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<DATE>11-17-14</DATE>
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<NAME>John Latta</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P>THE ARMY VINDICATED, In their late DISSOLUTION Of the <HI>PARLIAMENT:</HI> With &s;everal CAUTIONS and DIRECTIONS In point of a New REPRESENTATIVE.</P>
<P>Publi&s;hed for the &s;atisfaction of all the real and cor|dial members of the Commonwealth, who&s;e aid and a&s;&s;i&s;tance is required herein, By <HI>John Spittlehou&s;e,</HI> a late Member of the Army.</P>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed for <HI>Richard Moone,</HI> at the Seven Stars in <HI>Paul</HI>'s Church-yard, neer the great North-door. 1653.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="tract">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>The Army vindicated, In their <HI>Late Di&s;&s;olution of the Parliament.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_TO &s;top the mouthes of calumnious per&s;ons, and <HI>Par&s;ons</HI> &amp;c. who no doubt will be ready to a&s;per&s;e the late <HI>thrice-noble action of the Army</HI> in their di&s;&s;olution of the Parliament, I do here|by affirm the &s;ame to be ju&s;tifiable, for the&s;e fol|lowing Rea&s;ons; <HI>Viz.</HI></P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>In regard of the pre&s;ent Pre&s;&s;ures, or rather Oppre&s;&s;ions of the Commonwealth in general (as it con&s;i&s;teth of all the people comprehended therein) as al&s;o inre&s;pect of the deep &s;ighs &amp; groans which the real members thereof have taken under the &s;ame; as al&s;o, of</HI> the altogether impo&s;&s;ibility of hopes <HI>that they had to be ea&s;ed of the &s;ame by</HI> the late Repre&s;entative, <HI>&s;o called.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>In that the Army was onely made u&s;e of by the &s;aid Repre&s;en|tative,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>as &s;o many Ma&s;tiffs, to keep the afore&s;aid real members in awe, whil&s;t the mo&s;t of the &s;aid Repre&s;entative,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>did domi|neer over them as &s;o many Tyrants.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>In that the Army was &s;o deeply engaged to pre&s;erve the
<PB N="2" REF="3">afore&s;aid per&s;ons, as well as them&s;elves, from the</HI> inevitable ruine which was coming upon them.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. <HI>In re&s;pect of the &s;everal Mutations which hath happen|ed &s;ince the fir&s;t election of the &s;aid Repre&s;entative,</HI> (viz.)
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. In as much as both the per&s;on and Office of him, by vertue of who&s;e authority they were fir&s;t elected, hath been &s;ince utterly cut off, extingui&s;hed, and aboli&s;hed.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. In that it hath been clearly evident, that they are now totally re|jected of all their Electors.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Which two afore&s;aid cau&s;es being taken away, the effect mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity cea&s;e. For in the fir&s;t place, they were no longer Parlia|ment-men, then whil&s;t there was a King to parly withal, (that being the alone rea&s;on why they were &s;o elected) which when once taken out of the way, they could no more in rea&s;on expect to retain their nomi|nation of Parliament-men, then it is rational to imagine, that a &s;tream &s;hould be pre&s;erved by an exhau&s;ted fountain.</P>
<P>So that it is as clear as the Sun in its brighte&s;t lu&s;tre, that &s;ince the death of the late King, the late Repre&s;entative (&s;o called) hath had its ba&s;is or foundation meerly upon the plea&s;ure of the Army and their adherents, it being impo&s;&s;ible it &s;hould be otherw<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="3 letters">, for the&s;e Rea&s;ons, <HI>viz.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. In that all their other Electors had wholly de&s;erted them, even unto blood.</P>
