we be aware Unless we with more prudent moderation Shall from henceforward manage that occasion Which GOD hath given of a happy close Betwixt them who have over-long been foes For to that end though not well heeded yet The King and we are in this posture met If he be now King by the Grace of GOD As we entitle him sent for our good And not in wrath if as his Title saith He be a true Defender of the Faith VVhich is my hope he seriously will heed How in his chief concernments men proceed And if he then findes that more in despight To those whom they hate than to do him right Some things by some are acted and the spoyl Of others rather aim'd at then this Weal By prosecutions over-violent To his dishonour and indangerment 'T will bring forth an unlooked-for effect To those upon whom he without suspect Doth yet depend and make him plainly see That from thenceforth his confidence must be In GOD and in those who with him partake For GOD's for Justice and for Conscience sake And not in those who value not those things VVhich most essential are to Sovê°raign Kings Though they pretend to suffer for GOD's cause And his or fain obedience to his Laws Much less trust them who did assist the Boys With Shouts Drums Guns and Squibs to make a noise About their bonfires hemmed in with Dances Scarce modest and sometimes with petulances As scandalous as if those men had best Their Loyalty and Gratitude exprest Who when he was proclaim'd most rudely swagger'd Drunk to his Health until they spew'd stagger'd Consum'd that on one beast which to the poor Distributed might have refresh'd a score And when they should have prais'd GOD for the grace To them vouchsaf'd blasphem'd him to his face If such prevarications do presage A setled pow'r or a Reformed Age I am deceiv'd and wholly had despair'd To see our Breaches in my time repair'd But that the King hath given hopes of late By some proceeds that he doth aim thereat And by his Proclamation startled them From that which many did expect from him Yea I have feared that I might have liv'd To see all Heath'nish Vanities reviv'd With all old Superstitions and I pray This fear may wholly be remov'd away For what some have expected all along And from what Root their zeal to Kingship sprung By many 't was fore-shown who did aspire To publick trust That which they now desire Confirms it also and perhaps it may Be manifest to all another day When they shall either miss their expectations Who welcom'd him with loudest acclamations Or else when they enjoy them which to see I should be griv'd and so I hope would he But if to those things which do now begin In ev'ry place already to flow in He puts not stop ere further they proceed His power perhaps it shortly will exceeded And we shall here behold with new additions Prophanenesse and exploded Superstitions Not only countenanced without aw Of GOD and Men but setled by a Law For this or I am much deceiv'd is that Which is by very many aimed at It was not as these did pretend to bring From his late banishment their lawful King Nor love unto his Person or his Cause Or zeal to true Religion or the Laws Which made so many who had active been To drive him out make hast to fetch him in Nor that they could better be content With Kingship or some other Government Or persons then with those that rul'd before But some did hope to have enjoyed more A Liberty whereby without controul They might in bruitish lusts at pleasure roul Some had a hoping of raising their Estate In some hope sprung from Envy or from hate Conceiv'd against those persons who acquir'd Those honours or some profits they desir'd And not a few who were at no expence In this Kings service or to make defence Of him or his cause hopefull were to get By suing to him and pretending it Repair of those consum'd Estates which they Had either drunk or whor'd or gam'd away Some other thereby hoped for fruition Of their beloved Mistriss Superstition Freedome to swear GOD damn them without a we Of Magistrate or mulct impos'd by Law To wast the day and night in drinking gaming In cheating roaring whoring and blaspheming Without reproofs Some looked for encrease Of Trading or of making Taxes less And othersome another way affected Together with a King returns expected Of Masks and Revels Turnaments and Plays May-poles Wakes Church-ales and those holy-days Wherein young men might have permitted been As heretofore to dance upon the Green With such-like liberties as may be us'd Sometimes if soberly and not abus'd And some it may be had an expection The Lords day should a day of recreation Be made agen and preaching twice a day By some new Canon would be took away That all men as they have internal motions Might have time for their pleasures or devotions These were strong motives to some late Expresses Of loyalty as also to th' addresses Subscribed not long before by many a one To OLIVER and likewise to his Son Whom quickly they deserted though they had To live and die with them professions made Without enforcement at the first to make them Or at the last so tamely to forsake them As much they magnifide them in their Lyricks Heroick Poems Odes and Penegyricks As they extol the King No flattering pen Could more ascribe to any mortal men And though such dawbings cannot keep from shame Their persons nor from infamy their name