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cause_n	according_a	court_n	law_n	1,543	5	4.8094	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66744	The British appeals, with Gods mercifull replies, on the behalfe of the Commonwealth of England Contained in a brief commemorative poem, composed for a memorial of some of those many signall mercies, lately vouchsafed to this rebublike; especially, for those deliverances upon the appeales of the Parliaments, and royall forces at Naseby; of the English and Sccottish armies neer Dunbar in Scotland, and for the late surrender of Edenburgh-Castle, &c. By Geo. Wither, Esquire.	Wither, George, 1588-1667.	1651 (1651)	Wing W3143; ESTC R222286	36,159	81

Joys and future expectations Let them examine how much yet they want Of making good their vowed Covenant Not in the Scottish but the English sense Which hath relation to our just defence And to that mutuall aid which to each other We vow'd when we were thereby joyn'd together Let them examine whether they have not That part of their Ingagement so forgot As to desert their friends in th' executions Of their just Vow and made their Prosecutions More mischievous to them then unto those That were appa●ently our guilty Foes And whether whilst this Lot on them attends Men may not cheaper be truth's foes then friends Let them examine if there be not some Who to their Counsells and Committees come ●eldome or never but to set those free From Prosecution who most guilty be And whether many of them do not know Who these men are and often find it so Much to their grief because they are unable To hinder what they know unwarrantable Let them consider whether some effects Of partiall and of personall respects Have not oft times destroy'd an Innocent The just dooms of the guilty to prevent Whether this Lord that kinsman or their friend Or he that can promote their private end This Lady with the fair bespotted face That gallant in the suit bedawb'd with Lace Or seeming Converts who perhaps are come To Fine for means to mischief us at home Let them I say consider whether these Are not receiv'd with more civiliti●s And with much more respect then many are Who from the first beginning of this war Have served faithfully and ever stood Firm in all Trialls for the Publike-good Let them examine whether they and we Partakers of one Common-Justice be According to our right Or whether they Allow not to themselves what they deny To some of us who have the self-same Cause And claim the self-same equity and Laws Let them examine whether none of them Seek opportunities and watch for time How to surprize their House to gain a Vote Which in a full Court never had been got Because their motions had been then gainsaid By many and their purpose better weigh'd Let them examine how they do pursue Their self-denying Votes which gave a shew Of honorable and of good intentions Though frustrate by unlooked for preventions Let them examine if these Common-weals Can hope for benefit by just Appeals Against Oppressors who shall Office bear When in Supreme Authority they are And while they shall be priviledged so That they may Judges be and Parties too In those Appeals and how their bribery Or other injuries can possibly Be prov'd where all Appellants against these Shall find so many disadvantages To struggle through and while those they impeach Are in a Sanctuary out of reach Let them examine if the distributions Of places gainfull by their executions Are equally divided or bestown So frequently for any merit known As for some nigh relation unto those Who get the power such places to dispose And whether one may five or six deserve Whilst many of our friends are like to starve Who might have been reliev'd yea made our debter And serv'd the Common wealth perhaps much better Let them examine whether they who lent And freely gave till all they had was spent The Publike to secure are car'd for so As they have been who fought our overthrow Whether they see not many more arise To speak for them upon emergencies To represent their seeming-sad conditions To offer and to second their Petitions To get Provisoes pardons or Reprieves And means to keep their children and their wives Then do for those when their distresse appears Who freely spent their bloud to save our tears Let them examine whether some of them Do not by their proceedings both condemn And help destroy themselves when in their Choises Of Publike-Ministers they give in Voices Or Names for by-respects or kindreds sake Enabling them Confed'racies to make For private interest let them together Take consultation and examine whether They favour not among them such as drive Those actings on whereby they may contrive The ruine of our Cause Let them moreover Examine whether none they can discover Who constantly endeavour to bring in Those who most worthily depriv'd have been Of their late trust that they might them assist In strengthening their corrupted interest And whether an indulgency to these May not procure some disadvantages To that Militia which hath been of late Established to fortifie the State And let them if they find it to be so Prevent the mischiefe e're it further go Let them examine whether Avarice Ambition malice pride or some such Vice Hath not been so indulg'd as that it may Deprive us of the comforts which this day We have hope yea let us all apart And joyntly seek true Peace with perfect heart These memorandums I am bold to add That our Thanksgivings may