Lords or others) i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> u&s;urpati|on, illegitimate and illegall, and none of the Kingdomes or Peoples, neither are the People thereto obliged: Thus (Sir) &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ing the Sove|raigne
<PB N="12" REF="7">
or legi&s;lative power is only from the Repre&s;ented, to the Re|pre&s;entors, and cannot po&s;&s;ibly legally further extend: the power of the King cannot be <HI>Legi&s;lative,</HI> but only <HI>executive,</HI> and he can com|municate no more then he hath him&s;elfe; and the Soveraigne power not being inherent in him, it cannot be conveyed by, or derived from him to any, for could he, he would have carried it away with him, when he left the Parliament: So that his <HI>meere prerogative creatures,</HI> cannot have that which their <HI>Lord and creator</HI> never had, hath, or can have; namely, the <HI>Legi&s;lative power:</HI> For it is a &s;tanding <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 word"> in nature, <HI>omne &s;imile generat &s;imile,</HI> every like begetteth its like; and indeed they are as like him, <HI>as if they were &s;pit out of his mouth.</HI></P>
<P>For their proper &s;tation will not content them, but they mu&s;t make incur&s;ions &amp; inroads upon the Peoples rights and freedomes, and ex|tend their prerogative pattent beyond their Ma&s;ters compa&s;&s;e; Indeed all other Courts might as well challenge that prerogative of Sove|raignity, yea better then this Court of Lords. But and if any Court or Courts in this Kingdome, &s;hould arrogate to them&s;elves that dig|nity, to be the &s;upreame Court of Judicatory of the Land, it would be judged no les then high Trea&s;on, to wit, for an inferiour &s;ubordi|nate power to advance and exalt it &s;elfe above the power of the Par|liament.</P>
<P>And (Sir) the oppre&s;&s;ions, u&s;urpations, and mi&s;eries, from this prerogative Head, are not the &s;ole cau&s;e of our grievance and com|plaint, but in e&s;peciall, the mo&s;t unnaturall, tyranicall, blood-thir&s;ty de&s;ires and continuall endevours of the Clergy, again&s;t the contrary minded in matters of con&s;cience, w^c^h have been &s;o vailed, guilded and covered over, with &s;uch various, faire and &s;pecious pretences, that by the common di&s;cernings, &s;uch wool&s;ei&s;h canniball, inhumaine intents again&s;t their neighbours, kindred, friends and countrymen, as is now clearely di&s;covered, was little &s;u&s;pected (and le&s;&s;e de&s;erved) at their hands; but now I &s;uppo&s;e they will &s;carce hereafter be &s;o hard of be|liefe, for now in plain termes, and with open face the Clergy here di&s;cover them&s;elves in their kind, and &s;hew plainly that inwardly they are no other but <HI>ravening wolves,</HI> even <HI>as rearing Lyons wanting their pray, going up and down, &s;eeking whom they may devour.</HI></P>
<P>For (Sir) it &s;eems the&s;e cruell minded men to their brethren, have by the powerfull agitation of M. <HI>Taet</HI> and M <HI>Bacon,</HI> two members of the Hou&s;e, procured a mo&s;t <HI>Romi&s;h inqui&s;ition Ordinance,</HI> to obtain an
<PB N="13" REF="7">
admi&s;&s;ion into the Hou&s;e, there to be twice read, and to be referred to a Committee, which is of &s;uch a nature, if it &s;hould be but confirmed, enacted, and e&s;tabli&s;hed, as would draw all the innocent blood of the Saints, from righteous <HI>Abel,</HI> unto this pre&s;ent upon this Nation, and fill the land with more Martyrdomes tyranies, cruelties and op|pre&s;&s;ions, then ever was in the bloody dayes of Queen <HI>Mary,</HI> yea or ever before, or &s;ince: For I may boldly &s;ay that the people of this Na|tion never heard of &s;uch a diabollicall, murthering, devouring Ordi|nance, Order, Edict or Law in their Land as is that;</P>
<P>So that it may be truly &s;aid unto England, <HI>wo to the inhabitants thereof, for the Divell is come down unto you, (in the &s;hape of the letter B.) having great wrath, becau&s;e he knoweth he hath but a &s;hort time,</HI> for never before was the like hear'd of in <HI>England;</HI> the cruel villanous, barbarous Martyrdomes, murthers and butcherys of Gods People, under the pa|pall and Epi&s;copall Clergy, were not perpetated or acted by any Law, &s;o diveli&s;h, cruell and inhumain as this, therefoee what may the free People of <HI>England</HI> expect at the hands of their Presbyterian Clergy, who thus di&s;cover them&s;elves more firce and cruell then their fel|lowes? Nothing but hanging, burning, branding impri&s;oning, &amp;c. is like to be the reward of the mo&s;t faithfull friends to the Kingdome and Parliament, if the Clergy may be the di&s;po&s;ers, notwith&s;tanding their con&s;tant magnanimity, fidelity and good &s;ervice both in the field and at home, for them and the State:</P>
