IT is no new thing (though it was never ſo frequented as now) for Incendiaries to accuſe the innocents as diſturbers of the publick tranquillity of the Countrey.

Obſervation. It is well your pen goes on ſo farre without particulars, perhaps you expect an application from us, and you ſhall have it; you ſay (for Incendiaries to accuſe innocents was never ſo frequent as now:) you ſay true; for you have laid on the bias in this ſo even, as the accuſation will draw as well towards you as us, ſo as it is no new thing for the Earle of Newcaſtle to accuſe the Lord Fairfax, Sr. Iohn Hotham, and the reſt of our worthies, as in his former Proclamations and warrants appeare, accuſing them for diſturbing the Countries tranquility, when indeed it is his own hee meanes; wrapping the peace of his Army cunningly in the name of the Countrey.

Declaration. The Roman was angry that his neighbour ſhould defend himſelfe, and my Lord that I ſhould protect his Majeſties good ſubjects.

Obſervation. He is not angry that you defend your ſelfe; ſo you defend not your ſelfe againſt the juſtice of Parliament, nor that you ſhould protect His Majeſties good ſubjects, ſo that the ſubjects were good you protected; not Papeſts, not delinquents, not the malignants of the Countrey.

Declaration. Neither is the Lord Fairfax able to bring any one particular inſtance to make good his generall calumniations.

Obſervation. Here is a whole leafe ſpent in vindication, and after much adoe, hee hath at length taken great paines to excuſe himſelfe into as much offence as hee ſtands charged with; for had hee ſaid leſſe, the reader perhaps had believed more; Apologies having ever laid on more than they took off; and it is alwayes a miſtake in the guilty, that they think they have never ſaid enough, unleſſe they ſay two much: for particular inſtances, we ſhall render a whole catalogue of Barbariſme and inhumanity, as your vaſt and arbitrary impoſitions, your cruell impriſonments, your ſtripping many good people naked, and ſo turning them forth.

Declaration. The Lawes are indeed an excellent ſtandard, and meaſure of Iuſtice; but when they become ſpiders webbs, to entangle ſome and let others thorow, and when ſome men muſt obſerve Law, and others bee free from all Law.

Obſervation. The Lawes indeed are an excellent, &c. I would your Lordſhips Judgement and practice could bee reconciled; and that you would not any more offend againſt ſo great a light, and conviction, for the more you admire the Lawes, the more you condemne your ſelfe in the breach of them; for your inſtance of the ſpiders web, it ſutes wel with your book, which is not only a net-work of wi • to catch the light opinions, but a poyſon to venome them.

When ſome men, you ſay, moſt obſerve Law, and others bee free, you would ſeem to argue the Parliament into a ſtrange delinquency, as if they broke all Lawes themſelves and yet enjoyned an obedience to others, but you miſtake the Lawes, and diſtinguiſh not betwixt the primae and the primis ortae, the Lawes of Parliament, and the Lawes in Parliament, or made there; for theſe latter, they are diſpenſable by ordinance and a fundamentall power; and a Parliament cannot in that capacity tranſgreſſe ſo as private men, nay as themſelves when out of that capacity and become private, for in Parliament a man ſits as a Law-maker, out of it, as a Law-obſerver; and had your Lordſhip kept your ſeate there and not deſerted the Kingdome, or derived your power from thence, and not from perſonall commands, you had then been alſo a Law-maker, whereas now you are a, Law-breaker.

Declaration. If I by Beelzebub caſt out devills, by whom doe your children caſt them out? &c. So ſay I, if I be a delinquent for raiſing defenſive armes by vertue of His Majeſties Commiſſion, with whom alone the power of the Militia is entruſted, &c. What is the Lord Fairfax?

