Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	church_n	holy_a	word_n	6,560	5	4.2187	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65439	To the most illustrious, High and Mighty Majesty of Charles the II, by the grace of God King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, etc. the humble declaration of being first a supplicatory preface and discourse of His Majesty, and then humbly shewing the great and dangerous troubles and intollerable oppressions of himself and his family, and the true occasion thereof, in the wofull times of these late most unhappy distractions : wherein the perfect loyalty of a true subject, and persideous malice and cruelty of a rebell, are evidently deciphered, and severally set forth to the publick view in their proper colours, as a caution for England : hereunto are annexed certain poems, and other treatises composed and written by the author upon several occasions, concerning the late most horrid and distracted times, and nver before published.	Wenlock, John.	1662 (1662)	Wing W1350; ESTC R8066	124,478	168

their black Imperial Prince is descended from a Childe that Solomon begot upon the Queen of Sheba and this they stand upon as a great and honourable Antiquitie for that Nation but withall I did still inform these people that your Majesties Title to England was full as antient far more authentical And the chief scope and end of all these my Speeches and Relations was to inlighten their blind Eye● to inform their Judgements to make them know and understand the Truth of your Majesties indubitable just and religious Rights and Authorities over this Nation that therby they might be induced to have a more reverend regard and opinion of the same and so in time become inclinable to yield their due obedience thereunto On a time being at a Court Baron in a great and populous Town divers of the Tenants there in open discourse did ask me many Questions in Law which I gave them my Opinion in to their satisfaction at the length a jolly fellow there who was a Presbyters lay elder did say that the tenants were much beholding to me for I had told them a great deal of Law but quoth he I have heard but little Gospel come from you Friend said I thanks be given to God for it I can speak Gospel too as well as Law but Gospel now is not fit for your hearing because you have cast off the practise of it No sure said he I do make more account of the Gospel than of your Law You ought indeed to do so said I but you have forgot your Dutie then for the Gospel enjoynes you to give Caesar his due and that you have quite forgotten and where are you now Then I desired him to tell me Whether he thought that St. Peters Epistles were Canonical Scripture or not Yes quoth he they are Then said I there you fail again for there is in them a good Document that you and others have slighted most shamefully What is that said he It is this said I Fear God and honour the King and that I am sure you have quite forgotten or little regarded these two seven years Hereat the whole Auditorie fell into a loud laughter and the Elder knew not what to say for himself There was a rich Town not far from me which at the first beginning of the late Rebellion were liberal and very free to part with their Monies and Armes to that purpose but their Purses being prettily well exhausted and some of them not well willing or able to spare any more Monie out of their Stocks for the present yet for a further ostentation and to make their Zeal and Devotion though blinde in it self yet perspicuous and clear enough unto others They consulted therefore and agreed together to borrow 1000 pound upon interest of a rich Usurer and presently they lent the same to the Parliament upon the Publick Faith though alass they knew not where that Utopian or imaginarie Creature did then dwell neither from that day to this could they ever find out the residence thereof nor yet so happily meet with it as to get their Monies again It was my chance a few years after to enter discourse with one of the most solid Heads in that Parish and I said unto him that I had seldom or never read or heard of such a stupified and blockish kind of people as most of them were Why quoth he are we worse then all others Truly said I there be none that I know of that have manifested more ignorance and perverseness than you have done for when you had parted with all and lent to the Rebels so much Monie of your own as you listed to spare then must you forsooth take up Monie at interest to send the same way and so purchase to your selves a stronger Title to the Triple-tree for that will be your portion in the end if you meet not with the more mercy and was there ever known any people so sottish as to borrow Monie upon use to drive such a dangerous Trade certainly a man that is not worse then mad would have had so much Monie as he knew not what to do withall before that ever he durst have ventured to lay it out upon so poor an advantage as to buy himself a Bargain of such dead and desperate Ware Indeed I believe that amongst all the Wrongs and Indignities that were put upon me