<P N="2">2. In that it is irrational to imagine that &s;uch per&s;ons and <HI>Par&s;ons,</HI> &amp;c. who&s;e Principles are as contrary to a Commonwealth, as dark|ne&s;s to light (which all the Royalli&s;ts of the Nation, whether of the Presbyterian or Cavalier parties are notoriou&s;ly known to be) &s;hould in the lea&s;t a&s;&s;ent, (after that fatal blow given to their &s;o-much-ado|red Idol) to the continuation of the afore&s;aid Repre&s;entative (e&s;peci|ally) as to the management of this late Kingdom as a Common|wealth, and &s;o voluntarily to de&s;troy that principle, which is yet as dear unto them as their lives and fortunes, (as &s;ome of them have late|ly by woful experience found; in&s;tace Mr. <HI>Love, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. And as for the late forced engagement upon them, it was no o|ther then a meer Scare-crow to fright the afore&s;aid parties into obedi|ence (as all rational men do very well know) and therefore &s;uch their conde&s;cention could not in the lea&s;t be properly termed a ju&s;t and le|gal
<PB N="3" REF="3">re-in&s;tating of the afore&s;aid repre&s;entative, by, or from &s;uch per|&s;ons; they being driven thereunto by compul&s;ion, whereas it &s;hould have proceeded from a free and voluntary affection that they had had, both to the &s;aid repre&s;entative, as al&s;o to a commonwealth, then which nothing can be more contrary unto them, as afore&s;aid.</P>
<P>So that it mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily, and unavoidably follow, that the real Members of this Commonwealth are included in the Congregation|al Churches, and the Army, and their well-wi&s;hers, (not as yet in Church-fellow&s;hip; <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) and not any that are truly under the no|tion of the afore&s;aid two di&s;tinctions.</P>
<P>And therefore it would be no le&s;s then a downright folly and mad|ne&s;s, to entertaine or admit either of the afore&s;aid parties, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> as to have an &s;hare or intere&s;t in the election of a new repre&s;entative; it being notoriou&s;ly known (by all that know any thing) how de|&s;perately inraged the Cavaliers of this Nation have been and yet are (were it in their power) again&s;t the pre&s;ent government of this Nati|on (as a Commonwealth.) So that I per&s;wade my &s;elf they have &s;o much ingenuity in them, as to di&s;claime having to do with any power or authority that tendeth to the ruine of Monarchy, unle&s;s it be in hope <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 word"> compa&s;s their de&s;ires thereby: Whereas rea&s;on teacheth that it is a &s;ufficient priviledge, that &s;uch per&s;ons have their lives for a prey; and to be permitted to have their abode in the Commonwealth (living without di&s;trubance) who without all controver&s;ie, would either have deprived us of our lives, or at the lea&s;t have bani&s;hed us the Nation.</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>I &s;uppo&s;e the Cavalier party will not expect to be ad|mitted any intere&s;t in the next Election: But what have you in particular again&s;t the Presbyterian party?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> They have not continued faithful unto the end, but contrary|wi&s;e, have given over the work before it was half fini&s;hed.</P>
<P N="2">2. It is al&s;o notoriou&s;ly known, that they have &s;ince their afore&s;aid declination, proved as turbulent (to their power) again&s;t the pre&s;ent Commonwealth, as ever was the Cavaliers. Yea, what is it that they either might, or could do to advance Monarchy, which they have not attempted? then which principle, what can be more de&s;tructive to the pre&s;ent Army, and their adherents, who are the alone proper &s;ub|jects of this pre&s;ent Commonwealth; as al&s;o to the de&s;igne which
<PB N="4" REF="4">Je&s;us Chri&s;t is now about to accompli&s;h by them, who without all controver&s;ie is determined to pluck up all Monarchical, and Anti|chri&s;tian Rule and Government; to the end he may accompli&s;h his yet-unperformed premi&s;es, as to rule all Nations, either by his gol|den Scepter, or Iron Rod?</P>
