| Title: | Copy Letter In Scribal Hand A, Benjamin Worsley? To Lady? |
|---|---|
| Dating: | 27 September 1654 |
| Ref: | 65/15/1A-4B |
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Dublin Sept. 27. 1654
I was Madam at the receipt of that Letter; & it what you were pleased to mention of my Lady Parsons brought into a very great sense. How much the qvicknesse of our discernings, greatnesse of parts, & other naturall indorsments were apt to bee made a Barre, rather then a furtherance to us in the choice of our happinesse. For all these things in us fastening themselves presently vpon Custome, & vpon the universality of Example, & by these framing a Iudgement of all things in us. They are just like seing of things thorough water or any other cleare & transparent medium; through which the light coming refracted to us, though wee see with much clearnesse every thing yet they are in an[altered] Inverse posture to us, to what they are in themselves; & so is the truth of all things to our naturall vnderstandings as long as we are induced to judge of them by the dictates of sense. And how few are brought into a higher light. How hard to gett ourselves above this earth, & the corrupt manners & customes of it they can best tell, (& how best also to pitty others) who lye most vnder the Burthen of it.
And indeed though the Lord hath beene pleased to discover himselfe more neerely to me then ever, & hath clearly & manifestly taught me that his glory lyes in his pardoning mercy
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& our glorifying of him, in our allowing him to bee as much above us, in that & (in his love in the riches of his grace & in) his designing goodnesse as wee are ready to confesse hee is in his power & other attributes. Though also hee hath taught me that they most honour him who do the most patiently qvietly & constantly waite on him, & that such shall in time best know him, & most experience his goodnesse. And that it is by our Pride only (as to us) & our indulging of it: That wee are kept from discerning him. It being our Pride (not modesty as men are pleased to thincke) to beleeve him to bee much more patient long suffering or eminent in goodnesse then ourselves. Our Pride that will not suffer us qvietly to stoope vnder his band, or to receive a Crosse from him. Our pride that will not waite or expect the issue of his ordering of things, our pride that will not receive instruction of him or permit us to inqvire into his wisedome. And though through this goodnesse & condescension of his, he hath stirred in me a great desire of giving him the honor due, & that I see not only myselfe but all other men to bee nothing.
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Yet I must with shame & trouble professe custome doth soe prevail over mee that not withstanding I know, that all wee can, & all wee are called to doe here, is to beare our witnesse or testimony of him & of his truth, & to let the world know of a certaine that the Lord is in us. Yet this very thing I find myselfe backward to doe my tongue here in faltering & stammering, while in other things, prompt ready & fluent that serve only to divert myself & others from the considerations of that which most concernes us, though of least pleasure, & ease to the flesh. And this speaking & freqvently intertaining converse of things pleasing rather then things profitable. As it is the great sinne I lye vnder, soe I doe desire to owne it & bewaile it before the Lord.
Madam I by this Post had the honour of your Lords of the 19th instant & in it a very exact Relation of that which you rightly observe might easely induce us to consider of the changeablenesse of things. As also of the vanity as of the hearts soe of the words & Professions of man.
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Madam that which I have had my thoughts much since running vpon is, how sensibly & manifestly the Lord leads us to see what hee is doeing, & that still his worke is but one & the same if wee would but rightly consider it. For though wee were at length convinced there was much willfullnesse arbitrarinesse Injustice, tyranny, partiality, favour oppression in a king. Yet a Parliament how glorious did wee call that Institution; how full, how comprehensive, for power, for wisedome, for authority, & all things else reqvisit to make vp A Government It was therefore fitt by so long a continuance of one Parliament & the issue of that together with the qvicke succession & transactings of 2. more. That wee should experimentally see, that in Parliament may bee selvishnesse, partiality, hight of oppression, vnmercifullnesse, folly & weakenesse, both in Counsell, authority & power. And that that therefore should bee lyable to its contempt as well as any other. I have I confesse since the beginning of the last change of Government endeavored more intimately then before to satisfy myselfe of the Principles & foundation of Government
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(according to the meannesse of my vnderstanding) both from scripture & reason, & though I have debated & recommitted the thing againe & againe to myself to bee considered yet I still (as to myselfe) finde
1. A cleare & wide difference between the ends of Government & the manner of administration & execution of those ends. That the ends of Government are alwaies one & necessary. That the media or manner of administration though necessary in the generall; that it should bee after some manner, yet not necessary to bee after this or that manner & noe other. That the necessity of the end of Government compells or injoynes not the necessity of this or that manner of administration of it.
That there being a necessity of some administration & yet noe Rule, Law or Prescript either in scripture or in nature what manner of administration of Government must proceed & ever have proceeded from the sole free & arbitrary pleasure of such who laying[altered] hold vpon the opportunityes offered them haue[altered]in all ages, seazed & assumed the Government
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Whether they bee one or more persons who alwaies also framed & calculated such a forme of Government as they in their wisedomes did thincke most suited with such & such important Circumstances impendent vpon them.
That the formes of Government were all a long in all ages imposed vpon the people with more & lesse of Power from & by which they received their essence: though offerred vnder other consideration. That vnder all formes as well the more eminent as the more subordinate Ministers were constrained to Act according to the mind & intention of those who first calculated & produced that forme. And therefore noe new thing.
That <noe> forme or administration of Government hitherto by any man projected but hath its manifest Inconveniences yea direct vnavoideable & almost necessary Tendencies to be corrupted.
That the happinesse of any Government doth clearly consist rather in the persons & their particular qvalifications & fittnesse for Government then in any kind of of wisedome or
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contrivement of this or that perpetuall forme & administration of Government.
That no person being able of himself to resist the temptation of power to judge without any mistake or error to execute righteousnes or to performe all the weighty affaires of Government but by the Lords presence & assistance only with him. One great cause therefore doubtlesse of the evill of Government is that the people are too little exercised in Love & in earnest prayer for them that are sett over them
And thus Madam I reduce the consideration of Government (as to my owne thoughts of it) into the vanity of this or that forme, into the insufficiency of any person & into the duety of the people. And vpon the whole & the consideration of the late great Action, am humbly of an opinion, That as my Lord Protector had much cause to thincke them very irrationall & absurd men, who being called only as counsellors (by the vertue of a power & forme of Government which had beene asserted) should having themselves not the Power, Endeavour <to> alter the frame of Government actually invested with the Power. So those who now sitt vnder & by the permission of the same power, have not much to boast of in
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<top right, hand Y: R:Ws canting Letter> in themselves; seing what they can doe for the people doth not at all appeare; This only appearing that some things they cannot, nor must not doe. And that the ground of their session is mixt proceeding partly from the merit of their Obedience, partly from concession.
And truly Madam If this be all that is doing, we cannot as to the Government say, there is yet any new thing vnder the sunne. And how well then, this doth sqvare with our so often profession, or how ill rather it testifyes our beleefe of the Lords coming I leave to your serious consideration to judge. Humbly begging your pardon for entertaining you thus tædiously with the privat notions of
Madam
Your humble servant
B W.