O yet a nobler task awaits thy hand : For what can war but acts of war ftill breed, The following lines, never likewife publifh'd among his poems, he wrote to Sir HENRY VANE the younger. VANE, young in years, but in fage counfils old, Than whom a better fenator ne'er held The helm of Rome (when gowns, not arms repel'd The fierce Epirot, and the African bold) Whether to fettle peace, or to unfold The drift of hollow ftates hard to be spel❜d. Then, to advise how war may best b'upheld, Man'd by her two main nerves, iron and gold, In all her equipage: Befides to know Both spiritual and civil, what each means, What ferves each thou haft learn'd, which few have don. The bounds of either fword to thee we own, But after CHARLES the firft (fomtime before judg'd an enemy by the parlament) was made a prifoner by their victorious army, afterwards judicially try'd and condemn'd, and the form of the government was chang'd into a democracy or free ftate, the prefbyterian minifters, who from the beginning were the king's mortal enemies, but now inrag'd inrag'd that the independents and other fects fhould, enjoy either liberty or life (not angry at the fact but the faction) did tragically declame in their pulpits, that the king's ufage was very hard, that his perfon was facred and inviolable, and that any violence offer'd to him in the field (much less by the hands of an executioner) was contrary to the doctrin of the reform'd churches. This oblig'd MILTON in the year 49 to write his Tenure of Kings and Magiftrats, wherin he labors to prove that it is not only in it felf a moft equitable thing, but that it has alfo bin fo efteem'd by the free and confidering part of mankind in all ages, that fuch as had the power might call a tyrant to account for his maladministration, and after due conviction to depofe or put him to death, according to the nature of his crimes And further fhews, that if the ordinary magiftrats of any nation refufe to do 'em this juftice, that then the duty of felfprefervation, and the good of the whole (which is the fupreme law) impowers the people to deliver themselves from flavery by the safest and most effectual methods they can. As for the prefbyterians, who were then grown so tender of majefty (and that only because they could not, abfolutely and exclufively of others, govern all mens perfons and confciences) he evidently fhews that they were the most zealous to take arms against the king, to devest and difanoint him of his dignity, nay to curfe him in all their fermons and pamphlets over the kingdom (wherof there remain numerous monuments ftill to be produc'd) that, in a word, after they had join'd with others to a degree from which men of honor or prudence could not retreat, they they were louder than the cavaliers themselves to cry difloyalty and treafon. After proving at large that they broke their allegiance to him, obey'd another authority, and had often given commiffion to flay where they knew his perfon could not be exemt from danger; and where, if chance or flight had not fav'd him like others, he must be infallibly kil'd, he fhews how ridiculously it became them to pretend a tendernefs for his perfon or character; wheras indeed it was neither perfuafion nor remorse, but their averfion to civil and religious liberty that hurry'd 'em to these extremes. But because I hope the bulk of thofe now cal'd prefbyterians in England, fom few leading men excepted, are no fuch enemies to a toleration, and that they understand no more of the confiftorian, claffical, or fynodical judicatories, than they allow of the inquifition or hierarchy, I fhall in this place, to difabuse 'em, and to let 'em fee how much better others forefaw their fate than paffion would fuffer themselves at that time, infert the following paffage. "As for the party cal'd prefbyterian, fays MILTON, of whom "I believe very many to be good and faithful "Chriftians, tho mifled by fom of turbulent spirit, "I wish them earnestly and calmly not to fall off "from their principles, nor to affect rigor and fuperiority over men not under them; not to compel unforcible things in religion especially, " which if not voluntary, becoms a fin; nor to "affift the clamor and malicious drifts of those "whom they themselves have judg'd to be the "worst of men, the obdurat enemies of God and "his church: nor to dart against the actions of "their brethren, for want of other argument, "those wrefted laws and fcriptures thrown by pre"lats and malignants against their own fides, "which tho they hurt not otherwife, yet taken up by them to the condemnation of their own do ings, give fcandal to all men, and discover in "themselves either extreme paffion or apoftacy. "Let them not oppose their best friends and afso"ciats who moleft 'em not at all, infringe not the "leaft of their liberties, unless they call it their liberty to bind other mens confciences, but are "still seeking to live at peace with them, and bro66 therly accord. Let them beware an old and per"fect enemy, who tho he hopes by fowing difcord 66 to make them his inftruments, yet cannot for"bear a minute the open threatning of his deftin'd revenge upon them, when they have ferv'd his purpofes. Let them fear, therfore, if they bet "wife, rather what they have don already, than "what remains to do; and be warn'd in time that "they put no confidence in princes whom they "have provok'd, left they be added to the exam 66 ples of thofe that miferably have tafted of the " event. I have fomthing alfo to the divines, "tho brief to what were needful, not to be distur"bers of the civil affairs, being in hands better "able, and to whom it more belongs to manage "them; but to study harder, and to attend the "office of good paftors, not perform'd by mount ing twice into the chair with a formal preachment, "huddled up at the odd hours of a whole lazy week, but by inceffant pains and watching which if they well confider'd, how little "leifure "leifure would they find to be the most pragma"tical fidesmen of every popular tumult and sedi"tion? And all this while they are to learn what "the true end and reafon is of the gofpel which "they teach, and what a world it differs from the cenforious and fupercilious lording over con"fcience. It would be good alfo they liv'd fo as might persuade the people they hated covetousnefs, which, worse than herefy, is idolatry; "hated pluralities and all kind of fimony; left "rambling from benefice to benefice, like raven 66 ous wolves feeking where they may devour the biggeft. Let them be forry that, being cal'd to "affemble about reforming the church, they fell "to progging and folliciting the parlament (tho they had renounc'd the name of priests) for a new settling of their tithes and oblations, and "doublelin'd themfelves with fpiritual places of "commodity beyond the poffible discharge of their “ duty. Let them affemble in confiftory with "their elders and deacons to the preferving of "church-disciplin each in his several charge, and not a pack of clergymen by themselves to belly"chear in their prefumtuous Sion; or to promote defigns to abuse and gull the fimple laity, to "ftir up tumults, as the prelats did before them, "for the maintenance of their pride and avarice.' On this occafion I must remark, that by reafon of the prefbyterians warmly joining with others the laft parlament to promote penal laws against the Socinians, I find few people will believe that thofe in England differ from their brethren in Scotland about persecution, nor that their own fufferings of late |