will neither see nor heare or if they doe dare not speak what they see or heare how prejudiciall or destructive soever it be to Religion or ought else that good is I shall in the cause of Religion adventure a little further in the discovery of the designes of those professed enemies thereof I have been assured by a person of Honour that the Protestants of France had towards the beginning of these unnaturall and unchristian wars resolved upon a Declaration against the Parliament and Subjects of England their taking up of Arms against their King and had published it had not the forenamed Cardinall dashed it and underhand wrought them to too much approbation thereof rendering by that one subtill act of his the said Protestants odious to their own Soveraign for approving such Antiregal Antimonarchicall attempts and also advancing thereby his own designe of fomenting our destructive divisions But to return neerer home Who but the Jesuites and Jesuited Papists began that Rebellion in Ireland And who but their favourors here in England drove it on to that height by making those Rebels desperate in selling their lands and Voting them and theirs to ruine past all hope of mercy by detaining the King from going thither in Person to quiet that Rebellion when he so graciously offered it and so piously endeavoured it by diverting those fair full free running streames of bounty and liberality flowing all this Kingdome through towards the reliefe of the distressed Protestants of Ireland into those foule black bloody rivers of Warre and Rebellion overflowing this whole Kingdome to the wasting and weakening if not to the ruining and destroying of the now despised Protestants of England and lastly by the with-holding and delaying all along from the first to the last the necessary supplies of men moneys armes and other provisions from that Kingdome notwithstanding the Kings often and often calling upon the Houses to be mindefull thereof and conjuring them thereto as appears by his many Messages and Declarations to that purpose and notwithstanding the loud and dolefull cryes of the Protestants of that Kingdome from the greatest to the least so constantly ecchoing in their ears If the Jesuites and Jesuited Papists of this Kingdome had not their hands deep in all this and too prevalent a power with those that had the power of ordering that businesse better let any man that knowes one hand from another judge But to come yet nearer those incendiaries of Nations and perturbers of the peace of Christendome are fowly belyed by one whose brother hath been one of them these many yeares and he himselfe is now theirs and was then litle better If there were not in and about the Citty of London and in and neere the Armies about 3 weekes or a month before that heavy blow at Nazeby above sevenscore Jesuites and other Romish Priests known the most of them to him which kept correspondence diverse of them and gave intelligence to them at Westminster and served them both in keeping off assistance from the King from Princes of their Religion and in betraying the Kings counsels and the resolutions of his Army which they by their instruments and favourers crowded into those quarters got knowledge of to the adverse party so that they could draw the kings Army into what part of the kingdome they pleased and there fight them or not fight them as they saw the advantage Insomuch that a Noble Colonell of the Kings Party and a man of good estate and credit being then a Prisoner in the Counter in Southwarke and having there fed at his table and preserved the author of this information that had been a prisoner in the same prison but was then by his Brothers meanes set at liberty was about that time before mentioned advised upon those grounds and some other by the said informer and that in gratitude as he affirmed knowing no other way of acknowledging his bounty and liberality towards him forthwith to make his composition and peace with the Parliament for that the King would without all peradventure yet the King was at that time in as high and hopefull condition as ever he had been in from the beginning of these warres be brought very low Strange propheticall counsaile at that time had not the counselour had too strong presumption to conclude from And now to speake a litle upon mine own more immediate knowledge Travelling beyond the seas in the company of a Romish Priest borne in England and another English Gentlemen of the same religion after some warme dispute between us I was told by the Priest that I need not be so hot and zealous for my religion for so said he we have now as good cardes to shew for our Religion in England as you have for yours for we perceive you are a Protestant of the established Church of England and if you and such as you doe ever enjoy your Religion there againe it must be by a Tolleration and so shall we enjoy ours I replyed that I hoped God would disappoint them of their hopes but since that I found they had too much cause so to presume for I was no soonet arrived here in England but being constrained to attend some Parliament men at Westminster I heard a Gentleman who by his habit and discourse seemed one of credit and trust among the Romanists soliciting another Gentleman whose Father had been a Parliament man but was then dead for the assisting him by his friends in the promoting of a Petition for a Toleration of their Religion and he told him amongst other discourse what progresse he had made therein both with some prime Commanders of the Army and with divers members of the House of Commons whose names for the present I conceale and that he had delivered three Petitions to that purpose into the hands of three of the House of Commons who had uâ—dertaken the recommending them to the House and promised him theâ—… best furtherance therein so that he did not much doubt of the successe but yet should be