honouring the King joyned in one sentence of branding such who condemn Authority and despise Governments of being subject for the Lords sake to all that are over us to the King as Supream c. all being New Testament Precepts together with the paterns and practises and professions of Primitive Christians have all been urged fully and satisfactorily to the Ingenuous by learned Mr. Prynne the honour of our English Nation in this time of the generall Apostasie and prevarication of this Nation from their duty to their King and yielding obedience to Gods commands and Christs and his Apostles both Precepts and Presidents and the Churches pattern and practise for these sixteen hundred years and upwards I shall return to the assertion before layd down namely that Monarchy was the best of Governments to which I added that ours was the best of Monarchies as to the dignity of Monarchy or Kingship to use the new word put upon our former Government by the Rumpers to both of which I have already spoken and urged as to the excellency of Kingly Government Gods promise to Abraham and the accomplishment thereof under David and Solomon that Nation never being so famous so glorious and so flourishing as during their Reigns besides whose examples let the whole world be sought for instances and never shall we finde the magnificence of a Common-wealth comparable to that of Monarchies How did the Roman Empire in Augustus time excell in glory the same Roman Common-wealth And yet who knows not that is moderately versed in the Roman History that their very Common wealths were but nominally so really Monarchies What were the Consuls but in stead of a King and the Senate his Councill Which Consuls though two yet how oft stood one for more then a Cypher What was Bibulus joyned with Julius but as his shadow What was Antonius with Cicero when he without mentioning the other boasts of himself not privately but openly even to Envy O fortunatam natam me Consule Romam You will say the Consule were changed yearly Granted but had they stood longer it had been better however the Senate being for life and the Consuls chose out of the Senate they were better able to understand the series of affairs yet how did one Consull envying his Predecessor carp at what Lawes were made in his time and labour to disgrace and repeal them the other making a party stood up and maintained them Thus the Agrarian and the Portian Laws with many others that might be named were polemically handled in the Pulpits and disputed in the field by bloudy battels that it was not amiss which was said by one concerning the Agrarian Law That the opposing and defending it had cost as much bloud and made as many breathlesse Carcases as would dung as much Land as was really benefitted by it How were they during their Common-Wealthsship plagued with continual aspiring minds whose thirst and rage was never quenched but with incredible bloudshed Sylla Marius the Gracchi with many others may be reckoned up whose ambition of overtopping all proved almost the Ruine of their Commonwealth How were they inforced sometimes voluntarily to choose sometimes perforce to endure a Dictator which was a King or Emperour with a new name not much unlike to our English Protectour When Rome was sackt the Senate slain and all things desperate the Capitoll only remaining in a manner of that great City the rest turned into rubbish and ashes by the merciless flames then something like a King was found necessary and that was a Dictator who having done his work and freed his almost ruined Country in plain hearted simplicity resigned his Dictatorship and was repayed his good service with the full measure of ingratitude If upon a force put a King or somewhat like a King be the best expedient it is doubtlesse best alwaies for non minor est virtus quam quaerere parta tueri Furius Garnillus found how ungrateful his countrymen proved when by his means they were delivered a good caution for men in Supream Authority to look to themselves But to return to the Roman Common-wealth so much admired by our modern Statists It will be no solaecisme to affirm that whatever was in it worth admiration was performed by such who wanted nothing of a King but the name and settlement for want of which they were ever rent with divisions Conspiracies and inbred tumults often inforced to make or to indure a Dictator or Protector or High-Gonstable call him what you will but an absolute Monarch he was untill Julius Caesar came who first being chosen perpetuall Dictator after assumed the title of Emperour and as an Empire Rome flourished as long and was incomparably more glorious then in its own condition when a Common-wealth As for the Civil warrs in the Empire that were frequent and bloudy it must be owned that peace and warre are in the hands of God by whom Kings Reign and injoy peace or enmity at home and abroad However the Reign of Augustus Caesar and of severall of his Successors shew evidently how happy and how peaceable it is possible if God please for an incredible Monarchy to be for a long season but the want of any example at any time for the like in a Republique shews it to be next door to impossible that is beyond Imagination improbable How glorious how stately and magnificent was the Babylonian Assyrian Persian and Grecian Monarchies And at this day the Turkish Tartarian Persian Chinensian Aethiopian and Indian Monarchies with that of the Moores in Affrica These I name as Heathenish but great Monarchies And of Christians the Russian Palonian German Spanish French and formerly English Monarchies how famous are they and were we To which you oppose the Venetian Seigniori the Low Country Boores and the rude Switzer Cantons Because I find you good at Comparisons I shall be with you there and let the effect speak the cause And because I perceive you liked very well of our Constitution from 48 to 53 as giving great hopes of a glorious rising Common-wealth I shal admit that time to come also into Comparison with our selves under Kingly Government during the Reign of our late King of blessed memory although unfortunate to the infamy of his Subjects as many as were guilty of his Tragicall misfortunes before these sad divisions appeared which produced in your opinion so glorious an effect As for the Athenian Lacedemonian and other Grecian Common-wealths they were of so old a date that the History of them is scarce to be had true and certain and therefore I shall speak little of them but as by the by perhaps I may glance at them as you have done First then as to the Venetian Seigniory I yeild its long continuance its abounding in Riches and traffique but withall I suppose you wil easily grant the power of its troublesome neighbour the Turk and the fear of its other neighbours who would soon swallow it up if divided hath been the chief
the Superlative degree appear before the new modelling of the Army True there was no rebelling against all Authority King Lords and Commons at once till that time Sure Sir those Lords who were forward with the forwardest adventured their lives spent their bloud as well as others will have little incouragement to help manage and carry on such another War if we should finde occasion to fight all over again that hath been fought as you after insinuate unlesse they may have more thanks for their labour You must needs grant that the Warre at the beginning was raised and from the first carryed on for the defense of Religion and Liberty or else it was most hypocriticall and barbarous Rebellion and all the bloud shed therein inexcusable murder And if it were for the defense of Liberty and Religion from the beginning without doubt every rationall man must conceive that they who at first acted themselves in the War vigorously and stirred up others to it sedulously and continued constantly in the name of the Parliament of England with the distinction of both Houses did never imagine the Commons alone to be a Parliament But why speak I only of the House of Lords Did the House of Commons abolish KINGSHIP Were not above three parts of four of them not only not consenting to and active therein but protesting against and abhorring it So that in truth it was not only not the Parliament of England that did it but neither the Lords nor Commons House that either acted in or consented to it but a factious Combination of some of the rotten Members of the House of Commons who assisted by the factious and rebellious part of the Souldiery without consent of and in opposition to their Fellow-members contrary to the sense of the whole House of Lords not minding their former sacred Vowes and the scandall which the breaking of them would bring upon the profession of Religion murdered their KING divided his Estate and Revenue among themselves and their Abettors and to secure themselves from justice for these Enormous Villanies Vote down both King and Kingly Government turn out of dores the House of Lords and all their Fellow members and in their places seat themselves and vote themselves the Parliament of England and this they vote as they call it into a Free Common-wealth to which they endeavour by Conquest first to subject and then to unite Scotland and Ireland Now how just and how magnanimous this action was let any rational man judge 'T is strange that if it were so and that those Remnant of Patriots who delivered