for Iustice that is to have both My selfe and the two Houses Vote and doe as they would have us that many 't is thought were rather terrified to concurre with the condemning party then satisfied that of right they ought so to doe And that after Act vacating the Authority of the precedent for future imitation sufficiently tells the world that some remorse touched even his most implacable enemies as knowing he had very hard measure and such as they would be very loath should be repeated to themselves This tendernesse and regret I find in my soul for having had any hand and that very unwillingly God knowes in shedding one mans bloud unjustly though under the colour and formalities of Justice and pretences of avoyding publick mischeifes which may I hope be some evidence before God and Man to all Posterity that I am far from bearing justly the vast load guilt of all that bloud which hath been shed in this unhappy Warre which some men will needs charge on Me to ease their own soules who am and ever shall be more afraid to take away any mans life unjustly then to lose my owne But thou O God of infinite mercies forgive me that act of sinfull compliance which hath greater aggravations upon Me then any man Since I had not the least temptation of envy or malice against him and by my place should at least so farre have been a preserver of him as to have denied my consent to his destruction O Lord I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me Deliver me from bloud guiltinesse O God thou God of my salvation and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousnesse Against thee have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight for thou sawest the contradiction between my heart and my hand Yet cast me not away from thy presence purge me with the blood of my Redeemer and I shall be clean wash me with that pretious effusion and I shall be writer then snow Teach me to learn Righteousnesse by thy Iudgments and to see my frailty in thy Iustice while I was perswaded by shedding one mans bloud to prevent after-troubles thou hast for that among other sinnes brought upon me and upon my Kingdomes great long and heavy troubles Make me to prefer Iustice which is thy will before all contrary clamours which are but the discoveries of mans injurious will It is too much that they have once overcome me to please them by displeasing thee O never suffer me for any reason of State to goe against my Reason of Conscience which is highly to sinne against thee the God of Reason and Iudge of our Consciences What ever O Lord thou seest fit to deprive me of yet restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation and ever uphold me with thy free Spirit which subjects my will to none but thy light of Reason Iustice and Religion which shines in my Soul for Thou desirest Truth in the inward parts and Integrity in the outward expressions Lord hear the voice of thy Sons and my Saviours Bloud which speaks better things of make me and my People to hear the voyce and Ioy and Gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce in thy salvation 3. Vpon His Majesties going to the House of Commons MY going to the House of Commons to demand Justice upon the 5 Members was an act which My enemies loaded with all the obloquies and exasperations they could It filled indifferent men with great jealousies and feares yea and many of My friends resented it as a motion rising rather from Passion then Reason and not guided with such discretion as the touchinesse of those times re-required But these men knew not the just motives and pregnant grounds with which I thought my self so furnished that there needed nothing to such evidence as I could have produced against those I charged save only a free and legall Triall which was all I desired Nor had I any temptation of displeasure or revenge against those mens persons further then I had discovered those as I thought unlawfull correspondencies they had used and engagements they had made to embroyle my Kingdomes of all which I missed but little to have produced writings under some mens own hands who were the chief contrivers of the following Innovations Providence would not have it so yet I wanted not such probabilities as were sufficient to raise jealousies in any Kings heart who is not wholly stupid and neglective of the publick peace which to preserve by calling in Question half a dozen men in a fair and legall way which God knowes was all my design could have amounted to no worse effect had it succeeded then either to do Me and my Kingdom right in case they had been found guilty or else to have cleared their Innocency and removed my suspicions which as they were not raised out of any malice so neither were they in Reason to be smothered What flames of discontent this sparke though I â—ought by all speedy and possible means to quench it soone kindled all the world is witnesse The aspersion which some men cast upon that action as if I had designed by force to assault the House of Commons and invade their priviledge is so false that as God best knowes I had no such intent so none that attended could justly gather from any thing I then said or did the least intimaon of any such thoughts That I went attended with some Gentlemen as it was no unwonted thing for the Majesty and safety of a King so to be attended especially in discontented times so were my followers at that time short of my ordinary Guard and no way proportionable to hazard a tumultuary conflict Nor were they more scared at my comming then I was un-assured of not having some affronts cast upon me if I had none with me to preserve a reverence to me For many people had at that time learned to think those hard thoughts which they have