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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	church_n	england_n	king_n	3,792	5	4.0738	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A83515	The third part of Gangræna. Or, A new and higher discovery of the errors, heresies, blasphemies, and insolent proceedings of the sectaries of these times; with some animadversions by way of confutation upon many of the errors and heresies named. ... Briefe animadversions on many of the sectaries late pamphlets, as Lilburnes and Overtons books against the House of Peeres, M. Peters his last report of the English warres, The Lord Mayors farewell from his office of maioralty, M. Goodwins thirty eight queres upon the ordinance against heresies and blasphemies, M. Burtons Conformities deformity, M. Dells sermon before the House of Commons; ... As also some few hints and briefe observations on divers pamphlets written lately against me and some of my books, ... / By Thomas Edvvards Minister of the Gospel.; Gangraena. Part 3	Edwards, Thomas, 1599-1647.	1646 (1646)	Wing E237; Thomason E368_5; ESTC R201273	294,455	360

to speak with me but must send others I am easily enough to be spoken with refusing none as all know who come to me besides how did Master Burroughs know any such had been with me to make me such offers and that I refused and what if some reported to him that which was false might not he be easier abused by a report for he speaks not this of his own knowledge he never came to me nor was the man ever desired to confer with me about any of these particulars then I can be mistaken in this businesse to whom these offers of conferences and satisfactions should have been made 3. For that Master Burroughs page 18. taxes me with concerning what I related about his going out of the Kingdom in my Antapologie that had I been willing to have conferred with him about it as he desired before I printed he should have so fully satisfied me that I could never have stumbled at this I Answer I never was unwilling to confer with Mastet Burroughs about this or any other thing that he should have desired and I can say it truely if he had sent the least boy at any time to me to have desired a conference with me and appointed me where to meet him I should have waited on him but for what is here written I neither know nor remember any such thing that Master Burroughs either by writing or word of mouth ever desired to have spoken with me about his going out of the Kingdom and certainly at that time when I was writing my Antapologie there was no such great distance between Master Burroughs and me but that he might either have come to me or spoke to me of it when he met me occasionally or I should have come to him none of which ever were moved to me and I cannot but wonder at Master Burroughs writing of this and divers other passages 2 As for that hee said hee should have satisfied me upon conference that he went out of the Kingdom not upon the ground I alledge but upon another a call from the Church of Roterdam which he relates page 19 20 21 22. I must confesse I am unsatisfied in it now and so I beleive are all rationall men and let the Reader but aske Master Marshall and Master Calamie who knew the businesse well and Master Burroughs at that time whether they do not beleive he went over to Roterdam upon a complaint made of some words spoken about the Scottish Warre and if I should have given the Reader all that I have drawn up by way of Answer to this it would abundantly clear me and lay open Master Burroughs weaknesse very much but I shall only hint this Suppose the King had in this War prevailed over the Parliament and taken the City and just upon that time Master Peters and Master Wels had gotten away in all haste to New England and suppose after this some man writing of Master Wels and Master Peters departure from England should have expressed this as the ground the danger they were in upon the Kings taking London now if Master Peters and Master Wels should by way of Answer have denied this to be any cause and have alledged their solemne call to their Churches in New England being s●nt for again and again and their purposes of going expressed yea and that in the Pulpit before ever the King was in a way of taking London would not all men laugh at such an Answer For is not the contrary evident by the experience of their staying in England now they may stay safely notwithstanding all their call and being sent for they stirre not and just so it was with Master Burroughs and I am confident that had it not been for the danger of those words he would no more have gone to Roterdam then Master Peters and Master Wels go to New England and as himselfe tels the story his putting of giving his resolution of going defering from time to time and from place to place to make any conclusion ●ill the businesse of words grew to a height declares plainly as much besides Master Burroughs at that time was not of the Independent judgement as appears by his Book put out in the yeare 38. writing By Jeremiah Burroughs Minister of the Gospel which was not long before his going over whereas all his Books he hath put forth