VOX PACIFICA:
OR, A VOICE preparing the way of PEACE:
AND, To that end, dedicated to the KING, Parliaments and People of these British Isles.
The Contents, of the first Canto.
First, here is to your view prefer'd
When, where,
and how
this VOICE was heard:
What kind of Muzings
were the ground:
What worlds,
and wonders,
may be found
Within our selves: what safe-Retreats
From those oppressions, frauds, and baits.
Which are without:
how little feare
Of Terrours, which affright us here:
How plainly, there,
a man may see
The villanies, that acted be
For private ends,
with publike showes:
How generall the mischiefe growes:
Why, to acquaint you with this VOICE,
GOD
by so meane a man makes choice:
Then, shewes how our grand-hopes
deceive us,
And, prayes his aid, that must relieve us.
I Who (before my
Harp was tun'd or strung)
Began to play a descant on the
Times.
And was among the first of those that sung
The scorn and shame of VICE, in English
Rymes.
[...], that have, now, just halfe the Age of
Man,
Been slashing at those
Hydro's heads of sin,
Which are, yet, more then when I first began;
And more deformed growne, then they have bin.
I, that have spoke of
Truth, till few believe it;
Of
taking heed, till
Follie hath her doome;
Of
Good-advice, till no man will receive it;
And, of
Deserved-Plagues, till they are come:
Once more appeare, with an intent, to say
A needfull
Word in season, if I may.
The
Sun hath run his course through all the Signes,
And, thirteen times the
Moone renew'd her light,
Since last I limb'd my thoughts in measur'd lines,
Or, felt my heart for
Numbers tun'd aright;
For, ever since my
Musings in the Pield,
The close whereof, a
Voice of
PEACE fore-tells,
With such disord'red thoughts I have been fild
As use to thrive where sad distemper dwells:
And, we have,
All, so broken that Condition,
On which our wished Comforts founded are,
That, of accomplishing our hopes fruition,
Not many certaine symptomes, yet, appear;
Though, therefore, I have silent been till now,
My slownesse blame not, neither murmure you.
The
Muses are not still at my command,
Whereby those Informations are acquir'd,
Which many have expected at my hand;
(And somwhat out of season too, desir'd.)
The VOICE, there mentioned, was but a
Sound,
Not then, articulated into words;
The perfect Forme thereof I had not found,
Nor what interpretation it affords.
If I had spoken, e're I had mine
Arrant,
Beyond my wit, my forward tongue had went;
If I had run, before I had my
Warrant,
Well might I, for my labour, have been shent.
There is, for all things an appointed houre;
And,
Times, and
Seasons, are not in my power.
My
Vessell stirreth not, till that
Wind blowes
Which never blowes but when, and where it list:
Drie is my
Cisterne, till that
Fountain flowes,
Whose flowings-forth, I cannot then resist.
Somtimes, in me, so low the
Waters lie,
That every Childe and Beast is trampling on me;
Somtime againe, they rise, they swell so high,
That Princes cannot make a Bridge upon me.
Had
King, and
Parliament, the other day,
Commanded from me that which now I write,
To save my life, I knew not what to say
Of that, which was inspired yesternight:
And, being, now, as full as I can hold,
Though none they please, my
Musings must be told.
Mistake not tho, as if it should be thought,
That by
Enthusiasme, now, I write;
Or, that the matter which to me is brought,
By GODS immediate dictates, I indite.
Far is that Arrogancie from my Pen:
The Objects of my
Contemplation, be
The same which GOD affords to other men,
The
Muses challenge a peculiar phrase
And freedomes, not so well becoming those,
Who are confined to observe the lawes
Of common speech, and tell their minds in prose:
For, whereas these have but one worke to do,
I have, in my Intentions, often two.
To reason out a
Truth, is their perfection;
That, so, mens judgements terrifie they might:
Thereat, I aime: But, how to move
Affection,
And set the motions of the
Will aright,
Is my chiefe work: And; to that end, I catch
At all advantages of
Place and
Time,
Of
Actions, or
Expressions; and, I watch
For ev'ry meanes of well improving them.
By which endeavours (and, for ought I know,
By some aid, more then ordinary too)
Mixt with mine own Conjectures, I fore-show
Some things, which GOD requires, or means to do.
And, when I apprehend such things as these,
They neither are conceall'd, nor told with ease.
As when a portion of new spritly-wine,
Is in a close, and crazie Vessell pent,
Which neither can sufficiently confine
The working Liquour, nor well give it vent;
Ev'n so I far'd: For, (though I felt my breast
With matter fully stor'd) seaven daies I strove
My swelling
Thoughts, in
Words, to have exprest,
Yet neither could desist, nor forward move.
But, on that night in which our
Monethly-Fast
Had swallow'd up our greatest
Festivall,
My
Muse broke loose: And, now the stop is past,
Will run her Course, what ever may befall;
And (since to speak her mind she hath begun)
Resolves, She will be heard, e're She hath done.
Once more therefore, yee BRITAINS lend an eare;
KING, PRIEST, & PEOPLE mark what now I say,
And, if you shall be pleas'd this VOICE to heare,
Take heed, you harden not your hearts to day.
For, if your pride, and follie, shall despise
The gentle VOICE, that now salutes your eare,
Ere long, there shall another VOICE arise,
Which will not such a peacefull note preferre.
It shall not move with so becalm'd a Breath,
Nor be dilated through so milde an ayre,
But, from the wombe of
Hell, and Jawes of
Death,
Be thund'red forth, with horrours and despaire:
And, few shall hear that VOICES dreadfull sound,
Without a smarting, and a curelesse wound.
Though you my former
Warnings did abuse,
It brookes excuse: Because, I so fore-told
Ensuing things, as yet, no
Moderne-Muse
Hath done the like; and few in times of old:
But, now, by seeing those
Predictions true,
You, as it were, an
Earnest have receiv'd,
And an assurance, tendred unto you,
That, what is here declar'd, may be believ'd.
By vertue, therefore, of that
Seal, and
Signe,
I challenge that beleefe, and that respect,
Which appertaineth to this VOICE of mine,
Till, thence, I seeke to draw some ill effect;
By making that, which hath fulfilled bin,
An Argument to warrantize a sin.
If an advantage I shall take from thence,
To tempt, from any duty to be done;
To act, what gives the
Deitie offence,
Or any unbeseeming Course to run;
Let me be censur'd as
Impostors ought,
That woo the
world, by seeking
Heaven in show:
Or as a man that's by delusion taught,
To take more paines for
Hell, then others do.
But, if this VOICE, by Truth shall stand approv'd,
And by your Consciences allowed be;
Resist not that, whereto you shall be mov'd,
Nor of my Hopes, at this time, hinder me:
For, in their prosecution, I'le proceed,
How e're you practice, or how ere I speed.
The twentieth
year, tenth
moneth, and sixteenth
day,
With carefull thoughts, and thoughtfull heart opprest,
Near to the fruitfull Banks of
Thame I lay,
With waking eyes, whilst others were at rest,
It was that day, on which they
mournd apart,
By whom this
Realm hath represented bin;
(Thereby, instructing ev'ry
Single-heart,
Which way, the
Peace desired, must begin)
With private griefs, I had enough to do,
To rob my body, and my mind of rest:
Yet, I had many publike sorrowes, too,
By which, my other suffrings were increast:
And, who was ever unafflicted known,
That beareth others burdens with his own?
Were I but onely rob'd of my estate,
And, thereby brought in danger to be poore;
Or of such other mischiefs, as of late
These warres have brought on me, and many more:
Could I no other miseries conceive,
Then those, which make our carkasses to smart,
Our children crie, our tender women grieve,
Or trie the stoutnesse of a manly heart:
Were but the outward glories of this
Realme,
Or of this
Church, indanger'd, and no more;
Our wounds had needed but a common balme,
A sigh or two had blown my sorrowes ore:
Because, for shells, but little care I take,
Save onely for the precious kernell sake.
But, though the happinesse of
Realmes and
Men,
Doth not, alone, in outward things consist;
(Nay, rather gaines perfection, now and then,
By having some externall blessing mist)
Yet, he to his experience little owes,
Who sees not, that defect of needfull things,
Breeds incivility; and overthrowes
That industrie, from whence
well-being springs.
And, he to our condition is a stranger,
Who knowes not, that, by these distractions here,
Reformed-Churches are (this day) in danger
To suffer, in our suffrings, ev'ry where:
And, that, if our confusions we pursue,
Meer Barbarifme will (ere long) ensue.
Who, can behold the spirit of contention
Still active; and, all overtures of
Peace
Retarded still; or, poysoned with dissention,
Yet not bewaile our miseries increase?
Or, who laments not? that may feare he carries
Within his loynes, the seed of Generations,
That may be bred for
Romish-Janisaries:
And, nursed up in their abhominations?
For, though GOD may prevent what we may dread,
(And will perhaps) yet none should senslesse grow
Of that wherewith our Land is over-spread;
Nor of those
Plagues, which these may bring us to:
But, rather, labour for, by sighes, and teares
A publike Freedom from our private Feares.
For, who now dreads not, that upon this Age,
Worse Plagnes are coming, then as yet, we view?
And, that the things we suffer, do presage
Far greater mischieves, will on those ensue?
Loe, that great
Festivall, which by this Nation,
Was ev'ry yeare observ'd, upon this week,
With such magnificent solemnization,
That through the world, there hath not been the like:
That
Festivall, which memoriz'd the birth
Of our great
Pastor, and (for no small while)
Did fill each Temple, and each house with mirth,
Through ev'ry
Shire, and
Village, of this
Isle:
That
Feast into a
Fast, our sins now turn;
And, where we have triumphed, we now mourn.
The
Feast of
Ashuerus, was to this
A petty banquet (if considered
In ev'ry circumstance) though great was his,
And many people for a long time fed.
The Jewish
Passover, which did surpasse
The most for some respects; in all of them,
By out great
Festivall, exceeded was,
As well in
Plenties, as in
Place, and
Time.
For, therein, all Provisions did abound:
It was throughout all places, too, extended;
With some, it ent'rance in November, found;
And not till February, fully ended;
But, universally, twelve dayes, at least,
Throughout the Land, it was a yearly
Feast,
That
Festivall, (which till it was polluted
With
Bacchanalian Rites, and
Superstition,
A pious Observation was reputed)
Is now exploded, as a vaine
Tradition.
Our
Triumph-day, by
Providence, is come
To be the day of our
humiliations.
The
Glorie, now, is quite departed from
This
Kingdome, for our great abominations.
The
pleasant things, in which we were delighted,
Are took away. The costly trimmings, which
To Superstition, Ignorance invited,
And which began to cozen, and bewitch,
Are broken down; Our brave rich-Robes are gone,
And, all of us, have
Mourning-Garments on.
For our abuse of them, GOD, takes away
The chiefe of our
Melodious-Instruments;
And, they who heretofore did sing and play,
Now, sadly sigh; or, howle forth discontents.
Our
Lutes and
Violls, (which were wont to sound
Eare-charming straines) are broke and throwne aside:
Or, by the noyse of
Drums and
Cannons drown'd,
In whose loud thundrings, terrour doth reside.
The
Peace, which we supposed everlasting,
Is fled away: Our
Iubilees are ended:
Our
Horne of plenty, ev'ry day is wasting,
Our Foes are strong, and we are ill befriended:
Our fruitlesse hopes, have utterly undone us;
The things we feared, are now come upon us.
Our many great and unrepented crimes,
The Plagues that
Sin hath multiplied here;
The wilfulnesse and madnesse of the times,
So represented to my fancie were,
That, through this
Island, I (me thought) could see
No
Worke secur'd from being overthrown;
No
act, or
counsell, from confusion free;
No
place, that was not metamorphos'd grown:
No
man, almost, that had not chang'd his mind;
No
principle, that was not call'd in doubt;
No
course, in which we might a safetie find;
No
vertue, in all trials, holding out;
Nor any hope of being freed from
Our present evils, for the time to come.
That
Cloud of Plagues, which fill'd in Embleme-Wise,
The
Title-page, of my REMEMBRANCER,
(To set before this heedlesse Nations eyes,
A glimpse of Judgments, then, approaching near)
That
horrid-cloud, through all these
Iles disperst,
Me-thought I view'd; and showring on these Lands,
The black effects, which I long since rehearst;
And, all the
Plagues attending GODS commands.
Not only
Famine, Pestilence, and
Sword,
With such, as bring on outward Desolations;
But, Plagues appeared also, more abhord
By those, who cherish noblest expectations:
For, though these harmfull are, more hurt they do,
Which murther us in Soule, and Bodie too.
I saw so great, so many our Distractions,
Such Discords, rising up between the Nations;
In ev'rie
Shire, in ev'rie
Towne such Factions;
In ev'rie
Person, such dissimulations:
Among the
Wise, I found so little Reason;
So little goodnesse, left among the
Best;
In fairest shewes of
Trust, such reall Treason;
And so much Fraud, where
Truth was most profest;
That, neither
want, nor wealth; nor
wit, nor Folly;
Nor
Vice, nor
Vertue; Love, nor
Hatred, neither,
Nor
sanctified things, nor
things unholy
Distinguisht were; but, shuffled so together,
That, all things in this world, appear'd, me-thought,
Into a Soul-confounding
Chaos, brought.
Which melancholy Apprehensions rear'd
Such crotchets, and such whimsies in my braines;
That, many
sights, and
sounds, I saw and heard,
Like those which
Feare begets, or
Fancie faines:
Before me, as a shadow seem'd to passe,
Things
present, past, and
coming; till I saw
Quite out of sight, all that which IS, or WAS,
And, to an end things
Future, also, draw.
Strange
sounds and
noyses, heard I round about me,
Or, in me rather; such as did begin
From those which rumbled ev'rie day without me,
Before a troubled
Fancie let them in:
Which, though to be uncertaine
Sounds, we grant,
A
Mysterie, not one of them doth want.
One while, me thought,
Wolves, Foxes, Dogs, &
Swine,
A greedy, craftie, currish, nastie rabble,
Did howle, bark, snarle and grunt; and sometime joyne
In consort: Musike most abominable!
Sometime, as when an Angrie
Lyon roares,
Or, as when
Thunder breaks out of a cloud,
Or, as when raging
Billows teare the shoares,
I
Voyces heard; so shrill, so deep, so loud.
I heard, me thought, the
Voyce of
Desperation,
The crying
Voyce of
Sin, the
Voyce of
Bloud,
The
Voyce of
Death, and utter
Desolation;
The
Voyce of
Iudgement, from an angrie GOD,
And ev'ry
Voyce, and ev'ry
Cry and
Sound,
In which amazement, dread, and death is found.
Which, had it sounded to an
Outward-eare,
(As, by my
Vnderstanding it was heard)
The noyse, had made both dead and living, heare:
The Spheres to shake, and Earth, and Hell afeard:
The terrour of it, made my
Soule to flie
Beyond the limits of corporeall things:
Sometimes descending, sometimes mounting high,
To shun the din, which doubt and horrour brings.
But, whatsoever way her course she stear'd,
Confused
noyse did ev'ry where abound;
Confused
actions ev'ry where appear'd;
Which caus'd my strong distempers to abound:
And, almost curelesse, made I my disease,
By asking of my heart, such things a these.
Why is this
World (a Scene of sin and paine)
Fill'd full of shadows, which no substance have?
A place of time and labour spent in vaine?
And where we lose our
selves, a Toy to save?
From thence, where we nor smart, nor griefe did feele,
We through the womb come crawling weakly hither;
Then getting strength, we scratch and fight a while;
And, through the grave, passe on, we know not whither.
If we pursue what nat'rally delights us,
And walk that course, which gives the flesh content;
Our
Conscience, or some
Powre-divine affrights us,
With inward feares, and threats of punishment:
And, if our selves we virtuously dispose,
The
World, and all without us, are our Foes.
Disgracefull slanders, ev'ry where attend us,
Though none can, justly, any where accuse us:
They, who are most obliged to befriend us,
When we expect best usage, most abuse us,
They, who to all enormities are prone,
And make no conscience, of the foulest crimes,
(If they suspect us guiltie but of
One)
Mis-judge us, as off-scourings of the Times.
While for their peace, our studies we employ,
And spend our selves, to propagate their good;
They, labour our
Well-doing, to destroy,
And staine their murth'rous weapons, with our blood,
As if those portions they regarded not,
Which were not torne, out of a brothers throat.
Since
Kings, and
Princes, were at first promoted,
Nor for their owne, but for the
Peoples sake,
Why, on their trappings, have all Ages doted?
How, did our
Creatures, slaves of us, first make?
How grew
man-kind so mad, to flatter them
Vp to that needlesse height, of pomp, and powre,
Which makes their Arrogancies to contemne
Our
Freedomes? and our
Birth-rights to devoure?
How, are they still so fool'd, as not to know
(By that which they have
heard, and
read, and
see)
That,
Tyrants alwayes have an overthrow,
When great'st their Hopes, and their Oppressions be?
And, justly, lose their Honours, Crownes, and Lives,
By struggling for unjust
Prerogatives?
Since GOD, for MAN, at first, this world did frame,
(And made it principally for the sake
Of those who serve him and adore his Name)
Why, doth his Foe, possession thereof take?
How comes it, that the
Serpent, and his breed,
Lords Paramount through all Earths Kingdomes are?
And, that the promis'd and the blessed
Seed,
Enjoyes of this vast Globe, so small a share?
Yea, since the
Earth is GODS, and they are
His,
To whom, by free donation, it was given:
Why, is their due infringed, as it is?
And, why are they from their possessions driven,
Scorn'd, injur'd, and abus'd, as abject things,
Where they should honour'd be, as
Lords and
Kings?
Why is the chosen flock of
Christ so few,
And, they so numerous, who them despite?
(The
Pagan, the
Mahumetan, the
Iew,
The
Papist, and the
Bosome-Hypocrite.)
Since GOD made
Man, for good, and not for ill,
(To be
in him, and
with him, ever blessed)
How did his Foe first captivate his
Will?
How, of his
Creature, is GOD dispossessed?
How, is he glorified, while those Fiends
Do persecute, insult, and domineere
In mischieves? and in ruining his Friends,
Who said, Their
Lives and
Deaths, to him are deare?
Since GOD is
good, why, so prevaileth
evill?
Since he's
Almightie, how, so thrives the
Devill?
Whilst these Expostulations I pursu'd,
A BOOKE to me appeared, fairly writ;
In which, I satisfying answers view'd
To all the Questionings of
Carnall-wit.
Wherewith, my Soule remained satisfide,
And drew her selfe from these wild
Contemplations.
(Which, else perhaps, had carried her aside
From better, and from safer meditations.)
Then, from all outward
Noyses, to be free,
Into my
Selfe, I further did retire;
Ev'n to that
Closet, which is call'd in me,
The INNER-MAN, to seek out my Desire:
And, being there, enough I heard and saw,
To teach, to comfort, and to keep in awe.
For, then, my
Heart, (which did before appeare
A little, narrow, lonely, darksome Roome)
Was filled with a
Light, that shin'd so cleare,
And made the same so visible become;
That
(looking inwardly) I saw distensions
So boundlesse, in their
Width, their
Depth, and
Height,
That, weighing well a fleshly Hearts dimensions,
It might be thought an admirable sight.
For, were you on that mountaine, or high cliffe,
Whence you might farthest round about you see,
(Suppose it were the famous
Tenariffe)
The
Prospects, there, to those that
In-ward bee,
To me, no more to be compar'd, appeares
Than that within a
Nut-shell, to the
Sheares.
It shewes a
Place (if
Place we call it may)
Within the Concave of whose wondrous
Orb,
The Eye of
Contemplation may survay
Sights, which no
Bounds, or
Shaddowes, do disturb.
There, may be seene the meanes which doth disclose,
Though not the Essence of
Eternall-things,
So much at least, as ev'ry notion showes,
From whence, beleefe of their true
Being springs.
There, may the
Soule that hideous
Downefall see,
Which leadeth to the brinck of
Desperation:
There, may that Entrance plainly viewed be,
Which guideth to a blessed
Exaltation:
And, there, the
Spirit, to our knowledge, brings
The
Good and
Ill, of all created things.
For, hitherto, I never heard of ought
In Heav'n, or Earth, but I perceiv'd it there:
Yea, many
Novelties from thence are brought,
Which have no
Being, any other where.
It is indeed, another WORLD within
The
World without me; and I thither go,
When I to loath externall things begin,
And, doubtfull am, what in this
World, to do.
I sometime there have entertainments had,
Like those which may in
Paradise be found:
Sometime againe, 'tis like a
Chaos made,
Wherein deluding
Fancies do abound.
Sometime, the
Light of Heav'n there seems to dwell,
And, other while, it is as dark as Hell.
Within our
selves (as GOD vouchsafes his grace)
That Blisse, and that true happinesse is found,
Which men seek after in that
Time and
Place,
Which have not much relation to this
ROVND:
I being thither guided (by that
Light
Which faileth none) there, found out an abode
Quite out of hearing, and beyond the sight
Of those distractions, which I saw abroad.
There, found I out, a Resting place to hide me
From
scorne of Fooles, and from the
Strife of tongues:
From their despight, who slander and deride me;
From private mischiefes, and from publike wrongs;
From all the menaces, my eares have heard;
From all the perils, which my heart h
[...]th fear'd.
There, I with sportive sleightings, did peruse
That, which their
malice, who these times do flatter,
Have spewed forth against my blamelesse
Muse,
In lumps of scurrill, base, and witlesse matter:
And, am content to let the OVRS alone,
Though loud they snarle and bawle; because I find
Those
Beasts are by their
Masters seized on;
And, do but bark▪ according to their kind.
Though not their
wit, their
malice might, perhaps,
Deserve a Rating; and, I could have flung them
A
Bone, that would have broke, or gagg'd their chaps;
(Or, throwne the
Wild-fires of my Brain among them)
But, they in vaine shall
bark; in vaine they
raile:
To scratch the
Scabs, I scorne to foule my naile.
For, I, in that
Retirement, seem'd no more
By such decrepit-
Malice, to be hurt,
Than is a well compacted
Rockie-shore,
On which, the Billows cast up Foame, and durt.
There, shewne I was, the high prerogatives,
(The priviledges) of my
Second-birth;
And, from what noble
Root, my
Soule derives
Her Pedigree, though she be cloath'd with earth.
And, could I still (when I from
Contemplation
Returne to
Act) retaine in me that height
Of
Spirit; and the reall estimation
Of that, wherein at those times, I delight▪
I never more, an earthly hope should cherish,
Or, prize the honours, of the
Beasts that perish.
There, on a Throne, above the world I sate,
Beholding, with disdaine, Terrestriall things;
The fruitlesse love of Mortals, and their hate,
The Tyrannies of
Subjects, and of
Kings.
There, I beheld (without those perturbations,
Which vexed me abroad) how
Pride and
Folly
Support each other, by their combinations,
In wicked projects, and in works unholy.
There, spi'd I, by what secret Links and Ties,
The
cursed-Counsell which deludes the
King,
And, that
false-pack which in our bosome lies,
Their dark Designes together closely bring:
And why so many moneths in vain are spent,
Their treacheries and treasons, to prevent.
There, can I sit obscur'd, and spie what ends
Are closely follow'd by the Politician;
Who, seemingly, the
common-Cause befriends,
That he may ruine it, without suspition.
There, I descrie, what avarice, what frauds,
What spight, and what hypocrisie doth lurk
In many, whom the
publike-Voice applauds,
As faithfull men, in
carrying on the Work.
Without distemper, there, I think upon
Their pride and envie, who had rather see
Three
Kingdomes universally undone,
Then, wained from their wilfulnesse to be:
Because, I know, GODS
Worke will be effected,
In spight of what their madnesse hath projected.
There, without breach of Patience, I can heed,
How impudently some have sought to seem
Of eminent desert; who are indeed
More worthy of contempt, then of esteem:
How quaintly other-some can mischief do;
And then, by policie, and frauds contrive
To purchase thanks, and pay, and favour too,
For that, which, rather, should a halter have.
Yea, there, without offence, I notice take
How zealously
Malignants are befriended;
How sleight account of their deserts we make,
Who have, with life, and goods, the
State defended:
And, with what confidence, we still confide
On those, that will be true to neither side.
There, likewise, without wrath, I view, and heare
How senslesse many, who are counted wise,
Both of advantages, and dangers are,
Which ev'ry day appear before our eyes.
How needlesse good
Advice, by some, is thought
Till 'tis too late; how, to prevent a
Wound
They lose a
life; and, (to be thriftie thought)
How, they to save a
groat, mispend a
pound.
How desp'rately they somtime take a
Fall,
To scape a
Slip; how, other while, to save
Some
Rotten-Members▪ they adventure all
Which we by
Grace▪ or
Natures Charters have.
All this, in my Retirements, I can see,
Yet, nothing vexeth, or aff
[...]igheth me.
For, therewithall, such meanes appear to show
That both the good Endeavours of our Friends,
And all the Counterminings of the Foe,
Shall work out that, at last, which GOD intends:
And, that, if we contented can become
To beare our Burthens, but a little longer,
His
Grace, will render them, lesse troublesome,
Or make us, to sustaine them, daily stronger.
Wherewith well pleas'd, I totally resign'd
My
Will to his; And, by that Resignation,
Delightfull Calmes within my heart did finde,
So freeing me, from former perturbation,
That, all
within, and all
without me, kept
Such silence, as if all the world had slept.
As at high
Midnight in a Desert Vale,
Or'e-hung and bordred by a
Double-Hill.
On which there blowes not any
whistling-gale,
Down which, there flowes not any
murm'ring Rill,
Near which, nor
Bird doth sing, nor
Beast doth play,
Through which, no
Travailer doth ever passe;
By which, there growes no rusling
leafe or
spray,
In which, no noise of
Creature ever was;
Such seem'd that
Calme, which, then, I did possesse,
(Or deeper, if it might a deeper be)
And, that the
Silence, which I now expresse,
May not prove empty both to
You, and
Me,
In this Retreat, from ev'ry other noise,
As from a farre, to me there came a VOICE.
A VOICE there came; From whence, I will not say:
Judge yet, to whom I shall report the same;
For, if you mark the sense, conceive you may
Aswell as I, from
whom and
whence it came.
So
still a VOICE it was, that with mine
Eare,
I heard it not; nor made it such a noise
As that, which our corporeall sence doth hear;
Nor was it an articulated VOICE:
But, such a VOICE as when the
Spirit brings
A Message down from GOD; and, to the heart
Doth whisper those intelligible-things,
Which
words do but imperfectly impart;
Or, such a VOICE, as from GODS written
Word,
The Genuine sense well heeded, may afford.
And yet it spake so plainly, and did shew
Those Informations which I gain'd thereby,
In ev'ry Circumstance, to be so true,
That of no branch thereof, misdoubt have I.
Thus, it began. Thou
Off-spring of the earth,
Whom
Providence designed, in this Nation
To have thy temp'rall Being; and thy Birth
In this D
[...]gree, and in this Generation:
Suppose not, that, in any worth of thine
There could a merit, or a motive be,
Which might
Eternall-Providence incline,
To cast so gracious an aspect on thee,
As to descend so low, as to thy heart,
The knowledge of his pleasure, to impart▪
For, from thy Childhood, he thy thoughts hath seen,
Heard all thy words, observed all thy waies;
Can tell how vaine thy youthfull years have been,
And, how thou hast defil'd thy elder-daies.
He knowes thy seeming vertues imperfections;
He saw what evill secretly thou didst;
And▪ made thee likewise feel by due corrections,
That, he beheld what from the
world thou hidst.
The Folly, Fraud, and falshood of thy heart;
The vices, and the vainnesse of thy tongue;
How false to others and thy selfe thou art,
How slow to good, how swift in doing wrong,
He truly knowes; and, findes thee apt to do
No dutie, but what he compells thee to.
And, he observed (though thy guilt he smothers)
That, thou to whom he better things hath taught,
Art in those Crimes as deeply di'd as others,
Who on this Isle, these present Plagues have brought.
Observ'd he hath, how fondly thou hast striven
With
Wordlings, in their lusts, to have a share;
Although, to thee, experiments were given,
What empty, and pernitious things they are.
Yea, with some indignation he discerned
That, madly, thou didst many times partake
In provocations, whereof thou hadst warned
This Land (even those thou vowedst to forsake)
And, that, with greedinesse thou hast pursud'd,
Those vanities that ought to be eschew'd.
Although thy heart inform'd thee, long agoo
(By an indubitable information)
That, all the services thou couldst bestow
Vpon the
Minions of this Generation,
Should nothing profit thee: Thou, nerethelesse,
(Forgetting what was counsell'd, and resolved)
Didst fawne on some of them, in thy distresse;
And hadst, no doubt, thereby thy selfe involved
Within those
Nets, which at their
Boords are spred;
But, that, GOD did permit them to contemn
Thy honest
Muses: who a plot had laid,
Into those vertues, to have flatter'd them,
Which they regard not: otherwise that
Course
Which nothing better'd
them, had made
thee worse.
When thou hadst, in thy
Poems, vice reproved,
He search'd thy
heart; and saw it was not, then,
Meere love to
vertue, whereby thou wert moved;
Or, that thou hadst lesse guilt then other men.
Somtime, that fickle bubble,
Reputation,
Sometime that hope which thy vaine
Fancie gives thee;
Sometime,
applauses, sometimes,
indignation,
Into a just reproofe of sinners drives thee.
Some other by-respects, oft wrought upon
Thy heart, to rouze up in thee an indeavour
In things, that seemed worthy to be done:
But, thy performances proceeded never
From that true love, and that sincere affection
Which thou didst owe to
Him, and his perfection.
And, for these things, their mouths wide op'ned be,
Who seek to turn thy
glory to thy
shame:
Those witlesse
Railers are let loose on thee,
Whom, in thy
Measures, thou didst scorn to name.
For this, thou sufferest by the sharp despights
Of
open-sinners: and much more, by farre,
Through those malicious, and proud
Hypocrites,
Who kindled first, and still foment this warre.
For this, thou (who for others couldst espie
Conceal'd events) hast oft so blinded been
In matters of thine own, that what thine
eye
Seem'd fixed on, thy
wit hath over-seen;
Till, to thy mind, they through those meanes were brought,
By which each Foole, and ev'ry child is taught.
For this, wert thou deservedly depriv'd
Of blessings, which thou els mightst have enjoy'd:
And, for that cause, hast worthily surviv'd,
To see thy hopes, with other mens, destroy'd.
For this, thou (with the first) hast plundred bin;
For this, thou both by Friends and Foes art torn;
For this, where thou hadst hopes, respects to win,
Instead of honour, thou reproach hast born:
For this, thy best endeavours have been crost,
By them, whose power could els no spite have done thee;
For this, those paines, and those designes are lost,
Which otherwise had grea
[...] advantage won thee;
And, but that whom GOD loves, he leaveth never,
For this, rejected thou hadst been for ever.
Yet such is his compassion, that his love
Still seeks to reingage thee by his graces;
Beholding thee with favour from above,
In
wants, in
suffrings, in all
times and
places.
According to thy trust in him reposed,
(When thy
Remembrances did first appeare)
As with a wall of brasse he thee inclosed,
From those who at thy
Muse inraged were.
The
Prelates and the
Nobles, who conspired
To ruine thee, and thereto did comply,
Obtain'd no power to act what they desired,
Though open to their fury thou didst lie;
Although some suffred, then, (for milder lines)
By Stygmatizings,
Banishment, and
Fines.
When thou wert grasped in that
Dragons pawes,
Who sought thy spoil; GOD, strangely charm'd his rage:
He from devouring thee restrain'd his Jawes,
Even while he rav'd, and storm'd at thy
presage,
Yea, whereas thou didst imprecate on those,
Who should malitiously thy lines defame,
(And without penitence their Truth oppose)
A
Publike Marke, to brand them for the same;
Ev'n so it came to passe: For, scarcely one
Of those Oppressers are at this day free
From having those just Censures undergone
By which, the
publike-Foes, now marked be;
And, to the chief of them, this
mark GOD gave,
That,
He with shame, went headlesse to his grave.
In all the changes of this toylsome life,
He kept thee with an honest Reputation.
He, was thy comfort still, in times of griefe,
In dangers, he hath been thy preservation.
He sav'd thee from the furioust
Pestilence
That ever in this Clymate did appear;
And, hitherto, hath by his Providence,
Secur'd thee from the
Sword, yet raging here.
Now, when they lack, who surfeted of late;
When
Bread, with men more worthie, groweth scant,
(Yea, though the Foe hath spoiled thy estate)
He keepes thy family, from pinching want;
And makes thee hopefull, whatsoere betide,
That, he for thee and thine will still provide.
Moreover, when thy patience was nigh tir'd;
When thy estate, the world did most despise;
GOD gave thee that which most thy heart desir'd,
(And, of all things terrestriall, most hath priz'd)
He, likewise, hath preserv'd thee to behold
Those things, in thine own life-time verifide,
Which seem'd as dreames, when first by thee fore-told;
Which fooles did sleight, and wiser men deride.
And, not thus only, was he pleas'd to do;
But, now, hath also call'd thee, to prepare
The
Way of Peace, and, to reveale unto
These
British Isles, what those Conditions are,
Whereon, it is his pleasure to return
That
Blessing to them, for which, yet they mourne.
It is not for thy sake, that, now, his eyes
He fixeth, not on persons eminent;
Or, hath not chosen one more learn'd and wise,
By whom, this weighty
Message might be sent:
But, rather, to abase and vex their pride
Who carnall Pompe, and outward showes adore,
(Vouchsafing scarce to turn their eye aside,
To heed the suits, or counsells of the poore)
And, that (to humble them) they may be faine
Perforce, to hear, and to accept from
him,
(Whose guifts and person, most of them disdaine)
The
Way of Peace, which he shall offer them;
Or else, through pride, grow hardned in that
sin,
Which bringeth
Desolation faster in.
This is the
Course, which
Providence hath took
When selfe-conceit, and sin, befooleth Nations;
And Carnall policie, doth over-look
The lowly meanes, of timely preservations.
Thus, that the
Jewish-pride he down might bring,
When they the pompe of
heathenish-Kings affected,
He made, one
Seeking-Asses, their first King;
And, them unto a
Shepheard, next, subjected.
When their proud
Pharisees, and
Priests, beleeved,
That
He, who came the
Kingdom to restore,
Should from their power and wisdom have received
Chiefe aid thereto; he rais'd it by the poor.
From their formalities, his eyes he turn'd,
And chose the
meek-ones, whom their pride had scorn'd.
And, GOD thus dealeth still, when he intends
To purge a
People, and refine a
State;
Making one motion, move to sev'rall ends,
As it to sundrie Objects may relate.
Who should have thought, that saw a while ago
The
Prelacie in pompe (advancing thorow
This potent
Isle) it should be baffled so
In height of all it pride, at
Edenborough?
Who could have then supposed, that a
Stoole,
Flung by a sillie woman, in her zeal,
(When policie did labour to befoole
Your brethren, and the
Dragons wound to heale)
Should have, in thousands, kindled such a flame
Of zeale, as from that meane occasion came?
Who would have thought the late despised
Scot,
(A
Nation, whom your elders dis-esteem'd,
A
Nation, whom your Fathers loved not,
And, of whose friendship, carelesse you have seem'd)
Should first have rouz'd, a passage to have broke
Through that Attempt; which, will (if unrepented
And wilfull sins obstruct not) breake that yoke
Which
Heresie and
Tyranny invented?
Who would have been perswaded, but erewhile,
The
Scot should faithfully for you have kept
Your nigh-lost footing in the
Irish Ile?
And, while the Flame into their borders crept,
Should, brother-like, contribute their chiefe powers,
To quench the Burnings, which your Towns devours?
Or, who would have beleeved (having heard
The scandals, and malignant jealousies,
Wherewith some do their love, yet, mis-reward)
That
Scotland should for
Englands aid arise,
And in their marches through your fruitfull lands,
More conscience make, than you your selves have shown,
Of laying violent, and griping hands,
On them, whose wounds and losses are your own?
But, GOD is pleas'd these things should come to passe,
To humble and abase that high conceit,
Which falsly of your selves admitted was;
And, that both
you and
they might have a sight
Of his great
Providence, in so proceeding;
And,
Good, and
Bad, confesse it merits heeding.
For, by this course, he doth effect his will
Within them, by them, and
upon them too.
Both Friends and Foes, all actions good or ill,
Promote the work which he intends to do.
They, who, long time, have wilfully persisted
In crooked paths, from which they call'd have bin,
And, in those
Calls, the
Spirits Voyce resisted,
(Or carelesly proceeded in their sin)
Shall (blind with malice, and obdur'd with pride)
Sleight all the counsels, tendred now by thee:
The Tenour of this VOICE, they shall deride,
And, madly, stubborne in their Courses be,
Till on their heads, those judgements down shall come,
Which are an unrepentant Sinners doome.
And, when with plagues deserved they are stung,
(In stead of Penitence, or filiall awe)
As doth a
Dog at whom a stone is flung,
So they shall snarle, and so the weapon gnaw.
Or, rather, as it was fore-told of those,
For whom, GOD, his
fifth Violl should prepare,
The greater, still, their feare or torment growes,
The lesse to be reform'd will those men care.
