faithfulnesse Of ev'rie Soule And suffer not vaine jars Among your selves to multiply contention Lest you thereby both make these present wars To bring forth an incurable dissention And hinder as you have already done That Work which God among you hath begun Such differences obstructions have begot Retarding Peace But doubtlesse for the same To your great Senate there belongeth not An imputation of the smallest blame Nor were it faultie though it could be said And proved too that some among them now Their weightie consultations had betrai'd And to your Foes their secrets daily show Nor ought they to be blamed though you see A Spider sent among them for an Ant A Butterfly or Hornet for a Bee Or those that wit or honestie do want For such when they are found they still cast from them With as much forwardnesse as doth become them But they they only do deserve the blame Of all those falshoods which these Lands disease Those brainlesse fellowes who had so small shame And little grace to make their choice of these Those falsly termed free-men who for porredge Would sell their birth-right and who to uphold Their lawfull freedomes have not so much courage As to maintaine them though they see they could They whom a pettie Justice by the nose May lead to what absurdities he pleases And make them think he favour to them showes When he their losse and slaveries increases These and their fellow Burgers have undone you Their slavishnes hath brought these plagues upon you These to the House of Commons sent that Rabble Of Runawayes and Traytours which betrai'd Your liberties as much as they wereable And on their heads the bloud is justly laid For what you suffer These were first unjust In sending in to be their Deputies In stead of men Pride Avarice and Lust Oppression Folly Fraud and Vanities These having neither honestie nor wit Nor care to make a prudent choice of those To whom so great a Trust they should commit Some persons for the publike service chose So like themselves that wonder it is none To see so many do as they have done For such a choice they passed that unlesse Some prudent Boroughs and some wiser Shires Had made elections with more warinesse And sent brave spirits forth to ballance these You had been quite undone and you and yours Of all the Christian world had been the scorne Perpetuall Bond-slaves to malignant Pow'rs And hated of your children yet unborne For ever therefore let that providence Which so provided for you be renown'd And let there be a blessed difference On them and on their seed for ever found To honour them and mark them out from those Who to the publike welfare now are foes And let your Burgers and Free-holders learn In time to come how much how neare it may The publike and their private weale concern To be advis'd on whom their trust they lay For what is more unsafe or more unwise Then to commit as manie times they do Their goods their persons liberties and lives Yea and the meanes of their salvations too To their disposures whom they rather fear Then well affect of whom no good they know Of whose corruptions frequently they hear Of whose injustice sinsible they grow Whose worths are their revenue and whose wait Is meere formalitie or nev'r-a-whit What can be more absurd then to suppose They are the wisest men in all the Shire And fit'st for publike service to be chose Who wisest in their own opinions are Who come uncall'd and shuffle out their choice By suit and friends or having got perchance The overplus of one poore single voice With much ado their purpose to advance Or what a greater indiscretion showes Then to elect for Giver of your Lawes A fellow that nor Law nor Gospell knowes Nor difference 'twixt a good and evill cause And till that day pursued no other course But hunting hawking or else somwhat worse What more dishonourable can be thought Then to your Court and Senate most supreme For which the worthiest persons should be sought To send a foole or knave to sit with them Whose reverend presence should not be polluted With such companions or what one thing may A truer signe of madnesse be reputed Then thus to foole their dignitie away For since they cannot their debates decide But by most Voices what else will ensue If manie places be with such suppli'd But those events which all the Land will rue When worst designes are by the most promoted And reason shall by noise be over-voted There never was a time in which you ought To be more carefull of your choice then now If you recruit your House For men are taught By this long Parliament so well to know Each others minde each others interest And inclination that unlesse you see The number wanting in due time increast And made compleat by men that worthie be You will be as assuredly undone As if the King had tyranniz'd nay more For to oppresse you there had been but one But then you shall perhaps have many a score And therefore as you here fore-warned are In your elections use more prudent care Thy Letters of Advice ere while directed To those in whom the choice of these doth lie Have partly signifi'd what was effected And what events will still ensue thereby While such are chosen And what Caveats ought To be observed that a better choice May be hereafter and that men be sought Who wit and conscience have aswell as voice For these defects breed vip'rous wormes within The verie bowells of the Parliament More dangerous then outward foes have bin And if the Members wanting be not sent With better heed then heretofore you tooke For peace embracing truth in vain you looke Let therefore those true Patriots which are left Put forth a strong endeavour to compleat Their wasted number e're they are bereft Of power and meanes themselves to re-beget Into a perfect bodie And let none By fallacies delude you with a feare It may not now as legally be done As when the Members first convented were For that they are lawfull Parliament Although the King be absent 't is confest Ev'n by the King In whom now to prevent Their being so the power doth not consist Nor ever did of right while cause you know Why SALVS POPVLI should have it so Believe it whosoever shall pretend This Parliament hath not a legall power Her bodie to recruit is no true friend Nor fit to be a Councellour of your For seeing they have power to make a Seale It were a great absurditie to dreame They had not legally a power aswell To use as make it And if you in them Allow an use thereof that private men The benefit of justice might obtain It should much rather be allowed then In things which to the Publike-right pertaine And most especially in all affaires Concerning their own being and repaires If really a Parliament they be As without peradventure they are One Then
