A DECLARATION OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF
- Major General Massey,
- Sir Marmaduke Langdale,
- And Lieut. Col. John Lilburn,
TOUCHING The King of Scots; and the present Engagement between the States of Holland, and the Parliament of England; with the coming in of Prince Philip (son to the Queen of Bohemiah) the creating of him Vice-Admiral; And three famous English ships taken.
Likewise a Remonstrance and Declaration of the Presbyterians, and XV Propositions sent to the most illustrious Princess the Queen of Sweden.
London, Printed for G. Horton, 1652. ⟨Decemb. 22.⟩
A DECLARATION OF Major Generall Massey, and Lieutenant Collonel John Lilburn, to the States of Holland, touching the present war and engagement with the Parliament of England.
THe Royal party are so puff'd up with thoughts of Victory from the Netherlands, that I fear it wil go near to cast them by their thoughts of Humanity. For many dangerous papers are published to asperse your Government, [Page 4] and bring an odium upon it; Amongst the rest, Major General Massey hath presented a Declaration to the States, shewing the great interest of the United Provinces, in the restitution of the King of England; for so they are pleased to call him; but alas poor Gentleman, I dread their integrity, and am opiniated, that the great bandying on all sides, tends more to by-ends, then his interest; for certainly, the imperious Statists of the present Times, endeavor to wax greater by the peoples ruine, rather then by the Royal Restauration: However, little Massey has reduced some Lord-like Resolves to the obedience of Soveraignty, insomuch that he now begins to appear again in his wonted posture for his declared Majesty, and vigorously doth he negotiate with the States for the restoring of him to his dis-joynted Throne. Sir Marmaduke Langdale hath declared likewise for his young Masters Interest, and since his leaving of the Venetian service (whose heroick Atchievements in that honourable and Christian Warfare against the Turk, will remain as a memorable Trophy fo [...] all Christendom, and eternize his everlasting fame throughout all Ages; for with four and fifty thousand men, even in the space of seven hours, he totally routed two hundred & fifty thousand Turks, and killed and took prisoners above [Page 5] threescore thousand men, &c.) hath summon'd in divers of the English Cavalry, and has man'd forth eight statlely ships that he brought with him from Venice.
Prince Philip, brother to Prince Rupert, and fourth son to the most illustrious Princess the Qu. of Bohemia, is Vice-Admiral, and Sir William Page Rear-Admiral. They vaunt it out high, as if they were already Masters of the Sea, and seem to limit the bounds of the English, and give Law to the Ocean.
Prince Rupert is coming to joyn with them, whose Highness presented 15 Propositions to the Queen of Sweden, inciting aid and assistance for his Cosen Charles; and divers have array'd themselves, in obedience to Soveraignty.
Lieutenant Col. Lilburn is very active, and great is the concourse of people towards him; he hath set forth a Declaration, touching the Liberty of the People, and the Freedom of Nations, which gives ample satisfaction to the States.
The Dutch Fleet we understand have taken a gallant Marchants ship of Hull, and two other ships coming from the Barbadoes; which are [...]steem [...]d to be worth one hundred and fifty thousand pound.
Amsterdam 18 December, 1652.
The Results of the Presbyterian Assembly at York.
ON the 15 of this instant December, a great dispute was held by divers Ministers in York Minster, where they insisted upon a very high Argument, to prove the true and visible monarchy of the Church, and after a cleer demonstration, given in by Mr. Cotton, and some other Presbyterian Ministers, of the infallibility therof; the said Mr. Cotton declared as followeth:
Beloved,
The Inundations of revived Heresies are so abounding amongst us, that they are even the Tares of the Devils own sowing in the Harvest of God, that it would rather become the work of Angels then men, to retrive a real Church amongst so patch'd a people. Oh! there was a time when God said, Build me a house that my Name may [Page 7] dwell there for ever; but the Tyrants of the World have destroyed the Temple, to adore the Chappels of their own hearts; for that house is no longer thought worthy to be a house of prayer, but is become a den of thieves; A witty Age, but a wicked world. For many there are, who decry down the Ministery, & the proprieties of the church.
O but let us consider, when the Revenue of the Ministery is once taken off, what itinerant piece of Homily, will venture the merchandise of his labour for an uncertainty of bread? into what contempt and scandal would that glorious calling crumble into, when every Clodpate shal sit in Judgment, whether a Divine deserve his Sunday dinner? Tis true indeed, such pitiful shreds of predication as the world may produce, may preach through plain song to the humor of the Vulgar, and the people perhaps delight to have it so: but yet let me tell you [Page 8] 'twill be a doleful Message, when judgments become their own Prophets, and the plagues of heaven find no fore runners of their horrid presence. O but these are times of revelation, and men are more familiar with the Deity then in the dayes of old! I grant indeed there is abundance of pretended intimacy with divine workings, else certainly the modern confidence were a strange presumption; but nevertheless (with submission to the supream censure) the Widow would hardly have found her groat by puting out the candle; neither we in slighting the Ordinances of God, which are the ministeriall means of our illumination, shal ever by the feel of our groping invention be able to direct our straying feet in the wayes of Righteousness, under the ridiculous notion of prophetical inspiration.