A SPEECH TO THE PEOPLE  
OR A brief and real discovery of the unhappy estate of these most distracted times.  
With a necessary caution to all good Subjects.  
Written by T. I. Gent  
A loyal Subject to the King his sovereign,  
A wellwisher to the Parliament his great counsel,  
And a true lover of the peace of his country.  
LONDON: Printed for H. B. 1642.   

A SPEECH TO THE PEOPLE.  
MIserable and most deplorable is the unhappy estate and condition of these our present times: And as if God's vengeance did not fall fast enough upon our heads for our enormous crying sins, whilst the Almighty speaks peace and plenty unto us, out of the abundance of his rich and most unparalleled goodness: we as if we had surfeited with too much plenty and happiness, while God smites us not, go about to smite each other. What can then be expected, without heaven avert the judgement, convert and turn our hearts unto him, but that our long enjoyed peace should be turned into a present doubtful War, and our happy plenty into an unhappy penury and want.  
Who is so blind, as not to foresee these things at hand? And yet good God, most of us, as if our senses were become even stupid and senseless, seek not the right way to cause the Almighty to avert these imminent and impendent dangers from falling on us: or I wish I might not more truly say, from suffering ourselves to fall into them: For what could the Almighty have done more for Israel than he hath done for us▪ Have not we for many years under religious Princes, (the memory of all which ought ever to be pleasant unto us, and cause us out of a just and due gratitude to be ever thankful unto God) long and happily enjoyed both peace and plenty, flowing, I had almost said even overflowing with the sacred Word of God, as Manna sent from above to feed our hungry souls; flowing again I say with all rich variety of plenty and delight, to afford happy solace and sustentation to our natural bodies.  
And since our good God will not out of his unfathomed mercy take them from us, do not we I fear (I appeal to every one's conscience) betake ourselves to such courses as will soon, yea doubtless too soon deprive us of them; for with horror (Dear Countrymen of soul I speak it, how much is the King of Heaven and his An●●n●ed our dread sovereign here on Earth both at one time neglected? how much and how scornfully are sacred Functions and places profaned and vilified? how much in a word are the known laws of this our Nation most strangely, either wrested, misconstrued or impugned? But no wonder if the Law of GOD which ought to be written in Golden Letters in the tables of our Hearts be so much disregarded, so much disesteemed, if man's Law be no more reputed, so much contemned. Fear God and honour the King, is the King of heaven's counsel, and how can we imagine or rather justly assure ourselves, that we can give Caesar a due honour, when as our tongues as well as our actions, well scanned, and with a vigilant eye being pried into, convince us, that we do not cordially and really fear, love, honour, & obey that great Caesar of Caesar's.  
O therefore if we would have all things to go well with us (as many fearful curses fall on his head, who would not) let us make in the first place our atonement and peace with God, that the God of true peace may send his peace to reign amongst us, and this is the speediest and happiest way to avert the almighty's Judgement from falling on us, and to cause his mercies as formerly they have done, to flow more powerfully upon us, for mistake not dear countrymen, For the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, as saith Kingly Solomon; and I too much fear this fear is not as yet engrafted in our hearts, nay rather I fear it, not at all; for did we truly fear God, we should be afraid (and justly too) to violate his most just and sacred Law. And you know beloved, I wish you would also practise what you know, 'tis his express charge and command, Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, honour to whom honour belongeth, and shall any Mandate from any inferior power, cause any of us to violate the Mandate of heaven itself? me thinks I hear you all say, as being of one mind with one voice, (justly indeed astonished and amazed) God forbid. O then why contemn ye the power of your Caesar? and is not this too frequently by too many of us daily practised? Truly if ever there were a Prince on earth after God's own heart, such is our religious King CHARLES, as unparaled for his life as he is for his virtues, and what madness then were it for us (I say for us) because without we will consent to our own undoing, heaven as it seems is unwilling to deprive us of these his unesteimable blessings (I mean peace and plenty) so long, so happily continued amongst us, as if our good King had nothing else but love and mercy lodging in his royal heart, how hath he wooed us to continue in this our peace? first then acknowledging our own unworthiness, Let us make our peace with God, and in the next place, not only remember, but execute God's Command, by giving unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, Honour to whom honour belongeth: Thus you shall bring true honour to yourselves, whilst you give a due honour to God and the King, and become so many happy instruments, next under God, to settle a firm and most happy peace in these his majesty's Dominions, your native soil and his once (I would I could but say, and still justly say) most flourishing kingdom. And I beseech him who ruleth the heart of Kings as it best pleaseth him, so to rule the hearts both of him and you all, that his holy law, may be the holy rule by which you may all square all your actions, so shall God be honoured by you, and in a due obedience to his just and imperial commands, our pious and most religious King CHARLES, be unanimously and cheerfully obeyed, and if it be thy heavenly will Lord say Amen, both for thy own sake, for thy servant our dread sovereign's sake, for his illustrious Consort, and all their royal offsprings sake, and lastly for all good people's sake, who humbly and heartily implore this great mercy from thee.  
FINIS.