They (to the
Throne and
Kingdome of the BEAST
True Vassals being) will GODS name blaspheme;
Or, else be stupified, at the least,
When GOD with stripes, or counsells visits them.
To these, this VOICE, will no good
Omen sing;
To these, no
Peace, no
Comfort, will it bring.
But, they who by their chastisements for sin,
Are humbled so, so school'd, and made so meeke,
As to admit that true repentance in,
Which makes them gladly,
Truth, and
Mercie seeke,
Ev'n they shall from this VOICE, receive content;
And not disdaine the
Wine of consolation,
Though in an earthen Vessell it be sent;
But, take it with a thankfull acceptation.
And, if of these, that
number found shall be,
For which, three wicked
Kingdomes may be spar'd,
You shall from Rulne, once againe be free;
To show the World, that, what few now regard,
Prevents more mischiefe, and more
safetie brings,
Than potent
Armies, Parlaments, and
Kings.
For,
Kings, and
Parlaments, and
Armies, too,
When
crying sins in any Realme abound,
Advantage not, so much as they undo;
As, by a late experience, you have found.
A
King you had, who was, at first, conceiv'd,
To pitie, and to pietie enclin'd;
(Such, he was really of thee beleev'd)
Yet, of those Vertues, now, small signes you find.
The
Cup and
Fornications of the WHORE,
Do seeme to have bewitcht his royall brest:
With bloudy sins, his Realmes are flowed o're,
(Defil'd with crimes, that cannot be exprest)
And, more in danger to be quite undone,
Than, ever since, a
King first fill'd this Throne.
He takes a
Course, which if pursu'd, will do him
More dammages than all his forraigne foes:
And all their malice could have brought unto him.
Yea, so improvident a path he goes,
As if by his
Fore-fathers, or by
Him,
Some sin had been committed, which hath shaken
His verie
Throne, defac'd his
Diadem,
And, for which, Vengeance must ere long be taken.
For, though he knowes the peoples griefes and feares,
Though sprawling in their bloud he sees them lying;
Though he beholds the flames about their eares,
And, in their deaths, his honour daily dying?
Yet, seemes he nothing to
heare, know, or
see,
Which for your safety, or his own may be.
The
Royall Pow'r, that should the Realme have guarded,
Is to the ruine thereof, mis-imploy'd;
The
Perquisites, allow'd to have rewarded
Deserving-men, by Ruffians are enjoy'd.
The
Dignities, ordain'd to have been placed
On them, whose deeds their noblenesse declar'd;
To Slaves are prostituted; and disgraced,
By being on
Buffoones and
Clownes conferr'd.
His
Councell-Table was become a snare,
His
Court, a Sanctuarie for Transgressors;
The
Iudgement-Seats, were engines to prepare
Advantages, for Bribers and Oppressors:
The
Soveraigne, from the
Subject is estranged;
And
Kingship into
Tyranny, is changed.
But, though the
King be partner in these crimes,
'Tis
you, who have your selves, and him undone:
For, as
Idolaters in former times,
First, made carv'd Images, of Wood and Stone,
(Perhaps, but meerly for Commemoration
Of some deceased
Worthy) and, at last,
Improv'd it into sottish
adoration;
So, Those, on whom the
Government was plac'd,
(By prudent Counsell) Base men, by degrees
So idolized, and with flatteries
So long, in servile manner, bow'd their knees
To their
Self-will; that, first, to tyrannize
The peoples blockishnesse, and basenesse brought them:
Yea, how to be Oppressors, they first taught them.
And, when
Kings saw, the peoples foolishnesse
Did make themselves beleeve, that their owne
Creature
Had therein, an inherent awfulnesse,
Advancing it above the humane nature;
They, quickly from that folly, and that feare,
Advantages assumed to improve
Their pow'rs: It made them greater to appeare;
And in a more Majestick Orb to move.
The slavish
gestures, and the servile
phrase
Long us'd in Court, did thereto so much add,
That, he who like a
man, declares his cause,
Is judg'd unmannerly, or somwhat mad:
Nay, to that height the,
Royall claime is brought,
That none, but
Slaves, are now true
Subjects thought.
A
Parliament you have, which you obtained,
When you were most desirous to have had it;
You, thereunto a priviledge have gained,
Which, now, more fixt than formerly, hath made it.
The
House of
Peeres is of a party cleared,
Whom, leaning to your, Common-Foe you doubted;
Whose power you felt,
whose policie you feared,
And, whom, long since, some gladly would have outed.
Yet had Corruption over-fill'd it so
With honour'd
Titles, worne without deserts;
And, with so many, raised from below,
To sit on
Princely Seats, with
Slavish-hearts,
That, when your troubles well-nigh cur'd you thought,
Far greater mischieves, were upon you brought.
Your
House of Commons, (though when first convented,
It fill'd you with a hopefull expectation)
Hath ev'ry way so truly represented,
The
Common Constitution of this Nation;
That, little hitherto hath been effected
To mitigate your
Feares, or settle
Peace,
According to the issue you expected;
But, ev'ry day your sorrowes more increase.
So great an inundation of confusion
Is broken in upon you; that, in vaine
You hope or labour for a good conclusion,
Till GOD himselfe make up the
Breach againe;
And, you (with more sincerity) confesse
Your Guilt, your Weaknesse, and your Foolishnesse.
Betwixt
You, and your
King, there is of late
A cursed
Fire broke forth, whose raging flame
Each others ruine threatens, like to that
Which from
Abimelech, and
Shechem, came.
So damnable a
Spirit of Contention
Is conjur'd up, that, his designes are brought
Past all those remedies, and that prevention
Which by the wit of mortalls can be wrought.
So madly, you each other do oppose,
That ev'ry one consults and acts in vaine:
What one reares up, another overthrowes;
What one destroyes, another builds again:
And nothing is the vulgar expectation
But ruine, if not utter Desolation.
For,
crying-sins do gen'rally prevaile,
The
Rules of Order, quite aside are laid:
The
prudence of the
Counsellour doth faile;
The
honestest-Designes, are most gain-said;
The
Grossest Falshood, soonest is believ'd;
His cause best speedes, who aimes at
basest-ends,
The
worst-Transgressour, shall be soon'st repriev'd;
The
veriest Knave shall find the Lordliest friends:
And, when
Foundations thus are overthrowne,
What can the
Righteous do? what likely hope
Have Husbandmen, when all is over-growne
With Briars and Thornes, to reap a thriftie crop?
Or, what can by a
Parliament be done,
Where all are with Corruption over-grown?
With
Warlike Forces, too, now strongly arm'd
You do appear; and Martiall men abound,
As though each Township, Bee-hive-like had swarm'd,
And
Horse, and
Armes, sprung daily from the ground.
But, what have these availed, in regard
Of expectation? Nay, how multiplide
Are these afflictions, rather, (which you fear'd)
By their dissensions, insolence, or pride?
Your Treasures, Stocks, & Fields, they have nigh wasted,
Their avaritions fury to allay;
Yet, as if they had
Pharoah's kine out-fasted,
So greedie, and so hungrie, still are they,
That, all the plenties of your peacefull years,
Will hardly quench that vast desire of theirs.
Want of sincerenesse in your chiefe Commanders,
Too much ambition, much respect of friends:
(Most men that hear this, know these are no slanders)
Fraud, Envie, Cowardice, or private-ends;
And, gen'rally defect of Discipline:
Or, (to be plaine) want of that honestie,
Which these Forth-breakings of the
Wrath-divine
Hath, now, required in your
Soulderie,
Have set licentiousnesse so much at large,
And made most Officers, presume upon
Such loosnesse; and so slackly to discharge
Their duties; that, you likely are to run,
By your owne
Forces (as the matter goes)
Not much lesse hazard, than by open Foes.
Your
Common men, (this will disparage none
Among you Martialists, that blamelesse are)
Have not in misdemeanours, been out-gone
By many, who the
States opposers were.
They cheat, rob, lye, curse, sweare, blaspheme and rore,
They equally oppresse both Friend, and Foe;
They plunder, scoffe, insult, game, drink and whore,
And ev'rie day corrupt each other so;
That, if this plague continue but a while,
You and your
King, so many
Rogues will arme,
That, throughout ev'rie Township of this Ile,
This curse brood of
Lice will crawle and swarme,
Till they have quite devoured those that fed them;
And, pine in that starv'd Body, which first bred them.
For, though the highest honours temporarie,
On
Souldiers are conferred, whose true worth,
Whose vertues in employments
militarie,
With an illustrious candor shineth forth:
Though they, who to defend their
Countries cause,
Themselves to death and dangers do expose,
(Observing duly, GODS and
Natures Lawes,
Not only to their friends, but to their foes)
Though
these, deserve all honours; no expression
Is full enough to make an illustration
Of their ignoble, and their base condition,
Who triumph in their
Countries desolation:
And, as the raskall sort of
Tinkers do,
Pretend to mend one hole, and then make two.
For, these foure yeares of
Discord, have so changed,
The gentlenesse, already, of this Nation;
And, men and women are fo far estranged,
From civill, to a barb'rous inclination:
They are so prone to mutinous disorders,
So forward in all mischievous projections,
So little mov'd with robberies or murthers,
And, so insensible of good Affections;
That, they whom you have arm'd for your defence,
Will shortly ruine you, unlesse preventions
Be interposed by that
Providence,
Which frustates diabolicall intentions:
And therefore, now,
Conditions are propounded,
On which, a
Restauration may be grounded.
Yea, now, when
Med'cines (that most soveraigne were
At other times) have multiply'd diseases:
When all your
Policies quite routed are;
To intervene, a
Timely-Mercie pleases.
Now, that your
Armies, King, and
Parliaments,
Which were your hopefulst meanes of preservation,
Are made, by
Sin, imperfect Instruments,
And, leave these
Iles almost in desperation:
Thou, shalt once more, to dis-respective men,
A
Herald-extraordinarie be;
And, carrie them conditions, once agen,
Whereby they from these troubles may be free;
And, that those
Angels which now smite these Lands,
From Desolation, may with-hold their hands.
Now, then, for Overtures of
Peace provide;
Silence thy Trumpets, let thy Drums be still;
Furle up thy Colours, lay Commands aside,
Sheath up thy Sword, resume againe thy Quill;
And, make thou such an entrie on Record,
Of what thou intellectually dost heare,
That, to these present Times, it may afford
A legible Expresse, of what they are:
That, thereby, meek men may have information,
What humble service, and what sacrifice
May best promove that reconciliation,
Which will conclude these bloudy Tragedies;
And, that it may, by working upon some,
A Blessing, unto all these Isles, become.
To that intent, once more, thy selfe prepare,
To heare inraged
Tyrants madly rave;
The envious to detract, the proud to jeer,
And Fooles to shew how little wit they have.
Prepare thy selfe, to suffer what disgrace
The spight of secret malice hath begun;
And, all those injuries, which, to thy face,
May, by an open enemy, be done.
And saulter not: but, plainly publish thou,
What is, and shall be spoken to thy heart;
That, if
these will not,
time to come may know,
By what good Spirit thou inspired art:
And, that men may, unto GOD's praise, confesse,
That, He, in
Justice, is not
mercilesse.
And be not sway'd by any by-respect
To
King, or
People, Persons, or Estates,
From uttering (to thy power) the full effect
Of whatsoever, now, this VOICE relates.
Nor be thou so presumptuous, as to add
One syllable (beyond what shall be true)
Through feare; or, that some profit may be had;
Lest thy vaine feares, and thy false hopes thou rue.
But, speak what truth shall whisper forth to thee,
In so impartiall, and so bold a straine,
That, to their soules, it may a terrour be,
Who still, in their impenitence remaine:
And, therewithall, those consolations bring,
Which make the
meeke, and
broken-hearted sing.
Feare neither
Peeres, nor
Commons, Friends, nor Foes,
So long as thou thy duty shalt performe▪
Nor feare the threatnings or the frownes of those,
Who, at thy publishing this VOICE may storme,
For, of whatever they shall thee deprive,
Who, therewithall, are spitefully offended,
Thou for the same shalt seventie fold receive,
In life and death, by all good men befriended.
And, if by thy Detractors ought be spoke,
Which this thy warrantable dutie wrongs,
Their malice shall quite vanish into smoke,
And for the same, ten hundred thousand tongues
Shall censure
them, who now mis-censure
thee,
Ev'n while they
are, and when they shall
not bee.
The VOICE, here made a pause: For, though I had
Myselfe, into
myselfe retir'd, as far,
As a Retreat could possibly be made,
From things, that Bars to
Contemplation are;
Yet, thither carried I so much about me,
Relating to the
Flesh, which I have on me;
(And also to the
World that is without me)
That she, with violence, broke in upon me;
And came so over-joy'd with fruitlesse newes
Of an approaching
Treatie, and with hope
Of
Peace thereby; that she disturb'd my
Muse,
And brought those
Revelations to a stop,
Of which, this
Ile shall never heare againe,
Till she hath prov'd all other meanes in vaine.
Your wits, yee
Politicians therefore trie,
Yee
Mightie, thereunto your Forces joyne,
And
you, that with a
Formall-pietie,
Or
morall-facings, your projections line.
Pursue your waies of
Peace, till you are gone
So far, that you no forwarder can get;
And find, that when your wilfull course is done,
You, like
wild-Bulls, lie tumbling in a net:
For, then, perhaps (though but a Moufe it were,
That gnaw'd the snare) your pride would be content,
The meanes of your deliverance to heare,
By whomesoere the
Message shall be sent.
When that hour coms, the VOICE that spake before,
Will speak again; and, then Ile tell you more.
Meane-while, I purpose to returne unto
Those other under-takings, wherewithall
I am intrusted; or, those works to do,
For which, the
Common-danger, first may call.
And since I ought not wholly to neglect,
Their private wants, who on my care depend,
I will be bold, a little, to respect
My own Affaires, which few men, yet, befriend;
Lest, e're I finish what I have begun,
I may incurre some sudden detriment;
Or, else, by my Oppressors, be undone.
For, he that makes no conscience to prevent
His private ruine, shall be seldom heard
In any publike matter, with regard.
LORD, by thy power (for, by thy power, alone,
Such Plagues are cur'd) recure us e're too late,
And, once again, in mercie, looke upon
This heart-sick, languishing, and dying
State.
Once more be reconcil'd: (Once more at least)
To these distracted, these divided Lands,
Let that
Preserving-Mercie be exprest,
On which, the safety of a
Kingdome stands.
Abate those Earth-quakes, which have made unsteady
The Pillars of this
Church and
Common-wealth;
Disperse those
Vapours, which imve made us giddie;
Purge out those
Humours, which impaire our health:
Support the
Limbes, which must prevent our fall,
Cut off, those
Members, which may ruine all.
And, give me Courage, Wisdome, Grace, and Pow'r,
So, to discerne thy
Will; so, to expresse
What is inspir'd; and in so good an houre,
As, that it may prepare the
Way of Peace.
THOV, that, by
Babes, and
Sucklings, dost restore
Decayed
Strength; and, by dispised things,
Advance thy
Kingdom, and thy
Glory, more
Then by the Councells, and the Pow'rs of
Kings:
So, make this VOICE to speak; so, make men heare;
That, both
Times present, and the
Times to come,
May love thy
Mercies, and thy
Judgements, feare,
Throughout these
Islands, till the day of doome:
And, let this VOICE'S good effects be showne
Most clear in
Him, by whom, thou mak'st it known.
The second Canto.
The Contents.
This
Canto's Preface being done,
The VOICE, to these effects, goes on;
Tells, how unworthy we are yet,
For
Peace desired, how unfit:
How vain, how harmfull
Treaties be,
Till both
Sides, in one
Third agree;
And (laying by ignoble
ends,)
Vse likely meanes of being
Friends.
Shewes, that the
Peace, which most pursue▪
Will be nor permanent, nor true.
Then, that some
Cures may heappli'd,
Declares which
Parts are putrifi'd;
Which must be
purg'd, without delay;
Or,
cauteriz'd, or
cut away,
If we will, e're it be too late,
Recure this weake, this dying
State.
THe VOICE and
Muzings, hitherto exprest,
In me, so sad, so serious Thoughts had left,
And, stamped them so deep into my brest,
That, of it health, my
Body they bereft:
And, e're my former strength could be renew'd
(Or those Affaires dispens'd with, which deny
To be, at will, delayed or pursu'd)
Three moneths of Relaxation passed by:
And, in that space, was op'ned such a
Sluce
To Interruptions, discomposing so
My meditations; that, them to reduce
To their late temper, I had much adoe.
Oh GOD! from me, how fast
good motions fly!
How long are they unborn! how soon they dy!
My heart, that is corrupt enough to know
What any wicked man can think or say,
Before my feet, began harsh rubs to throw,
And, cast great stumbling blocks orethwart my way.
When I had some remov'd, Loe, (with a jeere)
A thought within me said; If nothing else
But
Vertue guides thy
Pen, what needed here,
All that, which of thy
Selfe, this
Poem tells?
Why mention'st thou (as if thou wert afraid
Thy Readers knew not, or forgot the same)
What thou
fore-toldst? what thou hast thought or said?
And what events on thy
Predictions came?
And, in a
Magisteriall-straine hast spoke,
As if thou for a
Prophet wouldst be took?
Indeed, my
Vanities, I find to be
More then enough, my
Musings to expose
To mis-constructions; and, to bring on me
The sharp result of such like thoughts as those:
For, never could I fix my mind upon
GOD'S Work so closely, but,
Charrs great or small,
Have still been there with brought me to be done,
By those old
Haglers, whom I live withall.
Ev'n in this
Taske, (though GOD stands over me
With Fire, and Sword) such failings will appear,
And, so imperfect my endeavours bee,
[...], much I grieve, to think how vain they are;
And feard, they had been but effects of pride,
Till thus, for me, another
Thought replide.
GOD, pleased seemes, to make thy
Vices do
Those duties, which thy
Virtues leave undone.
And what though this may add (if it prove so)
Dishonour to thy
self, so GOD have none?
If thou thy
Thoughts, hast cloathed in such words,
And, them in such a dressing, forth shall send,
As best advantage to thy
Selfe affords,
Why should it any other man offend?
Or, if thou addest ought for thine own praise,
Why should an envious Reader grudge the same,
Since
Malice, and
Dispight, have many waies,
To turn such empty Glories, to thy shame?
Or, why shouldst thou forbeare, if cause thou find,
To make thy
words help fortifie thy mind?
Thine own
expressions, are sometime the
Charmes
Which waken thy
Resolves that were asleep:
Thy
Heart, the repetition of them warmes;
Thy
Spirit from dejection they do keep.
The mentioning what GOD hath for thee done,
Or, what he hath inabled thee to do,
May to his glorie be insisted on;
And, otherwhile, to thy advantage too.
Why then, through Feare of witlesse
Censurers,
(Or, of an ayrie scoffe, shouldst thou omit
Thy selfe to mention, or thine own affaires,
When thou (on good occasion) thinkst it fit?
Since, if thy
Muses would be so confin'd,
They to themselues were traytors, or unkind.
And, to make voyd what shall well purpos'd be,
There intervene so many casualties,
By mis-conceiving, or mis-knowing thee,
Sometime, such Inconveniences arise,
As that, it may essentially advance
Thy
Work in hand, if some few lines be spent,
To add, or to inlarge a circumstance,
Which captious men may think impertinent;
For, when the
Matter moves not that respect,
Which is desir'd, perhaps, the
Manner may:
And, if thou honestly thy hopes effect,
What though
Fools think, that thou the
Fool didst play?
Although harsh doomes, this age to thee affords,
The Times to come, will give thee better words.
Thus spake my
Thoughts; But, little do I care
How I am judg'd, save only for their sake,
On whom those
Verities, which I declare,
May thereby, more or lesse impression make.
The care I tooke, was how to hear again
The VOICE, which I conceiv'd had much to say,
That to this
Islands peace doth appertaine;
If, what is councelled, men would obey.
For, well I saw, although unseen it was
By many, (and too well perceiv'd by some)
That such a
Time, was well nigh come to passe,
As my preceding
Canto, said should come,
Before, the VOICE I heard, the rest would say,
Of that, which was begun the other day.
Yea, I discovered them, on either side,
To be distracted and confounded, so,
By that which falshood, policie, and pride,
Selfe-will, and Avarice, hath brought them to;
That, I began to feele my selfe affraid,
Destruction might or'e-whelme this Generation,
Before there would be meanes to hear, that said,
Which may, perhaps, prevent out desolation.
Assoon therefore, as GOD to me restor'd
Decayed strength, and my infirmities,
Did Opportunities, and time afford,
I recompos'd my scatt'red faculties;
And, being then retir'd, and noise alaid,
The VOICE that spake before, thus, further said.
Come
Weakling, fit thy soule, prepare thine care,
Gird up thy loines, and set thy selfe apart,
That thou, the more intentively, mayst heare
What, shall be further spoken to thy heart.
That TREATY, now, is at a fruitlesse end
Which interrupted what I had to say:
That
Hope, whereon so many did depend,
Is, like a faire bright
Morning, past away
And, leaves you in a
Cloud, that seemes to threat
A terrible tempestuous
After-noone;
Which, you with many Feares, will round beset,
Before the
Day of Triall, shall be done:
And, therefore, that which will be now declar'd,
May, peradventure, find the more regard.
You look for
Peace, (and he who well can sing
That
Song, deserveth highly to be priz'd)
But, who can thither such a blessing bring,
Where all Conditions of it are despis'd?
Or, what, as yet, have they to do with peace,
Whom these
Corrections, move not to repent?
Whose Wickednesse, doth rather more increase,
Then seem abated, by their chastisement?
Who can expect, the fretting Corosives
Should be removed from your Fest'ring sore
Vntill the skillfull Surgeon first perceives,
It may, with healing salves be plaistred o're,
Vnlesse, he rather hath a minde to see
The patient ruined, then cur'd to be?
How few hast thou observ'd, whose former course
Is better'd by those
Plagues, which now are on them?
How many, rather, do appear the worse?
And, to be more corrupt then thou hast known them?
In what perpetuall broiles are they involved,
Who, for the publike welfare, most endeavour?
How friendlesse are they, who are best resolved?
And, in good resolutions, dare persever?
How many, into
Parties quicklie band
A questioned
Malignant to protect?
How few men, for that Innocent, will stand,
Whom Malice doth accuse, or but suspect?
And who now lives, and loves the
Common-Right,
Who suffers not some insolent despight?
Though most men see distractions hanging over
Their giddie heads; their Tragedie begun;
And, round about them, nothing can discover,
But universall Ruine drawing on;
Ambition, Malice, Avarice, and Pride,
Selfe-will, Selfe-love, Hypocrisie, and Guile,
As arrogantly still on horse-back ride,
As if no Plague had seized on this Isle.
This man for
Place; that, striveth for Command;
Pretends the
Publike-weale, but, seekes his
Own;
And cares not, so he profit by the hand,
Though
Law and
Gospell too, be overthrown:
And, He that in defence of them doth come,
Findes furious Foes abroad, and worse at home.
In ev'rie Shire, in ev'rie Town and Citie,
The
Kingdoms discords are epitomiz'd:
In everie Corporation, and Committee,
Some Engine for
Division is deviz'd.
Occasions daily spring, each man ingaging,
To
side with, or
stand leaning, to some
Faction,
And, by new quarrells, more and more enraging
Their Furie, to the heightning of Distraction.
An
Emblem of which madnesse, he might draw,
Who saw, within an old thatch'd Barne on fire,
Poore beggars quarrelling for lousie straw,
(Or dunghill rags, new raked from the mire)
Who will nor heed their harmes, nor leave to brawl,
Vntill the Flames consume
Rogues, Rags, and
All.
How can calme
Peace be timelie wooed thither,
Where men so brutish are in their dissentions,
And, where the meanes of knitting them together,
Are still occasions made of new contentions?
How can these
Iles have
Peace that are so vitious?
And, who have Factious
Spirits rais'd on them,
As wilfully dispos'd, as those
Seditious,
Who brought destruction on
Hierusalem?
How can they looke for Peace, while they contrive
Designes, enlarging, still, their discontent?
While
Policie, doth wedges daily drive,
Twixt ev'ry joynt, to make a curelesse rent?
And, while to mend the breaches of this
Land
Ther's nothing brought, but pebble-stones and sand?
Who can unite again a
Broken-bone,
Whose parted ends, are set the from ward way?
How long will oyle and water mix in One?
Or, things quite Opposite together stay?
There are betwixt you such Antipathies,
And such abhominatings of each other,
That, in no ordinarie Power it lies,
To knit you in a perfect League together:
And 'tis not possible, your fest'ring sores,
Should ever heal, while in them there is found
That putrified flesh, and rotten cores,
Which keep from closing, and from growing sound?
And which will suddenly break forth again,
Augmenting more your hazzard, and your pain?
How can these miserable
Isles have
Peace,
While
Justice, nor Compassion find regard?
While they who should protect, do most oppresse?
Where sin scapes blame, and Virtue wants reward?
How can he hope for
Peace, that would enjoy
His wish on any termes? And, for the
Shade,
The
Substance of that mercie quite destroy,
Which might by patient Industrie be had?
Or, how can he be worthy of that
Blessing,
Who (knowing how much, lately it hath cost,
In bloud and Treasure) would the repossessing
Of that deare
purchase, for a toy, have lost?
And, everlastingly, himselfe undo,
To satisfie his Lust, a yeare or two?
Who knoweth not, that much more dread you have,
Lest of
Estate, or
Person, you should lose
The loved
Freedomes; then to be a
Slave
To him, whose Tyranny, the
Soule undoes?
For, to that end you
Give, you
Lend, you
Pay;
To that intent, strict
Covenants you make;
To that intent, you sometimes
Fast and
Pray;
To that intent, much
Paines and
Care you take.
Yea, many goodly things to that intent
You daily do, and many moe, intend:
But, your
Peace-offrings, all in vaineare spent,
Till you direct them to their proper end;
And, till the
Peace, for which your Suits you make,
Shall be desir'd for
Truths, and
Mercies sake.
Who sees not, that a
Peace you now desire
For nought, but that you might againe enjoy
Your lusts; and, to those Vanities retire,
Wherein you did your former dayes employ?
Who seeth not, that, like to those
Israelites,
Whom from th'
Aegyptian Bondage GOD redeem'd,
You have the pleasing of your Appetites,
Much more than your
Deliverer esteem'd?
Their
Garlick, and their
Flesh-pots left behind,
They thought on more, than on that
Servitude,
From which they came; and, more than they did mind,
Those
Wonders, and that
Mercie, which GOD shew'd:
And, you have acted, as in imitation
Of that perverse, and foolish generation.
You have forgot, already, to what height
Of Tyranny and Pride, the
Court was rear'd;
What
Projects for Oppression, were in sight;
What Injuries you
felt, and what you
fear'd.
You seeme to have forgot, to what degree
Of Insolence the
Prelacie was come:
How, generally, you began to be
Bewitched, by the Sorceries of
Rome.
You, have not so observed, as you ought,
How neare, unto a helplesse overthrow,
You (by your Foes confederacies) were brought,
Before their purpose did apparant grow;
Nay, you yet heed not, what will soone betide,
If, now, from
good-beginnings back you slide.
But, as afore-said, like the sottish
Iewes,
(Who, of the
Humane-nature, and of
You,
Are perfect Types) GODS favours you abuse;
And, so, your owne Inventions, you pursue.
Though like their
Fierie-pillar, and their
Cloud,
A speciall
Providence hath been your Guard;
An unbeleeving heart, your deeds have show'd;
And, you of ev'rie
Bug-beare are afeard.
Like them (ev'n while the
Law to you is giving,
And all this
Iland, like
Mount Sinai smokes)
New
Worships, and new GODS you are contriving;
Like them, you sleight his Benefits, and strokes;
And, in your Provocations, are as daring,
While he is
Rest and
Peace, for you preparing.
So, you forget, how great your
Bondage was,
And whereunto you fear'd it might encrease;
So, those great
Marvailes you still over-passe,
Which GOD hath wrought, to perfect your release:
So, when by some new
Streight, your Faith he tries,
You wish that in your
Bondage, you had staid:
So, your
Deliverers, you scandalize;
As if by them, your Freedomes were betray'd:
So, murmure you, when any thing you lack;
So, you, despaire, when carnall props decay;
So, ev'rie difficultie turnes you back,
And stands like
Seas, and
Gyants in your way:
And, so, through mis-beleefe, your selves deprive
Of Blessings, which your
Children shall receive.
And, thus it comes to passe, because, like them
You are a stupid and a foolish
Nation,
Who your
Deliverances do contemne;
And, are like them, without consideration.
Else, grudge you would not, for that, you are more
Imbroyl'd by seeking to preserve your due,
And put to greater charges, than before
Your Vindication you did first pursue:
For,
Prudent men, will while they are at ease,
Be willingly made sick; and beare the cost
Of Physick, for the cure of that disease,
Through which, ere long, their lives might else be lost:
Yea, ev'rie rustick
Seed-man, sowes in hope,
(Advent'ring much) e're he receives a crop.
You justly might suppose, that
Patients wit
Much craz'd, that when good physick works upon him,
Straight wisheth, he had never taken it;
Cries out, that his
Physitians have undone him;
Because, they made him sick, e're he was so:
Drinks, eats, and acts, both
what and
when he will;
Yea, thereby makes himselfe more sick to grow,
And causes that which would have cur'd, to kill.
Yet, this is your condition: and, if, now,
In this distemper'd, and unto ward plight,
Your kind
Physitian had deserted you,
(As for your peevishnesse, he justly might)
Your labours past, and those you shall bestow,
Will prove like Arrowes, from a warped Bow.
You mark not, what great wonders GOD hath wrought,
To move your hardned
Pharaohs to relent;
And that from slaveries, you might be brought,
Nor heed you, what your Foes, for you invent.
A thousand things, unthought on, you let go,
Of consequence, which wrought for you have bin,
Since your
Deliverer began to show
An
Outlet, from the
Bondage you were in.
As, in what dreadfull manner, in one place,
He seized by an
unseen-messenger,
A bold
Transgressor (who so daring was,
As to provoke the Devill to appeare)
And, smoth'red him in loathsome smoke and stink,
Whilst he presum'd blasphemous healths to drink.
You do not mark, how oftentimes the
Plot,
Against you layd, hath crossed been by
Him,
When, else, you had no knowledge thereof got;
Nor, to prevent it, either
Pow'r, or
Time.
You have not memorized, as you ought,
How, GOD himselfe, when your own strength did faile,
For you, against your Enemies hath fought;
And made you conquer, when they did prevaile.
How wondrously, a
Remnant, for a Seed,
In
Ireland, he preserves: how oft from spoile,
Your
Garrisons and
Armies, he hath freed,
When they have been in hazard of a foile:
Nor do you mind, how oft, him thank you may,
For saving, what, you would have fool'd away.
You ponder not, how often he hath sav'd,
Where no
Salvation was; how neare at hand,
He still was found, when you protection crav'd;
And, when destruction over-hung the
Land.
You have not heeded, how the Saplesse-brest
Of wither'd Age, (when raging crueltie
The child of murth'red Parents had distrest)
Did wonderfully, thereto milk supply:
Nor, for how many thousand Families,
He food provides, whom
War hath quite undone:
Nor, how his
Grace restraines their
Poverties,
From Outrage, whereinto they else had run;
And which, ere long, attempted you will see,
Vnlesse more
Iust, and
Mercifull you bee.
You, hardly yet believe, that, in conclusion
The mischiefs, by your Adversaries done,
Must be the
Ground-worke of their own confusion;
Or, that your
Peace is by this
War begun.
You mark not, that when first the sottish
Dane,
Preparing was, your causlesse Foes to aid,
GOD, then, to call him to account began,
For all that bloud whereon his
Throne was laid:
Nor how, ev'n then, GOD fastned in his nose
The
Swedish-hooke, and found him work at home,
To shew, that He of
Princes doth dispose;
And, what of
wilfull-Tyrants will become,
Though, by permission, for a while, they may
The Fooles, or Mad-men, on their stages play.
You mark not, with such thankfull observations,
As would become you, that, GOD's providence,
(Though you are threatned by some other Nations)
Hath (by ingagements) kept them yet, from hence.
And many other things unheeded are,
Which must consid'red be, ere you aright
Your hearts, and your affections can prepare,
For such a
Peace, as will be worth your sight.
Yea, many things must be repented too,
And much amended, ere you may expect,
That either
swords, or
words this work will do;
Or
Blowes, or
Treaties, bring your wisht effect.
The
Peace of GOD you never can possesse,
But, by attonement, with the GOD of
Peace.
You, by a
Treaty, had a hope to see
A
Peace concluded on. But how alas!
How possibly may that accomplisht be!
Till means is found to bring it well to passe?
The
Mediums to that work, are wanting, yet,
By which, the
Parties who at variance are,
Should reconcile; and they themselves have set
Too farre asunder, to be brought so neare.
There wants a
Third, by whom they should unite:
For, most who are imploid as Instruments,
To joyne them, in
Divisions take delight:
And,
private-interests, that work prevents;
Because, when these, the way to
Peace shall take,
Themselves obnoxious to the
Lawes they make.
The chiefest outward-Instruments, whereby
To joyne a
King and
Subjects disunited,
Was wont to be that Christian Charity,
By which the neighb'ring
Princes were invited
To mediate, and labour to compose
Their diff'rences. As first, by
friendly Words,
And
prudent Arguments, perswading those
Who seem'd unjustly to have drawne their swords.
By
threatnings, next: And, if nor argument,
Nor intercession, nor sharp menaces
Prevail'd; they then, to help the innocent,
As they inabled were, would somtimes please;
Lest, an unbounded, and usurped pow'r
Should all oppresse, and all at last devoure.
But you have no such hope; For, all the
States,
And all the
Kings and
Princes, near, or farre,
Which were your Friends, and your Confederates,
Neglecters of this pious duty are.
The
Swedes, the
Germans, and those other Nations,
Who really compassionate your griefe,
Are so ingag'd, for their own preservations,
That, thence you neither can expect reliefe,
Nor means of an
Attonement. From the
Dane,
(Your old Oppressor) you long since, had found
What he resolv'd; unlesse, the
Swede had tane
Occasion to imploy him in the
Sound:
And, should the
French, or
Spaniard intercede,
Against their own Designments, they might plead.
Th'Vnited
Netherlands, who to pursue
This dutie, are oblig'd, beyond them all,
And, who (unlesse they prove both false to you,
And to themselves)
themselves remember shall:
Ev'n they have hitherto but only sent
Iobs comforters unto you: or, perchance
To practise here, some peece of complement,
Which they have newly learn'd from
Spaine, or
France:
Ot, else, to see a patterne of that
Plague,
Which must, from hence, translated thither bee,
When they have quite forgotten their old league
With you, who spent your bloud, to set them free;
When they, in danger were to be enslav'd,
As you are now, and, for assistance crav'd,
Now, whether these are blinded by some sin
That cals for Vengeance; or, by some poore hope,
New works on this
Iles ruines, to begin;
Or, whether
Providence hath made that stop,
To frustrate such like meanes, that, you might flie
To him alone; it doth not yet appeare:
But, will ere long. Meanewhile, the certaintie
Of this, becometh manifestly cleare;
That, GOD suspendeth ev'rie help to
Peace,
Which forraine Aid, or forraine intercession
Are like to add; and, suffers an encrease
Of jars at home, which threaten your perdition:
For, ev'rie thing
essentiall to that blessing,
Are, well-nigh, taken out of your possession.
Most
Circumstances, thereunto pertaining,
Are missing too. For, on th'one side, at least,
There's not so much as willingnesse remaining,
To further what they have in
word, profest.
The
Spheres in which they move, divert them from
A true
Coujunction; and, from all Aspects,
From whence good
Influences use to come,
Or, any lasting
peaceable-effects.
It is destructive to their maine
Defigne,
And to their
Principles, to make true
Peace;
Or, with a faithfull purpose, to incline
To seek this
Islands reall happinesse.
Nor should you think such purposes they had,
Till, in their
course, you see them retrograde.
As soon shall he that
Westward alway goes,
Meet him, that still an
Eastward point doth steere,
As your two
Factions firme together close,
Till they, in their
chiefe-aimes, approach more neer:
For, th'one is bent, the other to
inslave;
That other, is resolved to be
free:
The
Last, would keep what GOD and
Nature gave;
The
First, would seize, what ought not theirs to be.
And, these, from reconcilement are so farre,
That, all their kindnesse is but to betray:
When most they talk of
Peace, they purpose
Warre;
When they embrace, they meane to stab and slay:
And, when they make you think the Warre is done,
The greatest mischiefe will be but begun.
Beside, as yet, nor th'one, nor th'other side,
Nor
King, nor
People, Commoners, nor
Peers,
Nor
Flocks, nor
Shepheards, have the course yet tride,
By which you can be saved from your feares.
A TREATIE may complete it: But, before
You venture that, you must be fit to
Treat.
For, then, the work were half-way done, and more:
And, till that be, no step you forward get.
In heat of quarrells, nothing done or spoke,
Can reconcile: a friends words move them not:
The more they talk, the more the peace is broke,
Till they their lost
consid'ring-caps have got;
Till their hot bloud is cool'd, till rage is gone;
And,
Reason doth examine them alone.
