THere is not any thing in the Univerſe deſerves leſs to be a Member of it, then a ſelf-ſeeking Man, who unconcern'd in the publick Good, regards onely his private Intereſt. The World unwillingly contributes to his maintenance; and Nature leſs abhors a Vacuum, then that any place ſhould be filled by a Subject ſo empty of deſert. He is a ſavage Creature in the midſt of civil People, not deſerving to be born of others, as not caring to live, but for himſelf. Nay, it is worthily reputed a kind of civil death, to do nothing elſe but live: for as long as we have a Country to abide in, we have a duty to tender it. All we have, we have from it; and by conſequence owe it all we have. Our Lives and Fortunes are ſafeſt, when ventured for the publick Intereſt; and he is the trueſt Lover of Law and Liberty, that affects rather to be ruled, then to rule; he the freeſt Subject, that creates himſelf a voluntary Slave to his Countries ſervice. Take from the world this inviolable Law, (that is not writ in braſs, but deeply imprinted in loyal hearts) and it ſhall again turn ſavage and barbarous. This is a truth ſo manifeſt, and not to be diſſembled, that never yet was there a Tyrant, but pretended to be a Saviour of the people. Liberty, Conſcience, a glorious Nation, The Good Old Cauſe, and ſuch ſpecious Names are made uſe of:Tacit. Nec quiſquam alienum ſervitium & dominationem concupivit, ut non eadem iſta vocabula uſurparit. Theſe Machiavilian Tricks, and political Cheats ſo often put upon the people of our Nation, me thinks ſhould have by this time undeceived us with a ſad experience of the miſeries we have ſubjected our ſelves to, by a perpetual itch of reforming, annulling, creating Laws, and framing new Governments to the model of every Grandees ambition; and yet we are againe ready to thruſt our Necks into a new yoak of Slavery, rather then any man will engage his private Fortunes, and venture to redeem his Country from Bondage. It is laid to the charge of Engliſh-men by Forraigners, that we are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and above all Nations under Heaven pretending to civility, the greateſt ſelf-ſeekers; as regarding much more our own particular, then the general concerns. I muſt needs ſay, other Nations would have canonized for Martyrs, and erected Statues after their death to the memory of ſome of our Compatriots, whom ye have barbarouſly defaced and mangled yet alive, for no other motive, but their undaunted Zeal. It has been (I know not whether I ſhould ſay) your miſfortune, or my glory, to become a Sufferer for a Legal Vindication of the Liberties of our Kingdom; but yet I never knew what it was to fear, when I perceived my ſelf engaged in ſo good a cauſe; not envy nor ſnarling Pamphlets ſhall ſtop the courſe of my Pen freely running into my Countries defence, which my Profeſſion and Age forbid me to vindicate by the Sword. Let young Men ſerve it with their ſtrength and arms, let old Men ſecure it by their heads and counſel: for my part, I deſire to live no longer then I can in ſome ſort contribute to ſo glorious a work. I have of late been ſnarled at for it by certain licentious Scriblers, that durſt not own their names for fear of diſcovering their Aſſes ears: however, they are pleaſed to twitch at the honourable remnant of mine. They thought to have ſtopt my mouth by their brauling and braying; but I dare yet ſpeak louder; and I hope I ſhall be heard by all ſuch as have yet ſound and impartial ears: but if my cry will not reach you, I fear (dear Country-men) the voyce of blood will ſpeedily interrupt your ſlumbring ſecurity. Thoſe that will be Lawleſs, finde fault with my Writings, becauſe I vindicate the anciently eſtabliſhed Laws of England; and tax me of deſperate Non-ſenſe, becauſe I will not allow them an unlimited, unlegal Legiſlative Power to repeal, annul, alter, and enact what Laws ſoever they deem beſt to ſerve their own turns. They deceitfully cry out, Salus populi ſuprema lex eſto! Cicero. an Axiome that I no ways deny to be true; but I would deſire to be inſtructed who are to be Judges, of what is expedient for the good of the people? The Author of the forecited Maxime ſays, Leges Magistratibus praeſunt, ut Magistratus praeſunt populo: And the great Doctor St. Austin not doubted to affirm, that thoſe ſocieties where Law and Juſtice is not, are not Commonwealths or Kingdoms,De civit. Dei. but Magna latrocinia, great thefts and trapanning cheats. As