JOHN WHITE'S DEFENCE. In the behalf of himself, his honoured Commander, the Lieutenant of the Tower and the other his Fellow Warders.  
Against a lying and slanderous Pamphlet written by john Lilburne, and entitled Liberty vindicated against Slavery.  
The Author of which Pamphlet, is here reprehended for his slandering, taxed for his Libelling, and incited the spirit of disaffection abandoned.)  
To submit himself to his Rulers, As he is Commanded.  
To live in unity with his fellow Commanders, As he ought.  
There be six things doth the Lord hate, yea, seven is an abomination unto him.  
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed Innocent blood.  
A heart that deviseth wicked abominations. Feet that be swift in running to do mischief.  
A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord amongst brethren  Proverbs. 
LONDON, Printed by E. G. for JOHN HARDESTY at the Sign of the Black spread-Eagle in Ducklane, 1646.   

To the Intelligent Reader.  
AS we are not bound to reveal all truths, so are we tied to vindicate the truth being evil spoken of. Lieutenant Colonel Lilburne, a man whose folly the world talketh of, whose presumption all men admire, and whose wreathed Estate, as being a man given up to himself, all men ought to deplore, having Taxed, Defamed, and Despised even the Governors and Rulers of this Nation, may cause those that are inferiors the lesse to set by, and slight his Calumnies.  
But forasmuch as those Powers have already begun, and at their pleasure, may proceed to punish his sauciness, which privilege, I and others of the Commons want: is therefore remains that we may assume that liberty, as by writing and speaking to vindicate ourselves.  
First, therefore forasmuch as in a Pamphlet lately Printed, he particularly enveigheth against me falsely, taxing me of that whereof I am not the least guilty, I thought good gentle Reader, in the behalf of myself, my Lieutenant and other my Fellow wardens of the Tower unworthily by him calumniated, to publish this my Answer, which the Highest knows to be truth, and nothing but the truth, which follows.  
First, he cryeth out and bitterly exclaimeth of the great Fees, which the Lieutenant of the Tower, and the Gentleman Porter extort; let therefore all men Judge, what reason he hath to say so, when as they never received any of him, nor ever demanded any, and here let me discharge my conscience freely; I protest not out of favour or affection, but out of the entire love I bear to the worth of the party, 
Who adventured his life for the Parliament at the ●eleife of Gloucester.  I conceive there was never a more pious upright and well-affected man Lieutenant of the Tower, than he that executeth that office at the present, one for whom we have cause to bless God, and acknowledge our thankfulness to the Parliament and City for their care for their choosing of so accomplished a man as he is, to execute that Office of so high a concernment; the Gentleman Porter also an upright man, for aught ever I could perceive, who have been an eye witness of his Actions; but Lilburnes carriage and calumnies are such, that some of his best friends begin to desert him, some of them have said to me, that they were sorry to see his unworthy carriage and behaviour; how basely hath this man Lilburne abused and vilified the ever to be honoured Earl of Manchester, who hath ventured his life, and slighted his Estate, to advance the public good? and indeed who is there truly virtuous, that hath not tasted of his slanders? but whosoever shapeth not himself to his cut, and walketh not in the same path of error that he doth; by him is accursed; and not only he, but also all his complices with their new lights placed in dark Lanterns, misguide themselves, and deceive others, and refuse all fellowship save with their Brethren in— but now to the matter intended.  
The Pamphleter saith,  
One White a Warder of the Tower, 
1 Complaint.  who came to the Lieutenant Colonel in Newgate, and gave him their evil and provoking Language, doth with contumelious, and reproachful words, and gestures, frequently affront and abuse, etc.  
