choise unparalleld workings of him against the Powers of this world who stand in his way to the advancement of his Sons Throne God writes his mind somtimes in his Works as well as in his Word and there are many overtures in Civil affairs which the Word doth not so positively direct but providence and the necessity of affairs must be the rule in and how ever the providences of God are not demonstrations a priori as they say yet they may very well be a posteriori though they do not state things yet they do distinguish them and as God will rather have heaven and eâ—rth to pass away then one iota or tittle of his Word to fail so he will have all men to give him the glory of his Works else he will destroy all the civil Heavens and earths which men sets-up and God blames his people as often for not observing his Works as for disobeying his Statuâ—es If the permissive acts of Gods justice in the world ought to make all men fear and tremble how much more these positive and errectual assistances of Instruments in executing his righteous judgements the children of Israel were blamed for nothing more than that they forgat the wonders of God at the red Sea and in the Wilderness But that we may not look on these things at large let us view what have been accompanying all our transactions in these last yeers which make them more than events to convince our spirits First all that God hath yet acted for us hath been from the smallest and contemtiblest beginnings that even wise men have been afraid of their own Acts and our enemies have laughed in secret at us seeing our ruine in our first foundation and so weak we were that we were rather objects of the piâ—y of our friends and scorn of the contrary party who would ever have imagined that such a new Model should have thriven better than so great and well accomplish'd Army which preceded or what could wise men either fore-see or Christians believe concerning any great matters to be accomplished by such Pigmies Secondly As God took the lowest condition to begin this work so he ever brought our estates unto the greatest straits ere he appeared to point out to all men that he would be alone seen in the prosecution of this cause and that he would have the glory of making this Nation a Common-wealth In England remember especially Naseby when the King was the â—ighest that ever he was since the war began where was the first experiment of Gods engaging with them at Kent Essex ' Waâ—es especially at Preston when the Nation was most divided and incensed against these proceedings and our Army scarce a third part In Ireland when all was lost but two Towns Dublin and Derry But above all in Scotland when we fed on our Vital Spirits more than Bread and lived by our courage and Gods support more than food how hath God helped I have often looked on it as an absolute and general observation in Gods actings that he never brings his enemies into straits to help them but it is his usual way where he means to make his providence glorious and his people most praising to let them be past saving in their own sense and their enemies hopes and truly our Victories were seldom given until not only our means but almost our faith failed us Thirdly these successes have been uniform and universal in every part and against every party which have upon any pretence whatever banded themselves against this State and their transactions yea so eavenly hath God gone forth and so impartially that how ever we may at first question the principles we cannot deny the acts but to be from God Yea not only height of Royalty and the grosness of Malignancy but the flourishes of the best precenses have been blasted and overthrown by these manifestations the Church as well as the World have been under a Divine censure for opposing themselves and complying with the first or new modell'd enemy against this State which may make all godly hearts serious and wary if not to tremble at their fire and heat in their reflections on these things If these things be not timely considered but our obstiâ—acy grows with Gods admonitions the next work will be Excommunication Fourthly all these works we now see have been begotten and brought forth in the midst of the plots of open and secret enemies plots laid so secret and sure that nothing but he that discovers the hidden things of darkness could discern or prevent and so hath God ordered and casted the season of our deliverances that they have been beyond the enemies designes and perfectest perswasions and our expectations of the most observant spectators that God might have all the glory Who could imagine what hath been working in hell and the corners of darkness against this work of God now in part broughâ— forth and yet all disappointed and frustrated with condignet punishment on the heads of principal Authors It will be endless to run over the variety of these discoveries and other circumstances which if well considered are as much as the mercies themselves amount unto The last great demonstration of Gods presence with this Army in Scotland may serve instar omnium to Uniting our confidences if all the rest be of no value which was Gods determination of the iustness of our Cause after solemn appeal to God on both sides especially on ours this being the publique expression of our Army in that candid Remonstrance ere they entred Scotland that they did appeal to God the righteous Judge of quick and dead if their hearts were not sincere in what they remonstrated and in their affections to that Nation and did moreover put it only on God if ever they came to engagement pardoning human infirmities to deal with them according to the justness of their Cause and the truth of their hearts I quote this especially because as it was the most solemn appeal to Divine Justice so what God did in this was the confirmation of all the rest of his publique actings by them and the Umpire only left to God to own them or destroy them as his wisdom and justice saw their hearts and cause how was Gods arm made bare for them at last though he carried himself a long while as if he meant to make good the reproches of their enemies against them It must be confest Appeals are of a very high and dangerous nature if not done with the greatest seriosity and upon the surest grounds and they do either argue abundance of carnal confidence or integrity and pureness of spirit that they ought not to be frequent and common but where no other way is or can be found out of deciding controversies of a high and controvertible nature where confidence on both sides are equally positive and immoveable by mediate arguments yea It is without question trivial and common affaires cannot be grounds of Appeal to God there being
