A Word to the Army, Touching Their SIN and DUTY: If it may be, to convince them of the Greatness of the one, and their Defectiveness in the other; With a word of Advice in the Conclusion, humbly tendered to them, in order to their Recovery to that Path of Unfeigned Repentance.  
By William Allen late Adjutant General to the Army in Ireland, an unfeigned seeker of their souls welfare, being under great fears and thoughts of heart for them.  Cry aloud, list up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Isa. 58. 
Yet they sack me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a Nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the Ordinances of their God, they ask of me the Ordinances of Justice, they take delight in approaching to God. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our souls, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exact all your labours; behold you fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness, you shall not fast as you do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.  
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to lose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out, to thy house, when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hid not thyself from thy own flesh?  
Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall spring forth speedily, and thy righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward.  
Wherefore the Lord said, For as much as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men; therefore behold I will proceed to do a marvellous work amongst this people, even a marvellous work and wonder, for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid, Isa. 28.  The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken, Lo, they have rejected the Word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them? Jer. 9.9. 
London, Printed for Livewell Chapman, at the Crown in Popes-head-Alley. 1660   

A Word to the ARMY, touching their Sin, and Duty, if it may be, to convince them of the greatness of the one, and their defectiveness in the other.  
I Should not delight in this day of Public Calamity come upon you, to be uncovering your nakedness, did I not judge it a duty in order to lead you to the true covering, and out of all false ones, which in vain you hid under, in your defiled state, rendering yourselves by so doing but the more naked in the sight of God and men, giving enemies more occasion to rejoice at you, and encourage themselves in an evil matter against you, saying, They offend not, because you not only have, but still do sin against the Lord, the habitation of Justice, and hope of your Fathers, though they that say so, it may be too truly, shall not go unpunished in the end.  
I beseech you therefore give me leave, in the bowels of love and meekness, a little to treat with you, as an Army under these distinct considerations, of chief Commanders, and commanded; for so I shall speak to you, both as to your sin, and duty.  
And first to you Commanders, you have been concerned of late years in very eminent Transactions in Public Affairs in these Nations; have pretended to a very great knowledge, and strict observation of the Lord, and his go, and do, in the midst of us, with what he yet intended to do further in the latter days; and by comparing his works with his word, have often said, you judge his design to be the exaltation of his Son, the Lord Jesus, and his interest in these Nations, and removing out of the way what ever hindered his going on with this work: As also you observed his Motions herein to be gradual, causing his work small in the beginnings, to go and grow higher and higher by degrees, and more refined as it grew, and so have Instruments been he hath made use of, and when they have not had spirits growing up in light, life, and refinedness, with the work, by many strange providences have been some on one account, some upon another, laid aside; yea some of them beginning but a little to slack their pace, and draw back, have not stayed in that retrograde motion, till they have joined with the most avowed enemies to the Blessed Cause at first they were engaged in, so dangerous a thing is drawing back.  
