Elder Brother gave me his Bond Parrole and Honour to pay those Bills of exchange given me for repayment in England This his Brother was killed in the Wars of Ireland my money not paid by him the Bills were drawn upon nor ever by that his elder Brother the principle killed and my whole debt seemingly dead also being very great My self now in Ireland I reminded this Lord of Broghill of what by Parrole he was debter to me with its consideration for 17 years upon Bill of exchange signed by his elder brother but never paid his Lordship not being at age became not bound otherwise than in point of Honour by his Parrole Truely the long time and my discontinuance beyond the Seas having made no former Application to him had worn both out of his memory but upon discourse both came to his Lordships reminde No sooner so but we consented to refer all allowances and demands of Interest to the Earl his Brother and M. Robert Boyl his youngest This done by consent his Lordship a few dayes after told me Well if my brothers to whom we have referr'd this business see no ground in Law possibly to proceed upon his Lordship haveing not given either specialty or promise since his being at age to pay the moneys so not liable in Law If thus they proceed said his Lordship to me yet come you to me and I will compose you in conscience But his Lordships brothers whom I found conscientious also in six words as I may say composed me and I have my money and these grounds I have for the taking of his Paroll my imprisonment and the preserve of his Paroll with Honour and to those that will preserve it Honour is due as here to his Lordship for the publishing of this Act I was debter either to the invite or else to the shame of others that have more of Title but less of good conscience Good Men direct into not lead out of the way I am where I was and go on to let you know that this day Thursday the 12 of January all those Persons being thus there and in such good equipage upon the same place the sign given me for my confirmation and others also is fully made good to me considering also my not commitment that day together with the great concourse of people from parts far more remote than I intended my Summons for the invite in of the Gentry and Country that day to that place for to let them know this business of the Lords Thus the work of the Lord is carried on to the greatest advantage and so brought to pass whilest we onely think to do our own wills how doth he make us to effect his Every Creature walks blindfold onely he that dwells in light sees whither they go We are for Hors-races yet see how we fall under his decrees unawares that we might the more adore the depth of his Providence For the rumore of what I had said and done that day and the next spred over the Country Post it went to Dublin in England it was in a short time and as the Cloud of Elias raised from the Sea at first appeared but as an hand-breadth so this rumour raised upon the Strand of Youghall by the Sea-side little then as it was now as that Cloud raised by that Prophet spread over the whole Heavens and Earth and falls upon it also what to do but even as his To glad the people and make fruitfull the Earth Publick meetings and great concourses of people fittest to disperse general mercies to the Sons of men The Irish desire to know nothing more nor enjoy any thing on Earth before their own habitations not to be transplanted and to have the Kingly Government restored Why they are ready to die of an over-joy Oh the wisdom and loving kindness of the Lord Who can do other than obey him Well the third day in Prison I am and for Treason too there I pass a moneth or six weeks no offer for inlargement On a sudden If I will go out I may but I must go presently aboard a Ship there bound for England ready to depart Many requests I made before that time that I might be sent over Prisoner to the General Oliver Cromwell to whom I was deputed but not in any hearkened unto Well Go I would yet positively I said that untill I had once more been with the Lord of Broghill and given him my Prophesie in writing under my Hand and Seal delivered and left with him the most material parts of it I would not go that done I would go and then his Lordship should dispose of me as he pleased I would afterwards in all things readily obey him His Lordships Secretary and the Earl of Corks both with me then making the offer of inlargement upon the terms as before which when I refused except upon my own terms they fairly told me I should ly there three moneths longer then be proceeded against and for Treason hang'd To which I replied Let them burn me also if they could I would not go out but upon those terms Appear to the people I would had they put me in publickly and will they take me out privatly I would appear to the people even to all that were there that I was enlarged Mad I was not the business was the Lords and he would bring it to pass and deliver whom he had sent and commissionated in the fittest time I bade them be gone told them I would do all that and more which was to leave another of my Prophesies under my own hand at the House I lodged in the Widdow Merricks written in Parchment boxed up and hanged over my Beds head in the Chamber I lodged in which I pronounced should be called the Chamber of the great Prophet for ever My Prophesie I wrote gave it to the Widdow Merricks Son in writing a Man grown he is he keeps it ten dayes or more then returned it me and told me his Mother durst not suffer it to be hanged up Here was obedience to Governours I would it had always been so Well the Ship is gone in Prison I remain my Keeper again begins new it now was not to practice some of his former Tricks upon me False Prophet he calls me a Child of his some 2 or 3 years old is also taught to call me so himself owns the teaching of it which when I desired him to forbear or else tell me upon what ground he did it he replied to me he had good grounds You are said he for the Superstitious keeping of Dayes and Times as in particular that in the time of Lent we should do well to fast pray and examin our selves that so through Gods mercies we may as you say become worthy receivers of his most blessed body and bloud for the Remission of sins at the feast of his Resurrection at Easter Nay you are for a Passion Sermon also upon good Friday as you call it when all dayes