Obſervation. For the text you tell us of, if I by Beelzebub, &c. I cannot call it a quotation, but a plundering of Scripture for your own advantage; and you that would make God ſpeake in ſo common a buſineſſe, may find him ſilent in a more ſerious occaſion: for the caſe of the Militia I referre you to the Parliaments Declarations who have more ably righted themſelves than you can wrong them: for His Majeſties authority, we ſhould eaſily ſubmit, were it rightly ſtated and diſpenſed, for he is a Kingdomes, not yours, he is a Parliaments, not a privadoes; if one ſhould ſhew the Kings Seale and had ſtollen the Signature, you would ſoon deny his power; ſo you ſhew us the Kings authority, and we anſwer that you came not rightly to it; and the Iuſtice you pretend, is as if you ſhould take the Scepter and knock your fellow Subjects in the head with i • , for juſtice from a private hand is but revenge, and though the Scepter be ſacred in the Kings hand, yet not when you guide the ſtroake.

Declaration. Let him ſhew but any one particle of known Law, Statute or Common, which I have violated,

Obſervation. An unheard off impudent challenge againſt clear experience, his gathering force, his arming of Papiſts, his Plundering, his boundleſſe taxes, are theſe againſt no known Law? his forcing elections of Mayors, as the Mayor of York contrary both to Lawes and Cuſtomes; but what meanes hee by this known Law? a law known only to himſelfe and the reſt? or to the law-diſpenſers, the Iudges, or to the Parliament which is able to make the Law beſt known, whoſe interpretation muſt needs carry a more irrepealable and publike cognizance, being the very Court where the Law took being.

Declaration. Either for a Company of far fetcht, dreare bought principles, drawn without Art or Iudgment, by factions or unskilfull perſons out of the law of nature or nations, as a Lesbianrule to▪ ſerve their ambitious ends,

Obſervation. It ſeemes by this, you are angry at our Laws of Nature and Nations, calling them in the leafe before, Lawes in the Cloudes: what? are you angry that wee have yet a Law reviving which you cannot force or wound, and that our fundamentalls ſhould be hid ſo deep that you ſhould not bee able to root them out; it had been a ſad miſ-fortune had wee had no other principles left us, but what ſuch hands as yours might have pull'd from us.

Declaration. Or for Arbitrary government, which knowes no bounds or limits, but the will of head ſtrong diſcontented perſons.

Obſervation. For the calumny of Arbitrary government caſt on the Parliament, this is an old trick, to bring a Parliamentary power into equall contempt with the privadoes, but you can hardly perſwade the people that this Arbitrary power in the Parliament, can be ſuch as can hurt the people, as if the Kingdom would deſtroy it ſelfe, and that publike councells ſhould be totally biaſſed with private intereſts, this is as difficult to believe as to believe that an Army of Papiſts ſhould fight for the Proteſtant Religion, and that to fight againſt a Parliament ſhould bee the next way to defend the Lawes.

Declaration. With what face can theſe men name the Lawes of the Land? when one of them hath lately told the world in print, that they are but inventions of men, &c.

Obſervation. For what one of them hath told the world in print, I ſhall not need to anſwer, that were to take the pen out of the authors hand to whom it more juſtly belongs: for your reproach here in your firſt line, with what face can theſe men name the Lawes? I muſt ſay rather, with what face can you thus revile the ſupreame court of a Kingdom?

Declaration. In a word, I raiſe armes by the Law and for the Law, to protect the Lawes and Religion eſtabliſhed,

Obſervation. This is the Argument theſe men fight with, to defend eſtabliſhed Lawes, and an eſtabliſhed Religion; What? are there no corruptions in ei • her, no need of any Reformation? ſure by the ſame power our Anceſtors made old Lawes, wee may make new: but perſwade us if you can▪ that you fight to protect the Lawes; can a Parliaments enemy be a friend to the Lawes? can he that would ſtop the fountaine w • ſh well to the ſtreams? will hee that wounds the body, defend the ſinewes? and for ſubverting Religion eſtabliſhed, is a Reformation or melioration a ſubverſion or deſtruction? This is your Lordſhips ignorance or rather your Chaplains malignity, for I read Clergy Inke in all your paper.

Declaration. That I have in mine Armie ſome of the Romiſh Communion, I doe not deny, yet but an handfull,

Obſervation. Of the Romiſh Communion, a very cleanly and near expreſſe for ſo foul a buſineſs, but let me tranſlate you into plain Engliſh, what is this Romiſh Communion, but right down Papiſts, the ever known enemies of our Religion and Lawes, and if Papiſts, then their Prieſts and M • ſſes and ſuperſtitions ſure, and thus you break more known Lawes; and for the handfull of • hem, that is no excuſe, had you read ever any more Scripture than that you quoted, you might remember a little leven levens the whole lump, and have no communion with the unfruitfull works of darkneſſe; what concord hath Chriſt and Baal?

