2. Do not embolden your enemies To this end I have minded you of your Commissions and those hardships which are better groaned out then uttered and the services you have put them upon to save you I have a commission also to come neerer to you and I may use Ioabs words by way of perswasion as a Divine which he boldly used by way of charge unto David as a Souldier I shall bring them to your doors by by 1. Do not hate your friends but love them 2. Do not love your enemies yet love them I shall make it good sense Destroy their enmity but love your enemies 1. Do not hate your friends That 's the first restriction I shall lay upon your Lenity towards your enemies Be pleased to remember this saying Qui non zelat non amat Remisser love is hatred There are divers distinctions of hatred amongst the learned I will pick out but two for this purpose Hatred is either absolute or comparative There is no fear that you will hate them absolutely but it is comparative hatred they suffer under that is when you do not love them so much as you ought or when you can find more time to bring off a Malignant then you can find to preserve a friend from ruine and death And so the beloved wife and the hated are distinguished in the Law She is said to be hated not that she was so absolutely but because she was not so well beloved as the other Thus your friends think they are deeply hated and wronged according to this distinction because they are not looked upon as they ought to be nor could they ever have one dispatch for all their Loyalty for an hundred that others have had for all their treachery Indeed there was this disadvantage to your friends Your enemies brought mony your friends had laid out all and more and as much as they could borrow besides Your enemies were Gentlemen had good clothes to put a glittering garnish of good oratory upō their hatred of you your friends had no Counsel to plead for them but beggery and their old clothes and broken estates and crackt credits and it may be a printed Petition or two And a Hospital is a more unwelcome sight then Goldsmiths-hall This is comparative hatred when the Spittle is not so well beloved as the Mint when both were children of your own begetting Ah sirs let us see that you be the fathers of our Country if you will be fathers and indulgent ones sure your Cripples and those that have been lamed under the cart-wheel of your pressures shall have a more tender specialty of your provision for them then those rebellious children that have their limbs but would nor work or else fled out into open Rebellion against you with Absalom I pray think on it 2. Hatred hath another distinction for our use It is either 1 formall or 2 interpretative By the former is meant such hatred as a man entertaines wittingly and upon actual consideration by the latter such as by which though there be no intention so to do yet a man doth the same things in effect as if he did purposely hate a thing It was Wisdomes speech Prov. 8. He that sinneth against me hateth his own soul Now no man yet ever hated his own flesh much lesse his soule He that spareth the rod hateth his son The meaning is that if he hated him indeed he could not doe him a worse turn Ah Gentlemen your friends complain bitterly of this kind of hatred that you do that against them that if you hated them indeed you could not do them a worse turn if you should as seriously and intensively study their irreparable overthrow as they have stoutly fought for your safety and Preservation you could not go a neerer way to overturne them irrecoverably your good words invite them to wait on you and God forbid you say but they should be relieved and but that their Grievances should be redressed your Declarations and publike Acts concerning them give them assurance you intend what you say too all this is well who could imagine that these Words and Acts could be effects of your hatred he that would affirm such a truth were in danger to be questioned They waite upon you a moneth two three nay they tarry a year two three foure there arise great contention in the mean time between them and their Landlords Landladies the Cook the Brewer must be paid the Baker must have money the Cook cannot buy meat much complaining and reasoning excusing and accusing there must needs be of course The Conclusion is your friends be turned out of doors and bid mischief take them and their masters that set them on work and the devill pay them their Arrears O the language you will understand it better then I can expresse it with modesty But I had forgot there is another degree of hatred as well as comparative and positive and that is there is a negative hatred that is when there is no love at all Truly your friends say they can make Affidavit of this too it is the property of love wherever it is rooted to command all the faculties within to be imployed for the good of them we love Dies Noctesque me ames me sonnies me desideres de me cogites c. Beleeve it if you loved your friends your eye would be upon them if you loved them your souls would be with them you would enquire whether they be alive or no they could not starve while you feast and you would not let them sigh when you sing Again love is learned and love is witty If you had