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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A85094 A friendly letter of advice to the souldiers from a quondam-member of the army. J. F. 1659 (1659) Wing F36; Thomason E993_13; ESTC R202067 4,650 8

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A Friendly LETTER OF ADVICE TO THE SOULDIERS FROM A QUONDAM MEMBER OF THE ARMY Printed in the Year 1659. Fellow Souldiers WHen I consider with my self upon what grounds I withdrew from your society I cannot but bless Almighty God for that his temporal Redemption and pity that sad and lamentable Condition whereinto you have been so subtilly Inticed and held on for so many years with a strange Stupefaction I confess the Banner under which we first fought was most gloriously Gilt with the fair and specious pretences of Religion the preservation of the Laws the liberty of the Subject the priviledge of Parliament and the safety of the KING And indeed who would not willingly offer himself a sacrifice for so good a Cause But alas how soon was this mask of Hypocrisie laid aside how soon was the beauty of this Good old Cause made odious by a rebellious Leprosie was there any one Motive by which we were induced to fight made good was Religion any real cause of our Divisions No there was little appearance of the Truth thereof to any sober discreet person when the Cannons of the Church under the colour of zeal and sanctity were abolisht the Lyturgie abrogated the material Fabrick consecrated to the use and service of God in some places demolished in others miserably profaned by the introduction of bruit beasis and the prodigious impiety of their Riders the Metropolitan of the Church most barbarously Beheaded the sacred Order of Episcopacy extirpated and their Revenues together with that of Deans and Prebends sold and the rest of the Clergy tyrannically stript of their livelyhood contrary to Law this was not enough they must be silenced too and the Exercise and Administration of the Gospel committed unto such persons as either were not qualified for that holy Calling with Learning and holy Orders or else had profaned their Function by Perjury or Defaced their Natural parts by a snivling posture and nonsensical doctrine This was I say visible to all wise men at first and that men of the meanest capacity might not plead ignorance either for not repenting for their sins past or persevering in them Behold Liberty of conscience was publiquely declared by our grand Masters to be no ground of the War Did not this make you startle were you no way sensible of the Cheat was put upon you did you perceive no reluctancy for those Murders those grand impieties into which you were inveigled I must confess I did and could not but so much the more detest and abominate the Mountebanks by how much the more they had deluded both my Reason and Conscience Was it the preservation of the Laws they endeavoured to maintain Nothing less what one Action of theirs is consistant with the Laws of the Land As for the Law of God it appears there is nothing less in their hearts since they have absolutely supprest the true Religion and made a fair and spacious Avenue for Turks Jews Hereticks and Schismaticks Was it the liberty of the Subject they insisted on ask the City ask the Country make enquiry into the Universities then tell me whether any one person will affirm himself to have that liberty as to dispose of or keep his Estate according to his own pleasure Alas how can it be when they have not their liberty to choose their Members nay they shall have no members at all to represent their persons and promote their grievances But 't is no wonder they should thus fool the naked multitude when they have cast the whole Army into a Lethargy and devested the supreme Officers and General himself of their priviledges the disposition of Offices and places in the Army Was it the priviledge of Parliament they so much contended for Yes and for the justification and improvement of this they entrenched upon the KING'S prerogative and the priviledge of the House of LORDS by the violation of all the Laws in the Realm they usurpt the Legislative power and have exercised it to the destruction of the three States of this Nation grounded upon Law and of every particular member thereof Is this the Priviledge of Parliament Was it the safety of the KING they so fiercely contended for Truly had they kil'd him in fight the uncertain events of War might have rendred the fate accidental as to a vulgar capacity but for a company of Subjects to raise an Army against their Prince under pretence of reprieving him from his evil and wicked Council and having forced him into their own power to Arraign him at the Bar under the colour of justice to pass Sentence upon him and accordingly to Execute him so maliciously so scandalously at His own Gates at Noon day before the Eye of Heaven and the Face of the whole world This I say was a thing without President an Act so manifestly odious and Monstrous that our Nation is detestable to all our Neighbours nay 't is a thing so horrid and prodigious that the poison is extended both to Turks and Infidels in so dismal and black a Character that we are imprisoned in this Isle we have banished our selves into our Country as having no liberty and safety abroad But had they been such friends to themselves as to spare his life and make the ignorant part of men believe their onely resolution was to call Him home from his wicked Council it must be conceived their merit must have challenged the honour to be his Council what Church what Government what Laws might we have expected or rather what impiety what tyranny must we have not expected then when the KING should have been made the stalking Horse to bear the invisible Instrument of the peoples destruction when they dare Act such things now upon their own account their own interest a poor handful of men whose Fortunes were sometimes as despicable as their actions are detestable When they dare Act who dare resist their Votes when they have so many such active such stout Souldiers to back them T is you then 't is you Fellow Souldiers are guilty of all these Crimes by complying with and asserting their designes 'T is you have destroyed the Laws Murdered the KING and by heavy Impositions eaten the Bread out of your Countreymens mouths and to what purpose to satiate if it were possible the lust ambition and avarice of a few inconsiderable persons They have something to say for their perseverance they have got Wealth and some thing like Honour but what benefit accrews to you you are Night by Night upon the Guard you are Night and Day constrained like so many Ca●chpoles silently to steal through the streets whereby to surprise an innocent person and bring him to Destruction and all this while you are poor and Beggarly without pay you labour for nought and if you had your wages 't were no more then would keep you from starving yet this small pittance cannot be obtained for want whereof you run upon the score to such persons who are not able