Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction: the English Levellers, 1645–1649
- Chronological table
- Bibliographical note
- Notes on the texts
- Leveller texts
- 1 ‘On the 150th page’: An untitled broadsheet of August 1645
- 2 Toleration justified and persecution condemned. 29 January 1646
- 3 Postscript to The freeman's freedom vindicated. 16 June 1646
- 4 A remonstrance of many thousand citizens. 7 July 1646
- 5 An arrow against all tyrants. 12 October 1646
- 6 Gold tried in the fire. 4 June 1647
- 7 Several hands, An agreement of the people for a firm and present peace upon grounds of common right and freedom. 28 October 1647
- 8 Members of the New Model Army and civilian Levellers, Extract from the debates at the General Council of the Army, Putney. 29 October 1647
- 9 The petition of 11 September 1648
- 10 England's new chains discovered. 26 February 1649
- 11 A manifestation. 14 April 1649
- 12 An agreement of the free people of England. 1 May 1649
- 13 The young men's and the apprentices' outcry. 29 August 1649
- Select biographies
- Index
- Title in the series
1 - ‘On the 150th page’: An untitled broadsheet of August 1645
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Introduction: the English Levellers, 1645–1649
- Chronological table
- Bibliographical note
- Notes on the texts
- Leveller texts
- 1 ‘On the 150th page’: An untitled broadsheet of August 1645
- 2 Toleration justified and persecution condemned. 29 January 1646
- 3 Postscript to The freeman's freedom vindicated. 16 June 1646
- 4 A remonstrance of many thousand citizens. 7 July 1646
- 5 An arrow against all tyrants. 12 October 1646
- 6 Gold tried in the fire. 4 June 1647
- 7 Several hands, An agreement of the people for a firm and present peace upon grounds of common right and freedom. 28 October 1647
- 8 Members of the New Model Army and civilian Levellers, Extract from the debates at the General Council of the Army, Putney. 29 October 1647
- 9 The petition of 11 September 1648
- 10 England's new chains discovered. 26 February 1649
- 11 A manifestation. 14 April 1649
- 12 An agreement of the free people of England. 1 May 1649
- 13 The young men's and the apprentices' outcry. 29 August 1649
- Select biographies
- Index
- Title in the series
Summary
In the 150th page of the book called An exact collection of the parliament's remonstrances, declarations, etc. (published by special order of the House of Commons, 24 March, 1642) we find there a question answered fit for all men to take notice of in these times.
question. Now in our extreme distractions – when foreign forces threaten, and probably are invited, and a malignant and popish party at home offended – the devil has cast a bone and raised a contestation between the king and parliament touching the militia. His majesty claims the disposing of it to be in him by the right of law; the parliament saith, rebus sic stantibus, and nolenti Rege: the ordering of it is in them.
answer. Which question may receive its solution by this distinction: that there is in laws an equitable, and a literal, sense. His majesty (let it be granted) is entrusted by law with the militia, but it's for the good and preservation of the republic against foreign invasions or domestic rebellions. For it cannot be supposed that the parliament would ever by law entrust the king with the militia against themselves, or the commonwealth that entrusts them, to provide for their weal, not for their woe. So that when there is certain appearance or grounded suspicion that the letter of the law shall be improved against the equity of it (that is, the public good, whether of the body real or representative) then the commander going against its equity, gives liberty to the commanded to refuse obedience to the letter. […]
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- The English Levellers , pp. 3 - 8Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1998
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