<P>Que&s;t. <HI>The Presbyterian was faithful to what they undertook,</HI> viz. <HI>to what the Covenant injoyned them.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;pon&s;.</HI> So far as that Covenant did tend to &s;et up, or erect that which Je&s;us Chri&s;t was and is purpo&s;ed to ca&s;t down, <HI>viz.</HI> Monarchy and Antichri&s;tiani&s;me; as in a wonderful, and mira|culous manner he hath declared him&s;elf, and that to the admiration of tho&s;e who have been the mediate in&s;truments thereof: thrice ble&s;|&s;ed be his name for &s;o doing, in that &s;uch his poor creatures have no cau&s;e to attribute any their acts to their own wi&s;dome; but may in|genuou&s;ly ca&s;t their crown on the ground, and a&s;cribe the honour and prai&s;e to him that &s;itteth upon the throne, who liveth for ever and e|ver. It was to fight again&s;t God, as the event hath evidently decla|red. So that (if rational) they cannot but with the <HI>Egyptian</HI> Magi|cians, (Jannes and Jambres) confe&s;s that it was no other then the fin|ger of God, that hath brought all the&s;e (once never intended) things to pa&s;s (I mean by &s;uch as was ignorantly put upon the &s;ame,) as mo&s;t of the Army can &s;peak experimentally, who, I am confident, did once think the things that are now accompli&s;hed, to have been beyond their imagination. And therefore, ina&s;much as they of the Presby|terian judgement have not been thought meet <HI>by God</HI> to be made co|operators with the pre&s;ent Army, and their adherents in tho&s;e great actions that have lately been accompli&s;hed, but that the Lord hath rather left them to follow their own inventions; What are we, that we &s;hould entertayn &s;uch <HI>as God hath rejected?</HI></P>
<P>Neither is it probable to conjecture that Satan &s;hould ca&s;t out Satan; or that &s;uch per&s;ons as are wholly bent upon a Monarchical power, &s;hould be imployed as in&s;truments to extirpate the &s;ame. Neither certainly is it their de&s;ire to de&s;troy their own principle; and therefore &s;urely will not retain any &s;uch thought as afore&s;aid.</P>
<P>Q. <HI>All the Pre&s;byterians mi&s;carriages ought to be buried in the late Act of oblivion, ina&s;much as they have taken the engagement.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> You may as well &s;ay that the Cavalier party is become
<PB N="5" REF="4">comformable, for they were the Ring-leaders of the other. But rea&s;on, yea common &s;en&s;e will judge, that what they or either of their par|ties did in that particular, or any other, relating to the e&s;tabli&s;h|ment of a Commonwealth (as intended by Je&s;us Chri&s;t) hath been done quite contrary to their grain, they yet being as grand Antago|ni&s;ts thereunto in their hearts as ever.</P>
<P>And therefore all the &s;eeming compliances which they or either of them have made, cannot rationally be imputed to any affection that they have to the Army or their Adherents, &s;o that I am very confi|dently a&s;&s;ured that there can neither be a &s;afe or durable peace, or u|nion made by admitting either of the afore&s;aid parties to have the lea&s;t &s;hare or intere&s;t in a new election; for what &s;afety can be ima|gined, by putting a Sword into the hand of a known Enemy? or what duration of love can be expected from <HI>a Jacob and an E&s;au, E&s;au</HI> being deprived of his birth-right, from him that is re&s;olved to take his fir&s;t opportunity to de&s;troy you?</P>
<P>Qu. <HI>There may be certaine provi&s;ions and limitations u&s;ed, (as intended in the late intended Act) for the regulating of the mo&s;t violent of them, and not to declare againe all under each of the two afore&s;aid Notions, as to the next election.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> In &s;o doing you will only make provi&s;ions and limitations to erect Monarchy againe among&s;t us: for &s;o long as either of the fore|&s;aid parties continue under their, or either of their Antichri&s;tian Hie|rarchies, they will reteine their de&s;ire to &s;ee this Common-wealth once more decked with a Monarchicall dre&s;s, without which their Tenents can neither be &s;upported, or their Rabbies mainteyned in their de&s;i|red pompe.</P>