As now appears yet this magnificat The world still sings This common strain is that Which most men do affect and in this wise Flattry still sings to all Stars when they rise Yea all their songs unto this present day Are but the same new set another way And their composers do deserve no more Then begging Fidlers begging at the door Who if it might their servile ends advance Would to the same tune play the devil a dance Such are too many who do make a show Of loyalty by their expresses now As little worth regarding is their love And doubtless very fickle it would prove If GOD should be provoked to estrange His favour and permit another change They who against one party lately cride Hang hang the Rogues against the other side Would then cry out as loud Hang hang them all And those whom they now praise as much mis call For what their chiefest expectations are They make it evidently to appear By Words and Deeds and there are symptomes too What things if cause were given they would do Hornets and Wasps begin to shew their stings The butterflies display their pointed wings In every Garden and there spawn the seed which Palmer worms and Catterpillars breed They who were lately Maggots are grown Flies In our ears buzzing fleering in our eyes And up were set the worlds Gods altogether As soon as ere the King approached
may be instrumental to thy Glory And to thy Congregations will dispense Thy Sacred Mysteries without offence When wee a little more are rub'd together To scour away the Rust from one another Although the Name of Bishop doth offend Thy Son his Congregations did commend To Overseers as well as to Preachers To Deacons and to ordinary Teachers And doubtless though Ambition strained further That Discipline a Primacie of Order Is now so needful that when thou hast broke The Bile of Pride and quite away hast took From that Imposthumation all the Core Thy Church will govern'd be as heretofore The Prelates being grosly led aside By their O'er-weening Avarice and Pride VVould have thy Church LAODICEA-like Her Glory in External Pomp to seek Their Faction onely they conceive to bee That Holy Church which is approv'd by thee Like her shee boasteth that shee nothing needs That all Reformed Churches she exceeds And much triumphs now in the restitution Of her adored Rags of Superstition But if their Prelacy aside they lay Therewith will all their Trinkets fall away The Treble Mean the Tenor and the Base And Counter-tenor to a Diapase Thou then shalt bring and to this people give The Grace as well to love and to believe As hear and do and every differing String Shall to the Musick such a Concord bring That what at present doth obstruct our Peace Shall to thy Praise hereafter adde increase This I believe LORD let us wait upon Thy will with patience till this shall bee done Mean-while preserve the People and the King From those ensnarings which these else may bring Upon the Conscience or lest wee by them May bee withdrawn from thy Jerusalem To Babylon Let such before our eyes Unmasked stand by whatsoe'r disguise They are conceal'd For much I am affraid A Game is dealing now which may be play'd To thy dishonour and Wolves forth be sent Among thy Lambs to frust rate his intent Who sent Lambs among Wolves for as of old Wee were fore-warn'd that some Deceivers would Say Here is CHRIST and there is CHRIST that they Might set a false Christ up So at this day That undiscern'd the Antichrist may bee Some tell us This some tells us That is Hee But by such signal marks him thou hast shown That hee to many thousands is well known Reveal him also to this King and shew How they to whom there 's Double Honour due May with all Necessaries bee supplide More to th' advance of Piety than Pride That other Nations by that good Example May joyn in building thy Essential Temple With such Materials as may not confound The Parts thereof or make the Whole unsound And cause this King a Pattern to become Of Justice to all Kings in Christendome To that end I implore thy Majesty For thine own Honours sake which else thereby May bee eclips ' d that hee usurp not on The Consciences of Men which is thy Throne Nor suffer any other in thy Name And with false Warrants to usurp the same For by that Rule whereby intrude they shall On one indifferent thing they may bar all And ere they leave encroaching thereupon Of Christian Liberties not leave us one Inslaving of the Conscience to all evil Sets open Gates and only for the Devil Or Antichrist it maketh Proselytes And doth but fill the world with Hypocrites Therefore to all who Faith in thee profess Who keep thy Moral Law and common Peace Endeavour to preserve by word and deed Let such a Freedome bee by him decreed That Truth and Errour whilst within those Lists They keep themselves may for their Interests Contend at will and let those punish'd bee VVho break those Lists as Traytors unto thee For whereso'er this prudently is done The fall of Babylon is there begun And Christ will give true Judgement betwixt them VVho yet contend in his appointed time For this King 's likewise and this People's sake Both Him and Them henceforth so wary make That neither Vow nor Covenant nor Oath They violate for thou so much do'st loath Unfaithfulness that when thy People made A Cov'nant which thy prohibition had Yea notwithstanding all