either their sincerity
or their hypocrisy. We know what we speak is our privilege and that
our cause is righteous; and if they doubt of it, let them but send
a child for us to come before them, and we will make it manifest
some ways."

They then advance the grounds for their demands in the following
incisive words:

"_First_, By the National Covenant, which yet stands in force to
bind Parliament and People to be faithful and sincere before the
Lord God Almighty, wherein every one in his several place hath
covenanted to preserve and seek the liberty each of other without
respect of persons.

"_Secondly_, By the late victory over King Charles we do claim this
our privilege to be quietly given us out of the hands of Tyrant
Government, as our bargain and contract with them. For the
Parliament promised if we would pay taxes, and give free-quarter,
and adventure our lives against Charles and his party, whom they
called the common enemy, they would make us a free people.[93:1]
These three being all done by us, as well as by themselves, we
claim this our bargain by the Law of Contract from them, to be a
free people with them, they being chosen by us, but for a peculiar
work, and for an appointed time, from among us, not to be our
oppressing Lords, but servants to succour us. But these two are our
weakest proofs. And yet by them, in the light of Reason and Equity
that dwells in men's hearts, we shall with ease cast down all those
former enslaving, Norman, reiterated Laws, in every King's reign
since the Conquest, which are as thorns in our eyes and pricks in
our sides, and which are called the Ancient Government of England.

"_Thirdly_, We shall prove we have a free right to the land of
England, being born therein, as well as elder brothers, and that it
is our right equal with them and they with us, to have a
comfortable livelihood in the Earth, without owning any of our own
kind to be either Lords or Land-Lords over us. And this we shall
prove by plain text of Scripture, without exposition upon them,
which the Scholars and Great Ones generally say is their rule to
walk by.

"_Fourthly_, We shall prove it by the Righteous Law of our
Creation, that mankind in all its branches is the Lord of the
Earth, and ought not to be in subjection to any of h