Cessation.

Subjects their King, the King his Subjects greets,Whilome the Scepter and the Plough-staffe meets.

But Progenitors have had them for four and twenty predecessions: that would be spoken in the Norman tongue or Cimbrian, not in the English or Scottish: When a Conquerour turnes Christian, Christianity turns Conquerour: if they had had them time out of minde of man, beforeAdamwas made, it is not a pin to the point inforo rectæ rationis: Justice and Equity were before time, and will be after it: Time hath neither Politicks nor Ethicks, good nor evill in it; it is an empty thing, as empty as aNew-Englishpurse, and emptier it cannot bee: a man may break his neck in time, and in a lesse time then he can heale it.

But here is the deadly pang, it must now be taken by force and dint of sword: I confesse it is a deadly pang to a Spirit made all of flesh, but not to a mortified heart: it is good to let God have his will as hee please, when we have not reason to let him have it as we should; remembring, that hitherto he hath taken order, that ill Prerogatives gotten by the Sword, should in time be fetcht home by the Dagger, if nothing else will doe it: Yet I trust there is both day andmeans to intervent this bargaine. But if they should; if God will make both King and Kingdome the better by it, what should either lose? I am sure there is no great cause for either to make great brags.

Pax quo carior, eo charior.

A peace well made, is likeliest then to hold,When 'tis both dearly bought and dearly sold.

I confesse, he that parts with such pearles to be paid in old iron, had need to be pityed more by his faithfull friends, than he is like to be by his false flatterers. My heart is surcharged, I can no longer forbear.

My Dearest Lord, and my more thandearest King, I most humbly beseech you upon mine aged knees, that you would please to arme your minde with patience of proofe, and to intrench your selfe as deep as you can, in your wonted Royall meeknesse; for I am resolved to display my unfurled soule in your very face, and to storme you with volyes of Love and Loyalty. You owe the meanest true Subject you have, a close account of these open Warres: they are noArcana imperii. Then give mee leave to inquire of your Majesty, what you make in fields of blood, when you should be amidst your Parliament of peace: What you doe sculking in the suburbs of Hell, when your Royall Pallaces stand desolate, through your absence? What moves you to take up Armes against your faithfull Subjects, when your Armes should beeembracing your mournfull Queen? What incenses your heart to make so many widdowes and Orphans, and among the rest your owne? Doth it become you, the King of the stateliest Island the world hath, to forsake your Throne, and take up the Manufacture of cutting your Subjects throats, for no other sin, but for Deifying you so over-much, that you cannot be quiet in your Spirit, till they have pluckt you downe as over-low? Doe your three Kingdomes so trouble you, that they must all three be set on fire at once, that when you have done, you may probably runne away by their light into utter darknesse? Doe your three Crownes sit so heavy on your head, that you will break the backs of the three bodies that set them on, and helpt you beare them so honourably? Have your three Lamb-like flocks so molested you, that you must deliver them up to the ravening teeth of evening Wolves? Are you so angry with those that never gave you just cause to be angry, but by their too much feare to anger you at all, when you gave them cause enough? Are you so weary of Peace, that you will never be weary of Warre? Are you so willing to warre at home, who were so unwilling to warre abroad, where and when you should? Are you so weary of being a good King, that you will leave your selfe never a good Subject? Have you peace of Conscience, in inforcing many of your Subjects to fight for you against their Conscience? Are you provided with Answers at the great Tribunall, for the destruction of so many thousands, whereof every man was as good a man as your Self,quaman?

Is it not a most unworthy part for you to bee running away from your Subjects in a day of battel, upon whose Pikes you may come safe with your naked breast and welcome? Is it honourable for you to be flying on horses, from those that would esteeme it their greatest honour, to beare you on their humble shoulders to your Chaire of Estate, and set you down upon a Cushion stuffed with their hearts? Is it your prudence to be inraged with your best friends, for adventuring their lives to rescue you from your worst enemies? Were I a King, pardon the supposall, I would hang that Subject by the head, that would not take me by the heels, and dragge me to my Court, when he sees me shifting for life in the ruined Countrey, if nothing else would doe it; And I would honour their very heels, that would take me by the very head, and teach me, by all just meanes, to King it better, when they saw me un-Kinging my selfe and Kingdome: Doe you not know Sir, that, as when your people are sicke of the Kings-evill, God hath given you a gift to heale them? so when your selfe are sicke of it, God hath given the Parliament a gift to heale you: Hath your Subjects love been so great to you, that you will spend it all, and leave your children little or none? Are you so exasperated against wiseScotland, that you will makeEnglandyour foole or foot-stoole? Is your fathers Sonne growne more Orthodox, then his most Orthodox father, when he told his Sonne, that a King was for a kingdome, and not a kingdome for a King? parallell to that of the Apostle; the husband is but by the wife, but the wife of the husband.

