hoped that the present Parliament will begin the Earth-quake or Second Shaking of the Earth FRom the late experience we have had of some mens unfaithfulness and falshood and seriously weighing what a pitiful choice some have made this could not but altogether discourage me of Hope were not my eyes upon the Mighty Creator and so better bottom'd then to put confidence in man What my Reasons are I shall here set down and so leave it to the Readers judgment Whether from such grounds there may not be Hope of reviving the Good old Cause by this Parliament Reas 1. The Lord taking away that HEAD-STOP lately from us seems to speak much good in it to all Lovers of Righteousness in the Nation Arise and take the young child and his mother and go into the land of Israel for they are dead which sought the young childs life Mat. 2.20 What otherwise was the Lord voice in that Signal Providence but aâ— if he should say to the Representatives of the People Arise take the Mother Commonwealth and her young child i. e. her Rights Priviledges c. and go into London i. e. let things be setled and established as before for they are dead which sought to devour Mother and Child so that there is no fear in returning to the good old work and Cause again Thou brakest the heads of Leviathan in peeces gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness Psal 74.14 The meaning is Gods revenging hand upon Pharaoh was to nourish and strengthen Israel afterward as to beleeve the Lord would not have done that great thing for them had he not meant to bring them to the Promised Land Truly that Stroak to me hath been meat in the wilderness and I cannot but think as it was the Lords doing so it was done that the three Nations might the sooner enjoy their just Rights again It is the opinion of many that in Saul and David as to their Kingdoms is shadowed out two States to be in the last days when Saul was dead the great Block in Davids way it is said Abner the son of Ner Captain of Sauls host took Ishbosheth the son of Saul and made him King 2 Sam. 2.8 9. Note three things in this business 1. What Abner did herein was contrary to his light for he knew well enough that God had appointed anoother man to reign only his relation to the house of Saul for he was Sauls unkle and his own base interest made him do what he did against knowledge and conscience 2 Sam. 3.17 18. 2. It appears by the Text that this Ishbosheth which is by interpretation A MAN OF SHAME and his end proved so was a fellow of a low fearful and weak spirit not like his father Saul neither for valour nor policie meerly set to serve a Court-interest and that a company of corrupt men might serve themselves upon him as not liking David and his way for they knew David was a man more honest and conscientious then to suffer such locusts caterpillars to spoil devour the Commonwealth 2 Sam. 3.11 3. Not only in the end is this mock-King left of his RAISERS but hath his head taken off by two of his own Captains a just reward for him and for all such who will take upon them the power and Government of Nations against the manifest appointment of God What may be in the application time will shew In the mean time take notice if the time be come That the Kingdoms of this world are to be the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ Rev. 11.15 and that righteousness is to be exalted in the Nations then none of the House of Saul shall long reign but the House of David will grow stronger and stronger and carry it in spight of all opposition Reas 2. Methinks it cannot be but there is a wheel in the wheel and the Lords hand moving to the shaking the Earth the second time in that I see of late a spirit of prayer and supplication poured out upon many choice Christians whereby they are enabled to wrestle with the Lord in prayer day and night for the publick good of the Nation more earnestly then they did before I have observed for these four or five yeers that it hath not been upon the hearts of the faithful to expect any good from Parliaments and therefore most of their praying hath been and no doubt by the Holy Spirit led thereto that the Lord would blast them and break them to peeces that the stout-hearted might be spoiled and none of the men of might find their hands But I find it otherwise now for the Lord of late hath put it upon their hearts with much weight to be dayly groaning at the throne of Grace that all those who like good Nehemiah Come to seek the welfare of the children of Israel and to repair the breaches of the Commonwealth may through God do valiantly No doubt honest Hushai prospered the better when he sought to frustrate the wicked counsel of Ahitophel that he had Davids prayers for him and with him And David said O Lord I pray thee turn the counsel of Ahitophel to foolishness 2 Sam. 15.31 Let such know who are our Hushai's at this time and seek to break the designs of Ahitophels and all such as would keep up a corrupt interest against the publick good of the Commonwealth there are many tears and