exorbitances and abuses of Kings and Lords may be taken off and yet their persons remain and as much power left them as is their due 2. The rights and liberties of the people are above the places of Princes for Kings if duly chosen were set by the people for the better enjoying of their rights c. and therefore there is still in the people a standing power to alter their former choise and course of chusing if they se another way to be better for them 3. If by setting up of the people he mean the exercising of that power which God hath given them in changing one kind of government and setting another more safe and profitable for them it is well proposed As he that helps a man being unjustly thrust out of his possessions to set him into his own again is no way blame-worthy 2. He saith should you not rather propose that all power dominion and reign should be given to the Lord I must ingeniously professe here is a riddle and I understand it not But good Sir in your next tell us what power or dominion is taken from the Lord in seeking to have good laws established righteous judgment executed enormities removed righteousness and peace practised amongst men We have nothing more in his answer but much harsh and bitter language It is said of Lewes the Eleventh he had a conceit that every thing did stink about him all the odoriferous perfumes and fragrant savours they could get could not ease him but still he smell'd a filthy stinch It much grieves me that Mr. Sedgwick hath so ill an opinion of the Army that how precious and sweet soever their Proposals are yet all to his thinking is dung and trash A Third Exception is and a fault which he finds in them That they all along carry the interest of the publick in opposition to the King's Here he makes a tedious and long discourse and multiplieth words without knowledge First he saith The publick hath its interest in the King and the King his interest in the publick There is so much said in the Remonstrance from page 16. to 35. that if he had duly weighed and considered the same he would not have written as he doth It is not the Army as Sword-men that have cut the knot in pieces and divided them but indeed as it is there abundantly proved the King's il courses it is of himself that the union is dissolved and he wholly lost his interest in the publick for further satisfaction herein I refer the Reader to the Book and Mr. Prin's Charge against the King and the several Remonstrances and Declarations of Parliament to the same purpose 2. To omit his godding again of the creature he tels us how God is the God of Kings more than of common men assuming their titles kingliness agrees with all Christians It is a bastardly religion that is inconsistant with the majestie and greatness of the most absolute Monarch Ans. 1. Take notice Reader that in all this there is not one word which relates to the matter in hand 2. As the Lord honoreth good Kings so he is terrible to wicked ones cuts them off and powres out cuntempt upon them 3. Howsoever we grant that true religion is not inconsistant with monarchie yet we know and experienee shews it that there is no kind of civil government more averse and opposite to the Kingdom of Christ and lesse helpful to it than Monarchie For the rest which is the gathering all into one God and man into one person God and the King into one person to mention it is conviction enough A Fourth fault which he finds with them is In putting all the enmity against godliness and the power of it on the King's part and charging it upon him as his interest and assuming all religion and godliness to themselves Here first of all he makes a large discourse in praise of himself and speaks much in his own behalf as the like I never observed in a man truly fearing God It is personal and therefore I passe it over yet so as I wish him hereafter to remember that counsel of Solomon Let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth a stranger and not thine own lips It was their custom at the Olimpick games that the winner should not put the garland on himself but some other was to do it for him Now to the Answer which is very large but summarily thus A justifying of the wicked and condemning the righteous Touching the Army he saith Their wayes are dark and slippery crying up the Lord the Lord when they do the works of the Devil they have not the power of godliness And for the King's party They do not oppose them for purity and are in their principles more righteous than they and many of their persons more sober patient loving gentle yea more knowing in the things of God than they He further tels them they are led to the destroying of others as righteous as themselves and are kept off from the sight of their own iniquity Next he mentioneth Rom. 2.1 2. and Matt. 7.1 and hereupon sharply reproves them for accusing of others and whilest he is speaking it accuseth them to go besides all law and right to set up will and power that they shed the true innocent blood of Christ spoil the temple of God harden their hearts to pride malice and wicked insulting over their brethren and much more to this purpose then speaking of the King he saith They persecute him whom the Lord hath smitten and he is the apple of Gods eye and that God hath declared