2 3 c. the which Apostacie to me is as clear to be now in this Nation as the Sun that shines at noon-day But of this more by and by 3. To make proof of the faith love and obedience of his little flock and in very deed as the Tryals and Temptatiâ—ns of the Lords witnesses have been these four or five yeers many ways very great So they have shewed much faithfulness to the Lord and to his Son and Zion that they have chosen bonds banishments close imprisonment and loss of trade and livelihood rather then with base time-servers and merce-mary flatters to betray the Liberties Laws and Rights of the Nation for filthy lucre sake If a maid that she might be such a mans wife should refuse a great estate and live very poorly with him would not this argue she married him for LOVE and nothing else How many are there to my know ledge would they have broken theâ— Vows Oaths and Ingagements anâ— joyned with others to build agaiâ— what before they had destroyed theâ— might have had what honour prefeâ—ment or place they would But theâ— would rather be imprisoned and baâ—nished and suffer with joy the spoiâ—ing of their goods then turn Judasseâ— for a few pence But what love anâ— affection have these persons in thiâ— shewed to the good old Cause and thâ— just Rights of their Country 4. That Hypocrites having gotteâ— by the present Apostacie fat pasture might the sooner fill up the measurâ— of their wickedness and so be prepare for the day of slaughter As the Lorâ— will have the harvest and vintage ripâ— before he cuts them down so there iâ— nothing will sooner ripen corrupt meâ— then greatness honour riches c. Swiâ— will not fatten faster by acorns then will aâ— hypocrite by Court-preferment Now Reader consider as the Lord had thesâ— and other such ends for which he suffered this root of bitterness to be among us so having had his END what is now to be expected but a sudden plucking of it up Then 2. What is it that hath occasioned prophane persons to blaspheme the holy name of God more then the late destroying of that good work of Reformation begun in the Nation What saith the Scoffer at it This man began to build but was not able to finish it Luk. 14.30 It is not man now but God the living God that is derided and laugh'd at he began to build c. he made a fair beginning saith the MOCKING-APOSTATE to have had a Commonwealth he seem'd as if he would have made a righteous Nation and the people no more under the lust and will of men But some were too hard for him and out-witted him and undid all that he had done before with the infinite expence of Blood and Treasure But know thou Atheist Jehovah is more jealous of his glory and great Name then to give it to another Though he have kept silence and thou thoughtest that he was altogether such an one as thy self yet know he will arise for his Name-sake For so is his promise I will sanctifie my great Name which was prophaned among the Gentiles which ye have prophaned in the midst of them Ezek. 36.23 But never will the name of God be recovered in this Nation to the stopping of the mouths of Apostateblasphemers until that blessed work of breaking Tyranny and Idolatry begun in the Long Parliament be on foot again I say once more as a truth which I hope the Lord will enable me if call'd to it to seal with my blood That the precious Name of God prophaned in this Nation by Apostate Professors will not be sanctified till the good old Cause be revived the Freedom and just Liberties of the people restored a Commonwealth setled upon right principles of truth and righteousness and those who have been the cause of the late horrible revolt brought forth to Justice 3. Such are the wounds in the Body of this Nation and the grievances and Breaches so many and great as I am perswaded all the State-Physitians I speak not of Mountebanks and Quacksalvers will perceive when they shall come to the Cause and Cure there is no healing of the whole without cutting a part off and what that part is they will soon see The Prophet Ezekiel speaking of the false Prophets of his time saith One built up a wall and lo others daubed it with untempered mortar Ezek. 13.10 He alludes unto a foolish builder who coming to a wall with his tools sees it is so rent and torn as it cannot stand but must be all pluckt down and a new wall rais'din the place of it nevertheless he only plaisters it over and so seeks to cover the fault but not to mend it Who should be builders if not the Representatives of the people And therefore if the wall before them which others built be so weak sandy and tottering that it must be shaken ought they not to beware of dawbing it with untempered mortar and the rather because the Lord wants not labourers but if one company of men prove unfaithful that is will be dawbing a rotten wall when they should cast it down he will DISSOLVE THEM with more shame and dishonour then any Protector could put upon them and call such to the State-work as shall be more faithful and well rewarded for it Say unto them which dawb with untempered mortar that it shall fall there shall be an overflowing showr and ye O great hail-stones shall fall and a stormy wind shall renit Lo when the wall is fallen shall it not be said unto you Where is the dawbing wherewith ye have dawbed it Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall and upon them that have dawbed it with untempered mortar and will say unto you The wall is no more neither they that dawbed it Ezek. 13.11 12 15. 