DISTRACTED ENGLAND'S LAMENTATION, Dangerously lying upon her sick Bed: With her last refuge for Cure, unto the wholesome Physic OF REPENTANCE and HUMILIATION.  
Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.  Matt. 2. 
To end this War, Weep, Fast, and P●●y  

july 14. 1646.  
Imprimatur,  
john Downame.   
JULY 27. LONDON, Printed for Richard Harper at the Bible and Harp in Smithfield. 1646.   

Distracted England's Lamentation.  
TO lament is a thing seasonable to all that are in misery. And of all miseries, War is the greatest, for it doth most mischief, and hath least mercy. And for that cause David chose rather to fall into the hands of God, then into the hands of men. But of all War, that we call Civil is the most rude, merciless and unnatural, (of which I think we are not now to be instructed) for it armeth the Father against the Son, and Son against the Father. One Kinsman against another, and one Friend against another. It bringeth desolation and confusion to a Kingdom. By it all Order is broken; all Laws are violated, all Decency is anoulled. In the time of her impious reign, Liberty gives strength to Error, covetousness uphouldeth Extortion, and Ambition nourisheth Discord. Vice rideth on her Foot-cloth, and Virtue waiteth at the Stirrup. Whatsoever listeth is lawful; what is truth and honesty, doubtful; and all villainy useful, it is like a Wild Boar in a Vineyard, that maketh havoc of the Grapes and destroyeth the Vines. Like a great wind upon the Land that overthroweth Towns, Towers and Castles. It is the Be●st that with his tail sweepeth down the Stars from the Firmament▪ The Land Leviathan that swalloweth and devoureth all, as well th● g●●at ones as the fry. It is the Varlet of that Martial Devil that is sworn to betray his own blood to misery, his own Country to ruin. Of which poor England, who is at this present under the bloody wings of this fatal mischief, doth not a little, nor without cause complain in her lamentation following.  
Have pity on me! have pity on me! at leastwise you that are my Friends, for the hand of my Lord, hath touched me. God has sprung the Mine of his wrath into me, and wounded me with a most unnatural civil war, which is of all other the most grievous and destructive. Every day he cutteth me with the whetted sword of his ireful justice with the rod of his fury; with the iron rod of his indignation he hath whipped me on all sides. On the East, and on the West. On the North, and on the South. I am full of stripes. He has not lest a free place in me. O have pluy on me!  
By what a steep precipice have I fallen down headlong to destruction and ruin! I that whilom enjoyed sweets of peace, and blessed plenty with so great quiet and security. I that was so late admired of the whole World for fair and opulent Cittys. For buildings of honour and antiquity: For houses of liberal and hospitable entertainment; For fields as fertile and profitable as delightful; For woods and forests both beautiful and spacious; For good and wholesome temper, subject to no malignant influence: For all manner of provision. My downs were covered over with sheep, my valleys filled with neat, my parks with dear, my ponds with fish; and the feathered game in every species abounding, and multiplying. Nothing that could be thought necessary either for pleasure or sustenance, but I could boast of it from the liberal hand of God and nature.  
But now the black curtain of desolation is drawn over me, which was evicted from every Kingdom that is divided within itself. God has let down the visitation of his wrath upon me, because I would not know him in time of plenty. Because in time of peace I would not make my peace with him; therefore he hath removed that Candlestick of his blessing, and hath brought in a foe that hath besieged me round. A War, a Civil War, by which I am in all things impoverished and brought to beggary. The hooks of War are fastened into my sides, by which many of my fairest Towns and Edifices have been pulled down and demolished, without regard either to honour or antiquity. Yea my very Churches have been cast down to their first beds, and their steeples laid level with the earth. Many a good house by violence and unjust oppressions, are become both inhospitable and inhabitable My fields are filled with Wars, ireful confusion. The green soar● is turned into a crimson gore: All fragrancy and delight converted into 〈◊〉 spectacle of horror. The tillage and labour of the painful O●…e is trampled under foo●e. My forests lie at waste: My woods go to decay by the cruel Axe of War, that has pierced the heart of many a sound oak. I have lost my temper: And my very air now is infected with malignancy. There is no health nor security in me at all. The Lamb is not secure in the sold nor the bird in the nest, nor the infant at the breast of the Mother. My woes are beyond expression. I am cast down below the bose of misery. I am fallen into the pit of ruin. O have pity on me! have pity on me! at leastwise you that are my Friends!  
