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A90636 The high-way to peace: or, a direction set forth for the composing of those unhappy differences betwixt King, Parliament, Army, City, and kingdomes : shewing the sad effects these distractions have brought upon the whole island. / Published for the honour and love he beares to his native countrey, by Sir Edvvard Peyton, Knight and baronet. Peyton, Edward, Sir, 1588?-1657. 1647 (1647) Wing P1953; Thomason E411_12; ESTC R12435 8,735 16

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The High-way to Peace Or A DIRECTION set forth for the composing of those unhappy differences betwixt King Parliament Army City and Kingdomes Shewing the sad effects these distractions have brought upon the whole Island Published for the honour and love he beares to his native Countrey By Sir EDVVARD PEYTON Knight and Baronet Patiar potior Printed in the Yeere 1647. The High-way to Peace AStonished with the present condition of the times when all mens pens write unpunished what they please without serious contemplation of conveniency after much amazement I recollected my thoughts and esteemed it a duty to adde this drop to the Ocean of what hath beene printed with praiers first to the highest to direct me to write a word or two to induce an universall peace in this peece of ground which hath no limits but sea heartily wishing I were a wise Esculapius to expresse apples of gold and pictures of silver if it prove an antidote to cure the violent distempers I shall be exceedingly glad and if I labour in vaine I have discharged my conscience though with much sorrow The Phisition can judge better of a Patient by experience in others as a distempered man is more sensible of folly by seeing Bedlam therefore I set before your eyes as in a glasse to behold the pest ilent disease of great B●ittaine what mortall cause was in the example may be avoided in this Climate While some make the whole body desperate by clandestine plots and pamphlets unrecoverable on purpose to make Parliamentary Authority despicable that no phisick can helpe the distemper others as ambitious Solons new modell the State or imitate the burner of a goodly Ephesian Temple to be famous in after stories much like Quacksalvers heale an ulcer by a sword thrust through the bowells which may kill the body and not cure the Tumor and therefore in the serious view of present affaires this age resembles the Romane Senate tyred with civill mutinies groaning with burdens of severall Armies and new impositions and torne in pieces by envy of subdivided factions by which weakened in authority fell weary of the intolerable waight let the government by a strange dotage into the power of the boundles ambition of Iulius Caesar who subdued the Senatorian greatnesse by singling out particulars whom joyned hee could not prejudice For this Parliament the best of all since the conquest had power and opportunity to free the Nation from slavery a sicknesse almost incurable had not the physick of a just defensive warre procured an incredible successe The first they did in the edifice was to deface Hyerarchy afore they could cleanse the Church from rubbish and drosse sullied in time of Popery waying severall formes in the balance of the Sanctuary fix't upon Presbytery but finding a great distast from the severity in the peoples pallet mixt with the vinegar sweet milke to abate the sharpnesse and mittigate popular discontent with appeale from the Clergy to lay men more pleasing then the reformed Churches of Europe used Behold though there was analay and their stomakes puked and could not digest alteration of Bishops notwithstanding Presbytery seemed Apostolicall because the words without worldly pomp● and Presbyter are Sunonymaes So that a new tropicke is turned and the time is come all Mountaines to be abased and obstacles taken a way for the conquerour of hearts assailes all our Parliamentary power to let into Great Brittaine a new light and sunshine against all humane power for supposing one as lawfull as the other All this effected the high Counsell lanching the ship of the S●a●e over many Parliamentary tempests and various Rockes God seemed to be displeased in the very frontispeece of that Fabrick with the Presbyterian pride and insolent austerity of the Elders to their Superiors For the great Lord of the universe raised some Syraphycall spirits to make a new discovery for ordering the Communion of Saints more agreeable to the word then usually knowne in the world a controversie I will not now discusse the scope of my discourse tending another way namely to desire a setled peace and to shew the great danger wee run for reviving a new warre by Salimandrine spirits opposing each other without a mild dispute and pleasing converse For the people lissening to the Pastors violence of spirit are set on fire to quarrell with all that hold the contrary who from scolding fall to blowes from buffets to swords and gunnes by parties siding against parties having a just ground conceived to fall out about the breach of protestation and brotherly Covenant they are ingaged to the Scotch Nation whom I heartely wish may have good satisfaction by making manifest that the order to be used by the Ministers approacheth neerer the holy Scripture then theirs and differs only in forme not essence so the binds of amity may be kept in unity of spirit though divided in judgement and opinion to the end the protestation and Covenant made in the presence of the Almighty rise not in judgement against us to make us guilty of the crime of Laodislaus the Emperour falsifying his faith with the Turke who was slaine in the battle and place where the agreement was solemnly taken and broken whilst some are for Apollo and others for Caephas yet both for Christ the Scots pertake with some faction heere to cause England swim in blood and hinder the building of Gods house or be a Rrinora to the glory and felicity of the visible Church in the Martyrdome of many thousands I feare therefore lest this great contestation betweene Independent and Presbyter cause a fatall Tragedy as happened to the Clergy and Laiety about celebration of Easter such heart burning and great persecution for that as a branch growing from that tree of division sprang up the most horrible Arrian Heresie which troubled the Church many yeares till God raised a Counsell dispelled the Aegyptian darknesse by distinguishing the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which appeased the irreconcileable difference projected of two letters by Sathan to make a schisme and our Saviours death for salvation invallid so I trust God will raise Evangelicall spirits to bring that glorious woman out of the Wildernesse prophesied of in the Revelation who may be Midwives to deliver her of the most ardent truth to cure our frensicall part that the fulnesse of the Gentiles may more speedily ensue and consequently the remnant of the Jewes be gathered And certainely the Divell hath stirred up our heresies on purpose to breake the neck of Parliaments by the instigation of divers forraigne Jesuits come over who adde fewell to our flame either by Sermons or Counsells and consequently will indanger the Parliament as did the Arminian in Holland Surely wee are in the same danger the States of Holland were when Philip the second of Spaine acknowledged them a free State so as soone as it had life by the vigilancy of Grave Maurice a brave and wise Souldier the miracle was