And while you were thus rightly observing the works and word of the Lord, and helped to follow it accordingly, being little in your own eyes, and going out in a spirit of trembling, you exalted yourselves in Israel, went on and prospered; God was with you, and the shout of a King amongst you, enemies feared, fled, and fell before you, and your most difficult ways and works were made plain, and easy; and though you walked in untrodden-paths, you were carried on safely; enemies envying, yet dreading you; friends rejoicing, and blessing God for you, and you from him in his name; and though it must be remembered to the praise of the Lord, and due abasement of Instruments, you sometimes walked as men, especially when you leaned to your own understandings, and did not trust in the Lord, as before; Particularly in 47, in your tamperings with the King, and his interest, which lead into those Labyrinths (as you may well remember) in 48. out of which, nothing but the wisdom of the Lord directing to seeking him, and consulting your duty according to his word could extricate you, as was eminently experienced in that not to be forgotten meeting at Windsor 48. see the memorial of it; and how the Lord lead that year, yea several years after even to Woreester fight, by a gracious guiding presence of his, you cannot but remember that were wise observers of the operations of his hand: and after that fight, when you were returned in safety, you then also seemed to have upon your hearts, a great sense of your duty, in prosecuting the work of the Lord you had been employed in, but found as you judged the Parliament unwilling to go so fast, or rather hindering and obstructing you in the speed you were intended to make, upon which, some contests arose between you and them in that point, and you come to see as you say, a necessity of dissolving them, as men not spirited for the further work of the Lord in that day; how clear and true the demonstration of this necessity was, I take not upon me to judge, since you so lately (how truly I dare not determine neither) call in question your action aforesaid, and call them to sit again, saying, The work had not prospered since their dissolution, which might be too true, yet the Cause might rather be that greater unfittedness found in you that followed them, who walked in more polluted paths, in which the work of the Lord could not prosper; and this seems to me rather to be the mind of the Lord, especially when I consider the work that Parliament, after you had called them, and they sat again, were employed about, and upon the matter, only prospered in, viz. judging those more gross turn aside from the Lord and his work, that they found amongst you in the Army, which when they have in some measure judged, as men not designed to, nor delighted in by the Lord to be used much further, they do by strange providential proceed amongst them, period themselves, and in the doing that, also well-nigh hazard putting a period to the peace of these Nations.  
But you having dissolved them, as aforesaid the first time, a little Assembly of men is called, not in the way, nor after the manner of the Nations, but upon a more select and avowed account of men fearing God, though I doubt in their choice, the wisdom of man was too much exercised; but being come together, though they had their weaknesses as men, not to be pleaded for, or owned, they seem more effectually to prosecute the true ends of Government, viz. discouraging the bad, countenancing the good, attempting to break and remove oppressive yokes, and to assert the liberty of the poor people of the Lord, as well as others, on all accounts, than any before, or since, that I have observed: But these mercies being too great for so ungrateful, and so unworthy a people as this Nation; together with the Instruments weakness and inability to bring them forth in that glory and beauty, as God will have his works brought forth in their season; as also the great Artifice used by the Devil, and Instruments amongst themselves, who acted Tobiah and Sanballats' part, when they could not by opposing the work openly so effectually hinder it, come in and pretend, as they of old, to build with them, and thereby cause the work to cease, and render both it and the most forward workmen a scorn and reproach amongst the Heathen; these also are suddenly (on what grounds, in what manner, and for what ends becomes the Army to consider) dissolved; and the names of many of them, whose memorial in ages to come shall be blest, were cast out as evil for Righteousness sake, and marks † of Ignominy and Reproach put upon them before all the Nation by some of yourselves or adherents, that knew what would gratify you, and pursued that path accordingly, as your weekly Pamphleter Needham, whose tongue is no slander, used, (and still uses frequently for your service) to do at that day; and you made it much your business to be raking into, and laying open, Cham-like, the infirmities and nakedness of your brethren, contrary to that counsel, or rather reproof given in a like case in Obadiah, from 10, to the 15. compared with 8, and 9 verses, being a glass in which you may see yourselves and actions; I desire you will look into with trembling. For thy violence against thy Brother Jacob, shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever. In the day that THOU STOODST ON THE OTHER SIDE, in the day that the stranger carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his Gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, EVEN THOU WAST AS ONE OF THEM, but thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy Brother, neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction: neither shouldest thou have SPOKEN PROUDLY IN THE DAY OF DISTRESS. Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people, in the day of their calamity, yea thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity, neither shouldest thou have stood in the cross way, to cut off those that did escape, neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of his distress. For the day of the Lord is near upon all the Heathen; as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee, thy reward shall return upon thine own head, Vers. 8. Shall I not in that day, saith the Lord, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the Mount of Esau? Vers. 9 And thy mighty men. O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the Mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.  