obliged to him if he would be pleased to contribute thereto 〈◊〉 party solicited replied He should doâ— him any servicâ— and the Petition desired no more then he apprehended to be according to the judgement of the times in point of liberty of Conscience when I heard this and observed how liberty of Consâ—â—â—nce was every where contended for I no longer wondered at the cooling Cards which â—hâ— Priest gave me for I pâ—â—ceived they of his part had plaid their Cards so well that they might affordâ—d any of us the knowledge of suâ—h a triumph not did I then thâ—… it strange which but a few dayes beâ—ore I admired that so many Jesuits and othâ—r Priests did daily flock into this Kingdome from France Flanders and the Countries adjacent and all by the way of Hâ—lland there having been nine or ten such newly shipt at the Briâ—â— under the same â—onvoy if not in tâ—e Vâ—siâ—li that Master Stricâ—laâ—d tâ—e Parliaments Agent for Hâ—llanâ—
and this whole Kingdome for so many yeares together and which must not be forgotten in the discharge of tâ—â— many naturall and civill bonds of Allegiance and for the performing of those many sacred and solemne vowes and oathes made to God for the strengthening those bonds have adheared unto and assisted his Majesty in the defence of the established Religion in the preservation of his sacred person Honour and dignity and in the maintainance of his just power rights and prerogatives together with their own and your just lawes liberties and properties How I say those faithfull and loyall Subjects of the King for their adhearing to and assisting of their King upon these grounds in these wayes and to these ends have beene reproached slandered plundered hunted up and down imprisoned sequestred banished sold as slaves and for slaves starved hanged and otherwise murthered their wives and children abused oppressed forced to live upon the charity of others or otherwise made weary of their lives are things so well known to your selves and to the world that if there be any thing that makes you to doubt of the charity of the Kings Party t is the consciousnesse of your owne Parties unchristian unexampled cruel barbarous in-sufferable and with any but God and them unpardonable dealing with them and theirs And therefore if any of you should come into their power and they should exercise that power upon you to their utmost of fury and vengeance they could not deale so ill with you as you have done with them except they should act over your owne Tragicall practises upon your selves and yet still they would come farre short of you because they should doe what they so did but by way of recompence where t is first deserved and they thereunto deeply provoked whereas you did it only in pure malice without any desert or provocation at all more then what your owne false feares and jealousies fained and fancied And if they should match your crueltie as farre as they were able and reward you according to your wayes and according to your doings which is Gods usual way of dealing with men when no other way will doe good on them As it would be most just with God so the most of men would be ready to justifie them in it and so should I if these two cautions or conditions were truly observed 1. If they had Gods command for it 2. And if they could doe it without intermixing their own revenge with it But because they have no assurance of the former and may be assured that they cannot observe the latter and therefore how glorious or just soever it is for God to use whomsoever he please as the executioners of his vengeance upon others yet t is but unhappy and uncomfortable for any to be made such instruments and executioners upon these and such like reasons I tremble to thinke of any such retaliation and I have many other reasons to assure me that they will abhorre to practise it For how ill soever you and your lying Prophets have voyced them or how deeply soever ye have reprobated and damned them the Kings party have to my knowledge been better instructed both from Christ and his Gospel and from those dispensers thereof which you for other ends forced unto them as also from their very sufferings which you without cause have loaded them withall They have beene taught to recompence to no man evill for evill they have beene taught that if they forgive not men their tresspasses neither will their father forgive them theirs They have been â—aught to forgive their brethren not till seven times but till seventy times seuen They have been taught that how highly soever their fellow servants have sinned against them yet in respect of their sinning against their own Lord and and theâ—…s t is not so much as the debt or dammage of an hundred pence to ten thousand talents and therefore as they hope to be forgiven of their Lord their trespasses so can they from their hearts â—orgive their fellow servants and brethren their trespasses In a word They have beene taught to love their enemies to blesse those that curse thâ—m to doe good to those that hate them and to pray for those which deâ—pitefully use them and persecute them Thus hath their Master and his Ministers taught them whilst your Masters and their and your new teacâ—ers have corrupted and perverted severall Texts of Scripture to in-courage you in blood and crueltie As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof becauâ—e the◠〈…〉 Cursed be he that keepeth back his sword 〈…〉 your selves to day to the Lord every man upon 〈…〉 his brother Rase it Rase it even to the foundation 〈…〉 translation reade the words Down with it â—owne with 〈…〉 to the ground c. And happy shall he be that tâ—…th and dash to thy little ones against the stones Neither have the sufferings of the Kings party taught them any other lesson For knowing what a double blessing is pronounced and a manifold reward is promised to such sufferers as they have beene As blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heaven and againe Blessed are yee when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evill against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you They would not part from their clayme to that blessing and their interests in that reward and so loose the honour and comfort of all their sufferings by seeking revenge on their revilers and persecutors for ten thousand times more than you or your estates could advantage them This I know to be the resolution of some of that party and I have good cause to beleeve it will be the practise of very many for they could never have suffered so much and so chearfully had not these and the like principles of Grace beene in them And therefore it may well be hoped that he that hath layde such a foundation in them will perfect the building and he that hath begun so good a worke in them will performe and finish it untill the day of Jesus Christ And for the rest of that party whom ye most feare t is wisdome to feare them so much as not to exasperate them more Yet thus farre I dare undertake for them were my undertaking worthy of your notice taking That were you in their power as many of them have beene in yours you should finde the most prophane and rude among them lesse cruell in their cruelties they and their fellows afore have found than many of your pretending Saints and holy ones in those which they call their mercies but the fault is your owne if you runne your selves upon any such hazard For make your peace with God and he will make your enemies to be at peace with you and returne
as active and subtill in stealing in their leaven into every Parish as any other hereticks could be and a little more able to enforce arguments for the promoting it for the Church of Rome wants no policie nor meanes nor instruments to improve it And if the maintainance of the Protestant Clergie were but as poore and contemptible as is desired by many the Clergie it self would soon be as base and despicable as could be wisht by any and then besides the peoples growing like their Priests which constant observation hath made a Proverb it would be no small temptation to such a Clergie upon hopes and promise of recovering their old ancient honorable portions and revenues to desert that Religion which allows their Ministers such miserable starving pittances and to embrace that which rewards theirs with such liberall plentifull rewards Much more might be said to that point but I touch it onely in relation to the designe of the Popish party who have been and still are the principall instigators to all sacrilegious acts and resolutions in this Kingdome and will be without all peradventure the greatest gainers thereby not that they themselves would practise the same when they should come into power but because they know there is no more ready way for them to come into power then by such practisces of ours which would both render the Clergie of this Kingdome contemptible to the people and the people not a little odious to them as also otherwise fit and prepare both for their working them into what they shall please To tell you that a prodigious rabble of damnable heresies and pernicious errours are crept or rather brought with full sayles at mid-day into this miserably distracted Kingdome and that multitudes are daily bred and hatcht 〈◊〉 within were but to tell you your own dreames the true fathers and mothers of diverse of that spurious issue Filthy dreamers that defile the flesh despise Dominions and speake evill of dignities But who have been the principall factors for the bringing in and the cheife brokers for the venting of those from other parts as also the chief fomâ—â—ters of these started up here at home why who but the Jesuites and their complices who have for that purpose transformed themselves like their great master into all shapes and become Anabaptists to the Anabaptists Antinomians to the Antinomians Familists to the Familists and all things to all men that they might deceive the more And no more probable way of making proâ—elytes to themselves then this For the most of that numberlesse number that have been poysoned or tainted with those heresies and errours are either such as have no principles of Religion at all in them but are like those Saint Jude speaks of clouds without water carried about with windes even every winde of doctrine by the sleight of man and cunning craftinesse whereby they lye in wait to deceive and such are as fit to be carryed about by the winde of Popery as of any other doctrin or else they are such as have in them already good store of Popish principles properly so called how odious so ever for the present the name of popish or papists be or seems to be unto them and of these there are a vast number as will easily appeare to any understanding man that shall but compare the frequent tenets or positions held and asserted in these times with the known principles of Popery truly so called The Gangraena a booke written by Mr Edwards and so intituled will furnish any man with enough and yet he leaves out some Principle ones as THAT T IS LAWFULL FOR THE SUBJECTS TO TAKE UP ARMES AGAINST THEIR SOVERAIGN That Ecclesiasticall Courts are independent on the Civill That officious lying and equivocating is justifiable with many others Now how easie will it be for the Serpent when he hath thus gotten in a part of his body to winde in all the rest and how hard will it be when such poyson and infection hath diffused it selfe through so many parts of the body to purge it out againe Men are too prone of themselves through their pride selfe-love and pâ—rversenesse to defend their own errours to their utmost and will oftentimes deny many known truths rather then be brought to acknowledge one received errour yea will sooner part from those remains of truth that are in them then part from some errours taken