DIstractions when Nationall, are diffusive, nothing escapes their violence, like Sampsons Foxes, they carry fire about them, and consume all be­fore them: And for the most part they fall like Hailestones, one no sooner drops, but a whole storme doe follow. These late yeares have been pregnant with distempers. Germany lea­ding this dance of death, being the greatest of the European Provinces, France, the fairest of them, and Spaine, the power­fullest, have since, as it were, celeri pede, followed their leaders steps. And now & hinc illae lachrymae. England the little Eye of nature, the darling and delight of Europe, has thrust it selfe into the same bloody Matachin: wherein (as you shall observe) especially in those of Spaine, imbroyld with the civill differen­ces of Catalonia and Portugall; they keepe one figure with ours in England, and its rebellious Province Ireland, being true paral­lels, that run even still through severall wayes: It shall be need­lesse to relate the circumstances of the Catalonian revolt from the Spanish government; it having been, (as Ireland to Eng­land) an Appendix for some hundred of yeeres to that large [Page 4] booke of Arragon: the world knowes it is revolted, and that is sufficient for our purpose: Not two twin Cherries carrie more resemblance, then the horrid faces of the present rebellions in these two subordinate Provinces. Catalonia for many yeeres past, being under the Government of Don Iohn de Muscu [...]ena, the Catalonian Prefe [...]t there, under went with pavement shoulders, unheard of insolencies▪ (custome in suffering as it doth in sinning, taking away the sense of their sufferings: the austere condition of the man at which they durst not repine, making them like good dull Mules, ma [...]ch silently without braying under their bur­dens: the state of Ireland just under the late Lord Lievtenant Thomas Earle of Strafford a man of as much severity in his Vice royship there: his government (I would be loth to brand his memory with a false imputation, because he fell under the Axe of Justice) almost devolving to tyranny. And if tha [...] Maxim in Philosophy hold true, that Causae judicantur ab effect [...]bus & é con­tra. Certainly we may well affirme, both the Catalonian and Irish defections derivative from the oppressive injustice of their too tyrannous Governours. Catalonia immediately upon the re­vocation of Muscurena, bleeding with the wounds of his for­mer cruelties; which yet for the present, if they were clos'd up had left large skarres upon their bodies, resolves to provide for their future safeties, or sell them at a deare rate, to open a conspicuous ruine, breake forth into an acknowledg'd and maintain'd rebellion. So did Ireland on the Earle of Strafford, though perhaps the levity and malice of that Nation, only sought by the specious presence of his tyranny to palliate their wicked intentions, which had destin'd them for this fatall and impious purpose, long before Straffords arrivall thither: but that rebel­lion were not considerable to us, as Catalonia's is to the Spani­ard, nor could the Irish (though their quarrell for their Religi­on makes them resolutely desperate, being assured by those that guide their soules, their mutinously superstitious Priests, that they atchieve the glorious condition of Martyrs and Confessors in their death and sufferings, resist the English powers, if England were once blest with an unity betweene it's King and people, the distractions there being so well knowne to the world, that in our very enemies (if we had any such besides our selves, they [Page 5] would have invited pity: England that thus many yeares hath stood the envie of all it's neighbours: like a fruitfull Olive tee­ming with blessings of a constant and continued peace, while they teem'd with fire, famine, and a thousand inexplicable ruines, having now two armies of it's owne sons, violating with their hostile steps their Mothers pleasant and plenteous bosome; their active spirits, like Milstones wanting other matter to imploy their Motion upon, being ready to set fire upon themselves. And yet few distinctly know the reason of these so sudden and Hydra [...]