of them was lately taken in the act and hang'd for the sin of Buggerie here in this Town if we Preachers should hereupon tell you from the Pulpits that all these blessed Reformers for so they are called by their adorers are even such men and guiltie of that horrid sin I believe for my part we should much abuse them in that particular and yet thus divers of their Ministers are pleased to deale with the Kings Friends the Lord in his good time rebuke them for it But alas gallant Gentlemen and Christian people you all know that there are too great and too manie occasions given by some amongst us to our enemies to report evill of us I beseech you therefore in the feare of God as manie of you are better borne and bred then those are who do accuse you and as all of you are imploied in a more righteous cause then they by your holie God and by your religious King so that you would all indeavour to be more holie in your carriages then they be to walk worthie your imploiment and you that be Commanders I beg of you that you would more strictlie punish sin in those that are under you according to those Militarie Orders set forth by His sacred Majesties your religious Master The profession of a Souldier as 't is honourable so it may be holie if you please we read of holie men of that profession David was a man of warre and did as you do fight the Battailes of the Lord and he was an holie man that great sin which did so blemish his reputation was committed by him afterward when he had left off to follow the Camp the Centurion in the Gospell was a man of your profession and our Saviour himself gives this testimonie of him that he had not found his like for goodnesse in all Israel and so that Captain Acts 10. was one that feared God with all his houshold and whose prayers and almes ascended daily into Gods presence Abraham himselfe the Father of the faithfull was a brave Souldier he with the number of 318. assaulted five Kings with their Armies vanquished them and took the spoile you may read the storie in the 14. Chapter of Genesis where you may also see who were the first men whom the Scripture notes did run away in the day of battell and hid themselves I do not say in Saw-pits but the Text saies in Slime-pits they were men full of guilt and sin even the Princes of Sodom and Gentlemen of Gomorrah Nay to speak all that can be said in one word for the honour and comfort of a Souldier God himselfe is called a man of warre Exod. 15 3. The Lord is a man of Warre and JEHOVAH is his Name I tell you Gentlemen there is not to an honest eye in these sad and dismall daies a more gallant sight then a valiant and religious Souldier Religion causeth courage in a good cause and giveth an high lustre to it especially in men of birth and place what true English heart is not warm'd with joy to see the living flames of ancient valour conjoined with generous minds in Gentile bloud but if thereto be also annex'd Religion I dare say to a trulie pious loyall eye the Sun it selfe is not more glorious Gentlemen your enemies call you Cavaliers a name as they take it of great reproach els you may be sure they would not call you by it will you give me leave in briefe to give you your owne Character or at least the Character of such a man as everie of you ought to be and as we your friends and servants in Christ desire to conceive of you why listen to it 't is this A complete Cavalier is a Child of Honour a Gentleman well borne and bred that loves his King for conscience sake of a clearer countenance and bolder looke then other men because of a more loyall heart He dares neither oppose his Princes will nor yet disgrace his righteous cause by his carriage or expressions He is furnished with the qualities of Piety Prudence Iustice Liberality Goodnesse Honesty He is amiable in his behaviour couragious in his undertakings discreet and gallant in all his executions he is throughly sensible of the least wrong that is offered to his Soveraigne and is a professed enemy to all Rebells the aimes of his sword are onely to dissever the malignity of those forces that have conspired the ruine of Monarchy and Innocency he feares no evill thing to come upon himselfe but contemns all dangers that look towards him he dares accept of deaths challenge to meet it in the field and yet can embrace it as a speciall friend when it comes into his chamber where he is alwayes making provision for its better entertainment in a word he is the onely Reserve of English Gentility and ancient valour and hath rather chose to burie himselfe in the Tombe of Honour then to see the Nobility of his Nation vassalaged the Dignity of his Countrey captivated by any base domesticke enemy or by any forraigne fore-conquered foe This is a compleat Cavalier and if any of you be not according to this Character believe me you are not right nor the men you ought to be And so much Gentlemen for the first particular in your description I come to the second and that is your Commission in the word sent shall be sent namely by him who hath power from God to send and that is only the King or Supreme Magistrate all the Commissions which God grants to Souldiers are signed by the Kings hand who is as Moses was the mouth of God unto his Subjects in things of this nature and such a Commission so signed doth constitute a lawfull Souldier the Lesson is this A right Commission makes a lawfull Souldier