<P>But &s;ure this Ordinance was never intended to pay the Souldiers; their arears if it be, the Independents are like to have the ba&s;t &s;hare, let them take that for their comfort: but I believe there was more <HI>Tyth providence,</HI> then <HI>State thrift,</HI> in the matter, for if the Independents, An|abaptis&s;ts, and Browni&s;ts, were but &s;inceerly addicted to the <HI>DVE PAYMENT of TYTHES,</HI> it would be better to them in this ca&s;e then <HI>two &s;ub&s;ipy men,</HI> to acquit them of <HI>Fellony.</HI></P>
<P>For were it not for the lo&s;&s;e of their <HI>Trade,</HI> and &s;poyling their <HI>cu|&s;tome,</HI> an Anabapti&s;t Browni&s;t, Independent and Presbyter, were all one to them, then might they without doubt have the <HI>Mercy of the Clergy,</HI> then would they not have been entered into their <HI>Spani&s;h In|qui&s;ition Calender for ab&s;olute Fellons,</HI> or need they have feared the po|pi&s;h &s;oule murthering Antichri&s;tian <HI>Oath of Ab<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters">ation,</HI> or <HI>branding in the left checke with the letter B.</HI> the new Presbyterian <HI>Mark of the
<PB N="14" REF="8">
Bea&s;t</HI> for you &s;ee the <HI>Devill</HI> is now againe entered among&s;t us in a new &s;hape, not like an Angell of light, (as both he and his &s;ervants can tran&s;forme them&s;elves when they plea&s;e) but even in the &s;hape of the letter B; from the power of which Presbyterian <HI>Belzebub</HI> good Lord deliver us all and let al the People &s;ay Amen; Then needed they not to have feared their Pri&s;ons, their fire and faggot, their gallowes and halters, &amp;c. The &s;tronge&s;t <HI>Texts</HI> in all the Presbyterian <HI>new mod|dle</HI> of <HI>Clergy divinity,</HI> for the maintenance &amp; reverence of their cloth, and confutation of errours; for he that doth but &s;o much as que&s;tion that prie&s;t fatning-Ordinance for Tythes, Oblations, Obventions, &amp;c. doth flatly deny the <HI>fundamentals of Presbytrie,</HI> for it was the fir&s;t &s;tone they laid in their building, and the &s;econd &s;tone, the pro|hibition of all to teach Gods word but them&s;elves, and &s;o are <HI>ip&s;o fa|cto</HI> all <HI>Fellons. &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>By this (Sir) you may &s;ee what bloody minded men tho&s;e of the black Presbytrie be, what little love, patience, meeknes, long&s;uffering and forbearance they have to their Brethren; neither doe they as they would be done to; or doe to others as is done to them; for they would not be &s;o &s;erved them&s;elves, of the Independents, neither have the Independents ever &s;ought or de&s;ired any &s;uch thing upon them, but would beare with them in all brotherly love; if they would be but contented to live peaceably and neighbourly by them, and not thus to brand, hang, judge and condemne all for <HI>Fellons,</HI> that are not like them&s;elves. Sure (Sir) you cannot take this murthering, bloody di&s;po&s;ition of theirs for the Spirit of Chri&s;tianity, for Chri&s;tian <HI>cha|rety &s;uffers long, is kind, envieth not, exalteth not it &s;elfe, &s;ecketh not its own is not ea&s;ily provoked, thinketh no evill, beareth all things beleeveth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things;</HI> but the&s;e their de&s;ires and endevours are directly contrary.</P>
<P>Therefore (Sir) if you &s;hould &s;uffer this bloody inroad of Martyr|dome, cruelties and tyranies, upon the free Commoners of <HI>England,</HI> with who&s;e weale you are betru&s;ted, if you &s;hould be &s;o inhumaine, undutifull, yea and unnaturall unto us, our innocent blood will be up|on you, and all the blood of the righteous that &s;hall be &s;hed by this Or|dinance, and you will be branded to future generations, for Englands <HI>bloody Parliament.</HI></P>
<P>If you will not think upon us, think upon your po&s;terities, for I cannot &s;uppo&s;e that any one of you would have your children hang'd
