Might Overcoming Right, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Sect. 1.
Maſter Goodwin proceeds to a fifth Objection, From the miſchievous conſequence of the example of the fact of this Army which may bee made uſe of by any Party, finding themſelves ſtrongh enough to attempt the like diſturbance and confuſion: but I would frame the Argument thus:
EVery action grounded on ſuch Principles as are a manifeſt inlet to wickedneſſe, confuſion and Anarchy, is pernicious and wicked: The force exerciſed on the Parliament by the Army grounded on neceſſity, viſible only to them and their party, is a manifeſt inlet to wickedneſſe, anarchy, and confuſion. Therefore the Armies ſayd Act is pernicious and wicked.
Mr Goodwins Anſw. 1. page 36. The lawfulneſſe of actions is not to be judged by what doth, but by what is likely to follow and that not by accident, or miſconſtruction, but by the native tendency of it, &c. Anſ. 2 Though there were not only a poſſibility but a probability, that the Armies Act ſhould beget diſturbances, yet ſhould not they have ſtood ſtill, becauſe when the ſeed time is come, we must not obſerve the winde.
But theſe Anſwers reach not the Objection, as it is laid by me, and ſhould have beene laid by him which condemns actions, grounded on ſuch principles which will beare out other perſons of ſtrength, in wicked and State confounding actions: The ground of this action in the Army was neceſſity, whereof themſelves are Iudges; for it appeaes not to others: But if neceſſity be a ſufficient warrant to diſturb Authority in legall wayes; and the Parties in whom Power is, be Iudges of this neceſſity: By this any Party of Power may juſtifie themſelves to men in diſturbing Governours, whether the Party bee Royaliſts, Papiſts, or Athieſts: That plea would have ſerved the Northern Army if it had marcht up againſt the Parliament, as well as the preſent Army did, or the Apprentizes as well as them, they might have pretended neceſſity, and been judges in their own caſe; ex veris nil niſi verum, nothing but truth will naturally flow from true principles: Therefore the ground of the Armies Act was a falſe principle, becauſe it will beare falſe concluſions; nay further, if neceſſity may diſpence with Lawes, and the Actors be judges; what if the Levelling Part of the Army ſhould have further deſigns then the Moderater Part, and the heads of the Moderate Party ſtand in their way, may not they take up this plea, and without Law, or legall proceſſe tollere è medio take them out of their way? yea, then what barre is left againſt Ieſuiticall King-killing by aſſaſſinates.
Sect. 2.
Nor will this be taken off by what he ſaith Thirdly,Pag. 36.37. that where there is not a concurrence of the ſame circumſtances formally and equivalently, there can bee no place for exemplartneſſe; for we ſpeake not now of the legitimacy of actions in the ſight of God onelyonly but men alſo. Wee are to provide for things honeſt in the ſight of all men, Rom. 12.17. 2 Cor. 8.21. And if there be the ſame pretences not to be diſproved by men, which (they cannot be) if they muſt be judges of them, who carry the long ſword, Thoſe actions which are the ſame in externall, though not in reall circumſtances, ſhall be as impleadable by men.
Sect.
And there is yet leſſe ſence in his fourth anſwer, That it is not likely that action ſhould breed diſturbance, that was done in due order to prevent occaſion and opportunity of diſturbance &c. For what if they that leveld this ſhaft at this mark, were unskilfull Archers, may they not ſhoote quite wide the marke they aim at, and hit a friend inſtead of the butr? I am ſure they have been moſt of them but little uſed to the bow of Politicks, and what if the Scene change? May not the preſent Army degenerate, (no man can ſay they are ſtable in their Princiciples) and then will not this plea of neceſſity fit their hands for worſe changes, if worſe can be? I am ſure it hath once ſerved their turnes, to comply with the King againſt the minds of the Parliament, and now to impriſon Parliament men, and to threaten the deſtruction of the King, and who knowes what deſigne it may carry on next? And is not this courſe a means to irritate an oppoſite party, and who knowes where God may caſt ſtrength? and then what a gallant plea is here for them, Qu…dlibet audendi? adventuring upon any thing.
Sect. 4.
Laſtly he argues,37. that if that action of the Army is not diſproveable duplicate page duplicate page by any likelihood of evill that it may bring upon this Kingdom hereafter, no more then preſervation of a man from imminent death is reproveable, becauſe by it he is occaſionally expoſed to dye another time. There were ſomething in this, if there were any iminency of death over our Nation; but this is denied upon better grounds, then they can give to the contrary, and that by thoſe that are the legall judges of it, which the Army was not. You adde, they who conceive the Army had better have ſate still for feare of after diſturbance, plead as if a man ſhall counſell a friend dangerouſly ſick, not to uſe a Phyſician, becauſe if he do recover, his recovery might prove an occaſion of more ſickneſſe afterwards. But this anſwer hath wit without reaſon; for firſt, it preſuppoſeth that to bee ſickneſſe of the Common-wealth, which indeed was good Phyſick for her recovery. And ſecondly to make the ſimilitude hit, the Phyſick that is diſſwaded, muſt be to have an influence by the hazardous cure of one malady, to have procured more. And truely I ſhould not think him mad but wiſe, that ſhould diſſwade ſuch Phyſick; nor is the example of Hezekiah any better, that he was to be thankefull for his recovery, though hee were to dye fifteene yeares after. For firſt it runs upon the former falſe ſuppoſition: And ſecondly that which recovered Hezekiah, was not the cauſe of his death afterwards. But here it is objected againſt the medicine that hee ſaith revives, that it will have an influence to kill afterwards. Nay, after a pretended cure, that medicine which he ſaith revives, is not like to preſerve long, not fifteene yeares, nor fifteene moneths; for where there is one in the Kingdom that accounts this act of the Army medicine, it's conceived there be an hundred that count it a cup of poyſon and ſo to be broken: And what a Paroxyſme this is like to beget ſhortly in this poor Kingdom, let the prudent Reader judge.