IsMajestas Imperiigrowne so kickish, that it cannot stand quiet withSalus Populi, unlesse it be fettered? Are you well advised, in trampling your Subjects so under your feet, that they can finde no place to be safe in, but over your head: Are you so inexorably offended with your Parliament, for suffering you to returne as you did, when you came into their house as you did, that you will be avenged on all whom they represent? Will you follow your very worst Councell so far, as to provoke your very best, to take better counsell than ever they did? If your Majesty be not Popish, as you professe, and I am very willing to beleeve, why doe you put the Parliament to resume the Sacrament of the Altar, or Consubstantions in saying, the King and Parliament, the King and Parliament? breaking your simple Subjects braines to understand such mysticall Parleenment? I question much, whether they were not better speake plainer English, then such Latine as the Angels can hardly construe, and God happily loves not to perse; I can as well admit an ubiquitary King as another, if a King be abroad in any good affaire; but if a King be at home and will circumscribe himselfe atOxford, and proscribe or discribe his Parliament atWestminster, if thatParliamentwill prescribe what they ought, without such paradoxing, I should think God would subscribe aLe Dieu le veultreadily enough.

Is yourAdviserasuch aSuavamento you, that hath been such aGravamento Religion and Peace? Shall the chiefe bearing wombe of your Kingdome,be ever so constituted, that it cannot be delivered of its owne deliverance, in what pangs soever it be, without the will of one man-midwife, and such a man as will come and not come, but as he list: nor bring a Parliament to bed of a well-begotten Liberty without an entire Subsidy? Doe not your Majesty being a Schollar, know, that it was a truth long before it was spoken, thatMundus est unus aut nullus, that there isPrincipum purum unum, which unites the world and all that is in it; where that is broken, things fall asunder, that whatsoever is duable or triable, is fryable.

Is theMilitiaof your Kingdome, such an orient flower of your Crowne, which all good Herbalists judge but a meere nettle, while it is in any one mans hand living? May not you as well challenge the absolute disposall of all the wealth of the Kingdome as of all the strength of your Kingdome? Can you put any difference? unlesse it bee this, that mens hearts and bones are within their skins, more proper and intrinsecall, their lands and cattell more externall: dare you notconcredittheMilitia, with those to whom you may betrust your heart, better then your owne breast? Will they ever harme you with theMilitia, that have no manner ofmalitiaagainst you, but for mis-imploying theMilitiaagainst them by themalitiaof your ill Counsellours? What good will theMilitiadoe you when you have wasted the Realme of all the bestMilitesit hath? May not your Majesty see through a paire of Spectacles, glazed with inch-board; that while you have yourAdviserain one hand, and theMilitiain the other, you havethe neckes of your Subjects under your feet, but not your heart in your owne hand? doe you not know thatmalum est, posse malum?

Hath Episcopacy beene such a religious Jewell in your State, that you will sell all or most of your Coronets, Caps of honour, and blue Garters, for six and twenty cloth Caps? and your Barons Cloakes, for so many Rockets, whereof usually twenty have had scarce good manners enough to keepe the other six sweet? Is no Bishop no King, such an oraculous Truth, that you will pawne your Crowne and life upon it? if you will, God may make it true indeed on your part: Had you rather part with all, then lose a few superfluous tumours, to pare off your monstrousnesse? Will you be so covetous, as to get more then you ought, by losing more then you need? Have you not driven good Subjects enough abroad, but you will also slaughter them that stay at home? Will you take such an ill course, that no prayers can fasten that good upon you we desier? Is there not some worse root than all these growing in your Spirit, bringing forth all this bitter fruit? against which you should take up Arms, rather then against your harmlesse Subjects? Doe you not foresee, into what importable head-tearings and heart-searchings you will be ingulfed, when the Parliament shall give you a mate, though but a Stale? Methinkes it should breake your heart, to see such a one as I, presume so much upon your clemency and too much upon your Majesty, which your Selfe have so eclipsed by the interposall of your Selfe between your Selfe and your Selfe, that it hath notray's enough left to dazle downe the height of my affections to the awe of my Judgement.

Tres-Royall Sir, I once againe beseech you, with teares dropping from my hoary head, to cover your Selfe as close as you may, with the best shield of goodnesse you have: I have somewhat more to say, which may happily trouble not your Selfe, but your followers, more than what is already said. There lived in your Realme and Reigne two whom I may well tearme Prophets, both now in a better Kingdome; whereof one foretold two things concerning your Majesty, of these very proceedings, long before they began; which being done and past shall bee buried in silence: the other made this prediction about the same time.

