DEARELY Beloved Bretheren, and Sisters: It is true, this text is a Malignant one; the wick­ed and ungodly have abused it very frequently, but (thanks bee to God) it was to their owne Ruine; yet their abuse shall not hinder us from making a right use of it. Every thing is Subject to bee abused, bee it never so holy or good: the men of God, the Creatures of God; all are subject to injuries and abuse; the Counsell of State, the Parliament, the Army, the Generall have, been and dayly are abused; nay even my selfe have not escap­ed the violence of those Seducers whose tongues are sharper then a two-edged sword; my very face and nose are weekely malign'd and scandaliz'd by those scribling Mercuries, Elencticus and Pragmaticus; insomuch that were it possible, they would raise a Faction in my fore­head, and make mutinies amongst my very teeth. It's true I have a hot liver, and thats the cause my face and nose are red; for my valour lies in my liver, not in my heart, as other men's (never any man could say my heart was stout) indeede the Generalls lyes there, and that's the reason his face is pale. You all know I never was a [Page 2] drunkard, although when I was at the lowest I had Beere enough (for you know I had neere relation to a Beere-Brewer) and I had alwaies money to buy Wine with, if I pleased; so that I might have beene a drunked if I would; yet you know I am a temperate sober man, else I had never beene so good a Souldier. But what is it the Malignants will not abuse, who let not to abuse them­selves? I'le warrant you they would abuse our very wives too if they durst; and I fear some of them do —you know what I meane—but no more of that at pre­sent.

My Text you see is Scripture and Scripture must bee believed next to our Diviner Revelations, bee it what it will, but the Malignants they would interpret it one way, and wee (the Saints) interpret it another: now let any body judge, whether they or wee are to bee believed: whether (I say) those ungodly Cavaliers that fought to uphold Tyrannie and Antichrist, or wee that in the up­rightnesse of our hearts fought for Liberty and Freedome, and for Establishing the Kingdome of King Jesus: surely Beloved, it is wee that are in the Right of it, I think none of you will deny it.

But now that I spoke of Kings, the main question is, whether by Higher Powers, are meant Kings, or the Com­moners? Truly (Beloved) it is a very great question amongst those that say they are learned: But I think ve­rily they make more stirre about it then needs; for may not every body that can reade observe that Paul speakes in the plurall number, the Higher Powers; now had hee meant subjection to a King, hee would have said, Let every Soule bee subject to the Higher Power, that is if hee had meant one man, but by this you see hee intended more [Page 3] then one (for hee bids us bee subject to the Higher Powers) that is the Councell of State, the house of Commons and the Army. I hope I have cleared this Point: So now then I will come closer to the words themselves, and shew you▪ truly and plainly (without any gaudy Rheto­rique) what they signifie unto us, that you bee not decei­ved: and I tell you this is not to bee done by every Spi­rit, but only by such who are more then ordinarily in­dowed with the Spirit of Di [...]cerning: I confesse there are many good men and women amongst you, that intend well, and speake well, and understand well, but yet can­not apprehend wel all things that lurke in Scripture Lan­guage, for lack of a sufficient measure of the Spirit: they must bee inwardly called thereuneo, or else they are subject to errours and misconstructions.

Well then! you see who are fittest to interpret, and I presume you believe God hath aboundantly supplyed mee; I doe not boast of it, but I speake it to his glory that hath vouchsafed to take up his Lodging in so vile, contemptible, unswept, unwashed, ungarnished a Roome as is this unworthy Cottage of mine. But It was his will, and I am thankfull for it.

Now the Words offer themselves very natu­rally, they are plain, not difficult, but prostrate their sense in most perspicuous manner.

