though never so successefull yet dare not adventure their Authors upon any other way of safety then that of the Sword and Militia which yet are but weak defences against the stroaks of divine vengeance which will overtake or of mens owne Consciences which alwayes attend injurious perpetrasions For my selfe I do not think that I can want any thing which providentiall necessity is pleased to take from Me in order to my Peoples tranquillity and Gods glory whose protection is sufficient for me and he is able by his being with me abundantly to compensate to Me as he did to Iob what ever honour power or liberty the Caldeans the Sabeans or the Devill himselfe can deprive Me of Although they take from Me all defence of Armes and Militia all refuge by Land of Forts and Castles all flight by Sea in My Ships and Navie yea though they study to Rob me of the Hearts of my Subjects the greatest Treasure best Ammunition of a King yet cannot they deprive me of my own innocency or Gods mercy nor obstruct My way to Heaven Therefore O my God to thee I flye for help if thâ— wilt be on my side J shall have more with we the can be against me There is none in Heaven or in Earth that I dâ—sire in comparison of thee In the loss of all â— thou more then all to me Make hast to succour 〈◊〉 thou that never failest them that put their trust â— thee Thou seest I have no power to oppose them thâ— come against me who are encouraged to fight undâ— the pretence of fighting for me But my eyes aâ— toward thee Thou needest no help nor shall I if I may haâ— thine If not to conquer yet at least to suffer If thou delightest not in my safety prosperiâ— behold here am I willing to be reduced to what thâ— wilt have me whose Judgements oft begin with 〈◊〉 own Children I am content to be nothing that thou mayst be all Thou hast taught me That no King can be savâ— by the multitude of an Host but yet thou canst saâ— me by the multitude of thy mercyes who art the Lâ— of Hosts and the Father of mercies Help Me O Lord who am sore distressed on eâ—ry side yet be thou on my side and I shall not feâ— what man can do unto me I will give thy justi the glory of mydistresse O let thy mercy have the glory of my delivraâ— from them that persecute my Soule By my sinnes have I fought against thee aâ— robbed thee of thy glory who am thy subiect and iustly mayst thou by my owne Subiects strip me of my strength and eclypse my glory But shew thy selfe O my hope and only refuge Let not mine Enemies say There is no help for him in his God Hold up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not Keep me as the apple of thine eye hide me under the shâ—ddow of thy wings Shew thy marveilous loving kindnesse O thou that savest by thy right hand them that put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them From the wicked that oppresse me from my deadly Enemies that compasse me about Shew me the path of life In thy presence is fulnesse of Ioy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore 11. Vpon the 19 Propositions first sent to the King and more afterwards ALthough there be many things they demand yet if these be all I am glad to see at what price they set My owne safety and My Peoples peace which I cannot thinke I buye at too deare a rate save onely the parting with my Conscience and Honour If nothing else will satisfye I must chuse ratheâ— to be as miserable and inglorious as My Enemies can make or wish Me. Some things here propounded to me have biâ— offered by me Others are easily granted The rest I think ought not to be obtruded upon me with the point of the Sword nor urged with thâ— injuries of a war when I have already declareâ— that I cannot yeild to them without violatinâ— my Conscience 't is strange there can be nâ— method of peace but by making Warre upoâ— My Soul Here are many things required of me but â— see nothing offer'd to me by the way of grate full exchange of Honour or any requitall foâ— those favours I have or can yet grant them This Honour they doe me to put me oâ— the giving part which is more princely anâ— divine They cannot ask more than I can give may I but reserve to my self the incommunicable Jewell of my Conscience and not be forced to part with that whose loss nothing caâ— repair or requite Some things which they are pleased to propound seem unreasonable to Me and whilâ— I have any mastery of My Reason how caâ— they think I can consent to them who knoâ— they be such as are inconsistent with being eitheâ— a KING or a good Christian My yeilding so much as I have already makes some men confident I will deny nothing The love I have of My Peoples peace hath indeed great influence upon me but the love of Truth and inward peace hath more Should I grant some things they require I