I Will not cease to write, lest the Cause of England should seem to want Pen as well as Pike-men, and thus much dare I boast of it, that in my own opinion I am the weakest defender of it, of all those that pretend any abilities to maintain it: its true also, there may be so much vanity in my conceit, as that I may expect applause for daring to speak a word in the behalf of poor Truth; To put this out of doubt, I request you Sir to communicate it to none but such as your self, wavering dissatisfied ones: truly I more fear I may unhappily incurr of­fence (if it were made publick) for presuming to meddle with State-matters, so high above the reach of a private Gentle­man: But if sometimes perchance I seem a little malapert in my State-reasonings; Methinks I forthwith contemplate the Blessed change (our mouthes were bung'd up in Kings and Bishops times;) the Liberty of speech wherewith we are now indulg'd, which is indeed evermore to be found in a well-poli­ced Commonwealth.

1.And now it is mine intent (Mr. C.) to speak of those rascally people (whom you would fain vindicate) and of their design to conquer us, which (according to the Covenant) they [Page 16] will change when they please into a necessity of defending themselves: This argument (I conceive) you suppose they may thank you for; and yet truly (Sir) I have an opinion, that as basely fraudulent as they have ever been with England, they are surely now more rationall then to expect that from a Republique, which they were used to receive at the hands of Kings, that we should not only thank them for the wrong they have done us, but pay them also for their pains: That's for your first Quaery.

2. I much muse at those whose Covenanting consciences can permit them to take part with Danish, Swedish, Scotch, French, Irish, I know not how many forreign Enemies against their own Native friends. Alas, what is't you would have, Govern­ment? well, is that it? or else you will resolve not to be go­verned; If ye cannot have all ye would, ye will yet still keep a stir for more then ye should, or can in reason expect: Nay, I will put the case higher; suppose it were (as ye insinuate) even forbidden to make profession of some certain truths; Methinks men should not by and by turn Trayterous Rebels, and oppose themselves to an establisht order of a Common­wealth; But what truths are ye prohibited the profession of? shew them, and if you have not Remedy, then continue Tray­tors (in Gods Name I will not say, but) with a witness; for my own part I would be (or at least reputed to be) so obedi­ent a Commonwealths man, as to yeeld to some Laws, though the dictate of my reason should tell me they were perverse, but it should be by my silence: But blessed be the holy Name of God, we are not reduced to this praedicament, there is none of you but (if ye will) may enjoy the dearly purchased liberty of our times: That's for your second.

3 Though you seem to be merry concerning some passages at our last conference; yet let me tell you, perchance I am not less then you seemingly take me for: To speak truth, I am a very good Englishman, and do passionately love my Coun­trey, maugre Covenanting pretensions to delude me; but whe­ther I am fit to be reputed (as you would fain have me think you do) a sound Polititian; or how I should come acquainted with State Affairs, by sometimes reading a Diurnall as you [Page 17] do, this I know not; questionless I have more courage then strength, & more zeal then knowledge to serve the Publike: but were I arrived to so noble a Culmen as to say I could advance the Publike good by my single Pen [which I neither dare nor can beleeve;] or that I could clearly demonstrate to our neighbour Hollanders, or the miserably poor envassaled slaves of France, that in England all things are now changed into the better, under so blessed an Alteration, as that of a Kingly Tyranny into a free State, which hath confirmed us in a most pretious Liberty, and that it is not onely apparent, that in a few yeers triall it will enrich us, but make us also more formi­dable, and much encrease our courage, when it shall be seen we fight not so much for the glorious advancing of one single Fami­ly, as the preservation of a Publike Interest, Religion and Li­berty: yet all this while there is not so great a praise redounds to me, as you are pleased to bestow, but I must wholly ascribe it to the felicity of the Times in which we have lived to see this change: And yet if in high State matters (my modesty bids me say) I am unworthy to obtain a rank amongst politike men, there is none of our Governors can deny me one a­mongst Commonwealths-men; if my capacity be inconsidera­ble, my publike zeal (at least) deserves not to be rejected: briefly Sir, for an answer to this third of yours, I onely tell you it pittifully grieves me to see so many such (English) spirits as your self, who are so vexed at their own good, and cannot in­dure their happiness, but would again fain be under their old yoke of Regal Tyranny; any Governors but the present should seem would please you; all present transactions thwarts your Politicks; it would not be blasphemy for me to say, that God himself cannot make the Presbytery Governors to please them, because the more they are after his own heart, the less will he be after theirs; so much for that.

4.And fourthly, I cannot but vex to see how you torture men with that other Quaerie of yours, not with the strength, but poorness of it; — What had we to do, what need had we to in­vade, or make war with our Brethren [Rebels] of Ireland and Scotland? Could not our Ambition be sated with one King­dom? Ah Sir, But if our Governors had been dormant, if our [Page 18] Cromwel had still staid at London, then (when all our throats had been ready to be cut) ye would have roar'd louder, that it had been an infatuation in them to have been so supine, as to suffer the common or a forraign enemy to over run and come up to us; But you have done well to stitch this Querie with a wonder from God, if your men cannot beat us, your children shall, your little boy at York (which you have made grow out of the belly of this Quaerie) who cries Stale bear for want of a King; is not he enough to convince us forsooth? In very deed a goodly childish question; and thus ye fight against our States managing of Affairs, like foolish Welchmen with old Proverbs, and like besotted Englishmen with new miracles, because ye cannot touch it with good reasons: but next ye make a Resolve upon this Quaerie, and take it for granted, that now surely it cannot be otherwise, but that Scotland must be the Aceldama for Independents; so that truly to me it seems an hard definition, whether ye err more out of a pusillanimous infirmity, or inveterate malice, or whether ye stand more in need of the remedies of Physick, or that of the Laws; certainly ye are mad, and ye must be whipt; Really Sir, it grieves me to see, how ye abuse that benefit of liberty meerly against those who have procured it for ye: thats for that.

5.But ye come powdring with your fifth, in all post haste; ye object, and tell me, that the States must needs receive a very great disadvantage from the rigor used towards (and so con­sequently the discontent of) a very considerably numerous party of formerly our Brethren here in England, which by our harshness have been necessitated to separate from amongst us; shew us where the rigor was, and tell us what you mean by this word Harshness, or else I shall be inforced to answer you harshly in a word: It is much better to have a weak cowardly enemy to contest with, then an ambitious-cold-brawling friend to preserve.

6.For your sixt Sir, Methinks when I maturely excogitate with my self, the Slavery we have waded through, and the Liberty we now may injoy, those passed pains should be our present contentments; either the good which now we may upon sure grounds hope for, should much solace our imagina­tions; [Page 19] or at least the Royall evils which we have suffered and outliven, must needs content our memory: Surely then (kind Sir) every generous soul cannot but be passionately affected with, and as it were resolutely interess himself against the rude calumniations and dirty bespatrings which some of ye black coats (and blacker mouthes) dare vomit and spue out of your Pulpits in the very face of Authority; what wild stupidi­dity possesses ye silly pettish elves? Ye can Saint a Tyrant, your quondam mortal Foe; ye extoll to the skies (since ye your selves brought him to the block) him, whom even a world (yea even of his very foraign friends) ingenuously ac­knowledg to be the greatest Bloudshedder of this last Century; Its a great wonder to me to see how the Royalists hug the memory of their late weakling-Idol; why is it? but because (as his son now does at times to serve his turn) he deserted them in plain ground; they are right Spaniels, the more endeared to him, because he was the principal cause of their so often sound basting and utter ruine; but for ye secondary adopted fondlings of the Presbytery, that ye should begin so strangely to lessen the number of those thousands who (as ye often brag'd) would never bow the knew to Baal: this is much the greater wonder of the two: The Cavaleers made a God of the first, and ye a Calf of the second: Tis very pretty to observe how oddly ye are resolved, sometimes for Monarchy, and then pre­sently you could find in your hearts to have a Commonwealth, rather then relinquish a fat Benefice: how strangely do your great London Brethren Weathercock it about! Those Caw­dries, Hudsons, Ashes, Robin-Hoods, &c. whatsoever is com­manded by Authority, they will be sure to run Counter; if an act of thanksgiving be emitted to be observed on Tuesday, we shall be sure to have it in some by-corner, but on their own Kirks-day-Friday: truly they may do well to imitate the Moores who (say they) on the same day do evermore use to make publike prayers and meetings for the restitution of the Kingdom of Granada, but bitterly curse the memory of the last King who could not defend it against Ferdinand.

7.But seventhly, you stand much upon your Conscience Scru­ples, these (forsooth) must be the Cover-sluts for all your [Page 20] sneaking-hypocritical Rogueries, and Pulpit-Impostures; O what witched faces do ye there make? what catterwauling howlings? what religious railings? Really I look upon this thing called Royall Presbytery as a meer monster, whose fi­gure can not be delineated, as ye have now farced and pieced it up with your very godly Brethren the Cavaleers, with your holy Brethren the Scots, and with your I know not what brethren the Irish, true it seems at the first view (when a man considers your seduced numbers) to be of a very formidable and great bulke; but this gross thumping body of yours consists of several pieces and patches, some Popish, some Prelatical, some Directory, and yet most-Common Prayer, and some [Confess] Mass-book: Truly Sir, ye shall finde, that after it hath had two or three sound Scotch-shakings, that it holds together rather by Ligaments then Nerves: I confess ye have many Classes and Asses, that is, members amongst you, but they are very ugli­ly proportioned, not well compacted: the Head grows out of the Breech, ye make a Cushion of it for your Repentant-Close-stool: to speak more properly, ye walk up and down, tip and tail, I know not how, but the Cavaleer saies, Hand o­ver head.