For first (Beloved) by these words Let every Soule &c. wee may understand that every one of us have Soules; whence I raise this Doctrine, that it is an ungodly, irreli­gious, prophane and Idle Tenent amongst the wicked to think or say that Women have no Soules. Marke (my Beloved) to think or say &c. for there are many now adaies that think, and will not speake what they think, [Page 4] and others that speake, and will not think what they speake. But wee are, none such—Deare Sisters it is a great abase to your honourable Sex—And now tru­ly I will turne to you only, for you have beene our day­ly and nightly comforters; indeede la yee have! you have raised our drooping Spirits, though never so much dej [...]cted; you have got us stomacks when wee had none, and furnished us with flesh on all occasions; wee never found you unwilling, or unready to help us, when wee were the farthest from home. Believe it when I lay be­fore Pembro [...]ke Castle my Landlady where I quarter'd (who had once beene a Malignant, and then but newly crept into the state of grace) shee (I say) had a good Soul within her, shee was brimme full of the Spirit, and yet shee was very handsome; which is strange, for seldom wee finde a perfection without an imperfection; commonly Women that are faire without, are ei­ther false or foule within; but to me shee was neither. And yet I doe not speake this to condemne beauty, for it is of singular comfort and good use, and those that bee faire may bee true and good: but this is secundum majus & minus (as the Logitians cant) some are better then other some (that's the English of the Lataine) and in­deede I have found great difference in Women. Then againe when I came in Yorkshire, I met with Mrs. Lam­bert (the espoused of that honourable and valiant Saint M. G. Lambert) shee (I say) is a Woman, not very faire I confesse, but of as large a Soule, and as full of the Spi­rit as any I ever yet met with: I professe I never knew a woman more endowed with those Heavenly blessings of love, meeknesse, gentlenesse, patience and long suffering; nay even with all things that may speake her every way [Page 5] deserving the name of a Saint: And yet I say shee was not very beautious or comly, for shee is somthing foggy and Sun-burnt (which is strange in that cold Countrey) But what Nature had denyed her of Ornament without, I found shee had within her a soule, a devout sweete foule; and God knowes I loved her for it.

Thus we finde then both by Scripture and experience, that all of us have soules, men and women. But then again (beloved) some have good soules and some have bad; Mrs. Lambert hath a good soule, and no doubt, nay (I know) many of you that bee here are (and have) good soules within you: the Cavalieres and their Queanes are the bad soules, they serve and are subject to bad and ungodly men (men did I call them?) nay Devills that would devoute us, and drink themselves drunk with the blood of the Saints.

By this then it is evident who have, and who are the good Soules; Whence I raise this Doctrine, or rather point of Faith. That wee are not to beleeve, or account any to have, or to bee Soules, but those that are of the Family of Saints (I would have said Love, but that it is a parti­cular Sect, somthing differing from Ours.

Come on then, Let every Soule bee Subject, &c. Where­by by wee see all Soules, good and bad, are bound to bee Subject. All-Soules Colledg in Oxford must be Subject to the Visitors, All-Soules day, though a superstitious holy­day and strictly kept by the Papists) must bee subject to labour and toyle: Your Soules (Brethren and Sisters) must bee subject to perswasion, to love, familiarity and friendship, to all things that may increase or elevate the Spirit; to kindle and take fire (like Tindar) upon every sparke and glace of our affections; O my deere Bre­thren [Page 6] and Sisters, Love, it is the fullfilling of the Lawe, what neede wee more then? It covers a multitude of sinnes; Lo you there! It hides all our Infirmities: had one of us lov'd another, these differences and blood shed had never happend. But some will object and say; There is a Lust as well as Love; and somtimes Lust is falsly termed Love. I tell you beloved, these nice and criticall distinctions are things that once had like to have undone us: Lust is nothing but a desire of any thing, and if (my Beloved) wee desire to enjoy one another, God forbid but wee should helpe and comfort each other, and lay out our selves as farre, and freely as may bee, to As­sist each other in the free imbraces of the Spirit. The Lawes of Reason and Nature require it of us.