Yea a right Commission makes the Warre it self lawfull to the Souldier although it were undertaken by the Prince upon unjust grounds for the Subjects duty is to mind his owne call rather then the Cause for though in matters of Religion we disclaime and abhorre the Doctrine of blind obedience yet in matters of State and order wee professe allowance of it quae supra nos nihil ad nos things above us belong not to us if we pry into the reason of Princes undertakings we may prove our selves to be the Busie-bodies whom as we noted before the Apostle yoakes with murderers and evill doers And I thinke these times doe sufficiently declare the due concatention of these conditions But as I was saying though the Justice of the Kings Cause which is as cleare as the Sun to all unlesse to those that are given up to blindnesse and to believe lies were not so manifest and apparent nay were it an unjust cause on the Kings part yet were it not so to those Souldiers that are authorized by him for according to the point a right Commission makes a right Souldier and that cannot be given by any nor derived from any but the King
in the Battaile yet 't is no true valour to set your foot too hard upon the neck of a fallen foe that beggs your mercy the generous Lion scornes to exercise his fury upon an enemy that 's prostrate before him I would have the Kings men do nothing but what is Kingly let Rebells practice basenesse it best becomes them Beside the Scripture saies that mercy pleaseth God and in that we are bidden to be like him who in the midst of judgement remembers mercie Be yee mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull for as in another place there shall be judgement mercilesse to them that shew no mercy as men do to others so shall it be done to them 2. Remember to distinguish between quaerentes facientes malum the plotters and contrivers of or the leaders in this Rebellion and they that by seduction onely are drawne into it between your sturdy Rebels and those that by a kind of inforcement are made to take their parts the Text speaks only of the former that severitie is to be used against them which if it be men may call it cruelty if they please but 't is justice rather and the prevention of mischief and cruelty for as such have been meanes alreadie to undoe and murder many by leading them into paths of death so if they should continue they would destroy more 3. Remember I pray to shew respect to Women Children and aged persons to the first in regard of the weaknesse of their Sex to the second sort in regard of the minority of their yeares and to the latter sort in regard of their gray haires 't is said of the barbarous Chaldeans 2 Chron. 36.17 That they had no compassion on the young Children on the Maiden or on the old man on him that stooped for age indeed though God did deliver the nation into their hands to punish yet he looked they should have showne some pittie on such as these and because they did not he threatned to punish them Esai 47.6 O Daughter of Chaldea I was wrath with Israel and I gave them into thy hand and thou didst shew them no mercie but upon the ancient thou didst lay very heavily the yoke therefore v. 9. these two things shall come upon thee in one day losse of Children and widdow-hood 4. Remember for the honour of your King and Cause and for your own inward peace and outward credit sake that you neither do nor so much as in you lieth suffer to be done in coole blood to the most impious Rebels any thing that savours of immodestie barbarousnesse or inhumanitie To uncloath men and women of their garments and to expose their nakednesse to open view as the enemies did in Ireland is most immodest and offensive to God and all good men to be an houre or two in hacking and torturing a wofull wretch or in taking away that miserable life which might be concluded in a moment or to wreak ones furie upon a dead carkas is a most barbarous cowardly thing and odious to God though offered to an Edomite as appears by that his threat unto the Moabites for their burning the bones of the King of Edom to lime Amos 2.1 so to use reviling speeches and cursed execrations against them that are readie to die or are in going out of the world full of wounds and paines is most inhumane nay 't is plainly diabolicall to insult over men in miserie be they never so vile never such wretched enemies The ancient Romans the bravest Souldiers in the world were carefull to absteine from all kinde of harsh words in such cases as kill him hang him knocke him down rogue villain or the like as also from all kind of barbarousnesse and inhumanitie in their executions for they said they acknowledged their enemies to be men not Tigers Metius Suffetius was drawn in pieces with foure horses for his Treason from which as a spectacle of great horrour the people turned their eyes The storie sayes as it was the first so it was the last punishment in this kind of rigour that was exercised amongst them for nulli gentium minores plaeuisse poenas saies Titus Livius of them no Nation so carefull to preserve the reputation of humanity as they Be you also carefull noble Gentlemen and Souldiers to abstein from all such unworthy conditions object not that the enemies deal so shamefully with our men when they get them into their power for I 'le assure you basenesse doth better become them and their cause then ever it will become