Here observe he taxeth me once to have visited him in Newgate, and there to have given him evil and provoking Language; what my words were he reciteth not, but I shall; with the reason why I went to visit him having formerly some acquaintance with him, when he was an Apprentice, with a Cloth-Drawer; I then being a Clothier in Reading had occasion to have much Cloth pass through his Master's hands, and some time after hearing of his being Prisoner in Newgate, I went to see him there, and being admitted into his chamber, I found him writing of a Letter, one standing by him to receive it; when he had finished, he asked me, if I had any thing to him; I told him, I came out of my love to see him, and desired him for the glory of God, 
Fools despise Counsel saith Solomon.  to carry himself humbly, and as one possessing the spirit, as only professing the Gospel, for if he had a good cause he would spoil it in the handling; here he abruptly asked me, if this were all I came for, and rudely pulling me by the Coat said, if I had not been an old man, he would have thrown me down Stayrs; his rough speeches and sturdy gestures gave me cause to fear he would do as he had said; being down the Stayrs I told him, I had heard much of him, now had seen, and if wariness prevented not, spiritual pride would be his overthrow: which he hearing was coming down the Stairs after me, but I fled away and escaped his hands, and this was all the evil and provoking Language which I then gave him. I appeal to all the Prisoners in the Tower, how I have carried myself to him; I wish Master Lilburne no more ill than mine own soul, I hate not the man, but his manners; and therefore let all the world judge, what cause this man hath to exclaim of my ill usage of Him.  

The second Complaint.  His next complaint is, that I have oft affronted him in the Tower, and given him reproachful words. I know none that ever I gave him except once, when upon his commitment to the Tower, he came to the Lieutenant's house, 
A soft answer turneth away wrath, but fools are implacable.  I came and bowing to him with my Hat in my hand * said Master Lilburne, I am sorry to see you come hither in this manner, I pray God help you and give you grace to demean yourself in all things as becometh his Child; upon which in a rough manner, he bade me go further from him, he needed not my Prayers or company, at which many of his friends that stood by said they were sorry for his averseness, since which time, I have not had the least conference with him.  

The third Complaint:  He thirdly, complaineth that on my waiting Day, I keep back those that would come unto him, and do affront them to this I answer.  
When I did visit, I never kept back any that would come unto him, provided they would give me their names, 
Answer.  and the place of their dwelling; now there have come many that denied to discover their names, and where they dwelled, but used threaten, and contumelious speeches, saying that we should Answer the prohibition of them from going to visit Colonel Lilburne, and that the time was at hand, when they would come in whether our Lieutenant would or no; now those that would discover their names, and abode, had free entrance at all times; divers we have proved, who under pretence of going to the Mint, have gone to the chamber of that coiner of Lies Lilburne; as for Instance, there came one in a Coach, I ask him whether he would go, he said, to my fellow Frankling; I asked him, if he went to no place else, he said no; I mistrusting his falsehood, sent one of my fellows after him, who found him enquiring for lilburn's Chamber; my fellow approaching to him, told him he did not ask for Lilburne, but for Frankling when he came in, and brought him back with him to me. I told him he did ill in celling an untruth, to ask for one place and go to another; yet notwithstanding if he would write down his name, and his dwelling, etc. herewith the Gentleman, grew greatly enraged, and fured as one had been mad, and threatened me and my fellows very severely, that he would make us dear Answer, etc. and to say truth, there repairs not to Lilburne, any one of note save two or three, but often men's wives, and waistcoat maids, and some straggling Soldiers; and those that come from him, report that he doth not want for money nor wine, now let all men judge, I doing nothing but what I am commanded to do, and what I must do at my peril, what cause this defamer hath to complain of me? which when I consider, as also his standering of others without all ground, I cannot but conclude he hath the Frenzy, and his wits the issue of a distempered brain, but as long as he persiseth in those 
* Ambition, Pride.  two Capital sins, the one the overthrow of the Mother of us all EVE, the other, the damning of that once glorious Angel Lucifer, I cannot conceive how he should shake of those bonds of obstinacy, and malevolencit, or break those yokes, of malice and revenge wherewith he is fettered, and pinioned. For mine own part, let Master lilburn's and his complices know, I lost more for adhering as I ought to the Parliamene then ever he was worth; my sons having been in the State's Service, ever since the beginning of these wars, under Lord 〈◊〉, and with him in all his Fights, and since his Resignation under the truly Noble Sir Thomas Fairefax, and with him in all 〈…〉, one being a Captain under him, in his own Regiment, who is now Governor of Wallingford, the other Enngne in the same Regiment; yet I do not blow a Trumpet nor proclaim what hath been done. His complices, what ever they put forty, O how often do they iterate, and set down in Letters Capital, the worthy sufferer for his Country, LIEUTENANT COLONEL LILBURNE, as if the Titles of the party could expiate his crimes, whereas it is rather an aggravation thereof and according to the Poet,  
Great is the crime it cannot choose,  
If he be great that doth it use.  

