would be a Vanity in me to Imagine that this Essay or Compendium can have so great and good an Effect yet I promise my self it may be of some use and perhaps a Means towards the Reconciling Our Differences and the making up Our Breaches which who ever brings to pass raises to himself immortal Monuments of Honour and renders Us as Necessary and Helpful to Our Friends and as Dreadful and Formidable to Our Enemies as We have been of late Neglected and Despised by both the One and the Other I SHALL begin first with the Introduction to the late King's Miseries and Necessities which was the War the Parliament had engaged His Father in with the House of Austria for the Râ—…ry of the Palatinate and which was left Him as a Heavy Incumbrance and Mortgage upon an Estate and finding His Exthequer Empty and His Revenues spent and drained He was forced to take such Courses and Stoop to such Things as He would not have done in another Occasion His Necessities were still increased by the War He was not long after Engaged in for the Defence and in the Behalf of the Huguenots of France wherein having failed of those timely and seasonable Succours from His Parliament as He might Reasonably have promised Himself in a juncture when so great a Part and Branch of the Protestant Communion as was that of France lay at Stake He failed of that good Success that a more ready and willing Relief might perhaps have procured The Factions now begin and the publick Ministers Censur'd This Furnished the Male-contents and the Promoters of Sedition with Pretexts of Censoring and Blaming the Conduct of those at the Helm of Demanding the Heads of some of the Ministers in Favour and the Removeal of Others from all Charges and Places of Trust THIS Bustle was Attended with loud Cryes The Bishops for introducing Popery and Detestations of Popery and several were Accused of being Promoters and Abettors of it The Bishops and others of the Clergy of the Church of England were not free from this Aspersion but were said to be of the Party and joyned their Endeavours with those who had a mind and designed to set up the Roman Catholick Religion in this Kingdom This helped to nourish and spread abroad Jealousies and Distrusts occasioned Distractions and Consternations and gave deep Root to Dissention and Rebellion But these Promoters of Mischief did not content themselves with Stigmatizing the Clergy and the Chief Ministers of State for they endeavoured to insinuate into the People underhand that the Crown it self was Popishly Affected The Crown it self Popishly Affected and that it did favour and encourage the Growth of that Religion That it Aimed at Arbitrary Government Arbitrary Government c. and that the Subjects were to be Deprived of their Priviledges The House of Commons Daily found out New Grievances drew up Remonstrances Priviledges of Parliament Cryed out for and Cryed out against most of the Actions of the King and his Ministers as contrary to the priviledges of Parliament But notwithstanding all these Artifices and Contrivances to set the Nation on a Pare they would never have Gained their point had they not found the Scots Aiming the same way being willing to be Instruments for the putting in Execution their Execrable Designs Whereupon they Invited them underhand into England The Scots Rebel The Scots a Hungry and Poor Nation ever ready to be upon the Wing on such Occasions Accepted the Offer came in Swarmes full of Hopes and with fair prospects of Riches and Booty The King Raises an Army to Oppose them They Seized upon the best Towns of the more Northern Parts of England But the King having drawn a Considerable Army together Marched to York to Oppose them and his Forces being much more Considerable than the Scots would certainly have Routed them had they not Tampered and Insinuated into the English that their Ruine would be certainly attended or followed by the Oppression of them themselves and they once Subdued the King would be enabled to use His English Subjects as he thought fit by which Intelligence and Correspondence it was Evident that the English had no mind to Fight though their Army was much Stronger than the Scots A Treaty held whereupon by the Mediation of some Persons a Treaty of Peace was begun and soon Finished Wherein it was agreed that His Majesty should Publish a Declaration whereby all should be confirmed that His Commissioners had promised in His Name that a General Assembly and Parliament be Held at Edenburgh in a short time And Lastly that upon Disbanding their Forces Dissolving their Counsels and Restoring the King to His Forts and Castles c. The King was to Recal His Fleet and Forces and make Restitution of their Goods since the Breach NOW that which made the Scots so ready to undertake this Expedition was not only a prospect of Gain and Plunder but the Fears they were in of losing their Darling Presbitery made them take Arms and Spirited them into this Rebellion The King endeavours to introduce the Liturgy into the Kirk of Scotland For the King in Pursuance of His Father's Design of Establishing the Common-Prayer in Scotland as it was in England did Endeavour to introduce the Liturgy into practice in that Kingdom But the Nobility and Gentry having since the first Reformation of Scotland from Popery thrown out the Bishops and shared their Estates among them by the Instigation of John Knox the great Presbyterian John Knox a great Presbyterian were afraid that if they were again Re-established and Recovered their former Power and Reverence they would likewise quickly find the means of procuring again their Antient Estates and Revenues For the preventing of which they thereupon spread abroad Discontents and Fears foment Jealousies and Distractions and Engage the Clergy on their side who were generally inclined to Knox's Discipline and the Soveraignty which they had for some time enjoyed under the Government of Presbitery The Lyturgy and Episcopal Government Termed Popery the Clergy Influence the People and Terrify them with the Danger of Popery for so they Termed the Liturgy and the Government by Bishops By these means and pretexts they allured the People into a Rebellion notwithstanding all the Care that was taken by those at the Helm to prevent it and the Confederates entred into a Solemn League and Covenant The Solemn League and Covenant and oblig'd themselves to a Mutual Defence against all persons whatsoever not excepting the King himself and then they begun an Actual War An Actual War follows Raised Men and Money Seized His Majesties Armes Magazines Castles Forts and Walled Towns and all this was done for Conscience Sake But to avoid becoming Horrible and Abominable in the Eyes of all the World by being called Traitors and Rebels Tho Varnished with a pretended Design for Petitioning c they Varnished and Termed all these Preparations and
