THERE hath beene a great noyse and rumour about the appellation and name of Round-heads: But it is not yet apparent, neither by Ancient or Moderne Writers, what these Round-heads should be, neither to what use or meanes this name or appellation is applyed, or on what it is bestowed or meant. If it be intended by the Author that first devised this name, that it should be attributed and construed to the plaine and right understanding of the word, as it is a primitive word, and literally;

Then it must be understood of all men as they have Round-heads, al­though some heads be rounder then others, as if a man have a round shoulder, he is called round shouldered, and if a man have a bottle-nose, he is called a bottle-nose, and so likewise in all the like occasions, men may be termed by such names and appellations, and so in this constructi­on, onely thou that first set forth this name of Round-head shalt be so termed, and my selfe likewise will be thy brother Round-head. So like­wise all men in Christendome are termed Christians, although some be [Page]good, and some bad, some of one opinion and some of another, some Papists, some Brownists, some Anabaptists, &c. yet all Brothers in Christ; now as in this sence all men may be termed by the name of Round-heads, it must not be understood and conceived that the Author did intend that all men should be so termed or reputed, but he had a further reach to at­tribute this name as a nickename, or a scandall to some particular persons, which opinion verily is by all or most men conceived, and not to the sense or construction of a primitive word onely, for that were nothing, but as may be understood of all men alike. Now then good brother Round-head, for so we are all in the primitive word, give me leave to expresse your understanding herein (if you have any understanding) and to unfold that which hath so long beene hid, and not unmasked, and that you and all the world shall confesse, who are the right Round-heads you meant in particular, for no doubt in the generall, it was intended by you as a by-blow and nickename of scandall to some particular kinde of persons, and those in all mens judgements must be meant of such as deserve scandall; for it is in charity conceived, that you would not apply scandall but upon such as deserved it, whether it be in some particular sinne, as Drunkennesse, Adultery, loose life, or erroneous in their Religion or Doctrine: or in some outward comportment, or ceremony, or the like, contrary to the civill and lawfull government of our Church, State and Kingdome.

Now then deare brother Round-head, I must seriously tell you that there are but two sorts of men in the world, the one good, the other bad; so Christians being men, are some good, some bad, so all men are Round­heads in the primitive sense, and so some good, some bad: now in cha­rity it is granted that you meant not this nickname nor scandall against the good, howsoever the good may be abused by these names: now then to come nearer the matter, how many sorts of good men be there, and how many sorts of bad men be there? As for the good in this cause, they admit no division, and therefore we must leave them, as no part of our Discourse, because it will not be denied by the Authour himselfe, but that they were cleared of this nickname or scandall, and was never inten­ded against them: Well then, it must be understood (as farre as we can gather) how many sorts of bad men there be, for they are not as the good are, but may be divided, and surely are alwayes divided, for they can never agree; and so to know against what sort of bad this name was in­tended. Now to come yet a little nearer to my brother Round-heads mea­ning, let the bad be of as many sorts as can be thought of, for it were too much for one to remember them all. It is conceived that amongst all [Page]these bad sorts of people in the world, he intended this nickname or scan­dall upon that sort of bad that are contrary, opposite, or differing in Reli­gion and ceremonies to the Doctrine of the Church of England. Now up­on this point it must be knowne who, and how many sorts of religions, Ceremonies and practises there be, which are contrary to the true and Orthodox Church of England; but because there be so many sorts, it will be too tedious to recite them all, and to tell you of the whole nine and twenty sects of late set forth, but onely touch those that are knowne to be the most enemies to the Church and State, as the Papists, the Brownists, the Anabaptists, the Separatists, and a new Religion, and yet no Religion, called Cavalliers, which is lately sprung up, Jam nova progenies barathro sublata sub imo, Chara diaboli soboles &c. They in some sort would imitate the Apostles that were fishermen, for with these Cavalliers all is fish that come to their net. And yet to come a little nearer my brother Round-head, it must be knowne also which of these sorts or sects hee meant or intended by this nick name of Round-head. Now because there lyes the hidden my­stery, this riddle was never dissolved, nor none by him ever named, who or what particular sect was the intended Round-head, therefore it must, shall, and can be not otherwise intended and meant, but that all sects, as Papists, Brownists, Anabaptists, Separatists, Cavalliers, and whatsoever else are not with, or any way against the true protestant Religion maintained by the King, Parliament and State of this Kingdome, are and shall be from henceforth deemed, reputed, and taken by the names and appellations of Round-heads, and shall be from henceforth so authorized to be named and reputed by Act of Parliament, and the aforesaid honest Protestant to be cleared herein: and this no doubt was the true meaning and intention of the author, howsoever it hath beene misapplyed many times by these aforesaid Round-heads, to unload themselves and cast this aspersion upon the true, honest, Religious, and Zealous Protestants, whom neither King, or Parliament, or