A just DEFENCE OF JOHN BASTWICK.  
Doctor in physic, Against the Calumnies of John Lilburne lieutenant colonel and his false accusations, written in way of Reply to a Letter OF Master VICARS: In which he desires to be satisfied concerning that reproach.  
In which Reply, there is not only the Vindication of the Honour of the Parliament, but also that which is of public Concernment, and behooves all well affected SUBJECTS to look into.  
Printed and published with licence according to Order.  
Printed at London by F. Leech, for Michael spark Junior, and are to be sold at the Blue-Bible in Green-Arbor, 1645   

Mr. Vicars Letter to Dr. Bastwick, concerning lieutenant colonel Lilburne.  
Much honoured Doctor, and my most worthy friend, being abroad this Saturday, I heard that Mr. John Lilburne, hath again printed another lavish Letter, which I have not yet seen or read, wherein, together with others, he hath sorely, and I am persuaded most unjustly taxed you, to have done him a great deal of wrong, in his late miscarried business about the Parliament, whereas I have ever observed that you have always, since you were first acquainted with him, shown yourself his singular good friend, ready to do him all good in word and deed, yea and in these later times of his uncomely miscarriages have spoken very tenderly and friendly of him; and therefore I cannot (I say) be persawded that you have given him any just cause so to complain or exclaim of you, I therefore humbly desire you (most honoured Sir) to vouchsafe to satisfy and certify me in a word or two, whither any such thing be between you or not at this time, though I say for mine own part I am confident of the contrary, but, than I shall be the more groundedly able upon occasion to vindicate your integrity and innocency therein, and the more fully to stop the mouths of any other traducers of you herein: Thus, most noble Sir, whom from my soul, for your faithfulness to God and his Truth, I can never sufficiently prize and honour, praying pardon for this my boldness, emboldened thereunto by your own Christian candour and even genuine ingenuity, with the humble tender of my best services to your most worthy self and virtuous Consort, I ever rest, Yours in his best poor Services, in the Lord to be commanded,  
Aug. this 9th 1645. John Vicars.   

A just defence, of John Bastwick, Doctor In Physieke, Against the Calumnies of John Lilburne, lieutenant colonel, and his false Accusations.  
Mr. VICARS;  
AS I have ever found you a truly loving friend to me and mine heather to, and that in my greatest adversity and hottest conflicts, which with all thankfulness I do acknowledge, and have with reciprocal affection answered your love: So I hope there shall never on my part, any just occasion be given of violating this our mutual affection: for to the uttermost of my abilities, I shall endeavour to keep peace with all men especially my Christian acquaintance. And so confident I am of your good opinion, that there is not any calumny how high so ever it fly, and how loud soever it speak, and by what multitudes soever it be spread obroad and divulged, that can in the least alienate your charity from me before you have heard my just defence. And truly at this time though I should not return an answer to your Letter in way of justification of my own integrity, so assured I am of your Love, that al● those foul aspersions that are now causelessly published concerning me, by reason of a Letter printed by Leiu. Col. Lilburne should not in the least stagger your good esteem of me or estrange you from me: much less would they extort a censure from you before you had heard what I had to reply in my own behalf. But seeing you have desired for the satisfaction of others to hear from me concerning the business between me and the Leiut. colonel, I thought fit to gratify you in a few lines, not that I am solicitous about that matter, or that it doth in the least trouble my mind, or disquiet my thoughts: for such is my innocency in this cause, that besides the testimony of my own Conscience, I have the witness of the whole Parliament, the great council of the kingdom to acquit and free me from the colonels crimination: so that all men may see that it was maliciously laid upon me, only to make me hateful to all good people. You know that Calumny (who is quicker than martial Law) doth ordinarily arraign, accuse and condemn men before they have been heard speak for themselves, and men are usually put to death and murdered in their reputation, and their fame taken from them before they know of it: and thus at this time it hath happened to me, who am made as odious and infamous as the tongues of Revilers can make me, and that upon no just grounds; as you shall see by and by. It is a sin that many in this Nation are highly gui●ty of, who deal not with others as they would be dealt with, and easily receive a reproach against their Neighbour, both which notwithstanding are against the royal Law of love. Neither is there any man that would not complain if one should either spread an evil report of him, or embrace one against him; yet that they condemn in others is the practice of too too many in these our days: and they that sit at the stern of Government canno● keep themselves from the Obliques of such as owe their lives unto them for their care and watchfulness for their good, and therefore we that are of the low degree may not think our condition miserable, when we see our Rulers and the chief Magistrates of the kingdom, and that not only in tongue and word, but in every scurrilous Pamphlet, hour●●● traduced: But now to the matter in hand. You tell me, you heard That Master John Lilburne hath again printed another Letter, where in together with others, 〈◊〉 hath sorely taxed me, to have done him agreat deal of wrong, &c. What he hath published concerning others, I leave them to an●wer to that, but what he hath printed concerning myself, it is most false, and no way beseeming him a brother, so to deal with one, that had loved and honoured him, more than he did himself, and so far, I have ever been from wronging him in the least measure as all that know me, or ever heard me speak of him, when he was accused of pride, rashness, malversation factiousness of spirit, &c. I say, when I have heard many bla●● him, as well friends as en●mies, they can all witness for me, he had ever my good word, either wholly to excuse him, and vindicate his reputation, or at least to extenuate his offence: so that I am not in the least thing guilty of disaffection to him, much less of that, he layeth to my chrge, yea, had it been true, that he chargeth me with, yet it had been no more a crime in me, than it was in himself, when he not only communicated a business concerning Col, Hollis to Mr. Samuel Goose, but afterward made it known to some Members of the House; which saith he, we did without any design in the world saving the discharge of our duty. Thus he speaketh in his Letter concerning himself and Master Goose: Now if they thought it a discharge of their duty, to inform the House of such things as concerned the State, because Robinson said he would justify it to the death, why should any think it a crime in me, to inform the Par●iament of those things that others affirmed▪ with as great a probability of verity as Robinson did? Especfally when it concerned the whole kingdom? Yea in the 8th page of his Letter he speaketh of three Citizens, that were come down from London to Westminster, namely Master pretty a Draper and one of his neighbours in Dowgate▪ and one Master Worly that lives about morefield's, and all these (saith he) were come down to Westminster, and did give information to 4. Members of the House of Commons, namely to colonel R●gby, Sir Walter Earl, Col. Long, and Masterr Corbet, concerning Sir John Lenthall and the Speaker, as they had heard it from others, and the which was known (as he affirmeth) to thousands of Citizens by the hearing of the ear: and all this the colonel in his Letter, saith, those men were informing the House of; when he came to Westmin. And in all there so doing I do conceive he thinketh they did but their duty. Why therefore should the very same men, think it so heinous a crime & offence now in me, if I made the same information it to the whole House, which they had done to some particular Members of was it a virtue in them, and a thing praise worthy, and it is a crime and P●aculum in me? But it was against a friend and a brother to whom, I was exceedingly beholding. First therefore I shall desire you to take his own expression concerning the business, and after my reply. His words are these.  
It seems Doctor Bastwick (a man that stands obliged to me, with as many ties of friendship and respect, as I am confident he doth to any man in the world, for whom I have often both in England and Holland adventured my life, and all that was mine, and for whose sake and cause, as an earthly instrument I underwent all the sorrows and miseries, that I suffered from the Bishops for diverse years together) s●nt in a paper to the Speaker to inform him, that I had accused him for sending threescore thousand pounds to Oxford (though with the said Doctor Bastwick to my remembrance, I had not any discourse at all about any such business: for the discourse I had about that business was with lieutenant colonel Roes, the Scout-Master general, whom I brought up out of the Guarden to the aforesaid three Citizens, that had newly given in their information under their own hands. Master Worley, one of the three, being lieutenant Col. Roes old acquaintance, told him more (I am confident of it) by many degrees, then before he had from me. Yet (as I am informed) upon Doctor Bastwick's paper● barely, the Speaker g●t a Vote (before ever I knew any thing, though I all day waited upon the Parliament) to pass the House in these words.  
Resolved upon the Question by the Commons assembled in Parliament, that lieutenant colonel Lilburne, ●ee forthwith taken into custody by the Sergeant as arms attending the House, and so kept till the House give further Order.  