But behold a little poor people gone to whip the breech of this great Garragantulus; those whom a supream Provi­dence hath called and lifted up to humble the pride and inso­lency, both of a Monarchick and Presbyterian Tyranny, who though they are inconsistent, aim both at that one thing: behold (I say) those little hills of Pencland, who were able to brave and resist an whole Kingdom of the one sort, and all the forces of the other: Poor contemptible souls! The weak things of this world hath our God chosen to confound the mighty: I can compare our Army in Scotland to nothing so fitly as those smal grains of sand, wherewith the Lord bridles in the furious in­sultings of the main; it was your own boast Sir, that they would scarce serve for a Break-fast to that Nation; Indeed I hope so, and beleeve you; brag on ye English Apostates; surely those severall atchivements made under Straughan, Massey, Mont­gomerey, &c. since our first marching into that Hell upon Earth, which ye lately so much vanted of, were victories so [Page 21] deerly bought that your gude Brethren had ere this time been finally defeated, had they gained many such; but I am forced to acknowledge that the false news of the Irish Rebels your o­ther Brethrens successes, and that the Plague hath much infe­sted the poor English Protestant there; this indeed hath given you much cause thus to elevate & heighen your spirits; but this cannot much perplex the honest heart; for I dare pawn my Reputation it will in time appear that ye have not onely confederated with the gross Papist, but ioyned tailes, or ra­ther Heads with the very Jesuite; yet I beseech you Sir, nicely to take notice of this one sentence: There is yet whereby ye may be troubled, where ye think your selves so secure, not that I say we have a plot to out-vye you, and bid higher for the Papist then have ye; we should then be so far from being confident as now ye are by it, that we should evermore doubt of our future prosperity: But who can be ignorant, that if the honest godly Englishman, whom your party have seduced and divi­ded from us, should again re-unite themselves, return to their obedience and wits, and at last smell out that ungodly knave­ry which the Brethren have lately fob'd into their pretended Kings Declaration; or if your other dear fellow-Saints the Cavaleers shall henceforth surcease to lend their hands, bloud, and estates to the propagating of their first enemies ras­cally designs, and resolve henceforth to be true to their Coun­trey, knowing that the plot is carried by you as destructively fierce against them as any other party whatsoever, against whom ye more grin your teeth; then assuredly all the plots and devices that are now machined against England, or any of us all, be we what we will be that are your enemies, would presently burst and shiver in pieces, and the best Scotified Presbyter of you all, be like an old dusty-rusty Jack, (never more able to turn any way) having lost some of your master wheeles.

But this let me add moreover to your Brother-Royalist his comfort; we have known the man, that having been over­come, hath finally endangered the Conqueror, though but with the broken end of a sword, and to have slain him to whom even now he was an humble petitioner for his life. Noble [Page 22] Gentlemen Cavaleers, ye often use to boast that you could not have been vanquished, had not that base forraign Scotch Nati­on been brought in assistant against you: You say also ye can­not be in a worse condition then ye have been and are through their doings; and the most reservedly ingenuous and politick amongst you do often inculcate it to one tother, That you cannot expect the least kind of good by the Presbyter; why then my lads, all I shall say to you is, in good troth take the opportunity which is presented to you, Bang 'em back and sides. But you will say; And what shall we be the better, when this is done? I answer from my heart, I verily imagine and suppose, that by many degrees will you be more happy, safe and free, then when you once find your selves reduc't under the intolerable humour and strictness of that uncouth Discipline; your King (if Presbyter be Presbyter) shall not be in a capacity to help you, nor shall it be held lawful (when all is done) to let him know that you have helped him; but he must still be enforced to disclaim you in the Bundle and Pack so his fathers English murthers, and his own French sins with the rest of his House, &c. But thus much by the way to the old Enemy your new brethren.

8Next, for that great strength of yours you so boasted of in your last; let me tell you (Sir) Formidable beginnings have many times had ridiculous conclusions: Your brethren (its confess'd) look'd very bigg and high at the beginning of those clandestine undertakings of theirs, having twisted and wound in so many considerable Parties to their assistants; as not only the Prelatical Protestant, the English Dissatisfied one, but the Jesuited-Popeling also; the Lutherane and Cal­vinist they have made sure of they think; as having Swethland and Denmark, Holland and the Huguenots at their devotion; France no doubt is involved into the grand Interest; and for Spain and the Pope (not to mention the Portugal) these all are obliged to come in, upon the score of the Irish conjuncti­on: but really (under the favour of your wise judgement) I for my part cannot see how this Rope of Sand should long hold fast together, being subdivided into so many strangely odd Interests; these no doubt have all their ends as well as the [Page 23] Scots, and (I suppose) tis easily judg'd how discrepant they are: But it seems the brethren having brought their work (as they conceived) to a pretty perfection, dared to resolve to stand o' their own bottom; what else made them lately pre­tend the laying aside of the royal party? what else made them vex and hate to think or permit that any gallant peice of action or noble imployment should by any means be atcheiv­ed by the English now amongst them in the way of military ex­ploite, though Massinians, and can bring their compurgators that they never had the least spice of Cavalerisme in them? what else (I say) but meerly out of a timerousness, that these should hereafter stand up with them as Competitors of the glory of their English conquest; and (which is the main) in the reward of the Action in good English-Dust; nay (which is more then all this) what else made them, as they we [...] even upon the nick (as we say) of bobbing and whyffling off their new King, after they had so ceremoniously admitted him into that stately sweet hogstie of Edinburgh? Ile warrant ye shall find hereafter that if God bestows a victory upon our Crom­well over the rougher sort of Presbyterian Jocky piggs, their yong King shant be a jot sorry for't, but rather exult, and re­joyce at it; for certainly he already percieves what they are resolved to do, if they can do aswell without him; but its true they have not yet turned him a grasing; they quickly drew in their hornes; and do yet still (for fear of a check-mate) keep the youth a cock-horse; and perchance for hopes of a better market: But for any minion or freind of his in the whole world besides himself, they care not if he were hanged upon as tall a Gallow-tree as wicked Haman, and as honorably in­terred under it as poor Montross: surely this is a great demon­stration of the undeniableness of this your eighth quaerie — That they love him wonderfully; what they will do for him I will not say; but of a truth they are resolved to do much with him:

But the monstrous body with which you would fain startle us country people with, that they are now threescore, now an hundred thousand; without question (Sir) it hath its wounds and infirmities which much infest it, and which do not [Page 24] cease to be dangerous, though for the present they are playstred over with some appearance of sanity; We shall (I dare war­rant ye) live to see a shrewd ulcer breaking out between their bawdy Kirk, and their lowzy State, if ever the Nobility or Gentry (such sneaking ones as they are) shall but dare peep their snouts above the Pulpit, the Kirk shall firk them, a­mongst them ye shall have some wagtaile-fawning curs, yea even of the laird Presbyters that shall (suddenly after the first Presbyterian rout) be ready (out of pure fear of being over­top'd by the ranting Cavalry) to turn Idolizers of their new Ragg, till they stir up an immortal feud betwixt themselves and the right reverend Kirkmen; and then Hey by the Jolt­heads they gang, (the Divel part'em) and will (as the other year) be again ready to call upon our Cromwel for another assistance; Nay that yong English-Scotch-Danish-French-Jer­min-Gentleman will (without doubt) (when he hath adop­ted good store of these rascal Favourites) begin to speak We and Ʋs, and (with our Cromwels help, let him give them but one sound bang) will (in spite o' their hearts) scrue them our, and himself into all the chiefe sway, and then as you were; this is all the hopes we have, that at last they will be necessitat­ed to be friends with us; but surely tis their curse, they will not see; let them embrace it, let them like fine boies kiss the rod; and repose trust to his feigned meer-knavish con­version; they shall to their greivous experience find in time (when the Lord pleaseth,) that they have but put confidence in the Caresses of a Curtezan; it may chance come to light hereafter that they may ow thanks to the Mother for making the son so good a boy; and that it was her strict command that he should rather play small game with the brethren, then sit out of any Throne▪ surely its very improbable that they can beleeve in good earnest his mother (or him) to be cor­dially serious; and yet you see what Polity makes men feign to be credulous of: It is not likely, that both he and she, that have alwaies made profession of levity in their religion as­well as conversation, should now be constant for the love of either an old Pedler or a new-cobled Kirk; but its very pro­bable that the Appeales so made on both our sides, the sighs [Page 25] of the people of God, the blood of the dear Saints, the vio­lations and horrid plunderings they have used in England, with other ill consequences of this their new raised vvar, will mount up to the very throne of God, and pluck down his vengeance upon these (generally acknowledged) perfidious false people, that maugre all overtures on our side for prevention, vvill yet be the causes of so many renewed mischiefes amongst us: Alas! If the Lord understand and regard the crying petitions of the yong Ravens in their nests, vvill he not hear his people, vvho incessantly solicite him, humbly demauding only a reason of the insufferable injuries which have been done them? If the bloods voice of Abel ascended up to him, shall the blood of an Innumerable number of poor Christians (vvhich is again like to be shed out by these Cainish brethren) be dumb, vvithout making any noise at all? shall the complaints, the imprecati­ons, and the last dying groanes of the dear English hearts that fall by the sword in Scotland (and their Fathers, Mothers, Bro­thers, Wives and Sisters sighs here in England for them) be ut­terly quite lost? The Lord (the avenger of perfidy, and of the violated truces of brethren of one faith) will he alwaies suffer religion and Covenant pretences to be made an Instrument for the introducing of tyranny, and that this only should be made use of to cheat the vvorld, and to seduce poor innocent igno­rant ones? ‘Tantum Relligio potuit suadere malorum?’

