THE LABYRINTH the KINGDOM 's in With a golden threed to bring it forth into Light Liberty and Peace agen BEING A brief but impartial History OF THE Good and Evil of the former later and present Power of the Nation as it relates to GOD and the PEOPLE The Result is a Plea for the Restauration of all in Christ the Kingdoms Rest who is expected to appear more in the present then in any former Power of the Nation By R. BACON a Lover of Mankinde Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit Terent. 1 Pet. 4.6 For this cause the Gospel is preached to them that are dead that they might be judged according to men in the flesh but saved according to God in the spirit Gal. 2. If I build again the things I have destroyed I make my self a transgressor LONDON Printed in the Year M.DC.XLIX TO THE High Court of Iustice so called Light and Truth Mercy and Peace Right honorable YOu are in your present proceedings a shadow and but a shadow of good things to come not the very things themselves not he that should come we are yet to look for another even Christ himself the true anointing that shall not as you judg according to the seeing of the Eye and hearing of the Ear but he shall do righteous Judgment upon you as well as others I mean not upon King Charles for All but King Lucifer in All King Parliament Army All. This is and hath been the King of the bottomless pit who hath let in all manner of devils into the Nation to be the torment and trouble of it his name is therefore in the Hebrew tongue ABADDON but in the Greek tongue hath his name APOLLYON and is indeed the great Destroyer of all Good in You and the whole Kingdom I give my vote to the slaughter of this King I have but two things more to say to You and say it I may I hope without offence for I intend none neither do I say it after or to serve or please men but God as they said to Christ By whose Authority do you do these things or who gave you this Authority or as Christ said to them of John Is it from heaven or of men If You say it is of men then you your selves are witnesses against your selves that you tread in the steps i. e. are living in the same principle of those that went before you and do as they did judg that evil in others which you have not yet overcome in the principle of it in your selves Let therefore he that is among you without this fault throw the first stone But if you say it is from Heaven let it appear by your doing the works of your father which is in heaven This we will beleeve when we shall see you do that which none others did before you that is to say when you shall do good for evil not only love those that love you but those too not their evil that hate you and despitefully use you Let your rain of goodness descend and your Sun of righteousness shine upon the Just for their Justification and the unjust for their Clarification and Restoration Then shall we set to our seal that you are that you expect to be * As Cyrus was said to be The Christ of God the anointed of the Lord for the saving healing and restoring of the Land to which God and all good men say Amen The aberrations from and the walking after the light of this star this anointing by King Parliament Army is the subject of this Discourse with all Christian submission put into your hands By R. BACON Who in his sphere seeks the good of all The Labyrinth the Kingdom is in With a golden Threed to bring it forth into LIGHT LIBERTY and PEACE agen Being an impartial History of the Good and Evil of the former later and present Power of the Nation as it relates to God and the People CHAP. I. Of the height and fall of the King and his Party together with the cause and manner how THe King of England Scotland France and Ireland so is his title at least so it was in times past being through Flattery Oppression Superstition Ignorance and the like lifted up in himself and over the Nation and all orders and estates of men and consciences therein yea above all that was or is truly called God among men so that he said in his heart and all that were heightned by and took up their rest in this great and tall Cedar as someâ—ime the King of Assyria did I will ascend above the heights of the cloude I will be like the most high that is as wise as strong as great as he Or as did that other great and mighty Poterâ—ate we read of in Daniel reflecting upon his own glory and the works of his own hands boasted himself before God and men saying interpretatively and in the account of both Is not this great Babel which I have built for the honor of my Majesty for the spreading of my glory and for a lasting rest and tabernacle to me and mine to all future ages § 2. No sooner was this thus in his ignorance of God gone forth of the mouth of him and his but there apeared written upon the wall of this his and their so great but carnal Confidence by the invisible and irresistible hand of God which only then and now the Daniels of the Kingdom were able to read and interpret MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN This is now not only Prophetically but that which is come to pass easily to be interpreted by every one that passeth by or goeth in and out this Kingdom so that every man may see and understand this to be the interpretation of the thing or hand writing Mene God hath numbred thy Kingdom taken a note of all the particular vanities follies cruelties therein and finished it in respect of the