This is his own expression; by the which it is manifest, that the information was made to four members of the House of Commons, before my Paper was sent in to Master Speaker, which was about three a clock in the afternoon: So that I did nothing, but what had been acted by the three Citizens before. Now if they were not base and paltry fe●lowes and Knaves for doing this, than there is no just ground, nor cause why either lieutenant colonel Lilburne, and Mr. Worley and there companions should asperse me with those odious terms, and many more, calling me an Apostate, as they have been often heard speak, and for no other cause but for informing the House of that which they themselves had done before me, yet all these calumnies I now under go from these men and of all their fraternity, and for no other offence but for that they applaud in themselves for a virtue. But now for answer to that which lieutenant colonel Lilburne chargeth me with, and for a replication to your request, know this Master Vicars, that it is most false, and that I may express myself in the words of a Parliament man (when he had read the printed Letter) it is a most impetuous lie, for so said a Member of the House to me, that Lilburne had printed a most impetuous lie against me, whiles he upbraided me, and my ever to be honoured brother Master William Prynne of lying, and to speak the verity, I do not think there was a more gross and wilfuller untruth ever printed against any man: for I understanding that lieutenant colonel Lilburn had given out that I had informed against him, I sent him word by one Mistress Barber, which told me that she was very sorry to hear that I should do such a thing against a brother and a loving friend and fellow sufferer, to whom I merely replied, that it was a groundless report, and that I never did it, and with all told her, that it was one Hawkins, and desired her to signify it to my Brother Lilburne, that he might be undeceived, and fearing that she should not relate it unto him, (though she was then going to him) and promised me that she would) the next day finding him waiting on the Committee, I blamed him that he should report such things of me, and told him that he had exceedingly wronged me in so doing, in raising such a report and withal signified unto him that it was his friend Hawkins that had accused him: Notwithstanding all this, such is his inveterat malice towards me, because I writ against the Independents, that he printed that falsehood against me, only as I suppose to bring an Odi●●s upon me through the kingdom (for his Letter is now as public as weekly news, and in every hands) and I am induced to believe that this was the design both of himself and those that are of his society, because it hath ever been their ordinary practice, to abuse such in tongue and print withal manner of callumnies and blasting language as they think Malignant and lieutenant Col. Lilburne by name, is notorious, and famous for this faculty of reviling, as this his printed letter doth specify and his many other Pamphlets, and that which not long since he printed against Col. King a Lincolnshire Gentleman who had deserved as well from the Parliament and his Country (if famelye not) as most of those that have been in public service for the State▪ and who exposed himself to as many dangers, and did as faithfully discharge his place and the trust committed to him as any man: yet this man, because he opposed the Independent party, and would not whiles he was in Come manned, suffer them in a disorderly manner to leave the public Assemblies where the word was faithfully and Orthodoxly preached and vent their own novelties, to the seducing and misleading of the poor people and making a faction in Church and State: For no other ground (I say) that ever I heard of, saving that he being a man not only of integrity, but wisdom also and courage, and could not endure to see his countrymen made a prey of to purloiners, and such as aimed more at their own honour and private emolument than at the public good and dignity of the Parliament; for these very causes and no other, that ever I could learn what I say with that party hating him, and the Independents joining with them, by their false informations and clamorus against him and their malicious suggestions, as that he was of a troublesome and contentious spirit, they have made him as odious as any man in the kingdom, excepting myself and my learned and honoured Brother Mr. William Prynne. And Lieutenant colonel Lilburne not satisfied to rail of this gallant Gentleman wheresoever he came, but printed a most notorious lying libel against him, and such an one, as all the truly Godly and honest men of that County do affirm, they never saw more prodigious untruths published against any man: and such of his Country men as are acquainted with him and his abilities know very well, that if he had but fair play, he is able for wit and worth to deal with a whole Army of Indepents, and all his enemies, and for valour and skill in arms he is inseriour to none of them, and whiles he was in their good esteem, and before he opposed their faction, they neither thought nor spoke otherwise of him, but as of a brave and diserving Gentleman as can be proved by a cloud of witnesses and under the hands of the best of them: but now, because he is adverse to theer way, as with all good reason, he and all good men, such as love the peace of Zion, and the welfare of the kingdom, aught to be, to their whimsy of Independency, therefore that party and their abettors do most horridly abuse him with all manner of reproaches, and my Brother Lilburne by name, (as I said before) hath published such beastly lies of him, as scarce the sun ever saw greater, and in the same track and path do all the Independent faction walk in, blasting all those they hate with vilifying language, and for this very end and for no other purpose, I persuaded myself he published that lie against me, that he might make me despicable, and of no reputation amongst honest men: for in his accusation, he chargeth me with two crimes, Lying and Ingratitude, either of which were enough to make me infamous through the World, much more they being both joined together, and that with aggravation for there is nothing that all ingenious men hate, & abhor more than alyat, and an ungrateful fellow, and that deservedly neither can any honest man keep such men company with safety, as are guilty of those crimes. And truly, if I were such a man, the world might justly distaste and abjure me. Now to prove me a liar, he thus argueth. The Doctor (saith he) sent in a paper to inform the Speaker, that I had accused him for sending threescore thousand pound to Oxford, though with the said Doctor Bastiwck I had no discourse at all about any such business. And therefore he is a notorious ly●t, to affirm that I accused Master Speaker, when I had no discourse with him about any such business. And to prove me an ungrateful fellow, and one that had done him evil for good, which is yet a degree of Sin above ungratitude: he thus disputeth. Doctor Bostwicke, a man that stands obliged unto me, with as many ties of friendship and respect, as i am confident he doth to any man in the world, for whom I have both in England and Holland, adventured myself and all that was 〈◊〉, and for whose sake and cause, as an earthly instrument I under went all the sorrows and miseries that I suffered from the Bishops for divers years together. And for this man to make an information against me and thus to reward me, rendering me evil for Good, he proclaims himself to the whole world to be an unworthy and ungrateful man, and therefore ought deservedly to be abhorred and abominated of all good people, as a liar & an unthankful fellow, and this is the scope of this gallant sword-mans' disputation, to wound and destroy his brother's reputation, and this effect it hath already produced, that amongst all those of that fraternity (for they take all pro confess that he either speaketh or Printeth) they talk no otherwise of me then of a base fellow, calling me knave and paltry fellow at every word, and this dialect they have learned of Lieutenant colonel John Lilburne, who when he speaketh of me, giveth me no other name, although it is well known until I had declared myself against Independency, there were no praises though great enough both for me and my Brother Prynne, such is the fickleness and vanity of the poor creature, one day crying Hosanna, and another day crucify him, if in the least ye displease his humour, and so he dealeth with the Parliament, who, but the Parliament not long since with John Lilburne? and now they are a company of Tyrants? and the supreme Court of Judicature is with him as bad as the High Commission, and the Star-chamber, and worse and all the Judges in the great council, as bad as Strafford and the Prelates, trampling down Magna Charta, and the liberty of the Subjects under there feet, so that if their dealings towards the Subjects be just, he professeth he hath lost his judgement, and must begin to learn A. B. C. again, &c. But to wave his despising of Government, and railing of dignities, a Sin which God so much abhors, 2 Pet. 2. Jude and which belongs to those in authority to redress, and whom it most concerns. I come to his particular charge against me, and first, where he accuseth me that I put up a paper against him to the Speaker, he begins his crimination with calling, for I never put up a paper against him, neither did I ever in my life inform against him unto any Parliament man, or ever open my mouth to any of the House in his least prejudice to this present day, but have ever spoken well of him to the Parliament, and for this I now say, all the Parliament can witness for me: and so far I was from making an Information against him about this business, that I knew not at that time, that he had ever heard that Mr. Speaker was accused of any such thing, nor had not known it, had not he himself in his letter signified so much that Pendrid had told him such a thing, and therefore I could not inform against him, and in the first paper that I and colonel King put into the House, we were so careful of preserving others reputations, that we named none in it but Haukings. But after we had sent in the first paper, and understanding from others, that Hawkins varied in his relation, and whereas to us he had only by name accused Master Speaker, and Sir Robert Harlow, saying that many more were equally guilty, and hearing that, to others he in his relaton said there were ten more specifying a certain number upon this new intelligence, we conceiving that if he would communicate these things to us which were strangers unto him, he would much more impart his mind to his familiars and those of his own faction, and seeing him in the company of many of that way from whose sosiety he then immediately came and related those things to us, we verily persuaded ourselves that he had told them also the same things, and thinking with ourselves if Hawkins should deny his words as probably he might, that then we might the better corroberat and strengthen our witness with their testimonies, which would also have added great force and life to our information as being men of reputation and of good esteem and credit in the Parliament, and against whom there could be no just exception or suspicion of hatred to that party, they being Independents and no Presbyterians, I say for the strengthening of our witness, in the next paper we sent in to the House, we put in the names of some of those that were in Hawkins company, as colonel Iret●●, and Lieutenant Colo●●ll Lilburn, for such was the honour we then bare to them, as we had thought to have had their testimony and witness, joined with ours, (in case that Hawkins should have juggled with us, or denied any thing he spoke to us) and truly colonel Iret●n might as well have picked a quarrel with none at Lieutenant colonel Lilburne, if he had been of a malicious and contentio●s spirit: for all that we intended by naming of them in the paper presented to the House, was for no other end, but to produce their testimonies with ours, if (as I said before) Hawkins should have denied his words. And whether the naming of these men were any wrong to them, or any just cause of a quarrel from Lieutenant colonel Lilburne, I refer it to the judgement of any Sober and discreet man! But for the saitisfaction of yourself Master Vicars and all good men, teke the information as it was put up in its formal words, which I am not now afraid to publish because the business is now in print by John Lilburne, Lieutenant colonel, and is now publicly known: and because also the innocency of the parties accused, is now vindicated and commonly taken notice of, there being nothing made good against them, so much as with any seeming probability, much less proved it being well known also, that there was not any one of reputation that were either the accusers or prosecutors of the business. But the last information that was put up into the House of Commons was this;  

Colonel Ireton, Lieutenant colonel Lilburne, Hawkins, and others, having been serious in discourse in the Court of Requests; Hawkins coming immediately from that company said there were strange things discovered against many Members in the House of Commons, and went as high as the Speaker, against whom it would be proved, that he had with his own hand sent threescore thousand pounds to the King to Oxford, and that many Members had made their Peace, and done strange things, amongst whom Sir Robert harlow was one, and that if God had not blessed our Army to be in a good condition, the very discovery of these things, would have been enough to have undone us all. These words were spoken by Hawkins before us, and we are ready to witness the same.  


Edward King.  
John Bastwick.     
These Mr. Vicars, are the very words we put up to the House, now I appeal unto the judgement of all judicious and moderate Christians, whether there be any one word of accusation either made by me or colonel King, against Lieutenant colonel Lilburne, so that it may now appear unto all men, that it was a most malicious lie, feigned against me by my good Brother Lilburne, and published only to defame me: and which is more to be taken notice of, that howsoever there were many more besides myself tha● put up informations to this purpose against Hawkins, and in this very paper colonel King by name joined with me, and that in the first place, yet he baukes them all and singles me out to make the theme of his scurrility, and expose me to the hatred of all good men. So that now M. Vicars I am confident that you & all who shall see this are satisfied by my just defence for this first point, and so you will all free me from his accusation, and account him for his pains a mere calumniating liar, as he most justly deserveth.  
And now I will answer to his other crime of ingratitude. But that you Master Vicars, and all to whom you shall communicate it, may the better see into the temper of this man, and all that are of his faction, I shall now communicate unto you, first the original and beginning of my acquaintance with Mr. John Lilburne and of the mutual affection and reciprocal. Offices that passed between us until he fell into the boisterous way of separation & did prosecute it with, such violence: and then I will relate unto you his carriage of late towards me, besides his aspersions, in his Letter of lying and ungratitude, and with all tell you some words and passages also of those of his faction, and how causelessly they have abused me in word and deed.  
