the better to delude with as some have traduced me I can produce you witnesses that I have for many years since but in all comfortable humility and not otherwise spoken it Truth I will give you throughout and nothing else this book will pass far from home inquired into I believe every part of it will be observed also with desire from some with sorrow of others for its fulfill with what concerns my self and Father as to the name of Prophet I have done forget not in the book I beseech you the passage of the Goaler when he so abused and reproached me by the name of false Prophet from whose bitter words and hard usage God in his own time which is ever the best delivered me on a sudden by his Call and that nights Vision Come away bring your Papers come away it is but a little I have more to say and that is of Croppredy Church and Parish where my Father lies interred my self was Christned and then I have done this long Post-script This Parish of Croppredy is 7 or 8 miles about good Land all of it is being in a Countrey very populous Churches it hath in that one Parish four and one little Chappel of ease the Tythes of the whole as I believe rightly informed are worth 8 hundred pound per annum there doth reside officiate in those Churches now 4 Gentlemen whose Milk Pigs Eggs Nuts and Apples with other petty Tyths altogether are worth somewhat above 100 pound per annum the Corn Hay and Pease worth 6 or 7 hundred pound that is stollen from the Church first by the Roman Impropriator the Lord Abbot Bishop or what he was then called I know not stollen it is that Clergy say they what they will were the great Thieves who robbed men first by perswading our forefathers to give to Gods glory and after stole it from the Church to enrich their Abbies Covents or Orders so robbed they have the Priest of his maintenance and God of his true worship service which should alwayes have been truely maintained with that given Thieves you see they were and now pray what are we else receive we do buy and sell what they stole which in other cases less considerable we make death by the Law Fain would I see our Ministers generaly wise good and charitable I may never expect to see also their maintenance once made what certainly it ought to be good also Gentlemen if any in the World it is to you Schollers I speak when wise good and charitable doubt not you have a God and a King that will remedy this villenous knavery Theft and Sacriledge which hath undone so many and made us of the Protestant Religion loose our renown because we have followed the Church of Rome in this way of Thieving for we restore not which amongst other sins of the greatest magnitude now help to pronounce her down-fall she shall fall so shall Church Robbers doubt it not if our Saviour did but whip out those that bought and sold in his Temple what think you he will do to those that buy and sell his Temples and steal the endowments and wonder not at it that Oliver Cromwell will assist in this God hath set him up for his glory and your maintenance and for me his most unworthy servant I shall have a hand or a pen in it also you read where and what of his mercy brought me to this imploy seeing his Temples lay waste his Ministers unprovided for and the people untaught because the means is stollen from the Church if I fall short in this let me never speak more thou O Lord hast made me after dumb speak and write this for thy glory and I do truely say I love thy Temples and the place where thy honour dwels also to see thy Ministers well provided for that thy name nor the Protestant Religion be not evil spoken of but that we may by well doing invite others to be of it so communicably good to all One passage more of Croppredy and I have done here it was and about my once Fathers house also that our glorified King personally defeated Sr. William Waller a kinde defeat it was he took no pleasure in the pursuance of his enemies to death he took from him there part of his Militia the field-Guns destroyed not many of his men yet a defeat it was he recovered it not The Militia was that often dangerous knife we foolish and disobedient children cried for which haveing gotten knew not how to use but to our own as others destruction foolish and disobedient Subjects as well as Children we are found to be For with it we carry on all our committed violences and outrages yet for all that men professing and practising the Law tell us this is Law certainly they speak falsly except they mean Club-law Post-master Prideaux baiting and pursuing in the Gall of bitterness Sr. John Stowel upon his Trial part of which I heard had this expression he admired any now would oppose or indeavour to wrong the so innocent Infant-Common-wealth very finely spoken Sir your self the Father and God-father of that so newly named Innocent Babe such outcries from the mouth of some blind not yet nine dayes old P. P. or Novises in the Law would not be much wondered at neither can such deceive us we well know that sober honest men and Counsel learned in the Law for such there are go not out of the certain track and known rule of the Laws such run true all along open not the mouth to spend in vain hate to misguide us deceive us they will not fearing least we as they should catch what we pursue not and so miss of truth the onely desired good and Royal Game Magna Charta A Lawyer with a double heart and two tongues imployed the one to stifle truth the other to maintain falshood I would onely have such tongues cut out when so ill imployed to such wicked ends God never gave them for we should praise the Lord with all our hearts with our tongues next For others that cloath and inrich themselves with bribes and the wages of unrighteousness for certainly of both these wicked sorts we have had too many Lawyers such I would onely have their skins flead off them and hang'd up over that place of judicature they cause to be so evil spoken of I have read or heard that so good a course was once taken for the punishment and deter of evil Judges and such Lawyers Undeniable it is that not long since wickedness was practised and committed by a Law amongst us the Lawyer he as the witness falsly accused the Sequestrator he so condemned the Committee man he levied the Estate or sold it if the Rent was low then it was fittest for one of the Godly party to grow rich by most Trypartite as a three corner Cap all of one piece they have hanged together truely if these evil doers will not repent and bring forth better
CHARLS STUART AND OLIVER CROMVVEL UNITED Or Glad tidings of PEACE To all Christendom To the Jews and Heathen Conversion To the Church of Rome certain downfall The Irish not to be TRANSPLANTED Extraordinarily declared by God Almighty to the Publisher Walter Gostelow Psalm 85. vers 10. 13. Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other and shall set us in the way of his steps Printed for the Author 165â— OF GOD. C. R. RESTORED AND OLIVER CROMVVEL BLESSED READER TO Dedicate this Book to any other than to whom God Almighty hath directed it I dare not it is first to all you Christian Kings and Princess more especialy our own Charls Stuart and therein it shews you That when you govern best and most pleasing to the will of the Almighty whose Vice-Royes you are And of him made rulers on Earth for the general good you then live in a general Peace into which happy condition he hath now put you that his Temples may be rebuilded his Worship and his Ministers restored with what hath been stollen from both also your Subjects Gods people well educated in his houses by his Ministers sent in the wayes of Justice Peace and Holiness without which no man shall ever see the face of God to his comfort next it shews you that the so antiently beloved Seed of faithfull Abraham the Jews are now in his best times remembred and brought into the Faith of Christ our Lord the onely Son of God whom they Crucified the fulness of the Gentiles coming in with them also to the knowledge of his Gospel his that is the onely Shilo the onely Messia by the Heathen not yet heard of by the Jews hoped for he I say comes to both making himself known in such a manner as they expect not most strange wonderfully affording them his Vice-Roy Charls Stuart for their Defence Protection he professing that Gospel now to be Preached to the whole World against whose rule and Gospel none shall ever prosper that Rebels Disobeyeth or Schismatically riseth up therefore is the Church of Rome at this time sentenced to certain down-fall The Church of Rome shall fall The poor Irish whom wicked men would have transplanted upon the same principles as obdurate Pharoah would not let the children of Israel go covetuousness and hard-hartedness God doth continue in their own Land yea under his and their own Kingly Government also to the joy of their hearts That Nation being neither such a Bear as we misapprehended them nor their skin fit to be sold by us that did it before warrant is given from God to deliver it they shall not be transplanted God now shews us That wicked Rebellion was the design contrive of a few in that bloudy and ever Rebellious Church of Rome not the allowance of the Nation this also God shewed unto our now happy and glorious King in Heaven whilest good on Earth it is proved to you in his Letters taken at Naseby written to her Majesty My Heart you will finde the Irish with you Knaves they might deceive the one they could not deceive the other And since that how hath God fully cleared their Majesties as now the Nation from any allowance of that hideous Rebellion Own it Church of Rome it will match well with the Gun-powder Treason thou didst both as many others Thy Nuntio was in Ireland yet thou shalt fall Hath not God made his late Majesties abominating that wicked act clear as the day to be none of his ollowance you know or may That Sr. Phillemon O'neal upon his Trial at Dublin though pusillanimous and timed in all other things yet when he was to give an account from whence he had his Commission God sent him a courage gave him abilities to speak boldly and truely to Gods glorie the honour of the Protestant Religion and the Kings just Vindication he took Heaven and Earth to witness he had neither Commission from King or Queen for that Rebellion he affirmed that himself with others of the Roman stamp made them that he might play the best of his own Game it further appears in that Oath imposed on those he subdued to his own obedience These are things I have had from very good hands when my self at Dublin but that Traitor was executed a little before I came thither Now see what God doth who is the searcher of all hearts the King is in Heaven the Queen declared for Heaven the Nation not to be transplanted the contrivers and aspersers of both gone to their own home or truely discovered to us by the Lord who now throws down that wicked Church Well you shall now see we must all live together in brotherly love under Kingly Government also but you will say how can these things be considering what manner of Persons we have been this book will shew you It proceeds onely from the good pleasure and mercifull loving kindness of the Almighty The Lord hath made our Salvation not our destruction his glory when all we thy people O God had sinned beyond any help then O Lord thou sayest lo I come But after how wonderfull a manner and how certain our deliverance is read and know Actions salved up with a free forgiveness are as not done and as a bone once broken is much stronger after well setting so is love after reconcilement God forgives us our iniquities and in mercy restores us our King again who deals with us being guided of God as Joseph did with his brethren when onely of God made ruler in Egypt and had power to punish according to their demerit then he treats them kindly following the example of our Lord. He forgives all past injuries he loades them with good things he weeps over them when he tells them he is Joseph least they not seeing his heart might doubt of their forgiveness he drops Tears as Bloud from pitying eyes and heart they well knew what themselves had been to him unfaithfull brethren and it s not improbable when they saw themselves by God cast under his power and dispose they might fear tremble and expect the reward of so high demerit for the affronts they had put upon Joseph But least such fears should too much sadden their unquiet Souls he weeps over them more abundantly imbraceth them afresh gives them all they stood in need of and doth not so much as once remember them of the evil measure they had dealt him so allows them no ground at all to suspect their safety whose injuries he had fully forgiven Most happy Re-union meeting that sweetens more in its return than it imbitâ—ered in its absence Protection my book commands not craves under Oliver Cromwel Protector also his conformity thereunto yet I beseech both God hath now declared him to be beloved first in Heaven as you shall read then of his King CHARLS STUART and all good men on Earth the Almighty both deputed him to be highly instrumental for the bringing of
to suffer us longer who pretend to the most and best of Piety to carry on a War and continue such actions as should prove so scandalous to the Protestant Religion deterring from the profession of it Such as there lived among us who could not certainly be drawn to the profession of it by our so bad example living as it were like men of dispositions onely born to cruelty and irreligion Beseeching that he would be pleased to return to us in mercy set every mans sins in order before his face to the detest of them resolving never to return to folly And that of his goodnes he would cast theÌ„ all behind his back that we might once more come into the Houses built for his Worship and Service with prepared hearts devout Souls forgiving one the other all desirous to be taught of God that we might live hereafter more according to his will revealed in his word and so knowing his good pleasure we might readily apply our selves to do it Further that the Ministers appointed to officiate in those places might be men sent from God who understanding his word aright might to us so divide it And that we might all harmoniously agree together not onely to Preach and talk down Sin but that we might all live for the time to come to serve him in sincerity of heart and in the beauty of holiness So that others observing Gods mercies towards us and our amendments towards him might also with us be drawn to glorifie our Father which is in Heaven Sometime of that Thursday after-noon I spent in that Remain of Church so praying meditating and reading and could not do otherwise Indeede the more I prayed the more I wept the more I wept the more I joyed and from my Devotions I remember not that I ever went away with a better return being very highly comforted and so assur'd that God would hear and have mercie and from thenceforth and in that place bless me giving me for consolation that a well-guided zeal for his House Worship and Service made great our own and establish'd it also That night I went home to a little House I then and there lodged at and had this dream Me thought there was a very gross and thick Darkness over the face of the whole Earth dark beyond compare I then heard a very terrible Thunder which more affrighted me and looking up to Heaven I saw a glimering Light not clear about the bigness and of the proportion of a round Table some two yards over In that Light there appeared to me as the Body of an Oak about a yard long Root it had not nor Top nor Leaves nor Fruit Full of Sangs it was and offensive Knots not fit for Timber or other use than the Fire This soon vanished yet the darkness continued but grew greater than the â—ormer and the Thunder answerable indeed so terrible that it seemed to me to waken and rouze up all the people of the Land which when risen I prayed in these words O Lord the people are now risen up and stand in readiness to do thy will wouldst thou be pleased to let them know it I beseech thee O Lord give them a sign in Heaven or from Heaven of thy good pleasure and we will readily obey thee There then appeared as formerly such another Light not clearer but bigger and as the former was over our heads about the height or distance of the Clouds having in it such a Body of an Oake as the other in this onely differing 't was bigger and more offensive As we stood thus gazing anon the Heavens began to grow light in the East as approach of day and Sun We standing as it were in the midst of the Kingdom of England the Light encreased and came on And with it rose and came toward us the most glorious Crown ever eyes beheld the richest for Jewels the most transparently cut every way the beautifullest imaginable Having in it and through it standing as the three Plumes of Feathers in the Princes Arms a bunch of Bayes or small Bay-trees beautifull