No peace 'till the king prosper a letter writ from a true lover of peace to one that is both modestly inquiring and discovering the true and false paths to a present peace : that if the Parliament prevaile against the king, peace cannot be, but if the king prevaile, it must be, and if neither prevaile, it will not be. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A25857 of text R200232 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing A3734). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 15 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A25857 Wing A3734 ESTC R200232 12255840 ocm 12255840 57457 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A25857) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 57457) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 163:3) No peace 'till the king prosper a letter writ from a true lover of peace to one that is both modestly inquiring and discovering the true and false paths to a present peace : that if the Parliament prevaile against the king, peace cannot be, but if the king prevaile, it must be, and if neither prevaile, it will not be. Arnway, John, 1601-1653. A. A. [2], 6 p. Printed by Leonard Lichfield ..., Oxford : 1645. Signed p. 6: A.A. "The piece is ascribed in the Bodleian catalogue to Dr. John Arnway, but I have seen no proof of the authorship, and Wood knows nothing of it"--Madan; Halkett & Laing name Arnway and cite the Bodl., but the Bodl. cat. enters the work under A.A. and not under Arnway. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. eng Great Britain -- History -- Civil War, 1642-1649. A25857 R200232 (Wing A3734). civilwar no No peace 'till the King prosper. A letter writ from a true lover of peace, to one that is both, modestly inquiring, and discovering the true A. A 1645 3017 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 B The rate of 3 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the B category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2006-02 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-03 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-05 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2006-05 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-09 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion No PEACE 'till the KING Prosper . A LETTER WRIT FROM A TRVE LOVER OF PEACE , To one that is both , modestly inquiring , and Discovering the true and false Paths to a present PEACE . That if the Parliament prevaile against the KING , Peace cannot be ; But if the KING prevaile , it must be ; And if neither prevaile , it will not be . MATTH. 5. v. 9. Blessed are the Peace-makers — OXFORD , Printed by Leonard Lichfield , Printer to the Vniversity . 1645. No Peace 'till the King Prosper . A LETTER WRIT FROM A TRUE LOVER OF Peace , to one that is both , moderately inquiring and discovering the true and false Paths to a present Peace . HAd Reason and Religion at once so farre forsaken us , as to cease all our Prayers and endeavours for Peace , contrary to the many Lawes of Christ , yet even sense it selfe were sufficient to make us weary of Warre ; for who smarts not grievously under that Rod , and bleed not under that Sword , unlesse some whose hands hold it , and ( as the only Kings and Lords of the Time ) beare rule and master great Revenues and Riches by it , who would else be ( as they were ) poore and powerlesse without it . Doe we not see and feele our Goods and Estates wasted and wrung from us by daily payments and Plunders ? Our ancient Lawes and Priviledges lost by Campe and Committee Orders and Ordinances ? Are not our Townes turn'd great Goales , and our Houses ( if We be not in others ) become Prisons to us ? Is not the deerest bloud of our Selves , Children and Friends , spilt in daily Fights and Battailes ? And ( which above all should be deare unto us ) is not our Religion made away betwixt new Ordain'd-Directions , and old allowed Sects and Heresies ? So that , according to the known Lawes of the Land , for Minister or People to be a Protestant , is to be a Malignant ; and to use that Service and Forme of Prayer , and Religion established by Law , for which our forefathers dyed Martyrs , is to make us live and suffer as Malefactors . In a word , is not our Livelihood , Liberty , Property , Religion , all gone , and nothing left we can call our owne , but a miserable life scarce worth the owning ? And that hardly to be counted our own neither , for the violence and Tyranny of those who have the Sword in their hands , and us at their Command , with no Law , and as much Conscience to guide it ? He is a block , a stone , not a Man , a Christian , that is not weary of Warre and greedy of Peace . But as all desires meet in the end of Blisse , but vary infinitely about the way ; so of those who are all for the blisse of Peace , all are not of one opinion about the meanes : some say , Subdue the King once , and we shall be for ever quiet : and therefore upon every prosperity crye ( and oft prevaile ) for more Men and Mony to follow the blow , and make an end of all : so King and Kingdome , all shall be ours , and no more need will be to Presse more Mony or Men . Others say , let us engage to neither part ; but stand upon our owne preservations and our Countreys , indifferent against both : So We shall either perswade or force a Peace , at least we shall be quiet . If you will have my opinion , I believe both waies to be wrong , I shall desire your assent no farther then you shall see and approve