When I was a prisoner in the gatehouse, I lay there a whole year, & a half to my best remembrance, before I saw any Citizen in London, saving my own kindred, and such people as in whose Houses I had Lodged, when I was forced by the tyranny of the times and my malicious enemies, to wait upon the Courts of judicature all the term time, for there was scarce a Court in the kingdom where, Tom Newcomin, Danet, and Richard Daniel, those impious and treacherous fellows out of the rancour and hatred had not put me, notwithstandiug I had been a means to preserve the said Daniel, the Brother of Thomas Newc●min from the jaws of famine, as all the people of Col●chester can witness, yet all they conspiring against me out of malice, hoisted me up into the Court of Chancery, King's Bench, High-commission, &c. so that I was constrained to dance attendance all the term long upon one Court or other for many years together, until I was by their prosecution cast into Prison, so that of necessity I was forced into some acquaintance, at for my friends generally, they were like the Rivers of Arabia, when I was in the greatest heat of affliction, and had most need of them to refresh me, they were all dried up, and as jobs and David's friends, either out of base fear of the Beast, they stood a far of, and so declined me, or else proved miserable comforters and added affliction to my bonds, so that I found that of Solomon true, confidence in an unfaithful friend, is like unto a broken tooth or a foot out of joint, for as a broken tooth and a foot out of joint, not only fails men when they have the greatest need of them, for their sustenance and supportation, but pain, hurt and annoy them, and many times exceedingly torment them, even so it happened to me, they seldom came to me, except it were to rate me, and revile me, and join with my enemies, yet though they failed me, I had got some acquaintance by these my sufferings, who now and then came to visit me, and were kind unto me, and these excepted, no Citizens did ever accost me, or come nigh me in all London for eighteen months. And that which also made me not regarded, nor looked after, some black mouthed physicians that made Religion their stalking Horse to get into practice, one of the which also, stood really obliged unto me, in as many Obligations of respect and friendship, as Lieutenant colonel Lilburne falsely affirms, I stand bound to him, and yet this man also forgetting all courtifies and humanity, for no other reason, but because I could not applaud all his distempers joined with the other men unknown to me by any familiarity, and with whom to this present day I yet never Changed a word, and they all as it were in a confederacy combined together to defame me, and spoke all manner of evil of me (and continue the same trade to this day) so that in the judgement of all the Citizens that heard of me and through their calumnies, I was thought worthy of no pity, and esteemed of a● man no way to be regarded: yea I was condemned by the most of them that heard of me, as an evil doer, and my punishment thought to little for me, and they spoke generally of me as of a debauched fellow and a madman: and all those aspersions were laid upon me partly out of malice, and partly for fear, lest any should make use of me for their physician, for they were sure they should ever find me at home, when others perhaps would be in the Country when they had greatest need of them, & therefore for fear (as I say) lest I should hinder Gri●●s from coming to their Mi●l, & out of envy they often traduced me, and vilified me everywhere an ordinary practice especially of the independent physicians, and all that I now say Master Vicars, I think you in part can witness: so that I remained a Prisoner of hope, destitute of friends and in a despicable condition, and knew not the face of any Citizen but my kindred, and some few that I formerly made mention of, until one Mr. Wharton an old Disciple, an honest and a godly man, was sent unto me by a Doctor of Divinity, as prelatical a man as he told me, as any in England, which made the good-old man to wonder, yet he being a learned man took pity of me, and sent me twenty shillings in Gould, which was the first present I ever received from any man of that function, forbidding him to tell me his name (which he concealed faithfully) with this Message also, that if I were in any necessity, I should make Mr. Wharton acquainted with it, and then I should hear from him, and he likewise charged him to take a care of me, ●elling him that he never read any Puritans writings from which he had better satisfaction, and gave me hyperbolical praises as he related unto me; whereupon the old man began to ask me, how I subsisted there, and I told him in particular, all my means that was left to support me to a penny (and I bless God I sp●ake it to his praise) I was as well contented with water-gruel in P●●●…lon as ever I was with greatest plenty at liberty, God blessing it to me and mine, it sustained us and if my poor Wife could purchase one roast joint of meat in the week, we thought ourselves happy, and our little Children would skip as much to see a piece of roast meat on the suit, as others would do at any thing of greatest delight or wonder, and would cry out one to another roast-meat, roast-meat, that it would draw tears many times from my wife's eyes to hear them (and that that I now speak the Lord in Heaven knows it is true) and all this while blessed be God, we had our health; & looked well, And in this low and contented conditi●n we could have continued without starving, though we had never had aid from any mortal man, but I had a very loving Kinsman (whom you know well Mr. Vicars) Mr. S●rang by name, who suspecting the worst showed me may kindnesses and his Children likewise, and he lent me money upon any occasion, and that was no small comfort unto us, but otherwise I was friendless and helpless, until old Mr. Wharton by that doctors means came to me who much encouraged me, and entreated me I would write something in English, for the people (saith he) understands not Latin, and therefore can reap no benefit by your labours, neither will you ever be known unto them and so he extremely urged me that I would write something in English, whereupon I demanded of him what theme he would put me upon, by any means (saith he) write against the Bishops, for he could not endure them, they having utterly undone him two or three times and prosecuted him for the space of forty years, whereupon I told him that in few days I would do something concerning that Subject, and perceiving that he was a good cheerful, merry old man, I began with my litany which when he had heard it made him laugh as if he had been tickled, so that I never saw a man more pleasant at a piece of grillery. And the very day he brought some Citizens of good repute into my Chamber, who bestowed a dinner on me, and after they had heard my litany once, they were so highly pleased at it, that they int●eated to hear it read again●, and desired each of them a copy of it, and at their departure they showed themselves very Christianly noble and kind, and gave me ten peece●, which set me up, and this was the first courtesy that ever I received from any Citizens that were strangers to me, neither were they loving to me at that time, but now and then they both came and sent to me, delighting in my company, so as they commended me unto their Neighbours with compassion grieving as they said, that I should be neglected and no more regarded, and they read my litany to them also, and so from one to another, by this means I came to be knoune, and to be in Esteem among some Godly Citizens, and to be acquainted with them, who showed me many courtesies, which was not a little comfort unto my bands which I acknowledge with all thankfulness to God and them (and all these were the old Puritans of E●gland and now Presbyterians, not one of them independent) and this was the first occasion of my being known to the City, And not long after this, the good old Father, brought me acquainted with some young men towardly and fearing God, and they also took pleasure in my society, and I was as glad of theirs, amongst the which was Mr. John Lilburne, who as his occasions permitted him, would now and then visit me, of whom I had then as good an opinion, as of any young man in the town, and conceived of him as an honest hopeful and godly youth, and gave him as good council, as I could give to any, and loved, and esteemed of him, as I did of any of my Christian Brethren, and after some familiarity and more intimate acquaintance, he made known unto me his condition, and told me (as I remembered) that he was now, either out of his time, or that it approached that he should be a freeman; but withal related unto me, that his stock was very small to begin with (and if my memory fail not) he told me he had but fifty or threescore pound for his portion, which saith he, you know, is very li●tle to set up withal, (But what trade he was of I know not to this day) and he entreated me, that I would be pleased to give him a Copy of my Let any, and my answer to the Bill of information put up against me in the Star-chamber, saying that he doubted not but he should get money enough by them, for he perceived that they were well approved of by all that read or seen them: whereupon I dissuaded him from thinking of such a thing, telling him, that it would expose him to great danger, and that it might prove his ruin: but withal, I said, if that he did really conceive or believe that it might bring any benefit unto him and might raise him a stock, that withal my heart, most willingly I would give it him, or any other Copies of anything I had either in Latin or English: but I told him for my litanies they were all gone, and I had never a Copy left. Then he demanded where he ●ight procure one, and I told him, that one Master Vicars a school Master in Christ church had one, and I thought that he would be willing to let him have it, whereupon he entreated me to write unto you Master Vicars, and so I did earnestly, desiring you to let him have yours, which you most willingly and readily condescended unto: with all you may remember Mr. Vicars, that I used this Argument to make you more willing to pleasure him, that he was a hopeful young man, but he had but a little stock to begin with, and he conceived that it might be a means the better to set him up, to which you the more willingly listened unto, and freely gave him my litany. And all this you can witness unto. Whereupon John Lilburne repayers to me, returning many thanks, and told me with all, that he had my litany, and was now taking his journey into the Low-Countries to print it, and brought with him a young man, whom he said, he would employ for the dispersing of his books, that he should send over before his return: but I dissuaded him for confiding in that man (though I had never seen him before) for I told him I liked not his looks, and I was afraid that he would betray him: but notwithstanding what I said, he ●eied most confidently upon him, professing that he would put his life in his hands, assuring that he had experience of his fidelity, and seeing that I could not prevail with him to make use of some other, I left him to himself, telling him again and again, that I was persuaded he would prove a false friend unto him, for he looked like a knave. And all this John Lilburne cannot deny, and as I told him it came to pass, for he betrayed him to the Prelates afterward, but it was carried so cunningly on the prelate's part, and so craftily by that fellow, that it did not appear to John Lilburne that he was deceived, though it was palpable to all men besides. But now a word or two of John Lilburne's success in the Low-Countries, when he came thither, he made all speed to print the litany, with my answer to the Bill of information, and it was no sooner published, but he got threescore pounds clearly by it in a few days, as he himself hath often related it to me and others, as I can prove: and had not that base fellow betrayed him, he might for aught I know, have gotten five hundred pounds by it: for never did any apolegy sell better: but as soon as the books were landed in England, and that, that Judas had intelligence of it by John Lilburne's Letters, he immediately informed the Prelate of Canterbury of it, who could not endure the very name of my litany, and forthwith he sent down a pursuivant with plenary authority, to the place where they landed, and surprised all the books & burned them there where he found them, (if I have not been misinformed) & as soon as John Lilburne was arrived he caused him to be apprehended & cast into prison and after to be censured in the Star-Chamber, and made him most barbarously and cruelly to be whipped, pillired, and gagged, and afterwards to be most tyrannically abused in the goal, against all laws both of God, Nature, and all humanity, all which he might have escaped, if he would have followed my counsel, and had not trusted to his own wit, and confided in that treacherous fellow, who was his overthrow. This is all true, Master Vicars, that I have now related unto you, and both yourself and many more can witness for me, that I have not in my relation falsified any thing. Now I shall desire you, and all those that shall read what in truth I have written, to consider, whether I stand obliged to John Lilburne, with as many ties of friendship and respect, as to any man in the world (as he affirmeth) or whether or no, he is not obliged rather to me in all those ties of friendship and respect, that was so willing to gratify him merely, for a few visets: for I never at that time had received a farthing of money from him of his own? Or whether he ventured his life in England and Holland for my sake, or for his own profit and hope of gain? Or whether he underwent