us from thralldome as you are pleased to miscall them could no otherwise secure us from slavery and bondage but by abolishing Kingship that no more of the Commons nor any of the Lords House could perceive it but themselves And how came they so late to see it Strange that their eyes were not opened so well before Or did they see it before and yet swear and compell others to swear to maintain that with their utmost hazard of both Loves and Fortunes which they had found and experimented to be burdensome uselesse expensive and dangerous and upon just grounds to be abolished Are these things think you consistent Mr. Milton how long experience had they of the dangerousnesse c. of Monarchy before they abolished it be pleased to tell us if before they Covenanted and protested the more Villains they to swear if after it were good to be informed when Were they faithfull Patriots if they knew and had experienced such a thing and yet never disclosed their mindes to their Fellow-members untill upon a Treacherous surprize they were turned out of dores by their mercenary servants the Army Are these the acts of men who are likely to secure our Religious and Civil Liberties Was it a Common-wealth that was fought for or a Free Parliament How then comes a Common-wealth to be the Good Old Cause Was it once in nomination at the first taking up of Arms Was not the thing pretended the removing of ill Counsellours from about the King and was there no way to do it but to send him thither where no evil counsel can have accesse even to Heaven Did they not vow to make his Posterity as well as him glorious and was there no way to it but to rob the Heir of his Earthly Crown that he might have the more leisure to contemplate upon his Heavenly one No way to make him a blessed and happy Prince but by intitling him ipso facto to one of the ten Blessednesses pronounced by Christ among others to those of whom men speak all Evil falsly and revile them Blessed God! if these be Saints where shall we find Wicked men But why Sir do you call Kingship a detested and once abjured thralldome Who abjur'd it and when I am sure that there was searce a Rumper in ten but swore to maintain and defend it besides the Oath taken by all Members at their first admission how I pray then and when was this Oath or abjuration taken and by whom Lately one Prayse God Barebone presented a Petition to that purpose which made his house appear like to a Bawdy house for broken windowes twice in a few dayes I hope Sir you have not a private Dispensation among you to swear to maintain and abjure the same thing at your pleasure and as oft as you please I doubt not but most of those who first assisted the Parliament had they heard but the least pretense this way from those who called them to their aid would have very hardly contributed the least Money to their supply nor the least help to defend their quarrel Then it was for the Parliaments service in defense of the KING and his Posterity that all was pretended to be done and now can we believe the Originall intention to be all those facred pretenses notwithwithstanding to destroy the King and his line and to abjure Kingship or Monarchical Government God forbid this is certainly no other then a new Invention suggested by the Old Serpent and fomented by his Instruments to the Dishonour of God whose sacred Majesty they appealed to and swore before and the reproach of the true Protestant Religion in the profession and sincerity of which made by and immovably fixed in the hearts and breasts of thousands of this once famous Nation England was exemplary among all her Neighbours but now by this act of some few of her perjur'd yet Saint professing Sons made infamous yea abhorred and detestable among al that live round about her I grant you Mr. Milton that this action of ours for ours we must call it till the Nation be vindicated from it or punished for it as it was a damnable president so it was commended to and laboured very hard to be made practicable and practised in our Neighbouring Kingdome France so willing are seared Consciences in sinne to involve as many as may be in the same guilt with themselves if not
how earnestly on the other hand did he desire it and yet factious spirits being crept into these grand Counsailes how was time spent in vain and nothing effected I speak not now as an Historian but as an Oratour my present task is to urge matters granted not to relate but for things of fact I shall recommend the Reader to the larger history of Mr Sanderson and the briefer of Lambert Wood Gent both relating the full substance of what was done and suffered by our happy had we known our happiness King CHARLES the First whole happiness as to himself is I question not beyond mortall capacity and whose glory honour and renown for his Conquest in his sufferings exceeds the most famous of all our former English Monarchs Our Kings before these reforming times had a splendid Revenue accommodated to the Majesty of a Court although much short of the expense which a warlike Camp and navy Call for to the former our Kings estate was fitted of the latter he was himself uncapable without the assistance of his Subjects nor was this to be had of them without their free consents in Parliament where neither the Lords nor Commons alone but both together were in a capacity to furnish the King Good Sir what burden was here But moneys you say were commonly extorted out of the Commons no just cause appearing to them Strange that Mr Milton should write such a foolish absurdity and yet considering him the Author of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the defense of the people against English Salmasius and the Paradoxes concerning divorce the subject meethinks befits the pen. How is it possible for money to be extorted from the Commons in Parliament without their Consent When neither the Lords nor King both concurring could impose one Subsidy upon the Commons Nor was it ever known that the Commoners sate in Parliament under a visible compelling force untill these times of mysterious reformation It is certain the major part of the house of Commons must vote a subsidy or subsidys or else the King must go without them and this must passe the house upon a full debate of the question Now to imagine that monys voluntarily given should be extorted and where the question is put and each man without compassion hath liberty of giving his Ay or No without further rendring an account of the reason of his dissent more then he is free to or if he have reason as you insinuate and gave it he is not liable to the least question for any freedom used in expressing his mind in the house who but a man compounded and made up of ignorance and impudence would say that such moneys so given upon such debate and the question so oft put no man being bound up to either consent or dissent but as his judgment and Conscience gave him were extorted without any reasonable Cause appearing To this I know what you would reply namely That the House of Commons had within its Walls a Court faction and without both King and Lords who were his Creatures and all labouring to their utmost to supplant the sincere part of the Commons who were zealous in defense of the Peoples Liberty This Mr. Milton is soon said and Machiavell teacheth you no lesse but not so easily to be admitted The Commons are chosen by the Counties Cities and Burroughs for which they serve who usually choose such whom they most confide in to the Electors they are ingaged by Indenture or Covenant and so where a Free Choyce is there is less fear that men chosen by all impowered by all and representing all and willingly ingaging their Faith and Credit to all should contrary to their Trust betray all and comply with the Royall Interest to the prejudice of those who Elected and intrusted them to Represent themselves We know Mr. Milton that Elections then were Free and no Prohibition laid upon any that were by Law capable either from Electing or being Elected True since our Yoak as you term it hath been shook off and none are under restraint but only such who fear an Oath and make Conscience to keep those sacred tyes inviolable which judicially and conscientiously they took we have had at least nine parts of ten restrained from either choosing or being chosen so that the tenth part only hath had liberty of Ordering the Election and the other nine parts must upon penalty of being plundred sit still and call this a Free Parliament in such a House of Commons as this I doubt not but many may be found who will betray their Trust pretended to be committed to them because they indeed are not Elected by but Obtruded upon the people Thus we have had not only Knights but also Citizens and Burgesses more then formally yea really men cum accinctis Gladiis with their Swords girt for Army Officers have not seldome been the major part of the House or else such with the Officers who held places of great profit under the then ruling or rather Domineering Vsurpers But if really these men had as you say experimentally found and that upon long proof Kingly Government to be expensive and burdensome what can they pretend in excuse that they should Declare publiquely their intent to be to make this Kings Rvenue Larger and more Splendid Was this intent reall or did they make use of it as a decoy pretense to ingage the