neither is nor was nor shall be done Vpon your selves you many mischiefs bring Which by a prudent-Stoutnesse you may shun For when you make an unexpected pawse You weaken your Assistants and your Cause You act not out your parts as if you thought A Tragedie in earnest now were plaid Or that upon the Combat to be fought The Triall of your whole estates were laid For to advance a frivolous designe To please a knave that is a friend in show To feed some lust whereto they do incline Or shun the fury of a feared Foe Advantages you daily fool away Which by no humane pow'r can be recal'd Eternitie you venture for a day And when you might with brasse be double wal'd You seek to fortifie the Kingdomes Cause With paper-works with rotten sticks and strawes Those Places and Imployments whence arise The greatest profit rarely are confer'd With conscionable care of their supplies By faithfull men but thither are prefer'd Those rather whose chief aimes are how to make Their private Fortunes and to that effect Know how to move and how to give or take To gaine themselves advantage and respect Yea though there be suspitions and perchance Good evidences too that some of these The Cause of your opposers will advance When they an opportunitie may seize To Offices of Trust you these commend Before your suffering and deserving Friend Who their estates have now increased most But they who for the publike ventur'd least Whose paiments and prefermentâ— more are crost Then their who to their power have serv'd you best In what Committees now or in what Shires Are not this day a multitude of those Whose faithfulnesse undoubtedly appeares Disabled and discourag'd by their Foes How gen'rally do you in ev'ry place Begin well-known Malignants now to trust With your Affaires And suffer with disgrace True Patriots from imployment to be thrust And by this madnesse how are you betraid How open to destruction are you laid They who were first in Armes for your defence Who first their Free-will-Offerings to you brought And have continu'd faithfull ever since Ev'n they are now unserviceable thought Contrariwise they who at first refused To lend you aid in Person or in Pay They who in word and deed your cause abused And are unfaithfull to you to this day Ev'n they have now insinuated so By helpe of their Protectors And of these So over-confident you daily grow That your best friends you ruine and displease And on your selves a greater hazzard bring Then all the armed Forces of the King For those accursed Vipers are with you So intermingled in your consultations Nay rather so incorporated now In private and in State negotiations That by a miracle it must be done If any good Designe to passe be brought Or for the publike-safetie be begun Which will not e're performed come to nought And if you are not pleas'd to have it so Why did you and why do you still permit Those men whom faultring if not false you know In Counsell ev'ry day with you to to fit And why for those do you your Friends neglect Vnlesse your own perdition you affect Why else when Forts or Forces to command On which the Publike-safety much depends Do you commit them rather to their hand Whom neither proofe nor likelihood commends To such a Trust Why not unto their care And keeping rather who have courage showne Of whose fidelitie good proofes appear And whose experience hath been wel made known This could not be but that you do preferre Your sons your nephewes and your friends before The Publike-weale or els perswaded are That your Destruction will afflict the more Vnlesse your own devises help undo you Or some who are both near and deare unto you How can there be among you those foundations Whereon your Peace or Safety may erect While most men for their own accommodations Designments to the Publike losse project And while to compasse their desired ends They do not onely mischief and delude Themselves their kindred neighbourhood and friends Or mis-inform the brainlesse multitude But by their cunning also do contrive Those Engines which good Discipline deface The State into unstable postures drive Raise jarres and jealousies in every place And spread abroad the Devils Axioms too The unitie of Doctrine to undo These Engineers your power infeeble more And weaken more your hands then all yet done By other adversaries heretofore Since this unhappie Warfare first begun These while to build among you they pretended As partners in the work of Reformation Have secretlie their private Aimes befriended With hindrance to your wished Restauration Sanballats and Tobiahs you have had Who by dissembling with you to unite Have rent you from your selves and thereby made Both Parties feel the common Foes despight To be each others whip and make the Truth A theame of scorne in everie drunkards mouth There are so manie failings in the best Such needlesse and such wilfull breach of Lawes So carelesse are you of your Faith profest To those who have been faithfull in your Cause So hath your Falshood and your follie blended Both right and wrong both good and ill together That both must be opposed or defended Or els you must declare your selves for neither And whether with the one or t'other side You shall partake or for a Newter stand No humane wisdom can for you provide A being with true safety in this Land So little wit hath ordered this Place So little honesty so little grace And these great mischeifs rose from giving way For every man at pleasure to deface Those Out-works which though faultie were a stay Not uselesse till some better came in place For he that would prevent an inundation By false-built Sea-banks lets not every one Teare down the Piles and breake the old Foundation Lest that which he would make might be undone Nor for a Cobler or a Fidler sends But men experienc'd in such works doth call And with such warinesse the fault amends That no disaster may mean-while befall And that the Old-worke and the New-worke may Begin and end together in one day You thus proceeded not but with more heat Then prudence hurrying on in hast you tore The wharfage down ev'n while the floods did threat To drowne the fields and Billowes rent the shore The furious Souldier was with commendation Permitted to reforme as he thought fit Forbidding or affording toleration According to the modell of his wit And he that was not mad enough to run Their wildgoose-chase and set the world on fire To suffer by suspition streight begun And forc'd was from imployment to retire As not right principled or drawne aside By Balaams wages or unsanctifi'd And these Reformers not enough content To carve out Discipline as they shall please And Doctrine too will on the Government Vnlesse it be prevented shortlie seize For having no Foundation like a feather Which from the bodie of a Fowle is torne They to and fro are turn'd with everie
