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much better than they do now, exercife and fit themfelves till their lot fall to be chofen into the grand council, according as their worth and merit fhall be taken notice of by the people. As for controverfies that shall happen between men offeveral counties, they may repair, as they do now, to the captial city, or any other more commodious, indifferent place, and equal judges. And this I find to have been practised in the old Athenian commonwealth, reputed the first and ancientest place of civility in all Greece; that they had in their feveral cities a peculiar, in Athens a common government; and their right, as it befel them, to the administration of both. They should have here also schools and academies at their own choice, wherein their children may be bred up in their own fight to all learning and noble education; not in grammar only, but in all liberal arts and exercises. This would foon fpread much more knowledge and civility, yea, religion, through all parts of the land, by communicating the natural heat of government and culture more diftributively to all extreme parts, which now lie numb and neglected, would foon make the whole nation more induftrious, more ingenious at home; more potent, more honourable abroad. To this a free commonwealth will easily affent; (nay, the parliament hath had already fome fuch thing in defign) for of all governments a commonwealth aims most to make the people flourishing, virtuous, noble, and high spirited. Monarchs will never permit; whofe aim is to make the people wealthy indeed perhaps, and well fleeced, for their own fhearing, and the fupply of regal prodigality; but otherwife fofteft, baseft, viciousest, servileft, easiest to be kept under: and not only in fleece, but in mind also sheepishest; and will have all the benches of judicature annexed to the throne, as a gift of royal grace, that we have justice done us: whenas nothing can be more effential to the freedom of a people, than to have the administration of justice, and all public ornaments, in their own election, and within their own bounds, without long travelling or depending upon remote places to obtain their right, or any civil accomplishment; fo it be not fupreme, but fubordinate to the general power and

union of the whole republic. In which happy firmness, as in the particular above-mentioned, we fhall alfo far exceed the United Provinces, by having, not as they (to the retarding and diftracting ofttimes of their counfels or urgenteft occafions) many fovereignties united in one commonwealth, but many commonwealths under one united and intrufted fovereignty. And when we have our forces by fea and land, either of a faithful army, or a fettled militia, in our own hands, to the firm establishing of a free commonwealth, public accounts under our own infpection, general laws and taxes, with their caufes in our own domeftic fuffrages, judicial laws, offices, and ornaments at home in our own ordering and adminif tration, all diftinction of lords and commoners, that may any way divide or fever the public intereft, removed; what can a perpetual fenate have then, wherein to grow corrupt, wherein to encroach upon us, or ufurp? or if they do, wherein to be formidable? Yet if all this avail not to remove the fear or envy of a perpetual fitting, it may be easily provided, to change a third part of them yearly, or every two or three years, as was above-mentioned; or that it be at thofe times in the people's choice, whether they will change them, or renew their power, as they fhall find cause.

I have no more to fay at prefent: few words will fave us, well confidered; few and eafy things, now feafonably done. But if the people be fo affected as to proftitute religion and liberty to the vain and groundless apprehenfion, that nothing but kingship can restore trade, not remembering the frequent plagues and peftilences, that then wafted this city, fuch as through God's mercy we never have felt fince; and that trade flourishes no where more than in the free commonwealths of Italy, Germany, and the Low Countries, before their eyes at this day; yet if trade be grown fo craving and importunate through the profufe living of tradesmen, that nothing can fupport it but the luxurious expenses of a nation upon trifles or fuperfluities; fo as if the people generally should betake themselves to frugality, it might prove a dangerous matter, left tradefmen fhould mutiny for want of trading; and that therefore we must forego

and

and fet to fale religion, liberty, honour, fafety, all concernments divine or human, to keep up trading: if, laftly, after all this light among us, the fame reafon fhall pafs for current, to put our necks again under kingship, as was made ufe of by the Jews to return back to Egypt, and to the worship of their idol queen, because they falfely imagined that they then lived in more plenty and prof perity; our condition is not found but rotten, both in religion and all civil prudence; and will bring us foon, the way we are marching, to thofe calamities, which attend always and unavoidably on luxury, all national judgments under foreign and domeftic flavery: fo far we fhall be from mending our condition by mo narchising our government, whatever new conceit now poffeffes us. However, with all hazard I have ventured what I thought my duty to speak in feafon, and to forewarn my country in time; wherein I doubt not but there be many wife men in all places and degrees, but am forry the effects of wifdom are fo little feen among us. Many circumftances and particulars I could have added in those things whereof I have fpoken: but a few main matters now put fpeedily in execution, will fuffice to recover us, and fet all right: and there will want at no time who are good at circumstances; but men who fet their minds on main matters, and fufficiently urge them, in these moft difficult times I find not many. What I have spoken, is the language of that which is not called amifs "The good old Caufe:" if it feem ftrange to any, it will not feem more ftrange, I hope, than convincing to backfliders. Thus much I fhould perhaps have faid, though I were fure I fhould have fpoken only to trees and ftones; and had none to cry to, but with the prophet, "O earth, earth, earth!" to tell the very foil itself, what her perverfe inhabitants are deaf to. Nay, though what I have spoke should happen (which thou fuffer not, who didft create mankind free! nor thou next, who did redeem us from being fervants of men!) to be the laft words of our expiring liberty. But I truft I fhall have spoken perfuafion to abundance of fenfible and ingenuous men ; to some perhaps, whom God may raise to these ftones to become

become children of reviving liberty; and may reclaim, though they feem now choofing them a captain back for Egypt, to bethink themselves a little, and confider whither they are rufhing; to exhort this torrent alfo of the people, not to be fo impetuous, but to keep their due channel; and at length recovering and uniting their better refolutions, now that they fee already how open and unbounded the infolence and rage is of our common enemies, to stay these ruinous proceedings, juftly and timely fearing to what a precipice of deftruction the deluge of this epidemic madness would hurry us, through the general defection of a mifguided and abused multitude.

BRIEF

NOTES

UPON A LATE

SERMON

TITLED,

THE FEAR OF GOD AND THE KING;

Preached and fince published,

By MATTHEW GRIFFITH, D. D.

And Chaplain to the late King.

Wherein many notorious Wreftings of Scripture, and other Falfities, are observed.

I

"

Affirmed in the preface of a late difcourfe, intitled, "The ready Way to establish a Free Commonwealth, and the Dangers of readmitting Kingfhip in this Nation,' that the humour of returning to our old bondage was inftilled of late by fome deceivers; and to make good, that what I then affirmed was not without juft ground, one of thofe deceivers I present here to the people: and if I prove him not fuch, refufe not to be fo accounted in his stead.

He begins in his epiftle to the general *, and moves cunningly for a licence to be admitted physician both to church and state; then fets out his practice in physical terms," a wholesome electuary to be taken every morning next our hearts;" tells of the oppofition which he met with from the college of ftate physicians, then lays before you his drugs and ingredients; "Strong purgatives in the pulpit, contempered of the myrrh of mortification, the aloes of confeffion and contrition, the rhu

• Monk.

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