but must have beene delivered up unto the Enemie and have beene made a prey for the Spoylers and then what peace or safetie would Citie or Countrie have injoyed In a word what had become of Citie and Countrie if that Army under his command and so gallantly incouraged by him had not incountered the enemies of our peace and through Gods mercie victoriously discomfited their Forces severall times as at Newbury and at other places Truly it is by all that will not manifest to the whole world that they are ungratefull to God and unthankefull to men ever to bee acknowledged that the Earle of Essex the Earle of War wicke with those gallant Commanders and Citizens in that Armie and Navie commanded by them deserve the first place of honour to be our preservers some of whose names I shall by and by set downe though I can never sufficiently set forth their praises and their merits and to these many other worthy Generals must bee added with all those gallant Officers and Commanders under them who commanded severall Armies Regiments and Companies by Commissions from the Earle of Essex as the Right Honourable thrice Illustrious Faithfull Valiant and for ever to be highly honoured Lord. Edward Earle of Manchester The Earle of Denby The Earle of Stanford The Earle of Peterborrow Generall of the Ordnance at Keinton The Lord Robert Lord Martiall of the field The Lord Fairfax and his son Sir Thomas Fairfax his Excellencie now Captaine Generall of the Forces raysed by the Parliament The Lord Gray The Lord Willoughby Sir William Waller Major Generall Sir Arthur Haslerig Sir William Brereton Sir William Balfour Generall of the Horse Sir John Merrick Generall of the Ordnance Sir Philip Stapleton Lievetenant Generall of the Ordnance Sir Samuel Luke Colonell Governour of Newport-Pannell Sir Robert Pye Collonel Sir Edward Dods-worth Knight Commissary Generall for the Musters of the Cavallary with the Earle of Essex Lord Generall His Excellencie Sir Iohn Gell. Sir Edward Peatoe Lievtenant Generall of the Ordnance at Keinton Sir Iohn Meldrum Collonel Major Generall Skippon Collonel Massie Collonel Hollesse Collonel William Davis Collonel Iames Sheefeild Collonel Thomas Shefeild Collonel Richard Graves Collonel Dolbier Collonel Brown Collonel Essex slaine at Keinton Collonel Morgan Collonel More Collonel Rossiter Collonel King Collonel Poyns Collonel Terrell Collonel Dodson Collonel Goodwin Major Hercules Langerish All these and many hundreds more whose names are unknown to mee none of the which were then Independents yet whose fame for their noble chivalry and gallantry in all their imployments will live when Mortality is dead and truly for every one of these I have by name set downe they are all of them men accomplished for all heroicall vertue and such as of whom severally for their most excellent service and severall engagements even in difficultest times I could make a large Discourse and yet that would not sufficiently set forth their due prayses for these first Actors under-went the heate of the day and by their valour quelled the Enemy as I have heard the Cavaliers themselves acknowledge and therefore all those noble Heroes and gallant Commanders as I said before have all of them primary right to that title Isay 58. 12. to be called the Repairers of the breach the restorers of our pathes to dwell in for as much as when we were in great fears and unavoydable ruin did seem to threaten both Church and State then God moved all their hearts to appear in his cause and made them the preservative of City and Country Whose undertakings performances faithfulnesse valour and Noble prowesse ought to be predicated and recorded that future generations may know their deliverers and admire Gods goodnesse who gave them magnanimous spirits to appear and expose themselves to danger for the Kingdomes safety in such a time when the people were generally secure ignorant of the miseries that were like to befall them and their posterity and so deluded with promises and protestations that the greater part in most Counties withstood their own good the peace and welfare of Church and State And when the men in England lived delicately and had been so long dandled in the lap of peace that very few none in comparison had ever seen the formidable face of a reall fighting Army nor had ever beheld the furious countenance of bloody war whilst she encountreth with her enemies but were unacquainted and altogether unexperienced with warlike affaires and marshall discipline yea when City and Country were in great distractions and eminent danger and when all things both by sea and land were to be accomplished for the preservation thereof with all manner of disadvantages and the greatest hazzard and difficulty that men could possibly meet withall and therefore I say again all these brave men have the primary right to be called the repairers of the breaches the restorers of our pathes to dwell in And next unto these illustrious ones I pray good Brother looke upon the famous Citie of London and on all the true hearted citizens in it who stood close to the Parliament in the most dangerous times and first rescued their Members questioned and preserved them all from the jawes of imminent danger and after that exposed themselves their lives fortunes and liberties in their quarrell and stucke close to their cause supplying them continually with Men Monies and Ammunition and all manner of warlicke