for verdure bearing Berries as having Root Waiting upon this Crown came many goodly Ships which Crown Bayes and Ships came all along thus together in the Light from the East toward us the people who with fixed eyes stood looking into Heaven All which we perfectly discerning and being come almost over our heads we the people all of us with one voice gladness and consent cried out O Lord we praise thee this is of Heaven we will follow it I then looked behinde me for the former Glimmering Light and Offensive Oake in it and I saw them flying away so fast that immediately they were gone and no more to be seen The people seeing it so gone out of the Heavens reitterated the former words and said all with one consent Come this Crown is of Heaven we will follow it so bowed down and worshipped praising God The Light then went over all the Heavens towards the West and great was the Light the Crown Bayes and Ships continued in the Heavens now light all over After this immediately from the Heavens I heard most sweet and pleasing Sounds as the voice or murmur of many waters and on the Earth shining appeared nothing but Beauty and Plenty amongst the people of the Earth loving kindness and good affections all with one consent praising God Thus ravished with an over-joy I wakened and found my self very wet with tears My greatest joyes and greatest weepings seldom are divided I spent most of that night in Meditation and casting what this dream might import for truely this is but one though the most considerable as I conceive of the many I have had from Heaven demonstrating several things The next day being Fryday a day in the week which for some seven years past I have set apart though not alwayes spent God be pleased to have mercie upon me and forgive me as I ought or should for fasting and examination of my self That as I am one Fryday nearer my end so I may in one measure or another grow fitter for it in regard of the many mercies God Almighty hath been pleased to afford me from my Cradle hitherto As that he hath been pleased to preserve me from the noisom Pestilence from the violence of the War where be pleased to observe I have been committed and taken into custody three times on the Kings side and five times on the Parliaments yet never was in action or imploy on either part from so many great and eminent dangers both by Sea and Land from Men lying in wait particularly for my bloud And lastly that the Lord hath not cut me off in the midst of my sins and already given me my portion with that so sad company in Hell from whence is no returning These were certainly grounds enough for every mans Fasting and Prayer especially living in a Time when wickedness seemed to be practiced by a Law at least it was not
ten or twelve persons by me desired He was pleased to afford me the favour so also most of the others By this time it pleased Almighty God to let me know he had deputed me to go to Oliver Cromwell and after to his Majesty that now is CHARLES STUART Charles the Second The imploy he would inform me of and for the Commission it self I must believe that from strength to strength He would inable me untill I came to perfect Peace in Zion And although the things to be done were great mighty strange and wonderfull yet for his Honour Mercy and Names sake he would bring them to pass and they should be marvellous in our eyes Thus began and thus ended my Commission of the Lord. I then bethought me of what I would say to Oliver Cromwell and thus resolved that from God I would reprove him set his sins in order before his face and tell him he was that great Deceiver the scandal of the Protestant Religion the Dishonour of our Nation a Whited wall he was a great and close Hypocrite a Man of bloud and Son of Belial and more than all this for I never loved him all this I resolved to say to him but the Lord reproved me and gave me to remember that my self prayed in my Dream That God would be pleased to let the men of the world who were desirous to do his will know it from Heaven or in the Heavens by a sign which I have given thee and they would readily obey applying themselves to walk in conformity thereunto Having thus altered me and as before again reproved me letting me know God judged not as man did He commanded me to treat and use him kindly the dispose of the heart being in the hand of God So that now from former hating of Him for so I did no man more I now cannot do other than pray for him for so I should and for all others that God would be pleased to inable him for the overcoming of all his enemies more especially his corruptions And firmly believe I do that the Lord will make Him highly instrumental for the promote and carrying on things of very high concernment for his glory to his Honour and the astonishment of the world For I know what apprehensions the most have of him both at home and abroad but God judgeth not as man doth Before the Lord of Broghill I came the second time and so began with him as you read upon Oliver Cromwell I then told him what I firmly believed the Lord put into my heart and tongue by his dictates and Visions and how that the Souldery men of Valour and Honour should submit to the King who would not onely forgive them but give unto them all so doing Indempnity Honours Preferments Lands places and Hereditaments Seal and confirm them unto them in the surest Tenure of this Kingdom as at or after that of East Greenwich Further that as the Light came on in Heavens from the East haveing in it the richest Crown ever eyes beheld the Bayes rooted and flourishing standing in that Crown as the three Plumes of Feathers in his own Arms Coronet upon which Bayes was store of Berries which implieth a provision for Posterity both waited upon by good store of Shipping so the King should come from beyond the Seas Land in the East of Kent or thereabouts and come on towards the West See thus comes the Lightning in the 24 of Matthew the 27 verse out of the East and shineth even unto the West so also shall the coming of the Son of Man be O my God and my King well I go on This would fill the Men of the Kingdom as the Heavens with rejoycing the people praising God and the Souldiery for their good affections to Gods glory and the Kings interest the Earth giving her encrease All Animosities thus taken away we should agree better than ever dwell together in brotherly love and the most sure bond of peace and great should be the praise of God Honour of the King and the Souldiery also the true Protestant Religion receive its Lustre upon the Earth and flourish beyond compare Among the Persons present I then told the Lady Frances Boyl eldest Daughter to the so excellent Countess of Cork lamed in her infancy to so much debility that she halteth the deepest imaginable but God Almighty hath been pleased to more than recompence that debility by the more noble endowments of her Soul and minde which speak her not onely in them the lively image of her most excellent Countess Mother but the dearly beloved of God her Father which is in Heaven To this Lady I say I applied my self and told her what I believe God Almighty had put into my heart and tongue That if she were present when the King came into England and so received with content in State which would not be long ere it was so she should then see waiting on him whom God had deputed for her Husband a Man unspotted of the flesh with whom she should be abundantly happy I after besought her second Daughter the Lady Elizabeth Boyl to stand forth before her I kneeled told her if she were then present she should see Him the Lord had deputed for her Husband CHARLS STUART Charls the Second King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith Here I could not for bear but seeing the glory of God and the Honour of this his Vice-Roy on earth to be so great I fell on my face as in the first of Corinthians the 14 and 25. And so falling down on his face he will worship God I take the God of Heaven to witness I know no other reason of it it never was the least in my intentions Since I have read the Prophet did so as in the 43 of Ezekiel the 2 verse and because the words matter and manner of his Government there is so very full to my business give me leave to observe them to you the rather because All of mine whether of Action or Interpretation are so long since past and by me this never observed untill Thursday the fourth of August 1654. as we accompt I look upon it as a further confirm to me of my so interpreting the Vision and over-ruled deportment in that action of falling upon my face the words are these And behold the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the East and his voice was like a voice of many waters and the earth shined with his glory and it was according to the appearance of the Vision I saw and I fell upon my face And so he goes on that the glory of the Lord filled his House See what his Providence hath guided me to do and all to observe to you were there but this in it it migh confirm you it is no delusion O Lord let the World as I do stand amazed love thee and fear thee for ever This done I told them I should go into
Death or otherwise of undoing them And what to do I pray but to commit Idolatry that those ye prefer may set up Imaginations of their own and you as they worship that Calf But you will say This is no Idolatry if so then let it go for Idiotrey and that hath but one Letter difference pray let it go for both as being guilty of both Those Calfs you set up after them you low and run but continue to neglect Gods Ministers whom you will neither hear nor prefer lest you should be converted and so become poor What out of love would you have us with that seeming righteousness zeal and godly party which to be of will certainly prefer us No bewitcht we are with it and for these reasons will be of no other judgement It is you that talk foolishly we profitably And this kinde of Idolatry in all ages hath caused Gods wrath to continue even against his own people How long did these disobediencies keep them from entering into the promised Land which indeed was so near them as we may truely say even at hand Moses goeth but up to the Mount to converse with God the people mutiny and will have him no more govern as King And for Priest and Prophet why not others as well as those God onely had set over them seeing they took too much upon them What is the event of this madness up goes a Calf presently worship it they will they will have Governours and Teachers of their own making as well as a God which shall not take so much upon them yet ruled they will be too but it shall be by themselves Tell not us say they of Gods Mission of your Prophets or Ministers onely we know better he that can do all without book learning or reason then he is sent if so gifted if we like him also it is good warrant Thus your contempt neglect and persecution of those men who undoubtedly would teach you from Heaven and better things than you either hear or practice on earth is another good reason in all ages it hath gone for a good one And yet one of your little ones must not be offended but if he cries and bawls for the life and estate of the most considerable in the Kingdom to please it must be given him or them Babes of Grace for you say the fat of the earth is for you the seeming Saints But you shall finde and know too anon God will do something for the thus persecuted but penitent Sinners Turn you turn you you great Hypocrites and you shall see these things come to pass in a short time And therefore gave I that Text to that worthy Doctor Mollines to let you all see that he which covers his sins shall not prosper but who confesseth and forsakes them shall find mercy and there is the reason It is true that good man Mr. Evans goes on to tell you one fault more an error it may be I think it is I am sure it makes way for a great one in giving the year its beginning from the Conception which should take it from the Birth of our Lord. And because you may fill the world with confusion you keep no day for the Commemoration of that neither which helps to make that ever to be observed good day no otherwise apparent than your charity whose right hand never yet knew what the left did But you trouble me and I long to be rid of you Are not these reasons if you have any for the wise delay of Gods mercies and restore of our so much desired King who if he comes not yet years months of which opinion I am not yet I will wait and believe for God hath said it He whom you have persecuted shall shortly come and that in Honour too and because he sowed in tears he shall reap in joy and bring his sheaves with him Oh! could I but perswade every man that reads me or hears of what the Lord is in mercy doing for these Kingdoms the King and Protestant Religion but to turn to him with all his heart and Soul for that is the taking way in new obedience and to leave no sin unrepented of and no commandment unconform'd unto in sincerity of heart and true obedience you would then All see that suddenly come to pass and be fulfilled in your dayes and eyes which I do as truely believe will come to pass and I shall see it nay I do already and enjoy it also as I do believe the Heavens to be over my head and the Earth under my feet Which if it fail I am content that you take me and put me to death These Reasons given for its Defer I am brought from what I had of Vision or my own Dictates to that which is most certainly Prophesie and the word of the Lord. Which although spoken out of my mouth by my tongue pronounced yet the matter no more my conceptions than I now dictate or write unto you the words or thoughts of the most Remote King or Emperour in the World for I never so much as had things of that nature in my minde Hear the manner and the matter they are both of the Lord To whom be given for ever Honour Praise Glorie Obedience and Thanksgiving Amen O Lord Amen And now before I proceed give me leave to tell you that this Fryday the 5 of August is come to my observe this of Jeremiah the 23 Chap. and the 28 vers The Prophet that hath a Dream let him tell a Dream and he that hath my word let him speak my word faithfully what is the Chaff to the Wheat saith the Lord. O Lord this being thy command I will obey thee So help me God for now I come to thy own words SECT IV. SOme three dayes after I returned the second time from the Lord of Broghills to my Lodging the Widdow Merricks house in Youghal upon the 3 or 4 of January 1653. lying there in bed and having spent most part of that night in Meditation and Prayer rejoycings weepings for of that nature were my weepings the fullest of joy imaginable that indeed I often conceived not feared I might sooner die of an over-joy than any grief In that night I say from lying in my bed I was upon a sudden taken up that is to say made to sit up somewhat bowing and when so I did then with a loud voice somewhat altered from my ordinary speaking pronounce these words which words I say are the words of the Lord of Hosts God Almighty are these There is an end of all the Wars in the Christian World The Jews shall come in also the Heathen and shall be converted to the true Religion The Church of Rome shall fall The Irish shall not be transplanted This said I was laid down and wondring with my self that I should be thus taken up made to speak what I knew I uttered yet not have any of those thoughts or conceptions in my