love you could not be ignorant what their services have been what their sufferings are and all for you these things you would know too again Love is witty in devising means for the good of them we love you would find an hundred ways to enjoy your Love you would quickly resolve to which closet to which chest you will go to take out a pair of gloves to single out the other bugle-purse of gold to convey into your Loves hands Your friends complain they cannot see any seale of your love but now and then they receive a Letter of commendation which they fear is complemental and though the Court be down they meet with Courtiers stil But Migremus hinc There 's no tarrying for me here I pray Do not hate your Friends but love them 2. Do not love your Enemies yet love them 1. Do not love your Enemies against themselves 2. Do not love your Enemies against your Friends Yet 3. Subdue them by love and Conquer them by kindnesse as much as you can 1. There are wayes to love them against themselves They have inherent boldnesse and impudency and shamelesnesse to speak and act uncivill things to your faces Witnesse CHEAP-SIDE lately there was boldnesse by whole-sale there was insolency at your Triumph there were scoffs at your Thanksgiving And will they be lesse
A VIEW OF ENGLANDS Present Distempers Occasioned by the late Revolution of Government in this Nation WHEREIN Amongst others these following particulars are asserted Viz. That the present powers are to be obeyed That Parliaments are the Powers of God That the generality of Gods Enemies are the Parliaments Enemies Et contra TOGETHER With some Motives Grounds and Instructions to the Souldiery how and wherefore they ought to subdue by Arms the Enemies of the Parliament in England c. LONDON Printed for William Raybould at the Unicorne neer the little North doore in Pauls Church-Yard 1650. To the Reader Good READER THat I seeke no other Patron but thy ordinary favour give thee no greater title then Reader it is because no Name or Title is comparable to thy ingenuity if thou do but make up the Title with this Epithite and prove an ingenuous Reader What ever thou art deale not roughly with the lad because hee was conceived in affliction and brought forth in a time of sorrow and hath no will to distast thee if thou be not either tygrous Irish or degenerate English a barbarous Redshanke or cruell Barbarian This I dare say if thou bee but a favourer of true Religion and a friend of Englands thou canst not finde a word to offend thee if thou shouldst be of the number of those that fish for Carps Reader I looke on thee as an honest hearted English man and as one that wouldst loathe to see thy dear country England made a place for wild beasts wild â—rish or Pagan Red-shankes as upon one whose soul would bare either to bee tributary or in vassalage to such rude and barbarous Masters when thou hast the choyse to be the subject of a Free State Reader the Author suspects Demetrius and Diotrephes and Hymeneus too of much unkindnes and enmity to this Essay You know Sir by this craft wee get our gaine saith Demetrius how many get great advantages by fishing in these disturbed waters and in kindnesse to us carry away most of our goods to their owne houses instead of the common fields from the common burnings Nay I have knowne some people inhabiting neere the shore of the Angry Irish Seas who in times of greatest storme and shipwrack when they had stript the dead bodies of Seamen and passengers cast on shoare and had taken what the merciles Seas had left They have called it Gods great blessing to them and from thence came that proverb It is an ill wind that blowes no man good Diotrephes too he is haughty and proud and affects the preheminence but loves not the Brethren and Hymeneus flies off from his first principles and blasphemes who is therefore excommunicated by Paul that he may learn better things and this man what hee lately affirmed that hee now denies and it will bee hard to finde him fixt or centred anywhere This man like an unsettled wind either runs before or keepes company with the Sunne and makes the Hay and stubble of his faction while the Sun shines so hot and it is very dangerous lest such fiery spirits who want humility and the fear of God to guide them should blow up and burn to ashes a rich and plentifull Island the Gallant ship a ship of the first rate in Europe the Common-Wealth of England cumbred now as well with tough and powder to preserve her from Water and Pyrats as fraught with Riches for the Merchants and Islanders And you that are Masters quench these coles of Iuniper and provide that all be safe under deck or wee may come short of the harbour of Salem For these men my wishes shall bee other then his of Athens was for himselfe it was Damedes he prayed hee might have good trading and what was his trade thinke you why he was a Coffin maker for which the wise State there banished him the City as knowing that his owne and the Common-weale of that people were not consistent The very God of Love and Peace give us Peace alwayes and by all good meanes And let the feare of that eye that seeth in secret keepe us from all deeds of darknesse all secret under minings all Darke Lanthornes and murder-plottings Reader This is my Ben-oni the son of my sorrow it wil be some ease to me if it prove thy joy and inherit the blessing of Benjamin I have charged him not upon mine but Gods blessing to shun the wild children of rape the stubborn sons of Cruelty For if he should not but joyne with the daughters of Heth what good should my life do me I shall say no more lest I weary thee by saying too much Thine in Love William Beech Imprimatur Iune 4. 