A modest plea for an equal common-wealth against monarchy.: In which the genuine nature and true interest of a free-state is briefly stated: its consistency with a national clergy, mercenary lawyers, and hereditary nobility examined; together with the expediency of an agrarian and rotation of offices asserted. Also, an apology for younger brothers, the restitution of gavil-kind, and relief of the poor. With a lift at tythes, and reformation of the lawes and universities. All accommodated to publick honour and justice, without injury to any mans propriety, and humbly tendered to the Parliament. By a lover of his country in order to the healing the divisions of the times.

An Epistle to the Reader.

Candid Reader,

BEing in Capacity of doing my Country no greater service, I have presented her with a Glass or Mirror, in which a candid and discerning eye may discover some of the Political Errata's, or Wens that dis∣figure the Face, and crase the constitution of her Govern∣ment, which I humbly conceive proceeds chiefly from the lameness and imperfection of our late Reformation, in which though we have for a long time been strugling and wrestling with Tyranny and Oppression, yet have had our endeavours seconded with little better success then were Hercules's that famous Hero's incounters with the Hydra; of which ha∣ving lopp'd off one Head, there still sprang up two; in like manner we were willing to flatter our selves into a conceit, that Tyranny had received a mortal wound by that fatal stroke that took off the Kings Head, and unhorsed the Nobi∣lity. But experience (the Mistress of true wisdome) hath taught, it is not lopping the boughs, or cutting off the top branch of Monarchy, that will deliver a Nation from bon∣dage, unless the Ax be laid to the root thereof, to the evil root of bitterness, whence springs all our misery, to the root of every usurping and domineering interest, whether in things Civil or Divine; for otherwise we do but prune, dress and culturate the stock, that it may grow the thicker, the faster, that it may thrive the better. A King being but one person, the top and head of a Monarchick State, the taking

away of him is but the taking down the upper story, or un∣covering the roof of the Government, whereby it is expo∣sed to all storms and tempests, to the injuries of ill weather, which is altogether unsafe and imprudent, if the rest of the structure be designed to stand, if the whole Frabrick be not demolished. And is not this our present state and condition? Have we not deprived our selves of all the conveniencies of Monarchy, of whatever of excellency or beauty was in it, and retained onely the flawes and evils of it? Was it not the grand evil of that state, that it set up a few great Families, and raised them to an extravagant and excessive height, by the ruine and oppression of the rest? Were not all the Lawes with the whole constitution of its Government, made in fa∣vour of the elder brethren and great families, while the bulk of the people which consists of younger Sons, were left to shift for themselves, and scramble fer a poor livelihood; and is it not so still? Are they not still the Sons of Fortune, and their own right hands, the Heirs of their own merits? that is va∣gabonds on the face of the Earth, having no lot among their brethren, sine nomine & lare, without House, Name, or Family; and is not this a greater evil in a Free-state, that pretend to an Equal Commonwealth? Nay, may not these say, It were well if it were with us as in the dayes of old, when by reason of the Multitude of Preferments, it was as impro∣bable for a person of worth and ingenuity to miss of employ∣ment as how to find it; or if any one were so unhappy as not to finde entertainment in neither Court nor Hierarchy, could yet offer a repulse, hide his head in a Monastery or religious House, that used to receive such to whom the world was most inhospitable. May not these say, was it for our interest to put down one Court and King, to set them up in every

great Gentlemens Family? Was it for our advantage to throw down the ancient Nobility, whose greatness was bal∣lanced by a jealous Monarch, to set up a more numerous of a modern stamp, without any ballance? are they the less for∣midable for waving invidious Titles, or will they not be our Masters if they be our Landlords? Have we gained any thing by throwing down of Bishops, do not all their Lands run into one and the same Channel, for inriching and ag∣grandizing of elder Brethren? Nay, may not the things we have destroyed witness against us, and the dayes of old re∣prove and expostulate with us? Was this our evil? was this our crime? that we secured part of our Lands, in a com∣mon stock and publick revenue intailed on the Altar, for the relief of our younger Children, from whom they are now wrested? Is there not as unequal a distribution of the wealth and Riches of the Land as ever? Is there not as much Pride, Covetousness, Extortion and Oppression now as ever? Do not men (notwithstanding all the light that hath dawn'd up∣on the Word, and the many Hazards and Casualties Riches are exposed unto) with as great travail both of mind and body, accumulate wrath as ever? do they not endeavour to build their nest as high as ever? though as Solomon hath observed, they know not who shall come after them, whether their own, or the Son of a stranger shall inherit them, whe∣ther a wise man or fool shall be master over all their works; is not this an ancient evil, and still a great vanity? that men should be more brutish and unnatural then the worst of bruits to their own flesh, and like Canibals, destroy the very fruit of their own loyns, by exposing their younger Children to misery and poverty, to build themselves a great Name in the Earth, when as they know not but that their Heirs, like those of Au∣gustus,

