A FULL ANSWER TO THE Levellers Petition, Presented to the House of Commons, On Monday Septemb. 11. 1648. Wherein the devilish poison therein contained, is discussed throughout: By way of confutation of every material 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, fear 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 Year 1648. To the Reader. Christian Brother, IF thou believe that herein I have sided too much with any Party, thou dost me wrong; for I have ever looked upon the old rule, Amicus Plato, sed magis amica veritas. I will labour to defend no cause further, than I am persuaded truth will bear me out; for that, I am assured, will prevail 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 public Fast did immediately succeed the delivery, or at least publishing of this titular Petition: and some important business hath taken me up since, so that I had little above a day to finish this piece for the Press. Also the unworthiness of the subject matter in the said Discourse, or ill named Petition, hath caused me to be less punctual 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 hopeful a work as a Personal Treaty: which God of his infinite mercy bless, prosper, and make successful; which shall be the daily prayer, of one who is wholly devoted To the service of God and his Country. A brief and summary Confutation, of a devilish and disorderly Paper, styled, The humble Petition of thousands well-affected Persons, inhabiting, etc. 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 Kingdom; they having neither sense to express, nor policy fitly to bring about, their impudent and shameless 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 saucy, and Shismatical; saucy, reproving the King & the Lower House throughout: shismatical, 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 Supreme Authority, of this Kingdom, against both the Law of God, and the Land, and contrary unto both the Oath of Supremacy, and Allegiance, as hath been sufficiently proved unto all men but moderately rational. But herein the upper House may see, what follows from their own sandy 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 Laws thereof, and the ancient fundamental customs of our Nation; and now the Levellers will have a Parliament without an upper House, and all made fellows 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 repaid in its own coin; and if once their Lordships be got down, have at the now Honourable Commons next, they are now by the politic 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 cobbled Remonstrance of their own aims, and purposes; who thus call themselves Thousands of well affected persons, therein proclaiming themselves to be nothing but Independents; who endeavour by their numbers, being thousands, and their own interest blood guiltienesse, to bring on their designs: Concerning the former of these, if they were but sober minded, they might remember God's Prohibition, which is this, Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil, neither shalt thou speak in a cause, to decline after many, to wrest Judgement, Exod. 23.2. and withal they might consider, there are many more thousands of wise, understanding, moderate, and religious Christians throughout the Kingdom, which disallow their folly. The other thing whereby they show their folly, in trusting to a broken staff, is their own interest, bloodguiltinesse; which they call engaging on the Houses part, and as in their own words they confess, was against the King and his adherents, which by the Law of God, and the Land makes them self-confessing Rebels, 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 only ex ore tuo, but also ex scripto tuo, guilty of the said detestable and damnable crimes. But to the business; it is so botched, and patched up, that there is nothing but baldness and abruptness in it; wherein in the very first words they would persuade the world, that they are as earnestly desirous of a safe and well grounded peace, etc. as any sort of men whatsoever, wherein they declare the weakness and shallowness of their Judgements, whilst they do persuade 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 nasty rotten branches. 1. The ground and reason, which induced them to aid the honourable House, against the King add his Adherents. 2. What their apprehensions are of the Treaty. 3. What they expected from the House, and do still most earnestly desire. In the first, the ground and reason which induced them to aid the honourable House, against the King, and his Adherents; they command the lower Houses pleasure to understand them, be pleased therefore to understand, etc. A man would think such saucy peremptoriness would have produced something worth notice; but it is nothing but the disorderly and unreasonable reasons of their engagement, with the House against the King, drawn from three most unsound Arguments. 1. Their own corrupt and erroneous judgement. 