KingCharleswill joyne Himselfe to bitter Griefe,Then joyne to God, and prove a Godly Chiefe.

His words were in prose these, KingCharleswill come into fetters, meaning strong afflictions, and then prove as good a King, as such a good King ofIsrael, whom he then named, but I need not: he was as inwardly acquainted with the minde of God, as fervent and frequent a Beadsman for your welfare, and had as religious Opticks of State, as any man I know: foure other Predictions he made, full as improbable as this, whereof three are punctually performed. A good Christian being sometime in conflicts of Conscience, hurried with long tentations, used this speech to my selfe, I am now resolved to be quiet, for I plainly see, God will save me whether I will or no: If your Majesty would be pleased to thinke so in your heart, and say so with your mouth, all the good Subjects you have, would say,Amen, till the heavens rang, and I hope you have few so bad, but would say,So be it.

Much lamented Sir, If you will please to retire your Selfe to your Closet, whither you may most safely come, and make your peace with God, for the vast heritage of sinne your Intombed father left upon your score, the dreadful Imprecation he poured upon the heads of his tender posterity inSummersetsandOverburyesCase, published in Starchamber by his Royall command; your owne sinful marriage, the sophistocation of Religion and Policie in your time, the luxury your Court and Country, your connivance with the Irish butcheries, your forgetfull breaches upon the Parliament, your compliance with Popish Doegs, with what else your Conscience shall suggest: and give us, your guilty Subjects example to doe the like, who have held pace and proportion with you in our evill wayes: we will helpe you by Gods assistance, to poure out rivers of tears, to wash away the streams of blood, which have beene shed for these heavy accounts; we will also helpe you, God helping us, to beleeve, that there is hope inIsraelfor these things; and Balme enough in hisGileadto heale all the broken bones of your three kingdomes, and to redouble your honour and our peace: His Arme is infinite; to an infinite power all things are equally faisable, to an infinite mercy, all sinnes equally pardonable. The Lord worke these things in us and for us, for his compassions sake in Jesus Christ.

Sir, you may now please to discover your Selfewhere you think meet; I trust I have not indangered you: I presume your Ear-guard will keep farre enough from you, what ever I have said: be it so, I have discharged my duty, let them look to theirs. If my tongue should reach your eares, which I little hope for; Let it be once said; the great King of greatBritaine, tooke advise of a simple Cobler, yet such a Cobler, as will not exchange either his blood or his pride, with any Shoo-maker or Tanner in your Realme, nor with any of your late Bishops which have flattered you thus in peeces: I would not speake thus in the eares of the world, through the month of the Presse for all the plunder your plunderers have pillaged; were it not somewhat to abate your Royall indignation toward a loyall Subject; a Subject whose heart hath been long carbonadoed,des veniam verbo, in flames of affection towards you. Your Majesty knowes or may know, time was, when I did, or would have done you a better peece of service, than all your Troopes and Regiments are now doing. Should I heare any Gentleman that follows you, of my yeares, say hee loves you better than I, if it were lawfull, I would sweare by my Sword, he said more than his sword would make good.

Gracious Sir, Vouchsafe to pardon me my no other sins, but my long Idolatry towards you, and my loving you too hard in this speech, and I will pardon you your Treason against me, even me, by committing Treason against your Selfe my Lord and King;[4]andyour murther, in murthering me, even me, by murthering my deare fellow Subjects, bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh, and of yours also. If you will not pardon me, I will pardon my selfe, dwell in my own clothes as long as I can, and happily make as good a shift for my proportion, as he that hath a lighter paire of heeles: And when you have done what you please and what you can, I am resolved to be

As loyall a Subject to your Majesty when Ihave never a head on my shoulders, asyou a Royall King to me, when you haveyour three Crownes on your head,

Theod: de la Guard.

[4]I speake in termes of Divinity not of Law and am deepely grieved that I am forced to such necessary over boldnesse.

Sir,

I Cannot give you over thus; I most earnestly implore you, that you would not deferre to consider yourselfe throughly, you are now returned to the brinke of your Honour and our Peace, stand not too long there, your State is full of distractions, your people of expectations, the importune Affaires of your Kingdome perplexedly suspended, your good Subjects are now rising into a resolution to pray you on to your throne, or into your Tombe, into Grace with your Parliament and People, or into Glory with the Saints in Heaven; but how you will get into the one, without passing first through th' other, is the riddle they cannot untye. If they shall ply the Throne of Grace hard, God will certainely heare, and in a short timemould you to his minde, and convince you, that it had and will bee farre easier to sit downe meekely upon theRectum, than to wander resolutely in obliquities, which with Kings, seldome faile to dissembogue into bottomlesse Seas of sorrows.