1649. Ioseph Caryll Errata p. 2.21 read genuine p. 34. l. 12. read Moab p. 43. l. 1. read Tantam quantam A Post-script to the Reader FRIEND WHen thou canst not see the Sunne for clouds thou lookest for the hand of the Dyall to tell thee what a clock it is if thou be cumbred with occasions and canst not tarry untill it cleer up I have lent thee this ☞ or digit being but a finger of the hand in this Orthologue to tell thee justly how the day goes especially the afternoon for the Morn or Rising of my discourse is doctrin all the latter part is distributive and will afford a Table or Index large enough for the greatest size of most mens patience in this sowre age Reader there are some litterall faults and smaller escapes both in words and figures And though the Printer did something mistake yet do not thou And my dear Benoni if any throw dirt upon thee for thy fathers sake be not afraid it will not stay it cannot stain It shall not hurt thee if thou have the wit to tell him thy father will meet him anywhere but in a dark Cell or upon an Irish Bog The ☞ or TABLE THe Generality of Gods enemies be the Parliaments enemies too page 25.26 The present Powers are to be obeyed p. 100. Parliaments are the Powers of God p. 103. What a madnesse it is for us to divide upon Quidities when a powerfull combination of enraged enemies are united to destroy us p 69. Enemies be close and deeply subtile p. 87. Enemies like Ivy winde about our soundest Trees p. 82. Sometimes the enemies by subtilty make the Parliament enemies to their good Friends p. 88. The Parliament put their Friends upon hard duties p. 73. The Parliament should not forget their services and sufferings p. 75. The Parliament should not put their Friends off to Lawyers p. 77. The Parliament should not shame their Friends p. 78. The Parliaments Friends are very much ashamed and not only hated by their enemies openly but by their Friends too according to some distinctions of hatred p. 79. Souldiers and such as have hazarded their lives for the Parliament may speak boldly to them p. 95 96. Grief and unkindnesse make men speak and do what they would not p. 99. Motives Grounds and Instructions to
the Souldier why and how he should subdue by Armes the enemies of England Ireland p. 104 105. A singular good Motive unto the faithfull Souldiers bound for Ireland p. 62. A Horrid Design in the Tabernacles of Edom being the Head-Quarters of an United Enemy of Ten Nations Discovered to the Nation of England and City of London and seriously commended to them as an Advertisment unto Love and brotherly Agreement among themselves Psalm 83.8.9 Assur also is joynned with them they have holpen the children of Lot Do unto them as unto the Midianites I would not tyre you by large introduction or prologue it is my desire to lead you by the hand into the parlour rather then â—o stand complementing at the door If I might therefore obtain but so much â—ove of the Reader as to be read and read over without prejudice in an age so impatient of both and indeed so scandalous for writing and scribling fancies I would promise to bound my self within these ensuing limits and I am perswaded I shall no wayes discontent those that be godly peaceable and truly wise because the Truth I have here brought them is of that precious tendency to prevent the same First I shall point out unto you some leading observations which arising in the very East of the Psalm may serve as well for the understanding of the text to assure us of the truth thereof as the star in the East was of use to guide the wise men to finde out Christ Secondly my endeavours shall be to deal faithfully with you in cleering the text and rendring such usefull observations from thence as you shall say is genuitie and naturall and free from the least violence offered to the true meaning of the place and to be contrary as I am able to oppose my self to all the glozings strainings and corruptings of sacred truths in this unhallowed age And herein also I shall humbly challenge and use this just freedom 1 Mine own method which hath its use also to help the decayes of Memorie 2 To be concise and short and yet as abounding as I am able in fulnesse of matter and largenesse of affection in so small a bulk of words 3. To be perspicuous and plaine and plain dealing too yet modest and sober and as much avoyding bitternesse and strife in an age so unhappily degenerate into strife 4 Not to Meddle with parties lest I prove rather a Pharez then a Barnabas rather a breach-maker then a repairer of our breaches and so grieve those that be godly by widening not curing their lamented sores From these I shall not crave any liberty to erre though I should passe through fire and water that might either affright or discourage mee The warrant which the text gives me being rather to unite Gods Israel