who are not avariciously bent otherwife, touching the likelieft means to remove hirelings out of the church; than which nothing can more conduce to truth, to peace and all happinets both in church and ftate. If I be not heard nor believed, the event will bear me witness to have fpoken truth; and I, in the mean while, have borne my witnefs, not out of feafon, to the church and to my country.

SIR,

UPO

Published from the Manufcript.

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PON the fad and ferious difcourfe which we fell into last night, concerning thefe dangerous ruptures of the Commonwealth, scarce yet in her infancy, which cannot be without fome inward flaw in her bowels; I began to confider more intenfely thereon than hitherto I have been wont, refigning myself to the wifdom and care of those who had the government; and not finding that either God, or the public required more of me, than my prayers for them that govern. And fince you have not only ftirred up my thoughts, by acquainting me with the state of affairs, more inwardly than I knew before; but also have defired me to fet down my opinion thereof, trufting to your ingenuity, I fhall give you freely my apprehenfion, both of our prefent evils, and what expedients, if God in mercy regard us, may remove them. I will begin with telling you how I was overjoyed, when I heard that the army, under the working of God's holy fpirit, as I thought, and still hope well, had been so far wrought to chriftian humility, and felf-denial, as to confefs in public their backfliding from the good old cause, and to fhow the fruits of their repentance, in the righteoufness of their reftoring the old famous parliament, which they had without juft authority diffolved: I call it the famous parliament, though not the harmlets, fince none well-affected, but will confefs, they have deserved much, more of these nations, than they have undeserved. And I perfuade me, that God was pleased with their reftitution, figning it,itas, he did, with fuch a

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fignal victory, when fo great a part of the nation were desperately confpired to call back again their Egyptian bondage. So much the more it now amazes me, that they, whofe lips were yet fcarce clofed for that great deliverance, fhould be now relapfing, and ofed from giving thanks fo foon again backfliding into the fame fault, which they confeffed fo lately, and fo folemnly to God and the world, and more lately punished in thofe Chefhire rebels; that they fhould now diffolve that parliament, which they themselves re-established, and acknowledged for their fupreme power in their other day's humble reprefentation: and all this, for no apparent caufe of public concernment to the church or commonwealth, but only for dif commiffioning nine great officers in the army; which had not been done, as is reported, but upon notice of intentions against the parliament. I prefume hot to give my cenfure on this action, not knowing, as yet I do not, the bottom of it. I fpeak only what it appears to us without doors, till better caufe be declared, and I am fure to all other nations moft illegal and fcandalous, I fear me barbarous, or rather fearce to be exampled among any barbarians, that a paid army should, for no other caufe, thus fubdue the fupreme power that fet them up. This, I fay, other nations will judge to the fad dishonour of that army, lately fo renowned for the civileft and beft ordered in the world, and by us here at home, for the moft confcientious. Certainly, if the great of ficers and foldiers of the Holland, French, or Venetian forces, fhould thus fit in council, and write from garrifon to garrifon againft their fuperiours, they might as cafily reduce the king of France, or duke of Venice, and put the United Provinces in like diforder and confufion. Why do they not, being moft of them held ignorant of true religion? becaufe the light of nature, the laws of human fociety, the reverence of their magiftrates, coveriants, engagements, loyalty, allegiance, keeps them in awe. How grievous will it then be? how infamous to the true religion which we profefs: how difhonourable to the name of God, that his fear and the power of his knowledge in an army profeffing to be his, fhould not work that obedience, that fidelity to their fupreme-ina

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giftrates,

giftrates, that levied them and paid them; when the light of nature, the laws of human fociety, covenants and contracts, yea common fhame works in other armies, amongst the worst of them? Which will undoubtedly pull down the heavy judgment of God among us, who cannot but avenge these hypocrifies, violations of truth and holiness: if they be indeed fo as they yet fcem. For neither do Í fpeak this in reproach to the army, but as jealous of their honour, inciting them to manifeft and publifh with all fpeed, fome better caufe of these their late actions, than hath hitherto appeared, and to find out the Achan amongst them, whofe clofe ambition in all likelihood abufes their honeft natures againft their meaning to thefe diforders; their readieft way to bring in again the common enemy, and with him the deftruction of true religion, and civil liberty. But, because our evils are now grown more dangerous and extreme, than to be remedied by complaints, it concerns us now to find out what remedies may be likelieft to fave us from approaching ruin. Being now in anarchy, without a counfelling and governing power; and the army, I fuppofe, finding themselves infufficient to difcharge at once both military and civil affairs, the first thing to be found out with all speed, without which no commonwealth can fubfift, must be à fenate, or general council of ftate, in whom must be the power, firft, to preferve the public peace; next, the commerce with foreign nations; and laftly, to raife moneys for the management of thefe affairs: this muft either be the parliament readmitted to fit, or a council of ftate allowed of by the army, fince they only now have the power. The terms to be stood on are, liberty of confcience to all profeffing fcripture to be the rule of their faith and worship; and the abjuration of a fingle perfon. If the parliament be again thought on, to falve honour on both fides, the well affected party of the city, and the congregated churches, may be induced to mediate by public addreffes, and brotherly befeechings; which, if there be that faintship among us which is talked of, ought to be of higheft and undeniable perfuafion to reconcile ment. If the parliament be thought well diffolved, as not complying fully to grant liberty of confcience, and

the

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the neceffary confequence: thereof, the removal of a forced maintenance from minifters, then must the army. forthwith choose a council of ftate, whereof as many to be of the parliament, as are undoubtedly affected to these two conditions propofed. That which I conceive only able to cement, and unite for ever the army, either to the parliament recalled, or this chofen council, muft be a mutual league and oath, private or public, not to defert one another till death: that is to fay, that the army be kept up, and all these officers in their places during life, and fo likewife the parliament, or counfellors of ftate; which will be no way unjuft, confidering their known merits on either fide, in council or in field, unless any be found falfe to any of thefe two principles, or otherwise perfonally criminous in the judgment of both parties. If fuch a union as this be not accepted on the army's part, be confident there is a fingle perfon underneath. That the army be upheld, the neceffity of our affairs and factions will constrain long enough perhaps, to content the longest liver in the army. And whether the civil govern ment be an annual democracy, or a perpetual ariftocracy, is not to me a confideration for the extremities wherein we are, and the hazard of our fafety from our common enemy, gaping at prefent to devour us. That it be not an oligarchy, or the faction of a few, may be easily prevented by the numbers of their own choofing, who may be found infallibly conftant to thofe two conditions forenamed, full liberty of confcience, and the abjuration of monarchy propofed: and the well-ordered committees of their faithfulleft adherents in every county, may give this government the resemblance and effects of a perfect democracy. As for the reformation of laws, and the places of judicature, whether to be here, as at prefent, or in every county, as hath been long aimed at, and many fuch propofals, tending no doubt to public good, they may be confidered in due time, when we are paft these pernicious pangs, in a hopeful way of health, and firm conftitution. But unless these things, which I have above propofed, one way or other, be once fettled, in my fear, which God avert, we inftantly ruin; or at beft become the fervants of one or other fingle perfon, the fecret author

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