THE Honest Citizen, OR, Faithful Counsellor to the City of LONDON.  
THe City of London, before these Civil, or rather Uncivil Wars, was accounted richer than either Amsterdam, Paris, Venice, or any other City of Christendom: How much it is drained since these Wars, in glory, power, and wealth, I do leave it to all judicious men to judge. It had the glory and honour of Christendom, for its faithfulness to the Cause of God, and redeeming of the decaying Liberties of the Kingdom; yet retaining their loyalty to their King, and affection to the Kingdom, nay unto all three Kingdoms; of which, ample testimony hath been given. But how much it hath suffered by giving too much credit unto fair pretences of those, who have not only deceived it, but also Parliament and Kingdom; nay, have enslaved all three Kingdoms in a perpetual War, if not by the providence of Almighty God timely prevented, and a speedy resolution both of both of Parliament and City to resume their virgin Principles; all being acted by the Grandees, under pretence of Religion; which indeed is not only now, but long ago discovered to be nothing else but Pride, and Covetousness, to subvert the Fundamental Government of the Kingdom, and bring all the wealth and power into a few men's hands, which will make a perpetual War between England and Scotland, and bring all Nations into this Kingdom upon the King's interest, and his Posterity; leave Ireland to itself, whereby the Pope and Spanish Council will there prevail, the old native Irish naturally loving both Pope and Spaniard; which made the Lord Inchequin draw unto him the Lord Taaf and his party (being of the British Irish) from the Oneals and mac Carta's and the rest, who are for the Pope and Spaniard▪ only. These Grandees will bring confusion upon all three Kingdoms, and destroy the whole Protestant Cause of Christendom. For prevention of this, London may have a great share in the deliverance of this Kingdom, if it will stand stoutly to its first Principles, and intended Reformation, and not be cheated out of its Religion, Allegiance, Power, and Liberty. London hath done well of late; the great providence of God having discovered many plots for its ruin, as well as against the King, Monarchy, the three Kingdoms, and subversion of the Fundamental Laws of the Land, which all subjects are sworn unto, and bound to observe, all being hatched by the traitorous Grandees. London being now the only place that must be subdued by them, having already subdued both Parliament and Kingdom to their traitorous commands: And if the Scots enter not the Kingdom, which undoubtedly they will do, and it may be sooner than we think for, London must be brought to better obedience, or laid in the dust, as Cromwell hath often said: an act so bad, as to be abhorred in any traitorous thoughts, unless in such great ones as Cromwell and his complices are. But if London doth no better, they must drink of the dregs of their fury. The Grandees seeing there is no reconciliation with them, therefore they have changed much Silver into Gold, and sent great store beyond the Seas against their slight, if their projects do not take; having no hopes to reconcile with the King, who will be tampered with no more, nor cheated by them. No hopes to cheat or buy out the Scots; no hopes to reconcile with the Parliament if once it cometh again to its virgin constitution; no hopes to be reconciled to the Kingdom, having laid such unjust and forced Impositions upon the subjects thereof, especially in time of Peace, when no enemy appear th', unless such as oppose their treason and unjust commands; the Army being voted to disband in time of a free Parliament: no hopes to have any reconciliation for the Protestant blood they have caused to be shed in obstructing Ireland's relief, and the distressed members of Christ in that Kingdom: no hopes of reconciliation with the Levellers, Cromwell having so often changed his principles. The Grandees knowing they cannot fight with the Scots, and leave London on their backs, having for this end increased their Army to such a number, that the new Establishment will not maintain them; nay, in stead of Six and twenty thousand which they enforced the House to vote, have made them fifty thousand: therefore they must come up to London with such a Plot as the last was, to raise a million of money, or else plunder them: Also seeing themselves apparently ruined upon the coming in of the Scots, if they leave London in its freedom behind them, the Kingdom rising about them; and if once they receive a foil, they know there is no recruting again; therefore, as Cromwell said, London must be brought to better obedience, or laid in the dust. Therefore honourable, valiant, and dear City of London, be not cheated: Will you fight yourselves into Slavery, and not stand for your Freedom? You relieved Cloucester under the Command of that most excellent and valiant General the Earl of Essex, whose memory▪ will be ever precious to the Kingdom; and fought with the King's Royal Army, when not only yours, but the whole Kingdom's Liberty depended upon that valiant, faithful, and never to be forgotten