Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	authority_n	king_n	parliament_n	1,836	5	6.6012	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88241	Rash oaths unwarrantable: and the breaking of them as inexcusable. Or, A discourse, shewing, that the two Houses of Parliament had little ground to make those oaths they have made, or lesse ground to take, or presse the taking of them, being it is easie to be apprehended, they never intended to keep them, but onely made them for snares, and cloaks for knavery, as it is clearly evinced by their constant arbitrary and tyranicall practices, no justice nor right being to be found amongst them; by meanes of which they have declaratorily, and visibly lost the very soule and essence of true magistracy, (which is, the doing of justice, judgement, equity ... In which is also a true and just declaration of the unspeakable evill of the delay of justice, and the extraordinary sufferings of Lievtenant Colonell John Lilburne, very much occasioned by M. Henry Martins unfriendly and unjust dealing with him, in not making his report to the House. All which with divers other things of very high concernment, are declared in the following discourse, being an epistle, / written by Lievtenant-Colonell John Lilburne, prerogative prisoner in the Tower of London, to Colonell Henry Marten, a member of the House of Commons of England ... May 1647.	Lilburne, John, 1614?-1657.	1647 (1647)	Wing L2167; Thomason E393_39; ESTC R201615	53,968	58

King of Kings unto whom all power in Heaven and Earth was to be committed to make absolute perfect sperituall Lawes unalterable unchangable by any King Parliament or Potentats whatsoever Fourthly whether there can be greater treason committed on earth by man against Jesus Christ then to disclaime and renounce him and his absolut Kingship by swearing that either the Pope or any King Parliament or Potentats are the head or onely supreame Governour in their severall Kingdomes Dominions or Jurisdictions in all Sperituall or Ecclesiasticall things or causes Lastly whether Kings Parliaments and Magestraites as Kings Parliaments and Magestrates have any thing at all to doe with the Sperituall House City or Church of Christ on earth and whether that if any of them clame any interest power or authority in the Church of Christ it be not by vertue of their Saintship not Kingship and whether or no● the worship and service of the soule spirit or inward renewed man be not the absolute alone and onely right of God and as much his single due without compettitors as the obedience and subjection of the body outward man and estate is the right and due of Caesar Kings Parliaments or Potentats But Sir to returne back againe unto the Oath I beseech you let me aske you whether are not those men forsworne that have taken the formentioned Oaths and then within a little while after give men commissions to fight with kill and slay the very same man they had so sworne unto for the tenor of the Earle of Essex Commission was to kill and slay all those that opposed him and in the head of that Army who opposed him was the King who was as possibly to have been killed in the battle as any other in the Army Nay Sir is it not the highest of contradictions that when you have authorized men three or foure yeares to fight against the King and have taken him prisoner and so keep him yet you shall force men although they be freely chosen by their Country before you will admit them to set in your house to take the fore recited Oaths to be true to the King truely for my part the Oaths to me are so notablely penned that I know not with what evasions or distinctions you or any of you that have taken the said Oaths are able rationally to free your selves considering your actions from being forsworne and perjured if a man may so call it befor conviction I pray you Sir give me leave here to recite your late negative Oath and so whether it be not point blank against the Oaths of Allegience and Supremisie before recited the negitive Oath begins thus I A. B. do sweare from my heart that I will not directly nor indirectly adheare unto or willingly assist the King in this Warre or in this cause against the Parliament nor any forces raised against the two Houses of Parliament in this Cause or Warre and I do likewise sweare that my comming and submitting my selfe under the power and protection of the Parliament is with any manner of designe whatsoever to the prejudice or proceeding of this present Parliament and without the direction privity and advise of the King or any of his counsell or Officers other then what I have now made knowne so helpe me God and the contents of this Booke This is the Oath that all the Cavaliers take or by your orders ought to take before they can make their composition therfor I pray you let me aske you these question First whether or no this Oath called the Negative Oath be not absolutly point blanke opposit against the Oaths called the Oaths of Suppremisie and Allegience Secondly whether or no are not all those Cavaliers that take this Negative Oath that have taken the two former absolutly forsworne and perjured and what trust or confidence is to be put in perjured Persons I leave you to judge Thirdly Whether or no are not the Parliament it self the maine instruments of these mens perjury in forcing many