Then, peradventure, they with shame will view
Their oversights, their furiousnesse repent,
Distinguish
Truths, from things that are
untrue;
And, by that quarrell, future jarres prevent.
Thus likewise, when GOD, thereto saies
Amen,
Your Disagreements here, shall have an end:
Your Discords will be then allaid agen,
And, he that's now a Foe, shall be a Friend.
But, you must find, before this can be done,
A
Preparation, and a
Ground-work laid,
(With such an alteration wrought upon
Your Hearrs) that
Reason may be more obey'd:
GOD, make this Preparation; For, by none
But by himselfe, this work may now be done.
When you may hope a
Treaty will prevaile,
Good
Symptoms, you to usher it shall see;
Inducing you to hope it shall not faile:
And, for a taft, they such as these will be.
Both sides will to some Course themselves apply
That shall declare their hearts are growing-lean;
Themselves they will endeavour to deny;
Their tongues will nothing speake, but what they mean.
You shall perceive more
Justice, to be showne;
More
Charity among you will appear;
They will be meek, who to be proud were knowne;
Contentions will be fewer then they were;
And, they who on the
Publike-Trust attend,
Will lesse abuse it, for their private end.
A
Change, thus wrought; these
Virtues, in a while,
Will every where, beget themselves esteem:
By their
esteem the
Fire-brands of this
Jsle,
Will daily more abhominable seem:
That loathing of those
Monsters will increase
The number of true
Converts: By that
number,
The growing of
Malignancie will cease,
And
Newters be awakened from their slumber:
By their
awakening, such will be affraid
Who have not gone malitiously astray:
That
Feare will quickly make them well apaid
To leave their standing, in the
sinners way,
And, when these from that
Station shall be gone,
It will bring scorne upon the
Scorners Throne.
Thus, as at first,
Malignancie was bred
By ill example, and mis-informations;
So,
Good affections, will revive and spread,
And strengthen by their changed Conversations.
Then, will arise a longing to be free
From your Imbroylments; with so true a sight
Of present mischiefs, and of what
may be,
That, in the meanes of
Peace, you will delight.
And, then, both
Parties will be pleas'd to meet
On one set day, to fall with humblenesse,
For their foule bloudie sins, before GODS feet,
Whose
Mercie, far exceeder their wickednesse;
And he, perhaps, will make that complement,
An earnest of your generall assent.
When such like inclinations do appear,
(Both parties moving on, in some such way,
As here is pointed at) they who draw neare
At first in generals, will every day,
Assent in some particular or other,
Till they who now so much divided be,
Shall lovingly unite again together,
And in one
Discipline and
Faith agree.
But, doubtlesse, not till they themselves deny,
And more forbeare, when they negotiate,
From seeking in their publike Agencie,
To serve and save themselves, before the
State;
Whose weale, to all men should be dearer, far,
Then their estates, their lives, and honours are.
Nay, till both
Parties do, at least, agree
In all those common principles, whereby
Humane Societie, preserv'd may be,
With Nations Rights, and Christian Libertie;
All
Treaties will be mischeevous, or vaine,
To men adhering to the better Course:
For, by such
Threatnings, Polititians gaine
Advantages, to make your being worse.
Yea, by that meanes, these find occasions may
To gaine, or give intelligence; to make
New plots, and friends; to hasten or delay,
As cause requires; and, other wayes to take
For their availe, which els they had not got:
And which true honesty alloweth not.
Nor can, in any cause, a
Treaty bring
More mischief then in your; till on each side
The
Parties treating, are in ev'ry thing
(Thereto pertaining) rightly qualifi'd:
Because, when
Forraigners alone are Foes,
Tis hard corrupting more then one or two;
Whereas, here want not multitudes of those,
That, willingly, their Countrey would undo.
Nay, some among you are so void of reason,
To buy their Traytorships; and other some,
By conscience, seem obliged to the treason:
And, these will to a
Treatie never come,
To make true reconcilement; but, to gather
Advantages, for some new mischief, rather.
You are this way, and many other wayes,
Corrupted so, so false, and so unfit
For
Peace desired; and for those assayes,
Whereby you may acquire that blessing, yet,
That you must cleansed be from that pollution
Which brought this curse upon you; and whereby
Those means are vainly put in execution,
Which might procure a blessed
Vnity.
There is so little honesty among you,
And your discretion is become so small,
That they who most apparently do wrong you,
(And seek your Souls and Bodies to inthrall)
Have more incouragements, to help undo you,
Then they, who offer means of safety to you.
Instead of being linked fast, in
one,
Against the
common-Foe, you have permitted
That
band of amity to be und one,
Whose preservation had these times befitted.
You, that in
Fundamentalls do agree,
Are so divided about
Circumstances,
(Which might, at better leisure, setled be)
That your
Destroyers projects it advances:
And, if with speed you cement not the breaches,
That which (ere long) must thereupon ensue,
Experience (which the veriest ideots teaches;)
Will, to your greater sorrow, daily shew;
Till you of all, are by those foes despoil'd,
Whom you by good attonement might have foil'd.
You are a fickle, and inconstant
Nation,
Your serious
promises deserve no trust;
Your
words are full of base dissimulation,
Your
thoughts are vanity, your deeds unjust.
Your
vertues are but few, your
vices many;
Great is your
Folly, and your
Wisdome small;
Your
Principles are such (if you have any)
That, from your best resolves you quickly fall.
With jealousies, each other you pursue;
You misbelieve, and find, as you believ'd:
You, nor to GOD, nor men continue true:
And, therefore, of much comfort are bereav'd,
Which by their friendship might have been possest,
Who keep to you, that Faith which they profest.
Betwixt you, and your
Brethren of the North,
The seeds of
Discord secretly are sown:
Much paine some take to make them tillow forth,
Dissentions coales in ev'ry place are thrown;
And these by
Folly, and by
Malice, too,
So wilfully are blown by
either side,
So scattered, and tossed to and fro,
And so much fewell is to them appli'd;
That, if the patience of the
Stottish-Nation
Exceed not Common-measure: If more true
They prove not to their
Vowes, their
Protestations,
And
Christian-principles, than some of You,
A worse
Division will betwixt you spring,
Than this, between the People and the King.
For, this will in another Age abate,
But, that, unlesse GODS grace prevent it shall,
Will grow into an everlasting hate,
Or, bring a speedy ruine on you all.
Now therefore, in both
Nations, let those few
Who faithfull are, firme in their Faith abide.
Now, let them to their Principles be
true;
Now, let the Patience of the
Saints be tri'd.
His last great
Batt'rie, ANTICHRIST now reares,
His deepest
Mines, against you sinking be,
His pow'rfull
Army, mustred now appeares,
His chiefest
Cunning, now, employeth he.
Oh! let him not by
Force your Strength dis-joyne,
Nor, by his fraud, your Counsels undermine.
But, let your Faith and Courage so prevaile,
That you may better
Fixed-Stars appeare,
Than they, who daily by the
Dragons-Taile,
Are smitten, or affrighted from their Spheare;
That, you may those
Elected-Ones be sound,
Who cannot by
Deceivers, be deceiv'd;
That, with those
Conquerours you may be crown'd,
Who shall not of their
Garlands be bereav'd:
That, of the
Kingdome, seizure you may take,
Which GOD, on
Perseverers doth bestow;
And, not be shut from thence, by looking back,
When you have set your hands unto the plough.
In this
Back-sliding, some already are:
Some, nearer to it, than they are aware.
For, so imprudent are
Men discontent,
That, to avenge their personall neglects,
Complaints for private injuries, they vent
As
Nationall-affronts, and dis-respects;
Whereas, it is apparent ev'rie day,
That, many members of each sev'rall Nation,
Do suffer, by their owne, as much as they,
In
Person, in
Estate, and
Reputation:
And, that both
Nations, mutually have showne,
(Vnlesse, perhaps, among the baser sort)
As loving a respect as to their owne,
And, therefore, let not
Prudent-men retort
Mistaken wrongs; or quarrels be begun
'Twixt them, for that, which Fooles and Knaves have done.
Let not those
jealousies, which were perchance
Devis'd by them, who in your spoiles delight,
Make you, imprudently, their ends advance,
And you, to their Advantage, dis-unite.
If some of them, discourtesies have showne,
To some of yours; or, injuries have done;
It is no more than you, unto your owne
Have offred oft, since first this
War begun.
An
Army cannot possibly be free
From all Injustice; and, yet, oftentimes
Ill-will, and men who dis-contented be,
Will make complaints, much larger than the crimes.
But cursed be their malice, and their tongues,
Who Nations would divide for private wrongs.
Your Fathers felt, and some of you have heard,
The
Deadly-Fewds, betweene you heretofore;
Which, if your owne well-being you regard,
Would make you glad it might be so no more:
And entertaine, and cherish with all dearnesse,
The brotherly Affection, which that Nation
Hath late exprest; and with a true sincerenesse,
Be carefull of your mutuall preservation.
Yea, if the sons of
Belial, and of
Blindnesse,
On either Partie, rightly understood,
How greatly, to perpetuate this kindnesse
Between the
Nations, it concernes their good,
(Ev'n in those outward things which they respect)
They would not your
dis-union, so project.
Believe it, this is not the way to
Peace,
But rather, to an never-ending war;
And likelier new troubles to increase
Then set a period unto those that are.
And, they who willingly shall tind such flames,
Or, wilfully foment them, merit well
To be esteem'd (to their perpetuall shames)
The
Plagues of earth, and
Fierbrands of hell.
For, of your
Scottish-Brethren, wherefore, now,
Yee
English-Britaines, are ye jealous growne,
Who have exprest more faithfulnesse to you,
Then you your selves, unto your selves have shown?
Or, wherein have they seemingly abus'd
Your trust, whereof, they may not be excus'd?
They would appeare to be confided in
With lesse distrust, if ever you had heard
On what conditions, they allur'd have bin
To be dishonourable, for reward.
For, when the
Prelates-War had them constrain'd
To arme themselves against the superstitions
Intruded on them; when they had regain'd
Their
Peace with honour, and on good conditions;
And, when your Army could have been content
Vonat'rally (on promise of reward)
To turne their Swords upon this
Parliament,
(And so had surely done, had they not fear'd
The
Scots, then, on their
Rear) they were the men
who kept you from the mischeef purpos'd then.
Had they been trustlesse; or, had aim'd at ends,
As base as many of your own have had;
Your Foe, e're this, had done what he intends:
And you and yours, perhaps, had slaves been made.
For, to allure them, four brave Northerne
Shires
Should have annexed been to Scottish-ground:
To beare expences (and to pay Arreares)
A paune to be three hundred thousand pound
In Jewells, was design'd.
York, should have had
The Soveraigne-Seat of royall-Residence;
The
Scottish Generall, should have been made
The chiefe of both your Armies; and, the Prince
In
Scotland, should have had his education;
All which, together, seem'd a strong temptation.
Yet, more was offred: For, to each
Commander
Revenue, Office, yea, and Honour too
Was promis'd; and th'unvaluable plunder
Of
London, to both Armies: What to do?
To force the
Parliament, to make the
King
A Monarch absolute; and you, and your,
Into perpetuall slavery to bring,
By an ill-gotten Arbitrary power.
But, these temptations, their brave minds abhor'd:
Of which their noblenesse, this VOICE shall be
An everlasting
Trophee, and
Record;
Wherein, these times, and times to come, shall see
How, we to sale were offred; and, how these
Disdain'd to thrive, by base advantages.
If they be faithlesse, and you shall be true,
GOD, will with shame and vengeance send them home.
If, you unfaithfully your
Vowes pursue,
Possessors of your Land they shall become.
In spight of all your policies and power,
Here, they shall settle; whither they were set,
To do the work of GOD (as well as your)
Who will requite the kindnesse you forget.
But, if without hypocrisie and guiles,
You, Brethren-like, shall strengthen one another,
In setting up his Throne, within these Isles,
By, and
in whom, you seem, now, kn
[...]t together;
Both, shall thereby, that happinesse enjoy,
Which all the powers on Earth, shall not destroy.
Look therefore, well about you, and persever
In your vow'd union: For, the maine designe
Is to divide you; and, to that indeavour
Your Foes, withall their Faculties combine.
Yea, and of such like projects, there are other,
Through levitie, or malice so promoted,
As if to ruine these three Realmes together,
It were almost unanimously voted.
No
Chronicle hath showne; no age hath seen
An Empire so divided, and yet stand;
Or that a Nation so corrupt hath been,
Whose desolation was not near at hand.
And, if you shall escape it; be it knowne
To all now living, and that shall be borne,
A greater
Mercie never was bestowne
On any Kingdome since a Crown was worne:
And that no Nations, who so much professe
In outward show, did ere deserve it lesse.
Although by
vowes, and
dutie you are tide,
Yet, you are carelesse in pursuing either;
And play at
fast, and
loose on ev'ry side,
Fair seeming friends to both, but, true to neither.
He, that's within your Covenants, and conceives
Himselfe ingaged; by those
Obligations,
To bring to triall those whom he believes
Injurious to the safety of these Nations;
Oft into greater danger thereby falls,
Of secret mischiefs, of reproofs, or troubles,
Then they whom justly to account he calls:
And, by this meanes, your Foe his power doubles,
Takes courage, and accomplisheth his ends,
By making you to ruine your own friends.
▪Tis, oft, more safe, to let the
Commonweale
Be ruin'd, or betraid, then to oppose
A
Traytor; or with freedome to reveale
That, which your vowes oblige you to disclose.
Your
personall immunities, of late,
Are so insisted on, that many feare
The
Publike-Priviledge to vindicate;
Least they Infringers of the first appeare.
And, if there be not some provisions made,
Whereby free-men their minds may freely say,
When probable suspitions they have had,
That some intrusted, do their trust betray,
Your
Priviledged Persons, will advance
Their freedomes to the Publike hinderance.
Through some obstructions, your most noble
Court
Which is the
Sanctuary, whereunto
Oppressed men, by multitudes resort,
Yeelds lesse reliefe, then it had wont to do.
For, publike Greevances are so increast,
That, time and leasure, hardly can be gain'd,
To heare how men are privately opprest,
Till they are quite undone who have complain'd:
Beside (which in
Committees oft is done)
By making friends, to
come, or
keep away,
Vnwarranted advantages are won,
To wrong the
Truth, or
Justice, to delay,
Thus, when the
Peeres or
Commons are but few,
A mischiefe unexpected may ensue.
For, when
Reports or
Motions should be made,
If they who make them will deceitfull prove,
Occasions doubtlesse, may be watch'd, and had,
Injurously both to
report and
move;
Since they who shall
report (if to their choice
The times be left) may their designes propose,
And get it passed by a
Major-Voice,
E're their appearing, who the same oppose.
Yea, 'tis nor hard nor strange to watch and wait,
A we
[...]k or two, for such advantages,
And gaine a
Vote for that by this deceit,
Which in a
Full-Assembly would displease.
Thus, by mans wickednesse, a mischiefe springs,
From justest
Courts, and from the noblest things.
And, if you soone returne not from your height,
Of Falshood and Injustice, that which was
Your
Idoll (and the
Glorie of your might)
Your hope of bringing mightie things to passe;
Ev'n,
that shall also fail you, in the end:
That, shall augment your manifold vexations:
That, shall become unable to defend,
Or save it selfe, among your desperations.
Nay,
that, shall by degrees it selfe corrupt
To such a
Monster, as will fright you more,
More grieve, and more your quiet interrupt,
Than all oppressing Tyrants heretofore.
For, when in sinning, men presumptuous grow,
GOD makes their strength to be their overthrow.
It was not meerly in the
Government
By
Kingship, that you were opprest of late:
It was not that, which brought the Detriment
Dilacerating so, both
Church and
State.
The
Princes errours, and the
Peoples crimes,
(Increasing by their aiding of each other
In wickednesse) have made them, in these times,
A mutuall
scourge; and both now smart together.
By
godlesse counsells you misled your King:
Then kept him,
standing in the
sinners way:
And to the
scorners throne him now you bring;
Whereon if once he settle (as he may,
If God prevent not) you, as yet, but see
Beginnings of those plagues that felt must be.
Vnlesse by penitence you break off sin,
Your
Parliamentall Members (when
long sitting,
And
fewnesse of the number, shall bring in
Both meanes, and opportunity, begetting
Such knowledge of each other, as is now
In some
Committees) shall much represent
The
Lands Corruptions; and make perfect show
By
whom, and from what
body they were sent.
For, then on
Priviledges to insist
Meer-personall, more then on
Publike-Right:
To say their pleasures; and do what they list,
In
Lawes contempt, and
Equities despight;
Shall grow in use, till you and they shall run
Another Course to be, yet, more undone.
You, then, shall see (though under other notions)
Your old
Oppressions to return again:
As much false-play for
profit and
promotions,
As when you to your
King, did first complain:
Then, you shall see your monstrous-
high-Commission,
Your
Councell-Table, your
Star-Chamber too,
New-shapes assuming to their old Condition,
Revive, and act as they had wont to do▪
That
Insolence, that
Pride Prelaticall,
Those
corporall and
ghostly Tyrannies,
Which in your
Clergie lately had a fall,
Shall rise again, cloth'd with a new disguise,
And act, what they who plaid before did mean.
Although they change their
Habits, and the
Scoene▪
For, then some
Priestlings, who as guiltie are
Of your Divisions, as the
Prelates-traine,
(First kindling, and fomenting, still, this warre,
As much as they) will make their meanings plaine.
Yea, by
divisions, and by
subdividing,
According as their
maine designe requires,
Opposing some, and with some other siding,
(As best may serve to compasse their desires)
Shall
Schismes, Sects, and
Fancies multiply.
Beyond compute; and from the truth shall steal
So many hearts by fained sanctitie,
By counterfeited honestie and zeale,
That, all your other Foes shall not disease
Your private, and the publike Rest, like these.
For, (though enacted-
Law, doth now of late
From
Secular-employments them exclude)
To intermeddle with Affaires of
State,
They will, by many meanes, themselves intrude.
By gath'ring Parties, they will plots contrive,
To make those greatest, who will them obey;
To make them rich, by whom they hope to thrive,
And to such ends will study, preach, and pray;
Joyne hands, sollicite, covenant, petition;
(The
Publike-good, still their chiefe aime pretending)
And, whatsoever stands in opposition
To their
Designe, shall want no such commending,
As floweth from implacable despite,
Or, from the malice of an
Hypocrite.
And, if e're long, there be not some endeavour,
To keep them to their
Calling, (and to bound
Their meddling with
Lay-matters) you shall never
Be free from
Faction, while the Spheres go round.
Like
Salamanders, these can never live,
But in a Flame; nor, long themselves conforme
To any Reformation: For, they thrive
In
Changes best, and swim best in a
Storme.
And, many diffring
Sects of these there are;
Some to an
Independancie incline,
Some to a
Presbyterian-way adhere;
Yet, really, themselves to neither joyne:
But, rather, take advantage to make use
Of that, which to their ends, may best conduce.
To limit these to some
Parochiall Charge,
Were to imprison them: For, they well know
From
Congregations gather'd up at large,
What Profits, and Advantages do flow.
A
Parish Income, though they largely grant
Both
Tythes and
Pensions, is but verie small,
Compar'd to what that
Priest itinerant,
Can gather up, who hath no bounds at all.
A
Parish is too narrow for his Pride,
Or Avarice: And, in one place, perchance,
Should he be long compelled to reside,
He could not so conceale his ignorance,
Or cover failings in his Conversation,
As, by an
Ʋnconfined-Congregation.
Had these been regulated, and reduc'd,
To that Conformitie, which
Reason would,
The
Simple had not then been so seduc'd:
Nor, had the
Common-People so been fool'd.
Had these, and their
Antagonists been charm'd
By prudent
Discipline, and made agree,
Your
King and
Parliament had not been arm'd
Against each other, as this day they be.
Had these been conjur'd downe; that
Pietie,
That
Prudent-meeknesse, and sweet
Moderation,
By which a Part of that
Fraternitie
Doth wrestle for a blessing on this Nation,
Should more be honour'd; and, ere long, prevaile,
For curing of those
Plagues which they bewaile.
For,
these, oft suffer the deserved blame
Of
Demas and
Diotrophes; and share,
(By being of their
Calling) in their shame,
When of their Faults they no way guiltie are.
And,
these, are they, whose
Prayers and
Examples,
Whose
good advice, and whose
well-temper'd Zeale
Shall keep your
State, your
Cities, and your
Temples
From desolation, and your Plague-sore heale.
If therefore,
Wit profane, or
Scurrile tongue
Shall any of our censurings apply,
To do their worth or innocencie wrong,
Let it redound to their owne infamie:
Let ev'rie check, from which they shall be free,
An augmentation to their honour be.
And, let it not discourage them, a whit,
That, now, those temp'rall Dignities are gone,
Which, oft, in their possessors, pride beget,
And, really, are honour unto none;
Since, by their
lives, and
doctrines, they may more
Their
Persons and their
Callings dignifie,
Then
Wealth and
Titles have done, heretofore,
And, reach true honours highest pitch thereby:
For, who, when
Prelacie did highest seem,
Were honour'd by the
People, or the
Peers,
With more unfain'd affection and esteem,
Then they are now, whom reall worth endeers?
Oh! let this honour still on them attend;
And, let their counsels move you to amend.
For, every one hath erred in his wayes;
King, Priest and
People have alike misgone;
As doth the
Flock, ev'n so the
Shepheard strayes;
And, there is no man
perfect, no not one.
It is not in the pow'r of
words to tell,
How farre below esteeme your vertues are:
Or, how in wickednesse you would excell,
If wholly left, to your own selves, you were.
Could you but look into your hearts, and view
How many villanies those cavernes hide,
Beside all those, which
words and
deeds do shew,
Or, may by circumstances, be descride;
You could not but unfainedly confesse,
That you are, yet, uncapable of
peace.
Could you permit your blinded eyes to heed,
How, while you smart, you multiply offence;
How, that, which awfull penitence should breed,
Hath changed
errour, into
impudence:
Could you perceive, before it were too late,
How fast you fell away, since you began
To faile in your professions to the
State;
And, to be faithlesse, both to GOD, and
Man;
You would abhorre your selves, and be affraid
Your soules, by
transmigration, would ere long,
Passe into sottish
Beasts: For, you have straid
Beyond that blockishnesse which is among
The noblest
Brutes; and, hardly do escape
With so much of true manhood, as the shape.
There is no pittie of the
Fatherlesse,
Or, of the poore afflicted
Widdowes teares;
No charitable heed of their distresse,
Whose miserie, most evident appears.
They, who have gladly,
lent, and
spent, and
given
Goods, Blood, and
best-assistance, to defend
The
Common-safety, (till they have been driven
To want of Bread) have hardly found a friend:
Some other, who oft hazzarded their lives,
For your protection (and have quite undone
Their dearest
Children, and beloved
Wives,
To do you service) have been look'd upon
Without regard; and worse, by far, have sped
Then they, who nothing have contributed.
Nay (would it were but so) their, and your Foes,
By your injustice, or your heedlesnesse,
Finde meanes to spatter, and to ruine those,
Whom, to defend, you did (with vowes) professe.
And (though their deeds have through this
Isle proclaim'd
Their faithfulnesse) you gladly suffer them
By cunning whisperers, to be defam'd;
And,
Falshoods words,
Truths actions, to condemn
Before due trialls, you (through Avarice,
Or, Envie) with contentednesse, can heare
Desert traduc'd; and, with such prejudice,
Receive Detractions, as if glad you were,
Of such false
Quittances, to make a show
Of having paid that debt which, yet, you owe▪
It is, indeed, the
Polititians way,
Thus, to requite: And, therefore, he that bring
[...]
Obligements, greater then discharge they may,
On thanklesse
Nations, or on fathlesse
Kings,
Instead of due reward, shall be repaid
With causlesse jealousies, and with suspect,
Of having either failed, or betraid
Their
Trust, by fa
[...]shood; or, by some neglect.
And, then, it must a
Mercie be believ'd,
If
He, for all the service he hath done,
(In lieu of wh
[...] he thought to have receiv'd)
With
life and
losse of honour, may be gone:
And, this, will, now, the portions be of some
Whom better usage, better will become.
And, how can GOD have peace with such a
Nation,
In which this b
[...]senesse, and this falshood lurks,
Which is rejected with much detestation
Among the brutish
Salvages and
Turks?
Or, how can you to other men be true,
Who to your selves are false, as may appear
By many practices, which you pursue,
Through wilfulnesse, through follie, or through feare?
For, whosoever tyranny defends,
And sets himselfe that
Party to oppose
Which for the Publike Libertie contends,
Betrayeth his own person to his Foes:
Or (if perchance, his person free he saves)
Himselfe, in his
Posterity inslaves.
Nay, you, who seem the
better part to take,
Ev'n
y
[...]u, are to your selves, as false as they:
The
Price of blood, a thing of nought you make,
And complement
Advantages away.
Your
Passes, and
Protections, you bestow,
Nor, as though to your safety they pertain'd;
But rather, your Authority to show,
Who gave them; Or, that profit might be gain'd
To
Clarks, and
Secretaries. And, your care
Is not, at all times, how you may supply
A
place of Trust, with such as fathfull are;
Or, fittest for the
States necessitie:
But, soonest they, those favours do obtain,
Who sell the
Publike for their private gain.
Nor Ablenesse their duty to discharge,
Nor losse, nor suffrings, for the common Cause,
Nor of Integrity, good proofes at large,
Respect to such a mans preferment drawes:
Nay, he that by a generall assent
Was nominated, (and petition'd for)
Without his seeking, in the
Parliament,
To
services of Trust; and, which is more,
Had these imployments, also, recommended
By
Order thence; hath, now, a year unheard
For answer, from those
Referrees attended,
Without so much as hope of their regard:
Because, though to the
Publike-weale it tends,
'Tis found it will disprofit private friends.
Your Indiscreet
Indulgence, suffers those
Who loose their Bloud, and Liberties for you,
To lie in worse condition, then your Foes,
To whom an equall usage seemeth due.
Yea, while in loathsome dungeons, they remain,
Who captivated in your service were,
Sweet Lodgings and respect their Foes obtain,
When in your Quarters they imprison'd are.
By which
unequallnesse, (till their side please
To show more
mercy) much discouragement,
Your
Partie findes; and, disadvantages
Which moderate severenesse might prevent:
And, you more
Cruelty, then
Mercie show,
When
Mercy you on
Cruell-men bestow.
He that to ruine you no spight hath spar'd,
If he submit, although but to deceive you,
Shall find more courtesie, and more regard,
Then he, who never left, nor meanes to leave you.
He, that with
Outrage hath your townes embroil'd,
He, that hath in your blond, his hands imbrew'd,
Your friends of their chiefe livelihood despoil'd,
And, to his utmost power, that course pursu'd:
He, if for favour (though constrain'd) he come,
Shall not alone finde meanes to set him free,
With his
Possessions, for a triviall summe:
But also quickly countenanced be
With Friends, and Favours, him inabling, too,
Your faithful'st friends, and servants to undo.
False to your selves you are, in not assaying
To execute the fulnesse of your
power,
In these
Extremities; and, in delaying
To take those Freedomes which are justly your.
The
Members of your
Body wasted are;
And, such as are of that consumption glad,
(Vnlesse prevented) will the cure defer,
Vntill it cannot possibly be had.
By raising feares of some
supposed-thing,
Which neither
is, nor
was, nor
shall be done,
Vpon your selves, you many mischiefs bring,
Which by a
prudent-Stoutnesse you may shun:
For, when you make an unexpected
pawse,
You weaken your
Assistants, and your
Cause.
You act not out your parts, as if you thought,
A
Tragedie in earnest, now, were plaid;
Or, that upon the
Combat to be fought,
The
Triall of your whole estates were laid:
For, to advance a frivolous
designe,
To please a knave, that is a friend in show,
To feed some lust, whereto they do incline,
Or, shun the fury of a feared Foe;
Advantages you daily fool away.
Which by no humane pow'r can be recal'd;
Eternitie, you venture for a
day,
And, when you might with brasse be double wal'd,
You seek to fortifie the Kingdomes Cause
With paper-works, with rotten sticks, and strawes.
Those
Places and
Imployments, whence arise
The greatest profit, rarely are confer'd,
With conscionable care of their supplies,
By faithfull men: but, thither are prefer'd
Those, rather, whose chief aimes are how to make
Their private Fortunes; and, to that effect
Know how to move; and how to give or take,
To gaine themselves advantage, and respect.
Yea, though there be suspitions, and perchance,
Good evidences too, that some of
these
The Cause of your opposers, will advance
(When they an opportunitie may seize)
To
Offices of
Trust, you these commend,
Before your suffering and deserving Friend.
Who their estates have now increased most,
But, they who for the publike ventur'd least?
Whose paiments and preferment
[...] more are crost,
Then their, who (to their power) have serv'd you best?
In what
Committees now, or in what
Shires,
Are not, this day, a multitude of those,
Whose faithfulnesse undoubtedly appeares,
Disabled, and discourag'd, by their Foes?
How gen'rally do you in ev'ry place,
Begin, well-known
Malignants, now, to trust
With your Affaires? And, suffer, with disgrace.
True
Patriots from imployment to be thrust?
And, by this madnesse, how are you betraid?
How open to destruction are you laid?
They, who were first in
Armes, for your defence;
Who, first, their
Free-will-Offerings to you brought;
And have continu'd faithfull, ever since,
Ev'n they are now, unserviceable thought.
Contrariwise, they, who at first refused
To lend you aid, in
Person, or in
Pay,
They, who in word and deed, your cause abused
(And are unfaithfull to you to this day)
Ev'n they have now insinuated so
By helpe of their Protectors: And, of these
So over-confident you daily grow,
That your best friends, you ruine, and displease;
And, on your selves a greater hazzard bring,
Then all the armed Forces of the King.
For, those accursed
Vipers, are with you,
So intermingled in your consultations,
(Nay, rather, so incorporated now,
In private, and in State negotiations)
That, by a miracle it must be done,
If any good Designe to passe be brought,
Or, for the publike-safetie be begun,
Which will not, e're performed, come to nought:
And, if you are not pleas'd to have it so
Why did you? and why do you still, permit,
Those men whom faultring (if not false) you know,
In Counsell, ev'ry day, with you to to fit?
And, why for those, do you your Friends neglect,
Vnlesse your own perdition you affect?
Why else when
Forts, or
Forces to command,
On which the
Publike-safety much depends,
Do you commit them rather to their hand,
Whom neither proofe, nor likelihood, commends,
To such a Trust? Why not unto their care
And keeping rather, who have courage showne?
Of whose fidelitie, good proofes appear?
And whose experience hath been wel made known?
This could not be, but that you do preferre
Your sons, your nephewes, and your friends, before
The
Publike-weale, or els perswaded are
That, your Destruction will afflict the more,
Vnlesse, your own devises help undo you;
Or, some who are both near, and deare unto you.
How can there be among you those foundations,
Whereon, your
Peace or
Safety, may erect,
While most men, for their own accommodations
Designments to the Publike losse project?
And, while to compasse their desired ends,
They do not onely mischief, and delude
Themselves, their kindred, neighbourhood, and friends,
Or mis-inform the brainlesse multitude;
But, by their cunning, also do contrive
Those
Engines, which good
Discipline deface;
The
State into unstable postures drive,
Raise jarres, and jealousies in every place;
And spread abroad the Devils
Axioms too,
The unitie of Doctrine to undo.
These
Engineers, your power infeeble more,
And weaken more your hands, then all yet done,
By other adversaries heretofore,
Since this unhappie
Warfare first begun.
These, while to build among you they pretended,
As partners in the work of
Reformation,
Have secretlie their private Aimes befriended,
With hindrance to your wished
Restauration.
Sanballats, and
Tobiahs, you have had,
Who, by dissembling with you, to unite
Have rent you from your selves; and, thereby made
Both
Parties feel the common Foes despight;
To be each others whip, and make the
Truth
A theame of scorne, in everie drunkards mouth.
There are so manie failings in the best,
Such needlesse, and such wilfull breach of
Lawes;
So carelesse are you, of your
Faith profest,
To those, who have been faithfull in your
Cause;
So hath your Falshood, and your follie blended
Both right and wrong, both good and ill together,
That, both must be opposed or defended;
Or, els you must declare your selves for neither.
And (whether with the one, or t'other side
You shall partake, or for a
Newter, stand)
No
humane wisdom, can for you provide,
A
being, with true safety, in this Land:
So little wit, hath ordered this
Place,
So little honesty, so little grace.
And, these great mischeifs rose, from giving way
For every man, at pleasure, to deface
Those
Out-works, which (though faultie) were a stay
Not uselesse, till some better came in place.
For, he that would prevent an inundation
(By false-built
Sea-banks) lets not every one
Teare down the Piles, and breake the old
Foundation,
Lest that which he would
make, might be
undone:
Nor for a
Cobler, or a
Fidler, sends;
But, men experienc'd in such works, doth call;
And, with such warinesse the fault amends,
That, no disaster may, mean-while, befall:
And, that the
Old-worke, and the
New-worke, may
Begin, and end together, in one day.
You thus proceeded not, but (with more heat
Then prudence, hurrying on) in hast, you tore
The
wharfage down; ev'n while the floods did threat
To drowne the fields, and
Billowes rent the shore.
The furious
Souldier was, with commendation,
Permitted to reforme, as he thought fit;
(Forbidding or affording toleration,
According to the modell of his
wit)
And, he that was not mad enough to run
Their
wildgoose-chase, and set the world on fire,
To suffer by suspition, streight, begun;
And, forc'd was, from imployment to retire,
As not right principled, or drawne aside,
By
Balaams wages; or, unsanctifi'd.
And, these
Reformers, not enough content,
To carve out
Discipline, as they shall please,
(And Doctrine too) will on the
Government,
Vnlesse it be prevented, shortlie seize.
For, having no
Foundation, like a feather,
Which from the bodie of a Fowle is torne.
They to and fro, are turn'd with everie weather;
Else, up and down, still wrestlesly are borne.
And, by these
foolish Fires, ev'n as you see
By
shining-vapours, rising in the night,
Mis-led from safe high-waies, poore people be,
To fall in Pits, and Ponds, by their false light;
So
these, and
other, have by their delusions,
Brought on these
Nations, mischieves, and confusions.
And these confusions, not alone befall
The
Civill State; but, have disord'red so
Your
Discipline Ecclesiasticall,
That Church affaires, are out of order too.
Each one sets up their private
Idoll, there.
That man, contends for this;
this man, for that.
Some, would have new things; some, for old things are,
Some, would have
somthing, but they know not what.
Some,
care not what they have: and some there be,
That would have
nothing, which might them confine,
In
doing, or
believing; but, live free
In ev'rie thing, a perfect
Libertine.
And, most, in such a posture do appeare,
As if the
Towre of Babell raising were.
Some, to no
Congregation, will repaire,
In which their
duties are extemporarie;
As if (because some call vaine bablings, praier)
No man possest that
guift in ordinarie.
Some, do abhorre
Set-Formes; as if they thought
The
Spirit, whereby they were first indighted,
Dispis'd the words, which by it selfe were taught,
If more then once, though with true zeale recited.
Some, care not how GODS
Fields are over-grown
With Briars, and Thornes; some others, are so strict.
That, for his
Vineyards, they no place will owne,
But those, from whence all
weeds, and
stones, are pickt;
As if they, for a
Church, allowed not,
What hath a scarre, a wrinkle, or a spot.
A
Militarie-Church, was well exprest,
In ancient
Hieroglyphicke, by the
Moone;
To shew, that when her light was at the best,
(And when her brightest glorie she puts on)
Some
shadowes, or some
Waynings, will declare,
That, in this world, she hath not her perfection:
And, that the
Sun, from whom her beauties are,
Conveigheth
light unto her, by reflection.
Somtime, that
Sun, doth hide his face away,
Lest men ascribe to Her, what is His due:
Somtime, her proper
motions, her convey
Too high, or els, too farre, beyond the view
Of
private-spirits: And, somtime, from sight
Earths Globe, and somtime Clouds, obscure her light.
Which, many, not consid'ring, are offended
Without a cause; and indiscreetly marre
That
Beauty, which to polish they pretended;
And 'twixt her
Members, raise intestine warre.
Some
Weeds, and
Corne, are in the blade so like,
That many
Weeders have deceived bin;
And, oftentimes, good
corne away do pick,
And make the crop, at
harvest, very thin.
A
spotlesse Church, or
perfect Disciplines
Go seek at
None-such: For, they are not found
In any place, between the
Tropick-Lines,
Or any where, upon this earthly
Round;
Though some have shaped modells, in their braine,
Of that, whereto, they never shall attaine.
On
speculations, these have doted so,
(Which their own
Fancies forme) that, they have lost
The
Body of
Religion; and let go
That
Forme thereof, which must enshrine the
Ghost.
