fair proceedings. Whereas kingship, though looking big, yet indeed moft pufillanimous, full of fears, full of jealoufies, ftartled at every umbrage, as it hath been obferved of old to have ever fufpected moft, and miftrufted them who were in most esteem for virtue and generofity of mind, fo it is now known to have most in doubt and fufpicion them who are most reputed to be religious. Queen Elizabeth, though herself accounted fo good a proteftant, fo moderate, fo confident of her fubjects love, would never give way fo much as to prefbyterian reformation in this land, though once and again befought, as Camden relates, but imprifoned and perfecuted the very propofers thereof; alleging it as her mind and maxim unalterable, that fuch reformation would diminish regal authority. What liberty of conscience can we then expect of others, far worse principled from the cradle, trained up and governed by Popish and Spanish counfels, and on fuch depending hitherto for fubfiftence? Especially what ean this laft parliament expect, who having revived lately and published the covenant, have reengaged themselves, never to readmitepifcopacy? Which no fon of Charles returning but will moft certainly bring back with him, if he regard the laft and ftricteft charge of his father, "to persevere in, not the doctrine only, but government of the church of England; not to neglect the fpeedy and effectual fuppreffing of errours and fchifms;" among which he accounted prefbytery one of the chief. Or if, notwithftanding that charge of his father, he submit to the covenant, how will he keep faith to us, with disobedience to him; or regard that faith given, which must be founded on the breach of that laft and folemneft paternal charge, and the reluctance, I may fay the antipathy, which is in all kings, against prefbyterian and independent difcipline? For they hear the gospel speaking much of liberty; a word which monarchy and her bishops both fear and hate, but a free commonwealth both favours and promotes; and not the word only, but the thing itself. But let our governors beware in time, left their hard meafure to liberty of confcience be found the rock whereon they fhipwreck themselves, as others have now done be

fore

fore them in the courfe wherein God was directing their fteerage to a free commonwealth; and the abandoning of all those whom they call fectaries, for the detected falfehood and ambition of fome, be a wilful rejection of their own chief ftrength and intereft in the freedom of all proteftant religion, under what abufive name foever calumniated.

The other part of our freedom confifts in the civil rights and advancements of every perfon according to his merit the enjoyment of thofe never more certain, and the access to thefe never more open, than in a free commonwealth. Both which, in my opinion, may be beft and fooneft obtained, if every country in the land were made a kind of fubordinate commonalty or commonwealth, and one chief town or more, according as the fhire is in circuit, made cities, if they be not fo called already; where the nobility and chief gentry, from a proportionable compafs of territory annexed to each city, may build houses or palaces befitting their quality, may bear part in the government, make their own judicial laws, or use these that are, and execute them by their own elected judicatures and judges without appeal, in all things of civil government between man and man; fo they fhall have juftice in their own hands, law executed fully and finally in their own counties and precincts, long wished and spoken of, but never yet obtained; they fhall have none then to blame but themselves, if it be not well adminiftered; and fewer laws to expect or fear from the fupreme authority; or to those that shall be made, of any great concernment to public liberty, they may, without much trouble in thefe commonalties, or in more general affemblies called to their cities from the whole territory on fuch occafion, declare and publish their affent or diffent by deputies, within a time limited, fent to the grand council; yet fo as this their judgment declared fhall fubmit to the greater number of other counties or commonalties, and not avail them to any exemption of themselves, or refufal of agreement with the reft, as it may in any of the United Provinces, being fovereign within itself, ofttimes to the great difadvantage of that union. In thefe employments they may,

much

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

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

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

and

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