Conditions were Obtain'd by fraud a punishment severe Thou for the wilful breach thereof did'st bring Both on thy chosen People and their King A Vow likewise by Jonathan infring'd Unwittingly severely was aveng'd And breach of Oaths in ev'ry Generation Hath been pursu'd by thee with Indignation Though made to Infidels and unto those Who were as well thine as thy peoples Foes Yea though men are in durance when they make them Thou wilt severely punish those who break them As by that dreadful Vengeance which appear'd To make all future perjur'd Kings afear'd Thou brought'st on Zedekiah and of late Upon some Christians who did violate A Contract with the Turk Yea said it was As if thereof they were a special cause For Oaths the Land doth mourn and much I fear That of our Mournings they chief causes are LORD Cautious also make this King to bee Of wronging Justice and displeasing thee By his imposing Oaths which may give cause Of Clashings 'twixt Divine and Humane Laws Or which insnare and rarely do produce Effects equivalent to their abuse For to impose such Oaths as may insnare Which dubious in their acceptations are Which Ignorant Deponents may engage In or to that whereof they cannot judge Or which their Conscience checks at is an end To which thou never didst an Oath intend And is a wicked and a cursed Gin By Tyrants and by tyranny brought in Oh! make the King mind and consider it That fast and easie his new Crown may sit If thou hast sent him hither in thy Wrath 'T is what our wickednesse deserved hath So justly that the same wee well may fear And that in our Corrections hee may share 'T is also possible as soon as hee Hath dealt among us what our Dole must bee And then our Executioners must sup The Dregs at bottom of our Bitter Cup As also they who with a barbarous noise O'er us in our Afflictions now rejoyce Thee in humility I now therefore With all th' affections of my heart implore To let with Judgments Mercy come along To make our Patience and our Faith so strong That Hee and Wee our Tryals may improve To turn thine Indignation into Love And not as Wee and our late Rulers did Provoke thee still in anger to proceed Or as they did who when thy Wrath on them Was pour'd forth did grow furious and blaspheme But to avert the danger wee are in Joyn in repentance as wee did in sin Give to the King a Spirit fit to do That signal Work which thou hast cal'd him to And give us meeknesse to bee wrought upon By that which must by Thee and Him bee done For such and so great our Distempers bee That they are curable by none but Thee Or those with whom Thou shalt co-operate Our manifold Confusions to abate It is a Pow'r to Thee
Credit of the Nation For Justice sake and for the preservation Of common Peace all parties help to bear Their heavy burthens who oppressed are For every man among us more or less Is some way guilty of this wickedness And GOD if this course long defer we shall His Vengeance will divide among us all Let therefore none who in these suffering-times Shall scape the punishments due to their crimes Insult o're them that suffer or suppose Their prosp'ring from their well-deserving flows Let them remember and consider well That they on whom the Tower of Silo fell No greater sinners judged were than they On whom it fell not and think at this day Some men may perish who have been more free From guiltiness than most that saved be The King together with his Parliament May pardon every kind of punishment For faults against themselves or any one Except for what is wilfully mis-done Against our Maker but nor he nor they Can take the guilt of any sin away And though he may connive at some offences Or be deceiv'd as to mens innocencies Who by their cunning have found means of late Themselves with him to re-indintegrate Yet thousands know so well what they have done And felt so much of what ensu'd thereon That though in charity they do forgive Their falshood they 'l remember 't whilst they live Let them remember too what they have done Lest GOD bring Vengeance when we call for none Can any Peer or Commoner suppose Who in the supream Council sate with those Who did the late unhappy war begin And by their Declarations drew us in As men oblig'd in duty to adhere To them in what they prosecuting were That they are guiltless though now blamed less Than others who the same Cause did profess Can they be blameless who did with the first Begin the Quarrel and till nigh at worst Continue it not leaving on Record Ought whereby their dissent might be declar'd Nor sought for them a saving or protection Who might be ruined by their defection Doth it not greatly their crime aggravate That they vouchsaf'd not to capitulate That Innocents by their default abus'd Might to some safe condition be reduc'd But rather to their own designs made way By leaving them to be the Spoilers prey Though they forgot us I suppose it fit To minde them lest themselves they may forget When I am dead and therefore I will here Leave somewhat to be their Remembrancer Let them remember with consideration With true repentance and with due compassion How many thousands whilst they live at rest Are either quite destroyed or opprest Either in Person Credit or Estate Whose aid they did not only oft intreat But also thereby to promote their end Compelled to contribute pay