UPon reading your Letter of the 23 of January, directed to Mr. Rolle, to be communicated to the Gentlemen of Devon, I thought, that to answer some mistakes, as it is due to the sub­ject, seasonable to the occasion, and proper for me, (therein concerned;) so it cannot be ungrateful to you, if you be that lover of truth and candour, I alwayes esteemed you, and not a person obstructed with Interest, or engaged in Faction. With wise and good men, the shrill sound of Trumpets doth not silence the whispers of Reason and Conscience; nor the power of acting without controll, encourage them to oppress: And I perswade my self, that vertue and prudence will equally restrain you from treading in the footsteps of the Ambitious, or any other by-path, (though yet untrodden.) Give me leave, therefore, (with the freedom of an Englishman, and your friend) to shew you, That, in waving the original merit of the Cause, as im­pertinent, (whereas, indeed, it is onely considerable) You argue too much at large, and without a principle: For, be­ing once propounded, and admitted, (as it needs must be) That the Force upon the Parliament in 1648. was the great Breach, at which our Confusions have entred like a Torrent; It will then follow, Not that Actions, in themselves, unjusti­fiable and ruinous, ought however to be justified, though with ruine: But that the continuance of the same force must [Page 4]needs enlarge the Breach, level all our Fences, and let in an Ocean of Miseries; It will not seem reasonable, nor accor­ding to good Art, to skin the Wound, and make a pallia­tive Cure, but rather to search the bottom, how tender so­ever the flesh may there be: It will then appear, That accu­mulation of Violences is not the way of Peace. And that Errour can never become Truth by perseverance, It will be demonstrable, That for the minor part of the Parliament to exclude the major, in constituting of the Government, is to settle a Commonwealth upon the Basis of a Faction: A Foundation too narrow for the Fabrick; which having no principle of stability within it self, must be always supported with external Props. For, Sir, I dare appeal to your Rea­son, whether such a State can subsist one hour longer, than the force continues, by which it was first constituted. Fi­nally, it will then be evident, That the danger of endlesse Distractions, is more terribly threatned by the oppression of those, who are, without comparison, the major part, and dis­inheriting the Nation of its Laws and Birthright, than the dis­obliging of such as are, in respect of the people, very few, being so confest by the Argument it self. For what makes them, with so much obstinacy, decline freedome of Parlia­ment, but the conscience of their own weakness, as to a le­gal civil Interest?

But admitting (for Arguments sake) That the many corrupt Interests (now on foot) ought to over-rule that of Justice and Common Freedome: And that those Interests outweigh their Opposites in the ballance, (whereas every man knows, they have [...]nely rendred themselves consider­able, for the present, by getting the start in Armour; And so, if ever disarmed, must vanish of themselves.) Yet by your favour, Sir, I marvel, you can, from thence, so posi­tively conclude, That Monarchy cannot possibly be restor'd in these Nations: The Reasons you alledge are two; [Page 5]

• 1. Because its Support is taken away.
• 2. Because it is exclusive of the forementioned Interests, which are likewise twofold, Spiritual and Civil.

For the first of these Reasons, I think no man, of sense, will deny, That the Excise, and Monethly Taxes (which were established since these times, and wh ch probably can never cease, till Freedome of Parliament be restored) doth farre exceed the Charge of a Court: And I doubt not but Charles Stuart would readily accept a Monethly Tax of Sixty thousand pounds, in lieu of his former Revenue, and abate us our Excise: So as that Objection is suffici­ently answered, without Jealousie given to the Purchasors of his Lands.

For the Spiritual Interest, viz. Liberty of Conscience; When I compare the great Moderation of the Church of England, in its Principle, with the present temper of the Age, which renders all thought of Spiritual Coertion ab­surd and ridiculous, and the Uniformity you mention, (in the judgement of all knowing men) impossible to be established by Humane Endevours. I do not see, why we should not expect as great Indulgence, under Monar­chy, and Regulated Episcopacy, as in a Commonwealth; And much greater than we can promise our selves either from Presbytery, or Church-Anarchy, which (by con­founding our Doctrine, destroying our Discipline, and weakning our Charity) will soon make way for popular Fewds and Animosities, the most licentious and turbulent of all Persecutions.