should not so much weaken My outward state of a King as wound that inward quiet of My Conscience which ought to be is and ever shall be by Gods grace dearer to Me than My kingdomes Some things which a King might approve yet in Honour Policy are at some time to be denyed to some men lest he should seeme not to dare to deny any thing and give too much incouragement to unreasonable Demands or importunities But to bind My selfe to a generall and implicite consent to what ever they shall desire or propound for such is one of their Propositions were such a latitude of blind obedience as never was expected from any Free-man nor fit to be required of any man much lesse of a King by His owne Subjects any of whom he may possibly exceed as much in wisdome as he doth in place and power This were as if Sampson should have consented not only to bind his owne hands and cut off his hair but to put out his own eyes that the Philistins might with the more safety mock and abuse him which they chose rather to doe then quite to destroy him when he was become so tame an object fit occasion for their sport and scorne Certainly to exclude all power of deniall seemes an arrogancy least of all becomming those who pretend to make their addresses in aâ— humble and loyall way of petitioning who by that sufficiently confesse their owne inferiority which obligeth them to rest if not satisfied yâ— quieted with such an answer as the will and reason of their Superiour thinks fit to give whâ— is acknowledged to have a freedome and poweâ— of Reason to Consent or Dissent else it werâ— uery foolish and absurd to ask what anothe having not liberty to deny neither hath powe to grant But if this
he hath done The confiscation of mens estates being more beneficiall then the charity of saving their lives or reforming their Errours When all proportionable succours of the poor Pretestants in Ireland who were daily massacred and over-borne with numbers of now desperate Enemies were diverted and obstructed here I was earnestly entreated and generally advised by the chief of the Protestant Party there to get them some respite and breathing by a cessation without which they saw â—o probability unlesse by miracle to preserve the remnant that had yet escaped Go knows with how much commiseration and solâ—citous caution I carried on that bnsinesse by peâ—sons of Honour and Integrity that so I migâ— neither incourage the rebells Insolence nor discourage the Protestants loyalty and patience Yet when this was effected in the best soâ— that the necessity and difficulty of affaires woulâ— then permit I was then to suffer againe in mâ— reputation and Honour because I suffered nâ— the Rebels utterly to devoure the remainiâ— handfulls of the Protestants there I thought that in all reason the gaining 〈◊〉 that respite could not be so much to the Rebeâ— advantages which some have highly calumniâ—ted against me as it might have been for tâ— Protestants future as well as present safety during the time of that Cessation some men hâ— had the grace to have laid Irelands sad conditio more to heart and laid aside those violent mâ—tions which were here carried on by those thâ— had better skill to let bloud then to stanch it But in all the misconstructions of my actioâ— which are prone to find more credulity in mâ— to what is false and evill than love or charity 〈◊〉 what is true and good as I have no Judge 〈◊〉 God above me so I can have comfort to appâ— to his omniscience who doth not therefoâ— deny my Innocence because he is pleased far to try my patience as he did his servant Iobâ— I have enough to doe to look to My own Conscience and the faithfull discharge of My Trust as a KING I have scarce leisure to consider those swarmes of reproaches which issue out of some mens mouths hearts as easily as smoke or sparks do out of a Fornace Much lesse to make such prolix Apologies as might give those men satisfaction who conscious to their owne depth of wickednesse are loath to beleive any man not to be as bad as themselves 'T is Kingly to do well and heare ill If I can but act the one I shall not much regard to bear the other I thank God I can hear with patience as bad as my worst enemies can falsly say And I hope I shall still doe better than they desire or deserve I should I beleive it will at last appear that they who first began to embroyle my other Kingdomes are in great part guilty if not of the first letting out yet of the not-timely stopping those horrid effusion of bloud in Ireland Which what ever my Enemies please to say or think I look upon as that of my other Kingdomes exhausted out of my own veins no man being so much weakned by it as my selfe And I hope though mens unsatiable crueltiâ—s never wil yet the mercy of God