minde nor knew not before I was taken up that I was rising nor one word of what I said before pronounced I could not but very much admire and so I did both the manner and the matter Well I then prayed and praised God for awake I was as truely as I am now the sequel will prove that I then concluded it was not at all I that did it it was the Lord who would have it so and his Prophesie it was and is Much about half a quarter of an hour after I was taken up again as formerly and spake these words Proclaim CHARLS STUART King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith Charls 2 d King of the whole World This CHARLS STUART shall never die the Lady Elizabeth Boyl shall never die the Queen his Mother wife to the late King already blessed shall never die the now Queen of France shall never die the King of France shall never die his Brother the Queens other Son shall never die but shall all be taken up into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ that never shall have end This spoken I was laid down again then did one M. Barret a Merchant in Bristol that deals in Leather and Skins who lodged in the same Chamber with me but in another bed call to me asked me how I did and if I was well I replied to him very well He asked me if I was asleep I said no he asked me if I knew what I said I replied yes very well he asked me if I believed what I said I told him he must give me leave to believe what the Lord caused me to speak and would have done There lodged also in the next room one John Marrick the Widdows son of that house aged about 21. With him in bed another Merchant as I take it of Bristol also or thereabouts to them both well known Those in that one bed spake to me also I replyed to them many words we had all I remember not I was anon after taken up again as formerly and spake these words OLIVER CROMVVELL shall never die the Countess of Cork shall never die the Earl her husband shall never die the Ladie Frances Boyl their eldest daughter shall never die the Lord of Broghill shall never die the Ladie Broghill his now wife shall never die but shall all be taken up into the kingdom of Jesus Christ which never shall have end I was laid down again and considered with my self What shall Oliver Cromwell never die it pleased me not But again the Lord reproved me and would have me know he judgeth not as man judgeth neither did his ways admit of any repine or contradiction Here again I spoke to the former parties but little lay still praying weeping and praising God for now I firmly believed and remembered that although these things were mightie strange and wonderfull yet by his Power for his mercie glorie and names sake he had assured me he would bring them to pass and they should be marvellous in our eyes as the Seal of my Commission was And remember I did he was now giving me the matter Again anon after I was raised as formerly and spake these words Thou Walter Gostellow shalt never die thy three Sons shall never die thy wife Anne and daughter Anne Gostellow shall never die but shall all be taken up into the kingdom of Jesus Christ that never shall have end Then shall the bodies of the Saints alreadie dead arise and be taken up into heaven also the Sheep shall go to the right hand and the Goats to the left pronounce this house a blessed house and this chamber shall for ever be called the chamber of the Great Prophet Thus have I set here down every word then pronounced by me but certainly the Dictates and good pleasure of the Lord of hosts that they be published to the world concerned by me Walter Gostellow his unworthy instrument I have not added or taken from one word that I know of nor misreported the manner But as old Eli asked Samuel after called of God by his name 3 times Samuel God had spoken unto him and given him his imploy what it was the Lord had said unto him as you may read in the 3 Chapter of that his first Book and the 17 ver and Eli there charged him that he hid nothing from him but tell him all which Samuel tels you and him in the next verse He did so hid nothing from him What follows it is the Lord let him do what seems him good and the Lord was with Samuel he grew and the Lord let none of his words fall to the groūd So all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established a Prophet of the Lord things coming to pass as he had foretold When I heard the word Prophet knew my unworthy self to be the man O Lord thou knowest my thoughts both then and now they are at no time hid from thee I stand amazed O Lord and am silent lay my hand I do upon my mouth and my mouth upon the ground A Prophet I am unworthy O Lord yea I am unworthy to live much more unworthy of this so great honor but O Lord thou hast fashioned me make me I beseech thee always to do thy will not mine own that hath been and now is sinfull yea so hath it been all my days therefore I most humbly beseech thee to have mercy upon me O Lord the greatest of sinners nay thou wilt have mercy for thy compassions fail not and thy mercies as thy ways are past finding out The rest of that night I spent in Meditation and Prayer when day I arose not fully dressed took Pen Ink wrote all spoken but with this addition I began with a Summons and Invitation to whomsoever that they would repair the next week Thursday morning about nine of the Clock being the 12 of January to the Town and Church of Youghal there to hear a Sermon upon this Text He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercy The Text was given by a Prophet of Almighty God now here in Youghall his name Walter Gostelow which Prophet will then after Sermon that day tell you all in the Church that there is an end of all the Wars in the Christian World And so I went on to finish as before Prophesied and recited Further they should that day see riding out in great state several of those Saints and this Prophet out of Town and upon the Strand of Youghall which to me as well as others was given as a sign or miracle being yet to come for the strengthning of my Faith as also for the conversion and ground of belief to the Sons and Daughters of Men. I there went on The Heathen and the Jews are now fitting by the Lord to come into his Doctrine worship and service and under his Scepter Against which word of God the Holy Bible
convenient place quietly demeaned my self until Sermon was ended Here I cannot but observe to you that although Doctor Mollines had his Sermon in readiness yet by reason of a sore throat preached not but the ordinarie Lecturer for that day And yet as if he had been in some measure privy to my Prophesie and Intentions which be could not be his Sermon was very much for amendment of life And observe also he did that Enoch and Elias were translated into heaven having walked with God and kept his commandments on earth so that as I after observed to him his Sermon seemed to me to be a Prophesie of a Prophesie But I have had many of these to my consolation as formerly observed from a mercifull God Sermon ended I then desired the people to stay and suffer me a few words I told them I had to communicate unto them which was certainly of the Lord consisting of Dream its observe and interpretation Vision also and Prophesie all of the Lord. I then reached to me the Church Bible kissed it and did promise upon that holy Evangelist I would not speak other to them than I did believe the Lord had spoken to me no man living ever dictating a word to me or disposing me thereunto nor now to this which as I could not do other then but speak so now here but publish by Printing unto them and all those concerned of the World Begin I did as you have heard declared my Dream its Interpretation my Vision and other dictates of mine own which I penned not yet so to them related as here recited the Prophesie I read to them as I wrote it verbatim the morning after the Lord caused me to speak it When I came to proclaim the King away goes the Governor Colonel Saunders after him the Major of the Corporation When of the Protestant Religion I spake and the flourishing of that again and how that none should ever prevail that rose up against the word of God and his Discipline now to be established and his Sword also put into the hand of his King CHARLS STUART away goes as I conceive the disaffected to both for certainly Congregations are now adays made up of Goats and Tares lovers of our selves we are more than God and yet be we must together until the Harvest come then the Prophesie as the most sure written word of God tels you the Goats must to the left when the Sheep onely go to the right hand Chaff and Tares to their own home In this Church although a Sermon-day but one Servant of the Earl of Corks not one of the Lord of Broghills as I saw and remember and why that one and who must that Servant be but my Cosin their Secretarie one whom they knew I loved and would be much ruled by Well how governs he I suspect by their order too he comes to me almost as soon as I was entered upon what I intended and had to do desires me to desist weeps to me I refuse him he after pulls me by the Cloak and Arm uncivil more than enough hales me by both prayes and weeps to have me out I took faster hold told him if they would burn me they might but I would not stir from that place nor from that imploy of the Lords untill I had done that work the Lord commanded me of his Then crying like a great yet Childish Kinsman he went away whilest I was over-joyed being so well rid of him so thanking God I went quietly on to do all I intended to a word without any other violence offered me Yet my Congregation grew very thin in the end It is the unhappiness of these times that where He stands up that is not sent thither the people run to which ill advised we may fitly use that of the Spaniard who when he sees one do so observe saith he what haste that man makes to leave his wits behinde him Yet to the comfort of those that hold out to the last though but a few if in well-doing the blessing is to them But its prayers must remedy this not conceits the loving kindness of the Lord must do it Which when he shall be pleased to restore to us wiser Teachers we may then hope to see In the mean time it calls for our prayers and tears that we see it not It was a witty one of long since deceased Mr. Shuit officiating in Lombard street I heard it from him indeed he married me may his memory and his works ever live in us in a Sermon complaining of these Times which he foresaw hastning upon us for such are the true Prophets of the Lord and therefore as I conceive called Seers The age is now grown so Chimical said he that from a Tailers shop-board or Weavers loom we have those now will extract Learning enough to stand 3 hours in a Pulpit before an apron'd giddy Auditory with applause too that should a wise Man put his head in at the Church-dore he would judge the Famine to be very sore among us to see an Asses head valued at so many pieces of silver Mais donne aux ausnes le Chardons let Asses feed on Thistles But I must go on Of a like nature was one I heard praying in the Pulpit for a Reformation in those over-active times dispairingly say How can we hope for it to Gods glory when there is not one in our Universities or Cathedrals but what are Factors for that Whore of Babylon Sure he was never there he was so ignorant mistake me not I mean the University if otherwise give him the Whet-stone having thus preach'd for it Truely I would not make these Aberrations but for this Reason There was with me all the time of my imprisonment at Youghall and a prisoner also a person of great Honour as I firmly believe M. David Rooche the Eldest Son of the Viscount Lord Rooche a Gentleman of very great integrity and faithfulness where trust and devoir lies upon him He is a great Devotery and admirer of the Church of Rome and hath often told me how like I was to be deluded because part of my Prophesie was that the Church of Rome should fall which he laboured to have me believe the Gates of Hell should never prevail against as being what Christ promised to his Church That being it and no other He told me We could shew no Church neither were we any since fallen from them the onely Conspicuous in all ages visibly shining as upon an hill That with him was the strength of his argument any thing that ever was in Ours that looked like a Church see because it was but like one how God had now annihilated that also And for the Preachers of our Church as we would have the World yet misbelieve we were a Church now amongst us what were they but men unsent who filled the world with Schismes Falshood Heresie strange and lying Opinions few or none of them agreeing whereas Unite was the best devote
of a true Church and that theirs onely hath and always had 'T was too much said for him to prove yet this I will say of him nay I have Prophesied it and it will come to pass he is too good a man to sin against the light of his Conscience he would fear and serve none but God onely nor obey any but his King and both them with all his heart Therefore I told him God had of his Providence then sent him my Fellow-Prisoner to shew him first or last the Error of of his Judgement and that Church And then because he was so eminently good otherways in his Countrey so exemplarie he would being converted bring his Countrey to the Service of God as well as he had formerly done them to his Kings service from which interest he would never suffer himself nor them to be stirred in the least for in that he was a true Rooche which in French is a Rock whereas now I understand the Honor was in a French Field but in the good Service of his then King given to his Ancestors Viscount Lord Rooche I could not for the honor of our Church the glorie of God and discharge of my own dutie but reply to him and let him know that such foolish Babblers as those which now so preached were no more of our Church the true Protestant than those that make merchandize of the kingdom of heaven now in the delapsed Church of Rome would be reckoned to be if that Church were again restored to her Pristine Puritie which I believe God would in mercie do by throwing down and out of her all the workers of iniquitie crept in in several ages who for their own ends defiled her with damnable Tenents and Absurdities The beloved Church of God I observed to him we were though now thus beclouded The Moon to which that Church is compared is not alwayes at full she has wanes and changes and Eclipses also yet still a Church as that a Moon I beseech you is not now the Honour of the Protestant Religion at stake and doth it not clearly appear to all that love her what discervices these unsent bold and empty Babblers have done us Those Vagabonds are like those Vagabond Jews in the 19 of the Acts the 13 vers who took upon them to call over them that had evil Spirits the name of the Lord Jesus saying We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth to come forth yet no good is done by them out they come not the evil Spirits are where they were not cast out but replied to them Jesus we know he is sent of God Paul we know he is sent of Jesus but who are you who the Devil sent you Well unsent of God they finde them What doth that man possessed with the evil Spirits do He leaps upon them over-comes them prevails upon them so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded This spread over the Countrey and the Name of Jesus was magnified so shall his Name also be magnified by us or you in Authority if you suppress those unsent vagabond giddy bold empty scandalous what shall I call them Itinerates froward factious Presbyterians dishonourers of Gods true Religion Church and our Nation By sober men are not these things and times to be lamented And are not wise men if now in power obliged to help distressed Religion thus crying out O Religion Religion thou that art the strongest of policie which teachest to rule well and to be so ruled Pray did not the fear of God which is the beginning of wisedom not fear of man make David wiser than his Teachers And doth it not strengthen more than ten mighty men Oh! its Excellencie invites you to side with it though now seemingly down it will raise it self and all that love it Haste you be ye of this bless'd number But to the matter All thus done at Church I went to the Earl of Cork's house endeavoured to enter the Parlour where that day were sate divers Persons of quality at Dinner I was refused enterance though my unworthy self formerly by the good favour of that Earl and Countess was one they were pleased to admit to their own Table for some moneths but now denied enterance I was Well I watched my opportunity my business being of another nature than eating it was to do the will of my Father which is in Heaven which was to let that most incomparable Lady the Lady Elizabeth Boyl for other I may not call her whom God Almighty hath set apart chosen to so much Honour and bliss as to be his Queen and the beloved of God on my knees I told her That in obedience to the Commands of God I had that day in the Church of Youghall Proclaimed our King and her good self his Queen From my knees I rose went out amde no disturbance though the most considerable there so soon as he saw me I well remember rose up and was for my being had out but having done what I could not choose my duty so much desired I took my self away for I neither spake more nor did more but quietly went away Now comes the sign given me for confirmation of my Faith that the things Prophesied shall come to pass observe how it is made good to me both for day persons state and place Dinner there ended a Coach with six Horses is made ready which in that place I never saw before into it gets the Countess of Cork the Lady Broghall the Lady Queen Elizabeth Boyl the Lady Frances Boyl the Earl of Cork on Hors-back the Lord of Broghill likewise mounted and all these well accountred no otherwise attended In good equipage they ride through and out of this Town of Youghall unto the Strand where the several Hors-matches were that day run Well they all gone my self rode after coming thither was looked at by all for my forenoons work the Governour of the Town there on the Strand I rode to others I told what I had in the Church did not madly rave or beget any the least disturbance stayed to the last rode off the Strand sometimes betwixt the Lord of Broghill and the Governour Colonel Saunders told them what God Almighty would have done and come to pass rode next them all through the Town no disturbance all this while yet the Lord of Broghill told me several times I must forbear such expressions otherwise he would order me and committed I should be He was as good as his word for out of my Lodging I was fetch'd and had to Prison but by the Governours Warrant he not seen in it Truely I think I may take his word at all times for what he promiseth hear my reason In France some 17 years ago I furnished upon Bills of exchange one of his Brothers with a considerable sum of money for his Brothers own use after that near upon one hundred pounds more for this Lord of Broghill who was not then at age his