-headed confusions. In Spaine, tyranny in the King at least in his Officers, caused the Catalonian revolt; the same with hope of liber­ty that of Portugall: here none can accuse the King of that ble­mish (I would we could as easily acquit His Cabinet Councellors, nor yet condemne the people, that they have falne, or doe yet de­fect their obedience: and yet (so paradoxicall is this difference,) all is distraction, the King bent against His people, and they as na­turall justice gives them priviledge, resolute to defend themselves, not against the King, he offers them no violence: but to preserve their lives, lawes, and liberties, from the rapine of His evill Mini­sters, who ofttimes render the rule of good and gracious Kings odious to their subjects, And if we may beleeve that great Legis­lator, that second Numa of the Romans Cicere, that these ought to be accounted good men; qui consulta patrum qui leges & rei­publicae instituta servant. Sure ours here are no ill Patriots of their Countrey, my Logicke knowing no such nicety of distinction betwixt servare and preservare, but that they may be by as direct a title admitted to march under the Ensignes of goodnesse, who strive to preserve the Lawes and Constitution of the Common­wealth, as they who onely keep them. And now without offence, if we may positively set downe, or at least-wise probably con­jecture at the causes of these so lamented distractions, wee shall find ours here, and those of Spaine, if not uno & eodem, yet valde simili fonte manare, to wit, the unlimited and infinitely ambiti­ous power of the Clergy. The Spanish Nobility and most of the ancient Gentry (though nationally and naturally that people is most superstitiously affected to their Clergy, then we ever were to ours) repining and disdaining to see these men, who but yesterday were their Meniall servants, to morrow, being by their helpe andsuffrage, advanced to that supreame Ecclesiasticall dig­nity; [Page] [...] [Page 7] [...] [Page 6] demeane themselves as their equals if not superiours; nay, sit­ting as it were, to use our course old English proverb, even cheeke by jowle with Majesty, and swaying if not a wing that. Most of the King of Spaines Cabinet Counsellors, bating his favourite Oliva­res, the Constable and Adelantado of Castile, who enjoy that honour by the priviledge of their offices, being Church-men, the Kings and those Noblemens ghostly Fathers. And undoubtedly where they have so great a tye over mens minds, as the know­ledge of their consciences, they must needs have a superintendent power over their actions, which are but the children of mens propensions; so that those insolencies of Mascarena, circumstant­ly are derivatived from the Spanish Clergy, they being, if not by their consent and directions committed, yet by their patronage and conivence. And is not this comparatively our condition, while the Clergy were revera, not nomine, onely the Mini­sters of the Almighty, when they were boni pastores oves so­lum tondentes non deglubientes, what an excellent harmony was heard through this Kingdome, joy and gladnesse being only in dwellings? but when the Miter grew in competition with the Crowne here, when the proud and insolently presumptuous Pre­lates began to ranke themselves with the chiefe Nobility, con­temne the Gentry, and tyrannize over the Communalty, introdu­cing strange and impertinent, nay, superstitious Cannons & Cere­monies of our ancient faith, backed too by authority of such or the secular Magistracy, as durst not, or at least would not contra­dict their proceedings, then the wisest of this Nation jam proxi­mus ardens, Vtalegon: their neighbours houses being on fire, be­gan to looke to the safety of their owne dwellings, endevouring to represse that torrent which else threatned the whole Iland with a deluge. And certainly that wise and sacred Senate, the Il­lustrious high Court of Parliament seeke not to diminish the Kings royall Prerogative, descendent to him as his Crowne is from his Ancestors, by seeking to regulate the power of the Cler­gy, by extirpation of Bishops, though it is their constant tenent where the Church is reduced to an Anarchy, there is like­wise the temporall power alter'd. But I durst not dispute it with any of them, that not neither is Episcopacy so correlative, or consubsistent with Majestie, that one cannot stand without the other, nor that the Parliament ever inten­ded [Page 7] to confine the royall prerogative to limits, but secure the right & prosperity of the subject from being swallowed up in that extensive power of royalty▪ which being contiguated, if not one continuum, with the subjects safety, ought not to be imployed to his ruine. To prevent a danger, certainly is the greatest point of wisedome, and though none will imagine, our good and gracious King ever meant to put any power against his people in practise, and in his owne Princely intention, yet cer­tainly it was an honorable and conscionable justice in the Parlia­ment, being intrusted as Feoffees