accoutrements without whish the whole Kingdome had beene miserable Yea in their owne persons in the Citie and in the Field they hazarded all their lives in the Parliaments and their countries service so as they also may justly challenge a share in the next place to those noble Worthies above mentioned to be counted the Repairers of our breaches and Restorers of our paths to dwell in and therefore I shall desire you Brother and all those of your Fraternity to give the next place of honour to this Renowned Citie And whiles I am now speaking of such as have deserved well and merited the name under God of being preservers of our pathes to dwell in I pray let us not forget out brethren the Scots whose faithfull service deserves eternall gratitude and an everlasting memory who also stood in the breaches when we were but in a low condition who for our assistance exposed their own lives fortunes and countries to the fury and rage of many a potent enemy and indured incredible hardship at home and abroad undergoing many miseries and that at such a season of the year as was enough to have killed them to lie in the field and made their Country a prey for the spoilers who used barbarous and mercilesse cruelties upon them many of their brave and gallant commanders and gentlemen also dayly loosing their lives and wallowing in their own blood and all for our preservations and therefore they may under God duly challenge the third place of honour to be reputed the Repairers of our breaches and Restorers of our pathes to dwell in whose kindnesse
lies to this day upon all Ministers and people and all those Priests knew very well that this duty lay also upon them and that by a speciall command from God long before given them who had said that the Priests lips should preserve knowledge and that the people should seek the law will and good pleasure of God from their mouth Now then if all Christians and all the Servants of the Lord in all ages studied to teach their friends and families the knowledge and fear of the Lord as we see in Abraham and Jacob and Joshua and all the Patriarks and they had a speciall command also to do it as we see Deut. the sixt and Deut. the eleventh and when it was the practise of all people truly converted to do the same as I said before and we see it likewise in the woman of Samaria how quickly she brought her neighbours and fellow citizens unto Christ after shee was converted then I say we ought to think yea we ought much more to beleeve that these Priests being thus wonderfully converted spent their strength and might now to gain Disciples unto Christ and that by how much the more they had been his enemies and persecutors And the people without all controversie would be the readier by far to give heed unto what they taught them because they knew that they were learned and in that they had a command from God himself to seek the law of God from their mouths who said that the Priests lips should preserve knowledge and wisdome Yea Christ himselfe sent the lepers at any time when he had cured them to the Preists and the Scriptures sufficiently declare that the Priests were in great esteem among all the people and that they did mightily prevaile with them so that they could perswade them to do any thing they would have them Now when the people saw that their Priests in great companies were converted without doubt they still followed their Pastors and waited upon their Ministry and the law of love binds us to beleeve that abundance of the people also were dayly converted and added to the Church by their Ministry and Preaching and this ordinary reason and dayly experience will perswade every man to beleeve for we see here amongst us what mischiefe a few whibling and unlearned fellows that were Ministers have done in seducing of the people after they revolted from the truth upon whom they still depend and what distractions among all sorts of men and women a few unstable and unconstant Presbyters hourly make when for base ends they fall from their principles and turne Independent Praedicants and Itinerany Preachers we see I say that they have in a very short time with the leaven of their doctrine with their sottish wicked and groundlesse opinions sowred the whole lump of the sweet truth of the Gospell and seduced many thousands both of men and women if their gloriation be true Now if a few illiterate seducers in these our dayes have misled and perverted such multitudes with their novelties and that without any miracles without all controversie that great company of Priests that were converted preaching then unto all the people the truth of God and the glorious Gospell of glad tydings and not their own fantasies and the people seeing it also dayly confirmed unto them with such stupendious miracles they prevailed greatly to the converting of thousands for the example of such men as the Priests were wrought very much upon the people yea we see how it has been in all ages when great and rich men whether Magistrates Ministers or people imbrace any new opinion what way they go the common people ordinarily follow whether it be truth or error rather following example then precept as we may see it When Moses was but gone up into the Mount and that Aaron had built them a calf they all began to dance about it and when Jeroboam set up his calfâ—s ten tribes revolted with him yea it is said Hee caused all Israel to sinne And we may observe it daily