An expedient for the king, or, King Charls his peace-offering, sacrificed at the altar of peace, for a safe and well-grounded peace the welfare and happiness of all in generall, and every subject in particular, of his kingdom of England Behold! all ye that passe by, stand stil, and see the wonderful salvation of the Lord, which he hath wrought for the people of this kingdom, by his servant King Charls : Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God : Aske of the King, and he shal give you not stones, for bread, nor scorpions, for fish / studied and published for the honour of the King, and his posterity, and the universall happiness of the whole kingdom of England, by Richard Farrar, Esq.

AN EXPEDIENT FOR THE KING: OR King Charls his Peace-Offering, Sacrificed at the ALTAR of PEACE, For a ſafe and well-grounded Peace, the welfare and happineſs of all in generall, and every ſubject in particular, of this His Kingdom of ENGLAND.

Behold! all ye that paſſe by, ſtand ſtil, and ſee the wonderful Salvation of the LORD, which he hath wrought for the people of this Kingdom, by his ſervant KING CHARLS.

Bleſſed are the Peace-makers for they ſhal be called the children of God.

Aske of the King, and he ſhal give you Not Stones, For Bread: Nor Scorpions, For Fiſh.

Studyed and Publiſhed for the honour of the King, and his Poſterity and the Univerſall happineſs of the whole Kingdom of England.

BY RICHARD FARRAR, Eſq

Printed in the Year, MDCXLVIII.

TO The Kings moſt excellent Majeſty. Moſt Gracious Soveraign,

IT is the ſaying of Solomon (the pen-man of the Holy Ghoſt, and the wiſeſt King that ever was) Prov. 21. 1. The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water; he turneth it whitherſoever he pleaſeth: I, a poor deſpicable man, (deſpicable becauſe poor) do preſume, out of my ſincere loyal affection, and duty to Your Majeſty, and my earneſt deſire for the re-uniting of You with Your Parliament and Subjects of this Kingdom, to offer, or rather to ſacrifice, my weak Conceptions to Your gracious Acceptance or Refuſal. Sir, We are all in an Egyptian darkneſs, be You but pleaſed to cauſe the Sun-ſhine of your Mercy and Goodneſs to break out upon Your poor Subjects of this Kingdom, and there is great hope we may ſoon be delivered from this fearful Confuſion whereinto we are faln. For my own part, I beleeve, Your Majeſties not being conſcious of the miſery Your poor Subjects are in (in regard of the unkingly reſtraint You are for the preſent unhappily under) is the cauſe You cannot be ſo zealous, as otherwiſe you would, to redreſs it; and that your want of knowledg of the preſent conjuncture of Affairs is that which renders Your People ſo infinitely miſerable, that they are ready every minute to precipitate themſelves into the Gulf of Deſpair. It is ſaid of Almighty God, There is mercy with him that he may be feared, and his mercy is over (or above) all his works: And I beleeve (without leaſt flattery I ſpeak it) that there is abundance of Mercy and Bowels of Compaſſion with You, towards Your poor Subjects, that You may be both loved and feared; and that Your Mercy will ſhower it ſelf down to the amazement & reproach of thoſe that ſeem not to beleeve it: Did I ſay, Your Mercy, yea and Your Juſtice alſo, even againſt Your ſelf, in the voluntary clouding of Your own Princely Royalty; and that Prince, who ſhadows his own Glory (meerly for the good of his Subjects) is a rare Pattern: And the firſt giver of ſo great an (unexampled) Example, muſt needs render himſelf glorious to all Poſterity.

Sir, in the firſt place, I preſume (with boldneſs enough I confeſs, yet will I not flatter you ſo much as to ſay, I beg Your Majeſties pardon for it) to remember you, that Self-Denial is the only way to happineſs, Temporal (here,) Eternal (hereafter:) and had it been but a little practiſed on all hands (by the three Eſtates of Parliament) at the beginning or budding forth of theſe unhappy differences, (although Malice it ſelf cannot but ſay, that Your Majeſty acted Your part, and the very Lepers of Samaria ſhall one day riſe up in Judgment againſt ſome and ſay, that that was a day of good tydings, and they ungratefully held their Peace, In Your aboliſhing of Monopolies, putting down the Star-Chamber, diſannulling the High Commiſſion Court, outing of Biſhops from the Houſe of Peers, Regulating the Councel Table, granting of Triennial Parliaments, and continuing of This, not to be diſſolved without the conſent of both Houſes;) Your Majeſty and Your People had not felt Gods heavy hand, as You and They have done for theſe ſeven years paſt, and yet do: but for me to preſume to tell Your Majeſty what Self-Denial is, were a moſt unpardonable offence: And, yet, for Your Majeſty to beleeve that this Peace-Offering, which You ſacrifice to the good and happineſs of Your People (in this ſad condition Your Majeſty is in, and the moſt miſerable one They are plunged into) can be happily begun without Self-Denial (on Your part firſt, and then all the Peoples part alſo) is (ſo far as I can apprehend in Reaſon and Religion) altogether unpoſſible: and by the ſequel of my diſcourſe I doubt not but to make good the Truth of it at the Full.

Sir, look into Your own heart, and ſee whether informer times You were not more Your own (or others who abuſed you then Your Subjects univerſally: The word Proprium is of a neer relation, and I doubt whether it ſits not as cloſe to the hearts of Kings as of Subjects, which your Majeſty well knows is not compatible with Self-Denial. Sir, You are a great Monarch (true) yet You are but a Steward (nomine & re) a Steward of the great Houſe of the Common-wealth; and one day it ſhall be ſaid to You, as to the Steward in the Goſpel, (Redde Rationem) Give an Account of thy Stewardſhip; And the Accounts of Kings are of a vaſt extent. Sir, You are a Sheepherd alſo, a Sheepherd of a great Flock, (our Saviour calls himſelf a Sheepherd, the great Sheepherd of Iſrael,) and he tells you, a good Sheepherd will dye for his Sheep; he did ſo: And S. Paul, Phil. 2. 5. ſpeaking of our Saviour Chriſt, and there deducing him from all eternity to time, hath theſe words; Let this mind be in you, which was alſo in Chriſt Jeſus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himſelf of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a ſervant, and was made in the likeneſs of men: And being found in faſhion as a man, he humbled himſelf, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Croſs: Wherefore God highly exalted him, &c. And ſhal I doubt Your Majeſty will imitate our bleſſed Saviour in all you can? I doubt it not: He prayed for his perſecutors, (and taught us ſo to do); He forgave his enemies that crucified him even upon the Croſs [Father, forgive them, they know not what they do]; nay he dyed for them, [who dyed, ſaith the Apoſtle, for the ſins of the whole world:] You are not deſired (Sir) to dye out of the world, or to part with Your Soul, by a Sequeſtration of it from your body, (for then we were miſerable): Let the greateſt curſe, that ever fell on the head of any man, fall on that head that hath but ſuch a wiſh or thought in his heart. All you have to do or ſuffer, is but to part with a ſillable or two, from one ſingle word, a few letters cut off from that Monſter, as the People call it (although there hath been held out to them, for a long time, a more Prodigious one,) PREROGATIVE, a little paring off ſome ſuperfluous part of it, will prove Balm from Gilead, to heal the whole Nation of the moſt Epidemical diſeaſe that ever yet ſeized this poor dying Kingdom. Sir, I ſhall not need to court you, to what you are ſo willing, nor to inforce this argument, had I never ſo much Elocution, as God knows (and Your Majeſty doth find) I have none: I wiſh Your Majeſties People were all of my belief, concerning Your Mercy and Juſtice▪ I flatter not, (I wiſh the flattery of a Prince were high Treaſon, and ſo puniſhed,) and may my ſoul never enter into reſt, if I beleeve not that Your Majeſty will grant more (if more with Reaſon and Religion may be deſired) then I have too too audaciouſly preſumed to preſs in my following Propoſitions.

Sir, It was ſaid in the beginning of this Parliament, (by M. Pym, if I miſtake not) that the Parliament would make You a glorious King, and who knows whether your Majeſty, when you were in the head of Your Army at Edg Hill, (or elſe where) had not ſome hopes to make Your ſelf a glorious King? And I have been told, that this Army would have perſwaded You, when time was, that they (alſo) would make You a glorious King.

Sir, You have failed in Your hopes, They in their promiſes; and who knows whether, what Your Majeſty hoped and ſought for, and They promiſed and performed not, may not yet be done another and a better way, if (at leaſt) You will be pleaſed to take him for your guide (who hath hitherto ſo miraculouſly preſerved you, and I hope ever wil.) I ſay (Sir) taking God for Your guide all may be made good, and may (yet) be brought to paſs by Your ſelf, not by fighting any more to the hazard of Your Royal Perſon, and the Perſons of your Princely Iſſue, and of Your Nobility, and the deſtruction of Your loving Subjects; but by extending and really performing of thoſe two God-like Acts, of Mercy and Juſtice, without partiality, to all Your People. And this is Via Regia indeed, and well becoming the Majeſty of King Charls.

And now, Sir, behold how wonderful the ways of God are, (contrary to the ways of men) paſt finding out till himſelf diſcover them: You have long layen under the Croſs, (reſtraint to a King is a great Croſs, were there no more in it,) You are not free (I dare not ſay you are a Captive) and yet Your Perſon (with the power that God hath given You over Your ſelf, and the Grace he hath endued you with to ſerve him muſt ſuddenly come forth to the redemption of Your Subjects out of their Captivity, (Captives in their native Country under their fellow Subjects) or they are loſt▪ loſt for ever.

In this Abyſs of Exigency, no Expedient can be found to ſave Your People but the preſence of Your ſacred Perſon, armed with Mercy and Juſtice (Mercy and Juſtice to your People, and Juſtice againſt Your ſelf) nor could You ſo eaſily do it (as I beleeve) had not God thus fitted, prepared, and quallified You by the Croſs; whereby You have obtained a fellow-feeling of the miſeries of Your Subjects: David ſaid of himſelf, It was well for me that I was afflicted.

