the greater number a vertiginous and giddy generation that will never suffer quiet to themselves you nor others The opposites to these are the most prudent-constituted form of Rules the World hath known a vast number of people wedded to it the matter therefore irreconcileable no example friendly to you all Potentates made partyes against you the certain disunion of Scotland with England the dammage and infamy for the losse of Ireland the defamation of Christian Religion more especially of the Protestant Professours and lastly the person of a most Excellent Prince loved reverenced and desired by the generality of his people Besides all these and others that are obvious to the commonest understandings trust me no mortall man can have a prevision of the future vexations which such a Regicide such a Parricide will bring to the persons affairs and designments of the Army if a prognostick may be made by the rules of Reason by the constant course of humane actions by the conjunction of the present affairs of this Kingdome It is the certain expectation of all sober men that Iacob followed not Esau closer by the heel then the Armyes destruction will that of such an inhumane act of violence upon the sacred Person of this King What then in the name of God is it that hinders you answerable to reason suitable to duty and agreeable to piety from making hast to joyn your self to the Law and to agnize that Prince whom the lawes and ordinance of God have set over you Obey then the municipall Law under which you were born that hath nourished and cherished you restore it promote it all you can reverence that Prince into whose custody God hath committed both the Lawes and your self who I doubt not will find it most conveniency to imploy your self and the soberest of your party in the eminentest administrations under Him And verily I wish it Nor do I think it in any degree reprehensible for you or any other to observe the Physicians rule Accipe dum dolet take this opportunity of the present anguish of the King and Kingdome restore it to its former habit of quiet and peace There is none that will grudge you such sober commodity as may arrive to you by it But with such manner of discourses I will not detain you least I should thereby mis-leade you into a false opinion of me My principles according to the temper of these times are very remote from self-safety or to imploy ungenerous flatteryes for it Know this assuredly that I firmly believe that an established Magistracy is Gods immediate Minister nor can it be deposed by those that owe obedience and subjection to it without the highest guilt of impiety And that this is a verity so plainly held forth to us by the sacred Scriptures as an ordinance imployed by God for the manifestation of his power and goodness in the conservation of humane communion and society that the conscientious sufferers for it may expect a Crown of Martyrdome by it That this Government is a Monarchy and his Majesty the right and lawfull King hath not a colourable objection to gainsay it Read the Act of recognition 1 Iacobi calmly done by the whole Parliament and unanimously pursued by the whole Nation at a season and opportunity that might have encouraged pretences if any could have been found How happens it â—hat the lawfullness of Regall rule is questioned Search the Scriptures God it is that owns their Charter He it is that gave it them Per me Reges regnant Prov. 8.15 not per nos t is no plurality they hold by Where Salomon speaks in the person of the eternall Wisdom thereby to advertise us of no doubt greater reverence and circumspection God himself appoints Moses the first Prince of the politick State of the Iews after him Ioshua c. Is it the title and hereditary succession of Kings you look for See then God himself chuseth Saul afterwards guides the lot lastly follows the publication and acknowledgement of the people Afterward God rejects that Dynasty and by especiall command fixeth David whom by like appointment Salomon succeeds and from him continued that family in the rule in the eldest son of that Family Yet is the person so sacred so delicate that no violent hand must come near to approach it Wherein are the Scriptures more plain and expresse then in this particular Touch not mine Anointed David before he was a King and persecuted by a King who can saith he stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless 1. Sam. 24.5.6 Multitude of texts there are that both justify the dignity and enjoyn reverence to the person And conformably it hath been the avowed doctrine and practise of the Church in all ages even under Heathen Princes 'T is an argument too copious for a paper to contain the reasons and instances for it rather indeed it is too manifest to be disputed Hath not God coupled the fear due to Himself with the duty of reverence toward the King Prov. 24.21 22. My Son Fear thou the Lord and the King in conjunction meddle not with them that are given to change Mixe not with such machinators for a like end shall be to the offendours against both Destruction Sir my conclusion shall be very plain because you may thereby be the better assured of my sincerity in all the rest The ancient constitutions and present Lawes of this Kingdome are my inheritance and Birth-right if any shall think to impose upon me that which is worse then death which is the profane and dastardly parting from these Lawes I will chuse the lesse evill which is Death I have also a right in Kingship the Protectour of those Lawes This is also by a necessity and conjunction with that other dearer to me then life And lastly in This King is my present right and also obligations of inestimable favours received from him I would to God my life could be a sacrifice to preserve his Could you make it an expedient to serve that end truly I would pay you more thanks for it then you will allow your self for all your other merits from those you have most obliged and dye Your most affectionate Friend POST-SCRIPT SIR I Adde this Post-script When with the most unheard of and highest violation of all Lawes humane and divine of Morality and Sanctity both upon the person of the King and municipall Lawes of the Kingdome so execrable an Act is perpetrated let the profit of it to the Actours be summed up it amounts to nothing more then this That a King is escaped out of their present possession but the succeeding King obliged by all the tyes of Religion Nature Duty and Honour encouraged with all the irritations of this Nation Scotland and Ireland fortifyed by the Interests of all Christian Princes and States to animate and aide him for his revenge upon the Actours I am not guilty of so implacable and inveterate malice as to wish that the contrivers