the penning of my Prophesie to do so in the Church I should never have done it but then and there wrote I could no more decline doing it than I can now to pray for all men even his and my own Enemies No they are the Commands of God which carry me on and not to conform to them I neither can chuse or dare omit SECT V. THis very morning being now the 7 day of September 1654. was I a second time rouzed and called early from my bed by a great Crack or Canon to rise and go to work to bring forth this my Book to the World in it concerned defer it I dare not though I have been by some Ministers but most of all by my other seeming Friends my Wife and Children crying to me also not to publish it all men I have yet sent to and all means hitherto failing me for money to get it out Nay I have lain these 20 dayes the most troubled and disconsolate imaginable for want of money to go on with it Tried all I know almost would have pawned what I had left that I might raise money to do it am refused by all men hitherto I know out I would have had it come before the Parliament assembled as believing it would highly dispose them to serve God their King and Country so invite the Lord to send deliverance and heal our Land But I see in this as in all other of Gods proceedings I must pray to him depend upon him abide his good pleasure his own time is the best so is his way also he will do his work himself It may be he is pleased to see what good effect the Sermon Mr. Thomas Goodwin gave them on Munday last will operate and have upon those Gentlemen as also what the Protector did after communicate unto them At the Sermon I was I heard all in particular how he well advised to turn from all sin that God would be pleased to return to us and that they those now worthy Gentlemen called of Gods goodness as I believe for the healing of our grievances For as Mr. Goodwin observed there was election of persons for works sometimes by the Lord as well as to grace and glory David might intend to build Gods House but Solomon shall You see my main rise of all this Book and unparalel'd Prophesie begins there as that Gentleman did adviseth the rebuild of his House the restore of his Ministers the giving them for maintenance what God hath given and to every man his just interest and then see how be establisheth the Land the Kings Throne which Kings Throne I wish he had fuller pressed he hath done it in some other works of his where he hath observed that the House of King Solomon was established as Davids when they thought of so did build up the house of God But he is wise he leaves that work for the Protector if he doth not know it I do he shall help to builde Gods House and bring in his King too and that will establish his own house also the most Honourable of a Subject in the World or else put me to death if this come not to pass He went on he advised them to keep us from falling into or returning to the Red-sea of bloud which we as the Israelites had passed through Let him now take the comfort of my Book and this Prophesie of the Lord Almighties as I had of his Sermon in many good observances There is an end of all the Wars in the Christian World and I hear since that Oliver Cromwel did that day tell you at a conference he was ready as a fellow-worker to carry on the work of the Lord and would do so See now to what purpose my Gun hath wakened me this morning to call you all to your duty us to pray for you that you forthwith fall to it and work as men whom God hath highly honoured and now called to be the restorers of our Religion Peace the Honour of our Nation and our King who because the best in the World God having made him so for our good happiness Bring him presently that our rejoycing be not deferr'd nor the World kept from coming into the then so gloriously professed Protestant Religion and under his so happy Goverment to which all Christendom Jews and Heathens are to conform also in Gods time which I beseech him for his name and mercy sake be pleased O Lord to hasten Now Turks and Infidels look to your selves our King is CHARLS STUART the General of all our Forces is Oliver Cromwell both the so dearly beloved of the Lord of Hosts against whose sword put into their hands as Gods Vice-Roy and his Lieutenant none drawn on Earth shall ever prevail O Lord thou hast wakened me and I will do my duty this shall now come in that formerly was not and my Book shall out in Print to the World concerned if I go naked for thou knowest O Lord it had been out before now if I had had either money to have done it credit or goods to have borrowed money on At home I continue discontented enjoy nothing because it is not published fear I do that it 's not coming out time enough the major part in Parliament will be wanting to their duty they not yet understanding what God will have done were my Book but once read by