Part 6

When a kingdom is broken just in the neck joynt, in my poore policy, ropes and hatchets are not the kindliest instruments to set it: Next to the spilling of the blood of Christ for sin, the sparing of the blood of sinners, where it may be as well spared as spilt, is the best way of expiation. It is no rare thing for Subjects to follow a leading King; if he will take his truncheon in his hand, it is to be expected many will put their swords in their Belts. Sins that rise out of mistake of judgement, are not so sinfull as those of malice ordinarily: and when multitudes sin, multitudes of mercy are the best Anodines.

--_gratia gratis data, gratissima._

_Grace will dissolve, but rigour hardens guilt: Break not with Steely blowes, what oyle should melt._

_In Breaches integrant, 'tween Principalls of States, Due Justice may suppresse, but Love redintegrates._

Whosoever be pardoned, I pray not let _Britanicus_ scape, I mean a pardon. I take him to be a very serviceable Gentleman; Out of my entire respect to him, I shall presume to give him half a dozen stitches of advice:

I intreat him to consider that our King is not onely a man, but a King in affliction; Kings afflictions are beyond Subjects apprehensions; a Crown may happily ake as much as a whole Common-wealth.

I desire him also to conceale himself as deeply as he can, if he cannot get a speciall pardon, to weare a Latitat about his neck, or let him lie close under the Philosophers stone, and I'le warrant him for ever being found.

If he be discovered, I counsell him to get his head set on faster than our _New-England_ Taylors use to set on Buttons; Kings, and Kings Childrens memories are as keen as their Subjects wits.

If he fears any such thing, that he would come over to us, to helpe recruite our bewildred brains: we will promise to maintain him so long as he lives, if he will promise to live no longer then we maintain him.

If he should bee discovered and his head chance to be cut off against his will, I earnestly beseech him to bequeath his wits to me and mine in Fee-simple, for we want them, and cannot live by our hands in this Country.

Lastly, I intreat him to keep his purse, I give him my counsell _gratis_, confessing him to be more then my match, and that I am very loath to fall into his hands.

_Prosecution._

If Reformation, Composition, Cessation, can finde no admittance, there must and will be Prosecution: to which I would also speak briefly and indifferently still to both sides; and first to that, which I had rather call Royalists then Cavaliers; who if I mistake not, fight against the Truth.

Foolish Cowardly man (I pray patience, for I speak nothing but the pulse of my owne heart) dreads and hates, nothing in Heaven or Earth, so much as Truth: it is not God, nor Law, nor sinne, nor death, nor hell, that he feares, but onely because he feares there is Truth in them: Could he de-truth them all, he would defie them all: Let Perdition it self come upon him with deadly threats, fiery swords, displayed vengeance, he cares not: Let Salvation come cap in hand, with naked Reason, harmelesse Religion, lawny embracements, he will rather flye or dye, than entertaine it: come Truth in what shape it will, hee will reject it: and when hee can beat it off with most steely prowesse, he thinkes himselfe the bravest man; when in truth it is nothing but exsanguine feeble exility of Spirit. Thy heart, saith the Prophet _Ezek. 16. 30._ is weake, like the heart of an imperious whorish woman: a man would thinke, the heart of an imperious whore, were the very pummell of _Scanderbergs_ sword; alas, she is hen-hearted, shee dares not looke Truth in the face; if she dared, shee would neither be whorish, nor imperious, nor weake. He shews more true fortitude, that prayes quarter of the least Truth, at a miles distance, than hee that breakes through and hewes downe the most Theban Phalanx that ever field bore. _Paul_ exprest more true valour, in saying, I can doe nothing against the Truth, than _Goliah_, in defying the whole hoste of _Israel_.

Couragious Gentlemen, Yee that will stab him that gives you the lye; take heed yee spend not your bloods, limbes and soules, in fighting for some untruth: and yee that will fling out the gantlet to him that calls you Coward, dishonour not your selves with such Cowardise, as to fight against Truth, meerly for feare of it. A thousand pities it is, such gallant Spirits should spend their lives, honours, heritages, and sweet relations in any Warres, where, for ought many of them know, some false mistake commands in Chiefe.