If the Lord count our hairs, will he not have regard of the sighs of his Saints? will he not gather up their tears? will he despise their prayers that so wrastle with him? No, No; let us be confident our God is for us, and that the astuti­ous perfidy of our loose brethren is not hid from his eyes; We have had many sure signs that the Lord is on our side, concer­ning the certainty of which it is not lawfull for his people to doubt: If the Lord had not decreed in his everlasting deter­minate will powerfully to succour and go along with his people, to releive them now (in these last times) from their long bondage and oppression, if the Lord had not a desire to make us overcome, if he would have deferred the Term of our liber­y, he would not surely all along so miraculously have shewn [Page 26] himself a man of war in those incredible appearances he hath been pleased to discover for the good of his people, and the happiness of this Age; verily the Lord could no longer refuse the struglings and necessities of his Saints that had such great need of his help and deliverance; By the help of our God there is now nothing so difficult before our eyes, but we may be confident of, that he will ere long bring to pass for his Glory and names sake: Ah then (good Sir) cease all of you to take distaste at the holy designs of our just Governours; let not their enterprizes (for the Lords sake) be an occasion of jealousie to any soul; all that look upon them without a blind-folded prejudice, though but at a great distance, must needs acknowledge them to be self-denying (and not self-seeking) justiciaries; surely they have consecrated their hands and hearts to the Lord; their Arms protect none but the Lords cause; and the most refractory of England will be constrained in time to confess that they are like the targets which fell from heaven to guard the Romans which gathered them up: Ah let mothers now rejoice at their fertility, and bless the Lord, because they may now rest confident (if the Lord continue his goodness unto us) that they shall procreate children that shall be more happy then ever their poor igno­rantly blind fathers were, and who shall even henceforth live in a blessed liberty by the benefit of our Common-wealth.

Verily Sir, we Englishmen may look upon our Governors as the resolved Enemies of wicked, prophane, and ungodly men; and meerly the protectors of the godly party; alas they seek for no other fruit from the great victories the Lord is pleased to accumulate upon them, but his glory, and the secu­rity of Englands Common-wealth; Nor do they post up and down in a restless toile (those dear instruments of the Lord) their Army, and indefatigably turmoile themselves but to procure its deliverance from that ancient Tyranny and thral­dom, which for these many hundred years (under splendid titles) we have been confounded and involved into: truly we have just cause to hope and believe that they have soundly learnt that rule of the Apostle, To do good to all men but especi­ly to those of the houshold of faith; and hereby they will serve [Page 27] as a kind of animated law to those that are gently allured & led on by their godly conversation; certainly this exemplariness of theirs is a kind of command, which not only we (their religi­ously well-affected friends) but even the most Traiterous Apo­states amongst ye cannot rationally disobey; Alas (Sir) by them we now really possess what the bowels of our sad Pro­genitors so much (and long, but in vain) yearned after; we all confess with you (Sir) that a good King is good, if there were (the world over) such a thing to be found in Rerum natura; yet the maxime tells us, that it is much more glorious to restore liberty to a Common-wealth, then to be so: how much more is it then Renownedly glorious to alter and convert the Tyrannies of a bad King into the liberties of a free Common-wealth, and those even so pretious ones, that we cannot hardly now contemplate any thing of so great esteem unto us, which we may not hope they will in time procure for us? As for me (kind neighbour) whether it be that I am passionate for that liberty and freedom in my walkings with God, the sweetness whereof I have already tasted; or whether the transparent light of present felicities somewhat over-dazels my ravisht in­tellect; or that the meer love of truth makes me thus write, most assured it is they are the promptings, and guidances of the Spirit of God overflowing me.

Secunda Pars.

ANd now Sir my next task is to make good that promise of mine in the superscription; I have something to say to the seduced Scotch, as well as the blind English Presbyter; what is this our old brother Scotland stands agast at? He stands affrighted (and seriously I cannot much blame them) at the very approach of our Cromwel; what pitty tis to see how they refuse and deny that good fortune which comes to find them? their consent is only askt to take the greivous yoke of Tyranny off their necks, that where godly men suffer, or weak men groan, they may be released & set free: Alack! they are so time­rously [Page 28] aguish, they will cherish their disease; they have not the courage (though they have the strength) to take Physick and make use of proffered remedies; what fatall and wretched stupidity is this in them? have they not eyes to see the inun­dation of miseries which are over-rushing them, and ready to swallow them up? is not that common bruit (in Rome and France, and most Catholick kingdoms of Europe) of their yong Kings turning Papist able to awaken them from their sordid drowzy cowardliness? Shall that for ever hereafter be spoken of the Scots which was related of the people of Asia, That for freemen they were of no reckoning or account; but that they made very excellent slaves, and were very good to up­hold an insupportable Tyranny for want of having the valour to resist it? Because their King is not yet come to his highest pin (or that they have hitherto had a pretty nimble way to cut them off in their career;) or because they are reserved for the last Act of the Tragedy after Independents (and Ca­valeers too, as they think) therefore they absolutely con­clude themselves perpetually secure; Because the poyson of Popery and Cavalerisme hath not yet disperst over all their Members, and intrencht upon their very heart, and that very death doth not yet gripe them, they imagine they are in very good state and condition; Because the Pope doth not open­ly declare what he hopes and intends to bring to pass by him who (its thought) is really his Proselyte, will they be so mad as to think (or is it that they know themselves to be so slighted, scorned and inconsiderable a people) that he doth not so much as dream of them as well as that sweet morsel of Eng­land? Assuredly if they should see in Edinburgh a man pro­viding great store of all sorts of materials for a structure, and forthwith make ready a place in a very fair seat, to employ those utensils, without doubt they would say that surely he meant to erect a very fair house, though they saw neither the walls set up, or foundations laid; and can they be so pervers­ly wilful, that notwithstanding they see such huge Popeling preparations in almost all Catholick parts, yet they will not understand what kind of fabrick is in time hoped to be set up both with them and us? To be sure, if they suffer the yong [Page 29] Popified blade to manage his work a little further, till it be compleatly accomplished, that is, if they go on to accept of his formal Recantations (for which without doubt (as in time may be proved) he hath Dispensations sufficient) it will then no longer be in their power to oppose him; for that all his retra­ctations are indeed disguised, deceitfull, and complementall; and verily it is impossible (as he hath been principled under his father and since beyond sea) to live under him, and in liberty; they must of necessity be put to this Dilemma, and chuse one of these two things, either to be his vassals, or his enemies, and see which they love best, an intolerable long slavery, or a short just war.

Yet indeed though at present the face of things look so oddly in Scotland, affairs are not so incurably altered in that Region as some suppose and wish: Nature surely hath preserved some remainder of good seed, she can yet raise up some stout and couragious spirits (from that ancient principle of libert, which may not as yet be totally extinguished) from amongst them: They have as great quondam experience of throwing Tyrants overboard as any people under heaven; I say methinks nature and experience might distill some drops of blood pure­ly Brittish amongst them, amidst that corrupted mass it now la­bours under; It cannot be but sometimes they call to mind the neat feats their fathers have been forced to use to get off those iron yokes from about their necks: It cannot be that the inge­nuity of that Northern people should suffer them to lie stil un­der that heavy pressure of Regality; its a shame that the learn­ed abilities of that people should now be converted to meer nought else but to flatter and smooth up a young Tyrant, which they ought to make use of to excite people to recover their liberties: Its a shame that they are active and valiant onely for another, not themselves, and that their spirit and courage should take pains only to strengthen a dominion that will finally oppress them; if peradventure they undertake actions, which from an accidentall success be reputed full of gallantry, it is the glory but of one man, not of them; by this they gain nothing but companions in slavery, they render not the state of their Country to a better plight, but make the [Page 30] power of a forraigner more formidable; their chains become more gltitering and strong, not lighter and more loose: And now (Sir) I hope the Lord will put it into some of their hearts, that they may make some reflection hereupon, and that all that I have said may not fall to the ground: perchance that mag­nanimity which in times of yore was known to be in the Scot (and now supposed to be dead) is but dormant; perhaps the sick, the seduced ones, will at length get up, and the heart of that people return from its swounings; let them but once be­gin to add vigor to that prudence they have been observed to have, and to arm good counsels, and they shall soon find that the fury with which they are possest against the English Bre­thren shall not so much over-ballance their reason, as for some few years by-past it hath hitherto done; then will they speedily be induced with much courage and generosity to accompa­ny their sister England in those excellent wise managements, whereof she reads Lectures of Heroick gallantry to all Christen­dome: Our Cromwell hath a resolution too magnanimous and sublime to do any low thing in this occasion, if they will but call unto him: Those miracles of victories which the Lord hath wrought by him (which even his very old enemies with horror and submission confess and admire) those Declarations of his often sent unto you, which breathe nothing but liberty and love of your Country, the abode he long since made with you at Edinburgh, when at your beck he posted for your succor, his noble comportment and pious conversation amongst you, can furnish you with none but fair hopes, and auspicious pre­sages, if ye will embrace his proffers; Thus we your Brethren Englishmen think fit to call upon you, yea to cry on high; That liberty is not defended by fear, nor will the future violences of your Prince be ever repelled by a secure softness.

