The New Query and Determination Upon It, Section 23
SECT. XXIII. A Copy of the Miniſters Petition, and the Intelligencers ſlanderous cenſure of it.
HAving done with the Cities Petition, which he makes the Simeon, he brings in the Petition of the Miniſters as the Levi, or its Brother in …vill, in this ſort: But there came another Petition from the Clergy to the ſame effect, which was more ſad then the former; for they conceived this latter was an appeale to the people, and of as dangerous a conſequence as could be imagined; and that it deſerved an high conſure; 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 f… …tors of the buſineſſe, may be dealt withall according to merit.
For anſwer unto this, it might be ſufficient (if I had to doe with one that were indeed, and not in name onelyonly a Moderate Intelligencer) to ſet downe the Petition in Terminis as it was preſented to both Houſes of Parliament; but laying that as a groundworke, it will be meet to build on to a full confutation.
To the Right Honourable the Lords and Commons Aſſembled in the High Court of Parliament in ENGLAND,
The humble Petition of the Miniſters of the Goſpel, within the Province of London,
Humbly ſheweth,
THat your Petitioners and daily Oratours at the throne of Grace, doe unfainedly bleſſe our God, and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt our Saviour, the head over all things to the Church, that in the midſt of thoſe many inſufferable miſeries over flowing, and almoſt over whelming both this Church and Kingdome, he hath graciouſly opened for us a door of hope, in raiſing up, continuing together, and aſſiſting of this Renowned Parliament above our expectations, and againſt all oppoſitions, for the reſcuing both of Church and State from their deepe calamities; having to theſe ends engaged your hearts (and with you the three Kingdomes) unto himſelfe, in ſo Religious a Covenant. And we humbly preſent our hearty thankes unto the Right Honourable Houſes, for all their indefatigable endeavours theſe five yeares together, for the Kingdomes happineſſe, and the Churches Reformation; and in particular, for the hopes of a ſpeedy eſtabliſhment of Church Government, intimated unto us in your Directions of Aug. 19. 1645. Order of September 23. and Ordinance of October 20. 1645.
In which Directions and Ordinance notwithſtanding divers difficulties appeare both to us, and to our people, hither to obſtructing our putting the Preſbyteriall Government (therein mentioned) into actuall execution, according to our earneſt deſires; by reaſon of divers things (as we humbly conceive) partly doubtfull, partly defective therein.
Wherefore your Petitioners in purſuance of our ſolemne Covenant, in zeale to the glory of God, the Kingdome of Jeſus Chriſt, and the compleat eſtabliſhment of puritie and unitie in the Church of God, for the ſatisfaction of our owne and our peoples conſciences in this weighty matter of Church Government, and for the generall benefit, not onelyonly of the Province of London, but of all the Provinces in England, both for preſent and future Ages.
Do moſt humbly and earneſtly beſeech the Right Honorable Houſes, That the Preſbyteriall Government in Congregationall, Claſſicall, Provinciall, and Nationall Aſſemblies, (agreed upon already by the Right Honourable Houſes) may be ſpeedily eſtabliſhed, with ſuch fulneſſe and ſufficiencie of power, upon all the ſaid Elder ſhips, that they may fully, faithfully, and chearfully, with well ſatisfied conſciences ſubmit unto, and put in execution the ſaid Government. And that there may be to that end, by your Authoritie, ſuperadded a cleare explanation of things doubtfull, and full ſupply of things defective, in the ſaid Directions and Ordinance of the Right Honourable Houſes, according to the Schedule annexed, and herewith humbly preſented to your Wiſdomes and Piety.
And your Petitioners, &c.
This being the Petition to a word, pardon mine incredulitie if I beleeve not that you can perſwade any Intelligent Reader, that ſo prudent a Senate as the Honourable Houſe of Commons is, could ſo miſtake the meaning of it, as to put ſuch an odious conſtruction upon it, as an Appeale from them to the people, the people of London; that were to ſow ſedition, and endeavour diſſention betwixt the Parliament and the Citie, (whoſe unanimous conſent, and correſpondence in counſels, and executions, have been, under God, the ſtrongeſt ſuppport of the whole Common-weale) a crime worthy of the reward of Metius Suffetius in *Ʋt paulo ante (inquit Tullus) animum inter Fidenatem Romanemque rem ancipitem geſſisti, it a jam corpus paſſim distrabendum dabis. Exinde duabus admotis quadrigis, in currus earum distentum illigat Metium, deinde in diverſum iter equi concitati lacerum in utroque curru corpus, qua inhaeſerant vinculis membra, p…rtantes, &c. Liv. Dec. 1. lib. 1. p. 14.Livy, who for his double dealing betwixt the Fidenates and the Romanes, was ſo faſtened to two Charets, that the Horſes that drew them being forced divers waies into a furious pace, fore him in pieces.
