The New Query and Determination Upon It, Section 24 – Section 25
SECT. XXIV. Britanicus taxed for traducing the Petitioners.
YOur Athenian Colleague, Britanicus, (though they that reade you both, will haply take you to be rather a *Boeotion in craſſo jurares aere natum. Horat.Beotian) hath a conceit of ſome diſparagement to the Parliament, by a ſuppoſed diviſion, though he lay his action wrong, miſtaking an occaſion for a cauſe, and one perſon for another: whom, though I firſt mention him in way of oppoſition to you, I muſt take for an adverſary to us, I meane to the City and Miniſtry in this buſineſſe of Petition; and when I have given him an animadverſion by the way, I ſhall return unto, and proceed with you. It may prove (ſaith he) a train to blow up the reputation of the renowned Parliament, and harden the enemy in their courſes, if they ſhould ſee a doore of hope opened through any ſuppoſed diviſions; the common Adverſary will take heart againe, and thoſe which favour them (whether at home or abroad) will dare again to ſhew themſelves, as not doubting to perfect their deſigne, if we diſjoynt our ſelves, and contribute to our owne ruine.
Diviſions among us divulged by you, may animate the common Enemy to a greater height of hopes, and attempts, ſo much his obſervation implyeth, and that's your fault, Mr. Intelligencer, but he applyeth it to the Petitioners, and that's his calumny, as well as yours. It may prove, ſaith hee, a traine &c. What is that that may prove ſo? the Petition? the Petition a traine to blow up the reputation of the Parliament? Reade it, Sir, and you will ſee it is not a train…, but a Trumpet to blow up their reputation with a loud ſound, and melodious accent, with humble thankes acknowledging, and highly extolling them by the name of A renowned Parliament, for their indefatigable endevours for five years together, for the Kingdoms happineſſe, and the Churches Reformation. And can the Petition be charged to open a doore of hope to the enemies, through ſuppoſed diviſions from the Parliament, when it expreſly maketh the Parliament a doore of hope of much happineſſe to the Kingdome? It is an eaſie matter to turne the moſt innocent action, or buſineſſe, into an occaſion of exception; but they are the cauſes (for the particular in queſtion) both of diſturbance to the Parliament, and of danger from the common enemy, who proclaime unkindneſſe betwixt the Parliament, and their moſt faithfull, and ſerviceable Votaries, the Common Councell, and Miniſters of the City of London.
This Retortion, as by a kind of partnerſhip, belongeth to both theſe falſe Brethren, but taking Britannicus by himſelfe, he beginneth at the beginning of the weeke, by the figure Anticipation, for the Petitions were not preſented to the Honourable Houſes untill two o… three dayes after; and ſo he cometh over the matter againe upon Wedneſday and Thurſday: In the firſt place he findeth fault with Petitioning, as out of ſeaſon, and ſo indiſcreet, and as imputing neglect to the Parliament, and implying diſtruſt of the Indgment & care of thoſe whom we acknowledge the wiſeſt and ſupreme Councell, and ſo undutifull; but neither ſo nor ſo, for the purpoſe of Petitioning was ſo fanned and ſifted, by the free and impartiall debates of divers wiſe and worthy Citizens, and by learned and well adviſed Miniſters, that if there had been any folly or indiſcretion, it would have vaniſhed into nothing; but, Sir, I can aſſure you of my knowledge, the more it was weighed and examined, the more it was approved by the prudent, as well as the pious of both Societies, not only as neceſſary, but as ſeaſonable alſo. And if the Honourable Houſes were intentively imployd to perfect the Government, and did ſet themſelves in a conſtant courſe, and choſe ſet dayes for that purpoſe, and the day of preſenting the Petition was one of them, (all which I beleeve, and cannot thinke of it without thankes to them, nor without praiſes of them, and prayers for them) yet was it not unſeaſonable to petition them, becauſe the concurrent deſires of ſo many, ſo conſiderable Petitioners might be a meanes to remove ſome obſtructions, Qui monet u… facias qu…d jam facis …de movendoand to facilitate and expedite the buſineſſe they had in hand. Nor was it any diſtruſt, or impeachment of the high praiſe of their prudence, for you know the old and ever true Aphoriſme, when the Acts of goodneſſe doe anticipate admonitions, Laudat, & hortatu comprebat acta ſuo. Ovid.(and we may ſay the like of Petitions) they are ſo far from repr…ofes, that they are the praiſes of the Actors.