Great Sir, Let Your Engagements and Promiſes to Your People, for the time to come, (in Your perfecting of this bleſſed Peace) be like the Laws of the Medes and Perſians, irrevocable.

And ſo God ſhall bleſs You and Your Poſterity for ever: So much of good towards his People, ſo much of honor to himſelf no King ever had in his Power to act, as Your Majeſty now hath, by the ſaving of the effuſion of ſo much innocent blood, and perhaps the Kingdom from utter ruin. God, I doubt not, will give Your Maieſty a heart to make a right uſe of it.

And now, Sir, I will preſume to ſet down what Acts of Grace You were pleaſed to paſs this Parliament in Anno. 1640, &c.

Firſt, Your Majeſty put down Monopolies.

Secondly, You put down the Star-Chamber.

Thirdly, You diſannulled the High Commiſſion Court.

Fourthly, You conſented to the outing of Biſhops from the Houſe of Peers.

Fiftly, You Regulated the Councell Table.

Sixthly, you granted the Trieniall Parliament.

Seventhly, You condeſcended to the continuation of this, until diſſolved by the conſent of both Houſes, &c.

This was the Peace-Offering Your Maieſty then ſacrificed for the good of your People.

May it pleaſe Your Majeſtie, as a ſecond Peace-Offering to your People, to grant theſe following Propoſitions.

1. THat you will not break any Priviledg of Parliament; and therefore it were fit that the particular Priviledges were ſet down, that ſo the King may not intrench upon them in the leaſt.

2. That your Maieſty wil not diminiſh or intrench upon the liberty of the Subiect, but hold your ſelf ſtrictly to the Laws of the Land.

3. That your Maieſty will not extend your Prerogative in the leaſt beyond the due bounds granted to your Predeceſſors, or to the prejudice of the Perſons of your Subiects, or the known Laws of the Land: To which end you deſire the particulars and extent of it to be ſet down, and agreed upon, that ſo you may the better perform it.

4. That you will grant nothing to any Perſon out of your Revenue, and this for your Poſterities ſake; that ſo by your own good huſbandry, you may be the better inabled to reward thoſe you deſire.

5. That you will anſwer no Petition, for matter of profit, to any Petitioner; but firſt that you will refer it to two Judges of the Law, to certifie you the legallity of it; and that no Subiect (or the Crown) be any way prejudiced by it; and if your Maieſty be abuſed in it, the Judg to be highly puniſhed, and if he dye before the diſcovery, his eſtate to ſatisfie it to the Crown.

6. That your Maieſty will protect the perſon of no Subject for debt, but only your menial ſervants, and yet not his Goods or Eſtates neither, but all things, except his perſon, to be liable to the Law.

7. That your Majeſty will give no protection to any perſon for above 6. moneths; but not for-their Goods or Eſtates at all.

8. That your Majeſty will demoliſh all Forts and Caſtles the Parliament ſhall deſire within the Kingdom of England.

9. That your Majeſty ingage your ſelf, That if you ſhall aſſiſt any forraign Prince, you ſhall do it out of your own purſe and power, not conſtraining any Subiect, or preſſing them any way, but what they ſhall willingly do of their own accord.

10. That your Majeſty wil levy nothing by Tax, or any way, contrary to the known Laws of the Kingdom, but what ſhall be ordained by Act of Parliament.

11. That your Majeſty will confirm the Charter of London, and all Corporations in the Kingdom that ſhall deſire it, not prejudicial to the Univerſal good of the Kingdom.

12. That your Majeſty will ſit one day every Term [if you be in the Town] in every Court of Juſtice, at Weſtminſter, and then to hear the Cauſes of poor men only, and to lay your ſevere Charge, that the Poor, the Widow, and the Fatherleſs have ſpeedy Juſtice.

13. That your Majeſty will paſs an Act, That any Judg that ſhall be found guilty of Bribery, ſhall die for it, and his skin to be hanged over the Court for ever.

14. That your Majeſty wil appoint a Judg in every Court, called the poor mans Judg, a man eſteemed to be an upright man, and your Maieſty to allow him 200. l. per annum.

15. That your Maieſty will appoint in each Court two Lawyers for the poor, who ſue in forma pauperis, and your Maieſty to allow them 50. l. per annum, each Lawyer.

16. An Act, That every fifth Cauſe that ſhal be heard in any Court, ſhal be the poor mans Cauſe, and called on by the Judg for the poor man, that ſues in forma Pauperis, and the party that is overthrown by the poor man ſhall have a fine ſet upon him for vexing the poor man; and if that the poor man be found a litigious fellow and malicious, he ſhall be puniſhed as ſhall be thought fit.

17. That your Maieſty enact a ſevere Law againſt Adultery, and a high fine and puniſhment for whoredom.

18. That your Maieſty cauſe ſome order, way or means, by Act or otherwiſe, for a ſpeedy ending of all ſuits againſt thoſe wicked Dilemmaes of the Law, which are the ruin of thouſands, and only the inriching of the Lawyers.

19. That the Commons in the Country, in every Pariſh, be ſold, and the poor allowed it; for many are ſo poor, they can make no uſe of the Common.

20. That your Maieſty cauſe all Acts for the benefit of the Poor, to be put in execution, never more need, never more poor: And upon complaint made to your Maieſty, your Maieſty to redreſs it.

21. The Exciſe to be ſetled for the payment and ſatisfaction of all Intereſts, which it will abundantly do, in ſome years, if it be farmed out, and ordered as in Holland; [the particulars too large to expreſs here] and no bread, ſmal-beer, fleſh or fiſh, to have any Exciſe ſet on them, but to be highly advanced on Tobacco, Wines, Sugar, Spices, and all outlandiſh commodities, Gold and Silverlace, &c.

22. That Your Majeſty promote the ſetting on foot the great and moſt neceſſary Trade of Fiſhing, as ſhall be thought beſt, by Corporation or otherwiſe by free Trade for all men; the imployment of People, breeding up of Mariners, &c. it cannot be imagined how much the Kingdom would be the better for it; often thought on, never ſet on foot.

23. An Act to be paſſed for the ſupply of all Poor, young and old, amongſt whom how many thouſands of maimed ſouldiers, and people made miſerably poor by theſe Wars, on both ſides; all to be taken care for in a way, or means, which ſhall be expreſſed; for the effecting of which the Kingdom ſhall be at as little Charge as now they are, and ever have been: and this ſhall be plainly manifeſted when occaſion ſhall be too large to expreſs here; which will be to the glory of God, the education of young Children, the maintenance of old decrepid people, and a proviſion for all and every poor man, woman or child in the Kingdom, though bedrid, blind, or lame; ſo as this courſe well obſerved, the reſhall not be a Beggar in the Kingdom of England: —A pious Work.

24. That Your Majeſty paſs a ſtricter Act, then ever, for the putting down of Alehouſes, through the whole Kingdom: one for ten that now is in and about this City, were too much; ſo numerous they are, that almoſt every third houſe in the Suburbs is an Alehouſe, Victualing-houſe, Cooks houſe, or a Chandler that ſells Bear and Ale, which ought to be regulated in a ſtrict manner; ſo highly is God diſhonored by it, the poorer ſort undone, and ſo many thouſand idle luſtly fellows, and young wenches and boyes bred up in that way, and the moſt part of the mony gotten by deocit of meaſure.

25. That your Majeſty paſs an Act, that thoſe that are not able to ſatisfie their Debts, their bodies not to be kept in priſon, giving all they have to their Creditors (if leſs may not ſerve,) for if this be not done, beſides the numberleſs number of men that now lie and ſtarve in priſons, how many thouſands (yea more) who have lived wel, and yet meerly by theſe Wars on both ſides are utterly undone, not able to pay any thing? Shall they lie in a priſon, and theirs ſtarve or beg? If this Law be rightly enacted, no man ſhall deceive or cozen not one of twenty ſhall break, or be Bankrupts; or if they do, they ſhall gain nothing by it; nor ſhall any man (as many do) live in priſon and not pay his Debts, if he be able, but his eſtate ſhall be ſold: This Act, rightly ordered, is of a great benefit to the State, and ought to be done in Reaſon and Religion.

26. That all Fees of Lawyers and Phyſitians, Atturneys, Chirurgions, and all Fees of all Courts of Juſtice, be brought to a fit rate: It is a ſhame, yea and a ſin, that a Phyſitian and a Lawyer ſhould have ſuch great Fees.

27. That the Eſtates of all Subjects be liable to their Debts, none excepted: this is rational and religious.

28. An Act, that none of Your Majeſties Servants be choſen of the Houſe of Commons, nor no ſervant of a Lord, who takes wages of him.

29. An Act, that no Lord or Perſon of Honor, or other, ſhall write his Letters, or uſe any indirect means to procure any man to be a Member of the Houſe of Commons, but foly left to the Country; and if it ſhall be proved that any Member hath ſo tampered, by money or friends, upon diſcovery to be turned out of the Houſe.

30. That all the Kings Forreſts and Chaſes be ſo ordered, that the Poor ſuffer not, but that the King rather ſuffer himſelf for the good of the Poor.

31. That your Majeſties Ear ſhall always be open to hear any complaint, and to puniſh it, againſt any Officer that you have placed in Court, City, Country, &c.

32. That Your Majeſty paſs an Act, that henceforth Balletting boxes be uſed in both Houſes as in the State of Venice,) the benefit great, the diſpatch ſudden; and little partiality will be then expreſſed, but every man will do as his conſcience informs him, without Fear, or for Favour.

