prosperity depend upon,--Reformation. Make it a shame to see men bold in sin and profaneness, and God will bless you. You will be a blessing to the Nation; and by this, will be more repairers of breaches than by anything in the world. Truly these things do respect the souls of men, and the spirits,which are the men. The mind is the man. If that be kept pure, a man signifies somewhat; if not I would very fain see what difference there is betwixt him and a beast. He hath only some activity to do some more mischief.

There are some things which respect the Estates of men; and there is one general Grievance in the Nation. It is the Law. Not that the Laws are a grievance; but there are Laws that are; and the great grievance lies in the execution and administration. I think I may say it, I have as eminent Judges in this land as have been had, as the Nation has had, for these many years.-Truly I could be particular, as to the executive part" of it " as to the administration" of the Law"; but that would trouble you. The truth of it is, There are wicked and abominable Laws, which "it" will be in your power to alter. To hang a man for Six-and-eight-pence, and I know not what; to hang for a trifle and acquit for murder, —is in the ministration of the Law, through the ill-framing of it. I have known in my experience abominable murders acquitted. And to see men lose their lives for petty matters; this is a thing God will reckon for. And I wish it may not lie upon this Nation a day longer than you have an opportunity to give a remedy; and I hope I shall cheerfully join with you in it. This hath been a great grief to many honest hearts and conscientious people; and I hope it is in all your hearts to rectify it.

I have little more to say to you, being very weary; and I know you are so " too." Truly I did begin with what I thought was the means" to carry on this War (if you will carry it on). That we might join together in that vigourously. And I did promise an answer to an objection: "But what will you prosecute it with?" The State is hugely in debt; I believe it comes to The Treasure of the State is run out. We shall not be an enemy to your inspection; but desire it;—that you should inspect the Treasury, and how moneys have been expended. And we are not afraid to look the Nation in the face upon this score. And therefore we will say negatively,

first No man can say we have misemployed the Treasures of this Nation, and embezzled it to particular and private uses. It may be we have not been, as the world terms it,-so fortunate in all our successes, "in the issues of all our attempts." Truly if we are of mind that God may not decide for us in these things, I think we shall be quarrelling with what God "Himself " will answer " for." And we hope we are able, it may be weakly, I doubt not,-to give an answer to God, and to give an answer to every man's conscience in the sight of God, of the reason of things. But we shall tell you, it was part of that Arch-Fire, which hath been in this your time; wherein there were flames good store, fire enough; and it will be your wisdom and skill, and God's blessing upon you, to quench them both here and elsewhere: I say it again, our endeavours-by those that have been appointed, by those that have been Major-Generals; I can repeat it with comfort, -they have been effectual for the Preservation of your Peace! It has been more effectual towards the discountenancing of Vice and settling Religion, than anything done these fifty years; I will abide by it, notwithstanding the envy and slander of foolish men! But I say there was a design-I confess I speak that to you with a little vehemency-But you had not peace two months together, "nothing but plot after plot"; I profess I believe it as much as ever I did anything in the world ; and how instrumental they, these Major-Generals," have been to your peace and for your preservation, by such means, -which, we say, was Necessity! More "instrumental " More than all instituted things in the world! If you would make laws against whatever things God may please to send, "laws" to meet everything that may happen,—you make a law in the face of God; you tell God you will meet all His dispensations, and will stay things whether He will or no! But if you make good laws of Government, that men may know how to obey and to act for Government, they may be laws that have frailty and weakness; ay, and “ yet" good laws to be observed. But if nothing should "ever" be done but what is "according to Law" the throat of the Nation may be cut while we send for some to make a Law! Therefore certainly it is a pitiful, beastly notion to think, though it be for ordinary Government to live by law and rule, Yet—“ if a Government in extraordinary circumstances go beyond the

law even for self-preservation, it is" to be clamoured at, and blottered at. When matters of Necessity come, then without guilt extraordinary remedies may not be applied. Who can

be so pitiful a person!

I confess if Necessity be pretended, there is so much the more sin. A laying of the irregularity of men's actions upon God as if he had sent a Necessity;-who doth indeed send Necessities! But to anticipate these-For as to an appeal to God, I own it," own this Necessity" conscientiously to God; and the principles of Nature dictate the thing :-But if these be a supposition, I say, of a Necessity which is not, every act so done hath in it the more sin. This "whether in a given case, there is a Necessity or not," perhaps is rather to be disputed than otherwise But I must say I do not know one action of the Government," no, not one, but it has been in order to the peace and safety of the Nation. And the keeping of some in prison hath been upon such clear and just grounds that no man can except against it. I know there are some imprisoned in the Isle of Wight, in Cornwall, and elsewhere; and the cause of their imprisonment was, They were all found acting things which tended to the disturbance of the Peace of the Nation. Now these principles made us say to them: "Pray live quietly in your own countries" you shall not be urged with bonds "or engagements," or to subscribe to the "Government." But they would not so much as say, "We will promise to live peaceably." If others are imprisoned, it is because they have done such things. And if other particulars strike, we know not what to say,-as having endeavoured to walk as those that would not only give an account to God of their actings in Authority, but had " withal" to give an account of them to men.