wil at length say to his justice It is enough command the sword of civil wars to sheath it self his mercifull justice intending I trust not our utter confusion but our cure the abatement of our sins or the desolating of these Nations O my God let those infinite mercies prevent us once againe which I and my Kingdomes have formerly abused and can never deserve should be restored Thou seest how much cruelty among Christians is acted under the colour of Religion as if we could not be Christians unlesse we crucifie one another Because we have not more loved thy Truth and practised in Charity thou hast suffered a Spirit of Errour and bitternesse of mutuall and mortall hatred to rise among us O Lord forgive wherein we have sinned and sanctifie what we have suffered Let our repentance be our recovery as our great sins have been our ruine Let not the miseries I and my Kingdoms have hitherto suffered seem small to thee but make our sins appear to our consciences as they are represented in the glasse of thy judgements for thou never punishest small failings with so severe afflictions O therefore according to the multitude of thy great mercies pardon our sinnes and remove thy iudgements which are very many and very heavy Yet let our sinnes be evermore grievous to us thaâ— thy Iudgements and make us more willing to repent then to be relieved first give us the peace of penitent consciences and then the tranquillity of united Kingdomes In the Sea of our Saviours bloud drowne our sinnes and throngh this red Sea of our own bloud bring us at last to a state of piety peace and plenty As my publique relations to all make me share in all my Subiects sufferings so give me such a pious sense of them as becomes a Christian King and a loving Father of my people Let the scandalous and uniust reproaches cast upon me be as a breath more to kindle my compassion Give me grace to heap charitable coales of fire upon their heads to melt them whose malice or truell Zeal hath kindled or hindred the quenching of those flames which have so much wasted my three Kingdoms O rescue and assist those poore Protestants in Ireland whom thou hast hitherto preserved And lead those in the wayes of thy saving Truths whose ignorance or errours have filled them with Rellellious and destructive principles which they act under an opinion That they do thee good service Let the hand of thy Iustice be against those who maliciously and dispitefully have raised or fomented those cruell and desperate Wars Thou that art far from destroying the Innocent with the Guilty and the Erroneous with the Malicious Thou that hadst pity on Niniveh for the many Children that were therein give not over the whole stock of that populous and seduced Nation to the wrath of those whose covetousnesse makes them cruell nor to their anger which is too fierce and therefore iustly cursed Preserve if it be thy will in the midst of the fornace of thy severe iustice a Posterity which may praise thee for thy mercy And deale with Me not according to mans uniust reproaches but according to the innocency of my hands in thy sight If I have desired or delighted in the wofull day of my Kingdoms calamities if I have not earnestly studied and faithfully endeavoured the preventing and composing of these bloody distractions then let thy hand be against me and my Fathers house O Lord thou seest I have enemies enough of men as I need not so I should not dare thus to imprecate thy curse on me and mine if my Conscience did not witnesse my integrity which thou O Lord knowest right will But I trust not to My own merit but thy mercies spare us O Lord and be not
an account of every evill anâ— idle word in private at thy tribunall Lord maâ— me carefull of those solemne Declarations of mâ— minde which are like to have the greatest influent upon the Publique either for woe or weale The lesse others consider what they aske make 〈◊〉 the more solicitous what I answer Though Mine owne and My Peoples pressurâ— are grievous and peace would be very pleasing yet Lord never suffer Me to avoid the one or purchase the other with the least expense or wasteâ— My Conscience whereof thou O Lord oneâ— art deservedly more Master then My selfe 12 Vpon the Rebellion and troubles in Ireland THe Commotions in Ireland were so sudden and so violent that it was hard at first either to discerne the rise or apply a remedy to that precipitant rebellion Indeed that Sea of bloud which hath there bin cruelly barbarously shed is enough to drown any man in eternall both infamy and misery whom God shall find the malicious Author or Instigator of its effusion It fell out as a most unhappy advantage to some mens malice against me that when they had impudence enough to lay any thing to my charge