Dearest Sir, be intreated to doe what you doe sincerely; the King of Heaven and Earth can search and discover the hiddenest corner of your heart, your Parliament understands you farre better then you may conceive, they have many eares and eyes, and good ones, I beleeve they are Religiously determined to re-cement you to your Body so exquisitely, that the Errors of State and Church, routed by these late stirs, may not re-allee hereafter, nor Themselves be made a curse to the issue of their own bodies, nor a Scoffe, to all Politique Bodies in Europe. The Lord give your Majesty and all your Royall Branchesthe spirit of wisedome and understanding,the Spirit of knowledge and his feare, for His mercy and Christ his sake.

I Would my skill would serve me also, as well as my heart, to translate PrinceRupert, for his Queen-mothers sake,Eliz.a second. Mismeane me not. I have had him in my armes when he was younger, I wish I had him there now: if I mistake not, he promised then to be a good Prince, but I doubt he hath forgot it: if I thought he would not be angry with me, I would pray hard to his Maker, to make him a right Roundhead, a wise hearted Palatine, a thankfull man to the English; to forgive all his sinnes, and at length to save his soule, notwithstanding allhis God-damne mee's: yet I may doe him wrong; I am not certaine hee useth that oath; I wish no man else would. I dare say the Devills dare not. I thank God I have lived in a Colony of many thousand English almost these twelve yeares, am held a very sociable man; yet I may considerately say, I never heard but one Oath sworne, nor never saw one man drunk, nor ever heard of three women Adulteresses, in all this time, that I can call to minde: If these sinnes bee amongst us privily, the Lord heale us. I would not bee understood to boast of our innocency; there is no cause I should, our hearts may be bad enough, and our lives much better. But to follow my businesse.

Prosecutions of Warres betweene a King and his Parliament, are the direfull dilacerations of the world, the cruell Catastrophes of States, dreadfull to speake of; they arenefanda & n' agenda: I know no grounds can be given of them but two: Either upon Reason founded upon some surmisall of Treason, which my reason cannot reach: I could never conceive why a rationall King should commit Treason against a reasonable Parliament; or how a faithfull Parliament against their lawfull King: the most I can imagine, is a misprision of Treason, upon a misprision of Reason. Hee that knows not the Spirit of his King, is an Atheist. Our King is notCharles le simplesometime ofFrance: he understands not our King that understands him not to bee understanding. The Parliament is supposed Omniscient, because under God they are Omnipotent: if a Parliament havenot as much knowledge and all other vertues, as all the Kingdome beside, they are no good Abridgement of the Common-wealth. I beleeve Remonstrances have demonstrated enough concerning this point of Reason, to give satisfaction to such as satisfaction will satisfie.

Or upon Will.

The Will of a King is very numinous; it hath a kinde of vast universality in it, it is many times greater than the will of his whole kingdome, stiffened with ill Counsell and ill Presidents: if it be not a foot and half lesser than the Will of his Councell, and three foot lesser than the Will of his Parliament, it is too big. I think it were well for a King if hee had no will at all, but were all Reason. What if he committed his morall will to Divines, that were no Bishops? his Politicall, to his Parliament, and a Councell chosen by Parliament? that if ever it miscarry, they may blame themselves most, and him least. I scarce know any King that hath such advantage as ours; his three kingdomes lye so distinct and entire, that if he please, he might keep them like three gardens without a weed, if he would let God keep his will, without wilfulnesse and rashnesse.

I have observed men to have two kindes of Wills, a Free-hold will, such as men hold inCapiteof themselves; or a Copy-hold will, held at the will of other Lords or Ladies. I have read almost all the Common Law ofEngland, and some Statutes; yet I never read, that the Parliament held their will in suchaCapite: their Tenure isKnight-service, and goodKnight-servicetoo, or else they are to blame. And I am sure, a King cannot hold by Copy, at the will of other Lords; the Law calls thatbase tenure, inconsistent with Royalty; much more base is it, to hold at the will of Ladies: Apron-stringtenureis very weak, tyed but of a slipping knot, which a childe may undoe, much more a King. It stands not with our Queens honour to weare an Apron, much lesse her Husband, in the strings; that were to insnare both him and her self in many unsafeties. I never heard our King was Effeminate: to be a little Uxorious personally, is a vertuous vice in Oeconomicks; but Royally, a vitious vertue in Politicks. To speak English, Books and tongues tell us, I wish they tell us true, that the Error of these Wars on our Kings part proceeds only from ill Counsellours.