wondrous Orb The Eye of Contemplation may survay Sights which no Bounds or Shaddowes do disturb There may be seene the meanes which doth disclose Though not the Essence of Eternall-things So much at least as ev'ry notion showes From whence beleefe of their true Being springs There may the Soule that hideous Downefall see Which leadeth to the brinck of Desperation There may that Entrance plainly viewed be Which guideth to a blessed Exaltation And there the Spirit to our knowledge brings The Good and Ill of all created things For hitherto I never heard of ought In Heav'n or Earth but I perceiv'd it there Yea many Novelties from thence are brought Which have no Being any other where It is indeed another WORLD within The World without me and I thither go When I to loath externall things begin And doubtfull am what in this World to do I sometime there have entertainments had Like those which may in Paradise be found Sometime againe 't is like a Chaos made Wherein deluding Fancies do abound Sometime the Light of Heav'n there seems to dwell And other while it is as dark as Hell Within our selves as GOD vouchsafes his grace That Blisse and that true happinesse is found Which men seek after in that Time and Place Which have not much relation to this ROVND I being thither guided by that Light Which faileth none there found out an abode Quite out of hearing and beyond the sight Of those distractions which I saw abroad There found I out a Resting place to hide me From scorne of Fooles and from the Strife of tongues From their despight who slander and deride me From private mischiefes and from publike wrongs From all the menaces my eares have heard From all the perils which my heart hâ—th fear'd There I with sportive sleightings did peruse That which their malice who these times do flatter Have spewed forth against my blamelesse Muse In lumps of scurrill base and witlesse matter And am content to let the OVRS alone Though loud they snarle and bawle because I find Those Beasts are by their Masters seized on And do but bark according to their kind Though not their wit their malice might perhaps Deserve a Rating and I could have flung them A Bone that would have broke or gagg'd their chaps Or throwne the Wild-fires of my Brain among them But they in vaine shall bark in vaine they raile To scratch the Scabs I scorne to foule my naile For I in that Retirement seem'd no more By such decrepit Malice to be hurt Than is a well compacted Rockie-shore On which the Billows cast up Foame and durt There shewne I was the high prerogatives The priviledges of my Second-birth And from what noble Root my Soule derives Her Pedigree though she be cloath'd with earth And could I still when I from Contemplation Returne to Act retaine in me that height Of Spirit and the reall estimation Of that wherein at those times I delight I never more an earthly hope should cherish Or prize the honours of the Beasts that perish There on a Throne above the world I sate Beholding with disdaine Terrestriall things The fruitlesse love of Mortals and their hate The Tyrannies of Subjects and of Kings There I beheld without those perturbations Which vexed me abroad how Pride and Folly Support each other by their combinations In wicked projects and in works unholy There spi'd I by what secret Links and Ties The cursed-Counsell which deludes the King And that false-pack which in our bosome lies Their dark Designes together closely bring And why so many moneths in vain are spent Their treacheries and treasons to prevent There can I sit obscur'd and spie what ends Are closely follow'd by the Politician Who seemingly the common-common-Cause befriends That he may ruine it without suspition There I descrie what avarice what frauds What spight and what hypocrisie doth lurk In many whom the publike-Voice applauds As faithfull men in carrying on the Work Without distemper there I think upon Their pride and envie who had rather see Three Kingdomes universally undone Then wained from their wilfulnesse to be Because I know GODS Worke will be effected In spight of what their madnesse hath projected There without breach of Patience I can heed How impudently some have sought to seem Of eminent desert who are indeed More worthy of contempt then of esteem How quaintly other-some can mischief do And then by policie and frauds contrive To purchase thanks and pay and favour too For that which rather should a halter have Yea there without offence I notice take How zealously Malignants are befriended How sleight account of their deserts we make Who have with life and goods the State defended And with what confidence we still confide On those that will be true to neither side There likewise without wrath I view and heare How senslesse many who are counted wise Both of advantages and dangers are Which ev'ry day appear before our eyes How needlesse good Advice by some is thought Till 't is too late how to prevent a Wound They lose a life and to be thriftie thought How they to save a groat mispend a pound How desp'rately they somtime take a Fall To scape a Slip how other while to save Some Rotten-Members they adventure all Which we by Grace or Natures Charters have All this in my Retirements I can see Yet nothing vexeth or affâ—igheth me For therewithall such meanes appear to show That both the good Endeavours of our Friends And all the Counterminings of the Foe Shall work out that at last which GOD intends And that if we contented can become To beare our Burthens but a little longer His Grace will render them lesse troublesome Or make us to sustaine them daily stronger Wherewith well pleas'd I totally resign'd My Will to his And by that Resignation Delightfull Calmes within my heart did finde So freeing me from former perturbation That all within and all without me kept Such silence as if all the world had slept As at high Midnight in a Desert Vale Or'e-hung and bordred by a Double-Hill On which there blowes not any whistling-gale Down which there flowes not any murm'ring Rill Near which nor Bird doth sing nor Beast doth play Through which no Travailer doth ever passe By which there growes no rusling leafe or spray In which no noise of Creature ever was Such seem'd that Calme which then I did possesse Or deeper if it might a deeper be And that the Silence which I now expresse May not prove empty both to You and Me In this Retreat from ev'ry other noise As from a farre to me there came a VOICE A VOICE there came From whence I will not say Judge yet to whom I shall report the same For if you mark the sense conceive you may Aswell as I from whom and whence it came So still a VOICE it was that with mine Eare I heard it not nor made it such a noise As that which our corporeall sence
