The debauch'd CAVALLEER, or the English MIDIANITE.
BE pleased to consider, that the intent of this ensuing Discourse, is wholly to render a viprous brood of prodigious Incendiares both of Church,Sic Canibus Catulos similes sic matribus hoedos. Noram. Sic parvis componere magna solebam. Virgill. and State, more odious in the eyes of all the Kings most loyall, and religious Subjects throughout this Kingdom, that they may hereby be excited to contribute, both their Prayers, Substance, and all the Interest they have with God, and man, against these debauched Cavalliers either for their sequestration from the presence of our King, or for their totall extirpation out of this Realme of England.
In which Discourse, shall be dispatched these two particulars.
1. Concerning the name of Cavalleers.
2. Concerning the degeneration of these wretches from the name of Cavallier, by severall characters (a) running parrallel with the Midianites, and who did set themselves against the Israell of God, and the God of Israel.
Condemnari nemo debet, antequam nomen e [...]us delatum sil.1. Concerning the name of Cavallier.
There is a rule in the Civill-law, none ought to be condemned before his name be knowne. Since therefore we come to condemne the damnable practises of those men who beare this name, we shall endeavour to make it knowne unto the world.
The word Cavallier used amongst us here in England, is derived [Page 3] from the Italian word Cavallero, which signifies an Horse-rider, as that word is deriv'd from Cavallo, which signifies an horse, whence the Italians have this usuall speech amongst them, monte Cavallo, Mount, or Get upon your Horse.
There is another word like unto it in sound, and used amongst us here in England, and that is Chivalier, being derived from the french word Chevalier, which signifies an horseman, as that word is derived from Cheval, an horse, whence the Frenchmen have this usuall speech amonst them, Mounte Cheval, up and ride, and whence also our english Noblemen in their tilting have the notion of Chivalrie amongst them.
We are not ignorant, that some Ancients deduce the name of Cavallier from the latine word, Gaballus, which signifies a great horses; as if the name Cavallier, were as much as Caballier, V, and B, being letters which are symbollicall, and so being trans-elemented, they easily sally forth, and run one into the other. And the Greekes Becman doth observe, derive it from the Greek compound [...], from the weighty and burdensome saddles, which are cast upon the backs of great Horses.
However, though not utterly disallowing these two last derivations, because they are ingenuous, we shall accurre unto the former, both the French, and the Italian satisfaction, and so much the rather, because our Cavalliers here in England, are either French, or Italian, at least in the affection, yet notwithstanding we shall especially agree to the Italian originall, as the most proper head radix, and fountaine.
The name it self, we confesse, is honourable, and is equivalent with our Miles, Armiger, Armigerans, vel Equus auratus, which is a Knight, a Souldier, or a golden horseman. But these unworthy miscreants have made the very name a reproach, as the Antichristian Prelates, the name of Bishop, which in Saint Pauls time was worthy of double honour, but by reason of their tyrannicall usurpation, is (as old father Latimer expresseth it) worthy of a more than a double, (even) a Treble reproach.
Thus according to the Physitians, Corruptio optimi, fit pessima, the best thing being corrupted proves the worst: and a good name being abused, is now become most odious.
And therfore now, since the name of Cavallier is known what it is, we now descend to shew in the second particular how it is for the present abased, and abused by these sons of Belial, who have degenerated [Page 4] from the honourable reputation of the terme of Cavallier, as shall appeare in these ensuing Charactars, paralleld with the Midianite.
The Characters of them are gathered out of the Bookes of Numbers, and Judges.
1. The first Character of the Midianites.
They were full of rage, and blasphemy, when the Altar of Baal was throwne downe, Judg. 6.28, 29, 30, 33.
So are the Cavalleers, what makes them rage, but that the Priests, and Altars of Baal; are throwing downe amongst us? and what makes their blasphemies breake forth, but their rage? according to the speech of the Prophet Isaiah c. 8. v. 21. They shall fret themselves, and curse their God.
Now to give a list of their raging blasphemies, our joynts tremble, our hands shake, and our pens do quiver; yet how ever, to render them more odious to all the world, we could do no lesse, then depaint them out in their owne labours, and publish to the world some of those blasphemous execrations, which upon certain information we have gatherered and inserted here as followes,
I. Whereas the Apostle did avow, and Heathens did confesse, that we live, move, and have our being, onely in the living God. Act. 17.24. yet these men say, they live, move, & have their being in a mortall man. We drinke a health to King Charles, in whom we live, move, and have our being.