those miseries he speaks of for my cause, or for his own emolument and benefits which he affirmeth? All these things Master Vicars, I refer not only to your judgement, to be considered of, but to the wisdom and discretion of all moderate minded men, who if they shall impartially judge, I am most assured, they will determine that the obligation lies on John Lilburne's part towards me, and not on my part towards him, especially if they shall seriously way all other passages between us, which in the following discourse will appear for I freeley gave him the Copies of both my litany and answer, never expecting any profit to myself by them, or ever looking for any reward from him, or any other thing but his love. And I am most confident, if I could have been mercenary, as yet I never was, (who never took a penny of my Printer for any thing I did) I might have had forty pieces at least for the Copies of them: and it will not be a difficult thing to prove what I now say. Now than whether or no, John Lilburne be not for this my humanity obliged to me, I leave it to all men's consideration. And whereas he saith he adventured his life at home and abroad, and underwent all those miseries for my sake and cause, it is most false: for he exposed himself to all those dangers, as Mariners do to all the perils of Sea, for hope of gain, and of getting a livelihood for themselves & their Families; And it is well known that John Lilburne at that time was not so well instructed in the controversies of the Church as vow he seemeth to be, who dares all the World to dispute with him: Neither was it so much his zeal to the Cause, that put him upon that employment, as the eye he had to his own honour and profit, which in all probability, if he had not been betrayed, he would have concommitated his endeavours: and if John had not forgot himself, he would as formerly he hath done acknowledge that I was the best master, and instructor that ever he had for matters of controversy, and Religion; so that next unto God he owes his greatest ski●l to me, who was a good Tutor to him, and I would have him to know that I am yet able to teach him, and a better scholar than any independent in England, who are yet to learn their Primer in politics, and their catechism in Divinity, though through the judgement of God upon this Nation which affect Novelties the people are infatuated with that generation of men: and as it is in the song of Moses, Revel. 15. Great and wonderful are thy works, Lord God almighty, and just in all thy ways, thou King of Saints, to give men over to error because they receive not the truth, in the love of it, that they might be saved, 2 Thes. 2. ver. 10. 11. And if John had but grace in him he would not disdain at this present, to be advised by me who so long as he followed those wholesome principles, and the good council I gave him, he had true honour indeed and might have lived and died with comfort and repute, whereas taking those idle courses, and following a company of unstable giddy-headed people out of vain glory and ambition to have a name of a Champion of the Independents he perpetrates those unwarrantable things that brings dishonour to God and scandals all Christian Religion, and his holy profession, so that whiles he would be thought to be a Teacher and Doctor as Saint Paul speaks, 1 Tim. chap. 1. He understandeth not what he speaketh, nor whereof he affirms, who hath erred from the truth, and is now turned in to vain janglings, not knowing that the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and a good Conscience, and of faith unfeigned, which forbids him to rail of dignities and to speak evil of Government, and enjoins him to obedience, and teaches him in love, to think better of others then of himself, and to prefer others before himself, Rom. 12. v. 10. Phil. 2. and not out of a vapouring humour, proudly and arrogantly to vaunt himself, and dare all others, and our of his turbulent and tumultuous spirit to raise a Faction to the disturbing of both Church and State and the disquieting himself and others, to the grief of all such as wish his good both for soul and body. Now as I have related unto you Master Vicars▪ the beginning of our acquaintance, and showed you what the Obligations were that he says, I stand so much engaged unto him for, so I think it not amiss to speak of some other passages of love both from my Wife and myself towards him. As for my Wife in the time of my banishment at his sufferings, she was failing to him in no offer of friendship but withal tender affection, she was ever ready to yield him her best assistance in any thing and night and day she was solicitous for his good providing for him a most faithful and diligent chirurgeon, often visiting him, and stirring up friends to do him good and according to her own abilities pleasuring him, in any thing he stood in need of continually taking order that he wanted nothing that was sitting for a man in his condition, and had as great a care of him, as if he had been his own Father, and that when he was deserted of his friends (as can sufficiently be proved) and after he was set at liberty, and I was returned from my banishment, we lived in as great amity and affection, as ever any two christian Brethren did, and there was no office of love that I have ever hitherto been failing to him in, either in his sickness or in health, notwithstanding in the time of his imprisonment, he falling into acquaintance with sectaries and stragglers, was much swarved from those ●uthes, and that purity of doctrine he had learned of me; yet all this in the least alienated not my affection from him, but I continued as cordial as ever, rejoicing either to see or hear of him, and of his welfare, and he had my praises wheresoever I came; and all these were obligations, and so would any others have thought.  
And this I may also say, that he may thank me as an earthly instrument (that I may make use of some of his own language) for all the honour he had in the world; for his acquaintance with me, and his suffering about my books (as many of the Parliament have often told me) was the cause that he became so famous, and so well known and honoured, whereas otherwise he might have lived and died in obscurity, and been known no farther than a man can shoot a pelle● with a Trunk, and perhaps not to his next neighbour's door, as it happens in London to many thousands of eminenter men, otherwise for all parts than he, though his abilities are very considerable; and therefore i● that also he is beholding unto me.  
Besides, I taught him some courtship by being in my company, and made him sit for all gentlemen's and nobleman's society; whereas when he came first to be my scholar, though he were Honest and Religious, yet he was but a mere country courtier, and very rough hewn, so that he could neither make a leg with grace, nor put off his hat seemly, till I had polished him, and taught him all his postures of courtship, and now he is become a very gallant Fellow, and hath commenced lieutenant-colonel Lilburne; and who but John among the controleresses of dripping-pans, the Independent sisters?  
Besides, by my society he bettered himself, and that not a little in his language and dialect, and is still beholding to me for many of his best and choicest expressions, as all that know him can say, and all these were obligations, which many a grateful man would have thought he could never have canceled, though John has forgot all, which makes me therefore (though it be contrary to my complexion) to enumerate them, that every indifferent and intelligible man may see, that lieutenant-colonel John Lilburne is not always to be believed, though he be in print: And that Master Vicars, you may see how fairly I deal with him, I will conceal no courtesy that ever he did me, that all men may behold the extremity of my engagement● towards him. Whilst he was in a good mood, he was very loving and kind unto me in word and deed, and when I was a prisoner in Yorkshire, he laboured much for my exchange, and writ many Letters to my Wife about it, and sent his Drum once or twice to me to Knarsbrough castle, which was two miles or thereabou●● fr●m the place where he billeted, and one of those times he sent me ten shillings, which I esteemed of as a great favour, and in way of thankfulness, I gave unto his Drum eleven shillings, as the captain and soldiers there can witness, who stood by all the time he or any man talked with me: But by the way, Master Vicars, I will say thus much, that this ten shillings was the first and last money that ever I received from John Lilburnt; and withal I profess unto you, that notwithstanding all our acquaintance, I never yet broke my teeth with any of his capons, or ever eat of his bread; yet at that time especially, he showed his readiness to pleasure me; and through his means, as I conceive, many other great commanders laboured my exchange, and sent their Drums and Trumpets about it to me, as the Earl of Manchester, and general Crumwell; to both which Honourable Personages, I stand still engaged, for that excellent favour of theirs: And at my return, he came lovingly out of the city, with others, to bring me into London. But here let me tell you also Master Vicars, and what I shall say I am able to prove; that all this time my brother John Lilburne showed me so much kindness, and was so solicitous for my liberty, and came so friendly out to meet me, he not only conceived me to be an Independent, but reported it that I was of their way, and one of them; and this, I say, I can prove; so that it was not pure charity and unfeigned love, but all under the notion that I was of his judgement, that he showed me so much favour: For since that I declared myself that I was of a contrary opinion; it is well known that he hath not only relinquished and abandoned me, but in words most reproachfully abused ●e, with all manner of calumnies behind my back, calling me base fellow, paltry fellow, knave, apostate, an enemy of the Generation of the just, a persec●ter; and all this before his Letter was printed, wherein he hath to the purpose railed both upon me and my highly honoured brother Master William Prynne; but it is his usual custom thus to asperse the very Nobility and Peers of the kingdom, if they do● not in all things humour him, as the Illeistrious Earl of Manchester, yea, he spares not the King his highness, nor the Parliament.  
And for his complices, all that Rabble rout, tagragge and bobtaile, that followed him in these his needless and sought for troubles, as Worly by name, and others, they told me, and that in a crowded assembly, that I was very high, but they had known me low enough, and that not long since I lived on their alms, and affirmed, that they had kept me from hanging, but now I was turned an Apostate, a persecuter, and an enemy of the godly party, and joined with the wicked, against the Saints (it seems they are all Saints) and that I had ever been factious, insomuch that they could not entertain me in their hearts, nor so much as pray for me: All these reproaches, and a grea● many more, they cast upon me in the presence of many, when they were in a tumultuous manner attending upon the Committee of Examinations, and that without the least occasion on my part given them, any more than my presence in that place, whether I was summoned to be a witness: And for these men that did thus ignominiously and injuriously relvile me, they were all lieutenant-colonel Lilburne's followers and abettors, and seconded by him, and all of them unknown to me, and such as I had never seen (to my best remembrance) so much as the very face of any one of them before that day, neither did I ever amongst christians behold such odd complexions and strange looks; if ever you had seen the picture of hell, M. Vicars in York-house, where all the postures of the damned creatures, with their grisly looks are described, and had also taken notice, what ghastly, ugly sour and musteds faces, out of dolour, pain and anguish they made, and had been amongst this company, and had seen what grisly looks they out of malice, rancour and envy to the Presbyterian party, and especially to myself had made, and had withal heard their confused, hideous noises, calling for the liberties of the Subjects, and for the benefit of Magna charta, and the Petition of Right, and for a public hearing, you would have thought yourself in the very Suburbs of Hell, and that these had been the sons of Pluto or Pinus ascended out of Orco; the complexion also of many of them being like the belly of a Toad; and to speak the ttuth, Worly was one of the properest Gentlemen amongst them all, and he was the most remarkable and taken notice of, by reason of his habit and busy diligence; he went that day in a great white and brown basket-hilted beard, and with a set of teeth in his head, much like a Po●-fish, all staring and standing some distance one from another, as if they had not been good friends; it may be conjectured, he picks them twice a day with a bedstaff, they look so white and clear; he was mighty diligent about the commonwealth that day, and the privileges of the Subject, and all the fraternity came flocking about him upon all occasions, as a company of turkeys do about a frog, wondering at her as at a strange sight: Without doubt when the Parliament comes to be recruited, the Independents will make him a Member; and I am confident he will prove a rotten one, for he looks as if he had gotten a blow with a French coltstaff, and it is notorious he is a bankrupt of all goodness, and whatsoever show he makes now of Independency, Anabaptism, or any of the new ways, or to stand for the commonwealth, both he and Saint Sprat their solicitor, have been knaves from their mother's womb; and therefore Master Vicars, if you have any hand in choosing of Members, let not him have your voice.  
