Heads of the people whose names are upon record to their eternall honor stood up against them that came from the war and said you shal not bring in the Captives hither But yet to teach us that as they which are convinced of sins themselves will valiantly oppose sin in others So they are tender of giving any ground of just offence or showing wilfulnesse in their opposition therefore they do here give them a reason of it which containes an ingenious confession of their own sinnes ver 13 Intimating further That a sound conviction of sin is accompanied with an ingenious confession of sin And therefore say they ver 13. For whereas we have offended against the Lord already you intend to adde more unto our sins and our trespasses Concluding with all that The cruelties of an Army towards their brethren by Nation or Profession shall be charged not onely upon themselves but those that raised them And therefore said the Princes and the Governours you will adde unto our sins and our trespasses And let me but observe one thing more that these Heads of the children of Ephraim or Israell they were not the Heads of the Army for it is said expresty that these four Govenours they stood up against them that came from the War And therefore Mr. Will. Sedgwicks new Doctrine in his New view of the Army c. That when a State or Kingdom puts armes into Souldiers bards they divest themselves of their power and authority and consequently by it become the peoples Representatives which he doth indeavour to prove in severall Propositions Are all answered by this Scripture instance and the obedience of these Armed men that had no such Chaplaine and by which is evident that in this point Mr. Sedgwick is as sound in his judgement as he was upon the day of Judgement it selfe It appearing I say in this story that the Governours and Head of the people when the Army acted cruelly and sinfully to provoke the Lord to anger withstood them and opposed them in such away as declared they had not divested themselves of their authority and therefore not as unto their Equalls do they fall a praying and beseeching them Nor as to their Superiours in power to Petition them But as to those that were still under their command they speak in the Imperative Moode You shall not bring in the Captives hither for whereas we have offended against the Lord already you do intend to adde more unto our sins and our trespasses for our trespasse is great and there is fierce wrath against Israel Now follow the effects of this sound Conviction both upon the Army and the Princes for they are distinguished by the Holy ghost First observe the successe of it upon this successefull Army to whom by Oded it was directed v. 9 10. But are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God v 11. with which the Civill Magistrate concurring as I have shewed you so prevailed upon the Armie that they neither pretend to Salus populi they affirm not all their Brethren have is theirs that they have conquered them they say not have we not adventured our lives to get all this spoil and plunder No but they deny themselves in that which is a Souldiers joy to devide the spoil and as a President for all Souldiers to be at the command of those that raised them they submit themselves vers 14. So the armed men left the Captives and the spoil before the Princes and all the Congregation The Lord being intended to put a period unto the troubles of his suffering people works a happy conformity in the Army to the commands of the Princes And now to give us also a resemblance to the life of the sincerity of that sorrow that was in the Princes for what they had done amisse also though they could not shew it by putting life again into the dead carkases of their slaughtered Brethren yet they not only decline the intended cruelty of the Army But v. 15. they arise up and with the spoil cloath all that were naked of their captived Brethren and having comfortably resteshed them they return them home again in peace and liberty And I doe not find after this Reconciliation by the aforesaid expedient applyed unto them that were the Conquerors that there were ever after any more Civill wars between Israel and Jadah And thus now having presented you with a Story which doth in part gratifie your desire Remon p. 27. of a people given up unto a preposterous and self-deserting way so as to part with their Prisoners and plunder and be diverted from a cruell design But doth fully present you with a Scripture Expedient not only for the composing of our Divisions and ending this civill War but in particular most usefull to stay you in this your sinfull progresse and to alter your purposes and intentions declared in your Remonstrance To which end I shall as your Remembrancer remember you from whence you are fallen and into what condition and by propounding Odeds Interrogation indeavour to bring you to a sound conviction That there are in you even in you sins against the Lord your God Are there not with you even with you That doe professe your selves to be the Saints of the LORD and the children of the most High The Illuminated ones of the LORD and the children of the light such as are called with a holy calling to be conformable unto your head in humility meeknesse self deniall contempt of the world and saithfullnesse in your trust Upon which your aforesaid profession you were concluded to be such as would prove the only faithfull ones in your trust and without all question be obedient unto the Authority of those that raised you and put the sword into your hands But are there not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with you you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sinnes Conscience-wasting and land-desolating sins as the same root is used Psal 34.