this bloudy opportunity should be offered them with which I must be aspersed Although there was nothing which could be more abhorred to me being so full of sin against God disloyalty to my selfe and destructive to my Subjects Some men took it very ill not to be believed when they affirmed that what the Irish Rebells did was done with my privitie at least if not by my Commission But these knew too well â—hat it is no newes for some of my Subjects to â—ight not only without my Commission but against my Command and Person too yet all the while to pretend they fight by my Authoriâ—y and for my safety I would to God the Irish had nothing to a ledge for their imitation against those who blame must neede be the greater by how muâ— Protestant Principles are more against all Râ—bellion against Princes then those of Papiâ— Nor wil the goodnes of mens intentions excâ— the scandall contagion of their Examples But who ever fail of their Duty toward me must bear the blame this Honour my Enemiâ— have always don me to think moderate injuriâ— not proportionate to me nor competent trialâ— either of my patience under them or my pardâ— of them Therefore with exquisite malice they haâ— mixed the gall vinegar of falsity contemâ— with the cup of My Afflicton Charging Me 〈◊〉 only with untruths but such as wherein I haâ— the greatest share of losse dishonour by whâ— is committed whereby in all Policy Reasoâ— and religion having least cause to give the leâ— consent and most grounds of utter detestation might be represented by them to the world 〈◊〉 more inhumane barbarous Like some Câ— clopick monster whom nothing will serve to 〈◊〉 and drink but the flesh and bloud of my owâ— Subjects in whose common welfare my inâ—rest lies as much as som mens doth in their peâ—turbations who think they cannot do well 〈◊〉 in evill times nor so cunningly as in laying 〈◊〉 odium of those sad events on others where wâ— themselves are most pleas'd whereof they haâ— bin not the least occasion And certainly t is thought by many wife men that the preposterous rigour and unreasonable severity which some men carried before them in England was not the least incentive that kindled and blew up into those horrid flames the sparks of discontent which wanted not pre-disposed fewell for Rebellion in Ireland where despaire being added to their former discontents and the fears of utter extirpation to their wonted oppressions it was easie to provoke to an open Rebellion a people prone enough to break out to all exorbitant violence both by some Principles of their Religion and the naturall desires of liberty both to exempt themselves from their present restraints and to prevent those after rigours wherewith they saw themselves apparently threatned by the covetous zeal and uncharitable fury of some men who think it a great argument of the Truth of their Religion to endure no other but their own God knowes as I can with Truth wash my hands in Innocency as to any guilt in that rebellion so I might wash them in my Tears as to the sad apprehensions I had to see it spread so farre and make such waste And this in a time when distractions and jealousies here in Eugland made most men rather intent to their owne safety or designes they were driving then to the reliefe of those who were every day inhumanely butchered in IRELAND Whose â—eares and bloud might if nothing else have quenched or at least for a time repressed aâ— smothered those sparks of Civill dissentions 〈◊〉 Jealousies which in England some men moâ— industriously scattered I would to God no man had been lesse affectâ— with Irelands sad estate than my self I offerâ— to go my self in Person upon that expedition But some men were either afraid I should haâ— any one Kingdome quieted or loath they weâ— to shoot at any mark here lesse then my selfâ— or that any shonld have the glory of my destrâ—ction but themselves Had my many offers bâ— accepted I am confident neither the ruine hâ— bin so great nor the calamity so long nor tâ— remedy so desperate So that next to the sin of those who began thâ— Rebellion theirs must needs be who either hiâ—dred the speedy suppressing of it by domestiâ— dissentions or diverted the Aides or exasperâ—ted the Rebells to the most desperate resoluâ—ons and actions by threatning al extremities nâ— only to the known heads chief incendiaryâ— but even to the whole community of that Naâ—on Resolving to destroy Root and Branch Meâ— Women and Children without any regard 〈◊〉 those usuall pleas for mercy which Couquâ—rours not wholly barbarous are wont to heaâ— from their owne breasts in behalfe of thosâ— whose oppressive fears rather then their mâ— lice engaged them or whose imbecility fâ— Sex and Age was such as they could neithâ— lift up a hand