2. Their misapprehensions of manifold oppressions brought upon the Nation by the King, his Lords, and Bishops, etc. 3. The illegal and rebellious practice of the lower House. The first Argument, whereby they were induced to rebel 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 entrusted with absolute power for redress of grievances, and provision for safety, etc. 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 any greater error 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 Authority thereof to remain, Rex habet potestatem & Jurisdictionem super omnes qui in Regno suo sunt. The King hath power and authority over all which are in his Kingdom, see Judge Jenkins, p. 7. But they seem to be persuaded unto this opinion, because the lower House is chosen by, and representing the people, and entrusted with absolute power for redress of grievances, and provision for safety, etc. which Position in the former part is only a mere Supposition, and therefore brings an untrue consequence along with it: their Supposition is this, that because in a legal Parliament the lower House are chosen by, and representing the people, therefote this is so; wherein they are much mistaken: for the Country ought to have a free choice of their Knights of the Shire, and Burgesses of Parliament, which never was so free as aught to have been in this Parliament; but now the lower House is filled with men unknown unto their Country, 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 entrusted with absolute power, etc. which absolute power they must either have, by right of inheritance, or by the Laws 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 Country, 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 only to appear and attend the Parliament, consilium impensuri, to give advice, not to exercise any absolute power. 2. It is not derived from the people, because they have no power at all; the choosing the said men by virtue of the King's Writ, gives the people power to choose men qualified, according unto the Laws and Customs of the Land to sit in Parliament, only to represent the grievances of the Kingdom unto the King, and the upper House, and to advise with them concerning the same: but they cannot give them any greater power, because nil dat quod non habet is true in this case. After follows upon these another most Atheistical Tenet, that they did judge the King was but at the most a public Officer of the Kingdom, and accountable to the House (the representative of the people, from whence all just Authority is, or aught 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 principal errors. 1. That they thought the King at the most was but the chief public Officer of the Kingdom. 2 That the King is accountable unto the lower House for the discharge of his Office. 3. That all just Authority is or aught to be derived from the Representative of the people. First, that the King at the most is but the public Officer of this Kingdom; herein is a great deal of serpentine and Jesuitical policy, full of destructive poison unto all Monarchy; which they bring in most cunningly and covertly, by confounding of terms, and judging the King to be most chief, wherein they affirm his Supremacy, but this they presently take away again, by adding public Officer of the Kingdom, 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 error is, that the King is accountable unto the lower House, for the discharge of his Office, contrary 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 Crown 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 aught to be derived from the Representative of the People: Herein they discover their own weakness, concluding though something misteriously their old fears and jealousies. Where it is as good as confessed, that all just Authority, is not in the Representative of the People, but aught 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 Kingdom, 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: only this; all just Authority is decided, and determined by the Law of the Land, which gives it unto the King, principally and originally; This is the principal 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 add a discovery of their mistakes, that had they not been confident that these errors had been truths, they had been desperately mad to have taken up Arms against the King: etc. because the Laws of the Land make it expressly a crime no less than Treason, etc. Wherefore now their surest and safest way, seeing they begin to be something less hoodwinked, is not to persist in, but to recant and abandon their Errors, for we are sure we have a merciful God; and we have found a merciful King. The second argument, which they say induced them to maintain a war against the King, was the consideration of the manifold oppressions brought upon the Nation, by the King, his Lords, and Bishops etc. This argument breathes out a most audacious, and uncivil accusation of both King, Church and Commonwealth at once; let it be granted that all herein said were true; is it not a most inhuman and unchristian dealing, when we have an overture of peace, and reunion, to rifle old sores, which will sooner get a Gangrene then cure the wound, but may it be granted which is there said, those manifold oppressions, (lying now raked in & covered with numberless cruelties and outrages, of bloody Armies, merciless Sequestrators, unconscionable Excize men, most tyrannical and arbitrary Committee men, with infinite Locusts more) are of two sorts; either by the King or his Officers, those by the King were few, the chiefest of all being Shipmoney and Monopolies, whereunto his Majesty was driven by the unnatural dealing of his Subjects, who of late years were grown so factious and rebellious, that Parliaments did not proceed legally, as in former times, but would ever be putting him upon unreasonable terms, before Subsidies would be granted, which compelled him to find out and make use of an extraordinary course for his supply, all which he willingly and freely took away this Parliament; which were more than sufficient unto any man, but wise and moderate, The faults imputed upon his Subjects are of two sorts, either of Ecclesiastical, or civil persons; those of Ecclesiastical persons are partially by heaps thrown upon the Bishops; whom in all things I dare not vindicate, yet Christian charity, and experience causeth me to say thus much of them, that there was too fatal a division in the Clergy of our Kingdom, which rise from several geniusses and dispositions which were two prevalent in this Nation, which may be reduced unto these heads: the Court Faction, the Popular Faction, and a religious party: the Court Faction, that laboured more after wealth, riches, honour, preferment, and the like, laying aside a wholesome care for Christ's flock. The Popular Faction; that stood in opposition thereunto, and did fall so low, that they laboured after nothing so much as to please the people, and thereby forgot to please God, which antipathy betwixt these parties falling out in an age, wherein many lovers of truth with as much industry as ever, and with more moderation then formerly, looking into the reformation, found the same through the heat of opposition, to have left out somethings advantageous to God's Church; in prosecution whereof some unusual tenets and Ceremonies of indifferencies were received into the Church, which being conscientiously maintained by the BB are now attributed unto them for oppression; The manifold oppressions brought upon this Nation, by the Lords Civil as well as spiritual, were all remedied by this present Parliament, if the Kingdom's trusties, had showed themselves right Patriots, in contenting themselves with the good of the people when it was well, these therefore were nothing but misapprehensions of danger, where none was, which had they been real and upon good grounds, could not have taken of that infamy, of treason and rebellion in any one maintaining war against their Sovereign: which (whereof they are sensible) is concluded by the Law of the Land. Upon this ground they cast a most cruel and inhuman slander upon his gracious Majesty, and his government; suggesting unto the world, that his Majesty had a purpose by force of Arms to continue oppression, whereas taking up of Arms for the defence of that Law and his sacred Person is maintenance not dissolution of Government. After this they bring in another addition unto their argument; which is this, that the safety of the People is above Law, which misconstrued maxim I will not here meddle with only, it cannot plead for their warring against the King. Because orderly and obedient Subjects were in no danger, though hereby they would seem to make up something thence, by a Jesuitical and nonsensical distinction, betwixt the Supreme Authority and the Supreme Magistrate, which are inseparable: what succeeds in this Argument is sufficiently answered in the former. The third Argument, which drive them into rebellion, is the illegal and rebellious practice of the Lower House, which needs no farther answer than this, vivitur lege non exemplo, we are to live by law and not example; except we will look a little further upon the unjust & illegal dealing of the Lower House, with his Majesty, and the Law of the Land, denying him to be judge of safety, and takeing away his Negative voice; excluding the King from having any share in the Supreme Authority, whereby they are transgressors of the Law of God, the Law of Nature, and the Common Law of the Kingdom; again they would seem to make Bishops, an essential part of Supreme Authority by tradition; whereas they are so by the fundamental Law of the Nation: all herein worth notice is, that they do show the illegal and unjust proceed of the lower House from their own principles, and practices. What succeeds in the first branch of their titular petition; is only a publication of their own mistakes, vain opinions and ungrounded hopes; which are sufficiently answered in what hath been said in answer unto their several arguments. Thus I have done with the first branch of their discourse, now to the second, which is what their Apprehensions are of a Treaty: wherein are heaps of dirt, and that so numerous, as it is very troublesome meddling, yet something shall be done therein: and thus we may discover their complaints, and their fears; their complaints 1. Of the lower House. 