Commander, Major▪ General Mass●y; and will you not maintain yourselves against these traitors to God, the King, and three Kingdoms, which are far worse than the former Spanish faction that abused the King, and made him serve their lusts, pride and ambition. You can never have Peace by yielding unto them; their reconciliation is only to enslave you, and bring you into a perpetual War, destroying Religion, Laws, and Government, and bring in all Christendom upon you; and in this very time if you stand not to it both wisely and stoutly, the House being full, having made an Order for their Members not to departed for fourteen or fifteen days; and before that time is expired, you may hear of some news may affright these Grandees, and traitors to City and Kingdom. Remember what that shitten fool Atkins said in the Common Council of London on monday night last. Inquire what news the Mayor of Barwick sent to the House, desiring their direction therein: Inquire also what that bloody villain Sir Arthur Haslerig sent to the House, or Committee at Derby-house, from Newcastle. All the Kingdom is ready to help you, for settling of Religion, Laws, and just Liberties. You have had some thoughts of Major-General Skippon to be your Major General; he will merely cheat and gull you, and bring in a second Trojan-horse amongst you, as he was accessary in bringing in the former, and marching thorough your City in triumph with the Grandees and Rebels of the Army; who deceived not only the Kingdom, but their own Soldiers, being willing to disband, and willing to obey the Parliament that set them up, but that Crumwel and his complices seduced them. But I hope in God those honest Christian souls, I mean the Soldiers, will no more be deceived by their traitorous Commanders, who are traitors in the highest form; when the Soldiers may have an Act of Oblivion for what is past, and all their arrears paid and insured them by the Parliament, City, and Kingdom; as hath been formerly offered them, and will be willingly made good unto them upon their disbanding, settling of, Peace and all just Interests, and relieving of Ireland with such as will go, and those that have no mind to that service, may have their arrears paid and insured them, to follow their Trades and Callings. Skippon is the very picture of Sinon, who brought in the Grecian horse to Troy, causing the Trojans to break down part of their walls, that the horse might enter, saying, Sinon, who I, the gods do know that Sinon cannot lie. Skippon hath said many times, that Cromwel's ways are not the ways of God. When Adjutant-General Grey was questioned for his life, knowing his cause to be good and honest, only for reading and countenancing the City-Remonstrance. Skippon hath often said, that any man, let him be never so deserving, or unblameable in his life, unless that he complied with Cromwell and his faction, he must be blasted in his reputation, and expelled the Army. His appearance in Gray's business (knowing the innocency of his cause) was only because he hoped the Parliament would have been able to make good their thanks they gave the City for their Remonstrance; for which continuing a little while in that opinion (as he is very subject to change) he was sequestered the Army, but not expelled, because Cromwell thought that would too much displease the City, being in a good and courageous temper at that time. But Skippon seeing Cromwel's side to be most profitable, collogued again with him, and was restored to his many gainful places in the Army, whereby he hath got many thousands out of the ruins of the Kingdom, having three or four places in the said Army, and enjoyed them ever since the Army should have been disbanded by order of free Parliament. But still the City having a good opinion of him, desired the House that he and that faithful and valiant Commander, who hath not a whit started from his honest principles neither in fair or foul weather, I mean Major-General Massey, to be chosen for Ireland, which was done accordingly; Massey telling Skippon several times, that he would be as observant of him and his commands, for the public good, as any Commander or Officer in the Army should be. Whereupon Skippon and Massey were sent down to the Army with the Committee of Parliament, to draw it off for Ireland; wherein Massey did most faithfully, but Skippon most coldly delivered the Commands of Parliament, and did not hearty press the Commanders and Soldiers to the obedience of Parliament, who set them up; but upon his return and account to the House, seemed to comply with Cromwel's design in the business, on purpose to keep the Army up, to enslave the Kingdom, having got the Scots by fair and false pretences to return into Scotland; who were willing to have both Armies disbanded together, whereby the charge of both Kingdoms might be taken off, and a just Peace settled between King and People, as you see they still maintain it in their Papers and Desires delivered unto the Parliament, standing stiffly for a personal Treaty with the King. And now Skippon is Cromwe●'s soul and body, until a stronger side appeareth, having declared himself that he will