Satan's Policy.  But this I have observed in my time, that who ever hath undertaken to maintain, any error or heresy, * the devil hath still furnished his mind with arguments to wrestle with all opposers, nay, and so fare to prevail, that in outward esteem, sometimes the DEVIL'S SOPHISTRY hath triumphed o'er the CHRISTIAN VERITY for my part I esteem it my chief glory, my conscience bearing me witness, that I am to number myself with those solid Citizens, and with them who say in the Poet;  
We are no Partners with those Factious fellows,  
Who bring the fuel, or who blow the bellows  
Of civil discords, nor of 
* Time-Servers.  those that   
Their principles, when their designs miscarry,  
Nor of 
* That ty● their faith on others, and will believe as did their forefathers.  their Creed who will believe no more  
Than what they have believed heretofore.  
Or what their Grandsires did believe of old,  
Or what shall by their Priests to them be told;  
Nor are we of their mind who therefore do  
What 
* Obstinate and blinded Persons.  they have done, because they have done so;  
But we are men who good advisement had,  
Of what we do, though some yet think us mad;  
Men that have all our best endeavours vowed,  
To 
* True Christians.  lose no freedom, reason hath allowed  
Men who resolve to seek a perfect way,  
To walk it as uprightly as we may,  
To keep unchanged, God's and Nature's Laws:  
And change all other things, as there is cause.  
I would desire Master Lilburne to remember the Fate of BROVNE, an obstinate Heretic in the days of Queen Elizabeth, and the Father of that stubborn Sect, the Brownists. And as from Reverend Calvin, the maintainers of his righteous Tenets were called Calvinists, so from misled Browne, the confirmers of his wicked tenets were called Brownists; this Brown. the giddy multitude followed in heaps, to hear him preach the Doctrine of Sedition and Rebellion; this man, Master Lilburne zealously imitares, and once like him on Tower Hill, was surrounded with a company of mechanics, who at the Constable's approach he exhorts to stand on their defence, and to kill the Constable; and about to draw his sword, the Constable closed in with him and withheld him, and presently disarming him, his Audience being dispersed, brought him guarded to the Lieutenant of the Tower, who used him with all lenity, fare better than he deserved: He, by whose favour I know not, escaping without the payment of five pound due by the Law of our Land, and to be paid by him that shall dare to affront or hinder a Constable in the prosecution of his Office. But I now proceed to Answer his fourth Complaint, wherein he averreth, that great and extraordinary Rents are taken for Chambers, whereby I conceive he hoped to insinuate, and according to the proverb, to curry favour with some of the Gentlemen in the Tower; but they are so well acquainted with his Lies, that they know this is not the first.  