may be their greatest Enemies instead of the first-born, for whom they design their Princely Patrimonies. How justly doth God often blast and curse these great Estates that are the product of so much partiality, Oppression and un∣righteousness, and may be not also the Government by which it is permitted? Certainly did we belive the Scriptures, that it is so difficult a thing for a Rich Man to be saved, and that poverty is a temptation to take the name of God in vain, we should not be so industrious on the one hand to bar the doors of Heaven against our first-born, and render their passage through the Gate thats streight enough to all, more difficult then a Camels through the eye of a Needle: and on the other hand offer temptations to the rest to do evil; I say, we should not make the Tables of the one become their snares to wax fat, and forget God, and to tempt the other with misery, which not unoften ministers as bad councel as that of Jobs wife, to curse God and dye? To conclude, will vir∣tue be in any reputation, while riches are in such great e∣steem? Oh what Iliads of evils are the off-spring of this Covetousness and Oppression? but to proceed, after all our great expectations, are we not still in the wildern••s, instead of being arrived at the Canaan of our Liberties, that good Land we promised our selves by our Reformation? or else as Samuel sometime said to Saul, What means this bleating of Sheep and Oxen? so, what means the sighing and mourning of the people? what means those harsh and querulous notes that are continually grating in our ears; are they not witnesses hereof? is not every mans mouth like the Children of Israels, found full of bitter complaints? Is there not a great m••rmuring throughout the Nation? doth not not every one cry out more then ever of the deadness of Trade,

of the hardness and iniquitie of the times? and is it without cause? are not all Trades and Professions over stocked? is not knavery crept into every shop, & fraud and deceit into all pro∣fessions? and are not Thieves and Beggars daylie multipli∣plyed, and those of none of the worst Names and Families throughout the Land?

And have not too complaints been added, many and various indeavours? into how many several forms and moulds of Government have we of late been cast? How many new ex∣periments have we made; of how many instruments and new devices made tryals, and all to no purpose, into how great pangs and what sore travail hath the Common-wealth been cast, and yet not able to bring forth the desired and expected Reformation, we have so long waited for. How hath the Nation staggered and reeled to and fro like a drunken Man? We have set up and pulled down; we build, and then again destroy; we go forwards and backwards, not knowing which way to turn us, being all this while groping in the dark, not knowing what ayleth us, or what we would have, onely we are sick and that unto the death.

Also many have been the Physitians that have undertaken our cure, to heal the distempers of our State, but have prov'd meere Mountebancks, either their ignorance mistaking, or fear concealing the rise and cause of our malady, and so pro∣ved very unsuccessful in their undertakings, what shall we then do? shall we tamper no more, but leave time to work out Cure, to heal and make up our breaches? without doubt that cannot be safe, for our disease growes upon us daylie, we are every day worse then other, the very symptomes of death and dissolution are hastening upon us: and though I pretend not to be a Prophet, or the son of a Prophet, yet I dare venture

to predict, if what is spell'd from visible and natural cau∣ses may be so termed, that unless God please to raise some no∣ble and generous spirits to undertake the discovery, and with undaunted Reformation destroy the root of all our Evils, we shall yet hear our Bells ring more changes, and instru∣ments of Government be wound up to more harsh and discor∣dant Notes then any our ears have been entertained with yet.

Now to know the spring and source of our misery, I pre∣sume we need neither consult an Oracle, or ask Councel of a Conjurer, and perhaps it may be less difficult, then safe to discover; the Caution of Solomon being good Councel, Be not righteous over much, neither make thy selfe over wise, why shouldst thou destroy thy self: Whence we may learn it is not the difficulty, but danger that obstructs the discovery of many things. For who will contend with time that is mightier, or too strong for him? So I returned and considered all the Oppressions that are done under the Sun, and to behold the tears of such as are Oppressed, and they had no comforter, and on the side of the Oppressors there was power, but they had no Comforter. Now should we ask Council of our old Nobility, the Lawyer, the Clergy, or the Citizen, we know what would be their advice, to face about, return to the old constitution, to go back again into Aegypt, to return to our making of brick, and so build up the things we have so lately destroyed, for it was better with us then it is now; we shall never find out a better constitution in which all interests were so well bounded and ballanced, as the old, faith the Ancient Nobility. Nor will any so well suit with the genious humour of the English people, and the tenour of their Lawes, saith the Lawyer, Religion and Learning ne∣ver

flourished so well as under Monarchy, nor were there then so many Schisms and Heresies, saith the Divine. In the time of the King and Court, we had far better Trading, saith the Citizen; nor were we then burdened with so many Taxes, saith the Country-man, so that all are willing and agreed to face about and be as they were. And whats the reason of it, but that men mistake their interest, and there is an evil re∣port raised on the Land, whether we are travelling, as if it were a Land of Confusion and not of Peace and Liberty. And the Spies have done ill offices, which hath occasioned this brief Map or Description of a Common-wealth, or the presenting these few bunches of Grapes, that you may have a taste of what Liberty may be expected in the Canaan to∣wards which we are setting our faces.

Let us therefore stand still and see the salvation of God, and not murmur against his providences that have so long detained us in the wilderness; but follow the Captains and Leaders that first lead us out of Egypt, and are now restored to put us in possession of what we have so long expected, if we do not through unbelief render our selves unworthy to en∣ter.