And, he (who being in the flesh) believes
The
soule of
Worship can retained be,
Or known, without a
Forme, himselfe deceives;
Yea others, with himselfe, deceiveth he:
And, wanders (restlesse) in perpetuall motion,
In quest of
empty-shades; and to pursue
Each flitting dreame, and ev'ry changing Notion,
Which comes within his intellectuall view:
Till
Pride, upon his
Fantasie, begets
High thoughts of his own
light, and in his brest
Stirres up, and kindles those distemper'd
heats,
That keep the
mind and
body without rest;
And, then perchance, he to a
meteor growes,
Which Fooles, to be a
Starre, a while, suppose.
But, if you mark such well, their
new-borne-blaze
Is quickly out; and you shall see, ere long,
Some
Evills follow, whereof they were
Cause
As well as
Signes. And take you this, among
Your
Notes; that, when your
Marches furious be,
Like
Jehu's, in
Religions reformation;
(And so pursu'd, as if you said,
Come see
Our zeale for GOD) that, but for ostentation,
Or, for your own advancements, you become
So zealous: and, that (when you execute
GOD's mandates,
Jehu-like) you, for the same
Shall tast, of his false zeale, the
bitter-fruit;
That, other men may learn, his will to do,
For his
owne sake; and, with due
meeknesse too.
No few disosters had prevented bin,
If in the
Worke now doing, you had learn'd
With whether part, 'twas fittest to begin:
Which might in GOD's own
works have been descern'd:
For, though this
World, in worth inferiour be
To
Man; and, though the
Body be below
The
soule, in value; yet, created
He
The meanest of these first: And, that may show
How men should work. For, had
Man been created
Before the
World; or, had the
Soule been made
Before the
Body, where had they been seated,
To exercise the Faculties they had?
Though
noblest works should first be thought upon,
Sometime, a
meaner work should first be done.
A
Common-wealths, blest being, doth depend
Vpon the
Church: the
Churches Reformation,
You, therefore, principally should intend:
And yet, your zeale may merit commendation,
Though to reforme the
Civill-government
You first begin, and waive a while the other;
If there shall happen some such accident,
As hinders the reforming both together.
Else, peradventure, while you are contriving,
Your Forme of
Discipline, there may begin
A mischiefe, not alone of
Peace depriving,
But, of a
Countrey to professe it in:
And, so, with you it hath almost succeeded;
Because, this freedome was not timely heeded.
For, had you
tim'd, and
ordered aright
The
Civill-Part; and, therewith brought along
The
Church-Affaires (as by degrees you might)
The
Work had prov'd lesse grievous, and more strong.
Or, had true
Prudencie directed
Zeale
First, to reforme some things pertaining to
The safe well-being of the
Common-weale;
Both, had not been, at once, distracted so.
And, yet, in this, the wisdome of the
State
Deserves no check; but, rather, that
Defection
Throughout the Land, which doth irregulate
The
Works in hand, and keep them from perfection,
By multipli'd Obstructions; and, sometime,
By streightning, and necessitating them.
For, such is your corruption and your folly,
So false and hypocriticall you are;
So brutishly profane, and so unholy,
(Though you
Religious-Nations would appeare)
That, had your temp'rall grievances been eas'd,
And all those
Priviledges been secur'd,
For which, to be at cost, you yet are pleas'd,
(And many Deaths and dangers have endur'd)
Most would have hazarded nor life, nor limb,
Nor Goods nor paines, the
Church to vindicate
From her enthralments; but, to sink or swim,
Had left her in a deplorable state:
And, therefore, GOD permitted the pursuit
Of Counsells, which have brought forth bitter fruit.
Ev'n as a
Worldling, who hath spent his dayes
In carnall Pleasures; and hath partner bin
With lewd Companions, in their wicked wayes,
(And in the practice of each crying sin)
When he doth feele the stroke of some disease
Portending Death; and that the self-same houre
Those horrours on his conscience also seize,
Which threaten
Soule and
Body to devoure;
Desire of
Life, and fearfulnesse to
die
Distracts him so, that heat once for aid,
Both from
Physitians, and
Divines doth crie;
And, having both, becometh so dismaid,
That he receiveth benefit from neither:
But, hazards
Soule and
Body both together.
So, while you laboured at once to heale
The desperate Diseases, which of late
Endangered both
Church and
Common-weale;
Such longings, then, your
double-zeale begate,
To cure them both together; and so strove
Your
Zelots, that, from both at once, they mought
The
Cause of their distemperatures remove,
That, great
Confusions upon
both, are brought:
Yea,
both of them, are now exposed more
To scandals, losses, errours, perturbations,
And hazards of destruction, than before:
That, whether now you seek their preservations
Together or
apart, you shall not, yet,
Obtaine that
blessing, which you hope to get.
For, you must first be cleared of the sin,
Which hinders from enjoying your desire:
And, that which lately might have cleansed bin
With
water, must be purged now with
fire.
Yea, since your follies and your sins have brought
Those great Confusions both on
Church and
State,
For which the
meanes, that might their cure have wrought,
Are now too feeble, and will come too late;
Since, into such a
Chaos all is changed,
That, all endeavours usefull heretofore,
Have, daily, you from
Concord, more estranged,
And made your mischiefes, and your sorrowes more,
No
ordinary-course, can set you free
From those distractions, wherein, now, you be.
This, being knowne (and in what great distresse
You plunged are) to you it appertaines
With penitencie, humbly to addresse
Your suits to
him, in whom your help remaines.
And ere you make approaches to his Throne,
There must be (as was told you) some
purgation,
From those omissions, and those deeds mis-done,
Which make your prayers an abhomination.
The
Zimri's and the
Cosbi's of the time,
Of whose uncleannesse and whose impudence,
You talk of, yet, but as a
Veniall crime,
Or, laugh at, as a triviall offence,
Must with more zeale (more speed) receive their due;
Or, else, their sins, GOD shall avenge on you.
For, these are so impure, that, in their
Sin,
They are unsatisfi'd, unlesse the same
H
[...]th with some
circumstances acted bin,
Which proves them double-guiltie, without shame.
They are not pleas'd in
Simple-Fornication,
Vnlesse thereto,
Adulteries they add:
Nor seemes that, now, sufficient violation
Of
Chastitie, unlesse, the Crime be made,
Yet more abhominable, by beguiling
Some
Innocent; or else by (offring force)
The
Bed of Honour, with bold vaunts defiling:
Nay, there is found among you (if not worse)
Vncleannesse more unmanly, and more strange;
Adult'ries by consent, and
by exchange.
But, these are the defilements of your
Peace,
Where yet they have not felt the rage of
War;
Where, yet, the Course of
Justice doth not cease,
And where great shewes of
Pietie yet are.
And, if such impudence may there be found;
If there, you so corrupt already grow,
Oh I how do those
Ʋncleannesses abound,
Where cruell
Outrage her grim face doth show?
Sure words are insufficient to expresse
The
Rapes, the
Ravishments, and loathsome sins,
Where
War gives way to all
Vnrulinesse,
And Tyranny and Lust the conquest wins:
When sin and impudence is acted there,
Where
Justice on her seats doth yet appeare.
Behold, this day, ev'n whilst with
Desolation,
The Land is threatned, you have now let in,
A
crying witkednesse, which to this
Nation,
Was ever thought so hatefull to have bin;
That, though among the
Jewes, a
Law they had,
Inflicting Death upon it, you have none;
Because, a
Law is verie rarely made,
Concerning things unlikely to be done.
Who would have thought, there being neither
Beare,
Nor
Wolfe, nor
Lyon on your
English ground,
To seize upon your little
Children there,
That many
Beasts and
Monsters should be found,
In
humane shape, to steale and beare away
Your
Infants, whilst before your doores they play?
Who would have thought, that for so small a price,
So many, could so quickly have been got,
To joyne in perpetrating of a
Vice,
So horrible, and yet abhor it not?
That, their hard hearts could heare poore
Children crie
Vpon their fathers, or their mothers name,
Till, peradventure, in an agonie
Of extreme passion, livelesse they became.
Or (which is worse) preserv'd them, to be sent
To
Bondage, whilst their Parents (almost wild)
Were left in everlasting discontent,
By musing, on their
lost-beloved-child?
This Crueltie hath in your streets been seen;
Thus high, have your corruptions heightned been.
In these sad times, while GODS afflicting hand
Lies heavie on you, and with
sword and
fire,
Pursues, through ev'rie Corner of the Land;
And, reall
Penitencie doth require.
In stead thereof, the People now begins
To grow more daring, and to practise crimes
(Beside the old, or Epidemick sins)
Which were unheard of here, in former times.
Blasphemous Heresie among you growes,
Like Sprouts at Spring-tide, from a new lopt tree:
And, so detestable, are some of those,
That, pious men afraid to name them be:
Lest they, who love the sinfulnesse of
Sin,
Should, thereby, let such mischiefes further in.
Death, was the punishment, which for this crime
Was judged by the Law of
Moses due;
And, well it would become you at this time,
That
Law, among these Nations to renue.
And if you should observe, how little sense
Of
Perjurie, men seeme to have of late;
And what bold use is made of that
Offence,
To serve the will of
Malice, and of hate;
Or, with what ease,
Oppressours, thereby may,
(And sometimes do) not only ruinate
And honest Fame, but also take away,
As well their pretious lives, as an estate
From
Innocents; Death, would not seem a
Law
Too strict, to keep those
Wicked ones, in awe.
The
Land, through
Oathes and
Curses, also, mournes:
For, some have learn'd new oathes, and imprecations,
Not heard of heretofore; and, GOD returnes
On their owne heads, their wished-for
Damnations.
In
Cursings they delighted; and they soke
Like Oyle into their bones. They took a pride
In wishing
Plagues; and, lo, as with a cloke
Therewith, now, wrapt they are on ev'rie side.
You lov'd not
Blessings: but, when you enjoy'd
Peace, plentie, health, and safetie, you despis'd
Those
Mercies; and behold, they are destroy'd,
That they, hereafter, may be better priz'd.
You, long have partners been in ev'rie sin,
And, now, each others
Hang-men, you have bin.
When ev'rie neighb'ring house is in a flame,
You store your owne, as if no danger were.
In
Honestie's, and in
Religion's name,
You credit get; and publike Robbers are.
To
lye, and to be
perjur'd for the Cause
Of GOD, your
King, or
Countrey, is a gin
To catch
Opixion; whereby, most, he drawes,
That is most bold, and impudent therein.
By some pretence, to benefit the
State,
Religion to promote, or aid the
King,
You colour your oppressions; slander, cheat,
And, put in practice almost any thing:
You, by a shew, the
Gen'rall to preserve,
Particulars, unmercifully starve.
You wrong the meaning of your
Parliament
When their estates you seize who are their Foes;
To their undoing, who are innocent,
And blamelesse, though the
Creditors, of those.
And, were it our
Designment to accuse
Particulars (as to informe and warne,
In gen'rall termes; that, they, who yet abuse
Their power, more humanitie might learn)
We could have instanced in many things,
Discov'ring, that, their number is not few,
Whose Crueltie, Reproach, and Curses, brings
On those Proceedings, which they did pursue
With
Prudence, and with
Mercie, should relieve
The
Publike, more; and, private men, lesse grieve.
One part of you, contributes to the
King;
The other
Partie, to the
Parliament:
To these, you personall assistance bring;
To these, you liberally your goods have lent:
Yet, most of you, who thus ingaged are,
Are both to
King, and
Parliament untrue:
For, many signes your faithlesnesse declare,
And many things your giddinesse doth shew.
You are most firme to that, which you conceive
Your private weal, or safety, best promotes:
While that is doubtfull, you,
Demurs can weave;
When that is plaine, you quickly turne your Coats;
And, to that end, you craftily provide
Quaint shifts, to serve your turnes, on
either side.
Some, by
Intelligence, themselves indear;
Or, by some
service acted
under-hand.
By secret Favours, Friends you can prepare,
Who in the
Gap, for you, at need shall stand.
Some, have a
Son, a
Father or a
Brother,
Who
Ledger with your
Adverse-party, lies;
To make good
Terms of
Peace, for one another,
According as Occasions may arise.
And (to advance this
Project) they, who spend
Their Blood, and Fortunes, with a single heart,
(Indeavouring truly for the noblest end)
Engaged are, to act a desp'rate part;
Which, into present mischiefs, them doth cast,
And, into feares of greater, at the last.
You, have not
Faith enough, in GOD, to trust;
(Though,
wonder-working Faith, you do pretend)
And, that, hath tempted you to things unjust:
That, makes you on your arme of flesh depend.
That, makes you
bold, when you should rather
feare;
And,
fearfull grow, when you should
bolder be:
That, makes your
Foe so vigilant appeare;
And,
you, so many things, to over-see.
That, makes you, for your
Ayd, poor tricks devise,
And take that Course which
Scandall on you draws:
That, makes you think, that false
Reports, and
Lies,
Are meritorious in an
Honest-Cause:
And, by these fallings, you your peace delay;
And justifie your foes, in their lewd way.
They, who abhorre
Pluralities in other,
And in your
Clergie hate non-residence;
Can,
Office unto
Office joyn together,
And, in themselves, suppose it no offence.
Some, can heap up
Command, upon
Command;
Share, or take all the honour, and the pay,
(When but for cyphers, nay for lesse they stand)
And other mens true value take away.
Some, when the
Publike was in great distresse,
(Though they Commanded few, had pay for many)
Yea, some of you (who better minds professe)
Were paid for
souldiers, when you had not any:
And, some have took, (who yet for payment call)
In
Plunder and
Free-quarter, more then all.
Of
Orphans cries, and of the
Widdowes tears,
Whose
Fathers and whose
Husbands for your sake,
Have spent their lives, and fortunes in these wars,
More heed, more care, more pitie, you must take.
When at your doores, and at your feet they lie,
To crave a part of that which is their own,
To feed them in their great necessity,
More Bowells of
Compassion, must be showne.
And, they who, to contribute, have not spar'd
Paines, Councells, Prayers, Persons, nor Estates
In
publike duties, must finde more regard,
Before the furie of this
Plague abates:
For, who can hope the GOD of Righteousnesse,
Will shew forth
mercie, to the
mercilesse?
They, who in
Peace, the
blood of War have shed
As
Ioab did; or, have expos'd their friends,
And faithfull
souldiers, to be murthered
To hide their
Plots, or to effect their
Ends,
Must not be winked at: nor they, who dare
So partiall in their judgements to become,
As to inflict on those that
equalls are
In their
transgressions, an
unequall-doome:
For, of this partiall dealing there is found,
A murmur in your streets: and,
Common-fame
Reports, injustice so much to abound;
That, he speedes best, who merits greatest blame:
And, that, for sin, when
Accessaries bleed,
The
Principalls find favour, and are freed.
Your
Beasts of prey, who live upon the spoile,
And, by the publike ruines, fat are growne,
Must either quite be chased from this
Isle,
Or, from their dens, be rouz'd, and hunted down.
Your
Ambodexters, who are neither true,
To GOD, nor
Man, to
King, nor
Parliament,
Must learn a better temp'rature to shew,
And of their fraud, and ficklenesse repent.
Those
Rotten-Members, those false
Officers,
And those
Committee-men, who have deceiv'd
The
Kingdomes Trust, must for that guilt of theirs,
Passe other doomes, then yet they have receiv'd,
Before those
wrongs, and
practices, do cease,
Which keep away your much desired
Peace.
They who have almost perfected the times
For
desolation, by habituating
Themselves in
Sodom's, and
Gomorrah's crimes;
And, by an impudently imitating
Of their
impenitence: ev'n they, that had
The
pride of life, sacietie of bread,
And liv'd in
idlenesse; must, now, be made
To taft their suffrings, who are hunger-fed:
To feele the paines of their laborious life,
Who,
sweat in good employments; and the scorne,
Which
humble-men have long without reliefe,
By their oppression, and ambition, borne.
These must be humbled, and perhaps destroy'd,
Before your expectations are enjoy'd.
Your counterfeit and rash
Reformers, too,
Must change their hearts, and regulate their zeale,
Ere you shall compasse what you hope to do,
In matters of the
Church, or
Common-weale.
Your
Scribes and
Pharisees, who by long prayer,
Devour poore Widdowes houses; and by shewes
Of honestie (and by pretending faire
To pietie) good meaning soules abuse:
They, who in tithing
mint, and
annise, are
More strict, then in the
weightie points of Law;
And, burthens great, for other men prepare,
When they themselves will hardly lift a straw:
These, must, e're perfect
Peace you here shall see,
Be more unvizarded, then yet they be.
Your
pettie-Tyrants, must be likewise fewer,
Then now they are; e're GOD will condescend,
To ease your burthens, or your griefes to care;
Or, bring your dis-agreements to an end.
For, how, in equitie, can you expect
Your GOD should free you, from those injuries,
That
Sov'raignty-abused may inflict?
Whilst you, on one another, tyrannize?
Or, how can, possibly, true
Peace be there,
Where well nigh all are
Tyrants to their power?
And, as they get advantage domineer,
Insult, oppresse, impov'rish, and devoure?
For, this oppression you may plainly see
In some of everie Calling, and Degree,
Nigh ev'rie one the
King exemplifies,
In usurpation of
Prorogatives,
Above his due: Nay, that which he denies
Vnto his
Prince; injuriously, he strives
To take unto himselfe. The
Peer, upon
The
Commoner usurps: The
Husband, so
Vpon the
Wife: The
Father, on the
Son;
And, on their
Servants, thus, the
Master, do.
In everie
Corporation, thus presume
The
Governours; yea, thus the
Magistrate
Of lowest ranke, doth on himselfe assume
What, in his
Chiefe, he will not tolerate:
And, they who their own
Freedoms, fain would save,
Are alwaies willing, others to
inslave.
These, and such
Scabs, and
Tetters, must be sear'd
E're they will heal; And, you must cut away
Those
Members, whereon
Gangrieves have appear'd:
Which, els, this
Kingdoms body will destroy.
For, multitudes of those, among you, hide
Their Addle-heads: yea, many such as these
(Corrupting, both the one, and other side)
Do keep incurable this Lands disease.
And, to your safetie, it would most redound,
(And your desired
Peace, the more assure)
If, by each partie, their own faults were found;
And, they themselves, endeavour'd their own cure:
Which, shall perhaps, begin, when on
one day,
Both
Parties, for this
Grace, shall
Fast, and
Pray.
But, why shouldst thou be kept attending, here,
What further (to this purpose) may be said,
And be the while (when thou no harm dost fear)
Injuriously rewarded, and betraid?
Lo; they that hate thee, while thou art imploid
To seek their
Peace; have now prevailed so,
That, if their
plot thou quickly make not void,
They, whom thou honour'st most, shall thee undo.
That
mischief to prevent, make therefore speed;
And, mark, when thy endeavour thou hast done,
What
justice or
injustice shall succeed:
For, guesse thou mayest, by what befalls thereon,
How safely thou hast ventur'd thy estate
Vpon the
publike-Faith, or
publique-Fate.
The VOICE here paws'd againe; and, forth I went
To see, how I requited was by them,
In whose defence, my
fortunes, I have spent;
My
life adventur'd, and consum'd my
time.
If they deceive my hope, my greatest grief
Will be for them; because, I plainly see
Their failing me, of promised relief,
Will more dishonour
them, then hinder
me.
For, nor on
Peeres nor
Commons, I depend:
But, on his
pow'r, and on his
love alone,
Who, ere I had my being, was my
Friend;
And, shall be, when my
Foes are all undone.
By
Him, in all oppressions, I am eas'd;
With whatsoere he pleases, I am pleas'd.
The third Canto.
The Contents.
Here, whether you be plea'd, or no,
This
Author, maketh bold to show
Those Portions of his
Private wrongs,
Whose knowledge, and redresse, belongs
To
Publike Justice; that, her eye
May through his wounds, her owne espie.
The VOICE, then speakes againe, and schooles,
In
Him, all other froward Fooles,
Who, with impatiencie, do vent
Their private wrongs, or discontent:
As if their Trifles could be heard,
When Kingdomes cannot find regard.
It shewes, our Senate blamelesse are,
Of those Distractions, raging here;
And, where the Fault, and Fountaine lies,
From whence, our present plagues arise.
EXcuse me, if your longings be delai'd,
Mine owne Affaires, a little, to review;
And, if, here somewhat of my
selfe be said,
Before my former Subject I pursue.
For, though I know not many, much encli'nd,
To heare, or speak, of what may profit me,
And see most pleas'd, when I am as unkind,
Or failing to my selfe, as others be:
Ye
[...], though sometime I have appeared such,
Yet, now, my meaning to my selfe is better;
And, therefore, whosoever thinks it much,
My
selfe, I finding, to my
selfe a Debter,
Will here presume (because I justly may)
To do my selfe an Errand, by the way.
I know it will not relish well with some,
When, of my selfe, they this Digression find;
But (seeing
Charitie begins at home)
When others do not, I, my selfe will mind.
My wrongs do not alone extend to me;
But, on the
Publike Rights take, likewise, hold:
And, for my sake, since heard they cannot be,
They, for the
Common-Safetie, shall be told.
Most famous
Prophets, and renowned
Saints,
And many other of approved wit,
When they oppressed were did make complaints,
And in their
Volumes of themselves have writ.
If therefore, any of my Readers grutch,
The time of reading, some few leaves, to spare,
Concerning me, who have not thought it much,
All this, for his Advantage, to prepare;
I leave him to his pleasure, and his case,
And bold will make, to do as I shall please.
The VOICE dismissing me, as in the Close
Of my preceding
Canto, you have heard,
From Postures of
Retirement, I arose,
To see, in what
Designes, my Foes appear'd.
And, saw indeed my selfe so ill befriended,
That (whilst I mused with a serious thought,
What to the
Common Peace and Safetie tended)
My Ruine had maliciously been sought.
And, that it hath been follow'd, ever since
My first engagement in these fatall wars;
By reason of an evill Influence,
To me directed from malignant Stars,
Who shining, openly, with faire Aspects,
Produce, in secret, mischievous Effects.
Which, if I should endeavour to expresse,
The paines, a small Advantage would returne;
Since, they who might my Grievances redresse,
Might grudge to heare so much as I have borne.
For, by Oppressions, manifold and great,
Remonstrances are often made so long,
That, when Redresses we suppose to get,
Our just Complaints, unheard, away are flung:
And,
Malice can with so much impudence
Invent, and vent untruths, (in hope thereby
To disadvantage truest Innocence)
That,
Patience is our cheapest remedy:
And, he who seeks for other Cures, oft doubles
His
Grievance by Expence, Affronts, or Troubles.
There are so many Passages awry,
In ev'rie Action; and, in ev'rie Cause,
So many Tricks, to put a
Hearing by;
To blind the Judges, and pervert the Lawes:
So many Fees and Charges, to be paid
To Witnesses, to Clerks, and Counsellours,
Which quite are lost, when
Hearings are delai'd;
(Ten times, perchance, before an end appears:)
Nay, often, Partialitie and Pride,
(In stead of Justice) gives that provocation,
Which no free Spirit, alwaies, can abide,
Without some shewes of our ward Indignation;
Whereby, he peradventure, doth augment
That mischiefe, which he labours to prevent.
At first, I hoped better, and I strove
In humble Supplications, to declare
My suffcings; and, their burden to remove.
Where likel'est means of such atchievement were.
But, there I saw such throngings with Petitions;
So small assistance, and so much ado:
There, saw I, in all private Expeditions,
And, in the publike, such Obstructions too:
Such waiting, such solliciting by friends;
Such mis-informings, makings, and unmakings;
Such partialitie, for private ends,
Such thwartings, such Opposings, and mistakings:
And, had so difficult a Course to run,
That, e're I could be heard I was undone.
A place of Profit, or of Reputation,
I never, hitherto, from any sought,
Vntill my selfe thereto by invitation
(From those whom it concern'd) I called thought.
And, when I have a matter to be heard,
I can enforce my selfe to little more,
Than (after I my suit have once
[...]eterr'd)
To wait for hearing, at the Counsell doore.
Perhaps, when long unheeded I attend,
I give remembrances that I am there;
Or, for dispatch, a word or two can spend:
And, if I speed not, much I do not care.
By which blunt course, I past, with little fruit,
Through many an honest
Cause, and hopefull
Suit.
When long Attendance, no dispatch affords,
My Passions, peradventure, overflow;
And, boyle up into those impatient words,
Which more Corruption, than Discretion, show.
And, then, they who, before, to do me right,
Could find no leisure, straight at leisure be,
To heare enough to do me a despight;
And, to my temper, that reduceth me.
For, though they, with a mischief, send me home;
Yet, many good effects, thereout arise:
Of
them, and of my
self, I, there, become
A
Censurer: and, studie to despise
Those Things, and those Affaires pertaining to me,
Wherein, a Foole or Villaine, may undo me.
I cannot, though my life it were to save,
Sollicite, as I see most Suiters can;
And, rather than repulses I would have,
Vse ev'rie means, almost, to ev'rie man.
When I bring in a matter to be tri'd,
I hope, that all my
Judges will be just:
And, (though, this way, much failing I have spide)
Till he deceives me, no man I distrust.
To presse meer
strangers, I, too modest am;
Wise men, regard not much solicitation;
To urge my
Friends, their friendship seemes to blame;
To Court a
Foole, is my abhomination:
And, favours to implore from persons evill,
To me appeares, a praying to the
Devill.
This Inclination, ar it keeps me poore,
So, it preserves me out of many Snares:
It makes my inward quiet much the more,
When outwardly, my rest disturb'd appeares.
And, therefore, when away I have been sent,
With lesse then
nought, when more then
all was due,
One puffe blew off, my greatest discontent;
And, e're I slept, I pleas'd, and merrie grew.
But, I of late, before I was aware,
That Object of my Contemplation lost,
Which teaches how affliction I should beare:
And, being with a sudden storm, then tost,
Opprest with wants, and with unkindnesse too,
It made me vex my
selfe, as others do.
And, much adoe I had to keep my tongue
From speaking out the murm'rings of my heart;
And wonder not, that, others, having wrong,
Do somtime act an unbeseeming part:
No marvell, though a wiser man then I,
Was causlesly a
mad-man term'd of late,
By reason he had with impatiencie,
Oppos'd some grosse abusings of the State:
And, that, the wisdome of the
Holy Ghost,
Hath said,
Oppression makes a wise man mad:
For, though true wisdome never can be lost,
A fit of madnesse may be thereby had;
And, so I think had I: and, so may you,
Who read me, being us'd as I am now.
For, when I came abroad and saw the spight
Which had been done me: And, when done it was
How much contentment, and how much delight
The
Doers took in what they brought to passe;
Although I sleighted
them, as foolish men,
(Who had no sense, how I aveng'd might be,
Nor worth, to move my anger, or my pen)
Vnkindnesses, in others, troubled me.
And, though my service merit not so much
As an Acknowledgement (much lesse reward)
I thought, my love unto my Countrey such,
As might, at least, have purchased regard,
And friends enough, for me to have injoy'd
More grace then he, that would have her destroy'd,
Which finding otherwise; as one amaz'd,
I sate a while; not well discerning whether
Griefe, Shame, or
Anger, that demurrer caus'd
(Or all those passions mustred up together.)
But, when I call'd to minde how many years
The Brunts of opposition, and of scorne,
Indur'd I have, for what, to me, appeares
To be the chiefest work, for which I'm borne:
And, when I minded, that, nor
Peace, nor
War,
Prelaticall, nor
Presbyterian dries,
Nor
youth, nor
age, to me propitious are;
That
King nor
People, favour'd my essayes:
And, that nor
Friends, nor
Foes, nor
Wrong, nor
Right
Befriended me; it broke my patience quite.
And being much distemper'd, thus my thoughts
Began to grumble, (having drawne together
A crew, of Riotous
distrusts and
doubts,
Which, in such cases, call forth one another)
Art thou (said they to me) for all thy paines,
Thy losses, and adventures, thus rewarded?
Is this, the
well-affected Parties gaines?
Are thus, our Vowes and Covenants rewarded?
Have we the tricks of
Hocus Pocus learned
At our
Committees? And, can some convay
A mischievous Designe, so undiscerned,
That,
Honestie nor
Wit, discover may
How impudently they abuse the
State,
For private profit, or through private hate?
Was I, the first of those, who, where I dwelt,
To guard our
Liberties, and save our
Lawes,
An uncompelled Contribution dealt?
And, who first there was armed for this Cause?
Was I, among the first, who did withstand
The secret plottings of Malignants, there?
And, Horse, and Foot, and Castle did command,
When fewer Friends, than Foes, about me were?
Was I, among the first, of whose estate
The furious Adversarie made a prey?
Did I expose my selfe unto their hate,
Who offred me, a fairer-seeming way;
Wherein appear'd, what chance soever came,
A likely means, to get a
saving-game?
Have I, my life adventur'd often too,
Through much discouragement, and without pay?
Done everie thing my strength or with could do,
To keep the Weak, from falling quite away?
To help confirme the Strong? To bring them home,
Who by Seducers have been led aside?
To make our
Newters, Zelots to become?
And mark-out Foes, that, here, as friends abide?
Have I, with patience view'd my selfe bereft,
In Taxes and Free-quarterings, by our owne,
Of what to me, the plundring Foe had left?
And, suffred other Injuries unknowne
In publike? and (it may be) now conceal'd,
That, they more seasonably may be reveal'd?
Have I, upon the
Publike-Faith reli'd,
And on the
Commons Order, fairly granted,
Vntill my Children might for bread have cri'd,
If I my self, had private credit wanted?
Have I, to serve my Countrey, so engaged
My Fortunes and my selfe, that,
Open Foes
Against me are implacably inraged,
And,
Secret-Ones, as virulent as those?
Have I, adventured, likewise, therewithall
Hopes present, and in expectation too,
Resolving, with this
Cause, to stand and fall,
And (though abus'd) my Dutie still to do?
Yea, thus have I resolv'd? thus done? thus borne?
To be repaid with injuries and scorne?
Behold,
Malignancie is growne so strong
Within our
Quarters; and, hath so made voyd
The
Publike Faith, that, I am lately flung
Quite out of that, which I, thereby, enjoy'd:
And, it hath acted with such insolence,
By colour of Authoritie abus'd,
That, it proceeds to warlike violence;
And like a Foe, the Kingdoms-friend, hath us'd.
Before I knew, that, any man appear'd
Against me there, where I was overthrowne;
Before that I was called to be heard,
Before my claime or answer, could be knowne;
I was expell'd unjustly, from my right,
With all the circumstances, of despight.
For, He that hath been armed to bereave me,
Of what by publike Order I possest,
And, where with (if good hopes do not deceive me)
That, Order shall, ere long, me re-invest;
Seem'd not enough content that he so sped,
Vnlesse by boasting of his Conquests too,
The
Well-affected he discouraged;
And, shew'd
Malignants, what his Friends could do:
Nor was it without much discouragement,
To all the
Faithfull-Partie thereabout;
For, when they saw my hopes had that event,
It made them partly feare, and partly doubt;
Lest he, who for the Publike most hath done,
May live, till he shall least be thought upon.
For, nothing was considerable shew'd,
In him, to whom I did perforce resigne;
But, that his hands were in their bloud imbrew'd,
For whose defence, I have adventur'd mine.
I, put on Armes, to serve the Common-weale;
And, for her safetie offred all I had:
He, raised Forces, but to rob and steale;
And, to his pow'r, a spoyle thereof he made.
Nor, came he hither, as hath been surmiz'd,
With such Repentance, as he ought to bring;
But, to pursue a Stratagem, devis'd,
To have betray'd my person to the
King:
Which not succeeding, and, he finding friends
Among my Foes, pursued other ends.
For, Friends he found (as most Malignants do)
So forward our Ill-willers to protect,
So pow'rfull, and, withall, so cunning too,
Their ends, by faire pretences, to effect;
That, though I were their neighbour, and their friend;
Though my endeavours had been truly done,
To further that, whereto they love pretend;
And, though before this
War, I knew not one,
Whose malice, in those parts, suspect I mought;
Nor any person, who suspected me
To them injuricus, in word, deed, or thought:
Yea, though, by Covenant, oblig'd they be
On my behalfe; They, naythelesse, did grow
Confed'rates with this
Stranger, my knowne
Foe.
Else, when they heard how first the Plot was layd
For my surprisall; where, it was begun;
To whom, he meant I should have been betrayd;
By whom, and how, and when it should be done,
Averr'd on oath, me thinks, in such a case
He should not, then, so suddenly, have found
So many fav'ring him, to my disgrace,
If all of them had at the heart been sound.
Nor, would you think, if everie circumstance
Were fully told, that Charitie first drew
So many to afford him countenance,
Who was their Foe, if they to us were true;
And, who may thank the spite they bore to me,
That, they, to him, so kind and friendly be.
And, on some likely Grounds, conceive I may
Those friends of his were they, who first convay'd
Those notions to him, which first shew'd the way,
How to my Foes I should have been betray'd.
For, from our Quarters, he so far, then, liv'd,
That, else, our Posture, and Affections, here.
He had not so well knowne, to have contriv'd
A plot, which did so feizable appeare.
And, when he came (as if his coming thither,
A blessing to the Countrey had been thought)
To further his Designes, they joyn'd together;
They strength'ned him, against me, what they mought:
And published of me, to my disgrace,
What neither done, nor spoke, nor purpos'd was.
And, that they with their
Grandees might comply,
My
Neighbours turn'd about, I also find;
They whom, in Peace, I alwaies lived by,
And, unto whom I never was unkind;
Ev'n they, who true respect from me have had,
And, till this
War, the like to me did show,
Are of my losses and disgraces glad,
And, to my causlesse wrong, befriend my Foe.
They mention me, when they together sit,
As if it hardly could allowed be,
That, of
Religion, Souldieries or
Wit,
There appertained any share to me;
And speak for truths, what they themselves do know
They may with safety sweare, is nothing so.
My greatest wrongs, and suffrings, now, be there
Where best I have deserv'd: My greatest scorne
And dis-respect, is in those places, where
My dwelling was; and there where I was borne.
They who are most obliged to befriend me,
Have most abus'd my patience, and desert;
They, who have made a
Covenant to defend me,
Have with my chiefest
haters taken part.
Yea, now, when my affronts are to the wrong
Of
Publike-Justice; and, when my defence
Vnto the
Publike-safety doth belong,
They have expos'd my well-known innocence,
To his despight, gainst whom, erewhile, I thought
I needed not, protections to have sought.
In some respects, their cruelties are more
Then theirs, by whom my dwelling wast was laid;
For, (though they rob'd my house, and left me poore)
To bar reliefe, no spightfull part they plaid.
But, these trod on me, when they saw me down;
And, lest I should finde pitie in distresse,
A false report by them abroad was blowne,
As if my well knowne losses had been lesse
Then I can prove them; For, I offer here
That if my hindrances (well weigh'd) be found
One mite below what I affirm'd they were;
For ev'rie shilling I will give a pound,
If they will my true dammages defray
When I have prov'd that true which they gain-say.
Yet, some, to that intent, did late suborne
The most defamed Varlets of the Shire
To sweare against me, and to be forsworne,
By crossing what they formerly did swear:
To that intent, while our Committee sate,
The Kingdomes Foe, had leave in person, there,
To mannage witnesses, as for the State,
And, them by leading questions to prepare,
For proofe of what they falsly did suggest,
To my dishonour: But, they could not bring
Their witnesses, against me, to attest,
One culpable, or one materiall thing;
Nor was it worth regarding if they had,
Consid'ring, of what persons, choice they made:
For, one of those, unto that village came
Where now he lives; due punishment to shun,
Or, to escape a just deserving shame,
For what he in another place had done.
He, now, in part by labour, part by prowling,
(With other courses to his neighbours knowne,
As lawlesse fishings, and unlawfull fowling)
And taking somwhat more then is his own,
Makes shift to live. Another of this
Pack,
Was he, that should have been the Instrument
Of my betraying, who like course doth take;
And, lately, to avoid the punishiment
Deserved long, is married to a whore;
With whom he lived like a knave before.
The third, a Labourer of evill fame,
Whom I five years together had imploy'd
(To keep his brats from starving, him from shame,
And, that, he other mischieves might avoid)
This
Beast, when I was plundred by our Foes
Of what they found, made offer (for a sum,
By him desired) that he would disclose
A parcell of my goods, then hidden from
Those Vultures eyes; who, readily agreed
To promise much: But, when the work was done,
And, this false Traitor came to aske his meed,
Some blowes they gave, but, money gave him none;
And, told him, hanging was the fittest pay
For him, that such a master would betray.
The fourth of these, had been my servant too,
Whom (though he had deserved publike shame
For doing more then honestie should do)
I put away, without an open blame:
And, at that time his faultinesse conceal'd,
Because he seem'd religiously inclin'd;
But, shortly after, other men beheld
Apparent proofe of his dis-honest mind.
For, in the night felloniously he broke
A Colonels Field Waggon of our side
Then quartering at his Masters; and thence took
Some things of worth; for which, he did abide
Correction in the Bilboes, for a day,
And after, by connivance, ran away.
These were the witnesses, which forth were sought
By some who for the Parliament pretend,
In hope their power, should more effects have wrought
On those choice Instruments to worke their end.
These (whom I'le prove charactred thus to be
Without the least addition of a lie)
Are they, whom now my foes, to scandall me,
Have rak'd out of the ditch of infamy.
These, are encourag'd to devise and say
Of me their pleasures: and to bring and carrie
What ever to my wrong convert they may,
Or to the profit of my adversarie;
Whom, to the States dishonour, they protect,
And meerly, in dispight of me, respect.