and so much they know rich mercie to the King and his partie in his book called The Leaves of the Tree of life Thus Reader I have in brief given thee a true accompt of all that he hath written from page 12. to page the 20. I shall here only in short take some few observations and so go on 1. What a bold challenge that is page 12. where he Chalengeth the whol earth to accuse him of any injustice to God or man Now can there be greater injustice than to charge Gods people with manifest falshood and untruth Thine own mouth condemneth thee and not I yea thine own lips testifie against thee I hope I may without exception or offence use his own words page 50. You may reade your description excellently pen'd long ago 1 Tim. 4. speaking lyes in hypocrisie 2. Is it not also great injustice to God if not to prefer yet to equalize Satans working in wicked men with the Spirits working upon the souls of the Saints 3. What sober considerate or wise man as he is reproving another for rash judging and uncharitableness would at the same time shew himself so uncharitable and rash in the very same thing as there is scarce a president or example before of the like 4. Is this Mr. Sedgwick's Justice upon the Armies Remonstrance when there is a true report made of the King's
THE ARMIES VINDICATION Wherein these five things are proved First That there is a Supream and Soveraign power alwayes residing in the People over and above Kings Secondly That all Kings have been and still are subject to and under Law Thirdly That the People have power not only to convent but to censure depose and punish their Kings for their Tyranny and misgovernment Fourthly That no Nation is so strictly tied to any one form of civill Government or Law but it is lawfull for the People to alter the same to another form or kind upon occasion Fiftly Amongst all formes of Civill Government Aristocratical or Popular is best and safest for the People Besides Here is shewed that to claim any Crown by an hereditary or successive title is upon a false and unjust ground In reply to Mr. William Sedgwick Published for the Kingdomes satisfaction By ELEVTHERIVS PHILODEMIVS 1 Cor. 7.21 But if thou mayest be made free use it rather Printed for Peter Cole at the signe of the printing presse in Cornhill neer the Royal Exchange Anno 1649. To his Excellency Thomas Lord Fairfax Lord General of the Parliaments forces and the General Councel of War My Lord and Gentlemen HAving spent some time in looking over the histories of Nations our own Records and Statutes with severall other works of Statists Politians Lawyers I found that saying truly verified of Solomon In much wisdome is much grief and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow and what he afterward concludes of all his own works and labour I observed to be most true in them touching Polities and civil government Behold all was vanity and vexation of spirit and there was no profit under the sun For indeed men have acted and written either in reference to Princes to humor and please their lusts and will or like the unwise builder the blind leading the blind have built upon the sand upon unsound bottomes and false principles And therefore as Christ in the controversie betweene him and the Pharisees touching divorce sends them back to the originall and first institution of marriage and to the Fathers of the first age of the world as being the first and best pattern and Paul to reform the abuses in the Lords Supper cals them Corinthians to the first institution So there is no better way to have a Common-wealth setled in peace and righteousnesse then to look back at the beginning when men walked by the exact and even rules of equity justice conscience and kept the clear and plain principles of reason and nature this is the Land-measure and Standard whereby the faulty measures coming after are to be corrected and amended How this light first came to be less'ned and then by degrees afterwards upon the matter quite extinguished in some Kingdomes and darknesse to break in as Soveraignities Monarchies Kings prerogatives arbitrary power regal immunities Crownes hereditary and successive c. all bloody and black Characters of Tyrants and conquest it is easie to be seen and I shall shortly by the good hand of God assisting me give you and the whole Nation good satisfaction In the mean time I have thought good to publish this small Treatise and howsoever I question not but your present work and way is clear to you yet to the nation generally it may serve in some good stead as to satisfie the weaker confirm the stronger informe the ignorant and leave the wilfull and obstinate without excuse For the man with whom I deal I have nothing here to say neither indeed would I have sayd any thing to his work considering what for a man he is but that I perceived it was in the mouth of some much cried up people it seemes that are not able to put a distinction between wind and words nor know any difference between rayling and reason And now my Lord and Gentlemen upon you at the present is the eye of the nation you are as a city set upon a hil all Kingdoms about us are looking on you and great things are hoped for and exspected from you and this I must needs tell you the cause of Christ lies much