Your next step you take as a fruit, I fear of your former, was falling back again into the old exploded way of the Nation; having too near a similitude (though a far worse ground) to their action, 1 Sam. 8.5, 7. You having now departed from that more pure path you were eminently lead to, and blest in while you pursued the ends of Righteousness, as you acknowledge; the consent of the good people in the three Nations, Navies, Armies, Churches flow in to you, and in hopes of what would be brought out by you, rise up as one man, and call you blessed: But a King you must have, as the Nations, in nature, though not in name; who also is made, I believe, in judgement, beyond his own and your intention, too much like him described, in 1 Sam. from the 11th. to the end; but you (as they) will have him in that posture, and near that port of King and Courtiers formerly, which being so annexed to this near similitude, rises with it in all its Pompal formalities, as a Ghost out of its grave, to be once more adored by a company of dying declining Christians, and by this means is the hearts and hopes of the profane Cavileer, and neutral spirit, and their adherents encouraged, and the spirit of the most sincere through the three Nations (except such as could say a confederacy) bowed down and dejected: A Government framed, none knew by whom, and imposed by you the chief Officers, and your adherents, on the three Nations, Navies, and Armies, without their consent, unless fraudulently, and unfairly gotten: Addresses made and sent down to be signed by the Army, not time given for due consideration or consultation in a case of that kind; or if some did consider and express their dissatisfaction, they were presently either thrown out of their places, or else looked on as persons not fit to be trusted in them; And I beseech you consider, was not this an evil, an high aggravated evil? considering its circumstances against that positive Rule, Luk. 6.39. And as you would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise; It also lays you under, like guilt to that, charged 1 Cor. 6.8. Nay, you do wrong, and defraud, and that your Brethren; As also against that Rule, 1 Thes. 4.6. That no man go beyond, or defraud his Brother in any matter. To all which add the cries, calls, tears, and beseechings of some from all parts to you, to ponder your paths, warning you in the Name of the Lord, of the danger of your way, that it was displeasing to the Lord, gratifying to enemies, and grievous to the hearts of his most sincere ones in the three Nations, and yet you would not hear; no, though the Lord also every morning brought his judgement to light, yet you were as the unjust, that knew no shame; but you slight those that bore witness for the Lord against you, and contemned the witness they bore, saying of and to some of them, they would have been quiet, had they been uppermost, and the cause of their dissatisfaction, was only because they were not so, which your own consciences could tell you was notoriously false; but at last you proceed to imprison some, banish others into remote Islands, snatching and keeping others from their precious Relations, to what prejudice to some of them is not desired to be further remembered, and with all art and industry, by frowns, favours, profits, airy honours, endeavour to debauch others from their former professed principles and practices, of more integrity to God and their Country, and what woeful work you have helped to make of this kind in City, Country, Churches, by your Kingcraft, and worse than Bishop-like trapanning, there is sad cause to remember; and I should speak more, had not the Lord spoke so much; but surely you did not only sin, but made Israel to sin; fulfilling that sad word, Isa. 9.16. For the leaders of the people cause them to err, and they that are lead of them are destroyed; and hereby you pave a way, as it were, to the Lords anger, which discovered itself at home and abroad, at Sea and at Land, amongst your Councils and Forces, insomuch as he who you had set up as your Protector in name, was never less truly so to you, these Nations, nor himself, than he was after you had so unduly exalted him, and clothed him with those vain empty names and titles you had given him.  