amongst us if these grolls seduce but any giddy-headed Gentlewoman that is rich or but any inferior Lady and make them but turne Independents what a noise there is by by through the Kingdom of it and how staggering other poor unstable women begin to be But if any great Noble man or Courtier or Parliament man or some of our temporizing Presbyterian Ministers but turn Independents or is but rumor'd to favour that way we see what revolt amongst unsetled and ungrounded people their examples make in many places Whereas the truely godly such as are well grounded know that the stars shall fall from heaven and that they usually chang themselvs into Angels of light and seem to be the Ministers of righteousnee that they may the better seduce yet I say such as fear God and are rightly instructed are not moved but they abhor the evill of their wayes and cleave the faster to the truth and are of such discerning spirits as they can well perceive that it is for base ends and worldly respects that many have turned Independents and it is well known and can be proved That the Independents have perswaded many if they would prosper in the world that they should turn to their party for that was as they said the thriving way And it is taken notice of also that very few but Independents are either greatly countenanced or preferred or at any time rewarded for any service they have done their Country Now every generous spirit especially a constant well grounded Christian detests and abominates all such base dealings and such base fellows as will be of any religion for earthly fading momentary and uncertain things and therefore stand more stoutly to the truth and their ancient principles yet such as have a mind speedily to get into the chayre of preferment or to be in any Office or to grow rich they turn Independents and I am most confident that whereas the Independents brag that many of the Lords are Independents they notoriously belye them but this I dare presume that if Sir I. S. can from his great and rich Independent friends procure a yearly and certain pention to be confirmed upon my lord Tapps that upon that condition he would turn independent and so then they should be sure to have one lord of their party and then also Sir I. S. might haply attain unto the honour to be my lord Tapps his Chaplain which he is very fit for and might also reside in Cambridge where he may so indoctrinate his plumbeous cerebrocities as he may speedily be able to divisinate a snayle pye or a mushrome into two particles But to be serious if a few obscure Presbyters here amongst us that were never really guilty either of learning or honesty revolting once from the truth through covetousnesse and other base ends have notwithstanding with their fayned holinesse and under pretence of their long prayers devoured so many widowes houses
all resolved to have the liberty of their consciences or else they would make use of their swords which they have already in their hands So that most certain it is the Religion of too too many of them is a meer faction c. Now what these two have affirmed can be corroborated by other witnesses and if in your account he be an Incendiary that in detestation thereof hath set down their words by way of repetition to discover the danger of permitting such lawlesse spirits to go on in their unwarrantable wayes what great Incendiartes are they that have imagined such things in their hearts and boldly spoken those words with their mouths For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Matth. 12. 34. Luke 6. 45. as it can be proved Independents have done and so much the two witnesses you spake of said and no more for they accused not that Army which God hath honoured with many Crowns of admirable Victories c. But you say they cast fiery flashes and flames which do fly in the face of that Army c. Truly this is no other but a false Comment made by your selfe from which you draw an evill inference and then you cry out as a man overcome with passion saying these words are not to be born but I leave say you the judgement thereof to the wisdome and justice of the Parliament whose former freeing of you extends not to cleare your words from being Incendiary Thus farre you Brother I professe I am heartily sorry to see that you my Quondam Fellow Sufferer should so much forget your selfe as not only bitterly unworthily and most falsly thus to inveigh against mee but also to insinuate into the Parliament as if they could not manifest their wisdome and justice except they passe their judgement and censure me according to your bill of Information This violent prosecution and your Canterburian expressions make not me alone but all other solid Christians wonder at your spirit for you may please to call to mind how one once professed he would not passe any sentence against You my Brother Prynne and My selfe but left us as he said to the wisdome and justice of the Court which was in the judgement of all that heard his whole speech to pronounce us so highly guilty that if the Lords there present did not severely censure us they would shew themselves neither wise nor just This president you have exactly followed against me but it will never Crown your head with honour and for the Parliament it is their glory to slight troublesome informers for should they hearken to every information invented and drawn up by the unsatisfied and turbulent spirits of some Independents it