you 5. Take heed you do not do any thing against the enemies out of your own private hatred remember that you are the Kings men and your enemies are the Kings enemies and them you are to oppose as such and as the enemies of your Countrey even in battaile it self you must strike and shoot as at the common foe let God direct the bullet or arrow as it pleaseth him as he did that which being shot at a venture slew Ahab and then 't is God and not man that killeth for to levell at any knowne men or to pursue any out of particular malice may be found murder in Gods account at the great day The Lord threatens to execute great vengeance upon the Philistines with furious rebukes because saies the Text thou didst take vengeance upon thine enemies with a despightfull heart for the old hatred and private grudge that was betwixt you Though God imploys men as his instruments to punish the publike enemies of Church and State yet never to revenge themselves he never gave any man a Commission to do this he would have us all to referre such wrongs to him 6. Remember what ever you do you do it with a publike spirit and do it valiantly and in that manner as may no whit discredit the Kings cause or blemish your own reputation nor occasion griefe to your spirits afterward and to this end remember the graciousnesse of the Kings spirit and disposition how he hath hitherto looked upon the vilest of them all with an eye of pitie and look you to your Commission which you have from His Majestie which let the enemies bawle never so is far more mild then they deserve it should be and remember too that though they have by their actions renounced the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and offered despight to the patient obedient and peaceable spirit of the Gospell and have forgotten you to be their brethren of the same nation and of the same Religion too which themselves professed foure years ago and do in their Turkish charity call you nothing but Dogs Popish Dogs yet be not you like them but yeeld them still to be your Brethren though rebellious and degenerate and approve your selves towards them to be Christians And these be the Mementoes which as Gods Minister I do here propound unto you yea which I do in the name of God charge upon you But perhaps some of you will say if we should follow
or els turn the same upon themselves wherefore I say and say againe and I do beseech you withall for the good of your soules and for the Honour of your King whom you love and reverence gallant Gentlemen and Christian Souldiers be holy be valiant and be you sure though you do but your duty in opposing these men of bloud who will have nothing but war war yet you shall not lose your reward God will see them paid that are imploied in his work you may observe in Ezek. 29.18.19 That God takes order for Nebuchadnezzar and his Armie That they should be paid for the service they had done against Tyrus But perhaps some of you will say how shall we do in the mean time To answer this I must turn my speech to other persons You Gentlemen of the Countrey Townsmen and others who are not Souldiers and do not assist personally in this righteous way be it knowne unto you that you are bound in dutie and conscience to afford the liberall and willing aid of your purses for is it just that these your Countrimen should like Zebulon and Nephthali Iudg. 4. jeopard their lives unto death in the high places of the field while you in the mean time like the men of Reuben abide in your sheepfolds hearing the bleatings of your flocks or be striving among your selves who shall afford the least assistance to the subduing these enemies of your King I confesse you have been loyall and exemplarie to others in many things I beseech you all to persevere and remember that all you have lies at the stake and he deserves to lose all that is not willing to part with some to preserve the rest nay Sirs let men think as they please of themselves I believe he is no true Subject nor hath such an heart as he should have that desires any thing more then a bare being till his Soveraigne be again setled in the throne of his Kingdome Wherefore I beg of you all whom God hath blessed above others with wealth and substance approve your selves right and like those Governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the people that we as the Prophetesse there did may rejoice in you and blesse God for you Mine heart saies she is towards the Governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the people blesse ye the Lord For be assured that otherwise the curse of Meroz will be your portion Curse ye Meroz saies the Angell of the Lord curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to help the Lord the Captain of the Lord the Annointed of the Lord against the mighty or against his ungodly enemies that did so mightily increase and so mightily exalt themselves And you good people all of what ranke or condition sex or degree soever you be be carefull I pray to afford the assistance of your praiers that the spirit of the Lord may come upon that Princely Generall whom God hath sent for your protection into these parts as it did upon Sampson when the Philistimes were upon him And let me tell you where ever others are pleased to lay the fault of our no better proceedings in these parts hitherto I who have been an observer of passages do professe unto you that I can