Legal Vindication of the Liberties of England Against Illegal Taxes, Postscript
A POSTSCRIPT.
SInce the drawing up of the precedent Reaſons, I have met with a printed Pamphlet, intituled. An Epiſtle written the 8th day of June. 1649. by Lieut. Colonel John Lilbourn, to Mr. William Lenthal Speaker to the remainder of thoſe few Knights, Citizens and Burgeſſes that Col. Thomas Pride at his late purge thought convenient to leave ſitting at Weſtminſter, (as moſt fit for his and his Maſters deſigne…, to ſerve their ambitious and tyrannical ends, to deſtroy the good old Laws, Liberties and Cuſtomes of England (the badges of our Freedom as the Declaration againſt the King of the 7th of March 1648. p. 23. calls them) and by force of Arms to rob the people of their lives, eſtates, and properties; and ſubject them to perfect vaſſallage and ſlavery, &c. who (and in truth no otherwiſe) pretendedly ſtyle themſelves. The Conſervators of the peace of England, or the Parliament of England intruſted and authoriſed by the conſent of all the people thereof, whoſe Repreſentatives by Election (in their Declaration laſt mentioned p. 27. they ſay) they are; although they are never able to produce one bit of Law, or any piece of a Commiſſion to prove, that all the people of England, or one quarter▪ tenth▪ hu…dred or thouſand part of them authoriſed Thomas Pride, with his Regiment of Souldiers to chuſe them a Parliament▪ as indeed he hath de facto done by his PRETENDED MOCK-PARLIAM…NT: and therefore it cannot properly be called the Nations or Peoples Parliame…t: but Col. Prides and his Aſſociates, whoſe really it is: who although they have beheaded the King for a Tyrant, yet walk in his oppreſſi…g…ſt ſteps, if not worſe and higher. This is the Title of his Epiſtle.
In this Epiſtle, this late great champion of the Houſe of Commons, and fitting Junctoes Supremacy, both beſore and ſince the Kings beheading, who with his Brother aHis Petition and Appeal, & his Arrow of Defiance. See Mr. Edwards Gangrena, 3. part. p. 154. f. 204. See My … for the … toOverton and their Confederates, firſt cryed them up as, and gave them the Title of, The ſupreme Authority of the Nation: The onelyonly ſupreme Judicatory of the Land: The onelyonly formal and legal ſupreme Power of the Parliament of England, in whom alone the power of binding the whole Nation by making, altering, or abrogating Laws, without either King or Lords, reſides, &c. and firſt engaged them by their Pamphlets and Petitions, againſt the King, Lords, and Perſonal Treaty, (as he and they print and boaſt in b… this Epiſtle, and other late Papers) Pag. 11, 29doth in his own and his parties behalf (who of late ſo much adored them, as the onelyonly earthly Deities and Saviours of the Nation) now poſitively aſſert and prove
Firſt, That cPag. 34, 35.Commiſſary General Ireton, Colonel Harriſon, with other Members of the Houſe, and the General Councel of Officers of the Army, did in ſeveral Meetings and Debates at Windſor, immediately before their late march to London to purge the Houſe, and after at White-hall commonly ſtyle themſelves, the pretended Parliament (even before the Kings beheading) A MOCK PARLIAMENT, a MOCK POWER, a PRETENDED PARLIAMENT,; and NO PARLIAMENT AT ALL: And that they were abſolutely reſolved and determined TO PULL UP THIS THEIR OWN PARLIAMENT BY THE ROOTS, and not ſo much as to leave a ſhadow of it; yea, and had done it, if we (ſay they) and ſome of our then FRIENDS in the Houſe, had not been the principal Inſtruments to hinder them: We judging it then of two evils the leaſt, to chuſe rather to be governed by THE SHADOW OF A PARLIAMENT, till we could get a real and a true one (which with the greateſt proteſtations in the world they then promiſed and engaged with all their might ſpeedily to effect) then ſimply ſolely and onelyonly by the will of ſword-men, whom we had already found to be men of no very tender conſcience. And do not the Speaker and all Lawyers and others now ſitting in their own Judgments and Conſciences, and to their friends in private, believe, ſay, and confeſs as much, that they are no Parliaments? and yet have the impudency and the inſolency to ſit, act, and Tax, yea ſeclude and impriſon us at their pleaſures, as a real, legal and abſolute Parliament? O Atheiſme! O Tyranny, and Impiety of the worſt Edition!
