THE SHEPHERD'S Letters: 1 To his Sovereign Lord King Charles his Sacred Majesty. 2 To the Renowned Noble Princes, Grandsonnes to Great James of famous memory, late West-Emperour of the World, Prince Rupert and Prince Maurice. 3 To all the late Bishops, Doctors, and Ministers reputed Malignants in the Kingdoms of England and Scotland give these. London printed 1646. The Shepherd of Easeingtons' Letters. Gracious, Glorious: I Beseech thy Majesty suffer thine abject Subject to speak unto thy Majesty without offence; God made thy Father the glory of Christendom, and gave him one to succeed according to reason, a man hopeful to command Nations as heart could desire, yet it pleased the Almighty to take him home to himself, and left thy Majesty to supply his place, and hast established thee in thy father's Throne, given thee his Crown, State, and Dignity, with all his Authority, and placed thee in this pleasant Canaan, whose borders is from the North Isles of Scotland and Jreland, to the South Isles of Barbadoes and Barmoodus, and so made thee a great West Emperor of the world, yet for all these Dominions I beseech thy Majesty remember thou art still but a mortal man, mutable and transitory, subject to alteration and change, and shall one day be called to a strait account for all thy Talents received, which is more than yet is mentioned, for he hath given thee Wife and Children, which is most near and dear to man, and blessed thee above that great Monarch, that Daniel calleth a head of Gold in respect of our Iron Age; for when he called his great Assembly out of all People, Nation and Languages, they wanted understanding to discern and judge aright save the three Children; but God hath blessed thy Majesty with men of many Languages in thy Nations, to discern and judge, with sanctified wills to choose the good and refuse the bad. Now seeing God hath blessed thy Majesty so abundantly in thy Subjects, and these distractions in thy Kingdoms, and bloodshed in divers quarters of thy Countries, I beseech thy Majesty under corection, How wilt thou answer it before the eternal Tribunal? For David was driven from Jerusalem by Absolom, but thy Majesty left thine own House voluntarily, without any enforcement, or colour of cause that thy Subjects can tell of, save that they took two Royal Prerogatives, which fact may be answered by the old saying; A man seeing his Neighbour's house on fire, hath fair warning for his own, etc. for Hypocrites creeping into credit with thy Majesty, and put in place of high Authority, have greatly disturbed the State. Then seeing these perilous effects proceed, it is the proper appointed Office of the Parliament to take away such dangerous causes, that the effects may surcease. Moreover, if thy Majesty shall say with thy Grandfather Adam, Yond woman which thou gavest me, deceived me, etc. as that excused not him, much less can it profit thee, which hath all former things written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the world is come; and that Noble Princely Lady thy loving Wife, being borne and brought up in the Egyptian darkness of Idolatry may be tollerarated, but thy Majesty which was borne in Zion, and brought up in Jerusalem, is doubly bound to convert her, and not to be deceived by her, etc. I see no more can well be said save this: The Priests that sat in Peter's Chair being fall'n from the purity of Paul's Doctrine hath deceived thy Majesty, this I confess, four hundred false Prophets is forceable to persuade the King contrary to Micah his counsel; but most Noble Prince, if they were possessed with that dumb and deaf spirit the Apostle speaketh of, that would neither suffer to hear nor speak the words of their Office and duty, I beseech thy Majesty to drive it fare off from thee by hearty Prayer unto God, to give thee the spirit of Wisdom and true understanding to Guide and Govern this his mighty people of Israel. Wherefore I most entirely beseech thy Majesty, with those Noble Plants of Paradise that is with thee, to take it into your good considerations, and for binding up the bleeding wounds in the bosom of Christendom Command a cessation of Arms amongst you and signify it to the Parliament, that the Noblemen of Jerusalem may strive who shall come first to guard thee our King David home to thine own House, that the joy of thy happy return may extinguish the grief of all our sustained sorrows; which Grace I beseech God of his great mercy in his good time grant us, to the good of his Church, and the praise of his glorious Name, to whom be all glory and praise for ever. Thy Majesty's abject Subject, whose prayers passeth to God for the preservation and continuation of thy Crown, State, and Dignity to thee and thine for ever: That he which hath given thee the glory of a Crown; may give thee also a Crown of glory. The Shepherd of Enseington Thomas Ellyson. Decemb. 