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall not be desolate Against the Lord your God against him in whom you professe so much propriety and speak with so much boasting of his presence with you and your intimate familiarity communion and acquaintance with him Are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God against him Absolutely and against him Relatively Absolutely and Immediately against his holinesse against his truth against his free grace against his glory against his Gospell against his mercies and against his Providence And Relatively are there not in you even in you sinnes against the Lord your God in Relation to 1. the King 2. the Parliament 3. the Kingdome 4. the Ministry 5. the City 6. all that doe professe Godlinesse 7. and lastly in relation to your owne selves and soules That there are in you even in you sinnes against the Lord your God under all these considerations That so you may be brought unto a sound conviction and may bee restored and set in
either the Lord would smite him immediately or if not he should shortly end his daies according to the course of nature or that he should come to a casuall end Oh Sirs you that doe professe your selves to be Saints as David walke not by reason or providence without or against a precept behold his consident perswasion that God had waies enough to free him from his potent Adversary but by no sinnefull shifts or pretences would he free himselfe Ambition and selfe-love were both mortified in him let them be so in you if you are Saints indeed His faith did subjugate his carnall reason and experience Oh show that that precious grace is not dead at the roote in you but stirre up those sparkes of it that are ready to goe out that it may breake out into a flame and walke by the light of that and not of reason and experience the ordinary lights that men walke by That so you who are but private persons that were never called or chosen for those services in which you are now so sedulous nor to cry for justice upon the grounds already mentioned by Mr. Sedgwick may desist from these conscience-wasting and land desolating courses of yours and putting your trust in the Lord you leane no more unto your own understanding I conclude therefore the Counsell given in relation to the King with a point of Doctrine Collected by Master Henry Burton who being dead yet speaketh in his booke for God and the King p. 44. where from his aforesaid Text he raiseth this point of Doctrine That the true fear of a King as it is a filiall fear so it is a fear of adherency a fear full of loyalty and fidelity which makes a true Subject to stick so close to his Prince at all times and in all conditions as nothing shall make a separation But then secondly as I would desire you to heare mee and deliver up your Captived King So likewise I beseech you heare me now and deliver up again your Captives of the Parliament men for if to retaine prisoners of warre that are brethren as Captives may expose an Army unto the fierce wrath of God as appeareth in this history 2 Chron. 28.21 Now heare me therefore and deliver the Captives again which you have taken captive of your brethren for the fierce wrath of God is upon you For this was spoken to the Army that successefull Army Oh what divine vengeance and fiery indignation is like to fall upon you without repentance for the violence you offered unto the persons of so many godly and sincere assertors of the Subjects libertie and the Kingdomes good If to offend but one of Christs little ones may expose a person to a condition more eligible then to have a milstone hanged about his necke and be drowned in the depth of the Sea Mat. 18.6 I say if to offend but one little one may prove so dreadfull to the offendor what then to offend an eminent Sufferer for the Publick a strong man in Christ that could suffer 8 years imprisonment 4 of them close 3 in exile three Pillories with the losse of eares calling and estate for the publicke good both in relation to Church and State And I beseech you consider doe you thinke that you did not offend him when you seized forcibly upon his person going to the House to discharge his duty haled him violently thence into the Queenes Court notwithstanding his protestation of breach of priviledge and a double demand of the House that raised you for his present inlargement Doe you thinke you did not offend him when you carried him prisoner to Hell and there shut him up all night without any lodging or other accommodations keeping him still prisoner deprived of his liberty and calling without objecting the least cause for this your unjust restraint Oh that God would but convince you both of your sinne and danger Not only in relation to that most eminent Martyr and true Philopater who hath solemnly declared this and more then I have charged upon you before the most just and righteous God of Heaven and Earth the searcher of all hearts the whole Kingdome English Nation and the World in his declaration subscribed William Prynne Decem. 26. 1648. But also in relation to the violence and offence offered unto not that one but many godly and sincere Patriots for I cannot thinke but that there are many such amongst those imprisoned and secluded Members being above one hundred in number which I beseech you let not seeme a small sinne no sinne in your sight If that you call the Kings attempt in his proceedings against the Members bee impeached that appeared to assert common liberties against his interest to witnesse his revenge page 31 Oh what may be said not only for your bold attempt but unparalel'd execution of that violence upon the persons of many that appeared in the House to sticke fast unto their first principles or the publique against your interest of Anarchy and Tolleration loaden with unchristian reproaches of rotten Members Apostates and such as drive private designes But do you thinke the searcher