If then theſe leading, ſwaying members of the new pretended purged Commons Parliament and Army, deemed the Parliament even before the Kings beheading, a Mock-parliament, a mockpower, a pretended Parliament, yea, no Parliament at all; and abſolutely reſoved to pull it up by the roots as ſuch, then it neceſſarily folows, Firſt, That they are much more ſo after the Kings death, and their ſuppreſſion of the Lords Houſe, and purging of the Commons Houſe to the very dregs, in the opinions and conſciences of thoſe now ſitting, and all other rational men. And no wayes enabled by Law to impoſe this or any other new Tax or Acts upon the Kingdom, or to create any new Treaſons, Confiſcations, Sequeſtrations and Penalties; and being themſelves in truth the worſt and greateſt of all Traytors and Tyrants. Secondly, that theſe grand Saints of the Army and Steerſmen of the pretended Parliament, and all Gown-men confederating with them, knowingly ſit, vote and act there againſt their own judgments and conſciences, for their own private, pernicious ends. Thirdly- that it is a baſeneſs, cowardize, and degeneracy beyond all expreſſion, for any of their fellow-members now acting, to ſuffer theſe Grandees in their Aſſembly and Army, to ſit or vote together with them, or to enjoy any Office or command in the Army under them, or to impoſe any Tax upon the people to maintain ſuch Officers, Members, Souldiers, who have thus vilified, affronted their pretended Parliamentary Authority, and thereby induced others to contemn and queſtion it: and forcibly excluded and impriſoned the greateſt part of the Members and whole Houſe of Peers, in order to their own future excluſion, and as great a baſeneſs in them and others for to pay it upon any terms.
Secondly he there affirms, that dP. 26, 27.Oliver Crumwel by the help of the Army, at their firſt Rebellion againſt the Parliament, was no ſooner up, but like a perfidious, baſe, unworthy man, &c. the Houſe of Peers were his onelyonly white boys, and who but Oliver (who before to me had called them in effect, both Tyrants and Uſurpers) became their Proctor, where ever he came; yea and ſet his ſon Ireton at work for them alſo; inſomuch that at ſome meetings, with ſome of my friends at the Lord Whartons Lodgings, he clapt his hand upon his breaſt, and to this purpoſe, profeſſed in the ſight of God upon his conſcience, THAT THE LORDS HAD AS TRUE A RIGHT TO THEIR LEGISLATIVE Note.and JURISDICTIVE POWER OVER THE COMMONS, AS HE HAD TO THE COAT UPON HIS BACK, and he would procure a friend, viz. Maſter Nathaniel Fiennes ſhould argue and plead their juſt right with any friend I had in England. And not onelyonly ſo, but did he not get the General and Councel of War at Windſor (about the time that the Votes of no more addreſſes were to paſs) to make a Declaration to the whole world, declaring THE LEGAL RIGHT OF THE LORDS HOUSE, and THEIR FIXED RESOLUTION TO MAINTAIN and UPHOLD IT? which was ſent by the General to the Lords by Sir Hardreſſe Waller: and to indear himſelf the more unto the Lords, in whoſe houſe without all doubt he intended to have ſate himſelf, he required me evil for good; and became my enemy to keep me in Priſon, out of which I muſt not ſtirre, unleſs I would ſloop and acknowledge, the Lords juriſdiction over Commoners; and for that end he ſets his agents and inſtruments at work to get me to do it: yet now they themſelves have ſuppreſſed them.
