rotten suggestions whereon it yet leans; if his intents be fincere to the public, and shall carry him on without bitterness to the opinion, or to the perfon diffenting; let him not, I entreat him, guess by the handling, which meritorioufly hath been bestowed on this object of contempt and laughter, that I account it any difpleasure done me to be contradicted in print: but as it leads to the attainment of any thing more true, shall esteem it a benefit; and shall know how to return his civility and fair argument in fuch a fort, as he shall confefs that to do fo is my choice, and to have done thus was my chance. THE THE TENURE OF 1 KINGS AND MAGISTRATES: PROVING, That it is lawful, and hath been held so through all ages, for any, who have the power, to call to account a TYRANT, or wicked KING, and, after due conviction, to depofe, and put him to death; if the ordinary MAGISTRATE have neglected, or denied to do it. And that they, who of late fo much blame Depofing, are the men that did it themselves.* IF men within themselves would be governed by reason, and not generally give up their understanding to a double tyranny, of custom from without, and blind affections, within; they would difcern better what it is to favour and uphold the tyrant of a nation. But being flaves within doors, no wonder that they strive so much to have the public state conformably governed to the inward vitious rule, by which they govern themselves. For indeed none can love freedom heartily, but good men: the rest love not freedom, but licence: which • This tract, which was first published in February 1648-9, after the execution of king Charles, and is a defence of that action against the objections of the Presbyterians, was, in the year 1650, republished by the author with confiderable additions, all which, omitted in every former edition of the author's works, are here carefully inferted in their proper places. The copy which I use, after the above title, has the following sentence; "Published now the second time with some additions, and many testimonies also added out of the best and learnedest among protestant divines, asserting the position of this book." The passages here restored are marked with fingle inverted commas. never hath more scope, or more indulgence than under tyrants. Hence is it, that tyrants are not oft offended, nor stand much in doubt of bad men, as being all naturally fervile; but in whom virtue and true worth most is eminent, them they fear in éarnest, as by right their masters; against them lies all their hatred and fufpicion. Confequently neither do bad men hate tyrants, but have been always readiest, with the falfified names of Loyalty and Obedience, to colour over their base compliances. And although fometimes for shame, and when it comes to their own grievances, of purfe especially, they would seem good patriots, and fide with the better cause, yet when others for the deliverance of their country endued with fortitude and heroic virtue, to fear nothing but the curse written against those "that do the work of the Lord negligently*," would go on to remove, not only the calamities and thraldoms of a people, but the roots and caufes whence they fpring; straight these men, and fure helpers at need, as if they hated only the miferies, but not the mischiefs, after they have juggled a ad paltered with the world, bandied and borne arms againft their king, divested him, disanointed him, nay cursed him all over in their pulpits, and their pamphlets, to the engaging of fincere and real men beyond what is poffible or honeft to retreat from, not only turn revolters from those principles, which only could at first move them, but lay the stain of disloyalty, and worse, on those proceedings, which are the neceffary confequences of their own former actions; nor disliked by themselves, were they managed to the entire advantages of their own faction; not confidering the while that he, toward whom they boasted their new fidelity, counted them acceffory; and by those statutes and laws, which they fo impotently brandish against others, would have doomed them to a traitor's death for what they have done already. It is true, that most men are apt enough to civil wars and commotions as a novelty, and for a flash hot and active; but through floth or inconftancy, and weakness of fpirit, either fainting ere their own pre * Jer. xlviii, 1. tences, 7 tences, though never so just, be half attained, or, through an inbred falsehood and wickedness, betray ofttimes to destruction with themselves men of noblest temper joined with them for causes, whereof they in their rash undertakings were not capable. If God and a good cause give them victory, the profecution whereof for the most part inevitably draws after it the alteration of laws, change of government, downfall of princes with their families; then comes the task to those worthies, which are the foul of that enterprise, to be sweat and laboured out amidst the throng and noses of vulgar and irrational men. Some contefting for privileges, customs, forms, and that old entanglement of iniquity, their gibberish laws, though the badge of their ancient slavery. Others, who have been fiercest against their prince, under the notion of a tyrant, and no mean incendiaries of the war against him, when God, out of his providence and high difpofal hath delivered him into the hand of their brethren, on a fudden and in a new garb of allegiance, which their doings have long since cancelled, they plead for him, pity him, extol him, protest against those that talk of bringing him to the trial of justice, which is the fword of God, fuperior to all mortal things, in whose hand foever by apparent figns his testified will is to put it. But certainly, if we confider who and what they are, on a fudden grown so pitiful, we may conclude their pity can be no true and christian commiferation, but either levity and shallowness of mind, or elfe a carnal admiring of that worldly pomp and greatness, from whence they fee him fallen; or rather, lastly, a diffembled and feditious pity, feigned of industry to beget new difcord. As for mercy, if it be to a tyrant, under which name they themselves have cited him fo oft in the hearing of God, of Angels, and the holy church affembled, and there charged him with the spilling of more innocent blood by far, than ever Nero did, undoubtedly the mercy which they pretend is the mercy of wicked men, and "their mercies*," we read, "are cruelties;" hazarding the welfare of a whole nation, to have faved VOL. II. • Prov. xii. 10. one 1 one whom they so oft have termed Agag, and villifying the blood of many Jonathans that have faved Ifrael; infifting with much niceness on the unneceffarieft clause of their covenant wrested, wherein the fear of change and the abfurd contradiction of a flattering hostility had hampered them, but not fcrupling to give away for compliments, to an implacable revenge, the heads of many thousand christians more. Another fort there is, who coming in the course of these affairs, to have their share in great actions above the form of law or custom, at least to give their voice and approbation; begin to swerve and almost shiver at the majesty and grandeur of fome noble deed, as if they were newly entered into a great fin; difputing precedents, forms, and circumftances, when the commonwealth nigh perishes for want of deeds in substance, done with just and faithful expedition. To these I wish better *inftruction, and virtue equal to their calling; the former of which, that is to say instruction, I shall endeavour, as my duty is, to bestow on them; and exhort them not to startle from the just and pious refolution of adhering with all their strength and affistance to the prefent parliament and army, in the glorious way wherein justice and victory hath set them; the only warrants through all ages, next under immediate revelation, to exercise supreme power; in those proceedings, which hitherto appear equal to what hath been done in any age. or nation heretofore justly or magnanimoufly. Nor let them be difcouraged or deterred by any new apoftate fcarecrows, who, under show of giving counsel, fend out their barking monitories and mementoes, empty of aught elfe but the spleen of a frustrated faction. For how can that pretended counsel be either found or faithful, when they that give it fee not, for madness and vexation of their ends lost, that those statutes and fcriptures, which both falfely and fcandaloufly they wrest against their friends and affociates, would by sentence of the common adverfary fall first and heaviest upon their own heads? Neither let mild and tender dispositions be foolishly foftened from their duty and perfeverance with the unmafculine rhetoric of any puling priest or chap 1 |