Common people of their side without whom they could not perform their work Yea I will appeal only to themselves had they not declared protested covenanted vowed and used all sacred and solemn means to perswade the Nation that their reall intent was only to remove some bad Counsellors from about the King and to bring them to Justice but that to his Majesties Person and Royall Issue they bore firm and inviolable Allegiance nor ever minded to abridge his just Prerogative only with it to confirm and secure and settle the Liberty and Priviledge of the Subject if I say they had not Declared this do they think that ever Money had been lent and raised or so many men would have ingaged their Lives and Fortunes No verily those turbulent spirits without these specious shewes had been left at first stript of all Friends and Abettors to the hand of Justice to have had their hot spirits cooled with deserved Imprisonment or perhaps with a Hempen Preservative against future infection with a treasonable Rebellious Spirit Well then if the People by such pretences were cheated into a Rebellious War it cannot so much be imputed to them considering what the Parliament with sacred solemnity vowed and swore enough to induce any but very discerning Judgements to side with them but the blame must for ever lie at their dores who have acted so rebelliously and perfidiously on one hand and dissemblingly on the other Consider I pray you things upon the account of Justice for Sir there is Justice among Thieves and High-way men if they share their Booty fairly and equally could these
or unsetled in their Constant Resolutions toward you for whose prosperity and speedy Restitution to your Just Hereditary Rights and long and happy injoyment of the same hath been is and shall be God assisting the constant Prayer of Most Illustrious Prince Your Majesties most faithfull And Loyall Subject And humble Orator G. S. A Serious and Seasonable WORD TO A Sober People BEfore I come to what I intend shall be the subject of this ensuing Discourse I think it very necessary to make way for what I shall hereafter say by removing in the first place whatever in probability may raise a prejudice against what I am about to write that so nothing of exception may lye against any circumstance after once the matter of my Discourse is allowed First I question not but my person will be enquired after and perhaps soon found out and known and it may be wondred at therefore why I do not as well set down my name as the two first letters of it If so let me crave of thee Reader not to harbour any Prejudice against the subject matter of the following Treatise therefore which I did for the end to avoyd prejudice thereby For I am not ignorant of the ability of Mr. Milton whom the Rump which was well stored with men of pregnant although pernicious Wits made choyce of before others to write their Defense against Salmasius one of the greatest Learned men of this Age both for reality and reputation who therefore was Royal prefessor of Philosophy as I take it but will not be positive herein in the Vnited Provinces and at his Majesties the present Scotch and Hereditary English King's request undertook the Defense of our Protoroyall English Martyr against those of his Subjects who with as much Treachery as Perjury and with as much cruel inhumanity as both murther'd him at his own Gate in the face of the Sun and in the presence of that God and before many thousands of that people by whom and before whom they had sworn with lifted up hands that they would with their lives defend his person Posterity and just Power with many other particulars contained in their Oath as may appear by it self known formerly by the name of The Solemn League and Covenant taken by all the Members of both Houses that remained sitting at Westminster after such who had left them were withdrawn and convened at Oxford Nor seemed it enough to them to take it themselves but it was by their authority tendred yea strictly imposed and upon severe penalties injoyned to thousands of men all the Kingdome over besides a Vow and Protestation equally sacred and binding to the same things which in the League and Covenant were upon Oath promised all which notwithstanding this their Liege King was murthered being sentenced and executed by those very men that had sworn to defend him the Parliament Garbled as to the Commons House and dismembred as to the House of Lords by those very men who had sworn to maintain and defend its Rights and Priviledges and severall both Nobles and Commoners lost their lives being sentenced by an High Court of Justice a stranger and contrary to our known Fundamental Lâ—ws which was chosen and impowred by those who had Covenanted and sworn to maintain with their Lives and Fortunes the Fundamental Lawes of the Land And yet these men thus acting call themselves by the name of Gods people and the faithfull adherers to the work of Reformation and the Good Old Cause although nothing appear in their actions but Treachery Perjury Murder and Cruelty Against which Rebellious hypocrisie the most learned Salmosius under the borrowed name of Claudius Anonymus inveighed most justly and truly as well as Oratorically and no lesse deservedly then Eloquently Which Defense of his no lesse judicious then well-composed as for Language did render the deserevdly abominable Actors both notorious and odious among the foraign Nations of Europe the fame thereof by this Learned mans Eloquence being written in the Latine Tongue sounding far and neer To remedy which inconvenience if it might be done the Rump which now began to stink in the nostrils of every honest and wise man this bloudy butchery of theirs vying with yea out-doing not only the actions but the worst of the Jesuites professed Tenents and therefore to the perpetual ignominy of the Reforming Protestants justifying the fraternity of Loyola and silencing the others make choyce of Mr. Milton to be their Champion to answer Salmasius who as may be conceived not vulgarly rewarded for this service undertakes it with as much Learning and Performance as could be expected from the most able and acute Scholar living Concerning whose Answer thus much must be confessed that nothing could be therein desired which either a shrewd Wit could prompt or a fluent elegant style could expresse And indeed to give him his due in whatever he vomited out against his Majesty formerly or now declames against Monarchy in behalf of a Republique he then did and doth now want nothing on his side but Truth and the honesty of his Cause or Subject on which he did or doth discourse So that it was wisdome as I judge it in me being to reply to so acute and universally owned a learned man to conceal my Name at least not to expose it obvious at the first view that the prejudice which the known inequality of the Antagonists at the first sight begets in a Reader causing many Tractates to be thrown aside without reading being taken away or at least suspended till the Treatise is read the thing contended about may be judged according to the weight of the Arguments on either side and not according to the estimate of the persons allowing then Mr. Milton all the advantages which an acute wit ready invention much reading and copious expression will give him I shall only trust to the goodnesse of the Cause for which I plead in which had there been any proportion or equality between that which he and that which I contend for I should not only doubt but despair of conquest of which as the case falls out I am assuredly confident But expecting to be known both who and what I am I must expect to meet with such Questions as these What need you meddle with affairs not only out of but so far distant from your Sphere your profession much differing from Politicks and the Concernments of Majesty being far above your station This Objection if not satisfied because it may much prejudice the acceptance of what I write in the opinion and esteem of many Readers I shall therefore first speak to it before I proceed in my intended task and whether what I shall say prove satisfactory or no I shall leave to the judgement of the Candid Reader slâ—ghting in the mean while the dissatisfaction of the obstinately or rashly censorious I answer therefore first that though the affairs of politick forms are besides my practise yet not besides my cognisance and