But now to speak something of their babble; how can any man living that either saw them or knows them perfectly, with reason, imagine that I should ever have lived of these men's alms? most of which, by all conjectures, live and depend on other men's courtesies, and are only supported by being of that Faction; for more obscure and ill conditioned fellows did I never behold: And what a base lie it was in them, to affirm that they kept me from hanging; whereas I never was (as all men know) so much as questioned at any Earre, or in any Court for my life, and therefore had no need of the psalm of mercy, much less of their help in that kind; and I bless God, I was never brought so low, that I could not have subsisted without starving, with the stumps of that estate my Father left me, after all the vast expenses I was causelessly put unto, by my malicious enemies in all their Courts, although my children would have fared the worse for it, and I should not so comfortably perhaps have undergone my imprisonment, had not my christian friends been some help unto me; and I can truly say this, and make it appear, that all that ever I received by way of curtifie, doth not amount by a thousand pound and more, to that means my Father left me, besides my wife's portion; so that I am above two thousand pounds worse, in real money and estate at this day, besides the loss of my time, for these twelve years, since which my troubles began, above eight of which I was kept a close Prisoner, and three of them in banishment; and they that know what I am now worth, can witness the same for me, men of reputation: And therefore they were barbarously insolent so to speak to me; and indeed all the standers by wonderful at their rudeness and inhumanity towards me, affirming that they never saw a more uncivil and ill conditioned people.  
But here we may take notice what a slavery it is for any man to be beholding to such a generation of creatures, who upon the least conceived displeasure, will cast their courtesies (if any) in the teeth of those to whom they have shown them, if in the smallest punctilio you be not of their mind: And therefore we are counselled by Saint James, if we want wisdom or any good thing, to ask it of God, who (saith he) giveth liberally and upbraideth not, Jam. P. 5. And if these men had ever given me any thing, as I am most confident they never did, yet all the world knows, that when they gave it, it was for this reason, that they were then of my mind (for they say now they cannot pray for me) which argueth their want of charity, their levity, fickleness and instability in all their ways; but this is that that all their fraternity daily cast in my dish, though I am most assured, if all that ever I received from them, or any of those that are now of that society, it will not all amount to three score pounds, and I am able to make good that I now speak: And yet these are the daily claimours of this people, and only for my constancy; for all that have read my books for which I suffered, and know me, can free me from that aspersion of apostasy and faction, and from being an enemy to the truly godly party, and to the Saints, who I honour and love with my life. And after the very same manner, not long since, Master Samuel Goose, one of ●hat way, a man that I never saw, to my best remembrance, till my last enlargement from prison; yet he also upbraided me with his curtisies, and told me, I had forgot myself, and that I had grieved and sadded the hearts of the Saints, and that he was very sorry for me, to see me side against the godly party; and in a very imperious manner told me, that whilst I writ against the Independents, I writ against Christ and his truth; and thus did Saint Gander hiss a● me, and Grollise, who is a plaguy Stickler amongst the Independents, and a very busy Solicitor of their affairs, which I am afraid, if they be not speedily looked unto, will bring ruin upon the whole kingdom.  
Master Vi●ars, I have been something longer than I thought to have been, 〈◊〉 I was willing to set before your eye, the full●Narration of all passages between me and lieutenant-colonel Lilburn, with his complices & the occasion of our acquaintance, that you and all men may the better judge, whether I stand engaged to this man in so m●ny obligations as he pr●tends, or whether he be not rather obliged to me in them all, and hath proved very ungrateful unto me, who for my good will and love to him, a mere stranger to me at first, and never giving him any just occasion, hath so maliciously and falsely aspersed me to the whole kingdom, and causelessly brought all the Independent party upon me, who in all places and in all companies (which I account of for my honour) most unhumanely rail on me; for if he had not laid that calumny upon me, and incensed them against me, I am persuaded whatsoever evil opinion they might have conceived of me secretly, because I differ from them, yet they could never so shamefully have vented themselves in public, so that he hath proved himself guilty of both these crimes, lying and ingratitude, that he accused me of, and wronged both me and all his party, and made all his associates offenders in many respects, by these his pactices; for in complying with them in his unwarrantable ways, they have made themselves equally guilty before God and men, and have a great deal to answer for their tumultuous disorderly carriage in all that business, which to speak the truth, concerned them not; neither had there been any just cause of offence given by me (if they would but deliberately weigh all things with reason among themselves) if I had indeed informed against lieutenant-colonel Lilburne, (which I did not) neither could it deservedly have been accounted a crime; for there is no tye of friendship that ought to make me desert my duty to the public, and to break my Covenant, and violate my Protestation; by virtue of both which, I ought to inform the Parliament and State of any thing that I thought of common concernment, made for the peace of the whole kingdom, and the honour of the Parliament, which I am bound to maitaine with the reputation of every Member of that supreme and Honourable Court; for they are our Fathers, Magistrates and Protectors, and every Subject that is under obedience (and that has taken the Covenant and Protestation) is tied in as much as in him lies, to preserve and defend them in their lives and reputation: And if any be informed concerning any one in that council, that he should either do, practice or attempt any thing that tends to the ruin of the rest, and of the whole State and kingdom, he is in conscience bound to reveal it, (that if false, the divulgers of such calumnies may receive condign punishment; if true, evil may be prevented) and this I say he ought to do, though it should be to the prejudice of his nighest allies and intimatest acquaintance; and this I conceive among the Independents may be thought no unjust act, which this information of mine could not have done, 〈◊〉 I by name, put it up against lieutenant-colonel Lilbure (as he falsely 〈◊〉 me) for he might as well have freed himself from all danger, and 〈…〉 reputation (if he had told me those things as well as Hankins, who 〈◊〉 ●ithstanding he related them unto us, not as hear-sayes and 〈…〉 others, but as truths, which he said should be proved; yet this 〈…〉 questioned about it, and but relating that he received and heard it 〈…〉 colonel Lilburne, he was forthwith discharged; even so might he have been, if he had modestly told where he had heard that report, and not in a disguised, rebellious and proud manner behaved himself: And it makes all men wonder to see the inconsiderable rashness of all that party, who fall so violently upon me, for but putting up my paper against Hankins, when Saint Worly and his associates (for so they would be accounted) made the same information to four Members of the House before, and have ever since with Spirit Sprat been the only prosecutors of that but business; especially they ought not to have been so furio●s against me, when Hankins reported it, that he related it to colonel King and myself for this very end, that the whole matter might be fully searched into, saying, after I had lodged it with the Doctor and colonel King, I left it, desiring that the nail might be droven to the head, and that the truth might be found out: This was his expression.  
Now when I have gratified Master Hawk●ns desires, who is the Sagamore of the independents, and done but my duty & what he and his company would have me to do, and what they themselves do act; may it not seem a strange thing both to yourself Master Vicars, and all that shall understand the true relation of these things, that the independents should thus clamour against me, and that for no other cause lieutenant colonel should accuse me for lying and ungratitude in the face of the kingdom? I am almost of opinion, that many of the independents when they shall hear the truth, will condemn all their rashness in this point; and truly if ever there were not only temerity and uncharitableness but unjustice in an action it doth appear in their dealing towards me and the Parliament; for their malice extends not to me only, but to many Members of the House, yea, it redounds upon the whole Parliament & every particular Gentleman of the same that are Presbyterians; for Lievt. Col. Lilburn blams them all as guilty of unjustice & unrighteous dealing, and so did all his company, & spoke it openly in the presence of hundreds, that there was no just proceeding amongst them, and that they had not the liberty of Subjects and their privileges, according to Magna Charta, and the Petition of Right, and this they with one accord affirmed openly at the Committee door; so that lieutenant-colonel Lilburne is but their mouth, and the foreman of that Tribe, and what he did, they all own, and to this day persevere in it; and not only so, but labour to spread his Letter through the kingdom, that so they may with the more facility spread abroad and publish the sentence given by the Lieutenant against the whole Parliament, the better to bring an Odium upon them all; for in his book he pronounceth sentence against them all, being party, witness, jury and judge in his own cause; and in his so doing, whiles he calls to Heaven for justice against the Parliament, he shows himself very unjust, and behaves himself rather like the wicked Judge, that neither feared God, nor cared for men, than the most righteous Judge of the whole world, who would not condemn the innocent 〈…〉 wicked, as we may see in the 18. of Genesis.  
〈…〉 do believe that the Lieutenant conceives very worthily of his own party in both Houses, and thinks that they are just, upright righteous men, and the only godly party in the Parliament (for so I have heard the Lieuten. Col. speak) and I persuade myself also that he is not so uncharitable, as to think all the Presbyterian party in both Houses unjust and unrighteous; now than if there be any either of the Independent party, or of the Presbyterian, that are truly just and righteous in their proceedings, he ought to have spared them; there is an old saying, we ought not per lutum uni●● totam gent●m perstr●●gere, he should indeed (if he had known any guilty of crime, and if he would have dealt justly) have singled them out, as he did me, and by name have aspersed them, and not have condemned the whole council in one blast, and with one dash of his quill: Any as he deals unjustly with the Parliament, so he he dealeth not very righteously with me and my Brother Pryn for he condemns us both of lying, yet never convinced me of a lie, nor I hope never shall be able, for I writ nothing in my books against the Independents, but what upon my own knowledge I can affirm to be true; yea depose it, having had what I wrote from the Independ●●ts own mouths, but that which coroberates what I say; I can prove all I wrote against them by a cloud of witnesses, the worst of them being better than the best of those witnesses they produced against Sir John Lenthall and Master Speaker; and therefore that which I writ against their Faction, is so far from being a crime 〈◊〉 a lie, as I stand upon my justification, & undertake upon my life to make good the charge in my postscript against the Independents, or whatsoever I writ in any other book against them.  
