Herod and Pilate reconciled. A new dialogue betwixt a malignant and an Independent.

HEROD and PILATE reconciled. A New Dialogue betwixt a Malignant and an Independent. M. YOur Servant, Brother. What's the news ſince we Did laſt confer? Doth Independency Thrive, and grow pregnant? Doth it now increaſe Ith Aſſociate Counties? ſhall we have peace? Speak, brother, all amort? ſtrange alteration, Come you late from ſome new Congregation? Me thinks you ſeem diſtracted: what not well? Do our Deſignes miſcarry? Brother, tell Your dear companion; come, the worſt of all Will not diſcourage us: we cannot fall Lower then now we are: brother if we Shall ever riſe, thank Independency. I. O my dear brother, 'tis thoſe fatall Votes Lately 'ith Houſe, which makes us change our Notes; We muſt disband our Army: and to ſee Our godly party in ſuch agonie, Will move a heart of ſtone; a day of doome, Of gloomy ſadneſſe: 'mongſt us thoſe that come Newly from Colecheſter, will tell you more Of this ſad news, then ere you heard before. M. I ſmell a plot from Scotland, ſome ſuch thing I heard a wiſper of; but whileſt the King Is ſafe at Homeby: what need you to fear Cannot your conquering Army fetch him there, And guard him to the City: ſoon you'l ſee An alteration with Presbyterie. I. But brother, there's more; the Militia's put Into the Common Councels hands: we are ſhut Quite out of all: and this new Tyranny More odious to us far than Prelacy, Muſt now command us: we will not endure Such baſe affronts from them. M. No brother, ſure Disband not. I. We the preſervers, to be So ſleighted, not regarded; and to ſee Skippon and Maſsie both preferr'd: and theſe The City Favourites. M. Sad progedies. We have been active, brother, but of late Our combs are cut; we moſt unfortunate. But what will Skippon go their Fabius, Their man, ſo wiſe, ſo ſolid, and Religious? In Cornwall, brother, we muſt needs confeſſe His valiant ſervice in their great diſtreſſe. And maugre all, the Sectaries muſt yeeld That he deſerved beſt at Naſeby Field. I. Brother, had he been but Independent, S • rigg ſhould have made his actions more tranſcendent. M But ſhall their Fabius and Marcellus Be joyn'd together? I. O this doth quell us. Brother, theſe muſt command, and 'tis not we With all our plots, deſignes, and policie, Can now prevent their choice: except there be In our disbanding ſome grand mutiny. M. Is there no hope of that? me thinks your zeal Might animate the Souldiers to appeal To all the Countreys: and 'tis Lilborns ſence, You may complain o'th' Houſe for this offence. I. O but the City, brother, and theſe Scots Are cunning, ſubtill, to prevent our plots. They have a major part i'th Houſe; and then Adviſe, how to oppoſe theſe craftie men. M. Send frantick Peters down, and let him there Belch out his ſurious raptures; twill go neer To work an alteration: we muſt lend Our beſt aſſiſtance now: ſome Notes from us May do you ſervice. I Help from Aulicus, Or any other; our neceſſity Makes us not ſcrupulous of Malignity. M. Let Lilly raiſe new ſpirits; let there be A Combination, brother, ſuddenly. A Junto gathered of Eraſtians, To wrangle out theſe Presbyterians. Let Turn coats be advanc't, and let none have Preferment now, but ſuch as will turn knave. I. Brother, 'tis good advice, I am glad to ſee Herod and Pilate both ſo well agree. M. But is it likewiſe true, ſhall Maſsie he Be honour'd now: that in neceſſity Kept Gloſter ſafe: and afterwards did take So many Garriſons, and made us quake? Shall he that did ſuch ſervice in the Weſt Be lookt on now, brother, who can diſgeſt Such Votes. I Nay more, Cromwell, Hammond, Ireton Are layed aſide: Maſsie, Jones, and Skippon, They muſt command in Ireland: M. then I fear Small crums of Comfort ever will appear To help our dying cauſe, ſure ſoon muſt we Give up the ghoſt with Independency. Except, my brother, we can finde ſome way Some fine deſigne or other, to delay Skippon and Maſsie, that they be not ſent To Ireland; leſt too late we do repent. Yet if you ſend them over; clog them there With ſuch Commiſſioners: that you need not fear. Let Daviſe buy proviſions; let there be To him but granted a Monopoly. Let ſuch command the bagge: who will not give Any Account, dear brother, whileſt they live. Me thinks your H • ckney, Penny Pamphleteers May raiſe ſome ſcandals 'gainſt them, ſome odde jears. Every weeks Diurnall, may do ſome feats. Peck is your Mercenary: and ſuch cheats. To undeceive the people would do well, Let Dillinghan be ſent for, he can ſwell His ſheet and half to countenance your Tribe, Stitch a Conceit or two, your Moderate Scribe, You muſt confer with him; and Walker too. I. Brother, they all are Knaves, and will undoo Our god • y party; ſtay, obſerve a while, You'l ſee them turn-coats, and their friends beguil. Lilborn I like not, brother, you will ſee That man prove falſe to Independency. M. Admit he do; yet Davy Jenkins late Defends your Cauſe. I. A man unfortunate. M. But be not yet diſcourag'd; ſome more plots The King is working; let us not be ſorts. But active, vigilant, we may recall Theſe Votes amongſt our friends; if this be all. I. No brother, there is more, the Houſe did ſend To the City I rely to deſire them lend Two hundred thouſand pound, and told them there We ſhould disband, Skippon and Maſſie were The men for Ireland: told them they ſhould ſee The Houſe would grant them all ſecurity. Newcaſtle, brother, they will have; if we Had but kept that for our fraternity, We might have curb'd proud London, and have ſeen The Presbyterian bend for all then ſpleen. Yet more, to adde unto our miſery, Of Goldſmiths Hall they have the moity. Beſides I fear, my brother, you will finde An Anſwer ſhortly to the Cities minde About their curſ'd Remonſtrance; they have choſe A new Militia; that will us oppoſe. M. Would not the Gibeonites, your friends, once ſpeak Some long-breath'd ſpeech or other: but to break This horrid Combination: they uſ'd to make Some Remora heretofore, which did take Amongſt the vulgar. I O but now of late Their ſpeeches, brother, are unfortunate. Dull was their Oratory to perſwade The City a Gariſon to be made. O had that plot but taken, brother, we Had raiſ'd them Trophees to poſterity. Our friends had then commanded. Who durſt be In oppoſition to us? M. Prelacy Might then had hopes, my brother, to have ſeen A bleſſed toleration; and have been A ſpeciall help to Independency, In all aſſaults againſt Presbytery. I. I know it brother. M. And it is moſt true, We have a Presbyter as much as you I grieve to ſee you ſad, and penſive. I. And when Shall we be merry? M. Sure thoſe men Might have been more active, when they did ſee Such dangerous plotting by Presbyterie. I. The men were cunning, but yet all their guile Could not inſinuate to delay a while This new Committee: that we might but pawſe And ſend a Poſt to the Army: our Cauſe Lyes bleeding, brother: O the time is come That Prophet Sedgwick tels the day of Doom, I ſhake, and faint, brother, except there be Some comfort left for Independency. M. I'le help you brother, there's ſuch ſwarmes of late Of ſtrange prodigious Sects teem'd in this State, Who all will joyn with you; and ſo ſhall we To overthrow this vile Presbyterie. I Theſe are ſome hopes of Comfort; will the King Joyn, and combine with us, if that we bring His Majeſty to London: a toleration Will he ſubſcribe for us o'th Seperation? M. Be confident, my Brother, there is come A Diſpenſation from the Queen, at Rome, And Italy, they pray, and long to ſee The good ſucceſſe of Independency. I. And is this true? M. Moſt true, the King of late Will joyn with any, he's ſo deſperate. No plot will take in Scotland, nor no new Deſignes in France, or Ireland. I. Is this true? Then we have hopes the King will joyn with us, So ſhall we make our ſelves victorious. M. I will adviſe you, brother, let there be Some more Petitions for Indemnity By the Royall aſſent: that phraſe did well To pleaſe the King and us: let Saltmarſh, Dell Hint on that Text more often; it will raiſe A Faction; we Royaliſts now do praiſe The Independent party: you do ſee How we do hug your laſt Apology. Your Vindication, brother, we admire, And ſwear all's juſt and honeſt you deſire. Nothing we fear ſo much but Skippon, he Will ſo prevail; ſuppreſſe the mutiny, Which we rejoyce to hear. I. Brother, 'tis late, I thank you kindly for this good debate. We ſhall be ſure we never will agree Before we pull down the Presbyterie. M. Adeu, dear brother, untill next wee meet To proſtrate our ſelves at His Sacred feet. FINIS.