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 â—mat veritâ—â— angulos non â—i diversâ—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 Nullâ—â— reprehensor formidaâ—dus est amatori â—eritatiâ— Et â—llâ— veritatis defensor esse debet qui cum rectâ—sâ—ntit loqui non me â—uit nec â—rubescit and the Humaniâ—â— could say Licet veritas in causa nullum patronum â—ut defensorem obtineat tamen per scipsum defenditur Nam magna est viâ— veritatis quae contra omnium ingenia câ—liditatem solertiam contraque fictâ—â— 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 sermâ— 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 vâ—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 imperiuÌ„ vi quod fit atrocius esse videtur quà m illud quod politia â—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 Ancestoâ— 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 thâ—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 abâ—â—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 meâ—sure And seeing that Korah and hiâ— 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 hâ—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 aâ—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 crediâ— and glory of their Divine profession the comfort and quiet of their Consciences and the Eternal Salvation of their Souls and Bodies which iâ— 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
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 anâ— 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 Soâ—s would cry out upon me with a why you speak against the Government but these Rurals were â—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 inâ—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
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 Eyeâ— 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 stubborâ—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
again armed with power will have a very large construction by the Judges of the Law There is a Parliament to be found in historie that did seem to wage warr against a King in this Realm but what ill successe it had I had rather the Historian should tell you then my self sure I am there is an ignominious brand laid upon is to all posterity for it is still stiled Parliamentum insanum Let no man hate instruction nor be too wise in his own conceit be Prov. 3. not high-minded but fear a prudent man saith Solomon foreseeth Prov. 27. 12. Numb 16. the evil and hideth himself but fools passe on and are punished forget not what became of Korah Dathan and Abiram that rebelled against Moses yet were they no obscure persons but princes of their families and men of great estimation amongst the vulgar remember what was Absolons portion for rebelling 2 Sam. 18. â— Sam 20 against David and what became of Sheba the sonne of â—ichri that lifted up his hand against the King and many such examples in holy Writ Nay look but into our Chronicles here at home and observe how Gods judgements have still prosecuted all them and their posteritie that have had any hand in the deposing or opposing of Kings upon any fair pretence whatsoever To abuse the picture of an earthly King hath been taken to be a great indignity how then shall the God of heaven take it at the hands of such as despitefully use and contemn the King himself a good King that is Gods image and Vicegerent upon earth but the times are come that the Apostles foretold that â— Tim. 3. 4. 2 Pet. 2. 10 Jude 8. many in the latter dayes would be traitors headie and high-minded presumptuous and stand in their own conceit despise Government and not fear to speak evil of them that are in dignity But some say that this war is not against the King neither do they intend him any wrong indeed they ought not to wish him the least hurt for God commands us not so much as to think an evil Eccl. 10 20. thought of the King but these men do more then think for they openly reviled the King by reproachfull and scandalous speeches saying that he is led by bad counsell and intends to set up Poperie and can there be any greater aspersion laid upon a Prince for Solomon saith A divine sentence is in the lips of the King and his mouth transgresseth not in judgement And it is Prov. 16. 19 20. abomination to Kings to commit wickednesse for the throne is established by righteousnesse It is the part of a Christian to judge charitably both of King and of people but where the subjects go about in hostile manner to invade their Soveraign and his friends and forces under his command and also use with extreme crueltie such of the Kings faithfull subjects friends as they can get into their power and yet will aver and maintain that they warr not against the King neither intend him any wrong What to make of their reason or argument I know not but a meer solecism yet the late Oathes imposed upon such as had so little Grace to take them do make the meaning both of the matter and manner of their evil intentions of proceeding to be somwhat more plain to be perceived It is most true that the King and many of his true Subjects are much abused for truth is hid in darknesse and it is the misery of miseries that men are so wilfully blinded and besotted as their eares are stopped to all good Counsell Wise men that know the truth of things are much discouraged to impart the same to others because they see many are so wedded to their wilfull Errours that he which in charity goes about to advise them for the best may sooner himself fall into a snare for his good will then pull any of them out of the danger that hangs over their heads for he that now a dayes dares venture to speak the truth is presently snapt at for a Malignant But God that knoweth all things knows that the Kings Majesty hath raised his Forces and doth maintain this War only for the beating