President that might be of such dangerous Consequence But the Factious Spirits knowing that as long as His Head was upon His Shoulders it would be impossible for them to Compass their Designs procured and stirred up the Rabble in a most insolent and tumultuary manner The Rabbles Tumult and Madness against the Earl c. to come down to the Parliament Houses and Cry for Justice It was in vain for the Lords to Complain of the Force that was offered and the violation of the Freedom of Parliament The Commons took no Notice of it insomuch that the Mobile being hereby encouraged proceeded to that point of Insolence as to post up such Members of the House of Commons as had Voted against the Bill of Attainder and Stigmatizing them with the Name of Straffordians as they did likewise to the Lords who had done the same threatning that these and All other Enemies of the Common-Wealth should Perish with Him bawling out Justice and Execution nay One of the Rabble was heard to say If we have not the Lieutenant's Life we will have the King 's The Lords being thus Terrified absented themselves from the House insomuch that there was not half the Number when the Bill passed and of those then present but Seven more for it than those that were against it The King used His utmost endeavours to overcome the Difficulties of signing the Bill But at length through the importunities of those who were continually telling him how requisite it was for Him to please the People and perpetually Alarmed Him with the Apprehensions of an eminent Rebellion but most especially by the generous Request of the Earl Himself who thus concluded in a Letter to the King Sir The Earl of Strafford's Letter to the King To set Your Majesties Conscience at Liberty I do most humbly beseech You for the preventing of such Mischiefs as may happen by Your Refusal to pass the Bill by this means to remove Praised be God I cannot say this Accursed but this Unfortunate thing forth of the way towards that blessed Agreement which God I trust shall for ever Establish between You and Your Subjects My Consent herein shall more acquit You to God than all the World can do besides to a willing Man there is no Injury done I say The Bill passed by Commission principally by this Generous Request His Majesty was prevailed upon to pass it by Commission and therein to do an Action contrary to the Sentiments of His own Conscience and which as Himself tells Us Lay heavy upon Him to His last Breath HE gave likewise at the same time another Commission to several Lords to pass another Bill for continuing the Parliament A Bill passed for the Parliaments sitting during their own Pleasure during the pleasure of both Houses which Act of His was the main Foundation of our Subsequent Ruine and the Chief Engine the Malecontents made use of to bring upon the Kingdom those Desolations and Horrous that so long Afflicted it tho He designed it as a Means to Re-instate Himself in the Affections of His People and to remove the very Root of all those Fears and Jealousies which are so uneasy both to Prince and People But what were the Returns they made to all these Unparalelled Acts of Grace and Condescentions to please His People they made Great Vows indeed and Protestations of their Loyalty Duty and Sincerity of their Intentions for the Good of the King and Kingdom and that their main Aim was to render Him the Most Glorious Prince that ever sat upon the English Throne but how different their Designs were from their Words the Sequel made but too Apparent THE Fall of that Great Man the Earl of Strafford so startled several other of the Principal Officers of State Many principal Officers resign their Places upon the Earl of Strafford's Death that many of them resigned their Places About the same time some Discontents arose between the Parliament and the English Army in the North but a while after both Armies were Disbanded The payment of Tonnage and Poundage had been much Questioned since 1628. But now the King at the request of the Commons was content to relinguish His Right to it and afterwards passed a Bill for Pole-Money and two others for putting down the Star-Chamber and High-Commission-Courts And Four Dayes after the English and Scoth Armies were Disbanded the King went towards Scotland notwithstanding all the endeavours and allegations of the Presbyterian Faction in England to hinder that Journey But seeing the King resolute to keep His Word with the Scots being unwilling to disoblige them who seemed Zealous for His Majesties Presence among them they used their utmost Efforts to obtain a Vice-Roy a Creature of their own who in the King's absence might give the Royal-Assent to such Acts as they had then in Hand But upon His Majesties Assurances that His stay there should be very short this hopeful Project was strangled in the Birth THE King was received in Scotland with great Testimonies of Affection by that Nation His Majesty goes for Scotland and Conferred several Places of Honour and Power upon divers of them confirming likewise the Treaty between the two Nations by Act of Parliament assenting to whatever they offered and indeed passed so many Acts of unparalelled Bounty Grace and Condescention as extorted from them the Revival and Confirmation of an Act of their Parliament which they caused to be solemnly published throughout the Realm The Scots Parliament publish a Loyal Act. That it should be damnable and detestable Treason in the highest Degree for any of the Scots Nation conjunctly or singly to levy Arms or any Military Forces upon any Pretext whatsoever without the King 's Royal Commission But the Presbyterians as if their Tenets and Consciences were fuller of Abominations than the Romanists and Jesuits did with as little Tenderness of Conscience not long after violate this promise as if no such thing had ever been made and have made it appear to all the World that No Laws not even of their own making have any Obligation or Power over them to restrain them from a tempting opportunity to Rebel DURING His Majesties abode in Scotland The Rebellion in Ireland there broke out in Ireland a most horrible and notorious Rebellion and which was managed with such Secresy that it was not discovered till the Night before it was to have been put in Execution The great Massacre of 200000. which was in divers Places carried on with such Fury that Two Hundred Thousand English Men Women and Children were in a short time barbarously Murdered by all manner of most Cruel Torments that their Devilish Minds could invent Many were the Conjectures about the Occasion of this Conspiracy but tho the Parliament endeavoured all they could to asperse the Reputation and blast the Honour of His Sacred Majesty and to that intent charged Him with that Rebellion whereas indeed they themselves
begin with the Lord-Keeper Finch Petitions from the City against Church Discipline and Ceremonies c. About that time an Alderman and some Hundreds of Citizens presented a Petition Subscribed by Fifteen Thousand Hands against Church-Discipline and Ceremonies and a while after the House of Commons Voted That the Clergy in a Synod or Convocation The Commons Vote thereupon have no Power to make Canons or Laws without Parliaments and that the Canons are against the Fundamental Laws of this Realm the King's Prerogative the Property of the Subject the Right of Parliaments and tend to Faction and Sedition And hereupon a Charge was ordered to be drawn up against Arch-Bishop Laud as the Principal framer of those Canons and other Delinquencies which Impeachment was seconded by another from the Scotch Commissioners Arch-Bishop Land impeach't and sent to the Black-Rod upon which He was Committed to the Black-Rod and Ten Weeks after Voted Guilty of High-Treason and sent to the Tower The Scots likewise prefer a Charge against the Earl of Strafford then in Custody demanding Justice against them both Five Articles against Sir George Ratcliffe as the great Incendiaries and Disturbers both of Church and State and Sir George Ratcliffe the Earl's Bosom Friend had Articles also drawn against Him to this purpose THAT He had Conspired with the Earl 1. to bring Ireland under an Arbitrary Government and to Subvert the Fundamental Laws and to bring an Army from Ireland to subdue the Subjects of England That He perswaded the Earl to use Regal Power and to deprive the Subjects of their Liberties and Properties 2. That