33. An Act about Gaming, ſome moſt ſevere Act, for it is the Ruine of the Nobility, Gentry and of the City: It is not hard to preſcribe a way to aboliſh it, ſo as that no man ſhall be prejudiced in his Eſtate; and if any ſhall break that Law, to be highly puniſhed, to bear no office in this Kingdom: this may ſeem but of a ſmall conſequence, but it is upon due examination of a great conſequence; as the State ſhall approve, ſo a further diſcovery may be made, with the remedies and limits of Gaming.

34. An Act for the calling in, and nulling of all his Majeſties Declarations againſt both Houſes of Parliament, or any other perſon that hath offended or ſeemed to offend the King; as alſo a calling in, and nulling of all ſuch as the two Houſes have ſet forth againſt the King, or his Friends, as ſhall be agreed on in the Treaty.

35. That all things paſſed by the Seal, made by the Parliament, be ſet into a right order, yet ſo as the Honor of the King Majeſty be not touched upon to poſterity: This is a weighty matter, and requires the graveſt and wiſeſt heads in the Kingdom to ſettle; and yet it muſt of neceſſity be ſo, in regard of after-queſtions, I leave it to the Treaty.

36. That during the Treaty (which doubtleſs, if the People come with equal hearts to Peace, as the King doth upon theſe Reſolutions,) his Majeſty will take ſuch order, that none of his Party ſhal come within ſo many miles of the Court: or who ſo doth, ſhall be by his eſpecial licenſe, and knowledg given to the Parliament, and his Majeſty to anſwer for them, for the not diſturbing the Peacè of the Treaty.

If your Majeſty ſhall be pleaſed to add or diminiſh (as you are free;) This is far from being by me intended other, then to ſhew the heads of ſo many neceſſary things, for the good of the People, which I conceive your Majeſty might confer upon your people according to Reaſon and Religion.

After theſe voluntary Offers of Your Majesty to Your People, or what You ſhall pleaſe to add, me ſeems it is very neceſſary for Your Majesty to make theſe Demands, and what other You ſhall be pleaſed.

1. TO be ſetled in all your Revenues.

2. To be inveſted in all your Cuſtoms.

3. The Tunnage and Poundage, formerly given to your Anceſtors, and your ſelf, to be continued, in liew whereof your Majeſty wil maintain the narrow Seas from Pyrates, as the Cuſtome was.

4. That the beſtowing of all Honors and Offices, throughout the Kingdom, by Sea and Land; all that were formerly your Right, and never heretofore queſtioned in any Parliament ſince your Raign, be in your Majeſty; and your Majeſty to place and diſplace all perſons that are in Office under you, either by Sea or Land, none excepted.

5. That the Court of Wards be again ſetled and regulated, if need be, or, if in the Treaty it be agreed otherwiſe, then to give 150000l. per annum, in liew of it.

6. The titles of Honor, of what kind ſoever, your Majeſty hath conferred on any perſon ſince the beginning of this Parliament, not to be diſputed, but held good, for the Honor of your Majesty.

7. The naming of all Officers of Ireland, in the War for Ireland, if it be a War, to reſt in your Majeſty.

8. That all your Majeſties friends, who have any way adhered to you in theſe Wars, or otherwiſe, to poſſeſs all their Eſtates, and no man to loſe any part of it, though given away or diſpoſed by Ordinance of Parliament.

9. That the Officers of your Majeſties Army, and all the Souldiers Arrears be ſatisfied.

10. That the Publick Faith be ſatisfied.

11. That the disburſements for Ireland, made by the City, be ſatisfied to them.

12. That if your Majeſty find a way or means of your own, not contrary to the Laws, nor oppoſing the Subject, whereby you can in 7 or 8 years redeem the Biſhops Lands, and pay the intereſt, that the Lands be returned into Your Majeſties hands, having firſt ſatisfied the Debt and Intereſt payd for them.

13. That for the Queens Majeſty, care be taken for the ſetling of her Rights and Joyntures, and for the exerciſe of her Religion, as it ought in Honor and Reaſon.

14. That the Militia ſtand as it formerly did, before the beginning of theſe troubles, (without diſputing,) and, if it be thought fit, to ſtrengthen it in the hands of the Sheriffs, more for the Peoples ſafety, then advantage of the King.

Peroratio. SIR,

ALL the world now ſees that you are the Center of Peace. I therefore the moſt humble and moſt unworthy of all your Majeſties Servants and Subiects, having a long time, from my very ſoul, grieved the ſad condition of your ſacred Perſon, your Royal Conſort, and moſt Princely and Numerous Iſſue, the ſad and languiſhing Eſtate of your Maieſties three Kingdoms, the horrid and dayly bloodſhed of your poor Subjects, perpetrated by their own hands, after ſome earneſt prayers to Almighty God (from whom alone cometh every good and perfect gift) to enable me ſome way to expreſs to your Majeſty and the Kingdom, ſomething which might, at leaſt, point out the way to a happy Peace, and a perfect and right underſtanding between you and your People. It hath pleaſed God of his infinite goodneſs and mercy, after ſome months ſtudy, to open unto me this door or entrance, at leaſt for your Maieſty, if you are ſo pleaſed, to paſs through into the Temple of Peace; which Temple is only in your Maieſties power to build, and in the power of no mortal man beſides: your ſacred Majeſty muſt take the pains to lay the firſt and the laſt ſtone in this building; your ſelf muſt begin and perfect this great work: It is you alone that have found the Art of Oblivion, as well as you have the power to give an A • t of the higheſt Oblivion, that was ever read of in the Annals of any Monarch whatſoever. Your Majeſties many Declarations to both Houſes of Parliament, and to your three Kingdoms, have ſo deeply ſeized my ſoul with belief, that I am confident, your Maieſty will not refuſe to do or ofter any thing to your People, in your power, that may conduce to a ſafe and well-grounded Peace, ſo as that you are not in the leaſt prejudiced in what you are ſo great a Maſter of, Reaſon, and ſo great a Servant to, Religion; and for this poor Talent which God hath vouchſafed me, and which I here, with my ſelf, moſt humbly proſtrate at your Maieſties Feet. I hope you will not find, that in the leaſt, I have been ſo preſumptuous or proved my ſelf ſuch a Traytor to your Reaſon or Religion, as to have offered any violence, in the leaſt degree, to either of them; If your Maieſty, in the peruſal, ſhall find it ſo, I know, as an Angel of God, ſo is my Lord the King to diſcern good and bad. Therefore Thy Lord, Thy God, ſhall be with thee, and ſo ſhall he for ever pray, who is

Your Majeſties Moſt humble and obedient Subject and Servant Richard Farrar.

THE KINGS COVENANT With His PEOPLE.

JC. R. Do here in the preſence of the bleſſed Trinity [God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghoſt,] profeſs to all the world, without any Equivocation or mental Reſervation, that I now do, and for ever will forget and forgive all kinds of offences againſt me, either in word or deed, committed by any of my Subjects of England, and contained in the Act of Oblivion; and this of my own free will and deſire, I do, that all my People may ſee and behold the Candor of my Heart: and I do here bury in the grave of Oblivion, all things contained in the Act of Oblivion, in my ſoul not deſiring to remember it, and vowing never to revenge it. So help me God, and the Contents of this holy Book: and this I confirm by the taking of the Sacrament.

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LORDS and COMMONS Aſſembled in PARLIAMENT. The humble Petition of Richard Farrar, Eſq Sheweth,

THat (as an addition to his former Expedient, for the Peace and Safety of the Kingdom) he is very confident (by the mercy and goodneſs of God) he can expreſs ſomething more unto His Majeſty ſo convincing in Reaſon and Religion, whereby there may be a ſudden and unhoped for happy ſettlement of the Kingdom; and that (in a way unanſwerably Rational and Religious,) for the ſatisfaction of all Intereſts (whatſoever,) and of all men, (not wilfully and wickedly oppoſite to Peace,) who have any ſparke of Reaſon or Religion left in their hearts.

Your Petitioner doth, therefore, moſt humbly pray, that he may have free liberty from both Houſes of Parliament (upon the ſcore of his own abundant folly) to go to the Iſle of Wight, and there to preſent His Maieſty, in writing, with ſuch particulars as your Petitioner hath long ſince conceived and prepared, for the ſudden and happy ſetling of the Peace of this unhappy Kingdom; (without further ſhedding of innocent blood; which hourly cries up to Heaven for vengeance on all hands:) your Petitioner being more confident then formerly (if poſſible it may be) that he is capable (by the mercy of God, who he believes hath enabled him for this Expedient,) to anſwer any obiection, whatſoever, that His Majeſty ſhall be pleaſed to alleadg in oppoſition to what your Petitioner ſhall propound to him for a ſafe and wellgrounded Peace.

And the whole Kingdom, with your Petitioner, ſhal, as in duty they are bound, dayly pray, &c.

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE Lords and Commons Aſſembled in PARLIAMENT.