Whence it is moſt apparent. 1. That the General, Lieutenant General Cromwel, Col. Ireton, Hariſon, and other Officers of the Army now ſitting as Members, and over-ruling all the reſt, *See my Plea for the Lords and Houſe of Peers, (yea & all other Lawyers, Members, ſitting with them.have wittingly acted againſt their own knowledges, Declarations, Judgments, Conſciences, in ſuppreſſing the Lords Houſe, and depriving them of their Legiſlative and Juriſdictive Right and power, by preſuming to make Acts, paſs ſentences, and impoſe Taxes without them, or their aſſents in Parliament, contrary to the expreſs Acts of 16 & 17 Caroli. c. 1. 7, 8, 12, 14, 20. and hundreds of Ordinances, Remonſtrances, Declarations, the Proteſtation, Vow and Solemn League and Covenant made this Parliament, by the Votes of moſt now ſitting. 2. That this Tax enforced upon the Commons and Kingdom, for their own particular advantage, pay and enrichment, and to ſuppreſs the Houſe of Lords, is in their own judgments and conſcience, both unjuſt and directly contrary to the Laws of the Realm, being not aſſented to by the Lords: and therefore to be unanimouſly and ſtrenuouſly oppoſed by all the Lords and other Engliſhmen who love their own or Countries Liberties, or have any Nobility, or Generoſity in them.
Thirdly, he ePag. 34. 39, 40. 56, 47.there aſſerts in poſitive terms in his own behalf, and his confederates; That the purged Parliament now ſitting, is but a pretended Parliament, a mock-Parliament; yea, and in plaine Engliſh, NO PARLIAMENT AT ALL, but the ſhadow of a Parliament. That thoſe Company of men at Weſtminſter that gave Commiſſion to the high Court of Juſtice to try and behead the King, &c. were no more a Parliament by Law, or Repreſentatives of the people by the rule of Juſtice and Reaſon, then ſuch a company of men are a Parliament or Repreſentative of the People, that a company of armed Thieves chooſe and ſet apart to try, judge, condemn, hang or behead any man that they pleaſe, or can prevail over by the power of their Sword, to bring before them by force of arms, to have their lives taken away by pr…tence of JUSTICE, grounded upon rules meerly flowing from their VVills and Swords. That no Law in England authoriſeth a company of ſervants to puniſh and correct their Maſters, or to give a Law unto them, or to throw them at their pleaſure out of their power, and ſet themſelves down in it; which is the Armies caſe with the Parliament, eſpecially at Thomas Pride's late purge, which was an abſolute diſſolution of the very Eſſence and being of the Houſe of Commons; to ſet up indeed a MOCK-POVVER, and a MOCK-PARLIAMENT; by purging out all thoſe, that they were any way jealous of would not Vote as they would have them; and ſuffering and permitting none to ſit but (for the Major part of them) a company of abſolute School-boys, that will, like good Boys, ſay their Leſſons after them their Lords and Maſters, and vote what they would have them: and ſo be a skreen betwixt them and the people, with the name of a Parliament, and the ſhadow and imperfect image of Legal and Juſt Authority, to pick their pockets for them by Aſſeſements and Taxations; and by their arbitrary and tyrannical Courts and Committees (the beſt of which is now become a perfect. Star-chamber, High Commiſſion, and Councel-board) make them their perfect ſlaves and veſſals. With much more to this purpoſe.
If then their principal admirers, who confederated with the Army, and thoſe now ſitting, in all their late proceedings; and cryed them up moſt of any, as the Parliament and Supreme Authority of England before, at, and ſince the late force upon the Houſe, and its violent purgation, do thus in print profeſſedly diſclaim them, for being any real Parliament, or Houſe of Commons, to make Acts or impoſe Taxes upon the people: or ſet up High Courts of Juſtice to try and condemn the King, or any Peers or Engliſh Preemen; the ſecluded Lord; Members, Presbyterians, Royaliſts, and all others, have much more cauſe and ground to diſavow and oppoſe their uſurped Parliamentary authority, and illegal Taxes, Acts, as not made by any true Engliſh Parliament, but a Mock-Parliament only.