II. Lo behold nthat Gospel which is the only means to keep men from everlasting confusion, do these men wish confusion to us, throwing away the onely plaister that can cure their wounds, and the onely remedy to save their soules. Procul, o procul este prophani. Vir. We drink a health to the confusion of the Gospell of Iesus Chrst.
III. A speech ful of blasphemy if they meant the true God, whom he doth serve, or at least of uncharitablenes, also adiudging him to worship a false God. We drink a health to the confusion of PIMM'S God.
IIII. Here is an unparalleld blasphemy, contrary to the principles of Nature, Reason, and Religion. We will drink, and be drunk, and whore, and be damnd, and will not be beholding to God to save us.
V. The round heads might rather wish to be out of heaven, with those who are termed by them Roundheads, then be in Heaven with such swearing & and blasphemous Cavalliers, if it were possible that such sins should reigne in Heaven. We had rather be in hell with our Comrades, then in Heaven with the Roundheads.
These five particulars were reported by a Godly Gentleman who went with a message to the King, who declared that he heard all these himselfe, which Mr: Norton a Minister now about the Army received from his mouth, and sent up in a letter to Mr: George Walker a Reverend Pastor of a Church in Watlingstreete here in London which Letter by him was delivered to the Parliament, that the worthies also might read those horrid Epistolarie Execrations.
VI. Oh to what senslesse stupiditie are these men grown to, who have forgot their maker! and know not the Answer to the first question in the childs Catechisme, Who made you? instead of answering God, they say, The Divell. The Divill that made us Damme us.
This was avowed in a Pulpit, by that reverend Preacher of Gods word Mr: Simpson who came lately from Holland.
VII. It is well we know who are the Roundheads in the Cavalliers opinion; viz. All those who will not wish their owne damnation; rather our tongues should cleave to our mouths, than such hellish language should proceed from us as this. 2 Parallel. A great Company of Cavalliers comming to plunder a Town, they swore, that they would robbe, and slay all the Round-heads in the Towne; but some of that Rascally Crew demanding how they might know the Round-heads from the rest of the Inhabitants. Answere was immediatly returned, they would make them wish God Damme us, and all who would not wish God to Damme them, they would rob and slay for Round-heads.
And thus by their Notorious Blasphemies, they doe some notable despight, and wrong even to the Spirit of Grace, the Holy Ghost Heb. ch. 10 v. 29.
Wherefore we lift up our hearts to Heaven in the words of the Psalmist, Remember this O Lord, that the Enemies have reproched thee; and that this foolish people have blasphemed thy Name, read Psalm. 74.18. Thus we leave them to God to whom Vengeance belongs, that he may execute on them the Iudgment written, And thus we have done with the first charracter.
2. The second Character of the Midianites.
They were men of Cruelty and Oppression, Iudg. 6.2.4. because of the Midianites, The children of Israell made them Dens which are in the Mountaynes, and Caves, and strong holds, and they Encamped against them and destroyed the Increase of the Earth and left no Sustenance for Israel neither Sheepe nor Oxen.O quot Nerones, quot Domitiani, quod Commodi, quot Bassiani, quot Imites Dionisii hasce peragravere terras. Sic Benzo in Histor. Indica. &c. and thus the Holy Ghost proceeds to emblazon, and set forth their opressing Cruelties.