times this negative Oath and others upon them against their wills mindes and consciences and so for any thing they know send them headlong to the devill which is one of the most wickedest actions in the world Now Sir to conclude this point I would faine in the third place know how it is possible for any of you to sw●er in truth in judgement and in righteousnesse as you ought Iere. 4.2 When you take or make Oaths by formes the ingredients of which admits in your own understandings of various interpretations so that you are but in a doubting condition whether that sense you take it be the true sense or no and so hereby the end of an Oath is frustrate in you for by Gods appointment it ought to be the end of all controvercy and strife Heb. 6.16 but to you these Oaths are but the beginning of them and so in that preticular alone altogether unlawfull Fourthly Seeing Iesus Christ in the fist of Matth. 34.35,36,37 expresly saith Sware not at all neither by heaven for it is Gods throne nor by the earth for it is his foot-stool neither by Hierusalem for it is the city of the great King Neither shalt thou swear by thy head because thou canst not make one haire white or black But let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more then these commeth of evill and the Apostle Iames chap. 5 12. saith but above all things my brethren sware not neither by heaven neither by the earth neither by any other Oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest ye fall into condemnation And seeing that in all the New Testament there is not the least rule at all for any that professe the fear of God to forsware at all in any case whatsoever unlesse it be that a ground for swearing can be fetched from that of the sixth of the Hebrewes 16. which if it can it is but in one case only namely for confirmation of that truth which a man delivers for the ending of all strife as I conceive betwixt party and party but that which a man swears he must be sure of it and that hee knowes it in his own knowledge to be true or else hee sweares not as God requires as before is truly observed Now Sir these things premised and seriously considered I desire to know of you from whence you or any Parliament upon earth fetcheth and derives your Power Ground or Authority to make and impose such formes of Oathes as the Oathes of Supremacy and Allegiance are or the Oathes of your Vowes and Covenants before mentioned are that have not only so many dubious things in every one of them but also are expresly against the positive command of Christ the Anointed King of Saints as well as King of kings and by whom Kings rule for my part I protest it freely before the God of heaven and earth I think it as lawful for me to cut mine own throat as to

displayed ensignes of the voluntarie Christians pluckt the writing out of his bosome wherein the League was comprised and holding it up in his hand with his eyes cast up to Heaven said Behold thou crucified Christ this is the League thy Christians in thy name made with me which they have without cause violared Now if thou be a God as they say thou art and as we dreame revenge the wrong now done unto thy Name and me and shew thy power upon thy perjurious people who in their deeds deny thee their God Whereupon there began a most cruell and feirce fight the successe of which within alittle while wholy fell to the Turkes who having slaine King Vladislaus and discomforted his Army Huniades that most valiant Captaine was forced to fly for his life and it is observable that in this battle were destroyed all the chi●fe Authors and Actours yea Iulian himselfe in breaking the Oath Covenant and League they had made with the Turke Folio 297. 298. which overthrow proved a fatall and dismall blow to the Hungarians which may be a good warning to all men in the world not rashly to enter into an Oath or Covenant but delibrately and with a resolved resolution enviolably to keepe and observe it which is impossible for any man breathing to do yours For first I read in the 1 Eliz. Chapter 1 that all and every Arch-Bishop Bishop and all and every other Ecclesiasticall Person and other Ecclesiasticall Officer and Minister of what estate dignity preheminence or degree soever he or thay be or shall be and all and every temporall Judge Justice Mayor and other lay or temporall Officer and Minister and every other person having your highnesse sees or wagges within this Realme or any your Highnesse Dominions c. shall take that Oath following viz. THat the King is the onely supreme Governour of this Realme and of all other his Highnesse Dominions and Countries as well in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall things or causes as Temporall And a little below all that takes it which all you Parliament men must and ought to doe or else you cannot sit as by the Statute of the 5 Elz. 1. appeares sweares and promises that from henceforth I shall beare faith and true Alleagence to the Kings Highnesse his Heires and lawfull Successors and to my power shall assist and defend all jurisdictions priviledges prehemanencies and authorities granted or belonging to the Kings Highnesse his Heires and Successors vnited and annexed to the imperiall Crowne of this Realme And by the Oath of Allegiance inacted the 3 of Jam. chapter 4. which principally and originally was made for Popish