prayers poured out for them And I am confident they will experience the fruit and benefit of them all along upon their endeavours for the righteous Cause Reas 3. I have the more ground of hope considering some persons now sitting were not only Members of the long Parliament and sought to extirpate things that stood in the way of a thorow Reformation but have not since warped and deflected from their former righteous principles Now how can such good Patriots of their Countrey but remember the days of old and the wonderful works of the Lord how visibly and powerfully his presence was with them when they contested against the Court party and how he delivered them from the Lion and the Bear King and Bishops and so have it with much assurance upon their hearts that he will help them still whilst they open their mouth for the dumb and plead the cause of the poor and needy If a man see Beasts in his field devouring the corn which himself had sown he cannot suffer it but will drive them out It may be said in a good sence it was the old Parliament that sowed this Commonwealth with much good seed in order to the freedom safety and welfare of the Nation I hope therefore such men will stand up again in the good old way and seek to repair those grievous breaches which have been made since by a company of corrupt and deceitful men Should such a man as I flee Neh. 6.11 When Nehemiah upon his return to Jerusalem saw what great evil had been done in his absence
Henry Drummond â—lbury Park SURREY A two-fold Shaking Of the EARTH OR An Exposition on Heb. 12.26 27. Wherein is shewed The FIRST SHAKING OF THE EARTH seems to be meant the putting down of the late King and Bishops the later Shaking a change of the present Government And Reasons given for both ALSO How and in what manner this later Earth-Shaking may be according to SCRIPTURE-PROPHESIE Namely by that Earth-quake Rev. 11.13 which is likewise opened Lastly Here are many Reasons given why it may be HOPED that this PRESENT PARLIAMENT will prove to be that EARTH-QUAKE or at least begin the work whereby the GOOD OLD CAUSE will be revived the just Rights of the People restored and the Nation setled upon a lasting and durable Foundation of Truth and Righteousness BY JOHN CANNE Printed for L. Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head Ally 1659. To the Reader Reader THou must be a stranger in our Israel if thou hast not heard of a people call'd Commonwealths-men and Fifth-Monarchy-men and what grievous things are laid to their charge Now I care not who thou art that shalt read this brief Apology for them if thou be not like him who said He would not be convinc'd though he were convinced The great accusation raised up and spread all the Nation over against these men is That they allow not Magiâ—â—â—ates neither would they have the people be un-under Laws and Government I think I may confidently say The Devil who is the father of lyars never brought forth a greater untruth nor had less whereby to palliate and hide his falshood then in this particular For not only do these men approve of Laws Magistrates and Government but there are none in the Nation that do more desire pray for and press after uncorrupt Magistrates good Laws and a righteous Government then they But this is true and the Court-party knows it they are not for Tyrants neither to have an Arbitrary power exercised over the lives Liberties and Consciences of the people but would have the undoubted Rights and Priviledges of the Nation setled upon a lasting and durable foundation of truth and righteousness they would have no violence or oppression done to any man but all men as men enjoy their Birth-right yea and if it were possible to deliver the whole Creation from that bondage and groaning under which it lies into the glorious liberty of the children of God Rom. 8.20 21 22. If a man dislike the standing of weeds in a garden doth it follow he is against the sowing and planting it with herbs and flowers Reader open thine eyes and look up like a man here thou hast the Case truly stated these Commonwealths-men and Fifth-Monarchy-men are not well pleased that the English Garden or Commonwealth should be overspread with the vines of Sodom and the sowr grapes of Gomorrha Isa 1.10 That persons of corrupt interest should impose at their pleasure heavy yokes upon the necks of the free-men of England That the proud are called happy and they that work wickedness are set up That judgment is turned away backward and justice stands afar off That truth is fallen in the streets and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey That such weeds and trash should be in the GARDEN they do dislike it this is true they both speak against it and mourn for it But will any man of reason or sense therfore conclude they are against all Magistracie and Government but rather thus they would have these hurtful weeds pluckt up by the roots that righteous things might be planted in the room of them The next thing that I shall speak a little to is