But England, whom dost thou speak unto? whom dost thou call upon for pity? upon Friends! what Friends? where are they? in the City? in the Country? in the Court? I must confess all aught to be thy Friends, from the highest Rulers to the meanest Subject. For thou England hast been a dear Mother unto us all. Our first air we drew from thee, and our first milk. I is a just loyalty of us all, and a duty which we all own to love and not our thou, in regard thou are our dearest Country, and we are all thine by birth right. Thy King. Thy State. The whole Commonwealth is thine. Why should not all then be thy Subjects, and thy Friends? why should any degenerate from his loyalty to thee? or be so cruel as by sword or fire to look and work thy destruction? Children are condemned that are unnatural to their Parents. None but vipers destroy their Mother. What name then is due unto such as seek the ruin of their Country? thou hast been our Nurse and Suckler in all our necessities; and now to return thee so much evil for good, is a hard measure.  
We have no reason; we are mad: we know not what we do. Else we would collect and understand, that all the abuse and wrong we do unto our Country; all the spoil and havoc we make on her, is a rape and violence committed upon ourselves. We draw our own blood in drawing hers. We cut off the breast from whence we have our milk. We destroy the hand hat putreth bread into our mouths. We rip up and riffel the womb from whence proceedeth all our plenty and livelihood. And not only to ourselves is this done, but also unto our Children that shall com●●fter, whose curses will hang upon us in posterity.  
Yet there is nothing now left unattmpted not unperpetrated which the malice of this cruel and unjust War can reach unto. All Grace, all Virtue and Goodness whatsoever, we see brought to the battery, and subdued by their Opp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉▪ Modesty is expulsed by the strength of Impudence: Coveteou●●●●●●ath mastered Liberality: Pride insulteth over Humllity: Falsho●● 〈◊〉 beaten Truth out of the field: Error maketh Religion her quarry. These are the Conquerors of the times. These are they that have set up Liberty in the Throne of discipline: By whom all good Laws both divine and humane are violated: All holy engagements and Covenants of Religion are broken: All obligations of amity and friendship are made void; and even the nearest bonds of nature canceled. O lamentable Times! O execrable manners! It were misery enough to see such impleties, such hellish wrath und cruelty in the hearts of any Christians whatsoever. For they ought to be of a Celestial and Divine temper. But much more in the hearts of Christians and Countrymen in the hearts of Kindred and Alliance of Friends and Acquaintance. That such hearts should differ; or have that hardness and stony rancour, as to oppose and injure one another so inhumanly, filleth with amazement and wonder.  
What then! shall we never recover reason? shall we still persever in our frenzies and madness, under the protection of (wilful) ignoranc●, and misunderstanding one another? after so great a draught is it not time to close the vein? we have gone out Tigers hitherto; shall we never return men? do we find so much sweetness in the game, that we cannot forsake the sent? it is the nature of hounds never to be reclaimed from blood that they are once fleshed in. Are we gone so fare a field in heat of blood, so much astray from humanity, that we can find no passage bacl?  
O unhappy England! what remedy then must thou fly unto? what physic must thou take to purge away this malignant fever? what antidote is the best to expel the baneful humours from thy sick heart? nothing but Dens-Gordium: God only who is the King of hearts: 'tis he must do it. This is an evil which none but that King can cure. And therefore since the meetings and Counsels of earthly Physicians can do no good, nor afford one proposition of comfort, nor minister any case unto thee: Thou must have recourse to him. Thou must refer the whole cure to him, who knows thy frame and constitution: and is (too much) acquainted with thy disease. Prostrate thyself before the Synod of his Divine Wisdom, and beseech him for his mercy sake to help thee. For he will surely and infallibly prove thy Friend, so soon ●s thou hast taken thy potion of repentance into the bottom of thy heart, according as he hath perscribed. And not only a Friend to thee, but unto all that come so prepared to ask his help. Say therefore unto him. Have pity on me, O God, according to thy great mercy! heal me 〈◊〉 Lord, for I am sick!  