against such as are Enemies unto Israels God My first work then according to promise is to shew you some necessary considerations that are couched in the words of the text but expressely set down in the foregoing verses and these must be premised and seriously thought upon before any comfortable progresse can be made in this propheticall imprecation against the enemies of Gods Church for their treacherous Combinations and bloody conspiracies against his people For here we may see as in a glasse much of the confused and besmeared face of our times and in this Mappe of Israels troubles you need go no further to view Englands present feares and distempers and again in Israels hope we may gather Englands comfortable assurance That God will do unto their enemies also as he did unto the Midianites 1 For first are not here preparations and these mighty ones 2 And are not here designes too and these be not they harsh and cruell Here is Malignity steeped in blood and dyed in Grain like that in Ireland 3 And is the punishment here easie or avoydable or is the Gibbet too neer the ground for these tall and lofty offenders No no It is a destruction fifty cubits high parallell to that of Hamans for his bloody purposes against the then beloved Jews and like that of the Midianites here a compleat and rare destruction a well composed destruction as it were in print and licenced by one of judgement The Church desires no more in point of revenge on Gods and their implacable enemies then this that he would but eye this pattern in his proceedings against them and do no worse unto them then he did unto the Midianites You will receive but little warmth from this scripture untill the sun be risen and we look out for those observations spoken of arising in the East of this psalm which are here either expressely set down or necessarily implyed and I may the more boldly take notice of them as I passe on because my text includes them also in the Relatives them and them and 2. in the pattern The Midianites and 3. the petition or rather the repetition of his first suit doe unto them c. viz punish them severely And 4. in the Motive Assur also is joyned with them The first observation is this That God doth sometimes appear unto his people as one that is both deafe and dumb and as one that is regardlesse of their persons and prayers even then when they are most of all beset with fears and have great need of help 2. Observation 2 That in this their beseiged Condition it is below the brave spirits of Gods children to be affrighted out of their grounded hopes into a consternation or an amazed dejection of minde but rather their Heroick resolutions are exceedingly hightened as in indignation and magnitude of minde against the proud enemie so are they lifted up in faith and greater affiance in God 3. Observation That it is one main prop that supports the courage of Gods people in shaking times when they consider that their enemies be Gods enemies too when they can interest him in their quarrell at home or abroad as here Lo thine enemies O Lord and they that hate thee And then comes in this fourth Doctrinall observation very patly from the expresse words of the text 4. Obs. That these enemies be they never so numerous to devour us so cunning to divide us so cruell to murder us so proud to vaunt over us yet they shall be exactly punished according to the pattern of Midian as soon as Gods period and theirs meet together and are acccomplished as theirs also was And first of the first God seems to leave his people to themselves though truly and really he doth not in times of greatest danger and commotion and to have but little care of them This is evident from the first verse The Church complains and wonders how he could be still while the enemie was so busie how he could be silent while the Adversaries roare and make a tumult how he could finde in his heart to hold his peace and lie down while these vaunt themselves so proudly and lift up the head Many such
won much and you have won their lands and liberties and lives from Tyrants but it is for them not for your selves Though they give you now and then an unkind word remember they are your pay-masters and labour hard to pay you and if some of them will not acknowledge how you have adventured your lives for them it is not for want of ignorance and rudenesse in many of them and cannot you overcome rudenesse with kindnesse as well as you have turned powerful armies into rude heaps of Confusion The greatest conquest is to conquer your selves in point of passion and revenge for what will it avail you to overcome a multitude of enemies and to be subdued with one lust Be content Gentlemen and put discontent and impatience to the sword and you win all upon the people by kindnesse and provision will be made for your Pay and security will be given for the rest better then that from the Excise or at Goldsmiths-hall The recompence of reward the greatest part of Gods pay to his souldiers is reserved from theeves and rust and defalcations and casualties in the strong tower of Zion Observe but good rules in the deportment of your selvs towards your Generals your fellow-souldiers the City the Country in the Field and at your Quarters And as your Cause is