times First made carv'd Images of Wood and Stone Perhaps but meerly for Commemoration Of some deceased Worthy and at last Improv'd it into sottish adoration So Those on whom the Government was plac'd By prudent Counsell Base men by degrees So idolized and with flatteries So long in servile manner bow'd their knees To their Self-will that first to tyrannize The peoples blockishnesse and basenesse brought them Yea how to be Oppressors they first taught them And when Kings saw the peoples foolishnesse Did make themselves beleeve that their owne Creature Had therein an inherent awfulnesse Advancing it above the humane nature They quickly from that folly and that feare Advantages assumed to improve Their pow'rs It made them greater to appeare And in a more Majestick Orb to move The slavish gestures and the servile phrase Long us'd in Court did thereto so much add That he who like a man declares his cause Is judg'd unmannerly or somwhat mad Nay to that height the Royall claime is brought That none but Slaves are now true Subjects thought A Parliament you have which you obtained When you were most desirous to have had it You thereunto a priviledge have gained Which now more fixt than formerly hath made it The House of Peeres is of a party cleared Whom leaning to your Common-Foe you doubted Whose power you felt whose policie you feared And whom long since some gladly would have outed Yet had Corruption over-fill'd it so With honour'd Titles worne without deserts And with so many raised from below To sit on Princely Seats with Slavish-hearts That when your troubles well-nigh cur'd you thought Far greater mischieves were upon you brought Your House of Commons though when first convented It fill'd you with a hopefull expectation Hath ev'ry way so truly represented The Common Constitution of this Nation That little hitherto hath been effected To mitigate your Feares or settle Peace According to the issue you expected But ev'ry day your sorrowes more increase So great an inundation of confusion Is broken in upon you that in vaine You hope or labour for a good conclusion Till GOD himselfe make up the Breach againe And you with more sincerity confesse Your Guilt your Weaknesse and your Foolishnesse Betwixt You and your King there is of late A cursed Fire broke forth whose raging flame Each others ruine threatens like to that Which from Abimelech and Shechem came So damnable a Spirit of Contention Is conjur'd up that his designes are brought Past all those remedies and that prevention Which by the wit of mortalls can be wrought So madly you each other do oppose That ev'ry one consults and acts in vaine What one reares up another overthrowes What one destroyes another builds again And nothing is the vulgar expectation But ruine if not utter Desolation For crying-sins do gen'rally prevaile The Rules of Order quite aside are laid The prudence of the Counsellour doth faile The honestest-Designes are most gain-said The Grossest Falshood soonest is believ'd His cause best speedes who aimes at basest-ends The worst-Transgressour shall be soon'st repriev'd The veriest Knave shall find the Lordliest friends And when Foundations thus are overthrowne What can the Righteous do what likely hope Have Husbandmen when all is over-growne With Briars and Thornes to reap a thriftie crop Or what can by a Parliament be done Where all are with Corruption over-grown With Warlike Forces too now strongly arm'd You do appear and Martiall men abound As though each Township Bee-hive-like had swarm'd And Horse and Armes sprung daily from the ground But what have these availed in regard Of expectation Nay how multiplide Are these afflictions rather which you fear'd By their dissensions insolence or pride Your Treasures Stocks Fields they have nigh wasted Their avaritions fury to allay Yet as if they had Pharoah's kine out-fasted So greedie and so hungrie still are they That all the plenties of your peacefull years Will hardly quench that vast desire of theirs Want of sincerenesse in your chiefe Commanders Too much ambition much respect of friends Most men that hear this know these are no slanders Fraud Envie Cowardice or private-ends And gen'rally defect of Discipline Or to be plaine want of that honestie Which these Forth-breakings of the Wrath-divine Hath now required in your Soulderie Have set licentiousnesse so much at large And made most Officers presume upon Such loosnesse and so slackly to discharge Their duties that you likely are to run By your owne Forces as the matter goes Not much lesse hazard than by open Foes Your Common men this will disparage none Among you Martialists that blamelesse are Have not in misdemeanours been out-gone By many who the States opposers were They cheat rob lye curse sweare blaspheme and rore They equally oppresse both Friend and Foe They plunder scoffe insult game drink and whore And ev'rie day corrupt each other so That if this plague continue but a while You and your King so many Rogues will arme That throughout ev'rie Township of this I le This curse brood of Lice will crawle and swarme Till they have quite devoured those that fed them And pine in that starv'd Body which first bred them For though the highest honours temporarie On Souldiers are conferred whose true worth Whose vertues in employments militarie With an illustrious candor shineth forth Though they who to defend their Countries cause Themselves to death and dangers do expose Observing duly GODS and Natures Lawes Not only to their friends but to their foes Though these deserve all honours no expression Is full enough to make an illustration Of their ignoble and their base condition Who triumph in their Countries desolation And as the raskall sort of Tinkers do Pretend to mend one hole and then make two For these foure yeares of Discord have so changed The gentlenesse already of this Nation And men and women are fo far estranged From civill to a barb'rous inclination They are so prone to mutinous disorders So forward in all mischievous projections So little mov'd with robberies or murthers And so insensible of good Affections That they whom you have arm'd for your defence Will shortly ruine you unlesse preventions Be interposed by that Providence Which frustates diabolicall intentions And therefore now Conditions are propounded On which a Restauration may be grounded Yea now when Med'cines that most soveraigne were At other times have multiply'd diseases When all your Policies quite routed are To intervene a Timely-Mercie pleases Now that your Armies King and Parliaments Which were your hopefulst meanes of preservation Are made by Sin imperfect Instruments And leave these Iles almost in desperation Thou shalt once more to dis-respective men A Herald-extraordinarie be And carrie them conditions once agen Whereby they from these troubles may be free And that those Angels which now smite these Lands From Desolation may with-hold their hands Now then for Overtures of Peace provide Silence thy Trumpets let thy Drums be still Furle up thy Colours lay Commands