He countenanced Papists 3. and built Monasteries to alienate the Affections of the Irish from the English That He withdrew the Subjects of Scotland from their King And Lastly That to preserve Himself and the Earl of Strafford 4. He laboured to Subvert the Liberties 5. and Priviledges of Parliament in Ireland THE Lord Keeper Finch was the next Person designed to be Censured Lord-Keeper Finch Voted a Traitor and notwithstanding a Speech He made in His own Vindication He was Voted a Traitor upon several accounts but foreseeing the Storm to avoid the Danger He withdrew Beyond-Sea THE House of Commons having by these means removed their Enemies were preparing a Bill for a Triennial Parliament Petitions procured for a Triennial-Parliament to promote which they procured Petitions to come from several Places One whereof was Subscribed with Eight Hundred Hands aiming principally to destroy Episcopacy which the King took Notice of One with 800. Hands and calling Both Houses together tells them Of their Slowness and the Charge of Two Armies in the Kingdom and that he would Have them avoid Two Rocks the One about the Hierarchy of the Bishops which He was willing to Reform but not alter the Other concerning Frequent Parliaments which He liked well but not to give His Power to Sheriffs and Constables and upon their Remonstrances against the Toleration of Papists the King assured them The King protests an Aversion to Popery that the increase of Popery and Papists was extreamly against His Mind and that He would use all possible means for the Restraining of it DURING the Five Months the Scots had Quartered in England a Cessation having been Concluded at Rippon yet the full Pacification was reserved for London and the Commissioners of both Parties fat there to hear the Demands of the Scots and to make Answer thereunto The Scotch Armies great Charge 514128. l 9. s Whereupon the Scots presented the great account of their Charges which was Five Hundred Fourteen Thousand One Hundred Twenty Eight Pounds Nine Shillings besides the Loss of their Nation which was Four Hundred and Forty Thousand Pounds This Reckoning startled the English Commissioners The Loss of Scotlands Charges 440000. till the Scots told them they did not give in that Account as expecting a Total Reparation of their Charges and Losses but were content to bear a part of it hoping for the rest from the Justice and Kindness of England These Demands met with some Oppositions However Moneys were raised at the present from the City of London for the supply of both the Northern Armies as the Parliament had done once before MUCH about this time Four Members of the House of Commons delivered a Message to the Lords of a Popish Design of levying an Army of Fifteen Thousand Men in Lancashire and Eight Thousand in Ireland and that the main Promoters thereof were the Earls of Strafford and Worcester THEN they fell to Accuse Sir Robert Berkly One of the Judges about Ship-Money of High-Treason Sir Robert Berkley accused of High-Treason The Act passed for a Triennial-Parliament and Committed him Prisoner to the Black-Rod About the same time the King passed that Act for a Triennial Parliament and that they might know how much He valued this great Favour He told the Two Houses That hitherto they had gone on in those things which concerned themselves and now He expected they should proceed upon what concerned Him THE King likewise signed then the Bill of Subsidies The Bill of Subsidies likewise passed which so generally pleased them that Sir Edward Littleton Lord-Keeper was ordered to return the Humble Thanks of both Houses to His Majesty at White-Hall Arch-Bishop Land Committed to the Tower for High-Treason Presently after the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury having been Accused of High-Treason by the Commons was Committed to the Tower and now Episcopacy it self was called in Question and notwithstanding several learned and weighty Speeches were made in the Defence of it The Bishops outed from Parliament-Power Judicial or Temporal the Commons Voted that No Bishop should have any Vote in Parliament nor any judicial Power in the Star-Chamber nor be concerned in any Temporal Matters THEN began the Trial of the Earl of Strafford which after it had lasted some Weeks The Earl of Straffords Trial. and all the Evidence against Him not amounting to so much as to be Legally capable to take away His Life had they gone the antient Legal way to work of Trying Peers His Enemies be-thought themselves of a New Expedient to take off His Head despairing of ever effecting their Designs as long as He assisted at the Helm they had therefore procured the Parliament of Ireland to Prosecute Him there also as Guilty of High-Treason Whereupon a Bill was brought into the House of Commons to attaint Him of Accumulative High-Treason and tho it passed that House with a kind of surprize yet it so opened the Eyes of several who before had been His violent Enemies that they became His Advocates tho this made them lose that Kindness Esteem and Favour which that House and the People before had had for them And the Lords considering how much it concerned them and their Posterity and that it might come to be their Own Case were not generally so Zealous and eager for a
bear alike Proposition and consequently Publick Peace must be a Thorn in their Side too Tho I believe verily That the Presbyterian is but an Instrument in the Roman Catholicks Hands to work the Destruction of this Nation because they know there 's no Sect bears a greater Sway nor admits of a greater Acceptance amongst the Credulous Vulgars than This. How under This Cloak Religion they have walked for these several Years and made it their Stalking-Horse to perpetrate their Designes we all know and therefore I shall enter upon the Second Part of This Discourse and trace along our present Troubles and Distractions beginning with Religion Loyalties severe Summons TO THE Bar of Conscience OR A Seasonable Timely Call TO THE People of England UPON THE Present Juncture of Affairs The Second Part. BUT before we enter upon Generals I shall a little come to Particulars and by this Means lay before you more plainly how exactly Men endeavour in These Times to follow the Coppy which have been drawn by Men of alike Principles and Dispositions in the Late Times AND Here we must observe how like Serpents the Subtle Engineers and Framers of the Late Common-Wealth wrought themselves in to the Accomplishing their Damned Designs and Unparallel'd Contrivances They no sooner found the Late King reduced to urgent Necessities and pressing Occasions for Supplyes to His Exchecquer and Treasury which were Drained and Exhausted by a long involved War abroad but it is as soon taken Notice of by the Factious Parties at Home who promised to themselves now a fit Opportunity to broach their Villanies and begin those Accursed Designs against the King and Government which they afterwards perpetrated and brought to pass They begin then to hang Tall and stand off from any Propositions the King made for Supplyes of Money and therefore without He would be brought to those Concessions and comply with such unreasonable Demands which they would and did make no Money was to be had THE King being of a Good Pacifick and Generous Nature and knowing the Pressures and Necessities which then incumbred Him for a Supply was forced to condescend to such Gracious Unparallel'd Acts which helped to pull down that fair and splendid Structure of the Government which His Royal Predecessors Queen Elizabeth and His Father King James had built Of which I have spoken more at