and too tedious here to be related there was nothing so much perplexive and vexatious unto me as to see my native Country-men so readily run on to their own ruine and to be so secure and confident in the wayes of Error and Destruction but still I told them that Security was the Mother of Danger that they walked upon deceitfull grounds for so soon as the Winde turned their false Teachers would all forsake them clap their tailes between their legs and run away like a chidden Curre and that those they most trusted in would soonest forsake them to serve their own turns And yet allwayes when I took an occasion to declare my strong hopes of your Majesties Restauration many would seem to laugh at it and wish me to set my heart at rest for I should never live to see that day to which I ever replied with a constant courage that I trusted in God to live and see that happy day which I had so much prayed for and so long expected and continually hoped for so many years together and that their security was a sign and strong Argument to me of the more sudden approach thereof for it would certainly come to passe when the most of men did least dream of it and a time of the weakest probability in the eye of the world is the fittest season for the Divine succour and the most glorious opportunity for God Almighty to bring his own purposes and blessed decrees to the best effect for it was impossible for a real and true Christian to beleeve that the divine justice could any longer suffer such usurping wretchednesse to have continuance which had so basely and injuriously subverted the whole frame of Government both in Church and Commonwealth setting up such pandarising Magistrates as were content to submit themselves to be agents in the most heathenish and Mahometan absurdities and such idolatrizing Ministers as for Balaams wages were content to idolize every usurping rebell and perfidiously and perjuriously to defame and cast off the Hierarchie of the Church which they had formerly sworn to maintain and yeeld their obedience unto and stubbor●ly also to deprave and disclaim the holy Liturgie thereof the Book of Common-prayer and administration of the Sacraments and other rites and ceremonies of the Church of England being in truth so holy and sacred in it self and so consonant to Gods word and the primitive institution of the true Catholick Church founded upon the faith of the holy Apostles and Prophets as the most critical Phanatick can never be able to find the least just occasion of offence therein unlesse

Here the Author did intend to have placed his Effigies and Coat of Armes but the exact Sculpture thereof being so chargeable and his Sufferings so great for which he hath yet no recompence he is enforced to be frugal in expences and therefore intreats the gentle Reader to accept of the Verses that he composed to be printed underneath the same and courteously to correct the Printers Errata These are the Verses This Figure here doth lively represent A Courage bold but clearly Innocent Not prone to injure feeble Age nor Youth But ever zealous to divulge the Truth Who Schisme and horrid Treason did defie And unto Heaven for Truth and Justice crye Who for his love to Englands King and Church Hath been despis'd revil'd and suffer'd much Yet Truth of worth and Honour gained so By being dubb'd the Tyrant R●bell's soe Peruse this Book and you may surely see Some Signal Emblems of His Loyaltie J. W. Fidelitatis Feodum Felicitas To the most Illustrious High and Mighty MAJESTY of CHARLES the II By the Grace of God KING of Great Britain France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. The Humble Declaration of JOHN VVENLOCK of Langham in the County of Essex Esquire an V●ter Barrister of near Forty years continuance in that Honourable Society of Lincolnes-Inne Being first A Supplicatory Preface and Discourse to His Majesty and then humbly shewing the great and dangerous Troubles and intollerable Oppressions of Himself and His Family and the true occasion thereof in the wofull Times of these late most unhappy Distractions Wherein the perfect Loyalty of a true Subject and the perfideous malice and cruelty of a Rebell are evidently deciphered and severally set forth to the publick view in their proper colours as a Caution for England Hereunto are annexed certain Poems and other Treatises composed and written by the Author upon several Occasions concerning the late most horrid and distracted Times and never before published Nemo plus videtur aestimare virtutem nemo magis illi esse devotus quam qui boni viri famam perdidit ne conscientiam perderet Sen. 72. Ep. Fortitudo tua fiducia fidelis conscitnciae Bern. Conscientia mala benè sperare non potest Aug. London Printed by T. Childe and L. Parry for the Author and are to be sold at most Booksellers shops in London and Westminster-hall 16●2 ERRATA IN Page 9. l. 2. for are read us in p. 13. l. 23. for happily r. unhappily in p. 14. l. 11. for for any r. or for any in p. 18. l. 1. for gratitude r. gratuitie in l. 6. for stickle r. strive l. 11. for works r. words l. 19. for defection r. defects