mercilesse grave to all tyranny oppression to all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse let all things that are just good holy and honourable incorporate with you receive a new life from you Know the Lord is upon his Throne amongst you and every one and every thing that is not his must be rejected Every plant that he hath not planted must be pulled up there must be no judge but the Lord and no rule of accepting or refusing but the divine law of the spirit of God What God will owne and say t is mine shall live and what he will disclaime must dye and the poore narrow minds and fancies of men must not be enthroned nor have leave to judge amongst you 4. So receive and retaine them as ready to restore them when they are tried and purified let it appeare that you are the womb of the Kingdome that will with labour and travell conceive breed and nourish it But that it is to you a burden and when the appointed time comes you cannot but desire to be delivered of it and that it is your sorrow to have it in you and will be your joy to bring it forth unto others By letting forth this publique and good spirit you will be carried up above that petty low spirit of malice or enmity to any you will kill and tread upon this serpent which is a base principle and unworthy of God and would keepe you downe in earthy and darke wayes but coming forth into the largenesse of God you will act in high noble and generous waies And by being thus enlarged you will be as the wals of the Nation inclose and imbrace all men and all interests and of a sudden gather up all men into your selves surprise and catch mens hearts before they are aware and begirt the Kingdom with your arms and binde up all her breaches in union with your selves and be a present ease and stay to mens sad and aking spirits that whereas they are now in a wildernesse and know not where they are they may of a sudden their eies being open'd see they are in the hands of a wise and good God taking care of them by his own people whom he hath blessed with largenesse judgement and goodnesse for their safety That men may see that though they are fallen yet not into a pit of utter destruction or not into the hands of enemies but unexpectedly upon a very good bottome a people having the tendernesse and goodnesse of the Nation and the firmnesse largenesse judgement and stability of God in them both in civil and spiritual things and discover a foundation a firm rock and beginning of peace and happinesse to the Kingdome arising up in the midst of us Thirdly Let me bring you forth too as the highest and strongest power in the Nation being superiour to King Parliament and All in a true and good sense T is God and Nature gives it you and you wrong the Kingdome and your selves till you come forth in a clear and free owning of it You darkly and in the twilight steal it by your actions but deny to professe it which subjects you to reproach and scorn as adulteresses and thieves if you could boldly and in the light and strength of God challenge it as your right and manifest it what is now fear'd would be imbraced Truths while they are faintly own'd and by halves are abused and rejected when they lie low in the dust and are obscured by darknesse are terrible and men flie from them but when we lift them up into our faces and give them a throne in our open and free possession of them they are lovely and acceptable and command subjection in all Besides the Kingdome is unstable and looks this way and that way for a head some look to the King and others to the Parliament and neither appears to head them which keeps them still in a wavering state farre from any staiednesse or setlednesse Now lift up your heads be upright stand up in the name and power of God and this will compose the divided and doubting mindes of men knowing where to fix and attract and ingage all to you for you appearing their natural and head cant be disown'd T is true you may be thought a Jacob a supplanter of your elder brother of his birth-right But you having the blessing too it will bear you out God gives it The smell of my sonne is as the smell of a field which the Lord bath blessed God give thee the dew of heaven and the fatnesse of the earth and plenty of corn and wine Let people serve thee and nations bowe down to thee Be Lord over thy brethren and cursed be every one that curseth thee and blessed be he that blesseth thee Shew forth that riches of heaven that light and glory of God and that fatnesse of the earthy that goodness power justice and kindenesse that is in you and then all power must bowe to you all will seek to you While you hold it forth in a night dream as Joseph doth his brothers sheaves bowing to his they despise and envie you for it but shew your selves possest of all the corn of Aegypt of all the good of the land and then your brethren there being a famine in the land of peace and righteousnesse they will be glad of you and come and remove all their substance to you into the Camp to be preserv'd and kept alive by that store at health and salvation that is in the presence and goodnesse of God laid up amongst you and in you Your halting in this point is very dishonourable and unsatisfactory to write your selves the servants of the Parliament and yet to exercise power over them And it puts you upon grosse and unseemly actions to patch and bodge to pick out and cull some from the Parliament that goe against