down oâ— Faction Schism and Sedition and for the upholding of the true Protestant Religion established in Queen Elizabeths dayes and under which this Kingdom hath long flourished and for the setting and maintaining of the true and genuine Laws of this Kingdom But some dream of a great Reformation now in hand I am sure there is already a great Deformation both in Church and Common-wealth I wish these Reformers would in time un-hoodwink themselves and see what successe they have had and learn ere it be too late to be obedient to God and their Prince following the counsell the Angel gave to Hagar Return to thy Mistris and Gen. 1â— 9. humble thy self under her hands and let them endeâ— vour the due Execution of the good Laws that are now in force lest while they fondly presume to amend that which is well already they make the word Parliament have an ill savour and open a gap to greater desolation and so marre all Indeed it were to be wished there were a more generall Reformation from sin and God when it pleaseth him will afford us that happinesse and incline the Kings heart to all occasions plyable thereunto For the Kings heart is in the hand Prov. 21. 1. 25. â—5 of God as the Rivers of Water he turneth it whither soever he will And by long forbearing a Prince is perswaded we must therefore wait the Lords leisure and seek no Reformation by unlawfull means for we must not do evil that good may Rom. 3. 8. come thereof But some will now be wiser then Gods word or at least take Gods power upon themselves they will have the Kings heart in their hands and the Government in Church and State must be turned upside down at their beck and the most deserving bodies in the Kingdom left without heads at their command and pleasure or else to Armes they must forgetting the counsell of the wise With good advice Prov. 24 6. Exod. 7. 12. 2 Tim. 3. 8 9 Prov. 21. 30. shalt thou make Warr Alas these men may a while resist the King and in the King Gods Ordinance but it will be to as little purpose as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses for there is no wisdome power nor policy against the Lord of Hosts And if God for the sins of this Nation should lay that heavy scourge upon us to take away the Kings Majesties life and the lives of all his posterity and alliance which the Lord in his mercy forbid then may these men have some likelihood to prevail in their purposes or otherwise never Beloved Countrymen delude not your selves any longer the Kings Majesty hath sent forth many Declarations to open the eyes of your understandings and to inform you in the truth and equity of
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 Râ—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 Vâ—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 16â—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 Majâ—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 obsâ—uritie yet it hath not been allwayes so in the times of Antiquitâ—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
high Treasurer of England and in the Reignes of King Henry the 6th and King Edward the 4th there was another of my name that was a Knight of the Garter and of the Rhodes and also a Noble and warrlike Baron of Wenlock in the County of Salop from which place my Ancestors were first derived and had their Extraction as appears by Antient evidence Records I shall be heartily glad if I can but make your Matie to smile at these my Relations but I entreat your Majestie to beleeve that it is not fondly a vain glorious humour that prompts me to relate these things but my desire is to give a gentle caution to some gilded Mushromes or pursie supercillious Upstarts of the new edition that esteem themselves to be the only brave men dâ—spising others that are brought low by their sufferings and contemning all learning and loyalty that is destitute of a golden key which they corruptly conceive to be the only means to open the doorlock that leads to preferrment but your Majestie well knows how and when to conferr your Favours and though some of your Majesties suffering Friends are not looked upon so soon as they expected yet their hopes are still firm enough and we know that Desideâ—â—ta diu dulcius obtinentur and we can wait with patience but must not be too negligent peâ—entis negligentia reprehendâ—tur ubi de dantis miserecordia non duâ—itatur and of your Majesties mercie there is sound experience and it is a prime policie for your Grace in convenient time to reward Loyaltie for in so doing it will give Occasion to others to have the better esteem thereof Regis ad exemplar totus componitur orbis but if vertue be now neglected let pass without regard how few hereafter will ever endeavour to be good in so bad times and one saith that both pitie and sin it were that such whose light the late Aegyptian Darkness could never extinguish should now be suffered to sit in obscuritie Somâ— perhaps that shall read this book will take my expressions to be rash and violent savouring more of animosity then prudence but when Croesus his life was in danger it made his dumb son to speak and cry out and when the King the Father of our Countrie the Church our Mother and the peace of the whole Kingdom were so treacherouslie exposed to the danger of utter ruine what true hearted Son or Subject could be so supinely silent as not bitterlie to reprove such horrid actions Quitacet consentire videâ—ur but such as have tasted any true rellish of Religion do well know they must not be mutes in matters of such moment Dissimulation may serve the turn for a time and in the view of a carnal eye it may seem to procure some good but we ought not to do evill that good may come thereof Hypocrisie is a sin so odious in the sight of God and so contrarie to his divine nature who is truth it self as those that