since aboundantly vented against Me both by words and deeds The summe of that businesse was this Those men and their adherents were then looked upon by the affrighted vulgar as greater protectors of their Lawes and Liberties then my self and so worthier of their protection I leave them to God and their own Consciences who if guilty of evill machinations no present impunity or popular vindications of them will be subterfuge sufficient to rescue them from those exact Tribunalls To which in the obstructions of Justice among men we must religiously appeal as being an argument to us Christians of that after un-avoidable judgement which shall rejudge what among men is but corruptly decided or not at all I endeavoured to have prevented if God had seen fit those future commotions which I fore-saw would in all likelyhood follow some mens activity if not restrained and so now hath done to the undoing of many thousands the more is the pitty But to over-awe the freedome of the Houses or to weaken their just
they saw no probability unlesse by miracle to preserve the remnant that had yet escaped God knowes with how much commiseration and solicitous caution I carried on that businesse by persons of Honour and Integrity that so I might neither incourage the Rebells Insolence nor discourage the Protestants Loyalty and Patience Yet when this was effected in the best sort that the necessity and difficulty of affaires would then permit I was then to suffer again in my reputation and Honour because I suffered not the Rebels utterly to devour the remaining handfuls of the Protestants there I thought that in â—ll reâ—son the gaining of that respite could not be so much to the Rebels advantages which some have highly calumniated against me as it might have been for the Protestants future as well as present safety If during the time of that Cessation some men had had the grace to have laid Irelands sad condition more to heart and laid aside those violent motions which were here carried on by those that had better skill to let bloud than to stanch it But in all the misconstructions of my actions which are prone to find more credulity in men to what is false and evill than love or charity to what is true and good as I have no Judge but God above me so I can have comfort to appeale to his omniscience who doth not therefore deny my Innocence because he is pleased so farâ—e to try my patience as he did his servant Iob's I have enough to doe to look to my owne 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 mouthes and hearts as easily as smoke or sparks doe 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 believe any man not to be as bad as themselves 'T is Kingly to doe well and heare ill If I can but act the one I shall not much regard to beare the other I thank God I can heare 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 believe 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 effusions of bloud in Ireland Which whatever my Enemies please to say or thinke I looke upon as that of my other Kingdomes exhausted out of my owne veins no man being so much weakned by it as my selfe And I hope though mens unsatiable cruelties never will yet the mercy of God will at length say to his justice It is enough and command the Sword of Civill Warres to sheath it self his mercifull justice intending I trust not our utter confusion but our cure the abatement of our sinnes not 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 practiced 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 sinnes have been our ruine Let not the miseries I and my Kingdomes have hitherto suffered seeme small to thee but make our sins appeare to our consciences as they are represented in the glasse of thy judgments 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 judgements which are very many and very heavy Yet let our sinnes be ever more grievous to us than thy judgments and make us more willing to repent than 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 through 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 Subjects suffâ—rings 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 unjust reproaches cast upon Me be as a breath more to kindle my compassion Give me grace to heap charitable coles of fire upon their heads to melt them whose malice or cruell Zeale hath kindled or hindred the quenching of those flames which have so much wasted my three Kingdomes O rescâ—e and assist those poore Protestants in Ireland whom thou hast hitherto preserved And lead those in the waies of thy saving Truths whose ignorance or errours have filled them with rebelliâ—us and destrustive principles whâ—ch they act under an opinion That they doâ— thee good service Let the hand of thy justice be against those who maliciously and despitefully have raised or fomented those cruell and desperate Warres 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 justly cursed Preserve if it be thy will in the midst of the fornace of thy severe justice a Posterity which may praise thee for thy mercy And deale with Me not according to mans unjust reproaches but according to the Innocency of my hands in thy sight If I have desired or delighted in the wofull day of my Kingdomes calamities if I have not earnestly studied and faithfully endeavoured the preventing and composing of these bloudy distractionsâ— then let thy hand be against me and my Fathers house O Lord thou seest I have eâ—emies 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 well But I trust not to my owne merit but thy merciesâ— spare us O Lord and be not angry with us for â—verâ— 13. Vpon the Calling in of the Scots and their Comming THe Scots are a Nation upon whom I have not onely common ties of Nature Soveraignty and Bounty with My Father of blessed memory but also speciall and late obligations of favours having gratified the active Spirits among them so farre that I seemed to many to prefer the desires of that Party before My owne interest and Honour But I