Nay, I undertake to prove a great deal more than I have yet published, and that that may concern all Presbyterians especially, and make them look to themselves; for if they get the day and prevail, they will spare none of them, for they have a purpose to put down all the Nobility and Gentry in the kingdom, (I speak nothing but what I know,) howsoever their design is carried very cunningly; but let them once attain unto their purpose at the recruiting of the Parliament, which is, to bring in out of all the counties, the Independent country Courtiers, to whom they will give instructions for this purpose, and you shall see such an alteration in a little time, that the Nobles and Pears of the kingdom, and all the Gentry of the same, the Flower and honour of all Nations, to be the most contemptible, and the only men to be suspected, who by all the Independent party at this day, have been accused to be the ruin of the kingdom, and to be of rotten hearts, and the King's friends; and this I have heard many of them myself speak, and I am confident, it may by many be proved, but this has ever been their evasion, when we accuse them of any thing they say, that they may not all be blamed and judged for the rashness of some, when notwithstanding they that uttered such words, spoke nothing but what they had learned from their faction, or what they had received from the chief heads of them: And it is well known that lieutenant-colonel Lilburne is upheld by that party, and 〈◊〉, yea animated in all that he doth, as all the crowds and 〈…〉 after him may sufficiently witness, and they look upon him as their Champion, applauding all his actions. And it will not be a difficult thing for me to prove whatsoever I have written in my books against the Indepedent party, from their own books, and even from his own Letter, and the proceedings of that company that followed him to the Committee of Examinations, and their behaviour and carriage there, may abundantly prove my charge in my book against them; for they gave laws to the Committee, and would not be examined but upon their own terms, crying out of injustice, and threatening that they would bring up the whole City, and a thousand such other insolences they used there for many days together; all which do manifest, that if in time their party grow a little stronger, they will give laws to the Parliament, and make them do what they would have them, or else they will take the authority into their own hands; for lieutenant-colonel Lilburne hath plainly taught his Disciples, that the power that now resides in the Parliament, is inherent to the people, and that those of the Parliament are not to act according to their own will and pleasure, and boldly taketh upon him to instruct the Parliament and teach them their duty; and affirms, that the power is the people's birthright, and that they have but entrusted them with it; so that it seems if they shall once conceive that the Parliament doth not discharge their trust they have committed unto them, they may resume it when they please, for that must necessarily ensue from his premises; and this is the Doctrine that he infuseth to all his followers, and only for to stir up a commotion in the kingdom, and to put the people in a heat; which if the Parliament timely prevent not, they will run the greatest hazard of being destroyed, that ever any council in the world did.  
And whereas he saith, that when the King went to Oxford, he left many of his friends behind him: I for my part believe that he is one of them; for I am most assured, that never any friend the King had, hath done the Parliament more wrong and indignity than lieutenant-colonel Lilburne; for it was not an apparent enemy to the great council, that hath done them this wrong, it was no Aulicus, for than they would have laughed at it, and made themselves merry with it, but it was their friend, their familiar one, that the commonwealth had fed at her table▪ and one that the Parliament had in special honoured, favoured, and confided in, and who they had stood by in his greatest difficulties, yea, and had preserved his life; and for this man now to lay so foul things to their charge, as unjustice and tyranny, and trampling down of the liberties of the Subjects; oh let not this be spoke in ●●b and Askelon! truly such friends as he is, both are, and will prove, I am afraid, their greatest enemies; and howsoever he often boasteth and tell●●h them, that he hath drawn his sword in their defence; it doth appear, that it was for his own base ends, for liberty of conscience (as they call it in their dialect) which is mere licentiousness, and lawless liberty, under the pretence of conscience which they aim at, that they may both speak, print and do whatsoever pleasest the●●●lves, both against the Law of God, Nature, and the Religion, and against the great council of the kingdom, Synod, and all good men, which is their daily practice, as all their Pamphlets witness, and this his Letter; for had colonel Lilburne with a good intention and an honest mind, drawn his sword in the defence of the Parliament, he would not now have drawn his pen to have cut all their throats, and to enrage all the people against them, as in this his Letter he hath done: He telleth many stories of his service for the State, and what danger he hath exposed himself unto in their quarrel, and upbraideth them all with their ingratitude, and how little requital they have made him for all; there are many in this kingdom that have adventured themselves as far as ever he did, out of their love to the public, and have I believe suffered as much as ever he did, yet make no noise, but with modesty and patience, wait and attend till the great and weighty matters in the kingdom, will give leave for private businesses: And all men know, that the public good, the preservation of the whole body, is to be looked unto in the first place; and then afterward as occasion doth offer itself, without damage to the public; private business and the relief of the necessiited, are taken into consideration, and satisfaction is given unto them that can justly complain; and this has ever been the practice & custom of all Nations, as the Annals and Histories of all times relate: Neither have such as have been forced to wait, forthwith published disgraceful books, and mutinous complaints against the counsels and States of any Country, to bring them into hatred amongst the people; neither would such proceedings be thought tolerable in any well governed Country.  
It is well known, that there are many noblemen and great Gentlemen also of honour and eminency in the King's Army, that have not only ventured their lives and all their estates, but are at this day brought to such extremities and necessities, as to relate would exceed belief, so that many of those that had some three, some four thousands by the year, some more, are brought to such straits, as they have not bread to put in their family's mouths, nor clothing to p●t on their backs; yet I never heard that they did ever print Letters in disgrace of the King or his council and upbraid him with ingratitude towards his soldiers, because their particular necessities were not satisfied, or because they conceived they were wronged by his majesty's council: And I am most assured, that if any of those that follow the King should do any such thing, or durst attempt to disparage the Kings proceeding, being one of that party, he would not only be abhorred by all the Cavaliers, but thought worthy of severe punishment, whatsoever former service he had done his Majesty.  
Nay, I will speak my knowledge, I have heard a Cavalier say, that if any of their party should have done any thing in this kind against his highness or his council, the other Cavaliers would have cut him in pieces: And truly all sober minded men, and such as stand really well-affected to the Parliament, cannot think those the Parliaments friends, that in this kind write against them and their proceedings: For were it granted, that lieutenant-colonel Lilburne had done as good service, as he pretends, though there be many that say, that the divisions that he hath caused at Bosterne, and through Lincolnshire, with his preaching up his new Doctrine of separation▪ hath done more hurt to the souls and bodies of the people, than all the good that ever he is able to do.  
But I say, were it granted that he had done all good service without exception; yet the disgrace and evil he hath now done to the State, hath surpassed all the good he speaks of: Many cows you know Master Vicars ordinarily give good milk, and then scummer in the pail, by which they spoil all that they had given down; even so it is in this case with Lieutenant-Colonel Lilburne, what he hath formerly built up, that he hath now thrown down: He may remember what the Lord saith, Ezek. 10. If the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and doth that which is evil, I will forget all his righteousness, saith the Lord &c. So if a Commander do faithful service for a time to a State, as the Hotham's did, or as ●holmly, and afterwards turn traitors, must the memory of their former service hinder the course of justice? I trow not; if a servant for some time shall do good service for his Master, and afterwards prove unfaithful, or purloin his goods, and labour to destroy him, is his former service to be taken any notice of? it is perseverance in any good that crowneth all; and therefore it is but a poor grollety to speak of good service formerly done, when they are acting all the evil that men can well act against a State or kingdom.  
But one thing is very observable, he would brand me with great ingratitude, and as if I had forgot what he had done for me, and in the mean time he is guilty of the same crime: For it is well known, that the Parliament not only saved his life, but delivered him from his slavery and captivity, and greatly honoured him, and for aught I know, would have made him a full satisfaction for all his damage and suffering by the unjust Courts, when from their public affairs, they could have been permitted to have listened to private grievances; yet he hath forgot all this their courtesy, and singular humanity, and now flings dirt in all their faces, and so despitefully abuseth them, as no ordinary well bred man would abuse an ordinary base fellow: But because this is a business that concerneth the honour of the whole House, which he hath so contumeliously blasted, I shall leave that to their grave wisdom; only out of my duty to that great council, the supreme Court of the kingdom, I may say thus much, that the whole kingdom owe the preservation of their Religion, lives and liberties, to their care and watchfulness, and that all our Posterity are bound to be thankful to them for their fidelity, diligence and infatigable prayers in their common defence, who, all reason will dictate, could have no end for what they have done, but the common good and safety of us all: And therefore it concerns all the people to take heed how they join and adhere to lieutenant-colonel Lilburne, and such factious spirits, who under pretence of defending the Subjects Liberty, raise tumults to bring all to a confusion: And let them ever set before their eyes the story of Cora, Da●●an and Abiram, and seriously weigh what they brought upon themselves by their rebelling against Moses their deliverer and preserver, they cannot be ignorant, that while they assent unto him, and applaud and own what he rashly and unadvisedly doth, they make themselves equally guilty; for as David saith, Psal. 50. He that consenteth with evil doers, makes himself as guilty as they: So doth the Apostle Paul teach all men, in his Epistle to the Romans, chap. 1. 2. they that consented to those impious and wicked men, were in God's account as equally guilty as if they had perpetrated all those facinourus actions; yea, it is the practice of all Courts in all the kingdoms and Nations of the whole world to condemn the complices of treasons as well as the others: And as no men, no not the Independents themselves, can indeer those that comply with such as they conceive to be their enemies, so they should now make the Parliaments Cause their own (for it is their own indeed) and think that it highly concerns them all, and i● may be their condition ere long; for destroy once the power of the Parliament, and enervate their authority, and you shall shortly see every Country Courtier, fly not only in the face of the Gentry and Nobility, but indeed every servant become a Master and Mistress, and cast off the yoke of obedience to their superiors, whether Parents, Masters or governors; and therefore it concerns all men, as they will avoid both the wrath of God and inevitable danger, now to take special heed what they do, in abetting with lieutenant-colonel Lilburne, in these his temerarious proceedings; for I well perceive the poor people are all deluded by his false information, and think his imprisonment, and the proceedings of the honourable Committee of Examinations, to be against the liberty of the Subject, and against Magna Charta, and the Petition of Right, all which inviolably remain to the Subject, notwithstanding whatsoever he pretendeth to the contrary: And as he hath traduced the Parliament causelessly, so likewise in his own defence he hath abused the holy Scripture; for there is a vast difference between Saint Paul's ca●se and his, as will quickly appear, if there be but a true information made of lieutenant-colonel Lilburne's business, for the story of Paul's sufferings is sufficiently known.  
The verity of the matter is, the Parliament in their proceedings with John Lilburne, have done nothing contrary to the Law of God or nature, or the custom of Nations, and the laws of the kingdom, and therefore so horrid an accusation of the great counsel is unsufferable: He quarrels the Parliament amongst other things, that he was sent to prison, the cause not being specified of his commitment: If indeed he had been arraigned and condemned before he had been heard, than there had been a just cause of complaint; but that they did not in their Warrant set down the cause both of his apprehension and Commitment: I must confess for my part, I see no cause why he should make so loud a complaint; for if there should now in the City of London a conspiracy be discovered, and some of the Conspirators should be appprehended (under reformation) I conceive it will not stand with the wisdom of the City Office●s, and with the discretion of those that are in authority, to set down the cause of their apprehension and sending them to prison; for if their complices should have intelligence of this, that their plot was discovered, they would all either escape away, or attempt some desperate thing that might be destructive to the whole City, and that that might endanger the whole kingdom; therefore in such a case as this, it is for the wisdom of the Officers to conceal the conspiracy till they have apprehended all the Delinquents; and in such a case as this is, and many more, the Magistrate may, as I conceive, send any man to prison without signifying the cause why unto the prisoner: For I read in many places of the Scripture that prisoners have been committed, and there was no cause given either to him that was committed, or to the gaoler, wherefore he was committed, and yet they are not condemned of unjustice for so doing: But when men have been condemned without hearing, or by false witnesses, this hath made it a crime.  