Certain LETTERS Written to severall PERSONS Anno Dom. 1654. SIR THe sad and desperate condition his Majestyes sacred person is in hath filled me with much greater anxiety and disquietness then hath been usuall to me since these unhappy times And it is not often that I think of any thing else but what may or ought to be done in order to the preservation of it as a Christian as a Subject For I believe both dutyes are inseparably conjoyned in this occasion The inquisition after this led me into the consideration of Gods dispensation of times and seasons and that as those are not to be neglected wherein there is freedom for our active-duty so neither these wherein there is appearance of little else remaining save only for others to be encouraged and revived by the passive And truly I doubt not but the divine goodness will act for our good ends by our Christian readiness for sufferings And as it is thus with times so also it is with persons some are rather or more decently qualifyed for this then that at least to give example and authority to it These cogitations drew from me the considerations herein inclosed which I have addressed to because I assure my self much of your gentleness I have already communicated them to a very learned reverend and pious but I will not adventure much further in it untill I have also your sense of the expediency of the thing For neither to the reputation of the matter untill it be maturely considered of nor to any person would I be cause of inconvenience And indeed if it be so well encouraged by your self and such others of like reputation as it is by Him it will become me afterward to be silent as I conceive for I have a better Heart then a Head for this business I professe I have a jealous eye upon the Scots and Presbyterians who I doubt not would make malicious advantages upon any colourable defect of our Clergy I shall adde this that those of my profession are not idle but are confident and vigilant And truly it were a vile shame for us of all qualifications if this excellent Prince should be lost and we not able to excuse our selves that no means was left unattempted for his preservation Whom I beseech God to comfort and defend To whose protection I also leave you c. Feb. 11. 1647. POST-SCRIPT I Think it gives weight and encouragement to this proceeding both his Majesties late excellent Declaration to his Subjects as also the Resolution of the Houses to exhibit theirs to the people I heartily wish this were timely fitted for this conjuncture The Considerations inclosed THe streight durance his Majestyes sacred person is held under the late Declaration of the Army with which the Commons have concurred to act without and against the King puts it past all scruple that the flagitious and execrable resolution of these men hath engaged them past retiring and which is yet worse that they cannot but proceed to the deepest and utmost villanyes and impietyes There is not less question of this then of what ought to succeed it which is that their impudence must be encountred with a Christian courage zeal and resolution superiour to it otherwise 't is a doubt not to be slighted that these men and too many others seduced by them will have a seeming cause to believe themselves that Theologicall truths are more controversiall then those Astronomicall or Astrologicall wherein lines and Images are only fictioned to make Schemes for Sciences and Discourse I am not altogether free of this scruple though it looks so stupendiously irreligious Will not the whole frame of Christian verity be shaken if not subverted in this Nation when this so great a truth in it shall not be vigorously averred That an established Magistracy is Gods immediate Minister and ought not cannot with Christian profession be deposed by those that owe obedience and allegiance to it I am fully perswaded that it is so necessary a truth that were it tyed to the stake and the flames about it even there ought we to offer our selves to vindicate it and contend for it or else adieu Christian-Protestant profession The seed of the Church was Suffering And shall it be lost for want of suffering after it is grown to such a perfection The ancient Patterns must be imitated if we expect the same benediction should preserve to us what was so piously and gloriously planted by them I think I mistake not my measure this errour amongst men lyes not in the brain but in the heart therefore Instructions want not but strenuous Examples of Christian zeale which I perswade my self will most daunt them For those believe what they want of us in truth they supply in pertinacity All this considered is it not now seasonable I believe it was not so till now but because the reasons are so obvious I will not trouble you with them for a considerable number of our learned'st gravest and most pious Divines though they exceed not the number of 20 they will be enough in a grave and sober manner for those tart reprehensions of which every day there wants not store suite not the weight of this business being rather movings of spleen then sanctity to present unto the Houses That a Government established is Gods immediate Minister and That an attempt to depose it is an high impiety against God and his known truth plainly and expresly taught us in the holy Scriptures That his Majesty is indubitably Gods Vicegerent over us and that this allegiance we owe unto Him we have attested by the oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance That not any of his Subjects can stretch forth their hands against Him and be guiltless That they demand according to the practice of the holyest Christians in all ages a time and place to prove this great truth they now assert by evidence out of the Scripture and if this be not allowed them then to declare they refuse not to seal it by Martyrdome I do very readily acknowledge that the qúalifications for so great an ingagement ought to be weighty and serious and that to rush into Martyrdome as long as God hath left us any justifiable humane means may want as much of true Christian piety as it may seem of prudence God hath engaged our nature to many and severall dutyes and functions and each hath its severall lawes and rules proper whereby they are so set on work that each may attain their due and proper ends nor is the greatest means alwayes best when there are others though lesse yet fitter But if I mistake not ventum est usque ad Triarios we must bring up the Reserve God hath in his just judgements upon our Estates and Persons permitted all our temporall endeavours to be dissipated and frustrated we may say Our Van and our Battel are routed but if the courage of this our reserve fails us not I hope we shall rally our selves again about it by