Honoured Country-men, bee intreated to love Truth: if it loves not you againe, and repaires not all your losses, then install some Untruth in its roome for your Generall. If you will needs warre, be perswaded to contend lawfully, wisely and stedfastly, against all errours in Divinity and Policy: they are the cursed Counter-mures, dropt Portcullises, scouring Angiports, sulphurious Granado's, laden murtherers, peevish Galthropes, and rascall desperadoes, which the Prince of lyes imployes with all his skill and malice, to maintaine the walls and gates of his kingdome, when Truth would enter in with grace and peace to save forlorne sinners, and distressed Commonwealthes: witnesse the present deplorable estate of sundry States in Europe.

Give me leave to speake a word more: it is but this; Yee will finde it a farre easier field, to wage warre against all the Armies that ever were or will be on Earth, and all the Angels of Heaven, than to take up Armes against any truth of God: It hath more Counsell and strength than all the world besides; and will certainely either gaine or ruine, convert or subvert every man that opposes it. I hope ingenuous men will rather take advice, then offence at what I have said: I had rather please ten, than grieve one intelligent man.

* * * * *

If this side be resolute, I turne me to the other.

* * * * *

Goe on brave Englishmen, in the name of God, go on prosperously, because of Truth and Righteousnes: Yee that have the Cause of Religion, the life of your Kingdome and of all the good that is in it in your hands: Goe on undauntedly: As you are Called and Chosen, so be faithfull: Yee fight the battells of the Lord, bee neither desidious nor perfidious: You serve the King of Kings, who stiles you his heavenly Regiments: Consider well, what impregnable fighting it is in heaven, where the Lord of Hosts is your Generall, his Angells your Colonels, the Stars your fellow-souldiers, his Saints your Oratours, his Promises your victuallers, his Truth your Trenches; where Drums are Harps, Trumpets joyfull sounds; your Ensignes Christs Banners; where your weapons and armour are spirituall, therefore irresistable, therefore impierceable; where Sun and wind cannot disadvantage you, you are above them; where hell it selfe cannot hurt you, where your swords are furbushed and sharpened by him that made their metall, where your wounds are bound up with the oyle of a good Cause, where your blood runs into the veynes of Christ, where sudden death is present martyrdome and life; your funeralls resurrections, your honour glory; where your widows and babes are received into perpetuall pensions; your names listed among _Davids_ Worthies; where your greatest losses are greatest gaines; and where you leave the troubles of war, to lye down in downy beds of eternall rest.

What good will it doe you, deare Countrymen, to live without lives, to enjoy _England_ without the God of _England_, your Kingdome without a Parliament, your Parliament without power, your Liberties without stability, your Lawes without Justice, your honours without vertue, your beings without wel-being, your wives without honesty, your children without morality, your servants without civility, your lands without propriety, your goods without immunity, the Gospel without salvation, your churches without Ministery, your Ministers without piety, and all you have or can have, with more teares and bitternesse of heart, than all you have and shall have will sweeten or wipe away?

Goe on therefore Renowned Gentlemen, fall on resolvedly, till your hands cleave to your swords, your swords to your enemies hearts, your hearts to victory, your victories to triumph, your triumphs to the everlasting praise of him that hath given you Spirits to offer your selves willingly, and to jeopard your lives in high perils, for his Name and service sake.

And Wee your Brethren, though we necessarily abide beyond _Jordan_, and remaine on the American Sea-coasts, will send up Armies of prayers to the Throne of Grace, that the God of power and goodnesse, would incourage your hearts, cover your heads, strengthen your arms, pardon your sinnes, save your soules, and blesse your families, in the day of Battell. Wee will also pray, that the same Lord of Hosts, would discover the Counsels, defeat the Enterprizes, deride the hopes, disdaine the insolencies, and wound the hairy scalpes of your obstinate Enemies, and yet pardon all that are unwillingly misled. Wee will likewise helpe you beleeve that God will be seen on the Mount, that it is all one with him, to save by many or few, and that he doth but humble and try you for the present, that he may doe you good at the latter end. All which hee bring to passe who is able to doe exceeding abundantly, above all we can aske or thinke, for his Truth and mercy sake in Jesus Christ.