against them nor distinguish between their right hand their left Which preposterous and I think un-evangelical Zeale is too like that of the rebuked Disciples who would go no lower in their revenge then to call for fire from Heaven upon whole Cityes for the repulse or neglect of a few or like that of Iacobs sons which the Father both blamed and cursed chusing rather to use all extremityes which might drive men to desperate obstinacy then to apply moderate remedies such as might punish some with exemplary justice yet disarm others with tenders of mercy upon their submission our protection of them from the fury of those who would soon drown them if they refused to swim down the popular stream with them But some kind of Zeal counts all merciful moderation luke-warmnesse and had rather be cruell then counted cold is not seldome more greedy to kill the Bear for his skin then for any harm
composure had others applyed them selvs to it with the same moderatioÌ„ as I did I am confident the War had then ended I was willing to condescend as far as Reason Honour and Conscience would give Me leave nor were the remaining difference so essential to My Peoples happines or of such consequence as in the least kind to have hindred My Subjects either security or prosperity for they beter enjoyed both many years before ever those demands were made some of which to deny I think the greatest Justice to My self and favour to My subjects I see Jealousies are not so easily allayed as they are raised Some men are more afraid to retreat from voilent Engagements than to Engage what is wanting in equity must be made up in pertinacy Such as had little to enjoy in Peace or to lose in warre studied to render the very name of Peace odious and suspected In Church affaires where I had least liberty of prudence having so many strict tyes of Conscience upon Me yet I was willing to condescend so far to the setling of them as might have given fair satisfaction to all men whom faction covetousnesse or superstition had not engaged more than any true zeal charity or love of reformation I was content to yeild to all that might seeme to advance true piety I onely sought to continue what was necessary in point of Order maintenance and Authority to the Churches Goverment and what I am perswaded as I have elsewhere set down My thoughts more fully is most agreeable to the true principles of all Government raised to its full stature perfection as also to the primitive Apostolicall pattern and the practise of the Universall Church conforme thereto From which wholly to recede without any probable reason urged or answered only to satisfie some mens wills and fantasies which yet agree not among themselves in any point but that of extirpating Episcopacy fighting against me must needs argue such a softnes infirmity of mind in Me as will rather part with Gods Truth than Mans peace and rather lose the Churches honour than crosse some mens Factious humours God knows and time wil discover who were most too blame for the un-succesfulness of that Treaty and who must bear the guilt of after-calamityes I beleive I am very excusable both before God and all unpassionate men who have seriously weighed those transactions wherein I endeavoured no lesse the restauration of peace to my People than the preservation of my own Crowns to my posterity Some men have that height as to interpret all fair Condescendings as Arguments of feeblenesse and glory most in an unflexible stifnesse when they see others most supple and inclinable to them A grand Maxime with them was alwaies to ask something which in reason and honour must be denied that they might have some colour to refuse all that was in other things granted setting Peace at as high a rate as the worst effects of Warre endeavouring first to make Me destroy My self by dishonourable Concessions that so they might have the lesse to do This was all which that Treaty or any other produced to let the world see how litle I would deny or they grant in order to the publik peace That it gave occasion to some mens further restivenesse is imputable to their own depraved tempers not to any Concessions or negations of Mine I have alwayes the content of what I offered and they the regret and blame for what they refused The highest tide of successe set me not above a Treaty nor the lowest ebbe below a Fight Though I never thought it any sign of true valour to be prodigall of mens lives rather then to be drawn to produce our own reasons or to subscribe to other mens That which made Me for the most part presage the unsuccessefulnes of any Treaty was some mens unwillingnesse to Treat which implyed some things were to be gained by the Sword whose unreasonablenes they were loath to have fairly