by setling the Nition into a Free Common-wealth for the attaining speedily firmly establishing and best ordering of which you give your judgement and that in some things Paradoxall but as you conceive the most necessary and best expedient to procure much good to and preventing much mischief in and managing affairs most wisely and experiencedly for the good of the Common-wealth And that is that the Grand Council of the Nation should sit perpetually of which you shew the good and conveniency on the one hand and the dammage and inconvenience of the contrary on the other hand which you illustrate by instances confirm by reasons and shew some Stumbling-blocks you would have avoyded in following your advice and Rules to be observed namely not to harbour any such fond conceit in our Republique as is the Duke in the Venetian or the Prince of Orange and House of Nassan in the Netherlandish Common-wealths Thus in order you come again to compare a Republique so contrived with Monarchy to admire the one and decry the other by shewing the Justice Freedome Plenty and Peace of the one and the difficulties uncertainties and impossibilities of the like injoyments under the other You proceed then more particularly to compare them together in their allowing or disallowing spiritual freedome or Christian liberty and herein also you give the priority to a Common-wealth concerning the promoting of which you adde some thoughts of your own concluding it an absolutely necessary thing for the obtaining or continuing Civil peace and will allow no Government so inclinable to favour and protect it as that of a Free Common-wealth but on the other hand you shew the unlikelihood that Kingship should ever give way to it as you instance in Queen Elizabeths not induring Calvinisme or the Presbyterian Reformation should be so much as proposed to her during all her Reign lest it should diminish Regall Authority Between which Queen of happy memory and our most pious Prince you make a short but scurvy scurrilous comparison impudently affirming him to be bad Principled from his Cradle trained up and governed by Popish and Spanish Councils and on such depending hitherto for subsistence From spirituall you come to Civil Freedome which consists in the Civil Rights and advancement of every person according to his merit and for the attaining of this end also you conclude a Common wealth far to excell in opposition to Kingship And for the reaping the larger benefit in this kind you propose an expedite way in your opinion By having Legall Jurisdiction without Appeal in each County providing also for such Controversies which shall happen between men of severall Counties that they may repair to the Capital City to conclude which head having vomited forth much of your filth against monarchy you close your discourse with a Patheticall Peroration to the People in which you do briefly hint and seem to wipe away what Objections may be made against a Free Common-wealth and so draw to this Conclusion That if we do return back to Kingship on that score that Jewes would have returned into Egypt for the sake of Onyons Garlick and Flesh-pots trading to wit which by our casting off Kingship hath been decayed our condition is unsound and rotten and that we are in the Road-way of all Nationall Judgements and Calamities You seem at last to fear the successe of what you have written only hope the best that though these lines should move most men no more then stones or stocks yet they may out of some of these stones raise up Children to Liberty That what you have spoken is the Language of the Good old Cause intended for the Conviction of Backsliders and if possible to give a stay or stop to our ruinous proceedings and to the general defection as you conceive of the abused and misguided multitude This Sir is a short or summary Epitomy of what I understand by reading your discourse but how far wide it comes from Truth and Reason I doubt not but before I end to make manifest and shall shew your intended Modell to be unpracticable by us if ever we expect peace and settlemâ—nt in these at present distracted Nations Your first stating of the Case is brief and might pass for current among such who are and have been strangers to the transactions of this Nation or whose memories are so short as not to be able to recollect how matters have been carryed on by and from the beginning of this Parliament but to others the fallacy may appear at the first reading Was it the Parliament of England that abolished Kingship and Kingly Government Where were the Lords Did they concurre in that action Certainly no for they by the same power and Authority if that can be called Authority which wants Justice to support it were abolished likewise about the same time and by the same Engagement afterwards that excluded Kingship cut off from having any share in Government And if they concurred not in that Act how can any man without impudence affirm that it was the Parliament of England that abolished Kingship Or can the Parliament of England consist without a House of Lords It is most evident that at the first sitting of this Parliament it consisted of both Lords and Commons who yet made no Parliament without him with whom they were to parly or consult and that was the King But it is not my task to discourse as a Lawyer but as an Orator intending to inquire into the truth and Reason of things and not to determine how the Case stands in point of Law Though Lords had been uselesse and unnecessary to sit as a House and assist in Government yet they were absolutely of use to the making of an English Parliament or else shew me any Parliament that ever was in England without them You confesse that the Parliament of England was assisted by a great number of faithfull Adherers to them in the defense of Religion and Civil Liberties and were not they as well the Peers as the Commons By what Power were Armies first raised Commissions granted and Moneys levyed but in the name of both Houses If the first making of Warre which judicious and conscientious men judge Rebellion but I shall wave that Enquiry nor hereafter meddle with it were for the defence of Religion c. the Lords as an House can claim as great a share in the glory of it as the House of Commons Yea if to have the honour of first kindling the fire deserve prayse One Peer with Five Commoners must share together Was not the case of Kimbolton once accounted of as high merit as that of Hoslerig and his fellow-partners And the Priviledges of Parliament equally pretended to be concerned in the defending of them all Or if the management of the Warre deserve commendation which you call the assistance of the Faithfull did not the Lords personally act as highly and adventure as far as any Commoner Or did not the faithfullest for I observe you use
preservative of that Common-wealth under God and given it so long a life But yet the Duke of that Seigniory doth not differ so much from a King whose being limited to a double voyce as things are carryed signifies as little to abridge him of Kingly Authority as the Nominal electiveness of the Emperour of Germany is a reall barre to the Austrian family Yet let the Venetian Policy thus farre speak for the excellency of King-ship That one Kingdome of Candia which is in their jurisdiction is the present irreconsileable bone between them and the Turks the one having gained the most of the Island all in a manner and having built Mosques there and made places of buryall is prohibited by his religion to yeild up the same by any treaty or for any Composition the Venetians on the contrary having no Kingdome belonging to their Jurisdiction but that will take no price to sell away the title although the defending of it costs them annually an hundred times its value whereas if they would quit it they might have both peace and a considerable price for it yet refuse it obstinately of so great esteem do they account the title of a Kingdome And to speak truth the Venetian Government is suited to their territoryes they grew up with it and were no sooner considerable but had such about them who watched all opportunityes of swallowing them up that if they were convinced of a better way of Government yet was it impossible for them to change a new Policy being like a new Garment though never so much better then the old yet will be a good while before it will fit so well and be so easy so that if they should endeavour a change could they use the Celerity of Angels in shifting out of one form into another before they could suit themselves to it or it to themselves they and their Government would be griped and wrested out of their hands and they made a prey if not to their cruell and barbarous yet at least to their ambitious Neighbours As for Hollanders if they be a Common-wealth none of the least causes is because they are fit to make nothing else being never but a limb of Monarchy yet as farr as they are capable of it have a Prince of Orange who differs little really from a King only he may be said to be Rex belluarum he hath a company of malapert swinish unruly Subjects whose revenue to which he is by the peace restored lyes part in the King of Spain his former Leige Lords territories some under the Emperor some under the French But among them and out of those Provinces only that rebelled from the King of Spain should a King live and expect his Revenue he would be a ridiculous King of boorish subjects They indeed might be rich but the King a beggerly Prince They must be then what they are perforce as a block of wood is best imployed to make Beetles to cleave other wood withall if it be so knotty that it will serve for nothing else or at least nothing better What a good Common-wealth think you Holland to be A Hotch potch of many Independent Jurisdictions joyning forces together upon necessity to keep them from being punished for their Rebellion against and abjuring their lawfull King that so they may mutually secure indemnifye and keep harmless each other among whom are to be found some few relicts of Antient Nobility which appear among and have relation to the rest as here and there a great Plum in a Niggards Plum pudding where not only the provinces are independent each on other but every Village is a distinct and I may say Supream jurisdiction of it self Only the King of Spain