Fourthly, He therein further avets: fPag. 52. 53. 56. 57. 58. 59.That the death of the King, in Law indiſputably diſſolves this Parliament, ipſo facto, though it had been all the time before never ſo intire and unqueſtionable to that very hour. That no Neceſſity can be pretended for the continuance of it; the rather, becauſe the men that would have it continue ſo long as they pleaſe, are thoſe who have created theſe neceſſities on purpoſe, that by the colour thereof they may make themſelves great and potent. That the main end wherfore the Members of the Commons houſe were choſen and ſent thither, was, To treat and confer with King Charles and the Houſe of Peers, about the great Affairs of the Nation, &c. And therefore are but a third part, ot third eſtate of that Parliament, to which they were to come and joyn with, and who were legally to make permanent and binding Laws for the people of the Nation. And therefore having taken away two of the three Eſtates that they were choſen on purpoſe to joyn with to make Laws, the end both in reaſon and law of the peoples truſt, is ceaſed: for a Minor joyned with a Major for one and the ſame end, cannot play Lord paramount over the Major, and then do what it pleaſe; no more can the Minor of a Major; viz. one Eſtate of three, legally or juſtly deſtroy two of three, without their own aſſent, &c. That the Houſe of Commons ſitting freely within its limited time, in all its ſplendor of glory, without the awe of armed men, neither in Law, nor in the intention of their Chooſers, were a Parliament; and therefore of themſelves alone have no pretence in Law to alter the conſtitution of Parliaments, &c. concluding thus: For ſhame let no man be ſo audaciouſly or ſottiſhly voyd of Reaſon, as to call Tho. Prides pittiful Juncto A PARLIAMENT, eſpecially thoſe that called, avowed, proteſted and declared again and again thoſe TO BE NONE that ſate at Weſtminſter, the 26: 27, &c. of July 1647. when a few of their Members were ſcared away to the Army, by a few hours tumult of a company of a few diſorderly Apprentices. And being no repreſentative of the People, much leſs A PARLIAMENT, what pretence of Law, Reaſon, Juſtice or Nature can there be for you to alter the conſtitution of Parliaments, and force upon the people, the ſhew of their own Wills, luſts and pleaſures for laws and Rules of Government, made by a PRETENDED EVERLASTING, NULLED PARLIAMENT, a Councel of State, or Star-Chamber and a Councel of War, or rather by Fairfax, Cromwel and Ireton?
Now; if their own late confederates and creatures argue thus in print againſt their being and continuing a Parliament, their Juriſdiction, Proceedings, Taxes, and arbitrary pleaſures, ſhould not all others much more do it, and joyntly and magnanimouſly oppoſe them to the utmoſt, upon the ſelf-ſame grounds, for their own and the publick eaſe, Liberty, Safety Settlement, and reſtoring the Rights, Priviledges, Freedome, Splendor of our true Engliſh Parliaments?
Fifthly, He there likewiſe affirms, gP. 53. 54. 59. 41.that thoſe now fiting at Weſtminſter have perverted the ends of their truſts more then ever Strafford did: 1. In not ceaſing the people of, (but encreaſing) their grievances. 2. In exhauſting their eſtates to maintain and promote pernicious Deſignes to the peoples deſtruction. The King did it by a little Shipmony and Monopolies; but ſince they began, they have raiſed and extorted more mony from the People and Nation then half (nay all) the Kings ſince the Conqueſt ever did; as particularly: 1 By Exciſe, 2 Contributions. 3 Sequeſtrations of lands to an infinite value. 4 Fiſt part. 5 Twentyeth part. 6 Meal-mony. 7 Sale of plundered good. 8 Loanes. 9 Benevolences. 10 Collections upon their faſt days. 11 New impoſittions or cuſtomes upon Merchandize. 12 Guards maintained upon the charge of private men. 13 Fifty Subſidies at one time. 14 Compoſitions with Delinquents to an infinite value. 15 Sale of Biſhops lands. 16 Sale of Dean and Chapters lands: and now after the wars are done, 17 Sale of Kings, Queens, Princes, Dukes, and the reſt of the Childrens revenues. 