large before THESE Acts and Concessions of the King they managed to that Degree that at length the Scots influenc'd Here by some Leading Parties in England enter upon a strange Way of forcing His Concessions by Raising an Army under the Notion of Petitioning their King c. NOW let us behold how nearly we endeavour to follow these Ieroboams and how close the Shadow follows our Heels In the Year 1679. The Damnable Popish Plot Discovered in England not long after the Discovery of the Hellish Popish Plot which had put England into a Great Combustion and Disorder and that now the Minds of Men were possest with Dread and Horror and an Universal Jealousie and Fear of what would be the Event of so strange and Surprizing an Alarum distracted almost even the most sober Brains The Scots who are a People ever ready to lay hold of any Opportunity to Rebel and knowing This a fit Time to blow up that Fire into a Flame which the Papists and Jesuits had kindled they presently begin to enter upon their Old Theme of Protesting against the Church Government Episcopacy The Scots Rebellion nay Monarchy too and Raise a Considerable Army to further their Execrable Designs BUT before this to shew their Antipathy and inveterate Abhorrence against Bishops which is a Natural Disposition they suck't from the Breasts of the Presbyterian Parents as is before taken Notice of and now 't was never to be Eradicated out of the Flesh of their Posterity they Assassinate and Kill that Reverend Prelate the Arch Bishop of St. Andrews The Reverend Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews killed one of His Majesty's most honourable Privy-Councel by Stabbing him in his own Coach in the Sight of the Sun dragging him out upon the Ground hewing and butchering him as the Cruel Blood-Thirsty Dutch did the De witts in Holland leaving his Body as one Wound Oh crudelis Rabies Populi BUT this was but a small Prologue to their designed Black Cragedy the Death of one Great Person could not satisfy their Bloody Intents but now Fury drives them on to destroy all that oppose them and a Body of Men was got together on the Twenty-Nineth of Mar 1679. to the Number of Eighty The Rebels burn several Acts of Parliament well Mounted and Armed and came as far as Rugland proclaimed the Covenant burnt several Acts of Parliament viz. 1. 1. The Act concerning the King's Supremacy 2. 2. The Rescissory Act. 3. 3. The Act for Establishing Episcopacy And 4. 4. The Act appointing the Anniversary of the Twenty-Nineth of May. And that done affixed a certain Scandalous and Traiterous Paper or Declaration upon the Market-Cross and intended to have done the like at Glasgow but were prevented by the King's Forces there The Rebel's Declaration designed to be put up at Glasgow but was actually put up at Rugland was in these Words following AS the Lord hath been pleased still to keep and preserve His Interest in the Land The Scot's Declaration put upon the Market-Cross at Rugland by the Testimony of some Faithful Witnesses from the Beginning So in our Dayes some have not been wanting who thro the greatest Hazards have added their Testimonies to those who are gone before them by suffering Death Banishment Torturings Finings Imprisonments Forfeitures c. flowing from cruel and perfidious Adversaries to the Church and Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Land Therefore We owning the Interest of Christ according to the Word of the Lord and the National and Solemn League and Covenaut desire to add our Testimonies of the Worthies that have gone before tho Unworthy yet hoping as true Members of the Church of Christ in Scotland and that against all Things that have been done prejudicial to His Interest from the Beginning of the Work of Reformation in Scotland especially from the Year 1648. to the Year 1660. against these following Acts As 1. 1. The Act of Supremacy 2. 2. The Declaration whereby the Covenants were condemned 3. 3. The Act for Eversion of the Established Government of the Church and for Establishing of Prelacy and for outing of Christ's Ministers who could not conform thereto by an Act Rescissory of all Acts of Parliament and Assemblies for Establishing of the Government of the Church of Scotland according to the Word As likewise 4. That Act of Councel at Glasgow 4. putting that Act Rescissory in Execution where at one time were violently cast out above Three Hundred Ministers without all Legal Procedure Likewise 5. 5. The Act appointing a Holy Anniversary-Day to be kept upon the
Twenty-Nineth of May for giving Thanks for the Upsetting an Usurping Power destroying the Interest of the Church in the Land which is to set up the Creature to be Worship't in the Room of our Great Redeemer and to consent to the assuming the Power that is proper to the Lord alone for the Appointing of Ordinances in His Church as particularly the Government thereof and the Keeping of Holy-Dayes and all other Sinful and Unlawful Acts emitted and executed by them And for Confirmation of This our Testimony We do hereby this Day being the Twenty-Nineth of May 1679. publickly burn them at the Cross of Glasgow most justly as they perfidiously and blasphemously had burnt our Holy Covenants thro several Cities of the Covenanted Kingdoms We judge none will take Exception at our not Subscribing this our Testimony being so solemnly gone about for we are ready alwayes to do it if judged necessary with all the Faithful Suffering Brethren in the Land The Effect the Declaration bad THIS gained a great Addition to their Number and every day Fresh Rabbles came and Listed themselves under their Rebellious Banner so that within few Dayes their Body became considerable amounting to Fourteen or Fifteen Thousand Men. But as in the thickest Brambles there are to be found some Roses so in this Country the King found some Loyal Hearts who endeavoured to quell their Insolence For on the Eight of May Five Dayes after the Murther of the Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews Captain Graham of Claver-house Capt. Graham's Rencounter with the Rebels upon notice he had of a great Number of Men who were gathered together upon Lowdon-Hill marched thither with his Troop and a Company of Dragoons and found there Fourteen or Fifteen Thousand Men well Armed and in good Order The Foot commanded by one Weir and the Horse by Robert Hamilton one Patton Balfour and Hackston the Two last being the Murtherers of the Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews The Revels upon Captain Graham's Approach sent out Two Parties to skirmish with him which he beat into their main Body Then they advanced with their whole Force upon him who after a considerable Slaughter of the Revels and the Loss of his Cornet Two Brigadiers about Eight Horse and Twenty Dragoons his own Horse being killed under him and mounting another being so much over-power'd in number he made his Retreat to Glasgow being in his way forced to Fight his Passage through the Towns-Men of Streven who were got together to oppose it leaving Ten or Twelve of them dead upon the Place THE Revels had the Confidence to attack the City of Glasgow The City of Glasgow Attacked at Two several Times but all the Streets were so Barricadoed by the Lord Rosse and the Souldiers put into so good a Posture that the Revels were beat off with a Considerable Loss besides many Prisoners that were taken THE Council the City of Edinborough several Noble Men and Persons of Quality use their utmost endeavours to suppress these Rebels amongst which the Son of the Lord Rosse The Son of the Lord Rosse his Skirmish with the Rebels having only with him Forty