2. Of their own danger. In the former of these, they proclaim their exceeding grief, upon their observation of the Commons, their ingratitude towards God, who hath given them victory, thereby enabling them to put the whole Nation into an absolute condition of Freedom, and Safety; wherein they deceive themselves in their own principle, which is this, that God having given victory unto Rebels and Traitors, approves their actions, which way of arguing would set up Mahomet, and pull down Christ in the most part of the world, and would pull down the Reformed Churches, and set up Papistry in the greatest part of Christendom, witness Ireland; besides if they would consider this aright, they might remember the Psalmist tells us, that God sets the wicked in slippery places: but God give all men that are but moral, much more professors of the Gospel, grace to observe what cruelty these well-affected people breath out, and what bloody mindedness they belch abroad into the world, in accusing the Commons for an accustomed passing by the ruin 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 freedom and safety, but through the innocent blood, of their true and natural Sovereign, with his faithful Subjects; which wicked and cannibal intentions, God of his infinite mercy destroy, and prevent, that England may never more be guilty of such horrid crimes. Next they accuse their Gods the lower House, for betaking themselves to a Treaty with His Majesty. O hideous wretches! is there any other visible means left for peace and accommodation? Do you not see the Kingdom through their ruins brought unto an uproar, which will never be appeased but by the restitution of his Majesty, whereunto a Treaty 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 guilty 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 do, 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 Kingdom, 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 ruin of a glorious Kingdom, before the peace and union thereof. See these weak and false principles wherewith they seem to underprop this falling and tottering conceit against a Treaty, because the ruin of the Nation, and the blood that hath been spilt, hath been caused by the King, and his party; for so they speak almost totidem terminis: good people take up your senses again, and then judge whether the breakers or maintainers of established Laws, are the cause of the ruin of a Nation, and the bloodshed 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 complain against the lower House, for putting one that is but one single person, and a public Officer of the Commonwealth, 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 falsely account them the supreme Authority of the Kingdom, you are therein far from the truth; for His Majesty is the supreme Power of the Kingdom, whereunto every man ought to swear in the Oath of Supremacy, the words are these: I A B do testify, and from my conscience declare, that the King's Majesty is the only supreme Governor of this Kingdom, and all other his Majesty's Dominions and Territories, as well in all spiritual, or ecclesiastical matters and causes, as temporal, etc. Which Oath every man now sitting in the two Houses of Parliament hath taken, therefore their standing in competition with their Sovereign, whose Supremacy they have so solemnly sworn, and unto whom they have sworn Allegiance, proclaims them unto all the world guilty of traitorous and rebellious perjury, and these titular Petitioners do clearly bewray their corrupt, and unchristian minds, by speaking so irreverently, and unworthily of their rightful Sovereign, calling him a single man, and public Officer, etc. as a man of the least consideration in the Kingdom. What follows 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 remembered their rudiments of Grammar, they might have called unto mind the old example Jusipientis est dicere non putaram. I will leave the English unto their School-boys: still they run upon the old strain, they have opposed their King in defence of the lower House its Supreme Authority: is not this wilful obstinate ignorance; will not the same law of the Land, (which to use their own terms, makes it expressly a crime no less than treason for any to raise war against the King;) tell them where the supreme Power is: but this their rash undertaking, and their forwardness 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 indemnity for what they have done; (oh it works, this is a very 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 precedency 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 enjoy themselves and their livelihoods, they must recover their Laws, and though they will condemn these titular Petitioners, yet we have a merciful 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 authority 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 persuade the lower House to claim title unto that which is none of their own, neither will conscience be able to acquit and justify any for cruelty and unjustice, such as is that which they call Murder and Robbery; and their attributing of supreme Authority due or belonging unto the lower House, neither will this plea hold, that they have opposed none but manifest tyrants, Oppressors and their adherents. If they have opposed any other, than 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 their lawful King; which they confess is treason by the Law of the Land, except as should seem they do suppose in these cases mentioned, wherein they fall upon two dangerous errors. 