Now let the world judge whether * the Cavalliers of our time do not fully answer the oppressions of those Midianites spoken of in the world; and many parts of this Kingdome can by sad experience give testimony hereunto. How many of the Kings faithfull and loyall [Page 6] Subjects have beene forced to leave their dwellings? and (as the Israelites when pursued by the Midianites) to run to the denns and caves of the earth? Those who were able to relieve and feed others, how are they now forced to beg their owne bread? and those who had faire houses to dwell in, good beds to lie on, how are they constrained to lie in the open fields? (lest he should be exposed toVivitu [...] ex [...]apto, non hospes ab hospitutus. Ovid. Vitur ex rapto, non hospes ab hospite sospes. Palin. their rage and robberies) who have nothing but a Stone for their Pillow, the Bank for a Bolster, the Earth for their Bed, the Grasse for their Rugg, the Trees for their Curtaines, the Hedges for their Vailance, and are like to have (if not seasonably supplied) the Winter Snow for their Sheet, the Skie for their Canopie, and the chirping Birds of the morning to be their Alarme, to awake them. To bring up the Parallel close: as Midian did destroy the encrease of the Earth, and left no sustenance for Israel, They may well say of themselves, as the people said of themselves in Salvians dayes, Iniusti sunt Barbari, & nos hoc sumus. Avari sunt Barbari, & nos hoc sumus Infideles sunt Barb [...]ri & noc hoc sumus. Impudici sunt Barbari & nos hoc sumus. Omnium denique Improbitatus & impuritatum pleni sunt Barbari, & nos hoc sumus. Salvian. l. 3. de Gubernat. Dei. 3. Paral. neither Sheepe, nor Oxen, nor other beasts; so havePopulus Inviden [...]io [...], Inimicior, Implacabilior sub Sole, Solis nullus est Judaeis. Buxtorf. Synag. Iudaic. c. 22. p. 426. these cruell Cavalliers destroyed the fruits of the Earth in many parts of this Kingdome, spoiled Corne in the ground, burned much up when gathered into the Barne, or standing in the Reeke; and as for taking away their substance, they have by violence broken into houses, taken away all houshould stuffe, and provision left nothing but naked walls, insomuch that men had not bread for their Wives, and Children. And as for taking away the beasts (as the Midianites did from Israel) to make that true, they have driven mens Deere out of their Parkes, mens Sheep out of their Folds, mens Oxen out of their Ploughes, and Horses from their Harrowes, constraining men to part with their horses, to further them in their unwarrantable Designes. And thus we have also done with the second Character.
The third Character of the Midianites.
They were rambling Renagadoes; now here now there, one while at Gaza, Iudg. 6.4. another while by Ophrah, Iudg. 6.11. another time at Baals Alter and the Grove, Iudg. 6.28.29. another time in the Vally of Iezreel. Iudg. 6.33. another time at Bethshittah towards Zererath, another time at the border of Abel-Meholuh unto Tabath, Iudg. 7.22. and another while at the Rock of Oreb, and the Wine-presse of Zeeb. v. 25. one while in Karkor, Iudg. 8.10. and another while at Tabor, Iudg. 8.8. and still to surprize Israel.
Thus dowho are like the vaine and Light persons of Abimelech, whom the Septuagint call persons maz'd and affrighted out of their senses, who were hired with 70. pieces of silver out of the house of Baol-Berith, whom Vatablus termes Instabiles, unstable, rowling from Towne to Towne, from Citie to City, from Shire to Shire, and from one Kingdome to another. our Cavalliers rove from one place to another. First, from London to Yorke, from Yorke to Hull, then to Beverley, then to Yorke againe; thence to Warwicke, thence to Banbury, then to Warwicke againe, thence to Coventry, thence to Nottingam, thence [Page 7] to Worcester, thence to Shrewsbury, and the Lord knows how soone they may come againe to London.
And thus we have done also with the third Character.
The fourth Character of the Midianites.
* They were a crafty and a subtile Generation to beguile Israel and ensnare them with their wiles, seeking to get Israel at an advantage Numb. 25.18.
So are our Cavalliers it seems, the Serpentine brood, a subtile Generation: witnesse the faigned Letters they send, the false Alarms they sound, the suddaine surprisals they make, to take us at an advantage by Policie; for never had they yet the power to stand before the face of our Army.
The fifth Character of the Midianites.
They were uncleane both by bodily and spirituall uncleannesse. Numb. 25.6.18.
We put spirituall and bodily uncleannesse together, because one seldome goes without the other. As for bodily uncleannesse, wee will not accuse them how many they abused; you may take that ex concessio, for they said themselves (as hath beene intimated in the fourth Particular of their Blasphemies) that they would Whore, Drinke, and be Damned, wherefore if they doe not whore, at least they lie, both which Sinnes God will judge; yet we cannot but give you the Report of the Country, of two Cavalliers who ravished one Maide while another stood by and held the Horses: of 7. more, who abused another, before shee could be released from them; besides the many Rapes and Chamber-Adulteries, which we leave to the All-seeing Eyes and Revenging Hand of Iustice, and as for Spirituall Ʋncleannesse, which is Idolatry, that cannot be free from their Campe, having so many Papists and prophane ones in their unhallowed and Pseudo-Catholique Army.