_Amen. Amen._

A Word of _IRELAND_:

_Not of the Nation universally, nor of any man in it, that hath so much as one haire of Christianity or Humanity growing on his head or beard, but onely of the truculent Cut-throats, and such as shall take up Armes in their Defence._

These _Irish_ anciently called _Antropophagi_, man-eaters: Have a Tradition among them, That when the Devill shewed our Saviour all the kingdomes of the Earth and their glory, that he would not shew him _Ireland_, but reserved it for himselfe: it is probably true, for he hath kept it ever since for his own peculiar; the old Fox foresaw it would eclipse the glory of all the rest: he thought it wisdome to keep the land for a Boggards for his unclean spirits imployed in this Hemisphere, and the people, to doe his Son and Heire, I mean the Pope, that service for which _Lewis_ the eleventh kept his Barbor _Oliver_, which makes them so blood-thirsty. They are the very Offall of men, Dregges of Mankind, Reproach of Christendome, the Bots that crawle on the Beast taile, I wonder _Rome_ it self is not ashamed of them.

I begge upon my hands and knees, that the Expedition against them may be undertaken while the hearts and hands of our Souldiery are hot, to whom I will be bold to say briefly: Happy is he that shall reward them as they have served us, and Cursed be he that shall do that work of the Lord negligently, Cursed be he that holdeth back his Sword from blood; yea, Cursed be he that maketh not his Sword starke drunk with _Irish_ blood, that doth not recompense them double for their hellish treachery to the _English_, that maketh them not heaps upon heaps, and their Country a dwelling place for Dragons, an Astonishment to Nations: Let not that eye look for pity, nor that hand to be spared, that pities or spares them, and let him be accursed, that curseth not them bitterly.

A Word of Love to the Common People of _England_.

It is, your, now or never, to muster up puissant Armies of Prayers to the Mercy Seate; your Body Representative, is now to take in hand, as intricate a piece of worke, as ever fell into the hands of any Parliament in the world, to tye an indissoluble knot upon that webb which hath been woven with so much cost and bloud, wherein if they happen to make one false maske, it may re-imbarque themselves and you all into a deadly relapse of scorne and calamity. It is the worke of God not of man, pray speedily therefore, and speedingly, give him no rest till your rest be throughly re-established, Your God is a God whose Name is All-sufficient, abundant in Goodnesse and Truth, on whom the Sonnes of _Iacob_ never did, nor shall call in vaine, you have a Throne of Grace wherto you may goe boldly; a Christ to give you a leading by the hand and liberty of speech, an Intercessor in Heaven to offer up your Prayers wrapp'd in his own; a large Charter _aske and have_, a Spirit to helpe all your infirmities in that duty, a sure Covenant that you shall be heard, and such late incouragement as may strengthen your feeble hands for ever. If you who _may command God concerning the work of his hand_, shall faile to demand the workemanship of his hand in this worke, your children will proclaime you un-thrifts with bitter teares to the worlds end.

If you see no cause to pray, read

_Jer. 18. 1.-10._

Be also intreated to have a continuall and conscientious care not to impeach the Parliament in the hearts one of another by whispering complaints, easilier told then tryed or trued. Great bodyes move but slowely, especially when they move on three leggs and are over-loden with weighty occasions. They have now sate full six years without intermission to continue your being, many of their heads are growne gray with your cares, they are the High Councell of the Kingdome, the great Gilead of your Balme, the Phisitians of all your sicknesse; if any of them doe amisse, blame yourselves, you chose them, be wiser hereafter; you cannot doe the State, your selves, your posterity a more ungratefull office then to impaire them with disparagements and discoragements who are so studious to repaire your almost irreparable ruines.

Be likewise beseeched, not to slight good ministers, whom you were wont to reverence much, they are Gods Embassadours, your Ephods, your Starres, your Horse-men & Chariots, your Watchmen, & under Christ your Salvation, I know no deadlier Symptome of a dying People than to undervalue godly Ministers, whosoever despiseth them shall certainly be despised of God and men at one time or other.

A most humble heel-piece. to the Most Honourable Head-piece the Parliament of _England_.