The fourth Complaint.  This meddler and busy body in other men's matters, without all ground, or the least reason on his part, complaineth, and falsely accuseth some of the warders to take of some fifty shillings, of other forty, of some thirty, etc. as notorious a Lie, as the Father of Lies could have belched; true it is, that some of the Warders have been so much a week the worse for some of their Prisoners; but there is no warder but is well content to take ten shillings a week for his Chamber, with all furniture belonging to it, neither is any man compelled to give any more than what he listeth but say we did take more, accounting also the great care and pains we take so watch and ward all the year long, day and night, for 14. pence a day, and of that we are behind on Arrears almost five years, some of us having nothing else in the world to live on, but the Honourable Committee have taken Order for our better payment for the future; I would entreat Master Lilburne not to add to the wickedness of his friend, Master B. who hath already sufficiently wronged the warders; and although it pleased his friend aforementioned to say, that there were not above two or three in all the company that could be trusted without scruple, yet it cannot be proved, that ever any one of them failed in his trust, or let escape any Prisoner during this dangerous time: And here let the Reader take notice, of the wavering, and unstable mind of my accuser; who in this Book highly advanceth (Magna Charta) and yet in another standerous lying Libel, entitled An ALARM to the house of LORDS, he termeth it a beggarly Law; and saith also that the Laws were made by Kings, to keep men in slavery— and yet the Lord Strafford, and the Archhishop of Canterbury lost their heads, for going about to alter them,— and in a Book of his entitled, The Freeman's Freedom vindicated, page 11. He raileth against all Power and Authority: whatsoever, and setteth up an absolute Anarchy. His words are these.  

A POSTSCRIPT, Containing a General Proposition.  
GOd the absolute Sovereign Lord and King of things in heaven, and earth; the original Fountain, and cause of all causes: who is circumscribed Governed, and limited by no rules; doth all merely, and only by his Sovereign, and unlimited good pleasure, who made the world, and all things therein for his own glory; and who by his own will and pleasure, gave man (his mere creature) the Sovereignty under himself, over all the rest of the Creatures, Gen. 1.26, 28, 29. and endued him with a rational understanding; and thereby created him after his own Image, Gen. 1.26, 27. and 9.6. the first of which was Adam a male man, made out of the dust or clay; out of whose side was taken a Rib; which by the Sovereign, and absolute mighty creating power of God, was made a Female or Woman, called EVE, which two are the earthly original Fountain as begetters & bringers forth of all and every particular, and individual man and woman, that ever breathed in the world since; who are and were by nature a like, and equal in Power, Dignity, Majesty, etc. none of them having by nature, any Authority, Dominion, or majesterial Power one over or above another; neither have they, or can they execute any, but merely by institution, or donation, that is to say, by mutual agreement or consent given, derived, or assumed, by mutual consent, and agreement, for the good, benefit, and comfort each of other; and not for the mischief, hurt, or damage of any, it being unnatural, Irationall, sinful, wicked, and unjust, for any man or men whatsoever, to part with so much of their Power, as shall unable any of their ☞ Parliament men, trusties, Deputies, Viceroys, Ministers, Officers, or Servants, to destroy, and undo them therewith and also, unnatural, unjust, sinful, and devilish is it for any man whatsoever, spiritual, temporal, Clergy man, or lay man, to appropriate, and assume unto himself power, Authority, and Jurisdiction, to Rule, Govern, or Reign over, any sort of men in the world, without their free consent; and whosoever doth it, whether Clergy men, or any other whatsoever, do thereby as much as in them lies, endeavour to appropriate and assume unto themselves, the Office and Sovereignty of God, who alone doth, & is to rule by his will and pleasure; and to be like their Creator, which was the sin of the devils, who not being content, with their first Station, but would be like God, for which sin they were thrown down into hell, reserved in everlasting chains unto the judgement of the great day, Lude v. 6. and Adam's sin it was, which brought the curse upon him, and all his Posterity, that he was not content in the Station, and condition, which God had created him, but did aspire to a better, and more excellent, namely to be like the Creator; which proved his ruin; yea, and indeed, had been the everlasting ruin, and destruction of all his, etc.  
Let the wise and understanding Reader, judge the Author's intention, in framing the Proscript afore recited, whether or no his inclination serveth not, were the reins in his hand, to dissolve the whole Frame of Government, to set up confusion, and give licence to every evil work, to be acted without control; and yet such was his boldness, that a the tail of his Proscript he addeth his name, as glorying in his Lines.  
Thus per me, JOHN LILBURNE.   