like a great Wolf hath dared them as a Hawk over a hedg dares the small birds and they herd together to oppose him as a herd of swine will runne together to oppose a Wolf with their young in the midst making a ring to defend themselves Some joynt Rules of Confederacie the united Provinces as they are called have made among themselves but indeed they are but as so many severall flowers pickt and made up into a Nosegay which have no tye one to another but a string about all thus they were at first united for fear of a string or halter and to this day they continue friendly to one another and to the whole world upon the same account so farre as they either get by them or cannot be without them And for the Switzers by degrees rent from neighbouring Monarchies who but he that is a Switzer born and so would not defile his own nest can commend or speak a word in commendation of their Policy so farre from being desireable that it is scarce tolerable As for the Genevah Common-wealth the constant fear they live in makes their politicall estate undesireable yet are they not altogether independent nor safe but under the wing of that Prince whom they chose for their Protector And if the Protector be more honourable then the protected then the Monarchys of France must needs be preferred before the Neithe landish Republique the protection of whom was offred to England and accepted by France The Switzers also have their Protector and so the Hamburgers the Genoeses and in a word not any without protection formally granted on one hand and accepted by the other that bears the face of a Common-wealth And the Protectour and Patron is still a Monarch and therefore of the two Monarchy is the more Noble and absolute Government Such a Common-wealth Mr. Milton as Holland is I suppose you could wish and would help to make England but there is among them something that you do not so well like and approve of that is the house of Nassau or Orange family Certainly what honour or preheminence that family hath we may say as old Tobit said to his Sonne concerning the Angells having half of what was brought back from their Journey considering the many and good services he had done It is due to him So may we say and the Dutch when time was acknowledged so much of this Princes Grand-Father he deserved all they did or could bestow on him or his posterity By his valour prowesse friends and Estate at first they rebelled prosperously and by the same afterwards they were defended from punishment of this their Rebellion safe and kept secure to save whose legally forfeited lives and fortunes if reduced he hazarded and spent his own fortunes and lost his own life while these merits of the Grand-Father were fresh in memory and the Sonne surviving the Father might be and was usefull and serviceable in the same kind what honour then too great what accounted too dear for the house of Orange though since they have with sufficient ingratitude forgot the merits of the Father Grand-father and great Grand-father and would deal with the Issue of this their deliverer as the unthankfull Sechemites did with the posterity of Jerubbaal This revolt of the
admit many they fear would dwell among them who might make a Conscience of keeping Allegiance inviolable and would urge against their Protestanisme that ungospellike rejecting their lawfull King although provoked by persecution and would cite the practise of the Primitive Church unanswerably discountenancing and their profession and Doctrine loudly and openly condemning the same by which means the multitude might be brought about to be undeceived and willing to entertain or at least desire their former Loyalty So that Policy not Conscience excluded from among them the Popish and a sordid desire of Gain set open the Flood-gates to all other Religions Among which if that may be accounted a Religion Athiesme is not excluded but findes its Sanctuary Now I pray you Sir where is the Magnanimity of Spirit that you boast of herein When nothing that bears the face or carries the name of Religion is disallowed but that only which is the only publique Religion of their former Prince lest by entertaining it his Friends should be let in therewith to the shaking of their new layd foundation the chief security of which seems to consist in their Nationall abjuring their formerly sworn to Soveraign not minding in the mean while the dishonour done to Gods name by those multitudes of abominable heresies yea damnable blasphemous Doctrines which swarm in those Countreys Amsterdam especially as Frogs swarmed in the Land of Egypt and yet they the more the pity are not at all troubled thereat because they bring profit and commerce along with them but I wish they do not hereby heap up to themselves wrath which may be powred forth upon them in the day of Gods Vengeance When no King was in Israel and every man did what was good in his own eyes then Micah made his graven and molten Image his Ephod and his Teraphim and hired a Levite to be his Priest Then was every man at his liberty what Religion he would follow a King only being so generous spirited and noble as to Engage that Religion publiquely to be professed which appears to him and his most learned Divines the true and most agreeable to the pattern and precepts of Gods Word and prohibit whatever strikes at this foundation nor to suffer any Rents or Schismes in the Church the inlets generally of farre greater mischiefs both in Church and State whereas a Common-wealth being but a puny Authority is compelled to tolerate this and that and twenty Heresies because some rich men or other are Favourites to all and nothing keeps the most rustick Peasant from being created the Greatest Heer or Lord among them but want of a competent quantity of Silver Gold or Merchandise Kings therefore in Scripture are promised to be nursing Fathers and Queens nursing Mothers to the Church but no such Promise concerning Republican Lords let them be never so high and mighty Nor is this degenerate basenesse of spirit visible only in Religious but as well and as much in Civil yea Ordinary concernments and there is a naturall reason for it since according to the Proverb According to a mans meeting so is his greeting Vulgar deportments find but vulgar respect nor is it fit or likely that he who puts little value upon himself should have greater put upon him by others that are about him Majesty and state may be kept without adoration but not without humble and due submissive respect Too much familiarity in all relations breeds Contempt The state and distance which Solomon kept between him and his subjects we finde registred by the Penmen of Sacred Histories as part of his magnificence and no small portion of Gods temporall blessings cast upon him as an additional Supplement to that for which he requested to wit Wisedome And I finde Paul the famous Apostle appealing to Caesar from Festus who was a subordinate Deputy to the Emperor hoping for greater shelter as to Religion from the Head of all Majesty Caesar himself then from an inferior Substitute or Lieutenant unto him And we read in the last Chapter of the Acts how long and how free he lived considering him in bonds at Rome being arrived in prosecution of his Appeal an evident argument that he expected and doubtlesse found more freedome under the Wing of Majesty then probably he should have had from an Inferior Governor neerer allyed to the common rank of men And as in the persecution of Religion the greatest favour is to be found in probability from Majesty it self so in the protection incouragement and advancement of Religion Kings and Emperors are unparallel'd Fathers and Nurses thereof Witnesse of old David Solomon Hezekiah and Josiah with many other godly pious Princes And of late since Christ Constantine and Theodosius with severall glorious truly Christian and famous Emperours And among us Edward the sixth Queen Elizabeth King James and without regard to your rayling black mouth our unparallel'd Martyr King CHARLES under whom how glorious was our Church to the admiration of many and envy of some of our Neighbours During whose pious Reigns if we will be poring only upon what was defective and whining after what was to be desired in our Church Discipline we shew our selves very ungratefull to God and men but if with thankfull hearts we could have enjoyed and prized what really was our Lot beyond all who were about us we might have said truly Our lot was fallen to us in a pleasant place and we had a goodly Inheritance God not so dealing with every Nation as he had with us who therefore might be named the darling of the Lord. It is the glory happinesse and true beauty of a Nation professing Religion when the face of man is not feared but God is so far exalted that none is acknowledged beside him King in the Church and therefore not only Caterpillers and Locusts are destroyed and Cattell which browse upon the Vynes kept out but the Foxes the little Foxes are taken that spoyl the Vynes they having on them tender Grapes How glorious a thing is it for a truly zealous and pious Pâ—ince to countenance and encourage the Priests and Levites such I mean who oversee and manage the service of the Lord that out of the Church may be excluded not only the abominable and the unclean but likewise every thing that offendeth What more dangerous in the Church which is the Garden of the Lord then Factions and Heresies but what so fatall as the plucking up its Hedge and throwing down its Wall which is not as many imagine a foolish agreement or Covenant of the people one with another but a Christian and conscientious submission for the Lords sake to those who by Divine right are appointed and set over them to maintain which pale inviolable the King when a true nursing Father of the Church as blessed be God we had many such is next to God the greatest defense on earth on which score not without cause our Kings have had and deserved the name several of them of Defenders of