25. Most Noble Princes: THe remembrance of that happy Government of these Kingdoms under your Grandfather forbiddeth my very Conscience to keep bacl my counsel when it may do good to his Posterity; wherefore I humbly Petition your Princely Persons patiently to hear me speak without offence, though for the present it be not pleasant to you, yet afterward it may be profitable for you and yours. I need not be tedious to dispute the Cause, the case is so plain that Shepherds, Swineherds, Cobblers, and off-scouring of the Kingdoms doth and m●y discern, that this great Conflict consists in transferring the Land from Protestanisme to Papism, which if it please your Princely minds well to remember, what perilous Pro●ects they have plotted against your Predecessors and others ye would loathe to love or be though in the least fellowship with them, as the Powder Treason, in which their only aim was to have blown the glory of the World, with all his Noble Parliament into the Skies like Chaff, which venomous invention was so very monstrous that Historians write, the very Heathens hisse to hear it. King John denying their request, being fare unfitting for a Prince to grant them, was forced to Farm his own Inheritance for it. And Henry the fourth Emperor of that name, for not reserving the Temple of Jerusalem for the Pope's purpose, was set to fit barefoot at his Gates without admittance to his presence till he bought it with a sum of money, fare more than sight of him was worth; and after show of Absolution he sent a Bull of Excommunication to gore the Emperor through, commanding Rodolfe his Germane Deputy to rise in Arms and rend away his Crown, which precept being put in present practice, and Justice justly took his life away, the Emperor set his eldest Son to rule the States of Germany in his stead. But mark, I beseech you, to make their matchless malice more appear, Pope Hildebrand sent his second Bull of Excommunication again to gore the Emperor, commanding the Son in Arms against his Father, which Action is so repugnant to Order, so odious to Reason, so urgent to Nature, so contrary to Custom, nay the very Conscience and all, I beseech you to consider it, etc. But to leave relating their impious Projects in these places, their limbs unluckely leapt to our English Stage to act the like Tragedy, which in the Reign of Elizabeth Queen of famous memory, the Earls Rebellion in the North will well witness, and many may remember to this day, that being insatiable they ceased not to assault her Successor with the Powder-plot, as is said, etc. But now to keep their gall of bitterness in continual action, with all their Foxlike subtle Sophisms, they have assaulted, seduced, deceived and drawn away our Sovereign Lord the King from his royal Throne, and edged him in Arms against his Parliaments of both Kingdoms, which I dare engage both life and soul is as truly Noble, Learned, loyal and loving Subjects as ever King have had that wore these Crowns, so that with the Prophet I may truly say, There is a wonderful and horrible thing committed in the Land, the Prophets have spoken falsely, the Priests bear rule thereby, the people please to have it so, but what will be the end thereof, Jeremiah 5. Wherefore I most entirely supplicate your Princely minds very seriously to consider for what cause God hath appointed you to spring from the loins of Princes, surely to have regard to God's eternal Decree, and to be Fronteers in fight of his Battles against such Butcherlike, bloody, and tragecall attemptors, and to apply your Princely powers to deliver our Sovereign Lord the King from their polluted Papist Jail whether he be holden by force or by persuasion. But if they say they be good Protestants I do answer; If the Tree be good let his fruit declare it, for I find Divinity-Logicke in a short rule, He that is not with me is against me, etc. now seeing Religion is of highest concernment, I beseech you remember, If one man trespass to another a Judge may determine, but if a man fight against God none can relieve him: Wherefore, howsoever bring our Sovereign Lord the King to fit upon his Throne, to Govern the many Thousands of Israel, to the great joy and comfort of us all, for it is the only very ordinary means for preservation and continuation of his Crown, State, and Dignity to him and his for ever, and also for his Princely Power, with Potent strength to establish Peace in the Palatinate Countries, for the endless good of you and yours, that so all our Israel from Dan to Beersheba may sing hallelujah to the Lamb of God for so great deliverances; which Graces I beseech God of his great mercies in his good time grant us, to the good of his Church, and the praise of his glorious Name, to whom be all glory and praise for ever. His Majesty's abject Subject, whose prayers passeth to God for the preservation of his sacred Person, with the continuation of his Crown, State, and Dignity to him and his for ever. The Shepherd of Easeington. Tho. Ellyson. January 1645. Right Reverend and well beloved: I Do stand up to speak unto you; But I profess and also protest, I do it not by way of insultation over your decayed estates, for I do acknowledge myself ten time triple bound to the good mercies of God for preserving me to stand, when he suffereth many much better to fall; But I do it by way of exhortation to your edification and comfort, though I confess many millions of men fare fit for it then I, yet I will not suffer great Clerks only, and to be saved alone, for it is of necessity for me to be saved also: and what the Law saith, it saith to them that are under the Law, whereof I am one, and doth apply that precept of Moses as spoken even unto me, which saith, Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart, but thou shalt plainly rebuke thy Neighbour and suffer him not to sin; which precept the Apostles doth itterate double and triple over, willing and requiring us to admonish one another, exhort one another, edify one another, etc. which