those Members for whom with Oliver Cromwell I first intended it I then should fear no Votes in Parliament contrary to Gods glory and the Kings just interest with a Parliament for divide them I can not In what a troubled condition I am at home I have shewed you opposed and deserted by all unable to effect any thing of my self See now how God works for me and carries on his own work for his own glory as assured me he would that it may be marvelous in my eyes as well as yours For to pass it must come that 's the seal of my Commission the time and way is his own secret What doth the Lord now do my self being at loss Upon the 12 of September to my unpararel comfort Oliver Cromwell doth this work of the Lords it is possible too when he intends onely to establish himself The Lord often makes us to be most highly instrumental to bring his good pleasure to pass when sinfully we may intend onely the carrying on of our own unwarrantable proud and ambitious end I know not but it was so here with him and no otherwayes but I do know that in the end thou Oliver Cromwel shalt delight to do the will of thy God and thy King in the first place also not minding thy self before thy duty performed to them in which doing thou canst not fail of being abundantly happy otherways disquieted and miserable beyond all compare The 12 of September the House door that 's shut up out go all you or the most of you whose froward principal of Presbytery or other call it what you
like that of the Apostle Peter when the Prison door was set open for him and his Irons fell off so was the effect of that Call Come away the doors are opened to me the very next day But close up my mouth O Lord I may not complain every defer of thine is as my self suspended for a further good I know it thy own time and workings have none like them Thou wilt make discoveries of men and let us see as well who would be good if there were no law as who would practice wickedness by a law doth not God Almighty put us often into his sive several wayes also discovering the Wheat from the Chaff pray we must believe we must that all works for the best to them that fear God and patiently abide his good pleasure Return I must go on to my former intentions yet this believe me in you worthies of Parliament this insert was not begot by either of the Protectors two speeches to your good selves for I take God Almighty to witness I had not then read either of them Inlarged from Prison I gather in all my material papers as commanded which were not a few I now see them of very great concernment for the carrying on of this work I believe I wrote in Prison then twice as much as this Book and twice over also This Call thus directing Come away bring your Papers come away was certainly of God Well my self gotten out of Prison and my Papers gotten into my possession I hasten for England and in Easter week 1654. came to my own house where I now do and have resided twenty years being in Broadstreet near the Church over against Gresham Colledge at which Church once but not long enough officiated that so eminent and renowned Doctor Oldsworth but thank you invisible Parliament and such Oakes our then wicked Governours you sequestred imprisoned and destroyed him as you did hundreds and thousands of others God sent unto you of which you were unworthy but you could not help it the Jews your brethren did so persecute those sent unto them and aud truely you could not but follow the worst of examples the best are to be conformed to by these which are wiser men and therefore a true Parliament You long since as your actions have been the dishonour of the Protestant Religion and the Nation all the World over and future times will never call you a sober Parliament but as we desire not to believe you were English men so well constituted Parliaments for time to come will look upon you as upon Lots wife a lasting monument of her shame for looking towards Sodom when God had set her face towards salvation But I go on SECT VI. HAving passed a few dayes in my house I could not be in longer quiet untill I took me a lodging near Saint Jame's his house attending all opportunities and possible means to speak with the General whom not meeting with I wrote unto him several times to give him to understand that I had received of the Lord the most considerable and highest things imaginable to communicate to his good self being therein concerned as much as any and to whom from prison in Youghall God had pleased to send me for that very purpose therefore besought him to hear me After much attendance and not a few disappointments I had first at White-Hall the opportunity onely to speak to him made my self known to him but he had not the conveniency at that time to hear me in the things I so much desired yet then told me he would speak with me That further opportunity I had not though continued seeking it it and reminded him by Letters of his promise untill one Saturday in June a little before the death of the Portugal when and where it pleased Almighty God to afford me a most convenient one at Hampton Court and his Lordship there pleased to hear me out to the full affording me both his patience and attention too as I firmly believe There was present Sr. Gilbert Pickering and a Gentleman or two more whom I knew not for all which I returned as in duty Obliged first to God next to his Lordship all possible prayers and humble thanks And now least any thing might scape his Lordships observe which it is possible did my recital he hath this second review of it but printed more particularly for the World of men in it so highly concerned