Oh Master Lilburne, if e'er these lines come to your view, peruse them with patience, and consider what a rash and unadvised course you have taken; having been another ACHAN, a troubler of Israel; I remember what I once learned at School, nunquam sera est, ad benos mores via, now at length recollect your self, set forth your recantation for the past, and your resolution for the future; which will for the glory of God, and the comfort of his Church.  
But if this shall be hid from your eyes, and the spirit of delusion have ta'en so sure possession on you; all I can do, is to deplore your miserable condition, and to pray God to open the eyes of your mind, that you may see, in what a Labyrinth of evils you are involved; as also this I'll wherein we live by your means, and those bearing as evil a mind as yourself: was ever a Nation so miserably divided, and according, as one of our Modern Poets said truly, in a Poem of his lately Printed.  

Some for the Parliament partake,  
Some for the King a party make,  
As he is King, and some that he  
A Tyrant might become to be.  
Some would a 
* Where the people ruled.  popular Estate;  
Some 
* Arbitrary Government.  Aristocracy Create;  
Some are a Faction for the Pope,  
Some to maintain the Prelates hope;  
Some for the Presbiterians Vote,  
Some Independency promote;  
Some strive for this, and some for that;  
Some neither know, nor care for what,  
So wars go on, and get they may  
Free Quarter, Plunder, and their Pay;  
Some fight their liberties to save,  
Some that they others might enslave;  
Some for Religion, and for Christ,  
Some that they might do what they list;  
Some for the Commonwealth avail,  
Some for themselves, with Tooth and Nail;  
And they that have the basest end,  
As fairly as the best pretend.   

" This is our Posture, and whilst we,  
" So foolish false, and factious be;  
" Or while affairs continue thus,  
" Who knows what will become of us?   
I have read in the Chronicles of a Speech of King HENRY the Eight, to the French Ambassador, now being in hand with that glorious work of abolishing the Pope's power▪ If your Master (said he) will be ruled by me, we will not leave Mass in all our Kingdoms. O that God would put it into the hearts of our Rulers and Governors, not to leave one Heresy in the Kingdom unabollished; the smallest capacities may conceive, and the blindest eye may discern, that if they be not taken away, it will cause God to take away his Gospel from us, and prove the inevitable ruin, and destruction of this Nation, which hath till of late years been renowned through the earth, for peace and plenty; and peculiarly blessed, in having the Gospel sincerely preached, void of Faction and Schism. But I hope the honourable Houses of Parliament will ere long, aided by him, who hath hitherto aided them in a wonderful manner, wipe away and leave no blemish of this great spot, and manifest stain to our Nation; in the mean time it were to be wished, that the Framers, Printers, and Divulgers, of Slanders, Heresies, and lies, were by some strict course prohibited from their frequent and customary use of spreading abroad books and Pamphlets, the contents whereof tend to the dishonour of God, the breach of peace, and the infecting and seducement of the people, apt enough of themselves in this wavering age, to fall into errors without a prompter. I know this will be taken in evil part by some, but let them know, what a great man of this Realm once said to one, that desired him to be a means of calling in a book, sharply but truly rebuking the deeds of some notorious offenders, that it was fit THAT THOSE THAT DID WHAT THEY SHOULD NOT, SHOULD HEAR WHAT THE WOULD NOT.  
Was there ever a precedent since the world's foundation as this, that God, and his Christ, and his holy word, should be so blasphemed and evil spoken of; the King, the Commons, and all sorts of men so abused, and railed on: as now they are by Paul Best, and John Lilburne! the one denying the distinction of the Trinity; the other averring, there ought to be no subjection to any. And here I cannot but wonder at the wilful blindness of those men, who will not be convinced of their error, and in particularly Mr Lilburne, who against the clear light of nature, obstinately affirmeth his imprisonment is unjust and illegal, and seemeth to wonder at his usage, as in his book, entitled, THE FREEMAN'S FREEDOM VINDICATED, p. 7. where relating the manner of his own apprehending, and being brought before the Lords he hath this passage, My usage to me seems strange, for doing my duty in a just way, etc.  
