NOTE I, p. 558.

Principles of the Levellers.

The following statement of the principles maintained by the Levellers is extracted from one of their publications, which appeared soon after the death of Cromwell, entitled “The Leveller; or, The Principles and Maxims concerning Government and Religion, which are asserted by those that are commonly called Levellers, 1659.”

Principles of Government.

1.  The government of England ought to be by laws, and not by men; that is, the laws ought to judge of all offences and offenders, and all punishments and penalties to be inflicted upon criminals; nor ought the pleasure of his highness and his council to make whom they please offenders, and punish and imprison whom they please, and during pleasure.

2.  All laws, levies of moneys, war and peace, ought be made by the people’s deputies in parliament, to be chosen by them successively at certain periods.  Therefore there should be no negative of a monarch, because he will frequently by that means consult his own interest or that of his family, to the prejudice of the people.  But it would be well if the deputies of the people were divided into two bodies, one of which should propose the laws, and the other adopt or reject them.

3.  All persons, without a single exception, should be subject to the law.

4.  The people ought to be formed into such a military posture by and under the parliament, that they may be able to compel every man to obey the law, and defend the country from foreigners.  A mercenary (standing) army is dangerous to liberty, and therefore should not be admitted.

Principles of Religion.

1.  The assent of the understanding cannot be compelled.  Therefore no man can compel another to be of the true religion.

2.  Worship follows from the doctrines admitted by the understanding.  No man therefore can bind another to adopt any particular form of worship.

3.  Works of righteousness and mercy are part of the worship of God, and so far fall under the civil magistrate, that he ought to restrain men from irreligion, that is, injustice, faith-breaking, oppression, and all other evil works that are plainly evil.

4.  Nothing is more destructive to true religion than quarrels about religion, and the use of punishments to compel one man to believe as another.

NOTE K, p. 608.

That Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper was deeply engaged in the intrigues of this busy time is sufficiently manifest.  He appears to have held himself out to every party as a friend, and to have finally attached himself to the royalists, when he saw that the royal cause was likely to triumph.  Charles acknowledged his services in the patent by which he was created Lord Ashley, mentioning in particular “his prudent and seasonable advice with General Monk in order to the king’s restoration.”—­Dugd. ii. 481.  From this passage we may infer that