Reason why any Christian should abhorre or be forbidden to use the â—ame Formes of prayer since he praies to the same God bâ—lieves in the same Saviour professeth the same Truths reads the same Scriptures hath the same duties upon him and feels the same daily wants for the most part both inward and outward which are common to the whole Church Sure we may as wel before-hand know what we pray as to whom we pray and in what words as to what sense when we desire the same things what hinders we may not use the same words our appetite and disgestion too may be good when we use as we pray for our daily bread Some men I heare are so impatient not to use in all their devotions their owne invention and gifts that they not onely disuse as too many but wholly cast away and contemn the Lords Prayer whose great guilt is that it is the warrant and originall patterne of all set Liturgies in the Christian Church I ever thought that the proud ostentation of mens abilities for invention and the vaine affectations of variety for expressions in Publique prayer or any sacred administrations merits a greater brand of sin than that which they call Coldnesse and Barrennesse Nor are men in those novelties lesse subject to formall and superficiall tempers as to their hearts than in the use of constant Formes where not the words but mens hearts are too blame I make no doubt but a man may be very formall in the most extemporary variety and very fervently devout in the most wonted expressions Nor is God more a God of variety than of constancy Nor are constant Formes of Prayers more likely to flat and hinder the Spirit of prayer and devotion than un-premeditated and confused variety to distract and lose it Though I am not against a grave modest discreet and humble use of Ministers gifts even in publique the better to fit and excite their owne and the Peoples affections to the present occasions yet I know no necessity why private and single abilities should quite justle ouâ— and deprive the Church of the joynt abilities and concurrent gifts of many learned and godly men such as the Composers of the Service-Booke were who may in all reason be thought to have more of gifts and graces enabling them to compose with serious deliberation concurrent advise such Forms of prayers as may best fit the Churches common wants informe the Hearers understanding and stirre up that fiduciary and fervent application of their spirits wherein consists the very life and soule of prayer and that so much pretended Spirit of prayer than any private man by his solitary abilities can be presumed to have which what they are many times even there where they make a great noise and shew the affectations emptinesse impertinency rudenesse confusions flatnesse levity obscurity vain and ridiculous repetitions the senslesse and oft-times blasphemous expressions all these burthened with a most tedious and intolerable length do sufficiently convince all men but those who glory in that Pharisaick way Wherein men must be strangely impudent flatterers of themselves not to have an infinite shame of what they so do and say in things of so sacred a nature before God and the Church after so ridiculous and indeed profane a manner Nor can it expected but that in duties of frequent performance as Sacramentall administrations and the like which are still the same Ministers must either come to use their own Formes constantly which are not like to be so sound or comprehensive of the nature of the duty as Formes of Publick composure or else they must every time affect new expressions when the subject is the same which can hardly be presumed in any mans greatest sufficiencies not to want many times much of that compleatnesse order and gravity becomming those duties which by this means are exposed at every celebration to every Ministers private infirmities indispositions errours disorders and defects both for judgment and expression A serious sense of which inconvenience in the Church unavoidably following every mans severall manner of officiating no doubt first occasioned the wisdome and piety of the Ancient Churches to remedy those mischiefs by the use of constant Liturgies of Publick composure The want of which I believe this Church will sufficiently feel when the unhappy fruits of many mens un-governed ignorance and confident defects shall be discovered in more errours schimes disorders and uncharitable distractions in Religion which are already but too many the more is the pity However if violence must needs bring in and abett those innovations that men may not seeme to have nothing to do which Law Reason and Religion forbids at least to be so obtruded as wholly to justle out the publick Liturgie Yet nothing can excuse that most unjust and partiall severity of those men who either lately had subscribed to used and maintained the Service-book or refused to use it cried out of the rigour of Lawes and Bishops which suffered them not to use the liberty of their Consciences in not using it That these men I say should so suddenly change the Lyturgie into a Directory as if the Spirit needed help for invention though not for expressions or as if matter prescribed did not as much stint and obstruct the Spirit as if it were cloathed in and confined to fit words So slight and easie is that Legerdemain which will serve to delude the vulgar That further they should use such severity as not to suffer without penalty any to use the Common-prayer-Book