<PB N="15" REF="8">
in ca&s;e they &s;hould prove Independents, Anabapti&s;ts, Browni&s;ts; I cannot judge you &s;o unnaturall and inhumain to your own children, therefore (Sir) if for our own &s;akes we &s;hall not be protected, &s;ave us for your childrens &s;akes, (though you think your &s;elves &s;ecure,) for ye may be a&s;&s;ured their and our intere&s;t is interwowne in one, if wee pe|ri&s;h, they mu&s;t not think to &s;eape. And (Sir) con&s;ider, that the cru|elties, tyranies and Martyrdomes of the papall and epi&s;copall Clergy, was one of the greate&s;t in&s;tigations to this mo&s;t unnaturall warre; and think you, if you &s;ettle a wor&s;e foundation of cruelty, that future ge|nerations will not ta&s;t of the dreags of that bitter cup?</P>
<P>Therefore now &s;tep in or never, and di&s;charge your duties to God and to us, and tell us no longer, that &s;uch motions are not yet <HI>&s;ea&s;ona|ble, and wee mu&s;t &s;till waite;</HI> for have we not waited on your <HI>plea&s;ures, many faire &s;ea&s;ons and precious occa&s;ions and opportunities the&s;e &s;ix yeares,</HI> even <HI>till the Halters are ready to be tyed to the Gallowes,</HI> and now mu&s;t wee hold our peace, and waite till wee be all impri&s;oned, hang'd, burnt and confounded? Blame us not (Sir) if we complain again&s;t you, &s;peak, write and plead thus with might and maine, for our lives, lawes and liberties, for they are our earthly <HI>&s;umnum bonum,</HI> wherewith you are chiefly betru&s;ted; &amp; whereof we de&s;ire a faithful di&s;charge at your hands in e&s;peciall, therefore be not you the men that &s;hall betray the blood of us and our po&s;terities, into the hands of tho&s;e bloody black executioners: for God is ju&s;t, and wil avenge our blood at your hands; and let Heaven and earth beat witne&s;&s;e again&s;t you, that for this end, that we might be pre&s;erved and re&s;tored, wee have di&s;charged our duties to you, both of love, fidelity and a&s;&s;i&s;tance, and in whatel&s;e yee could demand or devi&s;e in all your &s;everall needs, nece&s;&s;ities and extremities, not thinking our lives, e&s;tates, nor any thing too precious to &s;acrifice for you and the Kingdomes &s;afety, and &s;hall wee now be thus unfaithfully, undutifully and ungratfully rewarded? For &s;hame, let never &s;uch things be &s;poken, far le&s;&s;e recorded to future genera|tions.</P>
<P>Thus Sir, I have &s;o farre enboldened my &s;elfe with you (hoping you will let greivances be uttered, that if God &s;ee it good they may be re|dre&s;&s;ed, and give loo&s;ers leave to &s;peake without offence) as I am for|ced to at this time, not only in the di&s;charge of my duty to my &s;elfe in particular, but to your &s;elves and to our whole Country in generall for the pre&s;ent, and for our &s;everall po&s;terities for the future, and the
<PB N="16" REF="9">
Lord give you grace to take this timely advice, from &s;o meane and unworthy an in&s;trument.</P>
<P>One thing more (Sir) I &s;hall be bold to crave at your hands, that you would be plea&s;ed to pre&s;ent my Appeale here inclo&s;ed, to your Honourable Hou&s;e; perchance the manner of it may beget a di&s;affe|ction in you, or at lea&s;t a &s;u&s;pition, of di&s;favour from the Hou&s;e: but how&s;oever, I be&s;eech you, that you would make pre&s;entation thereof, and if any hazard and danger en&s;ue, let it fall upon mee, for I have ca&s;t up mine accounts, I know the mo&s;t that it can co&s;t me, is but the di&s;&s;olution of this fading mortality, which once mu&s;t be di&s;&s;olved; but after (ble&s;&s;ed be God) commeth righteous judgement.</P>
<P>Thus (Sir) hoping my earne&s;t and fervent de&s;ires after the univer|&s;all freedomes and properties of this Nation in generall, and e&s;pecial|ly of the mo&s;t godly and faithfull, in their con&s;ciences, per&s;ons and e&s;tates, will be a &s;ufficient excu&s;e with you, for this my tedious pre|&s;umption upon your patience: I &s;hal commit the premi&s;&s;es to your de|liberate thoughts, and the i&s;&s;ue thereof unto God; expecting and praying for his ble&s;&s;ing upon all your faithfull and hone&s;t endevours in the pro&s;ecution thereof. And re&s;t;</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>In Bonds for the ju&s;t rights and freedoms of the Commons of <HI>England,</HI> theirs and your faith|full friend and &s;ervant, Richard Overton.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE>From the mo&s;t contemp|teous Gaole of New-gate <HI>(the Lords benediction)</HI> <DATE><HI>Septem.</HI> 25. 1646.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="appeal">