practise the same can never expect to be matriculated members of the celestial Societie but such as wait for their souls comfort must be content to forsake all rather then to part with a good conscience and so endanger the soul But I fear that too many of late have stifled their Consciences to keep their estates and maintain their reputation amongst the Vulgar but such policie will not allways go away with the Garland it was well said of a Noble Spaniard once in England that he would never forfeit his Soul and his Honour to save his Life and indeed some brave Spirits but meer Moralists have thought it a more Noble Exploit to preserve Honour then Life and could never buckle to any dishonourable thing but in despite of Ambition and desire of gain or the pressures of Necessitie they have still resolved to tread in the pathâ—s of Virtue And how many Heathens as Codrus a King of Athens Curâ—ius a Noble Knight of Rome and allmost infinite others recorded in Historie have freely exposed themselves to unavoidable danger and death for the good and safety of their Country whose memory ever since hath been immortall and can Christians adventure upon any design too dangerous when the glorie of God the Honour and Power of his sacred Deputie and the â—eligion and Peace of their native Nation lay all in the dust involved in blood Pardon my presumption I beseech your Majestie in what I have here inserted amiss or unworthy the view of so roial and exquisite an â—iâ— and then I cannot but be confident that your Grace will take some pitiâ— upon me being now grown into years and disabled by my great sufferings and losses to put on and preferre my self as some others â—â— for I finde the Poet to be a true Prophet that long 〈◊〉 said Haud facile emergunt quorum virtutibus obstat Res angusti domi but this defect may soon be supplied by the least glimpse of your Majesties favour and I am sure your Majestie well knowes that it is the Masters honour to take notice of a faithfull sâ—rvant and that such as dare declare and stand to the truth in bad times of danger are none of the worst subjects And I doubt not but that your Majesty in due time will most roially perform whatsoever your loial and loving subjects may in truth of modestie and justice expect from your gracious bands and that your Grace shall attain unto and accomplish all those happie and blessed intents and ends for the which your Omnipotent Creator hath so justly and mercifully restored and advanced your Grace to the glorious throne of your so eminent Ancestours Where God grant that your Majestie and your Roial posteritie may safely sit and triumphantly reigne to Gods glorie the Churches peace and these Kingdoms happinesse even so long as the Sun and Moon shall shine upon the face of the earth So will ever Pray Your Majesties Loyal Humble and Officious Subject Iohn Wenlock To the Kings Most Excellent Majestie Most Royal and Magnificent Monarch and my Soveraign Lord IT is a Proverb of the Wisest amongst Earthly Princes that righteous lips are the delight of Kings and they love him that speaketh right for he that speaks the truth sheweth forth righteousnesse and all such aâ— be true in heart shall follow the same and there is good reason for their Encouragement to proceed on in such a Virtuous way as tendeth to eternall felicity for certainly the time will come when that saying of the Psalmist will be verified and made manifest to the World There is sprung up a light for the righteous and joyfull gladnesse for such as be true hearted and the Lord God likewise layeth up sound Wisdome for the righteous and is a sure Buckler for them that walk uprightly for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdome and a good understanding or successe have all they that do his Commandments the praise of it endureth for ever And this was truly experimented in
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 aâ— 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 alonâ— mercy of God those dark and prodigious Clouds of Ignorance perversity and sedition that have so long obnubâ—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 accessâ— 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 qâ—â— 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 â—ven they both are an abomination to the Lord for it iâ— 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 Purpoâ—â—â— 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 sâ—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
or walk upon hollow and deceitfull Qâ—agmires but upon reasonable sound justifiable Grounds and I have no other certain way or manner of means how to make my Self or my Case truly and effectually known to your Majesty but only thus and I now do cry to your Grace in the words of the Psalmist to his God The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty but O leâ— not the oppressed return ashamed The beloved Sonne of Jacob by the despire and envy of his Brethren was sold into Aegypt for a Bondslave where he lived in long obscurity and endured much pain and penury untill his Case was known and the word of the Lord had tryed him but then the King delivered him the Prince of the People let him go free and after all his sorrows and sufferings his successe was admirable I shall be heartily sorry if in any Passage herein I have given to any one the least occasion of a just offence but if your Majesty please to remember some Considerations written upon the life and services of an eminent Statesman and Counsellour to Henry the Great your Royal Grandfather of Fraunce your Grace will there find that the Offences of Tongues Pens and Impressions above all others may be dissembled and winked at and therefore I trust that the sayings and writings of such as intend no hurt but are void of impudency and seek only to