and lend Yea to engage their Persons in their Cause Under pretence of Piety and Laws Whom they have now made innocently poor And forc'd to beg or else to suffer more Whilst they from all those miseries are clear Whereof their failings chief occasions were Not onely making that an Instrument To ruine them which ruine should prevent But also probably by their endeavour To make and keep the people Slaves for ever To write plain Truth why should I bee afraid By what man may it not be justly said Our publick Faith hath been the shameless'st Debter And throughout all these Realms the greatest Cheater That ever was and that our Parliaments Have been beyond all former Presidents The worst Security and never more Will be confided in as heretofore If unconfirm'd they leave what hath been bought And what was justly sold as then 't was thought Or if they make not recompence at least To those who by their actings are opprest For this is the same Nation though the Cause The Governour and in some part the Laws Are changed now GOD who the wrong doth see Is yet the same the same will alwaies be And both for what is suffered and was done Will prosecute the Judgement that 's begun By meer Cheats many thousand Families Destroyed are and with complaints and cryes So fill mens ears that they make all to grieve Save those who sense of no Afflictions have But of their own The Children do bemoan Their Aged Parents helplesly undone Who now have nothing left of what was theirs To recompence their pitty but sad tears And he who thinks Life a gratuity In such a case loves Life much more than I Supposing that 's a Mercy which to mee A barb'rous cruelty appears to be Oh GOD how are thy kindnesses requited How in our suff'rings are our foes delighted How justly dost thou many now condemn And punish for wrongs done to some of them How are the Just and Unjust wrapt together In one Snare to torment and plague each other It is beleev'd that many men there were When Innovations were beginning here Who being in themselves malevolent And for some private causes discontent Design'd and practis'd how to bring to pass That which their own and our Destruction was But here were many moe who did indeavour To qualifie the late infectious Fever Which had distemper'd us and to retain The Loyalty that seems renew'd again Yet now an Epidemical Disease Hath brought Confusion upon some of these As well as upon them who fin'd perchance Much more through wilfulness than ignorance They who did neither by their deeds or words By counsel by their pens or by their swords Begin those Innovations in the state Which have been prosecuted here of late No nor so much as by a secret thought Contribute to those Changes which were brought Upon these Islands till they were effected By other men they who themselves subjected Either but passively to those in power To scape those mischiefs which might them devour Or meerly act vely to help prevent An Anarchy and Evils imminent Which is no more than God's law doth command VVhen he makes alterations in a Land And hath been also practis'd by all Nations In every Kingdom through all Generations VVhen either by his grace or his permission He brings a people into our condition Ev'n they who did no more are made to share VVith those who wilfully transgressors were And Murtherers and Traytors be reputed As if the Kingdom which was constituted Before these Changes had continued on And all which hath by GOD and men been done VVere but a Dream of which now they awake Men may at will Interpretations make Or as if Actings in a time of War VVere bounded as in times of Peace they are VVhereas 't is known that VVar doth silence all Laws either Civil or Municipal And that what then Necessity constrain'd May by the Law of Nations be maintain'd As justly as those contracts which are made In times of peace by Laws which then we had Though they perhaps who shall have po'wr to do What they themselves please will not have it so But though we get not that whereat we aim We thereto will continue still our Claim And plead
A Cloud of Judgements to be hanging over And which e're since the last great plague hath been Sometimes approaching though by few men seen And which whilst she to pow'r and wealth aspires Will be unheeded immaterial fires Consume her dwellings and decay her Trade Unless atonement speedily be made By works of mercy and that sacrifice Which GOD hath promis'd he will not despise These Trustees will at last deceive us whether We trust them singly or else all together If then we should to this conclusion draw Be govern'd by the Letter of the Law That in it self is grown so questionable So like a Nose of Wax so variable And so uncertain made as Lawyers please To make them speak for their advantages Who most advantage them that we shall there Continue as unsetled as we were Till we are certain in what sense to take them Which will not be as long as Lawyers make them Who take more care to drive their own ends on Than to provide that Justice may be done Let me be bold to write Truths without blame Which I know may be written without shame No person persons or that Government VVhich wisest men by general consent Shall constitute is able to bring hither Both Truth and Peace to settle them together Until Almighty GOD shall to this Nation A means discover for