6 The Sixt Character of the Midianites.
They were frequent in plotting Combinations with the Children of the East, the Amalekites and others to discomfit Israel. Iudg. 6.33. Iudg. 7.12. Iudg. 6.3.
So doe theseChrisostomus loquitur in Holmilia unicam ad populum Antiochienne. Cavalliers combine with the Praelaticall partie, who are the children of the East, and with Papists who are these Amalekites, with persons accused of treason, with divers Delinquents, and Incendiaries both to Church and State; To give you a view of their Plots and Combinations, looke backe to their Indeavours of Surprising the sixe Worthies of Parliament, their Plots to enter the [Page 8] Towne of Hull, theit late desperate Plot to blow up our L. Generall in Worcester. Yet to all these Plots we may say as to the Conspirators of old. Associate your selves together, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces &c. Es. c. 8. v. 9.10.
7. One Character more of the Mid [...] nites.They were subdued, Iudg. 8.28. Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no mo [...]e, & the Country was then in quietnes.
More is the pitty that the Cavalliers doe not run parallel with them in this Character; yet they are not subdued, and yet is not our Land in quietnes. But doe unto them O Lord as unto the Midianites, Read Ps. 83.9.10.11.15.16.17.18. verses. as to Sisera and Iabin at the brook of Kison which perished at Endo [...] they became as dung for the earth: make their Nobles like O [...]b and Zeeb, &c.
Christian Reader, thou hast presented to thy view by these Characters that which might make thine eares tingle, thy heart tremble, thy joynts shatter, and blood to startle in thy face, that the Name of the living God should be thus blasphemed by mortall men. Oh! stand amaz'd, and wonder, that an holy God should suffer such hellish Blasphemies to goe so long unpunished, that they (being but wormes under his feet) he should not trample them to powder, and make them lasting Monuments of everlasting vengeance. God lets them live so long to make your rising more visible, and their fall more dismall: wait but a while and you shall see what slaughters your God will make; he is whetting his glittering Sword, lifting up himselfe on high, his hand taking hold on justice; their blow is comming, their doome approaching, their judement neere, their sin ripe, the sickle of Gods wrath will soone cut them downe, they shall wither like the grasse, be scattered like chafte before the winde, and consumed like stubble before the everlasting burnings. Oh [...] thinke no time too long, no labour too great, no cost too much, in so good a cause, against so bad enemies: they are the greatest enemies to Christ that ever this land bred; they have lifted vp swords against him, drank healths to the confusion of him, they defile his Name, abhor his Worship, throw out his Ordinances, oppose his Gospel, maligne his people, and would lay all his honour in the dust; yea they would infringe your liberties, ensnare your consciences, pull Lawes up to throw you downe; they expect to be happy by your misery, and rich by your poverty; these idle Vagrants would faine live by the labour of your hands and the sweat of your browes: Oh! how can you hold your hands from these men of violence and blood, lest that curse come upon you of this Land which was denounced by the Prophet Ieremiah, c. 48. v. 10. Cused be he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently: and cursed be hee that keepeth back (in this case especially) his sword from blood. Wherfore turne your plate into money, your Coach-horses into Warre-horses, your Ploughshares into swords, and your pruning-hookes into speares, and make ready for the Battell. Let us tell you, you have that marke to shoot at, at which God is aiming to have his arrowes stick in their sides, and be drunk in their blood. O yee Inhabitants of England, in whose eyes Christ and the Gospell, your Lawes and Liberties are Precious; goe on and prosper, up and be going, up and be doing, and up and be fighting, and the Lord be with you. If you will not, take heed lest ye be found fighters against God, fellonious to your selves, rebellious to Nature, treacherous to your Countrey, injurious to posterity, and infamous to eternity. Wherfore to conclude, as Moses spake unto the people, in Numb. 31.3. saying. Arme some of your selves unto Warre, and let them goe against the Midianites, and avenge the Lord of Midian; and so doe you also against the Debauched Cavalliers, or the English Midianites.