18 Sale of their rich goods which coſt an infinite ſum. 19 to conclude all, a Taxation of ninety thouſand pounds a monethmonth: (ſince that of one hundred and twenty thouſand pounds a MonethMonth; and lately of a whole years Tax within three moneths, and now of one hundred thouſand pound a a monethmonth, for the ſame ſix moneths they have payed their Taxes, beſides Exciſe, Cuſtomes, Frequent new intollerable Militiaes, Payments to increaſed ſwa…ms of poor, ſequeſtrations, Highway money, and other charges, now all Trade is utterly loſt, and the three Kingdomes beggar'd and undone.) and when they have gathered it pretendingly for the Common-wealths uſe, divide it by thouſands and ten thouſands a piece amongſt themſelves, and wipe their mouths after it, like the impudent Harlot, as though they had done no evill; and then purchaſe with it publick Lands at ſmal or trivial values: O brave Truſtees! that have Proteſted before God and the world again and again in the day of their ſtraits, they would never ſeek themſelves, and yet beſides all this, divide all the choiceſt and profitableſt Places of the Kingdome among themſelves. Therefore when I ſeriouſly conſider, how many in Parliament and elſewhere of their Aſſociates (that judge themſelves the onelyonly Saints and Godly men upon the earth) that have conſiderable (and ſome of them vaſt) eſtates of their own inheritance, and yet take five hundred, one, two, three, four, five thouſand pounds per annum Salaries, and other comings in by their places, and that out of the too much exhauſted Treaſury of the Nation, when thouſands not onelyonly of the people of the world, as they call them, but alſo of the precious redeemed lambs of Chriſt, are ready to ſtarve for want of bread; I cannot but wonder with my ſelf, whether they have any conſcience at all within them or no; and what they think of that ſaying of the ſpirit of God, That who ſo hath this worlds goods, and ſeeth his brother hath need, and ſhutteth up his bowels of compaſſion from him (which he abſolutely doth that any wayes takes a little of his little from him) how dwelleth the love of God in him? 1 John 3. 17. Theſe actions and practiſes are ſo far from being like the true and real children of the moſt High, that they are the higheſt oppreſſion, theft and murther in the world, to rob the poor in the day of their great diſtreſs by Exciſe, Taxations, &c. to maintain their pomp, ſuperfluities and debauchery; when many of thoſe from whom they take it, do periſh and ſtarve with want and hunger in the mean time, and be deaf and Ad mant-hearted to all their TEARS, CRYES, LAMENTATIONS, MOURNFUL HOWLINGS, GROANES. Without all doubt, theſe pretended Godly Religious Men, have got a degree beyond thoſe Atheiſts or Fools, that ſay in their hearts, there is no God. Pſal. 14. 1. and 13. 1, 3. In quite deſtroying the peoples eſſential Liberties Laws and and Freedomes, and in leaving them no Law at all (as M. Peters their grand Teacher averred lately to my face we had none) but their meer will and pleaſures; ſaving Fellons Laws, or Martial Law, where new Butchers are both Informers, Parties, Jury men and Judges, who have had their hands imbrewed in blood for above theſe ſeven years together, having ſerved an Apprentiſhip to the killing of men for nothing but many, and ſo are more bloody than Butchers that kill …eep and calves for their own livelyhood; who yet by the Law of England, are not permitted to be of any jury for life and death; becauſe they are converſant in the ſhedding of blood of beaſts, and thereby through a habit of it may not be ſo tender of the blood of men, as the Law of England, Reaſon and Juſtice would have them to be. Yea, do not theſe men by their ſwords, being but ſervants, give what Laws they pleaſe to their Maſters, the pretended Law-makers of your Houſe? now conſtituted by as good and legal a power as he that robs and kills a man upon the high way?
And if this be the Verdict of their own Complices and Partizans concerning them and their proceedings, eſpecially touching their exhauſting our Eſtates by Taxes, and ſharing them among themſelves in the time of famine and penury (as the great Officers of the Army and Treaſurers who are Members now do: who both impoſe what Taxes they pleaſe, and diſpoſe of them, and all power, honour, profit, to themſelves and their creatures, as they pleaſe, without rendering any Accompt to the Kingdoms, contrary to the practiſe of all former ages, and the rules of reaſon and juſtice too) are not all others in the three Nations, eſpecially the ſecluded Lords, and Members, bound by all bonds of conſcience, Law and Prudence, to withſtand their impoſitions and Edicts unto death, rather than yield the leaſt ſubmiſſion to them?