Recusants to take and for such men of England as traviled beyond the Seas to serve any Forraigne State or Prince though of late yeares as I am informed imposed upon all Members of Parliament before they are admitted to sit there in which Oath you and every one that takes it sweares and declares in your Conscience before God and the World that our Soveraigne Lord King Charles is lawfull and rightfull King of this Realme and of all other his Majesties Dominions and Countries and that the Pope neither of himselfe nor by any Authority of the Church on Sea of ●ome or by any other meanes with any other marke the last clause well hath any power or authoritie to despose the King or to dispose any of his Majesties kingdomes or dommious or to authorise any Forraigne Prince to invade or annoy him or his countries or to give lisceuce or leave to any of them to beare Armes raise Tumults or to offer any violence or hurt to his Majesties Royall Person State or Government or to any of his Majesties Subjects within his Dominions And a little below he that takes that Oath sweares I will beare Faith and true Allegiance to his Majestie his Heires and Successors and him and them will defend to the uttermost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoever marke the word whatseover which shall be made against his or their Persons their Crowne and Dignitie by reason or colour of any such Sentence or Declaration or otherwise make the word otherwise well and will doe to my best endeavour to disclose or make knowne unto his Majesty his Heires and Successors all treasons and treacherous conspiricies which I shall know or heare of to be against him or them And below the Oath saith I do beleeve and in conscience am resolucd that neither the Pope nor any person whatsoever note the foure last words well hath power to absolue me of this Oath nor any part thereof which I acknowledge by good and full authoritie to be lawfully ministred unto me and doe renounce all Pardons and Dispensations to the contrary and all these things I do plainly sincerely acknowledge and sweare according to these expresse words by me spoken according to the plaine and common sence and understanding of the same words without any equevocation or menthall evation or secret reseruati●n whatsoever And I doe make this recogniction and acknowledgemeni heartily willingly and truly upon the true faith of a Christian So helpe me God And adde unto these your fore-mentioned Covenants and upon them all I conclude it is impossible for any man breathing to keepe them Now Sir set aside the evill ingredients of these two Legall or Statute Oaths fore-mentioned which were easie in my judgement to be evinsed especially that clause of the Oath of Supreamicy recorded 1 Eliz. 1 the expresse words of which are That the King is the onely Supreme Governour of this Realme and of all other his Highnesse Dominions and Countries as well in all Spirituall or Ecclesiastiall things or causes as Temporall To say nothing of the Temporal part of it I will desire you to satisfie me in two or three things of the Spirituall First whether or no Jesus Christ by God the Father was not appointed to be the perfect Law-maker and Law-giver unto his visible Church on earth under the Gospell and so to settle it that there should be no roome at all left for Kings Parliaments or any other power on earth to adde to or detract from what he by the eternally and everlasting assigament of his Father was to doe in that particuler Secondly whether or no he hath beene faithfull in executing fully the will of his Father in this particuler Thirdly whether or no to deny his faithfulnesse or to set up in the Spirituall Church House or City of Jesus Christ the dictats lawes or injuntions or commands of Kings Parliaments or any other earthly power whatsoever be not an absolut denyall of the faithfulnesse of Jesus Christ a calling the Scripturea lie and false thing and a Declaration that he that we owne of our annointed Mesias or Seviour is a Theese Deluder and false Prophet and not the true reall and great Prophet professed of old to be sent into the world as the Atoner of man unto God the King of Saints as well as the

and others do still remain to the great abridgement of the liberties of the people and to the extreme prejudice of all such industrious people as depend on cloathing or other woollen manufacture it being the Staple commodity of this Nation and to the great discouragement and disadvantage of all sorts of Tradesmen Sea-faring-men and hindrance of Shipping and Navigation Also the old tedious and chargable way of deciding controversies or suits in Law is continued to this day to the extreame vexation and utter undoing of multitudes of Families a grievance as great and as palpable as any in the world Likewise that old but most unequall punishment of malefactors is still continued whereby mens lives and liberties are as liable to the law and corporall pains as much inflicted for small as for great offences and that most unjustly upon the restimony of one witnesse contrary both to the law of God and common equity a grievance very great but litle regarded Also tythes and other enforced maintenance are still continued though there be no ground for either under the Gospel and though the same have occasioned multitudes of suites quarrels and debates both in