Maxims of Pious Policy, To the reader
To the Reader.
Courteous Reader,
THe Health of our Body Politick is preſerved by our Laws, (the ligaments of all civill Societies) when grounded upon the infallible Principells of Equity, the intention of Parliament, and Army, in their late tranſactions. I know many that feare the Lord, and conſcientious of their wayes, are much disſatisfied in their judgements about the proceedings of both, yet I fear ſelf-love, and ſelf-intereſt perturbates the minds, diſtempers the affections of too many, who demurre and ſcruple againſt apparent reaſon, unto publick prejudice. Had wee a ſenſe of the laſt years judgment in our puniſhment from Heaven by unſeaſonable weather, (the effects of which wee are like to feel many years) upon the Land, and cry of 1 Sam. 12. 17.the People for a King, we would now hold our peace at the preſence of the great God, and ſuffer our lips no longer to ſin, nor our mouths to ſpeake fooliſhly. It is our duty to ſtand upon our Watch-tower, to obſerve the motions of Divine Providence in the mutati…s it the … in this laſt age, wherein all promiſes and Prophecies ſhall be accompliſhed; the integrity of Noah conſiſted in his ſidelity, in his Generation when degenerate▪ and our ſincerity is diſcerned by a pious temporizing. I hate theſe ….who have laſcivientia ingenia wanton wits, and mercenary ſoules, who Mancipate their judgements to the opinions and Errors of others, becauſe great in perſon and power: As I would abhor to juſtifie the wicked, ſo would I fear to condemn the righteous; But the only queſtion will be who ſhall be the Iudges? For thoſe Perſons, thoſe acts evill in the opinion and ſenſe of one, are good and juſtifiable in the Reaſon and Rule of another, both Divines, and Lawyers. One ſaith there is the greateſt violation of Faith, the deepeſt wound given in Religion by Parliament and Army in their late Acts, as never the like was in any Age before Joh▪ 7▪ 61, 66. 67 verſes.us: Another ſaith Offences are Paſſive, as well as Active, and taken when not given, and the beſt men in their upright intentions, and honeſt executions are moſt obn…xious to humane cenſure, even to the cenſure of good men bya…ſed by particular Intereſt: That theſe Acts conduce to the moſt hopefull, happy plantation of the Goſpel in Parity and Liberty in this State, to the most certain and perpetuall establiſhment of Righteouſneſſe and Iuſtice amongſt us throughout all Generations; now certainly the Jus Regni muſt be the umpire in this caſe, which is the bond between King and Parliament, betwe… the Repreſentative, and the Repreſented. To ſpeak unto particulars objected:1▪ Object.
Anſw.For that of the change of Government by King, Lords, and Commons, contrary to former Declarations: the reaſon of every alteration is to be reſpected, Parliaments are not bound up by their own Votes or Acts, though others be: they alter them upon reaſon: thoſe given are theſe: 1 The treachery of the Peers in concurrence with the perfidious Scots, if not acting with them, yet abetting their Deſign in the laſt invaſion.
2 The great obctruction of Juſtice by their Negative Voice, the laſt year, when the Common-wealth was in hazard, had not the Commons acted without the Lords, we had been as Sodom and as Gomorrah ere this day: the deſigns of that year ſo countenanced by them, that the Grand Incendiaries ſhould have been diſcharged with a veniall puniſhment, had not the Army interpoſed.
2. Object.But what call, what warrant had the Army to intermeddle? had not they the being from, and ſhall they aſſume Authority over Parliaments?
Anſw.The Army acts not in way of Authority, but duty, from neceſſity: from charity: If a ſervant in ſuch a caſe ſhould Job 31. 13, 14.contend with his Maſter, Reaſon will juſtifie, Religion will defend, that ſervant who to ſave his Maſters adventured his own life. But again the Army Officers by Law, were the Vindices Regni, raiſed by Parliament to defend our Laws, and Liberties, and above all the Supream Law, the ſafety of the Nation, (as all know). Now what the Parliament had declared of as juſt and ſafe, the Army grounds upon, and firſt they Remonſtrate the State of affairs, which taking no effects, (and the life of the State in perill, if not ſpeedily prevented, (for that caſe would admit of no delay in that time,) God, and Nature inforced them to an act above, yea againſt all Law, as it did Heſter to adventure into the Kings Preſence, although ſhee periſhed. The Parliament had declared never to Treat with the King, charging Him with the bloud of his Father collaterally: the bloud of four Kingdomes beſides; England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Rochellers in France: his correſpondence with the Pope, compliance with Papiſts: his Treachery, Tyranny, and Hypocriſie, beyond al men that ever were, ſo as no confidence could be repoſed …n him: yet the Majority of the Commons Vote a Treaty with him, (to gratifie the treacherous and bloudy deſignes of Royaliſts, who thereby only ſought their revenge upon all active in, and faithfull to this Parliament and Republick, and in their hopes to carry on their Diabolicall plot as deep as hell, they rage (as if Satan had been let looſe) againſt all who had the Image of God ſhall I ſay? nay but the face of civility, that had not the Lord aroſe, and this Army awakened, wee had been ſwallowed up quick) and that Treaty ended, they Vote the Kings anſwers ſatisfactory, and a good Baſis or foundation for the eſtabliſhment of Religion, and Righteouſneſſe thereupon, (which before was declared non-ſatisfactory) they reſolve to ſet him upon his Throne in Honor, Peace, Freedom, and ſafety, who …ad no remorſe for England or Irelands blood, nay who in the very time of this Treaty, had plotted, and contrived againſt his return to Weſtminſter, a ſecond deſign in England paralle… to that of Ireland: and this was that Armies (whom God miraculouſly had armed with power and courage, honour and ſucceſſe a little before) this was their neceſsity, the Salvation of the State, upon the Parliaments decleuſion their former Declarations, Principles, and reſolutions grounded upon reaſon and ſafety.