then no dissenters but Malignants was to bring Delinquents to condigne punishment who had abused this State by the Royall Consent and Authoritie and to oppose the tyranny of the King and flattery of the Countiers A principle large enough to worke on and to take in by consequences of affaires the utmost improvement upon this ground all the Parliamentary party acted together not being able to see or hope for any thing more then a reformation and that of the grossenesse of actings and so firme were wee in this that wee never changed our thoughts untill the delayes in warre and the influences of the Court together with wearied and neutrall friends and the thoughts of places and preferments made men to study new wayes of compliances and to leave the first principle for the present enjoyments But God who overruleth the counsells of men and had a further designe will not suffer so good a beginning to make a fatall end And according to his usuall way from small beginnings brings forth his greatest glory acting things beyond our first thoughts or designes The King was first opposed universally in his personall capacity and reserv'd in his publique in these who fought against him this went downe currant and without any demurre among us and upon this wee waged warre but God who still meant to carry on a higher designe keepes us equall and faire for a long while together now giving the advantage to us now to him still making drawne battailes while there was a lesser piece of royalty opposing a greater owning the Cause so farre as not to discountenance that side he meant to honour at the last but no effectuall worke was done but honourable retreats and dayes of thanksgiving for non-routing and security rather then for any victory wee ever had over the Kings party except especially that of Marston-Moore wherein the chiefe instruments of the new modell were agents which was soone recruited and ballanst by our own parties negligence in the South and their diligence over their affaires God kept all this while a kinde of equalitie persons were engaged of different tempers not of different principles and it had been well for all our reports then at London that wee kept our ground into such straits wee were then brought though wee seemed to have a great and potent Army that nothing could serve in the view of the whole Parliament but a wise disbanding that Army and framing a new Modell which was a cause of strange necessitie at that time and a hopefull way of our ruine by many even in Parliament who gave their votes for it out of another end who are since discovered but it hath since proved the ordinance of God This is the poore Army that the great repinings and discontents are made from This Army which hath been preserved by Gods right hand who have done that work which is wonderfull to relate against this Army all the arrowes of malice and designe are shot to wound either their persons or names It 's sad to think that our eyes should be evill because Gods is good that wee should repine at instruments when God doth the work let us as men that would faine see into Gods wayes consider what hath been done since that change what a continued continuation of providences I might say miracles if they had not some meanes to produce them have wee had since that despised modell The thoughts of these things are only repeated for our conviction There are two things very remarkable in these affaires since our first engaging against the late King each of which shall have their due consideration First That all our affairs were hardly kept in aequilibrio in a faire and right correspondency untill this new Modell but that the King got more ground by his influence then we by our Armies the Armie under the Lord of Essex being a petty Royall Armie made up of all sorts of humours and Confederates of either side rather kept the Parliaments credite then gave them any use for theâ—r money and we never had a battle fought by him but we came off and that barely and with losse as well as the King 2. That never since this poore at first despised though now envied Army was modell'd we never either received a considerable losse or check in our proceedings though the action of this Army hath been in three Nations and accompanyed with miserable discouragements from all parties and difficulties that other Nations would have thought insuperable and so acted that nothing but God hath visibly appeared It cannot it must not be forgotten it will be written in marble if not in our hearts and the place it selfe will be made immortall to all posterity the first testimony of God to the first action of this Army at Naseby when all Politicians were securing of themselves and our wisest friends fearing what the issue would be and the royall power at the greatest height and going on in the fullest carrere what a glorious turne was there given to the designes of the Enemie and reviving to the hopes of this Nation God never before so peculiarly and in our low condition owning his poor people and ever since God set up his Standard there he hath made bare his arme and never suffered one eminent nay hardly any defeat to be given to this Army making that the earnest of the Conquest of Gods Enemies in these three Nations whereas in all our former Battails we could never say we had a victory except some speciall formerly named which had their recruits very soone from this time I say as if God had the idea of this Armie in his eye and had with his owne hands framed the modell of it and culling out the Army he meant to blesse hee hath ever uninterruptedly afforded his presence though the difficultyes and multitude of Enemies have been more then could be expected or then ever Armie under-went who served a State in such transactions What eye cannot see the plots and contrivances both of the common and secret Enemies how many wayes have been used to overthrow this Parliament and Army and what humours have been predominant among themselves to ruine that body yet how strangly and beyond all mens thoughts have they been carryed through if we were delighted in viewing divine actings or had a designe to make a History to astonish all the world Let us follow the Army from Naseby up and down England at home from thence after two Warres the second more dangerous then the first being upon more cunning pretences and made out of our divisions among our selves and especially levelled against the Parliament and Armie a war that divided the Armie as well as the first confiding instruments yet with what wonder of glory did God break forth their deliverance for after God had helped them to drive the K. into the Scots Armie a presage of his sons reserve new Insurrections are in the most speciall Counties round about the Parliament which first began more