lay it on nothing so much as on your want of prayer wee had at first a most honourable valiant and loyall hearted Generall whose personall care diligence and courage envie it self was not able to blemish but he was not fortunate in these parts we had after him a person of like noblenesse against whom the very faction at Westminster when time was could object nothing but honestie and the Kings affection towards him whose known wisdom and valour hath been successefull also in other places but not so happie as yet in these parts though attended too with the concurrence of many valiant souldiers and experienced men And I do verily believe the maine cause of all this is your neglect of praier wee have daies appointed by His Sacred Majestie to fast and pray in but how poorely are they observed nay how highly are they prophaned here is nothing among many that I see but swearing and drinking and despising of pietie and thus have you weakened the hands of the valiant O but I beseech you offer not the like injurie to this Man of men to this mirrour of Europe this Honour of Christendome for Châ—valrie and valour so fully beautified with all the qualities of a most accomplished Generalll and made more glorious yet by the spaule and daubings of the treacherous and foule-mouthed Rebells which alone is sufficient to speak him excellent to all that know not him but them O doe not I beseech you tie the hands of this illustrious Sampson with the cords of your sinnes do not blast the greennesse of this Royal branch with your prophanesse and neglect of duty do not weaken him by trusting in him let your confidence be onely in God that he may worke by him but follow alwaies with your prayers that good successe may also attend him here as it hath done in other places And let us daily blesse the God of Heaven for him and for his Princely Brother the two great Instruments of our supportation in these daies of our calamity let us observe the Almighties doing how hee in blâ—ssing and honouring them hath at length regarded the low and afflicted estate of their Royall Mother and hath thereby graciously answered our prayers for her but 't is in such a way that our enemies are ready even to gnash their teeths at the Majestie of Heaven for it as may appeare by their rating and chiding of God for the same in some of their prayers well friends I say but this take yee heed we be not means by our ungodlie courses to darken those whom God hath honoured leave swearing drinking Sabbath-breaking and prophanation of the Fast daies lest thereby we obstruct the concurrence of divine aid unto their Princely undertakings for us And now last of all to the Governour Major and Officers of this Towne I would speak a word Sirs you are fortifying your Town and have spent much money about it to little purpose hitherto your Rampires have fallen downe and your labour hath been in vaine and wot you what is the cause of all why even the uncontrouled sinnes within it such cursing and such swearing even by women and children as well as by men did I never heare as in this place sure these oaths and curses be the bullets that have battered down your Fortifications O that you would for your owne safetie and for the honour of the King and for the blessing of God upon his righteous Cause take some order to reforme these abuses quantum in vobis est beside you might save some Money by it your works would stand the better yea if you would take the course which I shall prescribe you would spare your selves a great deal of trouble in another kind and some charges too 't is this You are full of suspicions here in the Towne I perceive that you have treacherous persons among you such as are better affected to the Enemies then to the King and many have bin imprisoned upon jealousies and fears and nothing that I see yet can be proved against them insomuch that perhaps they may prove honester men then some of those that have molested them Now one true way as I take it to find out the Kings Enemies amongst you is this appoint Officers in everie street let the Church-Wardens and Constables assist therein to inflict and leavie according to Statute a pecuniarie mulct upon every Townsman for everie oath that is sworne either by himself or by any that is under his charge and also upon everie Alehouse-keeper who shall suffer any in his house to sit drinking on the Lords daie or on the Fast daie while they should be at Church and this Monie thus leavied I would have imploied to buy food victuals for the Prisoners of the Rebells party some of whom we have in the Town alreadie and manie more I do not doubt by the help of God but we shall have shortly so shall you save the charge which you are at for them and also thereby easily learne who are the most affected to them and to their side for without question they that afford them most monie in this kinde most reliefe that feast their bodies best may be yeelded their best friends and the Kings greater Enemies This is all I had to say now the Lord give you all a right understanding in all things Amen FINIS Part. 1. Doct. Reason 2 Pet. 1.4 Mat. 12.34 Vse Reason 1 Pet. 5. 1 Pet. 4.15 Vse 3 Doct. * Loyal Subjects belief Reason Object Answ. Iam. 3.15 16. c. Vse Part 2. Doct. Vse 5 Doct. 1 Pet. 4.15 Gen. 27.29.37 1 Chro. 18.13 Ezek. 35.6 7 8 9 c Reason 1 Cor. 2.8 Vse Ezek. 25.15 16. Object Answ. P. Rupert L. Capell L. Byron P. Mauricâ—