illustrate the Truth shall receive a milde and gentle interpretation And thus with my humble and hearty Prayers to God Almighty for the true felicity of your Sacred Majesty and all your Royal Relations I most humbly submit my Self and all that is mine to your Majesties mercy and most favourable censure and clemency craving leave to proceed on in the relation of my services and sufferings where for method and order sake I must begin with my Addresse and Declaration intended to his late Majesty of ever blessed memory which had been presented unto him if I had met with the happinesse of an accesse to his Grace TO THE Kings Most Excellent MAJESTIE The humble Declaration of Your Majesties Written in the year c. 164â— Loyal and Obedient Subject J. W. of L. in the County of Ess Counsellour at Law briefly shewing his Troubles and the true occasion thereof in these Times of Rebellion May it please your Majesty AS I am in duty bound in the first place to render most hearty thanks to God Almighty for his great goodnesse towards your Majesty in blessing and preserving you and yours so graciously in these wofull dayes of distraction So I cannot but esteem it a great mercy of God and a most infallible signe of his favour towards me your poor Subject that he hath alwaies given me a heart so constant and loyal towards your Sacred Majesty as I may boldly say that neither my hand or tongue or thought hath agreed to any thing conducible to the beginning or fostering of this most unnatural Rebellion For when your Majesty sent forth Writs for the summoning of this late Parliament your Subject dwelling upon the Confines of Suff. and hearing what indirect and unlawfull means was used in the election of the Knights there Ignorance and Affectation ambitiously striving to be the principal Electors did begin suddenly to smell a savour of some worse intentions and thereupon when some of his Neighbours requested his company to Chelmsford in Essex to give a voyce to the electing of the Knights of the Shire there your Subject made this Answer That he would not stir a foot upon that occasion because he verily believed that the Parliament would never come to good It was a rash Speech I confesse but I have thought since that surely I spake It by some Prophetical inspiration and God knows I have many times wished that I had not guessed so right And afterwards when your Majesty had granted to an Act that the Parliament should not be dissolved without the consent of both Houses your Subject soon after being at a Publick meeting in the Town where he lived where was then present one that was a Justice of the Peace and a Lawyer who told it your Subject for good News That your Majâ—sty had condescended to such an Act and that now the Parliament would go on very confidently without any obstacles or fears Your Subject made him hereupon this subitain Answer That indeed if your Majesty had granted to such an Act it might possibly conduce to some good end if it pleased God to give to the Parliament the Spirit of Grace and Wisedome that they went on in a legal and moderate way but if they digressâ—d from that method it might then be a means to introduce great Inconveniences and Distractions for that your Majesty would perhaps depart from them and so their Expectations would be frustrated For we that have read the Law said I do know that both Houses of Parliament cannot make nor alter Lawes without the Kings Royal assent Yes quoth he they will make Ordinances Whereat your Subject smiling did again smell some dangerous Project to be in agitation and believed the said Party was one of their Fraternity and that he had sure intelligence of their indirect intentions of proceeding In which your Subject was likewise a remarkable Presager of the event of things for the said Party is since proved one of those good instruments called a Committee-man And in the year 1642. your Subject being come down from Easter Term hapned in Whitsâ—n-week after to be at a Meeting in his Parish where the said Justice of Peace was present and all the Chief Inhabitants thereof and much inquiring there was of Newes concerning the setling of the Militia and your Subject told them That he had heard of your Majesties Proclamation touching the same but had not yet seen it To which one of the Company made answer That he was at London the last week and had both seen the Proclamation and also an Ordinance of Parliament to the contrary and that he had them both there to shew Whereupon the Party pulling them forth your Subject took them and read them before the whole Assembly with an audible voyce then they asked your Subject what he thought thereof and what he intended to do therein To which your Subject remembring his natural and legal Allegiance to your Sacred Majesty boldly answered That he was soon resolved what course to take in that business without any study for that he would by no means disobey your Majesties Proclamation in submitting his Arms to the Parliaments devotion and besides informed them all openly That by the Common and Statute Lawes of this Kingdom it was High Treason to levy Armes against the King Which assertion of the Truth they little esteemed but affirmed notwithstanding that they would all send their Armes and that it would fall heavy upon your Subject if he refused to do the like But your Subject knowing a good Conscience in Adversity to be more
