THE CHARACTER Of That Glorious Martyred King, CHARLES I: BEING A Brief Description of His Religious Reign, from his Coronation to his unhappy Death.  
Wherein is laid open, 

1. His outward Actions.  
2. His Piety.  
3. His Zeal to God's Ordinances.  
4. His Wisdom.  
5. His Justice.  
6. His Mercy.  
7. His Humilty.  
8. His Bounty.  
9 His wonderful Patience.    
By W: P: Esq  Heb. 12.1, 2. Let us run with Patience the Race that is set before us; looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our Faith; who for the Joy that was set before him, endured the Cross and despised the shame, and is set at the right hand of the Throne of God. 
LONDON, Printed for T. B. 1660.   

The true Character of a Glorious KING.  
First, for his outward Actions.  
THe best pulse to discover the inward temper, is by his outward Actions; he was always Grave, Serious, and deliberate, and made them bear for the most part the impressions of Wisdom, piety and a composed settledness upon them; yet when ever moving upon just Principles (Grounds of Reason, and Religion) to engage in any undertaking, he was most vigorously pursuing it, by all fair and honourable means; knowing that a good end ought not to be aimed at by bad actions: which made him bring the least grain, as well as the greatest wedge, the Circumstancials as well as the essentials of all his actions to the highest; and never would allow (or at least lest maintain) the most pale-faced, modest, insinuating error in any action; but ever accounted it his glory to confess and reform it when detected, rather than maintain it.  
And in regard of his private indulgences to himself, he ever walked with all preciseness, (as the Apostle commands 1 Thess. 5.) knowing, that though Religion alloweth great and just Liberties to humane Nature, it was not safe what he might, lest it proved a perversion of blessings into temptatious; for as he was (as I formerly hinted) temperate and moderate in all things: as did ever appear in his Recreations, Expenses, Apparel, Diet, and the like; for though he fed liberally, it was orderly, (twice a day only) and to the size of nature, not desire, being never known to oppress but relieve it, by eating or drinking, and always chose rather to shorten then stretch his Teacher, or strain the conjugal and Matrimonial knot that fastened him to his Saviour in an Judivorceable Espousal: but preserved himself pure, chaste and unspotted of the world, as far as Humane nature (by the Power of Divine grace) was capable, knowing that the least way given to any lust or vice, will soon make it grow and spread, for (as all rivers fill by drops, and the first issue disposes the Orifice to become greater) he strove to nip every temptation in its first springing, declining to come near the brink of any Precipice, lest he might slip or fall in by weakness or giddiness, which the empty eariness the (vain pleasures) of this world often intoxicate the brain with, like the best Wines taken in excess, which cause distempers instead of cheering Elevating the spirits.  
Secondly, Of his Piety, wherein (especially in his latter time) he was as much beyond Imitation, as Precedent, making much of his life (so far as it admitted of a Sequestration from his calling, as a King to that of a Christian) but one continued Act of Regulated Devotion, both in regard of his retirements, (in that, non est vera religio, quae cum templo relinquitur, saith Lactantius) and more public duties of Holiness, wherein he was constant in paying his Debt of homage and outrent to God in Prayers, both in his own house and the Church, (as the Exchequer wherein God is best pleased to reserve them) when the Sacrifice is not raw and indigested, (made up of the passions and humours of men,) but of the finest of the flower, the best of the herd, such as the Church allows; metal that will not fly upon the test, but such as the public stamp of Law had made currant, no embased, but the best coin: for he ever worshipped God in that way which the Papists call Heresy, and Schismatics Popery, seeming to take Heaven by a Holy violence, in the fervency of his Devotions, being as it were eaten up in his zeal to God's house, and all his Holy Sacrifices.  
Thirdly, In zeal to God's Ordinances, Temple and Ministers, (like the lamps in the Sanctuary,) he also sent forth a pure and holy flame, so as (with King David) it even consumed and fed upon him, not be upon the Church, for he was always so industrious to preserve them in their purity, and glory, and to advance them in all just estimation and greatness, as he contemned his own interest (nay life) for them, when they came in competition, for would he have sacrificed the Church, he had been the Church's Sacrifice: so as he made his life, and death but one continued Act of Protection to her, and hers, against all the open Invasions and secret Stratagems of Atheisms and Heresies.  
Fourthly, His wisdom, he was as an Angel of God, knowing both good and evil, avoiding the one as a Ship, or sand that would sink his vessel, and using the other as the rudder or Stern to keep it in a safe course (knowing that a Kingdom is Established by righteousness.)  
So as he might have been feared as well as admired for his knowledge, had it not been tempered with an equal goodness: for he could dive inao the bottom of the most deep and hidden Magination, unriver the most close fixed designs, see Effects in their causes (not Judging of causes, according to the vulgar error, by their effects, nay he could pierce into the centre of policy itself, and have applied ptudential remedies for the kill the Cockatrice in the Egg, and have plucked up by the roots those dark (though to him known) designs in their Infancy, that have by their growth produced such unhappy fruits, had he consulted his Power, and not his Piety, but he always soared upwards, as high as Heaven in his deliberations, and fetched his conclusions from thence (from Divine, not Humane Aphorisms) making Religion both the basis and roof, reason and Humane providence as supporters only of his designs and undertake: and would never own his preservation to unlawful ones, but trusted in God for all events, ever with Ely saying, they were good (though counter to his designs) because from above, and profitable when unpleasant.  
