They must needs go, that the Devil drives: OR, A WHIP FOR TRAITORS: Comprising, The Charge, and Articles of Impeachment, against all those Commissioners, Treasurers, Exoize-men, Clerks, Overseers, and Surveyors, who have collected great Sums of Money, cheated the Commonwealth of many Thousands, oppressed the poor, favoured the Rich; and heaped up Chests of Gold and Silver for themselves.  
Also, a Declaration to the People, for the taking off all Taxes and Assessments; and gallant Propositions for the increase of Trading, relieving the poor, and ●eting the Bondmen free (throughout City and Country) from rich and cunning Assessors, and crafty Catchpoles and Collectors.  
Sent in a Letter to the Parliament of England; and published 〈…〉 special Authority.  
LONDON, Printed for G. Hor●on, 1652.   

They must needs go, whom the Devil drives: OR, Articles of Impeachment against many hundred of those Committee-men, Treasurers, and others, who have cheated the Commonwealth of many Thousands of pounds.  

Sent in a Letter to the Parliament of England.  
Ye choice men of England,  
I Cannot but honour, whom the Lord hath been pleased to honour. I am commanded to love you: give me then leave to be jealous of you. Love lieth not in flattery; for the Law saith, Thou shalt not hate thy brother, but freely tell him of his faults. Ye are many, and there was one Judas amongst the Apostles. I know him not; but he that beareth the bag will certainly betray you. He that persuadeth you to sell that precious ointment, which cost so much blood, whose Odour might perfume all the Nation with the sweet savour of charity, doth he do it that he loveth you, or because he hath the bag? Such you have declared have been amongst you. If any yet remain, give him this fop, and discover him. Note the man that dippeth with you in the Dish, whose lips are still ready for the guilty sop of new Assessments, or saueed with Bird-lime G●lly of Delay, kisse●h you with the seeming tenderness of Bullbeggar ca●●i●●, and blindeth your ways w●th a prudential Forehead of politic diversion. ●●o●fess you are all above me, and see over 〈◊〉; but I am under you, and see under you: yea, I see you are supplanted and blown up, if you prevent it not. Taxes will eat up the grass under your feet: How came th● Son of Sol●mon to lose his Kingdom? None more fo●d of a King than the English; yet they departed from him to ease their purses, and their consciences. If they forsook their King (I speak it to some of your House in the beginning of this Session) will they not forsake their fellow subjects for the same causes? Few honest men will engage to be Taxers, and knaves will tax none (willingly) but your friends: nor will Collectors gather from others, unless compelled: nor Clerks discharge any but your bribing Enemies. So you still spur the free horse, and necessitate your friends against you. Will your Enemies than be for you? I writ this feelingly, as not only cloyed with Taxes, but overcome with the infinite abuses in them. Now when no more Taxes are to be had, must not the soldier fall upon his masters? Be pleased to remember the first occasions for money. It is high time you should find a remedy; and this it is, Keep whole the public stock; provide for the poor, & they will provide for you: destroy the poor, and they will destroy you: And if you provide not for the poor, they will provide for themselves.  
Though you would pardon all, and take the debts upon you, proclaiming (with the Apostles) Let him that stole, steal no more. Set but 200000 poor at work, and if they clear but 20 l. a head, (as that's the least the meanest Hine can do that pays his Rent) The year will bring about 4000000●. to the public Treasury, beside all other profits herein mentioned.  
Hasten this work of God, and establish the Honour of your memories in the hearts of all men. They are not weary of you, but of your Taxes and Delays. And with this joyful Work proclaim a Jubilee of Conscience, but let it not usher in a babel of sin.  
How much blood and expenses had been saved, had honest men distinguished between Liberty of Sin, and Liberty of Conscience, between punishment of sin, and punishment of Conscience? Tie up sin, leave Conscience free. Let no man here presume above his senses, God only judgeth the heart. He that breaketh the Law, is judged by the Law, and there the senses are sufficient. He that despiseth the Gospel is judged by the Gospel; but that's discerned by the spirit: God loves not linsey-wolsey. He appoints no Gospel censures for legal Transgressions, nor legal censures for Gospel sins: The Magistrate for the Law, the Church for the Gospel.  
Herein if we are guided by the supreme Authority and Power of all the World: and the fundamental Laws of Nature written to Moses by God, we may all agree concerning the Authority, Power, and Laws of England, unless we must ever continue pensive toto divis●, ab orbe, out of the World. Verbum sapien●i. I am not tedious, unless displeasing; And can there be displeasure in love? the Christian love of him that is,  
Your Honours In all humble Christian Duty, P. Chambers.   