I Might excuse my selfe in Part, with a speech _Lycurgus_ used in the like exigent of State, _senectute fio audacior, publica necessitate loquacior_, but it much better becomes mee with all lowlinesse and uprightnesse, wherein I have failed to pray pardon on both my knees, which I most humbly and willingly doe; only, before I rise, I crave leave to present this six-fold Petition.

That you would be pleased

To preserve the Sacred reputation of Parliaments, or, wee shall have no Common-wealth.

To uphold the due estimation of good Ministers, else, we shall have no Church.

To heale the sad dislocation of our Head, throughly, perfectly, or, wee shall have no King.

To oppugne the bold violation of divine Truths, else wee shall have no God.

To proceed with what zeale you began, or what you began can come to little end.

To expedite worke with what speede you safely may, else ignorant people will feare they shall have no end at all.

Hee that is great in Counsell, and Wonderfull in Working, guide and helpe you in All things, that doing All things in Him, by Him, and for Him, you may doe All things like Him.

_So be it._

A respective word to the Ministers of ENGLAND.

Farre bee it from mee, while I dehort others to slight you my selfe, or to despise any man but myselfe, whom I can never despise enough: I rather humbly intreate you to forgive my boldnesse, who have most just cause to judge my selfe lesse and lesse faithfull than the least of you all, yet I dare not but bee so faithfull to you and my selfe, as to say

They are the Ministers of _England_, that have lost the Land; for Christs sake, put on His bowels, His wisdome, His zeale, and recover it.

I pray let me drive in half a dozen plaine honest Country Hobnailes, such as the Martyrs were wont to weare; to make my work hold the surer; and I have done.

1. _There, lives cannot be good, There, Faith cannot be sure, Where Truth cannot be quiet, Nor Ordinances pure._

2. _No King can King it right, Nor rightly sway his Rod; Who truely loves not Christ, And truely fears not God._

3. _He cannot rule a Land, As Lands should ruled been, That lets himself be rul'd By a ruling Romane Queen._

4. _No earthly man can be True Subject to this State; Who makes the Pope his Christ, An Heretique his Mate._

5. _There Peace will goe to War, And Silence make a noise: Where upper things will not With nether equipoyse._

6. _The upper world shall Rule, While Stars will run their race: The nether world obey, While People keep their place._

The Clench.

_If any of these come out So long 's the world doe last: Then credit not a word Of what is said and past._

ERRATA AT NON CORRIGENDA.

Now I come to rubbe over my work, I finde five or six things like faults, which would be mended or commended, I know not well which, nor greatly care.

1. For _Levity_, read, _Lepidity_, ---- and that a very little, and that very necessary, if not unavoydable.

_Misce stultitiam Consiliis brevem --Dulce est desipere in loco._ Horat.

To speak to light heads with heavy words, were to break their necks: to cloathe Summer matter, with Winter Rugge, would make the Reader sweat. It is musick to me, to heare every Dity speak its spirit in its apt tune: every breast, to sing its proper part, and every creature, to expresse it self in its naturall note: should I heare a Mouse roare like a Beare, a Cat lowgh like an Oxe, or a Horse whistle like a Red-breast, it would scare ---- mee.

_The world's a well strung fidle, mans tongue the quill, That fills the world with fumble for want of skill, When things and words in tune and tone doe meet, The universall song goes smooth and sweet._

2. For _audacity_, read, _veracity_, or _Verum Gallice non libenter audis_. Mart. Flattery never doth well, but when it is whispered through a paire of lisping teeth; Truth best, when it is spoken out, through a paire of open lips. Ye make such a noyse there, with Drums and Trumpets, that if I should not speak loud, ye could not hear me: Ye talke one to another, with whole Culvering and Canon; give us leave to talk Squibs and Pistoletto's charged with nothing but powder of Love and shot of Reason: if you will cut such deep gashes in one anothers flesh, we must sow them up with deep stitches, else ye may bleed to death: ye were better let us, your tender Countrymen doe it, than forraine Surgeons, who will handle you more cruelly, and take no other pay, but your Lives and Lands.

---- ---- _Aspice vultus, Ecce meos, utinamque oculos in pectore posses Inserere: & patrias intus deprendere Curas._ (Ovid. Ph[oe]b.