But you go on, as persons engaged, and endeavour to engage others, as fast as you can, in the same snares with yourselves, which the places you were in gave you great advantage to do, being chiefest Officers, Councillors, yea of the closest Cabal some of you, and others of you more subordinate, were ready to receive impressions from the rest, and communicate accordingly to those under their charge; by means of which, many, if not most of those filthy, flattering, hypocritical Addresses, were framed, and little less than imposed on Regiments under their commands, and made as traps and snares frequently to catch and weed out such as could not run to the same excess with you, without ask a question for conscience sake, whereby many poor souls for fear of losing their places, profits, favours, etc. contrary to their consciences, bowed down to these abominations, and engaged with you (though falsely) to live and die with that poor person that was then up, against all opposers, forgetting the Lord whom you in those paths were opposing, and provoking him to his face, thereby to oppose you, by taking away your Protector from amongst you, as he saw good, which stroke, with the manner of it (in several respects, not thought fit to mention) taking him away on that remarkable day, the third of September, made famous formerly by the Lords eminent owning him and the Army under his command, in two signal Victories obtained against the enemies of the Lord, when he fought his battles on his name and people's behalf, and he is now like Aaron of old, unclothed and stripped of that honour formerly put upon him, not wisely improved by him to the service of the Lord that gave it; Ah, this stroke spoke much to wise observers, yea very much to you that survived to look well to your next steps, but alas, God speaks once, yea twice, but man regards not, you still hold fast deceit, and refuse to return, and wax worse and worse deceiving, and being deceived; who could have thought that you, who were used to say God's work grew more refined, and so must Instruments, that should be used and prosper in it: that you should be the Instruments to advance another poor man to his, your own, these Nations hurt, God's dishonour, and the dis-service of that blessed cause of God (by this and such like means now become a byword, and a reproach amongst the Heathen) that you knew was sufficiently destitute of the Character aforesaid? but this you do; and the better to cover your evil herein, you clothe him with those Epithets you did, giving occasion thereby to the poor fawning Sycophant-like spirited people in the Nation to strive in sin to outstrip you, giving those very Epithets, some of them, to him, that were due to God only, viz. the man of God's right hand, whom he had made strong for himself, with others too much like it; and this person, not to mention his merit or right, is advanced by you to a place of the chiefest rule and dignity in the head of three Nations, without the fair or free consent of them, the Armies or Navies; how right this was in the sight of God or men, judge ye.  
But you proceed in your fraudulent practices, as formerly, to gain consent, where it is not given, and are helped herein, by some of the poor Prophets of the Land, who now (as of old) lead the Van in this day of Degeneracy, strengthening the hands of the wicked, as well as saddening the hearts of the righteous, according to Ezek. 13. so that none returns from his wickedness; and that they may strengthen themselves and you in this carnal confederacy, present you with the names of an hundred Churches in the lump, that so you may not at all suspect your way, having such a number of those who have professed to have given up their names to Christ, to approve of you therein, and as it were bless you in the name of the Lord; and thus you wrap it up, fulfilling that word, Jer. 5.30, 31. A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the Land, the Prophet's prophese falsely, and the Priests bear rule by their means, and my people love to have it so, and what will ye do in the end thereof? And hereby you bring yourselves by such actions within the verge of that judgement, written in Prov. 24.24. He that saith to the WICKED, thou art RIGHTEOUS, him shall the people CURSE, NATIONS SHALL ABHOR HIM. I should speak much more here, but that I desire rather to be silent, the person concerned being gone off the stage, and I wish may keep off, lest a worse thing befall him, and many learn by such sudden castings down, as well as liftings up, to know that the Lord rules in the Kingdoms of this world, giving them to whom he pleases; and whoeser walks in pride, he is able to abase, and may so know him, as more to know himself, and learn the fear of the Lord, that teaches to departed from all iniquity.  
And having spoken thus to you Commanders, lest the inferior rank of men of all sorts in the Army, should think themselves innocent, by beholding you so guilty, give me leave to add a word to such.  
And first I desire you will remember that you have your share of sin in these things, having been the legs and hands by which these mischiefs aforesaid have been acted; some of you having actually seized the poor Saints of the Lord, haling to prisons, and keeping them there, or at least, saying, a confederacy with those that did so, or not bearing a faithful witness, as be came you against it, standing most of you under the influence of sinful engagements, ready bent to fulfil the pleasure of your Rulers more fully in that point, contrary to light, and much struggle in your own consciences against such things, the Lord grant you repentance and pardon for it, and to beware of any such engagements that shall be tendered to you in future, (and oh that you had a little more considered that lately tendered to you, and signed by you, about the conduct of the Army, which I fear will prove a sore snare) and though it will be said for you in the case aforesaid, that you were under many temptations, viz. fears of frowns, and loss of favours, as also that little money due to you for your Arrears, if you had born your witness, or quit your station; all which indeed might have been your portion, in discharge of your duty, yet you not venturing to run such a hazard for the Lord, how have you fallen! below the spirits of Christians, of English men, of an Army nor mercenary, yea of Romans, though Heathens, who valued their Country, and the Common Rights of it, at a higher rate; and by your sin, without repentance, are also under that woe denounced, in Isa. 31.2. Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his word, but will arise against the house of evil doers, and against the HELP of them that work inquity; and you have sinned also against that Rule, Isa. 8.13. Say not a confederacy to all them to whom these people shall say a confederacy, neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid, but sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread; and let me beseech you so to ponder the paths of your feet, as to repent of what is past, and to take heed in time to come, that you follow no leader, nor leaders in any way, how plausible soever, that you have not well-grounded assurance, is warranted by the word, which while you observe as your Rule, will be an honour to the Lord, and you, while you live, and peace of conscience to you, when you come to die, when all else you do, not concurrent herewith, will leave you under sorrow, shame, and a blot that will nor be wiped away.  