<P>Qu. <HI>Would you have them ever excluded from the priviledge of election of a new Repre&s;entative?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Yea, whil&s;t they, or either of them reteine their affecti|ons to &s;uch Antichri&s;tian<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">For whil&s;t that antichri&s;tian Ju|das liveth, it is impo&s;&s;ible <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 word"> the State &s;hould e|ver be al quiet in any of the three Nations.</NOTE> Rabbies (as yet they do) for otherwi&s;e it would argue the greate&s;t folly that ever was acted in any Age, yea &s;uch an one as would at one blowe ca&s;t down all that ever the Army and their adherents have hitherto (by the ble&s;&s;ing of God) built up, with &s;o much expence of blood and hard&s;hip:
<PB N="6" REF="5">yea, &s;uch an Act as would at once bla&s;t all their wi&s;dom, prudence, valour, yea and Religion it &s;elf, and thereby to render them&s;elves and their po&s;terities &s;laves even to eternity: from which the Lord in much mercy deliver us.</P>
<P>Having thus di&s;covered who are not meet per&s;ons either to elect, or be elected, in reference to a new Repre&s;entative, I &s;hall (by Gods a&s;&s;i&s;t|ance) in the next place give you to know, whom I conceive are meet per&s;ons for &s;uch a purpo&s;e. And ina&s;much as it is brought to &s;uch a pinch, as to employ onely Members of the Army and their adhe|rents in the afore&s;aid action, it will be requi&s;ite to con&s;ider,</P>
<P N="1">1. Whether it be the proper work of the Army and their adhe|rents, to joyn as one in the &s;ame; or that it be effected by one of them apart from the other? And if apart from each other, then whether the Army alone, or their adherents alone?</P>
<P>In an&s;wer to the &s;econd of the&s;e, <HI>viz.</HI> Whether it be the proper work of the Congregated Churches and their well-wi&s;hers (whom I term the Armies adherents) to take upon them to <HI>rule the Nations with a rod of Iron,</HI> (<HI>viz.</HI> in a Magi&s;tratical employment) I humbly conceive it altogether improper, And that for the&s;e following Rea|&s;ons:</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. In that for &s;uch per&s;ons to take &s;uch a Juri&s;diction upon them, would be to take unto them&s;elves a grand mark or character of the Bea&s;t of <HI>Rome,</HI> whom we &s;ee doth &s;et her Imps in the &s;eat of Ci|vil Judicature, as we have formerly had pre&s;idents of; as when every <HI>Doctor in Divinity</HI> was a <HI>Ju&s;tice of Peace,</HI> &amp;c. it being as an in|&s;eparable concomitant thereunto annexed.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. In that I take it to be the onely peculiar work of the Congre|gated Churches, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> to hold forth the golden Scepter of the love of God in Chri&s;t Je&s;us unto the Nations of the world, and thereby to labour to allure them into the Church with that golden bait, and &s;o to convert them, then any wi&s;e in the lea&s;t, that may tend to their ru|ine in things temporal, but rather contrariwi&s;e to feed them when hun|gry, and clothe them when naked, according to the command of Can&s;t <HI>&amp;c.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. In that by taking &s;uch an Office upon them, and not being Members of the Army, will rather make the Spou&s;e of Chri&s;t odious,
<PB N="7" REF="5">then beautiful in the eyes of them that are without; and hence it was that <HI>David</HI> mu&s;t onely prepare matter for the building of the Tem|ple, but <HI>Solomon</HI> mu&s;t be the workman.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>The re&s;ult therefore will be this <HI>(viz.)</HI> That Members of Churches, <HI>quatenus.</HI> Members of Congregationall Churches (and not with|al Members of the Army) ought in no wi&s;e to handle the iron rod or &s;word of ju&s;tice, that being <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his proper right <HI>in the Campe,</HI> as well as the <HI>Mar&s;hall &s;word in the Field.</HI></P>
<P>As al&s;o that Members of the Army, <HI>quatenus</HI> Members of the Army, (and not in Church fellow-&s;hip) ought in no wi&s;e to meddle with the affairs of the Church, let each of them therefore have recour&s;e to their proper channels.</P>