to give the Reader some Reasons of publishing this Treatise 1. After some seeking of God and searching the Scriptures this I humbly conceive that the Lord will begin to revive his Good Old Cause again by the Representatives of the people As he honoured and blest the long Parliament with a good progress in the work of Reformation so I think he will make yet further use of Parliaments for the publick good of the Nation I shall not be absolute what will be done at this time but I have great hope something will be done for the restoration of the Civil Liberties of the people A wise General will hearken to the advice of a mean Souldier I desire no more but what is here set down for publick good may be considered 2. It is a special work of Parliaments to consider the grievances of the people and to be most severe so Parliaments were wont to be against such men who through the greatness of their power and place take occasion to oppress and wrong people the more In this regard I have thought it my duty publickly to declare what injustice and hard measure we have had as to be banished imprisoned cast out of our callings and livelihood but never knew any Reason or Cause why they dealt so cruelly with us It is said of Herod And he sent and beheaded John in prison Mat. 14. after such a manner have our New masters used us sent their Souldiers to our houses pluckt us out of doors thrown us into prison but never told us for what nor brought us to any Tryal It is possible these things may meet with some Parliament-men if it do I shall humbly propound this Whether in point of Law and Conscience those publick oppressions whereof we complain should not be examined and if found true Whether such men be fit to have the chief rule of the Nation any longer Major General Overtons Case will speak loud enough to this Parliament what New Masters are lately started up 3. Howsoever hitherto the sons of Zeruiah have been too hard for us and not only so but of such imperious and high spirits as Pope-like no man might say to them Sir Why do you so There is some hope now a possibility at least that a Parliament may give them a check true it is there hath not been for some late yeers a door open for the oppressed to bring in their complaints against such persons as did them the most wrong So that the publick sore hath run'd still because there was not a coming upto the Cure But it 's hoped this will be a free Parliament out of which diâ—ributive Justice will flow to the great refreshing of the oppressed every where it is to no purpose to cleanse the pipes and leave the fountain dirty to sweep down the cobwebs and leave the spider to make more Never had the long Parliament wrought that Reformation in England and restored the Peoples Liberties in that measure they did had they not fallen upon the SPRING-HEAD and caught the SPIDERS 4. To wipe off that common scandal which by Apostates is cast upon us i. e. that it is only our frowardness and discontents that make us complain otherwise we have nothing against them nor any harm done us Micah thought it a very strange thing in the Danites when they had
will not be mockt by them but one day stop their mouth with a witness For conclusion If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have shewed us all these things Judg. 13.23 We may be confident never would he have drawn out so many heart-groans from his people much less so much bloud from them even heart-blood willingly sacrificed in the high places of the field for the good old Cause had he not intended to crown it with glory and honour in the end 5. And here is a fit place to remind the Reader as the Lord eminently appeared with us in the time of the long Parliament so on the contrary since this OTHER THING came up how visibly and sensibly hath he shewed his signal displeasure against us for our base backsliding laying a curse as it were upon all publick affairs almost as he did on the fig-tree that nothing should prosper which they took in hand I shall not speak of that Golgotha in Hispaniola the field of English skulls and blood nor the many millions of Treasure wasted meerly to satisfie the lusts and will of some men nor what shame and dishonour the Nation lies under being some yeers past a terrour to all Enemies about us Let us come to consider the present condition of the Nation Ask the Souldiers what their Arrears are Then enquire among the Seamen how many months pay is due to them and while you are there cast an eye upon the Navy and see in what a pickle that is and whether there be any provision to set out a Fleet either offensive or defenfive Add unto all this the extream poverty of the people as having neither trade nor mony It is probable there will be in the next sitting some that were Members of the Long Parliament these men do know in what a rising and flourishing condition the Commonwealth was when they were dissolv'd But how are they like to find it now as a poor sheep full of worms the worms are fat and lusty but the sheep lean languishing