Ill Counsellours are very ill Gamesters; if they see their own stake a losing, they will play away King, Queen, Bishops, Knights, Rooks, Pawnes, and all, before they will turne up the board: they that play for lusts, will play away themselves, and not leave themselves so much as a heart to repent; and then there is no Market left but Hell; if the case be thus, it is to no end to look for any end, till one side make an end of the other.

They that at stake their Crownes and Honours set,Play lasting games, if Lust or Guilt doe bet.

If God would vouchsafe to give his Majesties Religion and Reason, power to fling his Wills head over the Wall, in matter of Composition, and his Subjects strength to throw their lusts after it, Arms would be soon laid down, and Peace soon taken up. They that are not at peace with God, are not at peace with themselves, whatever they think; and they that are not at peace with themselves, cannot be at peace with others, if occasion provokes, be their natures never so good.

So farre as I can conjecture, the chiefe impediment to a generall and mutuall Cessation of Armes, is, a despaire of mutuall and generall forgivenesse. If everEnglandhad need of a generall Jubile in Heaven and Earth, it is now. Our King and Parliament have been at great strife, who should obtaine most Justice: if they would now strive, who should shew most Mercy, it would heare well throughout the world. Here also my speech must be twofold and blind-fold. It is now nine Moneths and more since the last credible News was acted: it is possible by this, the Parliament may be at the Kings mercy: Did I say a Kings mercy? what can I say more? no man on earth, can shew more mercy then a King, nor shall need more, when he comes to give an Account of his Kingdome: Nor did ever any Parliament merit more mercy than this, for they never sinned, that I know, I meane against the Common and Statute Law ofEngland: it is pity they who have given so many general pardons, should want one now. If our Kinghath lost his way, and thereby learned to looke to his path better hereafter, and taught many Successors to King it right for many Ages; Me thinks it should impetrate a Royall Redintegration, upon a Royall acknowledgement and ingagement. But how should an erring King trust a provoked Parliament? Surely he may trust God safe enough; who will never trust that State more with a good King, that will doe ill to a King that is turned so good. Me thinks those passages of Scripture,Esa. 43. 24, 25. chap. 57. 17, 18. The strange illation,Hos. 2. 13, 14.should melt a heart of steele into floods of mercy.

For others, were my head, one of the heads which first gave the King Counsell to take up these Armes, or to persist in them, when at any time he would have disbanded, I would give that head to the Kingdome, whether they would or no; if they would not cut it off, I would cut it off myselfe, and tender it at the Parliament doore, upon condition that all other heads might stand, which stand upon penitent hearts, and will doe better on than off; then I would carry it toLondon-Bridge, and charge my tongue to teach all tongues, to pronounce Parliament right hereafter.

When a kingdom is broken just in the neck joynt, in my poore policy, ropes and hatchets are not the kindliest instruments to set it: Next to the spilling of the blood of Christ for sin, the sparing of the blood of sinners, where it may be as well spared as spilt, is the best way of expiation. It is no rare thing for Subjects to follow a leading King; if he will take his truncheon in his hand, it is to be expected many willput their swords in their Belts. Sins that rise out of mistake of judgement, are not so sinfull as those of malice ordinarily: and when multitudes sin, multitudes of mercy are the best Anodines.

—gratia gratis data, gratissima.

Grace will dissolve, but rigour hardens guilt:Break not with Steely blowes, what oyle should melt.In Breaches integrant, 'tween Principalls of States,Due Justice may suppresse, but Love redintegrates.

Grace will dissolve, but rigour hardens guilt:Break not with Steely blowes, what oyle should melt.

In Breaches integrant, 'tween Principalls of States,Due Justice may suppresse, but Love redintegrates.

Whosoever be pardoned, I pray not letBritanicusscape, I mean a pardon. I take him to be a very serviceable Gentleman; Out of my entire respect to him, I shall presume to give him half a dozen stitches of advice:

I intreat him to consider that our King is not onely a man, but a King in affliction; Kings afflictions are beyond Subjects apprehensions; a Crown may happily ake as much as a whole Common-wealth.

I desire him also to conceale himself as deeply as he can, if he cannot get a speciall pardon, to weare a Latitat about his neck, or let him lie close under the Philosophers stone, and I'le warrant him for ever being found.

If he be discovered, I counsell him to get his head set on faster than ourNew-EnglandTaylors use to set on Buttons; Kings, and Kings Childrens memories are as keen as their Subjects wits.

If he fears any such thing, that he would come over to us, to helpe recruite our bewildred brains: we willpromise to maintain him so long as he lives, if he will promise to live no longer then we maintain him.