who have Factious Spirits rais'd on them As wilfully dispos'd as those Seditious Who brought destruction on Hierusalem How can they looke for Peace while they contrive Designes enlarging still their discontent While Policie doth wedges daily drive Twixt ev'ry joynt to make a curelesse rent And while to mend the breaches of this Land Ther 's nothing brought but pebble-stones and sand Who can unite again a Broken-bone Whose parted ends are set the from ward way How long will oyle and water mix in One Or things quite Opposite together stay There are betwixt you such Antipathies And such abhominatings of each other That in no ordinarie Power it lies To knit you in a perfect League together And 't is not possible your fest'ring sores Should ever heal while in them there is found That putrified flesh and rotten cores Which keep from closing and from growing sound And which will suddenly break forth again Augmenting more your hazzard and your pain How can these miserable Isles have Peace While Justice nor Compassion find regard While they who should protect do most oppresse Where sin scapes blame and Virtue wants reward How can he hope for Peace that would enjoy His wish on any termes And for the Shade The Substance of that mercie quite destroy Which might by patient Industrie be had Or how can he be worthy of that Blessing Who knowing how much lately it hath cost In bloud and Treasure would the repossessing Of that deare purchase for a toy have lost And everlastingly himselfe undo To satisfie his Lust a yeare or two Who knoweth not that much more dread you have Lest of Estate or Person you should lose The loved Freedomes then to be a Slave To him whose Tyranny the Soule undoes For to that end you Give you Lend you Pay To that intent strict Covenants you make To that intent you sometimes Fast and Pray To that intent much Paines and Care you take Yea many goodly things to that intent You daily do and many moe intend But your Peace-offrings all in vaineare spent Till you direct them to their proper end And till the Peace for which your Suits you make Shall be desir'd for Truths and Mercies sake Who sees not that a Peace you now desire For nought but that you might againe enjoy Your lusts and to those Vanities retire Wherein you did your former dayes employ Who seeth not that like to those Israelites Whom from th' Aegyptian Bondage GOD redeem'd You have the pleasing of your Appetites Much more than your Deliverer esteem'd Their Garlick and their Flesh-pots left behind They thought on more than on that Servitude From which they came and more than they did mind Those Wonders and that Mercie which GOD shew'd And you have acted as in imitation Of that perverse and foolish generation You have forgot already to what height Of Tyranny and Pride the Court was rear'd What Projects for Oppression were in sight What Injuries you felt and what you fear'd You seeme to have forgot to what degree Of Insolence the Prelacie was come How generally you began to be Bewitched by the Sorceries of Rome You have not so observed as you ought How neare unto a helplesse overthrow You by your Foes confederacies were brought Before their purpose did apparant grow Nay you yet heed not what will soone betide If now from good-beginnings back you slide But as afore-said like the sottish Iewes Who of the Humane-nature and of You Are perfect Types GODS favours you abuse And so your owne Inventions you pursue Though like their Fierie-pillar and their Cloud A speciall Providence hath been your Guard An unbeleeving heart your deeds have show'd And you of ev'rie Bug-beare are afeard Like them ev'n while the Law to you is giving And all this Iland like Mount Sinai smokes New Worships and new GODS you are contriving Like them you sleight his Benefits and strokes And in your Provocations are as daring While he is Rest and Peace for you preparing So you forget how great your Bondage was And whereunto you fear'd it might encrease So those great Marvailes you still over-passe Which GOD hath wrought to perfect your release So when by some new Streight your Faith he tries You wish that in your Bondage you had staid So your Deliverers you scandalize As if by them your Freedomes were betray'd So murmure you when any thing you lack So you despaire when carnall props decay So ev'rie difficultie turnes you back And stands like Seas and Gyants in your way And so through mis-beleefe your selves deprive Of Blessings which your Children shall receive And thus it comes to passe because like them You are a stupid and a foolish Nation Who your Deliverances do contemne And are like them without consideration Else grudge you would not for that you are more Imbroyl'd by seeking to preserve your due And put to greater charges than before Your Vindication you did first pursue For Prudent men will while they are at ease Be willingly made sick and beare the cost Of Physick for the cure of that disease Through which ere long their lives might else be lost Yea ev'rie rustick Seed-man sowes in hope Advent'ring much e're he receives a crop You justly might suppose that Patients wit Much craz'd that when good physick works upon him Straight wisheth he had never taken it Cries out that his Physitians have undone him Because they made him sick e're he was so Drinks eats and acts both what and when he will Yea thereby makes himselfe more sick to grow And causes that which would have cur'd to kill Yet this is your condition and if now In this distemper'd and unto ward plight Your kind Physitian had deserted you As for your peevishnesse he justly might Your labours past and those you shall bestow Will prove like Arrowes from a warped Bow You mark not what great wonders GOD hath wrought To move your hardned Pharaohs to relent And that from slaveries you might be brought Nor heed you what your Foes for you invent A thousand things unthought on you let go Of consequence which wrought for you have bin Since your Deliverer began to show An Outlet from the Bondage you were in As in what dreadfull manner in one place He seized by an unseen-messenger A bold Transgressor who so daring was As to provoke the Devill to appeare And smoth'red him in loathsome smoke and stink Whilst he presum'd blasphemous healths to drink You do not mark how oftentimes the Plot Against you layd hath crossed been by Him When else you had no knowledge thereof got Nor to prevent it either Pow'r or Time You have not memorized as you ought How GOD himselfe when your own strength did faile For you against your Enemies hath fought And made you conquer when they did prevaile How wondrously a Remnant for a Seed In Ireland he preserves how oft from spoile Your Garrisons and Armies he hath freed When they have been in hazard of a foile Nor do you
