New Presbyterian Light Springing out of Independent Darkness, Postscript
A Poſt-ſcript.
JOhn Lilburn, the Armies Champion, cheif Advocate, and Councellor in his Letters to Leivt. General Cromwel; p. 13. hath this notable paſſage, which proclaims them a meer unlawful rout of Rebellious Mutiners, acting without a Commiſſion from the King or Houſes, whoſe orders and Commands they poſitively diſobey and proteſt againſt: and therefore all Wel-willers to the Parliament are bound by their Covenant to withſtand and proteſt againſt them and their proceedings, and endeavor their preſent disbanding, for the peoples eaſe, and ſettlement of the Kingdoms Peace.
The Army under Sir Thomas Fairfax, IS NOT NOW AN ARMY ACTING BY A COMMISSION from the King, OR THE TWO HOƲSES; for although they were raiſed by an Ordinance of the Lords and Commons aſſembled at Weſtminſter, for the defence of the King and Parliament, the true Proteſtant Religion (not the Scotch, Jewiſh, Antichriſtian, inſlaving Preſbytery) and the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom (not the Arbitrary wils of the Houſes▪ as appears by the Ordinance, 15. Feb. 1644. 2. part, book, declar. fol. 599. which poſſitively Commands Sir Thomas Fairfax, from time to time, to ſubmit to, and obey all ſuch Orders and Directions as he ſhal receive from both Houſes of Parliament, or from the Committee of both Kingdoms. Yet now he and his Army apprehending and beleiving, that the wicked and ſwaying faction in both Houſes, would deſtroy them, and inſlave the whole Kingdom, DO NOT ONLY DISPƲTE THE TWO HOƲSES ORDERS and COMMANDS, BƲT ALSO POSSITIVELY DISOBEY THEM, AS ƲNJƲST, TYRANNICAL, ƲNRIGHTEOƲS: And being now thereby diſſolved into the Original Law of Nature, hold their ſwords in their hands for their own preſervation and ſafety, which both Nature, and the two Honſes practiſes and Declarations teacheth them to do; and juſtifies them, in and now act according to the principles of ſafety, flowing from Nature, Reaſon, and Juſtice, agreed on by common conſent and mutual agreement amongſt themſelves, in which every individual private Souldier, whether Horſe or Foot, ought freely to have their Vote, to chuſe the tranſactors of their affairs, or elſe in the ſight of God, and all rotional men are diſcharged from obeying, ſtooping, or ſubmitting, to what is done by them.
And p. 4. in his Letter to Cromwel March 25. 1647. he lays down this as a ground, Why the Army ſhould not lay down their Arms upon any conditions in the world, before they ſee the Laws and univerſal wel-known Liberties of England ſettled: ſeeing I wil undertake publickly, and hope ſhortly to prove, the Parliament Tyrannizeth ten times more over Ʋs, then ever the King did; and I wil maintain that by the Law of this Kingdom, it is ten times eaſier to prove it lawful for us to take up Arms againſt them in the ways they now go; then it was for them to take up Arms, when they did, againſt the King. And I profeſs I would do it, if I were rationally able to morrow.
For this good Antiparliamentary Doctrine the Army in their late Demands require the enlargement of this Arch-traytor, who by his own confeſſion in his printed Letters was the Principal inſtrument to inſtigate Cromwel and them to their preſent Rebellion againſt the Houſes, their Members and proceedings, as arbitrary and Tyrannical, to ſubvert both King and Parliament. And therfore it is high time for the City and Kingdom to take up Arms to withſtand them in defence of the Parliament, King, Kingdom, according to their Covenant.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Prynne, New Presbyterian Light Springing out of Independent Darkness (1647)