the penning of my Prophesie to do so in the Church I should never have done it but then and there wrote I could no more decline doing it than I can now to pray for all men even his and my own Enemies No they are the Commands of God which carry me on and not to conform to them I neither can chuse or dare omit SECT V. THis very morning being now the 7 day of September 1654. was I a second time rouzed and called early from my bed by a great Crack or Canon to rise and go to work to bring forth this my Book to the World in it concerned defer it I dare not though I have been by some Ministers but most of all by my other seeming Friends my Wife and Children crying to me also not to publish it all men I have yet sent to and all means hitherto failing me for money to get it out Nay I have lain these 20 dayes the most troubled and disconsolate imaginable for want of money to go on with it Tried all I know almost would have pawned what I had left that I might raise money to do it am refused by all men hitherto I know out I would have had it come before the Parliament assembled as believing it would highly dispose them to serve God their King and Country so invite the Lord to send deliverance and heal our Land But I see in this as in all other of Gods proceedings I must pray to him depend upon him abide his good pleasure his own time is the best so is his way also he will do his work himself It may be he is pleased to see what good effect the Sermon Mr. Thomas Goodwin gave them on Munday last will operate and have upon those Gentlemen as also what the Protector did after communicate unto them At the Sermon I was I heard all in particular how he well advised to turn from all sin that God would be pleased to return to us and that they those now worthy Gentlemen called of Gods goodness as I believe for the healing of our grievances For as Mr. Goodwin observed there was election of persons for works sometimes by the Lord as well as to grace and glory David might intend to build Gods House but Solomon shall You see my main rise of all this Book and unparalel'd Prophesie begins there as that Gentleman did adviseth the rebuild of his House the restore of his Ministers the giving them for maintenance what God hath given and to every man his just interest and then see how be establisheth the Land the Kings Throne which Kings Throne I wish he had fuller pressed he hath done it in some other works of his where he hath observed that the House of King Solomon was established as Davids when they thought of so did build up the house of God But he is wise he leaves that work for the Protector if he doth not know it I do he shall help to builde Gods House and bring in his King too and that will establish his own house also the most Honourable of a Subject in the World or else put me to death if this come not to pass He went on he advised them to keep us from falling into or returning to the Red-sea of bloud which we as the Israelites had passed through Let him now take the comfort of my Book and this Prophesie of the Lord Almighties as I had of his Sermon in many good observances There is an end of all the Wars in the Christian World and I hear since that Oliver Cromwel did that day tell you at a conference he was ready as a fellow-worker to carry on the work of the Lord and would do so See now to what purpose my Gun hath wakened me this morning to call you all to your duty us to pray for you that you forthwith fall to it and work as men whom God hath highly honoured and now called to be the restorers of our Religion Peace the Honour of our Nation and our King who because the best in the World God having made him so for our good happiness Bring him presently that our rejoycing be not deferr'd nor the World kept from coming into the then so gloriously professed Protestant Religion and under his so happy Goverment to which all Christendom Jews and Heathens are to conform also in Gods time which I beseech him for his name and mercy sake be pleased O Lord to hasten Now Turks and Infidels look to your selves our King is CHARLS STUART the General of all our Forces is Oliver Cromwell both the so dearly beloved of the Lord of Hosts against whose sword put into their hands as Gods Vice-Roy and his Lieutenant none drawn on Earth shall ever prevail O Lord thou hast wakened me and I will do my duty this shall now come in that formerly was not and my Book shall out in Print to the World concerned if I go naked for thou knowest O Lord it had been out before now if I had had either money to have done it credit or goods to have borrowed money on At home I continue discontented enjoy nothing because it is not published fear I do that it 's not coming out time enough the major part in Parliament will be wanting to their duty they not yet understanding what God will have done were my Book but once read by those Members for whom with Oliver Cromwell I first intended it I then should fear no Votes in Parliament contrary to Gods glory and the Kings just interest with a Parliament for divide them I can not In what a troubled condition I am at home I have shewed you opposed and deserted by all unable to effect any thing of my self See now how God works for me and carries on his own work for his own glory as assured me he would that it may be marvelous in my eyes as well as yours For to pass it must come that 's the seal of my Commission the time and way is his own secret What doth the Lord now do my self being at loss Upon the 12 of September to my unpararel comfort Oliver Cromwell doth this work of the Lords it is possible too when he intends onely to establish himself The Lord often makes us to be most highly instrumental to bring his good pleasure to pass when sinfully we may intend onely the carrying on of our own unwarrantable proud and ambitious end I know not but it was so here with him and no otherwayes but I do know that in the end thou Oliver Cromwel shalt delight to do the will of thy God and thy King in the first place also not minding thy self before thy duty performed to them in which doing thou canst not fail of being abundantly happy otherways disquieted and miserable beyond all compare The 12 of September the House door that 's shut up out go all you or the most of you whose froward principal of Presbytery or other call it what you
will is not clear for the glory of God and Honour of his King but our Sovereign CHARLES STUART whose power unquestionable right with Parliament Oliver Cromwell takes into his own hand suffers it not to come into yours onely he remembers very well when you formerly forced it from the King into a Parliament onely where God and our Laws had never placed it How you abused it Though your pretentions Oaths and Votes at the first were high deep and many to the contrary all that you might not be distrusted his person and his honour also you would preserve yet see misimployed this Militia you did and turned it was to the destruction of his person honour the last you first wounded him in that you might the better kill him in his body done it was to the perpetual shame of them that did it profess you what you will for Religion Presbytery Anabaptism Independency or any thing that is unwarrantable distinctions multiplied with your Novelties and successes Truely my charitie leads me to believe there were some Gentlemen refused to settle the Militia in the hands of Oliver Cromwell that it might the sooner return into those hands which their consciences are now troubled that they ever forst it from which unhappie Act I am of opinion first set us together by the ears most hastened and so enabled the Contrivers of that unnatural War which the Lord in mercie hath now put an end to If such another Vote engage us not afresh from returning to which Red sea of Bloud good Lord deliver us as Mr. Thomas Goodwin preached advised and prayed But this Militia is now safe where it should be in the hands and power of the best Subject Oliver Cromwell for the warrantable interest of the best of Kings his Master Charls Stuart See how the ways of God are past finding out O Lord never any man lost by referring all to thy good time and best way I do not in the least doubt thee Oliver Cromwell I know God hath or will fit thee for the work who onely hath thus directed and over-ruled that his name may have the glorie and thy person the greater honor forsaking all on earth for the command of heaven The interest in the Militia is a Crown-Jewel which God will have thee O Cromwell not suffer to be divided from the Crown but give it to the supply and making of a better than that which bad men have by violence taken and shared amongst the Self-deniers as they call themselves But thou Oliver Cromwell wilt prove thy self one they onely promised to do what thou canst not but do make him a Glorious King for by thy means God will have it so Distrust him not you Members yet dissenting who have a clear mind to do the work of the Lord. Obey God and your King with him Gods Word and the known Laws of the Land will best direct in both Comply with Oliver Cromwell he is for the service of God and his duty to his Kings just interest with a Parliament you understand not how highly God will make him subservient to both My Book is coming to you to let you know how much we are mistaken in him and how transcendently much we are for ever obliged to our mercifull God whose work this is alone to the amazement of the World both for time and manner his goodness making it marvelous in our eyes I could not sleep the night of that active day the instrument for subscription was presented God keeping me waking to his glory and my own content for as his Gun and Call hath set me to work at other times so here I rose and wrote this Letter to Oliver Cromwell the very next morning because but short I here give it you that you may see my actions are all above-bord and that this work on Earth comes from above in Heaven to pass it must come God will have it so Sr. Yesterdays actings last nights wakings and this day God directing hath set these words upon this paper for your Lordships observe Prudence it is not to trust the Militia in those hands who after they had forced it from whence God Almighty had placed it whatsoever they pretended used it to the distroying of him Sir you are not of these bad men beloved neither is there clear thoughts in all of them to do good some are not fit to be trusted Pray God amend them all Sr. Part with nothing out of your own power that is or may be mis-inployed hurt the Church of God or Regal rule You are of Heaven directed doubt it not in the least to be highly sub-servant to both have courage Sir fear not the least I know you are hated and not understood by the most who would destroy you Sr. I had a Book ready to publish 20 dayes or more before the Parliament opened the highest imaginable for your advantage and effecting what God will have done by the turning of good men to comply with you in all things and not to fear any ill because God is on your side Sr. All my friends have abandoned me and money I could not get to Print it most men conceiving this Parliament would ruin you so hang me if I sided with you Thus deserted and opposed by all I could not get it out but I see God works for me when man opposeth so doth he for you Go on Sir you are blest of Heaven Your most faithfullest W. Gostelow Septemb. 13. 1654. This Letter I sent to that hand I have sent divers others which I know are delivered to his Lordship so sure as God is in Heaven my Commission is from thence and that the effect will shew you all from thence deputed I am And now you Honourable Members of this Parliament who may if you will readily apply your selves to be good just mercifull and wise live the Honour of our Nation the beloved of God of our King and of all good men your selves may have the Honour to be such a Parliament so wise so just so well constituted so for ever renowned as those will be if you should be wanting to your devoirs which is the applying of your selves to the extirpation of all villany and the giving to every men his just interest to which ends we have chosen you and should all pray that God would so of his mercy inable you by such a Parliamēt our already glorified King adviseth in his last words our now so abundantly happy Soveraign his Son ever to be ruled by for Parliaments so principled would readily apply themselves to give the King his just rights as truely as they would to every subject theirs which doing King people and Kingdom could not be other than mutually happy and blest living in rules of Justice and loving kindness the strongest hold-fasts And now this thy Call O Lord and workings when my self at my wits end is like that afforded me of bring thy Papers and come away A deliverance it is
like that of the Apostle Peter when the Prison door was set open for him and his Irons fell off so was the effect of that Call Come away the doors are opened to me the very next day But close up my mouth O Lord I may not complain every defer of thine is as my self suspended for a further good I know it thy own time and workings have none like them Thou wilt make discoveries of men and let us see as well who would be good if there were no law as who would practice wickedness by a law doth not God Almighty put us often into his sive several wayes also discovering the Wheat from the Chaff pray we must believe we must that all works for the best to them that fear God and patiently abide his good pleasure Return I must go on to my former intentions yet this believe me in you worthies of Parliament this insert was not begot by either of the Protectors two speeches to your good selves for I take God Almighty to witness I had not then read either of them Inlarged from Prison I gather in all my material papers as commanded which were not a few I now see them of very great concernment for the carrying on of this work I believe I wrote in Prison then twice as much as this Book and twice over also This Call thus directing Come away bring your Papers come away was certainly of God Well my self gotten out of Prison and my Papers gotten into my possession I hasten for England and in Easter week 1654. came to my own house where I now do and have resided twenty years being in Broadstreet near the Church over against Gresham Colledge at which Church once but not long enough officiated that so eminent and renowned Doctor Oldsworth but thank you invisible Parliament and such Oakes our then wicked Governours you sequestred imprisoned and destroyed him as you did hundreds and thousands of others God sent unto you of which you were unworthy but you could not help it the Jews your brethren did so persecute those sent unto them and aud truely you could not but follow the worst of examples the best are to be conformed to by these which are wiser men and therefore a true Parliament You long since as your actions have been the dishonour of the Protestant Religion and the Nation all the World over and future times will never call you a sober Parliament but as we desire not to believe you were English men so well constituted Parliaments for time to come will look upon you as upon Lots wife a lasting monument of her shame for looking towards Sodom when God had set her face towards salvation But I go on SECT VI. HAving passed a few dayes in my house I could not be in longer quiet untill I took me a lodging near Saint Jame's his house attending all opportunities and possible means to speak with the General whom not meeting with I wrote unto him several times to give him to understand that I had received of the Lord the most considerable and highest things imaginable to communicate to his good self being therein concerned as much as any and to whom from prison in Youghall God had pleased to send me for that very purpose therefore besought him to hear me After much attendance and not a few disappointments I had first at White-Hall the opportunity onely to speak to him made my self known to him but he had not the conveniency at that time to hear me in the things I so much desired yet then told me he would speak with me That further opportunity I had not though