THE SIX SECONDARY causes OF THE Spinning out of this unnatural war.  
By D. P. P.  JEREMIAH 8. 20. 
The harvest is past, and the summer is ended, and yet we are not saved.  
Octob. 19 1644.  
Imprimatur, JAMES CRANFORD.  
LONDON, Printed by George Miller, 1644.   

To the Reader.  
IF a small Sparrow cannot fall to the ground, nor 
Mat. 10. 29, 30, 31.  a hair from our head without the will of our Heavenly Father; we may be the more confident, that nothing shall nor can be fall to us, in this unnatural war, except it be by the special providence of God: for it is he only that disableth or enableth the secondary Causes, according as his will and pleasure is to humble, or to bless us. And therefore if it doth seem to some, that I impute the spinning of this war, more than I should to the secondary Causes; I entreat them to be more charitable in their constructions; for my only aim is, to show, that the first and essential Cause is our sins, impenitency and ingratitude for mercies heretofore received of our gracious God, that hath been enforced by them, to disable the secondary Causes from executing that as they might otherwise have done, if he had not intended to humble us for the aforesaid transgressions. Neither do I as they may suppose, expose these secondary Causes to the public view; out of any private ends, or cynic humour, to bark at, on to confine the actions of these times; (though I may boldly say; that it is not by our wisdom, policy or experience in war, that we are in so good a condition but by the mere mercy of our gracious God) but out of a desire to contribute my mite, to the advancement of the true Reformation begun, and to lend a weak helping hand to draw this civil war (with the help of God) to a blessed and a more speedy end, that is spinned out by these secondary Causes. And so pressed,  
Thy humble servant in the Lord, D. P. P.   

The Contents.  

I. THe retarding of the true Reformation.  
II. The delay of Justice.  
III. The neglect of occasions, opportunities, or advantages.  
IV. The divisions and contentions that are among us.  
V. The strange Method of our war.  
VI. The want of perseverance.    

THE SIX Secondary Causes of the Spinning out of this unnatural war.  

The first Secondary Cause, is, The retarding of a True Reformation.  
ALl the faithful Ministers of God that were resident in this famous City, and that are come to it from all the parts of the kingdom, as into a Sanctuary, to preserve themselves from the cruelty of the Cannibals of these days; or that have been summoned to settle the Doctrine and the Discipline of the Church, according to the Word of God, and the form observed in the best Reformed Churches of France, Germany and Scotland; Have not yet been able, by their infatigable labours, fervent prayers, orthodox Doctrine, profitable exhortations, and loving admonitions, to mollify our hearts, or work in us a true and a cordial Reformation; but rather like a stiff necked people, we are grown more licentious in our lives and conversations, than we were before this great light of the gospel did appear to us as a morning sun; which impenitency and hardness of heart, should be lamented, if it were possible, with tears of blood, because it is not to be apparelled; for it doth exceed that of Nineveh, for they converted themselves unto the Lord, and turned from their 
a Jonah 3. 8.  wicked ways, by the preaching and the the threatenings of the Prophet Jonah; But alas! the preaching of all these faithful Messengers of God, nor the Judgements that have been inflicted these three years upon this Nation, cannot move us to fear and apprehend the last 
b Rev. 15.  viols of the wrath of God, that are ready to fall upon our heads, so insensible and stupid are our hearts, that they seem like Nabals heart, to be turned into 
c 1 Sam. 15. 7.  stones: And yet there never was more Fasting; nor more days of Humiliation, nor prayers addressed to the Throne of Grace, in this kingdom, than there is at this present time, and since these wars began; What may then be the reason, that our prayers are rejected at this time by our gracious God? It must assuredly be this, That our Fasts, our humiliations and our prayers, are all formal, and not sincere; and that we applaud the 
d 2 Tim. 3. 5.  form, but deny the power of godliness; and that we serve God with our lips, and deny him in our hearts; we bow down our heads for a day, like a 
* Isa. 68 ●5.  bulrush, but all the month after, instead of mortifying our lusts, we inflame them by our carnal cogitations: Instead of examining ourselves, and diving into the secret corners of our deceitful hearts, we censure and reprehend the carriage and actions of others; instead of being lowly and humble in our own eyes, we are swollowed up with pride and self-conceitedness; 
Mat. 7. 5.  we can see a straw in our brother's eye, but we cannot see a beam in our own: We are apt with our father Adam, to transfer our own sins upon others; 
Gen. 3. 5.  or like the hypocritical Pharisee, bless ourselves, when we are worse than Publicans; we can say, such a one is 
Luk. 18. 10, 11.  this, and such a one is that, or these men's sins are the cause of our present miseries, but we do not put our hands upon our breasts and confess ingeniously, Lord my sins have a greater share in these public calamities, than any other man's sins: O let us then in the Name of God, return unto him; judge ourselves that we may not be judged, let us sweep before our own doors, and the street will be soon cleansed; I mean, let us every one in particular mortify our own corruptions, reform our lives, manners and conversations, 
1 Cor. 11. 31.  and abhor formality the 
k Rev. 3. 15.  Laodicean temper; and be fervent, sincere and zealous in the ways of righteousness; and not seem only to be righteous, but strive to be really so; for by this spiritual dissimulation, we may deceive others and ourselves, but we cannot deceive God, that searcheth the hearts; and will reward us, not according to our fair shows, but according to our reality or hypocrisy: And this personal Reformation, will be a good step to the general; which will never be attained, if every one of us do not endeavour in particular to reform ourselves. And as concerning the general Reformation of the Doctrine and the Discipline of the Church; we are all bound to petition to the Honourable Houses of Parliament; that they would be pleased, to make the same the first work of their unparrelled labours: And that it may have the precedency of the civil, politic and Military Reformations; because the blessed issue of these last, depends altogether upon the settling of the first; as I will endeavour to make it appear by these reasons following.  
1. Our gracious God is a jealous God, that abhors all mixtures of Religions; and hath been pleased to teach us, to prefer his Glory before all other respects: And that all other ends set apart, we are to give in all our consultations and reformations, the precedency to the purity of his service, as he hath given us a precedent for it in the first Table of his 
l Exod. 20.  commandments; wherein the spiritual duties, have the precedency before the moral, that are contained in the second Table. And this order hath been religiously observed by the Prophets, and the good Kings of Judah; and out of a certain instinct of nature, that teacheth men to reverence the Deity, by the very Heathen; as it may be collected out of the lives of Lycurgus, Solon and 
m See Plutarch in their lives.  Numa Pompilius, the Legislators of the lacedaemonians, Athenians and Romans: Now if we omit, out of carnal ends, to render unto our gracious God, that reverence that is due to him from us, in regard of his glory and worship, his jealousy will be so speedily inflamed, and his wrath so kindled against us, that we shall rather draw his judgements upon our heads, than blessings upon our civil, politic and Military enterprises.  
2. As the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, even so the reestablishing of the purity of his service in the Church, is the first means to obtain from him, in time of distress and affliction, store of mercies and deliverances; this point may be proved by may instances out of the Book of judges; when the children of Israel were presently delivered, from great servitude and tribulations, (that were fallen upon them for neglecting the purity of 
See the whole Book of judges.  the service that God had appointed them, to go a-whoring after Idols, and strange Religions) as soon as they set a reforming hand to the Church abuses, and returned and cried, with sincere hearts to the Lord their God. The incomparable Mercies and deliverances that God was pleased to give to 
n 2 King. 193 350.  Hezekiah King of Judah, may also be a special Instance for the proof of this point; for they proceeded from the zeal he had at the beginning of his reign to reform the Church of God of all the abuses and Innovations that were crept in the same, in the time of Ahaz his Father. And the great Love and Mercies that the Lord showed unto 
o 1 Kin. 22, 30.  Josiah, may be another fit Instance for the proof of this point; for they sprang from that unparalelled zeal he had to reform the abuses and idolatry that was crept in the Church, and had defiled the Purity of the Service of God, in the time of Amon his Father; for in zeal, and diligent love and affection to purge the Church, and to establish a true and cordial Reformation in Judah, he exceeded all the other good Kings of Judah; And therefore the Lord did for his sake delay and retard the judgements that he had long before intended to send upon Jerusalem, and granted him that mercy, as they happened not in his days; nor was not afflicted with the sight of the lamentable desolation and destruction that befell presently after upon the city, the Temple, and the whole Nation of the Jews. Out of which Instances may be collected, That there is nothing more acceptable unto God then when Kings and Princes, or Magistrates do begin their Reformations, and dedicate the precedency of it to the affairs of the Church, in case of re-establishing the true purity of his Service and Worship. 3. The retarding of a true Reformation, and re-establishing of the Purity of God's worship is dangerous in three manner of ways to a kingdom or commonweal. 1. Because diversity of opinions in Religion breeds contentions; for alienation of affections are most apt to proceed from the contrariety of opinions in points of Religion, as there is no greater bond to link men's affections together, than an unanimous assent of judgement in matters of doctrine and discipline of the Church, and of that Religion they openly profess. And therefore it is no wonder if contentions and divisions do abound among us, since every one is suffered to entertain what opinion he pleases in points of Religion. Now public contentions breed mutinies, combustions, and at last factions and an intestine war; for the proof of which point, we need no other instance than our own miseries; for if the Popish Religion had been kept under in the reign of King James, and in the reign of his majesty that now is our sovereign, this unnatural war of ours might according to human reason and probabilities have been prevented; for by the raising of some of that profession to great honours and preferments, they have, to subsist and strengthen themselves, withdrawn the Person of his majesty, and alienated his Love and his affections from his most faithful Parliament, and from the rest of his most loyal Subjects, whereby jealousies have been fomented, two parties formed, and this intestine war procured. 2. The retarding of a true Reformation in the Church makes this Reformation more difficult to be performed; for since this war begun, and this licentious liberty of opinions in Religion hath been connived at, the one party is increased in popery, idolatry, superstition, profaneness, atheism, impiety, and cruelty; and the other in Separatists, Independents, Brownists, Anabaptists, Antinomians, Socinians, and Libertines, that like so many Giants oppose godliness and a true Reformation; for a civil war, and a licentious liberty of erroneous opinions is Satan's harvest, and the time that he soweth his pernicious seed in the field of 
p Matt. 13. 25.  Wheat of the painful husbandman, and makes it increase as the weeds do in a garden after a soaking shower of rain, or multiply like a swarm of Bees in the beginning of the Summer. And we see by experience that these Sectaries are not only multiplied into incredible multitudes, but are become also so impudent and bold, as to expostulate and make Apologies for to obtain a free Liberty of Conscience, as they term it, to cover their licentious and impious projects, that is, to do all manner of evil, and to teach all manner of heresies, and unheard of opinions; And that they may say and act what seemeth good in their own eyes; As if there was neither King, nor a Parliament, nor any Magistrates in this kingdom to suppress and keep them in awe; As there was none in Israel in the time of 
q Judg. 17. 3.  Micah that made a molten image and worshipped the same in stead of the living God. Even so if their request were granted (which God forbid) we should have more sects among us then the Egyptians had deities. And such an Olio Podrigo of Religions as never was in any Nation, which would speedily produce a confusion, and this confusion would immediately after bring forth a general desolation upon the land in lieu of a true Reformation. 3. The retarding of the reestablishing of the Purity of the Service of God in our Church, makes many to stagger, not knowing on which side to stand, when they consider the one side infected with profanity and impiety, and the other with Sectaries and Libertines; whereas if the Doctrine and the Discipline of the Church was published and settled, the true and faithful Messengers of God that are among us might then be bold to propound to the people in their Sermons and public Exhortations as 
r 1 Kin. 18. ●●.  Elijah did to the People of Israel this query, If the Lord be God, follow him; If Baal, follow him: for we cannot halt any longer between two opinions. Moreover this Galimafrey of Sects and Religions, and the licentious, profane, and impious men, that shelter themselves in our Armies, in the city and Counties, are the very 
s Josh. 7. 1.  achan's that are the cause of all our disgraces; for they foment the contentions that arise between our Commanders in chief, between their Officers, between the lieutenants and the Committees of our Counties: Nay, they dare presume to foment them in our Senate, Assembly, between the Magistrates, in our Militia, halls, city, and between the Citizens and Common People, to the end they may subsist and fish in the muddy waters of these civil distractions; And therefore there is no likelihood that a true Reformation may be procured before these Sectaries and licentious persons be banished into the unknown Islands, that the venom of their contagious tenants may not infect no more any of the simple or ignorant souls of these three kingdoms. I am not ignorant that the Honourable Houses were very fervent at the beginning of this Parliament to give the precedency of this intended general Reformation to the affairs of the Church, and to the restoring of the purity of the Service and Worship of God, and withal to have cleansed the Kingdom of this vermin of Sectaries, and accursed thing of licentious and impious men, as a most proper and peculiar work for such wise and pious Senators. But alas, our sins were the cause that this fervour was quenched, and that holy resolution retarded by the cunning of Satan, and the deluding insinuations of his agents, I mean, of the prelacy and Jesuitical faction, which under the colour of the public good, infused the venom of these contagious positions into the hearts of men, That there was neither wisdom nor Policy to establish so speedily the Presbyterial Discipline in the Church of England, because it would deprive the Parliament of the great contributions that might be collected out of the multitudes of these Sectaries, that would rather go beyond the Seas, or side with the enemy, then to submit or conform themselves to that Discipline; and that it were safer to delay till these differences were nearer to an Accommodation. Wise and carnal men, but blind and ignorant in spiritual things, this counsel being like to prove as fatal unto them, as the counsel that 
t 2 Sam. 16. 21.  Ahithophel gave to Absalon (to enter into his father's Concubines at noon day; that he might make him uncapable of reconciliation with his father) was to himself, for it was as pernicious in a twofold manner. 1. That the Contributions of these Sectaries might prove among the Contributions of the Children of God, as the mothers that breed or come in a piece of rich cloth, that consume and spoil the same in a short time. 2. That by the conniving at these Sectaries against the special Word of God, we might be made irreconcilable with our gracious and heavenly Father. And for to make this pernicious counsel more plausible, they said it was the Policy of the Hollanders, that do indeed give a free Toleration to all sorts of Religions, because they are of all the Nations of Christendom the most addicted to the Laodicean Temper, and will do any thing for gain. But this carnal Policy of theirs is like to prove fatal unto them; for this Toleration of Religions hath already fomented so many divisions and contentions among them, that will in all probability be the cause of their ruin, if they prevent it not by a speedy and a cordial repentance: for a kingdom or a commonweal divided within itself cannot 
u Matth. 12. 25.  subsist; And it is a wonder and a great mercy of God that we are not already consumed, for never was a kingdom more rent with divisions and contentions than England is. Now it stands not with the Honour, wisdom and pious inclination of the honourable Houses of Parliament to prefer carnal Counsels before the good of the Church of God. They may be as prudent as serpents, and as simple as doves; but to allow of, or connive at a small evil, to avoid a greater, it is not convenient to the Zerubbabels and the Nehemiah's of our times; they are rather to say, Should such a 
x Nehem. 6. 11.  man as I slay? or should such men as we displease God, in conniving for a time at Sectaries for their Contributions? Alas, these contributions are vanished away like the chaff that is driven away by a whirl wind, such a blow as we have had of late in the West would swallow three years of their Contributions, and who can tell if it were not for their Toleration that it was given us; and that these wars might have been ended two years ago but for them; But I am sure that 
y Josh 7. 25.  Achan was to be stoned before the Army of Israel could overcome Ai; And that 
z Jonah 1. 15.  Jonah was to be cast overboard into the sea, before the ship and the mariners could obtain a calm. Nay, the erectors of our New Jerusalem are to be like Moses, that rejected the honours, riches, and the pleasures of Egypt, to suffer reproach and affliction with his brethren, the Children of God; And like Zerubbabel and Nehemiah that forsook the great preferments that they had at the Court of Cyrus and of Artaxerxes the two great Kings of Persia, for to erect the second Temple, and restore the purity of the ancient Service of the Jews. Now so much more as the building of this New Jerusalem doth exceed in worth and infatigable labour, the re-edifying of the old, and as much as the restauration of the purity of the Service and of the true Worship of God doth exceed the ancient Service of the Jews. So much should the Zerubbabels and the Nehemiah's of our days endeavour to exceed in courage, fervour, and zeal in this great work and acceptable Service of the Lord, I mean, in perfecting this true Reformation in hand. But because they are but men, and subject to the like passions and infirmities as we are, we are all bound in general, and every one in particular, to address our fervent prayers to the Throne of Grace, That God will be pleased to endue them with all such abilities of courage, resolution, wisdom, and unity, that they may speedily erect the foundations of this so long hoped for Jerusalem upon the Rock of the true Word of God, that it may stand like Mount Zion for ever immovable, notwithstanding all oppositions whatsoever, of the roaring waves, of the swelling billows, and of the enraged seas of these civil distractions, to the great Glory of God, to the everlasting Consolation of his Children, and to the immortal honour of the erectors.   