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 iâ— 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. Wâ—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 comâ—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 scandalâ— us to my credit a notable Nephew and sincere Saint in the interim thus to offer me such a reforming curteâ—â—e in this case of my calamity and so Iudas-like to go about to betray and affâ—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 startlâ— 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 iâ— 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 Heaveâ— 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 Hitâ—â—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 Meâ—â—field in Sussex Esq Son and Heir of Sir Thomas Jermy Knight of the Bâ—â—h and of John Risby of Thoâ—p Esq Nor the kind love of my Reverend and worthy Friends Doctor Pierse of Wangford Mr. Thomas Greek Rector of Carlâ—on whose Grandfather I take it was one of the Barons of the Exchequer Mâ— Sendall Râ—ctor of Brinâ—kley and Mr. Vnderwood Rector of Chevingâ—on and although they bee lâ—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
fair curtesie then I could ever have expected from any man in so soul a function We two withdrew a while and had some conference I shewed my paper aforesaid and left it with him intreating him to communicate it to the rest of his brethren the Committees when they met and desire them to consider of it and that I might soon know the result of their considerations therein all this he promised me faithfully to perform but I heard no more of the Committees nor they of me for 3. or 4. years after And being thus left destitute of all manner of relief from these Religious Rebels although I desired nâ—t so much of them as was duly and truly mine own both in Law Reason and Religion yet their wretched and perverse wills most vvickedly contradicting all the sound and perfect rules both of divinitie and humanitie therefore my poor distressed companie must still continue in that irksom and greafie trade of carding and spinning to my no little grief and vexation and yet oftentimes I did encourage them to wait upon God with patience and to remember how their Fathers Loyaltie was the occasion of their present miserie and although that the root which they now tasted of were bitter yet it might produce and bring forth some better and more pleasant fruit in the end and I did oftentimes merrily tell them that upon the matter they were in truth the Kings Spinners and therefore people of a farr better rank and quality then the base World esteemed them to be and thus with as much alacrity as I could I waded thorough a sea of miseries continuing still in my discourse and otherwise as true stout and high a Royalist I beleeve as ever breathed in England insomuch that divers of the blind beetles would say that I was as bad still as ever I had been and that it was pity that I was suffered but I little regarded their censure knowing that it was my duty to speak aloud when the Glory of my God the Honour and Safety of my King and the good and quiet of my Native Country was in so great hazard or jâ—opardy One Sunday aâ— I came walking with the Minister from Church and many others following of uâ— close at the Heels I said unto him that above all men I did much wonder at those of his Coat which had so grossely forgotten themselves for I beleeve said I that if it pleased God to permit the Devill himself to assume the shape of a man and to put on a Parsons Gowne and come up into a Pulpit to preach yet he is so knowing a Spirit and doth so tremble at the Judgement to come as he never durst entertain the impudence to utter so much Blasphemy and Treason as some of yoâ— have ventured upon Another time I told him that it behoved him to be very cautious of medling in such matters for if he chanced to offend iâ— that nature his offence would be greater then other menâ— he asked me why so and I made him answer the reason was aparent for there be many shuttle braind Fellowâ— that have lately come into a Pulpit who trusting to a confused memory and the volubility of the tongue do often times ex imprâ—visâ— and without any premeditation presume to vent and utter some undâ—cent and irreligious absurditieâ— whose rashness â—s to be pitied and doth somewhat extenuate though not excuse their presumptuous folly and prophanesse but you it is well known do study and write down every word in your Sermon and make a constant use of your papers in the Pulpit and therefore if any vain impertinent or â—rronious doctrine doth proceed from you it must of necessity be after your premeditations and so upon malice prepensed which is a sin with a witness and much aggravates your offence and makes it the more unpardonable and certainly my plain dealing did the man no harmor prejudice for he waxed still more and more moderate but I could not endure to come at his Mock fasts and Thankgivings but ever diswaded him therefrom with the best reasons I could remember either out of the Scripture or other Learned or Historicall Authors and once I told him that I much feared I should forsake his Church I hope not so quoth he yes truly said I for I do seldome come there but I see that which doth much offend me I pray Sir what is that quoth the Parson I answered him that whensoever I stood up in my Pew being so near the Pulpit I could not chuse but espy his Directory or Devils story lie still in his Desk and I could not endure to behold such an uggly and deformed Imp of schisme and sedition and then he replyed unto me that if it offended me I might take it away if I pleased not so quoth I for it is a parcell of your Churches goods and so I may be questioned for committing of Sacrilege I will by no means soul my hands by medling with it but if it lies there long I will not come at the Church the next time I went the bable was gone and departed down I think to the place of darknesse where it was first hatched for I never saw any more of it Now about the time that his late Majesty was brought from Holmby to Newmarket there was news spread about that the sad affairs of the Nation would soon be drawn to a better passe and that his Gratious Majesty should be restored to his Regal