thee passâ— thy Sentence so That in thy Judgements Mercy may abound Lest though but small Severity thou show The innocentest party may be found Vnable to abide it For mine eye Which only can behold the scam or skin Of our Corruptions and not much espie Of those Pollutions which lie hid within Perceives the best so faulty that by thee If so put off this Bloodie-Triall were That we might now some other way agree It would the safest course for both appear But LORD thy will be done though it be that Which flesh and blood most feares and trembles at For who that loves thy Attributes and Thee And sees how they are sleighted who that viewes How impudently broke thy Precepts be How spightfully thy foes thy friends abuse And how presumptussly this age goes on Ev'n while th' avenging Angell is abroad To do as wickedly as it hath done Without regard of man or feare of GOD Yea who that loves thine honour grudgeth now Thy saving of it or who wisheth good Vnto thy Saints who grieveth to allow Thy Justice in avengement of their blood Or who can thinke thy judgements have exceeded That hath our great offences duly heeded I do confesse thy coming to this Nation In these unlook'd-for Judgements maketh it To be a sharp and dreadfull visitation To those that in security did sit And liv'd at ease But they who long have born The violent oppressions of thy Foes The insolence of Tyrants and their scorn At thy approaches tremble not like those For their Deliverer and Friend appears And therefore though we stand in awe of thee It is with conjug all and filiall fears Mixt with whose tartuesse sweetuesses there be Yea though thy judgments fright us when we hear them Yet LORD we love them more then we do fear them Whilest thus or unto such effects I prai'd And meditated by my selfe alone The VOICE began to speak again and said Thy GOD observeth what thou musest on And will not faile thy hopes if thou believe And persevere For he is readier farre His blessings and his benefits to give Then they who want them to desire them are And when he doth deny them or prolong them It is not out of back wardnesse in him To condescend but that you might not wrong them Or entertain them with a sleight esteem Most little prize good things till much they cost Few know their happinesse till it be lost You may perceive by that which GOD hath wrought For these afflicted Isles in their distresse By manie things which he to passe hath brought When mischiefes were almost beyond redresse By those diliv'rances which you have had When to the brink of ruine you were come By those escapes which he for you hath made From plots which none but he could save you from Yea see you may by his oft freeing you When carelesly advantages you lose And by that mercie which he sheweth now That he would soone secure you from your Foes Could you so mind what doth to you belong That mercie might not do his justice wrong Alas he takes no pleasure in your cries By your afflictions he can reap no good Your wound are not delightfull to his eyes Nor joyes be in the shedding of your blood He better likes of Feasts then Fasting-dayes If you could use them to your more availe Your mournings would not please like songs of praise If you had fewer failings to bewaile He is not such a cruell GOD as manie Blasphemouslie have fained him to be Delighted in the death or griefe of anie But Love and Joy essentiallie is he And gave his Dearest to be crucifi'd A saving-health for sinners to provide Of him if peace you rightlie seek believe it He will vouchsafe it when you shall appeare A people qualified to receive it And to expect it sooner vaine it were Your pride is not as yet enough abated Your wisdom is not yet enough befooled Your own deservings are yet over-rated You by the rod are not yet throughly schooled You have some ayerie Castles yet in building Some false dependencies yet undestroy'd Some groundlesse hopes not to despaire yet yeelding Some lusts and some vaine pleasures yet in joy'd And manie such obstructions making yet These Kingdoms for that happinesse unfit Your lofty minds must first be stooped lower Your separations must draw somwhat nigher Your Formes of godlinesse must get more power Your base affections must be lifted higher Your headstrong wilfulnesse must more be tamed Your Anchor must with deeper hold be grounded Your Charity must farther be inflamed Your Faith must on the rock be better founded Your selves must by your selves be more deni'd More care of publike duties must be took Your wanton flesh must more be mortifi'd And for your sins your hearts must more be broke E're these afflicted Isles will repossesse A safe a reall and a lasting peace Delude you not your selves with guilefull showes For when they promise most they most deceive To win is manie times the way to lose And Victories of safety may bereave Security may lose you in a day What watchfulnesse was gaining many years And in a moment GOD may take away Your greatest strength when strongest it appears Were now your adversaries in your power Were not a dog to barke against you left And Peace confirm'd you might within an houre Of all that happinesse be quite bereft Yea and it should be lost again e're long Vnlesse on better tearmes you made it strong Vpon the justnesse of the Cause some trust But that a vain dependence may be found For if they who defend it be unjust A righteous Cause may fall unto the ground The Jewes did flie before the Canaanites While but one Achan in their Camp remain'd They fell before the wicked Benjamites While their impenitencie they retain'd Some think because the Word of Truth is here GODS Ordinances and his holy-things That you a priviledged people are But no securitie at all this brings It rather calls for vengeance on that place Which answers not in fruits their meanes of grace The Arke it selfe from Israel was borne And they who kept it slaughtered for their sin Ev'n GODS own House was ra'zd and made a scorne And they inthral'd who served him therein GOD for his Temples sake spar'd not oppression Nor for that Worship which they did professe But them he turned out of their possessions For acting sin in cloakes of holinesse Do you suppose that GOD will for the sake Of those few righteous men that yet remaine The present troubles from these Islands take And settle all things here in peace again How can you such a benefit expect Till righteous men you better do affect If you by them such blessings may enjoy Why are you not to those more faithfull friends Why seek you to undo or to destroy Those men on whom your weale so much depends Though for their sakes you reap at other times Great benefit and often are secur'd From publike mischiefes yet