since he went to Roterdam are By Jeremiah Burroughs without Minister of the Gospel which to them who know the Controversie is a clear proofe he was in the yeare 38. no Independent though afterwards in the writing his other Books he was and therefore declined that Title Minister of the Gospel And whereas in the body of this Third Part in two or three severall places I take occasion to relate some things of Master Burroughs which may by some be ill taken because he cannot answer for himselfe and may be interpreted a speaking evill of the dead I desire to let the Reader know they were both written and printed off long before Master Burroughs sicknesse and death and indeed no understanding man will once imagine a Booke of above Forty sheets could be made written out and printed in a month especially by one who Preaches often and hath many irons in the fi●e at the same time and to put it out of all question besides my own testimony the Book-seller and Printer can testifie this Third Part hath been above this quarter of a yeare in the Presse a printing A● for that Pamphlet written against my Second Part Entituled Gangraena playes Rex I Answer breifly Gangraena playes the Parliament that is conforms to what the Parliament hath expressed in the foure or five first yeares of their sitting against the Sectaries and I do offer to make good what I have written in Gangraena against the Sects out of the Declarations Remonstrances Ordinances Covenant Messages and Transactions of the Parliament with Scotland and their Instructions to the Assembly upon divers occasions and could make a better Parallel between the passages in Gangraena and the passages in Declarations Remonstances c. against the Sectaries then the Author of that Pamphlet hath done and am likely to do it though a Postscript is not the proper place for it only I say this would to God there had not beene some men among us and that in place too to have so carried things and brought matters to that passe as to give too great occasion unto many to say The King was a true Prophet in what he spoke in his Declarations concerning Anabaptists Brownists and Sectaries As for that Pamphlet cald Lanceters Lance for Edwards Gangraena I have lately received from two godly Ministers in Suffolk a large relation by way of justification and proofe of what in my Second Part of Gangraena was written of Lanceter as also some other passages related in those papers concerning Lanceter one Chidly and Barrowe but they containing a whole sheet of paper are too much to

held it not lawfull to go fight against them others of the Sectaries have reasoned against sending releif thither as saying whom should we releive to ●e Protestants there were an unworthy people that Kingdome had cos● us more to keep it then ever we go● by it that it was 〈◊〉 to hazard that Army upon it which was so faithful and 〈◊〉 for much for us with other words to this purpose other Sectaries have laughed at the Presbyterians being so forward in preaching and praying for releif to be sent over in all hast into Ireland A Gentleman in publick place told me not long since he had heard an Independent say upon discoursing of the hazard of the losse of Ireland that it was not a three penny matter to England if Ireland and Scotland both were lost England had no need of them severall strange speeches have fallen from the Sectaries in reference to Ireland Tenthly the Independents and Sectaries have spoken written and dealt most unworthily with the City of London a whole book might be written of all the calumnies reproaches abuses that have beene offered the City of London within this last twelve months especially about that late excellent Remonstrance how hath the late Lord Major the whole Court of Common-councell and City Remonstrance been written preached spoken against by the Sectaries of the Army City and Country giving reproachfull names raising wicked lies upon them and for nothing but for petitioning the Parliament for setling the Government and declaring themselves for the Covenant against Hereticks Scismaticks and Blasphemers Cretensis that great Sectary cals the late Lord Major of London and the Common-councell Brethren in iniquity with me the Author of the Pamphlet call'd the Lord Majors farewell from his Office of Majoralty resembles the late Lord Major to wicked Ahaz saying the Saints will say of him in succeeding ages this is that Lord Major of London Thomas Adams by name Lilburne in his Pamphlet entituled Londons Liberty calls by way of scoffing the Prerogative Lord Major Adams A Sectary in the Army call'd him rascall The Common-councell and Citizens have beene commonly call'd the Sect of the Adamites and in print to in the Pamphlet The just mans justification pag. 16. The Sectaries frequently cal the Citizens Preist-riden slaves They have in Pulpits beene call'd the great mountaine that hinders the liberty of the people refined Malignants and that if ever this Kingdome was brought into slavery the City would be the cause of it some of the Sectaries have said that the King the Scots and the Common-councell did drive on one designe it were too long to reckon up al the abuses offered the City