Declaration. Yea, it was a note higher in them in a warre, pretended against Papiſts to make uſe of Papiſts, &c. Nay doe they not ſtill admit all ſorts of Sectaries, Browniſts, Anabaptiſts▪ Familiſts?

Obſervation. For this firſt Calumny you are beholden to a former Declaration from Court, and I ſhall at this time be beholden to another of the Parliaments for wiping it off; for thoſe you call Sectaries, wee can eaſily ſuffer that, ſo wee purchaſe a truth, let us have it under what notion you will, nor can this parti-coloured-coat you put on it make us love it the leſſe; I would you were all ſo minded, not to be ſo eaſily worded and witted out of your Religion and conſcience.

Declaration. But let us enquire who are Malignants, are they who will not willingly part with their Religion upon arbitrary Votes?

Obſervation. Thus you continue your former reproaches, and to render the reſults and ſuffrages of the Parliament under the contemptible notion of Arbitrary Votes; and if you would a • ke who are Malignants, let me help you; What are thoſe that brought the Innovations into the Church, the Tyranny and Oppreſſions into the State, and drew his Majeſty from the Parliament, and keeps him ſtill? What are thoſe that bring in an Army of Papiſts, and thoſe that daily fill our Kingdom with Armes and Forces from forraign parts? if theſe be not Malignants, they are a terme very like it.

Declaration. If the common Adverſary did not keep them in a kind of Herodian unity for a time, your Browniſts would ſoon condemn the Diſciplinarians for Malignants, and your Anabaptiſts again your Browniſts,

Obſervation. Theſe errours and differences you have named to us, if they be errours, they are but errours on the right hand, and never ſo deſtructive as Papiſts and Prelatiſts, nor is the truth loſt in theſe graduall differences of opinions, the Apoſtle will inſtruct you not to condemne one another for that, ſo they be not deſtructives to the foundation: Paul and Barna • as went ſeverall wayes in a paſſion, and yet about the ſame buſineſſe, even to preach Chriſt.

Declaration. Can the Kings forces bee ſaid to make an invaſion in his own Dominions &c.

Obſervation. You tell us of the King under a wrong notion ſtill, as I told you before, ſhew his name or authority in its right luſtre, and then you doe ſomething; and though a King cannot make an invaſion in his own Dominions, yet as a miſperſuaded and ſeduced King he may, as a man may deſtroy his own goods, kill his own wife, ſonne, or ſervants; propriety gives a man a juſt liberty or prerogative, but no ſuch boundleſſe or arbitrary power.

Declaration. Did they not rob and plunder at Darneton? did they give an aſſault upon Pierce-brig to their loſſe.

Obſervation. For their plundering at Darnton; as you ſay of the Romiſh Communion, ſo ſay I, perhaps the ſouldier might reach forth his hand further than his Commander gave him leave, as is uſuall in times of warre, and ſcarce preventable. And for the loſſe at Piercebrig, we know little, but a loſſe of powder and ſhot on our parts, and a loſſe of a Howard, Colonell and others on yours.

Declaration. Neither did I then ſet foot into this Country, but at the earneſt ſollicitation and •• treaty of the prime Nobility and Gentry of Yorkſhire.

Obſervation. In the firſt part, I am glad you decline the firſt occaſion of your comming, it is a ſigne you are ſeeing an errour in what you did; and for the prime Nobility of York-ſhiere that did ſollicit you, I perceive your Lordſhip underſtands not our countrey aright, we ſhall informe you better, the Earle of Cumberland was one, who was malignant enough to bee General in the city, but not reſolved enough for the field, one whom your Excellencie hath caſheered from a Generall into a Leiftenant Generall, and from thence into his houſe at Skipton, where I leave him: the Lord Falconbridge, the Lord Dunbar were the reſt, two, as your Lordſhip ſaies of the Romiſh communion, the Lord Savill, who is now of your cabinet, though not of your counſell, Sr. William Savill, to whom you were beholding for his timely notice of the loſſe of Leedes, and his own provident eſcape, Sr. Marmaduke Langdaile whom the former Lord Strafford had affrighted out of all Conſcience and Religion at once, and of a Patriot made him a Court. ſtalking-horſe.

