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A44795 An information, and also advice to the Armie on both parts, and this present Committee of Safety newly erected, and to the late Parliament and also to all people who seeks peace and righteousness, and are for the good old cause, so much talked on. This is presented by him who stands off, and from all self-interests and parties, and wisheth that the wisdom of God may guide you all, and division and destruction may cease. By Francis Howgil. Howgill, Francis, 1618-1669. 1659 (1659) Wing H3167; ESTC R202551 7,550 13

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thereof the oppression whereof hath reached heaven even to the Throne of God and hee hath considered it though you would not but in stead of removing of it established it for which he was wrath with you you have lost your Crown and hee hath laid you by as men who would not accomplish his end and let his people go free and let me tell you It was rashly and proudly done of you after so many valiant Officers who had waded through a sea of troubles though I shall not say but they sought themselves too much which I hope God will give them to see And after they had subdued the Insurrection in Cheshir● and had considered what might best conduce for the welfare of the Army and for the Nations good and safety and to present it to you desiring your Concurrence therein and though they did send among their quarters for Subscriptions they knowing before hand except it carried some bulk or at least seemed a matter of concernment y●u would take less notice of it that you should in your heat and passion being filled with Jealousies Vote out these Officers at their return from performing the faithful service to you and the Nation it was an unworthy gratification and to put in others less capable onely to exalt your own power and rather to draw back to bonda●e then going forward to perfect the business a foresaid For these and many more instances that I might lay before you it was just with the Lord to remove you and not to prosper you and to overturn you because you stood not in his counsel neither hearkened to them who would have wished you well with whom Gods counsel is and it is just you are turned out and let me advise you and despise not my counsel for the counsel of the mighty hath sailed take Councel at a Shepherd or a Man of low degree be you quiet and seek not revenge neither blow the sparks nor kindle heat in peoples minds neither provoke the Army to bloodshed but rather disswade them and wait t● see what the Lord will do if he will raise up any to perfect that long desired and hoped for end freedom and liberty in the things that are just as men and in the things o● God without imposition and if you live to have yo● share among the people in this it will be well and yo● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no cause to repent of being still and quiet though you may have cause to repent of your rashness and of the things before mentioned 10. And you of the English Army who were dissatisfied with the proceedings of the late Parlament against you 〈◊〉 wish there be not too much selfe in you in the thing rather for your own advancement and particular interest then that the Good Old Cause profest was not carried on by the Parlament according to your desire and the peoples expectations If self-interest was the cause as it is to be feared there was so much of that you will be crossed in your expectation for that is the thing which hath obstructed the thing intended all along since the thing was asserted that will soon be made manifest and there remains a ground in your selves which I believe will hinder the end proposed which must be done away before you can do much for God though you may profess and declare in words much which may take with some for a while yet it wil not satisfie long I wish from my heart good to you all but there is something stands betwixt you and good things you would like the rest please all men but that cannot bee stand to the good and let your actions answer the witness of God in the worst And you say in your Declaration you have an intention to take away tythes and settle some way for a godly preaching Ministry I say they will need none of the States or Commonwealths maintenance And if you should take them away and settle any thing by way of Compulsion upon the people for any Ministry you leave us in bondage and we must declare against that as against Tythes and we cannot pay neither the one nor the other for conscience sake And you who are the Committee of Safety newly erected yea many of you have seen or at least might have seen what hath hindred the end proposed You have a day of Visitation God will try all sorts of men if any will be faithful to the end Therefore this I say to you and the rest of the Army Throw down all those corrupt Laws made about Religion Mass-houses Clerks-wages forced maintenance and meddle not with it for that thing broke all Parliaments and Councils hitherto and so will it do you if you meddle with it leave all people free without imposition of any maintenance to any or else you do nought but let every one be and let every judgement maintain their own and leave people free as to the Worship of God only to Christ who is Head and Ruler of his Church and Lord over the Conscience and is his alone Right which if you shall not do he will throw you down also Therefore let him have room and way or else that which resisteth will be cut off and this is Gods Word unyou all Take heed of gratifying any to the embondaging of others let tythes and forced maintenance go down and if for the good of the Nation or Commonwealth as in things Civil all which a free heart will most readily and willingly assist you in what money you need for the Armies pay or otherwise for the good of the Nation Stand not puzling about business not worth mentioning no● st●●ving who shall be greatest but remove the present Opp●●ss●●n● and that which is the cause thereof and set no 〈◊〉 nor unrighteous men in place of authority satisfie the Nations with Deeds Words will not with things and not with Names that will not and it is not a King a Parliament a Protector a Councel or Senate we look at will do the thing Neither people be ye wedded and glewed to Names he that purposeth righteousness and equity in his heart and walks after it is that which God will bless and prosper for when Kings Parliaments and Councels are gone from the power of God they are for the thraldom of a Nation and not for its liberty but this I forewarn you Whatever you do meddle not in the things of God or about Religion let that alone and you will more readily serve the necessity which the present affairs calls for and the common civil and equal liberty of all men Oh that you had Wisdom and the counsel of the Lord were with you How soon might things be established Then would you do more in one day then in ten while you consult with your reasons and the old corrupt Laws many of which 〈…〉 e good for nought but the fire Thus I have in all faithfulness cleared my conscience ●nto you as the Lord presented things to me and happy 〈…〉 e they that can receive them for in this I am not alone ●or many thousands will bear testimony hereunto So I rest 〈◊〉 the peace of God which no man can hinder me of Subscribing my self a faithful friend to the Common-wealth and all the good people therein FRANCIS HOWGIL The End