in p. 29. l. 11. for months r. twelve months p. 30. in the title for demeans r. demeanour in p. 34. the last line but one for to themselves r. to the ruine of themselves in p. 35. l. 14 for to honoured r. to be honoured p. 37. l. 21. for four r. fourty p. 38. l. 12. for there r. and there p. 40. for very proper r. prime and proper l. 19. and p. 52. for nor r. and. p. 56. l. 1. for fanings r. failings p. 64. l. 37. for coarse r. course The Epistle Dedicatory To the High and Mighty Majesty OF Charles the II. By the Grace of GOD King of Great Britain c. Defender of the Faith c. Most Royal Religious and Sacred Soveraign WHen I had first most humbly presented my petition to your Majesty upon the Long Gallerie stairs towards St. James his park in Trinitie Term 1660. I did presently implore your Majestie to be pleased but to peruse the same and then my self your poor subject should reap abundance of satisfaction therein and your Majesties gracious answer unto me was with a reiteration of these words I shall I shall and within lesse then an hour after I did hear that your Majestie had performed your princely promise for which I have ever since desired to render to your Grace the most humble and hearty thanks of a loyal and gratefull subject And now most humbly prostrating my self at the feet of your Maj●sties clemency again I do most submissely and earnestly begg at your gracious hands one favour more beseeching your Majesty to be pleased to accept of and to patronize these my weak endeavours which most humbly and thankfully I do Dedicate and present to your Grace beseeching your Majesty to vouchsafe the perusal of this Treatise at some time when the heavie burden of those so serious and urgent affairs imposed upon you will admit of an intermission and so your Majestie shall be truly informed what my condition is and hath been which being once known to your Grace I shall rest in abundance of quiet and with alacritie submit to such success as the good Providence and will of God and your gratious Pleasure shall thereupon suffer to be produced Royall Sir I am one of those that have been a Cordiall loving and obedient Subject in my Dutie and Allegiance to your Royall and Religious Father and Grandfather of glorious and blessed Memorie yet my Fate was never hitherto so propitious as to afford me any further favour then the common protection of a Subject and if the unhappinesse of the Times by the occasion of our sins had not late deprived us of that royal Favour then in all probability I might have been in such a posture before this time as I should not now have been necessitated to seek an Office to maintain me in my old Age But I have almost been bereaved of all my means and practise from my Age of 40 years to 60. the best time of proficiencie in all a mans life and yet I praise God for it I can with a good comfort and courage say to your Majestie that I am no absolute Beggar but only in Relation to God and your good Grace that is his lawfull and undoubted Deputie here upon the Earth for by means of Gods mercie and your Majesties so happy and Fortunate Accesse to your just and Royal rights I am still in lawfull possession of an Estate in Lands which although it be but small yet it is of a Noble Tenure being late holden of your Majestie by a whole Knights Fee and which hath lineally been enjoyed by my Ancestors and continued in my name for the space of near 500. years ever since the Reign of King Henry the 3d. and that is more then some great Ones are able to assert and certainly a blessing hath been upon it in the so long continuance thereof being at first honestly bought with their Money and a Bargain I think more justifiable then some kind of purchasing either of Honour or Offices And although my name be at present and of late in some obs●uritie yet it hath not been allwayes so in the times of Antiquit●e for in the Reign of that Valiant and Famous Prince King Edward the 1. there lived one of my name which had the Honour to be Lord

that worthy and religious Esquire of the body to that mighty Monarch Darius when he contended with his fellowes which of them should write the wisest sentence It was the desire of his soul to be instrumental towards the re-edifying of the decayed Temple and City of Jerusalem and in respect of those good desires it pleased the good spirit of God to inspire so much Wisdome and Understanding into his heart a● when the Conclusive part of his sentence which was That above all things truth beareth away the Victory came into consideration before the wise and mighty Princes he then who had undertaken the patronage and desence of truth was without contradiction applauded to be the wisest man by that generall shout of the People great is truth and mighty above all things and we need not doubt since by the alon● mercy of God those dark and prodigious Clouds of Ignorance perversity and sedition that have so long obnub●lated the understanding of this Nation do in some measure begin to be now dispelled by the Glorious splendor and sun-shine of your Majesties most gracious and long-desired presence but