When informations, were against him laid,
And his reply required thereunto;
From just restraint, his person they convaid,
Before cause showne, or order so to do.
On his behalfe they have subscribed hands,
Thereby deluding, wilfully, the
State:
He had our soulderie at his commands,
To execute his pleasure, and their hate.
And, hath so far prevailed, that unlesse
The
mercie of the State vouchsafe with speed
The suffrings of her servant to redresse,
And him, and his oppressors better heed;
For ought he sees, his Countrey he may serve
With faithfulnesse; and yet his houshold starve.
Why should my person from that place be driven,
In which I best know how to serve the State?
Of what to me, by publike grace was given,
Why should I be depriv'd, by private hate?
What knew they in him, whom they more befriended,
But that he was this Realmes professed foe?
Or why to do me wrong have they contended,
Except because I never will be so?
They who were wont to gloze and fawne upon me,
When I was arm'd among them; and while they
To their
Designes were hopefull to have won me,
Now snuffe, and turn their nose another way.
And think, that they themselves now quite have freed,
From him, who mark'd and hindred their proceed.
For, that
Confed'racie within those parts,
Where then I liv'd (and maugre whose intent
I there commanded) having rotten hearts
Vnfaithfull, alwaies to the Parliament,
Perceiving me unlikelie to be made
Their Instrument; and, that my presence, there,
(With such repute, and power as I then had)
Might marre their works, which they contriving were▪
They so prevail'd, that from my
Garrison
I was removed, if thence not betray'd:
(For many things suceeded thereupon,
Which made me think, that so it may be said)
And all our neigh'bring Countrie, ever since,
Hath dearly paid, for my removing thence.
When I was gone, a part of those arose
(Encourag'd by some other underhand)
And my estate, (as chiefest of their foes)
First seiz'd; and then, the place of my
Command.
In which
forth-breaking, some went on so far,
That, ever since, they open foes have been:
Some went as far as fooles, and cowards dare;
And then slunck back, in hope they were not seen.
But, some of them so cunningly did act,
That, though they are as guilty as the rest,
By circumstances; yet, by open fact
Their falshood is not perfectly exprest:
And, these by cunning, such effects have wrought,
That knaves and fooles, our faithfull men are thought.
These, have a way invented how to arme
The dangeroust
Malignants of the Shire,
And, make men hope their Foes will do no harme,
Till sheathed in their Chest their swords appeare.
These, have a trick to make their neighbours dreame,
A double Taxe increaseth not their cost,
And, that though their designes have begger'd them,
Their wit, alone, sav'd all from being lost.
These, have so laid their Scoene, and acted so,
That, though we daily heare, and plainly see,
What course they bend, and what they mean to do,
(When all things to their purpose rip'ned be)
We strive in vain their projects to prevent;
And, gaine but mischieves, for our good intent.
Nay, this new
Junto, doth so strong become,
By their conferring Offices and Places,
By adding-to, and by removing-from,
By secret-commendations, and disgraces;
And by deluding of a simple crew,
(Who, by these Polititians, may be brought
Their own perdition fiercely to pursue)
That, they have almost compast what they sought;
And, they will gain the rest, if not prevented;
For, by their diligence, they have removed,
Vndone, discouraged, or discontendted
Most men, whose faithfulnesse was most approved:
And, they, whose power, these cannot yet destroy,
Do act with small successe, and little joy.
Had I conceiv'd, that, now it would have been,
As needfull as I find it, to collect
Such proofes of that which I have heard and seen
To prove their faithlesnesse whom I suspect,
Or know unfaithfull: that, I might have made
Such proofes to others, as I have whereby
To prove it to my selfe; I should have had
Enough to make me able to unty
That knot of Vipers, which now to unknit
Is not so easie. But, my aime hath bin
To mend particulars, and bend my wit,
In generalls, alone, to strike at sin:
And, that hath rendred, now, my power the lesse,
The mischiefs of this Faction to suppresse.
These, having long, and many severall wayes,
To root me from among them, tride their wit;
And failed heretofore in their assayes,
At last, thus hapned to accomplish it.
Within that Village, where my Spoilers made
A prey of that estate which I possest,
A Captain of the
Kings a Chattle had,
With which, the
Parliament did me invest.
He, is that person who protected was,
As I have here exprest: had they a thought,
By countenancing him, to bring to passe
Their purpose; and have gained what they sought,
For, I, who serv'd my Countrie, thence am chas'd;
And he that spoild it, in my room, is plac'd.
I grudge not
mercie when it should be showne,
Nor is my heart so churlishly inclin'd,
As not to spare, a portion of mine owne,
Where, Objects fit for mercy, I shall find.
But, when I see my selfe ungently us'd,
Those favour'd, who my life would have betray'd,
Authoritie deluded and abus'd,
And plots to ruine, and disgrace me, laid,
I cannot think it
Patience to be mute,
In such a case; or, that with charitie,
Or with a manly prudence it can suit,
To passe, at all times, such abuses by:
Or, that we may not, justly, on our foes
Repaire what in this lawfull war we lose.
Why should it grudged be, that by the
Sword,
We, by the
Sword, our losses repossesse?
Why should our
Partie to their friends afford
Lesse favour, then to those that merit lesse?
So well deserving, wherefore should he seem
Who put the State to hazzard, and to cost
That all his great estate he should redeem
For lesse, then at one skirmish I have lost?
Of those reliefes, why should I be defeated,
Which do, by right and grace, to me belong?
Thereof, why should I be dispoil'd and cheated,
Both to the
States dishonour, and my wrong?
And, wherfore should I not expect, and have
A confirmation, of what once they gave?
For, who will in our Senators confide,
Or prize their
Orders which are made by them,
If they permit them to be vilifi'd?
And, their
Ioynt-Votes, loose
Members to contemne?
To say, they heeded not what things they granted,
So prudent an Assembly, mis-became;
To say, they power to make it good, have wanted,
Would wrong their power, and bring us all to shame:
And, to affirme that they regardlesse are
To vindicate their grant, for his relief,
Who to advantage them, his life could spare,
Were to averre, what merits no belief.
How comes it then, that, I dispights have born?
And that their favours, now from me, are torn?
Why hath it openlie, by some, been spoke
Ere question put, or anie vote made known,
That, there is an intention to revoke
What by the
Commons, was on me bestown?
How dared he (who rather should uphold
The
Commons lawfull Right in what he may)
How dared he (assoon as it was told
By whom I claim'd) in sleighting wise to say,
Twas but the Commons Order? as if that
Were not an Act sufficient to confer,
For my
Recruit, the personall estate
Of any trait'rous Rebell-Commoner;
Vntill a time return, in which, men may
Have Justice done them, in a legall way.
Why are false rumours rais'd and entertain'd,
As if I manie thousand pounds had got;
Whereas, of hind'rances by me sustain'd,
To me, the tenth as yet returneth not?
How comes it, that attendance, nigh two yeare
Procureth me (although my wants be great)
No pennie of two thousand pounds arreare?
Nor an imploiment, that affords me meat?
Why speed I thus? And wherefore, notwithstanding
The remnant of my ruines forth I laid,
Thereby to keep my souldiers from disbanding,
Is nothing, in requitall, yet, repaid,
But sleights, and slanders? yea, though use I pay
For manie hundreds of it, to this day?
Indeed, my house GOD hath refurnished;
And, of his Love, to give me outward showes,
Hath cloath'd my Bodie, and my Table spred,
As well in spite, as presence of my Foes.
Yet, when I shall account how I have liv'd;
Of what I have been hindred, since these wars;
How, much was lost; how little is receiv'd;
How, my successive-wants supplied are:
How, my engagements ev'rie day encrease,
How destitute, my Wife and Children be,
Of outward Portions; and, how mercilesse
This world, hath all my life time, been to me:
They, who their favours, have on me bestow'd,
Shall find no cause to grudge the Mercie show'd.
And though (as some conceive) I have obtained
A full repaire, and therewith somewhat more
Than my bare losses? what, had I then gained,
Respecting all my damage heretofore?
Against those Traytours to the
Common-Good,
Who, now, apparent Enemies are found,
Nigh thirtie yeares, a Combate I have stood:
So long ago, I to these Iles did sound
A warning Trumpet. So long have I borne
The frownes and furie of the wanton
Court,
The
Prelates malice, the despitefull scorne
Of wealthy Fooles, and of the vulgar sort.
Yea, though I know a path applauded more,
I took the course, I knew, would keep me poore.
And, why should any man be discontent,
That for my damages, and service then,
My charges, paines, and close imprisonment,
I, now have bread, and clothes, like other men?
Why is a trifle thought too much for me?
When, one sleight Officer can in a yeare,
Cheat up a Sum, that shall sufficient be,
To pay my damages, and my Arreare?
Why, grievous doth it seeme, that, out of that,
Which was by him possessed, who compli'd
With those, who robbed me of my estate,
A part of my great losse should be suppli'd?
He having spoyl'd my Friends of ten times more,
Than, ten times that small part, he should restore.
Since, we for Traytours, and for Cut-throats, here,
(And for their wives, and their malignant brood)
Provisions make, when Converts they appeare;
Why should there not, of raiment, and of food,
For us, our Wives, and Children, some supplies
Be likewise made? yea, since they were the Cause,
That, on our backs, the work so heavie lies,
Of holding up our
Liberties, and
Lawes?
Why are we poorly cloth'd, while they are brave,
By whose unfaithfulnesse we are undone?
While we want bread, why should they fulnesse have,
By whom, these wars and troubles were begun?
And, till a Restauration may be had,
Of what we lost, why should they rich be made?
Since by our Adverse partie, our estate
Is given and possessed: Since we are
Assured of their everlasting hate,
So long as we have either peace, or war,
Or Being in this life: yea, since our Cause
Is knowne unto us, to be just, and right;
Since for our Conscience, Liberties, and Lawes,
Against oppressing Tyrants we do sight:
Since to avenge the Saints, we do oppose,
Not meerly Cananites, whom for their sin,
The Land would vomit forth; but, also those,
Who without cause, this war did first begin:
Why should we not out of their Barnes be fed,
By whom we have been robbed of our bread?
Nay, since our Charitie doth portions give,
To feed their wives and children, while among
Our Adversaries, in that course, they live,
Which this unhappie
Warfare doth prolong,
Why should not we and ours, as well as they,
Be cared for? since with a willing heart,
We bore the heat, and burthen of the day,
And, from our duties, mean not to depart?
Why is our equitie, and our discretion
So small, that till our losses be repai'd,
We suffer for a trifling composition,
Their whole estates, by them to be enjoy'd?
And, their full freedome, who, for ought we know,
Are here, but Spies, or Agents for the Foe?
He, whom, that true Repentance bringeth home,
Which makes a reall Convert to the
State,
Not for his Lands, but Conscience sake doth come;
And, such an one, if we redintegrate,
When, of his penitence good proofes appeare;
Of Charitie, both to our selves and them,
An honourable Evidence it were,
Which no man should repine at, or condemne.
But, when we unadvisedly shall part
With large
Possessions, for a
Person, which
Brings to us, neither
wit, nor
honest heart,
Nor
Pow'r, nor any thing to make us rich,
But poorer; and, it may be weaker too,
How reasonlesse, is then the thing we do?
When we receive to
Mercie, those who seek
No more, but how they their estates may save;
To compasse by that match, what are we like,
But an estate to lose, and find a knave?
They, strength receiving, from our false-ones, here,
Restrengthen them; and are so knit together,
That, we who to this
Cause most faithfull were,
Are much disabled by their coming hither.
And, what advantage had we lost, I pray,
If of those few, who reconciled seeme,
None had return'd? what lost we, if you weigh,
How uselesse to that partie they did seeme,
From whom they came (while they continued there?)
And, what they are to us now they are here?
Who shall at last our private losse repay,
If this course hold? who shall the charge sustaine
Of all our future detriments, but they,
Who of the cost already do complaine?
Why should a perjur'd
Commoner, or
Lord,
(Who, peradventure, did but stay behind,
That some advantages it might afford,
To those departed) suffred be to blind
The
Publike Eye, in favour of our Foes?
Defraud the State? And in our competitions
Sleight, and affront us, for the sake of those,
Who wilfully endeavour'd our perditions?
And, only, come (for ought yet knowne unto us)
That, at our cost, they safely may undo us?
When of my goods, the Foe had me dispoil'd,
(For doing faithfull service) and when I,
To seek an habitation was compell'd,
And had provided for my Family,
By publike
Order; why neglected so
Was I, and mine? That (knowing not else where
My wife with her big belly to bestow)
I was displac'd, and forc'd to habour there,
Where desolation dwelt? And, in that place,
Why was the wife of him that plund'red me
There setled? why, to my disgrace,
Must I the second time removed be,
And made a Shuttle-cock, or Tennis-ball,
For ev'rie Foole and Knave to play withall?
As I have hope to live, and see an end
Of these Distractions; and, as ere I die,
I hope to see our greatest Foe our Friend,
(Which are my Hopes, though yet I know not why)
Vnlesse the Civill Justice shall ere long,
Restore my Right; If all the braines I have,
Can in a martiall Posture make me strong,
My
Tamenesse, shall no longer me inslave.
But, what the
Commons pleased to afford
(My losses in their Service, to repay)
Ile repossesse, and settle by the Sword,
Or, in that place, my bones I meane to lay.
No run-away
Commander of the Kings,
Shall baffle me, although unto his aid,
A Troop of those
Committee-men he brings,
By whom the best affected are betrai'd;
But, I will make it knowne, if urg'd thereto,
I dare do that, none think I dare to do.
My heart thus murmur'd: And, I know not well,
To what it would have stirr'd me; for, my blood
Began to boile, my veines began to swell,
And, in mine eyes, a flaming furie stood.
But, ere this great distemper, to it height
Was raised up; I felt into my brest
Another
Spirit entring, which made sleight
Of all, which in this rapture was exprest.
With many secret checks my heart it strooke,
(Which no man but my selfe do much concerne)
Out of my soule repining thoughts it shooke,
It taught me my great failings to discerne;
And, then, the VOICE late heard, did thus begin,
To speak againe unto me, from within.
Impatient, foolish, and forgetfull man,
If, now, thou hadst been left to thy career,
To what conclusions had thy folly ran?
And, what wouldst thou have made thy selfe appear?
These are, indeed, such musings as the times
Are busied in. This, is the common note;
Thus go the Citie, and the Countrey chimes;
And, this, without book, now, most men have got.
Your private wrongs, and injuries are minded,
With such a partiall, and self-seeking heart;
That, in all publike matters, most are blinded,
And, act a carelesse, or a faithlesse part.
Yea, so much after private ends men run,
That little publike service can be done.
In such a blustring tone, thou here hadst shew'd
Thy private wrongs, as if thy passion meant,
By furie, some short passage to have hew'd,
Through all Opposers, to thine owne content.
This will not be the
Way, to break asunder
The Lincks of Tyrannie. Among you, be
So many stormes of lightning, and of thunder,
Already raised, that no Coast is free.
The calmest tempers, and the sobrest wit,
The self-denying, and the suffring hearts;
The
Worke, the
Time, the
Place, now best befit:
And, if by these, you play not forth your parts,
The Tragedies, now acting on your stage,
Prolong'd will be, with an encreasing rage.
In ev'rie
Publike Work (as here thou dost)
Each one, some way or other, still contrives
How, thereinto he that Designe may thrust,
Whereby, his private Trade he forward drives.
Yet, these your failings,
Providence Divine
Employeth, oft, to further his intent,
And, shall by this Digression now of thine,
Make better use, than thy corruption meant.
For, thereby both to others, and to thee,
Occasion will be offer'd, to discover
Some Observations, which will helpfull be,
Your
Wits, your
Peace, and patience to recover.
Oh! how can praises due to him be sung,
Who, thus, extracts you gold out of your dung!
By this thy giddie Rage, and blunt relating
A branch of thy oppressions, wise men may
Perceive on what their hearts are ruminating,
Who twice as much have borne, yet lesse can say.
And, thence, perhaps, their wisdome will collect,
What may succeed, unlesse their care prevents
The likely consequence, and ill effect
Of Foes prevailings, and Friends discontents;
From thence, it may be, they some hints will take,
To mark proceedings better than they did;
And, for the publike safetie, notice take
Of Snakes, which underneath faire flowers lye hid.
Thus, otherwhile, the failings of a
Foole,
By Providence, may set the
Wise to schoole.
But, why wert thou enrag'd? what wantest thou,
That, with impatiencie, thou dost repine?
What Peere, or Prince, in all these Ilands now,
Enjoyes a Fortune that surpasses thine?
Hast thou not bread, and cloaths enough, and more
Than for the present day may well suffice?
And, by that
Friend, who kept thee heretofore,
Assurance (for the future) of supplies?
Hast thou not had a Promise of Protection,
In all thy waies; assuring thee, that neither
The Rage of
War, of
Famine, or
Infection,
Nor, all those joyned in one Plague together,
Shall do thee harme, if thou in him confide,
Whose aid to no Beleever is deni'd.
Why shouldst thou feare, though thy estate is gone,
(And Mercie fled) that thou, or thine, may want?
Who know'st, man liveth not by bread alone,
And, where, for asking, all things may be had?
What need'st thou care, though they at last deceive thee,
On whom thou didst repose an ample trust;
Who hast an able Friend, that will not leave thee,
Though all hopes else were buried in the dust?
Why shouldst thou vex, to see Oppressours flourish,
That hast beheld so many, in thy daies,
Arise from nothing, and to nothing perish?
And that the Part which ev'rie Tyrant plaies,
How gloriously soever he ascends,
In certaine shame, and sudden ruine ends?
Wouldst thou be rich? what riches canst thou find
Of greater worth, than truly to enjoy,
At such a time as this, a setled mind,
And such a state, as no man can destroy?
Some thousands, who but few weeks past could say,
That their Revenues, and their Incomes, were
Enough to furnish them, for ev'rie day,
With more than thine affordeth for a yeare;
Have nothing left them now. Why striv'st thou then▪
To seek a certaintie, where can be none?
To catch at that which flies from other men?
To save thy selfe, when all is overthrowne?
And (knowing what thou knowest) to desire
To take a house, where all the Towne's on fire?
Wouldst thou be honourable? where is he,
That by the Bodily, or Ghostly Line,
Derives his Being by a Pedigree,
That ancienter, or nobler is, than thine?
What more heroicall can be atchiev'd,
Than, what no King can give, or take away?
And by the King of Kings to be receiv'd
Into that
Order, whose true
Badge, none may
So much as know, but he that weares the same,
And was twice borne? What honour is so great,
As his, whom Povertie, Reproach, and Blame,
Still more ennobles? And, who doth beget
His honours out of those, who most contemne
His Reputation; and, in spite of them?
Thou hast been taught; and, thou dost seeme to know
This Path to
Honour; and yet taken art,
With such vaine Bubbles, as from fancie flow:
And, whereon, ev'rie worldling sets his heart.
Cannot thy contemplations thee enable,
To let the simple people dote upon
Their Hobby-horse, their Fooles Cap, and their Bable,
Because thy Fortune will afford thee none?
Canst thou not passe, except a stone thou throw
At ev'rie Cur that bawles? Nor, yet, forbeare
Impatient, for those vanities, to grow,
Whose emptinesse to thee discover'd are?
For shame, let more conformity be shown,
In practice, unto that which thou hast known.
Who can exp
[...]ct (when they shall see or hear,
With what distemper thou hast here exprest
Thy private wrongs) that other men should bear
Their sufferings well, when they are so opprest?
If thou who know'st, what comforts do attend
A calme, and patient bearing of the Crosse,
What blessing crownes the
Meek mans latter end,
And with what riches GOD repaies his losse;
Art so inrag'd; no marvell, if nigh mad
Some others grow, who are as greatly pain'd,
And want th'experiments which thou hast had,
Whereby the wrongs may better be sustain'd.
Is this the power? is this the strength of him,
Who, somtimes, thinks he could the world contemn?
Is this a time for thee, who hast made show
Of better hopes, to scramble, with the Boyes,
For Nuts and Apples? wilt thou struggle now,
With
Fooles and
Slaves, for bables and for toyes?
Contend thou not with
Children, in their play;
Nor strive thou their vaine longings to possesse:
From
Micah take thou not his
Gods away,
Lest they may bring thee to unhappinesse.
Endeavour what is comly to be done,
To reap the profit, which to thee belongs.
Vse prudent meanes
Oppressors pawes to shun;
Or, to remove, or mitigate thy wrongs:
And, to that purpose, having done thy best,
Be patient, and to God commit the rest.
And, to preserve this temper, warie be
(Above all other times) when their despight
And envie shall be exercis'd on thee,
Who think, the
Publike-Trust belongs, of right,
To so much by the yeare: These, have so long
Inslav'd the people; that themselves disgrac'd
They do conceive, if, to do right or wrong,
Inferiours, in Authority be plac'd:
And, these have lately censur'd it unfit,
That, with so reverend a thing, as
Wealth,
Such strangers, now, as
Honesty, and
Wit,
Should called be, to serve the
Common-wealth,
Or lend a helping hand, to save, what they
Have took a course to ruine, many a day.
These, value men, according to the Rent
Their Fathers left them: and, these cannot brook
Without vexation, and much discontent,
That, notice should of other worth be took.
And, therefore, if it must be as these will;
If your besotted people have a minde
To be oppressed, to be fooled, still,
And, to be kept, perpetually blinde;
Straine not thy selfe, to helpe unlade an
Asse
That loves his burden; nor, his drivers trouble;
But, let them, and their silly creature passe,
Till they have made their scornes and mischiefs double.
For, he that meddles with them, nothing gains,
But kicks, and evill language, for his pains.
Cast quite behind thee, what of their despite,
Or injuries, to thee, hath been reported:
Their open hate, with secret love requite;
For evill, let not evill be retorted.
Fret not thy self, although thou see them jeer,
And Thee, and thy Authority deride:
For, most, to whom their envy shall appear,
Will laugh to scorne, their folly, and their pride.
And, as thou soughtst it not, nor dost, yet, know▪
By whom, that seeming-honour was confer'd;
So, whether thou continued be, or no,
In thy imployments, give it no regard:
For, thou shalt sit ere long, above their hate,
And, their Commissions shall be out of date.
While thou remain'st amongst them, do thy best
To side with innocence; and do not there
Of wicked prophanations make a jest;
Curse those that curse; or swear at those that swear.
Abuse not thy Authoritie or Place
To favour knaves, or put good men to sorrow:
Plead not for law, this day in one mans case,
What, for another, shall be none to morrow.
Vse not thy power, thy neighbours to enslave,
As manie do who bettet things pretend,
And, when thou chargest others, care to have
That they against their Oathes do not offend,
Take heed, thou mak'st more conscience of thine own
Then others of their oathes, have lately showne.
For, some of those, who fluently can preach
Vpon the
Bench, as tho (if need had bin)
They could the
Parson of the Parish teach
To do his dutie in reproving sin:
Even some of those, at that time countenance
Known Malefactors, there, indicted for
Crimes then in charge: and, shamelesly advance
In
practice, what in words, they do abhorre.
When there, they have inveighed at abuses,
Occasion'd by permitting an excesse
Of licenc'd and unlicen'd tipling-houses,
(And their suppression, urg'd with earnestnesse;
(Instead of what they would appear to do)
They seem to put downe one, and set up two.
These are not pleas'd, that an observing-eye
Is plac'd among them. And, perhaps, to prove
Thy patience, these, their power ere long will trie:
But,
Thee to no distemper let it move.
This, is a time of suffring: and, though men
Are instruments each other to correct▪
Yet, GOD, himselfe employes them. Suffer, then,
Without repining, what he shall inflict.
Although thy foes oppresse, and friends forsake thee,
Let no ill tydings make thy heart affraid,
From thy first principles, let nothing shake thee,
What ere against thee, shall be done or said:
But, further what to
Publike-peace belongs,
And leave thou unto GOD, thy private wrongs.
For, though it may be granted, that, if here
Thou should'st illustrate all things which concern
Thy usages (but onely in that Shire
Where thou hast liv'd) thy Readers might discern
In what condition manie others are
Who truly, serve the
Publike: yet, take heed
Lest following thine own suffrings over-far
May tediousnesse, or sleighting of them breed.
Be watchfull too; lest by much musing on
Thy personall affronts, a selfe-respect
May cause mis-censures to be cast upon
The Publike Justice, to her dis-respect.
For men opprest, and griev'd in an extreme,
Look, not alone with sullennesse, upon
Those Parties that are thought to injure them,
And on their own oppressions, as if none
Had borne the like; but, also, as if cleare
They from all blame, in all their suffrings, were.
And, in a publike Grievance, scarce a man
Among a thousand, searcheth out those things
Which mis-befall, so farre as they began,
To find the Fountaines, whence the mischief springs.
Most men (and thou among the rest for one)
Can spie out many others, much to blame,
But, few men heed what they themselves have done,
Whereby the
Plague so generall became.
And, whence soev'r it comes, the
Male-content
Though in the Persons he the cause may find,
Fomes out his venome on the
Government,
And, to a
change is presently inclin'd.
Whereas, the mischiefe, still, the same will be
Vntill there be a change in such as He.
Ev'n some of you, (and manie is that some)
Who to the skies, this
Parliament have rais'd,
With whom, it was almost a GOD become,
And such, as never could enough be prais'd.
This
Parliament, in whose defence you stand
Till all your pretions things, are well nigh wasted,
Till
warre, hath marched quite through all the land,
Till bitternesse, in all your sweets is tasted;
Till into pleces, Families are torne,
Vntill with blood, your wayes, and streets do run,
Till Towns, and Towers, and Temples down are borne,
Till Prince and Peasant, are almost undone;
Till Famine, too, beginneth to appeare,
Which in long
Warfares, bringeth up the reare.
This
Parliament, for which you suffer so,
And for whose preservation beare you would
Ten times as much, might you before-hand know,
What, (if it prosper'd not) ensue there should;
Ev'n to this Parliament, so highly priz'd,
You in your former love are growing slack.
This your
Diana, is by some despis'd:
Of your Distractions, her the cause you make.
On her, you laid the burthen and the blame,
(As if due care she wanted, or fore-sight)
When disadvantage, or dishonour came
By ill successe in counsell, or in fight;
And murmured, as if your hearts had said,
That, by your Parliament, you were betrai'd.
Such is your folly, (madnesse I might say)
That, some among you, so your selves expresse
As if you thought it much advantage may
The
Publike Cause, to bring her faithfulnesse,
Or prudence into question: For, you heare,
Collect, report, and have dispersed, so,
All scandalls, and dis-trusts, which malice reare;
And, daily give such credence thereunto,
That, you (who seeme to be unfained Friends
Vnto this
Parliament) have, thereby, done
Those mischieves to it, which the Foe intends;
And will destroy it, if this course you run:
Yea, this your folly, will more weaken it
Then all your cunning Adversaries wit.
For, this imprudencie will by degrees
Your bones unsinnew, and your joynts untie:
By this, you both their hands and hearts will leese,
Who, in your Quarrell, vow'd to live and die.
What Devill then hath tempted you, in this,
To sin against your soules? and, blinds you so
That, you observe not whose design it is
Which you now further, and whose work you do?
The honour of that
Senate, is the power,
And life thereof; and, on the life of that,
Dependeth ev'ry Priviledge of your,
Belonging to your temporall estate;
And, peradventure, some way doth extend,
That
being, to concern, which hath no end.
It is your duty, therefore to discerne
And labour the defence of that which may
Your
being, and
well-being so concerne:
And, to that purpose, there is much to say,
For, though it be your strongest
Creature-guard
Against Oppressors; yet, you can expect
No safer Tutelage to be confer'd
Thereby, then what a Creature may effect.
It labours your protection; but, alas!
The worke is great, and through much opposition,
And manie difficulties, they must passe,
To bring this Land, into a safe condition.
For to restore you to your peace agen,
'Tis now, a work for GOD, and not for men.
You heed their failings; but, you heed not yet
(Nor fullie can conceive) how hard a worke
They have to do, nor how they are beset
With enemies; nor what obstructions lurke
In these proceedings, which make show to be
Without a rub, to them who stand a aloof,
And have not opportunitie to see
What stops may rise, before they come to proofe.
Their own infirmities, as they are men
(And which you ought to wink at) may perchance
In this great enterprize, be now, and then,
Occasions of no little hinderance:
For, who but GOD, alone, can perfect be?
Or, who is fit for such a work, but he?
The haynous sins, and manie obdurations,
Of that great Bodie, whom they represent,
And of those froward, and divided Nations,
Which are concerned in their Government,
Give being unto many sev'rall things,
And actions, whence, oft-times, an accident
Vnlooked for; or some hid mischiefe springs,
Which humane policie cannot prevent.
When
Israel sinneth,
Benjamin that hath
A wicked cause, their Brethren down shall smite,
To expiate the just avengers wrath,
Before the cause prevailes, that is upright:
Whilst in the camp an
Achan doth remain,
These
Counsell, and your Souldiers
fight, in vain.
Though
Moses govern'd you, though
Josuah were
Call'd up to be your Armies Generall;
And
Davids Worthies now revived, here,
To be your Colonells, events would fall
Below your hopes, whilst unrepented sin
Is, wilfully, conniv'd at: For, that, made
Your Parliaments unprosprous; that, hath been
Chiefe cause of all their failings they have had.
And, then, beside this hindrance, and this bar
To their successe, they have a powerfull foe
Opposing them as well by force of war,
As by what fraud and tyrannie can do:
And, that their Faith and stoutnesse may appear,
A muster of their foes I give you here.
Their
Generall in chiefe is ANTICHRIST,
And, he the main
Battalia, now, commands:
Which, of those armed
Locusts doth consist
On whose Activitie his Empire stands.
Lievtenant-Generall, is
he that strives
A conquest of your Liberties to make;
And counts it one of his
Prerogatives,
As he shall please, your goods, to give and take.
He leads the
Van; in which, with him appeares
Those
Princes, and those
Nobles, who still are,
And were at first, the wicked Councellers,
Who did encourage him unto this war;
And he of broken Courtiers, up hath made
(And of some beggar'd Lords) all this
Brigade.
The
Major-Generall, (who bringeth on,
The right wing of this Armie) is the
Prince
Of
broken fortunes; who still falls upon
The Carriages, and Baggage, that from thence
He may recruit. His ragged Regiments
(Beside those lousie, and those tatter'd fellowes
Late pressed for him, out of Beggers Rents,
And freed from the prisons, and the gallowes)
Were patch'd up, out of
Bankrupts, cast-Commanders,
Cashier'd
Bandettees, Fellowes of the pot,
Debauched
Players, Tapsters, Gamesters, Panders,
With such, as in a drunken fit were got
To beare them companie. And, these are they
Who first made
plunder seem a lawfull prey.
The
left wing, by
Pope would be, ordered is;
A stately
Prelate, and one, for whose sake,
(Though he the
Triple-crown is like to misse)
The war, now rais'd, did first beginning take.
He, heads a Partie of as desp'rate mates,
As e're drew sword: and, manie of them be
Both disciplin'd to make
Assasinates,
And readie for it, when their time they see.
Among these, march some prudent-seeming men,
Some, that, more honestie then wealth do want:
Some wittie fellowes; but, not one for ten
Of those, that are extreamlie ignorant;
The openly prophane, the closelie vitious,
The Papists, Atheists, and the Superstitious.
The
Rear is brought up by a
Libertine,
That is for anie Doctrine or opinion:
For any Government or Discipline,
For Protestant, for Brownist, for Arminian,
Or, anie thing he pleases. And, he gives
This libertie (so far as they are able
To make it good) to all, whom he receives
Into his Troopes; which are innumerable:
For, all that would their wicked lusts fulfill,
All they, who
Law, and
Order do contemn;
All they, that are ambitious of their will,
Ev'n all of these, unite themselves to him:
And, in his quarters, manie women too
Are found, who, not a little mischiefe do.
These Forces, both asunder and united,
Have so obstructed, and so manie waies,
This Parliament opposed, and dispighted,
In all their consultations, and assaies;
They have by sleight of wit, by strength of hand,
By Treacheries, by Treaties, and by Spies
Abroad, and here at home; by Sea, and Land,
By Protestations, Promises, and Lies,
And, by a thousand other tricks, beside,
Pursu'd such meanes and courses to distract,
Affright, discourage, weaken, or divide,
And, frustrate what they shall advise oract;
That, 'tis no wonder you have sped no better,
But, rather, that the mischieves are no greater.
For, if beside the disadvantages
Which have occurred to this Parliament,
(By open enemies) you now shall please
To take true notice of the detriment
Sustain'd by them, who seeme no adversaries;
Or them, who friend-like in your Quarters live;
Whose hand, at once, both fire and water carries;
And, mean worst actions, when best words they give:
If you shall heed, how they have cheated bin
With honest showes, and outward pietie,
When there was little, or nought else, within
But rotten falshood, and hypocrisie,
You would not murmur, as if you had thought,
This Parliament had failed you in ought.
Nay, you their power and prudence would extoll,
Or
his great
wisdome, rather, and his power,
Whose mercies are exceeding wonderfull,
That, quite you were not ruin'd, ere this houre:
And, marvaile that your
Senate could subfist
Another day; if trulie you did know
How manie moneths, a dang'rous Vipers-nest,
Did in the verie bosome of it grow;
Or, if you had a perspective, to see
What Engines are still moving to unfix them;
VVhat failings, yet, in their own Members be,
VVhat foolings, in their fav'rites, to perplex them,
And, what a
New Division now they run,
Vnthought on, when this
Parliament begun.
For, that divided Clergie, out of whom
(As thou fore-saw'st, and didst, long since, fore-shew)
The present Plagues upon these Lands are come,
(And by whose factions they will endlesse grow,
If not prevented) have betwixt them got
Another
Quarrell, and another
Creature,
Of which, the world abroad yet heareth not;
And which, till now, among the things of Nature
Had not a
Being. Nay, it hath not yet,
So true a Being (though it hath a
name)
That any man may so discover it,
As truly to expresse, or know the same.
For, 'tis not what it
was; nor will it stay
To be to
morrow, what it is to
day.
It is indeed a
Thing, which neither had,
Nor shall, nor can have any certaine shape;
A thing, in making still, but never made,
A Card drawne out of some
Vtopian-Map,
To make your Pilots steere they know not whither,
Till they arrive at the
Antipodes
To saving Truth; or, else be carried thither
By many changing winds, on moving Seas,
Where they shall split upon the rockie shores
Of Heresie; or suffer ship wrack there,
Where melancholy Desperation rores;
Or else, into those Creeks be driven, where
They moored lye in dull
Securitie,
Or, land upon a Carnall
Libertie.
Your Linsie-woolsie Faction (not appearing
So Jesuited as they are) made use
Of
Simon Magus (a bewitching hearing)
And, by that
Sorcerer, did late infuse
This fancie, and it hath occasioned
Such difference in Opinions, and so rent
Men from each other, that the same hath bred
Obstructions, which disturb the Parlament,
In their proceedings. Yet, your enemie,
By whom this late unlooked for Offence
First came, shall not effect his end thereby.
But,
they who are to be approv'd, shall thence
Draw Observations, and a pious use
Of meanes unthought on, which will Good produce
For, at the present, though Offence be given,
And, men of
Belial, by
Deceiving-lights,
Have, to their pow'r, endeavoured and striven,
To work their ends, by cheating of your sights,
With false appearances, and shewes of
Good,
And, though right pious men, who see faire showes,
And, have not yet their purpose understood,
Do, for a little while adhere to those;
Yet, when (by triall, and assisting-Grace)
The bottome of it, fully is discern'd,
The work desired shall be brought to passe:
Yes, by this wrangling, somewhat shall be learn'd,
To bring a prudent
Reformation in,
And make it purer than it would have bin.
The
Publike Peace, then, interrupt you not,
Nor vex your private spirits, to promove
Those
Fancies, which Distemp'rature begot,
And will, at last, not worth your owning prove.
Let not
Demetrius, to maintaine his trade,
Make up-roares in the Land; as if more care
Were of his
Occupation to be had,
Than, of those things, which of most value are,
But, let
Discretion teach you to appease
Tumultuous spirits, by some sweet allay;
Which, peradventure, shall prev
[...]ile with these,
Not only, to give eare to what you say;
But, also, for the
Truth, to be ere long,
As zealous as they were, to do it wrong.
So foolish be not, as to shut your eyes,
Or stop your eares, from all that seemeth new;
Or, all things, as new sangles, to despise,
Which, at first sight, seeme uselesse, or untrue.
So furious be not, as to prosecure,
With an uncharitable prosecution,
All those who (in opinion) shall not suit
With
Disciplines, of your own Constitution.
Nor, be so mad, as, wholly, to deface
All Superstructures, on the true
Foundation,
Which are not uniforme, to that which was;
Or, that which shall be setled in this
Nation.
For, to avoid great inconveniences,
Wise-men will beare with inconformities.