But Sir, if thoſe on your partie doe no worſe offices to the Citie, by your inſinuations into the minds of the worthy Members of the Honourable Houſes, then Presbyteriall Miniſters doe to the Parliament, by their entercourſe with the Citizens, there will be no occaſion given for the leaſt ſhew of ſuſpition, or jealouſie betwixt them; and whoſoever ſhall read your paper and mine Anſwer, will ſee good cauſe to conceive, that ſome of your ſpirit have too buſily beſtirred themſelves, out of the union betwixt Citizens and Miniſters to raiſe a Diviſion betwixt the Parliament and Citie, (which he that deſires to ſee, I wiſh rather that the Ravens of the valley pick out his eyes, Prov. 30.17.) But that union doth clearly confute the calumny you caſt upon the Miniſters Petition; for ſo farre is it from an appearance of an Appeale from the Parliament to the people, that it plainly repreſenteth both Miniſters and people conſulting, and concluding, joyntly to make an Appeale to the Parliament, and humbly waiting to be diſpoſed of by their finall Reſolutions.
This is it ſure for which you ſay, the latter Petition was more ſad then the former; for when that came in ſo conformable to the Citie Petition in matter, (though differing in phraſe & ſtyle) and in ſcope, and Intention, and word for word the ſame in a Schedule of Reaſons annexed to it, it was an evidence of ſo good agreement betwixt the moſt eminent Citizens, and the forementioned Miniſters, as muſt needs be a great griefe of heart to thoſe, that make great advantage of the diviſions of Reuben, yea and of all the Tribes throughout out Iſrael.
He goeth on with a proficiencie from bad to worſe; and though he hath no honey at all, he hath a double ſting in the taile of his Intelligence; ſcruing up a charge againſt the Petitioners to the higheſt aggravation that may be, and concluding with the commination of a cenſure, commenſurate to their merit. For the Charge theſe be his words: They (that is, the Houſe of Commons) conceived this latter, (that is, the Petition of the Miniſters) was an Appeale from the Houſes to the people, and of as dangerous a conſequence as could be imagined
Having anſwered the former words, I will now ſpeake onelyonly to the latter: But firſt I muſt pauſe and wonder a while at this ſuperlative Slander. How Sir, Was that Petition of as dangerous a conſequence as could be imagined? no ſuch matter Sir. For what danger at all can be imagined in it, when all is in effect no more but this, that the Citizens and Miniſters upon Petition may clearly underſtand the mind of the Parliament, and may be throughly enabled to put in execution their commands, to obey them to the full according to their engagement in the ſolemne Covenant. Such fearefull apprehenſions, even of dangerous conſequence, (if they be reall, not fained) may proceed from the ſelfe-love of your party, who confine the common felicitie to your owne particular Intereſts; and thinke the world will be in a very ill condition, if the Presbytery ſhould be ſet up, and ſhould ſet bounds to your ambitious, or covetous encroachments upon the rights of Miniſters and people: and it may be (becauſe you are no Ionaſſes, to be willing to be caſt into the Sea to ſave the Ship and paſſengers in it) you may have in your thoughts ſome Military commotion of your owne making; for you know, or may know, that bloody words, lyable to ſuch a ſence, and tending to the like effect, have beene more then once laid to the charge of ſome of your ſide, as hath beene noted, pag. 76.
And if your dangerous conſequence be but a fiction and pretence, (which I rather imagine) it muſt be ſuppoſed to be but a caſt of your ſubtilty, to make the ſimple afraid of, and to beget a miſtruſt of ſome dangerous deſigne in the Miniſters, that they may deſert them, and adhere unto you, as men of prudent inſight into imminent miſchieves, and of provident forecaſt to ſecure them from danger who betake themſelves to your cauſe and complices for ſuccour and ſafety.
Which of theſe conjectures is true, (or whether any other, any worſe, for a plaine Presbyterian is too ſhallow to ſound the depth of a projecting Independent) I will not determine; but I will confidently reſolve, that ſuch an imagination of tranſcendent danger in the Petition of the Miniſters, was no part of the mind of the major part of the Houſe of Commons; (which muſt give denomination to the whole) for they can never be ſo much miſtaken, as to put ſuch an exuberant expreſſion of offence upon ſo inoffenſive a Petition; who very well know, and cannot but as well remember, your Brother Lilburnes buſineſſe, and what ſeditious papers he, and his faction ſent abroad; which if you had forgotten (for I doubt not but ſuch a ſchiſmaticall polypragm…n, as thoſe that know you report you to be, if not wiſe enough to be of his counſell, may be buſie enough to be active in his deſperate deſigne) I would helpe your memory with a repetition of ſome ſuch paſſages out of them, as might be worthy of your now miſapplied aggravation, [of as dangerous conſequence as may be imagined] but that I thinke them fitter to be burned by the common Hangman, or buried in everlaſting oblivion, then now to be mentioned, eſpecially in a Diſcourſe of defence of the Innocent. And truly Sir next unto Lilburnes Libels, we may ſay of your malevolent Intelligence of this weeke, that it is a matter of as dangerous conſequence as may be imagined: For doo not you, as farre as your credit will carry a miſchievous ſuggeſtion, diſperſe all about a ſuſpition of the Cities and Miniſters combination againſt the two Houſes of Parliament? who have hitherto with honour and ſafetie very much confided in their affection, and fidelitie, (as I doubt not they will ever have cauſe ſo to doe) though ſuch malignant medlers as you ſay and doe what they can to the contrary.