for I cannot be quiet untill to them I publish it also this being a light not to be hid the universal splendor of the Protestant Religion must break forth also the obedience of men to the Lord who I conceive and believe is now coming in mercy and wayes of making himself known to the Christian World Jews and Heathen in mercy but in judgement to others for the evil doer shall not abide in this so great and wonderfull a change On earth whom is the Lord pleased to make his Viceroy for rule his favour and loving kindness is the highest to our King CHARLS the Second CHARLS the Great CHARLS the good King of the whole World these are the words and declared pleasure of the ever living and our most mercifull God which I dare not conceal nor longer keep uncommunicated but must publish them to all concerned to have an end of all the Wars in the Christian World with the rest in the Prophesie is certainly considerable I confess after I had wrote to the General I could not but also do so to his Majesty my King the import of both refers onely to my duty in the discharge of which I onely can have quiet The Original of all Letters to them I have being to each five in all ten in any of them not the least thing advised to but as I conceive and so believe the minding both of them to the perform of such their duties as are most acceptable with God Almighty the one how to rule well the other so to obey things the most to be desired of good Kings good Subjects of which I wish the whole world were made up of I have therefore in the end of the book given two of those Letters to publick view that at once my inward thoughts may appear to the excite of walking as best becomes the most excellent of Kings and the highest of Subjects where the meanest also have to observe that in fearing God and honouring their King they are blest here and ever so to be hereafter omitting it miserable to all eternity From which sin of Rebellion because compared with that of witchcraft we have good reason to pray The Lord be pleased to deliver us especially when covetuousnes is joyned therewith the root of all evil sins which some men therefore will have the World justly condemned as a Witch in the end to be burnt because it and its lying vanities hath so bewitched us as to prefer them before the ever living God and our walking according to his
no longer into the Heavens I then run and hasted to get from under that vail that I might again look up where I was so much ravished above in the Heavens so pressing forward that I might get from under the vail and so I was taken from the ground and so moved untill I came beyond the vail which impeded my sight being got from under it I looked up again into Heaven where I saw what I cannot utter or set out unto you Help me O Lord my soul is too narrow to express that glory and ravishment thou shewedst me there and then the Heavens yet opening I saw a beautifull place much about the bigness of a quadrangle of a Colledge and in such a figure also within which sate some four and twenty persons all in order as being in four straight lines from side to side so adorning the whole they were all arrayed in long white robes richly Crowned they were and he that late in the middest the richest on each hand of him sate also one very richly arrayed and Crowned all of them in order and beauty beyond any expression I was given to understand it was the coming of the Son of man I can say no more onely tell you what it was not there was in it no disagreeing no confusion no striving for priority no supplanting of one the other all obedience all beauty all holiness every one continuing in his own station lovely throughout beyond all compare or expression certainly it was to let me see that at hand his coming is for the conversion of sinners if they would but get themselves in readiness to receive and meet him with prepared hearts he would come and dwell with them in beauty and holiness for our amendment or else take them to himself unto either of which happy conditions O Lord fit us and we shall be fitted I end believing God hath now made this book fit for the press and you Observe to amendment of life Help out O Lord with the book and into thy favourable loving kindness the sons of men this day is the first leaf of this book Printed to finish which if thou help not O Lord I cannot give it birth I have not this day on penny in the world yet I doubt not by thy providence this very day to carry on thy work this book nor thy power and loving kindness to effect the whole Prophesie in it contained And now O Lord be thou pleased to help so thy most unworthy servant and carry on this thy great work strange and mighty to thy own glorie and good of all men as I set forth the truth of all and desire from the bottom of my heart that thou O Lord mayest have the glory of all and we men the comfort O Lord I may not doubt thou wilt do it for thy glory mercy and name sake I see it already done as thou hast promised though it be thus strange yet it is thy work and thou wilt do it that it may become marvellous in our eyes Thus I end in the very words which ends my own Commission in truth also be pleased O Lord to help all men of thy goodness as thy most indeared yet unworthy servant From my House the 10 of Novemb 1654. Walter Gostelow A POST-SCRIPT Clearing the Author from Guilt of Pride or Falshood WHat my Book conceived in sin and before born or come into the World but five sheets out and in three of them shall I be suspected to be guilty of pride and falsehood Certainly I will bestir my self the rather because a wise and good man tells me he fears