of London and the Honorable Court of Common-councell by some of the weekly Pamphleters as the Moderate Intelligencer Perfect Occurrences and by some Sectarian souldiers threatning that they would as willingly come against the City as ever against the Cavaliers The City Remonstrance hath beene branded by them one Captaine in the Army said the Remonstrance was as devilish a thing as ever was penned by man Lilburne in his Londons liberty in chains discovered page 36. speaking of the City Remonstrance calls it that most devilish wicked bloudy unchristian Papisticall Remonstrance of the Prerogative men of London c. Other Sectaries have call'd it that monster with many heads the ●ifteene headed monster a base railing Remonstrance M. Peters hath spoken his pleasure of it in the Pulpit and the Moderate Reply to the City Remonst with the City Remonstrance remonstrated have many naughty passages against the Common-councell and City Remonstrance as that it was the disturber of the quiet and peace of the Church and State c. but I shall passe them by and transcribe only one passage out of M. Burtons Conform Deform where in the Epist Dedicatory to the present Lord Major he writes thus Give me leave tobeseech you that you would improve the whole power of your office among other evils for the not only suppressing but utter obliterating out of all Records of memory or mention that late Remonstrance of London which like the Trojan horse is stuffed with such matter as if the importunity of some might have had its desire would unavoidably hale in ruine both to City and Country Nor doth any thing more clearly demonstrate that spirituall judgement of blindnesse and hardnesse of heart to be upon all those who have their heads and hands in that Remonstrance and wilfully persist in the prosecution of it now in cold bloud then the unnaturall hating and hunting after the destruction of those very men as our mortall enemies who have with the extrem hazard of their lives been honoured of God to be the preser●ers of them our City and Country c. For the spirit of that ten-horned beast is now making warre with the Lamb and this spirit warreth under new colours not red but white whose word is Reformation and this under afair colour of a Covenant by vertue wherof pretending a just title to the War he hopes by the help of the Remonsstrance and the prime Authors thereof and their adherents to erect a new bestiall Tyranny over soules bodies and estates under new names and notions Elevently the Sectaries have carried themselves towards the Assembly with the greatest scorne and reproach that ever any sort of men carried themselves towards such a company of Ministers learned and godly and called by a Parliament to advise with in matters of Religion O how many books have beene written against them within these two last yeers or thereabouts as The Arraignment of Persecution Martins Eccho and their fellowes O the railing bitter disgracefull passages in Li 〈…〉 ns Letter to Mr. Pryn Tender Conscience religiously affected and divers other Pamphlets against the Assembly calling them the black-coats in the Synod D●ivines good for nothing but to be burnt having two hornes like a Lamb but a mouth like a Dragon teaching the Parliament to speak blasphemy against those Saints that dwell in heaven O how commonly by word of mouth and in writing is the Assembly call'd Antichristian Romish bloudy the plagues and pests of the Kingdome Baals Preists Diviners Southsayer● all manner of evill being spoken of them A Ballad hath beene made of them having a first and second part wherein they are scoffed with the title of Black-bird Divines the name of the Ballad is A Prophecy of the S●yn●eards Destruction to the ●u●● of the merry Souldier or the jov●●ll Ti●ker this Ballad calls the Assembly Swinheards saith these Swineheards are sitting to build old Babels Tower The Assemby ●●th beene abused all kind of wayes threatned if they give advise to the Parliament against a Toleration of Independents they shall be chastised as evill Councellors disturbers of Church and State no lesse then great Strafford or little Canterbury all kind of imputations charged on them and they made by the Sectaries the cause and ground of all evil● that are upon the Kingdome The l●st warning to

give out that they will never lay down their swords whilst ther 's a Priest in England Who write and print libells full stuffed with invectives and seditious speeches against the Right Honourable House of Peers undoubtedly a Court of Record the highest Court of Iudicature in this Kingdome Who make wicked libells and spread them abroad of Noble men and persons of great place by name as that religious and Noble Earle of Manchestor the Lord Major of London a whole Kingdome as Scotland and a whole City as London Who have endeavored and do by all wayes to involve these Kingdomes into a new War more deadly and destructive then the former And yet Anabaptists of our times are guilty of all these and many more as the Reader may sind proved in this Book and divers others written in these times Thirdly speaking of himself he saith He remaines now where he was for substance fifteen years since which