Nor is there any more cauſe to impute undutifulneſſe, or ill manners unto the Petitioners, then there is to accuſe them of want of policie, or prudence, for this particular; nor any ground to ſtraine up the charge ſo high, as if that which they did were prejudiciall, and derogatorie to the Majeſty of Parliament, in foreſtalling their counſels with any particular deſires. So ſay you Mr. Br. in your Wedneſdayes accompt: But I pray you, Sir, by what dialect doe you call thoſe Petitions particular deſires, which were concluded in a full Common Councell, (the repreſentative body of this famous, and never more then ſince our late and unhappy warres, renowned City) not one man (as I have been credibly informed) appearing againſt it at the paſſing of the Vote; and that not for any particular perſon, or purpoſe, but for the generall good of three Kingdomes, both for the generation preſent, and for poſterity in the ages to come? And what prohibition I pray you lyes againſt particular Citizens and Miniſters, that they may not Petition the Parliament with particular deſires, as well as you? Did not you when you were confined, for ſhewing your ſelfe rather an over-nimble Mercury, then a ſober paced Britannicus, petition them your ſelfe for your enlargement? And when you did ſo, did you do any thing prejudiciall and derogatory to the Majeſty and Dignity of Parliament, and as it were foreſtall their counſels with your particular deſires? If not, ſhew us your priviledge, which may make it no fault in you, and an indiſcretion, or undutifulneſſe, or ill manners in others.
I ſhall need to proceed no further in anſwer to your Criticiſmes, I ſee you are ingenious in your apprehenſions, and ingenuous in confeſſion of your owne miſpriſions; and ſince I perceive you ſo punctuall in rectifying your Reader to a title, (for you acknowledge a miſtake in honouring Sir The Aſton (with whom I have had much, and ſome perillous oppoſition in the Cauſe of the Parliament) with the Title of a Lord) doubt not but you will be as ready to retract an undeſerved traducement of the Parliaments friends, (eſpecially ſo many, and of ſo great reputation) as to recall an undeſerved advancement of the Parliaments enemy.
I will take leave of you with a word of advice, which is but this, take heed of engaging your ſelfe any further in this cauſe, ſee firſt how the Immoderate Intelligencer ſpeeds with his precipitated reproaches againſt the City, and Miniſters of London; to whom now I will returne, and take leave of him, though not in ſuch a manner as I doe of you; and having anſwered his crimination, I ſhall now enter a defence againſt his commination of cenſure.
SECT. XXV. An anſwer to the Intelligencers Commination of the Petitioners.
HAving ſet the ſuſpition of guilt up to the height, not onelyonly of reality but of imagination, he ſcrueth up the cenſure to a proportionable elevation, ſaying, in the name of the Honourable Houſe of Commons, (but without any warrant from them) that it deſerved an high cenſure, and withall that they reſolved, if that were 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 that buſineſſe, may be dealt with according to merit.
Theſe words may ſound ſome terrour to him, —Hic mur… abeneus eſto, Nil conſeire ſibi, &c. Horat.that hath but a braſen face, but he that hath a wall of braſſe, a cleare conſcience from the guilt objected, may be bold as a Lion, when ſuch as you may flee when no man purſueth, Prov. 28.1. For more particular Reply, Sr. we cannot be put into fear of an high cenſure, while we are aſſured of our owne innocence, and the Houſes of Parliaments both prudence and juſtice; and therefore we ſhall willingly ſubmit our ſelves to examination, when, and where they pleaſe to call us to our anſwer; and if our accuſers would meet us at the barre, upon ſuch juſt and equall termes as lege talionis by the Divine law is ordained, Deut. 19.16, &c. we would petition them againe for a tryall, and puniſhment, (upon conviction) as before for the eſtabliſhment of the Presbyteriall Diſcipline.
For the Declaration you ſpeake of, there be two things which will ſecure us from all danger of it; the one is, that whatſoever it is, it is but conditionall, viz [if this be the way] that is, the way of ſeditious appeale from the Parliament to the people, and we are ſure that's no way of ours: how neere the Independent by-path coaſts upon, or bends towards that way, may appeare by their making combinations with the people, and ſetting up a popular Government in the Church, without any authoritie from the State.
The other ſecuritie we have is both from the Parliament, and our ſelves, as we have profeſſed before, and in confidence of both, neither Parliamentary Examinations, Declarations, no nor Viſitations ſhall trouble us; for if we be guilty, let them viſit our tranſgreſſion with the rod, and our iniquitie with ſtripes, Pſal. 89.32. and (if we deſerve it) let them chaſtiſe us not onelyonly with Solomons whips, but with Reboboams ſcorpions, 1 King. 12.14.
There is one thing more in his minatory report, which, though he tell it as a threat, I would take it for a promiſe, if he could make it good in the right ſenſe of it, that is, quickly to undeceive the people, for they are ſhamefully deceived many waies, eſpecially by ſuch impudent Impoſtors as this weekly Newes-maker; with whom I have now done. And in confutation of Britannicus and him, I have confuted others, who concurr… with them in the ſame calumnies againſt the Common Councell, and Miniſters of London.