former and latter times In like maner multitudes of poore distressed prisoners for debt ly still unregarded in a most miserable and wofull condition throughout the Land to the great reproach of this Nation Likewise Prison-Keepers or Goalers are as presumptuous as ever they were both in receiving and detaining of Prisoners illegally committed as cruell and inhumane to all especially to such as are well-affected as oppressive and extorting in their Fees and are attended with under-officers of such vile and unchristian demeanour as is most abominable Also thousands of men and women are still as formerly permit●…d to live in beggery and wickednesse all their life long and to breed their children to the same idle and vitious course of life and no effectual meanes used to reclaim either or to reduce them to any vertue or industry And last as those who found themselves aggrieved formerly at the burdens oppressions of those times that did not conform to the Church-government then established refused to pay Ship-money or yeeld obedience to unjust Patents were reviled and reproached with nicknames of Puritans Hereticks Schismaticks Sectaries or were tearmed factious or seditious men of turbulent spirits despisers of government and disturbers of the publike peace even so is it at this day in all respects with those who shew any sensibility of the fore-recited grievances or move in any manner or measure for remedy thereof all the reproaches evills and mischiefs that can be devised are thought too few or too little to bee said upon them as Roundheads Sectaries Independents Hereticks Schismaticks factious seditious rebellious disturbers of the publike peace destroyers of all eivill relation and subordinations yea and beyond what was formerly non-conformity is now judged a sufficient cause to disable any person though of known fidelity from bearing any Office of trust in the Common-wealth whilest Neuters Malignants and dis-affected are admitted and continued And though it be not now made a crime to mention a Parliament yet is it little lesse to mention the supreme power of this honourable House So that in all these respects this Nation remaineth in a very sad and disconsolate condition and the more because it is thus with us after so long a session of so powerfull and so free a Parliament and which hath been so made and maintained by the aboundant love and liberall effusion of the blood of the people And therefore knowing no danger nor thraldome like unto our being left in this most sad condition by this Parliament and observing that we are now drawing the great and weighty affaires of this Nation to some kind of conclusion and fearing that ye may ere long bee obstructed by somthing equally evill to a negative voice and that ye may be induced to lay by that strength which under God hath hitherto made you powerfull to all good workes whilest we have yet time to hope and yee power to help and least by our silence we might be guilty of that ruine and slavery which without your speedy help is like to fall upon us your selves and the whole Nation we have persumed to spread our cause thus plainely and largely before you And do most earnestly entreat that ye will stir up your affections to a zealous love and tender regard of the people who have chosen and trusted you and that ye will seriously consider that the end of their trust was freedome and deliverance from all kind of temporall grievances and oppressions 1. And that therefore in the first place ye will bee exceeding carefull to preserve your just authority from all prejudices of a negative voice in any person or persons whomsoever which may disable you from making that happy return unto the people which they justly expect and that ye will not be induced to lay by your strength untill ye have satisfied your understandings in the undoubted security of your selves and of those who have voluntarily and faithfully adhered unto you in all your extremities and untill yee have secured and setled the Common-wealth in solid peace and true freedome which is the end of the primitive institution of all governments 2. That ye will take off all Sentences Fines and Imprisonments imposed on Commoners by any whomsoever without due course of Law or judgement of their equalls and to give due reparations to a●l those who have been so injuriously dealt withall and for preventing the l●ke for the time to come that yee will enact all such Arbitrary proceedings to bee capitall crimes 3. That ye will permit no authority whatsoever to compell any person or persons to answer to questions against themselves or nearest relations except in cases of private interest between party and party in a legall way and to release all such as suffer by imprisonment or otherwise for refusing to answer to such Interrogatories 4. That all Statutes Oathes and Covenants may be repealed so farre as they tend or may be construed to the molestation and ensnaring of religious peaceable well-affected people for non-conformity or different opinion or practice in Religion 5. That no man for preaching or publishing his opinion in Religion in a peaceable way may be punished or persecuted as hereticall by Judges that are not infallible but may be mistaken as well as other men in their judgements least upon pretence of suppressing Errors Sects or Schisms the most necessary truths and sincere professors thereof may be suppressed as upon the like pretence it hath been in all ages 6. That ye will for the encouragement of industrious people dissolve that old oppressive Company of Merchant-Adventurers and the like and prevent all such others by great penalties for ever 7. That yee will settle a just speedy plaine and unburthensome way for deciding of controversies and suits in Law and reduce all Lawes to the nearest agreement with Christianity