Horse and a Company of Dragoons totally defeats a party of Three Hundred Horse and Foot of the Rebels leaving Sixty Six Dead upon the Place taking Ten Prisoners the rest being scattered As likewise The Lord Murray's Stuward puts to the rout a 100. the Lord Murray's Deputy-Stuward in Downe assembling the Vassals and Tenants of His Lordships Stewardry upon an Alarm of One Hundred Rebels on Horseback coming from Fisse to joyn with their main Body pursues them Sixteen Miles through the Mountains and at last coming up to them Killed several of them took Forty Prisoners amongst which was one Henderson one of the Murtherers of the Arch-Bishop of Saint Andrews and forced them to scatter and fly into the adjacent Woods and Moors Of which The Lord Elphingston took 30. Prisoners the Lord Elphingston having notice with some Gentlemen under his Command pursued them killed some and took above Thirty more Prisoners and amongst these Two of the name of Balfour and one Hamilton of Kinkel Three more of the Murtherers of the said Arch-Bishop THE Gentlemen of Stratherne fell upon another Party coming from Fiffe of which they killed some and took above Forty The Gentlemen of Stratherne's Re-encounter with them and carried them Prisoners to Pearth THUS these Bebels met with great Opposition from all parts They meet with extraordinary Supplies upon extraordinary Opposition but still like the Serpent Hydra they had fresh Supplies and their Numbers grew great This allaruming the King and Parliament here they presently resolve to dispatch with all Expedition imaginable a considerable Force against them consisting of a Body of Ten Thousand Men under the Conduct of the Illustrious James Duke of Monmouth The Duke of Monmouth goes for Scotland a person of whose Prudence Courage and Fidelity we have had large Demonstrations and Proofs The Duke with this Body of Men all Loyal brave Spirits and couragious resolute Lads sets out for Scotland And His Grace arrived at Edinborough the 18th of June 79. by Post and parting the 19th following joyned the King's Forces at Blackburne Major Oglethorpe causes a Party or Two of the Rebels to retire and that Evening sent out Major Oglethorpe with a Detachment of Horse and Dragoons who Met with a Party or Two of the Rebels who presently retired The next day June 20th His Grace decamped with His Army and advanced within Six Miles of Hamilton whither the Rebels were retreated The Duke advances towards Hamilton having encamped their Foot in the Little Park there and Posted their Horse along the River being 6. or 7000. strong besides one Robert Stewart Brother to the Earl of Galioway and two or three more came in to them JUNE the 22d the Duke drew up His Majesties Forces at Bothwell-Bridge which the Rebels lying on the other side had barricadoed Here a Paper is brought to the Lord General by one of the ‖ David Hume The Message of the Rebels Rebels representing That they would lay down their Arms upon no other Terms than those exprest in their Declaration to which The Duke's Answer His Grace gave Answer That those were destructive to the King's Authority and contrary to the Fundamental Laws and Constitutions of this Kingdom and that they were to expect no other Articles from him but to lay down their Armes and render themselves to the King's Mercy With this Answer they return desiring some time to consider which His Grace granted them About half an hour after the Rebels sent a Paper by a Drummer representing That they were informed Their 2d Message That His Grace came from England with Terms to be offered to them that they desired to know what He had to propose that they might advise whether the Terms were such they could accept of Upon which His Grace sent them word That their
Answer did not satisfie Him His Graces Answer and that since they trifled he would receive no more Messages from them In the mean time Our Canon with some Horse and Foot was brought down from the Body of the Army and posted not far from the Bridge The particular Account of the Fight being by me I shall Relate it here as I have it Word for Word THe Duke having put himself in the posture above-said A Relation of the Fight in Scotland commanded the Canon to Fire which it no sooner begun to do but the Rebels who were drawn up on the other side upon a rising Ground near the Bridge threw themselves upon the Ground to avoid the Shot Those that were posted upon the Bridge Fired at first pretty briskly but after Five or Six Shot of Canon they all ran away they upon the rising beginning first Our Men immediately seized the Bridge threw into the River their Barricadoes of Stones Cart-Wheeles and the like took a piece of Canon they had and followed them up the Hill but their Number being very small the Rebels rallied and faced them but had not the Courage to come down upon them Our Men came down again to the Bridge and one Shot more of Canon made the Rebels flye to their upper Line where they stood again In the mean time my Lord General passed the Army over the Bridge and drew up upon the Rising which took up some time and before we were quite in order the Rebels advanced upon Us and to appearance in very good Order When they approach't they espied Our Canon at Our Head and thereupon immediately shifted their Order and opened in the middle thinking it seems We were obliged to Shoot strait forward but Our Canon being turned upon them as they then stood and discharged Three or Four times they begun to Run again their Commander Robert Hamilton being one of the first and our Dragoons and the Highlanders advancing upon them it was a perfect Rout and they fled all wayes Our Men pursuing them Of the Rebels there were Seven or Eight Hundred killed and Eleven or Twelve Hundred taken which were afterwards brought prisoners to Edinborough THE Lord General behaved himself with extraordinary Conduct and Bravery and all the Officers Gentlemen and Souldiers carried themselves with great Chearfulness and Resolution But above all the Mercy of Almighty God was most signal in that tho the Rebels were near Seven Thousand Yet were they totally defeated without any loss to His Majesties Forces save of Two or Three private Sentinals Killed and some few Wounded THUS was extinguisht that furious Flame of Rebellion fed by Presbyterian Doctrines and Zeal to the destroying of so many poor Souls who obstinately refused the Mercy of their Prince and Dyed Martyrs as they call them for the Doctrine of King-killing I pray God divert them from such like Practices for the future and make them know That without Honouring the King we do not Fear God NOW to proceed to a Second Remark which is Episcopacy spoken against the great Hatred these sort of Men have had and now have against Episcopacy as well as Monarchy For as in those late Times the Bishops were ever an Eye-sore to the Scots and the Presbyterian Faction here and therefore the Church of England in its Government Liturgy Common-Prayer and Ceremonies was termed direct Popery and could not be entertain'd as any thing else and therefore to throw down this Rome as they called it destroy the Members of this Church and at the last the Head too was what was suitable to a Good Conscience and consistent with the Liberty of the Subject and the Protestant alias Presbyterian Religion So now adayes Men are so bold to call it the like and will not stick to say the King is a Papist and the Professors of this our Religion of the Church of England Romish or Popishly affected Nay it is publickly asserted That there is not one Bishop in England who was advanced to their Episcopal Dignity by any Protestant but Popish Hand And therefore