that such of your true and loving Subjects as with loyal hearts and sincere and just expressions though with seeble hands and weak abilities do now cordially endeavour to imploy their talents and lend their aid by the casting of a mite into the Kingdoms treasurie towards the rebuilding of that Sacred Temple of truth and peace amongst us shall never want the happy influence of your Majesties good countenance and protection nor the favourable censure of any that have but ventured to keep themselves immaculate or but lately learned to be unspotted lovers and mainteiners of the truth For whosoever he be that hath attained any sound notion of truth must of necessity love the same in his inward parts neither dares he at any time forsake or deny the defence thereof For indeed God himself and his Word is the truth that every true Christian to his power ought to justifie and defend and if any person be so Sacrilegious as to deny this he may too soon find it to be true that he which denies the truth doth deny God who is truth it self and our Saviour saith That if they deny him before men he will deny them before his Father which is in Heaven Most Royal Sir I humbly crave your Gratious pardon for my presumption in thus boldly vindicating the truth for the sincere maintaining whereof both my self and all mine all circumstances duly considered have as deerly and deeply suffered as any other that have escaped with their lives And I doubt not but that I may with a safe Conscience and without Ostentation speak it that I have alwayes endeavoured to the uttermost of my Abilities and upon all occasions to do and perform both unto your Majesties blessed Father and also to your Royal self far more cordiall and constant services then many others that now participate of the bright Beames of your glory but I do envy no mans happinesse nay let them take all since my Lord the King is now returned home in peace And as your Majesties happy access● to your just and indubitable rights of the Crown of England will I trust adde some repose and tranquillity to my poor aged body and mean Estate so above that I desire if it please God to be at peace and quiet in my mind at which Haven of happinesse and content I should scareely ever have arrived if I had not made the Adventure of thus rendring these intiinsecal thoughts and conceptions of my mind to the publike view Neither could I devise otherwise how I might make your Majestie and other Worthies of the Nation acquainted with the truth of my demeanour and sufferings which I much desired to publish to the intent also that some who are deeply drowned in the oblivion of their sins may hereby if they please be put in mind of the ugly deformed shape and the base and absurd malitiousnesse of Rebellion and truly to repent of their former Follies and do no more so and that my Posterity and others by mine Example may be encouraged to the imitation of my Loyalty and faithfullnesse in succeeding ages But I confesse that formerly I had good Friends which might and would if they were now extant have commended the truth of my Condition to your Majesties Royall and Religious consideration but the change of times and death hath deprived me of such comfortable Assistance and being I was made to reprove others I am now in a manner lest Friendlesse alone and am as a by-word and wonder unto many and yet no wonder it is Libere enim sine adulatione veritatem praedicantes gesta pravae vitae arguentes gratiam non habent apud homines And yet why should I tremble to make this my addresse to your Sacred Majestie that is so lively a representation of my Creator for to his allmighty mercy in the merrits of Jesus Christ who is for ever truth it self I may at all times with a pure heart and humble Spirit be confidently bold to make my approach and I beseech your Majesty to be pleased to assure your self that it is the truth and vigour of my Conscience that hath compelled me to adventure upon this declarative discourse a conscientious feare of the worst is a strong motive to an honest heart Nam a recta conscientia non oportet quenquam in omni vita sua transversum unguem discedere And forasmuch as in this whole Treatise I have sincerely endeavoured to make truth my Center and Loyaltie and Faithfullnesse my circumference I am strenuously induced to believe that in your Majesties judicious and exquisite eye and in the secret Cabinet of your rare and choycest Intellectualls my Errors will be accounted more venial than those of others that have so long been instrumental to obstruct the course of Truth and Justice and yet in the conjectural opinion or judgement of many of your loyal and learned Subjects do still endeavour or seem to hinder the progresse thereof Aliena peccata approbare peccatum est negligentia tacere in q●● parte possit homo proficere si innocentiam probatus fuerit amisisse and it is the saying of Solomon he that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just ●ven they both are an abomination to the Lord for it i● not good to accept the Person of the wicked to overthrow the righteous in judgement and if srail men forgetting their Duty shall attempt to act any such injustice it will not be long available to them or their Adherents but their Purpo●●● and Projects will fall in the Dust for the Psalmist tells us that the Lord executeth Righteousnesse and Judgement for all them that are oppressed with wrong and the Lord helpeth them to right that s●ffer wrong and who then are they that dare to contest against their Creatour for the Prayer of the humble pierceth the clouds and till it come

