Page:The Leveller movement; a study in the history and political theory of the English Great Civil War (IA levellermovement01peas).djvu/86

 tion might easily find himself conforming to that which he had sworn to destroy. Burton’s definition of popery was a broad one—anything imposed on men’s consciences in the way of rites, ceremonies, or government that was not directly warranted by God’s Word. He anticipated a possible objection, that the things in the Church of England to which he took exception were established by acts of Parliament, with a startling doctrine: an act of Parliament directly contrary to God’s Word was ipso facto null, void, and of no effect.

Of course such teaching was sure to call forth protests. On July 10 the House of Commons committed the printer of the pamphlet, and a year later one of the king’s declarations cited the pamphlet as an example of the seditious writings that Parliament permitted to circulate. John Geree replied to Burton in Vindiciae Voti, admitting guardedly the validity of Burton’s position, but insisting that even if a law were contrary to the