say they They must needs have a great relish of that Leaven And as the Parliament in those times began to throw their Bolts at the Bishops and to shew their Dislike to that Reverend Apostolical Order and to that Authority and Honour which is due to them and their Right of Sitting in that August-Assembly they Vote That no Bishop should have any Vote in Parliament nor any Judicial-power in the Star-Chamber nor be concerned in any Temporal Matters c. So of late in the Tryal of the Earl of Danby the Commons in Parliament Vote the Bishops useless nay The Bishops Right of Sitting in capital Causes Disputed disown their Right of Sitting there upon Capital Causes c. They Dispute their Right of Sitting at that time and at all times of Session and divers Papers flew about concerning the Right of the Lords Spiritual to Sit in the Lords House or Vote in matters Judicial and others è contra were disperst abroad to the vilifying their Reverence and beating down their undoubted pretensions But the Wisdom and Prudence of Our Gracious Sovereign knowing well enough by sad Experience That they were Treading in the same Steps with their Old Fathers who began at the Church in order to the better subverting the State put an end to the Session After which we have but little News of them the Anti-Episcopates or Presbyters holding their Fingers in their Mouths and standing as mute as Metamorphosed Niobes SINCE the Mutterers against Episcopacy were thus silenced the Clergy have been pretty quiet tho sometimes we meet with a little Piece or two of Controversial Points thrown into their Closets or sent to them by the New found way of Dispatch and that 's the most they can do now They would have their Old Darling bear sway and would be dancing to Westminster to the Assembly of Grave Divines of which some Hugh Peters or Faringdon may be President I should say Moderator But here 's the Plague They have no long Triennial nor meet with such Concessions tho indeed they have had too many very gracious and great ones of late which have been too much abused as we shall take Notice of hereafter as their Fore-Fathes did nor have they a Durante Voluptate Parliament else you would find they would do glorious Things for the Good People of the Land and the Lord's Cause In Truth had these great Antagonists of the Bishops but what they Merit for either their scandalous stigmatizing them in private in their Conversations as well as in exposing them to the World with their spiteful Censures the Punishment which their Patrons Pryn and Burton and Bastwick Suffered in the late Times is too great a Favour and too mild a Resentment AND now I must hasten to Generals only I cannot choose but take Notice That these Times or the Men of them as if they were driven by the pure Dictates of a
Author of Peace was to be Propagated by His Ministers by the Sword OH the Blindness and wilful Obstinacy of Man Oh the Proclivity of the depraved Humane Nature to Errors and Abuses How is it that Thou Religion art thus mistaken How is it Thy Dictates and Sacred Rites are thus mis-construed and mis-applyed Dost Thou Teach Men such Horrid and Abominable Doctrines 〈…〉 That to Propagate their Empire and extend their Dominions Subjects should be absolved from Obedience to their Lawful Sovereign Princes impowering them to Depose Them or pull Them down from their Thrones take the Crown from their Heads and at last their Heads from their Bodies Dost Thou warrant Disorders Distractions and Discords in the Socieries or Communities of Men to the utter Subversion of Governments Laws and Liberties and to the totall Ruin of Kingdoms Dost Thou lead Men to Contrive the most Execrable Designes to hatch Treasons and to lay Plots and Conspiracies to Endeavour nay Perpetrate Assassinations Nay if they fail in These to kick at Authority and contemn the Laws asperse the Governor and vilifie the Government Are those Thy Precepts No no not at all nor in any wise consisting with My Nature as I am Profess'd by the Church of England Indeed Rome and Geneva may understand Me so and the World has felt they do ever understand Me so The Religion of the Church of England As I am Profess'd by the Church of England I command Her Preachers to endeavour to implant Virtue in Mens Minds To let Her Doctrine as it truly and purely is be Undefiled Orthodox and Evangelical Teaching Piety or our Duty towards God Justice or Love towards those in Society with us and primarily towards His Vicegerent our Lawful King and Governour and Sobriety or Love to our own Persons in living in the Practice of those Excellent Virtues of Temperance and Soberness which tends so much to the Glory of God and our own Comfort and Happiness Have not we then who have the Church of England for our Mother great Cause to bless God for those daily Influences of Divine Love and Comfort which we receive from Her That nothing but the Pure and Uncorrupt Milk of Sincere Piety and True Religion may be suck't from Her Immaculate Breasts But Alas What the Reverend Pious and Learned Arch-Bishop Laud said in his Speech upon the Scaffold before his Death speaking of the Church of England may be too aptly the more is our Shame applyed to Her at this Time This poor Church of England said that Reverend Prelate has Flourish't and been a Shelter to other Neighbouring Churches when Storms have driven upon them but Alas now it is in a Storm it Self and God knows whether or how it shall get out And which is worse than a Storm from without it is become like an Oak cleft to Shivers with Wedges made out of its own Body and that in every Cleft Prophaneness and Irreligion is creeping in a-pace Lib. 2. de Vitae Contem. cap. 4. while as Prosper saith Men that introduce Prophaneness are cloak't with a Name of Imaginary Religion For we have in a manner almost lost the Substance and dwell much nay too much a great deal in Opinion and that Church which all the Jesuits Machinations in these parts of Christendome could not Ruin is now fallen into a great deal of Danger by Her Own BUT hold Consider Is it Religion alone that hath thus distracted Men's Brains or is it Mistaken zeal that drives Men into these Madnesses Is there nothing else in the Grass that lyes Latitant and pricks us and makes us so uneasy Yes I fear there is a Serpent that stings us and makes us kick at Authority called as heretofore Liberty of the Subject 'T is this wounds our Stomacks Liberty of the Subject and without a little Aqua Tetramagogicon or an Indubitable Assurance of its being Preserved we cannot be at ease God God! Is there any People or Nation in Europe ever Bless'd with Greater Freedoms and more Undisturbed Libertyes than this Kingdom of England Or Is there found from the One Part of the World to the Other one People bless'd with such a Land A Land whose Constitutions make the Best of Governments which Government is strengthned with the Best of Laws which Laws are Executed by the Best of Princes whose Prince whose Laws whose Government makes Us the Happiest of all Subjects makes Us the Happiest of all People And what a late Learned Writer said speaking in the Praise of a Land and the Admirable Blessings of it may be said of England and I shall apply it according to his Words A Land sayes he of Strength England described as it now flourishes of Plenty and of Peace where every Soul may sit beneath his Vine unfrighted at the Horrid Language of the Hoarse Trumpet unstartled at the Warlike Summons of the Roaring Canons A Land whose Beauty hath surpriz'd the Ambitious Hearts of Forreign Princes and taught them by their Martial Oratory to make their vain Attempts A Land whose Strength reads