Sent in a Letter to the Parliament of England.

I Cannot but honour, whom the Lord hath been pleased to honour. I am commanded to love you: give me then leave to be jealous of you. Love lyeth not in flattery; for the Law saith, Thou shalt not hate thy brother, but freely tell him of his faults. Ye are many, and there was one Judas a­mongst the Apostles. I know him not; but he that beareth the bag will certainly betray you. He that perswadeth you to sell that precious oyntment, which cost so much bloud, whose Odor might perfume all the Nation with the sweet savor of charity, doth he do it that he loveth you, or becaus he hath the bag? Such you have declared have been a­mongst you. If any yet remain, give him this fop, and disco­ver him. Note the man that dippeth with you in the Dish, whose lips are still ready for the guilty sop of new Asses­ments, [Page 4]or saue't with Birdlime G [...]lly of Delay, kisse [...]h you with the seeming [...]enderness of Bull-begger ca [...]i [...], and blind­eth your ways w [...]th a prudential Forehead of politick di­version. [...]o [...]fess you are all above me, and see over [...]; but I am under you, and see under you: yea, I see you are sup­planted and blown up, if you prevent it not. Taxes will eat up the grass under your feet: How came th [...] Son of So­l [...]mon to lose his Kingdom? None more fo [...]d of a King then the English; yet they departed from him to ease their pur­ses, and their consciences. If they forsook their King (I speak it to some of your House in the beginning of this Session) will they not forsake their fellow subjects for the same causes? Few honest men will ingage to be Taxers, and knaves will tax none (willingly) but your friends: nor will Collectors gather from others, unless compel'd: nor Clerks discharge any but your bribing Enemies. So you still spur the free horse, and necessitate your friends against you. Will your Enemies then be for you? I write this feel­ingly, as not onely cloy'd with Taxes, but overcome with the infinite abuses in them. Now when no more Taxes are to be had, must not the souldier fall upon his masters? Be pleased to remember the first occasions for money. It is high time you should find a remedy; and this it is, Keep whole the publike stock; provide for the poor, & they will provide for you: destroy the poor, and they will destroy you: And if you provide not for the poor, they will pro­vide for themselves.

Though you would pardon all, and take the debts upon you, proclaiming (with the Apostles) Let him that stole, steal no more. Set but 200000 poor at work, and if they clear but 20 l. a head, (as that's the least the meanest Hine can do that payes his Rent) The year will bring about 4000000 [...]. to the publique Treasury, beside all other profits herein men­tioned.

Hasten this work of God, and establish the Honor of your memories in the hearts of all men. They are not weary of you, but of your Taxes and Delayes. And with this joyful Work proclaim a Jubilee of Conscience, but let it not ush­er in a babel of sin.

How much bloud and expences had been saved, had ho­nest men distinguisht between Liberty of Sin, and Liberty of Conscience, between punishment of sin, and punishment of Conscience? Tie up sin, leave Conscience free. Let no man here presume above his senses, God onely judgeth the heart. He that breaketh the Law, is judged by the Law, and there the senses are sufficient. He that despiseth the Gospel is judged by the Gospel; but that's discerned by the spi­rit: God loves not linsey-wolsey. He appoints no Gospel censures for legal Transgressions, nor legal censures for Gospel sins: The Magistrate for the Law, the Church for the Gospel.

Herein if we are guided by the supream Authority and Power of all the World: and the fundamental Laws of Na­ture written to Moses by God, we may all agree concerning the Authority, Power, and Laws of England, unlesse we must ever continue pen [...]us toto divis [...], ab orbe, out of the World. Verbum sapien [...]i. I am not tedious, unlesse displea­sing; And can there be displeasure in love? the Christian love of him that is,

A Declaration to the People.

WHereas the enemies of the republick in Parliament, and else­where, seeing the cure mistaken, prest forward the mistake (to bleed instead of purging) and were ever hastning the Parlia­ment to new necessities, to invent new Engagements and so new Loanes; wherein, they confederated with the wary Money-masters, and they with their subtle Crafts-masters, till they were incorpo­rated with their own common guilt. And they that were but half wicked at first, were insensibly drawn on, to share with each other in all adventures, having the temptations of gold before them, and the Idoll-covetous [...]ness within them. They must needs go whom the Devil drives.

