TO THE King's Most Excellent MAJESTY.  
E. W. Gent.  
LONDON. Printed by L.N. for Benjamin ALLEN dwelling in Popes-head Alley. 1642.   

TO THE King's Most Excellent MAJESTY.  
SIR,  
THere is nothing more pernicious in a body of State than jealousy, 〈◊〉 that of Love, hath a double passion of fear● and hate; this causeth the patient to think all remedies too weak for the danger; and certain it is, that such as advise either to soothe their Prince's humour, or for their own particular advantage may well be heard, but ought not to be followed. I confess, I had thought since the departure of some that was near unto You, that none would have ventured to have encroached Your favours any more to their own particular advantage, whereby Your good subjects are deprived of those blessings that ought to be common to all, how ever the benefit that King David found by the reasonable counsel of a woman (when he was upon a desperate design) hath given me some encouragement, and I make bold to return to Your Majesty for Patronage; what than the great God hath joined toge●●er, let no man dare to put asunder. For as much then as it hath pleased the great God to bring Your Majesty and Parliament together, let no man dare to put asunder: and yet so it is, that there are many in these days who desires nothing so much, as to make a difference between Your Majesty and your Parliament, but believe it, Sir, who ever they are, they are no friend to Caesar, how ever, I will smite David to the wall, is become profitable to the Church and State, and well it is for the innocent that wicked men cannot keep their own counsels, God fetcheth their thoughts out of their mouths, or their countenance to be a reasonable prevention to the godly, which otherwise might proceed to a present execution for your Parliament; they are even wearied both from Ireland and England, with several complaints, and they have a long time traveled, as it were, with child, and fain would they bring forth a son, but behold there is no strength to bring forth; that Counties and Cities petition, sure it is because they have just cause of complaint, let then the sighs of the poor come before You, and since Your Majesty have refused to hear the Petition of both Houses by the hands of the Lord of Essex his Excellence; call to mind the saying of Job, If I did despise (saith Job) the cause of my man servant, or of my maid servant, when they contended with me, what then shall I do when God riseth up, and when he visiteth, what shall I answer. True it is, by reason of some evil minded people, the Crown is become full of cares, and many that have brought your Majesty into them, have with Orpha left you, and the more to blame they. For to engage Your Majesty in an Action, the success whereof can be but slight and of small moment, whereas the miscarrying may beget dangerous defects to Your Majesty and the whole State, and better it were for Your majesty to foresee the dangers at first, and prevent them, or desist from the motion; for Your Parliament they have met with many fears, difficulties and oppositions, and although they have already stayed the tide, yet until I saw them remain firm and constant, I had thought that both Moses and Paul had died without issue, but methinks I see them now quitting themselves like men, and are not willing to suffer three Kingdoms to perish, for that they cannot preserve it by ordinary ways, and it is not fit a father should suffer his son to be drowned for fear of pulling him out by the hair of the head; and sure I am, it were lawful to cure a sick man without asking his consent, if he were capable of remedies: For Your Parliament, they seek not themselves, if they had, they would have been wearied after so much labour afore now, how ever for discharging of their duty they are defamed, despised, and neglected of many, yet I doubt not but God whose battles they fight will provide a due reward of their patience, and sure I am Your Majsty is happy in them, though You will not come nigh them, nor be ruled by them: But know, if You still withstand them, half the thanks will be lost, besides all this while You loseth Honour; for by reason of Your evil counsellors men are not apt to believe You: Wherefore, O King, give me leave to say unto you as Joab said to the King, Sam. 2. Now therefore arise and speak comfortable to Your people; and if You do not, the Parliaments enemies will at length be Yours, and that will be worse unto you than all the evil that befell you from your youth until now. But if your Majesty will yet harken unto them, you will win them to obedience with kindness, and in so doing, you will make good that which you were sent for, whose care ought to be employed for the good of your Subjects, knowing that their love is your greatest safety, and their prosperity your greatest Honour and felicity, and this is that, which will make your bed easy for you when you shall possess the just title to the crown, with the love of your people, and sure I am that the countenance of it with the willing applause of the subject is the nighest way to a blessing: true it is, were it not for Flatterers and evil councillors your Parliament would appear just men unto your Majesty, The Lord Jesus Christ had many enemies, but there was made known one Judas: Your Parliament have many Judases, but one enemy, and if your Majesty would know him, it is he that hates to be reformed; and for your Parliament, they may justly take up the saying of David, and were it Papist or an open enemy that should envy them, and so speak evil of them, the offence was not so great: but as David said when his familiar friend that eat bread at his table and had communion together: This, even this, is that which troubled him. Most gracious sovereign, if You love God, set yourself against this kind of men (that set Your Majesty against Your Parliament, and call to remembrance the principal contrivers of former plots, doubtless they that now blow the coals will heat the furnace; they owe you a good turn, and will (if they can) pay it, You see their hearts by their deeds; prove Your faith so too, the best work that you can do, is to do the best you can against them, or suffer it to be done upon them. I must confess the Church and State always thrived, and was made a gainer by foreign jars, but by home-division it loseth honour, and suffereth much by civil wars, the Lord so assist Your Majesty that You gain peace at home, that so You need not care with whom You were abroad: the Church of God was twice preserved in Egypt, in Abraham and Jacob, in Christ; and who knows but that Your Majesty a fourth time, nay, forever may be a means to preserve a Church to God: true it is, there is pro and con, and much ado about the settling of the government of the Church. It is no matter what this man or that man say to the Law then, and to the Testimonies, and if any man refuse to come in, compel them all.  
Most gracious Soveraig●, there are many sorts of people that are enemies to Your Majesty, and Your Kingdoms. Papists, L. Bishops, Flatterers, and evil councillors, and Monopolizers: my humble suit is that Your Majesty should deal with them all, as Moses dealt with his Rod, and whilst it wa● a Rod, he held it familiar in his hand, but when once a Serpent, he fled from it.  
It is true, the loss of these men would be the church's gain, and whilst God is effecting what he purposeth concerning them and Your Parliament. I shall desire with David to attend the issue in silence; knowing that modest beginnings, and hopeful proceedings makes happy endings, and if Your Majesty would but return, the work would be perfected, and if I should but hear of Your return: I would with Abigail make haste to fall down before you: however Troubles begun, more feared, yet not ended, that they were past, and the three kingdoms united in a posture to serve the living God. I would die next, so I might save the rest.  
I conclude with a story of old-age; A mother being misinformed against her son, and threatening him very sore to beat him, he broke out into these terms; Mother, do not beat too hard, for we must be friends.  
FINIS.