Name For by Interpretation 't is as much With you as if yee said Hearing-the-Witch As Simon-Peter and the Sorcerer Long since contended whether of the two Should get possession of the Peoples eare Ev'n so those hearings at this present do As Simon-Magus untill Peter spoke Had so bewitch'd the common-people then That for the POW'R of GOD they him mistook So Formall-hearing now bewitcheth men So it is idoliz'd and some have thought When formally that Dutie they had paid The Holy-Ghost might for the same be bought But as then Peter of the money said Their Hearing with them perish who suppose That GOD his Graces for such wares bestowes You of this itching this bewitching Hearing Have had Experiments and at this day There are such bitter fruits therof appearing That you had need be watchfull and to pray That GOD would please to sanctâ—fie the eare And circumcise your hearts that you may know When you the Witch and when you Peter heare That you in Grace may edified grow And that this Information make you not Respectlesse of that Hearing or that Preaching Whereby that Saving knowledge may be got Which no man hath but by the Spirits teaching And that you so may Heare that GOD may blesse Hearing with Faith Faith with Truth-full-Peace Take heed unto your Prayers that they reach not Their length that Widowes-houses do devoure Take heed unto your Preachings that you preach not The Spirit weak and raise a fleshly-power Take heed in Giving thanks you do not say In heart when GOD hath victories bestowne That of your Foes his hand did thousands slay And that there fell ten thousands by your owne Vnto your Fasts and your Humiliations Take likewise heed lest by your negligences Those Duties may be greater aggravations Of your but seeming-sorrow'd-for-Offences And take heed lest hypocrisie may breed Obstructions in you of due Taking-heed If truly you desire a happie-Peace Repent your false Repentance and in haste Your suits with true sinceritie addresse Before the Day of mercie shall be past Reforme your Publike Fasts and let them show Ev'n in the Out-ward-man so truly sad That others may your inward-sorrow know And by the same so sensible be made Of what you feele that it may make them find A change in their owne hearts and by that change Become to pious dutie so inclin'd That them from Vanitie it may estrange And ev'rie day one thus draw on another To Penitence till all repent together To make this dutie further to extend And grow more generall you shall do well Vnto your Adversaries to commend And unto those who in your quarters dwell This motion That since both of you professe One GOD you might assemble on one day To meet before his Presence to confesse Your wickednesse wide open there to lay Your Causes And for judgement to referre Your selves to him For such an introduction A meanes to draw you somwhat nearer were And to remove it may be some obstruction Which hinders Peace or els to bring that on By which your work the sooner may be done If they that have the better Cause think fit With some such meek and pious invitations As they might frame for this end to admit That day whereon their Foes humiliations Pretended are it either shall allure Your Adversaries to that Penitence Which will a speedy amity procure Or aggravate so greatly their offence That GOD shall quite reject them as if they Refused your Appeal or to abide His Doome and did intend some other way Or by some other Censor to be tri'd And what event will thereupon ensue It were a needlesse matter to fore-shew When all are thus assembled on one day Or els of all so many as GOD's grace Shall make therewith content For though it may To you be somwhat yet nor Time nor Place Are in respect of Him considerable Yea when you in his presence shall appeare To this effect as he shall you inable Fall down before him with all meeknesse there Together then with seriousnesse begin The Fast anew In true humiliations Let all bewaile their errours and their sin Till in their mournings and their Lamentations The famous mourning equallize they shall Of Hadadrimmon in Megiddo Vale. Let joyntly People State and King unite In penitence as they in sinne have done Themselves let them for all their sinnes indite Their new and ancient sins before GOD's Throne And forasmuch as in this later-Age And in this place he seemeth as it were To bring all things again upon the stage Which heretofore in action did appeare Yea since they who will heed it may behold All that concernes th' Estates or conversation Of Saints or sinners in GOD's Word fore-told Epitomized in this Generation Let not his warnings both by Word and Deed Be frustrated through want of taking-heed Remember to be waile your Gentilismes Your Babylonish-whoredomes heretofore Your ancient-heresies and moderne-Schismes That GOD for these may judge these Isles no more Observe and well observe it that because You govern'd lesse by Law then by your will That GOD almost depriv'd you of those Lawes And that because your projects to fulfill Or to promote your carnall-Policies Morality and Piety by you Were made but stales the worlds old-Heresies And Heath'nish-manners are sprung up anew To interrupt and marre the publike-Peace For your dissembling and unthankfulnesse Remember that like Israel you have spar'd The Canaanites that should have been destroi'd That like rebellious Saul you had regard To Agag and forbidden spolles enjoi'd Remember how you stagger'd off and on Betwixt the LORD and Baal in ancient-time And how farre you in later yeares have gone To repollute these Islands by that crime Remember that like Judah you have made Confed'racies with such as are GOD's Foes Though warnings counsells and commands you had To shun their friendships who the Truth oppose And mindfull be how you on them reli'd Whom Egypt and whom Asbur typifi'd Remember that you have like Solomon Though you had his example to beware Been carelesse those Alliances to shun Which both pernitious and forbidden were For all this Empire guiltinesse contracted As well by heeding not to have prevented What by your Kings and Peeres of State was acted As in not having yet this sin repented Repent that as in Judah by her Kings You have by halves reform'd Religion too Call therewithall to mind what fruit it brings The work of GOD with negligence to do And humbled be for ev'ry other sin Whereof these Isles have jointly guilty bin Let those three Parties which have made this day These Islands wretched by their great Transgressions And chas'd their Glory and their Peace away Make jointly and asunder their confessions For all have much offended ev'n the best Are guiltie of enough to have destroi'd The temporall well-being they possest And all their hopes of what may be enjoi'd Let luke-warme Newters those poore-spirited Degenerated Britains without heart Who as ignobly have demerited As those who persecute the guiltlesse