the good intented to Gods glory Religious luster and the Kings interest will all suffer in the publishing of it and upon these grounds he perswaded me to desist from Printing which I can no more refuse to do than I can to breath live what shall I wound any of these in the least Three things as precious to me as had I ten thousand lives they should all not come into the scale with one of them Moreover I have presented it in my intentions to the Lord Protector for his protection and defence and shall I not present it innocent I know him set up to be a terrour to the evil doer and deceitfull man but to calumniated injuriously oppressed honest and innocent men a Protector and comfortable Defender with all reverence and humility be it spoken thy glory O Lord shall have the praise of this happy Post-script I know it is for a farther good to me as well as for the worlds clearer satisfactions by such seeming oppositions and wise delays hath thy Providence reserved it and me in the fittest time to become publick and for the fullest discovery of truth it is now made much longer than formerly intended that all things time and circumstances may be fully examined and clearly inquired into if there may or can be made appear any ground for suspected delusion or visible falshood I fear neither the charge as Gunpowder makes a noise but you shall quickly see it turned into smoke and and vanish I am to demonstrate unto you why I should not justly be condemned of pride for these words in the 55 page O Lord let the World as I do stand amazed love thee and fear thee for ever what Arguments of innocency brought to convince of evil be pleased to look back but two pages the 53. and so on you have the reason of those words God of his providence guiding me at that very time to so full a Scripture which I there observed for my confirmation in that my over-ruled deportment of falling upon my face Haveing read that portion of Scripture not till then known to me 7 months after done and my self then penning what I there Printed I could not but in a thankfull obedience with all possible humility in my private Chamber fall upon the ground and praise the Lord for it I beseech you let it not be laid to my charge as pride be pleased to read it rather O Lord let the whole World as we all should do stand amazed at thy goodness therefore praise and love thee for ever This will take me in and I have what I intended there The next is in the 56 page where I say I expected more alteration already ready than I have yet seen and believe I did the Summer past would have made the certain things to come to pass much more apparent before now than they yet are Here confessing my self mistaken is inferred I clearly demonstrate that sent of God as one of his Prophets I cannot be for they are alwayes guided in words of truth and certainty I could refer you to what follows and fasten this yet non-accomplishment upon your selves by reason of your continuance in sins and impieties and well might too but apply I will my self to satisfie reasonable men in all possible wayes and things yet observe before I end that very Section in the two last pages
France or beyond the Seas be highly instrumental to turn the Queen to the Protestant Religion who with the King and all of our Nation should return into this Land and there should be no more Heart-burnings divisions or disgust amongst us but we should all agree in the future to fear God honour the King and live in brotherly love one with another to our General good content and admiration of the world I dare not here omit to let the Reader know I did then say I did believe these happy Mutations would be shortly and that the Kings Birth-day would be a day of great Rejoycing in these his Kingdoms Nay I have expected more alterations already than yet I have seen and said I have to some that I did believe this Summer past would have made the certain things yet to come to pass much more apparent before now But I see where the bringing of any things to pass depends on mans seeing to do Evil there is nothing but disappointment O Lord if thou turn not Man to thy self or thy self do the work when will it be Those that have robbed thy house and undone man their brother whether thy Ministers or others are in no disposition as yet to part with their so much beloved sins because profitable Those that on the otherside have by swearing forswearing uncleanness and all manner of deboystness yet continued in giving just occasion to say the former men and Times were as bad as these because they repent not but continue to wallow in all manner of their pleasing sins and corruptions who by so doing caused the Protestant religion as much as the former Evil doers to be Evil spoken of Truely reader if any thing hath befooled in regard of time the spiritual man it is your sins of all sorts yet continued in Read the 9 of Hosea and the 7 vers There you shall see that the iniquity of the people made that Prophet mad yet you that will not part with your lusts and Hypocrisies and other impieties of all sorts must be reckoned the onely sober and wise men whilst he whom God hath spoken to you account mad Did I not tell you That he which covers his sins should not prosper but he that confesseth and forsakes them should finde mercy Gods displeasure is ready to blow over did we but seek him by our unfained repentance and lay hold on him in faith by our true and new obedience Doth not the Scriptures all along give you this for reason of the withhold of Gods mercies There are yet reasons Observe I beseech you as anon I shall let you see I had no sooner proclaimd