But you urge, we are Presbyterians, and you are not; you are Independents, but we are not: Ah brethren, is it not con­venient that we unite our selves against a common enemy? a­gainst him who is not for any zeal to Religion, but the Kingly Interest of a Crown, and revenge both upon you and us. He doth not covet (as the Apostle did) the unbelievers, but those things which are theirs: Have ye never read of that [Page 31] Stoick and Epicure, two men who made profession of a con­trary Phlosophy, and were of two opposite Sects, and that in a most violent manner, yet could presently be brought to ac­cord when there was a question of delivering their Country from slavery; and for a while could lay their opinions aside to joyn their interests together? would to God we could do so; yet there is none desires you to relinquish your opinions (according to your present light) in your wayes of worship of God, but in an amicable way to compose such triviall imperti­nencies concerning which we have so often (to no purpose) sent overtures unto you: ye know that a man once in danger of drowning, indifferently catches hold of whatsoever is obvi­ous to his sight or sense, though it be a naked sword, or hot iron: I have seen two beasts fighting that would presently part and fall upon a third common enemy; shall we be worse then beasts? is there such a necessity in it, that you must needs divide from us your heretofore Brethren, and unite and joyn interest with strangers, enemies, aliens, forraigners, Danes, Swedes, French, Dutch, (O horrible) Irish too? &c. I must confess self-preservation is the most pressing, if not the most legal of all duties; but have a care Brethren that you have not learned this maxime out of Machiavel, That its convenient for a Chri­stian to agree with the Turk against a Christian; for in danger (saith he) Honesty and fair-dealing may be laid aside, and but what seems best may be undertaken; this is but to defend a mans self with the left hand. Now let the world be Moderators whe­ther you have not gone these sinister wayes to work: Good God! what (I trow) is the end and object of your designs? what is there in the cause under which you now warfare, that either a learned Doctor may be able to maintain, or that a consciencious Presbyter dare excuse?

I see I must once more impeach you of the highest piece of perfidie, and pursue you to the inmost retreates of your plots, and see whether (as the world gives out) your Nation in ge­neral, or that black counsel, (under which you now labour) be least innocent or most viperous? True, ye paint over your pretences with the guilded colour of righteousness, but (seri­ously) wise men judge that there is nothing but a desire to be­come [Page 32] masters of other mens habitations, which makes ye so often desirous to go out of your own; It was ever the custom of you cold Nothern ones to come before you were bid, and to creep nearer the Sun: Lord what a many arguments (which now lye in English Jaques) were there once rak'd up to prove the conveniencie of our Ʋnion, and your naturalization? what oldd remnants were there scrap'd up to assert the lega­lity of your Sixth Jemmies transplantation (as intricate as a Welsh Pedigree) and because (forsooth descended from a seventh Henry) we must be your fellow-slaves: and this unhap­py fancy of yours, bringing your third Hobby-Horse because his sons-son, will (in the end) certainly prove fatall to you, if you be not the more timely wise: ye ran well, who hindred you that ye might not obtain that precious liberty chalk'd out by us unto you? ye were at your own disposition, ye might have been what ye had desired; but (ah me!) in the midst of peace ye have the spirit of war, and a seditious will, and when ye once made us beleeve ye were at rest, ye onely then plotted how ye might be more active: these tricks will prove State-Torments to you in the end; ye will not be at quiet till ye have the rule of our Church and Sate; Really a man may read in the white-liver'd physiognomy of ye Scots, and our Presbyters, that innate, Coveteousness in them to rule and raign, which burns and consums ye within, and is the true internal sign that makes them look as they do.

Tis true! your Duke Hamilton (who paid so deerly for our University Earldom) is now dead; but his instructions live still, and are now as vigorously on foot amongst you as ever, though you invited us when you were well knockt, and hum­bly cried Peccavimus, a sinful ingagement, because ye saw that unless you took in that young Renegado into your pack, it would be as unfeisable for you to win England as those King­doms and Provinces which Galileo points out unto you in the Moon; but now (Ile warrant) by his help ye are as sure as a gun; In good sober sadness the extravagancy of your de­signs is worthily to be jeered at, they are so contemptibly ri­diculous in the thoughts of all knowing men; would to God ye did but in part understand how mightily you and your Da­gon [Page 33] Presbytery is generally laught at in this our Common-wealth.

But should seem the great wrong we have done you, and that which most offends you is our being free? you will finde something or you will quarrel at a straw; look thorow all our Histories, and we finde that as long as Scotland has had a neighbour, there never wanted brawlings; either by good will or by force ye will enter upon, and have to do with the affairs of England; truly (my brethren) ye have always been taken for very bad Accomodators of differences; Is this your stating the Cause to fight us? if so? for what is it I beseech you? Is it for the reinstalment of your old Popish Bishop, or for the re­investment of your new sinfull King whom you have made to confess so great a contraction of the guilt of hainous sins, and horrid bloudy crimes, that you have even perswaded the world he is fitter to be hang'd, drawn and quartered by the Laws of God and men; at least we for our parts much doubt that Jus divinum of your rotten debaucht Kirk; how you can or dare maintain his compurgation upon a meer formally hypocritical verball submission, and that for a Jack-a-Lent, who would ra­ther turn Link-boy to you then sit out; for Gods sake how comes it to pass that ye have not excommunicated him all this while, as well as any other of your sinners; will ye make him confess guilt and yet say he is not so? or can ye dare say that his guilt is not within the line of his excommunication? if ye do, I dare say ye are all a company of rascally veillacons. In the Spanish Schools (I have read) it was once a very hot dispute; and there was cutting and flashing for it to some purpose, whether the Indians were of the race of Adam (their gold mines made them Scot-like deny their fraternity) or a middle bastard species between a man and an Ape? I wonder they had forgot you, what can any man make of you? you will have a King and no King, a sinner and no sinner, a righteous person, and yet his whole house and himself bloody monstrous incarnate devils; Well, if he be such an one as ye have made him confess (and we have not reason to deny) then (I will not say) the habit of Tyranny, but without questi­on the Tyranny of habite hath got such predominancy over him, that according to his instilled principles which have been [Page 34] drawn from the blood, and been breed in his bone, will hardly out of the flesh, unless it be let out the same way his Tyrant fathers was: In the interim me thinks the visible ap­parancy of his detestable horridness should at least palliate and allay your groundless inveterateness against us; but why speak I? it must be the Lords work, not mine, not mans; I see you must be constrained to be happy in stead of being miserable! O how wonderfully are you infatuated? See you not he hath a direful plot upon you as well as us? but your Grandees have possest you to the contrary, 'twas warily done of them; all the hopes ye can possibly expect, is that you shall be the next after us: do ye not perceive the pernicious evil of this deceit? but (you say) you will not account it so, when its like to be profi­table to those that are deceived; we shall answer you in your own terms; so neither doth violence deserve that name, when it shall convert to the commodity and advantage of those who must be enforced to embrace their own felicity; ye must therefore even patiently take what falls, though hitherto ye have denied that good fortune which requests admission to you.

But next, ye will say the death of his father is that which sticks most to your stomacks: I verily conceive ye are angry because ye had not the hap to do it your selves; I know not how many above twenty ye had then made it: but dare ye say it was unjust, when we can borrow some old arguments of your Nation, not only of your very Buchanan and Knox to prove the legality of it in lesser circumstances of crime, but also of your new Declarations against this very person himself; ye never had the breeding to put a Tyrant so mannerly to death, but in a butcherly roguish way of secret murther; we the people of England did not do it in hugger mugger after your manner of Prime Execution, but in the publique place of Ju­stice, which though it were indeed an high piece of Judicature, yet according to that generally received maxime: All that is above Justice, is not therefore unjust, especially in matters of State; As we say in Divinity, matters of Faith are above reason, yet not against it.

But alas ye are so blinded with the avarice of English guifts which ye were wont to receive here from your Scotch Kings [Page 35] and so wedded to your own interests, that through the tra­verses of profit ye will not see the good of that glorious peice of Justice, nor (but meerly in policy though ye confess it in your own hearts,) will ye acknowledg it to be so; yet now (if ye will) may you vindicate your perishing honours, in justly serving the sinful son the same sauce we did the bloody Father; ah let your publike liberty be evermore dearer to you then your particular good; you have been animated sufficiently hereunto by the generosity of many of your Ancestors, nor shall ye be unfortified in the designes which ye ought to put in [...]re for them aintenance thereof, if you please to make use of those, who not out of fear but love had yet rather be your freinds then enemie.

Tertia Pars.

ANd now I speak to ye the honest party left amongst the Scots, be not ye terrified by the roaring-Megs of your Kirk-Governors threats; turn your eyes Englandward, and behold a proffered succour for you against all those that would oppress you; alas, the liberty wherewith ye are now flattered, its but a counterfeit one, no way true and solid: he that never was without a burthen at his back, knows not what it is to be at ease; ye that have so long groan'd under a Kingly and Pres­byterian Tyranny, know not what it is to be at liberty, nor will your Task masters learn (unless you document them out of our English Rules) how to put a stop and moderation to the filthy avarice and boundless ambition of their hearts, nor will ever cease to increase their Tyranny, and your bonds, while you so Ass-like suffer your selves to be fool-riden.

Now to excite you hereunto, let me tell you, That the justice of every cause for taking up arms divides it self into one of these three branches. 1First, To revenge injuries received; and upon this score (next to your freedom) are we now come down amongst you; or 2secondly, to defend men from Tyranny; upon this we first began, and hope to see you make an end: or 3thirdly, To give Laws to them that have none; which indeed [Page 36] neither have you now in their due course, nor had we while we were necessitated to receive so insufferable injuries, having no bulwark of defence against oppressing Tyranny: now (my Brethren) all these three are honest, necessary and just causes upon which ye may boldly, safely, and piously adventure; up­on this ye that are feeble may lean; ye that are weary of your insupportable burthens, may rest your selves; ye that are tied and bound with the chains of your oppressors, may set your selves at liberty; he that dies in this quarrel (if it were possible) let him covet to live again that he may be once more slain.