now upon your actings if you doe the worke of the Lord negligently unfaithfully fearfully oh my bowels doe yearn and I tremble to think what dishonor will come to Gods great name what scandal and proach to the glorious Gospel what sadnes and sorrow too the soules of the righteous and what tryumph and joy there will be in the tents of wicked men But I hope better things of you though I thus speak I need not tell you how much you have seen of God and how his powerfull presence hath gone all along with you to this present time neither need I tell you by what a strong arm and a strange providence you have beene brought up to this work But if you should now ask of me as the young man did of Christ what lack we yet I would say constancy and faithfulnesse to the end will crown not only this but all your former actions Methinks I could say more to you then Mordecai did to Hester Who knowes whether thou art come to the Kingdom for such a time as this We know and blessed be God for it the Lord hath made you his Israels Saviours and by you hath wrought deliverance for his people he hath put much glory already upon you now therfore stand fast quit your selves like men you have the prayers of the Saints with you and for you and for the enemies their defence is departed from them and the Lord is with you fear them not But seeing the Treatise is short I shall not make too large a forespeech I well remember your expression in the Remonstrance calling upon every man to contribute what help he can and truly there is all the reason in the world for it that every one now should lay himself out to further so honorable and good a work And for my part according to the small portion I have received I shall not be wanting in your vindication but for the things by you proposed and your prosecuting of them to wit that the King may be brought to his tryal the enemies of our peace punished hurtfull Laws nullified the peoples grievances and oppressions removed freedom and liberty of conscience without danger to the State granted a better form of Government setled as I shall undertake the just defence thereof so I shall shortly make it more manifest to the whole nation that there is nothing in all things desired of you nor prosecuted by you but what is according to justice reason nature conscience and what the Lord himself doth allow and call for In the mean time my prayer shall be for the blessing of God to be upon your labor and his powerfull protection over your Persons Sirs I am Your Honors devoted servant E. P. To the Reader Friendly Reader HOwsoever the Proverb be true he shall finde worke enough that hath to do with the multitude
and t is a hard thing to please all neverthelesse I have undertaken this worke in hope to satisfie all such who are not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} absurd and unreasonable but knowing men moderate and impartiall And confident I am didst thou know how free I am and disingaged in respect of any private interest thou wouldst consider the more seriously what is here written and reap the more profit by it For my name had I intended to have made it known I could have set it down and so have told it thee my self but thou mayest perceive my meaning is to conceale it and therefore thou needst not to enquire further onely thus much for thy satisfaction I have purposely forborn it that in reading thou mayest not have thy mind taken up with any thing but about the matter I make account I shall save Mr. Sedgwick the labour and all other Royallists of replying because I have in part don that my self namely collected all such Objections as I conceive carry any shew of contradiction to the particulars here asserted and shall very shortly set them forth with a full refutation Reader the main businesse is Liberty Liber captivus avi fere similis est Semel fugiendi si data est occasio Satis est nunquam post illum possis prendere A thing desired of all living creatures and therefore much unbeseeming man to strive for bondage Me thinks when J consider how the world hath been befool'd by Kings J could even weep and laugh to see what tame asses men have been to be ridden and beaten by them But the Lord is now risen up and doing his great work throwing down and breaking to pieces the proud powers of the earth both civil and eclesiastical It is good therefore thou consider where thou art and what the place of thy standing is he that hides himself under straw or chaffe will have small relief thereby when fire shall be put thereto and consume it All powers and places in opposition to Christ are but as dry stubble which the Lord is now about to destroy with the brightnesse of his comming But I shall not hold thee up with any longer discourse onely one thing I shall acquaint thee with there are some faults escaped which I have observed since it was printed and in some places greater then J wish they were the which J could not help beeing out of town when it was don and the badnesse of my hand may in part excuse the printer And so J bid farewell till thou doe hear again from me The Armies vindication in answer to Mr. Sedgwicks calumniation WHAT moves Mr. Sedgwick to shew himself such a bitter and cruell enemy to the Army and at this time to heat the furnace of his tongue seven times more then it was wont to be heat may in part be gathered from the Scripture set down in the Title page 2 Timot. 