I am indeed: heart sick: grieveously distem●●●●… 〈◊〉 my head and all my members. I am sick to death. I have a disease th●●●●…ence of which will ruin me. It is desperate, it rageth in all part● 〈◊〉 beleaguereth my very heart. My lifeblood is in danger. It bruiseth and mortifieth my flesh; even into my marrow it searcheh: & causeth a disturbance in all my bones. It straineth my sinews, and breaketh insunder the strongest ligaments of my body. My reeme is broken, my navel uncloseth, my bowels appear. O all ye that pass by the way! attend and see if there be any grief like my grief! attend you that stand aloof! you that are my neighbours; and behold my miseries! behold in what a dangerous case I am, through mine own depraved and perverse humour! observe my troubled state! (a good warning peace) see how I lie a bleeding! what a stux of blood hath issued from me; and yet for all this I fear the pleurisy will choke me.  
I am faint. Let me bleed no more. I have lost too much blood already: and that of the purest; of the noblest; and good blood; and innocent blood: Such as the butcher Cain drew from Abel. Physic more mild and gentle hath been offered me; but I would take none. I would digest none. I have wrested too much with myself. I have built too much upon the strength of mine own body. A sick body. A severish body. A very fowl body. A body without all symmetry, natural disposition or temper. My veins are on fire; my pulse is out of order! My temples burn and beat into the plamater of my brain, which makes me groan and sigh deep, in jealously that I am past cure. And therefore it is, indeed high time to change my Physician. To repose no more in earthly Counsels, but with an camest heart, and sincere intention, to lift up my hands and voice to Heaven from whence all help cometh, and say, heal me O Lord, for I am sick!  
Lord in this hot fit and bitter conflict, draw the curtain of thy mercy; and refresh me with the comfortable air of thy holy Spirit! before I utterly perish, open the Casement of thy Divine Providence and send into my heart the Dove of Peace! for there is no physic else can do me good: No ballam is agreeable to my disease as that. Death and miserable confusion is the object of war: Of which I am made already too sad a spectacle, but peac●●●…s health, and all effects contrary, what war turneth to malice, peace ●●●verteth to love, what war woundeth, peace healeth, what war ru●●●●●n, peace repaireth, what war taketh, peace restoreth: If I had peace I should be well: If I had peace (yet) I should perfectly recover, my head would leave aching, my heart would receive comfort, I should tak●●●st in all my members.  
Lord thou hast do●●●reater cures in Israel! there is nothing impossible with thee, thou ●●●west all, thou canst do all: And therefore, Lord, if thou take me in 〈…〉 I will not misdoubt my cure: If I were dead thou canst raise me▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were blind, thou canst restore mes unto true and perfect sight, if I were deaf, thou canst renew my hearing, if a Leper, thou canst cleanse me, if I had Devils in me, thou canst cast them out: No heart so hard but thou canst soften, no will so perverse and stubborn but thou canst break and master, no mind so high and puffed up, but thou canst humble. All things are confined to thy power: And there is not any that can resist thy will.  
I do confess, Lord, that I am guilty of all: I am dead with sin; I am blind with error; I am deaf which obstinacy: revive me with thy grace, enlighten me with thy truth, and reconcile me to thy holy Spirit: I am grievously defiled with the leprosy of all unrighteousness, but Lord who dare presume of righteousness before thee, the heavens are not clean in thy sight: Much less I that am a sinful nation; given to all manner of lewdness and excesses: I am full of Devils and factious spirits, that have raised this civil tempest; that have caused all these rumours and combustions in me. Vouchsafe (O most merciful God) to lay and suppress them with the power of thy opposite grace and virtues, suppress pride with humility, envy with patience, wrath with meekness, and malice with charity. Be exquisite in thy cure as thou art exquisite in all things: Thrust thy tent into my broken and contrite heart, and search what is amiss, heal that which is wounded, cleanse that which is fowl, refresh and water that which is withered: Nourish that which is cold, move that which is slow, soften that which is hard, reduce and bring home that which is wand'ring.  
And grant Lord, that all stubbornness, and worldly respects being laid aside, I may make a full and perfect resignation of my will to thine. That I may henceforward cover nothing that is unlawful, nor usurp nothing wrongfully: But that all my conversation and traffic be in thy business and for thy glory; And finally that I may be truly penitent and sorrowful for all my misdeeds, and repent me sore for the innocent blood that I have spilt; for the families that I have ruined, for the Towns that I have demollisht, for the houses that I have subverted, for the plenty that I have destroyed and wasted, and the famine that I have made way for: That so by true sorrow and humiliation recovering p●●●● with thee, I may have peace with myself. Amen. Amen.  
FINIS.