of all hearts can be blinded as you would doe the Kingdome who now see into the ground of that violence offered unto the persons of their Representatives and secluding them from the House That so those whom you have thought fitting to set there may vote and unvote what you would have them and do you think that the righteous judge of the whole world will not declare against you by some visible tokens of his displeasure for these things was the fierce wrath of God upon the Souldiery in this History for their cruell intentions towards their brethren and shall you escape Assure your selves if that God loves you he will rebuke and chasten you and wil make you know that it is an evil thing and a bitter to walk in such ways as are so unwarrantable and unsuitable to your profession And therefore now I beseech you hearken unto me that God may hearken unto you Set the members at liberty that you have restrained declare your hearty sorrow and repentance for those sinnes that are in you even in you against the Lord your God of which I have bin your Remembrancer Publish your unfeined purposes and resolutions to meddle no more out of your calling with the affaires of the Kingdome with which you were never intrusted But that you with other Subjects will acquiesse with what shall be concluded betweene King and Parliament And no question but upon your desire of pardon for what hath been done against them you shall find that according to the injunction given them by our Saviour they will be as willing to forgive and forget as you shall be to desire it Luke 17.2.3 I confesse this motion may seeme to Carnall Politicians to be very rediculous and like the maker of it very weake and simple But if ever you would enter upon a worke without consulting with flesh and blood next
by the Lord of Hoasts not only refuse to disband but as aforesaid march up and bring that evill upon the Parliament which by their own and the Kingdoms Protestation they feared from the Northern Army Viz A Rape and Force upon them And that by your continuance in Armes should occasion as through the Activity of Malignant Spirits so generally through the sence the Countries and the Kingdom had of their unsupportable burthen by your means to be again imbroyled in a New War Wherein as you are not guiltlesse as in the occasion of the war So chiefly in the interruption of that peace so generally desired And therefore when as the poor Kingdom torn and rent with civill wars weary of its burthen seeing no hopes of ending by the Sword but that one extremity did daily beget another had prevailed by their Petitions to the Parliament for a Treaty which was obtained and in it such a progresse made as that the Parliament notwithstanding your Remonstrance voted The Kings last Answer to be a good foundation for a Peace and settlement Yet who hath disappointed the Kingdoms hopes but you not only inveighing against the Treaty as just or safe for the Parliament to mannage though you durst when time was presume to Treat with him your selves when it was unquestionably unjust for you having no delegation from the Kingdome or its Representatives but also by the power of the Sword to interrupt it without and against the consent of the oppressed Kingdom whose cry I fear is gone up to heaven against you Besides which with your interposition in the affaires of the Kingdome in taking the work out of the hand of the Kingdoms Representative Have you not by your late practises not only endeavoured but acted those iniquities which you were only raised to prevent in the forces raised by the King namely the subverting of the fundamentall Laws of England the power and priviledges of the Parliament and the lawfull Liberties of the Subject And all under the colour of laying new foundations for freedome which in the language of Justice Sedgwick have little of right freedome or common safety in them being framed with restect to your own private interest why therefore saith he doe you dissemble with men holding forth a foundation to settle the Kingdom when that you doe professe your selves to be appointed and called for breaking in pieces the powers of the world page 48. But if there be any reall intentions in you of a settlement which your intimate friend doth much question that you may see what your private spirits confident of their Abillity and Judgement for greatest matters of State Policy have produced to impose upon the Kingdome I shall give you the description of your intended Government by Justice Sedg Not in his New View but in his True View of the Army p. 22. For your present forme of Government it is such a headlesse Monster such a boddy doddy such an all breech so different from the Majesty of God and the Wisdome of men that it would fright solid and serious men to their Armes If I should fight against any thing I should fight against this But more seriously hoping that God will never permit you to erect and set up a second Fabrick that falling so short of the glory of the first Temple of our Government should fill all Spectators with watery eyes and yet extreamely fearing lest that under all your pretences for justice instead of any kinde of Government you are laying the foundation of perpetuall misery unto this Kingdome both by intestine and Forraigne troubles Oh let Odeds interrogation take hold of your hearts are there not with you even with you sinnes against the Lord your God not onely in Relation unto the King and Parliament but in Relation unto the whole Kingdome But in the fourth place let me be your Remembrancer a little further And with Oded aske you Are there not with you even with you sinnes against the Lord your God not onely in relation to King Parliament and Kingdome but also in relation to the Metropolis of the Kingdome the Famous City of London the great assistant of the Parliament Famous for its incouragement to the Parliament in maintaining it as was acknowledged by Mr. John Pym in his Speech to them Novemb. 