The second Secondary Cause, is, The Delay of justice.  
THe Heathen Poets to induce men to reverence Justice feigned her to be a goddess descended from Heaven, wearing a scarf over her eyes, holding a pair of balances in her left hand, and a naked sword in her right. To intimate by her scarf, her impartiality; by the balances, her wisdom; and by the sword, her activity. By her impartiality she is to make no distinction of persons, whether they be noble, rich or poor, she is to do Justice to all. By her wisdom she is to poise a right all actions, occurrences and circumstances whatsoever, to aggrave or moderate her censure or judgement; by her activity, she is to be speedy, avoiding delays and reprives; for time is a producer of accidents that perverts & hinders the execution of Justice, and so far doth natural morality instruct men concerning Justice. But God's Word and the Principles of Christianity doth inform men, That Justice is ordained of God, and one of his greatest Attributes; for he is as Just as merciful; and that he hath entrusted the sword of Justice to Princes and Magistrates to execute impartially, justly, and speedily Justice and Judgement upon the sons of men, that are naturally prone to evil and backward to good by the seed of their original corruption that remaineth in them, which like Tinder is apt to receive the sparks of the fire that Satan strikes by the steel of his tentations, out of those carnal objects that are more suitable to their natural inclinations. Now this aptness to evil, increased by the allurements of Satan, doth inflame their affections to all manner of licentious desires, and by degrees draws their will to assent to the execution of them, and this execution or enjoyment of sin doth create an habit in evil, and this habit produceth an allowance of sin, that bringeth forth a shameless impudency to uphold all manner of impiety; and so by degrees conduces them to a hardness of heart, and without a special Grace of God, to a reprobate sense, that would carry them headlong like wild horses to eternal confusion; if God by his Law and his restraining Spirit did not bridle their licentiousness. Therefore knowing the natural disposition of men; he was pleased for to curb their wicked inclination, to write with his own hand upon two Tables of stone his ten 
a Exod. 20.  commandments, for the regulating of his own elected people of Israel, over whom he committed his servant Moses, and entrusted him with the sword of Justice, as his special Deputy, to administer Justice and Judgement to his People; But he finding himself overburdered with so great a charge, by the counsel of Jethro appointed divers other subordinate Magistrates elected out of the wisest men of all the Tribes of Israel, that judged the people, but only in some difficult cases, that he reserved to himself. Now these ten commandments have been and are the groundwork of all other divine and human laws, that have been multiplied from time to time, according to the increase of the malice and the impiety of men. For in the year six hundred of the Foundation of Rome, the Romans had no Law for 
b See the Antiquities of Rom.  parricides, but at that time an impious son having murdered his Father, a law was made he should be sown up into a leather sack, and cast alive into the River of Tiber. But it is not the multiplicity of laws that makes a Nation happy, it is rather the speedy and the unpartial execution of them; for it falls out too often, That delay of Justice is mere injustice, because many men are undone by the long and tedious delays of Justice, and divers are constrained to suffer wrong, rather than they will consume their estates in procuring of Justice. Now if this multiplicity of laws are suffered to have a nose of wax, that may be turned or construed on the right, or on the left side, as the Judge pleaseth; Or like unto the she spider's web, that serveth only to ensnare small flies, that the male Spider may devour them; but permits the bussing wasp to break thorough the same without impediment; they will be like so many leeches, to suck the blood of the common people, and in a short time cast a kingdom into intestine contentions, as ours is at this time, and all for want of the execution of the laws and wholesome Statutes that were established in Edward the sixth and Queen Elizabeth's time against the Recusants and Sectaries. The speedy and unpartial execution of Justice is then the very Atlas that supports and maintains a kingdom in prosperity and Peace; It entertains foreign confederations; It draws the blessing of God upon it; It foments love and unity among Subjects; It increaseth Trade and commerce between Merchants, and between Citizen tradesmen and country people; Nay, it is the very Court of Guard of all his majesty's Subjects. In a word, the Omission and delay of Justice is odious to God, destructive to kingdoms, and fatal to families and private men, the which I will endeavour to prove by Instances. But that I may go on in a methodical way, I will in the first place insist upon the danger of the delay and the omitting of it. Secondly, upon the benefits that accrue upon the speedy and unpartial execution of it. And thirdly, how acceptable a thing it is to God if Justice be uprightly administered, and how odious it is to him if it be delayed, or neglected. 1. The Omission of Justice by 
c Titus Livius, decad.. 1. lib. 1. fol. 89.  Tarqvinius the Elder upon Sextus Tarqvinius his son for the Rape of Lucretia was the cause that he and his posterity were deprived of the Roman Monarchy. 2. The Omission of Justice by the nine Decemviri upon Appius Claudius their colleague for his injustice and impiety concerning Virginia was the cause of the death of that chaste 
d Titus Livius, deca. 2. lib. 3. fol 351.  Virgin, of the abhorred end of Appius, & of the perpetual banishment of his nine fellow tyrants. 3. The Omission of Justice by 
e See Plutarch in Demetrius his life.  Demetrius King of Macedonia to his poor Subjects, for they having tendered him many Petitions to have their grievances redressed, he cast them all into a river, whereupon they were so incensed, that they refused to assist him against his foreign enemies, and so was deprived of his kingdom, and taken prisoner by Seleucus the great. 4. The Omission of Justice by 
f See Plutar. in Alexander's life.  Philip the first King of Macedonia upon some of his Favourites, that had abused a Gentleman in his honour, that petitioned for redress, was the cause that he was perfidiously murdered by the same Gentleman, contrary to the laws of God, that doth not allow a Subject to avenge his private wrongs, or to conceive an ill thought for them against his sovereign. 5. The Omission of Justice by the 
g See Plut in Pelopodias life.  Ephores of the lacedaemonians upon two of their Military Officers, for the committing of a Rape and Murder upon a countryman's daughter, was the cause that the Father of that Virgin slew himself out of despair, and that those two Officers and six thousand lacedaemonians more were slain in a battle, fought close to the very same town where that Rape and Murder had been committed; Plutarch affirming that the Gods were impatient to suffer any longer their delay of Justice. 6. The Omission of Justice by Cicero and some other Senators upon Julius Caesar that was of the conspiracy of 
h See Plut in Cicero's life.  Catilina, was the cause of the loss of the Romans liberty, and of the miserable end of Cicero, and of the greater part of those Roman Senators. 7. The Omission of Justice by 
i See Pierre Mat. in the History of France  Henry the fourth King of France upon the whole society of Jesuits, inhabiting his dominions, for an attempt made upon his sacred Person by a Student of their society, was the cause he was three years after perfidiously murdered by their instigation by that horrid parricide Ravilliac. 8. The denial of Justice by the Inhabitants of 
k See Iudg. 20. 20, 35.  Gibeah for the Murder committed upon the Levites Concubine, was the cause of the death of forty thousand Israelites, and of the utter extermination of the Tribe of Benjamin, six hundred men only excepted. 9 The Indulgence of Eli to his two 
l 1 Sam. 4. 17.  sons Hophni and Phineas was the cause of his sudden death, of the miserable end of his sons, and of this heavy curse upon his posterity, I have sworn, saith the Lord, unto the house of Eli, that the wickedness of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever. 10. The Omission of Justice by King 
m 2 Sam. 13.  David upon Amnon his son for the Rape of Tamar, was the cause of the Murder of Amnon, of the rebellion and of the miserable end of Absalon. 11. The Omission of Justice by King 
n 2 Sam. 20. 1.  David upon the house of Saul, because he had contrary to the Oath of the People of Israel destroyed the greater part of the Gibeonites, was the cause of three years' famine in Israel, that ceased not before Justice had been executed upon seven men of the house of Saul. 12. The Omission of Justice by 
o 1 Ki. 20. 42.  Ahab upon Benhadad was the cause of his death, and of this fearful denunciation against him, Thus saith the Lord, because thou hast let go out of thy hands a man whom I had appointed to die, thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. For the second, of the benefits that accrue by the speedy and unpartial execution of Justice. 1. A certain King of the Locresians having made a Law against 
p See Plut. in his Opuscui.  Adultery, That whosoever should be convinced of it, should have both his eyes put out; His only son being the first, he immediately caused his son's left eye, and his own right eye to be put out before all his Subjects; to authorise his Law, and to execute Justice; for which he was reverenced, beloved, and honoured by all men in his life time; and is in these days admired for his unpartial execution of Justice. 2. Lucius, 
q Titus Livius in his first decad.. lib. 2.  Junius, Brutus first Consul of the Romans having been informed that two of his sons, divers of his nephews, and many young noble men had conspired to deliver up the City of Rome to Tarqvinius, he caused them to be apprehended, sat with the Judges at their trial, and being convinced, accompanied them to the block, persuading the executioner to rid the world speedily of such traitors to their country; and so by this unpartial Justice of his he preserved his commonweal, and was so beloved and honoured of his Citizens, that the Roman Ladies mourned a whole year for his death. 3. Titus 
r Titus Livius in his first decad.. lib. 9  Manlius general of the Romans having caused to be proclaimed thorough his Army that none upon pain of death should fight against any of the Latins their enemies that were encamped within a mile of the Romans Camp, his son being appointed the next day to discover with a troop of horse the posture of the enemy, was challenged by a chief Officer of the enemy's horse to a single fight, that came also to discover the Posture of the Romans; but he refused the Challenge, because of his father's Command; yet being overcome by the insolency of his enemy that accused him of cowardice; he advanced before his troop, and fought with him, slew him and carried away his Horse and arms; and was conducted with a great part of the Army in a Triumphant manner into the Camp: But coming into his father's Tent he was apprehended, tried, and executed in the presence of his father, notwithstanding the great entreaty of the Officers of the Army, Titus Manltus answering, either. I must by the natural compassion of a father overthrow for ever the Military Discipline of the Romans, in pardoning my son so great an offence, or by an unpartial Justice prefer the good of my country to my son's life. This unpartial Justice of his upon so valiant a son, although it seemed rigorous to the younger sort, yet the ancient Senators did greatly commend it, for it fell out to be very profitable to the Roman commonweal, because it maintained their Discipline in force for a long time until Scipio his days, the which was revived again by this noble action following. 4. Publius Scipio general of a great Army of the Romans in Spain, having in a manner finished the wars, and reduced that kingdom under the Romans yoke, fell sick at new Carthage; upon the report of his perilous sickness, eight thousand Roman soldiers that lay in an entrenched Camp, near to the river Succo some twenty miles' distance from Carthage, to preserve the confederate Counties from the incursions of the enemies, began to mutiny for their pay, and some licentious soldiers among them fomented the same, and after they had driven away their Colonels and captains that opposed their rebellious actions, they made choice of Albinus Calenus and Atrius umber, two licentious common soldiers for their Commanders in chief, and entertained correspondency with Mandonius and judibilis the Generals of the enemy, and so fell a plundering their associated Counties, hoping to enrich themselves without danger, upon the report of their general's death; but 
s Titus Livius, decad 3. lib. 8.  Scipio being somewhat recovered and past danger, he sent presently six well-affected Colonels to inform them of his recovery, and to persuade them to submit themselves to his mercy; whereupon they began to consult what they should do to prevent their ruin, and so resolved to leave their arms in their Camp, and to go to Carthage for their pay, and to recover their general's favour, disdaining any longer to submit themselves so low as to be at the beck of two such base and ambitious fellows as Albinus and Atrius, whereupon Scipio being acquainted of their resolution feigned to undertake a design, and caused his forces and carriages to advance out of town, to free the mutineers of all suspicion, only commanded some trusty soldiers to welcome the Heads of them, and under colour of compliment to go along with them to their lodging, by which means they were all apprehended and fettered that night, and in the morning caused all the rest to be summoned to appear before his Tribunal; where they were no sooner come, but they were environed with those Horse and Foot that seemed the day before to have gone out upon a design, and hereupon were extremely amazed for fear they should all be put to the sword; But Scipio having commanded silence, made an Oration to them, and reprehended their rashness, indiscretion, and infidelity; and that by the laws of war, he might make them all a public example of Justice for the time to come, but considering that they had been for the greater part seduced by some pernicious Agents of Albinus and Atrius, he was contented upon Promise of Amendment to give them their pardon, and would content himself with the death of thirty of the chief Authors of this mutiny; And so caused them to be brought forth fettered as they were, and to be whipped with scourges before all the Army, and afterwards to be beheaded; This speedy and unpartial Justice was very profitable to the Romans to uphold their Military Discipline, that began to be corrupted, and Scipio obtained great honour by it, and the love of all his Army, having mingled Mercy with Justice. This point deserves to be taken into consideration by them in authority, for our Generals are abused, and their honour and reputation betrayed by the perfidious carriages and counsels of some of their Officers, which deserve to be made an Example of Justice to others, otherwise this war is like to be spinned out till there be no more oil in the lamp to keep it burning. 5. 
t Herodotus in his life.  Cambyses' King of Persia, notwithstanding that he was a Tyrant, yet to win the love of his Subjects, he did administer speedy and unpartial Justice, for hearing of a Judge that took bribes to pervert Justice, he caused him to be flayed alive, and his skin to be nailed upon the chair where the Judges sat to give Judgement, for a memorandum to others to administer Justice speedily and unpartially. 6. Absalon to withdraw the hearts of the people of Isreal from his Father; and to win their love, complained that Justice was neglected, and used to utter this insinuating exclamation, 
u 2 Sam. 15. 4.  O that I were made a judge in the land, that any one that hath any suit or cause might come unto me: And I would do him justice, &c. 7. Charles the fifth and 
x See the history of France.  Lewis the twelfth Kings of France were so beloved and honoured of their Subjects for their speedy and unpartial administration of Justice, that the first obtained the honourable attribute of a Wise King, and the second of a Just Prince, and the nursing Father of his People. 8. 
y Speed Chron. the first of Henry the 8.  Henry the eighth King of England never obtained more honour nor more love of his Subjects then when he gave way that Sir Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley Esquire, should be made public Examples of Justice for the incredible oppressions they had committed upon his Subjects in his Father Henry the seventh's time. 9 The speedy and unpartial Justice of the Children of Levi in going out from gate to gate throughout the Camp, slaying every man his 
z Exod. 32. 27.  brother, and every man his Companion, and every man his neighbour, according to the commandment of Moses, was so acceptable to God that it appeased his wrath. 10. The speedy and unpartial execution of justice by King David upon the 
a 2. Sam. 1. 15.  Amalekite, that confessed before him, that he had slain King Saul his mortal enemy, was very acceptable unto God, and was the cause that the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin proclaimed him King with great joy. 11. The speedy and unpartial execution of Justice by the same King upon Rechab and 
b 2 Sam. 4. 12.  Baanah, that had perfidiously murdered Ishbosheth their Lord and Master, hoping thereby to obtain some great reward of King David, because he was his Competitor; was acceptable unto God, and the Cause that he won the love of all Israel, and was suddenly after proclaimed King over all the twelve Tribes of Israel. 12. It appears in divers places of the second book of Samuel, how much King David was discontented, because he had not the power to administer speedy and unpartial Justice upon Joab general of his Army, for his perfidious Carriage toward Abner and Amasa, whom he murdered under colour of love and courtly compliments, yet on his death bed he commanded King Solomon his son, that he should not suffer the 
c 1 King. 1. 6.  hoary head of Joab to go down in peace to the grave; by which command it appears how much this good King's heart was inclined to execute Justice; and how just and wonderful the judgements of the Lord are upon such murderers as Joab was, that could not escape at the end his avenging hand, although it was deferred for a time. Now I come to the third point to prove how acceptable the speedy and unpartial execution of Justice is to God; and how odious it is to him if it be delayed and omitted. 1. The speedy execution of Justice by Phinehas upon Zimri and Cozbi was so acceptable unto the Lord that it turned away his wrath from his people of Israel, and procured to 
d Num. 25. 12, 13.  Phinehas this Promise, Wherefore, behold I give unto him my Covenant of Peace. And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel, &c. 2. Moses the servant of God for an extraordinary blessing to the 
e Deut. 33. 21.  Tribe of Dan saith, And he came with the head of the people, he executed the justice of the Lord, &c. meaning that this Tribe above all others should have Rulers that would administer Justice speedily and impartially, which was in Moses opinion one of the greatest blessings that could befall men. 3. 
f Job 8. 3.  Bildad the Shuhite one of the three intimate friends of Job, to prove the incomprehensible Justice of God, said to him, Doth God pervert judgement, or doth the Almighty pervert justice? &c. Now the more just and unpartial Magistrates are in the administration of justice, the nearer they approach in imitation to that incomprehensible perfection of Justice that is in God. For by him 
g Prov. 8. 15.  Princes do reign and do decree Justice, &c. for they are indeed his Deputies to administer Justice. 4. The Lord was so well pleased to see Justice unpartially administered by the Rulers that returned from the captivity of Babylon, that he bestowed this blessing upon Jerusalem for it, The Lord bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of 
h Jer. 31. 23.  holiness, &c. Justice being reputed here for a special degree of holiness. 5. To administer Justice unpartially, it is to obey the commandment of the Lord, keep ye 
i Isai. 56. 1.  judgement, for my Salvation is at hand, &c. and again, Defend the poor and fatherless, do 
k Psal. 82. 3.  justice to the afflicted and to the needy, &c. 6. The Lord's wrath is inflamed when Justice is delayed or omitted. They ask of me, saith he, the 
l Isai. 58. 2.  Ordinances of justice, &c. meaning to rebuke the people of Israel for their dissimulation for to delay Justice, because they feigned they did not know the Ordinances of Justice, &c. 7. The Lord is always so prone to do Justice, that he complains by his Prophet, none 
m Isai. 59 3.  called for Justice, &c. meaning that he was always ready to do that which the Rulers of Israel were so unwilling to do; and that he was angry, because they did not give ear to them that required and called for Justice. 8. The Lord is excremely displeased when Justice is delayed, or omitted; as may appear by this passage of the Prophet Isaiah, judgement is turned backward, and justice 
n Isai. 59 14, 15.  standeth afar off: for Truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter, &c. yea, Truth faileth, and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. By these human Instances, and passages of the Word of God, we may see how dangerous it is to omit or delay Justice, and how pleasant and acceptable it is to God, when Justice is speedily and unpartially administered: And therefore we are all bound in general, and every one in particular to address our fervent prayers to God, that he would be pleased to infuse into the hearts of all the members of the Honourable Houses, an earnest desire to administer speedy and unpartial Justice. Now they have drawn the sword out of her sheath, by the Commissioners of war, they have lately appointed to bring to a speedy trial all those criminal offenders, that they have in their Custody. Four of which have been the cause of the shedding of more Christian blood then ever 
o 1 Kin, 20. 42.  Benhadad King of Damascus caused to be split of the people of Israel. And therefore the delay of their trial is the more dangerous, for time produceth many accidents that hinder and pervert Justice. If all Christendom were not acquainted with the unmatchless clemency and indulgent proceedings of the Honourable Houses toward their prisoners, the Malignant spirits would inpute the long retention of so many prisoners to Cruelty. For the Emperor 
p Tacitus in Tiberius life.  Tiberius was used to say, when he was demanded the reason why he kept criminal prisoners so long in hold, Because, said he, they die daily, and it would be too great a mercy by a sudden execution to end their miseries. Even so the Spanish 
q See the Spanish History.  Inquisition when they will favour any of their prisoners, they bring them speedily to their trial, and as suddenly to their execution; but such as they intend to Martyr, they keep them in continual durance, that they may suffer by their horrid torments a thousand deaths for one. But our Prisoners fare as well as 
r See Plutarch in Demetrius his life.  Demetrius' King of Macedonia, that was detained prisoner three or four years by Seleucus the great; for he never had less care, nor better fare, or more ease than he had in his durance; even so our Malignants are more jovial, and in better liking than they were in the time of their liberty. It were then a laudable frugality in these days of Pecuniaefames; to bring the criminal Delinquents to a speedy trial; that if they be guilty, they may be dealt withal as Quintus Fulvius dealt with the Senators of 
s Titus Livius decad. 3. lib. 8.  Capua. And for the prisoners of war to expedite their exchange, to free the prisoners they have of ours from their miseries; And for such as are in hold for contempt, to release them upon fines; for fear their long retention disable them to give any; so should our Prisons be cleared, the state freed from danger and charges, and the second secondary cause of the spinning out of this unnatural war removed.   

