corrupt and erroneous judgement 2. Their mis-apprehensions of manifold oppressions brought upon the Nation by the King his Lords and Bishops c. 3. The illegall and rebellious practice of the lower House The first Argument whereby they were induced to rebell against their King was because they judged the lower House to be the supreme Authority of England as chosen by and representing the people and intrusted with absolute power for redresse of grievances and provision for safety c. 1. They say they judged the lower House unto whom they would seem to direct a Petition to be the supreme Authority of England Can there be anie greater errour in judgement then this For let us look back who they are that judged this do they not call themselves Thousands of well-affected persons inhabiting the City of London West-minster c Certainly then they must either all or the greatest part of them be Freemen who have taken the Oath of Allegiance which tells them what is the supreme Authority of England but theirs is a dangerous conscience which is not sensible of perjury whilst they obstinately persist therein They might also be informed by the Law of the Land whereby we are to judge the supreme Authoritie thereof to remain Rex habet potestatem Jurisdictionem super omnes qui in Regno suo sunt The King hath power and authoritie over all which are in his Kingdome see Judg Jenkins p. 7. But they seem to be perswaded unto this opinion because the lower House is chosen by and representing the people and intrusted with absolute power for redresse of grievances and provision for safety c. which Position in the former part is only a meere Supposition and therefore brings an untrue consequence along with it their Supposition is this that because in a legall Parliament the lower House are chosen by and representing the people therefote this is so wherein they are much mistaken for the Countrey ought to have a free choice of their Knights of the Shire and Burgesses of Parliament which never was so free as ought to have been in this Parliament but now the lower House is filled with men unknown unto their Countrey and therefore not being chosen by the people they cannot represent the people This false Supposition begets another as untrue which is that the lower House being chosen by and representing the people are intrusted with absolute power c. which absolute power they must either have by right of inheritance or by the Lawes of the Land or they do derive the said power from some other upon the virtue of their Election 1. They may not attain unto this power by right of inheritance because they are to sit there by the election of their Countrey according unto Law 2. Not by the Law of the Land because the Law of the Land gives this power unto none but the King 3. They do not derive the said power from any other because if so it must be derived from either King or people 1. It is not derived from the King for he calls them onely to appear and attend the Parliament consilium impensuri to give advice not to exercise anie absolute power 2. It is not derived from the people because they have no power at all the choosing the said men by vertue of the Kings Writ gives the people power to choose men qualified according unto the Laws and Customes of the Land to sit in Parliament only to represent the grievances of the Kingdome unto the King and the upper House and to advise with them concerning the same but they cannot give them anie greater power because nil dat quod non habet is true in this case After followes upon these another most Atheisticall Tenet that they did judge the King was but at the most a publike Officer of the Kingdome and accountable to the House the representative of the people from whence all just Authority is or ought to be derived for discharge of his Office Here every word hath its poison and to discover all therein would prove a tax too tedious therefore I will rank them into three principall errors 1. That they thought the King at the most was but the chief publike Officer of the Kingdome 2 That the King is accountable unto the lower House for the discharge of his Office 3. That all just Authority is or ought to be derived from the Representative of the people First that the King at the most is but the publike Officer of this Kingdome herein is a great deal of serpentine and Jesuiticall policie full of destructive poison unto all Monarchy which they bring in most cunningly and covertly by confounding of termes and judging the King to be most chiefe wherein they affirm his Supremacie but this they presently take away again by adding publike Officer of the Kingdome as if his power were by the election and donation of the people and not by right of inheritance assured unto him by the Law of the Land The second errour is that the King is accountable unto the lower House for the discharge of his Office contrarie unto the Word of God which saith Is it fit to say to a King thou art wicked or to Princes ye are ungodly Job 34.18 and who dare say unto a King what dost thou Him God hath made supreme 1 Pet. 2.13 and if he be supreme unto whom shall he give an account of his Office but unto him who hath made him so which Exposition is made good by the Statute Law of the Land Ann. 16. Rich. 2. cap. 5. The Crowne of England hath been so free at all times that it hath been in no earthly subjection but immediately subject unto God in all things touching the Regality of the same Crown and to none other The third error is that all just Authority is or ought to be derived from the Representative of the People Herein they discover their own weaknesse concluding though somthing misteriously their old feares and jealousies Where it is as good as confessed that all just Authority is not in the Representative of the People but ought to be by which tenet they argue either the established Law of the Land or the lower House or the upper House or the whole Kingdome or every of them with the supreme authority over them to be unjust a particular canvasing whereof would take up more time then now I am willing to spend so idly onely this all just Authoritie is decided and determined by the Law of the Land which gives it unto the King principally and originally This is the principall matter in the first argument of their ground and reason which induced them to aid the Commons against the King and his Adherents whereunto they adde a discovery of their mistakes that had they not been confident that these errours had beene truthes they had beene desperately mad to have taken up Armes against the King c. because the Lawes of the Land make it expressely