conceive anticipated any material Objection that might be made for future in behalf of one or against the other I shall now conclude with you wishing you heartily true repentance and a sound minde Rayling against Majesty when insulted over by the permission of God and casting scurrilities in the face of Gods Anoynted is the mark of a Shimei let his profession of Religion be what it will and if God ever come to awaken your Conscience in mercy or in judgement you will finde such a like reproof in your breast as cursing Shimei had from Solomon Thou knowest all the wickednesse that is in thy heart and which it is privy to c. out of the abundance of which you belched forth your filthy Expressions against him of whom those who are truly pious fearing God and the King give a different Character But I hope all who are indeed wise will be enabled to judge of persons and things You say what you write is the Language of the Good Old Cause I am sure what I write is the Language and according to the sense of Good Old True Christians and of the Scripture What you wrote you wrote no more you say then if you had written to stocks or stones And what I reply to you or to the Ring-leading Rumpers I am confident I write to such that is scared Consciences and stony breasts but as you hope your writings out of those stones may raise up some Children unto Liberty so I hope these my Writings may meet with some who in simplicity are following Absalom in Hebron being by delusions won to desert their lawfull KING in Jerusalem I mean following an Vsurping Aspirer in contempt of true Authority and the true Church deserting their True KING and rejecting the true means of Grace to be only found in Zion But those who are True and Cordial Subjects and Sons to their King and of the Orthodox Protestant Church know that David whom Shimei reviled was a man after Gods own heart and one whom the Lord chose to make an Everlasting Covenant with so different is the esteem of good men being made by divers sorts of persons As an Eye that is distempered and bloud-shot dazles at the Sunne or any clear Light seeing by it nothing but bloud terror and amazement nor can abide to behold it but looking down on the green Earth is more contented and pleased So guilty mindes or restlesse spirits cannot endure the lustre of Majesty but go poring upon and admiring that which is more sordid and neerer the Earth as suting best to their capacity To both which the Poet thus alludes and shewes the fate of each Sapiens domin abitur astris Vir Terrae pronus sensibus is suberit But I hope these terrae filii will be no longer Remora's to our long wished for and expected Deliverance Settlement and Joy which that it may come certe citò both surely and speedily is and hath been my prayer and I hope every Cordiall Subject and loyall Breast in England Scotland and Ireland will say Amen A PERORATION To his EXCELLENCY the Lord Generall MONCK and his OFFICERS AND TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE The Two HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT Which are shortly to meet and Sit at WESTMINSTER Most Honourable LORD HAving in defense of Regall Government against Mr. Milton's Ready and Easie way to establish a Free Common-wealth brought by Gods good help and assistance my â—ntended task to an end it remains that I now addresse my self to your Excellency in a paraeneticall or congratulatory way for what you have through Gods blessing been instrumental in bringing to passe We are all deeply sensible and thankfully acknowledge that the Righteous God for our many and great sins had corrected us and brought us into such a state and condition as this Nation never before was in since it first was known to be a Nation to thiâ— day He had cut off from us the Ancient and the Honourable had deprived us of our happy Governors broken our once matchlesse peaceably setled and long happily Government Had set Ephraim against Manasse Manasseh against Ephraim and both against Judah so that the Syrians before and the Philistims behinde did all seem to devoure our Israel with open mouth Yet for all this his fierce anger was not turned away but his hand appeared stretched out still against us Our Kingdome was divided rent and tottering one part against the other the Son envying and betraying the Father and one Brother another so that there was neither peace nor truth among us Our Church also was broken almost to pieces with Schismes Factions and Heresies our profession scandalized with damnable Errors and Blasphemies so that we had scarce the face of a true Church left among us Our Principles were tainted and corrupted with the crying sins of murther sacriledge cruelty of pression hypocrisie rebellion and perjury breach of faith Vowes Covenant and Oaths with hard-heartednesse and impenitency that it was hardly to be discerned if any spark of true Religion and power of Godlinesse remained in this every way guilty Nation or no whose hands were deeply imbrued and beyond washing stained with the sacred bloud of Majesty nor was the cruelty perpetrated upon the Father so repented of as to give glory to the God of Heaven but it was continued upon us and justified by us in the rejecting of his whole Royall Lyne and Issue and neglecting his necessitated Orphons and Widow although by profession we owned our selves Christians and boasted of a far greater Light then had shone upon any of our Ancestors or Predecessors Yet among them in a time not much removed from Paganisme perjured Harold permitted Edgar the true Heir of the Crown to injoy a large part of his Estate and Revenue and to retain the title and command of Earle of Oxford one of his subordinate titles had he been Crowned KING as Harold by Oath engaged to Edward the Confessor he would see performed when Edgar came to years and in the mean time himself would only assume the Title exercise the Office and execute the Charge of Guardian or Protector of him during his minority notwithstanding which perjuriously he himself Usurped the Crown Deposing the right Heir howbeit left him the Title and Dignity of Earle of Oxford with a large Revenue so farre was he from conspiring against his life though he aspired unjustly contrary to his Oath to his Crown But among us Saints by profession enjoying the greatest light which ever appeared since the Apostles time is found Harold's perjury exceeded fourfold and his cruelty a thousand fold For besides one Oath of Allegiance and another of Supremacy given to all also another Oath sutable to the former at Admission to sit in Parliament the Authority of England which was subordinate to the King in order to manage a War against him with whom they were called to consult and to whom and his Queen with his whole Royal Issue they were sworn to be true to preserve his
Nation and made us their servants for Ever But especially because of his performances we have already had the taste and in a great measure fruition but the good to be reaped from your Honourable Consultations is yet in expectation to you therefore I addresse my self as an humble Suitor and yet Confident Petitioner but to his Excellency thanks is already due for a large portion of benefits which we have received of him in this kinde To which I may adde that this being written and intended to be published before your Session Reason and Order call for it that I should in the first place addresse my self to the Power in being especially of whose good we have so largely tasted and next to the Power which is in Expectation shortly after My Addresse Right Honourable and Worthy Patriots to you is to intreat you not because I in the least doubt your own most ready inclination thereto to set your selves seriously to the healing of our breaches Yea I know you will do it however it will not be amisse nor I hope interpreted peremptorinesse for me your faithfull Honourer to submit a few Considerations to your most judicious censure first inviting to a settlement upon our Ancient Basis and only firm Foundation not barely Kingly Government but our most Virtuous King Charles the Second to whom God grant a long and prosperous Reign whose Restitution I hope and pray for and doubt nothing Right Honourable Senators but by your means to see accomplished But Secondly giving your Honours the grounâ—s why I wish it may be effected and brought to passe as soon as possible I shall after conclude this Discourse humbly begging that the great God of Heaven would give you wisedome and courage that He who sitteth among the Gods may sit among you directing and guiding you in the ready way to settle these Nations in firm peace that Religion may be countenanced and flourish our Rights as Men and Christians asserted vindicated and preserved