and ready to perish So they shall see now and not a few persons that are grown fat and full by devouring the flesh of the Commonwealth I mean her Laws Liberties Rights and Priviledges but for the Commonwealth so maugre and lean as it cannot be long liv'd if the Lord raise not up some good shepherds to look after it A man that hath spent much time and labour and been at great cost in a work and no sooner hath done it to his liking but should see it presently broken before his eyes would not this extreamly grieve him such as sate in the Long Parliament and stood faithful to the good Cause do well know before Monarchy was shaken and a Common-wealth established they had hard work and it cost the Nation not a little blood and treasure for such men therefore to see all that they did broken to peeces before their eyes methinks it should much affect them What else they should do I leave it to themselves or rather to divine Providence For God standeth in the congregation of the mighty he judgeth among the Gods Psa 82.1 Saul a little before his end fell into such streights as he knew not what to do I know who have formerly pretended necessity when there was none but now it s fallen upon them to the full for had it not been NECESSITY this Assembly had never been call'd what the issue will be a little time will shew The Scripture saith The wicked is snared in the work of his own hand Psal 9.16 It is very observable that the Lord meets with oppressours and deceitful men one of these two ways that is either they shall take the better way for his people or the worse way for themselves When Herod charged the Wise men to bring him word where the yong child was Mat. 2. here he shewed himself not a subtle serpent not wise in his generation for to have had his bloody design done indeed he should have gone himself or sent some of his guard to have done it But in this way God blinded him and kept it from him that he might take a better way for Christ's preservation So Jezebel had she sent some of her Priests with Souldiers to Elias when she sent only a messenger to tell him what she would do by to morrow that had been a sure way to have dispatched him presently but God would not suffer her to take that way she must chuse another way and a better way for the Prophets life Again Tyrants many times chuse the worse way for themselves thus it was with Pharaoh at the Red Sea he had two ways to chuse either to return the way he came which indeed was the better way or to go forward and follow Israel into the great waters but he will into the Sea now in this he appeared more blind and hardned then before for he might well think the Lord had not made a way thorow the Sea for him but rather had laid a snare for him and his Host I am now waiting to see what will be the carriage of such men who have betrayed their country they have methinks like Pharaoh two ways the one is to RETURN or PUBLICK REPENTANCE that is make a free and ingenuous confession of their former treason oppression Covenant-breaking c. and to give up all their pretended Authority and Power into the hands of the Peoples Representatives Doubtless of the two ways this is the better the other is Pharaoh-like to go forward though they cannot but think that this Great Assembly like the Red-Sea will save the Rights Liberties and good Laws of the Nation and drown Arbitrary Power oppression treason c. If the Power and Majesty of English Parliaments which have been be seriously heeded it would not seem altogether improper to liken them at least some which have been the best and most glorious to the Red-Sea For many proud Pharaohs with their Hosts have been swallowed up in Englands Parliaments Had not I seen so many unworthy Addresses I should not have thought there had been so much base English blood in the Nation men of such mercenary low servile and slavish Spirits so far from following the steps of their Ancestours in standing up for the Freedom and just Liberties of their Country as they have attempted to maintain a private interest against the power of the people and Priviledges of Parliament But it is well that there is a Publick Attestation against them of many thousands Religious and well disposed people who say We testifie and declare against the late flattering Addresses which have been contrived and carried on by interested persons as tending to the preventing the Assembling of a Parliament as also anticipating if not concluding their sence and judgment when assembled And having in them a tendencie to the dividing of the people and consequently raysing a new war if God do not wonderfully prevent Attestat Novemb. 20. 1658. Before I end