up by them what then will such men doe when they shall be backt and encouraged therein by so powerfull and subtill a party as the Romish is Besides if the Popish party should gaine no more proselytes as who sees not that they gaine more in one moneth then they did formerly in seven years and have gained more in these six or seven years last past then they had done in all those other years past since the Reformation yet if they can by their broaching of and by their inviting and inciting to heresies and errours bring but our Church to confusion they hope to triumph and insult upon our ruines like those Foxes upon the defolate mountaine of Zion And if any Church be raised out of the rubbish and ruines of ours or any Religion be generated out of the corruption of ours they presume and not without cause that it will be theirs And that they expect some such day may be many wayes collected and particularly from their sparing ingagements for the King in all his distresse either by their Persons or Estates excepting onely some few loyall and noble spirited ones that were to their honour be it acknowledged as liberall of their Bloods and Estates as Subjects could be as also from their present for bearing to appear for him To all which I must confesse they have been well incouraged for the most of them have enjoyed more of their Estates and made easier Compositions for them then the most known Orthodox Protestants have And here by the way I cannot but recall to your memories some letters sent down to some of you from some members chosen for this County in answer to some of yours concerning the receiving of contribution from Popish Râ—cusants upon the Propositions for Horses Money or Plate at the beginning of these wars In which letters you were told as some of you have confessed That it was the sense of the House that contribution should be received from Popish Recusants provided that it were such as might witnesse their affection to the cause and not argue onely a desire to save themselves or to that effect And whether they did then conâ—ribuâ—e with you or â—ot to the raysing of that curâ—ed warre to be sure except as I said but now some few of them they have from that time to this contributed very little to the King for his dâ—fâ—â—ce against it And I beseech God that that war â—econded by this may contribute no more to the terrible designes of some of that party though there need no other contribution to the 〈…〉 shrone of
well as expression of language of the most fluent and passionate of Orators I have heard it objected against a reverend and deare brother-sufferer in these times though without any just cause alledged that he ascends too high when he compares so many of our Kings sufferings with some of our Saviours which I am assured he did neither with the least intent of flattering his Majestie then in no condition to be flattered nor without all due feare of approaching neer the verge of Blasphemy then and ever so much abhorred by him but on the other side with all due honour to our blessed Saviours sufferings and with no small comfort to the King and to all that suffered with them that his sufferings were and are so conformable to them and he himselfe therein to his and our Saviours image And although I sleight the objection yet I shall avoid the occasion of having any such throwne in my way and because I may not without some scandall taken make use of any such comparison I shall not compare them at all with anie other sufferings there being none other that ever I have read or heard of that do in all respects match them Take them therefore in their bare narration thus Charles King of Great Britaine the first of that name the only surviving Son and the immediate successour to his royall Father King James to whom this whole Kingdome by their Representatives in Parliament after a large commemoration of the inestimable and unspeakable benefits as they truly called them powred upon this Nation by his becoming our King and after great and high expressions of joy and rejoying at the same not forgetting their thanks to Almighty God for that blessing as also after a modest repetition of that their Soveraignes personall gifts and graces and the assured fruits and effects thereof which they had tasted in that little time of his Government together with an humble and hearty profession of constant faith obedience and loyalty to his Majesty and to his Royall Progeny made this acknowledgement and promise in these very words We therefore your most humble and loyall Subjects the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled do from the bottome of our hearts yeeld to the diuine Majesty all humble thanks and praises not onely for the said unspeakable and inestimable benefits and blessings before-mentioned but also that he hath further inriched your Highnesse with a most Royall Progenie of most rare and excellent gifts and forwardnesse and in his goodnesse is like to increase the happy number of them And in most humble and lowly manner do beseech your most excellent Majesty that as a memoriall to all posterities amongst the Records of your high Court of Parliament for euer to endure of our Loyalty obedience and hearty and humble affection it may be published and declared in this high Court of Parliament and enacted by authority of the same that we being bounden thereunto both by the Lawes of God and man doe recognize and acknowledge and thereby expresse our unspeakable joyes that immediately upon the dissolution and decease of ELIZABETH late Quéen of England the Imperiall Crowne of the Realme of England and of all the Kingdomes Dominions Rights belonging to the same did by inherent birthright and lawfull and undoubted succession descend and come to your most excellent Majesty as being lineally justly and lawfully next and sole Heire of the Blood Royall of this Realme as is aforesaid And