4. It may rationally satisfie all unbyassed persons that Gods actings and appearances were formerly such for the interest of Christ and his people as it cannot possibly be that he should leave it afterward What! was the King taken off his Posterity laid aside the Bishops and their Government put down for this end that there should rise up in their places a Generation of men more corrupt then they were Indeed if we will give credit to the blasphemous speeches published to the world by Apostates it should be so that is all the victories and deliverances which the Lord gave unto his people in the time of the Long Parliament was for them that is for their particular interest They blush not to tell us in print as may be gathered from their words plain enough that Gods helping us in our several streights was to keep up the Lawyers in their corruption Priests in their oppression the Magistrates in persecution the Tryers in their beastly invention and the old Malignant to take his revenge on honest men for their former good service to God and their Country But I shall leave these mockers to him that
to continue 1260 years but the later not above three yeers and an half till the Lord doth begin to strike it with a Consumption So that the word GREAT seems to be left out here to distinguish between the two Cities or two Apostacies and this in the Text is to be understood of the later State-Apostacie Moreover we have some light here how to understand that place Rev. 11.8 where it is said of the witnesses their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great City it is well observed by many that the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a broad or spatious place doth not signifie any place Market-place or broad place within the walls of the great City but it is without the great City as no part of the building Hence we may conclude two things 1. The two Witnesses are not slain in their Testimony by any Civil Powers that hold the Pope Head of the Church neither lie their dead bodies in any Country formally subject to the See of Rome For their slaying and lying dead must be without the walls of the great City Indeed the blood of the Martyrs will be charged upon the first Apostacie but the slaying of the witnesses upon the second Apostacie Therefore let Church-Members and Church-Officers and other Professors of Religion look to it For to speak soberly and in the fear of God this is my opinion and I think grounded upon Scripture and practice The blood of the witnesses will be required at their hands for never had the bottomless Beast murdred so blessed a Cause and so glorious a Testimony for Christ and his Kingdom as was in this Nation had they stood faithful to the good old Cause 2. Though the Power by which the witnesses are slain is not from the great City yet it is for it that is it doth more strengthen and support the great whore then any State or Government properly the whores Where lies now the stop that the Lords work goes not forward to remove oppressions and heavie burdens and to establish righteousness among men Not in Rome Spain Germany France the stop is neerer home remove this Apostacie and you shall soon see the good Cause reviv'd again and the hearts of all good people reviv'd with it 2. Whereas it is said The tenth part of the City fell and the remnant gave glory to God this cannot be meant of the great City for that sinks every whit like a great milstone to the bottom of the Sea Besides I do not read of any giving glory to God in the great City when her plagues are upon her But contrary it is expresly said they repented not to give glory to God but blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores Rev. 16.9 11. Now the Reason is because the Lord will bring his people out of the great City Babylon as he did Lot from Sodom before he burns her to ashes I will not say among that huge heap of chaff there will be no corn yet I think if any of Gods elect shall perish as to the outward man in that common destruction they will be very few yea in those few no repenting and giving glory to God visibly will appear Rev. 18.4 Jer. 51.6 But the Case here is otherwise for howsoever the whole Apostacie will fall yet in the Earth-quake all will not be slain that are found in the Apostacie When Absalom made that unnatural Rebellion against his father it is said two hundred followed him in the