Neither hitherto have I ever read, that it was counted a crime in a Magistrate, or an unjust thing, or a thing against the Law of God, nature or Nations, to ask any man that is apprehended a question; or to demand of him, whether he either spoke any such words, or heard any such, or did such a thing, or did it not; for none of both these proceedings were counted a crime in either Joseph or Joshua, or any other of the Rulers in Israel; for Joseph cast his brother into prison upon suspicion, and questioned all his other brethren upon a pretended jealousy, and yet they accused not the governor of Egypt of unjustice to their good old Father: Neither was it a crime in Joseph to question his brethren (if the business had been real;) or in Joshua to ask Achan whether or no he had taken the wedge of gold: And if either Joseph's brethren or Achan had refused to have answered to the question propounded unto them, till either Joseph or Joshua had told them the cause of their apprehension or commitment, I believe they might have lain in prison till doomsday in the afternoon (the time that John Lilburne thinks the parliament will pay him what they owe him) and no wise man would have condemned the governor of Egypt for so doing; and therefore he most shamefully abuseth the Parliament for their proceedings against him, which stand very well with the laws of God, and all well governed Nations; and the Scripture that he citeth, concerning Paul, was nothing to the purpose, for Paul stood committed, and that upon suspicion: But the Judge thought it unjustice to proceed to sentence, before that they had heard what Paul could say for himself in his own defence, and so the Parliament will do to him; and I am most assured, he shall have all the fair hearing in the world; but all this is nothing to lieutenant-colonel Lilburne's cause, who might have been released, as Hawkins was, and without any dishonour unto him, if he had not disobediently behaved himself to the honourable Committee. For they demanding of him a question, which by all the laws of God and nature, and Nations, they might do, and to which without offending, he might well have answered; he contemptuously not only refuseth to answer, but asperseth them with unjustice, which was the cause of the conti●uation of his commitment, and then his publishing of a libellous and a most dangerous Letter, was a cause of his new commitment to Newgate: And in all this that the Parliament hath done, I am confident when the people shall have a full hearing of the same, and be rightly informed, they will be abundantly satisfied of the justice of the Honourable House.  
Much I confess I could say for the justifying of the Parliaments proceedings, not only in this business about John Lilburne, but all their other grave and weighty employments, to free that great council from those aspersions that not only John Lilburne layeth upon it, but all his complices; but I shall leave this work to those that it concerneth, only by the way let me say thus much both to John Lilburn & his confederates, that they ought alwai● to have special care, that whiles they study and labour to offend their enemies, they do not destroy their preservers, and abuse those men causelessly as wish them as much good as they do themselves, though they tell them of their faults and errors; and amongst others all the Independents have most injuriously in word and deed abused my ever honoured brother M. Prynne; and John Lilburne in this his Letter in special, to my knowledge hath most basely and falsely belied him; for it is well known he was never a favourer of Malignants and such as betrayed strong Holds, as the business of Bristol can well witness, for the prosecuting of that so cordially enraged many of the Independents against him; and there be many that can witness for my brother Prynne that he was not the cause of the losing of Gernsey, for had his counsel been followed both those lands at this day had been under the command of the Parliament; and what he published concerning the two captains it hath been proved by sufficient witness, whatsoever they say to the contrary; and Sir Samuel Luke, a man of honour and approved integrity, would never have questioned them without sufficient witness for what he chageth them with; and as I have been credibly informed, every thing he accuseth them of is abundantly proved by two or three witnesses. But this is the practice daily of the Independents, that they will own nothing of that they have said or done, but put men upon the proof, and then asperse all those that justly question them for liars and persecutors; as at this time that confounded tailor Paul Hobson and Richard Beawmon a sucking Apothecary do, who snip and dose out their Sermons by weight and measure to the infecting, misleading and seducing of the poor people, and the making a disturbance in Church and State; and these seducers notwithstanding would persuade the world they are sent from heaven, when as it is most apparent they are mere jugglers and impostors, and only make a pray of the people and lead them captive to liberty and licentiousness; such Teachers as these are so far from a just call from heaven, as they run before they were ever sent; so that a man may truly say of such Teachers and Ministers Diabolus caccavit illos: and therefore my reverend brother Master Prynne hath writ nothing but the truth concerning them, and is most maliciously and causelessly abused by lieutenant colonel Lilburne, and therefore this that he speaketh concerning him it not to be believed, it being an untruth: And as little credit is to be given to that he relateth of himself, how he dared Master Prynne to dispute with him, but the Simpleton, as he calleth him, durst not.  
If lieutenant colonel Lilburne had really challenged him in that place, it had been very incivily done in him; for the Committee, as it is well known, doth not sit there to hear Disputations, and I believe, if he should have showed himself so vain and light, as to have vented his folly in this kind, they would not only have sharply reproved him for his temerity, but have clapped him by the heels, as they might not have done; but as I have been credibly informed, it is nothing so, he never challenged him; and therefore it is a notorious lie, although it be in Print. And whereas he sayeth, my brother Prynne is besotted and out of his wits in collecting and publishing Marty●● Books and the scurrilities of the Independent party, with many of the blasphemings and railing speeches against the great council of the kingdom and their proceedings, and against the reverend Synod and Assembly, and indeed against all Authority. I conceive he hath done a very good and acceptable work in reducing their railings, revilings and blasphemies into a volume, that they may be left to all postity and future ages, that in times to come the following generations may hear what a hideous and monstrous Sect in these last and worst times of the world is now risen up, which speak evil of dignities and all government at pleasure.  
Neither hath my brother Prynne in this transgressed, but hath imitated all the Prophets and the blessed Apostles and Evangelists, who have lest upon record all the blasphemies of Senacharib, and of all the wicked men in their several ages; David hath done the same concerning the enemies of God and his people in his days; the Evangelists also have recited all the blasphemous speeches they spoke against Christ and Saint John Baptist, and all the other Apostles have done the same, as Peter in special and Jude; so that by their writings all men may see what a wicked generation of men were then living, and what judgements of God lighted upon them for their so doing, to lesson all people in future ages to take heed by their examples, lest they provoke God by the like wickedness; for whatsoever was written was written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the world are come.  
Now when my brother Prynne hath in this done nothing but what he hath precedents for, and that out of God's Word, he is neither besotted nor out of his wits, as he maliciously and falsely asperseth him; but they rather are besotted that either write, read or entertain in their houses with delight such wicked books as tend to no other end, but to the corrupting not only of good manners, but the adulterating of the true Religion and perverting of men's judgements: and yet books of this nature are continually to be found in the hands and houses of all the Independents, and I know few other that are by them either regarded or looked after; so that it is just with God to give such as they are over to fearful errors, who leave the fountains of living waters and dig unto themselves such broken cisterns that hold nothing but puddle and s●inking filth.  
This I thought by the way to speak in my brother Prynne's behalf, nothing doubting but himself, or some friend for him will shortly publish his just defence, against all other reproaches, to the world.  
And now Master Vicars, I hope you are satisfied concerning John Lilburne's calumnies against me and my brother Prynne, but for a corollary let me say thus much, that whereas John Lilburne would accuse me of ingratitude, I may justly complain of his unthankfulness & uncharitableness toward me, who hath rewarded me evil for good; for all that know me can testify for me, that I was ever his friend to my power; but it is not he alone that would make me an ungrateful man, but all of that way asperse me with the same crime; many of the which notwithstanding, have for small favours done to me in the time of my imprisonment, been six times over requited for it, as I can prove, and yet they cry out of my unthankfulness, and others of them that sent me now and then a Piece, as a token of their love, and as a free gift, when they turned Independents, demanded it all of me again, and I have paid them every penny, four pounds at a time, according to their asking, and yet they cry out of my ingratitude, and have to my face most basely upbraided me with their kindnesses.  
Solomon saith, he that contends with a fool, whether he rage or laugh there is no peace; so he that hath to do with the Independents can have no peace with them, if in the least they differ from them; for if ye be merry with them in telling them of their grolleries, than they say ye jeer them, if ye be serious than they say ye rail, so that no man can tell how to please or humour them or how to enjoy the laws of civility amongst them, or to have any peace in their societies, neither the Parliament, nor Synod, nor presbytery, or any government can please them, for if the Parliament will have them fast, than they will feast, and if they would have them feast and be merry, than they will mourn, and set days apart for humiliations, and say, they are sad times, nothing can please the Gentlemen, as their practices can witness: And truly if ever there were a contradicting people, and an ungrateful generation of men to all sorts of benefactors, these are; if a man consider things, either in general or in special.  
As for the Parliament, it is well known, that they have honoured that Sect, as much as ever any authority did any, for they have the principal Offices in the Army, and through the kingdom places of chief trust and government put in their hands, the prime places of gain and emolument likewise bestowed upon them, through all Counties, and are ordinarily as well paid for their service as any, and yet none speak more unreverendly of the great counsel, more harsh, more bitter invectives against them and their proceedings then they, and more asperse their authority, by their practices than they do, as all their words, pamphlets, preachings and actions can witness.  
As for their ingratitude towards our brethren the Scots, and it is notorious to all men, for they cannot give them a good word for all their love to us, no not at this time of their di●●esse, when it appeareth to the whole world, that they have by assisting us, not only exposed all their lives to peril, but endangered their whole Country, and now lie wallowing in their blood at home for being friends to us; and yet for all this their love, they cannot neither think nor speak well of them; such ingratitude was never seen in any Nation; a sin so great, and crying so loud in the ears of Almighty God, that were this kingdom guilty of no other, it were enough to bring down the plagues of God upon us.  