this and other his loving kindnesses towards us A distracted and distressed people in that Church of Youghall which I could not chuse neither can I do other than apply my self to all concerned either by word of mouth or by writing But I truely say unto you I was there the third day clapt into prison committed onely for Teason when I know no man living is or can be further from the contrivance or less desirous of shedding any one mans bloud in the world Nay I would from the bottom of my heart so do I pray that God would be pleased to set every mans sins in order before his face give him the heart truely to repent of them come forth confess and truely forsake all his iniquities and practice the contrary virtues for the time to come So it is clearly certain God would be most glorified and we most happy that have all done amiss one way or other It is the worst of men can kill but who can make alive The good Spirit of God stirs not any man to any private revenge Not a Bird of prey but a Dove was the shape wherein our Saviour Christ appeared Many O Lord lived by thee never any destroyed onely the poor Fig-Tree as a real Embleme of thy severity to the unprofitable and fruitless After mercy so long abused 't is time for judgement So that I say there I was some eight weeks imprisoned and although I often wrote and sollicited that I might be sent over to Oliver Cromwell to whom I was more particularly deputed and so most considerable for the carrying on of this work of the Lord. Nay I offered if they pleased I would pay bear the whole charge of a convoy to him and give it under my hand and faith I would not so much as endeavour to escape Further that if I was found to be deluded then I was content they should inflict upon my body what punishment they pleased But if an Impostor or one that would deceive by lying or false promises speaking unto them when not sent or what God had not deputed me for then in that case that they burned me or put me to death all these Original papers I have by me to shew any that doubts it Yet these prevailed not for my inlargement so there I was retarded in prison and coming over near 3 months and almost 2 months more after arrived in England before I could come to communicate what I had to say to the General of all the English Forces Oliver Cromwell Here was one impede of 5 moneths May is now gone Such Aversness have I met with in all or most of men that truely had not the Providence of Almighty God put into the mindes and mouths of some men I have on late dayes heard preach and upon such suitable Subjects also certainly his Almighty goodness hath guided me to my great consolation and them also even to my great amazement just as if they had been within me and with me in all my sufferings I say had I not been thus supported I had well nigh sunk under the burden For so fit encouragements have I had from wise men preaching that I shall never reckon it other than the loving kindness of God to me for my support and carrying on in this his business Even so did the Jews thus evilly persecute despise traduce imprison and not hearken unto the Prophets sent to them although men of their own Religion Thus was I shewed what I am to expect from All or almost all so that now I thank God I am armed for it For further reason I may not do other than present you with the passage of Nineveh and the Prophet Jonah who told them that yet 40 dayes and that great Citie should be destroyed You may there see the good effect of true repentance and speedy turning from bad works how it kept off their judgement 40 years and can we then expect or believe other but that continuance in sin it may be augmenting them also will have the contrary effects to keep off mercie There is yet a reason and that is come to my cognizance and observe in a Book lately published by Arise Evans a man you are unworthy of whom you have persecuted too as you have all Gods Ministers almost all either by Imprisonment Sequestration or
that of Rome into one of whose Chappels at Saint Jermains your Majesty was that day further pleased to Command me when returned from seeing the then Dolphin now King of France your Majesties Son then in his Cradle to wait upon you to that Chappel to hear the Musick and Vespers Madam in obedience I did so be pleased to let me assure your Majesty I have heard very many Sermons and some good ones too in the Churches of France and Spain tending to mortification yet never was I of the Roman Catholick Religion in all things No Madam it is their unwarrantable Innovatious Traditions Superstitions Excesses and Idolatries of the Priests and Factors for Rome and his unholiness the Pope and that Hierarchy That your Majesty and all must turn now from that is the cup of fornication she hath made the Kings and Princes of the Earth drunk with for which wicked acts of hers they and all shall now hate her God hath said it in this his Prophesie down she shall her fatal time is come and her self must drink the dregs of that cup of fornication hers it is and take it she shall the Lord will have it so she shall fall Yet Madam the Lord is good to all his though of that Church for he will purge her as your Majesty shall further read anon Be pleased so excelling Queen I most humbly beseech your favourable allowance that I go on to wait upon my own King and Gods true Church in this his business and my imploy And now O my King rejoyce fully there is no place for sorrow but for sin how like thy Saviour was thy Father who dying prayed his Father in Heaven to forgive those Murderers on Earth that so despitefully used him it is not all the