The third Secondary Cause, is, The neglect of occasions, opportunities, & advantages.  
OCcasion or opportunity is a certain nick of time unexpected, nor thought upon, that seems to come accidentally, and yet is guided by the will and the special Providence of God. Now of all occasions or opportunities the spiritual, civil, and Military are of greatest concernment; for the first concerns our souls; the second, our private and the public welfare; and the last, our lives and liberties. And by consequence the embracing of them very profitable, and the omitting of them very prejudicial to men. But of these three the spiritual opportunities are as much more to be carefully embraced as the soul is more precious than our means, lives, and liberties; for upon the careful and diligent observation of them depends our perpetual bliss, and upon the neglect of them our eternal woe. Neither can we expect to obtain the Grace to make a profitable use of the civil and of the Military Opportunities, unless we be diligent and faithful to observe all spiritual opportunities, that may conduce to the advancement of the Glory of God, the good of his Church, and to the Salvation of our souls. For by the observation of the spiritual, we obtain and preserve ourselves in the favour of God; without which favour all civil and military opportunities vanish away. The ancient Moralists have figured opportunity under the shape of a Woman, having great wings at her back, and a lock of hair hanging over her face, but bald behind; to intimate by her lock and her wings, that if we let her slip when she offers herself to us, she will fly away, and never be recovered again. And therefore that we are to be very circumspect and observant to catch her by the forelock, as she presents herself to us; for if she do but turn her back, having no hold behind, we lose her for ever. And the loss of one spiritual, civil, and Military opportunity may endanger our Salvation, our means, and the public welfare, and our lives and liberties; As I will endeavour to prove by human Histories, and by Instances out of the Word of God. But before, I desire (for fear of misprision) to ground my discourse upon this Principle of Religion, That whensoever the freewill, the good pleasure, and the eternal purpose of God, is pleased to bless a kingdom with Peace and Prosperity; he will then enable the King, his counsellors, Generals of Armies, Magistrates, and all other subordinate Officers of that kingdom to make use of all opportunities that may conduce to that end. But on the contrary side, If his will and pleasure be to humble, correct, or destroy a kingdom, then will he disable the King, his counsellors, Generals of Armies, Magistrates, and all other subordinate Officers of that kingdom, to omit and neglect all favourable opportunities that may be offered to them, that his will, pleasure, and eternal purpose concerning the humiliation, correction, or destruction of that kingdom, commonweal, families, or private persons may come to pass and be accomplished in his time. But some will object and say, If all opportunities, occasions, or advantages in spiritual, civil, and Military actions depend merely upon the freewill, the good pleasure, and the eternal purpose of God, whether we be careful or careless, wise or imprudent, valiant or timorous, or omit or embrace all spiritual, civil, and Military opportunities it matters not. Why should we then trouble ourselves to be diligent and zealous in spiritual duties? wise & prudent in civil actions, and circumspect, valiant & expert in Military exploits, since the issue of all depends upon the will of God? I answer, that this secret will, and eternal purpose of God is a Mystery to men, and that the wisest men upon earth cannot dive into it, and therefore that we are to obey his revealed will; that is, that we should be fervent, zealous and diligent in all spiritual duties, to make our calling and 
a 2 Pet. 1. 10.  election sure; and to be wise and prudent in all civil actions; according to that degree he hath been pleased to endue us withal; and make use of the experience, valour, and courage in war that we have obtained as a gift from him; to conduce all such things we undertake to the advancement of his Glory, to the good of his Church, and to the peace and prosperity of our country; and doing so, and in all our ends aiming at that blank, howsoever it pleaseth the Lord to give an issue to our unfeigned endeavours, we have discharged a good Conscience before God and men. But if men, in this glorious light, or sunshine of the Gospel, will wilfully neglect the gracious means that God is pleased to afford them, to procure their Salvation by the merits of Christ with fear and 
b Phil. 2. 10.  trembling; and fall from the faith, and run a-whoring after Popish Idolatry; or the vain and erroneous opinions of Sectaries, or the licentious and impious courses of the ungodly and profane men of these days; let them lay the cause of their condemnation upon themselves, and not upon the secret will of our most just and gracious God, that doth not desire the death of a sinner, but rather that he would 
c Jer. 36. 7. Ezek. 33. 11.  return from his wicked ways. Or if the wise and prudent men of these times should for some private ends omit to advise or counsel such things as in their own judgement do conduce to the above blessed end, God notwithstanding will do his work, and they will remain inexcusable before him. But if they advise or counsel sincerely such things as they judge to conduce to that blank abovesaid, according to the wisdom and prudence the Lord hath given them, howsoever the issue of their counsel fall out, they have discharged a good Conscience before God and men. Even so if our Commanders in chief, or their subordinate Officers do embrace all opportunities that are offered to them, to end or to conduce this war to a blessed peace, howsoever the issue of it be, they will be blameless before God and men; but if for any private ends they omit any opportunities, rules, maxims, or stratagems of Military exploits to spin out this unnatural war, whereby they may endanger the State and themselves (as oftentimes it comes to pass, that omissions in Military exploits hath overthrown kingdoms or commonweals and their Commanders also) as it shall be proved by Instances; yet shall the issue of this war turn to God's Glory and to the good of his Church; for God is not tied to secondary means; but will in his due time notwithstanding their wilful omissions grant us a blessed peace; but they shall be inexcusable before him, and lose their honour and reputation with men. For opportunities, advantages in war, are so many mercies that the Lord doth graciously offer to Commanders. Now if these mercies be despised, and these advantages omitted wittingly, God is an all-seeing God, that will find out a time how closely soever it be carried, to reward them according to the intentions of their hearts. But because there hath been many fair opportunities lost within these three years, that might, if they had been embraced, have conduced this unnatural war to a blessed Period, and that they are imputed by them that are ignorant of the events of war, to the neglect and omission of some of our Commanders in chief, I will endeavour to prove by Ancient and modern Ensamples; that when God hath been pleased to humble, correct, or destroy a kingdom, that the wisest Politicians, and the most experienced Commanders that ever were have omitted greater opportunities than they have done. 1. In the year 432. of the foundation of Rome; God being pleased to humble the Romans, and utterly to destroy the Samnites, did so blind the Judgements of the Generals of these two Nations, that they let slip two fair opportunities; first the two Consuls of the Romans Titus Veturius and 
d See Titus 1. vius, decad.. 1. lib. 9  Sempronius Posthumius omitted the opportunity they had to march with their Army to Luceria, a City they intended to besiege by the seashore, the way being plain and secure, for to take a way thorough the mountains, that led them to a pass called Caudium, environed with steep Rocks and high mountains, where they were presently enclosed by the Samnites, and enforced for want of Provisions to require quarter, which they obtained upon these conditions, That they should leave six hundred Knights for hostages, surrender their arms, 
This may be paralleled with our last blow in the West.  Horses, Carriages, and baggage, and pass under the yoke for their oversight. Secondly, the Samnites had here a fair opportunity to have concluded a perpetual peace with the Romans, if they had set at liberty, and provided the Romans with Provisions for their return, as they were counselled by a wise Senator of theirs Herenius father of their general; But they unadvisedly for a little booty were the Cause of their own destruction; for the Romans were so incensed with this ignominy received, that they never ceased until they had by force of arms, reduced all the Samnites and their country unto Roman Colonies. 2. In the second Punic war, The Romans by the great victories obtained in Sycilia and Sardinia against the Carthaginians, being swollen up with pride, God was pleased to humble them again, and so sent Hannibal with a great Army into Italy, that defeated them in the three famous battles of the River Trebie, of the lake Trasymene, and of Cannes; where they lost above one hundred thousand men; yet because God had decreed that Rome should be the fourth, and the 
e Dan. 7. 19  greatest Monarchy in the world; he was pleased to infatuate the Judgement of 
f See Hannibal's life.  Hannibal, the most provident, and the most active general that ever was, to omit the fairest opportunity that his heart could have wished to have obtained for his commonweal a perpetual Peace of the Romans; or by advancing immediately after his victory at Cans to the walls of Rome, that was extraordinarily amazed, and weakly manned; To have overthrown by the taking of it, the whole Roman commonweal; but the Omission of this opportunity was the cause of his own ruin, and of the destruction of his native country. 3. The Omission of the opportunity that 
g See Plutarch in Paulus & Aemilius his life.  Persus the last King of Macedonia had to proclaim war against the Romans when Hannibal was in Italy, and Scipio in Africa, was the cause he was shortly after deprived of his kingdom, and himself enforced to follow like a slave the Triumphant Chariot of Paulus Aemilius his conqueror; And yet it is not to be doubted but this King had wise counsellors and Politicians about him; but God had decreed that the kingdom of Macedonia should be of the number of those kingdoms that should exalt the Roman Monarchy. 4. The omission of the opportunity that 
h See Plutarch in Lucallus his life.  Antiochus the great had to proclaim war against the Romans when their forces were busied in Macedonia, was the cause that he was defeated in divers battles, constrained to make a dishonourable peace with the Romans; and that Armenia the great was presently after brought under the Roman yoke by Lucullus and Pompeius'; neither did this great Monarch want great Politicians and experienced Commanders; for Hannibal attended at his Court, but God had decreed that his large Dominions should increase the Roman Empire. 5. The omission of the opportunity that Mounsieur the 
i See Des inventory in Francis the first his life.  Lautrec general of the French in the kingdom of Naples had to take the city of Naples, if he had pursued the Prince of Orange, as the rules of war required, after he had routed his Army, was the cause of this valiant commander's death, and the loss of the whole kingdom of Naples. 6. The omission of the opportunity of an hour's time that Henry the fourth 
k See Des inventory in Henry the fourth his life.  King of France had to defeat the Duke of Parme and all his Army at a strait passage leading to the ford of a small River three small Leagues from Paris, where he had purposed to fall upon him, was the cause he was constrained to raise his siege, and to see before his face that great City relieved, that was then reduced to extreme Misery by want of Provisions. This slip of opportunity proceeding certainly from the secret will of God, that decreed that Paris should be yielded presently after to the will and obedience of her lawful Prince, without the shedding of a drop of blood; for Henry the fourth was one of the most active and experienced Commanders of that Age. Now I come to prove by Instances out of the Word of God that all opportunities are guided and directed by the special providence of God. 1. The favourable opportunity of 
l Gen. 14. 15.  Rebekah coming the first of all the Virgins to the well, according to the request of Abraham's servant, cannot be said to be accidental, for the circumstances do so clearly manifest, that it was guided by a special Providence of God. 2. The gracious opportunity of the 
m Gen. 37. 24, 25, 27.  Ishmaelites coming by presently after Joseph's brethren had cast him into a Pit; that he might be sold and led into Egypt, to become the preserver of all his father's family, came not casually, but by a special and gracious providence of God, proceeding from the love and care he hath of his Children. 3. The blessed opportunity of 
n Exod. 2. 5.  Pharaoh's daughter coming down to wash herself at the River Nilus was not accidental, but directed by an admirable Providence of God, to save Moses, that he might be instructed in all the Sciences of the Egyptians, to be more able to discharge the great and honourable charge the Lord had appointed him unto, viz. to be the deliverer of his elected people of Israel, that groaned under the cruel bondage of the Egyptians. 4. The favourable opportunity for 
o 1 Sam. 10. 4, 5, 6.  Saul, of the loss of the Asses of Kish his father came not accidentally, but by a special Providence of God, that Saul might be privately anointed King of Israel, according to the will and pleasure of the Lord; neither did those signs that the Prophet Samuel told him he should meet withal upon the way, as he returned homeward, happen casually, but by the special Providence of God; that the words he had spoken by his Prophet concerning the election of Saul to the crown of Israel might be confirmed. 5. The gracious opportunity that. 
p 2 Sam. 17. 7.  Hushat took by the forelock, to overthrow the wise counsel of Ahithophel, came not accidentally but by an admirable Providence of God, that Ahithophel might for his former impious counsel concerning King David's concubines, run headlong to confusion, notwithstanding his worldly wisdom, and that Absalon should receive the just reward of his perfidious and abhorred rebellion against so loving a Father. 6. The blessed opportunity that 
q 2 Kin. 9 36.  Hezekiah King of Judah took upon the blasphemies of Rabshakeh against God and the Temple of Jerusalem, to go up into the House of the Lord, and there rehearsed all the words of Rabshakeh, and rent his clothes and humbled himself greatly, was the cause that the Lord harkened to his prayer, and sent one of his Angels into the Camp of the Assyrians, and smote one hundred and fourscore thousand of his men; and caused Sennacherib to return the same way he came. 7. The gracious opportunity that 
r Neh. 2. 3.  Nehemiah took upon the King Artaxerxes notice of his dejected countenance for his extraordinary humiliation, because of the desolation of Jerusalem, was the cause that he obtained a Commission from the King to erect again the Temple of Jerusalem; and to restore there the true worship of God; and to deliver from Captivity many thousands of the Jews. 8. The blessed opportunity that Queen 
s Esth. 7. 3.  Esther took by the forelock to petition to the King Ahasuerus when he was invited to her banquet, for the preservation of herself and of her people, was the cause of one of the greatest blessings that ever happened to the Church of the Jews; for it was the cause of the preservation of all the Nation of the Jews, and of the House and Family of King David, from which our blessed Saviour according to the flesh was to descend; and therefore an incomparable blessing. By these and the former Instances we may see, that the observations or omissions of all spiritual, civil, and Military opportunities depend upon the special Providence of God; and that they are guided and directed by it to that end, that God in his wisdom knows to be most convenient to conduce to the greater advancement of his glory, and the good of his Church. And that we are to address our humble supplications to him alone, if we intend for the future to prevent the slips of such opportunities as he shall be pleased to afford unto us again, or be able to embrace them as so many gracious mercies of his favour to us in Christ. And that we are also to humble ourselves before our gracious God, for having hitherto so carelessly omitted ten special opportunities, that might greatly have conduced to obtain a blessed peace; and to procure a happy Period to this unnatural war, if he had been pleased to have given us the grace to have embraced them; by which omission of ours; and by as many more fair opportunities omitted by the other party, by the like Providence of his, we may be persuaded upon a sure ground; since it is his pleasure to poise in the balance of his divine Justice the events of this unnatural war so equally, that our Humiliation must be greater and more sincere, before we can be esteemed fit for to see a gracious deliverance, and a blessed end of these public miseries. I should now in this place to illustrate this point relate these twenty opportunities or advantages omitted on both sides; but I desire to be excused, since they are already but too evident to ingenious spirits; and therefore will leave them to be exposed to the public view in the next succeeding age by some that may then relate them truly and unpartially without fear to offend any of the Parties: And will conclude this point with this Christian admonition to the true Children of God; that they are all obliged in the general, and every one in their particular to pray day and night unto the Lord, that he will be pleased to endue his sacred Majesty, the honourable Houses of Parliament, the Generals of their Armies, their Magistrates, and all their subordinate Officers with such supernatural Graces, wisdom, and foresight, that they may embrace cheerfully all such opportunities and advantages that he shall be pleased to offer unto them, to obtain a blessed Peace with Truth; and to give a happy Period to these civil distractions, jealousies, and contentions that will by degrees if God in his Mercy, and they in their care and wisdom prevent it not, reduce this kingdom to an incurable consumption: for all advantages and opportunities in war, except they aim and tend to that blessed end of peace abovesaid, are commonly fatal to such as require it not, when they have an advantage to do it, for so it fell out with the Samnites and with Hannibal, as it doth appear by the two first instances quoted in this Chap. for it is too late to entertain Treaties of Peace, when a kingdom is so extenuated of means or abilities, that it can no longer contribute to the charges of war; because such a peace can neither be profitable or honourable to any of the parties; for Necessity hath no law, and necessity will constrain men to hard conditions; There is more honour and wisdom to give a Peace then to accept of it. This was the 
t See Pierie Mat. in King Henry the fourth his life.  maxim of Henry the fourth both with his own subjects, and with the House of Austria, whereby he obtained great honour, and restored a desolated kingdom into a flourishing estate; overrigorous conditions to one of the parties makes a peace of no continuance; It fell out so with u Charles the fifth Emperor of Germany by the rigorous peace he enforced upon Francis the first King of France, because of the advantage he had, the said King being then his prisoner; but it proved fatal unto him, for after he had consumed in war thirty millions of gold; and spilt much Christian blood, he won not a foot of ground in France for all his labour and charges. God grant we may rather give an honourable Peace, so it be with the continuance of his Truth and his gospel, then to accept of a Peace of no continuance with seeming advantages, &c.   