with the kingdomes safety, to seeke to provide for futurity, lest some such King there might be heereafter, that might invert the Charter of his Royalty seald to him by the peoples obedient suffrage upon the people them­selves. And yet this hath separated the King from his people, and given birth to these unhappy distractions: In Spaine, especially in Catalonia, where the King now is, hee seekes to reduce them to his obedience, by affording them his presence. All wee sue for here, is His Majesties royall presence, which would suddenly give a sure and happy period to these distempers. If His Highnesse desserting those few Incendiaries, who by their malig­nant Councels, and affections have instigated and fomented these dissentions would vouchsafe to comply with the universall Bo­dy of His Kingdome, contracted in this present Parliament. And certainly in this Climetricall yeere of the world, when it labours with the Empidemical contagious sickness of combustions, we a­lone are bound to thank heaven that our disease here is not so vio­lent, but it may be cured by time and good Councell. Nothing but blood, being able to extinguish the burning rayes of those flaming combustions, that like prodigious Meteors predominant in other Nations. Catalonia nor Portugall, being never to be reduc'd to the Spanish obedience, but by extirpation of all those Families and their adherents, who were the prime Botefeus in the revolt of those Provinces. And certainly if the Spaniard doe goe out victorious, no misery will equall that of those vanquished wret­ches, upon whom and their unbappy posterity will be afflicted cruelty without pitty, by the insolent and implacable Victors: Ty­rants shed blood for pleasure, Kings for necessity: In what a hap­py condition then is England, even in its misfortune, being com­par'd with other Nations. Spain being oppressed, both with French, [Page 8] French, Dutch and Turkish, forraigne enemies, and embroyld'd with domestick troubles, France is neither free from civill dissen­tions, nor safe from the Spanish invasions, which both out of Biskay and Handers, and Artoys infest it with frequent inroads: Germany has so long beene the Theatre of war and blood-shed, that it has almost worne out the race of the old Swedish actors; yet their still spring up new ones, as if that Country were de­stin'd only for fertility of miseries; we only, as we are in scituati­on, Et penitus toto divisos orbe Britannos, so we are in condition; being safe from forraine enemies we have our selves unmade our own safeties like Cadmus earth-borne brothers, striving to boast in one anothers destructions.

Such is the uncertainty of all humane and worldly happinesse, which resembles aptly a fair hopefull plant, set with much care by the industrious owner: to day it buds, within a few weeks blossoms, dressing as it were▪ its bushy beauties at the Sun-beams, when sud­denly comes an unexpected April frost, and nips at the root, and then it withers; that faire and hopefull foundation of peace and happins, and for us by our ancestors, being now ready by our own hands to be sacrificed as a victima tyrannidis, yet is not our case altogether so desperate as our neighbours; good councell having power to rectifie and reconcile our differences, force only theirs.

And 'tis to be hoped, at least tis all good mens wishes, that a speedy recon­cilement may proceed betwixt his Majesty and Parliament, that the rumor of their war, may like thunder, though loud, having cleared our English ayre of it's pestilentiall vapors like it be sudden, its noyse once past, the memory of it forgotten, that this land flowing with milk and hony, may not be converted in­to a wildernesse, nor sit desolate like widow, who so lately appear'd a queene among the nations, the very empresse of the Islands rich in her inhabitants and merchandise, that so tears may be wiped away from all mens eyes, and that we may see peace again in this our Israel, that the example of unity amomg▪us may set a happy period to the dissention of our neighbours when they shall be­hold our destructions which begun last end first; that our common mother, Europe, that sometime Empresse of the world▪ now groaning under the bur­then of her sons mutuall armes, may resume her ancient glories by the expul­sion of that common enemy to humane nature the Turke, that so true Religi­on may extend its branches like a fruitfull vine through the face of the earth, and we sit happy under the shadow of it, which heaven in it's mercy send sp [...]e­dily to come to passe, that all the ends of the world may praise the Lord▪