If he should bee discovered and his head chance to be cut off against his will, I earnestly beseech him to bequeath his wits to me and mine in Fee-simple, for we want them, and cannot live by our hands in this Country.

Lastly, I intreat him to keep his purse, I give him my counsellgratis, confessing him to be more then my match, and that I am very loath to fall into his hands.

If Reformation, Composition, Cessation, can finde no admittance, there must and will be Prosecution: to which I would also speak briefly and indifferently still to both sides; and first to that, which I had rather call Royalists then Cavaliers; who if I mistake not, fight against the Truth.

Foolish Cowardly man (I pray patience, for I speak nothing but the pulse of my owne heart) dreads and hates, nothing in Heaven or Earth, so much as Truth: it is not God, nor Law, nor sinne, nor death, nor hell, that he feares, but onely because he feares there is Truth in them: Could he de-truth them all, he would defie them all: Let Perdition it self come upon him with deadly threats, fiery swords, displayed vengeance, he cares not: Let Salvation come cap in hand, with naked Reason, harmelesse Religion, lawny embracements, he will rather flye or dye, than entertaine it: come Truth in what shape it will, heewill reject it: and when hee can beat it off with most steely prowesse, he thinkes himselfe the bravest man; when in truth it is nothing but exsanguine feeble exility of Spirit. Thy heart, saith the ProphetEzek. 16. 30.is weake, like the heart of an imperious whorish woman: a man would thinke, the heart of an imperious whore, were the very pummell ofScanderbergssword; alas, she is hen-hearted, shee dares not looke Truth in the face; if she dared, shee would neither be whorish, nor imperious, nor weake. He shews more true fortitude, that prayes quarter of the least Truth, at a miles distance, than hee that breakes through and hewes downe the most Theban Phalanx that ever field bore.Paulexprest more true valour, in saying, I can doe nothing against the Truth, thanGoliah, in defying the whole hoste ofIsrael.

Couragious Gentlemen, Yee that will stab him that gives you the lye; take heed yee spend not your bloods, limbes and soules, in fighting for some untruth: and yee that will fling out the gantlet to him that calls you Coward, dishonour not your selves with such Cowardise, as to fight against Truth, meerly for feare of it. A thousand pities it is, such gallant Spirits should spend their lives, honours, heritages, and sweet relations in any Warres, where, for ought many of them know, some false mistake commands in Chiefe.

Honoured Country-men, bee intreated to love Truth: if it loves not you againe, and repaires not all your losses, then install some Untruth in its roome for your Generall. If you will needs warre, be perswaded to contend lawfully, wisely and stedfastly, against all errours in Divinity and Policy: they are the cursed Counter-mures, dropt Portcullises, scouring Angiports, sulphurious Granado's, laden murtherers, peevish Galthropes, and rascall desperadoes, which the Prince of lyes imployes with all his skill and malice, to maintaine the walls and gates of his kingdome, when Truth would enter in with grace and peace to save forlorne sinners, and distressed Commonwealthes: witnesse the present deplorable estate of sundry States in Europe.

Give me leave to speake a word more: it is but this; Yee will finde it a farre easier field, to wage warre against all the Armies that ever were or will be on Earth, and all the Angels of Heaven, than to take up Armes against any truth of God: It hath more Counsell and strength than all the world besides; and will certainely either gaine or ruine, convert or subvert every man that opposes it. I hope ingenuous men will rather take advice, then offence at what I have said: I had rather please ten, than grieve one intelligent man.

If this side be resolute, I turne me to the other.

Goe on brave Englishmen, in the name of God, go on prosperously, because of Truth and Righteousnes: Yee that have the Cause of Religion, the life of your Kingdome and of all the good that is in it in your hands: Goe on undauntedly: As you are Called and Chosen, so be faithfull: Yee fight the battells of the Lord, bee neither desidious nor perfidious: You servethe King of Kings, who stiles you his heavenly Regiments: Consider well, what impregnable fighting it is in heaven, where the Lord of Hosts is your Generall, his Angells your Colonels, the Stars your fellow-souldiers, his Saints your Oratours, his Promises your victuallers, his Truth your Trenches; where Drums are Harps, Trumpets joyfull sounds; your Ensignes Christs Banners; where your weapons and armour are spirituall, therefore irresistable, therefore impierceable; where Sun and wind cannot disadvantage you, you are above them; where hell it selfe cannot hurt you, where your swords are furbushed and sharpened by him that made their metall, where your wounds are bound up with the oyle of a good Cause, where your blood runs into the veynes of Christ, where sudden death is present martyrdome and life; your funeralls resurrections, your honour glory; where your widows and babes are received into perpetuall pensions; your names listed amongDavidsWorthies; where your greatest losses are greatest gaines; and where you leave the troubles of war, to lye down in downy beds of eternall rest.