But let's looke yet a little further: Let every Soule bee subject to the higher-Powers, &c. What those Higher-Powers are, I have told you before, they are the Counsell of State, the house of Commons, and the Army; and God forbid but all men should obay them: that is, that the People bee subject to the Counsell of State, the Counsell of State to the house of Commons, they to the Army, the Army to the Generall, and the Generall to mee; to mee (I say) who have Plotted, Advised, Counselled and Fought for both you and them these seven yeares; and now at last pur­chased your freedome and liberty. Deare bretheren and sisters, I speake it not in ostentation, but with thankfull­nesse and glory to him who made me so usefull an Instru­ment in this blessed worke of Reformation. For (belo­ved) it was I that jugled the late King into the Isle of Wight, It was I dissolved the Treaty, It was I that seized upon and hurried him to Hurst Castle, It was I that set Petitions a foote throughout the Kingdome against the [Page 7] Personall Treaty, and for bringing the King, and other Capitall offenders to Justice, It was I that contriv'd with the help of my sonne Ireton) the large Remonstrance of the Army, It was I that prescribed the erecting of the high Court of Justice, and which brought the King to his Tryall: In a word, it was I that cut oft his head, and with it all the shackles and setters of the Norman slavery and bondage, It was I that cut off the heads of Hamilton, Capell & Holland, It was I that surpriz'd the Levellers at Bur­ford, & in Northampton-Shire, It was I that broke their De­signe, destroy'd Thomason &c. dispers'd and appeased the rest, and which have healed the late distempers of the Army, whereby the Land is now restored to this blessed Peace, Tranquility and Plenty▪ and therefore (I say) I may justly and without ambition stile my selfe the Au­thor of all the Kingdomes present and future Happi­nesse.

It is true (Beloved) the Generall is a stout and vali­ant man, and hee hath great appearance of God in him; but fitter farre to bee passive then active in the Affaires of State, hee is fitter for a Charge then a Councell: and the truth is (as I may tell you under the Rose) hee wants braines to doe any thing of moment. But indeede this I may say for him, hee is a man doth not seeke himselfe, I never found him willfull, but willing allwaies to submit to better judgements then his owne. For when Sedgwick (that fast and loose Priest) of Covent Garden, upon the Kings Tryall; had writ to his Lady, to advise him to remit the Execution of that just Sentence, and to wash his hands of his death; hee (honest man) present­ly acquainted me with the businesse and shewed mee the Arguments given to perswade him against it; and freely [Page 8] referred all to my judgement: and the 28. of January (being the Lords day) at night I went to him in Queene-street attended with two Troopes of my owne Regiment, to remove the scruples hee made upon that Rascally Priests Letter, or to secure him by force in case hee had contracted more, and would not bee satisfied. But hee (good man) gave me thanks for my paines and told me I had fully resolved him. All this (beloved) I speake in honour of the man; but truly hee is too great to bee so good as wee must have a Generall (for you know hee is a Lord) and unlesse hee bee a Lord and no Gentleman, as I feare hee will not acknowledge himselfe, hee is not for our turnes; the rather for that hee is easily seduced (I have experience of him) and led away by every wind of doctrine, by meere apparences and shadowes of Rea­son—Truly (beloved) I think my selfe and my sonne Ireton may prove of greater use to the Re-publique then any other; and if wee bee but once the acknowledged Governors thereof by the People, wee believe wee shall answer their expectations to a haires bredth; which if ever wee bee, then beloved it is I and my sonne who are the Higher Powers meant in my Text, to whom sub­jection is commanded: For (as I told you before) it can­not bee to one single man, it must bee to two, or more; and truly, if the people shall think us (as wee think our selves) worthy of that trust, wee shall discharge it faith­fully, and study to merrit it at their hands: but mistake mee not, I doe not meane by merrit as the Papists doe, that is, to deserve it at (their hands for the good workes wee have done; no no, wee will acknowledge it to bee meerely out of the free grace and mercy of the people; for when wee have done all wee can for them, wee con­fesse [Page 9] wee are but unprofitable servants.