that by the goodnesse of Almighty God lawfull Right of Descent under one Imperiall Crown your Majesty is of the Realmes and Kingdomes of England Scotland France and Ireland the most potent and mighty King and by Gods goodnesse more able to protect and gouerne us your louing Subjects in all peace and plenty then any of your noble Progenitors And thereunto we most humbly and faithfully submit and oblige our selues our Heires and Posterities for euer untill the last drop of our bloods be spent And do beséech your Majesty to accept the same as the first fruits in this high Court of Parliament of our loyalty and faith to your Majesty and your Royall Progeny and Posterity for euer O the shamelesse degeneration and falsification of these times CHARLES to whom his Subjects each one for himself and in particular every Member of the House of Commons when he was admitted a Member of that House solemnly sware That he did testifie and declare in his conscience that he the Kings Highnesse is the onely supreme Gouernour of this Realm and of all other his Highnesse Dominions and Countries as well in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall things or Causes as Temporall c. And that he would beare Faith and true Allegiance to the Kings Highnesse his Heires and lawfull Successors and to his power assist defend all Iurisdictions Priuiledges Preheminences Authorities granted or belonging to the Kings Highnes His Heires and Successors c. as followes in the Oath of Supremacy as also againe in the Oath of Allegiance That he would beare Faith and true Allegiance to His Majesty his Heires and Successors and him and them would defend to the uttermost of his power against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoeuer which should be made against his or their Persons their Crowne and Dignity by reason or colour of any sentence of Excommunication or Depriuation made or granted by the Pope c. or otherwise and would do his best endeauour to disclose and make known unto His Majesty his Heires and Successors all Treasons and traiterous conspiracies which he should know or heare of to be against him or any of them Oh the damnable perjury of these times CHARLES whose Person Honour and Estate the same Members of the House of Commons did on May 3. 1641. in the prâ—sence of Almighty God promise vow and protest to maintain and defend as far as lawfully they might with their Lives Power and Estates according to their allegiance and that they would according to their Power and as far as lawfully they might oppose and by all good waies and meanes indeavour to bring to condigne punishment all such as should either by force practise counsell plots conspiraoâ—â—s or otherwise do any thing to the contrarie c. Which Protestation was afterwards recommended by the Vote of the House July 30. 1641. to be taken by everie person well affected in Religion and to the good of the Common-wealth and was accordingly taken by the most of the Kingdome Oh the multiplied perjurie and the sacrilegious breaking of Vowes Promises and Protestations perperated in these times CHARLES whose Supremacy and power over all Persons and in all causes within his Dominions the Subjects of this Kingdome have so many yeares acknowledged unto God in their praiers in their Publike Liturgie and in their praiers before their Sermons and for whom they have pretended to beg so manie mercies and blessings and to returne to God such hearty and solemne
But should our Josiah which the Lord of Lords and King of Kings of his mercy forbid be slaine by those Aegyptians that have him now in their pits not onely our Jeremiahs our great Prophets but all the Prophets and Prophets Sons throughout this Nation the lying Apostatizing Prophets only excepted that have deserted their Religion upon that destructive alteration suggested yea and all the men women and children of these three Kingdomes that wish well to the Protestant Religion 〈…〉 good of these Kingdomes would excessively lament it unto all posterities though we have too much cause to believe that we should never obtaine an Ordinance for it from those Ordinance-makers that now beare rule beware then in time and that time is very short You have had such triall of King Charles his fidelity and firmnesse to the Protestant Religion as never Prince gave the like and I hope never Prince either in this or any other Nation shall be put to the like for he hath had as great and as strong temptations as prosperity and adversity in the height and depth of both could court or torment with even such as would have made a Luther or a Calvin a Cranmer or a Ridley or anie other of the most renowned confessors or Martyrs of the Reformed Religion either to have sunk or shrunk under them or else would have rendered them far more glorious then their confessions or suffrings did or could render them though they want for no accesse of Glorie on Earth or reward in Heaven Beware then I say in time for if King CHARLES should come to resist unto blood as he hath alreadie often done to the extremitie of hazard of it and that Royall Religious blood of his should be shed by you that professe your selves to be of the same Religion with him if of anie at all either by your contributing money horse armes personall assistance or ought else to those that thirst and hunt after his blood and to the resisting of those that seek with the expence of their own to save it or else by their not contributing what is in your power to the hazzard of your own lives for the preservation of his still in such known hazzard for they that preserve not blood from being shed when it is in their power to preserve it are undoubtedly guiltie of shedding it Besides the deep everlasting staine that you would thereby bring upon the Protestant Religion such a guilt and horror would withall seize upon your soules when God should come to set your sinnes in order