with Chapter 8.1 Ch. 22.24 where Paul positively accuseth himselfe for being guilty of the murder and blood of righteous Stephen although wee read not that he either was an actor in throwing him out of the City or stoning him but only that he stood by and see it but declared nothing against it therefore say I to you partake not with them in their evills by continuing with them but be divided from them least you partake of their plagues which must unavoidably speedily and powerfully come upon them to their transcendent and exemplary destruction if God be as undoubtedly he is a God of righteousnesse justice and truth But now Sir seeing that to maintaine the good Lawes of the Land and to abolish the bad ones and to redresse the mischiefs and grievances that daily happen 4. E. 3.14 36. E. 3.10 see The resolved mans Resolution pag. 19. are the maine and principal ends wherefore Parliaments are called and being it is impossible for you the people 's chosen and betrusted Stewards or Commissioners to know the grievances of the people your Empowerers earthly Creators Lord and Masters if you take away the liberty of declaring them unto you which you have done let me a little demonstrate whether or no that you by your late burning their Petitions c. refusing to hear their grievances have not positively an● visibly declared that you have forfeited your essence and being absolutely nullified the end of your sitting and are from a company of faithfull and careful● Shepheards appointed to preserve the being and well-being of this poore Common-wealth become to be a company of devouring Lions and ravening Wolves who deserve to have all the Mastie Doggs in the Kingdome let loose about your eares to worry and pull you in pieces and so destroy you before you have totally wasted and destroyed this poore Kingdome already in the hie rode way to be destroyed by you But to returne to the Citizens Petitions to your House after they had been so sleighted about their Certificate by the aforesaid Committee and so abused by M. Hollis Sir Philip Stapleton and Sir Walter Earle that base coward that ran away betrayed or at least in a ground lesse pannick feare deserted Dorchester in Dorsetshire when it was well and plentifully provided with Ammunition c. and also so behaved himselfe at Corfe-Castle that he deserves to bee stiled the chiefe of base unworthy and cowardly men and after that M. Nicholas Tue and Major Tuliday was as is before declared most unjustly imprisoned the said honest Citizens presented the House with a Petition which thus followeth To the Right Honourrable the COMMONS of ENGLAND assembled in PARLIAMENT The humble Petition of divers well-affected Citizens Sheweth THat as the oppressions of this Nation in times fore-going this Parliament were so numerous and burthen some as will never be forgotten so were ●he hopes of our deliverance by this Parliament exceding great and full of confidence which as they were strenthned by many Acts of yours in the begining specially towards consciencious people without respect unto their judgments ●r opinions So did the gratitude of well-minded people exceed all president or ●xample sparing neither estates limbs liberties or lives to make good the au●hourity of this Honorable House as the foundation and root of all just free●ome And although we many times observed to our grief some proceedings holding ●esemblance rather with our former bondage then with that just freedome we ●xpected yet did we impute the same to the troublesomenesse of the times of ●…ar patiently and silently passing them over as undoubtedly hopeing a perfect ●…medy so soon as the warres were ended but perceiving our expectations alto●ether frustrate we conceived our selves bound in conscience and in duty to God to set before you the generall grievances of the Common-wealth and the earnest desires of ingenuous well-minded people and for that did ingage in promoting the Petition in question in the usuall and approved way of gathering subscriptions with full intention to present the same to this Honourable House so soon as it should be in readinesse but as it appeareth a Copy thereof was unduly obtained and tendred to this Honourable House under the notion of a dangerous and seditious Paper Whereupon this House was pleased to order the Petition to the Committee whereof Col. Lee is Chairman and Mr. Lambe at whose House it was said to be found to be there examined concerning the same Whereupon your Petitioners conceived it their duty to own and avouch the said Petition for that end in a peaceable manner attended that Committee with this humble Certificate herunto annexed to be offered ro their wisdomes as oppor tunity should be ministred but through some small miscarriage of some few persons for which your Petitioners were much grieved your Committee took so suddain and high displeasure as to