HEROD and PILATE reconciled. A New Dialogue betwixt a Malignant and an Independent. M. YOur Servant, Brother. What's the news since we Did last confer? Doth Independency Thrive, and grow pregnant? Doth it now increase Ith' Associate Counties? shall we have peace? Speak, brother, all amort? strange alteration, Come you late from some new Congregation? Me thinks you seem distracted: what not well? Do our Designs miscarry? Brother, tell Your dear companion; come, the worst of all Will not discourage us: we cannot fall Lower than now we are: brother if we Shall ever rise, thank Independency. I. O my dear brother, 'tis those fatal Votes Lately i'th' House, which makes us change our Notes; We must disband our Army: and to see Our godly party in such agony, Will move a heart of stone; a day of doom, Of gloomy sadness: 'mongst us those that come Newly from Colechester, will tell you more Of this sad news, then ere you heard before. M. I smell a plot from Scotland, some such thing I heard a whisper of; but whilst the King Is safe at Homeby: what need you to fear Cannot your conquering Army fetch him there, And guard him to the City: soon you'll see An alteration with Presbytery. I. But brother, there's more; the Militia's put Into the Common Counsels hands: we are shut Quite out of all: and this new Tyranny More odious to us far than Prelacy, Must now command us: we will not endure Such base affronts from them. M. No brother, sure Disband not. I. We the preservers, to be So slighted, not regarded; and to see Skippon and massy both preferred: and these The City Favourites. M. Sad progedies. We have been active, brother, but of late Our combs are cut; we most unfortunate. But what will Skippon go their Fabius, Their man, so wise, so solid, and Religious? In Cornwall, brother, we must needs confess His valiant service in their great distress. And maugre all, the Sectaries must yield That he deserved best at Naseby Field. I. Brother, had he been but Independent, Sprig should have made his actions more transcendent. M But shall their Fabius and Marcellus Be joined together? I. O this doth quell us. Brother, these must command, and 'tis not we With all our plots, designs, and policy, Can now prevent their choice: except there be In our disbanding some grand mutiny. M. Is there no hope of that? me thinks your zeal Might animate the Soldiers to appeal To all the Countries: and 'tis Lilborns sense, You may complain o'th' House for this offence. I. O but the City, brother, and these Scots Are cunning, subtle, to prevent our plots. They have a major part i'th' House; and then Advise, how to oppose these crafty men. M. Send frantic Peter's down, and let him there Belch out his surious raptures; 'twill go near To work an alteration: we must lend Our best assistance now: some Notes from us May do you service. I Help from Aulicus, Or any other; our necessity Makes us not scrupulous of Malignity. M. Let Lilly raise new spirits; let there be A Combination, brother, suddenly. A Junto gathered of Erastians', To wrangle out these Presbyterians. Let Turn coats be advanced, and let none have Preferment now, but such as will turn knave. I. Brother, 'tis good advice, I am glad to see Herod and Pilate both so well agree. M. But is it likewise true, shall massy he Be honoured now: that in necessity Kept Gloster safe: and afterwards did take So many Garrisons, and made us quake? Shall he that did such service in the West Be looked on now, brother, who can digest Such Votes. I Nay more, Cromwell, Hammond, Ireton Are laid aside: massy, Jones, and Skippon, They must command in Ireland: M. then I fear Small crumbs of Comfort ever will appear To help our dying cause, sure soon must we Give up the ghost with Independency. Except, my brother, we can find some way Some fine design or other, to delay Skippon and massy, that they be not sent To Ireland; lest too late we do repent. Yet if you send them over; clog them there With such Commissioners: that you need not fear. Let Davise buy provisions; let there be To him but granted a Monopoly. Let such command the bag: who will not give Any Account, dear brother, whilst they live. Me thinks your Hackney, Penny Pamphleteers May raise some scandals 'gainst them, some odd jeers. Every weeks Diurnal, may do some feats. Perk is your Mercenary: and such cheats. To undeceive the people would do well, Let Dillinghan be sent for, he can swell His sheet and half to countenance your Tribe, Stitch a Conceit or two, your Moderate Scribe, You must confer with him; and Walker too. I. Brother, they all are Knaves, and will undoo Our god●y party; stay, observe a while, You'll see them turncoats, and their friends beguile. Lilborn I like not, brother, you will see That man prove false to Independency. M. Admit he do; yet Davy Jenkins late Defends your Cause. I. A man unfortunate. M. But be not yet discouraged; some more plots The King is working; let us not be sorts. But active, vigilant, we may recall These Votes amongst our friends; if this be all. I. No brother, there is more, the House did send To the City I rely to desire them lend Two hundred thousand pound, and told them there We should disband, Skippon and massy were The men for Ireland: told them they should see The House would grant them all security. Newcastle, brother, they will have; if we Had but kept that for our fraternity, We might have curbed proud London, and have seen The Presbyterian bend for all than spleen. Yet more, to add unto our misery, Of Goldsmith's Hall they have the moiety. Besides I fear, my brother, you will find An Answer shortly to the City's mind About their cursed Remonstrance; they have chose A new Militia; that will us oppose. M. Would not the Gibeonites, your friends, once speak Some long-breathed speech or other: but to break This horrid Combination: they used to make Some Remora heretofore, which did take Amongst the vulgar. I O but now of late Their speeches, brother, are unfortunate. Dull was their Oratory to persuade The City a Garrison to be made. O had that plot but taken, brother, we Had raised them Trophies to posterity. Our friends had then commanded. Who durst be In opposition to us? M. Prelacy Might then had hopes, my brother, to have seen A blessed toleration; and have been A special help to Independency, In all assaults against Presbytery. I. I know it brother. M. And it is most true, We have a Presbyter as much as you I grieve to see you sad, and pensive. I. And when Shall we be merry? M. Sure those men Might have been more active, when they did see Such dangerous plotting by Presbytery. I. The men were cunning, but yet all their guile Can not insinuate to delay a while This new Committee: that we might but pause And send a Post to the Army: our Cause Lies bleeding, brother: O the time is come That Prophet Sedgwick tells the day of Doom, I shake, and faint, brother, except there be Some comfort left for Independency. M. I'll help you brother, there's such swarms of late Of strange prodigious Sects teemed in this State, Who all will join with you; and so shall we To overthrow this vile Presbytery. I These are some hopes of Comfort; will the King Join, and combine with us, if that we bring His Majesty to London: a toleration Will he subscribe for us o'th' Separation? M. Be confident, my Brother, there is come A Dispensation from the Queen, at Rome, And Italy, they pray, and long to see The good success of Independency. I. And is this true? M. Most true, the King of late Will join with any, he's so desperate. No plot will take in Scotland, nor no new Designs in France, or Ireland. I. Is this true? Then we have hopes the King will join with us, So shall we make ourselves victorious. M. I will advise you, brother, let there be Some more Petitions for Indemnity By the Royal assent: that phrase did well To please the King and us: let Saltmarsh, del Hint on that Text more often; it will raise A Faction; we Royalists now do praise The Independent party: you do see How we do hug your last Apology. Your Vindication, brother, we admire, And swear all's just and honest you desire. Nothing we fear so much but Skippon, he Will so prevail; suppress the mutiny, Which we rejoice to hear. I. Brother, 'tis late, I thank you kindly for this good debate. We shall be sure we never will agree Before we pull down the Presbytery. M. Adieu, dear brother, until next we meet To prostrate ourselves at His Sacred feet. FINIS.