before your eyes as doubtlesse he will sooner or later that if ye did not like some Murtherers beleeve that whatsoever ye lookt on ye behold King CHARLES his bseeding sides and whatsoever ye eat or drunk ye tasted King CHARLES his Blood yet would ye wish ten thousand times over that you had lost everie drop of your own bloods and of the bloods of those that are most yours that ye had but done your dutie in time for the preserving of his Of all blood-guiltinesse take heed of being guiltie of the blood of a King for as he that is guiltie of anie mans blood is in that guiltie of more bloods then the blood of one and therefore the Scripture speaking of the shedding of blood does commonly if not constantly use a word that signifieth bloods in the plurall number so they which are guiltie of the blood of a King are in that guiltie of the bloods of a whole Kingdom everie Subject losing blood in the losse of his Soveraign Yea what if I should say that they which are guiltie of the blood of their King are to be reputed as guiltie of doing their utmost to shed the blood of God if I may so speak after the manner of men or of Christ himselfe I should not need to be put to prove it if what is most true be but confessed namely that Kings are Gods immediate vicegerents and the most representative image of his Majestie and therefore called Gods which may be one reason if not the main one why the shedding of the bloods of the most wicked of Kings by anie of their own Subjects hath been alwaies so publikely and severely avenged as in severall stories is recorded But above all abhorre the thought of being guiltie of King CHARLES his blood least in it you prove not only guiltie of what is alreadie told you but also of more Protestants bloods then have yet been shed since the Reformation as well as of the best that ever ran in anie veines And to you my deare Countrie-men I adde this one short caution more Take you heed least as your Ancestors the religious Protestants of this Countie are highly honoured in the Acts and Monuments of our Church and in the Annales of our Common-weale for the discharging their dutie in that height of equitie and fidelitie as to be the prime aiders and assisters of Soveraigntie in the setling and establishing the last and for persecuting the professors of the Gospell the worst Popish Prince that ever swaied the Scepter of this Kingdome so ye your selves be eternally stigmatized by all records of Church and State for deserting your dutie and becoming the abetters and maintainers of Rebells and Traitors in the deposing and murdering for that 's known to be their designe of the last for so 't is resolved if they can compasse their resolutions and the best Protestant Prince that ever yet swayed this or anie other Scepter whatsoever Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things And so I passe from the King to your fellow Subjects and your selves and with the consideration of the severall and joynt present State and condition of both I shall conclude this faithfull and faire warning As for your fellow-Subjects I shall dispose them for I abhorre the word divide into two sorts Those in generall throughout this Kingdome and those in particular against whom ye now bear Armes As for your fellow Subjects taken in the Generalitie throughout this Kingdome if you do not know their miserable deplorable state and condition as 't is confessed you of this County have had the least experimentall knowledge of the miserie of this Kingdome of any County within it though you have contributed as much towards it as any be pleased at your leisure to read but those sad and lamentable descriptions of the most distressed and most to be bewailed conditions of other people and Nations as they are for our warning if we had the grace to have taken it here and there drawne ready to our hands by the finger of God in holy records and then lay them together and therein you may behold your poore fellow-subjects distresses and miseries alreadie felt and further threatned as lively represented as if they had been the prototypes and these the ectypes or expresses they the first draughts and these the copies or if you win they 〈…〉 after which our curst school-masters have
Worthies in it their Enemies should prevaile over them to their and this whole Kingdomes further weltering in blood must not their and the rest of the blood of this Kingdome be charged upon your score When as if you had but sat still and not in gaged against them as you were by many bonds never to be cancellod obliged to doe there had not beene in all probalitie at this time any Enemies to Peace or thirsters after Blood that durst to have showne themselves so throughout the whole Nation And therefore what will God say or doe unto you when he comes to make inquisition for blood to avenge it This is the bloody Countie that had Peace layd at their feet and trampled on it that had Peace brought home to their doores and not onely shut it out but called to bloodie Warre to enter in that had many thousands of their fellow Brethren and Neighbours that would have ventured their lives to have preserved them in Peace and they chose rather to lose many of their owne lives to take away some of theirs They loved not Peace therefore it shall be farre from them they delighted in Warre therefore shall it cleave close to them and they thirsted for blood therefore shall they be drunke with their owne blood Doe not thinke that I speake more in Gods Name then I have warrant from Gods Word for though ye have bin too long used so and abused by such lying Prophets Search the Scriptures and observe from thence what God speakes of the shedding of blood and you 'l find that I speak very sparingly as having regard to your infirmities For there God tells you That shedding of blood is one of those crying sinnes which makes a land to mourne and every one that dwelleth therein to languish Hos. 4. v. 2. 