The fourth Secondary Cause, is, Our Contentions and Divisions.  
Apelles' the famous Athenian Painter was not more excellent in his Art then in wit and ingenuity; for to cast the beholders of his works into a greater admiration, he used to place next to the Picture of his beautiful Venus, when he did expose her to the view of the Athenians, the picture of an old deformed and wrinkle faced woman, that by her swarthy complexion, grim favour, and ill shape, the excellent symmetry, lineaments, and rare feature of his Venus might seem the more wonderful. Even so it will not be impertinent for me to set forth the deformity of Contention, and the dangerous effects of this infernal fury, before I describe the perfection of the angelical beauty of Concord and Unity, that she may be more cherished and admired, and the other more abhorred in these times of civil divisions. Contention proceeds from ambition, pride, and envy; as we may daily see by experience, that contentious persons are generally tainted with these vices, that come from fullness of bread, ease, and a long and continued Peace. Now contentions produce divisions, and divisions breed factions, and factions an intestine war; and all these an antipathy of affections which never was greater in any kingdom than it is in this at this present time; for the father is divided against his son, and the son against the father, and the husband against the wife, and the wife against her husband, one brother against his brother, and one servant against his fellow servant. So that there is not a City, Borough, town, Village, Hamlet, House or Family at this present in this kingdom, but is infected with this contagious disease or venom of Contention. And this is not happened casually nor accidentally, but by the special Providence of God for our correction and humiliation, if we return unto the Lord unfeignedly; but for our utter destruction if we remain and continue in our impenitency and hardness of heart. But some may say, From whence doth proceed this epidemical disease, or this general division? we that are but worms cannot dive into the Counsels of God, yet we may by his permission aim at the secondary causes of these our civil divisions, and antipathy of affections, which I conceive to be these: The long peace that we have enjoyed in the time of Queen Elizabeth, King James, and for 16. years together under our sovereign King Charles his reign, hath increased this kingdom in wealth, and enured us to ease, idleness, vanity, and licentiousness; riches hath bred in some of us ambition, pride, envy, and self-conceitedness, the very incendiaries of contentions and divisions; And ease and idleness have begotten in us lascivious desires, stubbornness and obstinacy to do and believe what seemeth good in our own eyes; and so by degrees we have forgotten our Maker, and like stubborn horses have kicked at, and rebelled against our gracious God; I mean, that we are grown desperately sinful, and have despised his Ordinances, erected a will-worship, and gone a-whoring after new Innovations; And hereupon the ambition, pride, covetousness, and profaneness of the prelacy, seconded with the loans, Conduct, and Ship-money; and the apparent approaches and inclinations to Popery, by the bowing, crouching, and kneeling at Altars & rails, have made us groan for a Reformation in civil and ecclesiastical miscarriages. The which to oppose the prelacy and the Jesuitical faction under colour to increase his majesty's Prerogative, have withdrawn his love and his person from his most faithful Parliament, persuaded him to forsake his royal Seat, to go to York, to raise an Army under colour of a Guard for his Person, to annihilate the privileges of Parliament, the Laws of the Land, and the Liberties of the Subjects, and so formed the first party in the North; whereupon the honourable Houses were of necessity enforced to gather forces, not to oppose his sacred majesty, but those that under his name, endeavour as much as they can to undo the whole kingdom. And this is the original secondary cause of our state divisions, from whence arose that unparalelled general division and antipathy of affections, afore spoken of; But these state divisions are not them that I purpose to speak of, but only of those that reign and are fomented in the Religious party, and in all members of it of what degree soever; And this proceeds specially from diversity of opinions in matter of Religion, as I have said already in another place; which is a greater sign that the wrath of God is greatly inflamed against us; for it is against the course of nature, against the laws of Nations, and against the Principles of Religion: That those that protest to fight for the true reformed Religion, The privileges of Parliament, The laws of the land, And the liberty of the Subjects, should endeavour, as much as it is possible for them, to ruinate all these things at a blow by their daily contentions, grounded many times upon punctilloes of vanity, which they term honour. But it is a vain and a carnal one, and not a real or spiritual; for the true and spiritual Honour is to be lowly and humble in our own eyes; for the more we are such, the more honourable we are before God and religious men. Moreover, every time we contend and hinder the Cause by our contentions, everytime we break our vows, and the solemn Covenant we have made lately before our God. But to restrain or appease, if it be possible, these general Contentions, I will prove by Instances what danger there is to foment them; first, between particulars and families. Secondly, between commonweals; and lastly, between kingdoms and Empires. 1. The envy and contention that Satan fomented between Cain and 
a Gen. 4. 8.  Abel, and between Romulus and 
b Livius, decad.. 1. lib. 1.  Remus, was the cause the two elder brethren murdered their two younger brethren. 2. The envy, murmurs, and contentions fomented by Satan in the hearts of the sons of Laban was the cause that Jacob departed from 
c Gen. 31. 1.  Laban, and returned discontented to Canaan with all his substance. 3. The spirit of division and contention that Satan infused by the permission of God between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, because of the murder of the threescore and ten sons of 
d Judg. 9 24.  Zerubbabel, was the cause of Abimelech's shameful end, and of the utter destruction of the men of Shechem. 4. The contentions that were fomented in Carthage between Amilicar and 
e Titus Livius, dec. 3. lib. 3.  Hano, and their families, was the cause of the desolation and ruin of their commonweals. 5. The contentions that grew from a trivial occasion, and fomented by the envy and ambition that reigned in 
f See Plutarch in their lives.  Marius and Sylla, filled the City of Rome and all Italy with murders and blood. 6. The contentions fomented between Pompeius and 
g See Plutarch in their lives and  Caesar by their ambition and pride, inflamed the fire of a cruel civil war in Europa, Asia and Africa. 7. The contentions increased by favourites and factious Courtiers, between 
h Caesar in his commentaries.  
Appian in the civil wars of the Romans  Augustus Caesar and Marcus Antonius divided the world into two parties, and filled the same with miseries and desolations. 8. The contentions and divisions that were fomented between the 
i See the Turkish History.  Emperors of Constantinople and their adjacent neighbours the Christian Princes, was the cause of the loss of the East parts of the world, and that the two Empires of Trebisonde, and of Constantinople were reduced to the eternal dishonour of all Christendom, under the insulting yoke of the Barbarous Turks. 9 The contentions fomented between the House of Austria and the Houses of Valois and 
k See Sleidan and the French Hist.  Bourbon, have been and are still the cause of great effusion of Christian blood; and for no other cause, but for the precedency and an ambitious desire of Superiority. 10. The ambitious contentions of the Houses of 
l See Du Halian in the French History  Orleans and of Bourgundy were the cause of the murder of two Dukes, and of the death of many thousand men. 11. The contentions fomented between the Houses of 
m See Stow's and Speeds Chron.  Lancaster and York were the cause of the death of the greater part of the English Nobility, and of the desolation of many Counties of this kingdom. 12. The contention fomented in Fance by the Spanish faction, between the Royalist and the Catholic 
n See the civil wars of France.  League, and of late years in Germany, have been the cause of the death of divers millions of Christians, whose lives might have been better employed to destroy the enemies of Christendom. But because the emulations, contentions, and the Antipathy of affections between Commanders in chief, are very dangerous, I will show here by instances, that other Nations have to their cost, as well as we, found that it is perilous and destructive to a state, to employ two Commanders in chief in one and the same design or Service, if there be an Antipathy of affections between them, 1. The emulation and contention that was naturally between 
o See Tit. Liv. dec. 1. lib. 10.  Appius Claudius and Lucius Volumnius, Generals of the Romans, had like to have overthrown their commonweal, if it had not been suddenly prevented by the Senate. 2. The emulation and contention that grew between Fabius Maximus general, and 
p Plutarch in Fabius Maximus his life.  Munitius the Master of his Horse had been fatal to the Romans, if Fabius for the good and love of his country had not with admirable humility and meekness endured the affronts of Munitius, and relieved him in his eminent danger rather than let him perish to vindicate himself. 3. The emulation and contention that was fomenced by some factious men between the two French Generals sent into Italy by Lewis the twelfth, the Lord 
q See Des inventory in the year 1500.  Aubigni and the Lord Trivulce, had been the cause of the loss of all Lombardia; for what the one built with one hand, the other flung down with another; If that wise King hearing of it had not presently sent them as far distant one from another as Picardy is distant from Lombardia. The antipathy of affections, and the contentions that had been fomented formerly between the 
r See the History of France in the time of Henry the fourth.  admiral de Villars, and the Duke of Boullion, when he first sided with the League and the other with the Royalists; But being at that time all reconciled and united under the Service of Henry the fourth King of France; They were with equal Authority and Power sent by the King to besiege Douclance, and to overrun and waste the county of Artois the Spaniards dominion, but meeting a strong Army of the enemies, they came to a fight, wherein the admiral furiously and valiantly engaged himself so deep with a Regiment of horse in the midst of the Battalia of the enemies, hoping it seems to be as well seconded by the Duke, that he was slain and the greater part of this Regiment. His death and want of relief being imputed to proceed from the sparks of the fire of the former division of affections, that were not utterly quenched in the breast of the Duke. And so for a private vindication a great part of the French Army was routed, and the siege of Dourlance retarded. Many other Instances might be produced to prove how dangerous it is for a State to employ Commanders in chief in one Service, that have had formerly, or may yet have secretly, some antipathy of affections; so much predominant are the passions of men over their natural reason, except they be curbed and restrained by a great measure of supernatural Grace. Now having sufficiently described some part of the deformity, and of the dangerous effects of this fury of contention and division. I come to show the sweet Harmony and the excellent fruits of Unity and Concord. The whole frame of nature without Concord and Unity would suddenly be changed into a Chaos of confusion, if the powerful hand of the Almighty did permit contention to reign between any of the elements; for we see what strange combustions happen in the air for a small distemper that befalls sometimes between the Meteors. Concord and Unity is the human saviour and preserver of kingdoms and commonweals; A 
s Matth. 12. 25.  kingdom divided against itself cannot subsist, saith our Saviour. And how much less shall a weaker party subsist, if it be divided by contentions and Antipathies of affections, as ours is. It was an ingenious Metaphor used by a Scythian 
t See Herodolus his History.  King, to induce his sons to Unity, To command a servant of his to bring before him a bundle of arrows knit together, and to charge his sons one after another to endeavour to break the same, but they were not able, whereupon he bade them to take them one by one, and they broke them all easily. Even so said he to them, If you remain constantly united one with another, it will be impossible for the neighbour Nations to subdue or overcome you; but if you let divisions and contentions be fomented among you, you will become the prey of your meanest enemies. And for the greater confirmation of the point, I will endeavour to prove it by Instances both ancient and modern. 1. As long as the Ancient Greeks continued in unity one with another, it was impossible for 
u See Demosthenes his life.  Philip the first King of Macedonia to reduce them into servitude, But as soon as they by the covetousness of some of their orators were divided into factions, it was an easy thing for him and Alexander the great his son to deprive them of their liberty. 2. As long as the Roman senators were linked in unity one with another, the Roman liberty was preserved, and their commonweal flourished and commanded the greater part of the world; but as soon as they were divided into factions, some for 
x See Pompey his life.  Pompeius, other for Caesar, other for Crassus, and other for Lepidus'; Caesar in a short time deprived them of their liberty. 3. As long as the ancient 
y See Caesar's Commentaries  Gauls and Britons were united together, they flourished and sacked the city of Rome; But when they were divided into factions by the Roman agents, they were in a short time subdued by the Romans. 4. The unity and Concord that was among the 
z See the civil Wars of France and La No●●e his politic and Military Discourses.  Commanders in chief of the Protestant Party in the civil wars of France was the only means after God's favour, of their subsistence; for one cannot otherwise choose that reads that History but admire the wisdom and meekness of the admiral of Chatillon, and the great industry he used to accord with the incompatible dispositions and natural inclinations of some that were violent and fiery in all their designs and enterprises, as was the Prince of Conde and Monsieur Dandelot and others; yet with his humility and meekness he did quench all contentions that did arise from this Antipathy of dispositions; and kept always their will and affections constantly united to the general Cause. 4. The unity and concord that was between Fabius Maximus & P. 
b Titus Livius, dec. 1. lib. 10.  Decius two great Generals, and Scipio and Lellius two other great Commanders, was wonderfully profitable to the Roman commonweal; and that of Photion and of Aristides to the Athenians commonweal. 5. The unity of 
c See Plutarch in their lives.  Themistocles and Aristides (that were otherwise mortal enemies in their private affairs) was extremely profitable to all the Greeks in the council of war, that was called by Euripidias their general before the battle of Salamine, for their unity in opinion was the cause to obtain that famous victory, and of the preservation of all the Greeks. 6. As long as the Duke of 
d See Stow's Chron.  Somerset and the Lord admiral his brother, in the time of Edward the sixth King of England, were united and linked in love and affections one with the other, they preserved their credit and honours at Court against all their opposites; But as soon as they came to be disunited, and that by the instigations of their Ladies, private discontents and contentions were fomented, the Lord admiral was presently arraigned, by the connivance and the want of the assistance and support 
See Speeds Chron.  of the Lord Protector his brother, and he himself shortly after by the potency of his adversaries brought to the same miserable end. To conclude this point, all the well affected Christians are obliged to pray daily to our gracious God, that he will be pleased to endue abundantly the honourable Houses, our Commanders in chief, the Assembly of Divines, the civil Magistrates, the Militia, the Committees in the City and in all the well-affected Counties, the Citizens and common people with this special grace of Unity and Concord, and with an unanimous spirit and resolution, to maintain his Truth, his sacred majesty's just Prerogative, the privileges of Parliament, the laws of the Land, and the Liberties of the Subject, according to our last Covenant.   