the Regulation Of those who for their private interests Confine both Law and Gospel to their brests For from them chiefly most of all that springs VVhich either to this people or their Kings Hath hurtful been and till this be amended Our Plagues may be adjourn'd but never ended For by this means mark if it be not so Humane Affairs thus for the most part go Councils and Parliaments do counter-act Unto themselves in Judgement and in Fact And the same person by the self-same Law For the same deed they honour hang and draw Howe're the Pow'r in being forms the Cause For that straight speaks Divinity and Laws Let but another Pow'r assume the Throne Which quite contraries what the last hath done Both Law and Gospel straight confirms the same Ev'n by their tongues from whence the Judement came Which ratifide the former and had laid Strict penalties to make their Votes obaid So that which was the last year Truth and Reason Is made the next year Heresie and Treason And Judges act that guilt which they condemn In others whilst they are condemning them Oh Impudence how how is Justice lost How are poor men like Dogs in blankets tost VVhat great Revenews have been yearly paid And what vast sums bestow'd to be betray'd Or were at best upon blind Guides confer'd Who knew not whether they went right or err'd GOD bless the King and teach him what to do GOD bless the People and GOD bless me too And keep us with our several Interests From being wrong'd by Lawyers and by Priests And from Aspersion keep them also free Who in those Callings just and honest be These things I have observ'd let us therefore Trust to our selves or other men no more But wholly leave to GOD our grand affairs Lay by our Swords betake us to our Pray'rs And learn to use such Weapons which will shatter Such Fortresses as Canons cannot batter Lest else as lately we do fight again Our selves out of one mischief into twain Which into twenty more may be improved Before it shall be totally removed A Conquest by the Sword we lately had But that our sins and follies frustrate made We were by GOD's aid made victorious then By letting forth the bloud of other men But the next Victory to be bestown Must purchas'd be by shedding of our own Yea mind this well it to the Saints pertains To bind in fetters and in iron chains Both Kings and Peers and that these also may Break off those bands and cast those cords away If to assume that Pow'r the Saints begin Unseas'nably or lose it by their sin Or if they shall pursue the will of GOD VVith carnal Weapons in a carnal mode Seeking their own ends when they his pretended For with sad Sequels those ways are attended And they will worthily be then corrected VVith that which must upon them be inflicted But when Repentance and a fleshly doom Hath purifi'd them they shall overcome By being vanquisht and prevail much more By loosing than by winning heretofore Men have their failings but a fiery Trial VVill purge the dross which want of self-denial VVithin them left and when that 's fum'd away They will be Gold refin'd without allay In our own places let us truly do VVhat duty to Superiours calls us to An absolute Obedience unto none My conscience ows save unto GOD alone Yet to what Soveraign power adjudgeth fit I 'le actively or passively submit Let Souldiers fight give Pilots room to steer VVhen we move let us move in our own sphear Our safety from henceforth expecting from No Mountain but from that whence it must come VVe had ere while a Power which to our cost VVe mis-employ'd and therefore now 't is lost VVe lately active were ev'n unto blood But now such activeness will do no good And we must passive be till GOD shall please Our sins to pardon and to give us ease And he will shew us then what must be done If him with patience we attend upon VVhat we desired he did not deny us And by what we desir'd he now will try us We have a King again and since God gave him Upon such terms as most desir'd to have him VVe ought not to repine or to receed From that which we to him have promised For we our duties are oblig'd to do VVhether he keep his promises or no. Leave him unto that Cov'nant which was made 'Twixt GOD and him when he admittance had For GOD on our behalf when that was done Premised terms though we our selves made none Ev'n such as long ago upon record Expressed were in his revealed word And if he keep them not 't will worse succeed VVith him than if his sign'd and sealed Deed He should to us infringe though Dispensations He had from all the Prelates in these Nations And Rome to boot which I should fear to say If somewhat did not warrant me I may His power now is great yet had been more Than ever English King had heretofore Aâ—â—onceive had he content remain'd VVith what was providentially obtain'd Not looking backward to hedge in the time VVhich will be no advantage unto him Had he not sought his Honours Reparation By building it upon the old Foundation On which it stood not thought it best to own That Interest which GOD had overthrown And Humane policy inclin'd him to He might have done more than he now can do For Conquest giveth rather more than less Than he did by Inheritance possess And his Re-entry was equivalent To Conquest though gained by assent For Free Assent was given by no more Save those who were of his own side before Until