(i iIj * Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/lettertOOrush LETTER OR AN EPISTLE To all well-minded Men In England, JVales , and Ireland, IN SPECIAL To the Parliament and Armyj And more particularly To the Lord General and my Fcllow^Souldiers, in, or out of the h r m y. Together with a "Declaration of the Army , wherein the true original or intenti- onal Conftitution of the prcfent Authority , is clearly Demonftratcd. London, Printed in the Yeer. 16^.9. W wM}}Mf.mi=mM.mm.m To the Reader, Ear Reader, before thou readeft this Epiftle, let thy heart be free from prejudice ; and if you know eft the evil or good that d\\ 'els in thee, thou wi It difctrn much of Gods fighting again ft Anger ; (fovetoufnefs, and Honor in thh world , and in a fpecial rnaner among fi thoj'e that worjhip not the true God, yet prof effing high and mighty things ; laying open all or mo ft of the Hypocriftes, and de- ceit of thofe men now in % Po\X>er and Authority, or place ofTruft. And when I confider hoV? narrow a path the Parliament walketh in, I tremble y and know not V?hat they would Ao. Were it no t for their pre- tended great flejhly Army Vvhat could they do, or whether could they flie ? nor can they flie from theprefence of the Lord, who can in a moment turn the Land againft them, and bring them to open Judgment^ as it hath others* So farewel. J reft, yours in him, that is Right eons, Juft and Innocent • the Peoples true Friend and Servant, True Englishman. A A Letter oranEpiftle to all well-minded men in England, Wales, and Ireland, in fpecial to the Parliament and Army, and more particularly to the Lord General, and my Fellow-Souldiers, in, or out of the Army. 5 nothing is more Hear to us then our Liberties and Free- doms, To nothing can be more gt icYous then to hive cur mouthes flopped,, by the Tyranny of thofe who are our pretended TruftecsfTonietimes ficting at n'cfiminftcr) info- much , That we rnuft not fpeak of thofe juft Rights that arc our dee by the Law of God and Nations, without be- ing declared Traytois> imp'ifoned, and delt worfe withal then the common caemy 5 nor can we open our mouths for impartial Juftice, but immeiiarely we are {tiled Levellers, and contemners of Authority, and agaiKit all Government : buch is the prefent condition and prevalency of a fort of men well known, Ambitious to Rule a whofe pretence hath always been for good and Godlinefs 3 Freedom and Liberty j nay, how many glorious Declarations and Remonftrances have come from thesn ? how have they rent and broken the Parliament in pieces, &c- and made the Narion beleeve it was for no other end, but to dee the people of England from that Tyranny and Oprncflion they lay under , that le the Commons of England might have had a free and equal yeeriy Rep.eientative, and aaaccompt of all their Treafure ? But inftead of theft our undoubted Rights.,we are like 3 if God prevent not, to be more bound then before j nay, more Tyrannically delt with- al then ever, moreoppreffed then ever : But its no wonder ro m; } when 1 con- fidcr, how craftily the old Foxes have d^lt with us j anu how they have made us cheir talking horfes j and as I remember, maft of thefe prefent Rulers had little Power or Authority about two veers aud a half (ince, but many of them were in gvearfearof their lives, infomuch, That they fent for particular afiive men cf the Army, a-ad made their raoas to them, weeping and howling, faying, VV'eat fhalltve do to b: faved diite ? and bow (IjjU wc be able to overcome Chads and hkfa£l:cn -? Anfwer was made by Comet Joyce, and others , if you mil but make England a {ret Nation , ive tviU hazard all for your prcfirvation. Immedi- ately- greix ana large promifes were made by them to us, Vows and Protefta- cions f calling Heaven and fcarthto witnefs, They intended to make England* free State, and not in the leaft to feck for to fet up thcmielves ; if we would but nowftindby them. Thefe great and glorious promifes made fome of us aft night and day, ide and run many awearifom and chargable- journey , and never were at reft until we had removed Cbarht and that faction - y and no fooner had we done that, but Confutations were held, how we asighc be laid afide, but not A a whoil 4 V wholly d If- iugagcc!, leaft they mould not be able tocary on their defign j and after a licet? more experience, they found the former faction like to be too hard for them^ fent again to feme of the aftive fpii ited men intheArmy 3 making » great moan, weeping and confefling what a golden opportunity was let fl ip 3 more firmly ingaging themfc'vei then before , That if God would make way fcrth:m to r.'t on: mere 9 what good ark! glorious things would they do f^r a'.! the pro-, ha- wemLrr be ;m ih.