the divine goodness have a faire day of it This will awaken all encourage the half-spirited corroborate all honest sincere minds Me thinks I have reason too on my side when I believe it will easily fall into this sequence All the Clergy of England with very little exception will second so Christian an example Besides most entire familyes will be engaged and scarce will there be one but will have a share in it For to this point the Presbyterians will frankly concurre diverse reputed Independents of whom I know some much valued by themselves will be joyned unto you and even in the Army the Impression of it will be notable Nor can their present power prevent the expression of so universall a sense so piously incited and so well warranted Whereby will appear their paucity Upon good advertisement I am assured that they believe they have the Hearts of the greater number of the people so much hath their prosperity dazled them But of nothing am I more certain then that they have not the fourtieth man And an expedient like this to let both the people and them into a view one of another I know not And yet also would this be further prosecuted This attestation would be sent into Scotland and all the Protestant Churches and States of Europe for with the others we communicate not And for it I know an expedient proper and of reputation If this progresse of it should fail though improbably which hath such a politick seemingness in it yet in my opinion it doth not at all vitiate the pious part of it the means and end being throughout truly Christian I say if it should fail yet I see not that any thing we can do or suffer can more then answer the importunity of the occasion and the necessity that lyeth upon us as Christians to do the utmost of our duty How long and with how many arts and subtletyes have these men abused and deluded the people with the pretensions of their candid intentions only to preserve the Laws of the Nation and the Protestant Profession But now that they are possessed of so great power with what impudence do they confound those and with what impiety do they subvert this But since in this case both those do so well accord were it not best to set this last-named in the front and to draw up the Civil affair to it and though we contend for both yet to fight under the banner of this in some such manner as I have stated it and by your wisdom will be disposed into the best Order I shall adde such a consideration more that if it stood singly yet in my opinion would justify and quit the cost of any endeavour or indurance That is the unparallell'd sufferings of this great Prince to which I know nothing superiour but his incomparable vertues Believe me multitudes of men are mistaken if in the point of his temporall affairs he had not been in a much better condition though I confesse not in a good one had he timely relaxed much of his constancy and sincerity towards the Rights preeminencies and patrimony of the Church Neither is our obligation but very great to Him his sufferings being for our Lawes so unquestionably is our prosperity mixed with his dignity Now shall this great Personage suffer imprisonment deprivation of Majesty absence of all worldly comforts and minutely hazards of life for his magnanimous stedfastness to your and our advantages and we not struggle for Him with our utmost endeavours Life were inseparable from much infamy with such ingratitude And truly in humane reason the utmost imployment whereof God I doubt not expects at our hands I know no guard for his life but by some means or other to make it manifest how dear he is to his people and their readiness to testify how inseparably united Gods truth is with the cause of his Majesty This onely next under God must awe them preserve Him I cannot refuse to believe that this cause as to the Crown will rise again because I see not a bottom or foundation in humane reason for this surreptitious power to establish it self in the order it seems now to point at Though I do also very fully confesse that great mischiefs are easily under their power But if these only were prevented amongst which the safety of this sacred Person is of highest importance we had no cause to repent of such pious endeavours And should the cause of the Crown with which Gods truth is so firmly combin'd resuscitate without such Christian aides little were it to the honour of the present clergy and those that now serve at the Altar and if redemption come singly some other way their share could be little looked after of which truly none is more passionately tender then my self nor were the Protestant Profession well vindicated which I doubt not to say hath received a deep wound but I hope not mortall by the unchristian proceedings of these vile and detestable men amongst us This I have offered to your candour prudence and piety which truly I hold in great reverence otherwise I would not thus have exposed my self to the censure of it The weakness of the advice at least the unskilfull digest of it I shall readily acknowledge but the sincerity and zeal of my heart for the cause to which it is directed I shall never be ashamed of But after all this I shall make this conclusion and I pray believe I am serious and sincere in it Let me not be mistaken that I should seem to reprove a slackness in those whom I think proper to take up this matter of themselves Indeed I am not at all guilty of it I doubt not but great numbers have been long since ready for this encounter and perhaps disposing themselves to it in a much better manner then I have proposed I have onely offered my opinion Receive it I pray as it is I may affirme in the weakest part of it not wanting some measure of a pious jealousy as a Son of this Church for this great verity taught and professed in it and as a transport of that duty and care I have for the safety of this Gracious Prince my Master To which I shall adde that I have had too much experience in this world to be ignorant of this frequent truth in affaires That in good men there is alwayes a modesty accompanying them that oftentimes they begin over-late And it is almost proper to them neither to machinate nor to be overhasty to encounter wicked designes But if I erre not this is that point and article of time wherein your Order are to manifest their full perswasion of this verity in Christian Religion vindicate it as it is profest by the Church of England answer the kindness and stedfastness of the King to the Clergy protect that Life which was our Protection and is in such imminent hazard for it By all which through Gods blessing you may lay a