rights and we that were sufferers to our lands again with some recompence for our former losses and upon these reports the Sequestrators and their Adherents that seldome or never thought upon God did begin yet to be afraid of the law and the Lawyer and thereupon they presently deserted and wholly gave over the possession of my Lands and soon after without any application to the Committees or any of their great Masters that set them on work I made an entry upon the most part of my Estate and held the same untill some were so venturous as to hire some part of the Land of me to farm and the rest I kept in my hands and made hay in my Meadowes and got money for it and took in Cattle to pasture upon my ground for I had not moneys enough to buy anie my self neither durst I procure anie means to have cattel of mine own lest the seditious should drive them away But now by the help of a little Countrie practice in my profession and these monies taken for hay and pasture our condition was much amended and our hearts so well refreshed as we did a little remember our selves and so we did totally desert the cards and the wheel and began to appear and shew our selves in a gentile garbe again in hope that the most part of the storm had been over but alas the worst was yet to come But my courage being high and remembring the cruelties that my poor wife had sustained and undergone by these villains in the
to the Devil Before their faults they perfectly do know Or what contrition in their hearts they show It argues but a Judgement raw To judge sans censure of the Law For he that grosly hath offended Must not be hang'd before condemned And for my part I know no reason why Men should be hang'd in lines of Poesie And yet some things have been amisse And by experience I have learned this That when the flesh begins to blister 'T is time the Body had a glister And would to God our State were purg'd of such As fancy pomp and self-conceit too much Though some have been advanced high And little good hath come thereby But to themselves a shamefull fall Yet let 's not rashly censure all Or hold a sacred office in contempt Though some therein have been of Grace exempâ— A godly Bishop I adoâ—e I wish of these we had good store But he that smelleth in opinion Of Romish Caiphas or Arminian In Tyber floud I wish his Barge a swimming Or elâ—e oâ— Tower-â—ill his Head a trimming A loyal Peer that leads the Land Religious laws to understand That ventures Honour Life and Bloud In Truth'â— behoof and Countrie 's good If honours wait not on him night and day Injustice wrongs Desert the World may say But he that 's trusted by his Prince And makes no Conscience by offence At home or else in foreign places To breed distractions and disgraces On Irish earth I wish the Serpent lay Till's bowels burst and poyson ran away An upright Judge I dearly love And Truth will ever such approve Because they help the poor oppressed And succour lend to the distressed In Common wealth they are a peerlesse Gem True Subjects therefore still will honor them But if that any of that Tribe Corruptly loves to take a bribe Or doth for favour fond out-face An honest man or honest Case I wish their hides in hands of Leather-dressors That they might Cushions line for their Successors Were Favourites false exil'd the World Projectors to the Devil hurl'd Or had a taste of Tybâ—rns check With Monopol packets on their neck Industrious spirits then would look to thrive And thus the State their safety might contrive But things so out of order are And coyne and favour stretch so far Ingenuous men of worthy parts Must needs have discontented hearts And nought more dangerous to the State we find Then discontentment in the Subjects mind But what makes troubles to begin What brings afflictions only sin 'T is not the Mitre Hood or Gown That doth alone pull Judgements down Some nicer Heads that wish them little health Are as ill Members in the Common-wealth A Garment white the Conscience pricks The Service-book in Stomack sticks Yet he that doth the same deprave I never knew him but a Knave The Crosse command in Baptism stifleth some And these they think awak'd the Scoâ—â—sh Drum No crying sins of young and old Make Judgements hot and Mercie cold In Schisme and self-conceit men wallow They fly a gnat and Cammels swallow At Ceremonie now more Stomacks rise Then ' gainst all sins the Devil can devise In Church we have so many Sects They will produce some strange effects The Anabaptists 'gins to brave And so will each fantastick Slave If some in power do not rowse themselves And send to hell in time such peevish Elves To rise and stand in this our gap We need no Pope nor Cardinal's cap Our Soveraign's heart the Lord up raise Josiah-like to mend our dayes And when we see that blessed Reformation Glory and peace shall crown our English Nation Certain News when these Wars shall have an end Written in 1643. WHen God will vouchsafe to open mens eyes That Gospel and Law they leave to despise When all the degrees of age and of youth Will learn to obey and honour the Truck When Gods holy Word is right understood And that which is naught no longer thought good When men are ashamed of Folly and Treason And bow to the rules of Religion and Reason When Scripture is made the ground of mens actions In spite of peevish schismatical Factions When Rebels and Traytors are laid in the lurch And there 's not a lye more told in the Church When Pulpits to good men are void of offence And are no more Theaters of railing Non-sence When proud prick-ear'd Rascals sent from the City To cant to the Roundheads a devilish ditty Are whipped for Rogues and mark'd in the Faces And honest Divines restor'd to their places When Cade and Jack Straw proud Parry and Kett With Powder and Bullets have gotten the freet Or when they be hanged