there is one thing I desirously desire the Reader to observe especially if he be a Member of this Parliament in all their late Addresses we do not find that a Parliament is so much as nam'd or once desired Hence it may appear who were the contrivers and promoters of them and for what end they came forth not to have any oppression or heavy burdens taken off not that the Peoples Rights and Liberties might be restored the several grievances in the Nation might be look'd into and remedied not that corrupt men lately crept into places might be removed and better chosen No such things were aymed at for had they not intended to keep up the grievous corruptions in the Nation they would not have discovered as they did by their silence such a slighting and disregarding of Parliaments Having given many Reasons that this Earth-Power will be shaken The next thing is to shew how in this shaking a Scripture-Prophesie is fulfill'd and particularly Heb. 12.27 Here I must re-mind the Reader of what was said before That Scripture-Prophesies do especially concern the Church and people of God and it is for them to heed and observe how the Lord in his Providential Dispensations brings them to pass whether it be in beginning proceeding or ending Our first Argument is thus Whatsoever Earth-shaking coms not within the verge of the Text Heb. 12. yet that Earth-government doth namely which shall not only be first shaken but also whereby a way is made and prepared for the Lord to proceed to the shaking of Earth-Powers in other Nations But such is this Earth-power or present Government Ergo. I shall only endeavor to prove that part of the Argument which is questionable that is how this shaking asserted will be the first and make way for the rest foretold Heb. 12. 1. If the Lord begin a work and something stop it his manner is to remove that stop and there to take up the work again and proceed thus it was in the building of the second Temple after there was some good progress made in the work Ezr. 3. by Artaxerxes command the people ceased Ez. 4.23 24. But the Lord whose counsel shall stand took off by Darius that stop and so they went forward with the building Ezr. 6. I have shewed before that Gods work began concerning the overcoming of the ten Kings and preparing the way for the glorious and visible Kingdom of Jesus Christ when the Old Parliament ras'd down Kingly-Government and constituted a Commonwealth that there was a stop made it is true and we know who were the occasion of it Truly so wonderfully did the Lord of Hosts go forth then with our Parliament and Army as among the Heathen they began to say The Lord hath done great things for them Psa 126.2 Not only were the Nations awakened about us and began to consider whether the day of the Lamb and his great power were not come but likewise the Enemies amongst us began to give Glory to God and would often confess that God was with us and against them What shall I say ah these things cannot be remembred without great thoughts of heart by all that are truly godly That blessed cause of truth and righteousness did so prosper both at home and abroad that had there not been an unhappy stop put to it through the hypocrisie and falshood of some men it would have been ere this time in other Nations conquering and to conquer yea probably before now more of the ten Horns had been cut off For we were as a Beacon upon a hill all people looking on to see what would be the event of this Act this strange Act in England This puts me in mind of the Philistims when they were smitten with Emerods they take counsel to know whether the God of Israel had done it or no having therefore put the Ark of the Lord upon a new cart and sent it away thus they speak one to another If it go up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh then he hath done us that great evil But if not then we shall know it was not his hand that smote us it was a thing that happened to us 1 Sam. 6.9 Whilst the nations abroad and the Enemies at home were musing about the great cause we had in hand what it should mean If it had gone directly forward as the kine took the strait way to the way of Bethshemesh and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left v. 12. in all likelihood there would have remained by this time no more doubtings concerning the work but they would have been fully satisfied as the Philistims were that it was the Lords doing but when they saw the work went not the strait way but there was a grievous turning aside no less then building again the things which were destroyed and destroying what was built this took them quite off and so blinded them as now they can see nothing of God in the thing but cry out It was a Chance neither was the Lord more with the Parliament then with the King but all is now It was the Fortune of War Thus have the Apostates by casting the Lords work behind their back and setting up their own interest occasioned many thousands far and neer not only to speak evil of the Good Cause it self but to deprive the Lord of his due Glory and praise for that honour vvhich men vvould have given to the Lord and it was even upon their hearts and in their mouths to do it is now by this turning aside denyed him and given to Idol-Fortune Besides vvhat dread and fear vvas there somwhile since upon the hearts of Cavaleers no other then a kind of convincement that to vote