nigh he will not be comforted and will not depart till the most high shall behold to judge righteously and execute Judgement and when men will not believe that God is of perfect power then he sheweth his strength and amongst them that know it he maketh their Boldnesse manifest for indeed Truth is never ashamed to shew her face it is against her nature to be hidden or kept from the light Non ●mat verit●● angulos non ●i divers●ria placent but she is ever at home constant and ready to utter forth her self to such as seek unto her or will lend an care to her wise counsells the integrity of Truth is armed with such confidence as it dares speak and fears no reproof for the Divine sayth that Null●● reprehensor formida●dus est amatori ●eritati● Et ●ll● veritatis defensor esse debet qui cum rect●s●ntit loqui non me ●uit nec ●rubescit and the Humani●● could say Licet veritas in causa nullum patronum ●ut defensorem obtineat tamen per scipsum defenditur Nam magna est vi● veritatis quae contra omnium ingenia c●liditatem solertiam contraque fict●● omnium infidias se facile per seipsum defendit The contemplation of these things if it please your Majesty together with the strong operation of my Conscience doth still enforce me thus to expose my weaknesse to your Sacred censure but I confesse my Heart doth somewhat tremble Ne quid indecorum serm● meus resonet and it would afflict me much if my error and imbecility should be the least occasion to infringe or disparage the truth of that antient Adage Much experience is the Crown of old men and yet I am sure that the fear of God is their Glory and in regard of that I trust that I shall alwayes be as fearfull to offend as any man It is said that Audaces fortuna juvat but I desire that Truth Modesty may be my ushers into Favour and good Fortune if any attends me I have likewise learned that Sicut v●recundia laudabilis est in malo ita reprehensibilis est in bono bonum verò erubescere insipientis est And therefore I do not yet understand the reason why any of your Majesties Loyal and knowing Subjects that have still adhered to the truth by being the zealous and constant Assertors and Maintainers to their Power of all those good and wholsome Lawes both Ecclesiastical and Temporal that were in use and approbation in the time of your Majesties Royal and ever most blessed Father and in your prudent and pacifical Grandfathers dayes and have so deeply suffered for this their Fidelity should now admit of the least blush or be in any degree fearfull in the just vindication and applause of those religious just and beneficial Lawes or beat all ashamed to shew their reluctancy at the remissness of the true and due execution of the same But your Majesty is wise as an Angel of God and to your Divine discretion your loyal Subjects will religiously submit themselves and who is he that doth not much admire and praise the Lord of Heaven for your Majesties most rare and never heard of Clemency and Mercy wherein most superlatively you seem to exceed all the pious and potent Princes that ever lived before or in your dayes and whereby also beyond and above them all you come nearest to that glorious attribute of your Creator whose Power in specie you represent here on earth amongst us and whose mercy likewise is above all his works Your Majesty well knowes that by Mercy and Truth Iniquity is purged and that Mercy and Truth preserve the King and it is also not untruly said Quòd imperiū vi quod fit atrocius esse videtur quàm illud quod politia ●djungitur And yet as every good subject doth truly admire at your Majesties mercy even so is he well assured that your Majesty is truly and sufficiently instructed that Policy which anticipates Religion is too subtle to receive an approbation for good before the purest eyes of the Almighty God of Truth and this in all humility we likewise leave to your Majesties serious and religious contemplation And I am confident that it is a most transcendent joy and gladness to all your Majesties true Subjects and Well-wisheers to find your Judgement so surely setled both for Doctrine and Discipline in that truly reformed Religion so christianly professed and so lawfully established without intermission by a trine of your late most eminent Ancesto● for the same is so well digested into nutriment and hath made such a deep impression upon the hearts and consciences of most of the soberer sort of this our Nation as I believe that nothing but death it self can be able to expunge the prints thereof and I am as it were in a kind of extasie when my Fancy runs upon the conceit or the imagination of those ineffable