glory pride and vanity it now is and hath been in Tekel Thou art weighâ—d in the ballances of God and man and art found too light Peres divisit God hath divided it from thee and thee from it or divided it into several peeces and smaller parts and parcels so that one hath one part and another hath another First the Irish take one peece then the Scots take another and the English take the last or rather the first and best and they too divide it among themselves and strive who shall have the better part or the whole of it Sect. 3. Thus the King in this way and confidence of his and those that had stretched themselves with him upon this bed of rest which they have now found by woful experience is too short for them I say he and they have found that come upon them at the Call and Command of God which sometime the Land of Judah did yea that very voyce of God hath thundered in their ears houses and among their friends and estates as sometime did among that people and that in these
they sink again into it This their way is their folly which too is made manifest sooner or later yet their posterity they that come after them in power and place approve their sayings see a delight in their mouth as it is in the margin they have as it were one mouth and are in effect the same in a new and another seeming better disguise the same Spirit appearing in another form one evil generation and power of men opposing another Sect. 9 The Lord therefore rebuke the evil Spirit that seeks to undoe deceive and misguide the Army into those courses that may any way tend to shut up the way of men to Christ their Savior who is pretended to be among them more then among other people and those that went before them that it may be said of this King I mean not either King Charls whose person yet I loved and prayed for or as the Country people speak King Fairfax or Cromwell but King Jesus a King that is a Saviour and in that he is a Saviour a King for every one worthy of the name honor and title of a King is a Saviour a Saviour not only of his friends but his very Enemies King Charls would indeed have saved his friends so but corruptly called but he being corrupt and ignorant of the true pattern Christ would fain have destroyed his indeed but supposed Enemies let not the present Kingly power of the Nation in the Army for there it is interpretatively and by way of Execution let not them dance after his pipe and do the thing he did and have since condemned him for that is to say Let not them be the Saviours of their friends only or men of one side this is not the true Spirit of Christ or of Government but let them even be Saviours to and of those yea even of those that would in their ignorance and unbelief have destroyed them This is truly noble Christian and worthy of men of high place and power let them be a Sanctuary of rest to all even the persons of all Roundheads and Cavaliers yet withall standing as a Cherubin of light right truth life peace and glory to keep the way of that tree of Life a true Christian Magistracy form'd according to the pattern in the Mount whereby may be opened unto men that long expected and looked for paradise of Truth and Peace meeting together and giving rest to the Nation and that no thing or person may be admitted that may bring any evil into it for the defilement and disturbance of it Sect. 9 This this is the business the present power have to doe being reserved and kept as in the secret of God to such a time and purpose as this that they might evidence to all both friends and foes that there is indeed such a presence of Christ and the true anointing among them they have all this while held the world in hand with that it may be said of this Presence even of this Anointing among you this King in the Army to the whole Nation on the one side and on the other none excluded from the grace and benediction of it behold a King God himself in Spirit shall reign in righteousnesse and Princes for such are the children of the true Church in all lands shall rule in Judgment that is to say not ignorantly and in the dark not knowing what they doe as the manner of the Rulers of the earth is being drunk with Error they stumble in Judgment then shall a man that is to say every one that lives in the heavenly MAN be for an hiding place what to one sort of men only that 's Jewish a course that hath undone us all this while but to every man though to the evil or lust of no man a hiding place I say from the wind and a covert from the Tempest as the rivers of water in a dry place such is for certain the state of the Royall party and in the next place the Presbyters and many others that are bitter and grieved in Spirit in one word as the shadow of a great rock in a weary Land which how welcom it is in a Land of drought as this Nation is in respect of peace and rest they know that have been by experience sensible of the one and other By this it would appear to all the world that you have skill not onely to kill and to destroy which hath been your work for the most part hitherto but that you have heard and learned of the Father of mercies how to save which is that one and onely thing the whole Kingdom is in expectation of from you that it may be said of you Saviours not destroyers are come up upon Moun Sion the true seat and place of Government to judge the Mount of Esau that is to say the evill of all men by the spirit of judgement and