publickly although their Consciences bind them to it as a duty of Piety to God and Obedience to the Lawes Thus I see no men are prone to be greater Tyrants and more rigorous exacters upon others to conform to their illegall novelties then such whose pride was formerly least disposed to the obedience of lawfull Constitutions and whose licentious humours most pretended Conscientious liberties which freeâ—dome with much regret they now allow to Me and My Chaplains when they may have leave to serve Me whose abilities even in their exâ—emporary way comes not short of the others but their modesty and learning far exceeds the most of them But this matter is of so popular a nature as some men knew it would not bear learned and sober debates lest being convinced by the evidence of Reason as well as Lawes they should have been driven either to sin more against their knowledge by taking away the Liturgie or to displease some faction of the people by continuing the use of it Though I beleeve they have offended more considerable men not onely for their numbers and estates but for their weighty and judicious piety than those are whose weaknesse or giddinesse they sought to gratifie by taking it away One of the greatest faults some men found with the Common-Prayer-Book I beleeve was this That it taught them to pray so oft for Me to which Petitions they had not Loyaltie enough to say Amen nor yet Charity
least kind to have hindred My Subjects either security or prosperity for they better enjoyed bothâ— 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 violent 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 ties of Conscience upon Me yet I was willing to condescend so farre 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 zeale charity or love of Reformation I was content to yeild to all that might seem to advance true piety I onely sought to continue what was necessary in point of Order Maintenance and Authority to the Churches Government and what I am perswaded as I have elswhere set downe My thoughts more fully is most agreeable to the true Principles of all Government raised to its full stature and perfection as also to the primitive Apostolicall patterne and the practise of the Universall Church conforme thereto From which wholly to recede without any probable reason urged or answered onely to satisfie some mens wills and fantasies which yet agree not among themselves in any point but that of extirpating Episcopacy and fighting against Me must needs argue such as softnesse and 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 knowes and time will discover who were most too blame for the un-succesfulnesse of that Treaty and who must bear the guilt of after-calamities I believe 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 faire Condescendings as Arguments of feeblenesse and glory most in an unflexible stifnesse when they see others most â—upple and inclinable to them A grand Maxime with them was alwaies to aske 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 selfe by dishonourable Concessions that so they might have the lesse to doe This was all which that Treaty or any other produced to let the world see how little I would deny or they grant in order to the Publique peace That it gave occasion to some mens further restivenesse is imputable to their owne depraved tempers not to any Concessions or Negations of Mine I have alwaies 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 signe of true valour to be prodigall of mens lives rather then to be drawne to produce our owne reasons or subscribe to other mens That which made Me for the most part presage the unsuccesfulnesse of any Treaty was some mens unwillingnesse to Treat which implied some things were to be gained by the Sword whose unreasonablenesse they were loath to have fairly scanned being more proper to be acted by Souldiers than by Counsellours I pray God forgive them that were guilty of that Treaties breaking and give them grace to make their advantages gotten by 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 gaine by our Prayers O Thou that art the God of Reason and of Peace who disdainest not to Treat with Sinners preventing them with offers of attonement and beseâ—ching them to be reconciled with thy selfe who wantest not power or justice to destroy them yet aboundest in mercy to save soften our hearts by the bloud of our Redeemer and perswade us to accept of Peace with thy self and both to procure and preserve peace among our selves as Men and Christians How oft have I intreated for Peace but when I speak thereof they make them ready to Warre Condemne us not to our passionsâ— 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 â—o 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 Warre we have deserved and bestow upon us that Peace which only Christ our great Peace-maker can merit 19. Vpon the various events of the Warre Victories and Defeats THe various Successes of this unhappy war have at least afforded Me variety of good Meditations sometimes God was pleased to trie Me with Victory by worsting My Enemies that I might know how with moderation and thanks to owne and use his power who is onely 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 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 esteem 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 his own glory I am sure the event or successe can never state the Justice of any Cause nor the peace of mens Consciences nor the eternall fate of their Soules Those with Me had I think clearly and undoubtedly for their Justification the Word of God and the Lawes of the Land together with their own Oathes all