I cannot judge to bee true no nor that he is the same for substance which he was seven years agoe and because I will be brief I will put but one question to Master Peters and that is whether fifteen years or but seven years agoe ●e was for a Toleration of ●ll sorts of Sects Anabaptists Antinomians Seekers Papists c. and thought so lightly of Errors and Heresies as now he does or whether he ever did or durst in New-England in the time of Anabaptists and Antinomians growing there preach such Sermons for a Toleration of them and speake so favourably of them as he hath done and doth here I am of the mind if any man should have told him fifteen or seven years agoe Master Peters the time shall come that you shall live in a Kingdome where all damnable Heresies and wicked doctrines shall be vented by printing preaching and you shall be so farre from seeking to suppresse and hinder them as that you shall make nothing of them preach for a Toleration of them cry them up for Saints who hold them plot act ride work night and day for the upholding of them he would have been very angry boisterous and have said as Hazael to the Prophet Am I a dog that I should do these things nay I am so well perswaded of Mr Peters that he was so farre fifteen years agoe from being of these opinions and running these wayes that I am confident 't is but a few years agoe since he is fallen thus and that the two things that have poysoned him are his being in the Army and his converse with some wicked Politicians of these times who upon matter of worldly interest being men of small and broken estates that they may be great and the Heads of a great party countenance and patronize all kind of abominable Sectaries not caring what becomes of Religion and who prophesies falsly so they may beare rule by that meanes Fourthly Speaking of turning his cheek to the smiter hee saith with Jeremy though he neither borrowes nor lends c. yet this may be his portion Now I wonder he can say so when a● his hand hath been against every man medling with all sorts of men a Polupragmaticall medling in the Armies with many abusing the Common Councell and the City of London the Assembly the Reformed Churches our Brethren of Scotland Committees the King and his children and indeed who not I could name particular persons of both Houses of whom he hath spoken his pleasure who have deserved a great deale better of him Fifthly There is an unjust and scandalous passage pag. 11. reflecting upon the City and their Remonstrance as if they remonstrated about their wills and not about things needfull and just grievances and as if the increase of the plague upon the City were for any neglect towards the Parliament whereas I would have Master Peters know and all his party the City of London could not do lesse and have but done their duty the Reformed Churches Scotland the body of this Kingdome and all who are not Independents and Independentish doe bear witnesse of the faithfulnesse of this City to the cause of God and the Parliament and this Remonstrance was so farre from being a matter of meer will as Master Peters words import that I am of the mind and I beleeve not alone in it that it will never be well with England till the City of London the Ministry of the Kingdome and all the Counties as one man make a plainer Remonstrance in a more particular way and manner of all the growing mischiefs and abominations in Church and Common-wealth desiring a speedy and effectuall redresse of them And as for his hinting the cause of the increase of the plague to come from the City Remonstrance or want of the Cities full consent to a match with the Parliament I dare boldly say of him in ●o saying He is a false Prophet a dreamer of dreams speaking the visions of his own heart and declaring false burdens and do offer from the word of God to make it good against Master Peters that if the City of London would oftner Remonstrate and Petition in this kind and use the power they have by their Charter and the Lawes in force to punish Hereticks and Sectaries and disturb their meetings the plague would sooner be removed from them Sixthly That also is a false and untrue Assertion That the design of the Army is onely to obey their Masters the Parliament the slighting the Army is their money triumphant chariots would have broke our necks understood in Master Peters sense viz. of that part of the Army the Sectaries for if it were so as he speak● what means the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen that I and many others hear If their only design be to obey their Masters the Parliament what 's the reason they break conte 〈…〉 their Ordinances viz. that against m●ns preaching not ordained Ministers that for the better observing of the Monethly Fast those for the setling of Presbyteriall Government c. What means those speeches of some of them If they knew the Countries mind as well as the Countries might know theirs they would have another kind of Reformation then the Parliament is about that they have not so long fought for liberty and now to be enslaved with many such like And if the slighting of the Army is their money and triumphant chariots would have broke their necks certainly they have then had little pay and their necks would have been broken long before now for never was Army better provided for since these warres with moneys recruits all kind of things and many particular men speciall persons of that party which Master Peters counts the Army have been well rewarded over and above pay c. And for triumphant chariots there have been men on purpose employed to provide them triumphant chariots weekly to carry them throughout the Kingdom and forraign parts in the weekly newes books wherein they have been lifted up to heaven in praises