Vanity in the deceived Hopes of Conquerors and crowns their Enterprizes with a Shameful Over-throw A Land whose Native Plenty makes her the World's Exchange supplying Others able to subsist without Supply from Forreign Kingdoms In it Self Happy and Abroad Honourable A Land that hath no Vanity but what 's the sweetest of all Blessings Peace and Plenty that hath no Misery but is propagated from that Blindness which cannot see Her own Felicity A Land that flows with Milk and Honey and in brief wants nothing to deserve the Title of a Paradise The Curb of Spain The Pride of Germany the Aid of Belgia the Scourge of France the Empress of the World and Queen of Nations In fine England is the Envy of all Nations the Ambition of all Princes the Terror of all Enemies and the Security of all Neighbouring States Thus far I follow the Steps of my Learned Author in this Encomium of the Land whereof we were both †Oh Fortundtâ—s nimium sua si bona norint Anglos Natives BUT Alas I find at the Bottom of the Role a Blot or Blur which as it were oblitterates part of the Account for all these Blessings and Happinesses are but as so many Steps towards her Woe or as so many Gaps to let in Pride Ambition c. as Foxes and Wild-Boars to eat up and tread down these her Flowers For Alas She renders her Self miserable by Not being Compact within her Self in Unity but is apt and prone to Civil and Intestine Broyls Did Her Children but cherish Brotherly Love and Charity Vnion the best Antidore against Evils and endeavour the maintaining a good and right Understanding one with another and not suffer every Private Man's Interest to disturb Publick Peace Utility and Order the Devil himself nor the Pope and all his Instruments can or will ever harm or molest us But that 's the Colliquintida that alwayes spoyls our Pot
Restriction so long as the Honour Dignity and Safety of the Crown was their first and immediate Regard and Care as I said before A Parliament is the Magnum Anglie Concilium The Great Council of the Land called together by the King as the proper and most genuine Means for the Consulting or advising of and providing against publick Evils wherein every private Man is concerned and in order to the Administring necessary Remedies And therefore to pretend that their Priviledges enable them to Act contrary to what their Head the King shall propose to them towards the Regulating Misunderstandings Composing Differences and the Securing Peace and Order is if it may be so said a Casting off that Supream Power which gave them those Priviledges and a Breach of the King's Prerogative And if once Regal Prerdgative is invaded the Regal Power will be in great Danger This we have lately had notorious Testimonies of and I hope and pray we may never see the like again THE last Dissolution of the Parliament met at Oxford perhaps doth and may Amuse the World exceedingly and drive them into a profound Admiration Unde hoc Whence proceeded His Majesties Displeasure But the Papers called Intelligences pretended to satisfy Us with a great deal and every Coffes-House Whisper'd out Reasons or at least Suspicions and Surmises upon it For my part I do and shall ever continue my Resolution in this particular which I mentioned but a little before That I think it mine and every Honest Man and Loyal Subject's Duty to Acquiesce in the Pleasure of my Prince and not to Censure the Authority or Reasonableness of His Proceedings in the least I mean so far as my Conscience shall give me leave I shall not therefore any further dilate on this point but Conclude with the saying of a Wife States-Man viz. Many things sayes He in the world resemble Smoak their Beginning is but small their End great And many things resemble the Wind whose Reginning is Boisterous and End Weak He saves himself from the former who suffers them not to Increase from the latter He who suffers them to Blow over Progress of Time may be expected in the One where the Other ought to be Smother'd in the Cradle HAVING thus far run thro Our proposed Parallel under those Three Heads of Religion Liberty and Priviledges of Parliament and therein shewn how dangerous they are to a Common-Wealth when mis-understood and mis-applyed As GOD knows they have been too much of late here in England the more is the pitty and Our shame I shall therefore in this place look back on the large Concessions and bountiful Condescentions of the late King which was so much abused and made as so many Helps towards the subsequent Evils and Ruine to this poor Kingdome of England and see how Our Times have met with the like and what unsutable Returns have been made to the Royal Grace and Favour THE pressing Necessities for Supplies of Money to the empty drain'd Coffers of the Royal Treasury thro a long War which I have spoken of before coming in a Time when the Subject's Purse was full and that now the Parliament City and the Disaffected Parties knew well enough was a fit time to perpetrate their Designs to bring the KING to their Beck to make Him condescend to what Terms they pleased Which to avoid Repetition of I desire the Impartial Reader to consider in the Beginning of this Discourse Where you see after that they had brought the KING to do what they demanded they at last to compleat all perswade the People that the KING meant to introduce Popery Arbitrary-Government destroy the Protestant Religion and the Liberty of the Subject The unwarrantable Practices of the Parliament 1640 41. c. This nettles the Giddy Crowd and induces them to believe that whatsoever the Parliament did was for their Good and according to Conscience and the like They forget their King 's Gracious Concessions and Graunts they stop their Ears to His crying Wants turn their Backs to His friendly and just Demands neglect His Authority despise His Dignity contemn His Administration of the Government thwart His just and lawful Proceedings and thus Topsy turvy per fas nefasque No King no Laws no Religion I mean of the Church of England In exitium rount NOW in brief His now Majesties Concessions Let Us examine Our own Times and here We shall find Mercy Bounty and Liberality still swaying the Scepter of these Kingdomes We see His Sacred Majesty was no sooner sat Him in His Throne and had graspt the Scepter in His Hand but He as soon begins to display the Influences of His Royal Bounty and Mercy by the Act of Oblivion The Act of Oblivion Granted whereby every Individual Person who had been Actors on that late Bloody Stage of Rebellion and Treason the Cruel and Blood-Thirsty Regicides or those who were the Unjust Judges and Murtherers of His Father of Blessed Memory only exempted from the Beginning of the Civil-War unto His Happy Restauration the New Epocha of our English Nation that Annus Restauratae Libertatis Nay to dispossess those who Held their Estates in Capite of the Fears of the just Demands and Pretentions so long a time 's Killing and Slaying had given Him upon their Tenures and Knight Service What vast Sums were coming to Him from the Court of Wards and Liveries c. which unless He remitted would render the Act of Oblivion in effect no Pardon since it gave not their Estates with their Lives His Majesty was Graciously pleased to prevent those Fears by Act of Parliament The Act of Parliament 12 Ch. 2. ca. 24. 12 Ch. 2. cap. 24. depriving Himself of the Richest Jewel of His Crown a Prerogative so truly Royal and so hugely advantagious That in the Judgement of the Learned in the Law The People of England were never truly Free till then WHEN thro repeated Affronts War with Holland Calumnies and Injuries He was forced to make War with the Hollanders for His own Honour We no sooner find Him informed That it was prejudicial to His People but He shuffles up a Peace upon very hard Terms for Himself when had He stood off but a little while the State of His Enemies being such He might have made what Conditions He would Peace made Nay further To shew His Love to His Good Subjects when He entred into a War for Injuries offered to them Vide The Articles of Peace in Aug. 1667. and those 1674. no Considerations neither Plague nor Fire which had then impoverisht the Land by the Loss of so much People and Money would induce Him to a Peace till ample Satisfaction made WHEN He had upon Advice Granted a Tolleration of Religion and was satisfied afterwards by the Parliament of the Dangerous Consequences of such a Liberty He immediately is induced to Recall it and did so The Act for Toleration of Religion made Did He not consent to