good men could ever detect; and therefore, me thinkes, the Authour was not so wise neither (as God might have made him) for if he had he might have exprest and set down every particular Round­head, with a severall addition, whereby they might have beene the better knowne to the Kingdome, and done himselfe much honour to cleare his meaning, in expressing himselfe and his good will, in clearing those good Protestants that were no wayes to be accompted amongst that rable, as that rable would make them: as for example, the Papists in regard of this, many mischievous Machiavile plots and conspiracies against this State and Kingdome, as that of 88. and that of the Gunpowder Treason, with many other Machiavilian devises, continually practised against our [Page]King, this present Parliament, and State, and therefore it had beene a very fit addition to have called them by the name of a Machiavile Round­head, so likewise the Brownists, because they Preach and teach at the backeside of Brownes Barne, from which name and Barne they had their denomination of their Religion, and therefore it had beene very well to have knowne them (as hereafter they shall be) by the name of a Browne Round-head. So likewise the Separatists and Anabaptists, they use to re­baptize in Rivers, and preach in Tubs, and other secret places, and such like odde devises, and therfore it is very proper to have them called by the name of Tub Round-heads. And so likewise these Cavalieres, whose Religion is so hidden and not knowne indeed to be any at all; and not to have any meanes of living, but Ex damno alterius, and these are those that sweare God dam'me, and therefore there can be no name or addition more proper to distinguish them from the other, then to call them dam'd Round-heads, and this is the dam'd Round-head indeed, Projicit am­pull as & sesquipedalia verba; and it is most certaine, if they doe not amend their lives damnation will be their end, which God have mercy upon them, and give them repentance. These, and many more might be exprest, but that it were too tedious, I will name onely one sort more, which are as ill or worse then the rest, and these are the Pulpit men, Ministers, and perhaps there might be gleaned out some that taste of every sort of these before named Round-heads, but they shall goe with their followers. But here specially is meant those Pulpit men, that upon all occasions are of all Religions, that will drinke up iniquity as beasts drinke water; I meane the scandalous Ministers, qui sunt Rebelles lumini, that will pro­fesse with the good, but act with the bad, which are a shame and scandall to them that are good Ministers indeed, such as are Drunkards, Adulte­rers, contentious persons, mankillers, common Barrettors, like that Mi­nister that had forty and odde Articles against him in Print, and like the two noted scandalous ministers in Suffolke, named Thomas Fowkes, and John Lowes, the one found guilty of killing a man, the other Arraigned for witch-craft, and convicted for a common Barretror, as appeares on Record, and as they are lively set forth in a Printed Booke called the Magazine of Scandall: these are the devillish crue, that are not onely bad themselves but infect others, and carry a brand and plague with them wheresoever they come, not onely by their insufficiency, diversity, and unconstancy of Doctrine, but also by their example of evill life and con­versation, quorum non solum vita, sed oratio est execrabilis, and therefore they shall (as most proper to them) beare the name and brand of devillish Round-heads, and of these the Parliament have had notice of sufficient­ly, [Page]and have promised a course accordingly to purge the Church of them. Now brother Round-head, if you had taken this course to have given your distinction and addition in this kinde, you had not left a gap open for the disparagement of any other honest religious good Protestant Mi­nister or Layman, as these Round-heads have taken advantage to doe, thinking thereby to cleare themselves of that imputation. But let it be granted that these Machiavell, Browne. Tub, Dam'd, devillish Round­heads, will apply this name of Round-head to an honest, good and zea­lous Protestant (as none else will) then it cannot be attributed to him, nor can he have any other addition then a good Round-head, for else we are cleane against our former ground, that all men (and so all Round­heads) are either good or bad, and good admits no division as before suffi­ciently is made manifest, but of bad you may see how many divisions there be, & as long as a Protestant be good as no doubt there is none good, but a true zealous Protestant, then let these aforesaid Macheavell Round, tub, dam'd, devillish Round-heads, call them what they will, they care not, neither was it ever taken to themselves, neither will any man of any rea­sonable judgement, ever thinke that it was the Authors meaning to attri­bute it to them, and let my brother Round-head cleare himselfe in this point, for if he meant otherwise then here is formerly expressed, he shall no longer be my Brother Round-head, in the simple and primitive con­struction and understanding of the word, as before is declared, but shall be adjudged and deemed for ever hereafter to be one of the other former right Round-heads indeed, and so amongst them shall be declared to be by Act of Parliament, as all Machiavell, browne, tub, dam'd and devillish Roundheads shall be. And although thou shouldest be such a Round-head as that thou shouldest meane otherwise then before is expressed, yet then thou must thinke that no honest, no wise man will judge or accompt thee to be either honest or wise in thy intentions, for who can deserve any nickname or soandall, but such as are against our true Religion, such as are disquieters of our publique peace, such as are evill Counsellors to King or State, such as will or would make division betwixt King and Parliament, or State, but for their owne ends.