For the Civil Interest you mention, viz. the security of Publick Sales, (which, like a great Philistim, seems to bid defiance to our Peace▪ As, on the one side, our settlement cannot, probably, now be bought at a cheaper rate, than the satisfaction of the Purchasors; so, on the other side, me­thinks, the most interessed of them might, in prudence, ra­ther [Page 6]submit to some abatement, to procure a legal and un­questionable Title, than with extreme hazard to themselves, and ruine to their Country, maintain an Estate, which they can sell to few, but Mortgage to none. Were there a mu­tual condescension herein, I suppose, there are many visible Expedients to reconcile all pretences, and preserve the Com­monwealth, now exposed, as it were, to a daily Crisis: I ve­rily believe, the most considerable Freeholders in England would think it the discreetest Bargain that ever they made, if, by sacrificing the fourth Part of their Inheritances, they might enjoy the remainder in peace, freedom and safety: A much less proportion, certainly, would do the Business. And, Sir, if you would now further such an Agreement, I dare freely say, it would be the greatest Victory you ever obtain­ed. We see, that oft-times, in private suits, where there is an Animosity between the Parties, much more is spent, than the value of the thing Contended for: But this is farre more observable in Civil Dissentions, where the Vast Burthen of Warre is attended with infinite hazard, and commonly ends in publick Calamities. The War of Germany, having lasted thirty Years, with utter desolation to some Provinces, and exceeding great ruine to all, The several Princes, at length, bethought themselves of a Temperament, Wherein, the disinherited, (as it were) compounding, and the Conquerours receding, Peace was seasonably restored, and both sides greater gainers by their present loss, than they could have been by future Victory; And, though, at first, the difficulties seemed insuperable, Yet long suffering, and common Exigence had so disposed the minds of all men concerned, that, (by admitting Ne­cessity, in lieu of Justice,) their Endevours proved very successeful: How great a Blessing would it be to this Nation, if wisdome, moderation, piety to our Country, and cha­rity to our selves, and each other, might produce the same [Page 7]Effects with us, which misery and woful experience extorted from them! Which, Sir, I do not onely Offer; but ear­nestly press upon your Consideration, For that, as I believe you a person of much integrity, and Temper, so, I sup­pose in this juncture of time, it may be in your Power to make your self an Arbitrator, or at least, to promote an Agreement, for which, the Ages to come will bless your Memory. I doubt not, but, in your Progress, by the pub­lick Addresses you have received from many Counties, the Clamours of some, and mutterings of all, You under­stand the Violent inclinations of the People, Now crying with Rachel, Give us freedome of Parliament, or we dye; It boots not therefore to alledge, That the Army will not endure it; For either that Yoak is indended to be perpetual; or not; If not, when ever it shall either cease, or be cast off, In comes freedome, like a torrent, and in a moment overwhelms all, that hath been Established by Junto's, Whereof this very Parliament hath given a fair precedent; But, if our Yoak be intended perpetual, What tyranny like that of armed faction? What sound so harsh to English ears? And who, in after-ages, will believe, that those very men, who so branded the King, for an irregular im­peachment of five Members, and aspersed him with the bare rumour of an intention to bring in a few German Horse, should, themselves, continue and own the forcible exclusion of much the major part of the Parliament, and entail upon their Country an Army of Janissaries and Timariots; which, I am confident, if they will subsist, must, at least, every third year, conquer it anew.

By that wisdome, and courage, you have oft expressed; By your love to Justice, and bowels to your Countrymen; By the instability of humane affairs; The uncertainty of your Life, but certainty of your Account, I conjure you, not to lay the Corner-stone of such a Babell, Whereof, it [Page 8]were no presumption to presage, that it can never be per­fected, God having already so confounded their Languages; To whose holy guidance, and preventing grace, I heartily recommend you, and remain,