3. Object.But they have deſtroyed the foundations: have left no viſible Power, or Legall Authority remaining.
Anſw.We muſt in all Laws look at the double ſenſe, the Gramm… ticall, and the Morall, or equitable, contained in the Preface to the Law, where the equitable ſenſe of the Law is maintained, that Law is preſerved, and the ſame diſtinction may I obſerve in the conſtitution of Authorities▪ there is the eſſential, and there is the Integral State thereof. As … ſ… the great Counſel of the Kingdom is a Parliament without the Kings Preſence, becauſe his power is virtually inherent there; yet the i…egrall State thereof if his preſence be wanting is defective, but the eſſentiall … even when ſuch Integrall Parts are aboliſh… ▪ a man is ſtill a man wanting an eye, a hand, a leg▪ the Commons only ſtand in the neereſt relation to the People, being called by them, repreſenting of them, acting for them, and ſuch is that preſent Authority now ſitting at Weſtminſter, the only S… pream and viſible Authority of this Nation.
4 Object.But in all theſe confuſions and contrary motions, have we not broken Covenant with God, faith with men, v… ing and promiſing before God, to ſet the King upon his Throne, ▪t… preſerve the Priviledges of Parliament?
Anſw.Why the Maj…rity of the Houſe was re…rain…d, pro tempore, is formerly expreſſed and intimated: For the breach of Covenant in theſe particulars objected: we muſt know, that future contingencies intervening a Covenant, and the performance of that Covenant, doe diſoblige the conſcience from duty, or that penalty inſuing a …iolatio… in ſ… a caſe: as if a man Covenants to take ſuch a woman in marriage, if this woman before the time▪ of th… Celebration of this Nuptiall be found unchaſte and … all D…vines will tell …s, … …is … i… not b…d in Conſcience to perform his Cov…t made with this … man, ſhee was bound in faithfulneſse to him, as well as …e in affecti… to her, and although this condition, was not expreſt, (if that you re…ain faithful and conjugall in your affections to me, … will take you unto my wife) yet was it neceſſarily implyed, and the bond in this caſe, without juſt offence to God, or man is violated. Vows, Covenants▪ Premiſes and oaths of things unlawfull, impoſsible, beyond … power and Liberties: and wherein ſuch conſequences … happen) as are forementioned, in theſe caſes Co…ſ…ience is diſ-ingaged before God and man: and what was our caſe, and what the perill of State when the King whom … bonds would have bound, as Oaths before had not, his Paroll now did not, who in treating for his Liberty, plots our deſtruction: let all that are impartiall judge, if under reſtraint, he acted againſt our lives, and the life of the whole, (yet ſeceretly, and ſubtilty, upon the pretence of Peace, of condeſcenſion) what would he have done, if at liberty; who lived, who dyed the ſame? I hope this will ſatisfie men of unprejudiced minds; he was a wiſe Stateſman, who ſaid, England is a ſtrong body which can never dye, unleſſe it kills it ſelf: to d…vide among our ſelves will produce infallible ruine: in folly and fury we may wound the Nation, but its beyond our Art, or the skill of Angels and men to heal it, ſuch may the contuſion be: I could not in Honour, in affection, but own their perſons, whoſe ca…ſe I plead, who are the ſupports each of others Power, and dignity, the Crown, and Glory of this Nation, by whom next under God we injoy our Liberties, our Tranquillities, and in hope that thy duty to them, will anſwer their affection to thee: and that the unworthy Author (not worthy to be numbred with the Saints, and the leaſt of all Gods mercies) ſhall injoy one bleſſing hereby, I include thee in an Epiſtle with them, and conclude my ſelf
Thine in and for the Lord, and his Service, ENO. GREY.