These, having gotten the precious Jewel of Publick Faith in pawn into their custody, by being trusted with the stock that should dis­charge it; Undervalue it at what rates they please, so as to be some­times worth half, sometimes worth but a quarter, and even at that rate swallow up the Free-Loanes of the first lenders; who are for­ced to remember, that, half a loaf is better then no bread. Sometimes making it worth nothing at all: and therefore cry to their confe­derates in Parliament for new pawns; which rather then they shall be wanting, they themselves will occasion, by withholding the due from the Souldier, maintenance from the poor, setting of many in­ventions on work for the decay of Trade, causing divisions in the House, the City, and the whole Kingdom; raising up parties, coun­tenancing incendiaries, withholding all succour from Ireland, pro­voking and inviting forraign Nations. Yea, with-drawing all com­fort from Sea-men, and evermore distasting what is last in design, or action. That thus they might fish in troubled waters, and yet keep fair with all parties.

It were well therefore, if our present Patriots, who have born the heat of the day, and are but scarce yet arrived to the discovery of these invisible mysteries of iniquity, would in time keep off from these Rocks, least when they are in the Gulf, they either suffer a wrack, or tide with the torrent without power of recovering the Rudder.

Obj. But many of the Parliament and Army, who have deserved nobly of the Common-wealth, have received great sums, of which they can give no accompt.

Answ. 1. God forbid but the Members of Parl. and Army, who have deserved well, may have whatsoever they can demand, and whatsoever is fitting for a gratuity over and above. No Common-wealth was ever a base pay-master to their publike Servants.

2. Great sums were never so inconsiderable to any, as to be ei­ther received or parted from, without notice of accompt.

3. This is certainly the desire also of all the honest Members of Pa [...]l. and Army, that by the clearing hereof (according to their Declarations) they might be justified in their dealings both con­cerning themselves, and towards others whom they have accused for this very fault. For if they have their due (as none can grudge it to so great desert) it can be no contemptible sum. And then what needs a rich man be a Theefe? Yet it is most certain, that some must be in fault, as hath been declared by the Army, or else the pub­lick could never have bin so indebted as they are for the Army only. And for a few inconsiderable gratuities to others.

All men expected ease by the Parl: and many in Parl: did as cor­dially intend it. But what? The Monkey put in the Cats Claw, and the Trade which was formerly invaded, was now altogether prohi­bited, Taxes multiplyed, and encreased from the Finger to the Loynes. Monies which then were rob'd from the Mint, were now ravisht from the private Coffers. And all the burthens, which by both parties in Parl. were packt up, and which the honest party did simply intend for their enemies, were cunningly cast out by the other parties Agents on themselves or their friends.

Since that time, Parliaments have been vomitted, purged and re­purged. Armies have been formed, modellized and refined. In all which variations (as the sick turn for ease) men rolled and relied on every change, till now the Fabrick being wholly altered, the peevish consumed Nation can no longer endure with patience, to wait the benefit of Long-ro'b Counsels: Hold, here we tack about from this Atlantick Ocean to our narrow Seas, where the Marriners turn Pyrats abroad, because they could not live honestly, nor com­fortably at home, nor having as yet found the benigne influence of amendment by change of Government. Let this new Government indulge them a new pardon, take off, or stint all Taxes, provide them pay, encourage their Merchants in Trade, and no doubt they will know on which side their bread is buttered.

Quest. But how may this be done?

Answ. It is the glory of the Parliament, to be able to pardon: which they may either sweeten with Amnestie of the faults upon a speedy return, promise of amendment, & security of future fidelity; or make the contempt of it ter­rible, by postscript on, and giving up their lives to the next violence they meet with, and such further prohibition of all correspondencies with them, &c. as may be advised.

Qu [...]ry. If all Delinquents Lands must be sold: How shall the money be disposed off? To grease the fat Sow: Must it alwayes be Habenti dabitur, & non habent [...] a [...]cipietu [...]? Shall the Rich be paid, and the Poor Taxed? When shall [...]e Mountains be made low, and the Vallies exalted? The poor is a Creditor as well as the rich. If any precedency, Is there not more reason it should be to the Souldier, & poor Handi [...]rafts-man, who freely have adventured both life and fortunes, then to the Rich, who (through the poor mans hazard) have remained in safety and plenty. 2 The Rich may stay, the Poor cannot. 3 Many Poor are paid at the rate of one rich man. 4 The very occasion of increa­sing the poor, is the great increase of riches to the Rich, by their becoming so rich, as to be able to live, without em­ploying of the poor as formerly.