simplicitie of their hearts and knew not any thing 2 Sam. 15.11 that is they were ignorant of the wicked plot he had in hand namely under pretence of devotion and conscience to destroy his own father and make himself king or Chief Magistrate No doubt many two hundreds thousands I may say through the dissimulation and lying of their Leaders and Teachers have fallen in with the Apostacie simply and ignorantly knew nothing of their design that is how under a cloke of Religion and the safety of the godly party the mother Commonwealth was to be murthered and an Absalom-like interest to be set up Therefore by the Remnant here I understand these ignorant and simple ones not the OLD SERPENT the seducers and ringleaders who thought they had done their Country and themselves good service when they sought to destroy the lives and Liberties of the people 3. Whereas it is said In the Earthquake was slain of men 7000. the Greek hath names of men meaning men of note renown famous Gen. 6.4 contrary hereto is men without Name Job 30.8 alluding to the Rebellion of Korah c. Num. 16.2 two things seem to be held forth 1. This Earth-quake that is the Representatives of the people shall be men of courage and of publick spirits such as shall have Lion-like hearts fear no mans face nor respect any mans person but will cut down Cedars assoon as shrubs if there be cause for it Indeed no people in the world formerly have been more honoured then the English for men of resolution and of high and noble spirits in standing up for their freedom and Rights against intrusion and usurpation of all sorts and sizes But How is the faithful City become an harlot it was full of judgment righteousness lodged in it but now murderers Thy silver is become dross thy wine mixt with water Thy Princes are rebellious and companions of theeves every one loveth gifts and follow after reward they judge not the fatherless neither doth the cause of the widdow come unto them Isa 1.21 22 23. Oh! that it should be said ICHABOD The glory is departed from England For have not men of late shewed themselves to be of low base and servile spirits in preferring their own particular interest before the publick good of the Nation And in stead of contending for our Birth-right which but a little before was recovered with the Blood and Treasure of the Nation to give it up or rather sold it Esau-like for a mess of Pottage But God will raise up a better Generation of men and why may not we hope it is now who will recover the Glory of the English nation again by exalting truth and righteousness among us 2. By names of men is not meant the old names of note renown and famous in the days of the King and Bishops for they concern not the later Apostacie but the new names that is Lords Knights Esquires c. of the last edition Those who were poor the other day and have made their families great by hypocrisie and lies and betraying their Country must expect to fall by this Earth-quake For the number seven thousand it is probable before the Earth-quake be done not fewer will be shaken for it must go round the Nation and follow the Apostacie from end to end And I hope the appearance of it will be suddenly we are waiting for it and praying for it So come Lord Jesus Amen Amen Reasons Why it may be
universal but rather a State Earth-quake in one Nation although the effect of it will be wonderful even to the shaking and overturning of all the powers of this world Moreover as in Scripture we find many times part taken for the whole so in Prophesies as appears Act. 2.16 17. with Joel 2.28 c. Though there be but a part of a Prophesie fulfilled yet Peter expresseth all True it is in all Prophesies that which is done last will be more full and perfect then the former yet so as we must remember they have their morning or dawning as their noon day It is said of the Angel the Earth was lightned with his glory Rev. 18.1 not at first nor all at once but by degrees it will be so at last It is said the ten Horns upon the Beast shall hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire Rev. 17.16 now this shall not be done by all of them for some of these Horns will never forsake the whore but shall go into perdition with her Rev. 18.9 10. and 19.18 To be short whosoever would inform himself in the prophesies of the last times let him observe these 5 things 1. The Lord will begin his work his strangework amongst that people where Religion is most eminently profest Jer. 25.18 28. Ezek. 9.6 1 Pet. 4.18 2. Though he shake Earth and Heaven together and at one time yet the Earth first As a man lays first the foundation and afterward builds upon it so the Lord will have righteousness and justice first established in the Earth and then men shall fear the Lord that is worship him in spirit and truth Isa 28.13 with Mat. 15.9 as long as the Sun and Moon endure thorow all generations Psal 72.1 2 3 4 5. 