would cloud their wisdome and totally eclipse the shining of their Justice in our Horizon But you cannot there obtain an Order to have your Bill taken pro confesso and gain so much of the Parliament that I should not answer for my selfe therefore I may and will speak for my selfe in my just defence and shew how unjustly you have accused me And here I deny your Charg in every particular circumstance But before I returne my answer thereunto you having given me such a Theam to speak upon as the due acknowledgement of Gods goodnesse in raising us up deliverers when City and Country were sorely afflicted and heavily oppressed on every side in speaking of Gods providentiall care and severall actings in way of mercy to his people I cannot omit by way of thankfulnesse to God and men to declare how that in the first place City and Country are deeply ingaged for ever next unto divine goodnesse to honour and highly esteem those Lords Knights Gentlemen and Citizens who in the beginning of the Kingdomes troubles like the Governours of Israel and the Princes of Issachar did offer themselves willingly among the people Judges 5. 9. 15. whos 's very appearing in the cause was then of such concernment that as it made the hearts of all who were truly godly to praise God for them so thereby God made them the preservative of City and Country Insomuch that upon serious consideration we shall find that those Noble Lords and all those brave Commanders that adhered to them who as Zebulon and Napthali jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field and exposed themselves to reproach Judges 5. 18. are not to be over lookt and their gallant undertakings obscured under a Sable cloud of unthankfulnesse nor to be buried in the grave of Oblivion For when the Kingdome was in greatest danger then God made use of them to preserve Citie and Countrey raysing an Army by Land and setting forth a Navie at sea under the commands of the Right Honourable thrice Illustrious Faithfull Valiant and for ever to be highly honoured Lords Robert Earle of Essex and Robert Earle of Warwicke whom hee made by sea and land instrumentall for the good and welfare of the Kingdome and the truth is at this day neither preservation nor safety could have beene expected in Citie and Countrey as things then stood had not these two Renowned Lords and Heroes so nobly and undauntedly appeared in the cause undertaken the charge and care upon them one to be Admirall of the Navie at sea the other to be Generall of the Parliaments forces by Land For this their undertaking was in such a juncture of time that had they out of selfe respects declined it unlesse the Lord by a miracle had withstood and over-throwne our enemies Citie and Countrey in all probability long before this time would have beene over-run and possessed by them and no man should now have had peace in his going out or comming in But by the valour vigilancie and faithfulnesse of our then Noble Admirall our Seas were safe-guarded by which meanes forraine enemies were awed home-bred enemies weakened by surprizing many Ships Armes Ammunition Instruments and Preparations for warre which were sent over into England for the destruction of Citie and Countrey besieged Townes were by him relieved as Lyme Plymouth c. So that God made that Noble Lord by Sea the preservative of Citie and Countrey which lay open ready to be destroyed by cruell and bloody enemies And as the Earle of War wicke by Sea so had not the Earle of Essex being Generall of the Parliaments Armies by Land beene an experienced Commander faithfull to their cause and with a most Heroick and undaunted courage stood to the Battle at Edge-hill when by report whole Regiments ran away and through feare deserted him there now would have beene no safety in Citie and Countrey What had become of Citie and Countrey when Bristow was lost aud Gloucester closely besieged which though it was a long time even beyond expectation valiantly maintained by Colonell Massie the then Governour thereof that ever to be honoured Gentleman had it not by the care and valour of that Noble Lord beene seasonably relieved it could not possibly have held longer out
Protestant Profession he should have been so far from suffering for it as they would not only greatly have honoured him but also highly have rewarded him for his endeavour and this that I now write I am able to prove by a cloud of witnesses and my unjust suffering in their opinion made me find more favour amongst all the Governours that were Papists which I do ever acknowledge for a singular courtesie from them then ever I found from Protestant Goalers And therefore whereas the Independents do accuse me for the greatest Incendiary of the Kingdome all men may see they speak as untruly so most maliciously c. Now these are my words And herein is observable First that as I say I have been cleared by both Houses of Parliament from being an Incendiary so I mention not commend or speak of the Cavaliers for their undertakings I onely say many of the brave Gentlemen in the Kings Army have also cleared me from that aspersion being convinced that my sufferings were most unjust Secondly that I say many of the brave Gentlemen I speak not of all the Cavaliers in the Kings Army but you silencing my words and omitting to shew the cause which induced me there to speak of them make your complaint in Generall saying He commends the Kings Cavaliers for brave Gentlemen