<P>Qu. <HI>Would you have Members of Churches,</HI> quatenus <HI>Mem|bers of Churches, (and not Members of the Army) to have no|thing at all to do out of the Church, in matter of publick imploy|ment?</HI></P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Not in any thing that appertaineth to civil Judicature; but in all things el&s;e what&s;oever.</P>
<P>Qu. <HI>If the matter &s;hould be &s;o ordered the Congregated Churches and their well-wi&s;hers, will have but little advantage above the Presbyterian party,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Their advantage will be very much. For fir&s;t, under God they will by &s;uch meanes be put into the greate&s;t condition of &s;afe|ty and liberty, that ever the Church enjoyed under the Go&s;pel.</P>
<P N="2">2. By &s;o doing, they will be as it were wholly &s;et apart to propa|gate the Go&s;pel in all places, where their brethren of the Army either hath or by providence may yet conquer, and &s;o by gradation, until the Kingdom and Dominion, and greatne&s;s of the King|dom under the whole heavens,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. c. <HI>7.</HI></NOTE> &s;hall be given to the people of the Saints of the mo&s;t high, who&s;e Kingdom is an everla&s;t|ing Kingdome, whom all Dominions &s;hall &s;erve and obey; The time being now pre&s;ent, that the antient of dayes is come, and judgement is given unto the Saints of the mo&s;t high, &s;o that they &s;hall take the Kingdomes of the world into their po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, and that for ever, even for ever and ever. Even &s;o be it Lord Je&s;us; <HI>Amen, Amen.</HI></P>
<P>So that I do hereby &s;eriou&s;ly advi&s;e all &s;uch as are reall and Cor|diall
<PB N="8" REF="6">the advancing of the Monarchical Kingdom of Je&s;us Chri&s;t upon Earth; that they would <HI>di&s;tingui&s;h them&s;elvs</HI> from <HI>&s;uch as are not,</HI> (and that even through the whole Commonwealth,) by a&s;&s;ociating them&s;elves together with all po&s;&s;ible &s;peed that may be, and con&s;ult of what is here propounded in this &s;mall treati&s;e as al&s;o that they would joyne together by way of Petition to intreat the Lord Generall of the Army, with all the Officers and Souldiers under his command, to take upon them as your Repre&s;entatives, the Management or exerci&s;e of the civil Magi&s;tracy or Iron Rod, <HI>viz.</HI> of all &s;uch power as tend|eth properly to the civil Magi&s;trate in the Nations, which the Lord of Ho&s;ts hath been plea&s;ed to &s;ubdue for them, by his owne power, and &s;tretched-out arm as they them&s;elves will acknowledge.</P>
<P>To which end and purpo&s;e, I &s;hall in the next place adde &s;ome inducing rea&s;ons for your further provocation thereunto. <HI>(viz.)</HI></P>
<P N="1">1 In that our brethren of the Army, have hitherto proved, under God, the grand power and refuge unto their brethren of the Congre|gational Churches and their well-wi&s;hers in all their di&s;tre&s;&s;es.</P>
<P N="2">2 Ina&s;much as they have likewi&s;e been &s;uch as have procured the pre&s;ent freedomes and liberties which the Churches now injoy, and that by the hazard of their lives in the high places of the Field, and therefore without all controver&s;ie the fitte&s;t per&s;ons to be conti|nued in the Guardian&s;hip thereof.</P>
<P N="3">3 Ina&s;much as they are likewi&s;e the men that have &s;o deeply in|gaged them&s;elves by their many vowes and prote&s;tations, to act in all things which may tend to the &s;afety of their brethren as afore&s;aid, and therefore ought not any wi&s;e to be with held from accompli&s;hing the &s;ame, but rather encourage thereunto by putting opportunities in|to their hands.</P>
<P N="4">4. Ina&s;much as the Army is now in the mo&s;t meet capacity that ever they were <HI>&s;ince an Army,</HI> to effect the &s;ame; in that, through the good hand of God upon them, the vi&s;ible enemies of the Com|monwealth in the three Nations, are even wholly &s;ubdued unto them.</P>
<P N="5">5. Ina&s;much as the wi&s;dom and policie of the Army hath been ve|ry apparent, in point of Treaty with other Nations, (as with <HI>Scot|land</HI> and <HI>Ireland</HI>) in which two places, who but the Army managed &s;uch affairs? who treated with the enemies of them two conquered Nations, either in Field or Gari&s;on, but the Officers of the Army?