3. That blood defileth the landâ— and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein or there can be no expiation for the Land but by the blood of him that shed it and that If a people would have God to dwell among them they must not so defile the land which they inhabit Numb. 35. v. 33. 34. That the shedding of innocent blood is such a sinne that of all other horrid sinnes the Lord will not pardon 2 King 24. v. 4. And therefore no satisâ—action was to be taken for the life of a murtherer which was guiltie of death but he was to be surely put to death Numb. 35. v. 31. with a multitude of other sayings on that subject that are to be trembled at by the Rebellious Subjects of this Kingdome 'T is true if a man killed any person unawares there were Cities of refuge appointed by God for such a one to flye unto from the avenger of blood but Oh my poore Countrey-men what Cities of refuge can ye fancie to your selves who wilfully murther your brethren And what lesse can the King say of you then this or to this effect The Countie of Suffolke 't is the most Rebellious Countie of all my Dominions For when one of my Kingdomes moved not against me when a second rose up for me and when the third Petitioned for me from almost all parts and tooke up Armes for me in most parts they of Suffolke neither Petitioned for me nor moved for me but rose up against me and when Rebellion was expiring its last poysonous breath they hazarded their owne lives to prolong its life and to preserve the lives of those Rebells that seeke nothing more then to take away mine When thousands of my Loyall Subjects were indeavouring to fetch me out of my Cruell Bondage and Imprisonment then they helpt to besiege and imprison to kill murther those very Subjects and when others with them were making what haste they could to set my Crowne againe firme on my head and to restore me againe to those Rights Honours and Comforts which I was wont to injoy they did what they could to throw my Crowne back againe to the ground and to keepe mine Honour still in the dust and me from all hopes of enjoying any Rights or externall Comforts here in this life Thus have they indeavoured to continue and adde to my Miseries who have therefore indured such Miseries in such Extremities because I would not yeeld to the delivering up of them amongst others to extreme Slavery and Tyranny Thus have they not onely fought against me without a cause but for the love that I had unto them they take now my contrarie part and have rewarded me evill for good and hatred for my good will But I give my selfe unto Prayer Stirre up thy selfe and awake to my judgement even unto my Cause my God and my Lord Judge me O Lord according to thy righteousnesse and let them not rejoyce over me Let them not say in their hearts Ah so would we have it Let them not say We have swallowed him up Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoyce at my hurt Let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnifie themselves against me Let them shout for joy and be glad that favour my righteous Cause yea let them say continually Let the Lord be magnified which hath pleasure in the prosperitie of his servant and my tongue shall speake of thy righteousnesse and of thy prayse all the day long Amen Amen But what then will all the other Counties of England say of you O bewitched besotted Countie of Suffolke They that had lived in peace and plentie all these times when in the most Counties of this Kingdomes like those Territories spoken of by Azariah 2 Chron. 15. there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the Countries and Countries was destroyed of Countrey Citie of Citie and that might still have enjoyed those mercies themselves and have bin the happie instruments of restoring the like mercies to their Brethren in other afflicted distressed Counties They even they have pulled Warre and all the miseries and calamities that attend it upon themselves and have prolonged and increased the afflictions and distresses of other Counties They who were formerly honoured with that Eulogie of being alwayes forward in promoting the Gospel and had now an oportunitie offered them of being the preservers and deliverers of the Gospel from such blasphemous hereticall Antichristian reproachers opposers and impugners thereof as scarce any Nation since the promulgation of the Gospel were ever invested with the like They and few others but they at that time have joyned in a Confederacie with those reproachers opposers and impugners of the Gospel against those who indeavoured with their lives and estates the vindicating and re-establishing of it They that had bin informed beyond further questioning and assured beyond all doubting of the horrid Plots Conspiracies and resolved Designes of that Armie called the Parliaments and their abettors against the Libertie and Life of their Religion
to your Soveraigne and there is none that have hazarded their lives and lost their liberties and estates for him their Religion Lawes liberties and propertie but would be ready and willing upon a resettlement of all these without any more blood and other publike calamities to catch at and embrace any reasonable propositions and kisâ—e the beautifull feete of such propounders As therefore yee have tryed many other waies for procuring peace and they have all failed you â—o be intreated for Christs sake who is the Prince of peace and the propitiation for our sinnes to make tryall of this way of acknowledging your sinnes and forsaking them which never yet failed any and which is so infallible as that God himselfe gives that as the reason of his giving over people when their sinnes are come to their full measure and they ripe for ruine to blindnesse and heardnesse of heart least they should be converted and be healed implying that if a people did turne from