Thirdly in my forecited words I plainly set down the reason which moved the Popish Cavaiiers to shew me favour namely because they were fully perswaded that I having writ so much in defence of the Protestanâ— Religion which was here established had suffered most unjustly and contrary to the Laws of this Kingdome for my own part I look to a higher hand in it but this was the reason that moved them to demean themselvs courteously towards me Now who so deafe as they that will not hear and who so blind as they that will not see for whosoever will hear see and read what I have written and then speak truly they cannot but say that were you not resolved for the venting of your selfe to pretend ignorance the reason there laid down might have informed and satisfied you and so have stopt the mouth of your causlesse Quaeries You having as little reason to question and examine me upon such interrogatories as you have for complaining of me for commending the Kings Cavaliers and for the false Calumnies which throughout your book you have loaded me withall but by these you discover your spirit and what you aime at to say no more Therefore I will give a more full Answer to them and first to your complaint I say That to affirm there are many of the Kings Cavaliers brave Gentlemen is a truth and all ingenuous men that have been amongst them will confesse they have met with many of whom it may be said it is ten thousand thousand pities that such brave Gentlemen should be so seduced and misled as to appear in so bad a cause and further for my selfe know I am not ashamed nor afraid to confesse that Popish Cavaliers did use me courteously and that I might not be ungratefull to God nor man I then did now do and ever shall acknowledge that I found more favour from some of them which I esteem a singular courtesie then ever I found from Protestant Gaolers Therefore as to the gloâ—y of â—od I there made mention of it so I shall here set down the particulars and inlarge my selfe to show forth Gods goodnesse unto me therein For by his gracious assistance I will never cease to declare how that after I had been kept in the dungeon seven days and nights in York Castle and for a year and a halfe underwent great inhumanity was cruelly used uncivilly and most unsufferably abused by a professed Protestant Goaler there a length by the Command of the Earl of Newcastle on purpose if possible to augment my miseries I was all on a sodain removed from York Goale to Hemsley Castle in which he intended evill towards me but the Lord turned it to good and gave me favour in the eyes of a profist Papist Colonell Irington by name the Governour of that Castle who with all in his family used me and my servant very courteously he supplyed me with necessaries and that freely and demeaned himselfe unto me in every respect as a Gentleman while I remained his Prisoner which was but one Moneth for when my adversaries heard thereof perceiving their designe was frustrate they forthwith removed me to Knasebâ—ough Castle the Governour and his Deputy the Captain thereof being profest Protestants where although in some things I was not so inhumanelyly abused as in York Goal yet there I was kept close Prisoner again and I assure you I found no such courteous usage as I received from the other Gentleman Now for my part I am so far from being conscious to my selfe that I have done evill in making mention hereof as by your complaint you would infer that I then did and still do hold my selfe bound in conscience upon all occasions to speak of the merciâ—s of my God unto me and to make manifest the mighty power of the Lord JEHOVAH that so for time to come if any who fear his name should be invironed about with enemies troubled on every side and cast into the depth of miseries in mans imagination as I have been yet by the many experiences which I have had of Gods fatherly mercies the heavenly soul-ravishing and spirit-reviving comforts wherewith the Lord hath strengthned and supported me in my greatest calamitie they may be incouraged to maintain their integritie and be confident of his never failing goodnesse mercies and loving kindnesses unto them For though in my remove I could expect nothing but increase of miserie to the outward man yet to the glorie of God I speak it I found at that very instant as at other times the Lord mightily to uphold my spirit filling me with such inward comforts full assurance of supporting mercies and that his grace was sufficient for me and his strength would be made perfect in weaknesse that in the strength of my God I went willingly and chearfully not fearing what man could do unto me And when I was delivered to Colonell Irington to whom the foresaid Earl had sent me He in my hearing read the warrant which he had received from him wherein he was straitly commanded to keep me close Prisoner and not to suffer any to see or speak with me but God counter-manded this command and moved the Colonels heart to such compassion that he carried himselfe verie nobly and lovingly towards me if any desired it he permitted them to have accesse unto me and gave me liberty to take the Aire which was a sweet refreshing unto me being not thorowly recovered out of a long and dangerous sicknesse whose favors and courtesies I stand bound in the bonds of thankfulnesse and civilitie ever to predicate whereby all men may take occasion to blesse and praise Gods name with me and I may manifest