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and a very ancient one it is, enacted by nature itself, That all human laws, all civil right and government muft have a refpect to the fafety and welfare of good men, and not be fubject to the lufts of princes. From hence to the end of your book I find nothing but rubbifh and trifles, picked out of the former chapters; of which you have here raifed fo great a heap, that I cannot imagine what other defign you could have in it, than to prefage the ruin of your whole fabric. At laft, after an infinite deal of tittle-tattle you make an end, calling "God to witnefs, that you undertook the defence of this caufe, not only because you were defired fo to do, but becaufe your own confcience told you, that you could not poffibly undertake the defence of a better." Is it fit for you to intermeddle with our matters, with which you have nothing to do, because you were defired, when we ourselves did not defire you? to reproach with contumelious and opprobrious language, and in a printed book, the fupreme magiftracy of the English nation, when according to the authority and power that they are intrufted with, they do but their duty within their own jurifdiction, and all this without the leaft injury or provocation from them? (for they did not fo much as know that there was fuch a man in the world as you.) And I pray by whom were you defired? By your wife, I fuppofe, who, they fay, exercifes a kingly right and jurifdiction over you; and whenever he has a mind to it (as Fulvia is made to fpeak in that obfcene epigram, that you collected fome centoes out of, Pag. 320) cries, "Either write, or let us fight;" that made you write perhaps, left the fignal fhould be given. Or were you aiked by Charles the younger, and that profligate gang of vagabond courtiers, and like a fecond Balaam called upon by another Balak to restore a defperate cause by ill writing, that was loft by ill fighting? That may be; but there is this difference, for he was a wife understanding man, and rid upon an afs that could fpeak, to curfe the people of God: thou art a very talkative afs thyfelf, and rid by a woman, and being furrounded with the healed heads of the bifhops, that heretofore thou hadft wounded, thou fecmeft to reprefent that beaft in the Re

velation.

velation. But they fay, that a little after you had written this book you repented of what you had done. It is well, if it be fo; and to make your repentance public, I think the beft courfe that you can take will be, for this long book that you have writ, to take a halter, and make one long letter of yourself. So Judas Iscariot repented, to whom you are like; and that young Charles knew, which made him fend you the purie, Judas his badge; for he had heard before, and found afterward by experience, that you were an apoftate and a devil. Judas betrayed Chrift himself, and you betray his church; you have taught heretofore, that bishops were Antichriftian, and you are now revolted to their party. You now undertake the defence of their caufe, whom formerly you damned to the pit of Hell. Chrift delivered all men from bondage, and you endeavour to enflave all mankind. Never queftion, fince you have been fuch a villain to God himself, his church, and all mankind in general, but that the fame fate attends you that befel your equal, out of despair rather than repentance, to be weary of your life, and hang yourself, and burft afunder as he did; and to fend before-hand that faithless and treacherous confcience of yours, that railing confcience at good and holy men, to that place of torment that is prepared for you. And now I think, through God's affiftance, I have finished the work I undertook,, to wit, the defence of the noble actions of my countrymen at home and abroad, against the raging and envious madnefs of this distracted fophifter; and the afferting of the common rights of the people against the unjuft domination of kings, not out of any hatred to kings, but tyrants: nor have I purposely left unanfwered any one argument alleged by my adverfary, nor any one example or authority quoted by him, that feemed to have any force in it, or the leaft colour of an argument. Perhaps I have been guilty rather of the other extreme, of replying to fome of his fooleries and trifles, as if they were folid arguments, and thereby may feem to have attributed more to them than they deferved. One thing yet remains to be done, which perhaps is of the greatest concern of all, and that is, That you, my countrymen,

4

refute

refute this adverfary of yours yourfelves, which I do not fee any other means of your affecting, than by a conftant endeavour to outdo all men's bad words by your own good deeds. When you laboured under more forts of oppreffion than one, you betook yourselves to God for refuge, and he was graciously pleased to hear your moft earneft prayer and defires. He has glorioufly delivered you, the firft of nations, from the two greatest mifchiefs of this life, and moft pernicious to virtue, tyranny and fuperftition; he has endued you with greatnefs of mind to be the firft of mankind, who after having conquered their own king, and having had him delivered into their hands, have not fcrupled to condemn him judicially, and pursuant to that fentence of condemnation, to put him to death. After the performing fo glorious an action as this, you ought to do nothing that is mean and little, not fo much as to think of, much lefs to do any thing but what is great and fublime. Which to attain to, this is your only way; as you have subdued your enemies in the field, fo to make appear, that unarmed, and in the highest outward peace and tranquillity, you of all mankind are beft able to fubdue ambition, avarice, the love of riches, and can beft avoid the corruptions that profperity is apt to introduce, (which generally fubdue and triumph over other nations,) to how as great juftice, temperance, and moderation in the maintaining your liberty, as you have shown courage in freeing yourselves from flavery. These are the only arguments, by which you will be able to evince, that you are not fuch perfons as this fellow reprefents you, Traitors, Robbers, Murderers, Parricides, Madmen; that you did not put your king to death out of any ambitious defign, or a defire of invading the rights of others, not out of any feditious principles or finifter ends; that it was not an act of fury or madnefs; but that it was wholly out of love to your liberty, your religion, to juftice, virtue, and your country, that you punished a tyrant. But if it fhould fall out otherwise (which God forbid) if as you have been valiant in war, you fhould grow debauched in peace, you that have had fuch vifible demonftrations of the goodness of God to yourfelves,

yourselves, and his wrath against your enemies; and that you should not have learned by fo eminent, fo remarkable an example before your eyes, to fear God, and work righteoufnefs; for my part, I fhall eafily grant and confefs (for I cannot deny it) whatever ill men may fpeak or think of you, to be very true. And you will find in a little time, that God's difpleasure against you will be greater than it has been against your adverfaries, greater than his grace and favour has been to yourselves, which you have had larger experience of, than any other nation under Heaven.

A

TREATISE

OF

Civil Power in Ecclesiastical Causes;

SHOWING,

That it is not lawful for any Power on Earth to compel in Matters of Religion.*

To the Parliament of the Commonwealth of ENGLAND, with the Dominions thereof.

I

Have prepared, Supreme Council! against the muchexpected time of your fitting, this treatife; which, though to all chriftian magiftrates equally belonging, and therefore to have been written in the common language of Chriftendom, natural duty and affection hath confined, and dedicated firft to my own nation; and in a feafon wherein the timely reading thereof, to the eafier accomplishment of your great work, may fave you much labour and interruption: of two parts ufually propofed, civil and ecclefiaftical, recommending civil only to your proper care, ecclefiafiical to them only from whom it takes both that name and nature. Yet not for this caufe only do I require or truft to find acceptance, but in a twofold refpect befides: firft, as bringing clear evidence of fcripture and proteftant maxims to the parliament of England, who in all their late acts, upon occafion, have profeffed to affert only the true proteftant chriftian religion, as it is contained in the holy fcriptures: next, in regard that your power being but for a time, and having in yourfelves a chriftian liberty of your own, which at one time or other may be oppreffed, thereof truly fenfible, it will concern you

* First printed 1659.

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