by the spirit of burning Let the Kingdom and all in it first taste of your good that is to say your mercy meeknesse forbearance seeking not your own but others profit even the profit of your very opposers whereby you wli lindeed appear to be of the onely true Royall bloud even of the seed Royall of God and Christ himself say yea you have much more cause to say of your selves then Saul had to say of himself in the first day of his power when the people came and clamoured in the ears of Samuel as the people of England so call'd have of late in the ears of the Army immoderately and to excesse to have justice not divine justice for they know not most of them what that means upon the person of the King saying Who is he of the King or Parliament's side that said or shall say Shall Saul reigne over us Shall the Army power prevail over all sorts of men in the Land as you know there is much murmuring Bring the men that we may put them to death Let Saul's Answer be yours I confesse you pretend to a conformity to a better pattern David who though he were annointed to succeed Saul against whom there is no question but David might have had as much to say as you have had against Charles Stuart late in title King of England yet David your pattern abhorred the thought of taking away his life as you also according to the grounds of true Christian Religion ought the forenamed and late King And Saul said There shall not a man be put to death this day for to day the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel Let not your morning glory the glory you seek be stained with the blood of any especially the blood of war in the time of peace be not so hasty hot and violent in condemning the Powers went before you before your rightâ—ousnesse integrity innocency honesty ability impartâ—â—lâ—â—y and bowels of mercy pity and compassioâ— toward the pâ—â— and fâ—theâ—â—ss be justified on all hands to be of a nature exceeding the pretence of others Let the
his side who thought but perhaps to attaine onely to the forbidden tree by them i. e. to satisfie their own lusts which yet I will not altogether affirme but this I do openly professe and declare that this overture with the King was the most hopefull promising innocent candid and Christian that ever was made since these troubles began and the most like to bring forth the wished for peace truth and righteousnesse to and for the rest of all the inhabitants of the Nation without respect of persons into which unlesse the door stand equally open unto all it is like nay it will certainly be shut against all it being the nature of all good men and governments to give downe like the Sun in the firmament light warmth as well to the benefit and refreshing of the unjust and unrighteous though not for their encouragement as such but for their conviction as the just and righteous according to the patterne given us in the Mount which is Christ himselfe to whom the Publicans and Harlots which were outwardly unclean as that party of people are which we in our selfe justifying language have and do call Malignants had as easie and open accesse as the Scribes and Pharises which were only outwardly holy and cleane but within were full of rottennesse and filth as the most of those are on the other side amongst us that boast of their Saintship and reformation This sun of righteousnesse mercy and peace was dawning in that day I say an appearing of righteousnesse and peace of Justice and mercy for the one without the other is not in God or Christ or good men and therefore where they are divided as for the most part they are brought forth among men they are not in truth but in pretence § 2. And therefore I do utterly dislike the late unreasonable Jewish Heathenish unchristian outcry or clamour for justice to be done upon the person of the King and those of his party and no mention made of mercy love grace goodnesse reconciliation nor reaching forth the arms and turning of the bowels of compassion towards him and them it being certain the former is not of God without the later yea the former without the later doth but irritate provoke and stir up anger wrath war and tumults to the confusion of the Nation And therefore I affirm again That that overture with the King as it was more Christian so it was infinitely more probable to bring in truth and peace then is the present course taken though by the same party and persons SECT 3. But an eclipse came suddenly upon this Sun that it set even at noon-day upon the whole kingdom and all the Heads of it King Parliament Army English and Scots The common Mother of the good and peace of all being forcibly made to withhold her brests her Son the man-childe of all our hope being taken up to God and to his throne ruling yet among men though in a hidden and secret way the woman her self those weak and feeble people being fain to fly into the wildernesse to hide her self not appearing scarce with any comelinesse or beauty at all among men she hath a place prepared of God where shee is nourished for a time times and half a time from the face of the Serpent that is as Paraeus on the Revelation observeth well a time seeming lon but proving short SECT 4. And now Behold the Divel is come down again amongst men having great wrath reigning raging working confounding darkning the Councels of King Lords Commons Bishops Presbyters Independents Anabaptists Levellers and all In