or fight against our good Cause vvas to vote and fight against God but since this late Revolt brake forth that fear I beleeve is over So that now if there be a door open for them in Parliament or Army they will as readily vote and fight against the interest of Christ and his people as ever they did before O wretched Apostacy 2. The Lord vvill begin to shake the Earth the second time vvhere he sees it is first ripe As a husbandman that hath much corn to reap cuts it not down all at once but vvhere the ripest is there he begins Now among the Regions of the Earth that Field is neerest the sickle vvhere Religion Conscience and the vvorship of God are made cloaks for fin and wickedness SIN may be confidered as single or double if it have Religious hypocrisie mixt with it it is a double sin and so ripens the sinner and hastens his judgment the sooner Had the Scribes and Pharisees which devoured widows houses under a shew of long prayer Luk. 20.47 pickt these poor womens pockets or cut their purses their sin and condemnation had not been so great as to cheat them in the vvay they did It is said of Herod He sent and Beheaded John in
and how many things through the pride and covetousness of some men were quite out of order it not only grieved him but stirr'd him up to endeavour a present Reformation And no doubt that which occasioned him to shew himself so zealously earnest in the work it was in that they had broken the good Government which he himself as a principal man had setled among them but a little before see Neh. 13. If there be a Nehemiah in this Parliament as I hope there are many men that will seek the welfare of England it is not an Apostate Eliashib or a Malignant Tobiah that they will fear nor the Rulers but will contend with them and never cease till the Commonwealth be freed from oppression and slavery setled upon a righteous foundation Reas 4. I am the more encouraged to HOPE that this Parliament will be successful in their undertakings and highly blest by Almighty God Because there are some Army Officers among them who have kept their integrity and have not betrayed the good old Cause for which they ingaged I know it will be matter of much grief unto such men that they must now in a little room be standing up for the publike interest of the Nation which could not be obtain'd till they had past thorow many places in blood Ah honest hearts they little thought when they left their families estates Relations and what else was dear unto them and carried their lives in their hands that they should afterwards sit at Westminster and hear the very same things pleaded for which they had before destroyed For what were the things for which they fought Was it not against Tyrannical and Arbitrary power against prosecution of Court-Principles by corrupt men Was it not to take off all oppressions from the necks of the freemen of England Was it not to remove the long usurped Authority of Lords Civil and Ecclesiastical over the Commons was it not that the supreme Authority should reside originally in the people according to the Law of God light of Nature and right Reason That all persons should own and stand by that Commonwealth-constitution as then established without King and House of Lords And that it should be Treason for any man to be Chief Magistrate of England and Ireland without consent of Parliament was it not against all Negative voices over the free-people of the Common-wealth and against the power of the Militia to be setled and kept in the hands of any single Person Let the enemies themselves be Judges whether these were not the main things contested for against the late King and for the recovery whereof the Nations Trustees in Parliament ingaged themselves and the good People thereof in a long expensive and bloody War which by the good hand of God assisting them ended in the total subduing of their adversaries and capacitating them to execute exemplary Justice upon the principal and his abettors Surely these old Souldiers knowing this to be true have not so far left their former valour and resolution as now to give all up unto men far more inconsiderable then the Royal party was If men should see a company of Boys over their heads throwing down stones upon them I know what they would do in such a case I shall leave the application to the Reader But I hear the Noble Lord Fairfax is chosen for a Parliament-man Surely it was not a personal grudge to the House of the Stuarts nor any particular discontent he had against the ancient Nobility and Gentry of the Nation that he cut them down in all places where he came but rather his love to truth and righteousness Howbeit his silence of late is much wondered at and his friends do now expect that he will appear like himself against the new Court party and our yesterday Nobility and Gentry so far as in point of honour and conscience he is bound and make it evident it was no personal spight against the King and his party that he fought them but love to his Country Reas 5. May not we HOPE