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A48071 A Letter from no far countrey being a judgement upon the present posture of affairs in England &c. : written to, and made publike at the request of a worthy person elected to serve in the approaching parliament, as worth the serious consideration of his fellow members. 1660 (1660) Wing L1492; ESTC R43392 9,179 15

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Senate o● popular assembly being rightly ordered amounts unto an equal Common-wealth Nor are these cheeks such as may be arbitrary but to be holding must each of them sufficiently preponderate in riches or territory that is the King in the absolute Monarchy the Lords in the mixed Monarchy and the people in the equal Common-wealth must hold the perfect overballance in wealth or freehold but if these be all the kinds of Government that are in Art or Nature then a single assembly as I said before can be none at all which were it otherwise to be doubted is sufficiently acknowledged by it self In that a single assembly debating and resolving sayleth not to fall immediately into faction and in factions the stronger party kicking out the weaker divides and subdivides till the whole come to nothing as we have had sufficient experience in England where such an assembly having a King will be thinking to mend it self by pulling him down and having no King by setting one up Nor can I conceive which way this in our case should be curable but as hath been shewn already that is by assembling a free Parliament in the true form of an equal Common-wealth An equal Common-wealth is the most certain root of the most prudent and righteous Laws because in this form no law can be passed but by the wisdome of the nation and the true test of the publike interest An equal Common-wealth is the mother of the most potent and lest chargeable Militia because in this form the whole body of the people is one disciplin'd Army taking equally and methodically their turns as there shall be occasion upon the Guard or in Arms. An equal Common-wealth is of all other the most proper soyle for the plantation and preservation of true Religion For wheras the causes of corruption in matter of Religion are but two ambition in a Clergy vying for rule with the state or ignorance In this form all hope of propagating any by interest of their own is intirely cut off from a Clergy in regard that no Clergy without a co-ercive power in matters of Religion can betake themselves unto any such designe now civil and spiritual liberty being inseperable or imperfect it follows that for the maintenance of civil liberty without which this Government is none an equal Common-wealth must also assert and maintain the liberty of conscience which wholly frustrates a Clergy of co-ercive power in matter of Religion and yet defends Religion from the other corruption or that which might redownd from ignorance by a known rule and exercise of the same or by the prudent institution of a National religion National Religion as to the form is arbitrary and therefore in different Countries or different times according as a people shall grow up in light or increase in knowledge of divine truth may be different But in England through the education of the people and as their judgement now stands ought in my mind to consist of the Articles of the Church and the Common Prayer Book mutatis mutandis For if education amount unto matter of confidence and liberty of conscience be as the Sectaries now feel not to be secured unto our selves but by giving it unto others this is that w●y of worship which the Sectaries their liberty being safe had as leif as any and the people rather Nay whereof the people of England are not to be debarred without conceiving themselves to be under a force and resolving to revenge it as soon as they are able In sume of all and for a fuller answer to your main query whether a Common-wealth taking in all other interests may not be brought to take in that also of the King I say whether the King be restored or not restored the form of Government in England must be new and democratical which that it be also rightly ordered is of great concernment for there is no firme State of peace or security save onely under a proper form of Government Absence or imperfection of form produceth a State of War or of tumult Whence apparently to restore the King upon security of the form is to provide for the safety of the King and the people but to restore him upon any other conditions then security in the form is to cast both the safety of the King and of the people upon the faith of men nay upon the faith of men in matters wherein men cannot keep that faith and so a crime against God and man exposing a Nation unto ruine Sir you are obeyed I have given you my judgement upon the point proposed in order unto the Feast for which you prepare Never tell me that I observe not the manner of your invitation or that those proceedings which I assert to be from the necessity of things are therein excused upon the necessity of the times it moves not me that I reckon without your Host seeing by his means you and your Fellow-Members go up resolved to eat Venison where you will find nothing but Beeve But I am like the Monky at Chests with my Masters if you make any further use of this Paper I beseech you to lay a cushion upon my head by tearing out the name of Sir Your humble Servant April 6th 1660. FINIS