MY Lords of the Houſe of Peers, and you the Members of the Honorable Houſe of Commons, the Repreſentative Body of the Kingdom of England, ſince I have taken the boldneſs (as a Subiect and Servant to His Majeſty) to ſignifie to him what I conceive his duty to be in the ſetling, or towards the ſetling, of a ſafe and well grounded Peace; Give me leave, I humbly pray, to ſay thus much, at leaſt, that the welfare and happineſs of every Member of both Houſes, as of the whole Kingdom, lies at the ſtake, either for good or ill, according as God ſhall move your hearts in the tender and ſpeedy care of the Peace of this Kingdom: and this Peace you can neither well begin, nor happily end, but by following the example of His Majeſty, (Regis ad Exemplum, &c.) in taking out and practiſing a true Self-Denial, of any the leaſt private Intereſt of your own, either of Honor, Profit, or Revenge; making it ſubordinate to the publike good and welfare of the Kingdom, your Nurſe and Mother, who expects a ſpeedy accompt of you; at the preſent, ſhe being wounded all over, from head to foot, weltring in her blood, ready to give up the ghoſt; as God doth likewiſe look for a ſtrict accompt, and will do to all Eternity, of your true and faithful performance of your duty, for the inſtant Peace and quiet of the Kingdom: To this purpoſe you were choſen, for that end was your Call by God and Man, and nothing elſe, but that, ought to have been, from the beginning to the end, your care and ſtudy day and night; but how you have performed this truſt in your Endeavours, (and eight years ſitting) and what ſucceſs hath been, let the world, not I, Judg: This I am too ſure of; the neglect of many in attending their duty at the Houſes, in the beginning, as if they had not been called to any ſuch purpoſe, as to wait there daily,) the diviſions amongſt the Members of both Houſes, from the firſt ſitting to this preſent time; and the abſenting of others (or worſe, the breaking out of the pale of Parliament, which ought on no terms to have been done,) hath been no ſmall cauſe of the Miſeries of this unhappy Kingdom, who hath been ſtill every way wounded by her own unnatural Children: Then, after that the great Eruptions, the differences of opinions in Church and State, the ſetting on foot of Self-Intereſts of ſeveral perſons, and thoſe not mean ones, neglecting the Peace of the Kingdom, as if it might have been had with whiſtling for, or at a beck; all theſe put together, were no ſmall addition to our common Calamities: Add to this, the Reproach caſt upon Soveraignty, the promulgation of contentions and ſtrifes, the proſecution of it to a War, and ſo an engaging of the whole Kingdom on both ſides, in it; the taking of a Covenant, not of love I fear, to the extirpation of that Church-Government, that had been ſo long ſetled by ſo many Acts of former Parliaments, and the inducing of a new Government, more different in name then in eſſence, and truly, if rightly examined, ſcarcely differing much in either, at leaſt, not worthy the making of ſuch bloody differences as have been about it, & al this without any good ſucceſs to the Kingdom, or content to many of your own particular Members, who have varyed, many of them, even from the Covenant they once took, for what ends or Intereſts I know not. I cannot forget to put you in mind, or remember you alſo, the ſeveral Deſign, of the Army, and the Grandies thereof, under the Earl of Eſſex, though they were put to a nonplus in it; nor of the backwardneſs to make Peace, when it might have been, nor of thoſe whoſe Counſels modelled the new Army, which yet for all their ſucceſſes, (ſucceſſes, I confeſs, many great, and high,) had they made right uſe of them for the ſettlement of the King and Kingdom as they might, as they ought to have done; who yet not 18. moneths ſince, when the Army was at Newmarket, it was a queſtion, whether they ſhould have been an Army, or no Army, kept a foot, or disbanded: Nor can I omit their riſe again, if not upon the head, yet at leaſt upon the ſhoulders, both of King, Parliament, City, and Kingdom; what Deſigns on all ſides, and to what ends, or how the poor Kingdom hath been ſhaken with this long, and yet terrible Earthquake, through Self-Interests and Diviſions, I preſs not, but this I muſt ſay, If Deſigns were well meant, and for the good of the Kingdom, (as I hope they were) there was no bleſſing went along with them, for they have not ſo well ſucceeded, as was by ſome hoped, and by all wiſhed for: And then thoſe yet unhappy Votes, of no Addreſſes to nor from His Maieſty; which I fear God Almighty is not well pleaſed with, or rather highly offended at. God never denyed Addreſſes to him from the greateſt Sinner (had he come with true repentance:) to Cain himſelf, God ſays, If thou doſt well, ſhalt thou not be accepted? &c. and how amazed would the ſoul of any man be, (unleſs he were feared up by a total hardneſs of heart,) if God ſhould from Heaven tell him, Pray not to me, come not to me with your Addreſſes, I will not hear you, I will ſhut my ears, and be deaf to your Prayers! But we all know the contrary of God: At what time ſoever the wicked man forſaketh his wickedneſs, &c. and who knows whether the ſcales may not turn, [Let not him boaſt that puts on his armor, &c.] And then if Addreſſes were ſought and refuſed; and that the King ſhould ſay, Did you not hate me, and expell me out of my Fathers houſe? How is that you come to me now in the time of your Tribulation; as Jephta did to the men of Gilead,) might not this ſeem to be a juſt Reproach? or as God in the ſame Book, Go to the Gods whom you have ſerved: Remember what Solomon ſays, The Wrath of a King is as Meſſengers of Death; but a wiſe man will pacifie it: And in another place, The Kings Weath is as the roaring of a Lyon, but his Favour as the dew upon the graſs. For your own ſakes; for this bleeding Kingdoms ſake, proceed to a ſudden Perſonal Treaty with His Majeſty: God treats with his greateſt Enemies; nay he invites them continually, hourly, and minutely in their conſciences, and cries, Return, O Shulamite, Return, Return▪ And again, How oft would I, and ye would not, O yet, if in this thy day, &c.

The ſum of all is, (and let it never be ſum'd up) what is paſt (for actions cannot be recalled,) ſuch offences or ſins againſt God or man, may be repented, not repealed; but a wilful continuance in ſuch horrid and bloody wars, as theſe are, and not to ſeek and endeavour Peace by all fair means in the world, would prove but a ſad ſtory to this age, and to poſterity. I hope better things on your part; and my poor aime is, that all things amiſs between King and Parliament (for who can free himſelf from guilt?) be from henceforth forgotten, forgiven, and amended on all ſides, and that by a true and perfect (not counterfeit) Love and Union; to which end I publiſhed my poor Expedient for Peace and Safety, in Print, (and I would to God it had an Impreſſion on all thoſe who are oppoſite to Peace, if there be any ſuch;) which although for the preſent it be laid aſide, (as not worthy a thought) muſt and ſhall (if ever a Peace conclude it, and the all-devouring Sword conſume us not totally) be made uſe of. Let the Honorable Houſes look, in Reaſon and Religion, what they can expect more from the King then he doth, if he will do them, as I am confident he will, in theſe Propoſitions preceding: can you demand more for the good of the Subject, he will do it; he that will do ſo much, will refuſe nothing in Reaſon and Religion, and beyond theſe I know theſe Honorable Houſes will not demand; the honor, and reſtoring of the King, how many of your ſelves have fought for, and for the ſafety of the Kingdom, Priviledges of Parliament, and liberty of the Subject, all have profeſt, vowed it, covenanted it, ſworn it; hold to that, the work is done, (the King doing his part, (as doubtleſs he will, and I take it for granted,) turn the Tables, (as the Proverb is) and let the Kings Game be yours, yours his, and then in Gods Name, act according to Reaſon and Religion: Remember the Golden Rule, [Whatſoever you would that men ſhould do unto you, do that unto them:] and I am confident the King ſhall be glorious, your ſelves and the Kingdom happy; and for me, poor wretch, I know you wil cenſure no worſe of me, then that I am an earneſt deſirer and hunter after Peace, and the publike good, and ſo he will live and die, who is

My Lords, Yours, and the moſt humble Servant of the KINGDOM, Richard Farrar.

TO THE SYNOD OR THE Aſſembly of Divines AT WESTMINSTER; AND To all the Clergy of the Kingdom of ENGLAND.

SInce I have preſumed to ſpeak to his Majeſty, the two Honorable Houſes of Parliament, and the Army, why ſhould I ſpare to ſay ſomething to you, O you ſons of Levi! You that take liberty to tell all men of their fanlts, why ſhould not you be told of your own? Sure I am you have as much need (if not more) to be put in mind of Self-Denial, as any profeſſion whatever; and it had been happy for this poor unhappy Kingdom, if you, who profeſs your ſelves our ſhepherds, had practiſed it a little better then you have hitherto done: The Accompt that you of the Clergy of this Kingdom (for I exempt neither ſide) are to give to God Almighty at the great day, will, I fear, lie heavy on you: For, ſure I am, had you been (what you would have the world eſteem you) the Embaſſadors of Jeſus Chriſt, and his Miniſters, you would never have added ſo much oyl to this ſlame, as you have done; but on the contrary, you would have brought the cold water of patience, humility, love and meekneſs (on all hands) to have quenced it: And this our Saviour (and your Maſter, as you call him) taught you, and all the world: How the Clergy of this Kingdom behaved themſelves towards God and the Kingdom, in their duty to both, before the beginning of this Parliament, I leave to God and the world to judg; but how unanſwerably, diametrically contrary to the example and precepts of our Saviour, you have demeaned your ſelves, both in the Pulpit, and in the Preſs, ſince theſe unhappy differences between the King and Parliament; and how great Incendiaries and fomenters you have been, needs no witneſs to teſtifie: Had the Clergy on the Kings part, and the Clergy on the Parliaments part, plainly and truly (without fear or flattery) told both of them the danger and the devilliſhneſs of a War, both for ſoul and body, the wickedneſs and unlawfulneſs of it (on both ſides,) and perſwaded them both, to love, meekneſs, and forbearing one another, told the King his own, and the Parliament theirs, and yet nothing but truth neither (according to the Word of God;) I doubt whether it had ever come to a War at all; I am ſure they would never have been ſo forward on either ſide, as they were; The truth is, (I ſpeak to the hearts of all honeſt men) the Clergy on both ſides (had they been of the mind of Chriſt and his Apoſtles) ſhould have preached againſt it, printed againſt it; and if that would not have ſerved the turn, ſhould have denyed both King and People the Sacrament of the Lords Supper; (for with what conſciences could either ſide give or take it, in the fury and rage of Blood and War, wherein they were hourly engaged: (I underſtand it not:) And if that would not have prevailed, they ſhould not have afforded the Word, nor their Prayers in Publick, if they had continued ſtill to perſiſt in Bloody Deſigns and Self-Intereſts: and had you of the Clergy proceeded thus far, you had done but your duty to God, the King, and the People; and I am confident both ſides would have ſtood at a gaze, and not have been ſo forward, as they were, perhaps not at all proceeded to paſs through ſuch a Sea of blood, as they have done: and how many of both ſides have periſhed in that red Sea, from this world at the beſt, (I judg not of the next!) But was this courſe taken by you (or if by ſome, for I tax not all) yet I never heard of any; O no, wo is me, in ſtead of imitating our Saviour in theſe three particulars, which all good Chriſtians muſt imitate him in, in his Life, in his Love, and in his Doctrine, (all of them imitated ſtrictly by the Apoſtles.)