3 9. But they shall proceed no further c. but more clearly a little after where he speaks of his sermon at Windsor Overturn overturn overturn mentioning withall Mr. Saltmarsh his message depart from the tents of these unrighteous men and Mr Pinnels admonition The thing is thus he hath deeply engaged himself concerning the Armies ruin and the safe return of the King and his Posterity to their glory and greatnesse and having with much confidence and boldnesse a long time thus affirmed he begins now to fear lest this should be added to his doomsday-prophesie and so whilst he is lifting up himself and intruding into those things which he hath not seen his folly be made manifest to all men to use his own words Hence he growes angry and flyes in the face of the Army cals them dogs and devils that their wayes are beastly cruell absurd monstrous men led by a dark and foule Spirit enemies to the Spirit and to the crosse of Christ and much more to this purpose as if they would at his calumniations and slanders fall down before him and give all up to him that so it might not come to passe which he foresees already is at the door and shortly will be in all mens mouths Sedgwick the false prophet God hath not spoken to him in these things but he hath prophesied a lie in his Name Oh that Mr. Sedgwick could take notice of the visible and senceable reproof of God upon him that blindnesse hath happened to him in part and professing himself to be wise becomes a fool if the thoughts of the snare which he is fallen into lay upon his heart he would give glory to God and with Iob humbly say behold I am vile what shall I answer thâ—e I will lay my hand upon my mouth Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will speak no further Iob. 40 4 5. The Epistle Dedicatory is as the rest of the Pamphlet invective and slanderous Thus he begins You drive furiously over the necks of KING and Parliament Laws Covenants Loyalty Priviledges and no humane thing can stand before you Here Solomons words are verified Eccles. 10.13 The beginning of the words of his mouth as foolishnesse and the end of his talke is mischievous madnesse You found not any thing in the Remonstrance looking this way but expressions often to the contrary and were you as charitably minded towards His EXCELLENCY and the Generall COUNCEL of WAR as you are to the Malignant Party you had ground sufficient to judge otherwise But howsoever God will ere long clear their innocency and bring forth their righteousnesse as the light and their judgement as the noon day when by his gracious hand assisting them our Lawes Liberties and Priviledges shall be recovered the which by KING and PARLIAMENT have been trodden under foot But he tels them The Lord is here upbraiding your unbelief and after pag. 13. The Holy GOD will no longer suffer you to wear the name of Saints and godly but will discover you to be white sepulchres and cause your rottennesse to come forth But how may we know that the Lord hath called Mr. Will Sedgwick to this work and that it is the spirit of Christ speaking in him and he the man appointed to poure contempt upon the Army and to trample upon them as morter Must we take it as granted because he sayes it What if the Army should say in the words of Nehemiah And lo I perceived that God had not sent him but that he pronounced this Prophesie against me for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him Therefore was he hired that I should be afrayd and doe so and sin and that they might have matter for an evill report that they might reproach me My God think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works and on the Prophetesse Noadiah and the rest of the Prophets that would have put me in fear Neh 6.12 13 14. Is there no ground for them to think that the Malignant spirit drives on his old designe
here in Mr. Sedgwick namely to have the Army disbanded this hath been a long time sought after and severall wayes attempted to effect it But it seemes seeing all other meanes failes him he now studies to make the Army flye by a false prophesie as if our worthy Nehemiah and the rest would give over the building through a needlesse and foolish fear And indeed they have all the reason in the world to think that God hath not sent him for the statutes of the Lord are perfect right pure clean true and righteous altogether Out of the mouth of the most high proceedeth not evill and good Where we find as in his writing is abundance contradiction falshood flattery the wicked justified the righteous condemned evill called good and good evil darknesse put for light and light for darknesse bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Gosple Truths and Ordinances are scorned and derided c. there we may groundedly conclude that such a one was never thereto called of God But it seemes here to be Mr. Sedgwicks case as it once happined to Antonius when he angled some dived under water put fish upon his hook which he cast up and thought he had taken them If I should lay his fish together in a heap a man would soon perceive by the kind who put them upon the hook For instance look here good Reader out