1. That it is lawful to resist a Tyrant, and Oppressor: which is directly against the word, and Law of God, for there cannot be found greater Tyrants and miscreants upon the Earth, than were Tiberius, Claudius, Caligula, and Nero, all which lived in the times of Christ or his Apostles; yet did none of them give either precept or example, for resistance or opposition to any of them; therefore had his Majesty been a Tyrant it had not been lawful for them, or any of his Subjects, to have maintained war against him. 2. The second error is, that his Majesty hath been a Tyrant, which is a most shameless slander, for there cannot be a Tyrant, but either in his coming to govern; or in his manner of governing; he cannot be the former; for his greatest enemies never yet had the impudence to avouch it, neither can he be the latter because that is a governing contrary unto Law, whereof he is altogether guiltless, for he hath ever governed by Law. This whole part of this titular Petition, what their apprehensions of a personal Treaty are, contains nothing but complaints, though I call it their fears, because these complaints are full of those old fears and Jealousies; and therefore they are very much affrighted with a Treaty; holding it altogether unfit, because as they pretend, it hath been cried up Principally by such as have been always disaffected unto the lower House, wherein all the world may see their aptness to prejudice other men, for was it not first moved and cried for, by their brethren the Scots, who had entered into Covenant with them to execute cruelty, & are not the Presbyterians as active therein as any? And if the lower House were guiltless and innocent, have they need or sufficient cause to fear the issue of a personal Treaty? there being none to deal therein on that party, which they account opposite, but a wise, loving, gracious, and merciful King, assisted by wise, meek, learned, moderate men, who prefer the common good before their own. And the Treaties being accompanied with underhand-dealing, is more to be feared on the lower Houses part, who are raising force in every County in England, than the King's party, who are ruined unto nothing. And for an alteration in the King and his party, what may any rational man expect? seeing they at first took the Word of God, and the Law of the Land for their rule, and the good of Church and Commonwealth for their aim, which hath caused them with manly fortitude and Christian patience, by the assistance of God and a good conscience, honourably to suffer all injuries, yea even death itself. Their consideration of this, that the present force upon his Majesty will in time to come be pleaded against all that can or shall be agreed upon, is the effect of unjust deal, when men have so entangled themselves in mischief, that they know not how to wind out thence. It is true indeed, those great provocations the King hath (and that most basely and injuriously) received from the two Houses, might were he of an unregenerate temper, be somewhat: but all but cruelty which believes there is no mercy, may safely trust to his clemency, he is not of that fiery revengeful spirit, that most of his Predecessors have been of. These new wars, rise and revoltings, invasions and plottings, which have been since the last cry for a personal Treaty, have been acted in such an humble way of petitioning, that the two Houses might therein see the Kingdoms desire of accommodation, betwixt his Majesty and them, which cannot be effected without the said Treaty, the want whereof must most certainly increase repining, grudge, murmur, and complanings amongst the people, which ought rather to persuade unto a personal Treaty, and not to dissuade therefrom. And as for those victories which the Army hath obtained, they ought to be considered quo jure, by what right, and quo modo, in what manner they were managed, then quo effectu, by what effect this may give false judgement in such a case. This wonderful piece endeth this doleful part with a professed wonder and amazement, to consider the inevitable danger these titular Petitioners are in, though all things in the Propositions were agreed unto, because of the resolutions of the King and his party; wherein they display how conscious they are of the wrongs and injuries done unto them, whom they so much fear, accounting them as revengeful as themselves, and thereby labour most impiously to dissuade their great Lords and Masters from all confidence in His Majesty: but I pray God it may be, that we may have no more irregular licentious tyrannical and usurping two Houses; but I wish and hope we may have many glorious, and free well-regulated Parliaments. The third and last branch of this their titular Petition