and redundant rejoycings that the hearts of all honest and true bred Englishmen are at this present possessed withall when after so long bitter and rebellious Deviaons and so sordid prodigious and devilish Usurpations th●y be now so happy to behold the Royal Tribe of Judah so gloriously restored and so triumphantly advanced to the Regal Rights and most Illustrious Throne of their Royal Ancestors there to reign and flourish again in despite of Satan and all his envious instruments And when after so many miscellaneous ab●●rdities as have surreptitiously crept into the Church by means of the horrour confusion and deformity of the late disturbances We may now sensibly perceive the darknesse thereof so sorely felt to be dispelled the glorious light of truth shining forth in a splendid me●sure And seeing that Korah and hi● seditious company of Sectaries are in a manner swallowed up or vanished into nothing we may once again with comfortable Consciences and confident hearts expect to see and evidently to behold that sacred rod of Aaron to bud and blossome and to bring forth fruit afresh in due season which that it may the better be able to perform with the more vigor and sincerity I do h●mbly implore that the sweet influence of the dews of Heaven and of your Majesties good countenance and protection may continually and in abundant manner be shoured and diversly distilled upon the holy consecrated body thereof and the severall Members and Branches of the same and that they may soberly and religiously concurre and agree in such an Uniformity both of Doctrine a●d Discipline as shall most truly tend to the glory of God the honour and contentment of your Majestie the settling of a firm and constant Peace and Tranquility both in Church and Common-wealth the credi● and glory of their Divine profession the comfort and quiet of their Consciences and the Eternal Salvation of their Souls and Bodies which i● the summary intent and end of all true Religion Let us therefore remember the end and we shall not lightly do amisse and if I mistake it not

was to meet with my Wife telling him also that I feared she was not well in regard I did not hear of her according to the intent direction of my last letter sent unto her surely quoth he there i● some obstacle in the way that hinders much but if you please to be content Sir you shall soon know what the matter is for my Brother hath a good Horse and I will send him over to your house and he shall bring you notice how things are there at the present and what is the reason that Mrs. W●nlock doth not come as yet I was much glad of his kind offer so not long after the Messenger was sent accordingly returning the next day he did certifie me that my Wife and Children were in good health and that the Cause that she came not was for that she could not procure Horses as yet to bring her thither and alas she was not then so much as worth one her self being very loth also to trouble her Friends in Cambridgeshire so much as to send so far for Horses to convey her thither but she hoped that ere it were long she should find a means to come and see me and the residue of her good Friends there and accordingly within a week or two after she did come and there by the large and loving respect of that noble Gentlewoman her mother-in-law and another good Lady the relict of my wives brother before mentioned we did enjoy a free and cordial entertainment with much solace and com●ort but this our glimpse of happinesse if it please your Majesty did admit but of a very short continuance and must soon suffer an eclipse for we had not been thus together much above a week but some that I fear resolved to work us mischief were as evidently envious that any other should do us any good for there was a Letter conveyed unto me which came from my wives own Nephew her deceased elder brothers Son who was then a Deputy Lieutenant of the Shire a Justice of the Peace and one of the Grandees of the Committee or English Inquisition intimating unto me That he well understood in what place my abiding was at that time and also how violent my ordinary and constant discourse was against their proceedings and therefore I must not be suffered by any means to rest any longer in that Country But an Order should presently be taken to apprehend and secure me or to this effect with some other passages therein very abusive and scandal● us to my credit a notable Nephew and sincere Saint in the interim thus to offer me such a reforming curte●●e in this case of my calamity and so Iudas-like to go about to betray and aff●ight his loving harmlesse Aunt after so many bitter pills of affliction as she had formerly swallowed and only upon this occasion because she had a Husband that durst speak the truth a coarse complement from a true Christian or a generous Gentleman and yet we were in doubt that he might prove a man of his word and therefore to avoid our own danger and the detriment that might arise to the house thereby the next day with sorrowfull hearts we went away from thence to shift about as well as we could But so soon as I was gotten out of