IT being the grand design of all deceivers to look one way, and row another; to kisse, when they meane to betray; it cannot be judged unnecessary to trie all things, and to chuse only that which is good; and the way to judge of the ends and designes of men, is not to take notice of what they talke of, but of what they do; for Absolom pretended justice to the people, when he made war against his Father, but his design was to make himself King; so the Jews could say they were Abrahams seed, and had one Father, even God, but Christ beleeved them never the more for that, If you were Abrahams children, ye would doe the workes of Abraham, John 8.39. If God were your Father, ye would love me, ver. 42. But ye are of your father the devill, and the workes of your father ye will doe, ver. 44. He judged them by what they did, and not by what they said; Therefore it is not enough for men to say they are for our freedome and liberties; but let us consider what they are doing; the stature of Hercules may be taken by the length of his foot; he that cannot imploy one talent well, is not to be trusted with five; therefore before we can beleeve you meane to doe as you say, we must be satisfied with these following Queries.
First whether those things you call common right, and freedome, be so common as you say they are, or no? whether every free man in the Kingdom be equally interested in them, or not if they be, whether one particular man be not as competent a judge of his owne freedome as another? and if so, whether any thing can be called the agreement of the people, if you meane the whole, before every man, or at least the Major part concerned in it, hath owned it, and subscribed it? if not, whether it be not a presumptuous delusion, for a few men to represent any thing to the Peoples representative in the name of the whole, before the whole, or halfe, or any considerable part of the People hath intrusted, or desired them to doe it.
Quaerie. 2 If we should approve of, and [...]wne your paper, or most of those things comprised in it as those things, wh [...]ch so farre as we are able to judge, might be very much conducing to our good▪ and accordingly should desire you to represent them to the Parliament in our [...]ehalfes, as our desires, whether or no do ye intend we should leave them to the judgement of the Parliament to owne, or not owne them? if not, to what end doe we represent them? if we doe, to what purpose are those resolutions annexed to it, wherein you resolve to maintaine them against all opposition whatsoever, without exception?
Quaerie. 3 In case we did fully approve of the things, and could willingly desire the settlement of them, both in relation to our selves, and the Kingdome, and should doe our utmost in using all lawfull meanes for the attaining thereof, and should finde such opposition, as that they could not possibly be so accomplished, whether then or no would you with [...] rest satisfied, till God did give a further opportunitie, and make our way more plaine before us? if not, how shall we then partake with you in prosecuting a good worke, and not be insnared in the using of unlawfull meanes? we judging it not lawfull to doe evill that good may come thereon. Rom. 3.8.
Quaerie. 4 If you at this time being so inconsiderable a partie, and the things which you propound so disputable, if not dangerous, shall be so uncharitable in your judgements, so rash in your censures, and so ready to trample upon, and despise all men that are not able to joyne with you in all your actions, though otherwise very forward in prosecuting all the same things you pretend; what measure can be expected from you▪ if once you become a powerfull and prevalent partie in the Kingdome, but harsh and cruell usage, if we cannot in all things joyne with you? and if so, what difference is there betwixt you and others? only we are ruined by others under the colour of prerogative and priviledges, and by you under the pretence of libertie and freedome.
Quaerie. 5 If at this time, while there is so little appearance of any considerable interested people in this Kingdome joynes with you, much lesse of honest godly people, you be so apt and ready to ingage any sort of people to you, and chiefly those who are most probable to joyne with you, or any others upon mercenary selfish consideration, their interest in this Kingdome being no other but their owne present livelihood and subsistence, and those to ingage to you by delusive promises and false suggestions; what assurance shall we have, that you will not by the same evill meanes, use the same instruments to destroy all our just interests, if we doe not in all things submit to you, though against our owne reasons and consciences? and if so, where is our freedomes and lib [...]rties?
Quaerie. 6 If it be your p [...]nciple, that no obligation by way of ingagement or declaration though never so publique and peremptory, is binding longer then you have nothing to object against it, as it hath been publickly maintained [...] severall meetings, why doe you then blame the Army, for not making good their declarations and ingagements? it is possible they may have something to object against them, which if they have, how is it possible for any man to act to your satisfaction, when you will neither give [Page 3]him leave to be guided by his owne reason, nor your principles?
Quaerie. 7 If that we are the cause of your dissatisfaction in the Armies proceedings, their not making good their ingagements and declarations, why did not you, when you were so earnestly desired by them, joyn with them in the reviewing what they were ingaged to, and wherein they had failed, to the end it might have been amended? But on the contrary, propose new things, quite beside their ingagements, and contrary to them, except you designed a desamation, rather then a reformation of the Armies proceedings.