all whose counsels and projects appeared manifest weaknesse errour ignorance yea open wickednesse and Apostacy in some The retiring himself for rest and recovery out of his lost estate into his old principles and compliances with his Bishops and now again beginning to be revived party who are prepared every one in secret to engage again and to revive their old and almost crucified Cause which immediately after broke forth into a more fierce and cruel War almost in all parts That which nourished and gave life again to this dying Cause was apparantly and to the view of all the treble Apostacy of the Army it self England's glory that I say not England's pride And I pray God that spirit that is too potent in them which was both the life and ruine of both King and Parliament prove not in conclusion both their own and the kingdoms ruine 1. This Armie this so Saint-like Army fell first from making good those honest Proposals they had made in the behalf of the King which gave too much cause to the King and his party to desist from their expectation of salvation and hope from them which they had too before-hand given them just cause to look for from them 2. They fell from any further concurrence with the honest Agitators which now they begin violently to oppose that I say not exasperate yea pursue and persecute witnesse the strife at Putney the unrighteous and untrue suggestion that was made of them to the King as though they intended to lay hands on him in secret or indeed at all which opposition grew to that height and heat that either side appeared in a way of open war against the other folly in the one begetting phrensie and fury in the other so that the Heads of the Army imprisoned their own persons and errours in the persons and errours of others so that they themselves were not free till they had repented and set the other as free as themselves This awakened the Spirit of God in Sedgwick Saltmarsh Pinnell Ingrave like the Angel of God that met Balaam riding beyond his Commission openly and professedly to oppose and stand in their way so that even as the dumb Asse reproved the madnesse of the Prophet so at the light of God appearing in these men the very naturall strength and sinews of the Army stood sensless as a brute amazed animal not able to go either backward or forward either back to a complyance with the honest principles of the Agitators or forward in their acquiescing in the Parliaments Votes and Counsels Which leads 3 to a discovery of the third degree of their deparure from their faith hope and first good purpose to wit their hiding and burying that good principle of seeking without partiality the good and freedom of all like the earth our common parent especially the new Earth Jerusalem which is above the true parent of all the Children that are truly and eternally free in the freedom of God and Christ himself I say in stead of this they bury this good and usefull talent or rather bottle it up in one sort of Vessels whence arose that great strife at Windsor about Ordinances having this only for the most part like the Jewes to distinguish themselves from the Gentiles and for this cause manifestly opposing that I say not brow-beating and persecuting those that professed to live in no other Ordinance but that
passe thorow the Land from one end to the other like Leviathan in the sea in the might of God â—aking as it were in the great waters their pastimeâ— so that all engagements against them prove as succesless as doth mans endevours to draw out that great Leviathan out of the great deep Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons or his head with fish-spears lay thy hand upon him remember the battell and do so no more behold the hope of him is in vain Shall not one be cast down at his sight of him None is so fierce that dare stir him Sect. 2 A great while this Arm of God or rather the lighting down of his Arm upon the Royall party appeared hid or vailed under the present and yet remaining Parliament power which like the interposition of the earth betwixt the body of the Sun and us darkned or kept in continuall ecclipse either thorow neglect or reproach the new-born hope of the Nation the Army for so they were both in respect of crushing that power of which all stood in fear as also that they were the onely Asylum or City of refuge to all the afflicted and oppressed people of the Nation Here they centered as in the presence of God among them Sect. 3 But at length they cast off the yoak and appear free heirs of all things independent in respect of all power but God alone above them and that first in their first but ineffectuall March up to London wherein it did befall them as it did Tamar Gen. 38.27 for they had as she twins in one womb for behold while they travelled and laboured to bring forth one put forth his hand that is to say there was a weak appearance of those principles and purposes of peace truth and righteousness since brought forth to greater perfection but they that undertook the midwifery of this so hopeful new-born babe took immediately a scarlet bloudy persecuting thred and tied about the finger of it at its first putting forth concerning which onely this might be said This came forth first When also it came to passe that as this appearance drew back again into the womb where it hath for a while been hid that his brother or next neighbour for evil is always nigh to good