continued seeking it it and reminded him by Letters of his promise untill one Saturday in June a little before the death of the Portugal when and where it pleased Almighty God to afford me a most convenient one at Hampton Court and his Lordship there pleased to hear me out to the full affording me both his patience and attention too as I firmly believe There was present Sr. Gilbert Pickering and a Gentleman or two more whom I knew not for all which I returned as in duty Obliged first to God next to his Lordship all possible prayers and humble thanks And now least any thing might scape his Lordships observe which it is possible did my recital he hath this second review of it but printed more particularly for the World of men in it so highly concerned for I cannot be quiet untill to them I publish it also this being a light not to be hid the universal splendor of the Protestant Religion must break forth also the obedience of men to the Lord who I conceive and believe is now coming in mercy and wayes of making himself known to the Christian World Jews and Heathen in mercy but in judgement to others for the evil doer shall not abide in this so great and wonderfull a change On earth whom is the Lord pleased to make his Viceroy for rule his favour and loving kindness is the highest to our King CHARLS the Second CHARLS the Great CHARLS the good King of the whole World these are the words and declared pleasure of the ever living and our most mercifull God which I dare not conceal nor longer keep uncommunicated but must publish them to all concerned to have an end of all the Wars in the Christian World with the rest in the Prophesie is certainly considerable I confess after I had wrote to the General I could not but also do so to his Majesty my King the import of both refers onely to my duty in the discharge of which I onely can have quiet The Original of all Letters to them I have being to each five in all ten in any of them not the least thing advised to but as I conceive and so believe the minding both of them to the perform of such their duties as are most acceptable with God Almighty the one how to rule well the other so to obey things the most to be desired of good Kings good Subjects of which I wish the whole world were made up of I have therefore in the end of the book given two of those Letters to publick view that at once my inward thoughts may appear to the excite of walking as best becomes the most excellent of Kings and the highest of Subjects where the meanest also have to observe that in fearing God and honouring their King they are blest here and ever so to be hereafter omitting it miserable to all eternity From which sin of Rebellion because compared with that of witchcraft we have good reason to pray The Lord be pleased to deliver us especially when covetuousnes is joyned therewith the root of all evil sins which some men therefore will have the World justly condemned as a Witch in the end to be burnt because it and its lying vanities hath so bewitched us as to prefer them before the ever living God and our walking according to his
will revealed in his word which is to fear God honour the King not to side with those that are given to change but to keep his Commandments do the thing that is Just Honourable and good that is to all men as we would they should do unto us If we will take any thing by violence let it be the Kingdom of Heaven which ought to be our devoir not other mens rights whether of birth or estates which ought to be our restore Write O Lord all these things in our hearts and incline us to keep thy Law which is the Commandments of God and not of men I have now done referring to all of Dream and my own Interpretation of that yet what God was pleased to have me observe also finished some of my Visions which refer to this as I humbly conceive most material and therein I have observed what I could not but observe For that of Prophesie truely I believe I may without any delusion or spirit of pride call it the words and good pleasure of the ever living God and so far am I from believing it to be other or that it will not come to pass that I could not depart Youghall before I had given it under my hand sealed with the Coat of the Right Honourable Lord of Broghill and upon my knees delivered it before no less than twenty other Honourable and good witnesses that if it came not to pass they put me to death Now that I may not appear other than what I was at that time to the praise and honour of God well in my sences not mad but true to what I have received of the Lord no impostor nor yet a lying Prophet or one that would delude by lying vanities and speak when and what not commissioned of the Lord I do here again confirm agree unto and consent that if it come not to pass the things in the Prophesie I refer to onely which are of the most wonderfull and strangest nature there is the most improbability by outward appearance if these come not to pass I say I consent that you first shew me to the World from place to place afflicting my body and after that burn my book and by death put an end to my dayes as I conceive deservedly I ought to suffer if I speak as from the Lord when never sent For allowance of which to me it seems there is good warrant in that Deuteronomy the eighteenth Chapter from the twentieth verse to the end being the word of God to which words of God and its interpretation I refer all I have said and Prophesied to be tried by as being the most sure rule against and contrary to which word of God no Prophesie or Prediction of man can stand as I firmly believe which indeed the Lord Cromwell well observed to me when I gave him the knowledge of my Prophesie by word of mouth But if this be besides Scripture yet not contrary to Scripture then I say in my Judgement it is a work fit for the mission of a Prophet or if it be for further explain of some things in Scripture not untill now or yet fully revealed or well understood then also hath it warrant but any new or giddy Tenets I will never force to my own destruction out of this holy word O Lord which to do I believe is the greatest sacriledge in the whole world But willingly I do as I wish all men would refer all to thy most holy word of which I conceive wise men and the body of that ministery thou hast sent into the world to be the fittest Interpreters to our well understanding of it for to and with such thou hast promised to be assisting with thy holy Spirit for their enablement unto the end of the world and that neither Hell nor the Devil shall ever prevail over or against them And those thus blest and so sent I believe are not the Pope nor his Cardinals who for their own ends make marchandise of the Kingdom of Heaven that they may keep up their own upon earth so do Schismaticks others to the dishonouring of God the scandalizing of his Protestant Religion which shall now flourish beyond all compare But those shall suddenly fall and melt away as greater and lesser snow-bals this is certain And now methinks I hear some as I read those did in the first of the Acts of the Apostles and the sixth ask our Lord Wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom Truely I know nothing to the contrary but it will be so if you will but break off from your so much beloved and too long lain in sins and impieties it may now presently be Certainly there is no better way to hasten its coming yet the next verse tells you It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power Read it the case there just as ours The Scepter departed from Judah the Government forst out of the hands of the Jews the people desire nothing more than the return of it Nay the Apostles themselves are the Persons that enquire if it may not be at this time Yet observe our Lords answer even to them It is not for you to know what the Father hath put in his own power for shame seek the Kingdom of Heaven and its righteousness which doing all other things shall in due time be given unto you Your selves are the cause it is not already come to pass by your continuance in sin Suffer me but a few words and I have done there is an end you hear of all the Wars in the Christian World but as yet you see it not God be thanked for what you do see more probability than ever Is it not very far advanced here on earth Have we not that already with some Nations People we never had before leagues of perpetual peace as I have heard and are we not with others in treaty Nay very far agreed towards that purpose Who well understand the Scriptures know it is very frequently in them used that very expression by the Prophets sent of God the present tense for the future there is an end that is it is so decreed in Heaven and it shall be so on Earth it being the ordinary phrase of the Prophets by reason of the infallible certainty of the events to speak of things to come as already past the instances are obvious and infinite See here another motive to repentance that you may forthwith reap this so great a blessing of peace on Earth that which makes Heaven so desireable and lovely having in it the blessing of peace And yet will you be mad to go on in sin and make the Prophets sent to you for amendment of life mad also as your iniquities continued in will do it did so to that good Prophet Hosea the 9. and the 7. as before I hasten to an end there are 18 persons you read of that shall never dye but be
taken up into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ that never shall have end These are the very words of this the Lords Prophesie his almighty dictatings of which words and their strangeness I may say as the prophet Zacharia did in a vision the Lord gave him referring to the rebuild of his Temple restore of his worship and delight in his service to which all are enjoyned to be assisting begging and inviting them as mine doth first to seek the Kingdom of Heaven his glory worship and service on earth This Prophet Zacharia in the 5. verse of that 4. Chapter you may there read having seen that Vision was asked by the Angel of the Lord if he knew what the Vision shewed him was he answered no my Lord. A second time he answered the very same words in the 13 verse no my Lord read on and you shall finde informed he was by the Angel that Prince and Nobels the High Priest and the other Priests under him are the Persons the two Olive Trees betoken and the Candlesticks there lighted let us see the perfection of beauty and brightness the Lord will have to be in his house Certainly where holiness is commanded beauty richness and decency were never forbidden in the house of God And now to do this doth not the two green Olive Trees on each side drop golden Oil to carry on the work King House of Peers Bishops Priests Deacons see here all your duties Prince Priest people must be assisting with purse and hand to the rebuild of Gods house for his publick Worship and service which when done nay doing observe how he blessed the Land never the like before for peace and plenty And here learn also not to wonder if I yet know not in what manner to understand those words they shall never die There was a time untill the Angel gave that so emiment Prophet to understand what himself did reply to he understood not A Prophesie is a wonder sent to posterity least they complain of want of wonders it is a letter sealed and sent which to the bearer sometimes is but Paper but to the receiver and opener is full of power To such another non ultra was the Prophet Daniel brought in his 12. Chapter and the 8. verse where he saith I heard but I understood not what should be the end of these things the next verse tells that Prophet the words were closed up and sealed untill the end the last verse of that Chapter assures him he shall stand in the Lot at the end of the dayes A thousand difficulties might arise out of the particularities of so strange a message as all this his Prophesie is yet observe when things of such nature have been dictated to the most blessed Saints in holy writ as our ever blessed Lady and others from these we hear of no more objections no more interrogations The faithfull heart when it once hears or knows the good pleasure of God Almighty argues no more but sweetly rests in a quiet expectation Behold the servant of the Lord be it unto me according to thy word And thus without all sciscitation we are to go blind-fold whither he will lead us All disputations with God after his will known arise from infidelity Great is the mystery of Godliness and if we will give nature leave to cavil we cannot be Christians as good B. Hall observes T is true we read in holy Writ that wise valiant and good Kings and other persons of Honour have been so eminently just holy communicably good to all here on earth as of them it is said They shall not die Nay we see their renown lives now That is the meaning of not dying there in one place and though to wicked mens sense such Godly persons seem to die as in the book of Wisdom the 3 Ch. second verse yet it did but seem to them so dead they are not their renown shall never die Again we read of Enoch and Elias those good Prophets so lived they with God though here on earth as that he took them to himself most miraculously by translation never suffering them to lie buried in the earth nor their bodies to return to dust whose Souls were all heavenly mindedness and conversation so continually above that the took their bodies thither also they did never die Be it in either of these two senses here is as much honour happiness as mortality is capeable of agreeable to thy word O Lord it must be or it can never stand nor as I believe come to pass But my hand is upon my mouth thy will be done and by man for ever be thou praised O Lord and now seeing the events of things are the best commentaries upon Prophesies the best way for these eighteen persons all others is to walk with God as Enoch did all his dayes on earth in a Godly sorrow for sin weeping for his own and others and then taken up into Heaven also they may be as Enoch was who never died but was translated into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ that never shall have end You have heard what the Lord is doing The conversion of the Jews and Heathen at hand also the downfall of the Church of Rome things mighty strange and wonderfull which to pass he will bring for his own glory name and mercies sake making these things marvellous in our eyes And did he not also formerly work wonderfull things that we Gentiles might be wrought upon to come into the knowledge of his Law whose fulness is now with the Jews to come in The Heathen a people that have not heard of the Scriptures the Jews not believing in the Gospel who although the beloved seed of Abraham to whom the promise is for conversion yet an obstinate crooked and wilfull generation Even to convert Schismaticks we may also look for signs in or from Heaven all whose conversion we have little hopes to see effected otherwayes than by signs wonders in or from Heaven For this sixteen hundred years past the Gospel not heard of by the one not heeded by the other who remembers not our selves cost our Saviour deer and many wonders he did before the people would confess him the Son of God in Heaven signs on earth opening the Graves the dead bodies shewing themselves to those that knew them himself ascending up into Heaven also in the presence of many witnesses need of all for conversion I have done But remember Reader and all you that hear of what the Lord is doing and bringing by his Almighty power of his good will to pass in the World for the honour of his name and this professed Protestant Religion and good of such as fear him Take warning go not on in your sins break off by speedy and unfeigned repentance and practice you as well as invite others to a more holy obedience than ever least that when God giveth deliverance to his Church and people you be found to be of the number