In the next place I desire to consider the best pleas I have met with by any of the Army in their own vindication; as first, they say all Governments are lawful, and so that by a Protector, and therefore that was not their sin.  
Answer, How far a Government by a King or Protector is in its own nature lawful, or unlawful, I shall not here dispute, but it satisfies me that the introducing both the one and the other, hath been declared Treason by a Law of the Land that we have as much reason to reverence and adhere to (considering the reasons upon which it is grounded) as most Laws extant; to which let me also add, the full concurrence of the Army therewith, with their expressed abhorrence of the contrary, stated by the Army, sometimes upon transcendent grounds, to a Law of the Land, as is to be seen in their Muscellborough declaration in the year 50. all which considered, together with what God hath spoken since in opposition to such a practice, makes it very near of kin to a thing unlawful at least for this Army to bring in such a Government.  
But secondly, It is said that these Governments were not of choice, but of necessity.  
Answer, So you say, but how or to whom that necessity appears beside yourselves, is a question; when you are willing to submit this point to the judgement of more  persons, I hope you will be heard, and till then, not expect to be believed.  
But thirdly, you say your aims and ends were good.  
Answer, What your ends were, the Lord knows, and will ere long let you and us know better; but good ends for the most part make but bad and unwarrantable Rules to act by; and so far as men may rationally guests at your ends, by your means you use towards them, they were not like to be very good; and of this you wanted not warnings from all parts, but you would not then hear.  
Again, though you in the first part you acted under a single person might have something of a colour of good ends in what you did, yet sure you had none such for your second part under your second single person; or if you shall yet say, you did judge that also a likely way and means to those good ends, will not all rational men in these three Nations rise up at once and conclude you as a company of the most unfit men in England to judge in cases of like kind in future, who are subject to such gross mistakes, wherein our lives, liberties and estates are concerned? and how would the sense of your miscarriage formerly, if it were right upon you, make you dread like paths, which you now notwithstanding, as fearlessly as ever are running towards.  
But fourthly, You say you have repent, and endeavour to evince it by, First, your dissolving that Parliament called by Richard Cromwell. Secondly, In throwing down him.  
Answer, Whether those actions had more of sin or repentance in them, your preingagements considered, remains a question with some, though out of question with others, especially as to you chief Commanders; and to the latter of them, whether you were herein so guilty, as you would now be thought to be, let the Arguments used by some of you to him, at that time, pleading your necessity from others, more than willingness in yourselves to that work, speak; though I believe indeed you were minded to attempt somewhat of alteration in his Counsel, as you were nearly concerned, in point of reputation, and otherwise, at that time to do; as also that you were providentially carried upon those legs on which you went, whither some of you would not have gone; and therefore at that time in the General Council of Officers you did plead hard for the single Person, some of you; others to have but the name, when the thing itself could not be had, and thereby manifesting your constant good affection to the last, losing this ground but by inches, rather furiously driven off it, than fairly quitting it; so that upon the whole, this looks very unlike a piece of repentance in you the chief Officers; but if any have a share more than others in this service, it is the inferior ranks of men in the Army, who sinned not after the similitude of the chief Officers transgression, in setting him up, though some were drawn, and others driven by them, to sacrifice to him in those wretched addresses, when up, but were much more willingly helpful, and truly joyful, in throwing him down.  