you and leave others that are as unfit to govern as they you refuse only because they vote with you This hath great appearance of siding and partiality it were more justifiable farre to dissolve the whole and stand upon your own absolute and supreme power For while you goe as a Snail with that old house upon your heads you will never make any dispatch in your businesse they being in that state in which you own them an emptie vain idol of no use at all but will be a clog to you perpetually and make you formall low servile and tedious in all your actions Therefore ascend into that height into which you are call'd shake your selves from your dust of formal relations to other powers that are ground to pouder by the justice of God that you might come forth of them Loose your neeks from your bâ—â—lls be no longer captives They have and God hath made you Judges and given you authority and dominion The mountain of the LORDS house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hils and nations shall flow unto it It shall appear that you
justice love riches advantage to all Kingdomes afford a universall benefit The beasts of the field have shadow under it and the fowles of the heaven dwell in the boughs thereof all flesh feed of it All sorts of men receive protection from it those that labour and toil as beasts in the earth they enjoy their wealth and safety under it and those that fly in the aire of wisedome learning they make their nests of honour and preferment in it and all live upon it Or the beasts men of earthy and civill employment Fowles of heaven men of religious and heavenly employment all have their peace in this Tree But behold a watcher and an holy one came downe from heaven This watcher is the watchman of Israel that keeps us and looks to us while we sleep or that thiefe that comes in the night secretly stealing in upon us while we see him not and a holy one though a thiefe and in the night breaking downe the house yet a holy Child Jesus a holy Lamb and we may know who he is he came down from heaven T is the coming of Christ from heaven that doth this He cryed aloud and said thus Hew down the tree and cut off his branches shake off his leaves and scatter his fruit let the beasts get away from under it and the fowles from his branches Here 's harsh cruel doings from one that comes from heaven Cryes aloud t is not the still voice and nothing but destruction Hew down the tree lay the ax to the root cut down all government dominion King Parliament with all power order cut off the branches of lawes offices places Scatter the fruit let there be no safety peace getting of estates Let the beasts get from under it and the fowles from the branches let the inhabitants be scattered let wealth be removed let honour and preferments cease Neverthelesse leave the stump of the roots in the earth with a band of iron and brasse in the tender grasse of the field and let it be wet with the dew of heaven and let his portion be with the beasts in the grasse of the earth let his heart be changed from man and a beasts heart be given unto him and let seven times passe over him There is not utter destruction though the glory honour riches peace of the Kingdome be cut down yet it remaines in the stump and is sure there There 's nothing left but the stump of the roots in the earth some life in the lowest people and that bound down yet safe kept by a band of iron and brasse by the power of the sword In the tender grasse of the field in the wide field not in a setled built City rather a wildernesse amongst some weake tender spirits some smal blades of grasse that are grown up And wet with the dew of heaven lying open to heaven in the night of darknesse expecting continual dews of favours and providence T is a desolate and poore condition though it hath a blessing in it they that are gathered into the City of God live better Let his portion be with the beasts let him eate grasse as the ex It is not the condition of one man onely but of the whole tree the spirit of dominion in the Kingdome is changed from man to beast driven from men Man is a wise lordly creature that exercises dominion by wisedome and understanding and is invested with majesty which is honoured and reverenced by others The new man is the Lord from heaven living in the light and understanding of God and of excellent goodnesse and righteousnesse and is therefore honoured because he is the true and great Lord of al and doth good to al exercising righteousnesse in wisedome to al such a heart now appears not amongst us in no sort of men but a beasts heart rage violence fiercenesse exercise of force one to another compulsion driving in herds not wisedome to compose al into one body These eate grasse as oxen live as oxen a laborious traveling painful life without any setled rest And eate grasse All flesh is grasse the highest and best men feed upon what providence daily brings forâ—h to them and that of a fleshly fading dying nature Not upon the living bread that comes down from heaven not upon the fatted Calfe killed and offered up not on meat rosted by the everlasting fire not eating the spice nor drinking the wine of the Spirit and this till seven times passe over thee Till the compleat measure of Gods justice passe over which I would gladly restrain to seven yeares This is the state of this miserable Kingdome The intent of God in this which is sure and decreed and the demand by