And howsoever their Ministeus enjoy all our Pulpits, and have such privileges and immunities without all control, as was never by any State granted to any sect; yet they cry out of persecution and ill usage, whiles they themselves abuse the whole world, and persecute in tongue and print, every living thing that in the least doth not please their humour: And for such as have done incomparable favours and courtesies to many of them, and who have entertained them in their houses, by the six months together, gratis, with their Wives and Children, and shown them surperlative humanity, yet in their greatest extremities, when they have been plundered of all, stripped naked, and some of them have fled to London with scarce a rag of their backs, and have applied themselves to some of these Ministers, thinking that they would have retained a memory of former courtesies, they would not own them or scarce look on them; and when poor Gentlewomen, that lived in time of their prosperity in reputation and honour, and had servants then to wait on them, and being now deprived of all, and brought to beggary, and did only desire them to get them but a service in some friend's house of theirs, professing that they would willingly submit themselves to the lowest condition, rather then be a burden to any, so long as they had their health; yet they could not by all their importunity extort a good word out of their heads in their behalf; and when they desired but their wives to give them but one of their old petticoats to cover their nakedness; for answer, they were told▪ that they were now going over into the Low-countries again, and that they had sent over all their clothing, so that they had nothind left to give away; and this was two years since, and they are yet in England, and have got very fat Congregations and of chief women not a few; so that had not some Presbyterians and strangers too, taken some compassion of them, they might have starved for all the Independent Ministers and their Wives, as can be proved, notwithstanding they were obliged unto them with all the ties of friendship; & when they were in their friends houses, as they had all respectful usage so they looked for it, and expected daily to eat and drink of the best, or else they might hear of it.  
But as the ingratitude of the Independents is generally taken notice of, so especially of their Ministers towards their Benefactors; and their covetousness is very remarkable, so that it may be proved, that some of the Independent Ministers have got more in a year here in London, then ten Presbyterian Ministers, and yet they are as covetous as ever they were, and as much as ever complaining of want, and of the hardness of the times, and for their pharisaical pride, it is incomparable, and commonly they insinuate themselves into rich acquaintance, and love ever to be where good cheer is stirring, only in this they differ from the Pharises, for they fasted often, twice or 〈◊〉 a we●ke, and th●se feast and fare deliciously every day; and if they spare a dinner under pretence of an humiliation, they will be sure to sup exceeding well and of the best; there is some of them gone down to the Army, I presume they may trail them all through Cornwall and Devonshire with a whitepot; and there is no child shall leap so at the sight of a Baby as they will skip at the fruition of a Custard; they will smell a Feast to the remotest parts of Ireland, and the gravy of a chine of beef into the midst of Wales, so sensible they are of good cheer; I dare boldly say that, let a Venison pastry be the Text, four Independent Ministers shall open and divide it better and more acurately handle it then any eight Presbyters in the City of London; so that if ye behold them sometimes at a Feast, you would take them to be the nephews of Helliogabalus. There is not any man that shall seriously think of them but will say they have very acute senses, that can out of the Americans and out of the Low-Countries smell the good ●heere and plum-pottage into England, which was indeed one of the chiefest causes that made these men leave their charges and flocks there, and choose rather to live among Wolves, bears, lions and tigers, (for so they term us) for certainly if it were not good cheer, and their belly that made them dwell amongst us, they would never have lived here, but as long as that last we shall have their company, but when that ceases, their zeal will grow cold; for they have sent over their treasuries into Holland and into New-England; but as long I say, as there is a carcase left, they will stay by it; for our Saviour saith, where the carcase is, thither the Eagles fly, and therefore they are here yet fluttering about, and when they have picked the bones of it well, than they will take take their flight and be gone; the Lord send us peace and fair weather after them.  
But in in the mean time Master Vicars, it concerns us all to take heed of them, for they are a very dangerous people in all respects; for besides their good conditions that I have now named, they are terrible dissemblers, and notorious liars, as their daily language and libels can witness, and this Letter of lieutenant-colonel Lilburne testifies; and you also know what a notorious lie one of their chief Pastors told not long since of my reverend brother Waker, and he did not only divulge it, but stands in the justification of it; and yet there are divers men, and them of reputation, can witness the contrary to what he affirms, so that no man of a contrary mind, can with safety converse among them; for they will lay any thing to his charge, and then swear to it, yea they turn ordinary tale-bearers, the worst of men, and violate many times all the laws of humanity to satisfy their spleen, and will peccare contra jura jovis hostitatis, and all civility, to do a Presbyterian a mischief; and thus unchristianly dealt that independent Pastor with my reverend brother Master Waker, to make him od●ous; and I have taken notice, that it is their practice to tell tales and lies, and therefore I shun them all; saving my good cousin.  
I must confess, if at the recruiting of the Parliament, the Independent Country Courtiers creep in there, I do verily believe that the Greeks 〈◊〉 never so pollute the Temple, as they will defile the Honourable House, and then down also goes the Gentry and the Nobility, and all Churches; for they begin already to piss in them, and to scummer in the pews of Gentleman, out of a hatred they bear to that name, disdaining that any should be thought greater than themselves; telling them when they forcibly crowd into their seats, that the Saints have more right to those places than they, and therefore partly for the stinking of them out of their seats, as Baggars do Foxes out of their holes, by defiling them, these Independent Country courtier's scummer and piss in their pews; and partly also they do it out of hatred to the very structure of the poor Churches, which say they, having been consecrated to Idolatry, aught to be demolished, or else made a Tophet on, and a place of easement, and therefore it is now grown an ordinary ●hing with the Independents thus to pollute Churches; and some of them would have given seven thousand pound, not long since, for Paul's, that they might have demolished it as an Idol Temple, and so in their judgements the Gentry and Nobility are Idols, and have too long been adored and venerated, and they now desire that honour themselves, and therefore if once they have the power in their hands, and get into the Parliament, than out go all the sons of Belial, for so they call the Gentry: Therefore if you have any acquaintance with those that are to choose Burgesses for the Parliament, give them a special caviat to take heed how they make any of that fraternity Parliament-men; let them have an eye to the godly and truly religious (without faction) and understanding Gentlemen in the Country, that know what really belongs to government: For consider what a deal of misery all the countries through the kingdom are involved in, by reason of the Committees that are composed of those independent Country Courtiers, who generally domineer over the very noblemen and Gentlemen everywhere, where they are in authority, and exercise more severity over the Parliaments very friends, than the Lords and Peers of the kingdom, and the great counsel do ever against Delinquents, as all the poor Countries can testify; therefore persuade your friends again and again, that they make choice of no Independent Country Courtiers to he Members, for then all the kingdom will be made Linsey-wolsey, for they will have all Religions, and give a greater tal●●oti●● than the Devil himself, for he will not tolerate all Religions, for you know he persecuted the Woman, the true Religion, in the wilderness, but these would tolerate all, and therefore in that point they are worse than sat●●: Therefore if you would avoid an inevitable confusion, persuade your friends to take heed of the Independe●ts, who have made a combustion in Church and State already.  
It is said of our Saviour that he would not commit himself to 〈◊〉, because he knew them, John 2. now we have some experience already of all these men, let us therefore take heed of them: Others you know will not commit themselves unto men, because they know 〈◊〉 not▪ and 〈…〉 is very good reason why they should not; now for my part I do believe that there is no man can ever know the Independents, and therefore they ought to shun them, for they themselves profess, that they keep a reserve d●●es ad triarior●s redierit res, and tell us that we put them upon too unreasonable a task, to satisfy us in all things they do or desire: Now when we know them already by all their actions to be disturbers of Church and State, and violaters of all the laws of God and humanity, and enemies of all good people, and notorious liars, and they themselves confess unto us, that they have yet a reserve of grolleries, they justly ought of all people to be abominated, for they profess openly, we shall never know them: And thus much I thought fit in way of answer, to reply unto John Lilburne's false accusation, and to speak of all the Independents practices.  
One thing I may not pass by before I shut up my Discourse; lieutenant colonel Lilburne complains of some affront given him by some of the Parliament; as that they slighted him, and made themselves merry with him (which intimatest friends usually do with their familiars) and that much troubled his patience. What would this man have done, think you Master Vicars, if he had been openly abused, as I was by some of the Independent party, and favourers of their way? 〈◊〉 I but wri● for the Presbytery, and in defence of the Parliament, and the reverend assembly of Divines, against the Independents, who had Printed most scur●ilous Books against them all; and I was not only roughly reproved, but threatened also, that they would complain of me to the Parliament, for undertaking to prove the Presbytery to be jure divin●; which they told me was against the sense of the House, and therefore punishable in me; telling me also in a very furious manner, that I was an incendiary and a maintainer of the King's party: and whereas they had me in their Catalogue, intending upon occasion offered, to have preferred me; seeing, they said, I took this way, I should never have their good word. If he bade 〈…〉 party as I was by the Independents, and that at the Parliament door, what daggers would not this man have writ and spoke think you? For my part, if all the Independents in the Parliament should have spoke that which two or three of them did, it should not have moved me so much as the biting of a Flea; much less should it have made me 〈◊〉 any thing in disgrace of the whole council, or in the least to have impeached their dignity: nay, had I suffered as much for the Parliament, and from it as any man, I would not for some men's miscarriages, or some necessitated failings, have writ any thing to the dishonour of the whole House (and God forbid that any Presbyterian in England, should either do such wickedness, or favour it in any.) I shall 〈…〉 or for some 〈…〉 for offences 〈◊〉 come: and therefore I neither thought nor never shall think the less venerably of the Parliament for the affront that was put upon me by the Independent party; for as there 〈◊〉 no Family, though never so honest, that hath not a Whore or Knave of their kindred; so it is impossible in such a great council as the 〈◊〉 is, but they should have some ninnies and grols, and men that have no 〈◊〉 wit than will reach from their nose to their mouth, and are only sensible; and therefore people ought not, for a few men's sakes, to traduce the 〈◊〉 Parliament. Neither will I ever suffer it in any whiles I live, but shall ever 〈◊〉 my life defend the honour of the parliament against all Independents, notwithstanding the failings of some Members. And although John Lilbur●● Master Vicars be valiant, yet in defence of my Religion and the Church of England, and for the honour of the Parliament and great council, I shall not only dispute with all the Independents; though I understand by some of that fraternity, that they have giants for learning, as well as pygmies, 〈◊〉 I shall also dare in the quarrel of either fight with John Lilburne with 〈◊〉 weapon from a Bodkin to a Pike.  
But leaving him to his A. B. C. which is a great deal better employment for him then the grave and weighty matters of State, and the study of po●●●ticks, and the great Mysteries of Divinity; and commending you and yours to his preservation, who is the keeper of Israel, that neither slumbereth 〈◊〉 sleepeth, with my earnest prayers for a happy peace in this kingdom, 〈◊〉 the establishing of the true protestant Religion, and of the Parliament; I remain  
Yours, JOHN BASTWICK.  
FINIS.