10. 1641. Not to speake of its sufferings in common with the Kingdome by the meanes of your former disobedience to the Parliament Or to minde you at large of the contempt you poured upon the City shortly after when you marched through the City as Conquerours with Bayes in your hats your possessing your selves of the Tower of London casting out their Lievetenant put in by the Parliament at their request impeaching and imprisoning by your meanes some of their Aldermen that were knowne to be of Publique Spirits not inriching themselves with the ruines of the Kingdome together with some of the Common Councell both for piety and stability to their Principles Protestation Vow and Covenant without exception charging the whole City with defection and Apostacy from the Parliament I beseech you seriously consider cannot they taxe you with unfaithfulnesse as well as King Parliament and Kingdome Peruse but your Letter sent to them from Royston June 10. 1647. Wherin you professe you desire no alteration of the Civill Government nor that you seek to open a way unto licentious liberty under pretence of obtaining ease for tender consciences page 5. and doe not you professe that when the State hath once made a settlement you have nothing to say but to submit or to suffer Do but compare your practices with this profession made unto the City and consider whether you have not much cause to be humbled are not all your present practices in opposition to the Parliament Kingdome and City made our of measure sinnefull by acting so contrary unto your profession But besides all this Consider I pray you the feares and the dangers which you have exposed them unto in this your last expedition against the Parliament not to speake of your unreasonable demands for monies in such vast summes your menacing pressing for your arreares even for those twelve moneths service past since the Vote of your disbanding Is not your possessing your selves of the gates of the City planting Ordinances against them as in Black-friers and other places your violent seizing upon the person of their Shreive Major Generall Browne Are not these most injurious and unchristian carriages to the City And besides the unconceivable damage you have brought unto it by the decay of trade and merchandizing who knoweth what further danger may arise by quartering the Army thus amongst them These things thus laid together and well weighed must needs bring you to a sound conviction that there are with you even with you sinnes against the Lord your God in relation to the City Again are there not with you even with you sins against the Gedly learned and sound Ministers in the Kingdome Are you not such
to your salvation doe it now to save the Kingdome if you debate this motion in the Court of carnall reason it will be cast over the barre and want of its due recentment and acceptance But if the Lord by his convincing spirit through those convincing interrogations which I have propounded shall but awaken your consciences as he wrought upon those armed men in the History by Odeds unexpected coming out to meet them I should then hope all carnall and fleshly reasonings being denyed you would prove as imitable a president to future generations as I desire that army in the History may prove a convincing paterne to you Upon a sound conviction that army was changed in their purposes delivered up their Captives forsooke their spoyle and submitted to their Princes Oh that God by what I have propounded to worke this sound conviction would make it effectuall Then would you deliver up your Captives submit to your Princes and that blacke and bloody cloud of raine and confusion that is like to come upon you and the Kingdome would be scattered And let me adde thus much further that if to what hath beene propounded the Lord shall graciously incline your hearts As you shall therby revive the hearts of this dying Kingdome with hopes of a joyfull accommodation betweene the King and Parliament which for the present is only interrupted by your meanes I make no question but as you shall finde the Lord accomplishing his promise to you that when a mans wayes please the Lord he will make his enemies to be at peace with him So likewise stirring up the hearts both of King and Parliament to grant you that liberty of conscience that Christ hath purchased for you and not only so but giving you such favour in their eyes as still to be continued in such numbers and for such time as shall be thought convenient for the publique safety and that for your maintenance the people will chearefully pay their Taxes when they are but in some hopes of a comfortable end of all their troubles Weigh this I beseech you and consider that there are many thousands that although they cannot close with you or approve of your sinfull waies yet would be exceeding sad to see any of you that are the eminent Officers and Commanders of this Army or the Souldiery either That have done such gallant service as Souldiers exposed unto such a miserable condition as this course you are in doth inevitably tend unto We would willingly save you and pluck you as firebrands out of the fire rescue you from that sentence of death that your unwarrantable actions have possed upon you We would say of you who are the Jonathans the Worthy Commanders of the Army Shall Jonathan dye that hath wrought this great salvation in Israel God forbid 1 Sam. 14.15 But Oh do not you by shutting your eares against the counsell now given you destroy your selves and become your own executioners expose the Kingdome to perpetuall wars both sorreign and intestine Which that it may be prevented do not study how to evade any Arguments that I have presented before you for your