their sinnes unto him he could not but heale them Turne thou us O Lord and we shall be turned Turne thou us and we shall be healed Let that be your dayly prayer to God Come lâ—t us returne unto the Lord For he hath wounded and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will bind us up let that be your constant exhortation to one another and practise your selves what you shall so exhort others And the Lord heare and accept you in both Having repented of your sinnes and in particular of your Rebellion Blood guiltinesse and other iniquities and impieties attending them The next thing that you are besought to consider is the present state and condition of Religion here in this Kingdome That the Church of England in its Reformed established Religion was not onely a defence and refuge but the glory and honour of all the Reformed Churches in Christendome cannot justly and therefore I hope will not be denyed by any of those Churches if it should wee are able to evince it out of the mouths of their own most learned and eminent Preachers and Professors And had not those unhappy diâ—â—sions breaking out as they did prevented it the Christian world had in all probabilitie ere this seen the happy fruits thereof in the harmonious and of them and us much desired conformity of other reformed Churches especially the more Eastern as well in Discipline as Doctrine so far as conformity in Discipline could have been conveniently observed in severall Nationall Churches This the Tobiahs and Sanballets of the Church of Rome have known and maligned so long that their attempts against this Church and the established Religion thereof have been more and more industriously and eagerly prosecuted then against any Church whatsoever though they have not omitted any opportunitie of practising their complotted designes upon any of the Reformed Churches or the members thereof And having tryed all the other wayes and courses that they could invent and some of them such as I hope will never be forgotten of this Nation Some few yeares before the beginning of this Parliament Cardinall Richeleiu the Politique favourite of France and gracious sonne of Rome used all his art and skill to kindle a fire against us in Scotland which art and skill of his prospered too much there by the unskilfulnes and imprudence of some of our managers of Church affairs here in England No sooner was that fire kindled but Emissaries of Rome were â—ent thither to inflame it and the better to effect it some of them pretended great love and affection to a new Reformation of that Kirke even to a seeming disclaiming and detesting of their own About the same time there were not a few of those Incendiaries dispatcht hither into England to practise upon those of this Kingdome that were disaffected to the established Government of this Church or that distasted some new rites and practises too much favoured and countenanced by some of the Governours thereof and so far had they within a short time crept into the favours and Counsels of some leading men of each sort that this Church and State began to be much distempered Insomuch that our most Gracious and Religious Soveraign next under Christ the prime defender of our Faith and nursing Father of our Church and Common-weale whom they had many other wayes assaulted but found impregnable was perswaded for the peace and safety of both his Kingdoms to call a Parliament and within a while after for the peace and security of all his three Kingdomes the third being also then inflamed to derive unto them greater liberty of continuance but otherwise not of any power then ever Parliament had and as we finde by sad and wofull experience then they had grace to make good use of The Jesuites and Jesuited party finding this advantage and feeling by the Pulse of the chief of the disaffected and discontented part of that great Assembly how their hearts stood inclined they applyed themselves to them in all wayes and services possible One Jesuite well known to the most reverend and Religious the Primate of Ireland his Grace was a constant Tabler and Counsellor to the Lord Brooks an active furious driver on of the mad factious peoples desperate turbulancâ—â—s Others applyed themselves to others whom I forbear to name Only one passage I must not omit Before those worthy members of the honourable Houses of Lords and Commons that held firm to their duty and allegiance were forced from the tions so bold were those Romanists grown that an honourable member of the House of Commons was earnestly importuned by one of them an acquaintance of his to recommend a Pettion to the House in behalf of the Romish party for the taking off all penall laws from them which he refusing to doe and expostulating with the Gentleman about it as suspecting that he came to intrap him and to render him more distastfull to the factious party and so more disserviceable to his King and Country the Gentleman replyed that he was very much mistaken â—â—t â—hat Petition would findâ— better acceptance in the House then he thought for And accordingly it being soon after presented there by another who may be presumed to account it an honour to him to be known by such a motion viz. Mr. MARTIN it was seconded and entertained by some of the greatest pretenders of Reformation in that assembly till one of courage and esteem stood up and said He was sorry that he had lived to see a Petition of that nature finde such favour in that place wherein those prudent lawes against which it petitioned had been upon so good and just grounds and with so much wisdome and deliberation framed and thereupon it was for that time waved and laid aside Since that how far the Jesuites and Jesuited party have proceeded and succeeded in their prosecuting of that designe of a toleration is sufficiently visible in the fruits thereof to every seeing eye But because the greater part of men