I ſay, in all theſe three, the Clergy (generally to our view) have oppoſed our Saviour Chriſt in a ſtrange manner.

Firſt, in his Life, that was poverty and contempt, all along, from the Cradle to the Croſs; Yours as full of Glory, Jollity, and Honor, as you can advance it. Secondly, in his Love; he was all Love, he preached it, he practiſed it; My Peace I leave with you: That was Chriſts Legacy; How well have you diſpoſed of it? or what executors are you of this his laſt Will and Teſtament? He abrogates the old Law in that particular, where it was ſaid of old, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth &c. But I ſay unto you, it ſhall be ſo no more: You ſhall love your enemies, &c. And behold I bring you a new Commandment, that you love one another. This was ſpoken to all the world of Beleevers; much more to you, who profeſs to be the Embaſſadors of Chriſt, as you do: You take Texts out of the Old Teſtament in oppoſition to Chriſt, [Curſe ye Meroſh,] and you incourage to fight, and cry, The Cauſe is good, it is Gods; (I ſpeak to both ſides,) yea and you conjure the people to fight in the name of the Lord, tell them they are Martyrs, they cannot miſs Heaven, if they dye for the Cauſe; (ſuch Martyrdom God deliver me from:) The Conſcience, not the Cauſe, makes a Martyr; and if that be not purged by the blood of Chriſt, in true Faith and Repentance, though a man ſuffers Martyrdom for Chriſt, he is no Martyr: He whom God calls to be a Martyr, he fits him firſt, and makes him a Martyr to the world, in crucifying the luſts of it and ſure, men that fight for power, though Kings, or Subjects for Priviledges & Liberty, are not ſo wel ſeaſoned with Self-Denial, as is requiſite to make a Martyr: And for the Doctrine of Chriſt, it was humility, Learn of me, for I am humble & meek: OGod! have you of the Clergy practiſed this humility and meekneſs? Nay, have you not boldly, to the world, expreſt the contrary in moſt of your converſations? Had there been a Palſie in your tongues, (your tongues ſet on fire from hell, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks) and in your hands, this Kingdom had been happy: Ye take too much upon you, ye ſons of Levi; Did I ſay you do? You ever did, and you will do, till the time come that Malachi the Prophet ſpeaks of, (I hope) neerer at hand then you beleeve; were you true Prophets, you would tremble at the Text, and by the Spirit of Propheſie diſcern the time: Malachi 3. 3. He ſhall ſit as a refiner, and purifier of Silver; and he ſhall purifie the ſons of Levi: And doubtleſs, that is not the Reformation that you pretend to; you do but take up the Stone, and turn the other ſide. It is you that have put us all in a flame: your Tribe hath done, and doth it all the world over: Is there any evil in a Kingdom, or rather this great evil in this Kingdom, and have not you done it? You have either done it, or had the greateſt ſhare in doing it, or not hindered it when you might; you ſeek your own, and not the things of God, God forgive you: why do you not imitate Saint Paul? Be ye f • llowers of me, as I am of Chriſt; if he had erred that way, (which he could hardly do) yet he forbids to follow it; and muſt we follow you, when you command things contrary to Chriſt? But great is your Diana, and you voyce her high up; ſhe is (for all your roaring) but an Idol, ſhe cannot ſtand, ſhe is falling, ſhe is falling. Our Saviour ſays, He that is greateſt amongſt you, ſhall be the least; and he that is leaſt among you in the Clergy, would be greater then the Civil Magiſtrate, if he could: Oh the ambition of the Prieſthood! (Read the Prophets of old againſt the Prieſts: and is not the Prieſthood of theſe times worſe? compare them together.) What Aaron before Moſes? it was not ſo of old: Nor will God ever have it ſo, where his Spirit governs. The Luciferian Pride, Ambition, and Covetouſneſs of the Clergy, is not the leaſt quarrel God hath with this Nation; what will you ſay, or anſwer, When God comes to make inquiſition for blood? where is the Ʋrim and Thummim, (in Aarons breſt-plate it was) purity of Doctrine and Integrity of Life? I fear, it is not to be found in your hearts, in your Doctrine, nor Life. Open your eyes, the time is yet, Repent and amend: Great would be the joy in Heaven for ſuch ſinners, more then for any; and great would your glory be here▪ and hereafter. Return, O Shulamite, return, return, and be not aſhamed to do it: Your example, on all hands, I am perſwaded, (if ſincere) would ſtrongly build us up in a better way: A worſe then you have taught us, and a worſe then we are in, out of hell, is not. If the Apoſtle ſay, Contention, ſtrife, debate, is carnal, earthly, divelliſh; What is Plundering, Murdering, Raviſhing, Robbing, and Confounding? How can a man of God appear in a Pulpit, and not Preach, and ſpeak againſt it, pray againſt it, print againſt it? and lo, you have done the contrary: Shall I praiſe you? I praiſe you not. God forgive you, with my ſoul I beg it.

To conclude, for Gods ſake, inform me, I am a poor weak man, What warrant in Religion to Faſt for ſtrife, and to give thanks for Victories, and ſhedding blood? both ſides, King and Parliament have done it: God have mercy on them for it. How can you approve of it, ye ſons of Levi? Look into your Conſciences, (thoſe Glaſſes which will not, cannot flatter;) and ſay, How comes this to paſs? Where are you? O God, That I a poor ignorant man am forced to tell you, and the world this! Amend, and that ſuddenly, Preach love, and practiſe it; Bleſſed is that ſervant whom his Lord when he comes ſhall finde ſo doing; or as the ſin now lies at your door, and the whole Kingdom, it is to be feared, will curſe you for it: ſo a heavy, and ſad, unexpected puniſhment here, and hereafter, muſt happen to you, without Repentance; which God grant, and is heartily prayed by

Richard Farrar.

To the Right Honorable Thomas Lord Fairfax, Captain General of all the Forces Of the PARLIAMENT, And to the Lievtenant General, and to all the Commanders and Officers, and every Souldier in the Army.