Battels outward success going on that side what will become of a Church whose depraved judgements corrupt head and rotten Members are thus ill principled this Prophesie tells you They the Church of Rome and their Factors shall fall what is become of such a Parliament or Parliaments who have been so principled your selves see gone out they are like a snuf of the worst lights left a stinck behinde them whereas the memory of the just and good God imbalms for our imitation and is not spoken of nor remembred otherwayes than most odoriferously even as the sweet Oyl poured on our Saviour leaving a perpetual renown in all ages of sweetness and goodness to the immortal honour of that Saint that did it as in Matthew the 26 vers 13. whose memorial for good works shall never die but still lives and shall for ever Well that day the 5 of November you see is properly due for thanks to Gods delivering a Parliament made up of King Lords and Commons Let no man therefore dare to have thoughts of promoting any other but such a one except it be by praying to God and patiently waiting his good pleasure humbly and fervently praying that these worthy Gentlemen and Protector now met in Council for the general good who cannot but know and finde themselves imperfect without the better parts of the body of a Parliament whilst themselves are less profitable Members than they might be to Gods glory Religions luster the Kingdoms strength and peace also the peoples rejoycing Let us not cease to pray I say that they forthwith apply themselves to be so compleated as may best please God and be most warrantable by the Laws of this Land which ought not to be broken through nor can they be nulled but by the powers that quallified them to become binding They are the very words I heard themselves observe upon the Tryal of the Earl of Straford when proceeded against for making his paperwarrants or messengers of force to out-value being sent out against any subject the then Laws established which had their stamp put upon them and onely made currant by the assent of the Crown the consent of the House of Peers and allowance of the House of Commons all proceedings in any other case pretend what they will it was Treason Law I have not I confess my ignorance those Gentlemen certainly knew this to be Law and gave it so there but good conscience I am sure I have and ought to have there ought not to be fast and loose when we please that we may the better practice wickedness by a Law of our own making thus we strengthen our selves and would be exempt from punishment when we do amiss resolving to live according to the liberty we please to take in the fairest pastures of other mens demeans and birth-rights making our fences to others every way offensive but for our self as much security as knavery can contrive violence maintain Now if they will have us keep this 5 of November as most commendable it is we should to Gods glorie and our thankfull rememberance let them also keep us up such a Parliament and warrantable Laws as God in mercy then delivered and continued us if they will not then I advise to appoint another day that all those may meet who with the Devil Jesuits and Sons of Rebellion Sectaries or others call them what you will all who have made their wicked plots take by seeming righteousness onely pretensions to reform Religion amend the Laws and circumcise superfluous things as evil counsellors or known offenders yet have blown up rooted out and for ever destroyed as much as in them lay Kings Religion Liberty the peace and honour of this Nation let the lovers of those confusions meet in a thanks-giving to their God for their successes also and let us see who they are and then if God be the Lord serve him if Baal serve him for we may not longer halt in things of God and Religion declare your selves you wicked ones be no longer Hypocrites and evil doers the Devil hath helped you to do that above ground in the shape of an Angel of light that he could not effect under ground by powder and your younger brothers the Jesuits I have heard of those that have arrived at their wicked ends and purposes by more bloud-shed than you but never of any that came to them by more Perjury Hypocrisie than those that were not long since our Egyptian Tax-masters the scandal of the Protestant Religion and dishonour of our Nation Remember I have advised you to repent and do your first and best works from whence you are fallen or else know your judgement sleeps not a day a night a moment will do it the Sun rose and shined gloriously that very day the evening whereof would have shewed you Sodom Gomorrah her neighbour fornicating Cities all in ashes Thou Fool this night shall thy Soul be taken from thee as in the 12 of Acts vers 23. on a sudden in a moment the Angel of the Lord smote Herod and he was eaten up of Worms who knows not that in the twinkling of a eye we shall be changed and our Saviour comes to some surprizing them as a thief in the dead of night and sleep of sin I before shewed you your general condition from whence Gods Thunder onely can awake but I would not end in a judgement the Lord knows my heart I pray for all your amendments and happiness not a Scotch prayer for all your Gueds but that you may repent and live Now give me leave to present your eye with what God did mine that last Sunday night being Gun-powder Treason having that day received the most blessed Communion of the body and bloud of our Lord beseeching him for patience that I might bear his Cross which indeed was cast upon me the Saturday and Sunday night of that very day just as my Goaler did at Youghall so here called I am Seducer false Prophet deluded not sent of God foolish babbler and worse See how doth God comfort me when man thus misuseth me just as when my Goaler so abused me and took my bedding from under me and locked me up then the Lord that very night afforded me deliverance and comfort by his Vision and call Come away bring thy writings come away and I did so for this his Call opened the Prison doors to me so here that very night for my consolation the Lord shewed me very strange appearances in Heaven for beauty and curious works as first a vail or covering which after I had well observed passed away then the Heavens forthwith opened and there did I see one who was just for favour as our Lord is in his general Pictures Portraited and represented to us which sight ravished my Soul and brought from me this expression O it is the coming of the Son of Man for the conversion of sinners forthwith a vail came over me that I could see
no longer into the Heavens I then run and hasted to get from under that vail that I might again look up where I was so much ravished above in the Heavens so pressing forward that I might get from under the vail and so I was taken from the ground and so moved untill I came beyond the vail which impeded my sight being got from under it I looked up again into Heaven where I saw what I cannot utter or set out unto you Help me O Lord my soul is too narrow to express that glory and ravishment thou shewedst me there and then the Heavens yet opening I saw a beautifull place much about the bigness of a quadrangle of a Colledge and in such a figure also within which sate some four and twenty persons all in order as being in four straight lines from side to side so adorning the whole they were all arrayed in long white robes richly Crowned they were and he that late in the middest the richest on each hand of him sate also one very richly arrayed and Crowned all of them in order and beauty beyond any expression I was given to understand it was the coming of the Son of man I can say no more onely tell you what it was not there was in it no disagreeing no confusion no striving for priority no supplanting of one the other all obedience all beauty all holiness every one continuing in his own station lovely throughout beyond all compare or expression certainly it was to let me see that at hand his coming is for the conversion of sinners if they would but get themselves in readiness to receive and meet him with prepared hearts he would come and dwell with them in beauty and holiness for our amendment or else take them to himself unto either of which happy conditions O Lord fit us and we shall be fitted I end believing God hath now made this book fit for the press and you Observe to amendment of life Help out O Lord with the book and into thy favourable loving kindness the sons of men this day is the first leaf of this book Printed to finish which if thou help not O Lord I cannot give it birth I have not this day on penny in the world yet I doubt not by thy providence this very day to carry on thy work this book nor thy power and loving kindness to effect the whole Prophesie in it contained And now O Lord be thou pleased to help so thy most unworthy servant and carry on this thy great work strange and mighty to thy own glorie and good of all men as I set forth the truth of all and desire from the bottom of my heart that thou O Lord mayest have the glory of all and we men the comfort O Lord I may not doubt thou wilt do it for thy glory mercy and name sake I see it already done as thou hast promised though it be thus strange yet it is thy work and thou wilt do it that it may become marvellous in our eyes Thus I end in the very words which ends my own Commission in truth also be pleased O Lord to help all men of thy goodness as thy most indeared yet unworthy servant From my House the 10 of Novemb 1654. Walter Gostelow A POST-SCRIPT Clearing the Author from Guilt of Pride or Falshood WHat my Book conceived in sin and before born or come into the World but five sheets out and in three of them shall I be suspected to be guilty of pride and falsehood Certainly I will bestir my self the rather because a wise and good man tells me he fears the good intented to Gods glory Religious luster and the Kings interest will all suffer in the publishing of it and upon these grounds he perswaded me to desist from Printing which I can no more refuse to do than I can to breath live what shall I wound any of these in the least Three things as precious to me as had I ten thousand lives they should all not come into the scale with one of them Moreover I have presented it in my intentions to the Lord Protector for his protection and defence and shall I not present it innocent I know him set up to be a terrour to the evil doer and deceitfull man but to calumniated injuriously oppressed honest and innocent men a Protector and comfortable Defender with all reverence and humility be it spoken thy glory O Lord shall have the praise of this happy Post-script I know it is for a farther good to me as well as for the worlds clearer satisfactions by such seeming oppositions and wise delays hath thy Providence reserved it and me in the fittest time to become publick and for the fullest discovery of truth it is now made much longer than formerly intended that all things time and circumstances may be fully examined and clearly inquired into if there may or can be made appear any ground for suspected delusion or visible falshood I fear neither the charge as Gunpowder makes a noise but you shall quickly see it turned into smoke and and vanish I am to demonstrate unto you why I should not justly be condemned of pride for these words in the 55 page O Lord let the World as I do stand amazed love thee and fear thee for ever what Arguments of innocency brought to convince of evil be pleased to look back but two pages the 53. and so on you have the reason of those words God of his providence guiding me at that very time to so full a Scripture which I there observed for my confirmation in that my over-ruled deportment of falling upon my face Haveing read that portion of Scripture not till then known to me 7 months after done and my self then penning what I there Printed I could not but in a thankfull obedience with all possible humility in my private Chamber fall upon the ground and praise the Lord for it I beseech you let it not be laid to my charge as pride be pleased to read it rather O Lord let the whole World as we all should do stand amazed at thy goodness therefore praise and love thee for ever This will take me in and I have what I intended there The next is in the 56 page where I say I expected more alteration already ready than I have yet seen and believe I did the Summer past would have made the certain things to come to pass much more apparent before now than they yet are Here confessing my self mistaken is inferred I clearly demonstrate that sent of God as one of his Prophets I cannot be for they are alwayes guided in words of truth and certainty I could refer you to what follows and fasten this yet non-accomplishment upon your selves by reason of your continuance in sins and impieties and well might too but apply I will my self to satisfie reasonable men in all possible wayes and things yet observe before I end that very Section in the two last pages
of it 68 and 69. you shall there read that I being brought from what I had of Vision dream or my own dictates there is the cause of those words to that which is certainly Prophesie immediately following and the words of God by which onely I abide as infallably true and will come to pass going on you may there see the Scripture quoted What is the rest but as Chaff to Wheat whether Dream Vision or Dictate by that Prophesie I will abide whilest I am in this World yea O Lord though men attempt to kill me I will yet trust in thee So that all considered I doubt not but to be cleared in sober mens judgements Next in page 63 I there tell you you are unworthy of a man sent unto you your eyes have seen what Arise Evans said already fulfilled and this methinks might free me from this cavil together with the known hard measure as imprisonment and affronts late times have put upon him whilest the good man other I can not call him hath for your good indured so much and almost worn himself out that you might turn and live yet him you asperse Too many of you miscalling him Mad Foolish Babbling mistaken fellow I confess I knew him not untill my return from Ireland many times I visited him and he me when I lodged at Saint Jameses upon this imploy waiting for the Protector I still reserved my self in all things of what I have here Printed Curious I was to know the manner of things coming so to his observe the times also his Government I enquired after looked into him as narrowly as I could observed the effects and fulfill of things Predicted and what more I could think on still reserving my self having understood the manner and in particular his alwayes being directed to the word of God in conformity to that his word advising all men to turn from sin that God might return in mercy I could not but conclude him sent of God for that very imploy if this be to be deceived then am I also but I suspect it not in the least he is for the rebuild of Gods House the restore of his Ministers and Worship the invite-home of the King a far greater rule given to him of God than to any of his Predecessors also the conversion of the Jews and the spreading of the Protestant Religion to which purpose and speedier invite of him home Oliver Cromwell shall be highly subservient when done the Land and people blest This being his principles in all this and more he is in the right and sent of God he is I will not cry any of you mercy for what I have said of him it is too little he deserves more he will go for a man sent of God of whom you are unworthy whose good admonitions you seem to contemn as you have done his person but mark the end of that man it will be happines I suspect yours me thinks I can right him in what you so much slight him it is now come to my minde he told you the King should be restored by May last as you say observe now upon the 3 January 3 Moneths before that May I tell you from God he is and shall be here Crowned King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the faith in Heaven it s done and so I proclaimed him on the 12 of January 1653. In the Church of Youghall as commanded of God Now to us he is come I see him already come so might you also but that you have neither faith nor good works in my last letter at the opening of this Parliament I wrot to the King these very words Sir I see you already come to your crown and dignity onely I do not sensibly touch you but restor'd you are Sâ— do but stand still a little put all iniquity from your heart believe in God and your self with others shall see it so suddenly God will have it so you may not doubt it The next and last also I hope I am sure the greatest to give satisfaction to is how I dare be so proud as to stile my self so often a Prophet nay a great Prophet also Here O Lord in all possible humility of soul and body I do acknowledge my self to be the most unworthiest of the Sons of men and well know that of merit there is not any thing on this side Hell but it is too good for me beseech thee onely O Lord I do for thy Almighty guidance and deliverance herein thou canst do it and make this word good and I know wilt of thy mercy thy honour being at stake I dare not doubt thy power nor distrust thy loving kindness who hath assured that I should by thy enablements grow from strength to strength until I arrived at perfect Peace in Sion it is the introduction to thy commission given me for my consolation and inablement in this thy imploys Yet I will give you some reasons to beget belief in you also and true ones too or else may the ground open and swallow me if I be guilty of any conspiracy and Hell for ever continue me if in this I am rebellious against thee my God it is the black portion of false Prophets may it be mine also that quickly too if I have any Commission for this but thine or any aim more than thy glory the reasons of my belief I will give you truly and as they fell out some of which I formerly concealed in modesty because they referred so much to my own honour yet I now see when calumniated I am and suspected of pride God clears me and more than recompences me he will now give Honour to me and mine yea such Honour as I was never in the least worthy of Reason 1. VVhen I was the second time before the Lord of Broghall in the presence of those persons of Honour desired declaring the vision of the fire that fell down from Heaven upon me in my bed and the man sent of God called me three times by my name Walter Gostelow asked me if I did see the fire that came down from Heaven whch I replyed to as you there may read yea I did then I say that second time being before his Lordship and those present declaring that and others of my visions and revelations in particular one that related to my Eldest Son Richard Gostelow these words last of all on a sudden came from me His Father is a Prophet and his Fathers Father was a Prophet astonished I was my very next action amazeth me also speaking to the Lady Elizabeth Boyl appointed of God Wife to our King CHARLES STVART when I come to tell that Lady so I am thrown upon my face thus over-ruled I was in these two actions of words and demenor any reason for these two proceedings I cannot give neither of them having ever been in my thoughts or purpose but when done to none present more strange than to my self Now mark Gods