The fifth Secondary Cause, is, The unknown Method of our war.  
OF all the Judgements of God that are familiar to men, the Pestilence, the Famine, and the Sword are reputed to be the greatest; And of these three, war is esteemed the most dreadful; And of all wars, the civil is conceived to be the most destructive. And therefore it is no wonder, (when the Lord sent his Prophet Gad, to King David, saying, 
a 1 Chron. 21. 12, 13.  Thus saith the Lord, Choose thee Either three years' famine, or three months to be destroyed before thy foes (while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee) or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the Pestilence, &c.) if that good King did rather choose to fall into the hand of the Lord (for very great are his mercies) then into the hands of cruel men. Neither do we find in any ancient or modern Histories, that any Nation or kingdom hath been utterly destroyed by the Pestilence, or the famine; for these two Judgements proceed more immediately from the hand of God that is merciful, and leave always a remnant, as an evidence to men of his incomprehensible compassions and mercies. But war seems more to proceed from men (yet there is not any war that hath any beginning, continuance or end, without the special will and pleasure of God) that are of a more cruel disposition than tigers, when the Lord hath cast the bridle of permission over their necks. And therefore it is by war that so many Nations, kingdoms and commonweals have been utterly destroyed and consumed, and above all by an intestine and civil war; for a Nation being weakened by her own hands, it breeds an opportunity for foreign Princes to fall upon it, and subvert and conquer the same. But foreign wars are often profitable to kingdoms or commonweals, so they be managed without the limits of those kingdoms or commonweals; Carthage flourished as long as 
b See Hannibal in his life.  Hannibal wasted Italy. But when Scipio came with a great Army to their gates, misery and destruction issued upon it; 
c See the Chronicle of England.  England flourished when war was maintained in France, but when the English were driven home, it was wasted and desolated by civil commotions, and an intestine war; And therefore it is a sound and a sure maxim or Reason of State to entertain war abroad, that a kingdom may be freed from it at home; And this maxim was carefully observed by the Romans for a long time, but as soon as they neglected the same, they fell into civil contentions and into intestine wars. As long as the French Nation entertained wars in Italy to recover the right they had in the kingdom of Naples and in the Duchy of Milan, France did prosper and flourish; but as soon as that fatal Peace was concluded between 
d See the History of France.  Henry the second King of France, and Philip King of Spain by the procurement of the Constable of France (that aimed more at his own ends, then to advance the honour of his King and the good of his native country.) And that Savoy, Piedmont, and the rest of the dominions that the French held in Italy were made over to the Duke of Savoy as an inconsiderate dowry of King Henry's daughter that he took to wife, then issued presently after the destructive civil wars of France, that continued three and thirty years, and consumed above eight hundred thousand men of the French Nation, and brought that kingdom to the very brim of destruction. But when it had pleased God by an unexpected mercy, and by the wisdom, valour and clemency of 
* See Matth. in Henry the fourth●i e.  Henry the fourth to reunite the alienated affections of that populous nation; and to keep or observe the abovesaid maxim, and to drive this intestine war into Artois and Flanders, and to fire the dominions of the incendiary of the French civil wars, than began that kingdom to flourish again, for this diversion procured an honourable peace of ten years for the French, in the which that politic King to entertain the foresaid maxim sent most of the licentious and contentious spirits of his kingdom unto Hungaria and into the low Countries, and by these means restored that desolated kingdom into a most flourishing estate. And his counsellors of State that had the managing of the Military and politic affairs of the kingdom after his death, during the Minority of Lewis the 13. his son, perceiving that for want of foreign employment the French Nobility began to foment civil Commotions in the kingdom aided by the Spanish faction, they were constrained to embrace again this ancient maxim, which they have constantly observed to this day; and have by it maintained the honour of their King, and much increased their Dominions; Even so out of this principle or Reason of State did Queen 
e See Queen Elizabeth's life.  Elizabeth undertake the protection of the Low Countries, that the English Nobility might have employment abroad, and exercise themselves in Military exploits, that she might have always ready some experienced Commanders and Officers of Capacity to lead an Army, if her enemies attempted any invasion upon her dominions; and this her wise and politic course succeeded most happily, for she maintained thereby her kingdom in peace and in a prosperous condition, suppressed the rebellions in Ireland, aided the French with her Treasures, and with experienced Commanders, Officers, and soldiers, curbed the insolency of the Spaniard by Sea, and made the natural colour of that element to be often changed into Crimson, by the undaunted valour and the great experience of her Commanders, Officers, and Mariners in Sea-fights: And by her warlike expeditions to Cales and the West India increased her Ships and Navies, and all manner of Trade and commerce, and left at her death England and Ireland in a prosperous peace and condition. By these Instances and many more that might be produced to the same end, it is apparent that foreign wars are often times profitable in these four cases, so they be managed out of the limits of a kingdom or commonweal. 1. It purgeth them of licentious men. 2. It frees them of civil commotions, and intestine wars. 3. It is a nursery for Commanders and experienced Officers. 4. It increaseth commerce and trading, and doth rather enrich a kingdom then waste the same. 1. The Romans never inroled any soldiers for their foreign wars out of their inhabitants or Citizens before all the licentious and contentious men that are apt to breed civil commotions had been 
f See Titus Livius in his Decades.  inroled; and when they had subdued a kingdom or Province, they erected Colonies in it, where they sent all the most licentious men of their City, and their old soldiers, to whom they appointed so much land as they might live with all. 2. It frees a kingdom from civil commotions; for if licentious and needy people find but some discontented Nobles to side withal, they will presently foment a party, and kindle the fire of a civil war; but as the only way to quench a fire is to take from it the combustible matter that increaseth the same; even so to prevent civil distractions, we are to purge the City and kingdom of licentious and decayed men, and to send them away into foreign wars. 3. Few or none are ignorant that the German and the Low country wars have been the nursery of the greater part of the experienced English, French, and Scotch Commanders and Officers that are now in these days: It is true that of these three Nations, the number of the English is the smallest, because that in the peaceable reign of King James Commanders and Officers of experience in war were not regarded, yet those that out of a natural inclination to arms, went thither to be trained up, are not inferior to any, but the number of them is so small, that they are now constrained to employ licentious Germans for principal officers; but Germany, Sweden, and England itself is beholden to the Scots for Commanders and Officers of war; And for the French the maxim of Henry the fourth afore related hath much increased the Capacity of the French Nobility, and of their foot soldiers in martial exploits, so that for sieges, or battles, they are not inferior to any. And therefore foreign wars are the nursery of experienced Commanders and Officers of war. 4. For the increase of Trade and Commerce, the foreign war that the French and the Hollanders have maintained these many years against the House of Austria hath much increased their trade and commerce, and are now grown more opulent in wealth than all other Nations in Christendom. This may seem a paradox to some, yet it is most certain, for although the French are extraordinarily burdened with taxes, yet because the country men are freed from plundering and pillaging, and their cattle and corn secured, and trades men set at work, and the commerce of all manner of Commodities in request, to furnish the great Armies they entertain upon the enemy's frontiers, the money of their contributions remaineth in the kingdom; & as it goes out of one hand for taxes and contributions, so it comes in on the other for the great utterance they have of all their Commodities. But alas it is clean contrary in this civil and unnatural war of ours; for the trading and commerce is utterly decayed in the City, and in all the Boroughs and Market towns of the kingdom, most of the country people are plundered of their moneys, goods and cattle, the Gentlemen have their grounds cast up upon their hands, although they pay all charges, and abate half their rent, and no redress to be had; and the Sequestrations of the one side or the other bring them to penury, and disable them be they never so willing to contribute any longer to this war; by which means this kingdom is likely to fall into an incurable consumption, because of three pernicious qualities (besides the miseries abovesaid) that pertain to her alone, and not to other civil wars. 1. It is of a consuming nature. 2. It is accompanied with an unparalelled infidelity. 3. It is of an unknown Method.  
I. For her consuming nature, it may justly be compared to the hectic fever, that consumes not only the flesh of all the members of the body, but also by degrees, the vital spirits, the radical humours, and the very marrow in the bones of her patients, until she hath brought them to their grave, more like an Anatomy than a corpse. Or like unto a fire kindled in a house seated in one of the corners of a long street, the flames of which fire being driven by a violent wind along that row of houses, doth at last consume the whole street, for want of pulling down speedily three or four houses, next to that house that was first of all set on fire, to stop the flames of it to proceed any further. Even so the flames of the fire of this unnatural war that broke forth in the North, was driven by the violent winds of jealousy and discontent into the North West, and then to the South West, and at last to the furthest part of the West; and so by degrees hath consumed already three parts of the kingdom, and left in the other part but a small degree of vital spirits, for want of pulling down three or four houses to stop the flame of it from going any further. I mean, for want of such counsel as was given to 
g See the History of France  Charles the seventh King of France by his wise counsellors, that he should give over (to quench the fire of the civil contentions fomented between the Houses of Orleans and Burgundy, that had almost consumed his kingdom) into the hands of Justice, at the request of Philip Duke of Burgundy, some of his Favourites that had their hands in the murder of his father; to which counsel he condescended unto, although this murder had been committed with his assent, whereby such a firm reconciliation was procured between these two Houses, that it fell out to be the secondary Cause of the restoring of that desolated kingdom into its former flourishing Estate. Or for want (after the Noble Ambassage, and the humble Petitions of the Honourable Houses had been rejected) to have sent speedily a thousand horse in the North, until a strong Army had been sent to stop the flames of this fire to go beyond the River of Trent. But by our accustomed delays, and the small forces that were sent to Woster, the fire of this unnatural war hath spread itself, as it is to be seen at this present day, and is like to spread further and to consume the rest, if God in his Mercy prevent it not; and induce the Honourable Houses to change the Method of this lingering and destructive war.  
II. For the unparalleled infidelity of some of the Agents of one of the parties, all the civil wars of the ancient Greeks and Romans, or of the modern intestine wars of the French and the German Nation, cannot produce so much infidelity and apostasy as may be collected out of these three years' war. For where they sided at the first, they remained constant to the last in that party, and never deserted the same, until an Accommodation was procured. Nay, divers of them have sealed their constancy with their 
h See Caesar's Comment. in the war of Africa.  death, rather than to accept of their liberty upon condition to serve against their party. But divers of ours that make show to fight for Religion more than for pay, betray the trust reposed in them, and do us more mischief than any of the contrary party. And it is no wonder, for Christian Runagadoes are more cruel to Christians than the natural Turks; and the Protestant Apostates, are greater enemies to the godly than the professed Papists; and the hypocritical Saints, are more violent against the true Power of godliness, than the Prince of darkness. The cause of this infidelity may proceed 1. From the toleration of divers religions; for men that are not well grounded in the true Principles of Religion are never cautious of their ways, and will betray their own fathers for money. 2. From the great clemency of the Honourable Houses, for if the perfidious Sinon's of the North had been severely punished, so many Judases would not have been found in the West to procure that blow, that we have received there lately. Clemency is an heroical virtue, but infidelity is incapable of it, because it is so pernicious a seed, that except it be pulled up by the root, it will overgrow the garden of the commonweal. 3. From the partial election of our politic and Military Officers, that are for the greater part preferred by favour, and not for their sincerity in Religion, or for their integrity and wisdom in politic or civil affairs; nor for their valour or experience in martial exploits; but for fear to displease or to please some in authority; and that is the reason why we have so many weak Committees in the City and in our Counties; and so many unexpert Commanders and Officers in our Armies, that dare not look the enemies in the face; nor know not how to lead a troop of horse to a charge; nor set a Company of foot in a posture of defence; And these are they that out of timidity, inconstancy, and for want of experience in warlike affairs, spin out this unnatural war, by surrendering of places of great concernment, that will prove dear favours unto us. The remedy of this is, to punish severely the Sinon's of these days, and to imitate in our elections the method and wisdom of 
k See Du Hailian in his History of France  Charles the fifth King of France; for it is recorded that he never elected any of his chief Commanders or Officers of war, or any of his counsellors of State, Judges or Magistrates, to favour any of his favourites, or at the suit of any of his peers; but for their own merits, made known to him, by their former actions in Military, politic and civil employments; And by this Method and unpartiality in his elections, there never was King more successful in his Military enterprises; nor more happy in his politic Resolutions; nor more beloved of his Subjects, because Justice was unpartially administered in his days.  
III. For the unknown Method of this war, it is different from the Method of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and from the modern Method of the most warlike Nations of these days, In these particulars, 1. In the true season of war. 2. In our Scouts. 3. In our marches. 4. In our preparations. 5. In our Discipline. 6. In our rules of war. 7. In the stratagems of war. 8. In the true maxims of war.  

1. In the season of our war.  
There hath been from time to time one season more fit and convenient for war then another, as it may appear 1. Chron. 20. 1. 
l 1 Chro. 20. 1.  At the time that Kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the Army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah, &c. But because the seasons do differ according to the climate of the seat of every country or Nation, I will ground this observation according to the Climate of those that come nearest to ours. In 
* See Caesar in his Commentaries.  Africa the latter end of February was the ordinary season for Armies to take the field. In Italy in the midst of March, and in France in the beginning of April; so that our most convenient season should be to take the field at the furthest in the midst of April; and to withdraw our armies into their garrisons at Holland Tide, or at the latter end of October. But if we made use of Tents (as we should indeed for the greater expedition of this war) than we might conveniently keep the field, until the latter end of November. But as the watermen that row against tide make less speed, and have far more labour to go to their journeys end, than those that take the opportunity of the tide: Even so to spin out this war, and to increase the labours of it, and to waste our men and money, we ordinarily employ the greater part of the Winter time in actions of war, and suffer the Summer to pass away in recruiting our Armies, or in our preparations of war, whereas Winter is the most convenient time to raise and enrol Forces, and Reserves, to recruit those Forces; and to get ready all manner of provisions and necessary implements for war; And this is a great cause of the spinning out of the public miseries.   

2. In our Scouts.  
One of the greatest Secondary causes of the spinning out of this war is our want of faithful and diligent Scouts; The City of London should never be without sixteen young, active, and faithful Scouts, that it might have every other day true intelligence from all the parts of the kingdom, and every day from our Armies; for it would be the best spent money of any, and that would soon come in again twenty for one; besides, it would prevent many false rumours, that are daily spread in the City, greatly prejudicial to the City and State. Moreover, for want of faithful Scouts, the City may very well be surprised or taken unprovided of many necessaries for a defensive posture, as many other have been for want of them; and divers others preserved by the speedy activity of their Scouts, as I might prove by instances, if I did not fear to make this Treatise greater than I purpose to do. And for our Armies, faithful and active Scouts would be the only preservation of them, and the way to prevent for the time to come the slips of such Military opportunities that they have lost heretofore; but these Scouts are to be experienced soldiers, and very swift horsemen, and not silly country men, or unexpert soldiers, but such as are acquainted with all the stratagems of war; and that have the capacity to judge by the march of the enemies their project or intentions. 
m See thou.. Liv. dec. 3. lib. 8.  Asdrubal general of the Carthaginians was defeated and all his Army for want of diligent Scouts; for he never was acquainted that Claudius Nero and his Army was joined with his colleague Marcus Livius, until his Army was routed and himself mortally wounded. 2. 
n See Philip the Commines.  Lewis the eleventh and Charles Duke of Burgundy and both their Armies, were extremely terrified and amazed and like to fly away by the false report their Scouts brought to them, that both Armies were advancing, because they judged in a misty morning some high thistles that grew upon a high and long bank in the fields between the two Armies to be so many Regiments of their enemy's Lanciers. 3. 
o See Plutarch in Marcellus his life.  Marcellus an active and valiant general of the Romans was slain and his colleague mortally wounded and his men defeated by Hannibal for want of faithful Scouts to discover an Ambush that was laid to entrap them. 4. Tiberius. 
p See Titus Livius, 3. dec. li. 8.  Graccus and all his followers were slain by another Ambush of Hannibals for want of Scouts to discover the same. 5. And 
q See Marcus Crassus life in Plutarch.  Crassus a Roman Commander was preserved and all his followers by the diligence of his Scouts. 6. Sir William Waller was surprised the last year at the Vises; and my Lord general was ensnared this Summer in Cornwall for want of faithful Scouts, for to acquaint the one in time of the sudden coming of the enemies, and the other of the straits and narrow passages to Foy. The want then of diligent and faithful Scouts in the City and in our Armies is a Cause of the spinning out of this unnatural war.   

3. In our Marches.  
The Roman soldiers did always march when they did entrench themselves in a fortified Camp 
r See Scipio admirato in the ancient Discipline of the Romans.  eight miles a day, and carried upon their backs three days' provision, their arms, and a palisado for the parapet of their Camp; and when they carried nothing but their arms and three days' provision they marched 16. miles a day; the Germans in Hungaria marched in my time three German leagues which is 15. miles, when they had wagons to carry their Lumber; and the French Armies march ordinarily 5. French Leagues, that is above ten miles a day; and Claudius Nero marched with his Army sevenscore miles in six days, by which activity and swift March he defeated Hannibal's brother and all his Army; And 
s See Plutarch in Caesar's life.  Caesar's Marches were so swift, that he and his Army passed the Craggie mountains of the alps, before the Roman Senate could have intelligence by their Scouts, that he was departed out of France. But our Armies require six weeks' time to march sixscore miles, which is the overthrow of all martial expeditions, and the cause of the spinning out of this unnatural war; for by these long and tedious Marches the enemies conjoin their Forces, or recruit their scattered Armies, and so make our designs vanish away to smoke. In a word, speed and activity in all Military attempts is as needful as valour, to conduce an intestine war, as ours is, to a blessed Period.   

4. In our Preparations.  
If our Marches are tedious our preparations are yet longer, and yet we omit in them the most necessary implements of war, I mean, Tents, pickaxes, Shovels and Spades, wagons, hand-barrows, and wheele-barowes', Tortues, Mantelets, and Ladders; If the Militia of the City of London doth then desire to see a speedy and a blessed end of this unnatural war, they are to provide this Winter these necessaries following; for if our Armies were provided with them, they would expedite more warlike attempts in one month than they can now do in three months, as it shall be proved when I come to speak of entrenching and sieges. 1. They should always have ready twelve hundred Tents of six yards broad and eight yards long. 2. Four hundred wagons, two hundred of them close covered, and two hundred uncovered. 3. Four hundred Ladders, two hundred of sixteen foot long, and two hundred of twelve foot long. 4. Fourscore light flat botes to cross Rivers. 5. Four hundred barowe's, two hundred with wheels, and two hundred hand-barrow. 6. Twenty Tortues and twenty Mantelets that are Engines that go upon wheels, to preserve soldiers from the Musket-shot, when they make their approaches, and are to be so made that they may suddenly be dismounted and carried in wagons. 7. Two thousand pickaxes, two thousand Shovels, two thousand Spades. 8. Eight sums of six penny nails, four sums of ten penny nails, and two sums of double ten penny nails. 9 Four hundred deal boards of twelve foot long, and four hundred round deal Poles of twelve foot long, and of six Inches thick. 10. And twelve Canons, twenty-foure culverins, forty eight Drakes ready mounted with all their appurtenances, Balls, powder, and Match proportionable. 11. One hundred Ovens of iron plate to bake a bushel of bread at a time. 12. Forty Bakers, forty Brewers, forty Butchers, twelve young Carpenters with their tools, and twelve Commissaries of Victuals, having every one of them six wagons apiece belonging to themselves to provide the Army with all manner of Provisions: for if this war continue but one year longer, our Armies will be famished, and not able to advance, because the Counties will be so desolated, except there be Commissaries of Victuals appointed to provide the army by wagons out of the Adjacent Counties. But some will say, you persuade us to incredible and unnecessary charges, for the greater part of these things we can procure in those Counties thorough which our Armies do march, or intend to lay siege against any of the enemies Garrisons: I answer, it is a great improvidence for an Army to be without the necessaries that belong to it; and we know by experience that before the country can be summoned to bring in Ladders, barowe's, pickaxes, Shovels and Spades, (for that only can be found in the Country) that an Army may be entrenched about a Garrison town; and suppose they bring them in sooner, yet are they so worn, broken, and out of repair, that they are of no service but to spin out time; I remember when one of our Armies was last year to storm or to scale Basing House, that they were constrained to send to London to have them made, and so lost a fortnight of fair weather, and then when the Ladders came, the weather being rainy and cold, they were enforced to raise the siege for want of Tents; Now had they had all these implements with them, they had come off with honour, and taken that house; and not left the work to be done this year, or for the next, as they carry themselves before it: The very charges then, that hath been cast away about that house, would have paid for ten times as many implements as are here specified; besides, the loss of the time which is worth as much more, and the blemish of the reputation of the undertakers, which is more than all the rest. I conclude then, that an Army is not to advance without all these implements, to cross Rivers, to besiege towns, to entrench itself, to make mines, to erect platforms, gabions, and to storm, or assault strongholds, without losing half a day's time by staying for materials, to hinder their prosecution in any warlike attempt.   