Long-Parliament and the People that aided them at that time counted it no treason to oppose him seeing the end was not answered which he should have satisfied and God desided the controversie i● overthrowing the one and establishing the other for a season yet many are so blind to this day that they judge the Nation cannot be established in freedom without a King as though such a Name were Essential onely to freedom and without it could not be obtained but the judicious will see this ignorance So now many are so doting on the Name of a Parliament as though it were essential or the name to be the foundation of Government and cryes up the Priviledge of Parliament as the former did Prerogative and would fight about a Name in their heat and passion and lose the thing intended though they be the Representative of the people to do good to the people and not hurt they are accounted as good servants to God and to them that elected them but if they would so soon as got together set up a particular Interest which serves to the imbondaging of the whole and then cry up their priviledge to do what they list then it is no rebellion in Gods account neither in the account of just men to call them away when they do not perform the thing intended but if they will not hearken to the cry of their Masters the People but may be call them rebels or traytors if they should be turned out because they have clothed themselves with the name of higher power when alas they are gone from that in which their power priviledge and authority stood 8. And this I have to say to that part of the Army who stands so much upon the name of Parliament and would seem to oppose all the rest whether army or the people from whence their power did at first arise when they accomplish not the end that they meet for neither intended so to do but to set up some and make the rest always sufferers if you should take part herein and manage your weapons for a sound or a name or for something that may sute you though damnifie many thousands it will not go well with you for God looketh not as man neither judges he according to mans wisdom therefore be not rash nor hasty to shed blood upon this account but take counsel in time lest an outstretched arm stop you in your way to your detriment and hurt and you may repent too late it is not your declaring in words for the Good Old Cause neither your Proclamations nor Declarations in good words neither taking God to witness that will satisfie the people who have been and are present sufferers we have had enough of that from all the former Asserters of liberty in words but the thing is not done so be less in words and more in action and deeds for righteousness and though you may seemingly retort the sayings of this Army in England upon them how they received Commissions from the Parlament and promised to be faithful to them and did that they repented of that such things should get up to rule have dominion as was acted by the two late Protectors whom the Parlament and you judged Usurpers and so you take advantage at this to spread forth this to their reproach in the nation this is not brotherly done neither is that spirit that will forgive and suffer long but is heady though they did receive Commissions and promise to bee faithful yet the end I believe was still premised by them as to be servants to them for the foresaid end The Good Old Cause 1. Freed as men from oppression 2. As Christians from being imposed upon either by antient Laws or Laws which hereafter might be made which hindered the aforesaid Cause and end of all the travel expence and suffering in the Nation which they would never have done Therefore the Army in putting a stop to that which did retard and draw back from that end aforesaid in Gods sight and in the fight of all illuminated men is no Rebellion nor Treachery 9. And as for the Long Parlament by whom God did good things and great things in the overthrowing that power which was deviated from the aforesaid end to wit the late King yet the Axe must not boast it self against him that hewed onely with it for a time to accomplish his end and when he pleases take up another instrument and let the first lie still What they did they had the approbation of God and good men yet they went not through with the work purposed and intended And though they were called together in a time of straits when that which had obstructed through flattery and ambition was taken away yet still you who were the Members of the Old Parlament remaining were called together for to help to accomplish the aforesaid end and to carry on the Good Old Cause but truly you sticked in the mire and did not run chearfully but had your ears open to them that could complement and flatter and their business you would hear and return them thanks but them who had been your dearest friends in your former straits coming in all love and humility and represented their sad suffe●●ng unto you of their long imprisonment and how ●bove twenty dear pretious men suffered till death in prison for that grand oppression of Tythes could not bee heard And again when a representation came unto you from many thousands who were faithfull men to the Common-wealth and had alwaies been it was laid by as waste paper or as a thing of no validity and worth when others received thanks from you in words and a seeming approbation of things of fa● less importance Furthermore certain who had been Officers in the Army in the Nation and in Ireland this fourteen or fifteen 〈◊〉 came to you to present the sufferings and grievan●es of that Nation unto you and in seven or eight weeks ●●me would neither hear nor regard their suit unto you neither take notice of it neither return an Answer but when a company of greedy hireling Priests came from Leicestersh●re to sound their Trumpet in the House and to tell you they had not engaged with the rest of their Brethren in Cheshi●e and ●a●cashir● with George Booth they were immediately called in and thanks returned as though they had done some great service for the Nation that they joined not in the Rebellion but them who were your real friends called Quakers who gave you and the Army intelligence about the late Insurrection in Cheshire who were spoiled by the said Rebells of their Goods and Horses especially to a great value and could never receive any satisfaction or incouragement from you And above all things this evil you did When diverse representations of the sad sufferings of the people of this Nation from diverse parts thereof not onely from one sort of people but all except one v●z the Presbyterians ●●stead of taking off the heavie yoke