NExt to His Majeſty, the two Honorable Houſes of Parliament, and the Clergy; I preſume to make my addreſs to you, The ſons of Mars; I would I could ſay. The ſons of Peace. That which I aym at in this my Diſcourſe, (with a peaceful mind, God knows, not wiſhing ill to any man, but deſiring to have peace with all men) is, to perſwade you (in whoſe hand the power of the Sword is) that you would remember you are Engliſhmen; that we have one Common Mother, (the Kingdom wherein we live) whoſe bowels are dayly ripped up by this bloody unnatural War. When the Soldiers, in the New Teſtament, demanded of John, What ſhall we do? he ſaid unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuſe any falſly; and be content with your Wages: If any Soldier now, high or low, Commander or Officer, ſhould demand of me what he ſhould do, I ſhould firſt anſwer him as S. John did: but in regard you are Chriſtians (which thoſe Soldiers were not, nor Jews neither, but Romans) I ſhall take the boldneſs to ſay much more then S. John did there to thoſe Soldiers, and yet no more then our Saviour left in Command. For your Pay, to begin there, God forbid you ſhould not have it at the full, and that quickly; You have ventured hard for it, body and ſoul: My former Expedient for Peace and Safety, expreſſes my deſire in that; As for Liberty of tender Conſciences, I wrote it not out of Fear or for Flattery; but what I did, and do, beleeve, ought to be: But I muſt profeſs I am infinitely afflicted to ſee the high calamity (like to be greater) which by a moſt bloody inteſtine War this poor Kingdom groans under; and fain I would find an Expedient for it, at leaſt I would ſpend my poor talent, to make ſome ſtop of this great iſſue of blood: And therefore I take this boldneſs to ſpeak to your Excellency (the General,) and all ſubordinate Officers of this great Army of the Parliament, (not leaving out all thoſe, who have been, and now are in Arms againſt you,) for my diſcourſe is to all; but my chief aym and hopes are in you: for I am perſwaded it is in your power, next to the King, under God, to procure a ſudden Peace, (if you will have it the right way, who dare oppoſe it?) and ſo ſuddenly to ſtill the raging and furious fire of this moſt unnatural War. If you will but practiſe that leſſon (which I have dictated to his Majeſty, the two honorable Houſes, and the Clergy) of Self-Denial, how examplary will ye be to all poſterity! and how well will it become you, in the midſt of all your ſtrength and power, to decline it? I mean not to lay all down inſtantly, and let your enemies (who, God knows, I beleeve, are far from deſiring peace theright way) cut your throats or ſubject your ſelves to them: it were folly in you to truſt them, and wickedneſs in me ſo to counſel you; but you to begin firſt (though more powerful) and to deſire Peace, and endeavor it: If therefore you will begin as I ſaid] with Self-Denial of all Self-Intereſts, be it honor, or profit, or what ever it be, Peace, I think, may be eaſily obtained: Why do we fight, kill, and ruine one another? Are not we brethren? May not Treaties end it better then the Sword? Remember, I pray you, what Abner ſaid to Joab, Shall the Sword devour for ever? Knoweſt thou not that it will be bitterneſs in the end? And God ſaith, He will not pardon innocent blood; and I am ſure, there can be no War where many Innocents [yea thoſe that know not the right hand from the left] do not ſuffer: God will not be anſwered by your ſaying, It is the inevitable fate that accompanies War, it cannot be avoyded: The queſtion will then be, Who bid you go to War? S. John bid you, Do violence to no man: and Chriſt he comes but a very little after the Baptiſt with Forgive your enemies, Away, ſaith he, with an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, &c. (that is, wrong for wrong:) Bleſs them that curſe you &c. And ſurely it were the beſt Chriſtian Courtſhip to appeaſe all differences by Peace: The blood-thirſty man, ſaith the Scripture, ſhall not live out half his days: and if he do grow old in blood here (as few do) yet ſhall he never ſee the Lord in the Land of the living, unleſs he get it with a hearty repentance; and what hope can he have that dyes in a battel, killing, and killed? whoſe ſoul in the inſtant of ſeparation, is wrapped and enveloped with rage, revenge, blood, horrot, and height of fury againſt his oppoſite; (as the body, for the moſt part, at the ſame time, is environed with dreadful ſounds, howlings and ſhriekings, with fire and ſmoak, the very Emblem of Hell it ſelf.) And what ſayes our Saviour: As the Tree falls, ſo it lyes: I would to God, every ſouldier would think of this hourly, and beleive it ever: Suppoſe, I pray you: A common drunkard (whoſe practiſe it is dayly ſo to be, dyes drunk, by a fall or other accident, as we have had many ſuch fearfull examples;) doe, or can you in any charity hope well of ſuch a ſoul? ſhall he be received into the everlaſting joyes? the like of Adultery or fornication (I ſpeak of a common adulterer and fornicator) whoſe God is his luſt, who dyes in the arms of his Dalilah▪ can you hope well of him? I am ſure it is a high preſumption ſo to ſpeak: ſure I am his caſe is Fearfull, and by the Rule of Scripture we may be hold to judge no hapineſſe could arrive that ſoul ſo dying. The Caſe is the ſame with thoſe that dayly fight battells (nay, who long for it if but a little retarded;) if war be unlawfull, (I diſpute it not, I take it for granted:) and I am ſure by the new Teſtament utterly condemned: Now, if ſo, he that dyes killing, and killed (as I ſaid before;) what a moſt miſerable condition is that ſoul in? for their works, good or bad▪ follow them, ſaith the ſcripture: doe they ſo? in what a ſtate then is that ſoul in dog'd and clog'd with ſuch deeds of darkneſſe before, at, & after the expanſion of it? what time is there of repentance, when the outward man is in ſuch a Confuſion and horror? for battells afford not many quiet and calme ſlumbers. Sure I am, he that is lives by the mercy of God moſt ſtrictly, & with S. Paul mortifies himſelf, and dyes dayly to the world; yet ſuch a ſoul works out it is ſalvation with Fear & Trembling, and finds it (not too) ſcarce well prepared for its ſeperation. Iudge then ye Men of war. E. Contra. Remember for Gods ſake, for your ſouls ſake, what our Saviour ſaith, Matth. 24. 48. But if that evil ſervant ſhall ſay in his heart, my lord delayeth his coming, and ſhall begin to ſmite his fellow ſervants &c. The Lord of that ſervant ſhall come in a day that he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and ſhall cut him aſſunder, and appoint him his portion with Hypocrites; there ſhall be weeping, and gnaſhing of Teeth. Our Saviour denonneeth all this woe, but for ſmiting of a fellow ſervant: what would he have ſaid, of Plundering, Murdering, Raviſhing, utterly ruining the poor, the Fatherleſſe, and the widows? This is violence in a high degree: and how Guilty the Souldiers of this land, (on both ſides King and Parliament) have been in all this ſeven years war, I leave to God to judge; and thoſe to lament it, who have ſeen and felt it. I know will the common queſtion ſhall we ſtand ſtill, and have our Throates cut? I ſay not ſo. I know offences muſt come: [Chriſt ſays it] but he likewiſe ſaith, woe be to them by whom offences doe come: And the Apoſtle ſayes, have Peace with all men, if it be poſſible; he doeth not for all that add, but if you cannot have Peace Peacefully, fight, kill, &c. O no, he could not preach ſuch a doctrine: how eaſy were it to ſpend ſheets of paper to prove this by very texts of Scripture, viz. the unlawfulneſſe and wickedneſſe of war: [yet I am no Anabaptiſt:] Are the works of war from the Principles of light and love, if ſo, well and good, happy your ſouls; if not, and there be ſelf-intereſt in it, Pride, Malice, Rage, Revenge, Ill yea ill indeed is it with your ſouls without Repentance; [& no man repents who forſakes not the evill way •• ] I am ſure thoſe works come out of the Principle of Fire and darkneſſe, out of Hell it ſelf. And ſuch a people, ſuch a God. ſaith the Pſalmiſt. His ſervants ye are whom ye obey: with the froward thou art Froward, and with the holy thou art holy, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, ſpeaking of God: God ſtill. But God in his Excellency is Love: for God, ſaith the Apoſtle, is Love: and for certain the Children of God are the ſons of Peace. My Peace I leave with you, was our Saviours Legacy: To conclude, no man, I ſay, no Man muſt doe evil that good may come of it: and I am ſure, our war for theſe eight years hath done no good in Church or ſtate; [though God knows beſt where a True Church is, and we poor ſubjects can at the preſent ſcarce diſcern where the ſtate is, involved on all hands with miſteries and ruines:] And for any man, be he Emperour or King, State or Republick, I am confident the ſin as great, yea greater then great in the eyes of God, to begin a War: and if the hearts of ſuch were ſearched (as God can, doth, and will.) it would be found, it is Self-Intereſt, let them plead and ſay what they wil; and to fight for Religion, for Reformation, be they who they will, they have no true Chriſtian Religion in them: Religion, by all Kings, ſince Chriſts time, hath been made but the ſtalking horſe, to catch up their other ends in the world: Without holineſs no man ſhall ſee God: Is there holineſs in War? be not deceived, God will not be mocked. Let the Souldier therefore lay by all Self-Intereſt; in your Declarations you have profeſſed it, and ſeek the Peace of the Kingdom, the ſetling of the King in his juſt Rights, Him and his Children, the Parliament in their Priviledges, the Subject in their true Liberties from Tyrannical Government, and Arbitrary too; You have promiſed it, do it; and the King, I beleeve, is ready to perform his part: but do it by Love, by Peace; and God ſhall bleſs you, and you ſhall find reſt to your ſouls: but if you proceed to do it by blood, on that you will have a Peace of your own moulding: I pray remember your own words, p. 4. nothing more abhorring to you then a new flame of War: I fear, that will not diſcover the practiſe of Self-Denial to be yet embraced of you; and had you all your deſires for this world, (as I am confident the Souldiers profeſſion, Kings and Subjects, have rarely, or never obtained their hopes, the reaſon is, the blood that is by them ſpilt, which God abhors:) Look upon the King of Swede, ſee his end, kil'd in a Battel, by one of his own ſide, it is thought; and ſee yet how his people fare, and what reſt have they, or when are they like to have any?) Yet what ſhall it profit a man, ſaith Chriſt, (beleeve him ye men of War) to win the whole world (thats more then a Kingdom) and loſe his own ſoul? I ſpeak to all who adore and dote on that Heathen God, Mars (War,) rightly interpreted according to the Dialect of the Holy Ghoſt, by the Apoſtles, in divers places, the very Devil himſelf. Now the works of the fleſh, ſaith S. Paul, Gal. 5. 19. are manifeſt, which are theſe, Adultery, Fornication, Ʋncleanneſs, Laſciviouſneſs, Idolatry, Witcheraft, Hatred, Variance, Emulations, Wrath, Strife, Seditions, Hereſies, Envyings, Murthers, Drunkenneſs, Revelings, and ſuch like; of the which I tell you now, as I have alſo told you in time paſt, that they which do ſuch things ſhall not wherit the Kingdom of God. But the Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Longſuffering, Gentleneſs, Goodneſs, Faith, Meekneſs, Temperance, againſt ſuch there is no Law. And they that are Chriſts, have crucified the fleſh with the affections and luſts: If we live in the Spirit, let us alſo walk in the Spirit: Let us not be deſirous of vain-glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

You have held out Reformation in Church and State, take heed of Deformation in both, or rather utter ruin of all: where is your Commiſſion to proceed in blood? Learn of me, (ſaith Chriſt) for I am humble and meek: Is there meekneſs in War? He that taketh up the ſword, ſhall periſh with the ſword, (ſaith Chriſt.) I know well, he once asked his Diſciples for a ſword; he was anſwered, there were two; he ſaid it was enough, and perhaps thought it too much; he did not bid them uſe it, nor did he ever make uſe of it, or command it, but the contrary. You are Subjects, as well as I am; remember you are ſo: and you are (or were) Servants alſo to the Parliament, who employed you. Act both parts according to Reaſon and Religion, and then this bleeding Kingdom ſhall ow no ſmall ſhare of its happineſs to you; but if you fail to do it, aſſure your ſelves the end cannot be good: Love is the fulfilling of the Law. Now the God of Peace, and the Peace of God which paſſeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the Fear and Love of God, &c. So prays he, (that beleeves no man ſhould dare to ſay the Lords Prayer, Forgive us our treſpaſſes, as we forgive them that treſpaſs againſt us, if he waſh his hands in the blood of another, by War.) Who is,

My Lord, Your Excellencies moſt humble Servant Richard Farrar.

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE Lord Major, The Right Worſhipfull the Aldermen, the Worſhipfull the Common Counſel, and every Free-man of the Citie of LONDON.