Person yet to this good King was laid the false charge of his being guilty of all the bloudshed in the three Kingdoms To witness this truth in my Kings defence when his Majesty was upon his Trial I being near a hundred miles from London heard of their quick proceedings against him and had the Saturday night before his death a very strange Vision concerning him I made haste towards London that he might have the benefit of this my witness in that killing and false charge but upon the way met with the sad news of his being Martyred so that in this action the wickedness that was done was quickly done but I will not wound afresh or grieve a man of you that did it or had a hand in the bringing to pass what God would have done that his name might have the more glory and you now no less happy in his Sons rule over you can you but repent of this as of all your other sins God forgives and of the Kings forgiveness you may not doubt the Stuarts as the Kings of Israel are very mercifull Kings King James a Beati Pacifici King CHARLS of ever blessed memory praieth God to forgive all his Enemies when inquisition is made for bloud then O Lord let them be found that shed mine be sprinkled with thine I beseech thee CHARLS the second our King will not consent that his seeming greatest Enemy in the World Oliver Cromwel shall privately be taken off an act pleasing enough to many when the remove but of that one man onely might probably without more bloud-shed set him upon his Fathers his own Throne yet see how he Governs he will not so much as hear of it you have it observed to you in the wise Admonition to Oliver Cromwell when Wiseman and others proposed his murther to him no at no hand he allows it not he will wait upon God in all his lawfull wayes contenting himself to be Charls the good if not Charls the Great And being thus principled see what is the happy successes of his so doing God gives to him the Crown for ever and Oliver Cromwell his ready subjection this is counsel I have given him but first given me of God his Majesty had it from me in April last as I take it to forgive all his Enemies even O Cromwell and to refer all to Gods own times way it may be thou O Cromwell doth owe me something for thy well being at this day I am sure thou doest to God Almighty give him the glory and praise of it in thy better obedience for the times to come and I have all I desire I have but done my duty and my reward is above in Heaven whither I most humbly beseech God of his infinite goodnes and never to be dispaired of mercie take my good King thee me and all men even the greatest sinners now on earth Whom though the greatest yet how often is God pleased to make of such the most glorious Saints when repenting their former wickedness then it is turn and live for ever you have the opportunity lay hold on it If any man now distrusts his own safety and forgiveness it is onely he that keeps close his sins or as Hypocrites seem onely to repent he that covers his sin shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsakes them shall finde mercy of God and his King I fear you think me too long before I give you the reasons promised why plain Oliver Cromwell and no more in the over-ruled dictate of Prophesie when all others by their known Titles and Signiories I will onely shew you the Crown on the other side and there Proclaim my King as in Gods Prophesie commanded that done go on to let you read what follows more of my observe as also Gods disposing of Oliver Cromwell to the well liking of all good Subjects these worthy Gentlemen I hope now met in Parliament with them also assisting readily to the bringing in of his Majesty CHARLS STUART whose unquestionable the Crown is right When given unto him the joy of all good men the Protestant Religion then more gloriously conspicuous than ever as clearly appearing to bring forth good fruits not pretensions onely by which our Saviour lets us know we cannot judge and thus in the end as well as in the beginning you have C. S. and O. C. United This my so long and just defence you must forgive I know God hath put me upon it though thus late that his name may have the more glorie my self with you the better esteem and your selves the clearer satisfaction that I am sent of God with others to the Worlds happiness as his Prophet for this very imploy of my God my King whom God preserve Amen CHARLS the Second KING of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith KING of the whole world To this Charls the good and Charls the Great is Oliver Cromwell by God also Honoured to be General of all his Forces Long live my King and his Lieut. O. C. Amen Amen Yea let all the people say Amen BUt I am to give you what I promised why Oliver Cromwel and no more in the dictate of the Lords Prophesie when as all others have accompanying them their Titles and Seignories and further why I could not pen him by any other Title than the General of all the English Forces although I did upon the then writing of that Prophesie so much endeavour it yea I tried and varied it several times but could never do it forthwith when done was given me this for reason which indeed I have already given the General himself when I declared the whole to him as now to you the Reader The fountain of honour is Originally in God derivative in Kings not at all in the people for proof of this you have the written Word of God his most holy Scriptures confirmed to me further by God when the fire fell down from Heaven in that Vision all about my Beds feet and his messenger called me three times by my name Walter Gostelow also spake to me saying you well understand the Scriptures Kings are of God especialy yours from thence issues true honour not from the people for this reason is it in the Prophesie Oliver Cromwell and no more by him that ers not the Lord. See it is then true honour and worth having onely when conveyed in its right Channel otherwayes it is just as the Calf the people set up which wise-men know is not of God and therefore worship it not Sleep yet a little in Windsor Chappel my most glorious and immortal King for dead thou art not Garter Spur and Star yet lie still in your Beds of Honour untill your Son arise we see already his Aurora as plain as we did his day-Star at his birth so visible to us is his and all your resurrections Welcome my King welcome now for ever thou shalt set no more the day and year that brings
you you would never confess your selves guilty but God sees it and forgives it too with him there is mercie if you confess and forsake your sins making all possible amends and for the time to come all your dayes walk before him in a holy obedience to this end he in mercie hath sent me to you that you might truely repent and live My next observe is the Church of Rome shall fall a Church you see she is so I ever believed her to be once a pure one in whose Churches often both in France and Spain many a good instructive Sermon to amendment of life I have heard and truely in their Churches also I have often performed I hope acceptable Devotions beseeching God that when the people came into those Churches to pray and to learn that they might go forth do and practise for the time to come better things to which end I believe our pious Fore-fathers built them pray and beseech we should for the people there assembled that God then would be pleased to hear in Heaven also send thither to officiate such Pastors and Teachers as might be most agreeable to his holy Word so more to Gods glorie and the peoples good that the people might not longer be deluded by those jugling villains which make merchandize of the Kingdom of heaven and hold the people in sinfull ignorance turning almost all their practises and miscalled Devotions into finenesses crafty frauds to inrich themselves by just one with our late temporizers are those Jesuits such a stall do they both make of the Pulpit from thence teaching damnable Doctrines contrary to the word of God calling evil good and good evil one of whose Tenents is the depose of Kings yea killing them too if they rule not according to their fancies is 't not pity the Kings of the Earth should allow either of you residence in any of their Territories fire brands you are whose damnable Tenents are so declared contrary to the King of Heavens in this I couple you together Rebels both Jesuits and Sectaries I would I could exempt the Presbyterian the froward and worst are not guiltless our late King was in the right when he advised our now Soveraign his Son not to have a prejudice against the Protestant Religion in regard of the ill measure dealt to him his Father assure your Majesty he doth it was by such done who were no true Sons of that Church the Church of England abhord as the Church of God should do all such damnable practices and wicked Tenents See here again my King was not your glorified Father a light of Heaven shining in a dark place as in the midst of a wicked and froward generation to keep your feet judgment in the way of Gods Commandments Behold now the goodness of God in letting the world see that the Protestant Religion taught no such corrupt Doctrine neither were the major part of the people of England so ill principled I have heard and from a good hand also that the reformed Churches of France did upon that Act of cuting off the King assembled their Doctors and Pastors who declared and Printed to the World as a Gentleman of Rochel of good account assured me that the word of God warranted so such damnable proceedings in Subjects and for their Reformed Church of France as the true Church of England they neither taught nor allowed any such Doctrine of Devils or practises of wicked men Behold I say how God hath freed this his Church from that asperse and this our Nation from that dishonour the lesser and inconfiderable number never yet included the greater and the wiser it was well observed by Mounsiour Causabon a learned and Honourable Father of the Church of France by King James he was invited hither and rests Honourably interred in West-minster Abby That it was the violence of the Church of Rome not our choice that hath excluded us because we could not love her errors she hath ejected our persons These are those wicked ones that had rather rend the Church than want their wills who can be content to sacrifice truth peace millions of souls Kings and all to their own ambition and covetuousness one of which sins alone is the root of all evil what is it then with the rest of their rabbel but I may not aggravate where God hath pardoned if we repent and bring forth better fruits This also was prophesied that their seditions and madness would at once be the scandal of the true Church of God and give advantages to the false which is the Church of Rome know you not that I speak truth Well down they must both fellow-workers of iniquity Sectaries and Church of Rome a Church you see she is call'd though adulterous and Idolatrous we read the Lord calls the people of Israel so guilty yet his people and you my people Israel when at the same time he sends his Prophets to let them know that for these very sins his punishments were hastening to come upon them yea to lay them waste and cast them out of the land as those rebellious Israelies his people so that of Rome a Church Thus we allow the greatest robber to be a true man though a notorious Thief much the better this keeps him not from the gallows to which a true man comes not but to look on and be premonished by so sad a spectacle here me thinks we might be reconciled take now the best of all sides something good in all hold it fast put that together and you have the onely true Church against which you see the gates of Hell shall never prevail and because of the strength and yet power of that Church of Rome we cannot take away the Hay and stubble and mistempered morter her Babel-builders have raised her to this height with that her confusion as her fall may be the greater the Lord himself comes to do the work down they must and this Church of Rome shall fall he hath said it But see the loving kindness of the Lord extended to the Sons of men and to that Church also in that he tells them not onely of her fall but whither they shall repair for safety even under his wings into his Church and to the Obedience of his King CHARLS STUART by the Lord now declared Defender of the Faith Here 's a visibility and Church the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against also a rule given and a sword put into the hands of the General of all his Forces Oliver Cromwell by name against whose rule and sword never shall any prosper that riseth up or is drawn first proved in Gods word for the defence of his Church now also by this his Prophesie and immediate dictate from Heaven Well what is to be done forthwith turn to this so mercifull Lord your God withall your hearts proclaim a fast and keep it truely and let us know when you do it that we may pray together God would be pleased to