the word of the holy one T is required and shall be effected That the living may know First That the most high ruleth in the Kingdome of men God will make you all know that himselfe the most high not a minister or angel of his not a vicegerent not a civil Magistrate only but the high God the highest glory of God ruleth not only over but in the Kingdome of men This beastly ignorant man knows not but you must know it though you oppose it and would uphold an earthly Kingdome in which men may rule without God no the Lord himselfe and his most high excellency shall rule and be known to rule Secondly And giveth it to whomsoever he will He rules not in an abstracted sense without us but he gives it to whom he pleases will bestow it upon men administer this Kingdome in his highest glory in men And in bestowing of it will not be bound to any person or family as King nor to any society or company of men as Parliament nor to any form or custome of men but when he pleaseth will pull down some and exalt others will not be fixt upon this or that person or thing but walke up and down with it at his pleasure And thirdly setteth up over it the basest of men will not leave till he set the bottome upon the top advanced the basest mean common sort of men men of basest account of lowest smallest worth not renownd either for honour riches learning wisdome or any other excellency but set up men of base ignoble birth base spirits c. over it These three things hath the majesty of God written out clearly in these times the most high ruleth in this Kingdome and first gave it to the King but he did not know the Lord that gave him his dominion power and glory nor govern his People in the goodnes strength and light of GOD but served and pleased himselfe by it and so abused that rule and authority that God gave to tyranny covetuousnesse oppression and to self-pleasure and honour for this the Lord blasted his Majesty cursed his government rent his Kingdome and fild it with troubles and distractions and forced him against his will to call a Parliament which was virtually or in a kinde a resignation of his
dominion into their hands For his great designe before was to rule without them to uphold his owne interest in opposition to theirs looking upon them not as a help to him but as enemies to his prerogative being set upon principles of government in contrariety to the Parliament and his calling them being not naturall or voluntary but forced the union being first violated by his dis-affecting and disdaining them it was an erecting or setting up another power distinct and divided from his owne and by that God passed from him to the Parliament left him and set up majesty power and glory in the Parliament and gave hearts affections honours riches strength into their hands and so seated himself amongst them They as ignorant of God as he and not exalting the name of God that gave them their power but seeking their owne and a worldly good divided from the Most High they corrupt likewise And God finding no satisfaction or rest amongst them blasts and withers their glory and fils the Kingdome with such wrath or raises such stormes in the nation that they could not guide the ship but are forced to cast themselves and the government and safety of themselves and Kingdome upon others Not being able to support their owne and the peoples good they let all fall upon the people and doe expresly in their declarations appeale to the people to judge and require them to defend their owne safety and upon that ground summon them to armes or raise an Army as may appeare in their Declarations at the beginning of these troubles and thus they erect and set up another power The Army Now it is exactly to be observed how secretly God passes out of one forme into another as from King to Parliament and from Parliament to the Army and not so secretly but his footsteps are seene visibly upon and in the actions of men and he rides his journey upon their backs This very much concernes the clearing up of the Armies case and the scattering the mists that yet cover them and hinder them from seeing their owne right and others from discerning and acknowledging their power and therefore I shall endeavour to unfold it in these five particulars 1. That there is a transmitting or translating of power from the Parliament to the People or Army 2. That this change of power from Parliament to people is according to humane and divine reason 3. That this power of the People so raisd by the Parliament is a superiour and stronger power then that of the Parliament 4. That this Army is truly the people of the Kingdome already formd into a body of an Army 5. That this forme of an Army is the most excellent agreeable to God and fittest for the present worke and the mother of other powers First The Parliament having all power by the presence of God with them and the majesty of the King dying into them they doe by the will of God convey all that they had to the people gathered together in armes for their owne security 1. They themselves cease and expire their end ceasing The end of a Parliament is the execution of justice reforming of corruptions preserving the peoples liberties c. Now 't was manifest the malignancy of the Kingdome was such as they could not heal it and their liberties so endangerd they could not save them 't was beyond their power and skil And so becoming uselesse surrender to others 2. Besides