good so you will bring a good report on your selves and on those that do imploy and command you And lest my Exhortation by pressing it so earnestly should leave the least stain upon the many that deserve so well among you in the strict observance of these Orders Take this just Testimony Never did such an Army disarm so many Malignant tongues of words against you as you have done to your reputation I could wish that all would write after your copy Oh how many Malignants would lie in heaps before you either by admiring at you or bursting by you They would turn Roundheads and be forced to say not mockingly as is their guise but seriously that you are An Army of Saints Thus you have all the Motives by way of Encouragement as you can desire to adde life to your undertakings of this kind And for direction Though you the renowned Commanders have evidenced to the world so much prudence and valour that you need none of my Testimony yet you will give me leave to drop these directions in your Camp as tending not to mutiny but obedience and the rather because some have made but little progresse in observing good orders as yet and I know you that act honourably would have all under you act and go on upon the same Principles and in their Order also I know the carriage of such as are irregular and exorbitant doth much offend you and your proceedings against them have shewed your dislike and severity against offenders of all kinds punishable by you that come within your cognisance and me thinks the complaint that Jacob made of his two sons Simeon and Levi may be sometimes taken up by you against such as talk and do beyond their Commission Gen. 34.30 You have troubled me to make me stink amongst the inhabitants of the Land and I being few in number they shall gather themselves together against me and slay me Such as these that act without Commission and against Articles do much dishonour upon their Chieftains I shall leave these directions and take post to a conclusion 1. Be valiant It was Hezekiah's charge to his Captains and Soldiers 2 Chron. 32.7 Be strong and of a good courage feare not nor be afraid of Ashur Ashur is the enemy here in my text and you have bloody Ashur again in Ireland you must not fear them God tels you so and you have been valiant There be three ingredients that makes up Christian-courage and Magnanimity fit for your wearing It is confest 1. Knowledge of the Cause and quarrel in hand the conscience must be informed of the equity of it as namely that it is for God the People of God our wives our sons our daughters our friends this makes men as bold as Lyons to trample death it was this that set David upon Goliah Luther upon Rome and our honoured Cromwell upon Hamilton and Langdale in the North 2. A Relying upon God for a gracious issue when we go forth to fight the enemy with this assurance that not a hair will fall from our heads without the All-ordering providence O this helps on very well 3. A serious acknowledgement that the issues of war are in Gods hand as the Battell is his so is the Honour his too and it is all one with him to save with many or with few O this is the very steelen-back of Christian courage tell not me saith the Christian what be their high words what care I for Edom and Moab and Ishmael and a hundred more Let Scott and French and Irish and Danes and Pagans come with thousands I care not The field is my Generals and the issue of war is his and it is all one with him to save with many as with few 4. Get and use honest craft the enemy is subtile and he serves a cunning-master out-vie him too in point of policie Christ commands it Be wise as Serpents nay and blames those of his own that are not so The children of this Generation are wiser then the children of light I will give you but one example Abraham intending to recover his nephew Lot out of their hands that had taken him captive did not fight them in the field but wisely divided his company smore them by night But yet for all your wisedome you must be faithful use honest craft keep promise with the Enemy and though they prove base that way to us we must not do so to them we must not promise to save them and then destroy them we must not agree to receive them to protection and then work their confusion that 's treachery not craft 5. Be religious Do not raile against and revile Religious men It were well if many of you had humility with your zeal and would bridle your tongues when you speak of those many godly men that jump not with your opinions in every thing The saying was inter arma silent leges Though others take the liberty to transgresse all lawes and rules of Christian cariage and common civility in unsavoury words and rude actions yet you are taught better things Civility is a common grace very comely to behave your selves with towards an enemy much more towards your friends I am sorry I am taken off that I cannot at present enlarge my mind to you I must set a period and yield unto the birth though it come before the time Good Reader bestow the more of thy labour of love in cherishing it God may give strength and vouchsafe his assistance to the parent to do something to it if thou preserve it in the mean time till some present weaknesses and distempers be over FINIS