I confess I have digressed much. I would not have you be discouraged if you think the State is exceeding poor. Give me leave to tell you, we have managed the Treasury not unthriftily, nor for private uses; but for the use of the Nation and the Government; and shall give you this short account. When the Long Parliament sat, this Nation owed £700,000. We examined it; it was brought unto that,-in that short Meeting" of the Little Parliament," within half a year after the Government came into our hands, I believe there was more rather than less. They, the "Long Parliament people,' had £120,000 a month; they had the King's, Queen's, Princes',

Bishops' Lands; all Delinquents' Estates, and the Deanand-Chapter Lands;-which was a very rich Treasure. As soon as ever we came to the Government, we abated £30,000 the first half year, and £60,000 after. We had no benefits of those Estates, at all considerable; I do not think, the fiftieth part of what they had :-and give me leave to tell you, we know it has been maliciously dispersed, as if we had set the Nation into £2,500,000 of debt; but I tell you, you are not so much in debt, by some thousands,-I think I may say, by some hundreds of thousands! This is true that I tell you. We have honestly, it may be not so wisely as some others would have done,-but with honest and plain hearts, laboured and endeavoured the disposal of Treasure to Public Users; and laboured to pull off the common charge £60,000, a month, as you see. And if we had continued that charge that was left upon the Nation, perhaps we could have had as much money" in hand," as now we are in debt. These things being thus, I did think it my duty to give you this account, though it be wearisome even to yourselves and to me.

Now if I had the tongue of an Angel; if I was so certainly inspired as the holy men of God have been, I could rejoice, for your sakes, and for these Nations' sakes, and for the sake of God, and of His Cause which we have all been engaged in, If I could move affections in you to that which, if you do it, will save this Nation! If not,—you plunge it, to all human appearance, "it" and all Interests, yea and all Protestants, in the world, into irrecoverable ruin!

Therefore I pray and beseech you, in the name of Christ, Show yourselves to be men; "quit yourselves like men! It does not infer any reproach if you do show yourselves men ; Christian men,-which alone will make you "quit yourselves.' I do not think that, to this work you have in hand, a neutral spirit will do. That is a Laodicean spirit; and we know what God said of that Church; it was "lukewarm," and therefore he would "spew it out of His mouth!" It is not a neutral spirit, that is incumbent upon you. And if not a neutral spirit, it is much less a stupefied spirit, inclining you, in the least disposition, the wrong way! Men are in their private consciences, every day making shipwreck; and it's no wonder if these can shake hands with persons of reprobate Interests ;— such, give me leave to think, are the Popish Interests. For the

Apostle brands them so," Having seared consciences." Though I do not judge every man ;-but the ringleaders are such. The Scriptures foretold there should be such. It is not such a spirit that will carry this work on! It is men in a Christian state; who have works with faith; who know how to lay hold on Christ for remission "of sins," till a man be brought to glory in hope." Such an hope kindled in men's spirits will actuate them to such ends as you are tending to; and so many as are partakers of that, and do own your standings wherein the Providence of God has set and called you to this work, so many" will carry it on.

If men, through scruple, be opposite, you cannot take them by the hand to carry them " along with you,"—it were absurd ; if a man be scrupling the plain truth before him, it is in vain to meddle with him. He hath placed another business in his mind; he is saying, "Oh, if we could but exercise wisdom to gain Civil Liberty,-Religion would follow!" Certainly there are such men, who are not maliciously blind, whom God, for some cause, exercises. It cannot be expected that they should do anything! These men,-they must demonstrate that they are in bonds-Could we have carried it thus far, if we had sat disputing in that manner? I must profess I reckon that difficulty more than all the wrestling with flesh and blood. Doubting, hesitating men, they are not fit for your work. You must not expect that men of hesitating spirits, under the bondage of scruples, will be able to carry on this work, much less such as are merely carnal, natural; such as having an “outward profession of Godliness," whom the Apostle speaks of so often, "are enemies to the cross of Christ; whose god is their belly; whose glory is in their shame; who mind earthly things." Do you think these men will rise to such a spiritual heat for the Nation as shall carry you a cause like this; as will meet "and defy" all the oppositions that the Devil and wicked men can make ?

Give me leave to tell you,-those that are called to this work, it will not depend "for them" upon formalities, nor notions, nor speeches! I do not look the work should be done by these. "No"; but by men of honest hearts, engaged to God; strengthened by Providence; enlightened in his words, to know His word,-to which he has set His Seal, sealed with the blood of His Son, with the blood of His servants; that is