scanned being more proper to be acted by Souldiers than by Councellours I pray God forgive them that were guilty of that Treaties breaking give them grace to make their advantages gotten by the the Sword a better opportunity to use such moderation as was then wanting that so though Peace were for our sins justly deferred yet at last it may be happily obtain'd what we could not get by our Treaties we may gain by our prayers O Thou that art the God of Reason and of Peace who disdâ—inest not to Treat with Sinners presenting them with offers of attonement and beseeching them to be reconciled with thy selfe â—ho wantest not power or Iustice to destroy them â—et aboundest in mercy to save so often our hearts ly the bloud of our Redeemer and perswade us to accept of Peace with my selfe and both to procure and preserve peace among our selves as Men and Christians How oft have I intreated for Peace but then I speak thereof they make them ready to War Condemne us not to our passions which are destructive both of our selves and of others Cleare up our understandings to see thy Truth both in Reason as Men and in Religion as Christians and encline all our hearts to hold the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Take from us that enmity which is now in our hearts against thee and give us that charity which should be among our selves Remove the evils of War we have deserved and â—estow upon us that Peace which only Christ our great Peace maker cannot merit 19 Vpon the various events of the Warre Vistories and Defeats THe various Successes of this unhappy war have at least afforded Me variety of good Meditations sometimes God was pleased to try Me with victory by worsting My Enemies that I might know how with moderation and thanks to own and use his power who is only the true Lord of Hosts able when he pleases to represse the confidence of those that fought against Me with so great advantages for power and number From small beginnings on My part he let Me see that I was not wholly forsaken by My peoples love or his protection Other times God was pleased to exercise My patience and teach Me not to trust in the arme of Flesh but in the living God My sins sometimes prevailed against the justice of My Cause and those that were with Me wanted not matter and occasion for his just chastisement both of them and Me Nor were My enemies lesse punished by that prosperity which hardened them to continue that injustice by open hostility which was began by most riotous and unparliamentary Tumults There is no doubt but personall and private sins may oft times over-balance the Justice of Publick engagements nor doth God account every gallant Man in the worlds esteeme a fit instrument to assert in the way of War a righteous Cause The more men are prone to arrogate to their own skill valour and strength the lesse doth God ordinarily work by them for
good Conscience in me which hath been fought against nor did they ever intend to bring mee to my Parliament till they had brought my mind to their obedience Should I grant what some men desire I should be such as they wish me not more a King and far lesse both Man and Christian What Tumults and Armies could not obtain neither shall Restraint which though it have as little of safety to a Prince yet it hath not more of danger The feare of men shall never be my snare nor shall the love of any liberty entangle my soule Better others betray me than my selfe and that the price of my liberty should be my Conscience the greatest injuries my Enemies seek to inflict upon me cannot be without my own consent While I can deny with Reason I shall defeat the greatest impressions of their malice who neither know how to use worthily what I have already granted nor what to require more of me but this That I would seem willing to help them to destroy my selfe and mine Although they should destroy me yet they shall have no cause to despise me Neither liberty nor life are so dear to me as the peace of my Conscience the Honour of my Crownes and the welfare of my People which my word may injure more than any Warre can doe while I gratifie a few to oppresse all The Lawes will by Gods blessing revive with the love and Loyalty of my Subjects if I bury them not by my Consent and cover them in that grave of dishonour and injustice which some mens violence hath digged for them If my Captivity or Death must be the price of their redemption I grudge not to pay it No condition can make a King miserable which carries not with it his Souls his Peoples and Posterities thraldome After-times may see what the blindnesse of this Age will not and God may at length shew my Subjects that I chuse rather to suffer for them than with them happily I might redeem my self to