\tolJu-. Tr.hr net themfelves, nor their kimoa. not did they inter* d Lordly Dorainati. thfir fellow Ci S d -lirin^, us ro no:t them f or Ny poc ilfcs, if c\ te&'ie any m re Lo-ds in E ':/.<■::] ; nor Would th y except o\ being Lords fflves, mewing how usucnrifibianlike this Pariftmeat hid dttattmed them. (elves towards God and good men, ancl mouthing over thjfepoor mean and ccfpiud mentku God had mide u(e of for their deliverance. unto the poor >tHlditvy 3 You are the nun that have bmo _ |,ji fronor ( I In* can my (c]f y Ciilmpre/) and ih u\i I nor in ike you amcnd>fl * wfand rimes worfe then the Parliament. A ftcrwa-d exhorting thcm»«v. I kve h.m again, ii he ecciv(s the Revenues, Rcntsot that Gov rn. mentibcfiJc's he hath latciyhad four or five hundred a yeer given'him, am, his Hv irs for cver 3 by this Parliament. Compare this wi;h the (hoot in; mm to death, who never difowncd the Parliament, nor General, but dented thofe things might be done which they had engaged for over and ever, by the c of Qehtral. and molt cf the Officers andSouldicu then in the Army. O hornblel who can do lefs th:nticmble at this hypecrific, cfpccially when we confide r (5) confider of Cromvocls words to us, fcying, God would defiroy this wicked Fertia- ment 3 fome for aclmgroic^edly^ and others far not f'fotcjimg again fi them : But mark and behold how he hath defiled that light belides many reformed Churches in the City of London 3 all this he makes fure of. Dear friends, and Fellow- Commoners, here is the glory of our Freedoms locked up in the Bofom of one man 3 here is Eafe indeed 3 a Goldoa Harvcft indeed 3 what not? Can wc defire more from this gencration/r expect lefs (for my part n«-.) and therefore I do row begin to ncqireice t and look fome other way. T know the Lord will not be mocked •, for as he hath 3 fo he will bring down the Scepter of Anti- c-hrift, and dalk tin peeces the Kingdoms of the -Larch, and binde Kings and Nobles in chains and fetters of Iron, f^vtng, Bring thofe mine enemies before me, that 1 may (hy them. O ha (ten, fcaften, ye men in power, that fear che Lord, and delight in rigrueoufnefs. Do it in lincerity, and hmplicky of hearr, then^nll you be otic or fear, then will your enemies be at peace with yor.j and God will delight to honor you : Redeem your time while iz is called to day, and fet things in order for a free and equal -Government, otherwife will ail good mens hearts and affedions be wholly taken from you, and their payers too. Have you not fcen what ruth deihoyed your forefathers, nay, men of your own.Houfeand Army 3 and do you think you mail cfc.ipe, except you 1 ave off your policy, and immediately do good to. all ? no ; no 5 God v»iii not be mocked. This ( thought my duty to lay before you, in order to fenvething of a more .plainer nature, that fo when God will, it ftiali appear, as my final Testimony againfl all unrighteoufnels, and unrighteous men 5 though never fo near and dear to me in the flcih. Ihe Declaration of bis Excellency the Lord GcneriK Fairfax, mdhis general Coun- cel of Officers , jhewing the Grounds of the Armie advance ttwar-ds-tbe City t / London. HEing full of fad Aoprehcnitons concerning the danger and evil of the 1 rcaty with the King.and of any Accommodation with Him,or Rcftiriuion .©f him thereupon, wc did by our late Rewonjtyti* e» upon the Rcaions and Grounds therein exprcfl^d, make our Application thereby, unto the prefent HoufeofCommon:, that the dangerous evil of that way might be avoyded,and the Peace otthe Kingdom tetied upon more righteous. island hopeful grounds., Vi\. a more equal difpenfing of Juftice and N.-ercy in relation to things dene or fullered in the late Wars, and the eftiblifning of the future Government of this Kingdom upon a fafc Succcffion and equal Conflitution of Parliaments, and that (for the ending of prefent, and avoydingof future differences) to be mined by an Agreement and Subfcription of the people thereunto. The A *7 \ (6) This courfc we took, out of our tender care and earneft defire, that all ways of I xcremity might be avoyded, and that thofe matters of higheft concernment, tothe pabliqaelntereft of ihisNationjmight be purfued, and provided for (if poflible) by thofe whole proper Work and Truft it was. And herein wc were willing to hope that the perfens fotrufted , or the Majority of them, might pofiibly hive been either driven into that deftru&ive way, by forcible Impul- fions, or lapfcd thereinto through fome Inconlideration , or Mifapprehenfions and conceived jealosies : And therefore we did carefully decline the infixing up*n any thing that might continue or renew any former Jealoufies or Animo- lities, and kept only to fuch things as were of nccelTny or advantage to the com- mon Caule,and of common and equal Concernment to thofe that have engaged in it .