The New Query and Determination Upon It, Section 20
SECT. XX. An Appendix to the precedent examination, being an Apologeticall Narrative of the Petitions of the Common Councell of the Citie, and Miniſters of London, preſented to both the Honourable Houſes of Parliament the 19th and 20th dayes of Novem. 1645. with a Vindication of them, and the proceedings in them, from the ſcandalous aſperſions of the weekely Pamphleters, eſpecially of him, who miſcals himſelf by the name of the Moderate Intelligencer.
BVt howſoever the hope of union hath gon on hitherto, ſince the Petitions of the Common Councell, and of the Miniſters of the Citie, were preſented to the Parliament, there is great likelyhood of a dangerous breach betwixt the Parliament and them, which will not eaſily be cemented up to perfect accord.
So haply may ſome conceive, who know no more of the matter then they are told by the Moderate Intelligencer, or by his Plagiatie the writer of the continuation of eſpeciall and remarkable Paſſages, (who repeats his lying and ſcandalous Relation, word for word) in theſe termes: This day the Common Councell did preſent a Petition to the Commons Houſe of Parliament, by divers Aldermen, and others of that Councell, which ſeemed to complaine, or take ill the proceedings of the Parliament with the Aſſembly, in the late buſineſſe paſt concerning the election of Elders, &c.
The Commons ſate long about the buſineſſe, and laid it much to heart, that any ſuch thing ſhould come from the Citie, and that they ſhould lend an eare to any, that ſhould in ſo evill a way repreſent things unto them; and of what dangerous conſequence it was, and gave them an anſwer to this effect.
That they did perceive that they had beene informed; and that they could not but lay it much to heart, that they, who had ever beene ſo ready to doe all good offices for the Kingdome, and goe with the Parliament, ſhould from any, but the Parliament, take a repreſentation of their proceedings; and intreated them, that herealter they would take ſatisfaction from themſelves: Its true they did beleeve they meant well, and had a good meaning, and intention in it, but they were abuſed. They had no ſooner given anſwer to this, but there came another from the Clergy, to the ſame effect, which was more ſad then the former, for they conceived this latter was an appeale from the Houſes to the people, and of as dangerous a conſequence as could be imagined; and that it deſerved a high cenſure: and withall they reſolved, if that was the way intended, they would goe on with their Declaration, and quickly undeceive the people; and in the interim they referred it to the Committee of examinations, that the firſt contrivers, and after fomenters of this buſineſſe, may be dealt with according to merit.
This is a parcell of their weekly report, but principally his, who miſcals himſelfe the Moderate Intelligencer, for he is neither Intelligent, writing what he underſtands not, nor Moderate, being paſſionately addicted to a partie, to flatter, either out of an erroneous ſancie, fondly ſet upon irregular novelties in opinion, and practice, or out of a covetous affection to the wages of iniquitie, the reward of flatterie or ſlander, as the bad cauſe, whereto he hath engaged his Pen, hath need to be ſerved with the one or the other, and in the latter he hath ſhewed himſelfe this laſt weeke, a very foreign, (that's the word in the Originall for a falſe accuſer) 2 Tim. 3.3. a falſe accuſer of the brethren, Revel. 12.10. not of brethren in evill, as Simeon and Levi, Gen. 49.5. but in good, in moſt ſincere, and zealous deſires, and endeavours to be ſerviceable to the Parliament, in proſecution of the great Cauſe that is in hand, the through reformation of Church and State.
Among whom there are many, who taken ſingle by themſelves, might in good manners have been entertained with termes which ſavour more of reverence, then of contempt; but this three-farthing News-monger takes upon him, as if he had beene authoriſed by the Parliament, to involve all the venerable Magiſtrates, and prime men of power, and truſt, in this Honourable Citie, and a very great number of the moſt learned, laborious, and conſciencious Miniſters of the Province of London, in an unfaithfull and undutifull aſſociation againſt the Parliament, for their joynt petitioning to the Parliament. And where lyeth the crime, that may make them lyable to ſo loud a clamour? was it for petitioning in generall, or for their petitioning in particular?
If we conſult with his ſcandalous paper, we ſhall find that he layeth an heavie charge upon both: Firſt for the generall, in the precedent page he uſhereth it in with an egregious calumny, in theſe words: *p. 203:Now let us come home, and looke about us, and ſee if while our Army is labouring to ſubdue the enemy, and end ſtrife, there is not new beginning by thoſe that Fame ſaith have beene the cauſes of all the ſtrife; we did intreat them the laſt weeke they would let the Parliament alone, and waite, and not doubt they would ſee a good iſſue, and good content; they need not feare, they may be kept a while from their deſires, but in the end they will have content, if their owne earneſt preſſing for it, doe not hinder.