to the glory of God and the comfort of all that fear him in all three Kingdomes This Right Honourable Lords and Gentlemen can be no way brought about but by restoring the true Heir to his Inheritance all other wayes or means are but only suggestions of the Adversaries of the Nations happinesse who would continue things in unsettlement on purpose only to secure and indemnifie themselves from deserved justice Consider I beseech you how many prejects have been contrived towards our Settlement upon different Foundations which all proved sandy and so the Building thereon raysed though cemented with Bloud and Rapine soon fell and we were ever put after each Change upon greater straits and left in worse confusion then we suffered before So that the change of our Medicaments and Physicians in order to the Recovery of this sick State hath been far worse than our Disease it self the one causing us to languish in unsettlement the other accelerating our Destruction and threatning our utter Ruine Which must needs be attributed to the Justice of God who hath forsaken us because we forsook him He hath seen and beheld all the guilt under which this Nation lyes and if for two Transgressions and for three the Holy and Righteous God would not turn away the punishment of severall Nations what shall be done to us for seven crying Sins yea rather for seven times seven Abominations How have Rebellion and Treason Perjury Persidiousnesse and Murther Hypocrisie and Sacriledge besides all sorts of Heresies profanenesse beastlinesse unmercifulnesse cruelty and oppression reigned in these Nations and raged as if in contempt of Heaven How hath bloud touched bloud How have the Rumpers and after them the Vsurping Protector filled London and the whole Land with Innocent Bloud the cry of which is come up to Heaven and there calls aloud for Vengeance But now at last God in unspeakable mercy hath seemed to return to us and as a Father doth offer in love to embrace us to him be the praise In answer of whose so great tenders of favour and future blessing give me leave Honorable and Worthy Patriots to grone forth my most affectionate desires before your Wisdoms The cause of our long continued Calamities hath been and is unquestionably a spirit of ungratefullnesse toward a signally gracious God and a spirit of Rebellion toward his Vicegerent on Earth the KING also a spirit of profanenesse in contemning his Worship and Service together with the Ministers and Dispensers of the same This wicked ungodly spirit like a fertile although accursed Root hath brought forth numerous branches of such crying sins which at this day are to be found among us and formerly have been practised and remain yet unrepented for Now most Worthy Senators it behoves you seriously solemnly and industriously to endeavour a Nationall amendment of these Nationall Abominations Nor is it enough to bewaile the guilt but by amendment and restitution we must endeavour to wipe away the blot and expunge the stain contracted The Villany committeâ— against the Father and his Off-spring wâ—o was the Father of these Nations was committed upon a Naâ—all pretense and therefore it behoves it should be Ntionaâ—ly disclaimed In that act God was highly provoked by Oaths Vowes and Covenants not more sacredly made and solemnly taken and entred into but as perjuriously broken in the face of the Sun yet the perjury justified and defended under the Cloak and pretense of Religion Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum My Lords and Gentlemen you are the Successors of that Parliament and many of you the very persons that sate therein It behoves you now to testifie openly and effectually against this treacherous perfidious perjury which ended in bloud or else you will be found Justifiers of the same Gods wrath is not to be appeased without hearty contrition and repentance of these sins for time past and an amendment for future which Amendment must be answerable unto that praevarication wherewith God was and is provoked else the Plaister will be too narrow for the Sore Consider my Lords and Gentlemen our fault in all its branches Ingratefulnesse towards anâ— perjury against God Apostasie from our Religious profession to the toleration of all Heresies and Blasphemies and perfidiousnesse unto Rebellion from with contempt and rejection of our Liege King and his Posterity contrary to Duty Oaths and Protestations this must be adaequately repented of and satisfaction reparation and restitution made to parties injured if ever we expect Gods return to us in mercy and not a Visitation in judgement For with Majesty many thousands were injured in the highest degree to whom if at least justice be not done for the future and an acknowledgement of and taking shame for what is past where reparation cannot be made God without a miracle can and no doubt will make use of these to be the Executors of his Vengeance and fierce displeasure against this Nation who then would be not only here and there bespotted but over head and ears
future forty Commoners if they can bribe a Competent force to abet and back them may be supreme unking and murther their Soveraign disable his Posterity unhouse the Lords and make their Fellow members six times their own number uncapable of trust power and priviledge both for present and future and then what English man would but loath the name of Parliaments for ever Your priviledges were broken and the breakers stiled themselves the Patriots and true Assertors of the Nations liberty now the vulgar cannot discern between the name of a thing and the thing it self The publick faith given by both Houses O abominable to consider was made the by word of every Baliad singer And what was the cry of the people but the Parliaments publicque faith was become a publick cheat This my Lords and worthy Gentlemen must be protested against solemnly and effectually to the undeceiving the people else the glory honour and reputation of English Parliaments is lost in England till oblivion devour the memory of these things Without this be done the King whenever by God restored as most certainly he will be in Gods due time may well nautiate the memory and mention of a Parliament unlesse the Rump be disoned and disclaimed as one And so if the Prince dislike and the Common people contemne and abhor that under God which is the Nations strength glory and safty of what fatall consequence this must needs be I leave to your wisdomes maturely to judge What remaines then but that we conclude of the Rump with like expressions to those of Jerubbaal concerning them who pleaded for Baal because some body had thrown down his Altar Will ye yet plead for the Rump Let them plead for themselves at the Barre of Justice Will ye yet defend the Murtherers of the King Lord Capel Doctor Hewit c. with the monstrous high Court of Injustice Leave them to the determination of Justice and the mercy of his incomparable Majesty the true inheritor of his Fathers Christian vertues and graces to wit patience compassion meeknesse long-suffering c. as he is heir to his Kingly Diadem Let as many as plead for the Rump be put to death in this morning of our deliverance because God by the means of his Excellency the Lord Generall MONCK hath thrown down their Pride and cut off their lawless power and so put an end to their matchless fury and mercilesse rage proceed therefore wisely goe on prosperously Noble Senators and settle these poor confused Nations call home our banished yea I know you will do it God having instructed you with a high hand walk not in the way of the Rumpers Observe the hate scorn and contempt which deservedly lies upon them on the other hand the Joy triumph and jubile the bone fires ringing of bels the freeness of the Citizens in opening their Purses toward defraying publick charges and paying his Excellencies Army upon hopes given of your being convened The expressions of gratitude toward that noble instrument from the Citizens each Hall and Company being ambitious to entertain him and shew all manner of thankfulnesse to him for his high merits in being instrumentall toward your calling and declaring his resolved acquiescency in your prudent determinations All which speaks to you in most patheticall expressions Make up our breaches Restore our King Pity our past distractions even almost unto finall destruction Let us now be redeemed indeed and setled upon our true and lasting foundation Let us not be lift up to Heaven in joyfull hopes and comfortable expectation and then cast down to Hell in heart-breaking disappointments My Lords and Worthy Senators you have before you to revive and restore or to kill and destroy us choose the former yea blessed be God you have chosen it and will perform it Next to God our eyes are upon you and we rest assured that our hopes will not make us ashamed nor our confidence confounded in the conclusion Let not any wicked lying spirit whisper to your selves or his Excellency and find credit that high merits with Princes are repayed with ruine of him whose deserts cannot be recompensed True where an instrument is assisting toward the exaltation of an usurper contrary to duty and conscience the Tyrant when seated cannot endure him by whom he climbed still measuring the drift of the other by his own spirit and knowing that none out of conscience would ever assist or set