on Gibbets like Slaves Then Peace will appear in spite of the Knaves When men will no longer dissemble with God But stand to the Truth for all the black rod And boldly declare it in every place Not fearing the looks of a treacherous face When Conscience awakes men out of a Trance And Justice and Truth her Head doth advance When true Subjects get of Valour a smack And fear not the Threatnings of every Jack But â—ouse up their courage and boldly disdain In bondage to Skums any more to remain When Traytors are made a scoff and a scorn And never a Rebel dares put out his Horn But keep within compasse of duty and then When Fools are no longer esteemed Wise men When Constables learn to understand Law And leave to serve Warrants not worth a straw And when they sup no more dangerous Broath But mark and beware and remember their Oath When they be no more deluded by I yes But Treason appears as clear as the skies When People no longer lick poysoned Honey To surfeit their Hearts and forfeit their Money But learn to abstain from damned Abuses And spend their Estates on lawfull good uses When every man seeks peace to his power And will not continue a Trayâ—or an hour But hate and detest these damnable Jarrs The Devil 's the Author of tray terous Warrs When People no more run out of their Wits But blush at their foolish Phâ—natical fits When rich men are wise and take modest courseâ— And give not a peny to Parliament forces But let the good Spirit that set them on fire Both cherish their zeal and pay them their hire When he that â— cause their malice so rageâ— Hath license from Heaven to pay them their wages Then shall we deride their practises vain And Peace and the Gospel shall flourish again When royal King Charles dispense with pity To curb in good earnest the treacherous City Of peace and of quiet there were a good token So soon as that nest of Harpies be broken Or if the old birds were fled and departed The young ones perhaps might prove better hearted When God of his goodness vouchsafeth to send them His spirit of Truth and Grace to amend them When Faith and Obedience in England do dwell And Faction and Treason are damned to Hell Then shall we have Peace that blessed good thing If men would be subject to GOD and their KING Upon our Royal Queens Majesties most Happy Arrival the most Illustrious Donna Catharâ—na sole Sister to the High and Mighty King of Portugall Tâ—e Princely â—â—ses do my Fancy move To consecrate a Verse to that blest Love That Royal Queen of Grace and great command Espous'd to Charles Le Bon and Charles Le Grand Prophetickly by him so well design'd Who was with Heavenly knowledge so refin'd Heaven guard them Both together and reflect That influence of Favour to protect That Sâ—cred Nymph whose Passage did so please The â—ternal God of Heaven of Earth and Seas To welcome Her with Complemental Ditties Ecchoes of Joy rebound in Court and Cities And lest the lowest place true love should want Or we be deemed of Devotion scant Lo I presume alone from Country Caves To come and honour those Neptunian waves Have brought us home with such propitious gales A Princely Mother to a Prince of Wales Who may my Genius thinks in time outvye The richest Gems of Glorious Chivalry And equalize in worth if not exceed The bravest Heroes of our British breed And with Pegasean Frigats lowdly roar At the proud banks of that Iberian shore And with triumphant Valour once again Set up his Standard in the Realms of Spain And with a Crown of Fortune there resume A Trophee like the brave Bohemian plume And by victorious Virtue still advance That Princely House of Portugal Bragance To Englands High renown and in despight Of all such Foes as dare against them fight May our Imperial Lion rampant stand With the bless'd Vnicorn at his command Who by his secret Virtues may confound All Poysons in the Springs of English ground That being Crown'd at home with perfect Peace His glories through the world may still increase Great Princes shall adore his Royal word And Nations tremble at his conquering sword Then Forreign parts will fear our force and then Our Soveraign shall be stil'd The King of Men And may his Dearest Consort blessed be With all rare fortunes of Felicity The grace of Heaven the prime delights of Earth Make Her the Mirrour of Content and Mirth Câ—lâ—stial Angels guard her free from harms Sweetly embraced in our Soveraignes armes Heaven guide her grace and make her truly seen Of Beauty Wit and Majesty the Queen A sit Consort to please the good desires Of such a Prince whom all the World admires And may this Princely payre rest in Love More firm and constant than the Turtle Dove Gods grace their Lives both prosper and protect And in the end Their souls to Heaven direct And grant them here that Quintessence of glory Was never read in any CAESARS Story That After-ages may of them rehearse A glorious Wonder to the Vniverse By John Wenlock of Lincolns Inne Esquire FINIS
of Jesus Christ and where and whensoever any true reformation hath hapned it was allwaies set on and brought to passe by the means of a lawfull Magistrate set up and authorised of God and not by the dull endeavours and injust power of a few bestial and serpentine spirits raised and conjured up by the madnesse of the people Such prodigious devices were not in use untill the old dragon begun to rage because his time waxed short but all along the primitive times notwithstanding those bloudie heavie and horrible persecutions imposed upon Christians yet those that were true godly Saints did never so much as dream of rebelling against their Governours for ever still in their strongest extremities their sharpest weapons were preces lachrimae a sure symboll of a sacred heart but all violent courses to protect themselves they utterly disclaimed There is a generation yet amongst