indigne cruelties of men that can rob him of those rich mercies thou my King prayedst for them dying wicked sinfull people you would be miserable but he will not let you Father forgive them they know not what they do Blest art thou O Land when thy King is the Son of Nobles who because faithfull unto death I will give him a Crown of life as in the 11 of the Ecclesiastes and the 17. also Revelations the 2. and 10. I am now in Heaven in the this dayes discharge of my duty I fear you Rebels and all evil doers as I do the Devil not at all But I return to thee O. Cromwell the so much beloved of the Lord which we now seeing wonder it should be so But God judgeth not as man doth when he pleaseth the Lion shall lie down with the Lamb 't is so here Oliver Cromwell I expect thee nay I believe thee no more ill byassed if ever no more rebellious no more ambitious except it be of being more just and good in all wayes of Honour and obedience now endeavour thou or encrease to be communicably good to all the high end thou was born for there now lies thy choice and complacencie and for thy former wayes as errors of thy judgement not want of zeal to God's glorie be comforted it offends not that our affections are moved with zeal but that they are inordinate thou art not onely now thy self a detestor of them when inordinate but a dehortor of others from the like phrensie-practises so that of the mercie of God changed or to us made known thou here helpest to make good what our already glorified King Prophesied to his now so Highly Honored and restored happy Son and people That those his Subjects which had erred by the artifice of others or misguided zeal would when they saw the errors of their wayes and the villenous practises of those that had deluded and seduced them their eyes so opened they would then most hate them and best obey their King here is this now fulfilled in our dayes and eyes O you people of this Land and the world also judge now was not my King and Soveraign a great Prophet as well as the best of Kings O you deceivers who traduced him in his Honour that you might the better Murder his Person and divide the inheritance if there yet lives any of you for your time is but short except you repent the bloud-thirsty and deceitfull man shall not live out half his dayes Whether can you turn to be in quiet or to be beloved who hates you not that is either wise or good But God is mercifull he is the best of Paterns his mercie is over all his works and his compassions fail not I must obey him and let you know where your well-being lies you bad men once gave the worst counsel and it prevail'd now take the best and follow it from God me come forth humble your selves leave no sin unrepented of Murder and Hypocrisie are two great ones confess to God and to his glory forsake all that was of the Devil in you contempt of Gods house Ministers Worship and Service violence to Man thy Brother restore to God and Man what is not your own but stollen from both make all possible amends you can for otherwayes I do tell thee whomsoever thou art whether yet in this Kingdom or fled already into another that God will give deliverance to his Church and people but render vengeance to his adversaries both at once Deuteronomy the 32. verse the 43. and this he will do that so wherein the wicked dealt proudly God might shew himself above them Exodus the 18. and the 11. My next observe is how doth God Honour that Religion which to have been of the World hath counted madness The Jews the Heathen the Roman and our sneaking Schismaticks those that either despised Christ or falsly told you with them he was and no where else they are all now truely shewed his delight was and favour is where they thought and taught him not to be with the faithfull Professers of that so ancient true Church of God but lately so much despised and by them contemned Church of England to whom because the purest God is now pleased to give so much Honour beauty and renown for the former contempt persecution and ashes of her glorified Professers and Martyrs of which number it is now demonstrative our late King is the greatest see God judgeth not as man doth This is righteous judgement which himself Prophesied you should have hereafter when falsly condemned him and had provided your selves of those at your backs and about your Bar of Justice for so it was a Bar of Justice where you had placed your Criers for Justice Justice as their fellows did against our Lord Crucifie him Crucifie him spit upon him you did too as I have heard condemn him you did that I am sure of no end of your malice his bloud you thirsted for as also the Ministers of the Lord you had it you have taken them yet see as he prayed you are found besprinkled with the bloud of Jesus when inquisition is made for his and others and thus he prayed for