up an Vsurper but what is done in that way let the pretence be what it will the aime is only self preferment So that many times an active Rebell aiming at his own grandeur yet is content to truckle under another of greater repute and who can make better pretence then himself still resolving that if he can under that visor throw down lawfull power he may after much more easily baffle him whom he pretended to advance and side withall Thus aspiring Oliver did by Fairfax the Rump Lambert Harrison Vane and many others And so Lambert aimed to have dealt with Fleetwood Desborough c. and the restored Rumpers But his Excellencie neglecting self interest eys cordially we hope and confidently believe a truly publique nationall concernment and good and for that end was instrumentall in readmitting the secluded Members and so the Rumpers noses being wiped to call summon and convene your Honours and resolves to stand satisfied with your conclusion and determination that envy it self cannot say of him that he tampers with the Government which it is equally presumption in a Generall to attempt upon his own score to set up or restore as to pull down or dispossesse This prudent management of things in so distracted a time as it is praise worthy beyond expression so it is but the duty which he owes to God and his Country In performing which had he no other recompense the content of his own spirit would be ample satisfaction But he cannot go without thankfull reward having equally engaged his Countrey with his Prince from the latter of whom I know his generous spirit expects only his gracious acceptance whose most Princely disposition I confide will lead him to return the Author deserved Honour His gratefull Country also will requite his Piety with all possible acknowledgment and perpetual celebration of his memory for the same It is one thing to serve a Tyrant and Vsurper and deserve of him beyond requitall another thing to serve a mans lawfull Prince in lawfull things and Country together The former by what he deserves shews himself to be void of all Conscience and therefore may well be feared for unless the Tyrant surprize and ruine him he seldome failes doing the like for the Tyrant but here the glory of the Act is ample satisfaction and the justice and honour of it takes away all cause of jealousie from the King Who can once imagine that he who having an Army and not wanting pretences to make a claim being of Royall descent should in sincere Loyalty turn his eies upon
as it is apparent that Davids Subjects valued him at ten thousand of themselves and the Scripture promiseth KINGS in the last dayes to be given as Nursing Fathers and Queens for Nursing Mothers to the Church And that KINGS shall bring their glory and honour to the Heavenly Jerusalem as an Accomplishment of her splendor and lustre A thing not promised to any ten thousand other persons nor are so many private men nor can they be capable of it Behold a good a pious patient truly Christian Protestant Prince yet a man of Valour and Courage although made up of meeknesse and clemency who may lead us and conduct us in Warre and preserve us in Peace How have the Rumpers ecchoed to their Vsurping Protector in mannaging a costly foolish unprofitable Warre with Spain to the ruine almost and losse of the Nations Trade and the beggering of severall thousand Families only to satisfie his and their Lusts and Animosities in which Warre besides we lose three for one Whereas a true Father of his Countrey would sooner empty his own Vâ—ins of bloud then exhaust his Subjects Puâ—ses for no apparent cause and to no beneficial end We have had tryall of Vsurpers even to distraction almost to destruction Oh! now at last restore to us our true Prince and Governour CHARLES our King The excellency of whose temper and height of whose deserts as they render him truly more desirable so they make him of more value then ten thousand common men Let the worthinesse of the Subject plead for the maturity of your care And the great God who is only able to direct guide and counsell you be your Counsellor and stay That so once more being setled upon the Foundation of Truth and Righteousnesse our perjury murder and oppression being repented of and the oppressed relieved we may all have cause of solid and lasting joy which is the Earnest Prayer Most honourable Lords And worthy Senators Of your Cordiall Honourer And most humble Orator G. S. THE CONCLUSION TO His Royall most Excellent Sacred MAJESTY THus having most judicious truly pious and most accomplished Prince performed this defense of Regall Government and Authority against an acute although scurrilous Antagonist whose Reproaches of and impious falshoods concerning your Majesties most glorious Predecessor and Royall Father I have wiped off and discovered the Impiety therein of him who cast them Likewise having addressed my self to those in Power of whose good will we have already had Comfortable Earnest to stirre them up to the speedy Restauration of your most deserving and desirable Person and family to your undoubted birthright and inheritable upon honourable termes as the only way under God of putting a period to our Long suffered miseries calamities and distractions and setling us upon the happy foundation of Peace righteousness religion and true not nominall Liberty Duty now commands and engageth me humbly to lay down these my inconsiderable labours at your Majesties Royal feet and to submit them to your most judicious censure The test of which far be it from me fondly to imagine that these triviall Lines can abide However from your most accurate censure I fly to your most gracious Princely disposition craving your favourable acceptance of the will and desire I had sincerely to serve your most just Royall Interest that so I may be esteemed in your Gracious breast according to my truly loyall most cordiall intentions and not my weak and every way Inconsiderable performance In magnis voluisse sat est Pardon also I humbly begge of your most gracious Majesty this double presumption of daring to trouble your more serious thoughts with my no way valuable Lines in comparison to your other many most weighty important Princely Affairs since this last boldness is absolutely necessary in consideration of the former it being no way excusable having begun my Addresse to the Sun of Majesty to end the same in Application to any Starre of lesser magnitude To you therefore most incomparable Prince and Soveraign as I humbly dedicated and presented so I recommend this inconsiderable mite of my service to you it is due were it of the greatest worth However as it is be pleased to accept it and in it let your truly Divine Princely goodnesse cover all defects and imperfections and receive it I beseech you as a testimony of his most Cordiall devotion to your service with all possible performance to the utmost of his ability to which he is truly and conscientiously obliged and constantly resolved to stand immovably firm in all submissive Loyalty and inviolable fidelity who is My LIEGE Your Majesties unworthy most humble Orator G. S. FINIS Books printed and are to be sold by William Palmer at the â—alm-tree in Fleetstreet 〈…〉 Dunstans Church OCcult Physick or the three Principles in Nature Anatomized by a Philosophical Operation taken from Experience in three Books The first of Beasts Trees Hearbs and their Magical and Physical Vertues c. By W. W. Philosophus Student in the Coelestial Sciences 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Parly of Beasts or Morphandra Queen of the Inchanted Island Wherein Men were found who being transmuted to Beasts though proffer'd to be disinchanted and to become Men again yet in regard of the crying sins and rebellious humours of the times they preserre the life of a Brute Animal before that of a Rational Creature c. By James Howel Esq Reader be pleased to correct these following Errors of the Presse with thy pen. PAg. 4. lin 24. read of these p. 11. l. 5. r. Yeomen p. 13. l. 13. r. Laws p. 19. l. 12. r. then l. 16. r. inferior p. 21. l. 28. r. whence p. 26. l. 4. r. the Jewes p. 33. l. 12. r. to a p. 36. l. 16. r. gave p. 40. l. 25. r. lost p. 42. l. 13. r. lost l. 14. r. called p. 43. l. 2. r. Law p. 44. l. 21. r. of p. 51. l. 12. r. and stained p. 52. l. 4. r. noâ— p. 58. l. 11. r. the English people against Salmasius l. 27. r. compulsion p. 59. l. 2. r. give p. 66. l. 11. dele and p. 68. l. 3. r. had l. 13. r. adjudged l. 26. r. assent p. 71. l. 6. r. the l. 8. r. Syrus l. 28. dele and p. 72. l. 8 9 10. the stops are misplaced p. 73. l. 8. r. think p. 74. l. 14. r. Abram p. 78. l. 7. r. Israel p. 85. l. 9. r. untill p. 86. l. 25. r. intituled p. 87. l. 5. r. of the Jews p. 88. l. 3. r. ascension l. 14. r. disallowes p. 93. l. 18. r. et absurdo p. 100. l. 2. r. former condition p. 104. l. 5. r. goodly p. 109. l. 9. r. Heer 's p. 111. l. 3. r. generous p. 112. l. 13. r. Salmasius p. 115. l. 9. r. Sauromaâ—i l. 17. r. Expedition p. 133. l. 9. r. untill p. 138. l. 1. r. distraction p. 146 l. 26. r. on Church p. 159. l. 5. r. it p. 180. l. 17. r. happy p. 185. l. 9. r. ordered And if there be any literal faults which have slipt my correction which the Reader at first sight cannot but observe be pleased to correct it and with candor attribute it to oversight Farewell From my Study Mar. 29. 1660. FINIS