command your Petioners to withdraw threatning to remove them with a guard before they had time to turn themselves Whereupon your Petitioners caused the Certificate to be publikely read in the Court of Requests to take the sence and allowance of many persons who had not before seen the same with intent still to present it which though endeavoured to be utmost was absolutely refused to be received but to our astonishment occasion was taken against our friend M. Nicholas Tue that read the same so far as that he stands a prisoner to that Committee and much harsh language with threatnings and provocations issued from some of the Committee towards some other of our friends purposely as we verily beleeve to get some advantage to represent us odious to this Honorable House whose persons and authority hath been as deare in our esteeme as our very lives And therefore wee have just cause to complaine to this Honorable House 1. Of unjust usage from those that endeavoured to interrupt the gathering of hands in a peaceable way or to possesse this Honorable House with evill suggestions concerning the intention and purpose of the said Petition 2. Of hard measure from your Committee in the particulars fore-mentioned contrary to what we have deserved or should have found in former times 3. Neverthelesse our liberties to promote Petitions to this Honorable House is so essentiall to our freedome out condition without the same being absolute slavery and our hope of justice from this Honorable House is so essential● to our freedome our condition without the same being absolute slavery And our hope of justice from this Honorable House so great in protecting us therein that we are not discouraged by what hath passed but in confidence thereof do humbly intreat First That ye will be pleased to declare our freedome to promote and your readinesse to receive the said Petition which we cannot but still looke upon as tending to the generall good of this Nation Secondly That our friends may be inlarged and that Ye will discountenance the officiousnesse of such over-busie informers as have disturbed the iust

progresse of that Petition We are not ignorant that we have been and are like to be represented unto you as Hereticks Schismaticks Sectaries seditious persons and Enemies to Civill-government and the like but our said Petition is sufficient to stop the mouthes of such calumniators and declare us to be not only sollicitors for our own particulars but for the generall good of the Common-wealth and will minister a just occasion to suspect the designes of those that so frequently asperse us though their pretences be never so specious And we trust your wisedomes will timeously discover and prevent any evill intended against us And whereas Major Tuledah stands committed by Order of this Honourable House for some conceived misbehaviour towards some Members of your said Committee we humbly intreat that he may be forthwith called to your Barre and be permitted to answer for himselfe and that witnesses may be also heard on his behalfe which justice could never yet be obtained that so this honourable House may be rightly and fully informed concerning his cause and demeanour of those Members the suddain imprisonment of our friends ●eing very grievous unto us And your Petitioners shall pray The specified certificate you will read before in pag. 35. But finding no benefit to themselves by this Petition although they followed it extraordinary close and at the doote presented it to all the Members in print and therefore imediately upon it they frame another and having got a competent number of hands to it they presented it in writing And afterwards in print to all the Members that would receive it the true copy of which thus followeth TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE COMMONS OF ENGland assembled in Parliament The Humble Petition of divers well affected people in and about the City of London Sheweth THat as the Authority of this Honourable House is intrusted by the people for remedie of their grievances so hath it been their uncustomed and undoubted liberty in a peaceable manner to present unto this House what soever they deemed to be particular or generall grievances And as ye gave encouragement unto others in the use of this just Liberty reproving such as endeavour to obstruct the peaceable promoting of Petitions so did we verily hope to have found the like countenance and protection in promoting our large Petition but no sooner was the promoting thereof discovered but Mr. Glin Recorder as is commonly reported hastily and untimely brought it into the House exclaiming against it as a most dangerous and sedition paper and shortly after the Common Counsel in like manner prejudged it as guilty of danger and sedition though both without any grounds or reasons affixed that we know of And as the worke of Mr. Recorder was the occasion as we conceive of an inquiry after the promoters so also of the hard measure we found at Col. Lieghs Committee where occasion was suddenly taken to threatten or remove by guard to imp●ison Nicholas Tew one of the Petitioners the rest being reviled with odious titles of factious and seditious Sectaries and Major Tulidah another of the Petitioners not only reviled and reproached as the rest but violently hauled and most boysterously used by Sir Philip