be thereby made More perfect and more acceptable too By minding what we further have to do That by these Observations I may keep My friends from singing of themselves asleep In that security which will destroy The truest sweetnesse of our present joy That we might save Supreme Authority From that contempt that blame and obloquy Which may be cast upon it by our Foes Or by the secret faithlesnesse of those Who by pretending for it have much wronged Their Actings and our miseries prolonged ●●d that we may not by our heedlesnesse 〈◊〉 those things which will mar our happinesse ●●wle Elegies and roar out Lamentations ●●ead of songs of praise and Exultations Lord give thou hereunto those good events Which may in somwhat answer my intents ●nd take with acceptation I thee pray ●●is my imperfect this may weak assay ●sten thy work and bring it to conclusion ●aw us out of that chaos-like confusion 〈◊〉 which we are As in our preservation ●ou hast appear'd so in our restauration 〈◊〉 unity please likewise to appear ●●at Peace and truth may keep their dwellings here Let Parliament and people from this day ●●ise thee by Reformation of their way 〈◊〉 City Countrey and both poore and rich ●●deavour with sincerity as much ●●t our victorious Armie do the same ●●tributing unto thy glorious Name 〈◊〉 their prevailings persevering still 〈◊〉 faithfull executing of thy will ●●d seeking publick-peace without design ●ought which may to selfishnesse incline ●nd make us all with as much willingnesse 〈◊〉 forth thy praises for the righteousnesse 〈◊〉 thy severest Judgements as to sing ●anks for those blessings which thy mercies bring And my dear countreymen let me not pray ●●r you in vain nor sing my songs this day 〈◊〉 Beasts and Rocks and Mountains to be heard As they have often been without regard ●●st I have cause to change my joyfull Odes 〈◊〉 mournfull Epicedes and Palinodes 〈◊〉 ill presaging Raven to this Nation ● would not be croaking of desolation And sad events I rather with the Dove My winged Contemplations would improve To bring such Olive-leaves as

And then I felt these Passions I confesse My joy was then as great my fear no lesse Though neither much appeared to the eye Or to the ear of any stander by It fareth now with me as on that morning Which first inform'd us of his safe returning For when the voice of his arrivall came The City Bon-fires blaz'd into a flame Which menaced the Clouds the Clouds powr'd down A floud as if the City they would drown The Common people were transported so As 't is their guise that wisemen could not know Whether they might be thought exceeding glad Or rather to be somewhat less than mad The Earth seem'd joyfull of his safe return The heav'ns for something hidden seem'd to mourn And as in those there then appear'd to be A diffring Passion so it was with me Though none more wish'd the Kings returning Though I was truly glad to see him come home And for this safe arivall shewed then My joy as much as other sober men Yet joy and sorrow strove in me together As if they labour'd to supplant each other And long time kept me in a doubtfull pause Of whether His Return would give most cause And by what hath succeeded it appears My joyes were far more causlesse than my fears The same distempers are this day in me Great are my joyes and hopes great also be My griefs and fears God render them successe And consequences of more happiness Then followed after that and take away Th' effects and causes of my fears this day God turn all to the best and give us grace To cleave to him what ever come to passe God give us Will those Achans to remove Which to the publick Peace destructive prove God grant my hopes hereafter may be truer The causes of my fear much lesse and fewer And that the Councells Charles did then neglect May be received now with more respect Left his example that should make us better May make us worse and our damnation greater For God will not be mockt nor will he spare For ever though a while he doth forbear Where greatest Mercie he vouchsafes to shew The greatest of his Judgements will ensue He that improves not ev'ry gift God gives According to the measure he receives Shall lose the Talent upon him bestown And into utter darknesse too be thrown Then much more they who shall Gods Grace requi● With willfull disobedience or despight And for that cause it hath been said the Lord Is mercifull and therefore should be fear'd This being true what Realms or Nations be Obliged more to fear him now than we If mercies be inducements to his fear As all men well informed know they are What people now inhabits on the earth That hath more cause of trembling in their mirth Or of more filial dread when they draw nigh The holy name of God to sanctifie For whom hath he so many wonders wrought Since out of Aegypt Jacobs God was brought As for this Isle if we reflect upon Those things aright which he for us for us hath don And who can blame me if I sing with fear This day when we consider what we are What God is what they seemed who have been Destroyed for our sakes what we have seen Done for us by what means at what a season In what great streights how farre beyond our reasons Or our deserts Deserts said I nay when We had deserved worse than other men What passed bondage we are freed from What likely slaveries for time to come And what a heap of blessings we have had ●howr'd down to make us in his favour glad Who can these things consider'd who I say Can blame me if I am afraid this