What good will it doe you, deare Countrymen, to live without lives, to enjoyEnglandwithout the God ofEngland, your Kingdome without a Parliament, your Parliament without power, your Liberties without stability, your Lawes without Justice, your honours without vertue, your beings without wel-being, your wives without honesty, your children without morality, your servants without civility, your lands without propriety, your goods without immunity, the Gospel without salvation, your churches without Ministery, your Ministers without piety, and all you have or can have, with more teares and bitternesse of heart, than all you have and shall have will sweeten or wipe away?

Goe on therefore Renowned Gentlemen, fall on resolvedly, till your hands cleave to your swords, your swords to your enemies hearts, your hearts to victory, your victories to triumph, your triumphs to the everlasting praise of him that hath given you Spirits to offer your selves willingly, and to jeopard your lives in high perils, for his Name and service sake.

And Wee your Brethren, though we necessarily abide beyondJordan, and remaine on the American Sea-coasts, will send up Armies of prayers to the Throne of Grace, that the God of power and goodnesse, would incourage your hearts, cover your heads, strengthen your arms, pardon your sinnes, save your soules, and blesse your families, in the day of Battell. Wee will also pray, that the same Lord of Hosts, would discover the Counsels, defeat the Enterprizes, deride the hopes, disdaine the insolencies, and wound the hairy scalpes of your obstinate Enemies, and yet pardon all that are unwillingly misled. Wee will likewise helpe you beleeve that God will be seen on the Mount, that it is all one with him, to save by many or few, and that he doth but humble and try you for the present, that he may doe you good at the latter end. All which hee bring to passe who is able to doe exceeding abundantly, above all we can aske or thinke, for his Truth and mercy sake in Jesus Christ.

Amen. Amen.

Not of the Nation universally, nor of any man init, that hath so much as one haire of Christianityor Humanity growing on his head or beard,but onely of the truculent Cut-throats,and such as shall take up Armesin their Defence.

TheseIrishanciently calledAntropophagi, man-eaters: Have a Tradition among them, That when the Devill shewed our Saviour all the kingdomes of the Earth and their glory, that he would not shew himIreland, but reserved it for himselfe: it is probably true, for he hath kept it ever since for his own peculiar; the old Fox foresaw it would eclipse the glory of all the rest: he thought it wisdome to keep the land for a Boggards for his unclean spirits imployed in this Hemisphere, and the people, to doe his Son and Heire, I mean the Pope, that service for whichLewisthe eleventh kept his BarborOliver, which makes them so blood-thirsty. They are the very Offall of men, Dregges of Mankind, Reproach of Christendome, the Bots that crawle on the Beast taile, I wonderRomeit self is not ashamed of them.

I begge upon my hands and knees, that the Expedition against them may be undertaken while thehearts and hands of our Souldiery are hot, to whom I will be bold to say briefly: Happy is he that shall reward them as they have served us, and Cursed be he that shall do that work of the Lord negligently, Cursed be he that holdeth back his Sword from blood; yea, Cursed be he that maketh not his Sword starke drunk withIrishblood, that doth not recompense them double for their hellish treachery to theEnglish, that maketh them not heaps upon heaps, and their Country a dwelling place for Dragons, an Astonishment to Nations: Let not that eye look for pity, nor that hand to be spared, that pities or spares them, and let him be accursed, that curseth not them bitterly.

It is, your, now or never, to muster up puissant Armies of Prayers to the Mercy Seate; your Body Representative, is now to take in hand, as intricate a piece of worke, as ever fell into the hands of any Parliament in the world, to tye an indissoluble knot upon that webb which hath been woven with so much cost and bloud, wherein if they happen to make one false maske, it may re-imbarque themselves and you all into a deadly relapse of scorne and calamity. It is the worke of God not of man, pray speedily therefore, and speedingly, give him no rest till your rest be throughly re-established, Your God is a God whose Name is All-sufficient, abundant in Goodnesse and Truth, on whom the Sonnes ofIacobnever did, nor shall call in vaine, you have a Throne of Grace wherto you may goe boldly; a Christ to give you a leading by the hand and liberty of speech, an Intercessor in Heaven to offer up your Prayers wrapp'd in his own; a large Charteraske and have, a Spirit to helpe all your infirmities in that duty, a sure Covenant that you shall be heard, and such late incouragement as may strengthen your feeble hands for ever. If you whomay command God concerning the work of his hand, shall faile to demand the workemanship of hishand in this worke, your children will proclaime you un-thrifts with bitter teares to the worlds end.