A lack a day! what strange appearance is it amongst you, that small faults (peccadillo's comparatively) should be punished in a subject (when commissioned to act them) yea and that even with a kind of barbarous death! and monstrous horrid ones connived at, yea adored in that sinful one who daily added en­couragements to his commissioned Agent: O horrible! that the enormousness of the action should be that which Authori­seth the crime, and justifieth the criminal; certainly (I say) there is no appearance of equity or that which you call righteousnes in this; seriously ye seem wholly to be led by the Dictate of that Tragick Poet so often chanted on the Theaters, and so fa­miliarly quoted by Tyrants; That in matters of Polity and States, and to command, it is at any time lawful for a Prince to violate Right; but it must be observed in any thing else: Truly the de­ceivers of this Age do much wrong thus to seduce souls in co­vering such horriblenesses as these under the notion and name of Righteousness; neither I suppose can it be amiss for me (or any English Gentleman) to shew ye your own condemnation in such wiles as these, carried on under the guise of that which some men have been so much mistaken as to term Prudence in you, but is indeed naught else but a subtilty of spirit which ye the people of Scotland have been ever observed to have (at your fingers ends) in your most absolutely seeming honest confederacies and transactions; And yet (let us speak sober­ly) though so many Judgements have in fore times accounted you the stately cunning Sophisters of the world (in which per­chance that strict Mistress Poverty may much help you) in [Page 37] my opinion (and tis more then one Doctors) ye are fit to be reckoned with those Platonicks, who are said to have some rational intervals, and are but sometimes in their right wits; we are able to shew you, to your shame and grief, where you have ridiculously over-shot your selves; I believe hereafter your mouths will water after some of our Commonwealth-liberty; o' my credit ye will be of our opinion by that time ye have been King'd a little longer; but by this (I trow) ye think ye shall pay us Ding-dong; that ye have strucken us as dead as a Doore-nail; you imagine you have out-witted us. I pray bring me word about this time twelve month.

Yet (Brethren) we are not in despaire but hope still for your good, that you may imitate that Enarchus, who having as was believed for a while departed this life, at last came a­gain to himself, and assured the standers by, that he was well, but that if he had continued a little longer in his extasie, he had died in good earnest: My Brethren, Hear I beseech you what I say; Do but you (or any English seduc'd ones of your party) with calme sights and uninteressed judgements consider affairs (as they are now necessitated) in the purity of their being, and not behold them obliquely through those passions which perplex you and in the infection of a malicious avarice which so alters you, and o' my soul ye would soon come to us in a Christian, brotherly, and amicable composure, and eft­soon (with us) turn enemies to all Usurpers of the Liberties of their Country: what stupidity is it in you to suffer your Country to be devasted, eternally ruined, and to let out so much of your own heart blood, and all for the humor and support of a wicked youth, and an unlucky family? what sense­lesness is it in you to invent all possible wayes to lose your own rest, so as ye may be but able to disquiet anothers? But know ye (poor silly hearts,) it is not so with us; All the ad­vantages we expect from our victories over you, is but a com­mon felicity both, to you and us, even an universall good; that Justice may raign in both our Nations, that Piety may be ex­tolled, Liberty enlarged, Oppression cut off and lastly, no­thing but what may procure us Reputation abroad, and a good Conscience at home.

[Page 38]But 'should seem our war in Scotland can neither be ended by Treaty, nor Victory; not by the first, ye will accept of no over­tures of Peace we make unto you; and when we conclude a­bout Trivials, (as Prisoners or the like) ye will keep your word no longer with us then ye have the first occasion to break it; ye will make our General affraid to treat with you, when hereafter ye may be enforc'd to beg it at his hand; fye on this every way perfidiousness; and secondly, you will never be quiet, but when ye are not able to stir; alas, your hearts for the most part (and yet I say we hope there are some amongst you that are not so) are clearly bent against Gods people; ye have an inveterate malice against us; but be assured (its the in­fallible Oracle of Truth) That wisdom enters not into malicious souls: ye are the children of this generation, which pass in the world for wiser ones then the children of light; yet surely your wisdom is foolishooss with God; and there is no more prudence without his fear, then a building without a foundation, which if the world be not mightily deceived, is your now new clouted Monarchy: though we will also be ready to confess, that for the particular part of your Stuart he hath not in all things plaid the fool (though in most things the Knave) but like him we reade of in Lukes GospelLuke. 16.8., though he hath been unjust he is to be commended, because he hath done so wisely for him­self in so strangely befooling you; No doubt but his fancy ran the same way the other unjust Stewards did, and said with himself Ver. 3. (as ver. 3.) what shall I do? I cannot digg, and to beg I am ashamed Ver. 4. (ver. 4.) I know what I will do, that when I am put out of the Stewardship, they may receive me into their houses: which ye have done, and I suppose will hardly get him out again without our help.

Thus wise hath the Boy been to get an house over his head; but let us have a care that we reckon not Cheaters amongst men of skill, and that we do not call Cunning Vertue, or Deceit Wisdom: without question the Times and his Tutors have taught him the Legerdemane, even the very Art of Fallacy: 'tis impossible (as his education hath been) but that he is endued with a certain learned and disciplined kinde of naughtiness and State-Knavery, even a System of Machavilian Rules and [Page 39] Precepts to help him aspire to his pernicious ends: the villany of all the Runnagate Scots in Europe, is not able to compose and impose one Covenant, Oath, Abjuration, or Declaration, so dam­nably bitter (though it were to execrate his father & friends for damned murderers) but he is doctrinated and resolved to down with it: O the conscience of a wicked man, much more of a de­bauch'd bankrupt youth, what will it not reach to? Tis written of Hippolitus that Euripides made him cry out in one of his Tragedies, I have sworn with my tongue but not with my minde; judge ye whether he hath not after this sort swallowed down your Covenant, (without doubt the poor young man is cordially converted to you) and hath satisfied his holy Father so much therein, that he cannot in equity deny him a Dispensation for any future compliance of his with you: O grievous! how ob­durate and seared is his conscience, that it can suffer any weight upon it, or that it can recede from any thing how fun­damental soever, which his conscience dictates to be just, and eagerly pursue and follow on the contrary? He hath not wan­ted some English Prelatical Casuists I dare say (such as his Fa­ther had concerning a business of blood) who could finde out very godly reasons (no doubt) wherefore it might be thus law­ful for him to play the Devil and Hypocrite, and perswade him that he shall be innocent, let him be ever so guilty.

O Lord! Can the rest and quiet of any mans soul (who is not purely Infidel) be establish'd by such soft-easie means as this? will the poor soul of a man depend on the subtilty of a Knave Doctor? A Prince that made the glory of God his object, in the most advantageous business which could be pro­posed to him, if he already were assured of the prosperity of the success, and were not grounded in the goodness of the cause, would surely make a stop upon this very difficulty, and stoutly refuse both Crowns and Scepters, were they presented to him, and laid down at his feet.

But (tis true) many men become pretty Physitians (they think so at least) by the frequency and strength of their own diseases; and questionless this young man hath gotten that mi­serable Science which many men learn by their faults and mis­fortunes, that is —(if not better'd by them) to do or turn [Page 40] any thing for advantage, (for whom misery makes not better it makes worse;) Certainly the fortune of this House of Stuarts having assembled so many fatal events, and call'd down divine judgements upon almost each soul of (and Part-taker with) the family; & having made this Stripling see (as it were in a throng) such a number of affairs and vicissitudes; he must needs have a certain kinde of abridg'd experience, and be even rudimented in the Epitome of that which his Gransire called King-craft, which in down-right terms (of strict Divinity, not fast-and-loose Policy) is plain knavery; yet (to speak moderately) so harsh and rigid an education hath not been unprofitable unto him; his tempest hath taught him the Art of swimming, Ad­versity hath read him such strange Lectures which he will make use of all his life, and (without dispute) he hath not lost his time in that sad School he hath been trained up.

But this is the gallant Lad at whose beck ye are resolved to engage your whole State, lives, and fortunes: alas, are ye di­stract of your wits? have your mad furies (anent your selves) no medium or intermission? we hope it is not so, though in­deed the most part of ye Northern people are many times accustomed to rageings, but ye have onely some raptures and sudden motions; tis pretty odd to observe how quick your re­solutions are, ye use no discourse, nor make use of reason to a war, but collecting all your vigor together, and casting out all your choler at first ye make an extream fierce kinde of French onset as if the Devil drave ye, or a Lesly led you on; after which finding a more gallant resistance then ye expect (and the property of your violence being to endure but awhile, if Straughan and your Pulpiteers be not present with their reason and arguments to keep fire to it) then at last as ye seemed to be more then men at the beginning, ye become less then women in the prosecution of your enterprizes, and as if ye went out of the fit of a Feaver, after ye have been a little rouz'd, ye languish in a Lethargie, keeping your selves close in holes within the bounds of a Lethee-Lake, ordinarily flying, though our Army put you not to flight, and yielding your selves when they take you not; ye never consider how ye shall overcome, but how bravely you shall march up to the gude City without resistance, [Page 41] and thus your weakness as well as necessities carries you on to desire extremes and impossibilities, precipitating the course of Providence which ye would fain lead and not follow, as if it were your Providence and not Gods; and when it (also) lights upon you in a most miraculously heavy measure, ye are (Infidel-like) ready to term it no other but a meer accidentall event: Ye (blind Bayards) will wilfully blindfold your selves, and not discern these obvious discoveries of Pro­vidence which the Lord does as it were daily make out to your terrour and the amazement of well-nigh the whole people of the Universe; I am not able to speak them, but admire; ve­rily the modesty of an Orators stile agrees not with actions so divine, so unheard of, so little credible, which have been (through his actuating power) perform'd by his poor Instru­ments, our Army: but all that I can say more in this particu­lar, is, Let him be owned, who hath owned his.