day Amidst our Triumphs and aloud should cry On other men to fear as much as I For such a fear no portion doth destroy Of ought which is essentiall to our joy But helps to keep it from an overcasting By future clouds yea makes it everlasting Rather preventing harm than harm portending And from a dull security defending Already I discover that this fear Which at the first destructive did appear To my Design by making up a Medley Which on a day of joy lookt somewhat sadly Proves usefull to my purpose and makes way To render that which I intend to say Much more effectuall than it would have been Unlesse it had been thereby usher'd in To make impression of a joyfull fear In those who shall of Gods protections hear I feel my spirit on a sudden freed From all Distempers therefore I le proceed With what I purpos'd and enumerate Some of those Mercies which we celebrate Thi●d●y in hope to represent them so That out of them a filiall fear may flow So tempring ev'ry Reader that none shall Neither presume nor by despairing fall Yea so to set them forth I will assay That in Remembrance they continue may That I who write them and that they who read them May with more seriousnesse hereafter heed them More often meditate them to encrease Our Joy into a perfect thankfulnesse And that as in a glasse our eyes may see How worthlesse how unthankfull yet we be How these good things which God in mercy ga●● To save mens lives oft send them to their grave If not to Hell how likewise to improve Gods judgements and the Pledges of his love To our best benifits and how to raise Such Monuments and trophies to his praise As answer their intents who set aside This day to be in publick sanctifi'd Without those ends the formall observation Of one set-day is but a profanation Or meer hypocrisie It makes men think They offer incense when they offer stink It makes them dream that they have somthing give● To God when they have but affronted heaven It proves like that Peace-offering of the Whore Which made her sin more boldly than before And to return again to her offence With lesse reluctance and more impudence To fast a meal or twain and to put on A sadnesse for a day is cheaper done Than to deny our selves or to supresse Our Avarice or our ambitiousness To say the Lord be thanked or to sing A song of praises is an easier thing Than to expresse a hearty thankfulnesse By works of mercie and of righteousnes As giving to the poore or taking care Of those that under great oppressions are And 't is alas with us too frequent seen That some who formally dispos'd have been To outward duties acting joy and sorrow This day with seeming zeal come forth to morrow And prosecute their avarice their pride With whatsoe'r they seem'd to lay asid● The former day and entertain as bad If not worse spirits than before they had Pursuing wilfully Distructive wayes What e're the Preacher or the Charmer says He that could finde expedients to prevent These Prophanations Well his time had spent And thanks might merit for so having done Although he peradventure shall have none I therefore to that purpose will assay To set my Meditations for

to be our proper-due How many Charters and how many Laws Were made by Kings in favour of our Cause How many Curses and sad Imprecations Were laid upon their wilful Violations How many times their Royal words we had How many Oaths and Vows were sworn and made Yet faithlesly still broken afterward Without remorse of Conscience or regard Of God or Men and still revok'd as soon As opportunities were fastned on To prosecute again their Tyranny And let us likewise heed impartially How much our late King labour'd to make void His free Donations and to have destroy'd His own Concessions what dire Imprecations He likewise ventred on what Protestations He dared with a purpose to deceive And with a hope of making us believe He meant us well when he did all the while Intend his Own-advantage and our Spoil Improving still what er'e he did pretend All our Indulgences to his first end Ev'n to his Death witness his laying Plots To make a Rent betwixt us and the Scots Yea and among our selves that very time In which we Treating were of Peace with him Hoping at last by one device or other To make us do his work and fall together And of those Juglings now the fruits appear In Ireland Scotland Holland France and here What could we have expected from a King So wilful and so false in every thing Or from the Off-spring of a Generation So long time rooted in Prevarication So long irreconcileably profest An enemy to Publick Interest And claiming so Imperiously to be From all the Bands of Law and Reason free What hopes could we have had that we should ever Have tam'd this Leon by our best endeavour Or any of his Whelps or means have found Whereby they might have been securely bound From Crushing all our bones if they again Should slip their Collers or else break their Chain For my part I so well found what he was That though I had large offers of his Grace And studied his chief good yet still I found His Heart so hard so double and unfound Ev'n to his last breath that I must confess It was Gods mercie and our Happiness That he so fell and 't will be to the Glory Of this our Nation in their future Story That whereas others have Clandestinely By Poyson or by Murther secretly Remov'd their Tyrants we with open face By Publick Justice in a Publick place In presence of his friends and in despight Of all our foes and ev'ry opposite