<PB N="17" REF="9">
<HEAD>To the high and mighty States, the Knights Citizens and Burge&s;&s;es in Parliament A&s;&s;embled; <HI>(Englands legall Soveraigne power)</HI> The humble Appeale and &s;upplication of Richard Overton, Pri&s;oner in the mo&s;t contemptible Goale of New gate.</HEAD>
<OPENER>Humbly &s;heweth;</OPENER>
<P><HI>THAT whereas your Petitioner under the pretence of a Criminall fact, being in a warlike manner brought before the Hou&s;e of Lords to be tried, and by them put to an&s;wer to Interogatories concerning him|&s;elfe, both which your Petitioner humbly conceiveth to be illegall, and contra|ry to the naturall rights, freedoms and properties of the free Commoners of</HI> England <HI>(confirmed to them by</HI> Magna Charta, <HI>the Petition or Right, and the Act for the aboli&s;hment of the Star-chamber) he therefore was en|boldened to refu&s;e &s;ubjection to the &s;aid Hou&s;e, both in the one and the other; expre&s;&s;ing his re&s;olution before them,</HI> that he would not infringe the pri|vate Rights and properties of him&s;elfe, or of any one Commoner in particular, or the common Rights and properties of this Nation in ge|nerall: <HI>For which your Petitioner was by them adjudged contemptuous, &amp; by an Order from the &s;aid Hou&s;e was therefore committed to the Goale of</HI> New|gate, <HI>where, from the 11. of</HI> Augu&s;t 1646. <HI>to this pre&s;ent he hath lyen, and there commanded to be kept till their</HI> Plea&s;ures &s;hall be further &s;ignified <HI>(as a</HI> copy <HI>of the &s;aid Order hereunto annexed doth declare) which may be perpetuall if they plea&s;e, and may have their wils; for your Petitioner humbly conceiveth that thereby he is made a Pri&s;oner to their Wils, not to the Law, except their Wils may be a Law.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Wherefore, your leige Petitioner doth make his humble appeale unto this mo&s;t Soveraigne Hou&s;e (as to the highe&s;t Court of Judicatory in the Land, wherein all the appeales thereof are to centure, &amp; beyond which none can legal|ly be made) humbly craving (both in te&s;timony of his acknowledgment of its le|gall regality, &amp; of his due &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion thereunto) that your Honours therein a&s;|&s;embled, would take his cau&s;e (and in his, the cau&s;e of all the free Commoners of</HI> England, <HI>whom you repre&s;ent, &amp; for whom you &s;it) into your &s;erious con&s;i|deration and legall determination, that he may either by the mercy of the
<PB N="18" REF="10">
Law be repo&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed of his ju&s;t liberty and freedome, and thereby the whole Commons of</HI> England <HI>of theirs, thus unju&s;tly (as he humbly conceiveth) u|&s;urped &amp; invaded by the Hou&s;e of LORDS, with due repairations of all &s;uch damages &s;o &s;u&s;tained, or el&s;e that he may undergoe what penalty &s;hall in e|quity by the impartiall &s;everity of the Law be adjudged again&s;t him by this Honourable Hou&s;e, in ca&s;e by them he &s;hall be legally found a tran&s;gre&s;&s;our herein.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>And Your Petitioner (as in du|ty bound) &s;hall ever pray, &amp;c.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="order">
<OPENER><DATELINE><DATE>Die Martis 11. Augu&s;ti. 1646.</DATE></DATELINE></OPENER>
<P>It is this day Ordered by the Lords in Parliament a&s;|&s;embled, that <GAP DESC="blank"> <HI>Overton</HI> brought before a Com|mittee of this Hou&s;e, for printing &s;candalous things a|gain&s;t this Hou&s;e, is hereby committed to the Pri&s;on of New-gate, for his high contempt offered to this Hou&s;e, and to the &s;aid Committee by his contempte|ous words and ge&s;ture, and refu&s;ing to an&s;wer unto the Speaker: And that the &s;aid <HI>Overton</HI> &s;hall be kept in &s;afe cu&s;tody by the Keeper of New-gate or his de|puty, <HI>untill the Plea&s;ure of the Hou&s;e be further &s;ignified.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>John Brown Cleric. Parl. Examinat. per Ra. Bri&s;co Cl|ricu. de New-gate.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>To the Gentleman U&s;her attending this Hou&s;e, or his Deputy, to be delivered to the Keeper of New-gate on his Deputy.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="postscript">