But all this will not induce you to sit quiet at home; ye would fain have one bout more with England for good and all; what? If the baseness of your Countrey prompts ye to find out more happy dwellings, and a more favourable ayre then that of your birth; If the Lord of Hosts by a strong Providence shall again and again send ye back to inhabit your own wilderness, and to endure the rigour of your everlasting winter, will ye yet still dare to oppose his Power by incroa­ching upon us? Keep ye back ye sharking companions, ye black patch of fair England; ye fawning Peripateticks to the luxurious Courts of Princes; we Freemen cannot name ye without discomposing our mouths, and wounding English eares; we are resolv'd not to be, rather then ye shal be any thing amongst us; ye have nothing to colour your Travelling In­vasions of us, but the revenge of an old Tyrant, and the intro­ducing of a New: this pretence shall never carry thorow your silly designs: Do ye know the just hatred which the ge­nerality (now) of us in England do immortally bear them both? Certainly it must never have an end; it deservedly ac­companied the First the latter part of his life, and followed him to his grave, nor will the curses of the poor innocent Fa­therless children and widdows suffer him to enjoy in safety the common Asylum of the miserable: And for the Second, whose [Page 42] future felicity must of necessity be founded upon bloud, deaths ruines, 'tis so doleful and portentous an object to the gene­rality of true English Spirits, that we cannot so much as away with the thought of him: we look not upon him (as ye do) as a Sol oriens, by whose Rayes ye think to warm your fingers once again in England; but we English Gentlemen be­hold him as an Ominous Comet with dis-shevel'd bloody locks, which threatens (the most moderate Transgressour against him of us all) with a million of (not to be endured) miseries and mischiefs; there can be no favourable aspect expected from him by any of us; but his Malignant Influence must of neces­sity be abhorr'd by all of us; He is the Serpent whose breath we see has poyson'd a whole people of ye: he is that young wild Boar of the Forrest, which (like his Ancestor-Tyrants) would fain make havock of all about the City; but blessed be God, we have an Heros yet left in England (if he be not now in Scotland) perchance you have found him there) who (with Gods help, we doubt not) will be able to cleanse our Countrey (happily yours too) of such a Monster; and I pray you was there ever a more cruel, & more formidable one then that Tyranny which now menaces the smothering of our In­fant Republique in the Cradle, and the transmuting of our new begun Liberty into pristine slavery?

Yet I say, if the Lord should send him upon us, it is in his wrath and in the day of his fury: He is the evil wherewith the Holy Prophets threaten us, the effect of Gods disesteem'd Providence, and the boding Executioner of Vengeance upon us: The Lord may please (as Psal. 16.) to put the Sword of the Almighty into the hands of his enemies; Yet wo unto A­shur (cryeth the Lord by Isaiah) notwithstanding he is the Rod of the Lords fury, and his staffe, and his indignation is in his hand: But wo, wo, wo, be unto ye Brethren, because ye have gone down into Aegypt for ayd; yet we fear ye not, for the Aegyptian is man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit: nay more, ye have gone even unto an Esau for ayd, of whom it was said that he should live by his Sword, which Paul gives for an infallible Character and example of a Reprobate: Take heed good Brethren (I speak to those who [Page 43] have not back-slidden with a perpetuall back-sliding) if there be any such (as we hope there are yet some few amongst you) surely the Lord doth not only abhor and detest Tyrants, but also the people who are confederate with them, and adhere unto their Party.

Let us now a while consider the stratagems of this Lad, and what his present Plots are upon you: no doubt his last play was to deceive those whom he could not overcome; & be con­fident, Neighbors, that when he sees it is not unfeasable to de­lude you with words, he is not unfurnisht with double-meaning ones, ye shal have mountainous promises [meerly to draw you in,] upon England; nay, ye shall have oathes (which before he took them) he has sworn and is ingag'd to violate; and I dare warrant ye, that (as cleanly as ye think ye have purg'd his Family) he is not yet for all this without some Craftsmen about him, those apostatiz'd Kirk-worthies who are now en­dear'd against you, and who will assuredly day and night la­bour to lay Hooks, Gynns and Snares for you: He hath brought out of France his Mothers Coffers, and the Popes Cabinet nets, so subtle, that if ye have not a special care, the most cunningst, nay the most honestest of ye will be caught in his Puppy-snatch; his poenitential hypocrisie and fawning de­portment amongst you, will in short time (ye shall see) even bewitch the poor people, and pervert the fidelity of your most eminent Kirk-Captains: But alas, we passionately pitty you, ye will not beleeve truth to be truth, either because ye have not been accustomed to it, or perchance because ye think it not better then falshood, and that ye ought to measure the value of the one, and of the other, by the profit which comes from them: Be not deceived (Sirs) the benefit which ye think ye shall gain by him, will verily be desolation and utter ruine, and to expect fair dealing from him, is a solecisme and contra­diction in reason; questionless he thinks that a good consci­ence is extreamly inconvenient for him that has such high de­signs, as for Three Kingdomes at a clap; and for matters of faith, be assur'd this matters not at all with him, for he cannot ignorant of that ancient Monarchical Maxime: That the ad­vantages of Religion, are for Princes; the scruples of conscience [Page 44] and nice doubts, meerly for their silly Subjects; and that reall piety may in State-matters be dangerous, but the appearance alwayes necessary: These Maximes cannot politickly hold in­convenient in the height of his great Tempest; and in the height of such extremities he is now involv'd in; So that (in a word) we may conclude, He is resolv'd to destroy all, or possess all, what he cannot enjoy, he will strive to ruine.

And if so, we Englishmen, before whose eyes is the fear of the Lord, and tender love of his people, cannot chuse but take for our Pattern him that was named the mildest and meekest man upon earth, even Divine Moses, who (being yet a private man, and having then no Authority) but onely seeing the affliction of his brethren, beleeved he was obliged to succour them, and to begin the deliverance of his People by the slaughter of an Aegyptian, who smote an Israelite: How much more reason then (I say) have we (into whose hands the Lord hath put his Sword) to make use thereof to punish that Tyrant, who would fain be the destroyer, and is already the scourging Oppressour of the Lords dear Peo­ple, even thirsting after the bloud of his Saints? we would not covet his punishment were there any other way inventible to put a period to the horrid evill of his bloody designs: We desire not the death of men, not even of our Commonwealths Enemies, but we only try what is to be done to bring them to Gods wayes, and light of truth; yet nevertheless we are necessitated to provide against their being dangerous to the Publick; and where we can safely avoid the depriving them of life, we only deprive them of their power and venome, and (the holy Name of our God be magnified) the Lord hath now put us into such a blessed posture and condition) that if our Presb. Pap. Royal. Three grand Enemies, should in never so dangerous a Rebellion joyn all at once together against the State, we have Four means to scatter and tread them down; and such is the vigilant Pru­dence of our Governours, that many silly men (which o­therwise sure enough would) are not permitted the leasure to turn Rebels, which should they, certainly they would be surprized between the thought and the execution.

[Page 45]True, our English-Apostate-Brethren do vainly imagine their clandestine interactings and correspondencies with you to be absolutely impossible to be found out; yet let me tell you (and them too) a word in your eare, we know as much of your news as if we had a Secretary in your darkest Counsels: Alas, how do these poor men deliberate and plot to cast themselves into miserable dangers? and yet our Governours provide for their safety by looking warily unto them; is not this to preserve Suicides, those that would fain destroy themselves? that now they shall not dare (what they otherwise inevitably would) utterly un­do themselves and whole Families: They would fain strike one stroke in your Covenant-quarrel; but lo! ere they be ready to lift up their hand, Providence meets with them, and they find it seized upon: Now they imagine they shall be able to raise up hundred thousands by your youths Commission, and that ye two Breethers shall shortly share England amongst ye; but presently they find themselves (for rare miracles of madness) either chayned up with the Lions in the Tower, or fettered with their fellows in Newgate.

Yet our Governors are very loth to proceed to violent re­medies; but (as with some Gel. Ash­ley, &c. now) they most times use gentle preservatives; no doubt they have found out that excellent temper between Punishment and Impunity, and are willing (where they may safely venture) to take the mean between Rigor and Indulgency: foolish pitty must needs be very dan­gerous in a young Republike, that retains in the bowels of it an infinite number of diversly-interessed Traytors; surely people would never have believed that there had been so many score of damnable conspiracies against this our State, if they had not sometimes seen the Conspirators totter and grow shorter by the Head: I wonder who can be so senseless as to counsel our Parliament, that they would sit down and suffer themselves to have their throats cut; who is that pretty fellow (forsooth) that out of pure well-affectedness would advise them even quietly and patiently to fall into the snares and plots that are laid for them, that so they may shew to the world [Page 46] they are as magnanimous as Cavaleers, who scorn to be a whit afraid or appall'd at the most visible dangers; this is dainty-fine-wise-loving-counsel indeed! No my Brethren, It is an excuseable severity for them to prevent danger, by the death of those whom they have just cause more then to suspect; Yea, it is lawful for them (upon a bare suspition) to secure themselves who are the Guardians of the people; surely if the Authors of our Commonwealths disorders had (as many of them have) been opportunely seized upon; besides that, some had been preventingly saved; there had been also happily spared a great number of others lives, and all the blood have been preserved which hath been spilt since our last new Rebellions: And for the future, if the ill-winds which so bluster out of the Pul­pits be but shut up, soon will the Sea abate its boisterous surges, and quit its Popular ragings.