Sixthly, He there avers, proves, and offers legally to make good, before any indifferent Tribunal, that the hPag. 2. 15▪ 27, 29. 33. 34. 35. 41. 53. 57, 58, 59, 64, 65. 75.Grandees and overruling Members of the Houſe and Army are not onelyonly, a pack of diſſembling, Jugling Knaves and Machevillians amongſt whom in conſulation hereafter he would ever ſcorn to come, for that there was neither faith, truth nor common honeſty amonſt them: but likewiſe Murtherers; who had ſhed mens blood againſt Law, as well as the King, whom they beheaded; and therefore by the ſame Texts and arguments they uſed againſt the King, their blood ought to be ſhed by man, and they to be ſurely put to death, without any ſatisfaction for their lives, as Traytors, Enemies, Rebels to, and iSee Pag. 39. 52.conſpirators againſt the late King (whom they abſolutely reſolved to deſtroy though they did it by martial Law) Parliament, Kingdome, and the peoples Majeſty and Soveraignty; That the pretended Houſe and Army are guilty of all the ſame crimes in kind, though under a new Name and notion, of which they charge the King in their Declaration of the 17. of March 1648. That ſome of them more legally deſerve death, than ever the King did: and conſidering their many Oathes, Covenants, Promiſes, Declarations, and Remonſtrances to the contrary (with the higheſt promiſes and pretences of good for the people and their declared Liberties that ever were made by men) the moſt perjured, pernicious, falſe, Faith and Truſt-breakers, and Tyrants, that ever lived in the world: and ought (as many of you have been, and now are) by all rational honeſt men to be moſt deteſted and abhorred of all men that ever breathed, by how much more under the pretence of friendſhip and brotherly kindneſſe, they have done all the miſchief they have done in deſtroying our Laws & liberties; there being no treaſon like Judas his Treaſon, who betrayed his Lord and Maſter with a kiſſe, &c. And ſhall we then ſubmit to their Taxes and new Acts, or truſt them with our eſtates, lives, liberties, and the ſupreme power, or acknowledge them for our legal Parliament and ſoveraign Lords of the three Kingdomes, if ſuch now in their own late adorers eyes?
Seventhly, He there aſſerts, kP. 57. 34.That whoſoever ſtoops to their new change of Government and Tyrany, and ſupports it, is as abſolute a Traytor both by Law and Reaſon, as ever was in the world; If not againſt the King PRINCE CHARLES, (heir apparent of his Fathers Crown and Throne) yet againſt the peoples Majeſty and Soveraignty. And if this be true, as it is, that this purg'd Parliament IS NO PARLIAMENT AT ALL; then there is neither legal Judges nor Juſtices of peace in England. And if ſo, then all thoſe that are executed at Tiburn &c. by their ſentence of condemnation are meerly murthered, and the *Let our Gownmen ſitting at Weſtminſter and other places, & in high courts of Juſtice too, & there condemning and executing men conſider it.Judges and Juſtices that condemned them are liable in time to be hanged (and that juſtly) therefore, for acting without ajuſt and legal Commiſſion, either from TRUE REGAL, OR TRUE PARLIAMENTARY POWER (except in corporations only where they proceed by ancient Charters in the An…ient Legal form).
And if this be Law and lLuk. 19. 14. 27. c. 12. 13. 14.Goſpel too (as no doubt it is) then by the ſame reaſon, not onelyonly all legal proceedings, Indictments, Judgements, Verdicts, Writs, Tryals, Fines, Recoveries, Recogniſances, and the like, before any Judges and Juſtices ſince the Kings beheading in any Courts at Weſtminſter, or in their Circuits, Aſſiſes, or quarter Seſſions, held by new Commiſſions, with all Commiſſions and Proceedings of Sheriffs, are not only meerly void, illegall, & coram non judice to all intents, with all Bills, Decrees, and Proceedings in Chancery, or the Rolls; and all Judges, Juſtices, Sheriffs now acting, and Lawyers practiſing before them in apparent danger of High-treaſon both againſt King and Kingdom, they neither taking the Oaths of Judges, Supremacy or Allegiance as they ought by Law; but only to be true and faithful to the new erected State without a King; but likewiſe all votes and proceedings before the pretended Houſe or any of their Committees, o… ſub-Committees in the Country, with all their Grants and Offices, Moneys, Salaries, Sequeſtrations, Sales of Lands or Goods, Compoſitions▪ &c. meer Nullities and illegal acts, and the proceedings of all active Commiſſioners, Aſſeſſors, Collectors, Treaſurers, &c. and all other Officers imployed to levy and to collect this illegal tax to ſupport that uſurped Parliamentary Authority, and Army, which hath beheaded the late King, diſ-inherited his undoubted Heir, levyed war againſt and diſſolved the late Houſes of Parliament, ſubverted the ancient Government of this Realm, the conſtitution and Liberties of our Parliaments, the Lawes of the Kingdome, with the Liberty and property of the people of England, no leſs than High-treaſon in all theſe reſpects, as is fully proved by Sir Edward Cook in his 3 Inſtitutes, ch. 1. 