5. In our Discipline.  
Our indulgence in Military Discipline is also a great cause of the spinning out of this war, for soldiers do what they please, their general's Commands are not regarded at all. For an Officer this Summer against the special order of his Commander forsook his Station, and by it endangered the whole Army, and was the cause of the loss of many valiant men. And in the West, many have this Summer forsaken their Station appointed by their general, and by their disobedience sold his honour and Reputation; And the last Brigade of the five Regiments that went out of the City, notwithstanding that an Order was expressly published a month afore they went out to be ready at an hour's warning; yet there went out very few with their colours, but lingered away the time two or three days; our runaways are neither degraded nor punished, and that is the cause they make a custom of it, as they have lately done at Banbury, where three months' time, and a great sum of money hath been cast away. If any 
t See Scipio Admirato in the Discipline of the Romans.  Officer or soldier among the Romans did forsake the Station appointed to him by his general, it was present death; if soldiers did not go out of the City with their colours, they were tried by a council of war; if they runned away before the enemies, the tenth man suffered for it, the Officers were degraded, and the rest cashiered. The ten 
u See Titus Livius in divers places of his. 3. Decade.  thousand that ran away from the battle at Cannes, notwithstanding the Roman commonweal had never so much need of men as at that time; yet all the Commanders and Officers were degraded of their Nobility, and cashiered for ever to bear arms; and the common soldiers banished for ten year into Sicily. And surely if our Military Discipline be not reduced to the Roman austerity; or after the Greeks, that was that all runaways should stand three market 
* See Montagnes essays, chap. 15. fol. 38.  days in womens' apparel upon a stage to be derided at for their cowardice, all will go to confusion; and this unnatural war will be spinned out, till there be no more oil in the lamp of this kingdom to give it life.   

6. In our Rules of war.  
The order or rules of war were never so neglected as they are in our days. 1. In entrenchments. 2. In fortifying Camps. 3. In scaling. 4. In mining. 5. In storming. 6. In our manner of assaults. Of all which particulars, I shall speak of as briefly as may be.  

1. How we are to entrench ourselves in a siege.  
By the Rules of war, a Commander in chief that undertakes to besiege any strong hold, if he doth not begirt the same with a strong trench, and incamp his Army in a fortified Camp in a fortnight's time, and chance to be routed or constrained to raise his siege, is to be tried by a council of war; This ancient Roman Law hath been lately revived in France, and many have been punished for neglecting of it; And a Commander in chief in Artois had lost his head for it about three years since, if some great ones had not obtained his pardon. And our neglect of it hath been a great cause of the spinning out of this war; for by this only neglect we have been foiled at Newark, at Basing house both this year and the last, and now of late in Cornwall and at Banbury Castle; And had also been foiled at York, if God in his mercy had not prevented the same. All entrenchments are to be lined and directed by an experienced Engineer, that may according to the situation of the hold, and the small or great circumference of it, order the same after a regular or irregular form, if it be but a Castle or a house, a square or a long square, or a Patagonde form will serve the turn; so there befoure or five small Redoubts to flank the trenches: if it be such another town as Newarke, an Octogone form will serve, so there be two bridges erected over the river and two small redoubts erected to secure them, that the one side may be presently relieved by the other, if it be a great City the Dyadecagone form is to be used, and the trenches are to be lined within pistol-shot from the walls or rampiars; for the nearer the safer: And for the approaches that are of all things the most dangerous, they are to be directed by the Engineers; by whose advice and some Mantelets to preserve the pioneers from the enemy's musket shot, there will be no great loss, so there be Brigades appointed to stand ready to hinder the Sallies out of the enemies. Two good Engineers in a siege may do more service to the state than a thousand men, by their counsel and directions. And for want of experienced ones, we are daily foiled; there can be no money better employed, nor that will be more beneficial to the State, then by a good round pay to procure the most ingenious and experienced Engineers that can be obtained.   

2. Of a fortified Camp.  
There is no erecting of fortified Camps, without Tents; and that is the reason why I press the Militia to have a thousand or twelve hundred always ready of that size spoken of, for to expedite sieges, that will be long and tedious without them, and will consume a number of men by diseases; but having Tents, a fortified Camp is to be erected upon a raising ground without Cannon shot of the town, if it be no bigger than Newark, one fortified Camp will serve, so it be seated in the midway of the circumference of the Trenches between the two Bridges, that relief may be sent to all the trenches speedily; but if it be a great City that hath a river running in the midst of it, than there is to be two fortified Camps, on either side at a just distance on both sides of the river; I mean, that there may be no more distance on the right hand to the river side, then on the left, and from each of the two Camps there are lines of Communication to be made to relieve without danger the trenches or the two Brides, that are erected on both sides the City. I will therefore set out the proportion of a fortified Camp, to contain twelve hundred Tents of that size abovesaid, that will harbour four thousand horse and eight thousand foot with conveniency; if the Army be greater, it is to be increased, if smaller, it is to be diminished proportionably. The form of this Camp is to be square and of six hundred yards on each side of the square, that makes four and twenty hundred yards of continent, and is to have four bulwarks at the four Corners, to set two pieces of Ordnance in each bulwark, for to flank the Dikes of it; that are to be of six yards broad and four yards deep, the rampire to be of six yards thick in the bottom; and of four yards thick at top; and three yards high besides the Parapet, that is to be four foot high and two yards thick. This Camp is to have four broad gates, one in the midst of each side of the square, and a square market place of two hundred yards one each side of the square, that make eight hundred yards of continent just in the midst of the Camp; then it is to have four broad streets, that are to be drawn upon a strait line from every gate to the market place of twelve yards broad, in manner of a perfect cross, and four great streets more, drawn out from one corner of the Camp to the other; and every one distant from the rampiar ten yards, that the soldiers may without impediment come from all parts to defend the rampire. Now the four angles that remain are to contain the Tents that are to be set up back to back, and on both sides a street of eight yards broad to come in to the Tents, the ends of which are to be close together, that there may be no passage between them, The two Angles toward the South are to be reserved for the lodging of men; and the other toward the North for the horse; The general's Tent and other chief Officers Tents are to be set up in the four corners of the streets next to the market place; that all the officers may the more speedily repair to him, and the Courts of guard are to be placed in the eight Tents that make the eight corners of the four cross streets next to the gates. A Camp thus fortified and so ordered having lines of Communication to the trenches of the circumference that begirt the town or City, will be able to make good a siege against an Army that should come to raise the same of forty thousand men, as Caesar did in 
* See Caesar's Commentaries in the Wars of Africa.  Africa before Adrumet, and Henry the fourth did before 
x See the siege of Amiens in History of France.  Amiens against the Archduke Mathias, and the last King of Sweden before 
y See the Sweden soldier.  Norenberg against the Duke of Walstaine. This fortified Camp may be finished by six thousand foot soldiers in eight days, if the Army be provided, as it is abovesaid, so the soldiers have but four pence a day paid them every night above their pay, as a gratuity to encourage them in this work; and a town so besieged will be sooner reduced in a month's time, than it will be in three months, if the Army quarter in the adjacent villages, and with more ease and less danger of the enemies, or of any diseases to infect the Army, for in such a Camp with Tents and Straw they lie as warm and safer then in a City; and for provisions the two hundred wagons, and the twelve Commissaries of Victuals above spoken of will furnish the same plentifully, so the horsemen be appointed to cause the adjacent towns to bring in Hay, Straw, Oates, and Pease to the Camp.   

3. In our scaling.  
The design of the scaling of a hold, or Garrison town is to be kept very private, and then it may be done as well by the Garrison of a contrary party ten or twelve miles distant as by a siege; so they march all night and keep all goers and comers in their Garrison the day before. The fittest time to scale a town is one or two hours before day, for then the soldiers of a Garrison are most of all overcome with sleep, and the Ladders are to be set up all at an Instant; the number are to be two hundred at least, placed some six yards asunder, that if one Ladder should be cast down, it may not cause seven or eight to fall after it, and also for the greater diversion of the enemies, that shall not be able to oppose in so many places, the soldiers are to be very active and speedy, and the foremost are to have Rondaches in the one hand, and swords in the other, and the next Musqueteers, and the last Pikemen, as soon as an hundred are upon the rampire they are to fall upon the Court of guard that is near to the next gate, that they may break it open; some do also carry with them a couple of petards that are to be made fast to the gates to blow them open, while the other scale the town. This way of taking a Castle or Garrison town should be used in these days for expedition more than it is, because of the small charge, and the little danger there is in it; for all our Garrison towns, Houses, or Castles have no Casamates that flank the Courtines even with the foot of the rampires or walls; the which Casamates were the preservation of Geneva when it was scaled; for the Ordnance in them broke and cast down all the Ladders, and therefore the scalers here are out of danger of the Ordnance.   

4. In our Mines.  
We keep as little order in our Mines as in all other attempts; Mines are the cheapest way after the scaling, to take a hold or a Garrison town, only they cannot be done safely before the hold or the Garrison Town be begirt with trenches, for the Mines are to have their beginning in them; and although four Mines are sufficient to take a great garrison town; yet I conceive it to be a safe Policy to begin eight Mines against a reasonable garrison town, and twelve against a greater. To delude the enemies, that if some of them be found out and countermined, some may be left to serve to perform the design; the mouth of every one of them is to begin in the trench that begirts the hold or town, at equal distances, that they may go round about the town, and they are to be made upon a strait line, until the Mine be brought under the midst of the wall or rampire, and when it is so, than every Mine is to be made as it was begun, ten yards on the right and ten yards on the left hand, like a perfect T. The Mine is not to be in no place above two yards broad and six foot high, and at every yard it is to be propped with two rows of the deal poles spoken of, that are to be sawed in two, and the deal boards are to serve for bases below and above, for without boards under and above the props, they will sink into the ground, and it will cause the earth of the Mine to cave and overthrow the work; the Mines or four of them being ready, the very morning that the Commanders intend to storm, there are four, six, or eight barrels of Powder to be carried into each Mine, (for if they were carried the day before, they might be taken away before the next morning by the enemies,) according as they are fitted with powder; or in case of necessity four will serve, but the more there is, the greater and the more level will the breach be when the Mines are sprung; when these barrels of Powder are set in the Mines at an equal distance one from another, if there be four barrels, at four foot distance, if there be six, at three foot distance; then are the Cannoneers to set a train of Powder between every barrel, and a train to come from the cross of the T. down to the foot of the trench; but the Mines are to be stopped at the cross of the. T. with rammed clay, only a hole of four Inches square is to be left being supported with stones or bricks for the train of Powder to pass clear from the very trench to all the parts of the Mines, and when the Commanders have set their reserves in order; as it is described in the next Chapter but one; then is the fire to be set to the train; that as soon as the powder of the Mines hath done her operation, the reserves may suddenly enter the breaches.   

5. In our storming.  
All sorts of Drakes, Sacres, demi culverins or culverins are of no use for batteries, they serve but to spin out the war, and to make Cony-holes in stead of breaches; they are to be Canons, or at the very worst demi-canons, and they are not to be less than six in number, and all planted of a row, upon a sufficient platform that is well plankt under foot, and so raised with earth, that the six Canons being pointed may batter within a foot of the foundation of the wall or rampire; for high batteries serve only to spend powder and shot in vain. And these six Canons being charged and pointed they are to be fired all at one Instance, for such a thundering clap will molter more earth or shake a stone wall more than forty Canon shot will do, if they be shot by intermission of time; besides, the defendants cannot repair a breach that is made after so violent a blow, as they may when it is made by intermission of time. Now before the platforms for the battery be erected, the most experienced Commanders, Officers and Engineers are to view the rampires or walls of the town, for to take notice of the weakest places of it, and of the most convenient places about the town to raise the platform, for if there be near the town any rising ground, it will save a great deal of labour and charges if they erect their battery there, howsoever the platform is not to be erected at the most above a musket shot from the rampire or wall; for if it be but half a musket shot it is the more powerful, and these platforms are to be defended with strong gabions of earth, to prevent that the enemy's Canon do not dismount some of the six Canons upon it, and also to preserve the cannoneers lives that would otherwise be exposed to the Canon shot of the enemies. If it be a City or a great garrison town, than it requires two platforms and two batteries with six Canons apiece, the one on the one side of the town, and the other on the other side; and both these platforms and batteries are to be made, and to begin to play at the break of the day that shall be appointed for the storm; and so they are to continue without intermission until they have made two breaches of twenty yards broad apiece; and the dikes to be leveled with the rubbish even with the firm ground; Now if these breaches cannot be done in one day, then are the Commanders to give order that some Companies of musqueteers be appointed to stand on the two flanks of the breaches all night, one company after another, to fire their muskets at random into the breaches, to hinder the defendants to repair the breaches, or from retrenching of themselves within it; And then the next morning to storm again without intermission until the breach be sufficient and the dike leveled as aforesaid. And in the mean time the Commanders may set in order their reserves to come to a general Assault after this manner following.   

6. In our manner of Assaults.  
There is an erroneous opinion crept in the mind of some men that say we are not to take towns or Castles by storming & assaults, to avoid the shedding of Christian blood, but we ought rather to take them by famine. But these men are either ignorant of the events of war; or desire this unnatural war should be spinned out, until the kingdom were utterly consumed. For it is certain that long sieges consume more men by diseases ten for one, then are slain by storming or assaults, as it shall be proved by Instances. 1. 
2 Titus Livius, Decad. 1. lib. 5.  Vigentia a great City in Italy was besieged ten years by the Romans, (and at that siege was the use of Tents first of all invented, because of the number of soldiers that perished by diseases, that did proceed from the wet and cold they endured in Winter time) and Furius Camilius took the same in a month by a Mine and a general assault. 2. The siege of 
a See the History of France  Marseilles under Francis the first, and the siege of Mests under Henry the second Kings of France, consumed above threescore thousand men by diseases; because the Emperor Charles the fifth strove to take them by famine. 3. The Protestants in the second civil war of France besieged the City of 
b See the civil wars of France.  Poitiers with an Army of thirty thousand men, and because they did not storm it at their first coming, they lost above six thousand men by diseases, and were enforced to raise the siege. 4. The 
c See Des in his Inventory.  Earl of Foix general for the French in the kingdom of Naples, having besieged the City of Naples, lost his own life and the greater part of his Army before it by the Pestilence, because he fell not a storming of it at his first coming. In a word, long sieges consume more men, treasure and time than towns that are taken by assault; There are so many accidents that happen by the long time that a town requires for to be taken by famine, that the events of it are very seldom successful or happy, and there is no town or Castle but may be taken by storming, as it may be proved by instances. 1. Henry the fourth took 
d See Pierre Matthew in Henry the fourths life.  Moutmeillan Castle in eight days that had required two years' siege; for it stood upon a steep Rock, judged of the greater part of his Commanders impregnable, and well provided of Ammunition and provisions; But he having viewed thes at of it himself, saw there was another steep rock, within Canon shot of it; whereupon he gave a Regiment of Swissers a Largesse, to draw up upon that rock six Canons with the strength of their arms; and these being pointed and storming the same furiously, the defendants yielded upon composition; If the like was done to Scarborow Castle, it would be taken in three days; for it is nothing to the forenamed in seat and fortifications, and it hath also a hill that commands the same; and likewise Beaver Castle, that is also commanded by a hill. 2. The town of Gravilling, one of the strongest Garrisons in Flanders that had required two years' siege to take it by famine, because it had three double dikes of forty foot broad and twenty foot deep, and all flanked with bastions made with Casamates, and no probability to come to an assault without Galleries; yet the French did so terrify the defendants by their furious batteries and assaults, that they were constrained to deliver the same upon composition, before it had been fully besieged three months. 3. Our brethren the Scots might have endured many a wet and cold night before Newcastle, and have spinned out that siege until the next Spring, if they had not nobly and valiantly stormed the same. If Basing house and Banbury Castle had been stormed with six Canons that might have made such breaches as are spoken of before, and had the besiegers given such an assault, so ordered and the men so armed as followed, they had not lost their reputation as they have; nor left that work undone, to spin out this war to the next year.  
When a breach of twenty yards broad is made, and the dike filled up, as aforesaid, even with the firm ground; then are three reserves to march after one another in this manner, but if there be two breaches then six reserves are to be in a readiness, and every reserve is to consist of fifty nine men, that is for every breach one hundred threescore and seventeen men, and for the two breaches it is three hundred fifty four men. These men are to be chosen men of the most valiant and experienced soldiers of the Army; for raw soldiers are not to have that honour, neither would they stand to so furious a storm; but would turn back and run away, and overthrow the design; (for among the French the Marshals of France, Earls, and Barons do not disdain to be of the first rank that go up to the breach;) and those of the first rank are to be of the most 
e See Montlus Commentaries.  eminent in birth and degree; this first rank are to be all Rondachiers, armed from the head to the knees with armour of proof, with broad swords in their right hands to cut the enemy's pikes, their Rondachiers in the left, and a pistol ready charged at their girdle, and are to be placed a foot asunder, that the next rank of nineteen musqueteers may fire their muskets between that foot light, and these musqueteers are to be armed with good swords on their side, a buff coat on their back, and a pistol ready charged at their girdle, and a head piece on their head, they are to march two yards distant from the Rondachiers, and next to them are to be a rank of twenty Pike-men armed with Corselets and Cuisiers of proof; and are to march within two yards of the musqueteers, as it is here pricked down:  
Now these three reserves are to march within three 
Rondachiers. Musqueteers. Pikemen.  yards one of another, that if the first give ground the second may succeed, and so the third; but if it get ground, they are to press on; Now the nineteen musqueteers of every reserve having fired their muskets are to wheel about to shelter themselves behind the Pikemen, for to charge their muskets again; And the Pike-men are to advance in their place to second the 
f See Bayard Commentaries  Rondachiers, and to make good the breach until the other reserve comes up to the breach, if in case the Rondachiers were tired, or some of them wounded. Now on both sides of the breach there are fresh Regiments or Companies of musqueteers to be placed for to second these reserves in case they loose ground, or to enter furiously the breach if the enemies lose it; for it is continuance and constancy that carries it away in assaults; for the besiegers being four to one will by continuance tire the defendants, as it came to pass at the siege of malt. In a word, if our breaches were made so broad, and our men so well armed, and this order observed, I make no question but our men would go on like Lions; but when they are to enter into Coney-holes in stead of breaches, and have no armour of proof to withstand the musket shot and the Pikes of the Defendants, it is no marvel if they turn their backs and come off with dishonour; now if there be two breaches or more made by Mines or by the storming of the Canon, they are all to be entered at one instant, for the greater diversion of the enemies forces; and besides these breaches it is wisdom to have two hundred Ladders ready and commandment to be made, they should be placed as far distant from the breaches as they can, that fresh soldiers may get up upon the rampire, and so wheel about to fall upon the backs of the enemies, while they defend the breaches: for by this stratagem Scipio took the strong City of new 
g See Titus Livius in his 3. decade lib.  Carthage in one day, notwithstanding it had a garrison of eight thousand men within it. Now I return to the seventh difference of our Method of war.   