Now let us come home? It would be well Sir, if you would come home, and keepe at home, and take meaſure of your owne parts, and ſit cloſe to your Trade, and not ramble abroad, to buſie your ſelfe in writing Intelligence of matters which are farre above the elevation of your Pole, or the comprehenſion of your head-piece. But your zeale perhaps (ſuch a zeale as the Apoſtle taxeth, which is without knowledge, Rom. 10.2. juſt like a preſſing-iron which hath heat without light) ſtirred you up to complaine of ſome troubleſome ſpirits, who, while the Army is labouring to end ſtrife, begin it anew; and they are ſuch (ſay you) as Fame ſaith have been the cauſes of all the ſtrife; and who be they? Fame ſaith, the late Deputie of Ireland, and the little Drelate of Canterburie were prime cauſes of the Kingdomes, and the Churches diſturbance. And are they ſince their heads were cut off (as Herod thought of John Baptiſt, Mark 6.16.) raiſed from the dead, to revive our diviſions? Common Fame ſaith, the Queene and her Faction, that have parted the King and the Parliament, Digby, Hopton, Goring, Greenvile, and other Military male-contents, have cauſed, and doe ſtill continue the moſt dangerous contentions, and convulſions in England, as Moutroſſe and his party in Scotland; Ormond, and his barbarous and bloody Papiſts in Ireland. But we muſt looke for theſe make bates at home, and find out ſuch as at preſent doe trouble our peace; and if we doe ſo, Fame ſaith, that they are ſuch among us, as oppoſe the ſettling of an uniforme Government, and breake out communities into ſeverall Sects; ſuch as ſo divide the husband from the wife, the parents from the children, the maſter from the ſervants, that a zealous Ioſhua cannot ſay, I and my houſe will ſerve the Lord, Ioſh. 24.15. ſince his family is diſtracted, and ſorted into ſeverall Congregations, and it may be alſo into hereticall conventicles.
Fame ſaith, that ſuch factious journeymen as Mr. D. are publique Incendiaries, and Trumpeters of Sedition, by taking all occaſions, making uſe of all advantages, caſting about for all manner of devices, to increaſe their divided partie, that they may be able to uphold a faction; and becauſe they cannot hope that their noveltie and paucitie ſhould be able to maintaine a publique conteſt againſt ſo many both perſons and Churches, as are engaged againſt their way, they make it their Maſter-piece, to leaven the moſt conſiderable Societies, Cities, Sea-Townes, Armies, but eſpecially the Parliament, with their Independent Principles, and practices; and either to get Independents into places of chiefe power and truſt, or to ſeduce ſuch as are eminent in dignitie, endowments, or authoritie, to their ſide; and if they cannot obtaine them, they plot how to diſplace them; and if they cannot doe that, to render them leſſe ſerviceable to the Publique, their way is to weaken their reputation with reproaches, or cunningly to intimate ſome matter of ſuſpition touching their acts, or intentions; if they be of ſuch integritie as is of impregnable proofe againſt their obloquie, then they will, by way of compliance, worke out of them what they can, which may conduce to their deſigne; and if they can prevaile no further, they will at leaſt by an artificiall ſweetneſſe of behaviour, by appearances of more then ordinary piety, by a pretended extenuation of difference of opinion, and practice, and by ſuch inſinuations, ſo becalme or becharme the ſpirits of ſome Presbyterians of eminent parts, as to make them, if not favourable to their cauſe, yet ſo that they may not appeare againſt them when they ſhould, or but in a very remiſſe and moderate degree of oppoſition. Laſtly, (to returne to our Intelligencer) they ſet up weekly Pamphleters, who are wholly of their ſtampe, or fee them, or by ſome other artifices worke upon them, to take all occaſions to magnifie their partie, and to vilifie and calumniate thoſe that oppoſe them; and ſo they ſometimes hyperbolize a Shrub on that ſide into a Cedar, and diſparage thoſe, who under God are the chiefe pillars, and ſupporters of the publique welfare, as if they were of no more worth, or uſe, then Reeds ſhaken with the wind; and this is not the leaſt part of the Independent policy, to drive on their deſigne all over the Kingdome; for moſt of the common people know little of the progreſſe of publique affaires, but by ſuch Informers, and they furniſh them with weekly lies, to honour thoſe of their owne ſect, or ſects rather, (for they are many) and to caſt reproaches on ſuch as are ſerious, and reſolute in all juſt, and lawfull meanes of eſtabliſhing of truth, and reſtoring of peace.