Stapleton and Col. Hollis who made offer as if they would draw their Swords upon the Petitioners and Sir Walter Earle lifting up his Caen in a most threatning manner took another by the shoulder all which is ready to be certified by sufficient witnesses and which we doe verily beleeve was done purposely out of their hatred to the matter of the Petition to render us as a turbulent people to this Honourable House to begit a mislike of our Petition and to frustrate our endeavours in promoting thereof Unto which their misinformation of this honourable house as we have cause to suspect may be imputed the occasion of the sudden imprisonment of Major Tulidah without heating of him and our so long and tedious attendance for answer to our last Petition and Certificate and the misapprehension of this honourable house of our desires in that Petition For we did not desire as your answer importeth that this house should declare their liking or disliking of our large Petition being not then promoted nor presented by us but that you will be pleased to vindicate our Liberty to promote that Petition notwithstanding the hard measure we had found and the aspertions cast upon it to release the party imprisoned by the Committee meaning Nicholas Tew to discountenance those that obstructed the gathering of subscriptions to call Major Tulidah to your Bar and to heare witnesses on his behalfe that so he might be also rightly informed as of his cause so of the demeanor of some members of that Committee Now for as much as the more we consider the generall grievances of the Common wealth the greater cause we still find of promoting of the large Petition as not discerning any thing of danger therein except in some corruptions yet remaining nor of sedition except as before this Parliament it be in some mens esteemes seditious to move though in the most peaceably manner for remedy of the most palpable grievances and for as much as we are hopefull this Honourable House will in due time have good use thereof for the discovery of such as are ingaged either directly or by Relations in those corruptions for removall whereof the Petition is intended and not knowing for what end so great an effusion of the blood of the people hath been made except to procure at the least the particulars desired in that Petition and that we might know our selves so farre at least to be free men and not slaves as to be at liberty to promote Petitions in a peaceable way to be Iudges of the matter thereof and for our time of presenting them to this Honourable House without let or circumvention We humbly intreat that ye will be pleased 1. To weigh in equall Ballance the carriage of Mr. Recorder and that of the Common Counsell in this weighty cause of prejudging Petitions and to deale with them as the cause deserveth 2. To consider of how evill consequence it is for your Committees to to assume a p●wer of imprisoning mens persons without your Commission and that ye will not passe over this in this Committee 3. To receive the Testimonies concerning Sir Philip Stapleton Col. Hollis and Sir Walier Earle and to deale with them according to the ill consequences of their violent demeanour and misinformation of this Honourable House tending to no lesse then the obstruction of Petitions the gleatest mischiefe that can befall a people in time of Parliament 4. That Nicholas Tew may be wholly inlarged and that no man may hence forth be committed by an Arbitrary power as he at the first was nor without cause shewed though by lawfull Authority 5. That ye will as yet suspend your sense of our Large Petition untill such time as the Petitioners shall judge it fit to present the same as a Petition

unto your wisedomes And as in duty bound we shall pray c. But this Petition being against Mr. Hellis and Sir Philip Stapleton the Captains and heads of the subverters of our Lawes liberties and freedomes after it was debated it was as your Diurnall tells me upon the 20 of May 1647 ●oted 1. To be a high breach of Priviledges 2. That it was seditious 3. That this Petition and the former intituled The humble Petition of many thou●anas c. should be burnt at the Exchange in Cornewell and the Pallace yard at Westminster Saterday next Which as I am informed was accordingly done by the hands of the common hang-man Vpon which the petitioners not being willing to be bafled out of their liberties in making known their grievances without the injoyment of which they are perfect * Read your owne words in Co●…d●… pag. 720. slaves they resolve to attempt a Petition once more though divers of them ●ather desired to remonstrate against you to the whole Kingdome for a company of tyrannicall destroyers and treacherous betrayers contrary to your oaths and the duty of your places of the Lawes Liberties and Freedomes of England And having discoursed my selfe with some of them and perceiving they were resolved to petition once again I told them I conceived they had nothing else to petition for as things at present stood with your house but these two things viz. That seeing the House had voted they had broken their priviledges by petitioning unto them for redresse of their grievances without declaring wherein how or after what manner or giving any reasons at all wherefore they burnt their honest Petition that therefore they would be pleased forthwith