obtaine 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 self 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 owne 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 self Mine Although they should destroy me yet they shall have no cause to despise me Neither liberty nor life are so deare 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 grâ—dge 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 selfe to some shew of liberty if I would consent to enslave them I had rather hazard the ruine of one King than to confirme many Tyrants over them from whom I pray God deliver them whatever 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 Owne Me for thy Servant and I shall never have cause to complaine 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 Coâ—stancy in Iustice as a King Though thou sufferest Me to be stript of all outward ornaments yet preserve Me ever in those enjoyments wherein I may enjoy thy selfe and which cannot be taken from Me against my will Let no fire of affliction boyle â—ver My passion to any impatience or sordid feares 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 Constâ—ncy which my condition now requires My strength is scattered My expectation froâ— Men defeated My Person restrained O be not thou farre from Me lest My Enemies prevaile too much against Me. I am become a wonder and a scorne to many O be thou my Helper and Defender Shew some token upon me for good that they that hate me may be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen and comforted me establish me with thy free Spirit that I may do and suffer thy will as thou wouldst have me Be mercifull to me O Lord for my Soule trusteth in thee yea and in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge untill these calamities be overpast Arise to deliver me make no long â—arrying O my God Though thou killest me yet will I trust in thy mercy and my Saviour merit I know that my Redeemer liveth though thou leadest me through the vayl and shadow of death yet shall I feare none ill 24. Vpon their denying His Majesty the Attendance of His Chaplaines WHen Providence was pleased to deprive Me of all other civill comforts and secular attendants I thought the absence of them all might best be supplyed by the attendance of some of My Chaplaines 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 denyed 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 ayming at once to destroy their Bodies and to damne their Soules But My Agony must not be relieved with the presence of any one good Angell for such I account a Learâ—ed Godly and discreet Divine and such I would have all Mine to be They that envy My being a King are loath I should be a Christian while they seek to deprive Me of all things else They are afraid I should save my Soul Other sense Charity it self 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 Unchristiannesse of those denialls might arise from a displeasure some men had to see me prefer my own Divines before their Ministers whom though I respect for that worth and piety which may be in them yet I cannot thinke them so proper for any present comforters or Physitians Who have some of them at least had so great an influence in occasioning these calamities and inflicting these wounds upon Me. Nor are the soberest of them so apt for that devotionall complyance 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 or mine with theirs either in Prayer or other holy duties as is meet and most comfortable whose golden Rule and bond of Perfection consists in that of mutuall Love and Charity Some remedies are worse then the diseasâ— and some comforters more miserable then misery it self when like Iobs friends they seek not to fortifie ones mind
not the first service as I count it the best in which they have forced Me to serve My self though I must confesse I beare with more grief impatience the want of My Chaplaines than of any other My Servants and next if not beyond in some things to the being sequestred from my Wife and Children since from these indeed more of humane and temporary affections but from those more of heavenly and eternall improvements may be expected My comfort is that in the inforced not neglected want of ordinary meanes God is wont to afford extraordinary supplies of his gifts and graces If his Spirit will teach Me and help My Infirmities in prayer reading and meditation as I hope he will I shall need no other either Oratour or Instructer To Thee therefore O My God doe I direct My now solitary prayers what I want of others help supply with the more immediate assistances of thy Spirit which alone can both enlighten My darknesse and quicken My dulnesse O thou Sun of righteousnesse thou sacred Fountaine of heavenly light and heat at once cleare and warme my heart both by instructing of me and interceding for me In thee is all fulnesse From thee all-sufficiency By thee is all acceptance Thou art company enough and comfort enough Thou art my King be also my Prophet and my Priest Rule me teach me pray in me for me and be thou ever with me The single wrestlings of Jacob prevailed with thee in that sacred Duell when he had none to second him but thy selfe who didst assist him with power to overcome thee and by a welcome violence to wrest a blessing from thee O look on me thy Servant in infinite mercy whom thou didst once blesse with the joynt and sociated Devotions of others whose fervency might inflame the coldnesse of my affections towards thee when we went to or met in thy House with the voice of joy and gladnesse worshipping thee in the unity of spirits and with the bond of Peace O forgive the neglect and not improving of those happy opportunities It is now thy pleasure that I should be as a Pelican in the wildernesse as