Quaerie. 8 If the cause of Englands present misery flow from it's divisions and distractions, and no probable meanes left to prevent its present ruine, but a christian, sober, friendly compliance of all the honest interests distinguished among us by the names of Presbyterie, and Independency &c. and no such visible meanes to ruine and destroy it, as the further adding to, & increasing of the divisions and distractions already in it, how is it possible for any man to judge you desire the life of the Kingdome, that are such utter enemies to the health of it? That you desire the liberty and freedome of the People, that are such grand enemies to the peace and safety of them? unlesse you can convince us, the nearest way from Yorke to London, is by Barwick.
Quaerie. 9 If you affirm, that the way to stop the Gangrene of Englands distractions and divisions, and so consequently its ruine, is to propound some generall heads to be agreed on by the People, containing the fundamentall rights and liberties of the Nation, we agree with you. To propound & present such things according to the fundamentall rights and freedomes of the Nation, is good, which is an orderly Parliamentary way; but for you to propound the fundamentall rights and liberties of the People, and to prosecute the evident ruine and destruction of the People, is a strange way to demonstrate your good intentions; as thus, if our Brethren of Scotland should march with an Army over Tweede, and should tell us they came for our good, and to help us against the common enemy to the Covenant and cause, which formerly they have assisted us in, and in their march should p [...]nder and spoile us of our goods, [...]rison and destroy our friends, fight with and oppose our Armies, &c. we should have very little cause to [...]leeve them; or thus, if any of your houses were on fire about your eares, [...]d a company of People should come with empty buckets, and pretend they wo [...]d indeavour to quench the fire, and in the interim plunder and spoile you [Page 4]of your goods, and in stead of water, cast on pitch, or combustible matter to increase the flame, you would have very small cause to thank them. And thus friends, while you are proposing to us good things, and filling our eares with many good words, consider what your actions have been: Judas could crie Haile Master, when he betrayed him. You have been telling us of a free representative of the people in Parliament, in order to which, you have used all possible meanes to bring this present Parliament under force, to put conditions upon them, by prescribing rules, and setting bounds to them, vilifying, reviling, and reproaching of them to their faces, in such an audacious and uncivill manner, as few that have either conscience or prudence, would doe their servants, nay hardly their dogs, if they were capable of receiving a reasonable reproofe; calling them the supreame authority of England to day, and deny there is any such thing as authority remaining in them another day; as in Major White his book, Stile them the honourable house of Commons one day, the degenerate, unjust, arbitrary, tyrannicall Parliament another day; Print papers, intituled, An humble petition to the supreame authority of England, the honourable house of Commons, on the top of the sheet: appeale to the People against them, charging them with falshood, lies, tyrannie, injustice, ruling by their crooked wils, and damnable lusts, in the bottome of the same sheet, as you may see in a petition delivered to the house of Commons presently after the rendezvous at Ware, in the behalfe of the Agreement of the People. Colonell Ayres, and Captain Bray, &c. is this a demonstration of your great affections to the Peoples representatives? is it the freedome of the Peoples representative to be taunted, reviled, reproached, and scandalized, and that publickly in Print to their faces, in such a manner, as the meanest man represented would not indure, nor put up, without reparation. But the People, and the representative, may expect both to drink in one cup; the representative will but swallow down the top, the People shall be sure enough of the dregs: These carriages differ much from Pauls spirit, who said, it is written, thou shalt not sp [...]ake evill of the ruler of the people, Acts 23.5. and so in Tim. 5.1. Rebuk [...] not an elder, but intreat him as a father. But the Scriptures and M [...]gna Charta are both of one authority, which most of these men, onl [...] the latter for the present is most in request; another ge [...] good which they have held before our eyes to humble us with, hath been the easing of the Kingdome of, or from those sad oppressions and burdens which they lie under, as Excises, Taxes, and free-quarter, &c. [Page 5]and in order to this, they have indeavoured to prevent and stop all meanes used for that end, the greatest visible burden which lay upon this Kingdome being the Soldiery, especially before the disbanding supernumeraries, and taking them off from free-quarter; and ever since the Parliament hath been about that worke, they have been indeavouring by all possible means to prevent it, both by perswading the Countrey from paying their money, without which the worke could not be done, and telling the souldiers they ought not to disband, nor suffer themselves to be disbanded nor divided, &c. And if God had not prevented their attempts in opposition to this worke, the Kingdom would have sunk under the burden of free-quarter by this time, or else have broken its owne back, by indeavouring to shake its burden off by force, and the souldiery, whom they have so much indeavoured to delude by their plausible pleadings for their rights, have been wholly frustrated and prevented of all those things, which by their moderation and patience, God hath inabled the Parliament to do for them, in order to their Accounts, Arreares, pr [...]nt pay, indempnity, &c. so that what reall pity or affection you have towards the Peoples ease from their burdens, let themselves and the world judge; And thus, if it were either worth the reading, or my penning; it is observable, through your whole course, you have pretended one thing, and done another; cried up the Peoples liberties with your mouthes, and destroyed them with both your hands.