all such Laws as were offered Him by His Parliament for the Securing Us against Popery Recolled and particularly for the Qualifying and Distingutshing all Persons in Office or Place of Trust An Act against Popery or Popish Recusants 25 Ch. 2. cap. 2. Which was that Great and memorable Act of which I have spoken of before in another place WHEN that Hellish Design of the Papish Party was happily Discovered How Wisely and Prudently did His Majesty be-have Himself in a Matter of so great an Importance and Surprize A Parliament called upon the Discovery of the Plot. He presently Summons a Parliament and till they could come together He uses all the Means possible for the Searching into and Discovering further the Plot and the Hell-bred Instruments of it to Seize their Persons and Papers and then layes the Whole before them giving them this Assurance His Majestes Speech That He would be alwayes ready to Assist them in the Inquiry into the Plot in any thing where His Concurrence was necessary and accordingly as they desired by several Proclamations Assisting them by some Commanding the Absence of Papists by others Inquiring after Blood with most bountiful Promises of Pardon and Recompence Searching all Counties Securing all Ports to prevent any Flight from and looking into the very Prisons to bring all Malefactors to Justice His Bounty to the Discoverers of the Plot. For the Encouragement of those who came in upon His Proclamation He gave them large Allowances Guards to there Persons c. And this was duly paid at a time when He might have been well excused when His Coffers were empty and His own Faithful mâ—nial Servants went un-paid which was somewhat hard especially when there are some whose whole Subsistence for themselves and Families depends on their In-come from His Majesties Service Those who were Imprisoned and after a long time expect their Trial and therefore Addressed themselves unto Him by their humble Petitions He returned them no other Answer Than that They should receive Iustice in parliament Of this I have spoken of already in another place WHEN the parliament had judged it necessary to have a War with the French All Trade is forbidden for Three Years by which War with the French He deprived Himself of a great part nay a very considerable part of His Revenue and which proved a very Disadvantageous Act to Himself tho by the Intent of the Act it was designed for the French THE French having been so Victorious in the Low-Countries That it was much feared the Spanish Netherlands would have been quite lost and that now the parliament judged it necessary to Raise an Army to go against them The KING is ready to Grant it and a most Incomparable Body of Men are Raised and Mustered in the Spring An Army raised for Flanders and e're they could be Ship't for Flanders they must be Disbanded in July following and in this likewise He complied Disbanded and as far as the Money allowed for that purpose they were Disbanded Thus will we have an Army we have one Will we have none He Disbands it to gratify Us. But one Thing I shall here take Notice of which is the Great Gare His Majesty took The King's Care of the Army That not one Person from the Officer Chief to the very meanest Souldier throughout the whole Army should be a Roman Catholick and therefore every Individual Person must take the Blessed Sacrament and Test the Daths of Megrance and Supremacy e're they were Listed into His Militia to Fight under His Banner by which Method many Relinquish't and left the Field when every particular Name was to be Book't and would not take it as is well known Nay when the time of their Disbanding came every Man whose Name was found in the Books Inter Protestantes his Pay was Deposited to a Farthing and he Discharged none else AND because the best Security of a Nation are good and wholesome Lawes Never resused an Vseful Bill at any time There hath not One Useful Bill been offered to Him but what He hath readily accepted and past AND yet what unsuitable Returns has He had for all these and many more which I could not com-premise within this narrow Compass His Princely Gracious Concessions Vide The Journals of the House of Commons and most Affectionate Condescentions His Gracious Speeches at the Openings of Our late Short-Liv'd-Parliaments shew His Resentments of their Proceedings and how just He is in them therefore I omit particulars His last Speech to the Parliament at Oxford sufficiently Evidences how great Reason He had to Act as He did in their so frequent Dissolutions Nay since that likewise as another great Instance of His Love to His Loyal and Good Subjects He has publish't His Reasons that led Him to it The King publish't a Declaration which hath infinitely satisfied the Subject the several Addresses from every of the respective Counties Shires Burroughs c. giving some ground to believe Which I hope are as real in Fact as they are in Words and if so England will still be happy notwithstanding all the Machinations and Plots of Pope or Jesuit Phanatick or French being United within our selves with the Bonds of Peace with a Fear of God Honour of His Vice-gerent Our Soveraign Charles Out King a Reverence for His Councels especially His Great Council the Parliament and an Awe and Obedience to His Ministers and a Brotherly Love and Charity one towards another Praying That God would bless His Majesty with Peace and Length of Dayes and the Royal-Family and That God would ever so Direct all the Consultations of His Great Councils the future Parliaments that they may tend to the Glory of His Name the Good of His Church and the Safety Honour and Wellfare of their King and Country To which Let every true Son of the Church of England say alwayes Amen THE CONCLUSION THUS Dear Countrymen I have endeavoured to lay before you a plain and impartial Relation of the present Condition and State of Affairs as they now stand in this Juncture of Time and what Measures and Steps we take to hasten that Ruine which hangs over Our Heads and which will inevitably fall upon Us if we do not endeavour with the utmost Diligence and Industry Christian Prudence and our Happiness and Peace oblige Us to I have shewed you in the Opening of this Discourse what Measures our Fathers took in the late Rebellion towards that Ruine and Destruction which they brought upon themselves and their Posterity How furiously Blind Zeal hurried them upon and and Mistaken Liberty plunged them in Blood and Misery How great a sway Parliaments bore under the Notion of Priviledge amongst the unruly Multitude even to the disowning the Regal Power nay Deposing Our Prince and at last to bring Him to the Block I have also shewed you how little the Dissimilitude is betwixt our and their Proceedings and how near