A Declaration to the People.  
WHereas the enemies of the republic in Parliament, and elsewhere, seeing the cure mistaken, pressed forward the mistake (to bleed instead of purging) and were ever hastening the Parliament to new necessities, to invent new Engagements and so new Loans; wherein, they confederated with the wary Money-masters, and they with their subtle Crafts-masters, till they were incorporated with their own common guilt. And they that were but half wicked at first, were insensibly drawn on, to share with each other in all adventures, having the temptations of gold before them, and the Idoll-covetous●ness within them. They must needs go whom the Devil drives.  
These, having gotten the precious Jewel of Public Faith in pawn into their custody, by being trusted with the stock that should discharge it; Undervalue it at what rates they please, so as to be sometimes worth half, sometimes worth but a quarter, and even at that rate swallow up the Free-Loanes of the first lender's; who are forced to remember, that, half a loaf is better than no bread. Sometimes making it worth nothing at all: and therefore cry to their confederates in Parliament for new pawns; which rather than they shall be wanting, they themselves will occasion, by withholding the due from the Soldier, maintenance from the poor, setting of many inventions on work for the decay of Trade, causing divisions in the House, the City, and the whole Kingdom; raising up parties, countenancing incendiaries, withholding all succour from Ireland, provoking and inviting foreign Nations. Yea, withdrawing all comfort from Seamen, and evermore distasting what is last in design, or action. That thus they might fish in troubled waters, and yet keep fair with all parties.  
It were well therefore, if our present Patriots, who have born the heat of the day, and are but scarce yet arrived to the discovery of these invisible mysteries of iniquity, would in time keep off from these Rocks, lest when they are in the Gulf, they either suffer a wrack, or tide with the torrent without power of recovering the Rudder.  
Obj. But many of the Parliament and Army, who have deserved nobly of the Commonwealth, have received great sums, of which they can give no account.  
Answ. 1. God forbidden but the Members of Parl. and Army, who have deserved well, may have whatsoever they can demand, and whatsoever is fitting for a gratuity over and above. No Commonwealth was ever a base paymaster to their public Servants.  
2. Great sums were never so inconsiderable to any, as to be either received or parted from, without notice of account.  
3. This is certainly the desire also of all the honest Members of Pa●l. and Army, that by the clearing hereof (according to their Declarations) they might be justified in their deal both concerning themselves, and towards others whom they have accused for this very fault. For if they have their due (as none can grudge it to so great desert) it can be no contemptible sum. And than what needs a rich man be a Thief? Yet it is most certain, that some must be in fault, as hath been declared by the Army, or else the public could never have been so indebted as they are for the Army only. And for a few inconsiderable gratuities to others.  
All men expected ease by the Parl: and many in Parl: did as cordially intent it. But what? The Monkey put in the Cat's Claw, and the Trade which was formerly invaded, was now altogether prohibited, Taxes multiplied, and increased from the Finger to the Loins. Monies which then were robbed from the Mint, were now ravished from the private Coffers. And all the burdens, which by both parties in Parl. were packed up, and which the honest party did simply intent for their enemies, were cunningly cast out by the other parties Agents on themselves or their friends.  
Since that time, Parliaments have been vomited, purged and repurged. Armies have been form, modellized and refined. In all which variations (as the sick turn for ease) men rolled and relied on every change, till now the Fabric being wholly altered, the peevish consumed Nation can no longer endure with patience, to wait the benefit of Long-ro'b Counsels: Hold, here we tack about from this Atlantic Ocean to our narrow Seas, where the Mariners turn Pirates abroad, because they could not live honestly, nor comfortably at home, nor having as yet found the benign influence of amendment by change of Government. Let this new Government indulge them a new pardon, take off, or stint all Taxes, provide them pay, encourage their Merchants in Trade, and no doubt they will know on which side their bread is buttered.  
Quest. But how may this be done?  
Answ. It is the glory of the Parliament, to be able to pardon: which they may either sweeten with amnesty of the faults upon a speedy return, promise of amendment, & security of future fidelity; or make the contempt of it terrible, by postscript on, and giving up their lives to the next violence they meet with, and such further prohibition of all correspondencies with them, etc. as may be advised.  
Qu●ry. If all Delinquents Lands must be sold: How shall the money be disposed off? To grease the fat Sow: Must it always be Habenti dabitur, & non habent● a●cipietu●? Shall the Rich be paid, and the Poor Taxed? When shall ●●e Mountains be made low, and the Valleys exalted? The poor is a Creditor as well as the rich. If any precedency, Is there not more reason it should be to the Soldier, & poor Handicraftsman, who freely have adventured both life and fortunes, then to the Rich, who (through the poor man's hazard) have remained in safety and plenty. 2 The Rich may stay, the Poor cannot. 3 Many Poor are paid at the rate of one rich man. 4 The very occasion of increasing the poor, is the great increase of riches to the Rich, by their becoming so rich, as to be able to live, without employing of the poor as formerly.   
FINIS.