Those
Doctrines, that make void the
Morall-Law;
Those, that the Fundamentalls do infringe
Of
saving-faith: Those, that mens hearts withdraw
From
Pietie, or, give the flesh her swinge:
Those
Disciplines, that breake the bands of
Peace;
That interrupt the
Civill-Government;
That sleight the meanes of
Pieties increase,
Or, courses, that
Ill-manners may prevent:
These, are not to be borne with. These, you may,
Nay, these you must, (with all your power) suppresse;
And fine, confine, cut off, or send away,
And, so, that you may therewithall improve
GODS
praise, the
Kingdoms Peace, &
Christian love.
And, if that anie one can means propose,
Whereby your duties may be better done;
If anie person, can a truth disclose,
Which hath been clouded, since the Day begun:
If he can tell you, or, believes he can
Informe of anie thing, that may concerne
GODS glorie, or the
saving health of man;
And, thinks himselfe (to teach, and you to learn)
Oblig'd in conscience: And, if he shall so
Proceed, (in doing that which he supposeth,
The
Will of GOD requireth him to do)
That, no ungodly aime his
Course discloseth,
Or, ought which doth your,
Publike-peace annoy;
Why, such a
Freedom, should he not enjoy?
If anie man a tender
conscience hath,
Which makes him fearfull, to offend the same,
And, therewith walkes in so discreet a
Path,
That, he deserveth not a
publike-blame,
In anie point aforesaid: Why should he
Be wrought upon, by anie other course
Save that, whereby the heart may wooed be
By
Grace, and
Faith, and
Reason, without
Force?
How shall the
Gospells passage be so cleare,
As is desir'd, and as thereto is due,
If all men be not free to speake and heare,
On such conditions, as before we shew?
Since, to the Church, compulsion none invites,
But, some few fooles, and manie hypocrites.
Coercive power indeed is to be us'd
In things which to the
Outward-man pertaine;
And wherein
Words or
actions have abus'd
Those
Lawes, which
words or
actions, do restraine;
The
plots preventing, or the
practices,
Which root up those
Foundations, whereupon
You are to build up
Piety and
Peace;
Or, remedie an evill, being done:
Or, for expulsing, or correcting those,
Whose principles, whose practice, and profession,
Doth diametrically, that oppose
Which GOD and
Nature, puts in your possession;
As
Popelings, or such like, who do resist
Essentially, the Government of CHRIST.
But, he that dreames, by anie
Humane-Law,
To force
Belief, or bind the
Inner-man,
To
think, to
hope, to
love, or
stand in awe;
Dreames, to effect, what none accomplish can.
For, this, would be a tyrannie far worse
Then to inslave the
bodie. This, doth lay,
Strong fetters on the
Soule; and, would enforce
The
Reason, if not, take it quite away.
By this, you, to
dissemble, may be brought,
Or, else, to
feare: But, never to
beleeve,
Or
hope, or
love aright, or,
Change a
Thought.
Nay, this would, rather, so inrage and greeve,
As that, in stead of propagating
Peace,
Your
Quarrells it would ev'rie day
increase.
Make then, in things
Divine, GODS
Word your
Law,
In
Naturals, let REASON be your
Guide;
And, from no
Civill-Pow'r obedience draw,
Which doth conformable to these abide.
Heare all; but, give assent to what is best:
Prove all, who in the name of CHRIST shall come;
But, choose that, only, which abides the
Test:
And,
Truth once found, the same depart not from▪
Let no true Principle be chang'd, or shaken,
Let not an ancient
Bounder be removed;
Or,
Ceremoniall-Precepts be mistaken,
For
Moralls; nor a
Shaddow be improved
Before the
Substance. Quarrell not away
The Essence of
Religion, or of
Peace,
For
Tristes; which, though them enjoy you may,
Will never bring thee to that happinesse,
VVhich you expect: And, which will make you sorrow,
No lesse to day, and more, perhaps, to morrow.
Be not so foolish, as to pull downe all,
That was set up before; as if you thought
The
Government, because
Prelaticall,
VVas not to be adhered to in ought.
For, therein, without question, have remain'd
(Among their vaine Inventions) many things,
VVhich, to the
Church, in purest times, pertain'd;
And, whereto, none a just exception brings.
Be not so indiscreet, to sweep out these,
Among their rubbish; or, to take away
Those
Vtensils, or those
Indifferences,
Which for conveniencie, still keep you may,
(And edifying too) without abuse;
Or, anie vain or superstitious use.
Be not so sottish, as to think, the
Way
Now termed
Independent, nothing hath
By which the Throne of CHRIST advance you may,
Depresse his
foe, or else prepare his path:
Or, that, GOD may not, yet, some beame reveale,
Or, branch of
truth, unto his
Church disclose,
Which he hath hitherto kept under-seale;
Or, whereof yet, he scarce a glimmering showes.
Nor, let those whom you
Presbyterians name,
Of their own
structures be so confident,
As to conceive, there may not to that
Frame
Of
Discipline, which they to you present,
Additions or substractions, yet, be made,
To make more perfect, that which they have had.
So inconsiderate, let no man grow,
As to believe it ever was intended,
By taking of your
Covenant and
Vow,
The
Scots-Presbyterie should be befriended
Without respect, to whatsoever might
Be found, upon due triall, to accord
With those instructions, which to set you right,
GOD giveth, in the
Canon of his WORD:
Nor, misconceive you so that noble
Nation,
As to suppose, they think their
Church is growne
To such perfection in true
Reformation,
That, thereon, nothing more may be bestowne:
Or, that; they come to set you one way free,
That, you, another way, inslav'd might be.
Mistake not so their
pietie and
love;
But, be assured that what you and they
Vpon deliberate advise may prove,
To be the safe, unquestionable way
Wherein you ought to walk; that they will joyne,
(VVhether unto the
Civill-Peace it tends,
Or, unto
Doctrine, or to Discipline)
As your aff
[...]ctionate, and faithfull Friends.
Nor, let them so mistake you, or these times,
Of publike Visitations, as to dreame,
That either private weaknesses, or crimes,
Shall hinder GODS intended work, in them:
But, let both Nations labour to excell,
In right
beleeving, and in
doing well.
The way to
Peace is rather to be just,
And faithfull in your selves, and to rely
On GOD; than to suspect, or to distrust,
Or quarrell with anothers honestie.
The way to Peace, is downe along the
Vales
Of
Meeknesse, leaving quite behind your backs
The hils of
Pride, and those partition wals,
VVhich
Selfe-conceitednesse, and
Selfe-love makes.
The way of
Peace, is to examine more
Your owne Offences, and your neighbours lesse;
To learne more Charitie than heretofore;
To be in
Deed, what you in
Word professe;
And not to strive who long'st shall keep the field,
Against the
Truth; but, who shall soonest yeeld.
Thus far, is this
Discourse, now, carried on,
That, it may shew both what is pertinent
To
Outward Peace, and what is to be done,
The losse of outward quiet to prevent.
For, as there be
False lights, of late, set out,
VVhich give occasion unto some to wander
In giddie paths, to make some also doubt,
VVhere is no cause; or, else to bring a slander
On sacred
Verities; ev'n so, there are
True-lights, of late discover'd, which long since
By evill-meaning
Builders, stopped were:
And, they who would nor give, nor take offence,
Must learn, more perfectly, to understand
(Then yet they do) those things they take in hand.
Desire of
Vniformitie, doth carrie
So great a sway with some, as if it were
Vnto the
Church of CHRIST, as necessarie
As VNITIE, or, did the same appear.
But, they are wide: For as within a pallace,
There may be more conveniency, more state,
More beautie, and more pleasure for the solace
Of him that builds it, when there are, in that,
Some equall
Structures; higher some, some lower,
Some pyramids, some flats, some rounds, some squares,
With here a single, there a double tower,
And such like, as in Princely
Piles appears;
So, in the Church, true
comlinesse, may be,
And
Vnion, without uniformitie.
Nay
discords, do not generally marre
Essentiall
unity: For, as you finde
Some
notes, which founded, by themselves, do jarre,
Make up, when they are musically joyn'd,
A perfect
Diapason: so, may they
The
unitie of
love, and
faith retain,
Who walke not uniformly in the
way,
Yet, on the true foundation, fixt remain.
And, as for those poore creatures, who through
pride,
And
ignorance, have now
impostumations
Of
fancie broken in them, which they void
At mouth, upon the sillie
Congregations
Collected by them; be not discontent
That, they with others, their corruptions vent.
For, such like
bubbles, still, were wont to rise
In such disordered times: And, they will fall
Of their own selves. The wind that yet supplies
Their tumour, when
Peace coms, quite break them shall
The
Devill of their
proud simplicitie,
Makes use, at present, to delude that rabble,
Which are in love with their owne vanitie,
And, in the waies of Pietie unstable.
Because, a
Prudent-Preaching wonders wrought,
And
Carnall wisdome judg'd it
Foolishnesse;
By foolish preaching, these have, therefore, thought,
Their Arrogancie shall prevaile no lesse;
But, GOD, when they repent, will free these Nations,
From all such failings, and Infatuations.
Observe this well, and, in true patience, beare
With one another, till God shall make knowne,
To what intent these broiles permitted are;
And, let your discontents be rather showne,
Vpon the Common Foe: Yea, do your best,
(Whilst you have meanes) to settle outward
Peace,
According to your pow'r; and, for the rest,
Depend on GOD, who sees the faithfulnesse
Of ev'rie Soule: And, suffer not vaine jars,
Among your selves, to multiply contention;
Lest you, thereby, both make these present wars,
To bring forth an incurable dissention;
And, hinder (as you have already done)
That
Work, which God, among you, hath begun.
Such
differences, obstructions have begot
Retarding
Peace. But, doubtlesse, for the same,
To your great
Senate, there belongeth not
An imputation of the smallest blame.
Nor, were it faultie, though it could be said,
And proved too, that some among them, now,
Their weightie consultations had betrai'd,
And, to your Foes, their secrets daily show.
Nor, ought they to be blamed, though you see
A
Spider sent among them, for an
Ant;
A Butterfly, or Hornet, for a Bee;
Or, those that wit, or honestie, do want:
For such, when they are found, they still cast from them,
With as much forwardnesse, as doth become them.
But, they, they only, do deserve the blame,
(Of all those falshoods, which these Lands disease)
Those brainlesse fellowes, who had so small shame,
And little grace, to make their choice of these:
Those (falsly termed) free-men, who, for porredge,
Would sell their birth-right; and, who, to uphold
Their lawfull freedomes, have not so much courage,
As to maintaine them, though they see they could.
They, whom a pettie Justice, by the nose,
May lead to what absurdities he pleases;
And, make them think, he favour to them showes,
When he their losse, and slaveries increases:
These, and their fellow
Burgers, have undone you;
Their slavishnes, hath brought these plagues upon you.
These, to the House of
Commons, sent that Rabble
Of
Runawayes, and
Traytours, which betrai'd
Your liberties, as much as they wereable:
And, on their heads, the bloud is justly laid,
For what you suffer. These were, first, unjust,
In sending in, to be their Deputies,
In stead of men,
Pride, Avarice, and
Lust,
Oppression, Folly, Fraud, and
Vanities.
These, having neither honestie, nor wit,
Nor care to make a prudent choice of those,
To whom so great a Trust, they should commit,
Some persons, for the publike service, chose,
So like themselves; that, wonder it is none,
To see so many do, as they have done.
For, such a choice they passed, that unlesse
Some prudent
Boroughs, and some wiser Shires
Had made elections with more warinesse,
And sent brave spirits forth, to ballance these,
You had been quite undone; and you, and yours,
Of all the Christian world had been the scorne;
Perpetuall Bond-slaves to malignant Pow'rs;
And, hated of your children, yet unborne:
For, ever, therefore, let that
providence
Which so provided for you, be renown'd:
And, let there be a blessed difference
On
them, and on their seed, for ever found,
To honour them, and mark them out from those,
Who to the publike welfare, now, are foes.
And, let your Burgers, and Free-holders learn
In time to come, how much, how neare it may
The publike, and their private weale concern,
To be advis'd, on whom their trust they lay:
For, what is more unsafe or more unwise
Then to commit (as manie times they do)
Their goods, their persons, liberties, and lives;
Yea, and the meanes of their salvations too,
To their disposures, whom they rather fear,
Then well affect? of whom no good they know?
Of whose corruptions, frequently, they hear,
Of whose injustice, sinsible they grow?
Whose worths, are their revenue? and whose wait
Is meere formalitie, or nev'r-a-whit?
What can be more absurd, then to suppose
They are the wisest men in all the Shire,
And fit'st for publike service, to be chose,
Who wisest, in their own opinions are?
Who come uncall'd, and shuffle out their choice
By suit and friends, or having got, perchance,
The overplus of one poore single voice,
With much ado, their purpose to advance?
Or, what a greater indiscretion showes,
Then to elect for Giver of your Lawes,
A fellow, that nor
Law, nor
Gospell knowes?
Nor difference, 'twixt a good, and evill cause?
And, till that day, pursued no other course
But, hunting, hawking, or else somwhat worse?
What, more dishonourable can be thought,
Then, to your Court and Senate most supreme,
(For which the worthiest persons should be sought)
To send a foole or knave, to sit with them,
Whose reverend presence should not be polluted
With such companions? or, what one thing may
A truer signe of madnesse be reputed,
Then thus to foole their dignitie away?
For, since they cannot their debates decide,
But by most Voices, what else will ensue,
(If manie places, be with such suppli'd)
But, those events, which all the Land will rue,
When worst designes, are by the most promoted,
And,
reason shall, by
noise, be over-voted?
There never was a time, in which you ought
To be more carefull of your choice then now,
If you recruit your House: For, men are taught
By this long
Parliament, so well to know
Each others minde, each others interest
And inclination; that, unlesse you see
The
number wanting, in due time increast,
And made compleat, by men that worthie be;
You will be as assuredly undone,
As if the King had tyranniz'd; nay, more:
For, to oppresse you, there had been but one,
But, then, you shall, perhaps, have many a score.
And therefore, as you here fore-warned are,
In your elections, use more prudent care.
Thy
Letters of Advice, ere while directed
To those in whom the choice of these doth lie,
Have partly signifi'd what was effected;
And, what events will still ensue thereby,
While such are chosen; And, what Caveats ought
To be observed, that a better choice
May be hereafter; and, that men be sought
Who
wit and
conscience have, aswell as
voice.
For, these defects breed vip'rous wormes within
The verie bowells of the Parliament,
More dangerous then outward foes have bin.
And, if the
Members wanting, be not sent
With better heed, then heretofore you tooke;
For
peace embracing
truth, in vain you looke.
Let therefore, those true
Patriots which are left,
Put forth a strong endeavour to compleat
Their wasted
number, e're they are bereft
Of power, and meanes, themselves to re-beget
Into a
perfect bodie. And, let none
By fallacies delude you, with a feare,
It may not now as legally be done,
As when the
Members first convented were.
For, that they are lawfull
Parliament,
(Although the
King be absent) 'tis confest
Ev'n by the
King: In whom, now to prevent
Their being so, the power doth not consist,
Nor ever did, of right; while cause you know,
Why
SALVS POPVLI, should have it so.
Believe it, whosoever shall pretend
This
Parliament, hath not a legall power
Her bodie to recruit; is no true friend,
Nor fit to be a Councellour of your.
For, seeing they have power to make a
Seale,
It were a great absurditie to dreame,
They had not legally, a power, aswell
To
use, as
make it. And, if you in them,
Allow an use thereof, that
private men,
The benefit of
justice might obtain;
It should much rather be allowed, then,
In things, which to the
Publike-right pertaine:
And, most especially, in all affaires
Concerning their own
being, and
repaires.
If really, a
Parliament they be
As (without peradventure) they are
One,
Then, without limitation they are feee
To do, what may by
Parliaments be done.
And, that is, ev'rie reasonable thing
Which to their
weale and
safety may belong;
(And their abilitie to passe may bring)
If to
Divinity, it be no wrong.
And, whosoe're, in these extremities,
Perswade, that they should take upon them lesse;
Vnto the
publike peace, are enemies:
Yea, they deferre, or marre your happinesse,
By weakning of their hands, who are your friends;
And, strengthening his, who now your spoile intends.
Let them not therefore act, as if they had
But halfe a power, or seemed to be lame;
Or, as if they a
Parliament were made,
To be no more, but only, so in
name.
With prudent
conscience, and with
confidence,
Let them proceed in what they undertake;
And, in what e're pertaines to their
defence,
On just resolves, let them no haltings make,
Through want of
presidents: For, power they have
To make new
presidents, as well as they
Who liv'd before them. And, if they will save
Their
Countrie and themselves, this is the
way:
Since, in an
extarordinarie Cause,
True
Reason, binds as firmly, as the
Lawes.
And, though it greatly grieve you (as it ought)
Yet suffer not the absence of the
King,
To foole you, with so frivolous a thought,
As that, a diminution it may bring
To their
authority. For, wheresoe're
He bideth, when his
Parliament shall sit,
The
Kingship, vertually, is alwaies there,
And cannot possibly divide from it.
The
Person of a
King, may ramble forth,
As his own fancie hurries him about,
Or do things derogating from his worth,
Or die, or from the
Kingdome be cast out;
And, yet the
Kingdome, and the
Kingship too,
Continue still, as they were wont to do.
The life of
Bodies-naturall, indeed,
Departs out of them, when their
head is gone;
And, thereunto, no other can succeed,
To make it
live, or, not a
headlesse-one.
So 'tis not in this
Bodie-politike:
The
vitalls of it in the
body lie,
Not in that head-ship: and, though it be sick
When that falls from it, yet, it doth not die.
A
King, is but a
substituted-head,
Made for
conveniencie: And, if thereby
The
bodie seem to be indangered,
(If
Power it hath) it hath
Authoritie
To take one off, and set another on;
Aswell, as, at the first, to make it one.
And when that
Body shall be represented,
As this hath been, according to the
Law,
Or, shall be by
necessity convented;
Therein resides, that
Soveraignty, that
Awe,
And
Rule, whereto the
Lawes of GOD and
nature
Injoyne obedience; and not in that
thing
Corrupted; which was but that
Creatures creature,
And, which to serve it, was first made a King.
When, therefore, GOD injoynes you to obey
And honour
Kings; these duties, are not meant
To those who from their Kingships run away;
But, rather, to th'essentiall
Government
Of whatsoever kind, by
Law ordain'd;
Or, by a strong
necessity constrain'd.
For, were it otherwise, the pride, and lust
Of an injurious
Arbitrary power,
Would all men out of their possessions thrust,
And all the
freedomes of
mankind devoure.
Let therefore, neither
fear nor
flattery,
Prescription, or vaine
custome, make you cleave
Vnto an accidentall
Majesty,
And, that which is substantiall, quite to leave.
At this time, chieflie, take a speciall care
(As, of what verie much conduceth to
Your
Peace and
Safety) that, as now things are,
Your just advantages you let not goe;
Lest, by a faint, and conwardly endeavour,
You loose your freedoms, and be slaves for ever.
And, yet take heed, that zeal to
Innovations,
Nor private fears, nor hopes incline your minde
To subjugate these
Kingdoms, or these
Nations,
To
Governments of anie other kind.
But, rather use your utmost diligence
To rectifie those things which are amisse
In that which is establish'd: and, from thence
Cast out or purge, whatever therein is
Repugnant to those
Charters, which by
grace
Or
nature were confer'd: And, let your care
Be so to settle it, that place you make
The Throne of CHRIST, among you, up to reare;
Lest, when his
Kingdome comes, you els be fain
To pull your
new-devices down again.
Take likewise heed, that you no meanes neglect,
Whereby the
King may be reclaim'd and won,
GODS honour, with your safetie to respect;
And do the duties, he hath left undone.
For, by rejecting him, how just soe're
The
Causes be; you shall delay the
peace,
Which is desir'd: And make your quarrell, here,
With much more difficultie to decrease:
But, if your industrie shall win him home,
And, he return sincerely to his charge,
It shall a blessing to these
Isl
[...]s become;
Your honour, and your joy it shall inlarge,
And, as CHRISTS
Vice-Roy, he shall sit upon
A righteous, and an everlasting
Throne.
Walk, therefore, prudently in this straight path,
And, turn not to the left hand, or the right.
That pow'r, which GOD to you committed hath,
Improve for him, according to your might;
Him, in the
reasonable-meanes attend
With
Faith, and
Patience; that, he may, at last,
Your
King new-moulded, back unto you send,
Your
King new-moulded, back unto you send,
Or, him, out of his ruin'd
Kingdome cast.
If, possibly, he can his course repent,
GOD, will restore him, yet. If you amend,
Then, all these
Troubles, and this grievous
Rent,
Shall in true
Peace, and sweet agreements end.
If both conforme; Both, shall true Peace enjoy:
If both be wilfull, GOD, shall both destroy.
But, heark! my
Scribe, I heare a dreadfull crie
Of wounded men; and, therewith, as it were,
The
shouts of those that have a
Victorie,
Of much concernment. Therefore, go and heare,
What now is done: For, somewhat hath been wrought,
From whence, if well it shall improved be,
Enlargements of those meanes will forth be brought,
Which may effect, what thou desir'st to see.
As soone as thou hast Information had,
Of what is rumoured, and duly weigh'd,
What profitable uses may be made
Of that, which either hath been done, or said:
Retire thou hither, and give eare, again,
To that, which to your Peace, doth appertaine.
The fourth Canto.
The Contents.
While here, our Authour
doth recite
His Musings after Naesby
fight,
The VOICE returnes; and, doth begin
To shew us, what must usher in
Exiled Peace.
Then, told are we,
How kept our Vowes,
and Covenants
be:
How we reforme,
and fast,
and pray:
What Thankfulnesse
we do repay:
What, must in generall
be done;
What, by each Jndividuall-One:
What course both King
and State
must take,
E're they their Peace
with God shall make:
What he expects from ev'rie Nation,
From ev'rie Towne,
and Corporation,
And ev'rie House,
in some degree,
Before our Peace
renew'd will bee.
WHen from attention to that
Silent-tongue, (heard,
Which, without
words, reveales what you have
I came abroad; the
Streets, and
Temples rung
Of
Victories: and,
Signalls there appear'd,
Not only, of a valiant Resolution,
In those that conquer'd; but, of some divine
Disposure of them, too, for execution
Of that, which GOD himselfe, did fore-designe.
The scornfull Adversaries rushed on,
To
Policie, and
Strength, themselves commending.
The LORD of
Hosts, our Friends reli'd upon,
With
Prayers fighting, and with
Faith defending:
And, lo, GOD gave their Foes into their hand:
For, when he sighteth, who can then withstand?
The
Victorie was great, and ev'rie one
Observ'd what circumstances pleas'd him best;
But, that, my thoughts did most insist upon,
(Which others, peradventure, minded least.)
These
Royall-Ensignes from the Field were brought,
The
Lion-Rampant, and the
Dragon-flying,
The
Roses, and
Portcullis; which, me thought,
Were
Pledges, future
Mercie signifying.
And, so, no doubt, they shall be, if that Race,
To which GOD calleth us, we now shall run;
And better heed the tokens of his
Grace,
And, Earnests of his love, than we have done.
For, valiant
Fairfax, now, hath sent us home,
In
Hieroglyphick, signes of things to come.
The
Ramping-Lion, (which doth fignifie
A
Raging-Tyrant) may an Earnest be,
That, GOD will from oppressing Tyrannie,
Vpon our
Good-abearing, set us free.
A
Dragon, is that most prodigious
Beast,
Whereby the
Holy-Ghost hath typifi'd
That
Foe, by whom the
Saints are most opprest;
And, by whom, daily, they are crucifi'd.
The taking of that
Ensigne, may fore-shew,
That (if we faithfully the work endeavour)
The pow'r of Antichrist we shall subdue,
And, from these
Islands, cast his Throne for ever.
Vouchsafe us pow'r, ô GOD! vouchsafe us Grace,
To drive him, and his Angels, from this Place.
The joyning of the
Roses, doth declare,
That GOD will to those honours us restore,
Wherewith he crown'd us, when in peace, and war,
We on our Crest, those lovely Flowers wore.
Their blushing Beauties are, to me, a signe,
Of that delightfull, and soule-pleasing grace,
Which will make lovely our
Church-Discipline,
When GOD hath chang'd our
Discords, into
Peace.
The
sweetnesse, and the
vertues of the
Rose,
Do seeme to promise to us those effects,
And fruit, which from internall Graces flowes;
Yea, and their
prickles are, in some respects,
Significant; for, I by them fore-see,
That his corrections, alwayes, needfull be.
By taking their
Portcullis from the Foe,
It may portend (and if with penitence,
We prosecute the Work, it shall be so)
That, we have taken from them their defence.
It may betoken also, that GODS hand
Will bar our
Gates, and make our Citie strong,
And, by his Mercie, fortifie the Land,
Against all them, who seek to do us wrong.
But, for a surer token of his Grace,
GOD sends us home, among the spoiles of
War,
That
Cabinet of Mischiefe, wherein was
The proofe, of what our Foes intentions are:
And, that, their projects, GOD will still disclose,
And foole their Policies, this
Prize fore-showes.
I then observed, in that
Victorie,
(Wherewith GODS hand, at that time, magnifi'd
The
Peoples-Tribune) how much vanitie
Is in the Arme of flesh, and vaunts of pride.
And, with what good successe, he shall advance,
Who seconded with
Meeknesse, Faith, and
Pray'r,
Doth fight against the rage of
Arrogance,
Of
Guilt, of
Selfe-Dependence, and
Despaire.
I, furthermore observed, that this stroke
Was given, by a
Hand contemn'd of those,
On whom it fell; and, that their strength it broke,
When, to themselves, great hopes they did propose:
Yea, when they seem'd assured of our fall;
And thought to ruine, and devoure us all.
And, they received that amazing-blow,
From those
Vnited-Brethren, whom they thought,
Their policies had dis-united so,
That, ruine on themselves, it should have brought.
But, this, by their agreement, GOD prevented;
And gave that
victorie to be a signe,
That, if we shall hereafter be contented,
In love, against the
Common-Foe to joyne;
And, trust him with our
Conscience, and our
Cause;
We, by that blessed
union, shall subdue
Th'opposers of our
Liberties, and
Lawes;
And feel the droppings of
Mount-Sions dew
Be sprinkling all these Islands, with increase
Of
saving-knowledge, joyn'd with
endlesse peace.
I mustred up, the manie
black-events,
The manie jealousies, and new-made factions,
The discontentments, and discouragements,
The frights, the losses, dangers and distractions
That might have follow'd, and o're-whelm'd us all,
If but that day, our
spoilers had prevail'd;
If on that day, GOD had not heard us call,
If on that day, to help us he had fail'd.
And I desire, that we could thanks expresse
For such deliv'rances, aswell, in
deed,
As in a
Verball-form of thankfulnesse;
That, GOD might alwaies our devotions heed,
And answere us, when in distresse we pray,
As he our prayers answered, that day.
My heart rejoyced much in that salvation,
Because, I knew it greater then it seem'd;
And, that it wrappeth up a preservation,
To few men knowne; of fewer men esteem'd.
So much, I joy not in the
victorie,
As in that good, whereto it may conduce:
For, in GODS Judgments, as much joy have I,
As in his Mercies, when I see their use.
I laugh not, as when I have outward ease,
When I do feel GODS hand correcting me:
Yet, inwardly, it comforts, and doth please
As much, as when more glad I seeme to be.
And, more I feare a failing, on my part,
When I am most at ease, than when I smart.
And, I have seene, so frequently, a failing,
In prosecuting publike executions;
And, such neglects (upon a small prevailing)
Of good Designes, and prudent Resolutions.
With such a dull proceeding in pursuit
Of those advantages, which GOD bestowes:
And find them, still, produce so little fruit
In
substance, answerable to their
showes;
That, when I should expresse my joyfulnesse,
With such a sense as other entertaine:
A melancholly doth my soule oppresse,
As if it fear'd my joy would be in vaine;
But, at that time, some better hopes I had,
And, in those hopes, my Prayer thus I made.
Eternall
GOD! as mercifull, as just,
And, of both these the Essence in perfection:
Thou know'st my heart, and know'st I nor distrust
Thy Pow'r,
thy Providence,
or thy Affection;
Though outwardly I do not much rejoyce,
It is not an unthankefulnesse to thee,
That sads my Soule,
or silenceth my Voyce,
Whiles others tuning Hymnes of Praises
be.
For, oft, my heart,
enjoyes thee all the day;
Aloud to thee, my Spirit
often cryes,
When, with my mouth, I not a word can say,
When not a teare will trickle from mine eyes:
And, though I neither pray,
nor praise thee, then,
As I am bound; I do it as I can.
Thy mercies I confesse, and am as glad
Of Thee, and them, this day, as he that sings;
Yet, when I mind what use of them is made,
And, what effects from thy compassion springs,
It mars my mirth: And therefore, now, in stead
Of their thanksgiving Psalmes, I sacrifice
My heart in Prayer; which, vouchsafe to heed,
And, do not LORD, my humble suits despise.
For, if thou grant them, it shall praise thee more,
Thanif that favour, by ten thousand tongues,
Were, at this present time, repeated o're,
And celebrated in a thousand songs.
That hath begot thee, one Thanksgiving-day.
But, this, shall make thee praised, here, for aye.
The many Mercies, LORD, I do confesse,
Which, by thy Bountie, we have here enjoy'd;
And, do acknowledge, with all thankefulnesse,
That, ere this day, we had been all destroy'd,
Vnlesse thy Goodnesse, and thy Providence,
Had curb'd the furie of the raging Foe;
Yea, thy Abounding-love was our defence,
Or, we had, else, been our owne overthrow.
From thy free favour, and preventing-grace,
It doth proceed, that our despised Host
Fled not before their Adversaries face;
Or, fell not by them, who the field have lost:
And, that, the Joyes which now our Citie hath,
Are not, this day, in Askalon,
and Gath.
But, what will these prevailings be, at last,
If Grace thou, likewise, give not to pursue
Those victories, which thou bestowed hast;
And, to improve the mercie thou didst shew?
What will our sad rejoycings, at the length,
And bloudy enterchanges, prove, O LORD?
But, an impairing of our native strength,
To make a passage for the Forraine-sword?
And, what from our divisions, and the spoiles,
Torne daily from each other, can arise,
But utter devastation of these Iles?
And, (which is worse than forraine enemies)
Selfe-murthers? Or, perhaps, a Dearth
so great,
That, men shall kill each other for their meat?
Such things have been; and such, for ought I see,
May here befall us, ere these wars be done,
If, thou permit our cruelties, to be
As wilfully pursued, as begun.
Thy judgements
teach us, therefore, LORD, to feare;
So, make us, thy forbearances to weigh;
So, let thy kindnesses our hearts prepare,
That, we no longer foole our Peace
away.
Let not the sighs, the prayers, and the cries
Of thy afflicted children, be in vaine.
Behold, how desolate their dwelling lies;
Look on their wounds, observe how they are slaine;
How many, of their Fathers, are bereft!
How many widowes, desolate are left!
Or, if this move thee not, mark how the Foe
Blasphemes thy Name:
See, with what height of pride
Against thy Truth,
his malice he doth show,
And, how thy holy things, he doth deride.
Mark, what damn'd Oaths, and curses forth they roare,
And, with what lyes and slanders they do wrong us:
Mark, how they scorne the counsels of the poore,
And, to betray us; how they lurk among us.
Mark, how they play the hypocrites, array'd
Sometime, like Bosome-Friends;
sometime disguis'd
With outward Sanctitie,
while snares are layd,
That, unawares thy Saints
may be surpriz'd:
And, let not us, who in thy Truth have joy'd▪
By those, who persecute it, be destroy'd.
If not on us, yet, LORD, compassion take
On those that shall out of our loynes descend▪
If not for our, yet, for thine Honour-sake,
To these destroying times, impose an end.
Ev'n for the sake of thy Beloved-One,
Who, through our sides, is wounded by our Foes,
Behold, what spoyles, what mischieves they have done,
And help us, ere our sorrow helplesse growes.
Teach us to see, and know, how miserable
We are, and may be, if we persevere,
As we begun; informe us how unable
We are to save our selves, from what we feare:
And, to consider, too, how worthlesse, we
Are of that mercie, which I beg of thee.
Vaine is the help of Armies, Foot, or Horse;
Vaine is the pow'r of Nations, and of Kings;
Vaine is united policie, and force;
Vaine is the aid of all terrestriall things:
Thou makest War;
thou only makest Peace,
And, out of nothing, canst create the same;
Nay, out of that, which discords doth encrease,
An everlasting Concord thou canst frame.
Although the people, like huge waters, rage;
The mountaines, yea, these Islands moved be;
Thou, in a moment, canst the storme asswage,
And, make all quiet, when it pleaseth thee.
O LORD! command a Calme, command a Peace,
That our unnaturall debates may cease.
To us be reconcil'd, and (to begin
That reconcilement) let us so endeavour,
To breake the league, which we have made with sin,
That Thou, and We, may now be friends for ever.
Make, for us, an Atonement with our King,
Let him perceive, in what his course will end:
What Mischeeves evill Counsellours do bring,
What Vengeance doth on Tyranny attend.
Give him both sight, and sense, of that huge floud,
Which threatens daily, to o'rewhelme his head;
That roaring torrent, nay, that sea of bloud,
Which, in these Iles, hath wilfully been shed.
And, with his wronged, and enraged Nations,
Make thou, for him, his Reconciliations.
His heart, is in thy hand; and, if thou please,
Thou canst returne him to us, wholly changed.
Thou canst yet make us mutually, with ease,
As deare, as if we had not been estranged.
Thou that restor'dst Manasseh,
canst restore
Him
to Himselse,
to Vs,
and to thy Grace▪
And, it may glorifie thy goodnesse more,
Than to advance another in his place.
Yea, and for us, it shall be better too,
If, with a true forgivenesse of each other,
We, that have lately been divided so,
Shall lovingly unite againe together.
For, what more sweet, than when unkindnesse ends,
In reconciling of divided friends?
Thou know'st, O GOD! that we have no desire,
To take from Him,
or His,
the Royall Throne,
Or, pull it lower; but, to raise it higher,
And, set him, rather, faster thereupon.
Thou know'st, that though his courses
we abhor,
We love his Person,
and would faine prevent
That mischiefe, which he seemes to labour for.
By hunting after his owne detriment.
If, by his wilfulnesse, that bloud be spilt,
Which we would save; of them require it, LORD!
Who make him to be Patron
of their guilt;
Or, bring him within danger of the Sword:
And, keep us, and our children, ever cleare,
From all the bloud, that shall be spoyled, here.
And, as for me, whom our Opposers
blame,
As having my first principles forsaken,
(
Because I, now, against the Royall-Name,
With Reall-Majestie,
a part have taken)
Thou know'st my heart, had never an intent,
The Shadow,
for the Substance,
to adore:
And, that if I, so foolishly had meant,
Discretion,
bids me so to think no more▪
A Single-Person,
or a Factious Rabble,
The King,
by Armes, opposing, acteth Treason;
But, Kingdomes
joyn'd by Counsells-warrantable,
Against a Tyrant,
do the work of Reason.
Yea, 'tis the hand of GOD, that strikes him, then,
Although he doth it by the sword of men.
Thou know'st, O GOD! that, not a hand of our
Is rais'd against his Person,
or his Seed;
Or, to diminish any Royall pow'r,
Which to discharge his Office he may need.
Or, for due honour. But, we, rather, fight
(As he would know, if undeceiv'd he were)
To save his Dignitie, to do him right,
And, keep him from Destructions drawing neare.
Thou know'st, we no offensive War
intended;
Nor, armed came, for any private Cause;
But, as our dutie binds, to have defended
Thy Truth,
our Countrie's Liberties,
and Lawes:
And, to remove the wicked from the Throne,
That, he may rule, with righteousnesse, thereon.
And, though to fright us from this dutie, LORD,
The sons of Belial,
whom we pursue,
Cast termes on us, which better do accord
With their proceedings, as to them most due:
Yet, thou canst witnesse, that we called are,
And, come in true obedience to that Pow'r,
Of which, He but the name doth only weare;
Whilst he abuseth his owne Rights, and our:
Thou know'st his Wilfulnesse
doth us compell
(
Since nor his Parl'aments,
Thy Lawes,
nor His,
Nor, other course prevailes)
now to appeale
(In that, which at this time, depending is)
To thy Arbitrement: and, that, the Sword
May to our differences, an end afford.
Wherein, we pray thee, pass
[...] thy Sentence so,
That, in thy Judgements, Mercy
may abound;
Lest, though but small Severity
thou show,
The innocentest party, may be found
Ʋnable to abide it. For, mine eye,
Which only can behold the scam, or skin,
Of our Corruptions (and not much espie
Of those Pollutions, which lie hid within)
Perceives the best so faulty; that, by thee,
If so put off this Bloodie-Triall
were,
That, we might, now, some other way, agree:
It would the safest course, for both, appear.
But, LORD, thy will be done, though it be that,
Which flesh and blood, most feares and trembles at.
For, who, that loves thy Attributes
and Thee,
And sees how they are sleighted? who, that viewes,
How impudently broke thy Precepts
be,
How spightfully thy foes thy friends abuse;
And, how presumptussly this age goes on,
(Ev'n while th'avenging Angell is abroad)
To do as wickedly as it hath done,
Without regard of man,
or feare of GOD?