us that can never be so soundly sensible of their souls solace as they might be if they were truly convinced of their late errors and seriously sorrowfull and humbled for their former offences but so long as they meet with pardon and preferment they think all is well but alas it is not so for too many still fare the worse for these mens late unjust and impious practises I wish them to remember that God is a righteous Judge and will render just measure in due time for oppression will ever cry to heaven for vengeance there be many matters which they have had a shrewd hand in that will be a bitter blemish in their armes as long as they live and as the vulgar saying is may grieve them in their graves when they be dead or at least stick sore at their souls hereafter if they bring not forth better fruits and effects of true repentance then can hitherto be seen or perceived in them by an impartial eye Such as seek to cover their sinnes cannot prosper and some there be I fear whose sormer faults being now shadowed under a fair pretext do still by their connivancie and countenance encourage others to be more stubborn and refractorie in the yeelding unto and performance of such things as a good conscience will lowdly call for at their hands and by this means also it is probable enough that some of your Maâ— subjectâ— that have evidently demonstrated their love loyaltie to their King countrie are still kept under and had in deâ—ision and contempt being basely abused and discouraged by too many of the late stupidicies to the dishonour and shame of this Kingdom both at home and abroad and clean contrary to your Maties good meaning and most royal disposition and sore against the reputation of a righteous Cause without question and if old Gamesters begin once to belive and find that there is now a dayes no difference at Dice but that cogging and cheating may as well win the Game and go away with the Garland as fairly as honest and square play it may hereafter be a means to induâ—e some to be cowardly and loath again to venture themselves and their estates so valiantly unless it were upon better terms and at such an ill consequence or event the enemies of the truth will be ready to rejoyce but all your Majesties Well-wishers would be most heartily sorry for it In truth it is now time under royal favour if it so please God and your Majesty that your Graces poor suffering friends should be a little looked upon and considered of who have been so couragiously constant in their saddest sufferings abhorring to defile themselves with the least tincture of Treason but alwayes labouring to imprint Loyalty in the hearts of others and frequently and faithfully improving their best faculties for your Majesties service and the good of their native Country Some of my Opposites have said unto me that they believed it was impossible to turn me from the way that I walked in and that although they were not of my mind and that I was their enemy and did them more hurt in their Cause than many that fought against it yet they could not chuse but honor the memory of me in regard that I had ever stood so stoutly to my Principles It was truly said of the Wiseman that when a man is well proved then is his faithfullness known and certainly I may say to your Majesty with a safe conscience that in the time of the late Anarchy my fidelity to your Grace was sufficiently tryed to the proof for amongst all the revolutions and alteration which happened in that slippery State and wherewith the most part of the people being desirous of novelty were well pleased in hope of some melioration thereby yet the Doctrine that I did ever divulge amongst all such as I conversed withall was still to this effect that all those alterations could never conduce to any good but only draw on more and more Confusion untill all were ruined for alwayes my saying was that right must have right and that there could never be the least expectation or sign of any security or settlement of peace here amongst us untill your Majesty were restored unto all your just and lawfull rights and royalties for whilst that came to pass and was happily effected the full wrath and vengeance both of God and man would continually prosecute these rebellious Nations Some factious and seditious Ignorants would now and then be carping at your Majesties title to the Crown of England and affirm that it came in first by William the Conquerour and being gotten by Conquest it might as well in the same manner be lost but my answer to this was that the Case is not the same for William the Conquerour was a forein Prince and by the law of Armes might make a Conquest of this Nation but no Subjects can ever conquer their Soveraign for although they do over-powre him by force and violence yet that is no Conquest but a meer act of rebellion and no wayes justifiable either by the laws of God or man and besides I commonly said unto them that if any of their Ancestors had been seiâ—ed of an Estate in Lands for the time of about 600. years they would then think it to be more than a sufficient prescription to maintain a good and unquestionable Title thereunto But â— had a stronger argument than this to refute that Norman fallacy for I was so good an Historian as to tell them that within a few Discents after the Conquest the antient royal race was again restored and also such an apt Antiquaâ—y and Herauld as to derive your Majesties pedegree ab origant and to shew them clearly how by Gods providence and the policy and good successe of many happy and fortunate Marriages your Majesty was now the true undoubted Heir unto all those famous Princes that ever had any lawfull colour of Competition or right unto the royal Crownes of England and Scotland And sometimes I have related unto them an old story of the Abissines who bragg that