<PB N="9" REF="6">Were any of the Commi&s;&s;ioners of State &s;ent to treat with either of them Nations, before the Army had brought them to &s;uch a capacity by its Conque&s;t over them? Yea, hath it not been very apparent, that in all the whole Series of affairs, the power of the Sword hath been the principal means (under God) to reduce the three Nations to their pre&s;ent obedience? <HI>(for what other means was the other, &s;ave bare ceremonies of State?)</HI> And are they not then the fir|te&s;t per&s;ons to be intru&s;ted with what they have &s;o valiantly prudent|ly, and gallantly obtained?</P>
<P N="6">6. As al&s;o, in point of Safety: for is not the Army di&s;per&s;ed into all the meet places of the three Nations, fit to &s;uppre&s;s In&s;urrections if any &s;hould happen? (but I hope the adver&s;aries to this Common|wealth have bought their experience to be quiet at &s;o dear a rate, as that they will not part with it upon ea&s;ie terms.)</P>
<P N="7">7. As al&s;o, to point of content, even to the mo&s;t bitter enemies of this Commonwealth, whom I per&s;wade my &s;elf will much more be plea&s;ed that a Repre&s;entative of Officers of the Army &s;hould manage the affairs of that which they have &s;o obtained as afore&s;aid,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Again, friends, you will be &s;ure to have neither Law|yers, nor friends to Rabbies, nor &s;herking Commit|tee-men to order you.</NOTE> ra|ther then the now lately excluded one, or one cho&s;en out of the Presbytery, (which un|doubtedly would have been, had their late in|tended Act been brought to its intended ac|compli&s;hment) &s;uch per&s;ons being far more odious to them (in re&s;pect of their late claw|ing of the late King at the I&s;le of <HI>Wight,</HI> which was the grand cau&s;e of his utter ruine) then the afore&s;aid members of the Army. Yea, I am very confident that they will be far better plea&s;ed with the former then the later: for will it not be a great advantage to them, to &s;ave their Tythes, ina&s;much as their own Clergie are out of office? Is it any plea&s;ure to them to give the &s;ame to the Presbyterian Mini&s;ters? <HI>No doubtle&s;s.</HI> Again, what is it to them now, (&s;eeing Monarchie and their Clergie are extirpated) if all the Cathedrals and Colledge lands be &s;old? So they may keep money in their pur&s;es, whereby to pre&s;erve their families, and help to redeem their former lo&s;s; with &s;everal other things of the like nature.</P>
<PB N="10" REF="7">
<P> Again, I am as confident, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> that they will be &s;ure more plea&s;ed in every re&s;pect with a Repre&s;entative of the Army, then with any o|ther that can be now imagined &s;hould be cho&s;en in the whole Nation, it being far more honourable for them to live under the wing of a gallant Enemy, then of a feigned Friend: for let them be well a&s;&s;u|red, that the Presbyterian would prove no better to them. Yea, I am al&s;o as confident, that they will finde a Repre&s;entative of Officers of the Army far more noble to them then the other would have been that was lately intended, or any that could be elected out of the Congregated Churches, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>And as to the Navie at Sea. what greater &s;atisfaction can there be to them. then that their fellow-&s;ouldiers &s;hould have that honour to be made Guardians of that they have &s;o gallantly obtained, even by the hazard of their deare&s;t blood?</P>
<P>And now, brethren, having thus given you &s;ome encouragement to petition as afore&s;aid, I &s;hall in the next place convert my &s;peech un|to the Army, by way of propo&s;ing and an&s;wering certain Queries, which will properly concern them, in relation to their officiating in the afore&s;aid enterpri&s;e of electing meet members (out of them&s;elves) for a new Repre&s;entative, &s;o as may the be&s;t conduce to the &s;afety and welfare of the Army: which pre&s;umption I hope the Lord General, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> will pardon, ina&s;much as I &s;hall do it meerly out of zeal to their welfare; hoping withal, that there may be &s;ome things rendered, that may at the lea&s;t be worthy of their <HI>peru&s;ing,</HI> though not <HI>ac|cepting.</HI></P>
<P>I &s;hall in the fir&s;t place lay down the Propo&s;itions, and afterward make an&s;wer unto them. The Propo&s;als are the&s;e: <HI>viz.</HI></P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Whether or no the private Souldiers of the Army ought to be admitted to vote in &s;uch an election, or that the Commi&s;&s;ion-Officers do act alone in the &s;ame?</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Whether or no Souldiers under each degree of Office in the Army, may not be thought meet for the managing of &s;uch an em|ployment as afore&s;aid?</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>What number of Officers ought to be employed in the afore|&s;aid work?</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. <HI>By what means &s;uch Officers may be elected, &s;o, as that the &s;ame may be effected with the greate&s;t facility and &s;afety to the