A FULL ANSWER TO THE Levellers Petition Presented to the House of Commons On Munday Septemb. 11. 1648. VVherein the divellish poyson therein contained is discussed throughout By way of confutation of every materiall branch thereof Contrived for the satisfaction of all those who are not able to discover the danger of those destructive and abominable Principles therein delivered And to recall those who are or shall be misled thereby By a Lover of Peace and Truth Psal 2.1 Why did the Heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing Prov. 24.21 My son feare thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change 1 Cor. 14.33 God is not the author of confusion but of peace Printed in the Yeere 1648. To the Reader Christian Brother IF thou believe that herein I have sided too much with any Party thou doest me wrong for I have ever lookt upon the old rule Amicus Plato sed magis amica veritas I will labour to defend no cause further then I am perswaded truth will beare me out for that I am assured will prevaile at the last Therefore I beseech thee deal candidly and impartially with me as I hope I have done with thee That herein I am neither so large nor exact as may be expected I beseech thee excuse me in that the publike Fast did immediately succeed the delivery or at least publishing of this titular Petition and some important businesse hath taken me up since so that I had little above a day to finish this peece for the Presse Also the unworthinesse of the subject matter in the said Discourse or ill named Petition hath caused me to be lesse punctuall herein then otherwise I should have been But this I doubt not may be sufficient to help to remove so troublesome an obstacle that it may not hinder so great necessary and hopefull a work as a Personall Treaty which God of his infinite mercy blesse prosper and make successefull which shall be the daily prayer of one who is wholly devoted To the service of God and his Countrey A brief and summary Confutation of a divellish and disorderly Paper stiled The humble Petition of thousands well-affected Persons inhabiting c. THat great and grand Imposter never bewrayed his wants so much as now in making use of such weak and silly instruments to set up his Kingdome they having neither sense to expresse nor policy fitly to bring about their impudent and shamelesse levelling desires as is most manifest in that late published paper altogether repugnant and discrepant both in Title and Substance 1. In Title they calling it a Petition whereas there is nothing therein petitioned and an Humble Petition where as it is extreme saucie and Shismatical saucie reproving the King the Lower House thorowout Shismaticall in directing that which they so call a Petition not to the Parliament of England nor unto the two Houses but to the Right Honourable the Commons of England assembled in Parliament altogether leaving out the upper House and throughout the whole body of their Petition acknowledging the Lower House the Supream Authority of this Kingdome against both the Law of God and the Land and contrary unto both the Oath of Supremacie and Alegeance as hath been sufficiently proved unto all men but moderately rationall But herein the upper House may see what followes from their own sandie Principles they have been content to maintain the two Houses to be a Parliament first without Bishops and afterwards without a King contrary unto the Nature and Constitution of Parliaments as they should be by the great Charter of England the Statute Lawes thereof and the ancient fundamentall customes of our Nation and now the Levellers will have a Parliament without an upper House and all made fellowes at football But herein the wise Lords might see if they had any eyes in their heads how God hath brought it about that their rebellion may come to be repayed in it's own coin and if once their Lordships be got down have at the now Honourable Commons next they are now by the politick Levellers set highest that they may when time serves be the more easily laid lowest 2. In substance it is altogether differing from the title therein being nothing petitioned and thus it is a mere silly cobled Remonstrance of their own aimes and purposes who thus call themselves Thousands of well affected persons therein proclaiming themselves to be nothing but Independents who indeavour by their numbers being thousands and their own interest blood guiltienesse to bring on their designes Concerning the former of these if they were but sober minded they might remember Gods Prohibition which is this Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evill neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest Judgment Exod. 23.2 and withall they might consider there are many more thousands of wise understanding moderate and religious Christians throughout the Kingdome which disallow their folly The other thing whereby they show their folly in trusting to a broken staffe is their own interest bloodguiltinesse which they call ingaging on the Houses part and as in their own words they confesse was against the King and his adherents which by the Law of God and the Land makes them selfe-confessing Rebells and Traitors so that God at the great Parliament of all Parliaments the day of Doom may say unto every one of them thou art not onely ex ore tuo but also ex scripto tuo guilty of the said detestable and damnable crimes But to the businesse it is so botch't and patch't up that there is nothing but baldnesse and abruptnesse in it wherein in the very first words they would perswade the world that they are as earnestly desirous of a safe and well grounded peace c. as any sort of men whatsoever wherein they declare the weaknesse and shallownesse of their Judgements whilst they do perswade themselves and would others that a safe and well grounded peace may stand upon the bog and quagmire of disorder and confusion Next in the preface of their patchery they seem to lay down the grounds of this their manifesto of which was touched but now and thence they draw the sum of their discourse into three nastie rotten branches 1. The ground and reason which induced them to aid the honorable House against the King ad his Adherents 2. What their apprehensions are of the Treaty 3. What they expected from the House and doe still most earnestly desire In the first the ground and reason which induced them to aid the honorable House against the King and his Adherents they command the lower Houses pleasure to understand them be pleased therefore to understand c. A man would think such saucy peremptorinesse would have produced somthing worth notice but it is nothing but the disorderly and unreasonable reasons of their ingagement with the House against the King drawn from three most unsound Arguments 1. Their own