of all to love true Religion your just interest brotherly love in which onely we can be happy in that good way and best example I beseech God be you the first and most eminent I may not doubt of it for whom God Almighty hath reserv'd nay declared such everlasting loving kindnesses Sir I do truely tell you I could with the most ardent desire greatest hazard endeavoured to have hang'd or murdered all your Enemies but God hath reproved me I can now do nothing with more delight than to pray for them yet let 's not trust them that 's a folly I beseech God to deliver us from the wisdom of the Serpent is not denied though the innocency of the Dove be injoyned both most excellent for imitation Sir I have no intelligence more than with the common it is believed that some dayes since from Holland came expresses of the confirmation of peace I believe after this summer within a short time there will be an end of all the Wars in the Christian world Sir I have seen letters reporting your affairs at Ratisbon to be well advanced and in good condition humane wisdom the strength of allies and confederates for the probable carrying on or promoting of your just interest may not be neglected or refused but Sir I do hope Nay believe that the Almighty will do this great work for the good of all without bloudshed if we give over to abuse his mercy and provoke not his wrathfull indignation then for his mercy honour name sake he hath promised to bring all these things to pass for you this Land Protestant Religion and although mighty strange and wonderfull these things are yet he will do it for the reasons above and it shall be marvelous in our eies as in my first Papers you have it at full consisting of ten sheets numbred in the margent as they should be read Sir the time is now at hand in May you shall see the fulfilling of another part of that Prophesie which the Lord was pleased to have spoken by me his most unworthy Servant and Prophet the not transplanting of the Irish Nation I beseech you Sir let Doctor Earls first read my Letters for I spell ill write ill and point not well he is a good man let him also chuse your Clergie and be you Sir advised by him God Almighty be pleased to preserve you give you abundantly of his grace mercie and wisdom and with it all things that good is Sir So prayes the humblest and unworthiest of the servants of the Lord my God and you my King April 21. 1654 Walter Gostelo My second Letter to the PROTECTOR O. C. Most excellent Sir MY belief as my hopes is that what your Lordship was pleased to say unto me I shall in the best fittest time reap the speaking with you I did return to my Lodging at Saint James the Tuesday I promised your good self but there I met with this affront as to have it disposed of in my absence contrary to my order and expectations affronts in other places also Indeed Sir I meet with little else but aversness to good in men I have since expected your Lordships Command or the happiness of seeing you neither yet come to hand or eye did not the goodness of God from the mouth of such as his Providence guided me to hear Preach let me see what I am to expect from man though of my own Religion my Spirits would fail me the Jews so ill treated the Prophets sent to them in their times and we no better follow their bad examples My Lord be not backward to hear and consider the great good the Lord is pleased to do and bring to pass for the honour of the Protestant Religion the general good of all men amongst whom more particularly our Soveraign CHARLS STUART and your good self so sure as the Heaven is over my head and the Earth under my feet I do believe his Majesty and some others of which number you are to be blest with long life honour as much as mortality is capable of here everlasting happiness hereafter My Lord as these things are the decree of heaven so are they to all assured the strongest Obligations of the strictest obedience upon Earth I have already wrote to my King I could not do otherwayes First to let him know what God is pleased to assure shall be done for him next to minde him of his dayly duty how that without holiness no man shall ever see the face of God to his comfort Further that he forgive all his Fathers Mothers and his own Enemies for no man yet ever lost by referring all to God in this he will best imitate his glorified Father certainly in Heaven who prayed dying for forgiveness to those that put him to death For the remitting of the highest injuries we have the best of patterns our Lord himself My Lord if I have any other end than the glory of God the honour of the Protestant Religion the discharge of my duty to the command of my God in my desire to speak with you then do thou O Lord whom I believe hath deputed me to these very ends never suffer me to see your face Therefore good my Lord be not backward to let me speak with you which done as God shall direct I shall afterwards haste as concerned into other Kingdoms to those in Ireland and this when communicated to your good self I have done my duty and shall I presume then have quiet and after see the fulfill of all to Gods glory who for his name and mercy sake hath assured me he will bring it to pass and it shall be marvelous in our eyes My Lord I ever shall continue to pray that God would bless and preserve you to the overcoming of all your Enemies but more especialy your corruptions So prayes the unworthiest of the Lords servants and yours S r Walter Gostelow At my house in Broadstreet May 25. 1654. A POST-SRIPT MY Lord be pleased to allow this Post-script I dare not omit it your Lordship hath heard me and now read my Prophesie I believe divers others also that of Elenor Channel who was sometimes taken dumb a Prophesie very highly considerable failing out in a time much about mine the matter one with mine sent upon that imploy of the Lords to your good self as most considerable in this Kingdom disquieted as I was untill she had communicated or made known the whole to you onely addressed Now because it is so very full and falls in such a conjuncture of time with mine and but short I have printed it at the end of this My Lord I well remember you were pleased after the good Admonition given me to serve God and to walk according to his will revealed in his word to let me understand your self formerly had and now lately also some things presented unto you which were since come to pass also but to rely on Visions or Revelation we
should not having the more sure word of God the Scriptures to rest on good counsel it was I agree all and the best to avoid delusion the Prophesie being the Lords I cannot have a dis-esteem of one word of that My Lord is not all I have said unto you agreeable to the word of God Is it not your duty to fear God Honour and obey your King to assist the rebuild of Gods House the restore of his Ministers and their maintenance not to side with those that are given to change to be in love with all men also with justice mercie and forgiveness to seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and its righteousness and then all other things less considerable unpursued shall be given unto you My Lord do this and live for ever happy Now because its possible this hath not been done by you certainly not by the Nation see God sends his Prophets unto both and that you may know they are his they bring nothing contrary to Scripture 't is true they come to you in a unwonted and seeming strange way the reason of that is this To persons of Honour or a people the Lord intends mercy too it hath been his accustomary manner of proceeding to such he sends his Prophets that they may repent and live and shall Gods mercy your own happiness and the Kingdoms welfare become our contempt your destructions if not harkned unto No God forbid do you as all others what I have advised too and be happy Nay you shall do it There is a Gentleman of known worth and Honour his name I will not Print his Paper I have with this Gentleman God hath sent me acquainted very lately my Lord this person of good accomplishments tells me of a Vision he had some time since and in it how he saw the King and your Lordship on one side of the water Moderators on the other debating upon the 39 Articles of the Church of England from Article to Article the word Protestant Religion was much insisted upon and discussed it was whether in so large a sence you intended it as to take in the Sectaries and disturbers of the peace of that Church and this Kingdom so to comprise all my Lord in fine there was so much said to his Majesty and such clear satisfaction given to your Lordship by such as sate as Moderators that it brought your Lordship to a most humble and thankfull submission and so bowing before his Majesty you came both into one Boat where the King kindly and with good affection imbraced you and so went away both together in good understanding That done this Gentleman heard the Bells generaly ring saw the bone-fires and great was the acclamations as well as the rejoycings of the people in the Land My Lord make all this good do you Proclaim as well as pray God save the King and then the people will pray and say God save the best of Subjects and the honourablest of Souldiers O. Cromwell Amen say I God preserve both The PROPHESIE and Message of ELNOR CHANNEL sent to the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell April 19. 1654. 1. PEace be to this House and Peace be to the whole Kingdom and the peace of God be with us for ever 2. The God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob hath opened the mouth of the Dumb to speak for peace the Sword must be stayed the World draweth toward an end and the knots of peace and love must be made in all the Christian Lands 3. Sir You have taken upon you to be a Protector of your Lords Vineyard but he requireth that you should make the Hedges and the Walls of it which is peace and love and the true Gospel and that you Protect the Stuart to plant his Vine-yard 4. If a man fall into the hands of a Creditor if his Creditor be one of Christs servants he will not take body and goods if his Body payes the Debt his Heir shall have the Inheritance REader observe this ELNOR CHANNEL Arise Evans my self with others I have heard of all agreeing and sent unto Oliver Cromwell Protector upon this very imploy the rebuild of Gods House the return of his Ministers the restore of the King the Promote and declare of a General Peace through the Christian World the Conversion of the Jews the Protestant Religion more Glorious than ever with its fruits of peace and love amongst all men we I say whom God hath sent to promote and declare these things of his mercy for you coming to pass are all of the Protestant Religion the true Church of England no Papists no Schismaticks no abettors to any faction whatsoever yet as in duty bound we continue to pray for the Conversion of all them and more to the true Religion which Gods Word shews you as well as our Prophesies now tells you is the Protestant and shall be now more conspicuously glorious than ever The Defenders of which Faith is CHARLS STUART and Oliver Cromwell United AN ADMONITION to Covetuous and therefore miserable men WHat Compassion left the Christian World and fled into America Certainly the Gospel follows he hath said it that is the word of Truth whose Compassions fails not through the world that shall be preached happy America most happy Exchange hath thou made for thy Clay and Dirt the surface of that Earth is not so Barren Thorny Stony as our hearts which stick to thy Ore as to our All Thou wisely sents it from thee as a Servant to do thy will it 's unhappily become our Master whilest we neglect and contemne the onely Jewel to purchase which we should sell all this Gospel Teacheth better things than you formerly have either heard or we practised covetuous and miserable comforters are you all more than thirty of you in six Moneths solicitation not lend so much money as to Print this Book which I told you was so highly to Gods glory the Kings interest and the Worlds general good with the honour of the Protestant Religion to all which you pretend good affection but to promote any of them this ready answer no money would you borrow to set up Gods Kingdom he can do that without you our mony is to set up our own let him look to his we and you to our own callings I can value your Estates worth at least 150 thousand pounds your persons I cannot value at more than so many 0000000000 miserable men bring forth better fruits for the time to come know that mercy neglected leaves room for judgement follow me Reader and I will in the next place shew thee better Jews than these were therefore God sends them his Gospel to guide their feet in the wayes of his Commandments which are Compassion and loving kindness it is the mercifull that shall finde mercie Misers you are going out of the world also you shall shortly finde if your treasure be laid up in Heaven for there it perisheth not but I may not
as lively stones are built up a spiritual house an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ and he that thus believeth on him shall not be confounded this stone which the builders disallowed you Jews the same stone is made the head of the corner Converted to him you shall be therefore look about you your time is at hand ye are a chosen generation a royal Priest-hood an holy Nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light So that with the fulness of Gentiles now coming in you make perfect that building which himself the living corner stone holds together This observe you have in the 1 of Peter the 2 Chapter from the 4 to the 10 verse in that Testament is the fulfill of all your Prophesies of him that was to come Shilo already come look I say on that his word and know him look not for Him as a Temporal King Next Sir for your further good make your applications to CHARLS STUART Charls the Second Gods Vice Roy on Earth who sitting in Parliament makes then the Supream Court of England before not so rightly called thus Charls is your and our King blest and happy for ever by God and him you may not doubt to be freed ere long from the many unsupportable pressures sufferings your Antony Montezinus truely tells you and us are imposed upon you in America and yet endured by your brethren the Jews from the cruel hands swords and tongues of those proud idolatrous high minded and puft up Nation the Spaniards constraining the Roman Religion which Church of Rome shall fall God hath said it and that Nation shall not long Tyrannize over you nor those poor Indians there if this come not to pass put me to death your deliverance is not far off Sir we have an Earthly King for your comfort that will shew you in his professed Protestant Religion the wayes of truth which you and all are commanded to walk in that you may at the last to your comfort also know and see him the King of glory Jesus Christ our Lord that is above in Heaven which Heavens must contain him untill his second coming whose appearance or making of himself known to you for your conversion I hope nay I believe is at hand I beseech God open your eyes that you may see him though you have stopt your ears as being not willing to hear his Gospel charm he never so sweetly Sir you are sure of my readiness to serve you in all I can to God first praying for you next in my true endeavours for you and your Nation to this my King CHARLS STUART Gods Vice-Roy on Earth that whilest you live in this World you may be favoured and defended of his goodness and power by his so victorious happy and prosperous Lieutenant General of all his Forces Oliver Cromwel Lastly Sir when your bodies shall go the way of all flesh my prayers have been are and shall be that your Souls may go the way of all Saints and so all of you sit down and keep a perpetual Sabbath of rest with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven to which Kingdom God of his infinite mercie bring all of you and us Sir I doubt not to prevail with that worthy Gentleman which translated your book Mr. Moses Wall to translate this my Letter into a language fitter for your observe your accomplishments speak you skilled in Arts and Tongues my self bread to Trade and Negotiation Sir I beseech Almighty God to improve all your studies to his glory and your brethrens good Such is the most affectionate harty prayers of your undoubted friends and servants of this Nation as also more particularly Sir Your for ever to command W. GOSTELO To the worthy Persons of Honour now being or to be in PARLIAMENT with the PROTECTOR GEntlemen this Book hath told you what God will certainly do for this Church King and people yea he will do it I have told you in some measure what you ought to do Gods word a good conscience and the known Laws of the Land will best guide you If not all observed to you return you into those wayes from which late Parliaments pretenders to Reformation have deviated When the Prophet which God sent upon his imploy to wicked Jeroboam who indeed as all wicked Governours when named is remembred to posterity he that made Israel to sin when this Prophet went out of his way back again with that false one that had seduced him to eat and make provision for the flesh as you may read in the first of the Kings and 3 Chapter what doth the Lord do to that disobedient man sent to them for reformation he commands a Lion to meet him and kill him the Lion doth so after stands by him justifies the doing of it being commissioned of God so obeyes God in all things â—he preyes not upon the body he devours him not though a disobedient Prophet Gentlemen you have now to deal with great offenders and presumptuous wickednesses I believe you are sent of God be not you afraid of any Vice seasonably checked pulls in the head and seeks rather a hideing place than a Fort he fears every thing that fears not God he that fears God fears not man at all when disobedient to his Lord King and Maker Worthies be you bold as this Lion sent of God you have a Lion for your leader sent of God also Oliver Cromwel for the punishment of evil doers follow him do you as he adviseth God hath commissioned him he must act boldly justly and yet mercifully Gods will in all things must be done Rebellion Schism and Villeny must be extirpated and left dead not stir again I know you are too good to fall upon any man in unjust wayes for his Estates sakes this Lion did not so he eat him not declare you your selves that none disobedient shall escape or go unpunished be an enemie to all vice no mans person the evil doer will vomit our his surfeits rather than die Those boasts if you closely pursue them will do as that I have heard of but now remember not his name bie of his precious stones rather than loose himself This will make the best amends to injured men and give offenders the opportunity of amending also having taken from them their money which is the root of all evil give to every man his just interest whether in Church or State take heed of foolish pity it marrs a Citie I have heard that the yet Bishop of London Wells B. B. now great and rich complaining of the active School-boyes for throwing stones and breaking the windows of one or both those Cathedral Churches an innocent and bold boy readily replied Sir had your care been as great to remove the small stones as it was to dispose of and remove the great ones with other