Why should it seem strange to any man (if putting his finger in the fire, it be burnt?) or why should it be a wonder to Master Lilburne, if that for his false accusations, and rebellious proceed, he be called to an account, and suffer for unjust, and unholy actions; All Histories, both Moral and Divine, relate that divers, for less crimes than his, have undergone the rigour of the Law, 
In 88 Penree took the same way to stir up sedition, as you do now.  and suffered death: as Penree in days of Queen ELIZABETH; and to my knowledge, it is the fear of his best Friends, that his end will be violent, who persisteth without remorse from ill to ill, and placeth his Felicity in casting calumnies and aspersions on the innocent: as on myself, who never wronged him in my life, any way, either by word or deed.  
Did Mr Lilburne consider what a capital crime it is before God▪ to censure the innocent, he would be more wary what he penned or published; and it will be surely a blemish to the many pious actions of those who might, but were remiss to prohibit it. It therefore behooveth every man the least virtuous, to pray unto the Lord God, that he will put into the hearts of the ever honoured Lords and Commons to remedy this evil.   

POSTSCRIPT.  
THus not out of any malice, or former grudge, I take God to witness, have I wrote this small Tract, but only to vindicate myself, so grossly and manifestly abused by Mr Lilburne. And here perhaps some man may say (and that truly) that I needed not to have troubled myself, to have put forth an answer, all men knowing his lying humour, and his frequent slanders are such, that all wisemen count the party so much the more virtuous, by how much the more he is calumniated by him; but let him be pleased to consider, that although his cause would have been so, and no otherwise looked upon by the truly judicious, yet the vulgar are apt, on the least instigation, to apprehend the least accusation tending to the defaming of any in Office, not looking on the cause of his accusation, nor the wickedness of the party, 
Who hath adventured his life for the Parliament at Marston more, and was to be pulled out of the House when the King came for the five members.  his accuser. As for instance, how hath his lies taken impression, and eat as a Canker into the honour of the right Noble the Earl of Manchester, Col. King. etc. Therefore if those potent and honourable persons, could not shake him off without some damage, what could I have looked for, if I had sat still, and not answered his false accusation.  
And here I cannot but take notice of one passage, which Master Lilburne hath in a Letter annexed to his Treatise, as if penned by some other man, entitled, An excellent Letter, written by a prisoner to a worthy member of the House of Commons, his words are these: O where is Justice? may not those Royal plunderers as well justify all the House of Peers, these imprisonments and commitments. Let the Reader reading this, admire at the unheard of impudence of this man, who sticketh not to compare the Acts of the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament to be as illegal, and unjust, sinful and execrable, as the worst of the Royal party. Mark how this man maketh the Word of God his rule, who commandeth not to speak evil of Dignities, muchless to affront and vilify them falsely, and on no ground save malice; and when they are taxed, or suffer the least for their exorbitancies, cry out, Magna Charta is broken, and unheard of cruelties are used, the subject is enslaved, and brought into Egyptian bondage. And yet these men, and in particular Mr Lilburne would make the world believe, that this is the way that he Word of God alloweth, which if it be, as every good man will acknowledge: how comes it to pass that he and his complices transgress therefrom, 
He lieth at home every Sabbath if never so good a man do preach.  venting their own corrupt doctrine in Houses, and obscure places, contrary to the example of our Saviour, who delivered nothing in secret, save those things which he had himself ordained the Jews for their wickedness should not participate of, and that so the Scriptures might be fulfilled; but else how often is it said, And he sat down in the midst of the people and taught them? not in houses and corners. For my own part, in tempory affairs, and as concerning the execution of my duty, wherein I am entrusted; I dare any man Religious, to utter the worst he can of me; and for Mr Lilburne, he in standering me hath not detracted from my reputation, but sinned against himself.  
FINIS.