portions of Scripture yourselves oft times have treated upon, to the great edification and comfort of your hearers: Wherefore I humbly petition your patience, permit me to surrender the same comfort to comfort yourselves, for your neglect is greatly accused to because of this gseat confusion amongst us, and I do believe it, but that I may not wrong you upon bare report, I desire to examine your Commission, and compare it with your execution of action for mine own discharge. For unto you it is said, Son of man I have made thee a Watchman to the House of Israel, etc. if I send a Sword through the Land, and if you give not the people warning, yet they shall die in their transgressions but their blood will I require at thy hand, etc. Here is a fearful accusation, what excuse can you make? for if you say, The great Archbishops sat in the stern of the Churches to turn it as their wisdom might direct them &c, It will be replied, That if they were deprived of wisdom, it is pity ye were deprived of grace to resist their folly; for when a free Parliament was called you had both place and voice as well as they, so that your best friends can frame no excuse, but that you are so grievously fall'n that that admoniiton appointed for that great Church of Ephesus may fitly be applied unto you. Remember therefore from whence ye are fallen and repent. And you inferior Ministers, that may seem to shelter yourselves under the shadow of great Doctors, even you also are inexcusable, for although for order's sake they did hold priority of place, yet your Commission for binding, loosening, demolishing, and building is equal to them, so that convincing Truth doth testify, that with Demas you are fall'n from Paul and followed this present World, remember therefore from whence ye are fall'n, and repent. For my love to the Ministers of the Gospel would willingly solist your cause by excuse if I could find fit ground for it, but if I should plead your obedience to God from that Precept which appointeth us to Honour the King, I should be answered, that as you have applied that obedience you have dishonoured both God and the King; you have dishonoured God which had given an absolute order, that to Egypt we should never return again, for if we did, he ordered two inresistable Armies to pursue and assault us till we be destroyed, for although mercy would willingly preserve us, yet very Justice must justly inflict the Sword and Pestilence upon us; which hath greatly enlarged the Grieve revived and advanced Death, which is an enemy to Nature for it destroyeth the Creature, a great dishonour to God, a most grievous fall; remember therefore from whence ye are fall'n and repent. And your honour to the King is according to it, for it hath greatly distracted his Government, endangered his sacred Person, demolished the glory of his Kingdoms, which consists in the multiplicity of Subjects, made many a Wife to want her Husband, and many a Wives Son hath his blood mingled in the dust, which no doubt will be required at your hands except ye repent. For if a man's own transgressions do often draw him into a dangerous strait, when the blood of many is laid upon him, his condition must needs be most desperate; but my desire is not to drown you in the depth of desperation, but to draw you to repent. For Abraham denied his Wife, Joseph swore by the life of Pharaoh, David committed two deadly facts, Paul persecuted the Church of God, and Peter forswore that he knew his Master, yet by repentance all these obtained mercy and is amongst the most glorious Sons of God; and so may you be if with Peter ye will wait upon Christ till he look bacl upon you with one glimpse of Grace, which is indeed the very bottomless Ocian of all excellencies; wherefore I beseech you free yourselves from all corrupt mixtures flowing from humane devices, and receive with meekness that which is able to save your souls, to wit, repent. And if one spark do kindle to your comfort, I beseech you certify our sovereign Lord the King what dangerous ways you have walked, and inform his Majesty that to go forward there is no hope, for the Prophet saith, That the true fear of the Lord is to departed from evil. Wherefore persuade his Majesty to use all possible means speedily to return to his own Jerusalem, to govern his people prudently with all his Power, to the great of us all, etc. I beseech you do not slight my Petition which doth so nearly concern yourselves, for as I am bold without blushing to speak in the faces of men, I have also a good Conscience in the presence of God, whose Judgements you cannot escape. Wherefore I beseech you, let the remembrance of our mortality by Sword and Pestilence so mortify your corrupt affections, as to make a true recollection of the time that is past, and apply a true Christian resurrection for the time to come. Henceforth put on such an habit of holiness as may practise true Piety hereafter, to the praise and glory of God, the prosperity of our Sovereign Lord the King and his Posterity, the common good of all his Kingdoms, and our eternal through Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghost one God, be all honour and praise for ever. Amen. His Majesty's abject Subject, whose Prayers passeth to God for the preservation of his sacred Person, with the continuation of his Crown, State, and Dignity to him and his for ever. The Shepherd of Easeington. Tho. Ellyson. January the 10th. 1645. FINIS.