of what water is this fish taken and what fish is it speaking to His EXCELLENCY and the Generall COVNCEL of WAR he tels them It pleases me to pour contempt upon you to be shod with scorn and indignation and so trample upon Princes as morter If this be not the spirit of Antichrist then was it never in any man But let us see how Pope-like he sets his foot upon the neck of Princes Destruction your practice t is your work t is your end you cannot see beyond it your faith understanding God may I use your own words pag. 22. you lie grosly is sunk into your bellyes and your rule your strength your confidence is only in sensuall and brutish things you act against God and God against you your soules loath him and his soul loaths you And of the whole Army he saith Never were men caught in such a snare of the devil as you are you are true to nothing neither God nor man your wayes are beastly cruel absurd monstrous you continue in armes against command of God and men you are a company of deceivers and mountebancks that talke of curing saving delivering but all wast spoyl and destroy the people You are gone from all principles of goodnesse from the Lord to the world you are become through blindnesse and ignorance enemies to the spirit you love not the life of Christ you know not the mind of God neither have any communion with God Amongst you is the greatest enmity and malignity to the spirit of God and the greatest pride hypocrisie self confidence and spirituall wickednesse you are manifestly guilty of the present oppression upon the poor people and the intollerable burden of Free-quarter and unreasonable taxes you exspect the King should turn not to God but to your form of Religion and Government and cannot count any thing a change but yeelding to your way which if he should he should be seven times more the childe of the devil You are tugging and pulling down the Kingdom in pieces to satisfie your self with dominion you hope for nothing but for deceit falshood and treacherie you speak evill but cannot speak good you never spake any good of the King or any other but in scorn Here is some of the fish which Mr. Sedgwick hath cast up we need not to describe them they shew themselves what they are and the black lake out which they are taken But is this Mr: Sedgwicks voice oh poor man truly I pitty thee and howsoever no Rabshekeh Ishmaelite or Shimei could hardly have uttered greater slander and more falshood yet considering the temptation thou lyest under and what a depth of delusion God hath suffered thee to fall into thou art rather to be pittied then punished Michael the Archangel durst not bring against the devil a rayling accusation but you durst raile at the people of God and charge them with notorious untruths but take heed lest the strength of that prayer reach you Let the lying lips be put to silence which speaks grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous Psal. 31.18 Because I am willing that the Army should take notice what Mr. Sedgwick writes as well for them as against them Thus he charitably expresseth himself at first Your eternall state is sure t is your present wandrings that are here condemned Here is some comfort for you souldiers but will he stand to this not all for presently with the same mouth not minding what he had said he puts them all out of Heaven and out of all hope of salvation and shuts them up in the bottomlesse pit and this with as much confidence and certainty as if God had revealed to him what their future state should be le ts hear the sentence against the Army The Lord saith he appoints you a portion with hypocrites and unbeleevers where shall be weeping knashing of teeth Again pag. 11. If you adhere to that you have proposed you forsake your own interest and espouse the devil the God of this world the destroyer and will perish with him What their eternall salvation sure and yet may perish with the devil this is no true light the Spirit of God witnesseth otherwise But again pag. 18. You are cursing dividing and so are in the kingdome of darknesse and of the devil and often You are no Saints pag. 23.24 And in pag. 35. he passeth a finall doom where he saith You are reserved to be punisht from the presence of the Lord this is your second death As this vain and rash judging of his shewes by what spirit he is led so it is not worth the answering only it bewrayes great weaknesse and darknesse in him and that he is not himselfe For who but Mr. Sedgwick or a man under such distempers would write so vehemently as he hath don against the Army of which more in its place for rash judging of others wheras I dare clearly affirm there is hardly a precedent of any one man that fell so fouly and grosly in this very thing as he himself hath done Turpe est doctori cum culpa redarguat ipsi For his perverting of the Scripture Phil 3.18.19 scandalously applying it to the Army I mind it a thing in him neither new nor strange for the rest of his works shew what a proper gift he hath to wrest and abuse the sacred word of God Yet not to passe over the place altogether silent there seemes to be something here which is close and hid wherefore is Phil. 3.18 19. quoted and commented upon it is to make the Army contemptible and odious Paul saith many are enemies