7. In our stratagems of war.  
The stratagems of war increase according to the acute ingenuity of Commanders, and are very useful to reduce strong holds; or to preserve an Army if it be overpowered, or brought in narrow ways, or in necessity of Provisions. Now of all the ancient Commanders, Caesar & Hannibal have exceeded all others in stratagems of war; 1. Caesar being constrained by a storm at Sea, to land near to a garrison town of the enemies called 
h See Caesar's Commentaries of the War of Africa.  Adrumet, seated upon the coast of Africa, with only three hundred horse, and three thousand foot, used such admirable stratagems of war, that he defended himself so valiantly against the potent Army of Juba, of Scipio, and of Labiennus, that they could not force him in his Camp, nor straighten him from provisions, but he continued there three months, until new supplies came to him from Sicilia; and then he took the field, and by stratagems, more than by valour, defeated them, although their Armies exceeded his, four for one. 2. Hannibal being in Italy, was led by the ignorance or the infidelity of his guides, into a valley encompassed with high mountains, where he was presently environed by Fabius 
i See Plutarch in Fabius life.  Maximus Army; And there he had perished with his Army; if he had not found out this stratagem of war to free himself: He caused some dry Bavins of shreds of Vines to be fastened between the horns of two thousand oxen, that he led along with him for the provision of his Army; and at the beginning of the night commanded his soldiers to set them all at an instant on fire, and to drive the said oxen with violence up the narrow passages of the mountains, at which strange sight the Romans that guarded them were so amazed, that they all run away for fear; and so opened a passage for him and his Army to pass without impediment. 3. 
k See Serres in the Inventory of Du Hailian in his History of France.  Henry the fifth King of England, being encompassed by an Army of the French near to Agincourt, exceeding his Army four for one, commanded his soldiers to dig in the night great and deep trenches round about his Camp; and to stick in them long pointed stakes, and then to fill them again up as lightly as they could with the loose earth; by which stratagem the French Army was utterly defeated; for the French horse coming in the morning furiously to fall upon the English Camp, they fell upon one another's backs in these hallow grounded trenches, where the English Archers slew them at their pleasure. 4. Charles the eighth King of France, at his return from the Conquest of the kingdom of Naples, was encompassed by an Army of all the confederated Princes of Italy, (exceeding in number his Army three for one) as he came down the mountains of the Alpelins, near to 
l See Des in the Inventory of France.  Farnone, where he had perished and all his Army for want of provisions, if he had not by a stratagem freed himself from the strait he was in, by commanding over night that all his Ordnance, carriages, and baggage should be placed at the break of day in the midst of his foot, and that his horse should equally be divided into two Brigades, the one for the Van, and the other for the rear, and himself riding in the front of his Van, charged the enemies so furiously, that he broke thorough their Army, slew divers thousands of them, and opened a passage for himself and all his Army to return into France without impediment. Now had we not been so barren in stratagems of war as we are, our Army in Cornwall had, as well as these, come out of their straits with honour and reputation, for it was inferior to all these: But as I have said heretofore, It was God's pleasure it should be so, to humble us by that blow. 2. Strong holds that would require long sieges may be reduced by a stratagem of war in an hour's time. 
m See the marshal of Montluc his Commentaries.  Montluc having intelligence by his Scouts that the governor of a strong Castle seated upon the lake of Canstance, did usually go to recreate himself at a farm house of his within two miles of his Castle, placed an ambush to entrap him, that took him and brought him before his Castle gate, and by threatening to strike off his head from his shoulders, the Castle was yielded and surrendered up. A good memorandum for some of our governors, that go a hunting with five or six horse, and endanger themselves and their garrison to be surprised by the enemies. 2. The governor of Dorlance took the strong City of Amiens with this stratagem, he laid an Ambush in the night time within half a mile of the City of two thousand foot, and of a thousand horse, and sent six wagons laden with Hay, under which Hay were six armed soldiers in every one of the wagons, and upon the last wagons two soldiers disguised like countrymen, having some baskets full of walnuts, and commanded them they should not come to the City before the opening of the gates; where being come, the soldiers of the Court of Guard knowing some of the Carters by sight, suffered the wagons to enter, without driving a Pike (as the rules of War require) thorough the midst of their Loads of Hay, and the last wagon stayed still in the midst of the gate, to hinder that the portcullis might not be let down, feigning something was amiss at his 
n See the French History  wagon, and then the disguised soldiers let willingly one of their baskets of Wal-Nuts fall down, whereupon all the soldiers of the Court of Guard forsook their arms, and ran to the gate to scramble for these Nuts. But in the mean time, the armed soldiers of the enemies leapt out of the wagons, and slew them all, secured the gate, and did let in their Ambush, and so possessed themselves of the City, before the governor could gather Forces to oppose them. 3. The strong garrison town of Breda was taken also by the stratagem of a small Ship laden with turfs, under which were hidden a Commander and twenty armed soldiers, and this 
o See Demetres History.  Ship being suffered to enter the town, after it had been carelessly searched; The Commander and his soldiers took their opportunity in the dead time of the night to fall upon a Court of Guard next to the gate where their land Ambush was laid, and slew all the soldiers of it, secured the gate, and let in their Ambush, that possessed themselves of the town. 4. For to prove the antiquity of the stratagems of War; it is recorded that 
p Josh. 8. 12.  Ai and 
q Judg. 20. 36.  Gibeah two strong Cities of the Amorites were surprised by ambushes that were laid in a hallow, attending when the enemies should come forth, for to enter and set them on fire, and to fall upon the backs of the Inhabitants of them, whereby they were utterly destroyed. And hereupon I conclude, that our barrenness in stratagems of war is one of the causes of the spinning out of this unnatural war. For many of the enemies garrisons might be taken with small charges, if the governors of ours, were as active and as much experienced in stratagems of war, as other nations are.   

8. In the true maxims of war.  
As it is impossible for a Christian that is not instructed in the true Principles of Religion to receive any consolation at all of his progress in Christianity, because the further he goes on upon erroneous Principles, the less are his comforts. Even so, according to human Reason, there is small hope for us to see a speedy and a blessed issue of this war, since we observe not the true maxims of war, and specially these two following. 1. It is dangerous for Generals of Armies to divide their forces in small parties; as it shall appear by instances. 1. 
r Tacitus in the war of Armenia.  Petus general of the Emperor Nero was defeated in Armenia because he had dispersed his Army in several parties. 2. 
s Tacitus, lib. 2. cap. 5.  Cicinna general of the Emperor Vitelius was routed by the Othonnians, because he had divided his Army into small parties, and did not march all in one body. 3. 
t Tacitus, lib 3. cap. 12.  Valans another general of the Emperor Vitellius was routed and his Army defeated by Antonius Primus general of the Emperor Vespasianus, because he had divided his Army into small Brigades. 4. 
u Tacitus, lib. 4. cap. 10.  Lucius Apronius was defeated, and his Army utterly routed by the Frizelanders, because he did not set upon them with his whole Army, but by intermission with small parties. 5. The French Army that was sent in the year 1497. to recover 
x See Guichardin, li. 3. cap. 17.  Genua, was defeated, (saith Guichardin;) because the French general had divided his Army, and marched in three bodies. 6. Monsieur de la Noüe in his Annotations upon the same passage of Guichardin saith, that an Army divided into small Brigades, except they be in sight one of another, is like to a river that is divided into divers channels, that is fordable anywhere: Even so an Army that marcheth not in a full body is easily routed and defeated; for as it was impossible for 
y See Herodotus in the life of Cyrus.  Cyrus to take the City of Babylon before he had divided the great river of Euphrates into divers small channels; so is it almost impossible for to defeat a potent army if it march close in one body: because it is like a roaring flood that drives all before it. But small forces cannot perform any considerable service, because of their imbecility; and do rather consume the Counties where they are, then free them from the oppression of their enemies. For Instance, if we consider what the weak, the divided, and the independent Forces of the Counties of North-hampton, Warwick, Darby, Nottingham, Rutland, and Leicester have done since the beginning of this war, we shall find they have only wasted themselves upon a defensive posture, and have not hitherto freed their Counties of any of the enemies garrisons, that like so many leeches suck their blood, and will consume them by degrees, like a lingering fire that consumes a block of Timber. Except it pleaseth God to infuse into the hearts of the Honourable Houses, to reduce all their forces into two potent Armies; the one for to endeavour to drive the flames of the fire of this unnatural war in as small a circumference of ground as may be; for the smaller it shall be, the easier it will be quenched, and the sooner shall a blessed peace be obtained: And the other to endeavour to clear all the Counties one after another of the enemies garrisons; for they are the fomenters of this war, and the virulent humour of our hectic fever, because they revive the fire of discord everywhere; and recruit suddenly the dispersed Armies of the enemy. Now the blessed fruits that the conjunction of three Armies into one hath produced this Summer should in my opinion induce the Honourable Houses to change this destructive Method of war, to embrace this I speak of: for according to huumane reason, the rules of war, and our late experience, it is like to prove more successful, because we see that the dividing of our Army this year into two bodies hath annihilated this summer's work; whereas if it had kept itself in one body, it had in all probability freed the City from the fear of the South-west garrisons of the enemies, and driven the flames of the fire of this unnatural war into the Western parts; And so by the omission of this maxim of war, the 
z Jer. 8. 10.  harvest is past, and the Summer is ended, and yet we are not saved, &c. Now I come to the second, that is of greater concernment than the first; viz. That peace is the end of war, and that no war can have a blessed end, except the principal end of it tend to peace: And that the fittest season for a state to tender propositions of peace, is when it is in a prosperous condition in arms: And notwithstanding this prosperity, their propositions are to be equal and just, that the peace grounded upon them may be of continuance. For the first, if the Carthaginians had required a peace of the Romans after their victory at Cannes, they had undoubtedly obtained a peace upon honourable conditions; but because they delayed to require a peace till 
a See Tit. Liv. dec. 3. lib. 12.  Hannibal and Syphax with their Armies were utterly defeated, and Scipio his Army advanced to the walls of Carthage; they were enforced to embrace any conditions of peace. If 
b See Plutarch in the life of Lucullus.  Antiochus the great had required a peace of the Romans, when they had war with Philip King of Macedonia, he had obtained honourable conditions of Peace, but because he delayed to require a peace, till he and all his Forces were driven out of Greece, and himself with a potent Army defeated in Asia, he was enforced to accept very hard conditions of peace, which was, to forsake all the dominions he had on this side the Mount Taurus, & to leave them to the will & pleasure of his victorious enemies. For the second, a peace concluded upon unequal conditions is never of any long continuance. The first 
c See Titus Livius, decade.  Punic war was ended by a rigorous peace for the Carthaginians; And therefore as soon as they had an opportunity, they broke that Peace, and began a more cruel war; And the first Peace made between the Romans and Philip the second King of 
d See Titus Livius, decad.. 3. and 4.  Macedonia was of no continuance, because the conditions were too rigorous for the Macedonians. The peaces that were concluded between Charles the ninth and Henry the third 
e See the History of France.  Kings of France, and their Protestant Subjects, were of no continuance, because they were not sincere, but only varnished over with dissimulation, and proved rather snares to the poor Protestants then profitable Accommodations; but on the other side the peace's that 
f See Pierre Matthew in Henry the fourths life.  Henry the fourth concluded with his rebellious Subjects, and with the House of Austria, were of long continuance, because it was the maxim of that generous King, to be rather too remiss then rigorous in his conditions of peace: for when he had brought the Catholic 
g See Pierre Matthew in Henry the fourths life.  League upon their knees, that had rebelliously proclaimed him incapable of the crown, injured his sacred person, and desolated his kingdom by the foreign Forces they brought in to disthrone their natural King; yet did he grant unto them honourable conditions of peace; and spilt not a drop of their blood in vindication of their abhorred carriage towards him. And for the House of Austria, although it had hatched that Cockatrice of the Catholic League, and fomented the civil war in France for three and thirty years together; yet after he had recovered the City of Amiens out of their hands, and driven back the potent Army of the Archduke Mathias into Flanders with great loss and dishonour, and was advancing into Artois with his victorious Army; he embraced the Propositions of peace that were offered him by Philip the second King of Spain, and was so just and equal in his demands; (notwithstanding he had the advantage in arms) that the Peace that was then concluded was of long continuance. But the Emperor Charles the fifth by the rigorous conditions of Peace he imposed upon Francis the first King of France (that was his prisoner) against the wise counsel of that famous Politician 
h See the Spanish History.  Cardinal Ximenez, (that counselled him to set freely the said King at liberty, and to take no advantage at all of his imprisonment, nor to require but equal and just conditions of Peace from him;) filled all Christen doom with war, and brought upon himself such incredible charges, that caused his hoary head to descend to the grave with sorrow and vexation of mind. And the greatest Politician of our days, the 
i See this Cardinal's life.  Cardinal de Richlieu did counsel Lewis the thirteenth King of France, to be in all the conditions of peace that he tendered to the Dukes of Savoy and Lorraine, and to his own Protestant subjects, rather remiss then too rigorous; as being the safer way for to attain to a sure and a constant peace. Now since it hath pleased God to infuse into the hearts of all the Members of the honourable Houses such an earnest desire to Peace, as they are now ready to tender, and to send Propositions of Peace to his sacred majesty, I conceive we are all obliged in general & in particular to address our fervent Prayers to the throne of Grace, that God would be pleased to infuse into his majesty's heart a true desire to conclude such a peace, as may tend to the advancement of God's glory, the good of his Church, and to the reunion of his majesty's love with his most loyal Parliament, as the only means to make his sacred Person, and all his dominions, blessed and happy; And that he may for ever hereafter have in his mind his royal father's Motto, Beati pacisici.     