THis great M • tropolis of yours, lifts not up her head ſo high, but that [having ſo boldly adventured upon the Clemency of his Sacred Majeſtie, the patience of the two Honorable houſes of Parliament, the Freedom of my ſpeech to the Clergy, the high prieſts, Scribes and Phariſees of this Kingdom; and the hazard of diſtaſting the Army: An Army, and ſuch an Army, as hath made your proud walls ſhake at the very ſight of it, and for ought I know, or you eith • r, the earth-quake 〈◊〉 yet paſt] I may preſume to crie aloud in your gates, and to proclaim in your ſtreets, that if any citie in the Chriſtian world, had need to be ſummoned to Self-Denyall; It is this great citie: whoſe Inhabitants were grown ſo proud with proſperity, that they ſaid in their hearts 〈◊〉 leaſt, (and too much expreſt it in their words and actions) a Babylon did, Revel. 18. 7. Shee ſaid in her heart. I ſit a Queen, I am no widow, • nd ſhall ſee no ſorrow, therefore ſhall her 〈…〉 . &c. And did not you, eight or ten years ſince, ſit as a Queen, in your bed of State and reſt? but lo, Almighty God brought war into your gates, and the ſword into your Stately Palaces: and your young men felt it: you made but a ſport of it at the firſt, you courted the ſons of Mars, and you diſcovered all your wealth unto them (as Hezekiah did to thoſe that were ſent from Babylon, read the place, the 20. Chapter of the ſecond of Kings, beginning at the 1 • . verſe, untill the 20. I pray God, it have no alluſion in time to your citie;) and now after ſeven years Apprenticeſhip, are you not weary? would you not be made free? Remember thoſe dayes of peace, when every man did eat of his own vine, and ſate under his own fig-tree: did you make good uſe of it? no: you grew wanton with eaſe, and proud with folly, and therefore God ſent war amongſt you: your hearts were alwayes various from the wayes of God, and therefore God ſuffered you to be diverſly minded, to make way for your deſtruction; and now at laſt, for your wickedneſſe, hath ſuffered the ſpirit of giddineſſe and diviſions, to be even in the midſt of your citie, yea in every corner of it; and it is juſt with you: for you were ſo far from Self-Denyall, that you denyed your ſelves nothing you had a mind to; (I paſſe by the exceſſe of pride in apparell, like Princes rather then Apprentiſes; and for Gluttony and Luxury, the world could not match you: I ſay nothing of your Epicuriſme every way, with your neglect of the poor that dayly beg'd at your doors.) I ſpeak not this to all: I am confident, God hath a Remnant in this Citie, who ſerve him moſt faithfully, and who are not onely free from thoſe ſins, but dayly lament them in others; who ſtand in the Gap; and for whoſe ſake this Citie hath ſtood ſo long, and doth yet ſtand: Great hath been your Diana of profit, and you have ſacrificed ſo long at her ſhryne, out of hope or fear; that if God open not your eyes, and that you ſuddenly repent, your deſtruction is at hand: Go into Self-Denyall, or you ſhall have no peace: lay aſide all private and ſelf-intereſts, that of the Publicke Faith, disburſements for Ireland Biſhops Lands, Exciſe, Cuſtome houſe &c. and repent; nor upbraid your for wardneſſe at the firſt to help on the work, had it been holy and pious: The end ſhews plain [now] and it did long ſince appear, you did it for your own ends; it was fear or hope of profit put you on, not the Zeal of Gods Glory, the Honor of the King, or the good of the kingdom: [I ſpeak not this to all, but to the moſt; and chiefly to thoſe, whoſe private intereſts, engage them, now, ſo hotly in the progreſſe of a war; that the whole Kingdom is in hazard of utter Ruine:] look into your own hearts, and ſay, how true or falſe I ſpeak: if true, make good uſe of it, that is, repent and amend; and that not with caſt down looks, but humble hearts: You petition for Peace, it is well, (ſo you did once for War, God forgive you,) but do you deſire and pray, that God will give you Peaceful minds one towards the other? Do you endevor it? Have you not (like the reſt of the world) Peace in your mouths, War in your hearts? I wiſh I could forget, that not many years ſince, you cryed one day, Hoſanna and Crucifig the next:) If ſo, you cannot 〈◊〉 ; deceive not your ſelves, nor be you deceived by others, that miſguide you: pray to God to open your eyes, you are blind, (your wealth blinds you) you cannot ſee where your ſafety lies: Not in your ſelves, not in your ſtrength, (that is already proved,) not in your wealth, you do but hoord it up for others, unleſs God give you open and repentant hearts; your ſafety lies in your Self-Denial, and in your ſuffering, not your doing; away with all warlike and bloody deſigns, you will be loſt here, and for ever, by them; add not to your former evils, blood to blood; there is no ill ſo great which you are not guilty of; you have done like the reſt of the Kingdom, or rather you were their example: You have ſought your own, and not the things of God; nay, you have fought for them more then once. And now it is juſt with God, to leave you a prey to your enemies. Yet let me tell you, your greateſt enemies are not only within your walls, but within your own breſts: It is your Treachery to God, and to ſome body elſe, hath betrayed you to hourly fears: You look down to the earth, you grovel there; lift up your heads, lift up your hands too, but chiefly lift up your hearts to God, from whom alone muſt come your ſalvation. Do all you can for Peace, in a godly way, not by plots and ſtrife: We muſt not do ill, that good may come of it: This City hath a great account to give, when God ſhall make inquiſition for blood. There is no worldly Counſel, meer worldly, can do you good: God alone muſt do it, by turning your hearts to him, and to your lawful King, and in your love to your fellow Subjects; but add no more blood to blood. The Militia of good conſciences, is better and ſafer for you, then al your Arms, or the Army, if it were yours; in the day of Trouble you will find it ſo: If there be any means or power in you, by Prayers to God, Petitions to men, or the opening of your purſes in a peaceful way, to procure Peace; forbear not to do it. Sero ſapient Thryges. Do it, and that quickly, for Gods ſake, for the Kings ſake, for your own ſake, for the whole Kingdoms ſake, delay not to do it; and beleeve me, it is better to give willingly, what you may ſpare, then to have all you have taken from you: who can give you a better hope? No man can ſay, who will be the Victor (if Peace end it not:) You ſee a Forraign Nation come in already; and perhaps many of you laugh at it in your ſleeve, and rejoyce in it: Alas poor abuſed ſouls! Do you think you ſhall not be the Spoil, who ever is the Conqueror? Be not ſo ſottiſh: There is no party in Arms already, or like to come into Arms, belonging to theſe three Kingdoms, but hath juſt cauſe to upbraid and reproach you; and will certainly ruine you at the laſt.

Nulla Fides, Pictaſque viris qui caſtra ſequuntur,

Said the wiſe Poet, and a good Chriſtian knows it to be true; Buy Peace at any rate (but not with a drop of blood, take heed of that:) But firſt get internal Peace (elſe never hope for external) and then you are in the way to eternal Peace: And thus he prays you may do (who was the Son of a Citizen of the beſt rank & quality, and bred up amongſt you) and heartily wiſhes, and would endevor, to his power, for the Peace and welfare of this honorable City; to whom he profeſſes himſelf (though no Freeman of it) a Servant in a peaceful way, and ever will be, whileſt he is

Richard Farrar.

THE COVENANT OF THE PEOPLE OF ENGLAND One with another.

I A. B. Do here in the preſence of the bleſſed Trinity [God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt] profeſs to all the world, and that without any Equivocation or mental Reſervation; that I now do, and for ever wil, forget and forgive all kinds of offences againſt me, either in word or deed, and committed by any of my fellow-Subjects of England, and contained in the Act of Oblivion, from Anno. 1648. to this preſent day; and this of my own free will and deſire I do, that all my fellow-Subiects may ſee and behold the Candor of my Heart; and I do here bury in the grave of Oblivion all things contained in the Act of Oblivion not deſiring to remember it, and vow never to revenge it. So help me God, and the Contents of this holy Book: and this I confirm by taking the Sacrament.

TO THE VVhole Kingdome OF ENGLAND, And to every particular Subject therein.

IN order to the Peace of this Kingdom. I publiſhed my firſt Expedient, for the Peace and Safety of all the People of England: I refer my ſelf to the world, to judg, whether better ſecurity can be had or hoped for, then is contained in that Expedient; and in His Majeſties Covenant ſet down in this Book: I have (you ſee) finiſhed a ſecond Expedient for the King: But I deſire the whole Kingdom not to miſtake me, (at leaſt, all that ſhall read it,) as if I, in the leaſt, intendded that either the Offers which I have ſet down, from the King to his People, or his Demands from them, ſhould ſtrictly be inſiſted on in this great work. [Ear be ſuch a preſumptuous thought from my heart.] No, they are only heads of a few, (ſuch as in my poor apprehenſion might uſher in more from His Majeſty, as doubtleſs, he will offer and perform all that he can for the good of his People,) and otherwiſe I intended them not. It will appear to the whole Kingdom, that His Maieſty begins with Self-Denial: Read his ſecond Peace-Offering, [and paſs not over the firſt, which he offered to you all, 1640.] And Faithfully beleeve, that for the good of his People, he will, yet, deny himſelf more then ever any King did: In the name of God try him; but ſtill remember, he is your King; and forget not that ſaying of Solomon, Fear God, and honor the King; and give unto Caſar that which belongs unto Caeſar, and Caeſar will give you more, rather then leſs, then belongs unto you. If the whole Nation, now, will but imitate the King, and begin with Self-Denial, (without which there can be no Peace, no Religion;) How happy ſhall both Prince and People be! If you are not ſo minded, (chiefly thoſe who ſit at the helm,) do you hope for Peace by a bloody War? Let no man tell me, Peace is the end of War: Be not deceived, my beloved Countrymen, if you keep your old hearts, of Self-Intereſts, and proceed on to a new War, you will find the greateſt deſtruction that ever Nation did: For, as there is no Peace to the wicked, ſaith my God, ſo there is no holineſs, but helliſhneſs in War. The Apoſtle tels you, whence ſtrife and contention proceeds, from below, ſays he; and do you expect a bleſſing upon War and blood, from above? That any man ſhould dare to blaſpheme God ſo highly, to pray to God to proſper him in his bloody undertakings, (daub it over with what ſpecious pretence of Priviledg or Liberty you can;) what doth that man leſs, then pray to God to bleſs the actions of the Devil within him? Blaſphemy worthy the tearing of garments, and for which God will (amongſt other ſins) ſorely viſit this Nation.