fight against the Scots, if they come against the Parliament and Army (as our new Government is called) for which last week they gave him a thousand pounds per annum; the Scots being enforced to come into England again, to redeem Religion, King, Parliament and Kingdom from the Lord Says, Cromwel's and their accomplices cruelties, who would subvert Religion, Monarchy, Laws, and our just and wellestablished Government, only for their own pride and covetousness. Now if you will have Skippon, take him; you have a good morsel of him. Major-General Browne is your fittest man, I suppose a Citizen born, but I am sure a Citizen bred, and one that loveth the City hearty, and that in conscience too: he is faithful, able, and valiant, of a dexterous body and spirit, and one that loveth Government and Order, and not with too much ceremony neither; one that hath given a sufficient testimony of his valour and parts, and one that did not indent with you as Skippon did when he was made Major-General of the City, who would have a great salary, and a great house to live in; a good house would not serve his turn: But Major-General Browne went out freely, of his own accord, and at his own charge, to suppress the rising in Kent and other places: no man in the City so fit as he, and one that hath done more personal service for the Public since these unhappy Wars than Major-General Skippon. Colonel West is the fittest man to be Lieutenant of the Tower, where now that peevish Sectary Lieutenant-Colonel Tichburn is, alias Cromwel's sirreverence, or a n●w confiding light; I will not profane the word Saint: I will not call him Colonel, his Commission being illegal, and he fit for a warm bed then to command a Regiment or Citadel; one that not above a month before he was chosen Lieutenant of the Tower, held an opinion that it was not lawful for men to fight or kill men, thinking that fight would be in fashion again. And indeed, when he was first made Lieutenant-Colonel of the Auxiliaries in London, if he durst have marched down only for a Guard of three or four Pieces of Battery to Bazing house before it was fortified, he had saved many a thousand men's lives: but he loved then nothing tending to fight, and therefore he discouraged his Soldiers, and took a journey himself under a colour to Brainford, and then came home in triumph, that he might pray that the walls of Buzzing house might fall down like the walls of Jericho. And truly, until the w●lls fall down that support this milksop, no Merchant either at home or abroad will trust his Bullion within the Tower-walls; so that the Mint-anvils grow quite rusty, trade being never so decayed, as since he came into his preaching Government. But Colonel West is faithful, honest and valiant, and one that stood as well to his Regiment, as he hath done since to his Principles: witness Gloucester-Expedition, where if the Newbery-ground could speak, it would say his body was turned into a rock in the face of his enemy: upon whose fidelity both Merchants at home and abroad will venture their treasure. Therefore, most famous, valiant, and dear City, for the Cause of God, yours and the three Kingdoms Cause, nay the whole Protestant Cause of Christendom, be not gulled nor cheated; trust nothing that cometh from the Lord Say, Cromwell, or their complices; they will only deceive and enslave you: and knowing themselves lost men, their ills are so great, they cannot be safe without doing greater. They are lost with the King, with England, Scotland, Ireland, nay all Christendom. Never trust counseit Skippon, nor apostate Marshal, he is Says Factor: know your faithful men and Commanders: keep your Arms, secure your estates, when the whole ship is sinking: let not every man look to his own ; in preserving the ship, you preserve your cabins: suppress unlawful tumults yourselves; defend yourselves against all traitors and rebels whatsoever: be faithful unto God, the King, the Parliament, the three Kingdoms, and the Protestant Cause of Christendom: down with the Grandees that enslave King and Parliament: stand to your Allegiance, Protestations, Solemn League and Covenant: be wise and valiant; it will be but a brush, you will afterwards have power of conscience, comfort and renown for it: the raising of your spirits in a just and resolved way, maketh your enemy's fall. The law of Nature teacheth you to defend yourselves: you have power enough among yourselves, if you will use it. If your silly Mayor will not stand for the safety of the City, he is a traitor: your Sheriffs have the Posse Comitatus by an established Law. The way to make a just Peace, is to have power, and equally to dispute the justness of your Cause against Rebels, else your enemies will break both Laws, Conscience, and all just Treaties. Trust none of your new lights, as Fowk, Gibbs, Wollaston, Andrews, Estwick, Noel, Player, and the like; they are only new cheats. I say again, Be wise and valiant, and the Lord of heaven and earth bestow his blessings from heaven upon your courage and resolution, whereby a just and well-grounded Peace may be settled. And so I hearty pray for you, and bid you farewel.  
FINIS.