conviction that there are in you even in you sins against the Lord your God But follow the example of these Worthies here in the History leave arguing against them and fall to acting and let me but humbly adde one thing more That if you shall but find your hearts inclining to the counsell and advice that I have laia before you and that this Scripture Expedient hath taken hold of your hearts That you as Saints and Christians as plainly and lovingly would administer the same Physick to the City There is no question but you with Oded may say unto them Are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God and that not only absolutely but in relation to your selves and that the City with humilitie and due respects may tender the same expedient unto the Parliament to whom no doubt it may be said as unto the Souldiers and Governours in this Historie Are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God and they likewise may present it unto the King who stands in need of a convincing Interrogation also Which Scripture Expedient being sincerely and cordially laid before each other out of Principles of Love and an unfained desire of Reconciliation that there may be no more disterences amongst us that are Brethren by so many bonds We according to the Gospel-precept Confessing our sins one unto another and praying one for another James 5.16 We who have so wofully wounded one another with wounds of all sorts and kinds we may be healed and may find the Lord graciously returning unto his Jerusalem healing us with revealing abundance of Peace and Truth And thus hoping by what I have presented before you I shall administer occasion to you to make use of Davids benediction 1 Sam. 25.32 Blessed be the Lord which hath sent thee this day to meet us and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept us this day from coming to shed blood from avenging our selves with our own hands And that I shall receive as comfortable an Answer from you as did that weak instrument vers 15. Goe up in peace to thy house for we have hearkened to thy voice and have accepted of thy person We look not upon the weaknes or the unworthinesse of the Instrument nor any failings of his in the delivery of his mind in the discharge of his Conscience Which aforesaid favour I doe the more importunately desire being conscious to my self of my own weaknesse and dis-abillity for this Service which though I might have bin helped against by consulting with some of the godly and learned Ministry in it yet I purposely declined the same knowing your prejudice against them as those which trouble your Babel Thus humbly beseeching the Lord to give the Comforter to be your Convincer I leave you to the serious consideration of what I have said and the Lord give you understanding Jer. 13.17 But if you will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret for your pride FINIS
THE Armies Remembrancer WHEREIN They are presented with a Sight of their Sinnes and Dangers And also with a Scripture Expedient For their Preservation REVEL 2.5 Remember therefore from whence thou art falne and Repent Bernard in Dedic Ecclae Serm. 3. Non miremini fratres si durius loqui videor Quia Veritas neminem palpat BY A Cordiall Friend to the Kingdomes welfare Rr. LONDON Printed for Stephen Bowtell 1649. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THOMAS LORD FAIRFAX Generall of the Parliaments Forces and to the Generall Councell of Warre Much Honoured Sirs HAving beene a sorrowfull observer of your Unworthy walking both formerly and of late And taking notice of Gods displeasure against you for it so as not to be inhappied by a faithfull Admonisher or Remembrancer of your sinner and dangers I durst not finding the Holy-Ghost bringing this to my remembrance to become a Remembrancer to you bee disobedient unto that Heavenly Vision by consulting with flesh and blood Our blessed Saviour tells us that in some cases if men should prove stones and hold their peace the stones should prove men and immediately cry out Luke 19.40 And truly did you but know me as well as I doe my selfe you would look upon mee as such a miraculous Monitor One the string of whose tongue is unloosed that never spake in this kinde before But not upon the sight of the murther of Craesus but of the utmost crysis of danger wherein you have involved your selves and the Kingdom Though the Sceane be altered the Court turned into a Councell of Warre and the Court Parasites vanished away yet am I jealous over you with a Godly jealousie that it is your great unhappinesse not to be so free from Flatterers and Flatteries as I could wish But not knowing how to give flattering titles least in so doing my Maker should soone take me away Iob. 32.22 I have declined in what I humbly present your Lordship and your Councell of Warre in what followeth as your faithfull Remembrancer Not only those affirmative flatteries which are too often sounded in your eares by way of incouragement in this your present undertaking but also that Negative flattery consisting in the silencing or extenuating the sinnes and miscarriages of those whom by the Law of Love we are bound to deale faithfully withall Your Lordship and Councell well know that in Fortifications that Engeneer is a Traytor that conceales or lessens a places weaknesse and he is no lesse to be condemned that shall with a negative flattery conceale or extenuate the sinnes and miscarriages of such persons as may indanger the publique safety I have therefore in the integrity and sincerity of my heart for prevention of those miseries and calamities that are like to come upon your selves and the Kingdome by your meanes indeavoured by a sound conviction to make you sensible that there are in you even in you sinnes against the Lord your God of which you are guilty either actually or accessarily 