that have had more money and now demand more hundred thousand pounds ●hen all Scotland is worth if it were to be sold that they stood for the King to come to London and to be disposed of by their advice for nothing else but to get great offices about him and places at Court that they seek nothing but to encroach upon the rights and liberties of this Nation in severall of their demands and therefore what true English man can beare it They have given out of their Armies that they exercise strange cruelties robberies plunderings in the Countries notwithstanding all their great pay and yet they have done nothing for it what have they done almost this two last yeeres say the Sectaries nay some Sectaries have given out we owe them nothing they have had more then their pay comes to Presently after the newes came of the Kings going to the Scottish Army there were many jealousies raised and reports given out by the Independent party that all the forces of the Kings out of Newark were joyned to the Scots and gone along with them that Letters were intercepted going from the King to Oxford to wish them to holdout so many dayes and they should have releife that two thousand Irish were come to joyne with the Scots for the King against the Parliament that the Scots had broken the Covenant in detaining the King and in not delivering up Ashburnham with divers such fables and since all along we have by that party some fine stories or other told of the Scots as of so many thousands out of France to joyne with them and so many thousand fresh men come out of Scotland into England and Informations and Examinations printed of strange things the Scats will do and the King hath spoken of since he went to them reports of stories of Robin Hood and little John of Cocks and Bulls plots that would be discovered of the Scots and some great Noble men Now for proof of the Sectaries being guilty in these particulars I referre the Reader to divers of the Sectaries libellous Pamphlets against the Scots as Master Burtons Conformities Deformity A black cloud in the North a late Declaration by way of Letters c. to divers of the Weekly newes Books of late and particularly to the Imperfect Diurnall Immoderate Intelligencer Vnperfect Occurrences three sworne servants of the Independents and to his owne remembrance and observation of things For conclusion of this there are none so hated in this Kingdom by the Sectaries as our Brethren of Scotland not the Papists not the Prelates not the Malignants they exceed the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Doctor Wren c. who never spake with that bitternesse against the Generall Assembly and Church-government as some Sectaries have done for insta●ce let Master Burtons Conformities Deformity be perused in what he writes against the Generall Assembly and Church-government of Scotland and it would be thought rather to be Canterbury redivivus then Master Burton for whom the Ministers of Scotland and other godly Christians there put up so many prayers but their hatred and malice against the Church and Kingdom of Scotland God will in due time remember and visit And their extreme malignity against our Brethren of Scotland appeares principally in four things 1. Though some of that party have given great testimony to them of their faithfulnesse and worth yet without any cause of theirs or change in them the Scots co●tinuing constant and firme to their first principles and I challenge all the Sectaries to give but one instance to the contrary they have turned Jewes against them and spoken evill of them all they could 2. If any one Sectary take the Scots part as seeing their faithfulnesse to the publick and so declare it though yet at the same time be speaks against the Scots Church-government Covenant c. and come to be in question and trouble upon some things though we see Sectaries strangely brought off of all troubles notwithstanding all misdemeanors he is deserted by his party may lie and perish in prison and the reason is given in print to all the world if we may beleeve it for his complying with the Scots to drive on some wicked designe of theirs and combining with them whereas the same party declares in print the honesty and justice of the Scots for the redresse of the great greivances of his Countrey and though strangers to him yet upon the goodnesse of the Cause furthering it with all their power to bring it to the hearing of the House of Commons and he professes he neither knows nor can suppose the Scots to intend any other wicked desig● but the setling of the Presbyterian Government among us 3. In