3. There must be a diligent and watchful eye to observe the first appearance of Scripture-Prophesies that is how any Providential Dispensation gives forth the matter of the Prophesie For this is certain if we see the Lord hath begun a work in order to the fulfilling of his Counsel and Decree contained in any vision or Prophesie though there may seem to be some obstruction or a death upon it notwithstanding he will carry it on in spight of all opposition men and Devils Exod. 5.1 2 20 21. and 5.1 and 12.30 31. When I begin I will also make an end 1 Sam. 3.12 And truly I am of the opinion which the Army was of before their Apostacie That the late King was one of the ten Horns Rev. 17. And whereas he and his Monarchy were pluckt up by the root and a Commonwealth established here I take it was a fulfilling of a Scripture-Prophesie I mean a beginning of that good promise Rev. 17.14 where it is said The Lamb shall overcome the ten Kings And whereas there hath been a THING lately set up I know not what to call it for it is neither formally a Monarchy nor a Common-wealth but tohu and bohu without form and void To me it signifies no more then the house of the foolish builder built upon the sand the wind and floods nigh at hand will blow and beat upon it and if so it must fall and great will be the fall of it But the Lord as I said will go forward to fulfil and perfect the rest of that Prophesie so that it is neither the house of the Stewarts nor the corrupt interest of any other man that shall frustrate the Counsel of God concerning the Government of this Nation but the good old Cause shall rise again and be more glorious then ever it was before 4. The Prophesies of the last times as to their accomplishment at first they will be very dark and dubious Truly I think without special enlightning by the Spirit few of the Lords people will have a clear sight and knowledge of what God doth till a great deal be done And one great Reason is because many think the slaying of the witnesses and their rising the Reign of the Little Horn the last Apostacy and Earth-quake will make such a noise in the world as the deafest and blindest amongst the sons of men will be able to hear and see such things But I cannot find in the word of God any footing for such an opinion but rather that darkness shall cover the Earth and gross darkness the people even then when Zions light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon her Isa 60.1 2. 5. Beware lest thou stumble here with the multitude that is to think such and such Prophesies are not fulfilled because thou canst not satisfie thy self when where and how they were fulfilled That saying in the Prophet holds true here Thy way is in the sea and thy path in the great waters and thy footsteps are not known Psal 77.19 A man that shall see the Sun at noon-day though he were asleep when it rose will he conclude it is not the Sun because he saw it not at its rising Reader if thou shalt see the Earthquake whereby the Power of this Apostacie is broken the good old Cause on foot again and righteousness exalted in the Nation such as have basely betrayed the Rights and Liberties of the people deservedly punished and so a way prepared for the 144000 to do the rest of the Lords work of higher and greater concernment I think thou mayest very well conclude that the reign of the bottomless Beast the Little Horn the slaying of the witnesses and their rising all these things are past though thou slepst when they were doing Now for the Text. 1. By Earth and Heaven here is meant States and Policies the first what is Civil and Temporal the other Ecclesiastical and Religious By Shaking is meant alteration and change that is removing and taking away all forms and kinds of Government which now stand Isa 2.19 and 13.13 Joel 2.16 Hag. 2.6 7. Rev. 21.1 Isa 65.17 I know by others this is otherwise interpreted i. e. a Shaking of the material Earth and Heavens with all the Inhabitants thereof Angels and men But under favour there is nothing in the Prophet nor in the Hebrews that hath any reference to the judgment of the great day and therefore this Shaking cannot be applied to that time but must be before 2. By once more I understand two things 1. A State or Government changed yet so as there is something afterward set up in the same Nation so displeasing unto God as THAT also shall be be destroyed That those things which cannot be shaken may remain What the things are which shall remain after a twofold shaking is shewed in Daniel And in the days of these Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed the Kingdom shall not be left to other people but it shall break in peeces and consume all these Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever Chap. 2.44 By once more is signified the great difference between
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
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
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