If you see no cause to pray, read

Jer. 18. 1.-10.

Be also intreated to have a continuall and conscientious care not to impeach the Parliament in the hearts one of another by whispering complaints, easilier told then tryed or trued. Great bodyes move but slowely, especially when they move on three leggs and are over-loden with weighty occasions. They have now sate full six years without intermission to continue your being, many of their heads are growne gray with your cares, they are the High Councell of the Kingdome, the great Gilead of your Balme, the Phisitians of all your sicknesse; if any of them doe amisse, blame yourselves, you chose them, be wiser hereafter; you cannot doe the State, your selves, your posterity a more ungratefull office then to impaire them with disparagements and discoragements who are so studious to repaire your almost irreparable ruines.

Be likewise beseeched, not to slight good ministers, whom you were wont to reverence much, they are Gods Embassadours, your Ephods, your Starres, your Horse-men & Chariots, your Watchmen, & under Christ your Salvation, I know no deadlier Symptome of a dying People than to undervalue godly Ministers, whosoever despiseth them shall certainly be despised of God and men at one time or other.

I Might excuse my selfe in Part, with a speechLycurgusused in the like exigent of State,senectute fio audacior, publica necessitate loquacior, but it much better becomes mee with all lowlinesse and uprightnesse, wherein I have failed to pray pardon on both my knees, which I most humbly and willingly doe; only, before I rise, I crave leave to present this six-fold Petition.

That you would be pleased

To preserve the Sacred reputation of Parliaments, or, wee shall have no Common-wealth.To uphold the due estimation of good Ministers, else, we shall have no Church.To heale the sad dislocation of our Head, throughly, perfectly, or, wee shall have no King.To oppugne the bold violation of divine Truths, else wee shall have no God.To proceed with what zeale you began, or what you began can come to little end.To expedite worke with what speede you safely may, else ignorant people will feare they shall have no end at all.Hee that is great in Counsell, and Wonderfull in Working, guide and helpe you in All things, that doing All things in Him, by Him, and for Him, you may doe All things like Him.So be it.

To preserve the Sacred reputation of Parliaments, or, wee shall have no Common-wealth.

To uphold the due estimation of good Ministers, else, we shall have no Church.

To heale the sad dislocation of our Head, throughly, perfectly, or, wee shall have no King.

To oppugne the bold violation of divine Truths, else wee shall have no God.

To proceed with what zeale you began, or what you began can come to little end.

To expedite worke with what speede you safely may, else ignorant people will feare they shall have no end at all.

Hee that is great in Counsell, and Wonderfull in Working, guide and helpe you in All things, that doing All things in Him, by Him, and for Him, you may doe All things like Him.

So be it.

Farre bee it from mee, while I dehort others to slight you my selfe, or to despise any man but myselfe, whom I can never despise enough: I rather humbly intreate you to forgive my boldnesse, who have most just cause to judge my selfe lesse and lesse faithfull than the least of you all, yet I dare not but bee so faithfull to you and my selfe, as to say

They are the Ministers ofEngland, that have lost the Land; for Christs sake, put on His bowels, His wisdome, His zeale, and recover it.

I pray let me drive in half a dozen plaine honest Country Hobnailes, such as the Martyrs were wont to weare; to make my work hold the surer; and I have done.

1.There, lives cannot be good,There, Faith cannot be sure,Where Truth cannot be quiet,Nor Ordinances pure.2.No King can King it right,Nor rightly sway his Rod;Who truely loves not Christ,And truely fears not God.3.He cannot rule a Land,As Lands should ruled been,That lets himself be rul'dBy a ruling Romane Queen.4.No earthly man can beTrue Subject to this State;Who makes the Pope his Christ,An Heretique his Mate.5.There Peace will goe to War,And Silence make a noise:Where upper things will notWith nether equipoyse.6.The upper world shall Rule,While Stars will run their race:The nether world obey,While People keep their place.

1.There, lives cannot be good,There, Faith cannot be sure,Where Truth cannot be quiet,Nor Ordinances pure.

2.No King can King it right,Nor rightly sway his Rod;Who truely loves not Christ,And truely fears not God.

3.He cannot rule a Land,As Lands should ruled been,That lets himself be rul'dBy a ruling Romane Queen.

4.No earthly man can beTrue Subject to this State;Who makes the Pope his Christ,An Heretique his Mate.

5.There Peace will goe to War,And Silence make a noise:Where upper things will notWith nether equipoyse.

6.The upper world shall Rule,While Stars will run their race:The nether world obey,While People keep their place.

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