But some Asinego's must by all means have nothing but a certain kind of scrupulous justice; they would have Punctillio's and set forms observed in the heat of a war; know ye not that Silent leges inter arma? Rebels, forsooth, and Traitors may not be punished or prosecuted but in a meer Law form: 'tis pretty! shall we stay till they have ruined and overturned the State, that so we may proceed against them legally? we must have all things to a tittle, to an haires breadth, done in a form; which to observe in some Terms of Law, will assured­ly suffer all Laws to perish: This summum jus is summa injuria, this extrem right is an extrem injustice; and it would surely be a sin against reason in this case of present emergency, not to sin against those Forms brought in by the first William the Conqerour. Bastard-causer of our woes. The wisdom of our Governors must in many things ease Justice, by making speed, Mora trahit peri­culum, Delays evermore prove dangerous: Their prudence must henceforth more severely prevent those mischiefs and in­surrections, whose punishment in short time may otherwise be either impossible or dangerous.

And for Justice, it is only exercised upon the actions of men, but the watchful cautelousness of our Governors must have a right over their very thoughts and secretest intentions; their wary wisdom must extend it self very far before what is to [Page 47] come, and having respect to the publike Interest, they must provide for the good of posterity: and to this end they must (in a war especially) make use of such means which happily the Royal Laws of England have not ordained, but which Ne­cessity justifieth, and which would not be good if they were not carried on to a good end; for the publike profit is many times raised by the loss of particular malefactors; we sometimes reco­veringly secure life by the loss of some one member, which we willingly part with to preserve the whole: In this only we com­mend the North-winde, which though it throws down trees, and ruins houses, yet it purgeth the air; and truly in those wonderful vicissitudes and odd conjunctures of times which our Patriots have felt and waded through; men of moderation, and of great abilities too, must think it wonderful discretion, and a most provident guidance in them, that they have not quite lost the State, and ere this time, let it fall all to shivers.

And certainly they are infinitely sensible of the miseries and complaints of the woful people; and yet for a while they cannot chuse but make them grow lean by healing them: but short pains are in a wise willingness to be undergone when they pro­duce long prosperities: we cannot in reason desire to be dis­charged of those burthens, which to be rid of, would occasion the bringing in of more insupportable ones upon us: It is very just we should do something of our parts, when we covet to be sharers in the future liberty. I have read of a great pit once opening it self in the middle of Romes City, which the dainty Romane Ladies well-hoping to have stopt, threw all their riches and jewels into it: The case is our own, the gap of en­vassalage, and the deep gulf of Slavery gapes at this time so wide upon us, that we shall be all wholly swallowed up, if we indeavour not to put a stop to its voracity: 'Twas a gallant action of those men of Carthage, who in a Critical time of most important necessity cut off all the haire of their heads and gave it to the publike to make cords for Engines [and mo­ney is the sinews] of war; If our condition then be such, and such it is, let all moderate men judge whether we are not mad to complain, and very unjust to murmure; shall Englishmen be said to be more eager for base wealth, then pretious liberty, [Page 48] which procures it? shall we be penny wise and pound foolish? shall we be afraid to part with a little (a little-little while) to save our country from perpetual bondage, when we see fair Ladies (those Romane dainty Dames) were once content to relinquish more then black patches, even their very Jewels for such an end? We have this comfort however, that it is not a Bawdy-Court Royal, it is not the luxury and Ryot of our Governors, as it was of our Kings in times of yore, that spends and consumes our sweat and labour in Hawks, Hounds, gaudy-clothes, Scotch Beggars, and almost an Army of Lur­dane-Domesticks; the gaudy pleasure-some entertainments of our Governors costs no man breathing a penny; the money which they draw from their people is only to rigg a gallant Navy at Sea; to maintain a most victoriously deserving Army by Land, and not diverted to Royal Privy-purse uses, as K. Ja. gave once to a beggarly Scot so much, for a jest little less then blasphe­my. fifteen hundred pounds for a smooth jest, or K. Charles was often at so great ex­penses for such past­times. thirty thousand pound a night in few hours time sqandred away to celebrate Masques and Mummeries; or to present Comedies, Revels, Triumphs, Puppet-Playes: In our daies we have seen more labour and cost spent to have some prophane Playes acted, then to make war against a publike Enemy, and keep the State in safety.

But its true! for these later years expences and contributi­ons have been exceeding great, but they have been also ex­ceeding necessary: The poor people have paid much; but it hath been their own ransome; surely we cannot buy the liberty of our country at too dear a rate, nor the future quiet­ness of our obliged posterity, who shall ever hereafter find themselves (at our charges) freed from all heavy pressures and exactions.

But our Parliament (say some) hath in small time levied millions; what then? let us I pray consider also what (in small time) they have beyond the hopes of their friends, and thoughts of their enemies wonderfully effected: they have long mannaged (as I may so speak) hot, chargeable, and many wars; they have defeated three parties five times, and now are doing the sixt; they have taken by force of arms more then an whole kingdom of Garrisoned Towns; they have [Page 49] well neer cleansed three Nations of almost an innumerable number of vipers, the common-Enemy; and they have — I know not what to say how; or how to say what they have done! let God have the glory.

And yet maugre all this we will still be the workmen and Engineers of our own Ruine; our Enemies now afresh build their bulwarks, and raise their Forts against us under no other shadow or blind but that base one of Presbytery; even those are now turned Enemies, who are maintained, and have grown great and most opulent under the protection of these our defen­ders; they have in very warm places been nourished, yea in the very Bosomes of our Governors; Certainly (we hope) it was not the weakness, but without question it is the over­much clemency of the Masters, that have been the cause of the daring aspirings of these underling servants; The Parliament have hitherto but a little softly prun'd the disorder of these outragious ones, by gently touching its branches and slips; but if ever they mean to continue a Free state (oh may they par­don my boldness) they must resolve (and that speedily) to lay the Ax close to its trunk and root; for every rational man must now conclude, That more mercy to the obstinate Presbyter will be meer cruelty to our present Common-wealth; They must no longer be soothed in their Villanies, but chastized for their Treacheries; for indeed we stand upon a ticklish vertical point; and tis a choice piece of discretion in State-Gover­nours, to be able as well to know when to punish severely for an evill, as to reward justly for a good service: hereby they will avoid a dangerous lenity, and not fall into a Timerous weakness; for they must as well banish all softness as rashness in the administration of justice; this is the way which they must make when they can find none else, this points them out their deliverance from present hard passages, and is the only means to stay up our state from point of falling which these men hope they have reduc't it to; So that if ever this Government (whereof these troublesome fellows have suffered us hitherto to see but the Picture;) should shoot forth, and appear yet more transparently glorious to all the world; (which it will do when these selfish Remora's are once removed) it would [Page 50] certainly ow the main part of its birth and vigor to that most necessary piece of justice, of cripping and cutting off these super­fluous-hasty overgrowing branches.

And I cannot but wonder what makes these men all abroad awake to dream so (as they do) of Empire and dominion: cer­tainly they are very unfit ones to bear rule; for (we see) so far would they have been from being good Masters, that they will not be so much as tolerable servants; verily they must give us better examples of obedience, before we intend to submit to them, if their hopes should come to pass (as God forbid) to be our Dominators: The truth on't is, they are not valiant, though they now seem so fool-hardy; there's nothing in the world hath made them thus malapertly despe­rate but the goodness of our Parliament; In a word, they are the superfluities of a Common-wealth; Members (I can­not brook to call them,) but if they be, they are fit to be cut off from a Common society, and (of all men in the world) most fit to people and set up their Dagon discipline amongst wild Bores in a Desart.