2 Epist John 11. And because they are such as have beene committed in the sight of the Sunne before all therefore I have remembred and reproved you before all that others may feare 1 Timothie 5.20 Wherein as I come not out against you shod with indignation and scorn being pleased to pour contempt vpon you as you know who Sedg nor yet with Lilburnian language but with a spirit of meekenesse to restore you So doe I hope for and earnestly desire your favourable acceptance and candid interpretation Beseeching your patience to read over and ponder what I have sincerely and seriously propounded for yours and the publique good and your pardon for any un-intended failings of mine in my expressions And having by prayer put this blunt weapon into an Omnipotent hand that can make it cut indeed I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus that bee would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with all might by the spirit in the inward man that so you may conquer your present temptations and be recovered out of Satans snare into which he hath brought you by transforming himselfe into an Angell of Light even so prayeth againe and againe Your most humble Servant in the Lord Rr THE ARMIES REMEMBRANCER BEEing under a sad Apprehension of the great indignation and displeasure of our God who manifests himself to bee a Consuming fire not only by permitting the beginning but the continuance of these cruell and bloody civill Warres amongst us Being also much affected with a tender sense of the glory of our gracious God and the honour of his blessed Gospel which suffereth much by your present miscarriages being truely touched with an unfeigned desire of yours and the Kingdoms welfare and preservation which are exceedingly indangered by your unsaintlike practises having also a clear vision of that confusion that is like to come upon you and this miserable Kingdome by your means except speedily prevented I am compelled to break through many intrinsecall and extrinsecall obstructions and though a very unable and unworthy instrument to undertake so great a service Yet in the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ my Redeemer to lay before you in all humility sincerity and fidelity what I hope he by his holy spirit hath suggested unto my most sad serious thoughts But before I begin I must necessarily doe these two things First indevour to remove what-ever may occasion any prejudice against me or the insuing matter And then Secondly open my Commission before you that gives me warrant for this my enterprize That I may doe the former I must at this time walk rather by the President of David then the Precept of Solemon his Son His precept is Let another man praise thee and not thy self Prov. 27.2 But his Father practises to prevent a prejudice that was taken at his person which was to praise himself and boast of his valour and magnanimity 1 Sam. 19.36 whose example I must so farre follow in the commendation of my self to you being a stranger as I may present the integrity and sincerity of my affections towards your persons though not your sins as you are Souldiers and Saints by profession which I have not only testified before God and man in my prayers and Petitions for your Modellizing but could produce many comfortable evidences that I have upon Record of Gods hearing my prayers for you when you have been engaged about his work in the field And that you may not look upon me as an Apostate Round-head in referrence to your selves I could produce witnesses that could testifie that I have not been wanting in shewing my respects and affections even since your first grand disobedience of which I shall humbly minde you by and by All which and more I could speak to this end that I might prepare your hearts and eares to receive without prejudice what I have to propound as comming from a Christian a Friend one that loves you and desires your welfare And now
others you provide it and store it up for your selves But besides this abuse of Mercies Victories and successes are there not with you even with you sinnes against the Lord Are you not distrustfull of his powerfull and providentiall care for you Is it not your unbeliefe that gathers strength in Christs absence that hath set your sinnefull feares on worke your corrupt selfe-love and carnall policy Why else have you taken hold of such ungodly meanes as now you use though covered with specious pretences in your Remonstrance You there pretend unto justice and that against the Kings Person as the most Capitall Offendor But let me be your Remembrancer of what is said to it by a Prophet of your owne Justice on Rem p. 42. 'T is not Justice you desire it appeares so to your blinde and deceived hearts but in the face of God it appeares farre otherwise But the searcher of hearts will deale otherwise with you and shew you what is within you and discover the falsehood and injustice of your spirits 43. Your Justice 't is but a bare name or a Heathen covering borrowed from men to hide your shame your malice your unbeliefe feare and such like monstrous lusts A cunning way to remove adversaries to take away those that stand in your way and paint them over with the names of Justice security to the Publique Interest and so Act them in the face of the Sunne For the Lords sake ponder this seriously with his instance following and be not deceived for God will not be mocked Oh take heede you that professe the knowledge of God in his Attributes and should hold forth a conformity unto him in your conversations to those that are communicable as his justice and truth how you plead justice for a cloake of maliciousnesse and to sinne so against his providence as to make it to be the Father not onely of your former perfidiousnesse and treachery against the Person of the King but of your present intentions