AN
AGREEMENT
OF THE
Free People of England
A
Preparative to all sorts of of people. IF afflictions make men wise, and wisdom direct to
happinesse
then certainly this Nation is not far from such a degree therof, as
may compare if not far exceed, any part of the world: having for
some yeares by-past, drunk deep of the cup of misery and sorrow.
We blesse God our consciences are cleer from adding affliction
to affliction, having ever laboured from the beginning, of our
publick distractions, to compose and reconcile them: & should
esteem it the Crown of all our temporal felicity that yet we might
be instrumentall in procuring the peace and prosperity of this
Common-wealth the land of our Nativity.
And therefore according to our promise in our late Manifes-
tation of the 14 of April 1649. (being perswaded of the necessitie
and justnesse thereof) as a Peace-Offering to the Free people of
this Nation, we tender this ensuing Agreement, not knowing any
more effectuall means to put a final period to all our feares and
troubles. It is a way of settlement, though at first much starled at
by some in high authority; yet according to the nature of truth,
it hath made its own way into understanding, and taken root in
most mens hearts and affections, so that we have reall ground to
hope (what ever shall become of us) that our earnest desires and
indeavours for good to the people will not altogether be null and
frustrate.
The life of all things is in the right use and application, which
is not our worke only, but every mans conscience must look to
it selfe, and not dreame out more seasons and oppertunities.
And this we trust will satisfie all ingenuous people that we are
not such wilde, irrationall, dangerous Creatures as we have been
aspersed to be; nor did we ever give just cause for any to belieeve
worse of us by any thing either said or done by us, and which
would not in the least be doubted, but that men consider not
the interest of those that have so unchristian-like made bold
with our good names; but we must bear with men of such
interests as are opposite to any part of this Agreement, when
neither our Saviour nor his Apostles innocency could stop such
mens mouthes whose interests their doctrines and practises did
extirpate: And therefore if friends at least would but consider
what interest men relate to, whilst they are telling or whispering
their aspersions against us, they would find the reason and save
us a great deale of labour in clearing our selves, it being a
remarkable signe of an ill cause when asperstions supply the
place of Arguments.
We blesse God that he hath given us time and hearts to bring
it to this issue, what further he hath for us to do is yet only
Knowne to his wisedom, to whose will and pleasure we shall
willingly submit; we have if we look with the eyes of frailty,
enemies like the sons of Anak, but if with eyes of faith and
cofidence in a righteous God and a just cause, we see more with
us then against us.
From our causelesse
captivity John Lilburne. William Walwyn
in the Tower of London, Thomas Prince. Richard Overton
May 1. 1649
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