_He that to tall men speakes, must lift up 's head, And when h' hath done, must set it where he did: He that to proud men talkes, must put on pride; And when h' hath done, 'tis good to lay 't aside._

3. For, _Yes, but you speak at three thousand miles distance, which every Coward dare doe_, read, _if my heart deceives me not, I would speak thus, in the Presence Chamber or House of Commons_; hoping _Homer_ will speak a good word for me.

[Gr: Tharsaleos gar aner en pasin ameinon Ergoisi.] ----

Omnibus in rebus potior vir fortis & audax Sit licet hospes, & e longinquis venerit oris.

When Kings are lost, and Subjects cast away, A faithfull heart should speak what tongue can say: It skils not where this faithfull heart doth dwell, His faithfull dealing should be taken well.

4. For, _affected termes_, read, _I hope not_ ---- If I affect termes, it is my feeblenesse; friends that know me, thinke I doe not: I confesse, I see I have here and there taken a few finish stitches, which may haply please a few Velvet eares; but I cannot now well pull them out, unlesse I should seame-rend all. It seemes it is in fashion with you to sugar your papers with Carnation phrases, and spangle your speeches with new quodled words. Ermins in Minifer is every mans Coat: Yet we heare some are raking in old musty Charnel books, for old mouldy monosyllables; I wish they were all banisht to _Monmouthshire_, to returne when they had more wit.

_Multa renascentur quae jam cecidere, cadentque Quae nunc sunt in honore vocabula, si volet usus._

(Hor.

I honour them with my heart, that can expresse more than ordinary matter in ordinary words: it is a pleasing eloquence; them more, that study wisely and soberly to inhance their native language; them most of all, that esteeme the late significant speech, the third great blessing of the Land; it being so enriched, that a man may speak in many tongues in his Mothers mouth; and an uplandish Rusticke, more in one word than himselfe and all the Parish understands. Affected termes are unaffecting things to solid hearers; yet I hold him prudent, that in these fastidious times, will helpe disedged appetites with convenient condiments, and bangled ears, with pretty quicke pluckes. I speake the rather because, not long since, I met with a book, the best to mee I ever saw, but the Bible; yet under favour, it was somewhat underclad, especially by him who can both excogitate and expresse what hee undertakes, as well as any man I know.

_The world is growne so fine in words and wit, That pens must now Sir =Edward Nich'las= it. He that much matter speaks, speaks ne'r a whit, If 's tongue doth not career 't above his wit._

5. For, _You verse it simply, what need have we of your thin Poetry_; read, _I confesse I wonder at it my self, that I should turne Poet_: I can impute it to nothing, but to the flatuousnesse of our diet: they are but sadden raptures soone up, soone downe.

--_Deductum dicere Carmen_, is highly commended by _Macrobius_.

_Virgil_ himselfe said, _Agrestem tenui meditabor arundine musam_.

_Poetry's a gift wherein but few excell; He doth very ill, that doth not passing well. But he doth passing well, that doth his best, And he doth best, that passeth all the rest._

6. For _tediousnesse_, read, _I am sorry for it_ ---- Wee have a strong weaknesse in N. E. that when wee are speaking, we know not how to conclude: wee make many ends, before we make an end: the fault is in the Climate; we cannot helpe it though we can, which is the Arch infirmity in all morality: We are so near the West pole, that our Longitudes are as long, as any wise man would wish, and somewhat longer. I scarce know any Adage more gratefull, than _Grata brevitas_.

_Verba confer maxime ad compendium._ Plaut.

_Coblers will mend, but some will never mend, But end, and end, and end, and never end. A well-girt houre gives every man content, Sixe ribs of beefe, are worth sixe weeks of Lent._

For, _all my other faults, which may bee more and greater than I see_, read, _I am heartily sorry for them, before I know them, lest I should forget it after_; and humbly crave pardon at adventure, having nothing that I can think of, to plead but this,

_Quisquis inops peccat, minor est reus._ Petron.

_Poore Coblers well may fault it now and then, They'r ever mending faults for other men. And if I worke for nought, why is it said, This bungling Cobler would be soundly paid?_

_So farewell England old If evill times ensue, Let good men come to us, Wee'l welcome them to New.

And farewell Honor'd Friends, If happy dayes ensue, You'l have some Guests from hence, Pray welcome us to you.