calling understand And lay their many failings more to heart For most have liv'd as if to idlenesse And to debaucherie they had been borne And large estates for nothing did possesse But for supplies of lust to serve their turn A die a cocke a hound hawke horse or whore Were chiefest objects of their contemplation Their sinnes alone are though you had no more Enough to bring a Land to desolation And they have been chiefe cause and instruments Of all these Plagues for which this Realme laments But much will want of perfecting a peace Vntill your Men of Law perswaded be To mourn apart For they will re-increase Your quarrells else assoon as you agree By their formalities and slow proceeding Your remedie for injuries is made A mischiefe the disease oft times exceeding And if some eye unto them be not had So many places in your Parliament They will supply and fill so many Chaires In your Committees that much derriment Vnto the Subject and some close impaires Of publike freedomes e're you be aware Which slip upon you if you have not care They have already made the common way Of Trialls very greatly to inlarge Your troubles by impertinent delay And circumstances to the suiters charge So strong a party they have alwaies had That your Great-Charter which doth interdict Delay of Justice was in that point made E're since the grant a Law without effect But when their Courts and practises have reach'd Oppressions height They as the Clergie were Shall downe into another Orb be fetch'd And taught to keep a constant motion there This Work upon some Courts hath been begun Another time it shall be fully done Let ev'rie Oiconomick-Government And ev'rie single person through the Nation In ev'rie Family apart lament And take his wayes into examination For all Estates and Common-weals that be Consist of these And whensoe're you shall Those Pettie-Governments reformed see You then are in the way of mending all If ev'rie Houshold-Prince and Officer Within his Jurisdiction would but please To make compleat a Reformation there The Work-desired should be done with ease Let each one therefore take the same in hand In all relations wherein he may stand Let ev'rie Master prudently direct And ev'rie Servant faithfully obey Let ev'rie Husband husband-like affect And ev'rie Wife a wife-like love repay Let Parents parent-like their hearts enlarge Their filiall duties let the Children do Let singly all of these their parts discharge Both to the Family and Strangers too Yea let each person individually Now take himselfe apart and all alone His heart examine what Impietie By him hath been occasioned or done Whereby your Peace was broke and then assay To help renew it by what means he may But chiefly let the Royall-Family Admit this Discipline that others may Receive encouragement and light thereby To find a Penitentiarie-way Oh I let the King if ever he expect To see the Citie of his Throne in peace Go mourne apaâ—â— and let his thoughts reflect Vpon his folly and unrighteousnesse Let him like David and not Ahab-like Take meekly those reproofs that GOD shall send And let them on his heart so kindly strike That he enraged grow not but amend With that great Patterne of true Penitence When he like sheep beholds his people slaine Let him not look too much on their offence But rather let him of his own complaine That they may do the like and GOD perceiving True penitence quit both by free forgiving Let not the Jezabel of Rome delude him With her black witch-crafts and her fornications The cup of her delusions if in vaine His warnings prove the deepest he shall sink Into that Lake whence none can rise againe Because he hath not only had a sight Beyond them all of her seducing waies But also hath acknowledged that Light And wilfully himselfe to her betraies Yea and to make his sin and shame the more Betraies the bloud of others to the Whore Yet that he may have all the meanes to fetch him Back from perdition if he be not gone So far by wilfulnesse that none can reach him Let him be personally call'd upon To look unto his waies And since you know His Flatterers present him their false glasse Himselfe thereby unto himself to show And make him seeme the man he never was Help thou to undeceive him lest he may With his three earthly Kingdomes now halfe lost Fool desp'rately a heav'nly Crown away And think he shall redeem it at the cost Of trimming up the Western end of PAVLS By Fines extracted from afflicted Soules First bid him call to mind with mourning for them The sins which did his Fathers-house pollute And in his heart so seriously abhor them That it may bring forth penitentiall fruit The bloud of War that hath in Peace been shed The manifold uncleannesses therein The superstitions thereby cherished Offences known and those that hid have bin The prosecution of the royall-bloud In Arabella guilty of no crime Except it were offensive to be good And to have had her being in his time The matchlesse prophanation of a Day For Gowries death his many great oppressions The fooling of the Kingdomes wealth away And Subjects lives by cheating Expeditions With whatsoe're offences of this kind He shall upon a strict enquirie find Wish him with like affections to recall The slips of his own Reigne and of his life The mischiefs which to Him and you befall In hunting for a superstitious Wife His making of Nobility a scorne By dignifying men of base-condition By choosing Counsellours to serve his turne In setling things unworthy his fruition By suffring of his royall Proclamations To be abused to injurious ends By making showes of verball Reformations For publike good when rapine he intends By faining fears when cause of feare none give him And by protesting untill few believe him Let Him consider that all those for whom Against two Kingdome he in Armes appears And whose Protector He is now become Are men whom nothing but their sin endears Let Him consider what a sea of bloud In his three Kingdomes hath of late been spilt For those who share among them all his good And make him culpable of all their guilt Let him consider that what now he strives And fights for is but power to be undone Or that he may by his Prerogatives Without controule unto the Devill run For unto him that power or that supply Which may be for his good none shall deny Let him remember what the German-horse Should have been sent for Let him call to minde Distressed Rochel And that which will worse Afflict him when his feeling he shall finde Poore gasping Ireland whose wide-gaping wound Calls out for vengeance and his honour taints With deep-di'd staines His flat'rers feigne a sound From Straffords bloud and other such black-Saints But that Illusion will not keep him long From hearing Ireland For two Kingdomes more Have sent in bloud to make a triple-Song Which will so dreadfully so