<PB N="11" REF="7">Army and Nations (in their pre&s;ent capacities) as po&s;&s;ibly may be?</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>5. <HI>What maintenance is fit to be allowed &s;uch per&s;ons as &s;hall be &s;o elected during the time of &s;uch their &s;ervices?</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>6. <HI>And la&s;tly, What duration of time will be meet that &s;uch a Repre&s;entative to be continued, and renewed?</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>In reference to which particulars, I &s;hall in like manner humbly offer my thoughts (by way of an&s;wer) to the con&s;ideration of the Lord General and the Officers under his command; <HI>viz.</HI></P>
<P>As to the fir&s;t of them, I conceive it mo&s;t meet that the Commi&s;|&s;ion-Officers of the Army have the vote of election alone, without the private Souldiery: my Rea&s;ons are the&s;e; 1. In that it will be a means to keep the private Souldiery at quiet, whereas otherwi&s;e there might ari&s;e di&s;cords among&s;t them by &s;uch an action. 2. Ina&s;|much as the afore&s;aid Officers are for the mo&s;t part well principled, both as to Religion, as al&s;o to the &s;afety and welfare of the Com|monwealth; whereas many of the private Souldiery may be con|ceived to be of a light and un&s;table minde in matters of &s;uch con|cernment: &s;o that it is probable they may be wrought upon, to elect &s;ome unmeet Officers for the afore&s;aid employment, by means of pri|vate tamperings of the publike enemy, which would undoubtedly be attempted.</P>
<P N="2">2. In reference to the &s;econd Propo&s;al, I likewi&s;e conceive that there are &s;ome under each degree of Office (as afore&s;aid) that are meet per&s;ons to be employed, as afore&s;aid: &s;o that not any one Offi|cers in the Army <HI>viz.</HI> from the General to a Cornet or En&s;igne ought to be excepted again&s;t, as either to vote, or be voted for.</P>
<P N="3">3. In reference likewi&s;e to third Propo&s;al, I al&s;o conceive that two Officers out of each Regiment in the Army, will be &s;ufficient for the afore&s;aid employment with one out of each Gari&s;on (where the &s;oul|diery therein hath no relation to a Regiment) which if likewi&s;e thought requi&s;ite may be permitted both to the Armies and Gari&s;ons, in <HI>Scotland</HI> and <HI>Ireland:</HI> which thing ought chiefly to be had re|&s;pect unto of any one particular what&s;oever, in that it would be a means to keep a brother-like union and corre&s;pondence betwixt the Armies; as al&s;o, in that it may likewi&s;e be performed with as much facility and &s;afety as it can be done in <HI>England.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. And as to the manner of &s;uch election, I al&s;o conceive that it
<PB N="12" REF="8">may be done without a General A&s;&s;embly of the Officers of the Ar|my, yea or of each Regiment, (unle&s;s they be all together in field, or Gari&s;on or at &s;ome &s;mall di&s;tance from each other) as thus:</P>
<P>Such Officers as are Regimentall, whether of Hor&s;e or Foot, where&s;oever di&s;per&s;ed may give, or &s;end their de&s;ires in writing to his Collonel, <HI>(viz)</HI> what Officer (in the Regiment he is of) he hath made choice of for the afore&s;aid &s;ervice, which being done by any one or more Officers apart, <HI>where they have their re&s;idence,</HI> and the Colonels of each Regiment having received the &s;ame, and that by &s;ame certaine day prefixed by the Lord Generall to that purpo&s;e, may likewi&s;e (upon another prefixed day by the Lord Generall to that purpo&s;e) &s;end all &s;uch particular elections inclo&s;ed to the Lord Gene|rall, who at another day appointed for that purpo&s;e may with, and in the pre&s;ence of a Generall a&s;&s;embly of &s;uch Officers as are at the Head-quarters, break open the &s;ame, which when they have peru&s;ed, and compared, and found which Per&s;ons are elected as afore|&s;aid,</P>