they raise up another power that is inconsistent with their owne for civil legal or Parliamentary power cannot subsist together in the same Kingdome with military but the military wil and necessarily must silence enforce and subject the other at his pleasure The power of the sword in a forrain nation may be inordinate but at home being raisd for its own safety 't wil be master and eate up or trample upon the other 3. As an Army being rough thrusts out the civil power being the gentler so the people being raisd abolishes the representatives for the figure or image ceases when the substance comes in place it loses its use and imployment when the body it self appeares 4. The raising of the power of an Army is an act of God who is the Lord of hoasts and hath a peculiar prerogative in gathering them together and delights much to shew himselfe in this formeâ— and the Parliament were but instruments God the main in raising an Army for his owne great designes and therefore as soone as these are set up he begins to shew forth his glory in them and to withdraw himselfe from the other leaves the Parliament to weaknesse divisions vanities disgrace and appeares in the Army in union successe power vigour The Parliament since the Army was on foot could doe nothing that had the face of majesty justice or goodnesse On the other side the Army goe on with great honour and glory in their work being as full of power as the other empty The Parliament doing nothing sutable to their trust or worthy of a Parliament the Army discharge their place gallantly faithfully and happily So that we see the Parliament hath expowerd it selfe and impowerd the people emptied and made void themselves of authority and fild and formd the people with it and that there is a transition of the glory of God from one to the other and so a translation of dominion from the Parliament the representative to the body of the people themselves Secondly We must know this that this descent of power is most naturall and according to the will of God or agreeable to humane and divine reason It is indeed very harsh and unpleasing to those beasts and fowles that live under the shadow and in the branches of this great tree of the Kingdome and had their interest and subsistance in royalty in offices in preferments c. It seemes to them nothing but confusion that all this glory and with it their lives should goe into the earth and remain in a stump of the root but if they had the wisedome of God and did see his counsel and end in it they would be satisfied For 1. T is exceeding natural that when the sap of the tree hath risen to its height and brought forth its fruit it should when the fruit fals and the winter comes sharp and cold seasons return into its root Power did arise from simple poore man had its originall from the dust of the earth common people and receives its life and being from humane nature in its simple state there it was purest unmixt from pride cruelty deceit it was quietest and at rest without violence and disturbance though in a mean and rude manner And thence it rises into the glory of Kingdomes into Lordship Monarchy and all such greatnesse Now when it comes to the top and begins to corrupt finds stormes of wrath malice and mischiefe in those heights it naturally returnes to its center and retires for its own safety and recover to it self
ever it did in King or Parliament and will too be a guide to leade the Army into waies of common good and will enlarge their principles to a generall love of all and a desire of making all happy as themselves The Fifth and last particular is very considerable and is that which the evill spirit of darknesse hath obscured from the Army and the Kingdome and by it denied them the comfort and us the benefit of their being and that is this That the Army are the People gathered and united into a most excellent and divine forme Or an Army is a singular Ordinance of God appointed for speciall purposes and at this time raisd by God as most fit for those noble honourable and difficult works he hath now in hand For the clearing of this I would have considered That Army is a peculiar Ordinance of God wherein he hath a speciall delight and appropriates it to himselfe as a power that hath more neare relation to him and more immediate dependance upon him in which he will most visibly shew himself therfore chuses so often to be cald the LORD OF HOASTS And though they have a very dark and black out-side being the instruments of his wrath so they have a very sweet and precious in-side when God brings forth his owne name upon them and discover them to be his As the blackest afflictions have in them the choicest mercies the crosse of Christ hath glory in it and privation it selfe obtaines the honour to be a cause and to bring in new and more excellent formes so an Army that in the outside sounds dread and terrour yet hath riches treasured up in it which when we see we shall not fly from it but rejoice to have it neare us and to goe into it for subsistence 1. When God brought forth the first creation he cast them into this mould an Army and so laid the foundation of all his works in the camp Gen. 2.1 When he had finished the heaven and the earth and all the host of them In this posture hath he put all things not onely the stars above who fight in their order march in their course but the very locusts goe forth by bands The reason is that they might all