to doe justice upon him which will appeare pag. 24. where you say God hath given him so clearly into your hands to do justice upon him when the world knowes you have perfideously and treacherously taken him in a snare will you make the righteous Lord such a one as your selves in whose essence or providence there is no iniquity Did God give him into your hands when you without the consent of both Houses tooke him away from Holdenby and after your tampering with him at Hampton-Court and possessing him with a false and notorious lye to make him in a wet and tempestuous night to leave that place to run into your Mouse-trap in which very act was such a concurrence of falsehood and perfideousnesse as never was committed by any Professors and yet this must be fathered by you upon your God who loveth truth in the inward parts You saying God having given him so clearly into your hands when as the world knowes you have taken him worthy Sirs I beseech you consider this least God say unto you These things have you done and I kept silence you thought that I was altogether such a one as your selves But I will reprove you and set your sins in order before your eies Psal 50.21 Having thus propounded Odeds question are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God against his truth against his mercies and against his providence immediatly or absolutely I shall but propound Odeds interrogation Are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God Relatively And that first in relation to the King I speake not of any thing here that you have done as Souldiers in the subduing of his forces for which you were raised and in which had you rested you had been the most renowned Champions in Christendome But in referrence unto what you have acted out of your places and so without Commission and under this consideration in relation unto the King 1 Aske your Consciences this question are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord in relation to the King who are the Causes of hardning his heart but your selves when you permitted his Chaplains to be about him with the Service in its superstitious formality to be in use after so long a weaning from them by the wisdome of the Rarliament who hath hardened his heart against all that do professe Religion and strengthned him in his own way But you with whom he hath conversed and hath found to be so treacherous perfideous and unconstant At one time crying Hosanna another time crucifige At one time moving for the Restitution of his Majesties Person his Queen and Royall issue to a condition of Safety Honour and Freedom Proposall 14. 1647 July 2. Another time moving for the execution of his Person that he may be brought to tryall for his life when some of you perfideously got him under your power under the pretence of the preservation of his life from the Levellers Oh Christians will not this bee required at your hands 2 But in the next place Are there not with you even with you Sins against the Lord your God in relation to the Parliament if your Consciences be tender they will accuse you to purpose Not to speake largely of your former violence offered to the Parliament which you made to vote and unvote at your pleasure in those days Oh blush and be ashamed at the comparing of the preface to your Remonstrance and your following practises You there professe your tender regard to the Priviledges and Freedomes of Parliament on which your hopes of common Freedome and right do so much depend And yet your practises immediatly declare the greatest breach of both that ever was under the Sun Oh deare Sirs consider this seriously are there not with you even with you sins against the Parliament who put the Sword into your hands What is the Kings abuse of trust to yours For first you not onely by your expressions in your Remonstrance make this War for which they raised you to be offencive pag. 27. When as the Parliament by severall Declarations and in particular in a Covenant which they took and ingaged mee with others in it do propound this as that which we should be perswaded or beleeve in our Consciences That the Forces raised by the two Houses of Parliament are raised and continued for their just defence of the true Protestant Religion and Liberties of the Subject against the forces raised by the King But this is not all the wrong you have done them for as you would pervert their sence in raising you so likewise their End which was to subdue the forces raised by the King but not to force and subdue themselves and to bring them under the power of the Sword and that in such a way as the Sun never saw nor would those dismall days of the 6 and 7 Decemb. being as darke and gloomey as the worke it selfe But besides that execrable force
and open violence upon many of the most cordiall and truly Godly Members of the House of Commons by which the Priviledges and Freedome of Parliament were transcendently broken by you Besides this I say and your intentions by force to put a speedy period unto this Parliament I beseech you search into your Consciences and seriously examin your selves whether you have not a more sinful and sacrilegious design against the Parliament having forced them to rob and ravish them of their Coercive power in spiritualls in things pertaining to Religion though you doe pretend that you have faithfully remonstrated your Grievances with the Remedies yet your dissimulation is without comparison in that though not a word in your Remonstrance concerning Tolleration as declaring it to bee the rise or ground of these your present Commotions yet is it evident by your present agitations That the Magistrats of your making shall neither have Coercive or Restrictive power in matters of Religion and that by Club-law you would deprive this present Parliament of the fame which I beseech you to weigh