his purlieu I saluted his worship with a thundring Epistle enough to startl● and rowse his conscience if he had any and I do hope that my reproof and good Counsell did work something upon him for after this I ventured divers times to come into that Country again and yet I never heard of him any more in this kind And the truth is as I have been credibly informed that upon the most barbarous assassnation and more then hideous and horrible Murdering of his late Sacred Majestie this grosly seduced young Gentleman was strucken with such terrour and amazement in his soul that he presently deserted and gave over all his Offices and places of trust and command and was never after that any agent or instrument in that devillish Rebellion and hereupon within a while following he was in great danger himself and had surely been sequestred had it not pleased God in his mercy to take him away from his Wordly Estate here that was fair and great and to give him I hope upon his true Repentance a farr more Blessed and Glorious habitation i● the Heavens to all Eternity And so I trust that for our Eternal good the Lord was pleased to lay out for us the bitter portion to be such pitifull pilgrims but my Wifes condition could not long endure this manner of misery for she of necessity must go home again to her poor Children where alass there was little left but the bare walls and their own weak labours and endeavours to sustain themselves withall and I must still travell about I knew not well whither and my successe and fortune was very various sometimes fair and pleasant and soon again stormy and troublesome and yet I confesse and praise the goodnesse of God I did meet with many good Friends whose names and charitable deeds towards me and mine were too tedious here to be related but I hope they shall not be forgotten in Heave● and yet I should think my self guilty of ingratitude if I should not make mention of the many good respects and great kindnesse which I received at the hands of a Noble hearted Gentlewoman then dwelling at Hit●●am in Suffolk who was a deep sufferer her own self namely Mris. Bing the Wife of Henry Bing Esq then a Captain in his Majesties Armie and the Grandchild unto that honourable and famous Father of the Law Sir Edw. Coke Knight late Lord Chief Justice c. and also from the hands of another worthy Gentlewoman in the same parish who was likewise a great sufferer namely Mistris Breton the wife of Mr. Lawrence Breton Batchelour in Divinitie a learned orthodox and worshipfull Divine Neither must I omit the remembrance of the good love and favour of my noble and old acquaintance Sir William Denny of Norfolk Baronett nor the great kindnesse of Thomas Jermy of Me●●field in Sussex Esq Son and Heir of Sir Thomas Jermy Knight of the B●●h and of John Risby of Tho●p Esq Nor the kind love of my Reverend and worthy Friends Doctor Pierse of Wangford Mr. Thomas Greek Rector of Carl●on whose Grandfather I take it was one of the Barons of the Exchequer M● Sendall R●ctor of Brin●kley and Mr. Vnderwood Rector of Cheving●on and although they bee l●st here mentioned yet meriting of me as much respect as any two friends that I found in all my travels viz. my loving Kinsman Mr. James Floid then of Weston in Cambridgeshire and Mr. Tho. Ward of Abington Thus after a long and tedious perigrination I came at length by the mercie of God to the Mansion-house again of the two good Ladies before mentioned and having heard that his late Majestie had deserted Oxford and rendred

so poysoned and their Judgements abused and depraved with such Devillish dissimulation and as soon as I could I got my self away thorough the croud and going out at the door an Officer of the Court espyed me and said Sir whither do you go so fast Away said I what should I do here Why quoth he I hope you will tarry and dine with the Justices no surely said I for such doctrine I have already heard amongst them as I am resolved neither to eat nor drink with them this day But I hope now such popular Temporisers will truly see their Errors ere it be too late for every such Proteus or Protogenes that intends to participate of Eternal felicity and to be as well capable of Gods mercy as of their Princes pardon must not think it sufficient to turn a new leaf with the times but they must be seriously sorrowfull and repentant for their former failings and corrupt conversations One of the holy Fathers used to pray unto God to forgive him his other mens sins that is the sins which he had occasioned others to fall into and commit and most heartily I do beseech Almighty God that the whole body of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may obtain the grace to be truly penitent and pathetically pious in the reforming of what hath been amisse God and the World too well knows who were incentively the first founders and fomenters of the late Rebellion and so consequently it is to be feared of all the horrible Murders Rapines and other grosse and Atheistical absurdities and Deviations both in Church and Common-wealth which upon the same so sadly ensued Have not some lately brought