But fifthly, You say you acknowledged your evils to the late Parliament, when you brought them to sit again.  
Answer, You did very generally and cursorily mention some of your wander, but how few of these many particulars aforementioned, with many more of like kind chargeable upon you, is observable? and the more so, because when any comes to speak with you particularly, they usually meet with that common question much in use amongst that poor people in Malachies time, saying, Wherein have we done so evil? And though demonstrations are clear now, as they were then, yet it is as hard to convince you, as it was them; and therefore that I might (if the will of the Lord were) a little help you in this main point of Repentance, upon the truth of which, and your being renewed, depends so much in this case; I therefore would a little treat you on this subject.  
Repentance, when in truth, I take, doth consist in these following particulars, viz. 1 Conviction, 2 Humiliation, 3 Confession, And 4 Forsaking sin confessed, and would entreat you seriously to consider this first part, to wit, Conviction; and ask your souls this single question, which the Lord will one day ask you, viz. Have you indeed been convinced, that you have wandered out of the way, with the causes, effects, and degrees thereof, and sinfulness of your so wand'ring, with respect to some Rule, or Rules of the Law by you transgressed herein, and what those Rules are; as also what is the nature of your sin towards God, towards Men, towards those without, those within, those under your charge; as also those that have been imprisoned, oppressed, afflicted, derided, and scorned, by you, or some of you, for their endeavouring to be faithful to the Lord, and his interest in this back-sliding day? if you are rightly convinced, you will see your sin, in these its several aspects; for as the Spirit of the Lord convinceth clearly, so as no light doth like it, so it convinceth very particularly and fully, and usually lays the soul convinced under the weight of its sin, in its several aggravations, as it respects some Rule or Rules transgressed by it, and so renders sin exceeding sinful, Rom. 7.13. Now, have you been so convinced? hath that deluge of dishonour brought upon the Name of the Lord, those stains, blemishes, and blasphemies brought upon that blessed cause of God? together with that ignominy, contempt and cruelty cast upon, and exercised towards many of those poor unworthy witnesses to the Lord and his work, in this day of declining, been with weight upon your hearts, yea or no? if not, sure you are yet very far from thorough convictions.  
2 As to your Humiliation, that always attends true conviction, and includes contrition, as Zach. 12.10, 11, 12. Ezek. 7.16. Have you been at this work, families apart, your wives apart, and each soul apart, mourning bitterly over your transgressions, as an Army? if so, what means those sleighty extenuating expressions concerning your sin, when spoken of? as also the silence of you Leaders (who have lead in transgression) in your days of seeming solemn mourning before the Lord? you either contenting yourselves, that some amongst you speak largely in your names, leaving you to your liberty of assent or descent (which you may possibly think you have) in such eases, or else otherwise discovering heart-rising against others, using plainness amongst you, which you brook not so well; be pleased to read David's practice in such a case, a King and Commander, not inferior to any of you, 1 Chron. 2.8. And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing. And vers. 17. Is it not I that commanded this people to be numbered? Even I it is that have sinned, and done evil indeed, but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my Father's house, but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.  
3 To that of confession, which ought to be particular and public, where evils have been so, Leu. 5.5. And it shall be when bee shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that THING. Ezra 10.11. Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your Fathers, and do his pleasure, and separate yourselves from the people of the Land, and from the strange wives; then all the Congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do, but the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two, for we are many that have transgressed in this thing. Act. 26.10, 11. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the Saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief Priests, and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them, and I punished them oft in every Synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even to strange Cities. Where is now this free, full, public, particular confession of yours? James 5.16. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another that you may be healed. This is the way that God will be glorified, by persons that have so publicly dishonoured him, as you have done in your public actions. Ezek. 44.10. And the Levites that went astray; When Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their Idols, they shall even bear their iniquities, v. 13. They shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed. Take heed therefore of consulting with flesh and blood in this case; it is a hard lesson for persons in that port and degree in the world that you are in; but this is a part of that great lesson of self-denial, wherein every cross that lies in the way of duty, must be taken up by you; for if you have sinned, you must rise out of it in the way of God, or be ruined by it; for he will assuredly distrain for his glory that you will not give him.  