but never one with it got then the upper hand and came forth first for which cause it was and might be called * Perruptor Paâ—aeus Pharez that is to say A breach or a Maker of a breach Therefore it was said by all that undertook the Midwifery of their first born to this later unexpected and undesired brat How hast thou broken forth this breach be upon thee bear thou the burthen of this affront done to thine elder brother Truth and Peace Sect. 4 This was the first appearance or defilement upon the Army in this thing was their virginity in which they had lived all the dayes of their affliction and trouble first of all stained and deflowred whiles like Dinah they were not content to keep at home with God in the house of their Father Jacob who was and is a supplanter of none but his elder and worser brother Esau a man that lives upon the spoil of other but they would be going abroad to see the daughters of the Land and the fashions of other people which proved a snare unto them and was indeed a reproach to their fathers house making his name to stink among the people Sect. 5 In this defiled estate even as I may so speak whiles they were sore and this great infirmity upon them of their conformity to and as it were prostituting of themselves to Sechem and Hamor promising to acquiesce the one in the other all King Parliament Army being as it were circumcised and of one Religion there comes upon them Simeon and Levi in the anger of God the English and Scotish Forces yet brethren in their agreed upon Covenant Instruments of cruelty are in their habitations O my soul come not thou into their secret unto their Assembly mine honour be not thou united for in their anger they slew a man and in their self-will they digged down a wall they both together first made and then avenged the seeming holy but corrupt league was made up between them Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruel After this great slaughter and captivity of men God will I hope say of them as Jacob did of Simeon and Levi I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel restore and sanctifie them among their brethren that abode in the Covenant and light of God For though both sides excuse the matter as they did and say Should our Sister be dealt with as with an harlot For the Royall party being now one with the Presbyterian and the Presbyterian one with them they said Shall this holy Cause we have undertaken to defend by Covenant be prostitute to these uncircumcised Independents and Sectaries Therefore they both openly and secretly prepare war against them even whilest they pretended to lean upon them On the other side the Army who indeed had the better end of the staffe and most cause of complaint for though weakly yet it may be for the most part honestly run into their forenamed errour also have their mouthes opened and their hearts awakened to see the dishonour would come by dealing with Dinah as with an harlot suffer that honest cause they had engaged in and taken up their swords for to be prostituded to the lusts and wils of evil men though themselves had too too much betrayed it a little before promised to acquiesce in that Power which they knew in heart did not adhere unto them for though they had their hands yet they had not the hearts of most of them yet in effect and interpretatively in this last Summers War they made null their promise to acquiesce in the Parliament but since they have done it openly and declaredly as it appears in their remonstrance and proceedings Sect. 6 Now though these things afford no good savour in the nostrils of those either at home or abroad that by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern betwixt good and evill and therefore the true Jacob in the midst of them is making his complaints of both though not of both in the like degree This being the time of Jacob's trouble and Tamar's travel there comes forth now in the late transactions * Oriens vel Ortum Zarah that is to say that which should have come forth first but was strangled in the womb and crucified in the birth but recovers life again and appears now to be of right the first-born to whom the inheritance doth belong he that should come and wee are not to look for another the good and holy One in the Army and so in the Nation seems for the present to be predominant and Lord of all Sect. 7 But Rebeccah Jacob's mother the good people of the Land
whether the Remainder of the Parliament or those bearing office in the Army and the honest men of the City and Country that have an influence into this engagement making more haste then good speed out of a good minde notwithstanding remembring the word and promise of God concerning Jacob That the elder should serve the younger that Jacob a plain-dealing smooth and honest man or men should have the blessing the upper hand of Esau she makes use rather of her policy then the promise of God she puts Jacob into the clothing or goodly rayment of this elder brother Esau which will no more fit or become him then Sauls Armour did David who was fain to put it of again when he had done and betake himself alone to his sling and stone to throw down the great Goliah the contemptible means of the word and power of God against which there neither is nor can be any prevailing Whiles Jacob this new and hopefull Supplanter of evill stands thus ready to administer savoury meat to the dying kingdom as he did