o satisfy;
but I hold myself bound to lay my thoughts before so dear a
friend. The Lord do His own will.

"You say, 'God hath appointed authorities among the nations, to
which active or passive obedience is to be yielded. This
resides, in England, in the Parliament. Therefore, active or
passive resistance,' &c. &c.

"Authorities and powers are the ordinance of God. This or that
species is of human institution, and limited some with larger,
others with stricter bands, each one according to its
constitution. But I do not therefore think that the authorities
may do _any thing_, and yet such obedience be due. All agree
that there are cases in which it is lawful to resist. If so,
your ground fails, and so likewise the inference. Indeed, dear
Robin, not to multiply words, the query is,--Whether ours be
such case? This, ingenuously, is the true question.

"To this I shall say nothing, though I could say very much; but
only desire thee to see what thou findest in thy own heart to
two or three plain considerations. _First_, Whether _Salus
populi_ be a sound position? _Secondly_, Whether, in the way in
hand (_the parliamentary treaty with the king_,) really and
before the Lord, before whom conscience has to stand, this be
provided for--or if the whole fruit of the war is not likely to
be frustrated, and all most like to turn to what it was, and
worse? And this contrary to engagements, explicit covenants
with those who ventured their lives upon those covenants and
engagements, without whom, perhaps in equity, relaxation ought
not to be? _Thirdly_, Whether this army be not a lawful power,
called by God to oppose and fight against the king upon some
stated grounds; and being in power to such ends, may not oppose
one name of authority, for those ends, as well as another
name--since it was not the outward authority summoning them
that by its power made the quarrel lawful, but the quarrel was
lawful in itself? If so, it may be, acting will be justified
_in foro humano_. _But truly this kind of reasoning may be but
fleshly, either with or against: only it is good to try what
truth may be in them. And the Lord teach us._

"My dear friend, let us look into providences; surely they mean
somewhat. They hang so together; have been so constant, so