4 As to your forsaking of sin, that must not only be forsaking such particular acts of sin, which its possible have forsaken you, and you are not capable of committing those individual acts again; but a departing from all of that kind, yea of every kind; and in this give me leave once more to ask you; what are you doing herein? are you not again, instead of forsaking, fallen, and falling, into some of your old steps, that yet you would be deemed to have repent of? else, why did you (not long since) come before the Lord in a very solemn day, professing you were there like a company of poor children that knew not one step of your way, to inquire of the Lord a right way, when before your coming there, you had resolved of; so, considerable a part of your way, as the conduct of your Army; and that not for that time only, as was then your pretence (which had been somewhat more tolerable) and whether not also of that rare composition since called the Committee of safety? you may do well to consider; at least whether in any rational man's judgement, the constitution of it considered, it can be thought to be the product of such a solemn days seeking the Lord for direction; and is not your Army thus settled intended to be influential to the framing your whole fabric of Government now in the forge? and have not some of you already said, that if it please not the people it is to be offered to, they must be pleased whether they will or not, and yet pretensions of all freedom to be used towards all good people? yea, I have been told by some of you, that you intended to do nothing in your Government without advice had with good people, from all parts; hath that been, or is it intended? what is this other than the very first step that Oliver Cromwell took? and who seethe not that this Army will yet again, notwithstanding all its mistakes be supreme, admit nothing above it, or equal to it in all our greatest concerns of life, liberty or estate? which must needs have this effect, to make good men nauciate it, or what is to be done by it, as formerly; and then those that will follow for the loaves, and transgress for a morsel of bread, shall again be admitted in their sphere of subserviency, to a competent share in this new gained dominion over the lives, liberties and estates of such as cannot for conscience sake bow to such an Image, when set up; and if this be indeed forsaking sin, than I understand it not; but this is your way, to which, if God will condescend to save by, you will serve him in, but not out of it, as I perceive; but know this, you must come to his ways, or be broken by him; and deceive not yourselves, I beseech you, with pretensions of doing good out of the way of it; though they may be as high raised in your imagination as Heaven, yet if not laid in deep humiliation for past transgression, with thorough abhorring yourselves in sense of them, as also declining all paths that lead to the like in future, they will prove but abortive, and like a house built upon the sand, that will assuredly fall, and great will be the fall of it; and therefore since its most certain you cannot prosper in any work in your hands, till the Lord have accomplished this great work of unfeigned repentance upon your hearts, consider your ways, and see if the Lord hath recovered you to this path of his good pleasure, manifest it, and bless him for it; and if not, take heed of pretending to it, but rather confess your sin, and give glory to the Lord, who hath said, He will indeed be sanctified by all that draw near to him, and before all the people he will be glorified; and truly, till you are taught to glorify him in this way of his, that leading, guiding presence of God, in relation to his work in your hands, will not be with you, but will certainly and visibly departed from you; and oh that I could say it were not already departed, as from Saul of old, causing you to labour in the fire for vanity, and run out of one fire into another, which is too visibly your portion at this day; and base fears of man (for want of a Spirit of Faith, as formerly to make the Lord your fear, and your dread) are upon you, causing you to make undue haste many times; and the spirit of rage and madness of the Nations, rising against you, cannot be kept down by the spirit that yet appears to act you, but it grows and gains visibly, yea runs upon you, teareth and rends you daily; and it is only the Spirit of the Lord that can raise up a standard to give check to such floods; and till this Spirit more appears to act you, which will first carry you out of your own wisdom, strength, and every polluted path, and make you as poor children, not in word only, but in truth, to say in the Lord you have all, and not elsewhere, you are, I am persuaded, with other poor ones that follow you, like to wander in the wilderness; and which is most sad, without a guide, till many, if not most of your carcases fall there, or the Lord have purged out the rebels from among you; there is but one Name under Heaven that Salvation shall be had from for Nations, as well as Souls, the closing with whom in his own way, as the wisdom of the word directs to, would make you and these Nations also in their public affairs happy; and the contrary makes them miserable: this is the foundation, other than which (what ever any poor deluded flattering Courtiers have formerly profanely said of any of the projects of men's brains) can not man lay, nor any Nation or Nations with security by warrant from the word build upon; but their buildings will tumble, for he hath said, He will shake Nations thereby to remove what ever may be shaken, till their desire comes to him, who shall alone bear the glory, and not man or men with him.  
