THE Devil apprehending the en­crease of Christs Kingdome, hath insinuated a capacity into the Sea of Rome, to suspect a Hircanum from the Northern parts; And therefore hath provisionally en­gaged its conclave, and hath in­duced the same to enjoyn the Clergie of Spain, not to permit Justice to be done on those who murthered Mr. Ascham, the Agent which this Common-wealth sent to Madrid; to the end, that the procrastination of that expected Justice, might at least, afford the Portingals time to give this State some satisfaction; conceiving that by their so doing, the friendship of Spain might be slighted, if not totally waved.

Moreover, that thereby Spain might be enforced to keep the longer correspondence with the Hollanders, during which time, the Pope dispaires not to gain [Page 2] many thousands of Vassals; for that since the last Pa­cification, between the said King and the States Gene­ral, of the United Provinces, many thousand families in North Holland are said to have turned unto the Ro­mish Belief.

The said stratagem (hatcht by an Italian Devil, Fo­stered by the Antichristian Father the Pope, and fo­mented by a world of Malignants to boot) hath ano­ther reach in it; which is not only to stirre up those North-Holland blades, but also the several inhabitants of the other Provinces, to stand upon Impossibilities; and to pretend that the Parliament of England hath not onely been ill informed, concerning the advan­tages which might ensue unto the English by the Act of prohibiting Importations; but that the Parliament ought to wave their Act; when as the maintaining of the said Act, is conceived to be, not onely a Justice which may be expected from their grave and unalte­rable decrees (lesse to be violated then the Parthian or Median Edicts) but also an effect of the Parlia­ments tendernesse and care of the publike good and welfare; farre from a particular intent (as some Ma­lignants have forestald) to undoe their neighbours, and especially the Netherlanders, for whose making and subsistance so much of the English blood hath been spilt, and such vast Treasures have been exhausted.

On which particular, that, ever to be remembred Queen Elizabeth of England, replyed thus, unto a So­lemne Embassie of those States when as they were in a dismal condition) I will (said shee) spend even to the last drop of my blood for to maintain your People; reflect­ing on them, as on one of the Tribes of Israel; and that [Page 3] she conceived also their cause to be Just: Nor do any true godly reasonable English men conceive other­wise of them; so far forth as concerns their fought for Liberty; when as they had bin tyrannized by such as would enslave them; force them in the profession of their Belief; bereave them of their lives, means, and laws. Far lesse, that any godly English had, or hath any intent to destroy that tribe; which hath cost them so much blood and treasure to defend.

Moreover, as the Devil and his arts Master the Pope (together with the Malignants his fire-brands) have on the subject of late Mr. Ascham forestalled an Impossibility for Spain to give that Satisfaction on his particular, as hath ever since he was murthered been expected by this Common-wealth of England: So like­wise have they cast such a stumbling block in the Hol­landers way, as to mistake the said Parliaments Act of Importation, purposely to thwarft the resolves, on the settling of a good and firm amity, between this Common-wealth and them; for that otherwayes, they ful well knew, how that a difference (more or lesse) for the reparation of the Amboina businesse, or for a due acknowledgement of the Seas Right, ought not to be able to cause a breach of Amity, between two such Potent Nations, who are of one Profession in matters of Religion; of one and the self same strength by Sea; and who being in Peace may counterpoise all the other parts of Europe.

Nor could they imagine that either party should be so overmastred by firebrands (who onely seek to fish in troubled waters) as to be hindred from their sha­king of hands, and from the fooling of the Devill [Page 4] who would needs involve them in a cruell and bloody warre, (which may be justly termed so, should it come to such a passe) for that the displeasure of friends doth usually passe even unto extreames, and when as such extreams would even change the name of a Narrow sea into a red Sea of blood, cause a cruell slaughter of men, many widdows and orphans when as finally many souls (which would be separated from the bodies of enraged men in their hot blood) would run hazzard to find themselves knock at a wrong door in the next world, when as it must not be supposed that as the Hollanders cannot presume to aim at a Conquest of the English Soil, (which is so well guard­ed and defended by Saints) So likewise is it not con­ceived that the godly English busie their minds with any thoughts contradicting a Christian brotherly love nor that any of them do conceive it to be possible so to drain the seas, as that the Hollanders should not be able to make sailover them with their fleets, & consequent­ly to encounter such as would be minded to dispute the case by canon Law, for that the English must not expect lesse, in case they should stand upon impossibi­lities, (putting the Hollanders to pay vast summes of moneys beyond a possibility) but that the very turf & fish wives amongst them would not onely adde to the number of those who might even rise against their own Magistrates for to enforce them to wave the furnishing of such vast summes and Treasures, as might be demanded of them; but that they would also expostulate the case with their arms a kimbo, and exaggerate the businesse with a Myn Heere our Bugomasters, rather then we will suffer this, we will venter our best Ghevoyert Nerssien off, that is our fur­red [Page 5] coats, nay onse beste pack, that is, our Sundayes garments, and if that will not do, you shall have on­se silvere slentel reemen, our silver key chains, rather then you should want of such a stock as may be de­manded of you; But by your leaves you shall not part with it, for that we will rather try whether we shall not be as able to fight the English, (if it must come to it) as we have withstood the Castilian and Austrian powers for the space of threescore and twelve years together, and why should we not? since we may justly expect to be backt by the Danes, the Swedes, the Spaniards, the French, the Polanders, and who not?

In this manner ill humours chance to be raised by the Devils power, by the Popes craft, and by the ma­lignants drift, and not by the threatning effects of this Moneths Eclipses forestalled by the present Alma­nack makers.

All which conduce onely to the involving and in­tangling of severall States unto so endlesse a warre, as that thereby, both the English and Hollanders may be debarred from the reaping of the benefits of a Peace; and from the approving of themselves to be two of the best tribes of Israel,

And that it may be the more apparent, that these our complices apprehended, lest the Devil might at length be fooled indeed; Let us but observe how the Romish firebrands themselves do cast apples of discord among our next neighbours, and by how far a fetcht reach they aim at the compassing of their ends; even under the cloak of plausible pretences; as for instance, on the maintaining the Royall Diadem on the head of one, who is a Successor to a second Saint Lewis, and Son to a termed Just Lewis.

[Page 6] So likewise on the other side, let us but reflect on the stumbling block which the Devill hath cast in the way, and how he hath forestalled an inreconciliability between those who profess one & the self same thing; for that the liberty and welfare of all people, (the which he endeavours by all possible means to thwart, could he compasse the same) is not in any wise con­sistent with the interest of a Favorite, and of a stran­ger to boot, such a one as the Cardinall Mazarine is.

And to the end, that the Devils game may have the better event; why, as then he moves the Papall Fire­brands to debar that favourite from entring his Ter­ritories; who in regard thereof, could not choose but prove to be the instrumentall Stumbling-block, and the essentiall cause of an irreconciliabilitie; all which he backs with a second far fetcht reach, viz. That by the means of the said conflict and contention, the con­quering power (either the French royalists, or that of the Princes) might be sure to compasse a peace be­tween the French and the Spanish Nations; and that by the conjunction of such a triumvironatical power, (of Bell, Book, and Candle trinkets;) their forces might be the more formidably bent against, and their swords sheathed in the bowels of Gods people, viz. One of the Tribes of Israel, which is but too much left unre­garded: that so by the same means, they might also (with the greater ease) proceed to attempt on the Tribe of Israel, which is on this side of the English Jor­dan; it being doubtlesse the Center whereunto all the lines of the Papal and devillish crews compasse doe tend. That so they may by their own power (and not by the influences of any Ecclipses either of the Sun or Moon) attain unto their wicked ends; nor do they