Yea, who, that loves thine honour,
grudgeth now
Thy saving of it? or, who wisheth good
Vnto thy Saints,
who grieveth to allow
Thy Justice,
in avengement of their blood?
Or, who can thinke thy judgements have exceeded,
That hath our great offences duly heeded?
I do confesse, thy coming to this Nation
In these unlook'd-for Judgements,
maketh it
To be a sharp and dreadfull visitation
To those, that in security did sit,
And, liv'd at ease. But, they who long have born
The violent oppressions of thy Foes,
The insolence of Tyrants,
and their scorn,
At thy approaches, tremble not, like those:
For, their Deliverer,
and Friend
appears,
And, therefore, though we stand in awe of thee,
It is with conjug all, and filiall fears,
Mixt with whose tartuesse, sweetuesses there be:
Yea, though thy judgments, fright us, when we hear them
Yet, LORD, we love them, more then we do fear them.
Whilest thus, or unto such effects I prai'd,
And meditated, by my selfe alone,
The VOICE began to speak again, and said;
Thy GOD observeth, what thou musest on,
And will not faile thy hopes, if thou believe,
And persevere. For, he is readier farre,
His blessings, and his benefits to give,
Then, they, who want them, to desire them are.
And, when he doth deny them, or prolong them,
It is not out of back wardnesse in him,
To condescend; but, that you might not wrong them,
Or entertain them with a sleight esteem.
Most, little prize good things, till much they cost,
Few, know their happinesse, till it be lost.
You may perceive, by that, which GOD hath wrought
For these afflicted
Isles, in their distresse;
By manie things, which he to passe hath brought,
When mischiefes were, almost, beyond redresse:
By those diliv'rances, which you have had,
When to the brink of ruine you were come;
By those escapes, which he for you hath made,
From plots, which none but he could save you from;
Yea, see you may by his oft freeing you,
When, carelesly, advantages you lose;
And by that
mercie, which he sheweth, now,
That, he would soone secure you from your Foes,
Could you so mind, what doth to you belong,
That,
mercie might not do his
justice wrong.
Alas! he takes no pleasure in your cries,
By your afflictions he can reap no good;
Your wound, are not delightfull to his eyes,
Nor joyes be in the shedding of your blood.
He better likes of
Feasts, then
Fasting-dayes,
If you could use them, to your more availe,
Your mournings would not please, like songs of praise,
If you had fewer failings to bewaile.
He is not such a cruell GOD, as manie,
Blasphemouslie, have fained him to be,
Delighted in the death, or griefe, of anie;
But,
Love, and
Joy essentiallie is he:
And, gave his
Dearest to be crucifi'd.
A
saving-health for sinners to provide:
Of him, if peace you rightlie seek, believe it,
He will vouchsafe it, when you shall appeare
A people qualified to receive it:
And, to expect it sooner, vaine it were.
Your pride is not, as yet, enough abated,
Your wisdom, is not, yet, enough befooled,
Your own deservings, are, yet, over-rated,
You, by the rod, are not, yet, throughly schooled.
You have some ayerie Castles, yet, in building,
Some false dependencies, yet, undestroy'd,
Some groundlesse hopes, not to despaire, yet, yeelding,
Some lusts, and some vaine pleasures, yet in joy'd:
And, manie such obstructions, making, yet,
These Kingdoms, for that happinesse, unfit.
Your
lofty minds, must, first, be stooped lower,
Your
separations, must draw, somwhat, nigher,
Your
Formes of godlinesse, must get more power,
Your
base affections must be lifted higher:
Your
headstrong wilfulnesse, must more be tamed,
Your
Anchor, must with deeper hold, be grounded,
Your
Charity, must farther be inflamed,
Your
Faith, must on the rock, be better founded.
Your
selves, must, by your selves, be more deni'd,
More care of publike duties must be took;
Your
wanton flesh must more be mortifi'd,
And, for your sins, your
hearts must more be broke,
E're these afflicted
Isles will repossesse
A safe, a reall, and a lasting peace.
Delude you not your selves, with guilefull showes;
For, when they promise most, they most deceive.
To
win, is, manie times, the way to
lose:
And,
Victories, of safety may bereave.
Security, may lose you, in a day,
What,
watchfulnesse was gaining, many years;
And, in a moment, GOD may take away
Your greatest strength, when strongest it appears.
Were now, your adversaries in your power;
Were not a dog, to barke against you, left,
And,
Peace confirm'd; you might, within an houre,
Of all that happinesse, be quite bereft.
Yea, and it should be lost again, e're long,
Vnlesse, on better tearmes, you made it strong.
Vpon the justnesse of the
Cause, some trust;
But, that, a vain dependence may be found:
For, if they, who defend it, be unjust,
A righteous Cause, may fall unto the ground.
The
Jewes did flie before the
Canaanites,
While but one
Achan, in their Camp, remain'd;
They fell before the wicked
Benjamites,
While, their impenitencie they retain'd.
Some think, because the
Word of Truth, is here,
GODS
Ordinances, and his
holy-things,
That, you a priviledged people are:
But, no securitie, at all, this brings:
It, rather, calls for vengeance on that place,
Which answers not, in fruits, their meanes of grace.
The
Arke, it selfe, from
Israel, was borne,
And, they who kept it, slaughtered, for their sin;
Ev'n GODS own
House was ra'zd, and made a scorne,
And, they inthral'd, who served him therein.
GOD, for his
Temples sake, spar'd not oppression,
Nor, for that
Worship which they did professe:
But, them he turned out of their possessions,
For acting sin, in cloakes of holinesse.
Do you suppose, that, GOD, will for the sake
Of those few righteous men, that, yet, remaine,
The present troubles from these
Islands take,
And, settle all things here, in peace, again?
How can you such a benefit expect,
Till righteous men, you better do affect.
If you, by them, such blessings may enjoy,
Why are you not, to those, more faithfull friends?
Why seek you to undo, or, to destroy
Those men, on whom your weale so much depends?
Though, for their sakes, you reap, at other times,
Great benefit; and often are secur'd,
From publike mischiefes; yet, there have been crimes,
For which, this priviledge is not procur'd.
Though
Noah, Job, and
Daniel, interceded
At such a season, grace should not be showne:
They should not get a pardon, when they pleaded,
For anie soules offending, but their own.
And, so it may be, for ought yet, you know,
With everie unrepentant sinner, now.
Some, of you, have a hope, as vain as this,
Another way; for, manie men suppose
To be secured, by the wickednesse,
And crying sins, of their blasphemous Foes.
But,
Edom did
Jernsalem suppresse,
Although the former had transgressed more:
The
Saints, although their errors may be lesse,
Are daily murther'd by the
Scarlet-Whore.
GODS
Magazine, hath punishments enow,
To seize on all at once, that him offend;
He
Scorpions hath for them, and
Rods for you,
And, both will scourge, if both do not amend.
He, as he lists, can make you whip each other;
Or, spare the one, or, punish both together.
Indeed, a Kingdomes laying-wast, hath bin,
And, is sometimes, deferred for the sakes
Of righteous men, inhabiting therein:
But, that, but little for the safety makes,
Of
Individuall sinners. For, you see,
They, by the
Sword, are pick'd out everie day,
Their habitations daily ruin'd be,
And their posterities are swept away.
Yea, when, quite round them, all the neighbourhood
Stands unimpaired, they are somtime seized,
That, others may observe it, for their good,
Or, that GODS wrath may, thereby, be appeased:
And, otherwhile, the just are taken from
A
wicked-place, toscape the plagues to come.
But, what, or whom, need you suspect, or feare,
Though both your Horse & Foot, this day were routed?
Of your own selves, you well-conceited are
Of your own courses, nothing is mis-doubted.
You have designes, wherein you can confide,
Though GOD be verie little in your thought:
You, in a blindfold hope, can quiet bide,
Though, in
due meanes, his aid you have not sought.
You seem so
knowing, that none must advise;
So
righteous, that, you reformation hate;
So
holy, that, your brethren you dispise,
So
powerfull, as if you preserv'd the
State:
And beare your selves, as if unto these Nations
GOD, were oblig'd, by speciall obligations.
And, if but with a superficiall look
A view of you were taken, on that side
Which fairest showes, you might be, then, mistook,
For better then you'l prove, when you are tride.
You are now frequent in
humiliation,
You are profest Reformers of your waies;
You are become the longest-praying Nation,
And, holiest-talking people, in these daies,
Your simplest tradesmen are grown mighty Preachers,
Your souldiers guifted are with double power,
Young silliest women are admired teachers,
And speak, and pray among you by the houre.
The chiefest places in your
Common-weale,
Supplied are, with men of
noted-zeale.
The
godly party, now preferments gets,
(At least, they who the form thereof put on)
And, when some of them, are prov'd counterfeits,
The
honest party will be thought upon.
To keep the
foremost-table of the LAW
Inviolate, you care, of late, have took;
And, many think, it showes you stand in awe
Of GOD; and, that you at his honour look.
And, peradventure, (if it hinder not
Your lusts or profits) when you are at leasure,
Some
Orders or
Provisions may be got,
To make you carefull, in some better measure,
To keep the second-Table: wherein, lies
The proofe of your faire-seeming sanctities.
You zealously have, likewise, overthrowne
The monuments of Popish superstition;
Pull'd Crosses, Images, and Altars down,
Even those things that gave but just suspition
Of an Idolatrous or fruitlesse use;
As well appeareth, in not lettting passe
(When you demolish'd them, for their abuse)
The guilded Organs, and the painted glasse.
You have for ev'rie week a Sabbath, now;
For every
moon a
Fast; in private, more:
Thanksgiving daies, you likewise do allow,
For holy-daies, observed heretofore;
Which, of those feasts, will well supply the room,
Vntill you wearie of them shall become.
These works are found among you, and of those
Some part from upright-heartednesse doth flow,
And from those rectified consciences,
Which do a reall Reformation show.
And, though the works themselves have no deserving
In their own nature, or, through imperfections,
Concomitant: yet, GOD, in you, observing
A
will renew'd, and following his direction,
According to your power, accepteth so
A fraile performance, from a weake intent,
That, he as much, by
Grace, imputes thereto,
As if it perfectly were done, and meant.
And (for a few thus qualifi'd) GOD hath
Deferr'd full prosecution of his wrath.
But, so far off, your Reformations, yet,
And pious showes, are from deserving ought,
Or from a likelihood, that they will fet
The peace, for which, you have both pray'd and sought;
That, if more mercies GOD vouchsafe not to you,
Then by your Sanctitie deserved are,
Your
holy-things, would utterly undo you,
Though all your other sins remitted were.
For, as, before their thrall, the wicked
Jewes,
Did act a
seeming-sanctified part,
Approaching near to GOD, in words, and shewes,
Yet, kept themselves, far from him, in their heart:
So, most of you have done: And, GOD therefore,
Your
Sabbaths, Fasts, and
Praises doth abhorre.
To him, your hands you lifted in a VOW;
A serious
Covenant, with him, you made,
You made it also, not without a show,
As if unfained purposes you had
To do, as you profest: And, you have seem'd
Not only to have rightly understood
That
League, and highly thereof to have deem'd,
But, thereby, likewise you receiv'd much good.
Yet, as if, with well-doing, tir'd you were,
(Or, rather, as if you besotted grew)
To tender it, you very little care,
Or, thereunto, conformity to shew.
A needlesse duty, this, by some, is thought,
Or, pressed farther, then of right, it ought.
But, if it hath impos'd unduly been,
Why were two
Realms, so unadvis'd, to make it?
If righteo, us in your eyes, the same still seem,
Why is not everie man requir'd to take it?
If, necessarilie, it was injoyn'd,
And lawfully, why should you suffer them
Both libertie, and favour, too, to finde,
Who, therein, shall your
Ordinance contemn?
Why, is there not a difference put, 'twixt those
Who take it; and all those who shall refuse it?
And, punishment why do you not impose
On them who take it, only, to abuse it?
Since, breach of publike Cov'nants is a sin,
Which, alwaies, brings a publike vengeance in.
A Cov'nant broke, through with the
Gibeonites,
(Who gained it a surreptitious way)
Brought down a Plague upon the
Israelites,
Which cost, the bloud of
Princes, to allay.
No branch of this, is anie way unjust,
Or inconsistent, in the least degree,
With anie dutie, which performe you must
As
Christians, or, as morall men you be;
Nor is it (being understood aright)
A barre to anie Christians Libertie,
Or, humane Priviledge; though, at first sight,
To some, these, may appeare infring'd thereby:
For, by that Covenant, you vow'd no more,
Then, what you were obliged to before.
It binds you no profession to imbrace
Of
Doctrine, Manners, or, of
Discipline,
Ought farther, then conformable it is
Vnto the Canon of the
Word-divine:
You vowed nothing to reject, but what
Shall prove, upon due triall, to be found
Destructive, or repugnant unto
that;
Or, to the
Bond, wherewith you should be bound:
And, as you are obliged, by the same,
To nothing, any way unwarrantable;
So, likewise, you thereby, ingag'd became
No further to performe, than you are able:
Nor harme, thereby, to any can befall,
But, praise to GOD, and safetie unto all.
And, yet, this sacred
Covenant, and VOW,
Which tendeth to the prejudice of none,
Which
Law-divine, and
humane doth allow,
Which need constrain'd you to have undergone;
Which was resolv'd on, by two prudent
Nations,
Which, by the highest Senates, in both Lands,
Was made, and took, with due deliberations,
And, sign'd with twentie hundred thousand hands.
Those
Vowes, which you have sealed with your bloud,
Those
Vowes, which in ten thousand
Congregations
Attested were; and which you call'd on GOD
To witnesse too: These
Vowes, and
Protestations,
Vow'd so religiously, and so attested,
Regarded are, as if you had but jested.
Who dream'd to see a VOW, cri'd up like that,
Observ'd no better, than conditions made
By Boyes, or Girles, at
Push-pin, or at
Cat?
Who could have thought, that
Christians should have had
Of conscience, or of credit, so small care,
As to forget, nay, so much to despise
A Dutie, wherein so concern'd they are?
And, whereupon, Life,
State, and Honour lies?
He that your
Ordinances doth peruse,
With your instructions, and marks what is done;
Can find out nothing, whereby to excuse
Your ill pursuit, of what you well begun.
Or why, he should, till you reforme your wayes,
Much heed, what such a
Nation, doth, or sayes.
For, both so negligent, and false are you,
In what you vow'd: yea, both to GOD, and
M
[...]n,
So foolishly, so shamelesly untrue,
Most have been, since this
Covenant began:
That (if you soon repent not) this one sin
Will make a curelesse
Breach: yea, this offence
Will bring incurable-Destruction in,
Without a speedy, and true penitence.
Thus, that, which might have much advanc'd your peace▪
Is like, by your corruption, to procure,
In stead of what you hope for, an encrease
Of Plagues, and Troubles, longer to endure:
Yet, this is not the only meanes of
Grace,
Which is, by you abused, in this place.
Your
Provocations are as much, or more,
In other sacred things: For, though some few
Have better out-sides, now, than heretofore,
They are not really, the same they shew.
The hewing out of
Reformation makes
Good chips; and, for each Carpenter, such Fees,
That, whatsoever paines therein he takes,
No feare of any outward losse, he sees.
In setting up of publike
Disciplines,
There are Devices, to contrive it so,
That men shall thereby act their owne
Designes;
And few perceive, what they intend to do:
For, underneath a cloke of
outward-zeale,
More projects are pursu'd, than they reveale.
And, otherwhile, GOD bringeth so about
His
purpose, that, he makes men Instruments
To plot it, work it, yea, to fight it out,
Against the current of their owne intents.
Sometime, the furious zeale of
Hypocrites,
Or wilfulnesse of
Tyrants, by the wages
Of
Balaam, to his service he invites;
And, them, against his enemies ingages.
By these, he
Superstition doth deface,
Pulls down Idolatrie, and way doth make
For them, to build his
Church, up, in that place
Who seek to do his will, for
Conscience-sake.
Yea, thus, he more then once or twice hath done,
Where famous
Reformations were begun.
Thus
Iehu, in a
Fierie zeal, destroy'd
Baals Idols, with his
Prophets: and, for this,
That Crown, which by his Master was enjoy'd,
GOD, for a while, entail'd on him, and his.
Thus likewise, in this
Kingdom, your eighth
Harrie
Made way for that which he intended not:
And, then, from manie a wealthy Monasterie
Both Lands and goods, for his reward he got.
Yea, manie others furthered that work
Beneath whose
outside zeale, much avarice,
Much pride, with much hypocrisie, did lurk,
And, manie another secret lust, and vice.
For which, now draweth near, the fatall day,
Of rooting them, and all their seed away.
Yet, their example makes not These times free
From those corruptions: for, much dawbing, still,
With an untemper'd mortar, you may see;
And, with pretence of
good, much
doing-ill.
Much show of
Reformation, here, is made
In
civill-matters; ev'n by them, that steale,
And suck the nourishment it should have had,
From this distrest, and sickly
Common-weale.
Yea, where it is expected, that extortion
Should most be punished; there, now, are fees
Exacted, in the most extreme proportion:
And, He, that everie secret action sees,
Will, shortly, find out some among them, too,
With whom, a
Bribe, can more then conscience do.
Yet, such as these (when they are in the
Chaire
Of
Judgment, Equitie, Examination,
Or set in some
Committee) offer faire,
In zealous language, toward
Reformation;
These look big on offenders; threaten
vice,
And make some
honest men, who come before them,
To take them for the birds of
Paradise;
And ready, for their
Virtues to adore them.
They grow familiar with your ablest
Preachers;
They hear them often (in appearance gladly)
They thanke them, praise them, as most powerfull Teachers:
They can bewaile the Times; look verie sadly,
And seeme to be exceedingly affeard,
When they the threatnings of the
WORD have heard.
Yet, when all this is done, they passe away,
Through all these threatnings, and through all their fears,
To prosecute their lusts, the selfe-same day,
In which GODS wrath was thundered in their ears.
Yea, thus they do, when vengeance on the Road
Is marching towards them, and in their view;
Thus brazen-fac'd, thus fearelesse of their GOD,
And thus irrationall, themselves they shew.
Their
fasts and
praises are but complements,
With GOD and men, to furnish out their
scoene,
Or, serve to cover-over their intents:
But, little to that purpose they should meane.
What e're the
Preacher or the Propher saies,
Resolv'd they are, to follow their own waies.
The Times, which you have either for confessions
Of sins, or publike mercies, set apart,
Are solemnized with such dull expressions,
As if they were perform'd without a heart.
And, though your
Fastings, as Kings
Ahabs, had
Some recompence obtain'd in outward things,
In lieu of
Outward-showes, that you have made;
Yet, little reall fruit that
dutle brings.
You fast not from
Oppression, Fraud, and
Strife,
Nor from your
Avarice, and
base-designes;
You fast not, from a wicked course of life,
Nor from those lusts, whereto your flesh inclines:
Your heads, you, in the morning, humbly bow:
And, look, e're night, with an
imperious-brow▪
GOD cares not for your solemne
Fasting-day,
Except you come before him, more prepar'd:
You meet, and grant the Preacher leave to say
What he shall please; but, give it no regard.
Once, in a Moone, what is it, to repaire
Vnto the Church; and, there, sit out a meale?
Sleep out, perhaps, a
Sermon, or a
Prai'r;
And, then come home, and fill your bellies well?
Or, what availeth it, to sigh, and groane,
And, make a crabbed face, an houre or two;
Or, whine out words, in some affected tone;
Or, yawne out
Lamentations, as some do?
What will all this availe, if you depart
With an unsanctifi'd dissembling heart?
When, on the set
Humiliation-dayes,
Your well-affected Brethren fast, and mourn;
When ev'ry Congregation weeps, and prayes,
That, GOD, in mercie, might, to them, return:
Some (as if in despight of that Decree,
And, in contempt of GOD) dance, feast, and sing;
Or, drinking healths, to their confusion, be,
Who, for the
Publike-Weale, Peace-Offrings bring.
And, many, who would seem to sacrifice
A contrite-spirit, and a broken-heart,
Come, loaded with so many vanities,
That, back, unto their dwellings, they depart,
Not onely, lesse accepted then before;
But, more despised, and polluted more.
It is not to be thought, GOD doth regard
A
Formall-habit, so you do appear
With hearts reform'd, and with a soule prepar'd,
His
holy-Word obediently to hear.
Yet, know, that he expects, when you professe
A sorrow for your sins, you should put on
That outward, and that inward humblenesse,
By which, the dutie may be truly done.
He doth expect, that, when you near shall draw
Vnto his Throne, you should approach thereto
With so much reverence, and filiall awe,
That, to the same, you no dishonour do;
Nor, make prophane Beholders, to contemne
His
Worship, by your meane esteem of him.
For, some would scarce believe, you serv'd a GOD,
Who hath a power to punish, or to save;
Or, be perswaded, that you fear'd his rod,
Or, that you need of his compassion have;
If they observ'd, how cloath'd to him you come,
Or, heeded your behaviours, in his sight,
Or, saw you, after you returned home,
And, what your conversations were, that night.
For, many, of you, habited appeare
Like those, which to the
Revells are invited;
And, not, as if you men of
sorrow were,
Or, with GOD's anger, or your sins, affrighted;
But trim'd with toyes, which, at that time, and place,
Shewes, either want of
wit, or, want of
grace.
And, when you should appear, with looks compos'd.
According to the service you pretend,
Your thoughts, by your deportment, seem dispos'd.
As if imployed to some other end.
Your voice is more imperious, and more loud,
Then, well befits a Fast: you laugh, and grin,
And, often, have those looks, and gestures, show'd,
Which fitter for a
Theater have been,
Then for a
Temple, in a day of
Fasting:
Which, if GOD should, severely, look upon,
Your dayes of mourning, would be everlasting;
And, your afflictions never would be done:
For, he would see (not without Indignation)
You come, but, with a fain'd
Humiliation.
And, then, among those errours, and presumings,
Which make your
holy-things abhominable,
(And, which you must repent) are your assumings
Vnto your selves, what you are never able,
Nor, warranted to practise. For, the
Pride,
Which hath begot this Boldnesse, doth bring on
Those dreamings, and o're-weenings, which divide,
Distract, and trouble you, as they have done.
You, missing his true meaning, who hath said,
You should be
Priests, and
Prophets to the LORD,
From
Truth, and Decencie, have lately strai'd;
And, made your Pray'rs, and Preaching, so abhorr'd,
That in the stead of what you have expected,
Increase of Plagues, and Discords, is effected.
And, some of you, this Ignorance hath brought
To such presumption, that you vilifie
That PRAYER, which by CHRIST himselfe was taught,
And, turn'd
Devotion into Blasphemie;
You, have not only offered
strange-fire,
But, also, things uncleane: for, you present
Your Lusts unto Him; and, those things require,
Which, make Him with your offrings discontent.
When, therefore, you present the Sacrifice
Of
Prayer, know, that as you are not bounded
To
Verball-Formes; so, you should not despise
The
Rule, whereon that dutie should be grounded;
Lest that, which might of
Blisse, a meanes have bin,
A meanes become, of letting
Curses in.
Of GOD, they seeme not prudently conceited,
Who think, that those Petitions he despiseth,
Which his owne
Spirit hath, for us, indited;
And only likes of those, which man deviseth:
Or, that, he will impute it as a Vice,
If in those wants, which formerly you had,
You shall present him one Petition twice,
Or, oftner, though with true devotion made:
Or, that, at all times, all men, should repaire
Vnto his Trone, with suits extemporarie,
Because, those few that have the gift of
Pray'r,
Can, quickly, to fit words, their meanings marrie▪
For, this is but a novell-imposition,
Arising out of Pride, and Superstition.
(As of
Virginitie, long since was said)
Let them to whom GOD gives the same receive it.
But, let it not on any man be laid,
To whom it hath not pleased him to give it.
To speak in publike,
Moses was lesse able
Than
Aaron; and, yet, GOD did him endow
With kowledge, and with gifts more honourable;
And, from his
Holy-Spirit they did flow.
The wisest heart, hath not the nimblest tongue:
Nor is it, still, the
Spirits inspiration,
Whereby, so many preach, and pray so long:
But,
Memorie, upon premeditation,
And, that, makes oft a fairer shew, in words,
Than
Grace, with gifts more sanctifi'd, affords.
And, by this help of
Nature, carnall men,
Not only gain esteeme beyond their merit;
And, Player-like, act parts, which, now and then
Are, falsly, thought out-flowings of the Spirit:
But, by this qualitie, have, also, brought
Contempt on better men: and, oft, thereby,
Into their simple hearers hearts, have wrought,
In stead of
Truth, bewitching
heresie.
Yet, this their
Tongue-craft, now, hath such esteeme,
That he, who to himselfe, assumeth not
This gift, doth scarce to them a Christian seeme:
And, therefore, many, now, the same have got,
Who care not, though these offrings of the tongue
Be wholly
Non-sense, so they may be
long.
GOD values your
Devotions, by their strength
Of
Faith; and by your pious inclination;
And, not by that
tautologie, or
length,
Which hath, of late, begun to be in fashion.
It was a
Pharisaicall-Tradition,
Arising partly from hypocrisie,
And, partly, from a Jewish superstition,
Which fool'd their Feminine simplicitie,
As it doth ours. And, therefore, though he seeme
Almost a
Reprobate, who dares reprove
That custome, (which those men do most esteeme,
Who, with their owne conceptions, are in love)
Yet, many of them, as your
Saviour said,
Have only
prated, when they thought they
pray'd.
Let, then, your
Praying, and your
Preaching, too,
Be such, as may
True-Pietie advance:
And, not the work of your
Destroyer, do,
By pleasing
Self-conceit, and
Ignorance,
In giving leave to ev'rie giddie braine,
To preach what ever
Fancie shall invent;
And, heaps of those
false-Teachers entertaine,
Who bring you
Tidings, which were never sent.
A
mysterie, I will to you unfold,
Whereof, if you take heedfull observation,
A glimmering-light, you shall, thereby, behold,
To help promote both
Peace, and
Reformation;
And, give some hint, whereby you may provide,
Against those Errours, which do much divide.
There were two SIMONS, in the primitive,
And purer times, who typified that
Which doth concerne you: For, you do derive
Your
Evill-being, and your
Good-estate,
From what they signifie. The
Name imports
In English, HEARING; and, these did fore-show,
That, in the
Church, from
Hearers of two sorts,
Great
Schismes, and much
Heresie would flow.
From SIMON-PETER, which is in your tongue,
Hearing-the-Rock, the
Faithfull-Hearers came:
From SIMON-MAGVS, all those
Hearers sprung,
Which were seduc'd, according to his
Name:
For, by Interpretation, 'tis as much
With you, as if yee said,
Hearing-the-Witch.
As
Simon-Peter, and the
Sorcerer,
Long since contended, whether of the two,
Should get possession of the Peoples eare,
Ev'n so those
hearings, at this present, do.
As
Simon-Magus, untill
Peter spoke,
Had so bewitch'd the common-people, then,
That, for the POW'R of GOD, they him mistook;
So,
Formall-hearing, now, bewitcheth men.
So, it is idoliz'd: and, some have thought,
When, formally, that Dutie they had paid,
The
Holy-Ghost might for the same be bought:
But, as then,
Peter of the
money said,
Their
Hearing with them perish, who suppose,
That, GOD his Graces, for such wares bestowes,
You, of this itching, this bewitching
Hearing,
Have had Experiments: and, at this day,
There are such bitter fruits therof appearing,
That, you had need be watchfull: and, to pray,
That, GOD would please, to sanct
[...]fie the eare,
And, circumcise your hearts, that you may know,
When, you the
Witch, and when you
Peter heare,
That, you, in Grace, may edified grow.
And, that this
Information make you not
Respectlesse of that
Hearing, or that
Preaching,
Whereby, that Saving, knowledge may be got,
Which no man hath, but by the
Spirits teaching:
And, that, you so may
Heare, that GOD may blesse
Hearing, with
Faith, & Faith with Truth-full-Peace.
Take heed unto your
Prayers, that they reach not
Their length, that Widowes-houses do devoure;
Take heed unto your
Preachings, that, you preach not
The
Spirit weak; and raise a
fleshly-power.
Take heed in
Giving thanks, you do not say,
In heart, when GOD hath victories bestowne;
That, of your Foes, his hand did thousands slay,
And, that, there fell ten thousands by your owne.
Vnto your
Fasts, and your
Humiliations,
Take, likewise, heed, lest by your negligences,
Those Duties may be greater aggravations
Of your, but, seeming-sorrow'd-for-Offences.
And, take heed, lest hypocrisie may breed
Obstructions in you, of due
Taking-heed.
If truly you desire a
happie-Peace,
Repent your false
Repentance; and, in haste,
Your suits, with true sinceritie addresse,
Before the
Day of mercie shall be past.
Reforme your
Publike Fasts; and let them show,
Ev'n in the
Out-ward-man, so truly sad,
That, others may your inward-sorrow know,
And, by the same, so sensible be made,
Of what you feele; that it may make them find
A change in their owne hearts; and, by that change,
Become to pious dutie so inclin'd,
That, them from Vanitie, it may estrange;
And, ev'rie day, one, thus, draw on another
To Penitence, till all repent together.
To make this dutie further to extend,
(And, grow more generall) you shall do well,
Vnto your Adversaries to commend,
(And unto those, who in your quarters dwell)
This
motion: That (since both of you professe
One GOD) you might assemble on
one day,
To meet before his Presence, to confesse
Your wickednesse, wide open, there, to lay
Your
Causes; And, for judgement, to referre
Your selves to him. For, such an introduction,
A meanes to draw you somwhat nearer were,
And, to remove, it may be, some obstruction
Which hinders
Peace; or, els, to bring that, on,
By which, your work, the sooner may be done.
If, they that have the better
Cause, think fit
(With some such meek and pious invitations
As they might frame) for this end, to admit
That day, whereon their Foes humiliations
Pretended are; it either shall allure
Your Adversaries to that Penitence,
Which will a speedy amity procure:
Or, aggravate, so greatly their offence,
That GOD shall quite reject them, as if they
Refused your
Appeal; or, to abide
His
Doome: and did intend some other way,
Or, by some other
Censor, to be tri'd:
And, what event will thereupon ensue,
It were a needlesse matter to fore-shew.
When all are thus assembled, on one day,
Or els, of all, so many as GOD's grace
Shall make, therewith, content: (For, though it may
To you, be somwhat, yet nor
Time, nor
Place,
Are, in respect of Him, considerable)
Yea, when you in his presence shall appeare
To this effect (as he shall you inable)
Fall down before him, with all meeknesse, there.
Together then; with seriousnesse, begin
The
Fast anew. In true humiliations,
Let all bewaile their errours, and their sin,
Till, in their mournings, and their
Lamentations,
The famous
mourning, equallize they shall
Of
Hadadrimmon in
Megiddo Vale.
Let, joyntly,
People, State, and
King, unite
In
penitence, as they in
sinne have done.
Themselves, let them, for all their sinnes, indite.
(Their
new and
ancient sins) before GOD's Throne.
And, forasmuch, as in this
later-Age,
And, in this
place, he seemeth, as it were,
To bring all things, again, upon the stage,
Which, heretofore, in action, did appeare:
(Yea, since they, who will heed it, may behold
All that concernes th'
Estates, or
conversation
Of
Saints, or
sinners, in GOD's Word fore-told,
Epitomized in this
Generation)
Let not his
warnings, both by
Word, and
Deed,
Be frustrated, through want of
taking-heed.
Remember to be waile your
Gentilismes,
Your
Babylonish-whoredomes, heretofore,
Your
ancient-heresies, and
moderne-Schismes,
That, GOD, for these, may judge these
Isles no more.
Observe, and well observe it; that, because:
You govern'd lesse by
Law, then by your
will;
That, GOD, almost, depriv'd you of those Lawes:
And, that, because (your projects to fulfill,
Or, to promote your
carnall-Policies)
Morality, and
Piety, by you,
Were made but
stales: the worlds
old-Heresies,
And
Heath'nish-manners, are sprung up anew,
To interrupt, and marre the
publike-Peace,
For your dissembling, and unthankfulnesse.
Remember, that, like
Israel, you have spar'd
The
Canaanites, that should have been destroi'd:
That, like rebellious
Saul, you had regard
To
Agag, and forbidden spolles enjoi'd.
Remember, how you stagger'd off, and on,
Betwixt the LORD, and
Baal, in ancient-time,
And, how farre, you, in later yeares, have gone
To repollute these
Islands, by that crime.
Remember, that, like
Judah, you have made.
Confed'racies, with such as are GOD's Foes;
Though warnings, counsells, and commands you had
To shun their friendships, who the Truth oppose:
And, mindfull be, how you on them reli'd,
Whom
Egypt, and whom
Asbur, typifi'd.
Remember, that, you have, like
Solomon,
(Though you had his example to beware)
Been carelesse, those
Alliances to shun,
Which, both pernitious, and forbidden were.
For, all this Empire, guiltinesse contracted,
As well, by heeding not, to have prevented
What, by your Kings, and Peeres of State, was acted,
As, in not having, yet, this sin repented.
Repent, that, as in
Judah, by her Kings,
You have, by halves, reform'd Religion too:
Call, therewithall, to mind, what fruit it brings,
The work of GOD, with negligence, to do.
And, humbled be, for ev'ry other sin,
Whereof these Isles have, jointly, guilty bin.
Let those three Parties, which have made, this day,
These
Islands wretched, by their great Transgressions,
And, chas'd their
Glory, and their
Peace, away,
Make, jointly, and asunder, their confessions:
For, all have much offended, ev'n the best
Are guiltie of enough, to have destroi'd
The temporall
well-being they possest,
And, all their hopes of what may be enjoi'd.
Let luke-warme
Newters, those poore-spirited,
Degenerated
Britains, without heart,
(Who, as ignobly, have demerited,
As those, who persecute the guiltlesse part)
Repent, and change their temper, out of hand,
Lest they be justly spu'd out of the land.
Let them, that are supposed best affected,
And, who, the best approved
Cause befriended,
Examine, how their duties are neglected,
How false they are, in what they have pretended;
How faintly they the
publike-Guard began;
By what ill meanes, they their
Good-Cause pursu'd;
How little trust in GOD, how much in
Man,
(And in an outward aid) hath oft, been shew'd;
How heedl
[...]sse, of their
Covenant, they grow;
How many of them sleight the
Vow they took;
How they inlarge, how they contract it, now;
How wilfully, how frequently, 'tis broke;
And, how the publike sorrow they prolong,
By doing
Pi
[...], and
Iustice wrong.
Let your
Malignant-partie (or, of them,
So many as are, yet, not gone so farre,
That they all timely warnings must contemne)
Remember, of what crimes they guilty are.
Let them consider that to have their will,
Or, that ambitious humours they may feed,
Or, that some other lust they may fulfill,
How, they have made their Countrey smart and bleeed.
Let them consider, that they have pursu'd
Their tyrannies, in these unhappie wars,
As if they meant a pattern to have shew'd,
Of
Rehoboam, and his
Councellers;
Or, how King
Ahabs party went to fight
At
Ramoth-Gilead, as in GODS despight.
Let ENGLAND mourn apart, for all those crimes,
Which do poilute her at this present day;
And, those committed in preceding times,
That GOD may take his heavie hand away.
Her ficklenesse, in faith, and in attire;
Her great abuse of
plenties, by excesse;
Her persecutions, both by sword and fire,
Of those who did the
holy faith professe.
Her wantonnizing with the meanes of
Grace,
Her thanklesnesse for that long
Peace she had,
Her sleighting it when she forewarned was
Of that great
breach, which GOD on her hath made.
Yea, all her other sinnes let her lament:
Let her, all
Nationall-defaults repent.
Let SCOTLAND mourn apart, and search, wherfore
Her sinnes upon her face, and on her back,
GOD, at this present, doth so deeply score,
Now, when she doth of sin most conscience make.
Let her examine, if she hath no End
To seize on some advantage, for her
owne;
While, her distressed
Sister to defend,
She, piously, a readinesse hath shown.
If she be guilty, of so base a thought,
Let her repent it, e're GOD search it out:
If she be cleare,
Truth shall to light be brought;
And, they who of her faithfulnesse, now, doubt,
Shall praise her Children; if they have a care,
Their
lying, and their
bragging to forbeare.
Let IRELAND mourn apart; and, not, alone,
For her late
Trecheries, and for the guilt
Which her inhumane
Natives brought upon
Their heads, for bloud of
Innocents new-spilt;
But, also, for the sinnes of all those
Nations,
Within her borders, who, for their oppressions
Were cast out of their
ancient-habitations;
And, lately, driven from their
now-possessions.
Let her, that brutish
Ignorance lament,
Where with, she, many ages, was polluted;
That
Heath'nish-Christianity repent,
Which, her blind
Children, piety reputed;
And, her
Rebellions, and
Idolatry,
Let her bewaile, with true humility.
Let her observe, what her Transgressions be;
That She, unto the praise of GOD, may say;
In all his judgements truly just is he,
And, that, with
Mercies, he did them allay.
For, if a strict inquirie he had made,
For all the Bloud, th' Oppression, and the Guile,
Of which, he, Information might have had,
There had not one been living in that
Ile.