I thank them they have made mee Generall for Ireland, and you know I am upon the point of going thither, in great hopes of reducing those Rebellious Traytors to our obedience. But then (beloved) so many of you as goe along with me, must bee mindfull of my text; that is, you must bee Subject to me and my Lieutenant Generall. Whensoever wee bid you goe, you must runne; when wee bid you Storme, you must doe it, though it bee a­gainst nothing but stone-walls: you owe us your lives and your limbs, and all that you have; whensoever wee demand them you ought to surrender, and that freely, not grumbling, for you must submit to the Higher Powers &c.

The veritie is, this expedition against Ireland is like to prove a very hard task, unlesse I can in policy engage Owen Roe, if not joyne with Jones, Munk and Coote, yet to keepe off at a distance with Ormond: I am (beloved) about it, and I shall doe my endeavour too, to set Inche­queene and him at variance: and yet at that very instant will I loose no oportunity to re-obliege him to the Par­liament; for you all know what Inchequeene is—I have him—I will not say how—But it's very pro­bable an Act of Indempnity tyed in the strings of a 5000.l. bag may worke a miracle. For hee (good man) is but misguided, hee stands not upon such punctilioes of honour as Ormond doth—In truth (beloved) this Ormond is a shrewd fellow, and (were hee not one of the wicked) a man highly deserving; not so much for his knowledg and experience in Military Affaires, (which yet may challenge some proportion of honour) as for his diligence and faithfullnesse in the trust committed to [Page 10] him (valour I will not allow him any; 'tis only despe­ratenesse, and that hee wants not, but) remember wee not how politiquely hee carried himselfe in the businesse of Dublin, after wee subdued the Common-Enemie here the first time? How dexterously hee avoided the Messages and Commands of the late King (which wee extorted from him) for the surrender of that City? How shamefully hee baffled our Commissioners which were sent to Treat with him about it, at what distance hee kept them, still urging the Captivity of the King to excuse his disobedience; and how oft, and on what sleevelesse Errands hee sent them back to re inforce their Instructions; whil'st all that while hee was under­hand indeavouring to know the King Pleasure, by the hands of his owne Messenger?—And when hee was satisfied with the Reality of the Kings Desires, and Con­dition; how notably hee truck'd with us for his owne security and satisfaction?—Nay more, when hee stood upon the receipt of some thousands before hee would surrender; you shall heare how hee there serv'd us —For notwithstanding that I caused the parliament by their letters volutarily to assure him the full double of the sum he demanded, upon condition hee would quit the Kings (& declare for our) Interest; and that hereun­to hee had return'd a fine silver-tongu'd Response in an­swer to the parliament, & had therupon return'd him the authority of the parliament to Indempnifie him and his Followers for all things said or done in relation to the English or Irish Warres, and 4000.l. in recompense for his losses; with this additionall assurance; that hee should soone after the surrender bee re-invested▪ with full po­wer and government of Dublin by Commission from the [Page 13] Parliament; yet no sooner was Dublin delivered to us (upon the Kings letters) and his Pasport sent him, but in contempt of all our faire and civill proffers, hee transports himselfe for France, abruptly waving both our proffers and protection.—This Be­loved, I instance not to justifie him in his Rebellious courses a­gainst the Nation (those I will use my utmost to destroy him for, but) to let you see how gloriously, even a wicked and ungodly man (as this Ormond is) appeares in the Eies of the World, who but approves himselfe true to his trust, that scornes to bee cor­rupted with gold, and continues so to the last; wherunto (Beloved) you are all of you enjoyed by the words of my Text—Bee sub­ject to the Higher Powers &c.