a Sparrow on the house top and as a coale scattered from all those pious glowings and devout reflections which might best kindle preserve and encrease the holy fire of thy graces on the Altar of my heart whence the sacrifice of prayers and incense of praises might be duly offered up to thee Yet O thou that breakest not the bruized Reed nor quenchest the smoaking Flax doe not despise the weaknesse of my prayers nor the smotherings of my soule in this uncomfortable lonenesse to which I am constrained by some mens uncharitable denialls of those helps which I much want and no lesse desire O let the hardnesse of their hearts occasion the softnings of mine to thee and for Them Let their hatred kindle my love let their unreasonable denials of my Religious desires the more excite my prayers to thee Let their inexorable deafnesse encline thine eare to me who art a God easie to be entreated thine eare is not heavy that it cannot nor thy heart hard that it will not heare nor thy hand shortned that it cannot help Me thy desolate Supplyant Thou permittest men to deprive me of those outward means which thou hast appointed in thy Church but they cannot debarre me from the communion of that inward grace which thou alone breathest into humble hearts O make me such and thou wilt teach me thou wilt heare me thou wilt help me The broken and contrite heart I know thou wilt not despise Thou O Lord canst at once make me thy Temple thy Priest thy Sacrifice and thine Altar while from an humble heart I alone daily offer up in holy meditations fervent prayers and unfeigned teares my self to thee who preparest me for thee dwellest in me and acceptest of me Thou O Lord didst cause by secret supplies and miraculous infusions that the handfull of meale in the vessell should not spend nor the little oyle in the cruise fayle the Widow during the time of drought and dearth O look on my soul which as a Widow is now desolate forsaken let not those saving Truths I have formerly learned now fail my memory nor the sweet effusions of thy Spirit which I have sometime felt now be wanting to my heart in this famine of ordinary and wholsome food for the refreshing of my Soule Which yet I had rather chuse than to feed from those hands who mingle my bread with ashes and my wine with gall rather tormenting than teaching me whose mouths are proner to bitter reproaches of me than to hearty prayers for me Thou knowest O Lord of truth how oft they wrest thy holy Scriptures to My destruction which are cleare for their subjection and my preservation O let it not be to their damnation Thou knowest how some men under colour of long prayers have sought to devoure the houses of their Brethren their King and their God O let not those mens balmes break my head nor their Cordialls oppresse my heart I will evermore pray against their wickednesse From the poyson under their tongues from the snares of their lips from the fire and the swords of their words ever deliver Me O Lord and all those Loyall and Religious hearts who desire and delight in the prosperity of my soul and who seek by their prayers to relieve this sadnesse and solitude of thy servant O my King and my God 25. Penitentiall Meditations and Vowes in the KING'S solitude at Holmeby GIve ear to my words ô Lord consider my Meditation and hearken to the voice of my cry my King and my God for unto thee will I pray I said in my haste I am cast out of the sight of thine eyes neverthelesse thou hearest the voice of my supplication when I cry unto thee If thou Lord shouldst be extream to mark what is done amisse who can abide it But there is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared therefore shall sinners fly unto thee I acknowledg my sins before thee which have the aggravation of my condition the eminency of my place adding weight to my offences Forgive I beseech thee my Personall and my Peoples sinnes which are so farre mine as I have not imprâ—ved the power thou gavest me to thy glory and my Subjects good Thou hast now brought me from the glory and freedome of a King to be a Prisoner to my own Subjects Iustly ô Lord as to thy over-ruling hand because in many things I have rebelled against thee Though thou hast restrained my Person yet enlarge my heart to thee and thy grace towards Me. I come far short of Davids piety yet since I may equall Davids afflictions give me also the comforts and the sure mercies of David Let the penitent sense I have of my sins be an evidence to me that thou hast pardoned them Let not the evils which I and my Kingdomes have suffered seem little unto thee
yeares so compliant they were to publique order nor indeed was their Party great either in Church or State as to mens judgments But as soone as discontents drave men into Sidings as ill humours fall to the disaffected mart which causes inflamations so did all at first who affected any novelties adhere to that Side as the most remarkable and specious note of difference then in point of Religion All the lesser Factions at first were oâ—ficious Servants to Presbytery their great Master till time and military successe discovering to each their peculiar advantages invited them to part stakes and leaving the joynt stock of uniforme Religion pretended each to drive for their Party the trade of profits and preâ—erments to the breaking and undoing not onely of the Church and State but even of Presbytery it self which seemed and hoped at first to have ingrossed all Let nothing seem little or despicable to you in matters which concerne Religion and the Churches peace so as to neglect a speedy reforming and effectuall suppressing Errours Schismes which seem at first but as a hand-bredth by seditious Spirits as by strong winds are soon made to