And what are these but such or the like kinde of Round-heads, as be­fore are manifested? I pray tell me unto whom should we attribute a­ny nicke name or scandall but to such, who are the Round-heads now? Can any man speake the contrary? Can any man (I meane of the sober and honest sort) attribute any nicke name or scandall to honest and good men? yet some of these sorts of Round-heads have not beene ashamed to abuse the most Religious, well governed Protestants, yea some of the very [Page]highest Court of Justice, from whence we have had, must, and ought to have our chiefest being both for our Religion, lives, and estates, or else we must perish, and by whose daily unspeakeable labours, doe endeavour to preserve the Kings Majesty, themselves, and all good Subjects from that miserable condition in which we are ready to fall into by the meanes of those Round-heads, if they doe not like good hearted Souldiers, persevere in this good worke, and stand in the battle with an invincible constan­cy, against all opposition and corruption that can be, secretly, openly, or cunningly, projected, divised, imagined or intended against the Kings Majesty, his Parliament, and body, and heart of this famous Kingdome, as hitherto they have done. Please his Majesty, and the Parliament una­nimously to consent to roote out these forenamed Round-heads (as no doubt but they will:) O then our feares and rumours of warres will va­nish as mists against the morning Sunne.

O what a happy state our Kingdome will be reduced unto! for then no doubt but his Majesty as head, may be compared like the Sunne in the fir­mament with his body of so many starres about him, yea so many milli­ons of inferior starres, as there be inferior Subjects in his three Kingdoms, will shine about him with joy full hearts, and crying loud acclamati­ons of Joy. What a wickednesse is it to thinke that the head should be di­vided from the body, in which body we all know the heart lies? Oh the heart of the Subject is a preservative and cordiall thing to a Prince, and so also the head being taken away, the heart dyes. O what a devilish damn'd tricke of the Devill was this, to bring or send such Machevile dam'd Round-heads and incendiaries into the World, to worke such an un­heard of plot as (if they could) to divide the King and the Parliament! O tempora, O mores! And none but the devill and his agents and servants could ever have devised the like; but yet for all this the body and the heart will not be divided from their head, invito diabolo; they worke day and night without breathing or sleeping to draw and obtaine their head unto them (Vis unita fortior) they will not be divided, they will endeavour to support the King out of the hands of his secret enemies, and raise his Ma­jesties honour and state, they will draw him with cords of love, and hands of love, howsoever the devill, and these forenamed Machevile dam'd Round-heads endeavour to overthrow both King and Kingdome, and weigh him like Belshazzer, qui inventus est minus habens, but it is God hea­ring our prayers will cast out all these devils from amongst us; for by pray­er it must be done, and these Round-heads his servants will not faile of themselves, and then seeke a new Country, where they will get new foot­ing, and perhaps may hope for new projections else where, if in the meane [Page]time the Gallowes or some other place of execution doe not stoppe them. Now to conclude that which is the matter treated of, that is the Declara­tion and settling of this name, of the Right Round-heads indeed, I most humbly beseech his Majesty, and that most honourable body and heart of the Kingdome, to give their approbation and opinion in this affaire, and so to countenance the good, honest, zealous and true protestant, and to dis­charge them in your good opinions of this terme of Round-head (as no doubt you can doe no otherwise) and to lay and set it (as due of Right be­longing) upon the afore named Round-heads, with their additions, as namely the Machevile Round-head, the Browne Round-head, the Tubb Round-head, the dam'd Round-head, and the devillish Round-head, these being the chiefe, yea the onely troublers and enemies to Religion, the King, State, and Kingdome, and to whom this appellation or terme was without all question; first attributed and deservedly intended, it being un­possible that any good men should deserve any nickename or scandall, or that any man that could but write or reade English should intend or cast it upon any good man, much lesse the Author thereof; and thus by your good countenance and approbation the Round-head may be thus known and distinguished from honest men by Act of Parliament, that is, by con­sent both of King and Parliament; which I being sure not to be denyed; it is granted that they must for ever hereafter be so named, reputed, and ta­ken. Now to set forth the watchfull wisedomes, the laborious careful­nesse, the continuall diligence, and unspeakeable blessings God hath given this Parliament to enable them to prevent all these plots and conspiracies, whereby they have preserved both the King, themselves, and Kingdome; It were a folly yea a presumption in me to endeavour to doe or say more therein; being impossible for me to doe: But thus much for conclusion, I am sure I may, and can, and will say; God blesse the King, and his Parliament, and confound all those aforesaid Round-heads, or any other that wish a­ny hurt either to King, Parliament, or Kingdome, or goe about to work any division or separation betwixt the King and the Parliament, or Sub­jects. And so I desire all honest men to remember, and know who are the Right Round-heads indeed, and to shun them and all others that to this will not say, Amen.