Declaration. And hee that ſheddeth mans blood without a commiſſion from the King of Heaven who only hath originall power over the lives of his creatures, and no multitude of men in the world collective or repreſentative whatſoever, by man ſhall his blood bee ſhed.

Obſervation. His Lordſhip his right on the words of the text, but hee miſſes the ſenſe, he brings in a private law in a publick quarrell, and for a Commiſſion from the King of Heaven, they can ſooner ſhew that than his Lordſhip his from Heaven, for bringing his Papiſts, the enimies of truth, to fight for it, I have ſaid you are Gods, is ſure Commiſſion enough; and for your ſaying, no collective or repreſentative body whatſoever, is it not civill blaſphemy thus to revile Courts of Juſtice, and like a caſheerd Iudge to raile againſt that Bench where hee can have no place himſelfe.

Declaration. It is an eaſie thing for an Orator to caſt a miſt before the eyes of the People, and to make them a plauſible diſcourſe of the cauſe of God, &c. they had hard hearts if they could not afford themſelves a good word.

Obſervation. It ſeemes your Lordſhip hath made ſuch uſe of it your ſelfe, you accuſe it in others, and what ever good words they afford themſelves, I am ſure hee that reads your book will ſee, you are not far behinde, to your ſelfe, if you have not got the ſtart, but whatever good words they give themſelves, I think they have few enough from you, but you would faine jeſt your readers into a beliefe of your accuſation, for your naming Religion and Scripture too as you do, you do ſo mingle them in your State diſcourſes, as if you had got on your Chaplains gowne, and yet would talke like a Lord.

Declaration. Theſe very men have taught the contrary, have proteſted the contrary, ante mota certamina, then themſelves condemned this very doctrine which now they practice.

Obſervation. What doe you tell us of what they then condemne and now practice, are you angry at any change for the better? and for your Latine ante mota certamina, I ſhall draw up a ſquadron of Latine to give fire on his Lordſhips, non eſt pudor tranſire admeliora.

Declaration. Are they ſucceſſors in Dectrine of thoſe firſt Reformers in Germany? no; what theſe old Proteſtants allowed, &c. theſe new condemne, this is beyond the power of an omnipotency to make both parts of a contradiction true, no Proteſtants to bee Proteſtants.

Obſervation. They are ſucceſſors in Doctrine ſo far as their Doctrine is ſucceſſor to Chriſts and his Apoſtles, but no further, and, tis true, we condemne what thoſe Proteſtants allowed, but it is becauſe we have had a longer light of the Goſpell with us, ſhall wee not ſee clearer at our noon, than they in the firſt dawning; and to make a contradiction good, and yet no omnipotency neither; wee are Proteſtants in proteſting with them againſt Rome and the corruptions of it, no Proteſtants in what they proteſt with it; for Gods omnipotency I could wiſh your Lordſhip more tender of his name and word than you are, but I know not where to have you for certain, you are now in Divinity, then in war, you are now in a ſurpleſſe, anon in buffe.

Declaration. Could theſe Ambaſſadours of peace kept themſelves for that theam which was bequeathed them by their Prince of peace they might long enjoy their benifices.

Obſervation. It is wel, and your Lordſhip might adde alſo, could the miniſters have held their peace while your army of Papiſts had come in at this back dore, and while all the Altars and ceremonies, all the malignity and prophaneſſe, all the oppreſſion had gone on its courſe, they had enjoyed their livings, no; the godly Miniſters are not eaſily bribed to hold their peace at theſe evills, as perhaps your Biſhops and Doctors of York, Durham, nor can the good Divines ſo eaſily hold their peace as yours, who are leſſe uſed to the Pulpit.