have mercie upon you and now so direct all your Counsels to his glorie for the promotion of the true Protestant Religion the just interest of all men beseeching God for his guidance in all things and times for the best doubt not then but we shall all live together in brotherly-love and the Land be blest The King presently invite home when come a general Council assemble to reform all amiss in the Church and House of God begin here and you do what God by our late King by Haggai by Zacharie by his Prophets and by me now sent unto you the most unworthiest of all advise too You see we all agree in the way it is undoubtedly the only course to remedy all amiss Thus to promote Gods glorie your Soveraigns Honour and to preserve his posterity hath been the most of your pretensions now let it be the best and speediest of your practises do this and live the envy of the World wicked men and Devils but the joy of Saints and Angels also the dearly beloved of the Lord and good-men you will be or else put me to death I will neither run nor hide my self to avoid it Walter Gostelow dwelling in Broad-street assures you of it God having first assured him for manner and matter as you read The next in order is the poor Irish shall not be transplanted see here is the Bears skin you divided before taken into power to dispose of Your cruel Act was that after last May it must be death for any not qualified as you there please to set down if taken on this side the River Chanon Mercifull men you are just too as you would have us misbelieve but pray what is become of your selves are not some of you gone thither the Irish Nation is not God put it into the heart of Oliver Cromwell to turn you out that would be turning of others out that you might divide the spoil which your selves make no they shall not be transplanted to Gods glorie and my comfort this part of his Prophesie is fulfilled already as well as his sign given me for the strengthning of my Faith and yours here also you see God judgeth not as man doth there are hundreds and thousands of that Nation I firmly believe and I have good ground for it also which hate that Rebellion as they did the Contrivers of it and the Actors of all Rebellion the Devil his instruments with this poor and oppressed Nation I have spent some time I know this to be true and now to their comfort I here assure it them in Print they shall not be transplanted they and the Land also may be made much better by our good example peaceably and loveingly co-habiting the Land affords room enough and would be made good too if wise-men sate at Helm which I assure them shortly will in the mean time and at all times I advise them to the remedy of two things to speak truth and not to give themselves to idleness stealing the Devil being the Father of all lies and the other his forge for all villanies our own good example in this may much the sooner remedy both for the former they hate many of us and use it as a rod of our own making for to scourge us with for the latter our pride and covetuousnes makes them chuse rather to steal and hang laze and starve than work for their beggerly proud Schismatical Lord-like usurpers There is a great increase of a sort of seeming strict and consciencious living people gotten thither they call them Anabaptists in Cristmas week 1653. to Youghall came one they called Doctor Lamb this Wolf cast many there then upon their backs into the water to hear as well as see what he did I went he told them that to be sprinkled onely as used in England made us no more Christians then those were that liv'd in France Rome or Spain Nay no more than such as lived in the remotest place of the World and had never heard of Christ 't was what he did our Saviour onely injoyned and our Lord himself was not baptized untill about 30 years of age believing first also truely at this I could not keep silence I observed our Saviour alwayes believed and was baptized when he pleased and for the Church of England certainly he traduced and falsly slandered them this Doctor further added wicked men having power in their hands had for these many years persecuted the true people of God which they were laboured also to suppress his Ordinances which was to baptize believe as they did only it is long to tell you more what I said in the defence of my faith and Church in fine two of his party Sword men in that place stood up and close to me also and told me we had no Church in England seeing what it was like to come to force of Argument I went out and staid with others to see the two then to be ducked the woman near sixty years old could hardly be gotten down she hanged so about this Doctor Lamb when in the water under water he could not get her the man Young by name dived like an old duck Doctor Lamb after he had well werted them laught at both all this I saw and heard these things I hope will be amended when I was in prison I wrote to the Lord of Broghill that I would witness those words spoken by Lamb to the slander of Gods word and his Church it is before you Gentlemen these things require a remedy you imagine not what a strange sort of cattle we have in Ierland for Religion mercifulness civility you may finde better in America and upon my conscience many of them will be sooner converted to the Protestant Religion than too many of those Saints will cease to be villains to the great dishonour of the Protestant Religion and deterring of those poor people to come in to it I am ashamed of it that men which pretend to piety should have so little my Land-lord the Goaler is a Saint to some of them yet what you have read of him is true preachers and wise men they have amongst them as they call them that will tell you me they have I am sure of it that there is no Hell and that their consciences never yet troubled them though they daily swear whore drink drunk besides other wickednesses indeed what not for sin by links is made a chain to this they came their conscience ought not to trouble them for who ever yet resisted Gods will for your Ministers which tell you this and that story out of what they call the word of God it is but to this end that they may the better pick your pockets when you are amazed and over-awed by them and so went on I do tell you Moyses was no more a Prophet than the rest of the Magitians onely more cunning in smiting them first they were all alike say these I am afraid to tell you