Nor will I let to acknowledge him lesse formidable then faith­full; for doubtlesse hee hath gone very neare to parcify all Interests, and pick't out of them a numerous Army, over whom hee hath placed good Officers (good said I?) I doe not meane (beloved) Godly Officers (for they are all of them Papists or Popishly aff [...] ­cted) but tryed soldiers; such as will not easily turne their backs of an Enemie— I must ingenuously confesse too, they have a great strength by Sea, and a number of wilfull Fellowes for Mar­riners, who are in great heart by reason of the many, and great Pri­zes they have taken from our Merchants, and so forth; but what of all this? shall were therefore bee discouraged? God forbid▪ the more numerous the Enemy is, the greater shall be the victory over them; the more difficult the worke is, the more our honour; the fuller their pockets are the worse they will fight: you know by ex­perience the plunder of Leicester gave us the victory at Naseby; there you saw the Cavaliers chuse rather to leave their King to His shifts, then shift from behind themtheir Cloake-bags—Be­lieve it (Bretheren) wee shall meete with many advantages against them—Rupert himselfe (I know) will doe us some good, though it bee but in Crossing of Proverbs: and heare I but once that Culpepper or Hyde is there,—doubt it not, all is owne—I cannot recount a Tithe of them. But this I am sure, the honest Citizens have feasted us to good purpose, for upon that occasion, wee had their Promise to advance moneys a fresh for Ireland—Sans Nombre on Mensure (that's French b [...]loved) the English [Page 12] whereof is, without Weight or Measure)—Verily they are of a stiffe-necked generation, become very tractable, and obedient ser­vants: of a turbulent and mutinous, an exceeding meeke and hum­ble People.

And indeede (my Beloved) it was no small worke wee had, to subdue those Malignant Spirits of the Citty, considering how au­d [...]ciously they once withstood our Authority, and despised our Government; how peremptorily they Petitioned for Personall-Treaty with the King, and sent their Servants into Colchester, Surrey and Kent, to enforce us thereunto: how bitterly they inveighed & railed against the honourable Proceedings of the Parliament and Army: How largely they contributed to bring in a forraigne Na­tion to Invade us, whilest yet they denied us the payment of our Arreares, or to continue the necessary Taxes, or Excise, for our fu­ture maintenance, who had preserved them and their Families from the Rapine and Cruelty of a Barbarous Enemy. but (beloved Brethren) I meane not to rip up old Matters: Let is suffice, that being thus warned by their mishap, you fall not into the like sinne of Disobedience to higher Powers; there being no Powers but of God, the Powers that bee being ordained of God.

Object. But it may be some here may object & say; how shall we be secured, in your absence, from the malicious Plotts & contrivan­ces of the Presbyterians, Malignants and Levellers: Since wee can­not but expect they will bee Complotting our Ruine, especially Lilburne and the rest with him in durance, whose Spirits can never bee quelled but by a Crumwell, they being so implacable and desperate?

Answ. Truly Beloved, you that doe, doe very well to make these doubts; I like these doubting Christians above all Christians, provided they bee not jealous: and yet (my beloved) a Man or Woman may bee jealous without Cause, as that holy Man of God, Major-Generall Lambert is of his Wife, which truly proceeds not so much out of any corruption in Judgement, as Manners; yet the Man was well Bred, though not educated so well as wee are in the South: But as to this point, you shall heare how carefull I have beene to provide for your safety, and the Peace of the Nation, in my Absence. For supposing that Lilburne and his Faction, and [Page 13] the rest of our Enemies (as God knowes wee have too many) will strive to alienate the Hearts of the People from mee, and to usurp [...] the Rule and Dominion to themselves, if a convenient strength, and some one or other were not left, fitted with Policy and Cou­rage to restraine them; I have taken care that my sonne Ireton shall stay amongst you, and that my Corrivall, (noble Lambert) shall goe in his stead, as my Lievetenant-Generall into Ireland: And my Sonne (you all know) wants no Spirit (if hee did, hee should never have married my Daughter, that you may well think) As for his Policy, I suppose you have as little reason to doubt of it, as I have of his Fidelity: The large Remonstrance, renders him (as I take it) very cleane handed and subtle; and with him Ile see a sufficient strength both of Horse and Foote bee left, which (toge­ther with the City-forces which wee have engaged, and are ascer­tained will stick to us; the Generall (so popular and valiant a Man) staying here also to oversee them) shall (I warrant you) suppresse all insurrections & tumults whatsoever. However I have given such Or­der to my Son Ireton concerning Lilburne and the rest, that if ever hereafter hee observe him, or them, to stirre up the People to Se­dition, or scribble any thing (as formerly) against Our lawfull Proceedings; that forth with hee shall execute Justice upon them: And I thinke (deere Brethren) you will judge it but necessary, since neither our Mercy, nor the sense they have of the uprightnesse of our Cause will invite them to forbeare bespattering the Innocent Robes of this Infant-State.