publiquely and distinctly to declare unto the whole Kingdome what their priviledges are and when how and after what manner they came by them that so in future time through ignorance in not knowing their priviledges they might not run upon the pricks of their iudignation and the Hang-Mans 2. That they would also be pleased to declare and dictate to them what how and after what manner they should petition for the next time they would vouchsafe to give them leave to Petition to them that so their Petition might not againe be burnt by the hands of the common Hang-man and I withall told them the house of Commons answer to their last Petition did necessarily and iustly lead them as it were by the hand to such a petition as this but they rejected it and framed one of their owne the Copy of which thus followeth To the Right Honourable the Commons of England Assembled in Parliament The humble Petition of many thousands of well affected People Sheweth THat having seriously considered what an uncontrouled liberty hath generally been taken publiquely to reproach and make odious persons of eminent and constant good affection to Parliament and common wealth how prevalent indeavours have been to withhold such from being chosen into places of trust or Counsell how easie to molest or get them into prisons how exceedingly liable to misconstruction their motions and Petitions in behalfe of the publique have lately been When we consider what grudgings and repinings have sinistrously been b●gotten against your most faithfull and successefull Army what arts and devises to prov●ke you against them and to make y●u je●lous of them what hard measure some of th●m both Offic●rs and Soldiers have found in divers respects in sundry places When we consider what change of late hath importunately th●ugh caussessely been procured of the Committee of Militia in the City of London and how that new Committee hath already begun to remove from Command in the Train'd bands and Auxiliaries persons not to be suspected of di●affection or ●ewerality but such as have been most zealous in promoting the safety of Parliament and City When we consider how full of Armies our neighbour Countries are round about us and what threatning of forrain forces wee are even astonished with griefe as not able to free our selves from apprehension of eminent danger but are strongly induced to feare some evill intentions of some desperate and wilfull persons yet powerfully working to blast the just ends of this Parliament and re-imbroile this late bleeding and much wasted Nation in more violent warres distempers and miseries And as our earnest desires of the quiet and safety of the Common wealth hath necessitated these our most sad observations So are we constrained to beleeve that so dangerous an alteration could not so generally have appeared but that there is some great alteration befaln both in Counsels and authorities throughout the land which we verily conceive ariseth from no other cause but from the treacherous policie of enemies and weaknesse of friends in chusing such thereinto as have been unfit for those imployments some whereof as is credibly reported having served the enemie in Armes some with moneys horse ammunition or by intelligence some in Commission of Array some manifesting constant malignity in their actions speeches or standing Newters in times of greatest tryall some culpable of notorious crimes others lying under heavie accusations some that are under age or such who are at present ingaged in such courses as in the beginning of this Parliament were esteemed Monopolies Now may it please this honourable House if such as these should remain or may have privily crept into our Counsells or Authorities as by the forecited considerations we humbly conceive cannot but be judged what can possibly be expected by those who have been most active and faithfull in your servi●… but utter ruine or the worst of bondage For prevention whereof and of those dangers warres and troubles that are genera●…y feared we are constrained earnestly to intreat 1. That you will be p●eased instantly to appoint a Committee of such worthy members of this honourable H●use as have manifested most sincere affections to the well affected and to authorize them to make speedy ●n ●…ict inquir●e after all such as are possessed of places of Counsell trust auth●rity or command who according to law Ordinances Reason or ●o●ty ought not to be admitted and that all persons without exception may be permitted and incouraged to bring in accusations witnesses or testimonies for the more speedy perfecting of the wo●ke and that you will forthwith exclude all such out of all offices of counsell trust Authority or command against whom sufficient cause shall be proved without which we cannot see how it is possible for the well affected to live either in peace or safety 2. That you will countenance protect and succour the cordiall well affected in all places according to their severall cases and conditions especially in their addresses with petitions 3. That you will be pleased to condiscend unto all the just and reasonable desi●es of your Commanders Officers and Soldiers by whose courage and faithfulnesse so great services have been performed and severely to punish all such as have any way sought to alienate you from them 4. That the Militia of L●ndon