now that iniquity shall stop her mouth The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the Earth Gen. 9.2 Though there may be in some a will and de sire that the several burdens grievances of the people should not be taken off nor any thing done to settle and provide for the safety settlement and welfare of the Nation by common consent Nevertheless men of publick Spirits and righteous principles now speaking for the good old cause and declaring against the exercise of Arbitrary power over the lives Liberties and Estates of the people Now declaring against setting up a particular interest tending to the reviving of the Barons-wars by a successive contention between two distinct persons and families for the Soveraignty Now declaring against persons of a degenerate slavish and enslaving spirit encouraging and joyning with the old Malignant and acting and appearing again directly opposite to those good principles and things formerly established When these and such like things shall be spoken what may be expected then A fear and dread what will follow if there should be any contradiction and no marvel the burnt child fears the fire It is too well known how deeply some have suffered already for rash ingaging themselves for a Court-interest against the just rights of the people Job saith When he put on righteousness and brake the jaws of the wicked and pluckt the spoil out of their teeth delivered the poor that cried and caused the widdows heart to sing for joy The young men hid themselves and the aged stood up The Princes refrained talking and laid their hand on their mouth The nobles held their peace and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth Job 29. There hath not been of late time such a time as this is for righteous Jobs especially in Parliament to plead for Justice For rationally no man can think as the case of the Nation stands that any person will have the forehead to speak whatsoever he think against the freedom safety and welfare of the Common-wealth which yet he must do if he speak for the present abuses and Court-corruptions for which the Parliament and Army engaged against the late King Fear not there shall not a man be able to stand before thee Josh 5.1 Reas 6. It is the hope of many and herein I am not without hope under that huge heap of chaff I mean the Army there is some good corn some fire among the abundance of ashes if so it will now appear that is such among them as still love the Good old cause speak high for righteous things and seem to mourn for the great Apostacie of the Army they will close with the present Parliament to have Arbitrary power put down the peoples Birth-rights restored and stand no longer with a corrupt interest against equity Law and conscience Before the Lord destroyed Sodom he brought Lot out of it who
knows but by this Parliament the Lord will deliver his chosen ones in the Army from his wrath he means to pour upon the rest it is no matter though they are few There is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few 1 Sam. 14.6 I know some can hardly beleeve that the Lord will so far honour them as to imploy them in his good old Cause again But let no mans eye be evil because God is good he is wiser then man and knows better then he what is to be done Considering therefore what an opportunity is now put into their hands by this Parliament there is hope that our Heavenly Father who is kind to the unkind is tendring mercy to them as he did to Lot Besides there are few in the Army of honest Principles but do very well know if the Parliament do not stand to effect good things for the Nation there will be little safety for them in the Army For the contest begins now between the two old Interests the Court or Commons Round-heads or Cavaleers no halting shortly between two opinions but either back again where we were into the House of Bondage or forward in a free Commonwealth for more Reformation Again It must needs be matter of grief to many Souldiers to consider what sad divisions and rents there are among the people of God about them many tender consciences not being satisfied to have spiritual communion with them because of their supporting an Arbitrary power They may say it is of their weakness in judgment let it be so yet they cannot be without deep sence of these divisions as I hope they are and therefore they will look upon this thing as a great Providence that they shall now come under the Government of the Parliament to serve their Country honestly and not the licentiousness of lawless persons any more And this will greatly tend to union and peace among Christians And whereas Parliaments of late have been overswayed by Sword-men yea often broken to peeces at their pleasure it is hoped now that these Army-men of whom I speak will prevent all such fear and danger by giving up themselves to the obedience of the Parliament and openly declare that they will stand with them to have the Good old Cause up again and the undoubted Rights and Liberties of these