for the power of altering Laws, or bringing in new ones, and ſetting up new Governments, it is allowed by wiſe men, that all power lawfully exerciſed upon a Commonwealth, muſt neceſſarily be derived either from the appointment of God, who is ſupreme Lord of all; or from the conſent of the Society it ſelf, that hath the next power to his, of diſpoſing of their own Liberty, as they ſhall think fit for their good, whoſe benefit is the end of all Government. Therefore whoever arrogates ſuch power to himſelf, that cannot produce one of theſe two Titles, is not a Ruler, but an Invader, or a Tyrant. Now how this pretended Long Parliament, reſtored by the force of Souldiers, by whoſe force it had firſt been diſſolved, and was before annulled by the death or murther of King Charles the firſt, that ſummoned it, he being Principium, cauſa, & finis Parliamenti; after his murther, the houſe of Lords and Monarchy being aboliſhed, and ſo many of the ancient Members thrown out, new ones unduly elected, and ſuch horrid thefts, rapes, &c. committed by them upon the people, can lawfully be ſaid the Peoples Repreſentatives, and authorized by them, is the greateſt Riddle that ever was propounded to a puzzled State. It was in the year 1649, that I publiſhed a Legal Vindication of the Liberties of England; in which I demonſtrated the nullity of the then-pretended Long Parliament; and lately I ſet forth a lively pattern of the ſpurious Old Cauſe pretended to be revived and vindicated by the fine Pageant or now-ſitting Ghoſt of the long-ſince departed Long Parliament; neither need I reaſon farther with reaſonable Perſons about it: Yet ſince this Phantaſtical Hob-gobbling appears ſtill to fright the quiet people, and tempts them (like an evil Spirit) to give themſelves to ſuch an unruly Devil; I will here onely hold forth to the view of all good Engliſhmen, what ſlavery they muſt needs ſubject themſelves unto, if they reſolve to caſt off forever their lawful Maſter and Soveraign, and take for new Maſters theſe upſtart domineering Tyrants. Let then every honeſt freeborn Subject of England, lay his hand upon his breaſt, and ask of his own Conſcience, whether notwithſtanding all former Oaths of Allegiance, Supremacy, Proteſtation, ſolemn Leagues and Covenants, &c. he can voluntarily ſubmit to, and thereby freely acknowledge, contrary to his former knowledge and the ſaid Oath, &c.

1. That there may be, and now is a lawfully-aſſembled Parliament of England actually in being, legally continuing after the late Kings death, or lawfully re-aſſembled without King, Lords, or moſt of their fellow-Members, conſiſting onely of a few late Members of the Commons Houſe.

2. That this Parliament re-eſtabliſhed by a Military force▪ and packed together by Power of an Army combining with them, hath juſt and lawful Authority, and had it before; 1. To arraign, condemn and execute their lawful King himſelf, with the Peers and Commons of this Realm. 2. To diſ-inherit the Kings Poſterity of the Crown. 3. To extirpate Monarchy, and the whole houſe of Peers. 4. To violate the Priviledges, Rights, Freedoms, Cuſtoms, and alter the Conſtitution of Parliaments themſelves; to change and ſubvert the ancient Government, Seals, Laws, Writs, Courts and Coyn of the Kingdom. 5. To ſell and diſpoſe of all the Lands, Revenues, Jewels, Goods of the Crown, with the Lands of Deans and Chapters, for their own advantages, not for the eaſing of the people from taxes. 6. To diſpoſe of the Forts, Ships, Forces, Offices of Honour, Power, Truſt or Profit, to whom they pleaſe. 7. To raiſe and keep up what Forces by Land or Sea they pleaſe, and impoſe Taxes, &c. to make what new Acts, Laws, and reverſe what old ones they think meet. 8. To abſolve themſelves (by more then a Papal Power) and all the ſubjects of this Land, from all the aforeſaid Oaths, Engagements, Proteſtations, &c. 9. To permit, ſettle, or invent what Sect, Hereſie, or Religion they pleaſe, provided they be not Papacy or Prelacy, and that they allow not blaſphemy againſt the Trinity. 10. I ask now if every freeborn Subject that hath not raiſed himſelf an Intereſt by villany, or an Eſtate by robbery, or incurred a guilt to the Gallows for having his hand in blood, had not better venture Life and Fortunes to reduce the true and lawful Heir into a peaceful Poſſeſſion of his right, then to authorize by his conſent a new-fangled Government compacted of Treaſon, Uſurpation, Tyranny, Theft and Murder?