<PB N="19" REF="10">
<HEAD>Po&s;t&s;cript.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>SIR,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>YOur un&s;ea&s;onable ab&s;ence from the Hou&s;e, chiefly while Mi&s;tres <HI>Lilburns</HI> Petition &s;hould have been read (you having a RE|PORT to make in her hu&s;bands behalfe, whereby the hearing thereof was defer'd and retarded) did po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e my mind with &s;trong jealou&s;ies and feares of you, that you either preferred your own plea|&s;ure or private intere&s;t before the execution of ju&s;tice and judgement, or el&s;e withdrew your &s;elfe, on &s;et purpo&s;e (through the &s;trong in&s;ti|gation of the Lords) to evade the di&s;charge of your tru&s;t to God and to your Cou~t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">y; but at your returne under&s;tanding, that you hone&s;tly &amp; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters">thfully d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d redeem your ab&s;ent time, I was di&s;po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed of tho&s;e feares and jealou&s;ies: So that for my over-ha&s;ty cen&s;orious e&s;teem of you, I humbly crave your excu&s;e, hoping you will rather impute it to the fervency of my faithfull zeale to the common good, then to any malignant di&s;po&s;ition or di&s;affection in me towards you: Yet (Sir) in this my &s;u&s;pition I was not &s;ingle, for it was even become a generall &s;urmi&s;e.</P>
<P>Wherefore (Sir) for the awarding your innocency for the future, from the tincture of &s;uch unju&s;t and calumnious &s;u&s;pitions, be you diligent and faithfull, in&s;tant in &s;ea&s;on and out of &s;ea&s;on, omit no opportunity, (though with never &s;o much hazard to your per&s;on, e&s;tate or family) to di&s;charge the great tru&s;t (in you repo&s;ed with the re&s;t of your fellow members) for the redemption of your <HI>na|tive Country</HI> from the <HI>Arbitrary Domination and u&s;urpations, either of the Hou&s;e of LORDS, or any other.</HI></P>
<P>And &s;ince by the <HI>divine providence of God,</HI> it hath plea&s;ed that Ho|nourable A&s;&s;embly whereof you are a Member, to &s;elect and &s;ever you out from among&s;t them&s;elves, to be of <HI>that Committee</HI> which they haue <HI>Ordained to receive the Commoners complaints again&s;t the Hou&s;e of LORDS,</HI> granted upon the fore&s;aid mo&s;t <HI>honourable Petition:</HI> Be you therefore impartiall, and ju&s;t, active and re&s;olute care neither for favours nor &s;miles, and be no re&s;pector of per&s;ons, let not the <HI>grea|te&s;t Peers</HI> in the Land, be more re&s;pected with you, then &s;omany <HI>old Bellowes-menders, Broom men, Coblers, Tinkers or Chimney-&s;weepers,</HI>
<PB N="20" REF="11">
who are all equally <HI>Free borne,</HI> with the <HI>hudge&s;t men,</HI> and <HI>lo&s;tiest A|nachims</HI> in the Land.</P>
<P>Doe nothing for favour of the one, or feare of the other; and have a care of the <HI>temporary Sagacity</HI> of the <HI>new Sect of OPPORTUNITY POLITITIANS,</HI> whereof we have got at lea&s;t two or three too ma|ny; for delayes &amp; demurres of Ju&s;tice are of more deceitfull &amp; dange|rous con&s;equence, then the flat &amp; open deniall of its execution, for the one keeps in &s;u&s;pence, makes negligent &amp; remi&s;&s;e, the other provokes to &s;peedy defence, makes active and re&s;olute: Therefore be wi&s;e, quick, &s;tout and impartiall: neither &s;pare, favour, or connive at friend or foe, high or low, rich or poore, Lord or Commoner.</P>
<P>And let even the &s;aying of the Lord, with which I will clo&s;e this pre&s;ent di&s;cour&s;e, clo&s;e with your heart, and be with you to the death. <HI>Leviticus,</HI> 19. 15.</P>
<P><HI>Yee &s;hall doe no unrighteou&s;ne&s;&s;e in judgement; thou &s;halt not re&s;pect the per&s;on of the poore, nor honour the per&s;on of the mighty, but in righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e &s;halt thou judge thy neighbour.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><DATE>October 12. 1646.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