cover and darken the whole Heaven When you have done justice to God your owne soule and his Church in the profession and preservation both of truth and unity in Religion the next main hinge on which your prosperity will depend and move is that of civill Justice wherein the setled Laws of these Kingdomes to which you are rightly Heire are the most excellent rules you can governe by which by an admirable temperament give very much to Subjects industry liberty and happinesse and yet reserve enough to the Majesty and prerogative of any King who ownes his People as Subjects not as Slaves whose subjection as it preserves their property peace and safety so it will never diminish your Rights nor their ingenuous Liberties which consists in the enjoyment of the fruits of their industry and the benefit of those Lawes to which themselves have consented Never charge your Head with such a Crowne as shall by its heavinesse oppresse the whole body the weaknesse of whose parts cannot returne any thing of strength honour or safety to the Head but a necessary debilitation and ruine Your Prerogative is best shewed and exercised in remitting rather than exacting the rigor of the Lawes there being nothing worse than legall Tyranny In these two points the preservation of established Religion and Lawes I may without vanity turne the reproach of My sufferings as to the worlds censure into the honour of a kind of Martyrdome as to the testimony of My owne Conscience The Troublers of My Kingdomes having nothing else to object against Me but this That I preferre Religion and Lawes established before those alterations they propounded And so indeed I doe and ever shall till I am convinced by better Arguments than what hitherto have been chiefly used towards Me Tumults Armies and Prisons I cannot yet learne that lesson nor I hope ever will you That it is safe for a King to gratifie any Faction with the perturbation of the Lawes in which is wrapt up the publique Interest and the good of the Community How God will deale with Me as to the removall of these pressures indignities which his justice by the very unjust hands of some of My Subjects hath been pleased to lay upon Me I cannot tell nor am I much solicitous what wrong I suffer from men while I retaine in My soule what I believe is right before God I have offered all for Reformation and Safety that in Reason Honour and Conscience I can reserving onely what I cannot consent unto without an irreparable injury to My own Soule the Church and My People and to You also as the next and undoubted Heire of My Kingdomes To which if the divine Providence to whom no difficulties are insuperable shall in his due time after My decease bring You as I hope he will My counsell and charge to You is That You seriously consider the former reall or objected miscarriages which might occasion My troubles that You may avoid them Never repose so much upon any mans single counsell fidelity and discretion in managing affaires of the first magnitude that is matters of Religion and Justice as to create in Your selfe or others a diffidence of Your owne judgment which is likely to be alwaies more constant impartiall to the interests of Your Crowne and Kingdome than any mans Next beware of exasperating any Factions by the crosnesse and asperity of some mens passions humours or private opinions imployed by You grounded onely upon the differences in lesser matters which are but the skirts and suburbs of Religion Wherein a charitable connivence and Christian toleration often dissipates their strength whom rougher opposition fortifies and puts the despised and oppressed Party into such Combinations as may most enable them to get a full revenge on those they count their Persecutors who are commonly assisted by that vulgar commiseration which attends all that are said to suffer under the notion of Religion Provided the differences amount not to an insolent opposition of Lawes and Government or Religion established as to the essentials of them such motions and minings are intolerable Alwaies keep up solid piety and those fundamentall Truths which mend both hearts and lives of men with impartiall favour and justice Take heed that outward circumstances and formalities of Religion devoure not all or the best incouragements of learning industry and piety but with an equall eye and impartiall hand distribute favours and rewards to all men as you find them for their reall goodnesse both in abilities and fidelity worthy and capable of them This will be sure to gaine You the hearts of the best and the most too who though they be not good themselves yet are glad to see the severer waies of virtue at any time sweetned by temporall rewards I have You see conflicted with different and opposite Factions for so I must needs call and count all those that act not in any conformity to the Lawes established in Church and State no sooner have they by force subdued what they counted their Common Enemy that is all those that adhered to the Lawes and to Me and are secured from that feare but they are divided to so high a rivalry as sets them more at defiance against each other than against their first Antagonists Time will dissipate all factions when once the rough hornes of private mens covetous and ambitious designes shall discover themselves which were at first wrapt up hidden under the soft and smooth pretensions of Religion Reformation and Liberty As the Wolfe is not lesse cruell so he will be more justly hated when he shall appeare no better than a Wolfe under Sheeps cloathing But as for the seduced Traine of the Vulgar who in their simplicity follow those disguises My charge and counsell to You is That as You need no palliations for any designes as