-Which things weprefled in the way of Reafonand Perfwsiion only,that might be duly and timely conlidercd. But to our grief we finde,in (lead of any Sattsfa&ioa or a fsafonable Anfwer thcieto, thty are wholly rejc&cd, without any confideration or^whatevct • Rcalon or juffice might in the things fet forth «r propounded therein 5 Forwhat kfscan be undciftood , when the things pro- pounded were mainly for the avoyeance of evils apjpcaring in the Treaty with the King ? And yet they put oft the confideration of them, till there ihould be 110 ptace left for any confideration at all : Firit > laying it alide till Munday laft, by which time the Treaty (as then fuppofed) would have been concluded j but that failing, and two days more being 3dded to the Trtaty,the confederation of our Remenjt, ante on the day appointed, and waved and laid alidc 5 the 'Treaty, the mean while, going on in the former way *nd termes, and Idee to be con. eluded the very next day. Now, though we are far from that preemption that the things fliould there- fore be anfwered or conlidered, becaufe propounded by us, five foi the Rcafon, JufticCjOr publique Concernment therein 5 yet ; having no Anfwer, or any thing thewed us to the contrary, we cannot but upon the grounds R cm onft rated ( and many more which might be added ) remain confident in our former .Apprchc- llons concerning them. And feeing the prevailing part of thofe to whom we did apply to have as it were, their eyes wilfully Ihut, and cars itopt, againft any thing of light or Reafon offered to thcm } we finde no place left for our for- iner charitable or hopeful App:ehenlions, concerning thai error in fuch evil wayes^but remaining fully allured of the danger & dcitiii&ivtnels thereof, as to all thoft publiquc ends for which they were intn. lied, and ulfo or the juft advan- tage and ntceliity which lye in the things we have propounded and inlift on, wc now lee nothing left , to which their engaging and pt lifting in fuch ways and rejection of thele better things propounded, can rarionally be attribut- ed to lefs then a treacherous or .corrupt neglect of, a*d Apolhcy from the publique Trull repofed in them J although we could wdii from our fculcs, we might yet finde the contiaiy. Neveahtlcf v . wc do not in th fe things jffumc a lfanding Power of judgement ( as of Ri he or Truft ) to -onclude others thcrcby^cknowiedging that to lye molt properly m thole wh m the people duly thoofeand truft to judge for them;! ut conlidcringthat fuch puwef, where it is, is committed but in Truft, and ihit neither this, or any o her people, did. ever give up their Natiual capacities of common Senfe or Reafon,as to the ends and fundamentals of that Ttuft, and that as to the breach of fuch Tiuft, ihcic is > (7) ..«* if bo higher formal power of man in being to Appeal unto for Judgement, in fuch cafe (as all others concerned in fuch breaches of Truft will ) fo as we can not bat exercife that Common Jadgmem which,in our Natural' Capacity is left to us : And though in fraaller failers of fuch Truft, which might be born, with: out hazard of Deduction to that Intereft, and thofe People, for which cfpeci- ally the Trwft is, or where rheTruftees were of an indifferent equal cor;ftiruti- ©n in reference to the whole, ot Where we had an orderly and open way left for a juft fucctiTion of another formal and proper Judicature to be appealed unto in due time \ we mould not oppofe or hold forth eur private Judgments to the leaft diftutbance of that orderly and peaceable ccurfe of Judgment fo eftablim ; yet in our prefent cafe we are fo fully convinced of the greatnefs and deftru&ive- nefs of thefe evils we have declared againft, and of the neceffity and eflentiality of thofe, better things we hare defired and propounded, and how inconfjftem it is with the publike Truft, and fundamental ends of it, ftill to pu fuetheone, and rejed the other; as that we dare with confidence appeal therein ro the com- mon Judgments of indifferent and uncorrupted men, and to the more ri^hie- ©us Judgment of God sbove all. ' And as the incompetency* of this Parliament, in its prefent con ft 'it ur ion to give an abfolure and conclusive Judgment for the whole, fefpccially to be the fole Judges of their ownc performance, or breach of Truft ) doth m?!