the many bloudy speeches divers of the Sectarian party have spoken against the Scots viz. that they would as willingly fight against the Scots draw their swords against them as ever against 〈◊〉 Cavaliers that if they had an Order from the Commons to go against the Scots they would go as willingly as ever against the Cavaliers that it would never be well with us till we had beaten the Scots out of the Kingdom that if they would not go out now we had conquered the Kings party we would go lead them out with divers such speeches 4. In making it their great busines to corrupt and poyson mens minds with false notions and apprehensions about the Scots as if they were the most per●idious people that ever were many stories in this kind might be told but I will content my self with relating one which is most certaine as having it from the mouth of a godly minister upon whom the experiment was made There was a great Gentleman of the Independent party I will not say he was a Member of the House of Commons who laboured to possesse a godly Minister of some note in his Countrey against the Scots and walked alone with him two houres to represent to him the state of things o●●●ring him confidently and that he should finde that the King●ad ●ad poysoned the Scots and made them all for him he had corrupted the Army the Scots Commissi 〈…〉 the Convention of Estates yea the generall Assembly it selfe and they would be all 〈…〉 s much for him as ever the Cavaliers were with severall other things he laboured to pos 〈…〉 e him with of the City of London the Army c. but the best was the Minister wanted faith to beleeve him and laughed secretly that this Gentleman should think to catch old birds with chaffe Ni 〈…〉 ly the Sectaries and Independents have spoken and carried themselves unworthily to the bleeding condition of the Kingdome of Ireland and the Protest●●ts there some of them have justified the Irish Rebellion that they did it for the liberty of their consciences and for their Country and what had the English to doe in their Kingdome the Irish did no more then what we would have done ourselves if it had been 〈◊〉 case and that they

time mistaken for had I thought that the Parliament had had no rule but their owne will to have walked by I should never have drawne my sword for them and for my part I knw no difference betwixt tyranny and such proceedings therfore I pray read the Petition of Right and the Act made this present Parliament that condemned the Star-chamber and High Commission Page 5. hee writes as followes Time was when the Parliament had to doe with the King and had the Bishops Star-chamber and High Commission to pull downe they would owne me and doe me justice c. but having served their owne turnes of me I never could have justice from them since though I think I have beene as faithfull a servant to the Common-wealth as any they ever imployed and whereas Magna Charta saith justice and right we will deny to 〈…〉 or we will defer to none yet have I waited these foure yeeres upon them at great expences and cannot get them to put their owne Votes in execution and if this be according to Magna Charta let the world judge And p. 10. speaking of the H. of Commons committing him saith O brave times and brave justice and yet for all this I say my resolution is to stand fast in the liberty and freedome wherewith Magna Charta and the Petition of Right and severall Acts made this present Parliament as also divers late Declarations have made me free and not to be intangled againe with any yoake of bondage that shall be hung about my neck by any kind of Tyrant by what name or title soever he be dignified or distinguished Master Musgrave a great Separatist as he shows himself in many passages of his Book entituled Another word to the wise writes thus of the House of Commons Courteous Reader thou maist very much wonder at the delatory and slow proceedings of the House of Commons in doing justice and right from whom the Commons of England may justly expect more then from any Judicatory being they are immediatly chosen by them and to speak properly are no more but their Stewards and servants for whose good and benefit all their actions ought to be extended Yet by their poceedings daily we see t is in vaine to expect justice from them so long as they are linked and glued in factions each to other by their private interests in their great places which ties all such amongst them to maintaine one another in all their unjust wayes and to oppresse and crush us as much as they are able all the prosecutors of just and righteous things and so to barre and stop justice that it shall have little or no progresse divers of them and their creatures Sonnes Brothers Uncles and Kinsmen and Allies in the sub-Committees having already committed so much unjustice that they are undone in their blazed honour and ill-gotten estates if justice should runne in its native luster and full current and of necessity they and their great places would quickly be destroyed O therefore that the Free-men of England had but their eyes open to see the mischeife of Members of the House of Commons men of their owne election and chusing to sit in the