The King muſt, if he will proſper, begin with Self-Denial, (and that to ſome purpoſe too;) ſo muſt the two Honorable Houſes of Parliament; the Clergy ſhould begin to all the Kingdom, they have moſt need, (I will not ſay they are the moſt backward;) The Army, great as it is, is under the power of the Lord of Hoſts; and (as they have long ſince in their Declarations promiſed it) God he expects Self-Denial from them; if not, he will one day deny their entrance into the Eternal Tabernacles of Reſt, prepared for thoſe only that deny themſelves: Thoſe bleſſed Manſions are not to be purchaſed, but by ſtorming of them with Self-Denial: Our Saviour ſaith, The Kingdom of Heaven ſuffereth violence, and the violent take it by force; (I hope no man thinks Chriſt meant by force of arms, by killing, plundering and ruining the bodies and ſouls of men, women and children;) ſure it was meant, by the violence of the good Spirit of God, moving in the hearts of his peaceful Children, the earneſtneſs of whoſe ſouls is ſuch, in reſiſting and oppoſing the deeds of darkneſs, and the fiery darts of the Devil, which is in them, in the old Adam, that they have a dayly ſtorming, combat and ſtrife, with all violence within themſelves, to diſpoſſeſs the old Adam of his ſtrong hold, and then the Kingdom of Heaven ſo much is it can be in this life is gotten and obtained; for he that gets it not here, ſhall never poſſeſs it hereafter; as the tree falls ſo it ſhall lie.

The Citie alſo muſt go into Self-Denyall, my diſcourſe to them tells them no leſſs; And laſtly, you the whole Kingdom (under whom the four laſt are comprehended) muſt likewiſe go into Self-Deniall: For all of you in Generall (I exempt not my ſelf) have and do abound with all ſorts of ſins, yea with the greateſt ſins, and particularly that of Bloody a fearfull and a crying ſin; which how you will anſwer, when God ſhall come to make inquiſition for Blood; I know not: how will you anſwer it, you blood, Subjects of this bleeding Nation, who joy and delight in Blood and Revenge, who regard not the cryes and the Teares of thoſe poor Innocents, which your ſwords make Widows and Orphans? whoſe cryes (yet) aſcend up into heaven, and muſt (without ſudden repentance) bring done a moſt unheard-of judgement upon this Nation. For you the Subjects of this land (who are not Souldiers,) are equally guilty, in your willing Contribution to bothſides: and how many of you are ruined by your own party, to whom you gave aſſiſtance? And it is juſt with God, it ſhould ſo be: A Land ſo defiled with Blood, that profeſſed ſuch purity of Chriſtianity, and hath practiſed on all hands, the moſt horrid and barbarous Acts that ever were read of. The Father againſt the Son, the Son againſt the Father, &c. And doe you expect Peace; by going on in Blood? b • leeve no Miniſter, that preacheth War, lawfull: (Read my Epiſtle to the Clergy;) when they preach ſuch ſtuff, that's ſome of the leaven which thoſe Scribes and Phariſees mingle with their other good Doctrine, and ſo ſpoile the whole Lump.

Alas! did they not mix ſome good things with the bad, who would come neer them? Chriſt taught the contrary, viz. Love one another, (by ſuffering, never came ill, but much ill by reſiſting) beleeve Chriſt and follow his precepts and example: he that teacheth you other, is an Antichriſt. This Kingdom is highly guilty of all the ſins, that all the Prophets denounced judgements againſt in the old Teſtament, Iſrael, Judah, or any other Nation. I ſhall not need to name them: Prov: 6. 17. God hates hands that ſhed innocent blood. Iſa. 59. 7. Their feet run to evil & they make haſte to ſhed innocent Blood, their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity, waſting and deſtruction are in their paths, the way of peace they know not, &c. read on to the end of the 15. verſe: and behold, the Prophet ſpeaks what we with our eyes have ſeen, and do ſee daily acted by Authority, on both ſides, in this miſerable Land: And now, as if that it were not enough that the Land hath been made drunk with our Blood (and God knows, how much innocent.) The other Element of Water, the Sea, that muſt be died of a bloody Colour [Preparations on all hands:] And for that ſin of oppreſſion of the poor and innocent, never the like that hath been on both ſides within theſe ſeven years, and yet is. In a word the crie of the ſins of this Kingdom is gone up to Heaven, like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, & without ſudden repentance, we muſt expect the like plagues: had there not been, and were there not ſtill, ſome righteous Lots amongſt us, ſure we had been deſtroyed long ſince; and when thoſe righteous Souls dye away or depart, Gods wrath will ſuddenly raine done upon us, (without Repentance) to our utter Confuſion: Repent therefore and that ſuddenly, and (as I ſaid before) go into Self-Denyall: be quiet, let no man force you to fight on either ſide, (much leſſs be forward to go your ſelves, as too many have done, and paid dear for it.] Pray, but fight not, fight againſt your luſts and worldly corruptions, againſt all ſelf-intereſts whatſoever (that's Self-Denyall) and then all will be well: the Peacefull-minded, their prayers, with the Widows and Orphans, if they prevaile not with God to turn the hearts of the wicked, ſhall at one time or other, prove of ſuch ſtrength, that like the Angel that deſtroyed the hoſt of Sennacherib in one night, ſo ſhall Gods Judgements find, hunt out, and deſtroy the wicked out of the land, who hate the Children of Peace [and laugh at them;] for the Children of God, are the Sons of Peace.

What would you have? would you have a King, a good King, & the beſt of Kings? and would you have Peace? Behold, he brings you the Olive-branch of Peace by his Self-Denyall: he denies, or will deny himſelf, for your good, as never King did: [were the beſt of you a King, it would not be found an eaſy thing; you are Subjects, and yet you cannot part with your petty private Intereſts, Molehills to the Mountains of thoſe of a King:] Look upon the Kings Picture of Mercy and Love, in my firſt Expedient, and upon his Covenant in this tract: you are equally fafe with himſelf. [A better ſafety then the Militia,] Look every Subject into his own heart, for I write to all,] and deny himſelf but half as much for a Subject, as the King for a King; and I dare ſay, we ſhall have Peace, a bleſſed and a happy Peace, a Pious Peace, [away with a Politick Peace, it will never hold▪]▪ we ſhall have a Confident Peace on all ſides; away with a Jealous Peace, a diſtruſted Peace. Think of no Peace but what comes by the ſecurity of Self-Denial, on all hands: it is above all your Militia's, and caſts down all Malice: If no Peace muſt be, till the fearful hearts and guilty conſciences of all men be ſatisfied, then we muſt never look for Peace. In what a condition are you then in▪ O ye Inhabitants of this Land! I write unto you all: Conſider of it. And let thoſe men be branded to all poſterity, who will take or receive no ſecurity, but what is beyond all hiſtory or example, [as this truly is] nay beyond all reaſon, and thereby render themſelves the progeny of Cain himſelf▪ I ſay once more, Conſider of it.

To conclude, if ſpeaking truth to his Majeſty, to the Parliament no lye, to the Synod orthodox Divinity, to the Army what Chriſt himſelf preached: to the City, what their own Conſciences know to be true; and to [you] all the Subjects of the whole Kingdom of England (I except none) what you are, moſt of you, highly guilty of, even by the very Word of God; I ſay, if This be Treaſon, I am a Traytor, a Traytor againſt all, and let me ſuffer for it; but let my Tryal be at the Judgment-ſeat of Love, at the Bar of the New Teſtament, my Saviour my Judg, the Apoſtles my Jury, and then proceed, I fear not: You have all of you (King, Prieſts and People) purſued your own ends, your Self-Intereſts, and you muſt caſt away your Babyloniſh garment and wedg of gold; or God, who can do it, will ſpue you all out, and give this Land to a more deſerving People; [Not the Scots or Iriſh; alas! their Graves muſt be digg'd before your Funeral be fully ſolemnized,] or perhaps to ſome of your poor innocent babes, who are not old, like you, in ſins and iniquities; they may perhaps partake of that bleſſed Peace, you would, but cannot have, ſo long as you wilfully reſiſt God in your abominable ſins of Malice, Envy, Revenge, Hatred, Blood-thirſtineſs, Covetouſneſs, and that which is the Center of all, and contains all the miſchief that is, Self-Intereſt: the only venom that hath of late years poyſoned this goodly and once flouriſhing Kingdom.

Chriſt denyed himſelf, who ſhould not? The King denies himſelf, and you will not. Oh beloved Countrymen (I ſpeak to the whole Kingdom, I wiſh every Ear heard me,) look your ſelves in this glaſs that I have here preſented you with: it is not of ſo pure a chryſtal as it might have been made, but it will ſhew you plainly the uglineſs of your painted holineſs, and rotten-heartedneſs to God, your King and fellow-Subjects: that ſo by a true Repentance [forſaking the evil and doing the good] you may come to a ſight of your grievous ſins, of Gods infinite Mercy, of your Kings abundant Love, and your own future happineſs, which is unceſſantly prayed for at the hand of God, by

The greateſt Sinner of you all, yet ready to ſacrifice himſelf for a ſafe and welgrounded PEACE, Richard Farrar.

Errata. Page 6. line 7. read fought for ſought. Pag. 29. l. 36. read that lives.

FINIS.