The sixth Secondary Cause, is, The want of Perseverance.  
THe Perseverance in the ways of righteousness is a supernatural Grace, and a free gift of God, but in civil, politic and Military actions, it is a gift of nature, or a property acquired by education or practice, that doth oftentimes overcome the natural instinct in men, and in unreasonable creatures, as it shall appear by these instances: 1. 
a See Plutarch in his Morals.  Socrates that was reputed by the Oracle of Apollo the wisest, the most temperate, and the meekest man of all the Greeks, was naturally inclined to inconstancy, licentiousness, and wrath, as he did aver before his Disciples, when they derided in their schools one that affirmed by the physiognomy of Socrates, that he was naturally addicted to these infirmities; but he overcame them by a constant observation of the rules and of the Principles of philosophy. 2. 
b See Plutarch in Lycurgus his life.  Lycurgus to induce the lacedaemonians to a constant Perseverance in the austere diet and Military Discipline he had established in their laws, caused a Masty, a Greyhound, a Hare, and a porridge Pot, to be brought before them, and having loosed the Dogs, set down the Pot, and let go the Hare; the Masty ran after the Hare, the greyhound to the porridge Pot; whereupon he spoke thus to them, this greyhound was reared in a kitchen, and this Masty among a kennel of hounds, and custom hath overmastered their natural instinct; even so, this austere diet, and military Discipline, that seems irksome to you, will be easy and pleasant in continuance of time. Whereupon I observe, that our want of Perseverance in arms doth rather proceed from the long neglect of our breeding and practice in war, then from our natural inclination that was formerly addicted to 
c See the English Chron. in the lives of Edward the 3. & Henry the 5.  martial exploits. But before I come to the particulars of this want of a constant perseverance in Military actions, and to prove the necessity of the redress of it by instances, I desire to answer an objection that will be objected by such as are not acquainted with the degrees of this perseverance. You acknowledge (will they say) in your last Chapter, that our civil war is the greatest evil and the most dreadful judgement of God that could fall upon this nation; And notwithstanding you persuade us to persevere in it, and complain that the want of our perseverance in it, is the cause of the spinning out of this war; which seems a paradox to us, because we conceive the less we persevere in it the sooner we shall have an end of it? I answer that I do not persuade any to persevere in this war, to the end to prolong the same, but to endeavour by a constant Perseverance in arms, to obtain by God's favour a blessed peace, from which we are deprived year after year, by our want of perseverance in Military actions, as it shall be proved in this Chapter: Neither do I complain only that it is the cause of the spinning out of our miseries; But do also wish that my head were full of 
d Jer. 9 1.  water and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the desolations that this unnatural war and this want hath brought already upon this Nation. The which to redress, if it be possible, I will endeavour to prove that a constant perseverance in all professions, is the way to attain to honour in this life, to peace in this world, and to eternal bliss in the life to come. If a tradesman be endued with this gift of a constant perseverance in his trade, he will excel all others in excellency of work; If a merchant be endued with this gift, he will excel all other merchants in wealth and commerce; if a student be endued with this gift, he will excel his fellows, and will attain to great promotion before them; If a Statesman be endued with this gift, he will excel in Policy, and reasons of State, all his fellow counsellors; If a simple Christian be endued with this gift of a constant perseverance in the ways of righteousness, he will excel the learned Doctors in the power of godliness, and dive deeper in the mystery of our Salvation, and in the Resolutions of difficult cases of Conscience than they shall: If a Commander in chief be endued with this gift above others, he will excel all other Commanders of that age in martial exploits; As it shall appear by these great Commanders hereafter expressed, because they persevered in Arms from their youth, to the end of their lives. Publius 
e Titus Livius, dec. 3. lib. b.  Scipio rescued his father in a battle out of the enemy's hand at fifteen years of age, and at five and twenty he was general in chief for the Romans in Spain and in Africa. 
f Titus Livius, dec. 3. lib 2.  Hannibal was sent from Carthage into Spain to be trained up in arms under Asdrubal general of the Carthaginians, at nine years of age. 
g Plut. in Pompey's life.  Pompeius' the great appeased a mutiny in his father's Camp at fifteen years of age; and triumphed at Europe, Asia, and Africa before he was thirty years of age. Alexander the 
h Marcus Curtius.  great conquered the greater part of the world before he was three and thirty years of age. 
i Plutarch in Caesar's life.  Caesar was a Commander in Chief at two and twenty years of age, and for his active and constant Perseverance in arms he excelled all the Commanders that ever were to this day. 
k La Noüe in his Military Discourses.  Henry the fourth King of France was sent to the Protestant Army at eighteen years of age, and was their Commander in chief at two and twenty. Gustavus the last King of Sweden was trained up 
I See the Sweden soldier.  in arms very young under his father, and persevered constantly in Military exploits in Polonia, Lituania, Prussia, and in Germany, till he was slain in the second battle of Lipsick. And so all these admirable Commanders crowned their heads with Military trophies by a constant perseverance in arms. But these following perished or blemished their reputation by their discontinuance in Military exploits; 
m See Plut in Mar. Antonius his life.  Marcus Antonius the competitor of Augustus Caesar in the Empire, for want of this constant perseverance in arms, was surprised by the activity of Augustus, his Army defeated, and he himself enforced to fly to Alexandria, where he slew himself. The Noble Prince of Transilvania 
n See the Turkish History.  Sigismundus Battor, that was in his youth the bulwark of Christendom against the Turkish Invasions, and had defeated in open field Sinan Bassa the Grand vizier of the Ottoman Emperor, for want of this constant Perseverance in arms, made over his Principality of Transilvania for a petty county in Slesia, and a yearly revenue to the Emperor Rodolphus, to the great blemish of his former reputation, and to the incredible loss of Christendom. 
o See the French History  Henry the third King of France by his discontinuance in arms, lost the honour he had obtained in his youth in Military exploits; and was enforced to give over the managing of his Army to the Duke of Guise, and to some others of his abettors of the House of Lorraine; whereby he came to be so despised of his Nobility, and of his meanest Subjects, that they grew so impious, as to plot and combine in his own court the Catholic League, that endeavoured to disthrone this indulgent King; but their plot being prevented by the death of the Duke of Guise, they caused him to be perfidiously murdered by a Jacobin Friar. The victorious Army of 
p See Hannibal his life.  Hannibal was utterly overthrown for want of Perseverance in arms, for in stead to keep the same in their Winter Camp, as his use was, he lodged them in the lascivious City of Capua, whereby they became so effeminate, that they lost by it their former valour, and could never be reduced again to their austere Military Discipline; And for this reason did 
q See Plut. in Marius his life.  Marius, and divers other wise Commanders of the Romans, keep their Armies in their Winter Camps, far from any city, or Market towns, that they might exercise their soldiers in the austere labours of war, and rather than they should be idle, (for idleness breeds licentiousness) they kept them at work in digging deep channels, to come out of one River into another, to enrich the country by Navigation. This point deserves to be taken into consideration by them in authority, that the Winter quarter of our Army may be placed upon the enemy's Counties, and as far distant from the City of London as may be, for it is the bane of our Officers and soldiers, because they grow licentious and effeminate, by their swilling and drinking in the City all the Winter time, whereas if they lay constantly in their Winter quarter far from the City, and in the enemy's Counties; they would be constrained to be in action, and this would enable them in the perseverance of the austere labours of war, and greatly preserve our Counties that are now wasted by our own Armies; and by degrees would reduce the enemies to that smallor circumference of ground, of which I have spoken of before. Now we may conceive by all these Instances, how necessary it is for us to obtain this constant perseverance in arms, that hath three degrees. 1. The slow. 2. The swift. 3. The moderate and constant: The slow is irksome and of no performance: the swift is fiery, dangerous, and of no continuance; but the moderate and constant carries the Bell away; and this is the degree of Perseverance that we should endeavour to attain, because the want of it, is the cause of the spinning out of this unnatural war; but it is altogether unknown to us: but the slow and the swift are too familiar with us. The slow is seen in our tedious marches and preparations; and the swift appears in our fights and skirmishes, that are fierce and fiery, but of no greater continuance than the fire of thorns under a Pot. 
r See Plut. in Sertorius his life.  Sertorius a wise Commander of the Romans that was constrained to fly into Spain, to avoid the tyrannical proceedings of Sylla; to induce his Army that was composed of raw soldiers, to this constant and moderate perseverance in war I speak of: caused a strong and a weak horse to be brought before them, and commanded one of his strongest soldiers, to endeavour to pull off the weakest horse tail at a pull, but being derided by the Army for his vain attempt, Sertorius charged a young youth to pull hair by hair the tail off the strong horse, and so by degrees pulled the same quite away in a short time; whereupon Sertorius spoke thus to his Army: If you persevere constantly in your Military attempts, it will be as impossible for the Romans to overcome you, as it was for this strong soldier to pull off this weak horse tail at a Pull: but if you fight by fits, and then lie still, as your Method is; It will be as easy for the Romans by their constant perseverance in arms, to reduce you under their yoke, as it was for this youth, to pull away by degrees this strong horse's tail. This Metaphor cannot be applied in a more seasonable time than this; for our war may properly be compared to barleybreak players, for after they have by their swift running brought in some of their opposites, that were issued out of their sentry, they breathe and rest themselves for half an hour together, and so go to it again: Even so, if we have obtained by God's favour some victory, we breath and rest ourselves so long, till our enemies have recruited their routed Armies stronger than ever they were before. The Lord was pleased to fight for us at Keinton, at Newberry, and near to Winchester; but for want of this constant perseverance in war I speak of, we made no use at all of these three victories; And yet such goodly Trees, according to the rules of war, should not come without fruits. I mean without the reducing of some Counties, or strong holds of the enemies; our Commanders can by God's favour overcome their enemies, as well as Hannibal, but we lack a 
* See Hannibal's life.  Maharbell, a Master of their horse, to tell them they can make no use of their victories; And as it is with our Armies, so is it with the forces of our Garrison towns, in the greater parts of our Counties; for if they have by God's blessing defeated the Forces of one of the enemies garrisons, and greatly weakened the same, in stead to make use of their victory, and suddenly (according as the rules of war do require) to besiege and to begirt with strong trenches that town, and to endeavour by storming and violent assaults to carry it away, while the defendants are amazed and weakly manned, because of their last blow: They retreat homeward, breathe and rest themselves for three months together, and then they will endeavour to have another bout; Or will, it may be, undertake to besiege that town, when there is no probability to take the same; because it is better provided then ever it was; and so are enforced to come off with the same reputation as the besiegers of Basing and Banbury have done. Surely this is not the way to conduce this war to a speedy and a blessed period; but rather to spin out the same, until the kingdom be consumed. It must be upon a constant perseverance in arms, that we must rely upon, for to obtain a blessed peace; it is not thirty, threescore or an hundred or two hundred horse taken in this or that skirmish, that will give an issue to these wars, that is as a little oil cast into the fireto inflame it the more; The Counties are to be freed of these garrisons, and all the fire of this war is to be driven into a small circumference of ground by potent Armies, that it may be the sooner quenched; and our advantages in war are to be followed close at the heels; for it is more dangerous for soldiers to play with the advantages of war, than it is for children to play with sharp edged tools. 
s See Hannibal's life.  Hannibal lost himself and his commonweal by this kind of play; and Monsteur de 
t See Des in the reign of Francis the first.  Lautrec and a great part of the French Nobility came to a miserable end by it, in the kingdom of Naples, and many other more. And therefore the ancient Romans held it for a special honour, if they were speedy in their expeditions of war; and Titus 
u See 〈◊〉. Liv. in his first 〈◊〉.  Livius in his Decades doth purposely record the names of divers Dictators that delivered their country in sixteen, twenty, and thirty days of perilous war; (that would require so many years in these spinning times of ours) for their greater glory. And since it is the end of the work that crownes the head of the workman; and that the triumph could not be obtained by the ancient Roman Generals before the war they undertook was ended by arms, or by a firm peace; I do therefore wonder that our Commanders in chief do not endeavour to attain to this honour, to be called after God, the deliverers of their country. And specially since they fight for the advancement of God's glory, his sacred majesty's just prerogatives, the privileges of Parliament, and their own liberties. 
x See Plutarch in Solon's life.  Solon being demanded by Croesus' King of Lydia, which of all the Citizens of Athens had in his opinion lived and died most happily, he named a Citizen of Athens that had lived virtuously and died valiantly fighting in a battle for the defence of the liberty of his country. Now if this heathen did repute him happy, that lived and died thus; our Commanders, Officers, and soldiers have better grounds to be persuaded, that they shall be eternally blessed, if they live religiously, and die valiantly in the defence of the cause they have in hand. And this assurance should in my opinion be a great motive to induce them to expedite this war; and to conjoin with their constant perseverance in arms, the spiritual perseverance that I now come to speak of (for the first will not avail without the second) that is of a higher nature and of greater concernment than the civil, politic and Military, as much as the Salvation of men's souls is more precious and more excellent; and by consequent more to be regarded, than the preservation of their bodies; because it is the most necessary Grace for Christians, to attain to eternal blessedness; for upon their perseverance in the ways of righteousness, or the neglect and intermission of it, depends their eternal woe, or their eternal bliss. And this supernatural grace is as free a gift of God, as faith and repentance is, and not incident to natural, or unregenerate men, but only peculiar to the true children of God; and is as it were the very seal of their Election, Adoption, Calling, and Justification, and a true earnest of their future Glorification. For except they persevere in the ways of Piety and righteousness, from their first Calling to their end, in mortifying their corruptions, carnal desires, the lust of the flesh, and live religiously and soberly in this present world; they will utterly fall away from the faith, as did 
a Tim. 2. 17.  Hymeneus and Philetus, and lose all that they have wrought. Now the greater this gift of Perseverance is the more are they to be earnest and diligent by fervent and continual prayers, and humble Supplications to God to obtain it; and the greater is their obligation to him, when they have received the same. This excellent Grace is compared to a Race, where all run, but none obtains the prize, but such as persevere to the end: for it is nothing for men to begin well, and to be fervent and active in all the duties of Piety for a moment of time, or to cast forth flashes of zeal, to seem to advance the Glory of God, and their own private, or the general Reformation that is now in hand, except they continue till the work be done, that they may so run, that they may 
b 1 Cor. 9 24.  obtain. The Architector that begins an excellent structure, and does not make an end of it, nor finish it after that exquisite symmetry that it was begun, but for want of patience or to save charges leaves it unperfected, or changeth the form or composition of the first erection, from a Corinthian form to the Toscan, or Jonique, that are inferior to it in charges, beauty and excellency, doth diminish his reputation and not increase the same; for it is not the beginning but the completing of a work in all perfection that honours and recommends the workmen. Even so will it be with private men, that begin well and walk fervently in the ways and duties of Piety, but do not continue to the end. And also with our Worthies, if they should not porsevere to the end in this blessed work of the true Reformation they have begun: For as the Apostle saith concerning our Christian Calling; That there are not many wise, nor many mighty, nor many noble after the flesh called: Even so among so many millions of men of all 
2 Cor. 1. 26.  degrees, that inhabit these three kingdoms, there are but some few hundreds, that have been called to this blessed work of the Lord; And this extraordinary grace and honour they have received of him, should, in my opinion, induce them to persevere in this great work, till it be perfected; for the lesser the number is, the greater will be their honour, because their unparalelled labours will be the greater: And as for those that out of that small number have deserted the work, preferring, like 
c 2 Tim. 4. 10.  Demas and Alexander, the love of this world before the glory of God; let not their apostasy be a motive of discouragement to the faithful Ones, but rather of a greater assurance of their perseverance in grace, from which the others are fallen off, as I will endeavour to make it appear by instances. 1. They began to run in the race, but they continued not; for as the Apostle saith, If they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us, but they went out, that they might be made 
d 1 Joh. 2. 19  manifest, that they were not of us, &c. 2. They had but a general and superficial calling, and not the eternal, nor special, personal, and peculiar calling. For the gifts of God, saith the Apostle, are without 
e Rom. 11. 1. 29.  repentance, &c. 3. Nor the patience to run the race that was set 
f Heb. 12. 1.  before them, &c. 4. Nor the grace to consider that the prize of this race was not to be obtained by the swift, nor the victory of the 
g Eccles. 9 11.  battle by the strong, but by the grace of the Lord of Hosts, &c. 5. Neither did they by prayers and supplications, nor by 
h Ephes. 6. 18.  watching and reiterated petitions require this grace of Perseverance of God, &c. 6. Nor considered that the Laodiceans, and faint-hearted men cannot obtain the kingdom of God; but only the fervent and the 
i Matth. 21. 12.  violent carry it away, &c. 7. and such that press toward the 
k Phil. 3. 14.  mark for the price of the high calling in Christ Jesus, &c. O what a measure of supernatural Grace, hath been then infused into those members of the Honourable Houses that have remained constant until this day, and that shall by the grace of God persevere unto the end; and finish and complete upon the immovable rock of the Word of God, this excellent fabric of the true Reformation already begun: The greatest work that ever was done in Christendom, considering the potent and numerous opposers they are like to have, that like so many Giants, will with all the malice and power of the agents of the Prince of darkness, endeavour to traverse this spiritual building. But let them not be discouraged, for since they have God on their side, none shall be able to oppose, nor hinder the perfecting of it. If they do but persevere as they have begun; and tread for the time to come under their feet all carnal policies, although they seem according to human reason, necessary, and much conducing to that end, but truly and really most destructive to it; as I have noted in my first Chapter; for the true Worship of God is to have the precedency in all Reformations, for the delays of it, that are grounded upon civil, politic, or Military respects, do but spin out this war, and make all other endeavours fruitless; and the very work itself more difficult; as we have had woeful experience of it since this war begun. And will always be so, until it be prosecuted before all other affairs, by an unanimous Perseverance and integrity of heart, by them in Authority, that God out a special mercy to this Nation hath elected, and preordained by his eternal purpose, out of so many millions of men, to do this work, before the beginning of the Creation, and to be the faithful Reformers of the abuses and Innovations that were crept into the Church of England; and the famous Restorers of the Purity of the true Worship of God, in all the Dominions of his sacred majesty, as it is now in Scotland, and in all the best reformed Churches of Christendom. That the minds and affections of the people of England, Scotland, and Ireland may be for the future united and bound with the strongest links and bounds that be under the sun, that is, by a spiritual Conformity of Doctrine and Discipline; and that the Church of God, and these three kingdoms may flourish again under one King, one Law, and one Religion. And that we may the sooner obtain from our gracious God, so great and so wonderful and unexpected mercy; let all the Children of God address their fervent Prayers to the Lord our God, that he will be pleased to return the Person, the love, and the affections of his majesty, to his most loyal Parliament, and that he will endue him as the head, and them as the principal members of the politic Body of this Monarchy, with this spiritual Grace of Perseverance, that he may be the Josiah, and they the jehoiadaes to finish and complete this great work of Reformation, to the increase of God's glory, the Consolation of his Church, and their immortal honour in this life, and their eternal bliss in the life to come.  
Amen.   
FINIS.