The CASE between a FATHER and his childs. Humbly represented to the Honourable LORD MAYOR and Court of ALDERMEN.  
My Lord,  
Since God's providence hath so highly advanced you to that Honour and Dignity, as to be in some measure a Father to this City, that hath been famous for Loyalty, Justice, and Equity; and I knowing your Lordship to be so good, that you hate to do any thing that should lessen the Grandeur, or to encourage Rebellion or Disobedience, and I question not but your Brethren the Aldermen are of the same mind: Therefore I thought I could not apply myself to any fitter persons than your Worships, neither can I expect that any should consider my Case so well as your Honour. I beseech your Lordship to pardon me in giving you this trouble, it is the great love I bear to Unity, and the consideration that I am a Mother of Children, and in some part am sensible of the Excellency of Obedience, and how it prevails over the hearts of Parents; so that thereby they are instrumental to obtain the Blessing of God Spiritual and Temperal; but what a lamentable case it is when Children are disobedient and rebellious, it provokes the Wrath of God and Man, and makes them miserable in this World and the World to come, without Repentance. The serious consideration of this, hath caused me to present to your Lordship, and the Aldermen your Brethren, a Case between a Father and his Children.  
There is a certain Friend of mine that lives near me, whose Virtue and Patience is known to all the Neighbourhood, and that he is the most Indulgent Father, and loveth his Children extraordinary, therefore he thought himself happy and did not question their Assistance, when he stood in need thereof, but the Children taking no notice of his necessity, he was compelled to crave their Assistance; but the Children finding their Father in necessity, they dealt subtly, and said amongst themselves, We will deal by him as we please, and he shall condescend to our Proposals, for who knows whether our Father hath walked according to the Rules of Law or no, and if not, we will get advantage thereby, and so we will not allow any Succour to our Father, nay not so much as respect them that love him, neither shall they Secure him, but we'll hate them with a mortal hatred that shall either lend him, or give him any thing; nay moreover, our Father shall not sell any thing, for we will count them our great Enemies that shall buy any thing; so we are resolved to humble our Father, to comply with our desires, or to make him miserable, in not Ministering to his necessities: But God, that overrules all things, took pity of this good Father, and endued him with Patience to bear it, and the Lord helped him, and when his Children were a little peaceable and quire, he thought with himself, I will try whether my Children walks by the Law or no; if they do, certainly I shall have Justice done me, for the Law of God and Man is on my side; for they both exhort to Love and Obedience: But when the Father proposed this Question, though it was with mildness and sweetness, they were so far from acknowledging their Faults, that they would make themselves as though they had received an injury to be questioned, and therefore they would Right themselves by the Law; and though they would not assist their Father in his necessity, yet they could find Kash to encourage the Lawyers. But I'll appeal to your Lordship and your Brethren, Whether these Children are not unkind and ungrateful? Should not they rather humble themselves, and acknowledge their Faults, and amend it for the time to come? For they may very well think that their Father is Wise, and would not take any notice of any thing, before he had good ground. Therefore I beseech you for the Lords sake, to favour me so much, as not to despise my poor weak Endeavours, who longs for a Unity between the Father and his Children, but cannot be so happy without your Lordship and the Aldermen your brethren's Assistance; and through you and by you I do not question but to obtain it. Therefore I beseech you for the Lords sake, to use all pious Endeavours to make up this Breach and to decide this Controversy, for Blessed are the Peacemakers; undoubtedly my Lord, thrice Blessed will you be to be Instrumental in this Peace, for this end Christ took Humanity upon him, to make Reconciliation between God and Man, so that they might be able to cry, Abba Father. These Children hath been naturally Good, but only too much inclined to hearken to the Whisper of Satan and his Instuments, to incense them against their Father, as he did in the beginning with our First Parents, to make themselves miserable by their disobedience. So Satan envies these their happiness, and therefore persuades them to disobedience; thinking thereby to make them miserable and wretched: for it is seldom known that an unkind Child to a Temporal Father, was ever counted an Obedient Servant to God, if not Obedient then Rebellious. What against Heaven? Then God's Hand will be against them, which the Lord of his Mercy prevent, shall be always the Prayers of  
Your Humble Servant and Souls Wellwisher, ELINOR JAMES.   

London, Printed by Tho. James at the Printing-press in Mincing-lane. 1682.