Declaration. If any Miniſters have aſſumed a Plurality of Profeſſions and added the ſword to the word,

Obſervation. For wearing a defenſive weapon in ſuch offenſive times, was never condemned, no not by Apoſtolicall practiſe▪ if a ſword had been ſo inconſiſtent with a Divine, I ſuppoſe S. Peter had not made uſe of one in our Saviours company, and if they pleaſe to think of Zwinglius, Charmier, and other ſuch worthy Divines, who were as famous for their Armes as arguments.

Declarition. Lord how theſe men are touched to the quick, when any but themſelves doe offer to plunder,

Obſervation. It is well that now at laſt your Lordſhip will ſport your ſelfe into that guilt, which of late you would not own, wee ſee you are content now to wrap your ſelf up in the name of a Plunderer, ſo long as it is in ſo good Company.

Declaration. They have ſpared no age, &c. and all this done by a company of men crept out now at laſt out of the bottome of Pandora • s Box.

Obſervation. His Lordſhip ſpends a whole leafe in idle and groundleſſe aſperſions, which I will not confute, but let the whole Countrey doe it, only this I will adde, had he not ſtuffed his paper wi • h theſe, his Declaration had been ſhorter waſted; he ſayes our company have crept out of the Box, what if I ſay, his Lordſhip then and whole Army hath crept into it, for I think they were boxed of late and that ſoundly too; I am ſorry that his wit gives mee the hint to be thus ridiculous, but ſince he will laugh, we ſhall laugh for company.

Declaration. There may bee treaſon againſt the King, none againſt them, there may bee▪ forfeitures of eſtates to the King, none to them.

Obſervation. But if they be armed, as they are by a Soveraign or Parliamentary power, what is done againſt them in that capacity is as • uch treaſon, as he that ſtrikes a Iudge on the Bench or Magiſtrate in his place, ſtrikes not ſo much the man as the Authority, and ſo are the forfeiture two even to them thus enabled and miniſterialized by Ordinance, and now all he ſayes after, is on miſtaken principles.

Declaration. I made a publike Declaration againſt Plundering, in Print,

Obſervation. And it was wiſely done, however to declare againſt Plundering, now had you ſo good Rhetorick as to perſwade the people you plundered not though you took all, that were a quaint device; but well, as your Lordſhip ſayes, it is hard if you cannot afford your ſelfe a good word; it had not me thinks been amiſſe, had you carried your Declaration in one hand and your ſword in the other, and ſo have plundred by the book.

Declaration. But what hath been done in that kind, hath beene done by the Gentry, when I have rather acted the part of the Miniſter to execute what they reſolved,

Obſervation. I have rather acted the part of a Miniſter, &c. your Lordſhip does well to ſpeak truth, it is pitty but the blame ſhould ly where it ought; indeed wee wonder you caſheered not thoſe Gentry ere this, as you have done Savill and Gower, &c. certainly they have not delt fairely with you, to bring you in and promiſe you pay, and now not to be able to performe, either their abilities are very little or their honeſties.

Declaration. It were a more conſcionable and diſcrect part of them to repaire all as one unanimous body to their Soveraignes Standard, &c.

Obſervation. They are all under the right Standard already, under the Royall Parliamentary power, and they fight againſt you and the reſt for painting a counterfeit, and diſplaying it to ſeduce both them and theirs, your Lion, or Crown, or ſuch paintings is no Regall Authoritie, colours make not a cauſe no more than a Crucifix makes Chriſtianitie.

Declaration. His Lordſhip talkes of driving mee and my Army out of the Countrey, if it bee not a flouriſh, but a true ſpark of undiſſembled Gallantry, hee may doe well to expreſſe for time and place.

Obſervation. Your Lordſhip makes a challenge, you know neither hath the Fairefaxes or Hothams of any of our worthies ever declined you in the Field; nor mee thinks ſhould you challenge again having loſt it ſo lately, if you challenge to ſave blood and miſery, you had better ſingle your ſelfe for a Duell with one of them, but perhaps you fight better in company: I like your challenge in paper well, it is ſafe fighting and wri • ing at diſtance, yet ſuch ſpeedy deciſion would doe well, I would our Southern Army were in that point of your Lordſhips mind, wee ſhould not languiſh ſo long; for the ſparks of Gallantry you call for in our Champions, I believe you found rather their flames then their ſparks, your Army though • it too hot ſtaying.