supreme Court of England to be entangled themselves or intermeddle with any other place whatsoever then that whereunto their Countrey have chosen them what a shame is it to see the mercinary long gown-men of the House of Commons to runne up and down like so many ●ackney Petty-●oggers from Bar to Bar in Westminster Hall to plead before inferiour Judges and besides how can such great practisers chuse but mercinarily be engaged to help their clients over a stile in case that ever they have to doe with any of their owne Committees and besides what is this else but to sell justice for money Besides what a snare is it to the new Judges who are placed in the roome of those that have bought sold and betraied the lives liberties estates of all the free Deni●ons of England to see three or foure eminent Lawyers Members of the House of Commons come before them ●n an unjust cause when they consider that if they should displease them it partly lies in their power to turne them out of their places being they are as it were wholly made Judges by the House of Commons and nominated by the Lawyers therein we profes●e seriously that to pull the gownes over these mercinary mens eares and for ever to throw them out of the House of Commons as men unfit to ●it there or to plead at any Bar in England is too little a punishment for them and the same we conceive doe they deserve that are Members of the House and take upon them to sit as Judges in inferior Courts by means of which they rob the free-men of England of the benefit of any appeale in case of injustice because they have no where to appeale to but the Parliament where they sit as Judges in their owne cause which is a most wicked intolerable and unjust thing in any Judge whatsoever we hope shortly that if these men be not ashamed of their evill herein some honest and resolute hearted English man will be so bold as publickly to post up their names as destroyers of the Kingdome And as great an evill 't is to the Kingdome for Members of the House of Commons to take upon them to bee fingerers and Treasurers of the publick money of the Kingdome because they are thereby in a condition to fill their owne coffers and do what wrong they please or else how comes it to passe that so many of their children are so richly married of late that were but meane before and no man knowes how to call them to account unlesse they deale with them as the Romans sometimes dealt with their Senators or as the Switzers dealt with their Tyrants for the money is the Kingdomes and not the Members of the House of Commons and the Kingdome ought in justice reason and right to have a publick punctuall and particular account of it and therefore it ought not to be in the hands or fingers of those that are able to make so great a faction as are able to protect them from justice and an exact account O that that gallant man Lieut. Generall Cromwell to whom the Kingdome for their preservation under God oweth so much would a little more deny himselfe and cease to be a stalking horse and a dangerous president of most dangerous consequence to these wicked mercinary Pluralists Non residentary great place men for whom an Hospitall of any great consequence cannot fall but they must be Governors of it nor a petty place in the petty bag office but they must get into it which men if the Kingdome would rightly consider it have just cause to disclaime as none of their Patrons but proclaime as their enemies and destroyers being pecuniary self-seekers For so long as Parliament men can get into their hands the riches and treasures of

the Kingdome and live like Kings and Emperors and like lawlesse men none such being of Gods creation there will never be an end of this Parliament which by its everlasting continuance by the abuses of lawlesse and rotten-hearted men will become the most absolute burthen and greatest oppression that ever was upon the people when as in times by past it used to be their only remedy from their oppression and oppressors In a Pamphlet entituled Yet another word to the wise there 's a Letter directed To Master John Musgrave chosen to present the Countries greivances to the House of Commons which Letter speaks thus But the House of Commons instead of hearing and redressing your greivances have added new greivances unto those which formerly you have suffered in their owne quarrell against the common enemy they have unjustly imprisoned you these last twelve moneths protected Traytors among themselves from the Law c. Yet we shall rather with tears seek their repentance then their persisting in such courses seeing they are placed in lawfull authority and have a good Cause though they seeke too much their owne c. And as for their lamentable submission to the Bishops servants the Presbyterian Synodians in establishing that wil-worship and Popish maintenance which now themselves doe well know to be jure diabolico through these blind guides their Diviners and Southsayers inability to answer their Queres whereby to prove themselves jure divino surely if they will notwithstanding obstinatly persist in such wilfull dangerous and unwarrantable courses they will doubtlesse show themselves to be fighters