quietly serve him under the protection of an Army and that if they be infested with any adverse power they might have force to retreat to In this military wisedome hath the Lord of Hoasts made and established the world 2. When God expresses his presence with his people in the world he manifests himselfe to be in a military state I will encamp about my house Pitch his tents about them so in a second middle or angelicall state he is an Army while he preserves us he gathers his Ministers about us in a body an Army 3. When he comes in his last and great glory he brings his hoasts with him and comes as a Generall and Lord of Hoasts thousands of thousands attending upon him all his Saints and Angels so that wherever the Lord appeares it is in this state either in the reare or lowest in the body or midst in the van or highest t is in this order the creatures a camp the Church militant a camp the Saints in glory a camp or host likewise In the providence of God in the world God hath made great use of Armies First They have beene the parents of all the Empires and Kingdomes of the world all the present Common-wealths upon earth must owne the sword to be their originall and confesse that from it they had their beginnings and t is rationall for an Army hath in it all government and all parts of government order justice c. in highest and noblest virtue and majesty Secondly As all Kingdomes come out of an Army so are much cherished and upheld by the same most Kingdomes flourishing while their military virtues are kept bright and cleare by use and quickly languish when the sword is wholly laid aside The presence of the sword keeping off destruction from them Thirdly As Kingdomes are begotten and nourished by Armies so doe they againe resolve into them as into their first principles And when by strength of wickednesse civill societies are disturbd they naturally retire to a military as unto their owne Father for safety for they have a peculiar majesty severity activity and masculine vertue or force to uphold a state against such evils as are in the world which no power besides hath And therefore Armies are not such hideous evils as some imagine but are beautifull glorious and exceeding profitable societies not onely scourges but saviours and protectors they have motherly bowels as well as iron hands and so in Gods raising and supporting this Army there is a most perfect wisedome of God casting his people into this form is very seasonable and proper for us at this time For we are at this time become a wildernesse the pale of civill power being broken down and men let loose to furious and beastly lusts such as would leade them to inhume and brutill villanies were there not this curb in their mouths nor could any man promise himself security in what he hath but that God is a wall about us in this Army And wise men wil easily see if sense of some present suffering or adhering to another side or party did not blind them that the violent and exorbitant lusts of men in this age is no way to be restrained but by this sharpe bit an Army T is true t is our wickednesse hath brought us to it but seeing it is so t is mercy in God to put himselfe and people into such a posture for our defence And this is the minde of God1 formerly decalred not onely to breake nations but to rule them also with an iron scepter 2. The worke that God hath now in hand is not an earthy fixt thing but he is upon motion marching of us out of Egyptian darknesse and bondage into a Canaan of rest and happinesse and therefore t is proper for him to gird up himselfe to contract himselfe from a vast body of a Kingdome into a narrower compasse into a few spirits in an active body such as an Army is loose and free from the clogge of old formes and customes to act lively his pleasure and to follow him into those new waies and pathes of truth and liberty that he shall lead them and because this work is attended upon with difficulties and through a wildernesse full of wild beasts and enemies on all sides it s his great wisedom to Arme himselfe and to imploy men skilfull at the sword as well as at the truel to build Jerusalem with weapons in their hands our great dangers requiring it And we know the beginings of God's great works of good to his people have been by Armies as their deliverance out of Egypt and Babilon in the same part doth he walk still and therefore doth he now in his last appearing gather his hoast about
A second view of the Army REMONSTRANCE OR Justice done to the Armie Wherein Their Principles are new model'd brought out of obscurity into clearer light BY Which the Army and the whole Kingdome are under the conduct of the Spirit of God led out of a Wildernesse to the view of a Canaan Dedicated To the Generall and the Councel of War By William Sedgwick In the place where it was said unto them Ye are not my people there it shall be said unto them ye are the sons of the living God Hose 1. 