OF THE THIRD VOLUME. EIKONOCLASTES: in answer to a Book entitled, Eikon Basilike, the Portraiture of his sacred Ma- Page A DEFENCE of the People of England, in answer to Salmasius's Defence of the King..........103 A Treatise of Civil Power in Ecclesiastical Causes: showing, that it is not lawful for any Power on Earth to compel in Matters of Religion.......317 Considerations touching the likeliest Means to remove Hirelings out of the Church, &c......348 A Letter to a Friend, concerning the Ruptures of The present Means and brief Delineation of a free Commonwealth, easy to be put in practice, and without delay. In a Letter to General Monk 398 The ready and easy Way to establish a Free Commonwealth, and the Excellence thereof, compared with the Inconveniencies' and Dan- gers of readmitting Kingship in this Nation... 401 Brief Notes upon a late Sermon, titled, "The Fear of God and the King," preached and since published by Matthew Griffith, D.D. and Chap- lain to the late King, wherein many notorious Wrestings of Scripture, and other Falsities, Accedence commenced Grammar: supplied with sufficient Rules for the Use of such as, younger or elder, are desirous, without more trouble than needs, to attain the Latin Tongue; the THE PORTRAITURE OF HIS SACRED MAJESTY IN HIS SOLITUDES AND HIS SUFFERINGS. XI. Upon the Nineteen Propofitions, &c. F the nineteen propofitions he names none in par upon the old plea of "his confcience, honour and reafon;" ufing the plaufibility of large and indefinite words, to defend himself at fuch a distance as may hinder the eye of common judgment from all diftinct view and examination of his reafoning. "He would buy the peace of his people at any rate, fave only the parting with his confcience and honour." Yet fhows not how it can happen that the peace of a people, if otherwise to be bought at any rate, fhould be inconfiftent or at variance with the confcience and honour of a king. Till then, we may receive it for a better fentence, that nothing thould be more agreeable to the confcience and honour of a king, than to preferve his fubjects in peace; especially from civil war. And which of the propofitions were "obtruded on him with the point of the fword," till he firft with the point of the fword thruft from him both the propofitions and the propounders? He never reckons thote violent and mercilefs obtrufions, which for almoft twenty years he had been forcing upon tender confciences by all forts of perfecution, till through the multitude of them VOL. III. B that that were to fuffer, it could no more be called a perfecution, but a plain war. From which when firft the Scots, then the English, were conftrained to defend themselves, this their juft defence is that which he calls here, "their making war upon his foul." He grudges that "fo many things are required of him, and nothing offered him in requital of thofe favours which he had granted." What could fatiate the defires of this man, who being king of England, and mafter of almost two millions yearly what by hook or crook, was ftill in want; and thofe acts of juftice which he was to do in duty, counts done as favours; and fuch favours as were not done without the avaricious hope of other rewards befides fupreme honour, and the conftant revenue of his place? "This honour," he faith," they did him, to put him on the giving part." And fpake truer than he intended, it being merely for honour's fake that they did fo; not that it belonged to him of right: for what can he give to a parliament, who receives all he hath from the people, and for the people's good? Yet now he brings his own conditional rights to conteft and be preferred before the people's good; and yet unless it be in order to their good, he hath no rights at all; reigning by the laws of the land, not by his own; which laws are in the hands of parliament to change or abrogate as they fhall fee beft for the commonwealth, even to the taking away of kingship itself, when it grows too mafterful and burdenfome. For every commonwealth is in general defined, a fociety fufficient of itself, in all things conducible to well-being and commodious life. Any of which requifite things, if it cannot have without the gift and favour of a single perfon, or without leave of his private reafon or his confcience, it cannot be thought fufficient of itself, and by confequence no commonwealth, nor free; but a multitude of vaffals in the poffeffion and domain of one abfolute lord, and wholly obnoxious to his will. If the king have power to give or deny any thing to his parliament, he must do it either as a perfon feveral from them, or as one greater; neither of which will be allowed him: not to be confidered feverally from them; for as the |