And yet the Image and shadow of this their new stampt Form of Religion is that wherewith they hope they shall in time be able to cheat all the world: to speak truly, they are the Pharises of the earth, they make clean the out-side of the Cup [the shell of Religion] but are full of Pride, Avarice, and Filth within: They make a fairer shew with their wick­edness, then some do with reall goodness it self: To what end (think ye) have those Pulpit-squawlers of theirs hereto­fore so much exclaimed against the Prelatical-lawn sleeves? but that their Giddy-Duncery would not permit them to be of the number of those vaunting (yet learned) Bishops; and thus they seemed to despise the others vain-glorious insolence; yet not out of a pious humility, but an emulating Pride: For I challenge the whole rabble of those Rabsheka Rabbies, and all consciously obedient meek-spirited men, to witness whe­ther the Generality of these Priestly-Presbyter-Lurdanes [above fifty to one:] are not a company of seditiously cove­tous, insolently proud, wretchedly lecherous and non-sensi­cally dull Idols: There is scarce a Priest of them, that is not [Page 51] either a Traytor to his country, a gryping usurer, or a ridicu­lously Proud ignorant; and yet for all this there are a compa­ny of honest Godly and yet seduced poor souls, that make a judgement of the sanctity of these impostors, meerly from the out-side and external appearance of their feigned humility, and sniffling Hypocrisy; but let them look upon them with an unbyassed judgement and observation, and they shall soon find them to be the stirrers up of Rebellion and Mutiny, workers of iniquity, powerful in their malice, daring to lift up their polluted hands to heaven, imploring, what? Why, that God would be pleased to send another more bloody war a­mongst his poor people: Monstrum horrendum! horresco referens: and what is it makes them so impiously mad? Ile tell you; when they were permitted to eat some of their elder-brother-Bi­shops fat-Cathedrall morsels, twas all well, it went down sweetly; but since authority hath converted it to better, more pious and publick uses; what say they to't now? nothing but Church robbing and sacriledge is heard in their mouths. Though they would have the name Bishop confounded into Presbyter; yet the large maintenance they concieve very fit to be still kept up; Ile undertake if the yong man will but make them a promise of being Abby-lubbers, that they shall be all Bishops, Deans, Canons, Archdeacons, &c. they shall then Roare up his most sacred Majesty in their Pulpits ten de­grees above their most holy Covenant or Kirk and anathematize all that do not sincerely acknowledge him the Lords annoint­ed, and the next (if not equal) to Jesus Christ; such as these they are, and yet they cease not with all their might to pre­tend devotion for truth, when they only make it their main vertue superstitiously to cry up their Scotch Presbytery founded on policy, to debase the present English authori­ty raised by providence. O how valiantly will they raile nonsence in a Pulpit, when they think there is no man able to answer them! Their zeal (which according to the meaning of the Spirit of God) ought to devour themselves, they imploy to set on fire, and ruine the republike by their Jesuitical fomentations: They are now effronted, and become daringly bold to oppose Authority in a most insolent manner, and all [Page 52] their doting scruples (forsooth) must pass currant for positive Doctrines; they are too impudent to ask pardon for their pre­terite villanies, they will rather ask leave to commit more, that so they may (as we say) sin with Authority against the pre­sent Government. These Impostors begin now to appear to the world in their genuine species; they are now generally lookt upon as men, who have onely put on the vizard of a specious formal devotion, that under that they may the more cunning­ly cheat the poor silly people into future cumbustions: for do we not daily see how they mingle God among their wild pas­sions, absolutely engaging him in their mundane Interests, and imploying him upon all their politike occasions: what do they else when they blasphemously terme that Masterpiece of their plots to be the Covenant of God? yea, the Lords holy Covenant: Let no man henceforward talk to me of the piety of a Muti­neer Presbyter, though I cannot deny, but gladly acknowledge that there are many amongst them (though men secular) emi­nently spiritual, and who by an hoped wise-compliance may in time shine as stars of the first magnitude in the establisht Fir­mament of our (from above illuminated, and abroad illuminate­ing) Republike; but certainly a great part of them have no­thing but a dull imitation of real godliness: True, the grand Seducers can do rarely well: but in what? in amusing their Congregations with fine countenances, busying themselves ra­ther to order the motions of the head, rather to appear in certain postures of the face, and to tune their nostrils a note a­bove Ela, then to correct the exorbitancies of their irregular ambitions: What is their admired Preaching, but pittiful Pra­ting? when in their Pulpits they are aimingly witty, and re­markably ridiculous, seeming zealous, really Traytors: what is it but a certain lazy life they are inured to, which they dis­guise under the pretence of sweating in the Pulpit? a very idle imployment which a many of them think they do very wor­thily discharge, when they do nothing else but mumble over some confused words, and innumerable battologies and contra­dictions; what do they but teach the people that they are bound in conscience to betray their Country, and pluck out the bowels of their own Mother? what do they but adulterate [Page 53] the Text? and turn almost all words from their Orthodox and antient Etymologie, that so they may the more unespied­ly propagate their avaritious ambitions, earthly-Interests? How often (I pray you) have we heretofore heard them quote a Text which made against Disobedience — when they first gave fire to the Gun? and how often do we now hear them mention a word for obedience, when they would fain set all on fire again? verily I fear they are of incurable dispositions, and that milde physick will scarce do them good; if not, I fear, (and why say I so?) I hope a generally-violent purge must be tried upon their bodies.

For (alas) how vain are their fragil enterprizes! they are like the startings of a man in a dream, they take pains to trouble them­selves to no purpose, but to ruine themselves and families: O ad­mirable! do they not all this while observe and perceive a supe­rior power (cooperating in an unusual method of miracle) which all along hitherto hath from an high, turned topsie-turvie all their trecheries and combinations? do they not understand and see all humane prudence levelled and brought down by the force of an all-swaying Providence? assuredly their good Brethren do now look upon them as the evil Angels who tempted and inspired them with the first fury of arms, which have ever since so unluckily succeeded: O strange! O monstrous! that the ambitious discontents of some particular men should beget such vast publike miseries, and open a National war? and yet for all this, we hope Providence will in short time so order and alter affairs, that henceforce they shall grow angry at less charges then for these last two years they have done; their ill humors for the future may chance spend themselves in their Study, not the Pulpit, so that when once these fiery brains are but quencht, (for a Cooler will hardly serve their turn) then eftsoon shall our Commonwealth be no more troublesome to be governed, then a well ordered Oeconomie; all will then obediently submit to the Al-ruling power of God: for, (let us speak rationally) what infatuated man is there (think you, that will hereafter be ready to joyn with the Beaten-Pres­byter, as he doth now with the overcome Cavaleers? who is there that will add his own misfortunes to those of another, [Page 54] and follow the example of those men who have already lost themselves? Who can as much as dream (or hope) for new stirrs and insurrections, if he will but call to mind what he hath seen God perform and bring to pass by his glorious In­struments, our Parliament? which he must of necessity do, if he hath not altogether lost his memory: What atheistical rash­ness must that soul be guilty of, who still dares place himself in opposition to the irresistible Providence of the great and terrible Jehovah? And truly as for our future hopes of suc­cess in Scotland; the Lords (quondam, and late) appearances are more known and visible to us then to doubt of that now; nay, as things stand at present there, it would be feasable (in humane conjecture) for an unfortunate man to compass; much rather will it be easie for him vvith vvhom the Lord hath so often and undoubtedly declared himself to be.

So that certainly, if there be any religious prudence at all remaining in the breasts of the Presbyters (as most men say tis all humanely-politick) ye will now no longer covet re­putation by a false ostentation of constancy (as you would have it termed) to your absolute Enemy the King, and your private Interest the Covenant: Do you but consult a little with your present condition, and no longer flatter your selves (to no purpose) with your past hopes of domination; and surely ye can then be no longer upheld but with some small despair, which will a little weakly for a while support you; for, all the hopes ye have now must be from no other but your French Friends, and Irish colleagues, its verily thought the best string of your Bow is already twang'd; nay, more, per­chance your King will shortly be ganging, and then ye must expect no brethren; I mean, nothing but that Brat of the Keevenant will then be left at your doors, which once being stript naked (and so ye consequently despoiled of your hu­mane advantages) and its limping deformity laid open to the world, ye will then every day lose your old stickling Patriots; nor may ye ever expect to get new ones, when men shall once perceive how religiously they have been gull'd: Some indeed may perchance hold up still, for a hoped commodity, or out of a popular humour of applause, being ambitious to be [Page 55] thought constant men, and unmoveable ones; but these, I mean your dull Pulpit-roarers, will at last leave ye in the lurch too, (and they begin pretty wel already) but especially when they shall perceive the Brethren foyld, the King (God blesse us) run away, or ready to be traffiqu'd for, and lastly (which is durissimus sermo) the enlightned Parishioners yeeld down no more milk; an hundred pound a yeer or never a penny will (with­out dispute) much turn the by as of their over-hasty resoluti­ons; and surely the most obstinate will no longer torment themselves to support and dispute a cause as unfortunate as false, so often debell'd by Providence, so solemnly lost in ap­peales to, and so utterly forsaken and relinquisht of both God and man; so that now the worst ye pragmaticall false Bre­thren can do, is to shew your teeth, and wish ill; yet I humbly conceive, ye will not shortly dare to raunt it as you have done; if so, I know no remedy, but your mouthes must be bung'd up: And what matters it though you do? Dum aliis illustribus balbutientes stigmata parant imprimere: while bab­lers thus go on to set marks of infamy on our famously undaun­ted Governours, Suam ipsimet ariditatem, tumoremque ventilant, ye vent your own dull dryness, and arrogant pride.

Now as for my part (kind friend) I have not spared to speak my opinion; and have herein shewn you, that I have no fancy to murmur (as some of you oddly doe) against the pre­sent establisht Government, nor have I a mind to find fault with what passeth over my head: for indeed (Sir) what God placeth over us, is above us: If any — are bad, to those I give my silence, but neither will I forbear to speak worthily of those that are good, nor to praise that which is commenda­ble, viz. A free State before an Enslaving Monarchy.

And tis my desire (Mr. C.) that you will now be pleased to bear witness that rationall men, and that also (though you were lately pleased to urge to the contrary) Gentlemen and Schol­lers too, those that know what to say for themselves are well-affected to the Independent Party; yet in these lines I desire you rather to blame my zeale then my roughness, (I pr'ythee mistake me not) rather my violence then lazie slackness, that I [Page 56] have not all this while sent you an answer; now I have, and you had sooner had it, had not the death of your old Lady, my dear Mother, commanded mine attendance almost as far as Leicester since I received yours. I pray let none peruse it but of your own Tribe or Fraternity; for should I desire other­wise, I should seem to heal those that are well: and besides, (though I can hardly think it so serviceable) there may be a danger of pressing it for a Souldier to march under the black and white colours; I have no glory that way, nor do I delight to Gentilium est de crepun­diis cernere. trifle away my time: ‘Non ego ventosae plebis suffragia venor:’

Nor have I aym'd at your applause of a witty man; keep that for your self, because indeed few say so of ye; I have been herein very cautelous in aggravations, which I may properly call reta­liations, I take no felicity herein; yet I assure you I desire not to hinder those wavering ones amongst you, that find them­selves guilty, speedily to have remorse: I have satisfied mine own conscience, and I hope I have yours also, and I cannot help it if any of ye Presbyters (Priests or Laicks) shall with your wounded faces at any time behold your scars when ye see your selves in this Glass, this volant Discourse of mine; for ye are observ'd to be towards your selves lusci & lippi, erga alios lyncei; the mote in your brothers eye, seems greater then the beam in your own. Well, I confess there may be much more said, to what generals I have here toucht upon; if this doth not sufficiently make it out, in the next I will more plain­ly hold it forth, and then ‘Tincta Lycambaeo sanguine tela dabo;’ And till then, though I am hardly a well-wisher to any ob­stinate ones, I shall not upon any just occasion cease to be