Try'd Judg'd and Executed without fear The greatest Tyrant ever reigning here Take Then Gamaliels counsel and submit To that which Providence adjudgeth fit Should come to pass left else perhaps you may Be found resisters of your God this day Halt not 'twixt two opinions as ye do But heed his walkings and conform thereto if to this Government you do adhere Let it by your Obedience now appear If you Dissent make publick your Protest As we have done unite your Interest To Him whom you desirous are should Reign And if you dare come and appeal again To God That he may quickly send you thither Where you may perish or repent together For we are confident the work begun Our God will prosper still as he hath done And that when such as you are in your place We shall behold the fulness of his Grace But er'e you grow so mad to run that way Be pleas'd to hear what I have more to say What profit will you get at last by that Which you have indiscreetly aimed at Tho it should thrive and you should hither bring VVith all his Rabblement the Scotish King Should they with all their strength unite together And like an Inundation flow in hither Set your Fair Towns and Villages on fire As you in probability desire VVhich would be done though you desir'd it not If there to your assistance they had got If with a Lousie Army they should cover Your fruitful fields spread your fair Meadows over VVith their Devouring-Troops your houses fill VVith Nasty sluts and Grooms against your will Making your Parlours and your Halls to stink VVith sluttery like a dunghill or a sink If you should see your hardly-gotten-stores Devour'd by loose Commanders and their whores Their Brutish followers rudely take the bread VVith which your Little-children should be fed Out of their hands and keep you so in aw That you should scarcely dare to lodge in straw Although your own whilst those bold guests did lie In your soft beds and some stand emptie by Should you behold them proudly domineer VVhere you this day both Lords and Masters are Should you who may in peace enjoy your lives See your estates your Children and your Wives Incroach'd upon the first of them possest By those who faigned friendship had profest The other ev'n before your face mis-us'd The last perhaps immodestly abus'd And you your self if that appear dislik'd Disgracefully both flouted at and kickt Should you bel ol ● such things which if they come Upon those terms that are desir'd by some VVould surely follow what should you then gain By that whereof you seem to be so fain Think you the most Malignant Cavaliers The worst of Papists and of Presbyters United in a Trinity together VVill bring you puritie of worship hither Or can the wisest man alive conceive VVhat Linsey-woolsey-stuff the Kirk must weave To make a Garment which will fit and please A body made up of such Crooks as these Or frame a discipline that will agree VVith such dissenting parties as those three Can you be so imprudent to suppose That your New feigned friends and Ancient foes Disgraced and engrag'd as now they are VVith any good intentions will draw near Or give you precious things to make you brave Or better Fields and Gardens then you have Or that your entertainment whilst they stay VVill cost you less then what we monthly pay Unto our Army which by that expence Is yet maintained for our just defence Or can you dream if at their choice it stand That having found the sweetness of this Land The Scots will be so mad as thence to go To feed on Thistles and to lie in Snow Or think you they had lately gone away So quietly but to obtain their pay To render them more able to come back When more it might for their advantage make Do you believe that they intend to bring Their lately Crown'd and new-converted King To vindicate the justness of our Cause Our ancient Freedoms and our English Laws Or that they having little of their own To keep him so much cost would have bestown But that they are made hopeful to advance As well their own wealth as his maintenance From your Estates Can your Dull brains admit That he or his for ever will forget His Fathers head his own deserv'd disgrace And on what Terms you forc'd him to embrace A loathed Covenant which he did take More for a Kingdom then for Conscience sake Or can you be so

here 〈◊〉 interest and made the same appear 〈◊〉 humble pleadings and by hearty cries 〈◊〉 God against our late Kings tyrannies 〈◊〉 saw no good success we brought our cause According to our ancient English Lawes Before him by appeals And by the sword 〈◊〉 last decision which those Lawes affoord 〈◊〉 the same to proof both parties being ●●ntented and in that appeal agreeing ●orthwith both Drums and Trumpets thereupon ●unded a Charge the battells join'd fell on 〈◊〉 God before whose throne our cause was tri'd 〈◊〉 victory gave sentence on our side This Judgement not by all approv'd at first ●●me traytors and some friends would have revers'd And fought to wave it as a doubtfull triall Although throughout the world without deniall And throughout all times even to this day 〈…〉 disputes decided are this way But to assure us that the sentence came From God he hath again confirm'd the same By seconding that act of providence And making us victorious ever since Thereto therefore adhering we have thrown With confidence the tyrant from his Throne Making him also pay the forfeiture Of life our present title to secure And therein not alone our Consciences Do warrant us and all those witnesses Of