of the Nation and all the blood hath been spilt by the King and his party intimating thereby most inhumanely and unchristian like that there can for this Nation be no attaining unto the Haven of freedome and safetie but through the innocent blood of their true and naturall Soveraigne with his faithfull Subjects which wicked and canniball intentions God of his infinite mercie destroy and prevent that England may never more be guiltie of such horrid crimes Next they accuse their Gods the lower House for betaking themselves to a Treatie with His Majestie O hideous wretches is there anie other visible meanes left for peace and accommodation Doe you not see the Kingdome thorough their ruines brought unto an uproare which will never be appeased but by the restitution of his Majestie whereunto a Treatie is the surest and safest preparation but this is it which they are too sensible of now their eyes begin to be open and they see how they are guiltie of the breach of the Law of the Land and they who have so long bragged and boasted of their fear of God are now in a slavish fear of man but know they this that though for a time they may escape the hand of man yea and that though our gracious King which I know he is willing to doe give them all pardons yet except they repent they cannot escape the judgement of the Almighty for shame therefore let them cry out no longer the Law of the Land and the Law of the Kingdome and the like but cry out of themselves in that they have by their treason and rebellion transgressed the Law of God who is King of Kings and let them not for the safety of a few private men prefer the ruine of a glorious Kingdome before the peace and union thereof See these weak and false principles wherewith they seem to under-prop this falling and tottering conceit against a Treaty because the ruine of the Nation and the blood that hath been spilt hath been caused by the King and his party for so they speake almost totidem terminis good people take up your senses againe and then judge whether the breakers or maintainers of established Lawes are the cause of the ruine of a Nation and the blood-shed therein and then your consciences must needs tell you that you and your party and not the King and his party are the sole instruments whereby those your sad complaints have been effected Again you complaine against the lower House for putting one that is but one single person and a publike Officer of the Common-wealth in competition with the whole Body of the people whereas if this Parliament were the exactest and compleatest Representative that ever was in England it is preposterous for them to stand in competition with him though you falsly account them the supreme Authority of the Kingdom you are therein far from the truth for His Majestie is the supreme Power of the Kingdome whereunto every man ought to sweare in the Oath of Supremacie the words are these I A B doe testifie and from my conscience declare that the Kings Majestie is the onely supreme Governour of this Kingdome and all other his Majesties Dominions and Territories as well in all spirituall or ecclesiasticall matters and causes as temporall c. Which Oath every man now sitting in the two Houses of Parliament hath taken therefore their standing in competition with their Soveraigne whose Supremacy they have so solemnly sworne and unto whom they have sworne Allegiance proclaimes them unto all the world guiltie of traiterous and rebellious perjury and these titular Petitioners do clearly bewray their corrupt and unchristian minds by speaking so irreverently and unworthily of their rightfull Soveraigne calling him a single man and publike Officer c. as a man of the least consideration in the Kingdome What followes in this part their complaint of the lower House discloses their ill-will unto Monarchy and Kingly Government which considering what hath been hitherto said in the like case is not worth answer In their complaint of their own danger they show us how and which way they were misled they took false principles which have deceived them whereas if they had but remembred their rudiments of Grammar they might have called unto mind the old example Jusipientis est dicere non putaram I wil leave the English unto their School-boies still they run upon the old strain they have opposed their King in defence of the lower House its Supreme Authority is not this wilfull obstinate ignorance will not the same law of the Land which to use their own terms makes it expressely a crime no lesse then treason for any to raise warre against the King tell them where the supreme Power is but this their rash undertakeing and their forwardnesse in thus declaring themselves to have run into innocent bloodshed upon these grounds is another warrant to assure them it must be thus I am glad there are such pangs within it may please God they may produce good effects for they deem themselves in the most dangerous conditition of all others left without all plea of indempnity for what they have done oh it workes this is a verie good symptom they may become honester long it is true many of their Associates have already lost their lives and liberties for things done or said against the King the Law of the Land frequently taking place and precedencie against and before the Authority of the lower House their esteem whereof to be supreme cannot make it so but that against it the Law of the Land ought to be pleaded the Law of the Land is the safety of the people and if ever they will injoy themselves and their livelihoods they must recover their Lawes and though they will condemn these titular Petitioners yet we have a mercifull King who will and can give them pardon if they will have the grace to ask it which is a sure way but their depending of the supreme authoritie of the lower House is a broken reed which will pierce their hands and whereas they seem to be something conscious that they cannot be exempt from the guilt of Murderers and Robbers if the lower House persist to disclaim their supreme Authority they herein aggravate their fault in labouring to perswade the lower House to claim title unto that which is none of their own neither will conscience be able to acquit and justifie any for cruelty and unjustice such as is that which they call Murder and Robberie and their attributing of supreme Authoritie due or belonging unto the lower House neither will this plea hold that they have opposed none but manifest tyrants Oppressours and their adherents If they have opposed any other then whom they thus judge I leave them to be their own judges by their own principles but on the other side under the names of manifest Tyrants Oppressors and their adherents against some they have made opposition which can be against none but