Both
Scot, and
English, verie studious were,
To plant themselves upon her fruitfull plaines;
But, how,
Religion might be planted there,
They tooke but verie little care, or paines.
To save the
Soule, not many were employ'd,
And, therefore, many
Bodies, were destroy'd.
Had her late
Planters, as industrious bin,
Her
Natives, with
Religion to enrich,
As how to make themselves great men, therein,
(Or, if their care had been but halfe so much)
Some hundred thousands had, this day, possest
Their lives, and livelihoods; who, at their cost,
For times to come,
Examples have increast
Of
goodly-hopes, through want of
Prudence, lost.
And, therefore, let them learne, who yet survive,
Not to neglect CHRISTS Kingdome; if they would,
Their
Kingdome, or their
Heritage should thrive;
Or, that, their
Hopes, or
Labours prosper should.
Yea, if they seek on Earth a firme possession,
Let them not build their houses by oppression.
For, not a few of her
Inhabitants,
Both out of
England, and from
Scotland came,
Meane in esteeme; opprest with many wants;
And, many of them, many wayes to blame;
Some, with projections, nor discreet, nor just;
Some, to defraud their Creditours, and Friends,
Of their estates; some, to enjoy their lust,
And, other some, for other such like ends,
Came over to that
Kingdome, nor much knowne,
Nor much regarded; who, in little space,
Were not alone exceeding wealthy growne,
But, made both
Earles, and
Barons of the Place:
And, they, who suddenly, aloft did clime,
Were pulled to the ground in shorter time,
They, whose
[...]bundance, over-night was more,
Then they could value; e're the following day
Disclos'd it selfe, were made exceeding poore;
And, glad from all their wealth, to run away:
Scarce leasure had they (lest they lost their lives,
With their estates) to take, of all they had,
Enough, wherewith their children, and their wives,
Might clothed be, when their escapes they made.
The
losse, the
frights, the
blond-shed, and the
cries,
Felt, suffered, seen, and heard, in those
black-nights,
Present O
Ireland, still, before thine eyes:
Stil, I let thy
children keep them in their sights.
That
Visitation, let them so bewaile,
Especially, the sins that caused it,
That, they, nor their posterity, may faile
To mind the same; and, let them not forget
To
mourn apart, for that sad
desolation,
Nor to be thankfull, for their
Preservation.
Let every
Corporation, Town, and
City,
Within these
Islands also
mourn apart;
That, their Inhabitants may find more pity,
Then may be challenged, by due desert.
Some, of them, have the benefit enjoy'd
Of GODS protections, both from fire, and sword:
Some of them, have been touch'd, but not destroy'd,
For which, what can they lesse then thanks afford?
Let them acknowledge his
preventing-Graces,
Who, yet are safe; and, that, GOD pleas'd hath bi
[...]
To keep
Dstroyers from their
dwelling places,
So oft, so much polluted, by their sin:
And, let all those whom he began to smite,
Be thankfull, that, they were not ruin'd quite.
For, great are those oppressions, which, of late,
Have cri'd for vengeanch, on some Governours,
Of
Mysteries, and
Townes-incorporat
[...],
Who have abused both their
Trust and
Powers.
Those
Priviledges, which to them were deign'd,
With chiefe respect unto the
Common-good,
Are oft insisted on (yea, and maintain'd)
As if their
Granter should be understood,
To meane some favours to particular
Places,
With damage to the
Publike; which, makes void
His CHARTERS,
ipso facto: For, such
Graces
Are by their owne excessivenesse destroi'd,
If
Reason may be Judge; which, heretofore,
The greatest sway, in humane Actions, bore.
Yet, you have
Cities, Townes, and
Mysteries,
Which do not only, by such
Grants, as these,
Oppresse the
Publike, without Remedies;
And, injure
Strangers, by their
Franchises:
But, also by
mis-usage of their
Grants,
And, by their
Pow'r do many times oppresse
The poorest of their owne Inhabitants;
Enslaving them, by wrongs, without redresse.
For, of those profits, which conferred were
(As well their needy members to sustaine,
As, decently, that port and charge to beare,
Which, to those Corporations do pertaine)
Most part is swallowed, by a private purse;
Or, spent in Feastings, which is somewhat worse.
And, when so bad a
Corporation growes,
As to oppresse a
Stranger, or their
owne,
He, that their tyranny then, undergoes,
Is irrecoverably overthrowne,
For, to a
Body-politike belongs
No
Soule: And, if no
Soule, what
Conscience, then?
And, if no
Conscience, how can it, of wrongs
Be sensible? when it had wronged men?
It doth consist of many, and can raise
The larger
Bribe; the sooner find a friend;
Or, search out, by what persons, or what wayes,
It may (him whom it profecures) offend:
And, which is worst (when other enemies;
Time, slaies;) This, is a Foe that never dies.
Let, therefore, all your
Bodies-Politike
Lament their sins apart, lest GOD destroy
Those
Priviledges, which, without desert,
And, to the wrong of others, they enjoy.
Among the rest, let ev'rie
Academ,
Lament apart, till they, are purged from
Their great corruptions, lest, from out of them,
Your bane, as from a poison'd Fountaine come:
For, their pollutions one maine cause have bin,
Of all your present mischiefest yea, from thence
Proceeded not alone much of that sin,
Which hath desil'd these
Isles; But, that offence,
And, those divisions, also, which of late,
Have almost ruined both Church, and State.
For, there, through want of prudent
Government;
Good principles, and pious education,
Your youth, which were, for knowledge; thither sent,
Lost civill manners, wit, and reputation.
Thence was it, that your Clergie-men became
Such Roarers, and such Tosse-pots, as they were.
Their
Life, and
Doctrine, growne so much to blame,
Was first corrupted, and perverted there.
There, they were taught to fawne, and flatter, well,
For their preferment; and, how to become
Fit Priests for
Ahab, Baal, and
[...]abel.
Or, Pimps, and Panders, for the Whore of
Rom
[...]s
GOD grant, that for their sins, they so may mourne,
That, they to GOD; and, GOD, to them may turne.
Let your Assembly of Divines,
[...]part,
Repent and mourne; themselves, examining,
What aimes, what hopes, what purposes, what heart,
And, what desires, they to their meetings, bring.
Let them consider, whether, none advances
Traditions of their owne, to be received,
And to be practis'd, as Gods
Ordinances;
Which are; in truth, not such to be believed.
Let them examine, whether they do carrie
A due respect to
Christian-Liberty,
If they inforce those things, as necessary,
Of which there is no true necessity;
And, whether, they have not removed hence,
What, might have edifi'd, without offence.
Let it be heeded whether they have care,
As CHRIST himselfe, and, his
Apostles had,
What things the people, and the times, can beare,
E're they impose them; lest; they make them mad,
Instead of right reforming: Let them trie,
Their
spirits well, and search, if there be none
Who dare pretend divine Authority
For that, which GOD commands, not to be done.
Let search be made, if any
Discipline
Hath been projected, for a private end,
Or, to advance a politike Designe,
Which needlesly, weak Christians might offend;
Or, which may causlesse jealousies increase,
Inlarge your troubles, or deferre your
Peace.
Let all their
Brethren of the Clergie, too,
In every Faction, seriously repent,
And mourn apart; This, let them chiesly do,
Who look'd one way, while they another went.
Let them consider, whether they pretend not
Great diligence, and zeale, to bring to passe
That just, and pious work, which they intend not
So much, as that, which therewith cover'd was;
Let them examine, also, if the while
They cozen others, others will not seek,
With falshoods, their Deceivers to beguile,
And, to requite their practice, with the like,
Till all these
Kingdoms, and these
Churches, rue
The pathes and vanities, which they pursne.
For, as they had designes upon the
State.
Their aimes to further; so have others had
Designes on them, whereby they have, of late,
To wicked purposes, advantage made.
Some, to the
Presbyterian-side adhere,
Some to your
Independents: But, with those,
Who, busiest, in partaking, do appeare,
Another
Faction, secretly, doth close,
Which parts it selfe among them, and, thereby,
Spies out the strength, and weaknesses of either;
Foments their quarrellings, and, doth comply,
As friend to one side, yet, is true to neither;
But, covertly, by means of those two
Factions,
Increaseth publike dangers, and distractions.
These, by this craft, have made the zeale of those,
On either side, whose purposes are good,
The Kingdomes peace, unheeded, to oppose,
With such, as, openly, the same withstood.
So that, if
Envie, Avarice, and
Pride,
Whence sprung that
Aconite, that
Clergic-bane,
Which hath your
Clergie, lately, giddifi'd,
Shall not, by penitence, away be tane,
Your quarrells will perpetuated be;
And, neither
Church, nor
State, nor
Corporation,
Nor
Families, be from divisions free.
Now, therefore, in a true humiliation,
Let ev'ry one of them, prepare his heart,
For his transgressions, to lament apart.
Your
Militarie-Men, apart, must mourne,
Aswell as these. And, therefore, that, they may,
With true compunction, from their wayes returne;
Let them, to heart, their many failings lay.
Let your
Commanders mourne, for all those harmes,
Which have been suffred, under their Commands,
By their neglecting of that
Law of Armes,
Whereon, the honour of a Souldier stands.
Let them bewaile the plunders, rapes, and murthers,
The Breaches of Lawes-morall, and Divine,
The violences, riots, and disorders
Commited tho of Di c
And, for their Avarice, and their Ambition,
Whereby, they do prolong your sad condition.
Let them not thinke, that none so worthie are
To be advis'd withall, (or of esteeme)
For
Souldiery, as they that boast, and sweare,
Or arrogate to be, what they, but seem.
Let them not think, they better may confide
In
Officers, who have not so much braine
To keep their legs from slaggering aside,
Then in a
Souldier of a sober-straine.
Or, that this
War had e're the worse went on,
Had all been countenanc'd in their
Command,
Who, for the worke-sake, ventur'd thereupon;
And did, aswell as others, understand
The
moderne-Discipline, and, therewith, too,
Knew what the
Greeks, and
Romans use to do.
Let them repent their treacherous complying
With your professed foes; their favour-showing
To men suspected; and their grace-denying,
Where be
[...]ter trust, and more respect was owing.
Let them be sorrie, that the faithfulnesse,
Or, at the least, the prudence, which they wanted,
Made publike charge, and dangers to increase
By Passes, and Protections, lightly granted.
And, let their hearts of adamant, and steel,
Be prick'd with such remorse, and penitence,
That, in themselves, a loathing they may feel
Of their inhumane spoiles, and insolence
Committed in that Countrey, which hath bred them;
And, on their friends, who payed, arm'd, & fed them.
Moreover, let the
Gentrie of the land
Bewaile their many vanities, apart;
The duties of their calling understand,
And lay their many failings more to heart.
For, most have liv'd, as if to idlenesse,
And to debaucherie they had been borne,
And large estates, for nothing, did possesse,
But, for supplies of lust, to serve their turn.
A die, a cocke, a hound, hawke, horse, or whore,
Were chiefest objects of their contemplation:
Their sinnes alone, are, though you had no more,
Enough to bring a Land to desolation:
And, they have been chiefe cause, and instruments
Of all these Plagues, for which this
Realme laments.
But, much will want of perfecting a peace,
Vntill your
Men of Law perswaded be
To mourn apart. For, they will re-increase
Your quarrells, else, assoon as you agree.
By their formalities, and slow proceeding,
Your remedie, for injuries is made
A mischiefe, the disease, oft times, exceeding:
And, if some eye, unto them, be not had,
So many places in your
Parliament
They will supply, and fill so many
Chaires
In your
Committees; that, much derriment
Vnto the Subject; and some close impaires
Of publike freedomes, (e're you be aware)
Which slip upon you, if you have not care.
They have, already, made the common way
Of Trialls, very greatly, to inlarge
Your troubles, by impertinent delay,
And circumstances, to the suiters charge.
So strong a party they have alwaies had,
That your
Great-Charter, which doth interdict
Delay of
Justice, was, in that point, made
(E're since the grant) a
Law without effect.
But when their
Courts, and practises have reach'd
Oppressions height; They, as the
Clergie were,
Shall downe, into another Orb, be fetch'd,
And taught to keep a constant motion there.
This
Work, upon some
Courts, hath been begun;
Another time, it shall be fully done.
Let ev'rie
Oiconomick-Government,
And ev'rie single person, through the Nation,
In ev'rie
Family, apart lament,
And take his wayes into examination.
For, all
Estates and
Common-weals, that be,
Consist of these: And, whensoe're you shall
Those
Pettie-Governments reformed see,
You, then, are in the way, of mending all.
If ev'rie
Houshold-Prince, and
Officer,
Within his Jurisdiction, would but please,
To make compleat a Reformation, there,
The
Work-desired, should be done with ease.
Let each one, therefore, take the same in hand,
In all relations, wherein he may stand.
Let ev'rie
Master, prudently direct;
And, ev'rie
Servant, faithfully obey:
Let ev'rie
Husband, husband-like affect,
And, ev'rie
Wife, a wife-like love repay.
Let
Parents, parent-like, their hearts enlarge,
Their filiall duties, let the
Children do;
Let, singly, all of these their parts discharge,
Both to the
Family, and
Strangers, too.
Yea, let each person, individually,
Now, take himselfe, apart, and, all alone,
His heart examine, what Impietie,
By him, hath been occasioned, or done,
Whereby your
Peace was broke; and, then assay,
To help renew it, by what means he may.
But, chiefly, let the
Royall-Family
Admit this Discipline, that others may
Receive encouragement, and light, thereby,
To find a
Penitentiarie-way.
Oh I let the
King, if ever he expect,
To see the Citie of his Throne, in peace,
Go mourne apa
[...]; and, let his thoughts reflect
Vpon his folly, and unrighteousnesse.
Let him like
David; (and not
Ahab-like)
Take meekly those reproofs, that GOD shall send,
And, let them on his heart so kindly strike,
That, he enraged grow not, but amend.
With that great Patterne, of true
Penitence.
When he, like sheep, beholds his people slaine;
Let him not look, too much, on their offence,
But, rather, let him of his own complaine,
That, they may do the like; and, GOD perceiving
True penitence, quit both, by free forgiving.
Let not the
Jezabel of
Rome delude him,
With her black witch-crafts, and her fornications,
The cup of her delusions; if in vaine
His warnings prove, the deepest he shall sink,
Into that Lake, whence none can rise againe.
Because, he hath not only had a sight
(Beyond them all) of her seducing waies;
But, also, hath acknowledged that Light,
And, wilfully, himselfe to her betraies:
Yea, and to make his sin, and shame the more,
Betraies the bloud of others, to the
Whore.
Yet, that he may have all the meanes to fetch him
Back from perdition (if he be not gone
So far, by wilfulnesse, that none can reach him)
Let him be personally call'd upon,
To look unto his waies. And, since you know,
His
Flatterers, present him their false glasse,
Himselfe, thereby, unto himself, to show,
And make him seeme the man he never was;
Help thou to undeceive him; lest he may,
With his three earthly Kingdomes (now halfe lost)
Fool desp'rately, a heav'nly Crown away
And, think, he shall redeem it, at the cost
Of trimming up the Western end of PAVLS,
By Fines, extracted from afflicted Soules.
First, bid him call to mind (with mourning for them)
The sins which did his
Fathers-house pollute;
And, in his heart, so seriously, abhor, them,
That, it may bring forth penitentiall fruit.
The bloud of
War that hath in
Peace been shed;
The manifold uncleannesses therein;
The superstitions, thereby, cherished;
Offences known, and those that hid have bin:
The prosecution of the royall-bloud
In
Arabella; (guilty of no crime,
Except it were offensive, to be good,
And, to have had her being, in his time.).
The matchlesse prophanation of a Day
For
Gowries death: his many great oppressions;
The fooling of the Kingdomes wealth away,
And Subjects lives, by cheating Expeditions:
With whatsoe're offences, of this kind,
He shall, upon a strict enquirie, find.
Wish him, with like affections, to recall
The slips of his own Reigne, and of his life;
The mischiefs, which to Him, and you, befall,
In hunting for a superstitious
Wife:
His making of
Nobility a scorne,
By dignifying men of
base-condition;
By choosing Counsellours, to serve his turne,
In setling things, unworthy his fruition.
By suffring of his royall Proclamations
To be abused to injurious ends;
By making showes of verball Reformations,
For publike good, when rapine he intends.
By faining fears, when cause of feare, none give him;
And, by protesting, untill few believe him.
Let Him consider, that, all those, for whom
Against two Kingdome, he, in Armes, appears,
And, whose Protector He is now become,
Are men, whom nothing, but their sin, endears.
Let Him consider, what a sea of bloud,
In his three Kingdomes, hath, of late, been spilt,
For those, who share among them all his good,
And, make him culpable of all their guilt.
Let him consider, that, what, now, he strives,
And fights for, is, but, power to be undone;
Or, that he may, by his Prerogatives,
Without controule, unto the Devill run:
For, unto him, that power, or that supply
Which may be for his good, none shall deny.
Let him remember, what the
German-horse
Should have been sent for: Let him call to minde
Distressed
Rochel: And, that, which will worse
Afflict him, when his feeling he shall finde,
Poore gasping
Ireland; whose wide-gaping wound
Calls out for vengeance, and, his honour taints
With deep-di'd staines. His flat'rers feigne a sound
From
Straffords bloud; and other such
black-Saints;
But, that Illusion will not keep him long
From hearing
Ireland: For, two Kingdomes more
Have sent in bloud, to make a
triple-Song;
Which, will, so dreadfully, so loudly roare,
That, he shall heare (unlesse repent he do)
Ere long; and heare it, with a vengeance, too.
Let him repent, his having, long, attempted
His loving-people, to inslave, and grieve:
For, he from vengeance will not be exempted,
By pleading an usurp'd
Prerogative.
Let him repent, the cov'ring his intents
With Protestations, and religious showes:
Since, these are made such thred-bare complements,
That, ev'ry one, almost, their meaning knowes:
Nor let him longer foole himselfe, to think,
The World perceives not, what his projects be:
For, he is blinde, or, wilfully, doth wink,
Who cannot, at a hundred loop-holes see,
That, many yeares, before this war begun,
He purposed the course, he, now, doth run▪
Then, that he may, without despairing, heare,
Let him, with penitence, before it comes,
To all those wholsome Counsels lend an eare,
Which, timely, may prevent ensuing doomes.
To mollifie his heart, let him present
Before his understanding, and his eye,
How spoiled, and how miserably rent
His three late-happy-Kingdomes, now, do lie.
Let him give eare unto those just complaints
Which his distressed Subjects have prefer'd;
Let him regard the suffrings of the
Saints;
Let living-moanes, or, dying-groanes, be heard:
The Widdowes prayer, and, the Orphans cries,
Lest, GOD, to hear him, in distresse, denies.
Let him remember, that, they, who complain,
And, of whose Townes, he, now, doth ashes make,
Are those, who, for his safe return from
Spaine,
Made joyfull-Feasts, and Bonfires, for his sake.
Let him consider, that, these are the Nations,
(Ev'n these, whom, now, he tramples under-feet,)
Who him received with glad acclamations,
And him did, oft with love-expressions, meet.
Let him consider, that, they, who enjoy
His presence, now, are those that prey upon him;
Ev'n some of those, who lab'red to destroy
His Fathers house; and, those that have undone him,
Both in his reputation, and, estate;
And, merit not his favour, but his hate.
Let him take notice, that, by his digression
From prudent Counsells, his most cruell Foes
Have so imprison'd him in their possession,
That, of himselfe, he cannot, now, dispose.
And, since all
Europe knowes it, let him know,
That, though they flatter, and, upon him fawne,
He, despicable, in their eyes, doth grow;
And, is, by them, esteem'd but as a pawne.
Yea, let him also know that, he hath got
So little credit, upon either side,
That, as the Parliament, now, trusts him not.
So, but few other much in him confide.
Nor will his lost repure, to him return,
Till, for his errours, he shall truly mourn.
Let him consider, that, whereas he sought
To multiplie wild-beasts, within his land,
That, GOD, in justice, now, the same hath brought
Almost into a Desart, to his hand.
To nourish
Beasts, his
Huntsmen took away
His peoples birth-right: And, behold, now, he
Is, therefore, hunted, like those Beasts of Prey,
By which, the neighb'ring towns molested be.
When he was in his artificiall-heav'n,
Which flatring
Poets, and his
Painters made,
Let him re-minde, what Attributes were given;
With what high Epithetes, they made him glad;
What joy, in vanities, he, then, did take;
And, what a GOD of him, his Priests did make.
Let him take notice, that, there was a doubt,
His
Father came not, fairly, to his end;
And, that, when meanes was made to search it out,
And, Witnesses commanded to attend,
The Parliament, abruptly, up was broken;
And, no proceeding, afterward, therein.
Let him consider, what this may betoken,
What jealousies, it, justly, might let in.
If any were suspected, without cause,
Their Innocence, by triall, had been clear'd:
If justly tax'd; why had not, then, the Lawes
Their course? why was not that accuser heard?
Cleare, or not cleare, some body was to blame,
That, such an accusation quasht became.
Nay, these three
Kingdomes did neglect, in this,
Adutie, which they, questionlesse, did owe:
And, partly, for that negligence it is,
That, GOD, for bloud, doth make enquirie, now.
For, of each
Subject of the meanst respect,
Ev'n of the Beggar, by the high-way side,
The King hath an accompt, upon suspect,
That, by the hand of violence he di'd.
And, should a
King, that, living, had protected
So many millions, dying, so be fleighted,
That, when he to be murther'd was suspected,
Not one should be examin'd or indited?
Believe it, this Neglect is, now, rewarded:
For, thousands die, and petish, unregarded.
In all three Kingdoms, was there never a one
To second, the Physitians,
Eglesham
And
Ramsey? had he not a powerfull
Son?
And his Beloved servant,
Buckingham?
Were there not some about him, who then had
No hopes, but those which on his life were laid:
Had he not Lords, and Earles enough, then, made,
Who, by this dutie, might have partly paid
For his respects? Could none of all those things
Call'd
Bishops, upon whom in life he doted;
Whom he esteem'd the Angell-guard of Kings,
Whom he, out of the dung-hill, had promoted,
To sit with
Princes? could of all these, none
Repute him worth regard, when he was gone?
Let him remember, and consider well,
What judgements, have, on that neglect, ensu'd;
How suddenly, the
Duke, soon after, fell;
What direfull vengeance hath this Land pursu'd
Ev'n to this day: and know, there is a GOD,
Who (though Kings do neglect it, or, assay
To hide it) will be searching after bloud;
And, all concealed mischiefs open lay.
This, let him do; lest, he, that might have worn
The glorious'st Christian Wreath, ere long, become
To be abroad,
[...] laughing-stock, and scorn,
And, past regaining honour, here, at home.
For, yet, he may return; and, if he do,
He shall recover all his Honour, too.
There is a way (if he will seek to finde it)
To greatest
Honours, thorow this
Disgrace:
There is a meanes (if he will, truly, minde it)
By which, this wonder may be brought to passe.
To no worse end, this VOICE doth, now, discover
His failings, but, to drive him to this course.
To no worse purpose is he, thus, blackt over,
But, that, he might not be defiled worse.
And, this VOICE prophesies, that, if he shall
With upright-heartednesse, pursue that Path,
He shall not onely be restor'd to all
His honours lost, and be redeem'd from wrath,
But, also, farre more honourable grow,
Then all the Kings of
Europe, raigning now.
Belief works greater wonders; let him then,
Believe it may be; and, it shall be done.
He hath, too much, believed many men,
Whose
Word was lesse to be reli'd upon.
The precious'st Pe
[...]rles lie deepest in the Seas,
The richest stones from hardest recks are hew'd,
The darkest mornings have prov'd glorious dayes.
Great mercies to great Sinners, have been shew'd.
When, to repentance, GOD was pleas'd to call
Manasseh, few were better Kings then he:
When he converted perfecuting
Saul,
A glorious change in him, the
Church did see;
And, so there may be, now: For, who can tell,
But, that, to make you rise, your
Sov'raigne fell?
If he suppose, that, he may find evasions▪
From any thing, against him, here, exprest;
Yet, of offences; since he gave occasions,
Let him not, in his own uprightnesse, rest:
But, since GOD, both with
Scandalls, and the
Sword,
Pursues him at the heeles, let him repent.
Let him indeavour, in a true accord,
To meet him in his lawfull
Parliament:
For, if, with humblenesse, he can submit
To GOD's corrections, he will, soon, forgive him:
He hath another blessing; for him, yet;
He, unto favour, will, again receive him:
And, when his
Sov'raigne shall, thus highly grace him,
With their old love, his Subjects shall imbrace him.
But, ere this reconcilement can be had,
His
Parliament, reform'd must, also, be;
And, their Attonement, must, with GOD be made
For, him they have provok'd, as well as he.
And, though the better
Cause their partie hath▪
And, prosecutes it, stoutly, now and then,
Their failings, also, have deserved wrath;
And, many of them, are no better men.
The greatest Counsells, in the world, may erre
In Judgment, and in Fact: For, they consist
Of many men, among whom, some there are,
Who do not what they should, but, what they list.
And, such, have, in your choice Assemblies, bin
Occasions of much errour, and, much sin.
Then, let the
Bodies-Representative
Of these three Kingdomes; but especially,
Thy
Parliament, O ENGLAND, now, receive
This summons to a true humility.
Let ev'rie Individuall Member, there,
Lament apart. Let him, both as a
Man
And, as he qualified, doth appeare,
For publike service, do the best he can,
To purge out, by an humble penitence,
What guilt soever, he, by wilfulnesse,
Or weaknesse, hath incurred, ever since
A place in that
High-Court, he did possesse:
And, let him not disdaine, who ere he be,
To take this counsell, though it come by thee▪
Remember him, if he be of the
Peers,
The dutie of his
Peerage: For, betweene
The
Sov'raigne-Person, and the
Commoners,
He standeth, as an Honourable
Meane,
The
Body-Politike, to temper so,
That, ev'rie Part, and Member, of the same,
May, to that due, and faire proportion grow,
Which will be most convenient for the same.
For, while they keep their
Station; and so long,
As, in the
Three-Estates, there is retain'd
A comely Symetrie; there can no wrong,
By either, from the other, be sustain'd:
Nor, can all humane policie invent,
A nobler, or a safer Government.
But, if those
Parts encroach upon each other,
Or, act to other purposes, than those,
For which they were ordain'd, they'll fall together,
Into that Chaos, from which first they rose.
If therefore any
Peere, through some distrust
Of others, or corruption of his owne,
Math any way been failing, in that Trust,
Which GOD, by birth-right, hath on him bestowne,
Or, if for his advantage, he hath sought,
To gaine a pow'r, or priviledge, whereby
A dammage, on the Publike, may be brought;
Let him repent him, of that injurie;
Lest else GODS
justice, and the
Peoples wrath,
Teare from him, that poore honour which he hath.
Bid them not think, that their Immunities,
And their large Priviledges granted were,
That, they the common people might despise;
And, wrong that pow'r, with which they trusted are.
Bid them take heed, they do not so comply,
To help enlarge an
uncontrolled Pow'r,
That, they at last, enable
Tyranny,
The
Lords, as well as
Commons, to devour.
For, by that meanes, they shall not only bring
The
Commons into bondage; But, make way
For him, that is a
tyrannizing-King,
Their honours, also, in the dust to lay;
And, to advance those
Vndeserving-Groomes,
That, shall out-brave them, and possesse their roomes.
Is't not enough, that some of them, of late,
Were lifted to their
Station, from among
The
Commons, for their falshood to the
State?
And doing
Innocence, and
Vertue wrong?
For, some of them, at this day, had not won
The honour of a
Lordship, had they not,
With stoutnesse, for the
Common-wealth, begun;
And, by betraying it, their
Titles got.
Is't not enough, that, by such meanes as these,
They have attained to that high degree,
Those Freedomes, and those Princely Priviledges,
Which due unto the noblest Virtues be;
Vnlesse, now they are up, it seemeth meet,
To let them tread the
Kingdome, under feet?
Is't not sufficient, that nigh fortie yeeres,
Most Honours, prostituted did become
To sale? and, that so many of your
Peeres
Have raised been, out of the verie scum
Of all mankind? Can they not be content,
With what they have acquir'd, to go away?
While they are wink'd at, cannot they repent?
That, what they have, they may, in peace, enjoy?
But, will they, still, endeavour to oppresse,
And, to encroach upon the publike right?
Vntill the People, stirr'd with furiousnesse,
Deprive them of their
May-game-Honours quite?
Let them, with wisdome, rather be content,
To save what they have gotten, and repent.
For those exorbitancies, let them mourn,
Whereby they have irregularly mov'd.
Let them, with meeknesse, now, to GOD return,
And not be mad, because they are reprov'd:
Lest, if this VOICE displease them, they enforce,
E're long, the sending of a
Messenger,
Which will afflict them, and enrage them worse,
Than he, whom at this present, they shall heare.
Let them, their
Persons, and their
Families,
Hereafter, with that vertuousnesse ennoble,
Which getteth favour in good peoples eies;
And, spite of envie, makes their honours double:
So, they a
reall-Honour will possesse;
And, none shall thrive, who seeks to make it lesse.
Let ev'rie Member of the
Commons-House,
For his Transgressions, also, mourne apart.
Let him, in secret, by himselfe, peruse
The thoughts, and inclinations of his heart.
Let him examine, how he first came in,
To be of that
Great-Councell: whether he
Was not begotten, and conceiv'd in sin,
A
Member of this
Parlament to be.
And, if it hath been so; then, all alone,
Let him that
Crime-Originall repent;
And, all that he hath actually mis-done,
Since he hath sitten in this Parlament:
For, till these be repented, all the fruit
Of his endeavours, will be like the
Root.
As, he were verie foolish, who supposes,
Where he but Brambles, or but Nettles planted,
To gather Tulips, Violets, and Roses;
So, out of question, they no folly wanted,
Who could conceive, that
Burgesse, or, that
Knight,
Whom, first,
corruption chose (and who still dotes
On that which gave him power) can be right,
To
Pietie, or
Justice, in his Votes.
Let him search, whether that strict
Oath he took,
At his
Admittance, and the VOW, since made,
Hath not been either negligently broke,
Or, wilfully, some violation had:
And, if he find it so, let him condole
His failings, with repentance, and be whole.
If he hath more pursued his owne ends,
Than publike services: If he hath striven
For feare, for gaine, or for respect of Friends,
That, an injurious
censure should be given:
If he hath found himselfe, since his
Election,
Puft up with that intollerable pride,
Or, that opinion of his owne perfection,
Which is in some of them, with scorne, espi'd:
If he hath, by his Pow'r, or by his Place,
Occasion took, on absent men, to throw
Aspersions undeserv'd, to their disgrace;
Or, damage, e're themselves they wrong'd could know;
Let him be sorrie for his impudence,
And, seek to make amends, for that offence.
If he hath injur'd any, by delay;
Or, by unfit advantages, or times,
Procured
Votes, a surreptitious way;
Or justified sinners in their crimes:
If he hath crossed Vertues due reward,
By plotting, packing, siding, or partaking;
By hiding that, which ought to be declar'd,
By cowardly, an honest Cause, forsaking:
If, he hath under blame, or censure, brought
Those innocents, who, meerly, out of zeale
Vnto the Publike, have, sincerely, sought
His folly, or his falshood, to reveale;
And knew it true, (although their proofes did faile;)
Let him, his cruelty, in that, bewaile.
And, let your
Parliament take speciall care
Of this abuse; lest, els, a ground be lai'd,
Whereon, their cunning foes may engines reare,
Whereby, they may be wrong'd, if not betrai'd.
For, though in justice they should vindicate
The honour of their Members, whensoever
Rash levitie, malignancie, or hate,
To injure or asperse them, shall endeavour;
Yet, when good
probabilities, induce
The well-affected, to mistrust, or feare,
Some publike dammage, danger, or abuse,
By that, which they shall either see, or heare,
By any
Member, either done, or said;
Why should it not, unto his charge be laid?
If, where, it ought, a secret be reveal'd;
If, for the
publike, without private spleen;
If, past due time, it hath not been conceal'd;
If, probabilitie thereof hath been;
If, he that speaks it, be no way defam'd,
And, of concernment if the same appears,
Why should the speaker, be reprov'd or blam'd,
For thus disclosing, what he thinks, or hears?
If it be false, th'accused, need not feare it;
For, if he be not otherwaies suspected,
None, without proof, unto his wrong, will heare it.
And, if he blamelesse be, and well affected,
The zeal of his accuser, hee'l commend;
And, count him his, because, the
Kingdoms friend.
Your
Senators, their priviledges have,
Not for their own, but for the
publike sake;
And, they abuse the trust their
Countrey gave,
Who, any further use, of them shall make.
And, who can judge it reasonable, then,
To make the people more afraid to wrong
The priviledges, of your Single-men,
Then those, which to the Commonwealth belong?
Were it not fitter, to adventure on
Dishonouring a
Commoner, or
Peer,
Then suffer all of them to be undone,
Through want of speaking that which you shall hear?
Let them, who
Freedoms-personall would cherish,
To publike dammage; with their freedoms, perish.
This way, the
Royallists did first begin
To screw up their
Prerogative, to that,
Which, made it more indulgent to have bin,
To serve their turnes, then to secure the
State.
And, if there be not still a prudent care
That,
Priviledges clash not; and, that they
Which are subordinate, may not appeare
In force, untill their Betters, give them way;
Destruction will succeed. Let, therefore, so
Each
Member, on his Priviledge insist,
That, both by claime and practice, he may show,
They are not to be used, as men list;
Or, turned into
Bug-bears, to affright
The
Common-wealth, from claiming of her right.
Let, therefore, care be took, and, quickly too,
That, her due rights the
Common-wealth enjoy;
That, private men their duties better do;
And, that,
divisions do not all destroy.
Let not those foolish Toyes, who do besot
Themselves, with arrogance, presume to prate,
As if a Parliament had them begot,
To be the heires-apparent to the State.
Permit you not
Religious-Melancholy,
Phlegmatick-Av'rice, or,
Zeale-Cholerick,
Nor an excessivenesse of
Sanguime-Folly,
To make both
Church and
State grow deadly sick,
Nay, rather mad; and, in their mad distractions,
To teare themselves, into a thousand fractions.
Let not your
King and
Parliament, in
One,
Much lesse apart, mistake themselves, for that,
Which is most worthy to be thought upon:
Or, think, they are essentially, the STATE,
Let them not fancie, that, th'Authority
And Priviledges upon them bestown,
Conferred, to set up a
Majesty,
A
Power, or a
Glory, of their own.
But, let them know, 'twas for another thing,
Which they but
represent; and, which, ere long,
Them, to a strict account, will, doubtlesse, bring,
If any way, they do it wilfull wrong:
For, that, indeed, is, really, the
Face,
Whereof, they are the
shadow, in the glasse.
Moreover, thus informe them, that, if either,
They, still, divided, grow from bad, to worse;
Or, (without penitence unite together)
And, by their sin, provoke him to that course;
GOD, out of their confusions, can, and will
Create a cure; and, raise a
lawfull-power,
His promise to his people to fulfill;
And, his, and their Opposers, to devour.
Yea, bid both
King, and
Parliament, make hast,
In penitence, united, to appeare:
Lest, into those Confusions, they be cast,
Which will affright them both; and, make them feare,
And, know, there is, on earth, a
greater-thing,
Then, an unrighteous
Parliament, or
King.
More might be said; but, that which is behinde,
Requires another season: Thou, therefore,
Another opportunity must finde,
If, thou desir'st to be informed more.
Perhaps, thou hast, already, more exprest,
Then many will approve, if thou reveale it:
Yet, if thou look for any
temp'rall-rest;
Let hopes, nor fears, compell thee to conceal it▪
Thy
Scorners, in derision, lately, said,
Thou art a
Prophet; but, when all is told
Which is behind, their pride will be afraid,
Tha
[...], some ensuing things, thou didst behold,
And, that, what e're thou art, thou hast declar'd
Those
Councells, whereof notice should be took;
Those
warnings, which are worthy of regard;
And, like a
true-man, and a
free-man spoke.
Let it be therefore, spoken, without fear:
And,
Let him, that hath eares to hear it, hear.
The VOICE
here, left to speake; and, here, will I
For this time, leave to write; and, fit, and mourn
For Britains,
and mine own iniquity,
Vntill, that VOICE,
with perfect Peace,
return.
O GOD! returne it, quickly; and, let not
This portion of it, be divulg'd in vain;
Or, so despised be, or so forgot,
That, Words of Peace,
we never heare again.
Speak Peace,
how ever, to thy Servants
heart;
Speak to his Soul,
in grace and mercy, LORD!
That, from thy wayes,
he never may depart;
Or, dis-obedient be unto thy Word.
Forgive him, all the vanities,
that lurke
Within his heart; All deeds,
by him, misdone,
And every word,
and thought,
whereby this worke
Defil'd hath been, since, first, it was begun.
Of outward-mercies,
and, of some more ease
From his afflictions,
too, he should be glad:
But, since ther's as much bane, as blisse, in these;
Give, what thou knowest fittest to be had.
And, let an Eccho,
from this VOICE,
redound
Vnto thy praise,
an everlasting-sound. Amen.
FINIS.