Quaerie. 10 If it be the liberty of the People you would so faine be fighting, and wading in blood for, what People are they? if for the whole Kingdom, when did they chuse you? if for the Major part, how should we know it? if for the Minor part; where will you leave the finall judgement? for if it be lawfull for you, as the Minor part of this Kingdom, to force those things you judge to be just, on the Major part; without controversie, it is more lawfull for the Major part to defend themselves, and oppose you, if they judge the same to be unjust; therefore, if this be the liberty of the People to fight with, and destroy one another upon every apprehension of a just [...]ause, you may spare your paines in procuring a safe and well grounded p [...]ce; for according to your principles, it must last no longer then you, of [...]y ten men of your minde judge it to be just, which will be but a very little wh [...] ▪ if you change your principles twice a week, as it is easy to prove many of you have done.
Quaerie. 11 If according to your pretended principle, there is no legeslative power inherent in any person or persons, but what is derived from the people and that the peoples representative alone ought to be the sole judge of their Rights and Liberties, and that all others are Tyrants and usurpers, which do not exercise their power by vertue of a trust, especially in making or repealing Lawes; by what authoritie, or from whom derived, did you take upon you to give out Orders to the Army, Rules to the Parliament, and Lawes to the Kingdom, as you have severall times done, wanting only a power to inforce them? which you likewise have indeavoured to obtain, but by an Arbytrarie, tyrannicall, usurped power; and have hereby manifested your selves to be worser Tyrants then any you oppose: Usurpation attended with violence being the top of Tyrannie. Nay again, by your own pretended principles, it is not lawfull, just, nor equall for any man to be judged by a Law which he never gave his consent unto in his lawfull representative, duly chosen and elected; and yet you your selves, though you represent not the least Countie, nor the least Corporation in the Kingdome, take upon you to prescribe Rules to a Parliament now sitting, to give Lawes to a Kingdome, which is the highest piece of unequall and unjust presumption that ever was acted.
Object. You mistake, we do not intend to give Lawes to the Kingdome, but only represent to them a paper, wherein is contained the substance of the Peoples Rights and Liberties, to which we desire agreement, and accordingly have intituled it the Agreement of the People.
Answ. You have given it a wrong name, you might more properly have called it their disagreement, or falling out. But if it be an Agreement, as you call it, we hope you meane a voluntarie agreement, by free consent; which if you do, what meanes all this indeavouring to ingage men in Armes to own it? will Swords and Guns convince mens reasons, and informe their judgements of the equitie and justice of the things? or if it be an agreement that ye hold forth, what meanes those resolutions among you, that if you have but ten men on your side, you will make your way through the blood of all the rest? Will nothing serve to seale an ag [...]ement but blood? nay, it is probable you will be as good as our word; for those that are not tender of mens names and reputations, will never be tender of their blood, and I am sure you have indeavoured already to make your way thorow the honour and reputation [Page 7]of such men whom God hath chiefly owned and honoured in all those chiefe deliverances he hath wrought for this poore Kingdome in the late warre; but considering, they are men who are not desirous to be praised in Print, who had rather have their owne actions demonstrate their innocencie, then other mens Pens; I shall desire them to consider, there was a day when Shimei cursed David, and he comforted his heart with this consideration, It may be that the Lord will look on my affliction, and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day; and his expectation was not in vaine, and therefore for men to call that an Agreement of the People, which they intend to make a Law to them by force, pretends a Paradox; for what doth this differ from that Agreement William the Conquerour made with the People, which you call the Norman yoake, for whatsoever men are forced and compelled to, can no more be called an Agreement, then Imprisonment can be called Libertie: If this be Christian Libertie, then the Spanish Inquisition is a Christian priviledge. Againe, if it be freedome and libertie you contend for, why will you not give that to others, which you so highly prize your selves? if it be your libertie to devise, prepare, and propose things in the behalfe of your selves and others, before any others besides your selves, either heare, or see what you propound. Is it not as much the libertie of those others you speak of, to reade, consider, and judge of what is proposed by you, before they agree with you? and if so, then surely when a Paper, intituled an Agreement, or Petition is delivered to the Parliament by a small number of persons in a Kingdom, in the name of themselves and the People, it is the Parliaments libertie, as they are free Commoners of England; if you will not allow it their Priviledge as they are a Parliament, to consider, judge, and determine what answer will become them to give to such a petition presented to them by such Petitioners, and to deny as well as grant, if their judgements leade them for it, unlesse you intend to ingrosse the whole power of judging and determining the Peoples liberties to your selves, and convert the concurrence of King, Lords, and Commons into one negative voice, and lay them all aside together.