My poor advice is therefore to you; as ever you intent to prosper, be wise, ye Rulers, Officers and Soldiers, kiss the Son, not only as a King and Saviour to your souls, but as King of Nations, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, for if his wrath be kindled, and that but a little, only blessed are they that trust in him.  
And if you desire thus to own him, do it by acknowledging him as your Lawgiver, by your receiving and magnifying that Law, he hath said, he will magnify and make honourable, and casting off the Laws of the Heathen, that serve for little else, but to lead into labyrinths; yea, Seek the Lord, and wait on him for light and wisdom, and consult his Word, and see if it be not able thoroughly to furnish to every good work, beyond what any Laws of men can do; yea, this were the way to lay such a Magna Charta, as would stand more sure against any alterations, than any you can lay, both as to our rights, as men and Christians, which is the great thing in contest, and would have a blessed instructing effect upon the administrators, as in Joshua 1.8. As also upon them to whom they do administer, teaching them the knowledge and fear of the Lord, which is so much wanting in these Nations at present; when every man's particular interest should lead him to consult the Law of the Lord, in which his great interest is so much made known, and by beholding the Righteousness of that Law should fall in love with it, and into a more frequent delightful meditation upon it, which being blest by the Lord, might be instrumental to turn water into wine, to the converting of many poor souls that might begin at first, but with their own interest, besides the civilising effects, as to manners amongst men, this Law of the Lord hath a blessed tendency to beget, beyond any other Law whatsoever.  
But for you or others, that shall go after any other, besides, or short of him, or his righteous Laws, truly your sorrows will be multiplied, and you will lie down in them at the last; and though you may think you have strengthened yourselves in the unitedness of your Army under such a conduct, yea much more strengthened your arm of flesh, by your new-raised Militia, or what else you may imagine, remember that the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; And you have none of these cover large enough to keep that from falling heavy upon you, to the sudden dissolving of every Covenant with death and Hell, and overflowing every hiding-place made up but of the refuge of lies, how like to truth soever they may be.  
These things being of some weight upon my heart, I durst not but speak to you, though I had arguments enough from a sense of my own unworthiness upon all accounts to have silenced me, as well as my weakness for such an undertaking, in a service in its own nature usually unacceptable, and much more may be so with you for my sake; but I have in this matter consulted duty to the Lord, who I have endeavoured to eye in it; and secondly, to your souls, that I would fain see recovered out of such destroying paths. I hope you will pass by weakness herein, and accept my intention, which hath been to serve you the most effectually I could. I have not troubled you oft in this kind, and for aught I know, it may be the last service of this nature I may ever discharge to you as an Army, which if it be of any use, I shall rejoice, if otherwise, my soul I hope shall mourn on your behalves (if it may be to prevent that misery coming on you) and all of us with you, but that I trust the Lord who knows how to deliver, when all other means fails, will be a little Sanctuary to all that in sincerity commit themselves to him, desiring to hate every false way, for he hath said it, that is able to perform it; Upon all the glory there shall be a defence, and when the Enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him; Which I believe he will yet do for his poor remnant, for his holy Names-sake, and so do it as to astonish and confound enemies of all sorts, greatly discover and shame falsehearted friends, take his people off from Idols, yea every pleasant picture, and cause them to sing to himself alone, as the God of their salvations, who remembers them in their low estate, because his mercy endures for ever.  
FINIS.