<P>That then the Lord Generall do forthwith i&s;&s;ue out his commands to the Per&s;ons &s;o elected, to repaire to the place where they are to perform &s;uch their &s;ervices injoyned them as afore&s;aid; all which a|fore&s;aid letters tending to the fore&s;aid election, ought to be re|gi&s;tred, and filed by the Lord Generalls Secretary, to the end they may be produced if occa&s;ion require, and that the vacancy of the two afore&s;aid Officers out of each Regiment, may be &s;upplied by the next Officers under them untill their returne; By which means there will be but the addition of two corporals in each Regiment, and one in each Gari&s;on <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>I &s;uppo&s;e al&s;o that the like cour&s;e may be taken both in <HI>Scotland</HI> and <HI>Ireland,</HI> as al&s;o the Navy at Sea, where each of the Generals may have the election of one Member to take care of them a &s;hore, as al&s;o of one to &s;upply his place untill his returne, which will undoub|tedly give great &s;atisfaction to the Sea-men.</P>
<P>As al&s;o that the Lord Generall him&s;elfe may have the election of a Generall Officer out of each Nation for the afore&s;aid &s;ervice, as al&s;o of three others to &s;upply their Commands, untill they &s;hall returne thereunto; and that the &s;aid parties who &s;hall be &s;o elected, may be allowed their pay, during the afore&s;aid time,
<PB N="7" REF="8" MS="y">out of the contingent monys which &s;hall be in the Lord Generalls di&s;po&s;al, as al&s;o all the re&s;t of the Officers elected as afore&s;aid.</P>
<P>Againe as to the fifth propo&s;ition in relation to the Salary of &s;uch per&s;ons as &s;hall be elected as afore&s;aid, I likewi&s;e &s;uppo&s;e that they ought to have no other allowance for &s;uch their &s;ervice then their u&s;u|al pay as Officers of the Army, under each degree or quality they were, in the Regiment or Gari&s;on, at the time that they were &s;o elect|ed; and that for the&s;e Rea&s;ons; <HI>viz.</HI></P>
<P>1. Ina&s;much as by &s;o doing, they will be kept in an humble frame of &s;pirit, which otherwi&s;e might be changed by an exceed or increa&s;e of maintenance; whereas, <HI>having but food and raiment, they ought to be therewith content,</HI> e&s;pecially in the pre&s;ent condition that the poor people of the Commonwealth are now in by rea&s;on of the heavie. Taxes lying upon their &s;houlders; which ought &s;eriou&s;ly to be con&s;idered and remedied.</P>
<P>2 In that it will al&s;o &s;erve to cool the zeal, which peradventure &s;ome covetous Officers might have to be elected, though I hope there will be very few &s;uch found in that mood.</P>
<P>3 In that it will make hone&s;t and cordial Officers more willing to embrace &s;uch an employment, (&s;uch as with the Apo&s;tle <HI>de&s;ireth to &s;pend and be &s;pent</HI> for the good of the people of God, and their country, knowing that it is the duty of parents <HI>to lay up for the children, and not the children for their Parents.</HI>)</P>
<P>4 It will al&s;o be a means to make the elected to quit &s;uch their employment, when required by their Electors.</P>
<P>5 In that &s;uch an alowance I am confident will plea&s;e every ho|ne&s;t-hearted man, in re&s;pect of the affection which they bear to the publike good, or welfare of the&s;e Nations, over which the Lord hath been plea&s;ed to make them Victors.</P>
<P>6 And la&s;tly, in relation to a meet time for the continuation of the next new repre&s;entative; I conceive that twelve moneths will be a very competent time, at the expiration whereof, they may be either <HI>changed</HI> or <HI>continued</HI> for twelve moneths longer.&mdash;By which means a great part of the Officers in the Army will in a &s;hort time be as well made polititians as &s;oldiers, which undoubtedly will redound to the greater glory of the Army, as al&s;o to the advantage of their Generals General, Je&s;us Chri&s;t, (the Captaine General of the Lords
<PB N="14" REF="9">Ho&s;t) as to the &s;ubduing of all the Nations of the world, either to his Golden Scepter or Iron Rod, as afore&s;aid.</P>
<P>Thus have you the thoughts of a faithful and free-born Member of this Commonwealth, how the Saints thereof may with much facility and ea&s;e, procure them&s;elves a new repre&s;entative to the glory of God, and the &s;afety and welfare of the now three united Nations or Republike; which being upon my &s;pirit, I was con&s;train|ed to make known unto you in this your pre&s;ent condition: which if it may be any advantage to the Saints either in Church or Army, he hath his de&s;ires, who &s;ub&s;cribeth him&s;elf</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your truly de|voted &s;ervant <HI>John Spitlehou&s;e.</HI></SIGNED>
<DATELINE><HI>London,</HI> <DATE>April 23. 1653.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="postscript">
<HEAD>Po&s;t&s;cript.</HEAD>
<P><HI>I</HI> Hope it will prove as a &s;hooing-born, to draw on others far more able to give directions in &s;uch high matters of concern|ment. In the interim, I hope, this will be ac|cepted, as &s;uch an offering as can probably be expected from &s;uch an one as the Au|thor, either in name or condition.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