my reason for it . I say then first , The Warre will not cease , if the Parliament prevaile against the King . For how then will they governe the Kingdome ? If by the known Lawes of the Land , these will set the Crowne on the Kings head againe , which they have taken off ( for to have this Kingdome ruled without a King , is to those Lawes utterly unknowne ; ) then the King will be in as good condition as He was , and they in farre worse ( and that ( surely ) they doe not meane . ) If by new and unknown Lawes they must maintaine an unknowne , and unheard of Government , the want of the Scepter must be supplied by the Sword , and that which was the Mother of so great a change and Innovation of Church and State , must of necessity be the Nurse to violence and Warre , so this will be an alteration , not an end of the Warre . Nor can it ( reasonably ) be imagined , so long as the King himselfe is , or any of His Royall Line Lives , or any of their Posterities ever shall endure , or any of their Royall Allies have power abroad , or Loyall conscience any place at home , that ever this will be a quiet Kingdome , when rob'd of its lawfull Soveraigne and annoynted King , no more then a body without blood-shed can be cut off from its naturall Head . And were there a common security against all this , guilt in the breasts that bred these Woes , will be an enemy potent enough to maintain the Warre against others . if Divisions and Iealousies turne not the Sword upon themselves , whilest they contend who shall possesse and put on the Regall Power , which the right and Royall owner is divested off . So that , of necessity ( for a long time at least , if not for ever ) the Kingdom must be govern'd by Force . If it be said ; Though not His Majesty that is , there may be a King : what then can be expected , but Woe upon Woe to the Kingdome ? Aske our Fore-fathers and they will tell us , what calamity they suffered of old under Crowne Competitions : Till the two Houses of Lancaster and Yorke were married , and so made one , was not this Land a very field of Bloud ? And during the 30 and odde * yeares of these cruell . Warres , what fearefull Slaughters of Princes , Nobles , and Commons , were made ; whilest the doubtfull Right of the Crowne , was disputed by the whole Kingdome ; divided and inraged about it ? Behold Germany , and it will shew us what a deere-price they have paid for the seizure of the Bohemia Crowne , albeit ( that having been Elective ) faire Right was pretended and pleaded for the seizure ? How many Millions of Pounds , and Lives , hath that Crowne-Quarrell cost them ? Are not their Countries , Cities , Townes , Villages , Houses , Lands , Estates , Goods , all destroyed by the Warres ? Are they not overwhelm'd in a Sea of bloud to this day , after sixe and twenty yeares of reigning Warres and Woes , no signe of Peace appearing , or likelihood of their end , till want of Men for Warre , or Bread for them , shall force it ? He is a Stone , that sees not , Marble , that melts not , to think how England , too like poore Germany already , would be yet more miserably like it , should any Head , but the right-borne , weare the English Crowne . That , then should it be ( as God forbid it ever should ) would be the beginning , rather then an end of the Warres . Nor is Indifferency of Counties and Persons , the way to bring it to an end . For so the King shall be oppressed ( if not assisted ) in His extremity , and the Parliament will prevaile ; without a miraculous blessing it must needs be so : if they have all the Purse of the Land , and most of the Power and People for them , whilest We stand betwixt both , looking on , that should ballance the force , or cast it against them . But by this meanes , necessity will inforce and effect a Treaty of Peace : The unbloudy , doubtlesse , is the most blessed Peace ( Cursed be he that is against it ! Thrice happy he , or they , who shall make it ! ) But what hopes then to see it , when already all meanes have failed it ? Will they , who upon even and equall Termes of Strength , are unreasonable in their Propositions , by prosperity grow more moderate ? For His Majesty to yeeld to their demands , whatsoever they are , is not to make an end of the debate , but Himselfe , ( His Crowne and His Conscience , That may bring things to a Period perhaps , but not to a Peace : ) Victory can doe no more but what it will , when the opposite Party is destroyed , that before hindred it : And what can the King more yeild , then what He hath already offered and assured for Peace ? For Himselfe , halfe His Sword in the Militia , and a good piece of His Crowne ; And for the Church , as much as can consist with His Honour and Oath to Almighty God , and the Peace of His Conscience ? If this was not thought price enough for the Purchase then , will it come at a rate more reasonable , now ? No ; We have great reason to suspect , that , if where the power is , mind had been ever truely to it , it would have come then . For , though it be m●st sure , that the King , both in Reason and Religion , hath been a vehement Seeker of it , and offered so much to purchase it ; and , as certaine , that even of them who sit at Westminster , and live in London , and in the Countrey under Parliamentary power , many , for their parts , doe heartily desire it , ( foreseeing the ruine of all without it : ) it is to be feared , That the Authors and Actors in these Warres , will not ( for particular Reasons and respects ) ever allow of Peace ; but whilest the