seriously and consider the guile and the guilt of this design which is aggravated by what you doe acknowledge page 20. Your Remonstrance That it is the Parliaments interest in plaine english that which doth belong to them To protect and countenance Religions men and godlinesse in the power of it to give freedome and inlargement unto the Gospel to take away those corrupt formes of an outside Religion and Church-government All which by the abuse of that power they have put in your hands you would now wrest out of their shires which with many other sinnes against the Parliament in that horible contempt that you have cast upon them If but brought home by a sound conviction must needs make you acknowledge in this respect there are with you even with you sinnes against the Lord your God in relation to the Parliament 3. But thirdly are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God in relation to the whole Kingdom Besides the miseries contracted upon the Kingdom since your refusall to disband at the command of the Parliament in the extream expences and charges you have drawn upon them by taxes and free-quarter wherein you have shewed but little publick-spiritednesse or love unto the Common wealth Though you have pretended to a great deal of bleeding of soule that you should be forced to take Free quarter for want of pay But that your dissimulation is great in this particular and so your sin answerable against the Kingdom You have almost doubled the burthen even upon those that would willingly have paid you the States pay per diem either for horse or man to be freed from such troublesome and uncomfortable Guests But alas what is this to what you have done against the whole Kingdome in your late transactions How doth this Remonstrance demonstrate that there are with you even with you sins against the whole Kingdom You doe pretend unto Salus Populi and that extremity of publich danger hath put you upon these extraordinary wayes you have taken But hath the Kingdom sensible of this their Publick danger invested you with any power to stir up these commotions in their behalf Are you in the condition of Representatives for the Kingdom Why then doe you so deceitfully pretend unto publick danger when as that by your walking out of Gods way you are like to be the only instruments of danger unto the Publicke as well as your selves Hath the Kingdom called upon you in their Names to cry out for Jastice to interrupt the Treaty to muster up so many Arguments against the goodnesse and safety of it which you have presented in so many sheets of paper in your Remonstrance containing more of the Serpents Subtlety then the Doves Innocency Are your Proposals therein for the altering the fundamentall Constitutions of the Kingdome are these injunctions laid upon you by the Originall of all power as you pretend the People of the Kingdome Alas they know none of these things so as to approve of them not one of a hundred will own what you doe set down for the Publick Interest Nor subscribe unto that Agreement that you speak on pag. 66. And yet such is your Arrogancy Injustice and sublimed Tyranny that though but an inconsiderable part of the Kingdome and that a diseased one but a Member of the body Politique in comparison of the whole and that a dislocated one yet how cruelly would you indeavour to force the whole body of the Kingdome to an agreement with your dis-joynted part to rack and torture their consciences with a subscription unto your intended Tolleration and Confusion And yet without this Subscription though none can take away the Kingdomes liberties without their personall or represertatives consent yet have you so proposed or rather imposed it upon the Parliament in your remonstrance that none shall either elect their Representatives who shall not joyne in agreement to this settlement page 66. or be Elected unto any office or place of publique trust without expresse accord and subscriptions to the same page 67. Certainely Sirs your injustice and cruelty to the Kingdome will cry loud in the eares of God against you Especially considering the aggravations of it even in relation to the Kingdome that you deale so injuriously withall That when a Kingdom by the first Remonstrance of their Representatives in Parliament made sensible of their danger both in regard of Spirituall and Secular Interests and withall assured in the same of the reallity of their intentions to prevent it without the change of the frame of the civill Government or letting loose the golden reines of the Ecclesiasticall and upon satisfaction given by the Magistracy and Ministery of the lawfulnes of opposing the Kings Arbitrary power without the breach of the Oath of Allegiance unto his Person as is evident by the first Protestation May 5. 1641 the chief Subject of it being to maintain and defend Religion his Majesties Royall Person Honour and Estate according to the duty of our Allegiance as also the power and priviledges of Parliament with the lawfull Rights and Liberties of the Subject And the ground of it being but a suspicion of endeavours to subvert the fundamentall Laws and to introduce the exercise of an Arbitrary and Tyrannicall government by most pernicious and wicked counsells and plots amongst which is instanced their jealousie of being forced by that English Armie then on foot Which were then strong Arguments to incourage the Kingdome generally to enter into that ingagement and after that to proceed further to the opposition of the Kings forces in a defensive wat which in the second vow was clearly expressed to be their intent of raising Forces Viz. For the defence of the true Protestant Religion and Liberties of the Subject against the Forces raised by the King That now the Forces so raised by the Parliament for the Kingdoms good should after crowned with successe