-e the' jufter way for fuch an Appeal, Co indeed we fee no ether way left for rcmedy,m regard the prefent unlimirte-d continuance of this Parliament dcth exclude the orderly fwccefTUn of cny other more equal, formal indicaturc of men, to which we might hepe in due time otherwayes to appeal. Thus then we apprehend eur felves in the prefent cafe^both neceffitated to,and juftified in an appeal from this Parliament, in the prefent Conitirution as it ftands, unto the extraordinary Judgment *,f God ana tood peop'e i and yet in theprofecution of this Appeal, as we lhall drive it on but to the fpeedy obtain- ing of a more oiderly and equal Jucicatu:e of men, in a juft Reprcfentativc, ac- cording to our Rcmonftrance, ( wherein to acquicfee^ ) fti in the prefeat pro- curing of Juft ice wiih the peoples eafe and qtnec. and in the fettling of the Kingdom * upon a due, fafe and hopeful fucceflion of Parliaments, It is cur hearts dclire, and mall be cur indeavour, that fo much 3 bcth of the matter and foime of the prefent Parliamentary Authority may be prefer v. d. as can befafe, or will be ufeful to thefe ends,until a juft and full Ccnftirutlon thereof.both for matter and form( ft itable to the publike endsitfervts for jean be introduced. And therefore tuft, It mould be cur great rejoycing ( if God faw it good^J that the Majority of the prefent Houfe of Commons were become fenfible ef the evil and deftruSiveneis of their late way , and would rtfclvedly and vlgoroufly apply themfclvcs to thefpeedy execution cf Juftice,wi'h the righting and eating of the epprefled people, and to a juft and fafe fettlement of the Kingdom HpoH fuch- foundations as have been propounded by us } and otherSj for that purpofe and would for the fpecdier and furer prefecutron of thefe things exclude from Communication in their Councels all fuch corrupt and Apoftatizcd Member* as have appeared hitherto? but to obftrud and hinder fuch matter of Juftice, Safety, and publ ike Intereft 5 and to pervert their Councels a contrary way, and have therein fo (hamefully both falfified and forfeited their Truft. But however ( if God (hall not fee it good to vouchfafe that mercy to them and ' the v tneKiAgdom, ) wem*lfeco»cUy,deGEe, that foraany of tiiepaas Gp^H^ kept upright, and foil touch with a jult faafe of t'aoic thip&s 3 w And wtlhai I accordingly own them, adhere to them, and ke guid- ed by them in their taichfnl profecution of that iiuft, in order unto, andnntil the introducing of a more full and formal power in a juft Reprefentative to be f eedily endeavored. * Now >\t farther to takeaway all Jealoufas in relation to our, Pelves, wkkh might withhold or difecurage any honcft Members from this courfej as we hayg the witaefs of God in our hearts, that in thefe proceedings we do net feck, buc even refolve we will apt take advantages to our felves , either in point of Profit ot Power ' y and that if God did open to us a way, wherein with honeity and faitlrfulnclfe to the publique Intereft,and good people engaged for us, we might prefently be difcharged , foas we might not in our prefent Employments look on ? and be acedfory to, yea fupporters of the Parliament, in the prefent corrupt, oppreflive and deUru&ive proceedings, we Ihould with rejoycing , and wkhout more ado, embrace fuch a difchaajp»*ather then interpole in theic things to our own vail trouble and haiard 5 ft if we could but obtain a rational affurance for the effectual profecutton of thefe things, we mall give any proportionable ail'ur- ance on our parts , concerning our laying down of Arms, when, and as we (hould He required ; But for the prefent , as the cafe ftands, we apprehend our felves obliged in duty to God, this Kingdom ; and good men thereinto improve cur utmoft abilities in all honeft ways , for the avoiding of thefe great evils we haveRemonft:ated, and for the profecuiicnof the good things we have pro* pounded > and alfo that fuch perfons who were the Inviters of the late Invaiion from StWdna\ the Inftigaters and Incouageis of the late Infurre&ions within this Kingdom , and (thofe forcible ways failing) have ftill purfued the fame wicked Defignes by treacherous and corrupt Councels^ may be brought to pub- lique Juiiice, according to their fevcral demerits, For all thefe ends we are now drawing up with the Army to London, there to follow Providence as God fhalUkarourway. Bj the Appointment tfHis Excellency the Lord Fairfax, Lord Oew/alli Arid ha General CuuMcel §f ofoei t held at Windfor. Signed, John Rufltwortb, Seer. FINIS. id-