142 CHARGE AGAINST MR. OLIVER ST. JOHN. 



under the great seal ; a thing warranted by a mul 

 titude of precedents, both ancient, and of late time, 

 as you shall hear anon, and no doubt warranted by 

 law : so that the commissions be of that style and 

 tenour, as that they be to move and not to levy : 

 but this was done by letters of the council, and no 

 higher hand or form 



The fourth is, that these letters had no manner 

 of shew of any binding act of state : for they contain 

 not any special frame or direction how the business 

 should be managed ; but were written as upon 

 trust, leaving the matter wholly to the industry and 

 confidence of those in the country ; so that it was an 

 &quot; absque compute ;&quot; such a form of letters as no 

 man could fitly be called to account upon. 



The fifth and last point is, that the whole car 

 riage of the business had no circumstance compul 

 sory. There was no proportion or rate set down, 

 not so much as by way of a wish ; there was no me 

 nace of any that should deny ; no reproof of any 

 that did deny ; no certifying of the names of any 

 that had denied. Indeed, if men could not content 

 themselves to deny, but that they must censure and 

 inveigh, nor to excuse themselves, but they must ac 

 cuse the state, that is another case. But I say, for 

 denying, no man was apprehended, no nor noted. So 

 that I verily think, that there is none so subtle a dis- 

 puter in the controversy of &quot; liberum arbitrium,&quot; that 

 can with all his distinctions fasten or carp upon the 

 act, but that there was free-will in it. 



I conclude therefore, my lords, that this was a 