And now (Beloved) as wee must not conceale any thing from one another, I shall make bold to requite your ingenuitie by the in­stancing one other doubt, with a danger at the end of it; which although it may startle you at the first sight, yet bee of good cou­rage, bee faithfull and strong; it admits of an easy solution. And that's the Accord of the Scots with their new-King—Truly I must confesse my Designes were never till now so diverted and confounded; for I must tell you, I have Reverenced that short, but pithiy Precept of my father Machiavell [Divide & Impera] so long as I could keepe them at odds amongst themselves, I feared not but order them as I pleased. But now it is too true, that both the Parliament and Priests of that Kingdome, have attainted Argyle [Page 14] of high Treason [That is, for holding the hands of the Scots untill wee Exe­cuted that Exemplary peece of Justice on the King.] And that therefore they intend to cut his head off; which if they doe, then (Beloved) they destroy our only friend in that Kingdome, and the differences on foote there must needs expire with his breath; which being once done, they will have nothing left to doe, but vye Authority with us, and threaten a second Invasion. For you must understand the Scots are a Warlike People, and that there is nothing will make them sooner Rebell, then Idlenesse and Peace; so that if this bee so, wee shall bee sure to have them amongst us—Now beloved, to preserve our selves against them in this great Garrison of our English Common-Wealth: It is for our safety that wee quit those out houses of Ireland; and if they were burnt it matters not, so wee maintaine but what wee have already in possession. To which end I have resolv'd, that if they cut off the head of Argyle or other­wise disable him to prosecute our Interest there, that then I will wave the War of Ireland, and keeping the fore-doore of this Nation close shut, bend all Powers to defend the Back doore against that perfidious Nation. And this (I conceive to bee the surest way: provided I can but make choice of able and Trusty men to secure the Ports, Townes, and In-land Garrisons without Revolts or Treachery—And this will bee easily done, considering the men and moneyes wee have at our pleasure—I tell you bretheren, our thousand shall slay their ten thousands, and in a short space make the a mise­rable little People, and at length root them out from off the face of the Earth and possesse us of their lands, for an Inheritance to us and our Generations for ever.

But I have strayed too farre from my Text; I will now come to the remain­ing words thereof, and so conclude—For there are no Powers but of God &c. the Councell of State, the House of Commons, the Councell of Warre, and the High Court of Justice (when it was) were all Powers of God; and the following words of my Text give you the Reason. For the Powers that bee are Ordained of God: Bee they Just or Unjust, they are all of God, God ordained them; and so hee did that Tyrannicall Power of the late King, an those Belly-Gods the Bishops, to punish us for our Infirmities. But now that bee hath graciously removed those Powers, hee hath Ordained ours to Preserve, Cherrish, Elevate, Comfort and Delight the Saints and to Rule and Governe the Land, in Sincerity and in Truth; to distribute Justice equally and Im­partially according to His Will—But the times is spent, and I must bee marching—I desire therefore (my deare bretheren and sisters) that you daily poure out your Prayers and Supplications for us, and for our successe a­gainst the wicked and ungodly, that are risen up against us: and that you cease not to comfort one another with mutuall Imbraces, and Spirituall kisses, to delight and sweeten your passage through this vaile of misery; And that you take especiall care to strengthen and corroborate your selves with Capon and Cock-broth, that I may find Oyle in your Lamps at my Returne,