to his father Isaac which now in his old age could scarce discern one thing from another yet coming neer and feeling whether this be his very son Esau which is best beloved of his father and most desired of the Nation or no findes and concludes as he did The voice is Jacobs voice but the hands are the hands of Esau this deceit of this good woman and this good mans complying with her therein cost her much sorrow and grief being fain after a while to send this her beloved son out of the way from the fury of his brother Esau and Jacob for his own part to serve another Aprentiship enjoying not the blessing at least in his own Land till after much strugling with God and man to obtain it yea he had it not at all indeed till God himself touched him in the hollow of his thigh that is to say till he had lost all strength and confidence in carnall and worldly courses counsels and policies and had nothing left him to rest in but the naked will and presence of God For this cause he was made to halt that it might be a signe to him of his former halting and a caution to others to take heed of the like This thing I desire the present power of the Nation to take heed of and lay to heart they have indeed Jacob's voice talking much of God Christ the Spirit Revelation prayer prophecie the power and presence of the Almighty the highest form of knowledge and talk of things divine is amongst them which if it be not in power and truth that is to say if it proceed not from the presence of the true annoynting and holy one among them it is the most deceiving Antichrist that hath ever yet appeared in the world and yet this I dare be bold to aver that this knowledge and talk of many of them that I say not the knowledge and talk of most is but traditionall and by imitation of others having Christ in their mouth but Sathan in their very hearts and lives being as the rest of the world holy by fits holy now and then holy upon Sundays holy at a Sacrament or a Sermon holy in their severall churches of which many are members holy upon their dayes of fast and prayer but not holy as every true Christian is holy in all manner of conversation holy as God himself is holy holy through their union with him and enjoying of him These these in the Army God sayes They are a smoke in my nose a fire that burneth all the day who being as ignorant in respect of pure and divine knowledge of God and as full of enmity in their spirits against him as others they condemn and say yet to others in respect of themselves we are more holy then ye Sect. 8 But yet I dare not yea I should grievously sin against God and his presence in the Army should I deny that there is the shout of a King even of the King of Kings amongst them should I deny that he hath given to many of them yea some of the chief and top of them to sit together with him on his thronâ— as the Father hath given him to sit with him on his throne these are they to whom is given a pure language not the language of Egypt or Ashdod no not of Samaria a mixt language a language that is neer or very like but not the very language of heaven or true Canaan such as is the language of the Jew not such a one that is so onely in the letter and in respect of the outward man but he that is so in the inward man such a one that speaks such a language that shall confound all other languages for thus saith the Lord of Hosts the Lord of Armies In those days it shall come to passe that ten men shall take hold of all languages such as are the languages of the severall Sects and sorts of men among us of the skirt of one such a one that doth not onely say but that is a Jew and of the seed of Jacob indeed they shall take hold of the skirt of such a one saying We will go with you for we have heard that God is with you This is indeed the voyce of Jacob which I and all good men delight to hear among them the joyfull sound the roaring of the Almighty like a Lion among you whose presence is terrible to the world For because of truth meeknesse for the meek shall inherit the earth and righteousnesse not that which is narrow and humane but that which is divine and superlative he shall bring mighty things to passe But as the Kingdom hears among you Jacobâ— voyce either pretended or in truth so by feeling they finde your hands are too too much like Esau's hands your little finger in some regard heavier then your fathers loins to the sense of City and Country the afflictions that have been and yet are upon them by the Parliament and their Proceedings and Armyes are much more heavie and intolerable and that upon both their friends and foes then ever were the oppressions of the King and Prelates respecting the outward man upon that sort of men that have now by a divine power got the upper hand of him This is certain the burthens of the people are many and their fears are more that one oppressing power will still succeed another so that the Land shall never enjoy her Sabbath this I say not to upbraid you but to re-minde you that you fall not into the same condition and censure others did that went before you for as their inward thought was that their houses should continue for ever and their dwelling places to generation and generation that they call their lands and their wayes after their names Nevertheless we see one year after another man in true Christian honour and integrity abideth not but is like the beasts that perish being earthly