power is in their hands , for ever abet and maintaine the Warre . They may think , that no Security can warrant their indemnity . If one Parliament , for the present necessity , should pardon all , another ( more free ) may revoke it : If the State should , particular Persons of ruined Fortunes , and Families , will never forgive it : If they would ; they should live the hate and scorne of the Land , that now at pleasure rule it , and all their fellow Subjects , and the King Himselfe in it . I would they did not both think , and assuredly know , and beleive it . And will a County stand safe , if a Kingdome fall to ruine ? Alasse ! what Lands or Houses can be dry in a Common deluge ? How can the Limbe live , if the Body languish ? The Kingdome thus may fall into a Consumption ( it must , if the vitall and substantiall parts faile in an altering of the fundamentall Constitution of it ) and these may be the last Limbs that fall , and that 's all they get by their Neutrality , to be the last . Nay , perhaps ( by the just judgement of God and Man ) they may be the first ; hated of both sides for their Indifferencies , and destroyed by the prospering side , for not ayding the prosperity . Surely , as those are Enemies to the Peace and Countrey that resist the King , and wage Warre against Him with His owne Weapons , People , Monies , Meanes , and so distresse and drive Him to extremities , to defend Himselfe against them : So those who doe not assist the King , are not friends to the Peace of the Kingdome . And if Divines say true , that he murthers life , who can , and doth not preserve it , as well as he that destroyes it , I dare excuse neither , of the Bloud that is shed in the interim ; The Resistant from being positively guilty of it all , and the Non-assistant , privatively ingaged in the Guilt . And though ( I confesse ) it seeme some Plea , that many in the Kings Armies , are so insufferable in their Carriages , that even they breed a loathing of His Cause for it ; yet this will not hold good , till it appeare , that the King doth not abhorre and bewayle the injuries of His good People , and yet , is in so great extremity for want of Meanes and Supplies , that He knowes not ( to His great griefe ) how to remedy it . Nay , it recoyles upon them ; for did they joyne hands with Him to assist with their lives and fortunes to uphold Him , in whom their safety , as much as His owne consists ; this would not be done , and suffered . For , then a due Pay , would maintaine an exact Discipline ; and the first Offendors , having their due punishment , the rest would not dare to transgresse . Then the use of Forreigne hands would be needlesse , most apt on both sides to offend . Nor would cause be , to call in the Irish , to ballance the power of the invading Scots , to the impoverishing and endangering , if not undoing of the Land . To conclude then , ( for my Lines have already exceeded a Letters bounds ) whosoever feares God , and honours the King , ( as every Christian should ) or loves Church , or Kingdome , or Countrey , ( as every Child of either ought ) let him take this to heart , and ponder it well , and he will see , there is no way left to Peace , but to raise the King to prosperity ; to assist Him with our Meanes and Lives , Valiantly and Vigorously to hasten it ; least for want of ayding Subjects in the just defence of Himselfe , and the Throne by God committed to Him ; He be forced ( as his Predecessors of old , and his Enemies now ) to sue and seek for help from others , His owne People failing Him , the sad , but only remedy for a disease so desperate , which is then left Him . A sad and wofull case ( God knowes ) to fall into such hands for cure , and he best sees , what Calamities it may bring upon us , but to us it will be more sad , if our guilt cause them all , because that had never been , if after all Supplies of ours , sought againe and againe , our Native King had not been first forsaken of us . Nor let that which runnes in some minds trouble us : That the King then will come in Conquerour over us , and so rule us ; And therefore the Scale of Warre is to be kept in such a Poise , that He prevaile not so farre as to prosper and subdue His Enemies : No , If He Conquer His Enemies , His Friends and good Subjects will Conquer Him , by free Parliamentary advices to settle a shaken State , and prevent like Conclusions in time to come , by wholsome Lawes begot of those bad manners which are past , and were so perillous to Him , and pernitious to all of us . His owne Prudence and Conscience will Conquer him , who hath in this Schoole of Warre learnt ( He and His Children with Him ) that the happinesse of a King , consists in such a Government , as yeelds a Loving , not Rebelling People ; His owne uncruell , and un-Tyrant Spirit , and disposition , will Conquer him ; So farre from thirst of Bloud , and severity of Vengeance , that Justice may rather seeme to complaine of being cloyed with so great a Sweetnesse . Sir , if you know me , you know me to be a Lover of my Religion , and Nation , and of my Conscience , as my King ; and so , I beleive you to be , else this , had never come to you , from SIR , Your , and your Countryes friend , A. A. FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A25857e-160 * 80 , of the blood Royall Slaine in these Warres . Speed . In the Treaty at Vxbridge , the Militia offered by the King to be put into the hands of twenty , of which the Parliament to choose 10. and so the Forts and Castles of the Kingdome .