is, what they expected from the House, and do still earnestly desire, in the delivering whereof they pretend a great deal of seeming reluctancy, as if they were enforced thereunto, which desires being granted, they are confident would have given satisfaction unto all serious people of all parties, which is but their fond conceit, they not being able to give satisfaction, unto any wise man who will be subject unto the reins of Government, and love the Common-good above his private interests, as is clear in their immediately succeeding desires, which they have reduced unto 27. headless and senseless heads, upon each whereof to speak in particular, requireth more time than such stuff is worth, wherein the Levellers cross their own Principles: having much laboured to settle supreme Authority in the lower House, now they take it unto themselves by their making of Laws and unalterable Decrees, which in the end would bring the lower House to give an account of their actions unto these our new Lawgivers, as well as his Majesty and Nobility unto the House of Commons. But to the business: In the four first of their desires, they labour to bring all Law, Order and Government into such a confused Chaos, that both Church, and Commonwealth thereupon must needs fall into its own ruin, by taking away all Negative voices in the King and Lords, which would prove a gap to let in all mischief, an earnest whereof we have had by too dear experience, their directions therein likewise practised, would bring in all licentious and arbitrary liberty both in Church and Commonwealth, which is not only contrary unto the revealed will of God, but would prove destructive unto all men therein. In the four next are they absolute Levellers, labouring to make Kings, Queens, Princes, Dukes, Earls, and Lords, with themselves fellows at football, and equal unto the poorest Peasant, a desire against all Law, and precedent of all Countries and Ages. In the four next which are the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth of their desires, they run on in the same strain, only they desire well, in the eleventh and twelfth, which is that all Excise may be abolished, and that all enclosures of Fens, and other Commons should be laid open, or enclosed only and chief, to the benefit of the poor, whose Patrimony they are. In the four next, they much discover their ignorance, and weakness in desiring those things for which the Law hath, either altogether, or for the most part provided a remedy, if they were put in execution: but in the sixteenth of their desires they belch out their impiety, against both God and man, in robbing the Church of her right, and portion, by moving a repeal of both the Law of God, the Law of Nature, and the Land, for the payment of Tithes. In the four next of their desires, which are the seventeenth eighteenth nineteenth and twentieth, they desire that from the lower House, which is far above both their authority power and ability: therefore we will let them pass. In their 21. 22. 23. and 24 desires they would persuade the lower House unto all cruelty, and injustice, against Religion, reason and Humanity; except in the 22. wherein they desire the abolishing of all Committees, which is not only justice, but necessary for the good of the whole Kingdom. In the three last, they go on in their natural strain of self seeking, hoping to beget their own security, by most bloody and barbarous cruelty executed upon others, whose inhuman desires may be answered by any who have but the least tincture of reason and honesty, wherefore I forbear them, any one but rightly understanding, what hath been hitherto said in this kind, being sufficiently able to give answer thereunto. After this they relate the old and many hopes, and come nearest unto a Petition, yet fall short in making it but an earnest desire, that the lower House would set themselves speedily to effect the ruin of themselves, and the whole Nation, by a new found way of levelling, colouring the same with some vain idle and Trivial pretences and promises, presumptuously concluding a few giddy brained Levellers, to be the People of the Land, and the main strength thereof. Thus they end, taking God's name in vain, by praying that he may be their guide in most cruel, bloody, destructive, and unwarrantable ways. Thus I have done, only I wish that all true Christians may hearty and earnestly pray unto God, to turn and amend their hearts, so as they may truly and seasonably see the sinfulness of their ways, and the vanity and destruction which attends such ungodly endeavours, so as now at last they may betake themselves unto such good and sound principles, as may bring peace unto our almost destroyed Kingdom, and stand in the day of trial, when the secrets of all hearts shall be made known; and that he may grant this, and all other things which are or shall be necessary, for the happiness and salvation of them and us, and all the elect, in the name and for the merits of Christ Jesus, to whom be all Honour, Glory, Power, Praise, Might, Majesty, and Dominion, from hence forward, and for evermore. Amen. Septemb. 19 1648. FINIS.