against God his truth and people to their owne destruction without speedy conversion In a Pamphlet entituled Liberty against Slavery there 's a Letter written by a Sectary call'd An e●cellent Letter written by a prisoner to a worthy Member of the House of Commons where are these passages O where is justice may not these royall plunderers as well justifie all their Robberies and Depraedations as either our House of Commons or the House of Peeres these kinds of imprisonments and commitments Nay is it not the greatest injustice when done under the colour of justice Sir I assure you it were lesse greivous unto us to die at once then to be thus inslaved and fami●hed in your cruell prison houses where we are exposed to all misery contempt obloquie and scorne of the worst men and thereby the hearts of our wives and aged Parents broken with greif Sir be pleased to consider how by these and the like doings the affections of many thousands of people is estranged from you who have formerly adventured all to uphold you in your authorities and if this course be continued we shall not we cannot thinke and say lesse then that the Parliament and not the Prerogative makes us a bondage and miserable people And some already do not spare to say that the Parliament is now become the burthen of the Kingdome You were intrusted by the people for their good and not for the continuation of their thraldome let us then have justice which without showing your selves to be most unjust men you cannot any longer deny us The Pamphlet entituled Englands Birth-right page 33. speaking of the Commons in Parliament saith By which manifest abusing negligent and not true using the Lawes oppressions mischeifes greivances are no lesse if not far more increased then they were before the Parliament began and many times by the powerfull interest of a faction in the Parliament to save some one two or three of their Members undeserving credits they so violate the knowne unrepealed and declared Law of the Land yea and their owne Votes Ordinances Declarations and Protestations as if they had never made them I say all these things considered ought not the free men of England who have laboured in these destroying times both to preserve the Parliament and their owne native freedomes and birth-rights not only to chuse new Members where they are wanting once every yeer but also to renew and inquire once a yeere after the behaviour and carriage of those they have chosen Lilburne in that Pamphlet of his call'd Innocency and Truth justified page 75. speak● thus of the House of Commons But it may be you will say the House of Commons is not at leasure by reason of publick I answer lesse then an hours time will serve my turne in this particular and t is very strange in 5. yeers space so much time cannot be found from the publick to transmit my busines sure I am they can find time enough to settle great rich plac● upon some of themselves and to enjoy them for al their owne Ordinances to the contrary yea and I know some of them hath plurality of places and I say the thing I desire of them is more justly my due then any of their great places are theirs and therefore I hope they have no true cause to be angry with me for craving justice at their hands And page 37. I am absolutely of this mind that neither a Committee of the House of Commons nor the whole House of Commons together can justly imprison me or any other contrary to a Law which at present there is not some Ordinance made both by them and the Peers publick at present to overthrow it But I have severall times been imprisoned by the Committees and by Vote of the House of Commons it selfe contrary to a knowne Law made this present Parliament by themselves against which there is at present no Ordinance published and declared by them and the Peeres for the Cognizance of Ergo I say they are tied in justice according to tenor of this Law to give me reparations against those persons that were cheife instruments either in Committees or in the House of Commons it selfe to Vote and take away my Liberty from me contrary to this Law and for my part I doe accordingly expect my reparations for my late causelesse molestations and imprisonments A pamphlet entituled A Remonstance to their owne House of Commons page 11. speakes thus to the Honorable Commons For we must deale plainly with you ye have long time acted more like the House of Peers then the House of Commons we can scarcely approach your doore with a request or motion though by way of Petition but ye hold long debates whether we break not your Priviledges The King or the Lords pretended Prerogatives never made a greater noise nor was made more dreadfull then the name of Priviledge of the House of Commons Your Members in all Impositions must not be taxed in the places where they live like other men Your servants have their priviledges too To accuse or prosecute any of you is become dangerous to the prosecutors ●e have imprisonments as frequently for either witnesses or prosecutors as ever the Star-chamber had and ye are furnished with new devised arguments to prove that ye only may justly doe those grosse injustices which the Star chamber High