As we have little cause to judge you are so purely publique principled for common right and fredome, as you pretend by you [...] actions, so have we lesse cause to expect it from you, when we observe your dispo [...]ions and qualifications, there being naturally an inveterate dislike, and an abhorring of all things that are not of your own creating, and of all men [Page 8]that are not of your own principle and opinion, there being no more good nature in you then in Lyons, Beares, Tigers, &c. the worst of them being friends one to another of the same kinde, which is all the ground of friendship or charitie that ever I could discover among the generalitie of you, which is so farre from pure principles of common right and freedome, that the worst of Tyrants I have heard or read of, hath exceeded you, they have out of a principle of policie commonly exercised a great deale of clemencie towards people, whom they have known did not favour these actions, thereby to delude them into subjection; nay, many of them have used much seeming indulgencie toward their open enemies, if they would but acknowledge their courtesies to be acts of grace and favour towards them; but you have been so farre from having any of these moderate humane naturall principles found in the worst of men ruling of you, that you have degenerated from a great deale of that good nature and disposition which is found in many beasts; the fiercest mastive dogge, who weares a clogge and chaine to keepe him from biting strangers will know the people in the same family with him, and especially those from whose hands he receives much of his food, and will be so far from exercising his naturall crueltie towards them, that he will run the greatest hazard in their defence: nay, it is observed in Beares, after they have received acquaintance, or have received Courtisies from a man, they will not hurt him, but will admit of much familiaritie with him, and I have some time heard, that the favour of a Lyon may be won by courtesies.
By the way you may take notice of that common story of the traveller loosing his way in the wildernesse, found a Lion who had caught a thorn in his foot, which he pulled forth, for which courtesie the cruell beast was so gratefull, as to become his protectour till he brought him past all danger; and how unworthily ungratefull many of you have been, and still are to particular persons, and whole societies of men, who hath made your condition their own, who hath and do still tender many of you as pieces of their own flesh, whose hearts and affections desires your good as their own who would joyfully live or die in any righteous cause with you, if y [...] would prosecute it only in a righteous way, and put more trust in God in the use of lawfull meanes, and lesse in your own subt [...]ty and craftinesse; yet these are the men whom the sharpest of your arrowes are shot against, whose blood you lie in waite for, as a Lion doth for his prey; it being your meat and drink to heare and devise [Page 9]falshoods against them, to speak and print evill of them, that they may justly take up that complaint against you which David used against some such ungratefull friends of his, Psal. 35.12. False witnesses did rise up, they laid to my charge things that I knew not, they have rewarded me evill for good, so in Psal. 109.4. For my love they are my adversaries, and they have rewarded me evill for good, and hatred for my good will: and as you are naturally ungratefull, so are you as eminently malicious and revengefull, which is another principall branch of tyranny. I never being able to finde the least inclination in many of you, to put up or forgive the least personall wrong or injury, but rather to rest unsatisfied, as a bear robbed of her whelps, to be revenged, and have full reparations, and as you are thus ungratefull, malicious, and revengefull, so are you as ambitious, proud, and haughty, esteeming highly of your selves in your own things; he being a man not worth the calling a fellow-commoner that hath not exalted his arrogant, resolute, pride and haughtinesse above his sence, reason and judgement; that hath not resolved to maintaine any cause with resolution; if he be once ingaged in it, be it good or bad, that is not able to speak great swelling words, and look mighty big looks in the face of any Authority he comes before, though for the most scandalous offence that can be committed; and if these be your vertues, the best part of you, what kind of things are the worst can we expect from such a corrupt fountaine as this wholsome waters? Doe men gather grapes of thornes, and figs of thistles? Matth. 7.16. Sirs be not deceived, God will not be mocked, For wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy selfe, for thou that judgest doest the same things, Rom. 2.1. Thou hypocrite, first cast the beame out of thine owne eye, and then shalt thou see clearely to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye, Matth. 7.5.