YOU both pretend in words to be friends to the King; now let your actions shew forth the same, lest ye (in this Cause concerning the King) be found like unto those who in words professed to know or love another King, but in works denyed him.Tit. 1.16. There­fore, labour not to perswade the King to set up either of your forms of Worship in this manner, (mark) as to compel by outward force all others to conform thereunto, or else to persecute them; for if you do thus, and if the King should hearken unto either of you, and fulfill either of your wills in this particular, (mark) you to whom he so consents unto, would shortly be made manifest to be the greatest Ene­mies to the King in the Nations. And not only the Kings E­nemies, but Enemies to your selves also, even to the endan­gering of the destruction both of the King and your selves; For if the King shall set up either of your Forms, and compel all others thereunto, or else persecute them; (mark) you two are so inveterate one against another, and have acted already so cruelly one against another, that thus it will be with you, (mark) you that the King so sets up will seek to avenge your selves, and to lord it over the other, and neither of you are able to suffer in patience,Mat, 5.44, 16 (and to for­give your enemies) as the Ministers of Christ were to do,Mat. 6 15 that [Page 2] so which-soever of you were put under the other, you wil be watching to plot both against the King, & them that are set over you; & if you that are put under, can but get an advan­tage against the other, which soever of you it be (mark) e­ven the Mercies of you would be cruelty towards those that kept you under. And if either of your Forms should be set up, as before-mentioned, you who be set up in that manner will be in great danger of being destroyed, and that for these reasons.

First, Because it is not owned by the Lord, that any should set up a Worship, and compel others to it by outward force or persecution; and this is the way in which either of you would proceed, if ye had power, and thereby you would engage the Lord against you and your Worship; for the wor­ship which he owns,Iohn 4.23 24 is in the Spirit and in the Truth, and no­thing but the power of his Spirit can compel thereunto, and they that Rebel against this power in matter of Worship, are for it to be punished thereby.

Secondly, Because the Lord hath decreed to remove op­pression and persecution, and to judge and blast that spirit which hath exercised cruelty against the Saints, and to set up Righteousness, and to give his people their just Liberty to worship him according to the leadings and requirings of his eternal Spirit in them; (mark) and if either of your Forms should be set up (as beforementioned) it would strong­ly oppose this Decree of God which cannot be broken, and therefore it would engage the Lord to destroy you.

Thirdly, if one of you be set up, and ye be impower'd by the King to compel by outward force all others to your Worship, or else to persecute them; (mark) this will exaspe­rate the Spirits of most of the other Sects against the King, and you that shall be so set up; and it will engage all them of the Sects that are in the fighting nature, & can use a car­nal Weapon for their own defence, to joyn together as one man against the King, and either of you that he should so set up. Therefore if you would be true friends either to the King, or your selves, and your Nation, labour not with the King to establish either of your Forms (or any other) as before mentioned; but if ye own CHARLES STUART to be King, be content that he may rule over all, [Page 3] as one, keeping the outward peace among you all, by providing just Laws, to punish any that would hurt any mans Person or Estate upon any unjust account whatso­ever, or any that shall run into open profaneness;Mat. 7.12 and be content that others may have as much liberty to worship their God in that way they are perswaded to be right, as ye desire to have in that ye think is right; and lay by all these Carnal Weapons, as Prisons, Fires, Gallows, Stocks, Whips, and all outward violence, and use none of them (mark) about compelling to a Worship: But you that are Teachers,2 Cor. 1 [...]4 come forth with your spiritual Weapons (if you have them) and smite at the spiritual wickedness that is exalted in the creatures, if ye be able, wrestle with that, and not with the creatures; & if without using outward force & compulsion,Eph. 6.12. ye can plant a Vinyard, (as the Apostles did) then eat of the fruit therof, & if ye can thus gather a flock & keep them, then eat of the milk thereof; & if ye can sow spirituals, then reap of their carnals that receives you and your Testimony; and if you be sent forth by Christ,Luk 22.35 then you will not lack any thing; but if you dare not come to this tryal, then it will plainly appear that you are such as serve not the Lord Je­sus Christ, but your own bellyes;Ier. 23.32 and that you are not sent of God, but run, and he hath not sent you; and speak, but he hath not spoken unto you, and therefore you can­not profit the people; (mark) And if the outward peace be kept by the Kings Law, that so none may do violence to a­ny mans person or Estate, then you need not fear if you be in the Spirit of Truth,1 John 4.4. but that ye shall overcome them that are in the spirit of error, and make them manifest when they do oppose you; but if you dare not come to this trial,Acts 6.9, 10. then it will plainly appear, that you are in the spirit of er­ror, and such as cannot stand except they be upheld by the Powers of the Earth.

Again, and if God should suffer this, that either of you could prevail thus far with the King, as that he should set up either of your Forms, and give you a Law to compel or persecute outwardly, (mark) thereby you might make ma­ny hypocrites, who might pretend to foyne unto you, (to save their Bodies or Estates) until they could find an oppor­tunity [Page 4] to destroy you; but by all your outward force, you can never convert any unto God; for it is Christ, the Immor­tal, ingrafted Word, which is only able to convert unto God; and it is the work of the true Ministers to turn people from darkness to light, Act. 26.18 and from Satan's power unto the power of God; Rom. 10. 8 and to direct them to the Word which is nigh, Acts 20.23 in the mouth, and in the heart, Iam: 1.21 and to commend and keep them to that; and to ex­hort them in meekness to receive the ingrafted Word, which is able to save their souls; 2 Cor. 10.4 and they must not use any Carnal Weapons to do their work withall, but Spiritual: Therefore if you would be counted Christs Ministers, lay by your Carnal Wea­pons, and use them no longer about Religion; neither press the King to set up or uphold either of your Forms of worship by outward force (as beforementioned) lest thereby you be­come Instruments to destroy the King, your selves, or the Nation.

So though King CHARLES be accounted and suffered to be Head in things between man and man; yet let CHRIST JESUS the everlasting King be accounted and suffered to be Head of his Church, Eph 5.23. & 4, 13. that so He may have that which is due unto him;Col. 1. [...]8 and this were the way for the true Church, and the King, and these Nations to prosper, and the way for the false Church, the false Prophets, and all plotting u­surping self-interested men to be confounded.

And this is the desire of me who am a sufferer for Righteousness sake, contrary to any Law of God, or known Law of the Nation.

I cannot flatter any, but must spe [...]k the naked truth unto all; and I seek the peace of my Nation, and the good of all men; and I cannot fight with any Creature, but I can fight with the spiritu­al wickedness, though it be in the High Places.