But it may be he meaneth by Fame, that report which he and his fellowes in looſe ſheets have diſperſed abroad in City, and Countrey; and if ſo, I ſay, Famaeſt malum, his fame is infamous; notoriouſly falſe, as he applyeth it, viz. to thoſe who make addreſſes to the Parliament by way of Petition. We did intreat (ſaith he) the laſt weeke they would let the Parliament alone, and wait, and no doubt they would ſee a good iſſue, and good content.
We did intreat them to let the Parliament alone? We Sir, who beſides your ſelfe? and why you? and what meane you by letting the Parliament alone? doe you forbid the ſubject of England to petition the Parliament? if that be your meaning (as a man of Moderate Intelligence may eaſily perceive it is) do you not mean they ſhould be deprived of the moſt undoubted Priviledge, and Libertie, which by the Law of Nature, and of Nations, is allowed all over the world? if the Parliament had beene of that mind, ſince their firſt Seſſion, they would not have tendred ſo many Petitions to the King, nor have received ſo many Petitions from all parts of the Kingdome; nor could they (but by the informations received in them) have knowne ſo much of the diſtemper of ſeverall Counties, nor had ſo juſt grounds and cauſes as they had, for many of their Orders, and Ordinances, which were iſſued out from that Honourable Senate: and your ſelfe ſay in the next page, that a part of the Parliaments Anſwer to the Citie Petition was, that the Citizens were intreated hereafter that they would take ſatisfaction from themſelves, that is, ſatisfaction of their doubts, and deſires by immediate recourſe to that Honourable Court; and how can that be better, or more acceptably done, then by way of petition?
But he ſaith, They need not feare, they may be kept a while from their deſires, but in the end they will have content, if their own earneſt preſſing for it, doe not hinder. How knowes he that better then they, who have put up their deſires for expediting the difficulties of the Government, by way of petition to the Parliament? The truth is, if he beleeve what he writes, it is but as the Devill beleeves there is a God, with a very ill will, and if he do not tremble at it, he is afraid of it; and he would have the Orthodox party but ſo to beleeve it too, as to make them neglect the beſt meanes to procure it; for it hath been another piece of ſubtilty of theſe ſonnes of Zerviah, 2 Sam. 3, 39. to delay reſolution againſt their way, by pretence that there is no need of ſpeed in it, or no fit ſeaſon or opportunity for it, that their oppoſites may ſecurely ſleep, or ſlacken their endevours, while they with intentive vigilance, and double diligence, worke on their owne webbe towards the period they have projected; and give them but time to proſecute their cauſe, and they that ſay now wee need not feare, will ſay at length perhaps, wee may not hope to enjoy our deſires; and it may be they will endevour to *See the Epiſtle Dedicatory to the High end Honourable Court of Parliament, of Mr. Prinues …reſh Diſcovery of ſome prodigious new wandring-blazingſtarres and firebrands, &c. fol. 3. p. …. And Dr. Baſtwicks Preface to the ſecond part of his Booke against Independency, called the Poſtſcript. fol. 14. p. b. & fol. 15. p. 2.affright us that they will have theirs by force of armes.
Laſtly, he makes as if over earneſt preſſing for the Government, were the way to hinder it; and abating the word Over, (which is his word of aggravation, for he thinkes all's too much that is done to ſuch a purpoſe) we doubt not but an earneſt, and humble preſſing by way of petition, will prevaile; for it is not fit to trouble the Parliament with any matter which is not worthy of preſſing importunity; though I confeſſe there is a prudence to be obſerved, when, and how, and how farre to proſecute a ſuite in that moſt high and Honourable Court: And ſo from his exception againſt Petitioning in Generall, we will come to what he hath ſaid of the Petitions in Particular, which this weeke were preſented to the two Houſes of Parliament, This day (that is, Wedneſday the nineteenth of November, &c.) ſaith he, The Common Councell did preſent a Petition to the Commons Houſe of Parliament, — and there came another from the Clergie to the ſame effect, &c.
Of theſe Petitions it will be convenient to conſider;
1. How they were framed.
2. How they were preſented.
3. How they were accepted.
1. For the firſt, we ſhall diſtinctly obſerve;
1. The occaſion of the Petitions.
2. The contents of them.
3. The conſent and concurrence for reſolution about them.