A BRIEF CHARACTER OF England's Distraction: BEING The Copy of a Letter, sent into the Country by a Gentleman of the Middle-Temple.  
By Th. Le. Wh. Gent.   printer's or publisher's device 
LONDON, Printed in the Year 1660.   

A BRIEF CHARACTER OF England's distractions.  
SIR,  
HAppily amidst these our late Distractions here at London, you may expect some other News, either from hence or from abroad, which in all the, intercourses between us, you know I have evermore avoided, and left that to Diurnals, and such as delight to tell of Novelties; Only to that, which is I presume long since known to you and all the three Nations; I send you this as it is, the grounds of the present, and late differences, between the Army Officers, and remnant of the old Legal Parliament; for so I style it, in respect, that it was summoned by the late King. As to all the other Assembl●es, or rathe● Conventickles, they both came together, and sat to little other purpose, than to assume to themselves the name of a Parliament, without the Essence, Summons, and due form of our ancient g●eat counsels; The relics of the long Parliament being fi●st put down by the Army, and of late sat up, and again ●●shler●d by the power of the Sword: and likewise the Protector divested of his power, as a partner, with the Parliament in the late est●blished Government, upon this Reason and Ground, that the Grandees would nor admit of any single Person; as also, for that the Parliament as 'tis alleged, acted irregularly, and not according to the humour of the soldier. This is generally conceived to be the ground of the present distractions; in the mean time, judge you, where we are (the Legislative power being laid a side) and the Nation left without any Government, but that of the Sword.  
'Tis true, it is in common discourse, that there is a Government informing, but what that is, or will be, God knows; you know Kings, single Persons, Peers, and Parliaments, are not now in rerum natura, neither any Settlement in any of the Courts of Judicature, that may rightly, and legally, determine meum et tuum.  
Some there are, that say the Grandees will pitch on that frame, which hath been so happily established by the Hollanders; and indeed their case, and ours, 〈◊〉 of so near a Kin, in discarding Kings and single Persons, that I confess it may invite our great Masters to follow their pattern.  
Others there are, that propose a Government answerable to that of the Romans, on their putting down Tarqvinius Superbus their last King, when as the Senate assumed the sole power of, Government to themselves, as the best and most d●●●able, though this soft look not back to those interruptions which often befell them by the Tribunes of the people, their Censors, Dictators, and at last, that of their Armies, in the election of their Emperors without either the consent, or approbation of the Senate, to speak in terms of truth, our case and theirs, are much alike.  
Others there are, that propose the Venetian Government, were their Duke as a single Person, rules no otherwise, than as their Grand council shall admit and approve.  
But the Major part of the people, are for Charles Stuart's Interest, hoping that these our distractions, conduce to the bringing him in, though the wiser sort, would have him tied up to such conditions that happily will neither become the propounders, or his acceptance, This sort not foreseeing the future, and that in case he comes in, otherwise it must necessarily be by the Swords of Strangers, and a party here at home, then 'tis most perspicuous, that he w●ll come in with a revengeful heart, and then no man can expect from him other measure, than a reseisure of all the Crown Lands, the Royal Houses, with their rich Ornaments, the Regali●, and what not? that may right him, as well for the Crown Lands, a● his father's Blood. Woe than to such purchasers, as have ●nriched themselves, by buying the Crown Lands at under rates; neither must such, as have not been guilty of getting those good bargains, believe to escape scot-free, for all men's Estates, will be then liable to his conquering Sword, neither will this be the worst of such a turn of fortune for our Religion, Laws, and immunities, of every free born Subject, must vayl the Bonnet to that prevailing power.  
All this is too plain and manifest, which necessarily will befall the Universal Nation, wherein not only the Nocent but the Innocent will be in a like condition.  
Now Sir, there's another sort, that say, we are too much English, in relation to the old Proverb (which you know) is, that an English man knows not when he is well, and that there was a Government set up by old Oliver, between him and a Parliament, as also that during his time they lived in peace and quietness, as also that the Laws and Justice had a free and open current, and many tedious suits ended by his means by way of reference, and that he kept a Court, answerable to the State and honour of the English Nation, entertained all ambassadors of foreign Princes and Stares, with his Guards of Horse and Foot, with his Controller, Stewards, Master of Requests, and Master of the Ceremonies, and that he was courted and admired by most of the Princes and States of Europe; whereas now there is no Person, no place, whereunto any Addresses are to be made from abroad, to the dishonour and scorn of the Nation; They farther say, and allege our blessed Saviours. Oracles, ut ●em●ntem feceris ita ut metes, for that the same person was after his death vilified, and his Son shamefully disgraced, and set at nought, by those which the soldiers so lately hath put down in retribution of the ingratitude showed to him, whom the whole Nation knows was the prime instrument of reducing the three Nations to peace, and quietness, and that in a trise to the wonder of the world.  
The premises rightly considered, where are we now? otherwise than as Slaves of a new edition; But se●ting aside this our sad condition as it relates to our temporal estates, let us a little look back to that of our spiritual condition, and the obloquies of the Church, where instead of Reformation, (of which God knows there was need enough, at the sitting down of the long Parliament) too many learned and Orthodox Ministers have been put out of their Livings, and mechanic, ignorant, and illiterate Sectaries preferred, and many Congregations and Parishes both in Engl●nd and Wales, left without any pious or able Minister, either to read, pray, or preach, as it becomes one, that hath Cura anim●rum; Sectaries, and Sci●●●●cks bearing the sway, and trampling on the Orthodox and true P●otestant Religion, without any Reformation. Again, if we look back to our National Laws, (as the case stands) who now shall eith●r make new ones, or abolish old and useless ones, since Parliame●nts are set at nought and laid afide; Nay, where is now ●hat Authority that may Legally Summon them, of enable the members to sit longer than the soldier will suffer them.  