providence which have therein appear'd But to the world the same is likewise clear'd By all those pow'rfull Kings and neighbouring States● Who have observed how God vindicates Our cause and they have now pronounc'd us free As we of right and by Gods verdict be For their Ambassadours who now reside With us our liberty have justifi'd By their acknowledgements and witnesse bear Thereby to what Gods sentence did declare Yea by their free concession of the same They make themselves as liable to blame As we for if our Nation justly may Be counted Murtherers now so must they At least as accessaries to that deed By which we from our servitude were freed If Righteously our winnings we possesse They are partakers of our righteousnesse By those acknowledgements and God shall them Reward for their so justifying him If they by no sinister actings mar That blessing whereto way it may appear However we obliged are to praise Gods mercie that we see in our own daye● Such blossoms of the fruits which we expect That our endeavours have so good effect As that the pow'rfullst Princes of all those Whom we suspected Neuters if not foes Are so convinced as to mediate An amicable Juncture with our State In time sincerenesse or dissemblers are Which were an evidence of greater fear And basenesse then we either can detect Or shall without some future cause suspect Oh! what a blindnesse what a frowardnesse Doth some of our own Nation yet possess That other men can so farre off discern What God hath done for us and thereby learn Both to be wise in time and kisse the son Before his burning anger is begun And yet they still continue obstinate Grumble at providence bark at the State Like dogs against the moon and snarl at all Who will not as they do good things miscall It may be such as these when they shall see VVhat 's here expressed will be mad at me Menace defame and hate revile and curse Or peradventure mean me what is worse Yea some who wish me well may think I might Have wiser been than to provoke despight Or needlesly as they suppose engage Against the violence of brutish rage But I defie that wisdome which perswades A private heed which publick right invades 〈◊〉 never yet an ease or safety found 〈◊〉 ought which to my Conscience gave a wound Already too too many such now are VVho either seem ashamed or else fear ●o own Gods Mercies or the publick causes VVithout some reservations blinds or pauses ●o save that interest which to enjoy ●n●eas'●●bly themselves they may destroy By this self-love are miseries begun Within this channell hitherto they run By this we lose Gods love by this we make Our courage feeble and from other take● That confidence in us which might engage Their faithfullnesse and them to us oblige With willingnesse to help establish that Which for the Publick-weal is aimed at For my part I intend a resolution To further what we have in prosecution I see Gods mercies and I understand His purpose in the works he hath in hand And therefore whosoe're displeas'd shall grow Will publish forth what of his love I know It is my duty 't is my proper call If I have any in this world at all Yea born I was if born I were for ought To do the work which I to do have fought And if my Faculty such as it is Was given me for ought it was for this Which I am doing and I will employ it This way as long as I with health enjoy it What ever I have publickly profest Was really intended not in jest Neither for praise or profit or to please Except what frailty doth inject of these Nor out of contradiction unto those Who shall dislike it do I this compose And therefore neither carnall hopes or fear Shall make me my known duty to forbear For no respect to Parliament or King Or to my self have Im any thing Dissemblingly spoke hitherto my thought Although much mischief on me it hath brought And I hope never to be frighted from A 〈◊〉 expression whatsoever come But to declare the truth and speak my mind As often as I just occasion find ●n spight of all the spitefull world can do And all the rage of Powers Infernall too And whence springs this my confidence not from Those grounds whereby most men do now become Couragious in their actings nor from our Prevailings hitherto nor from that power We have acquir'd or those advantages Whereby we are made hopefull to possesse Our wished ends nor trust I to th' events Of our endeavours or our best intents For all these things although they promise fair May find a change and leave us in despair ●n this alone my boldnesse doth consist ● see Gods presence and his interest ●n all that 's done I have a glimmering too Of that which he designs e're long to do Though yet delay'd and therefore whatsoe're ●efalls me am resolv'd to persevere ●n driving on his work though I should see As great a change as may supposed be Yea should I perish in this Cause and knew When I were dying not one thereto true ● should even then believe that God alone Would finish that which he hath now begun And make his glorie be the better seen By those Obstructions which will intervene Thus having added somewhat to prevent The prejudice which threatens my intent And sum'd up also as my weaknesse could A part of that for which we render should Our thanks this day I pu●pose to compose Some formall Odes of thanfullnesse for those ●●o 〈◊〉 desirous be when they rejoyce To witnesse their intentions by the voice This prudent men thought very pertinent And an inseparable complement For such a duty though fanatick fools