Fifthly, His Justice, he was then truly informed (though Princes see by other eyes, truth sometime reflected by false glasses) a Melchisedeck without Father, Mother or other relations; considering not man's person but his cause, not of Caesar's temper, who said, Melior causa cassii, sed denegare bruto nihil possum: nor the Emperor, who having been once Niceas his Favourite, wrote to his Judges (in a cause depending between him and another) if Niceas cause be good, let Justice prevail, if bad, let favour prevail, however let Niceas prevail, but standing as the Centre in the circumference, equally to distribute to all parts, and making the known Laws the Rule and measure of his Actions, though he was sometimes made to swerve from them by his Ministers (being drawn from his own Bias, and perverted from his aim, by some secret rub in the way) to the satisfaction of unjust interests, yet when Justice was most corrupted in the streams, it was ever pure in him the spring, for he erred sometimes in Judgement as man, but never I am confident in affections as a Christian, in that he was always preventing all applications and addresses for relief, where convinced in himself of any public injury, and never protected any subordinate Minister from a Legal responsableness for any oppression or irregularity, when called upon in a calm, not clamorous and tumultuous way, that he might seem to give, not have it extorted from him, and never accounted them his friends, who by any act of Justice made him many Enemies, for though I knew he erred in the high exorbitancies of the Council-table, I am persuaded the ever went with the Authority of the best Judgements, that misguided him through inconsideration, or abused his trust, & made their own false Coin to pass under his public Legal test and stamp, and was more ready to own his sorrow, and make satisfaction for it, (when evinced of its Irregularity by Law, reason or Religion) then at the first to countenance it, or his late condescensions and constant Professions made appear, for he ever accounted his Distributive Justice as the richest Gem in his Diadem, as that by which the Throne of Kings are Established, and the sweet Harmony of peace preserved: for when the boundaries of common interest are plucked up: all is disparked and laid open, so as the King's Rights as well as the Subjects, will be trespassed upon, by every rude and Rebellious hand, and every Beast of prey.  
Sixthly, By his mercy; A flower growing always in the Garlands (a stone shining most in the Crowns) of Princes, he was a Star of the first Magnitude, advancing it as a Child of his bowels (before that of his body) to be nearest him in his Throne, yet dispensing it with that prudence as never to encourage sin, but repentance in any, knowing there might be a cruel mercy, (the preservation of one being many times the ruin of many) as well as a merciless cruelty in denying it to all offenders.  
Seventhly, In humility, he was above himself, as much as he was exceeding others in all things else, for he ever set much to low an estimate upon his own abilities, though always allowing a Just value (if not over weight) to other parts, he ever looked through the right end of the perspective (examining them with Justice, if not partiality) but always through the wrong upon himself, and by a Religious diffidence, many times unhappily embraced and advanced others Counsels before his own Judgement, the only reason any can Assign of those little miscarryages (warts rather then Wems) we have seen in his Government, though he no sooner saw their Error, but endeavoured their rectitude, nay he was so exalted in this virtue, and low in his own apprehensions, (the richest are lying deepest in the mine,) that (like the Sun under a Cloud) he strove to conceal as much of himself as he could, and never unveiled himself wholly for Ostenation, but upon grounds of Piety and honour; So as he used that fine spun piece of his Meditations (which was too rich for the grave to consume) only as his Winding-sheet, not owning it till his death, nor then, but in a Just Vindication of himself and Caves: so that, like gedeon's Lamp, he did clearly sent forth his shine, till the earthen Picture of his body was broken.  
Eighthly, In bounty, he was Tenacious, and (though many times liberal) never Profuse, sometime mistaken in the merit of the receiver, but seldom suffering any service to him to go unrewarded, by it both to encourage industry and virtue in others, and also to oblige the Person to a future graaitude, (benefits being one of the great and strongest cords, which holds men active to their Duties (and he seldom gave to one, but he would oblige many by it, and where he denied, did it with so much sweetness and Artifice, as he usually made the refusal of the thing a gaining of the man.  
Ninthly, In patience, he was a wonder, Impregnable to the most wicked and daring attempts of provocations, in making himself above Injures, (even that piece of earth the Spaniards speak of which however trampled upon overcomes at last) and so immured and possessed his soul in that Divine grace, as neither Engine nor force could undermine or batter, lessen or impair it.  
This appears in that he could contend with the Axe, blunt the cruelty of his adversaries, grow by cutting, and enjoy an inward security in the greatest outward storms: so as we may truly say of him (as Caesar of himself, and fortitude in a threatened shipwreck) The man might perish, his Patience could not; for that shined the most glorious, under the greatest difficulties and obscurities, like Stars that many times borrow lustre from the darkness of the night, making himself not only a perfect mirror, but a a miracle of Patience itself; he not counting that a weakness in man, which was the Glory of Christ; a willing bearing and forgiving of injuries, storms, and crucifixion itself, Heb. 12.1, 2, 3.  
Let us therefore strive to write by his Copy, and by his example, both in life and death, to make the like advantages, both of God's frowns and favours, though not so great an improvement, for what if I contemn the world's pleasure, and get above misfortunes even to a having nothing, and yet possessing all things) my conquest is not so great as his, because my enemies were not so numerous and strong; nor my losses and temptations so many; for a little vessel may pass those shallows and Rocks, that will sink and split a taller ship, which draws more water.   
FINIS.