2. and by Mr. St. John in his Argument at Law at the attainder of the Earl of Strafford, and Declaration and Speech againſt the ſhip-mony Judges, publiſhed by the late Commons Houſe order; which I deſire all who are thus imployed, to conſider; eſpecially ſuch Commiſſioners who take upon them to adminiſter a new unlawful Ex-officio Oath to any, to ſurvey their Neighbours and their own eſtates in every pariſh, and return the true values thereof to them upon the new proun'd rate for the 3 laſt months contribution, & to fine thoſe who refuſe to do it (a meer diabolical invention to multiply perjuries to damn mens ſouls, invented by Cardinal Woolſey, much enveighed againſt by Father Latimer in his ſermons; condemned by the expreſs words of the Petition of Right, providing againſt ſuch Oathes; and a ſnare to enthral the wealtheir ſort of people by diſcovering their eſtates, to ſubject them to what future taxes they think fit) when as the whole Houſe of Commons in no age had any power to adminiſter any Oath in any caſe whatſoever, much leſſe then to confer any authority on others, to give ſuch illegal Oathes, and fine thoſe who refuſe them: the higheſt kind of Arbitrary Tyrany both over mens Conſciences, Properties, Liberties; to which thoſe who voluntarily ſubmit, deſerve not only the name of Traytors to their Country, but to be mExod. 21. 5. 6.boared through the ear, and they and their poſterities to be made Slaves for ever to theſe new Tax-maſters and their ſucceſſors; and thoſe who are any ways active in impoſing or adminiſtring ſuch Oaths, yea treaſonable Oaths of the higheſt degree, abjuring and engaging againſt King, Kingſhip, Kingdome and Houſe of Lords, and that with conſtancy and perſeverance, againſt their former Oathes of Homage, Fealty, Supremacy and Allegiance, the Proteſtation, Vow, Solemn League, and National Covenant (the moſt deteſtable Perjury and High treaſon that ever mortal men were guilty of) or aſſiſtant in impoſing, aſſeſſing, collecting, and levying illegal taxes by diſtreſſe or otherwiſe, may and will undoubtedly ſmart for it at laſt; not onelyonly by Actions of treſpaſſe, falſe impriſonment, Accompt, &c. brought againſt them at the Common▪Law, when there will be no Committee of Indempnity to protect them from ſuch ſuits, but likewiſe by Indictments of High treaſon, to the deſerved loſſe of their Eſtates, Lives, and Ruine of their families (and that by the Junctoes own Votes and Declaration Octob. 11. 1659.) when there will be no Parliament of purged Commoners, nor Army to ſecure, nor legal plea to acquit them from the guilt and puniſhment of Traytors both to their King and Country; pretended preſent forbid fear of impriſonment, loſs of Liberty, Friends, Eſtate, Life or the like, being no nSee 1. H. 4. Rot. Par. n. 97.excuſe in ſuch a caſe and time as this, but an higher aggravation of their crime: nor yet to exempt them from Hell it ſelf and everlaſting Torments in it, for their Perjuries Treaſons, Oppreſſions, Rebellions, and actings againſt their Conſciences out of fear of poor inconſiderable mortals, who can but kill the body at moſt, nor yet do that but by Gods permiſſion, contrary to the expreſs commands of God himſelf. Pſ. 3. 6. Pſ. 27. 1. Pſ. 56. 11. Pſ. 112. 7, 8. Iſa. 44. 8. c. 51. 7. 12. ler. 1. 8. Ezek. 2. 6. & 12. 4. 5. Mat. 10. 28. 1. Pet. 3. 4. Heb. 13. 6. the oRev. 21. 8.FEARFUL being the firſt in that diſmal liſt of Malefactors, who ſhall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimſtone, which is the ſecond death; even by Chriſts own ſentence.
JOHN 18. 34.
To this end was I born, and for this cauſe came I into the world, that I ſhould bear witneſſe unto the truth.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Prynne, Legal Vindication of the Liberties of England Against Illegal Taxes (1660)