ENGLANDS APOLOGY for Its late CHANGE OR A SOBER PERSVVASIVE Of all Disaffected or Dissenting persons to a Seasonable ENGAGEMENT for the Settlement of this COMMON-VVEALTH Drawne from The Workings of Providence The State of Affaires The danger of Division LONDON Printed by Matthew Simmons and are to be sold in Aldersgate-street 1651. Impartiall Reader I Intend not to make a Preface that may swallow up this short Treatise Epistles are commonly but the clogges and burthens of Bookes and expresse little more then the Title page Others have spoke enough to the argumentative part of our Affaires and have proved by reason what God hath acted by providence this discourse is rather directed to the consciences then the fancies of men and may serve as a serious memoriall of what God hath done for us and an aviso to men in their rash and bitter censures that this state and change which though it be new that it may not seeme strange God hath ushered it in with the greatest ceremonies of providence and put extraordinary characters of his presence and glory in it I have no more to trouble thee with but the reading of it which yet may be profitable if not perswasive which is the end of the discourse ENGLANDS APOLOGY FOR ITS LATE CHANGE THough it is not probably to be expected that any argument or reason should be forcible to perswade the hearts of men when so many wonderfull providences and glorious appearances of God have made no impression or that words should prevaile where things are undervalued Yet because every Christian ought to endeavour to make his owne heart and others sensible of publique miseries or mercies and seeing the intent of this discourse is to unite not divide and that it is high time to leave off quarrelling with persons and actions it is possible this paranetick may not be in vaine if either the miseries of a civill warre which hath almost ruin'd this Nation or the horror of dead carkasses lying alwayes in our way if the cry of bloud which hath been powred out not from one but every veine of this Nation if the desolationâ— of Townes and Cities the mournings of widdowes and Orphanes in every corner the mischiefe of factions and dâ—visions in our own families if lastly the effectuall workings of the very finger of the Almighty if all or any of these were fit to work on our affections to thirst after a settlement of this State and to perswade mâ—n to acquiesce in what God hath done for this Nation and to comply with the Parliament in securing this Common-wealth wee needed no paper-exhortation and this might well have been spared But it s to be feared and lamented that Gods workes among us as his Word hath had different and sometimes contrary effect some are hardened under the dispensations others softned and that most of this Nation are under a judiciall blindnesse and stupidity which will hardly be remedied but by the ruine of this generation who have so highly provoked God in opposing his great designes in the latter dayes for though God hath walked up and downe in garments of bloud for this almost ten yeares and hath not spared the flesh of Princes and great men and hath shewed himselfe directly against that royall party which at first began these miserable warres and shewed forth most eminently his indignation against that person and family with all that have adhered to them yet which is most sad not onely are their hearts hardned and their necks stiffe against the Lords work but in any who acted at first with vigour and vehemency against that party have turned their faces and have been of late the most dangerous opposers of this Parliament and Army and are become the hopes of the common enemy yea many lost in prejudices and discontent have wholly espoused others are courting that interest as if they would unravell all these lines of providence whereby wee have been blessedly led into a Common-wealth And like the children of Israel would rathâ—t turne back to eate Garlick and Onions under Pharoahs bondage then be led by providence under the conduct of Moses thâ—ugh to Canaan It is from these secret quarrells and murmurings and disaffections among godly men which have though they had their first rise from private animosities yet they have been formed and aggravated by close and subtile enemies from these are the foundations of our ruine and of our enemies designes and hopes who while wee are discontented among our selves for trifles are preparing engins to cut us off both at once many essays have been used to that end which had not God from heaven disappoâ—nted had tooke effect ere this and occasioned the sad repentance of the mistaken actors And doubtlesse among all the hardships this Parliament and Army hath gone through either in opposing the common enemy or working out their owne distempers they have met with nothing more sad and dangerous then the slightings and disrespects of these who were once and should be still friends who have but one and the same common enemy still how ever wee may subdivide into severall parties rather by the delusion of names then reality of differense But it s better to bewaile these distempers with our teares then expresse them my intent is not to open our wounds but to cast in some Balme to heale them wee have too long been petting and objecting while God hath been acting and doing us good without our observance or notice the great designe of this paper is but to minde us what God hath done for us to presse all honest hearts to an improvement of our mercies with sence of the worth of them And to perswade honest and inquiring men to a compliance in time with this Common-wealth least they come to unite with the common enemy who is yet acting in both Nations in one more visibly to ruine us by our divisions It s worthy consideration what wee have been doing all this while and why we are disquieted with the present State seeing these things have been brought forth among us which have not been the events of long contrived plots but of speciall administrations of Gods wisdome and respect to this Nation and meerely acted by God beyond the policy and engagements of the wisest men yea the whole series of workings in these affaires hath been demonstrative that it was not of men nor of their wills but of Gods And how ever particular observances may judge of things yet if the whole be viewed and the harmony of every part in this great worke all dissenters must needs have their consciences under conviction while their interests are unsatisfied Let us take a short account onely for to helpe our memories of our first principles and Gods actings to improve them and wee shall see that few of us have eyed what wee first undertooke or what God hath beyond our thoughts done for us Our first principle wee acted from and from which wee stated our Cause from which wee had