to a condign punishment pretended as an excuse for their so wicked an● unparallel'd Treacheries that they were Commissioned Officers under such a man and who had he all his own Commissions from and were there not Votes passed for Non-Addresses to his late Majesty and was not the clause for preservation of his Majesties person quite left out in some of their Commissions Alas I touch not upon these things with a desire to rub or renew the sore but to give a charitable admonition as a Christian salve to the soul that such as are any wayes guilty thereof may be drawen to abhorre themselves and to repent in dust and ashes It is most true if it please your Majesty that I was ever a sore detester of Rebellion but I was as well pleased to endure the yoak of a single Tyrant as of a multitude of the same stamp and yet I could not forbear inveighing against him sometimes in the presence of such as had near relation to him and it is very strange that I was not destroyed amongst some others for many silly seditious So●s would cry out upon me with a why you speak against the Government but these Rurals were ●oth to trouble themselves or travel up so far to accuse me and certainly next to Gods mercy my so seldome comming at London was an Antidote to preserve me out of his clutches For indeed my constant discourse concerning that Tyrant was that God had raised him up as he did Pharaoh to plague his People for their sins and to the in●ent that the Lord might shew his Power upon him in the conclusion For I never looked upon the late Rebells and all their Complices and Adherents but as upon the Aegyptian vermine of Frogs Lice and Caterpillers sent and suffered to torment this Nation for their rebellious offences and therefore I did every day continually expect their ruine For if the Nation repented not then I knew that God was able to punish us some other wayes but I could never doubt but that the Lord in his due time would vindicate his own glorie and truth against such wicked wretches and suddenly send some strong favonian Wind to disperse and drive them all into the red Sea of ruine and utter destruction I have often wondred at the strange Hipocrisie or strong delusions of some reputed wise ones in this Nation for their first pretence of taking up Armes as they held it forth to the People was to depresse and beat down Popery forsooth and yet some of themselves afterwards when successe did seem to favour their factions did put in practise and strive to maintain the opposing deposing and murder of Kings the absolute merit of their own Works and the infallibility of their own dirty decretalls such desperate and dangerous Tenets as no moderate Romanist will now allow of or yield any approbation unto Nay the very written Word of God his ten Commandements the Lords Prayer the Holy Epistles and Gospels and the true Christian Catholick Beleefe c. are by some sacrilegiously thrust out at the Church doors to the end that ignorance and perversness may yet be nourished and their own weak and neer non-sensicall inventions only applauded amongst the people and for the pleasing and feeding the idle and obstinate humours of a few factious schismaticks And yet whosoever in the late times durst but once open his mouth to speak against such ethnical practises was presently branded with the odious name of a Malignant ill affected person to the state but if all had been so blockish as to be silent and not have spoken a word against such damnable doings I think as our Saviour saith in another case the very stones would have cried out although too many were much offended at those that spake their minds in sinceritie yet I beleeve it was happie for the whole Nation that there were some such persons to be offended at for had there been no righteous Lots therein to reprove the wickednesse of others and that were continually vexed with the unjust conversation of such Sodomites there might have been danger enough for fire and brimstone to have fallen from Heaven upon such a grosse apostatizing Kingdome for I am sure that the sinnes of Sodome never mounted so high nor cried so loud in the ears of Gods vengeance as the bewitched wickednesse of wretched England for many years of late hath certainly done the Lord in his Christ be mercifully appeased with us for the same Indeed for mine own particular I doe professe and have divers times formerly said as much that next to the great hopes that I have for the saving of my poor soul by the mercies of God in the merits alone of Jesus Christ I did never think that my God had afforded me a greater favour then to preserve and keep me by his grace from being an agent in or adherent to the late rebellion for if any thing had been amisse in the practise of religion as was pretended by some yet such as were not wholly given over to a reprobate sense might easily have understood that armed violence could never amend it but rather make all worse then it was before it is grosse ignorance to imagine that reformation in the Church or Religion and Truth it self can be setled in bloud but only in the innocent and precious bloud