Nations fixt upon the right foundation of truth and righteousness Reas 7. When this Parliament shall understand the straits of the Nation and how many ways the well-affected to our freedom and just rights have suffered yea been undone in their persons and estates contrary to Law and Conscience and who have been the cause of all this as we hope they will hear the grievances of the people it is not to be doubted but there will be an Earth-quake with a witness Knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed Exod. 10.7 as if they should say The land is wasted the people impoverished and that little which is left us will soon be taken from us if thou send not away this people Thus will be the cry of the Nation to the Parliament if they sit a little while and they will hear it with both ears Sirs Know ye not that England is destroyed our Merchants break dayly all trade fails us many families perish and that little which is left in the land the Court will devour if it be not dismist by your wisdom and care There is one thing and very probably this Parliament will remember and make use of it was the great pretence of some in breaking one Parliament after another that they did it for TRYAL And so this last Government was set up as judged the best and most expedient for publick good The Long Parliament was too slow and the little Parliament was too quick and therefore a new Instrument must be devis'd to save the Nation Now I hope there is no wrong done to the Tryers if this Parliament having found by proof and sad experience that of the three changes the last was the worst I say granting this if they should following the others example lay it aside and take up something else Nay more how can the Parliament as the peoples Trustees be faithful if they shall find that the better Government was laid aside and the worser set up almost to the undoing of the Nation and yet let it stand It is a Maxime in State Religious and Civil When corruptions and abuses do arise to reduce things to their first institution Thus Christ in refuting the Pharisees about plurality of wives mentioneth the first institution of marriage From the beginning it was not so Mat. 19.8 So Paul in seeking to redress the disorders in the Church at Corinth about the Lords Supper sets down the Institution 1 Cor. 11. and this I hope will be the practise of the Parliament in seeking to reform the many grievances of the Nation to bring things to the Original that is when the Government was changed from Monarchy to a Commonwealth Reas 8. I never had of late yeers more hope then now of a good accord among all the Godly of the House under what form or name soever that they will as one man stand up for righteous things Indeed matters of Religion in former Parliaments have greatly obstructed the settlement of the Nation A rock under water is perillous medling with Religion is the more dangerous because it is covered over with specious and fair pretences as if God would not bless Parliaments unless they begin at the House of God and here presently they are at a loss about this House of God what it is and where it is there being so many Lo here and lo there But I shall wave this discourse Whatsoever duty lies upon Parliaments concerning Religion I am sure as the affairs of the Nation now stand there is some other thing to be lookt after and if those who are religious mind it not it is possible the Cavaleer watching his opportunity will deprive both Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists c. of all their Birth-right and freedom here in England and where will they go next for liberty of Conscience There are as I said before but two great Interests in the Nation the Commonwealth and Cavaleer if the Cavaleer get it not there is no fear but all truly fearing God will enjoy much love and peace together Our Chronicles tell us Never had the Saxons and Danes conquered us had it not been for our own divisions If we lose our Commonwealth and with it our Liberties and Lives and the Cavaleers have it and from them Charls Stuart for they play the old game under a new dress I say should such a thing be which God forbid it must be by the subtilty of the Enemy causing division among good men whereby their hands are made weak but I hope better things and speak it for this end As men are godly so they should be wise Thus I have shewed the grounds of my HOPE what the actings and appearances of God will be for this Parliament a little time will shew I know few of them yet this I know never did the condition of England require men of large parts of wisdom integrity of publick and uninterested spirits more then now I wish therefore there be no Boys for Men no time-servers flatterers light careless and vain persons instead of honest faithful vigilant sober solid and wise hearted Their work is great in a manner to save poor England and to bring her off those rocks whereon she is ready to split into a safe Harbor With reverence therefore to the phrase Who is sufficient for these things FINIS