some shew of liberty if I would consent to enslave them I had rather hazard the ruine of one King than to confirm many Tyrants over them from whom I pray God deliver them what ever becomes of me whose solitude hath not left me alone For thou O God infinitely good and great art with me whose presence is better than life and whose service is perfect freedome Own me for thy servant and I shall never have cause to complain for want of that liberty which becomes a Man a Christian and a King Blesse me still with Reason as a Man with Religion as a Christian and with constancy in justice as a King Though thou sufferest me to be stript of all outward ornaments yet preserve me ever in those enjoyments wherein I may injoy thy self and which cannot be taken from me against my will Let no fire of affliction boile over my passion to any impatience or sordid fears There be many say of me There is no help for me doe thou lift up the light of thy countenance upon me and I shall neither want safety liberty nor majesty Give me that measure of patience and constancy which my condition now requires My strength is scattered my expectation from men defeated my Person restrained ô be not thou far from me lest my Enemies prevaile too much against me I am become a wonder and a scorne to many ô â—e thou my Helper and Defender Shew some token upon me for good that they â—hat hate me may be ashamed because thou Lord hast â—olpen and comforted me establish me with thy free Spirit that I may do and suffer thy will as thou â—ouldst have me Be mercifull to me ô Lord for my soule trusteth in thee yea and in the shadow of thy wings will â— make my refuge untill these calamities be overâ—â—st Arise to deliver me make no long tarrying ô â—y God Though thou killest me yet will I trust in thy mercy and my Saviours merit I know that my Redeemer liveth though thou leadest me through the vale and shadow of death yet shall I fear none ill 24. Vpon their denying His Majesty the Attendance of His Chaplaines VVHen Providence was pleased to deprive Me of all other Civill comforts and secular Attendants I thought the abscence of them all might best be supplied by the attendance of some of my Chaplains whom for their Function I reverence and for their Fidelity I have cause to love By their learning piety and prayers I hoped to be either better enabled to sustaine the want of all other enjoyments or better fitted for the recovery and use of them in Gods good time so reaping by their pious help a spirituall harvest of grace amidst the thornes and after the plowings of temporall crosses The truth is I never needed or desired more the service and assistance of men judiciously pious and soberly devout The solitude they have confined me unto adds the Wildernesse to my temptations for the company they obtrude upon me is more sad than any solitude can be If I had asked my Revenues my Power of the Militia or any one of my Kingdomes it had been no wonder to have been denied in those things where the evill policy of men forbids all just restitution lest they should confesse an injurious usurpation But to deny me the Ghostly comfort of my Chaplaines seemes a greater rigour and barbarity then is ever used by Christians to the meanest Prisoners and greatest Malefactors whom though the justice of the Law deprive of worldly comforts yet the mercy of Religion allows them the benefit of their Clergy as not aiming at once to destroy their Bodies and to damn their Soules But my Agony must not be relieved with the presence of any one good Angell for â—wich I account a Learned Godly and discreet Divine and such I would have all Mine to be They that envy my being a King are loath I â—â—ould be a Christian while they seek to deâ—rive me of all things else They are afraid I â—hould save my soule Other sense Charity it selfe can hardly pick out of those many harsh Repulses I received as to that request so often made for the attendance of some of my Chaplaines I have sometime thought the Unchristianâ—esse of those denialls might arise from a displeasure some men had to see me prefer my own Diuines before their Ministers whom though I â—uspect for that worth and piety which may be in them yet I cannot think them so proper for â—ny present Comforters or Physitians who have some of them at least had so great an influence â—n occasioning these calamities and inflicting these wounds upon me Nor are the soberest of them so apt for that devotionall compliance and juncture of hearts which I desire to bear in those holy Offices to be performed with me and for me since their judgements standing at a distance from me or in jealousie of me or in opposition against me their Spirits cannot so harmoniously accord with mine