Hence you may behold the sad Condition wherein the Nation stands, with●ut any due reformation in the Church, without Laws, Government, Setlem●nt, or Security, in any thing we have formerly enjoyed; 'Tis confessed the Nation cannot be secured (as the case stands) without our Armies both by Sea and Land, either from Invasions from abroad, or Insurrections at h●me; but if our Armies shall or will be the first that will invade us, and assume to themselves, the Sole and absolute power of Government, doubtless than we are in a remediless Condition, wh●n our Servants shall become our Masters.  
On the other side, in case our Parliaments, shall act alone and do what th●y please, without any control, than we are in the same Condition, as if the Army ruled alone without any other Partnership 〈…〉 e Government.  
Me thinks our G●an● M●ste●s of either side, should both of them have bethought themselves of s●m● one M●dium or other, rather than either of them, should assume to themselves the sole, and supreme power of Government; for that, wheresoever sovereignty, or any other power of Government, shall act alone, and without any Partnership; it instantly turns into Tyrann●: On this consideration, let them both lay this to heart, that when either Parliaments; or our wrongs shall assume to ●ct alone the natures of necessity, will become Slaves, or no better ●han so many Asses, assigned to bear the burden, of that single and unruly power: for 'tis without di●pute, that the most lasting, and best Government, is, and must be of a mixed nature or constitution; It's Bellarmine's opinion, de Roman● Pont●fic●, who after he had so much mignified, absolute Monarchy; yet at last concludes Attamen, Monarchiam, mixtam, et temporatam, inter Arist●craciam, et Democraciam, semper meliorem esse puto; You may remember that the Lacedaemonian Kings had their Ephori, that controlled them whensoever they took upon them, Transire and to go beyond the bounds of lawful sovereignty. It was the grand Court of A●ragon, (Suppressed by Ferdinand●,) that kept their Kings for many hundred years from Tyranny, and the Natives from Slavery.  
To come nearer to the point, I do not conceive that either the late Protectors, Oliver and Richard as single persons, were absolute, for they had a Parliament, and in the intermissions of Parliaments, an able council of State, that carried on the affairs of the commonwealth as joint Copartners with them: If it be abjected that Oliver was the first, that dissolved the long Parliament, the answer to this, is soon made, for that they began to call into question the new government, under which the universal Natives, lived in peace, and security, without any disturbance, which to preserve, the Protector, perceiving the Ends, and Aims, dissolved them. You may remember how the late King made it his common practice to call Parliaments and Dissolve them, without their due Effects, at will and pleasure: Is it therefore of necessity; that some few of the Army Officers should do the like as they have often done, and destroy the most essential part of the old English Government, the old security of all the free born Subjects, of this Nation, and that Court which in all Ages hath stopped the currant of the encroachment of the Royal Prerogative, and prevented that Inundation which would have swallowed up all the Subjects, Freedoms and Liberties; But the report goes that they will resolve to call a Parliament speedily, if that be their resolution, In God's name then let it be a Free and Legal one, an the Election of the Members left to the freeholders and not too much tied up to the rack of their wills and pleasures, otherwise, where will they be found that will sit, when they shall be chosen? since 'tis already in common discourse, and the question put, why should any either accept the● Election, or sit, when as the soldier at his will and pleasure shall send them home as wise as they came to the House?  
SIR, To conclude, without doubt there is somewhat if not much amiss, in the mannagery of this work of darkness, (for so I call it) not pleasing to Almighty God; 'Tis most true, that all along our many sad and often changes, we have had frequent Fastings, Prayers, and Preachings, but whither they have been rightly addressed, rests the doubt, the Apostle St. J●mes tells us we pray and ask but receive not, because we petition amiss, I fear me this is our case, and therefore let us all more fervently pray unto Almighty God, and heartily beseach him, that our Prayers and addresses may be more pleasing to him, who alone must help and free us from these our divisions, otherwise we are all lost; It is Unity and Concord, that must set us all aright, and in our right Wits. If a Kingdom, City, or House divided cannot stand, needs must our divisions ruin us, Concordia res parvae crescunt, discordia dilabuntur. Therefore let our great Masters lay aside their Ambition and Self-ends, then by God's good grace, the cure of these our sad distractions will be soon perfected; Therefore it behooves us all to pray unto God, that Unity and Concord may be preserved amongst us, for without it, the Nation cannot be in safety, since as now the case stands, we are all in the highway of Confusion, and never more subject and open to foreign Invasions, then at present; we wish that they which now sit at the Healm, will bethink themselves, and take it into their serious and timely consideration, that the new Amity and Friendship contracted between the two greatest and neighbouring Princes of Christendom, presageth no good Omen to England; and that they will call to mimd the late passages and causes at Paris; as also to bethink themselves, that all things are not so safe at home as it should be, and might be remota causa tollitur effectus, than the cure will (by God's good grace) be soon perfected; but as now affairs are carried off, we can expect no other rate to befall us, than dissolution; The Armies divided amongst themselves; the Ci● and the Armies divided, and in Combustion; no due settlement either in the Church or State, and the Courts of Indicature, but all in confusion; Sectaries and Sc●maticks, suffered to discard the Peace of the Church ●nd State by the Pl 〈…〉 of Jesuits; without any care of redress. Th●● Sir, y●u may see in what a ●●d condition we all stand, G●d in his great mercy look upon us, and give us all the grace of a true and hearty repentance, and avert those heavy judgements, which now threaten this sinful Nation with utter ruin and Defolation.  
Your very Loving And Constant Friend Tho. Le. Wh. From the Middle Temple this 15. of December, 1659.  
FINIS.