10. LONDON Printed for H. Hils and G. Calvert and are to be sold at his house over against S. Thomases Hospitall in Southwark and at the Black Spread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls neare Ludgate M.DC.XLIX TO His Excellency Thomas Lord Fairfax GENERALL Of the Parliaments Forces AND To the Generall Councell of Warre I Have done Justice upon you because I saw evill in you There is a holy One likewise in you I must doe him Justice too I have smitten you and not you onely but the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheeke It pleases me to bruise him and him as much to be bruised t is his advantage and therefore he freely submits himselfe to be chastised Ephraim is my dear son a pleasant childe For since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still Therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. It grieves me to see you as a Woman with childe big with justice righteousnesse reformation c. and know not how or which way to be delivered Here is an arm stretched out to you that will gently leade them that are with young and guide the blind into a way they know not You have high and great designs but are imprison'd in the darknesse of flesh that you cannot get out into a clear and strait way My intent is to open the two-leav'd gates and free you I have opened the left already and so turned aside that dark and evill spirit that lay in your way shal now unfold the right which brings you into light and so makes crooked places strait for you c. You are upon the execution of justice I would not have you goe blindly passionately and rashly upon it but accept this anointing of God prepared for you which will fill you with wisedome and righteousnesse Ascend this Throne of majesty first that is here set up for you Arise from the common and darke nature of man into the holy nature of God and then you will be able to judge suffer this holy child Jesus to come forth and then goe on in the name of God Reade it and if you see a little truth in it reade it againe the light is dim but t is a morning and growing light and wil shine more and more untill perfect day This I dare challenge of you from that great and publique trust that is committed to you in which we have all a deepe share from those high and weighty affaires that you are upon of such mighty concernment to the glory of God and the good of his people from that ingenuity and freenesse that you have professed to receive advise from all and to give satisfaction to all and especially upon the authority of him whose name I here declare and set up that you will not sleight what is offered to you and lay it aside unconsidered but that you will give it due hearing And if in any thing you dissent from it I may know it and either receive or give satisfaction or if it be doubtfull to you I may have opportunity to clear it or if these things appeare true as I believe they will but yet at a distance from you that I may by removing that out of the way that hinders you from fellowship with them bring you into the power and possession of them And to this end I am and would be more Yours W. Sedgwick Justice done to the Army REMONSTRANCE I Told you when I was administring Justice upon your Remonstrance that it was a mixt thing of good and evill that the Lord was in it but hid under so much filth that we could not discerne him You are Sion but not perfect and therefore we must wash away your filth and purge away your bloud by the spirit of judgement and the spirit of burning The Lord is amongst us and sits as a refiner and purifier of silver he is set to it close and will make it his constant businesse and doe it hotly sharply even the silver the sons of Levi the people of God must passe thorow this sire and therefore Who may abide the day of his coming and who may stand when he appeareth Many cannot stand before it but are overturnd into a beastly ditch of rage fretting and foolish passion this is a bastard spirit that cannot endure chastisement But others doe stand in peace and quietnesse there we see the spirit and strength of the Son who willingly suffers chastisement knowing that he is chosen in the furnace and that by it he is made partaker of Gods holinesse purified from humane holinesse which is at best but filthinesse into the divine holinesse And to such I apply that of Solomon As the fining pot for silver and the furnace for gold so is a man to his praise The fining pot and furnace are for the best mettals and t is for their praise that they may be brought forth in a more noble forme and fitted to receive some excellent impression Now therefore having cast you into the fire and taken away your drosse wee shall hold you forth with a beautiful stamp of the majesty of God upon you That vail of an uncleane spirit being rent away we now behold your face shining with the glory of God upon you Now we have taken away the scum and cast it into the fire we may safely eate of the meat having done justice upon the fleshly worldly part we must doe justice to the heavenly and holy part The Remonstrance of it selfe is as the earth without form and void there is a face on it but t is deep and darknesse is upon it But the spirit of God moving or brooding upon the face of the Waters brings forth a new creation which is blessed and good The Kingdomes of the earth and the way of Gods dealing with them in these last times are describ'd in Nebuchadnezzar and his Vision Dan. 4. A Kingdome is a great tree growing out of the earth unto a great strength and height reaching unto heaven and the sight thereof unto the ends of the earth it grows out of the people and receives its life and nourishment from the lowest element the inferiour people but arises up to such a height as touches heaven i. e. comes near the heavenly glory the Kingdome of heaven or Christ This tree hath fair leaves and much fruit meat for all it brings forth honour order peace