Subject Nor do I wish other than the safe bringing of the ship to shore when they have cast me over-board though it be very strange that Marriners can find no other means to appease the storme themselves have raised but by drowning their Pilot. I thank God my Enemies cruelty cannot prevent my preparation whose malice in this I shall defeat that they shall not have the satisfaction to have destroyed my Soule with my Body of whose salvation while some of them have themselves seemed and taught others to despaire they have only discover'd this that they do not much desire it VVhose uncharitable and cruell Restraints denying me even the assistance of any of my Chaplains hath rather enlarged than any way obstructed my accesse to the Throne of Heaven Where thou dwellest O King of Kings who fillest Heaven and Earth who art the fountain of eternall life in whom is no shadow of death Thou O God art both the iust Afflicter of Death upon ns and the mercifull Saviour of us in it and from it Yea it is better for us to be dead to our selves and live in thee than by living in our selves to be deprived of thee O make the many bitter agravations of my death as a Man and a King the opportunities and advantages of thy speciall graces and comforts in my Soule as a Christian If thou Lord wilt be with me I shall neither fear nor feel any evill though I walk through the valey of the shadow of death To contend with death is the work of a weak and mortall man to overcome it is the grace of thee alone who art the Almighty and immortal God O My Saviour who knowest what it is to dye with Me as a Man make Me to know what it is to pass through death to life with thee My God Though I dye yet I know that thou my Redeemer livest for ever though thou slayest Me yet thou hast incouraged me to trust in thee for eternal life O withdraw not thy favour from me which is better than life O be not farre from me for I know not how neer a violent and cruel death is to Me. As thy Omniscience O God discovers so thy Omnipotence can defeat the designes of those who have or shall conspire my destruction O shew me thy goodnesse of thy will through the wickednesse of theirs Thou givest me leave as a man to pray that this cup may passe from me but thou hast taught Me as a Christian by the example of Christ to adde not my will but thine be done Yea Lord let our wills be one by wholy resolving mine into thine let not the desire of life in me be so great as that of doing or suffering thy will in either life or death As I believe thou hast forgiven all the errors of my life so I hope thou wilt save me from the terrours of my death Make me content to leave the worlds nothing that I may come really to enioy all in thee who hast made Christ unto me in life gaine and in death advantage Though my destroyers forget their duty to thee and me yet do not thou O Lord forget to be mercifull to them For what profit is there in my bloud or in their gaining my Kingdoms if they lose their own Souls Such as have not only resisted my iust Power but wholy usurped and turned it against my selfe though they may deserve yet let them not receive to themselvs damnation Thou madest thy Son a Saviou to many that Crucified Him while at once he suffered violently by them and yet willingly for them O let the voice of his hloud be heard for My murtherers louder than the cry of mine against them Prepare them for thy mercy by due convictions of their sinne and let them not at once deceive and damme their owne Soules by fallacioâ—s pretentions of Iustice in destroying me while the conscience of their uniust usurpation of power against me chiefly tempts them to use all extremities against me O Lord thou knowest I have found their mercies to me as very false so very cruell who pretending to preserve me have meditated nothing but my ruine O deal not with them as bloud-thirsty and deceitfull men but overcome their cruelty with thy compassion and my charity And when thou makest inquisition for My bloud O sprinkle their polluted yet penitent Souls with the bloud of thy Sonne that thy destroying Angell may passe over them Though they think my Kingdoms on earth too little to entertaine at once both them and me yet let the capacious Kingdome of thy infinite mercy at last receive both me and my enemies When being reconciled to thee in the bloud of the same Redeemer we shall live farre above these ambitious desires which beget such mortall enmities When their hands shall be heaviest and cruellest upon me O let me fall into the arms of thy tender and eternall mercies That what is cut off of my life in this miserable moment may be repaiedin thy ever blessed eternity Lord let thy Servant depart in peace for my eyes have seen thy salvation Vota dabunt quae bella negârunt FINIS