VILL. PROBLEMS Propounded to the CAVALIERS: FOR Conviction of their Consciences; With a Discovery of certain Plots and Conspiracies, Declared by Captain FRANCIS FREEMAN. WITH An Answer thereunto returned by Colonel FRANCIS WINDHAM. And a Reply to the said Answer.  These are Printed by the Original Papers, and Published according to Order of Parliament. 
LONDON, Printed by BARNARD ALSOP dwelling in Grubstreet, 1646.   

To Colonel Francis Windham, Governor of Dunster Castle, these present.  
SIR,  
I Have sent you here enclosed this Manuscript of my poor weak labours, which is by way of Problems, containing in them eight particular questions, with your Cavaliers own answers to each particular question briefly handled by the Author; together with a brief description of certain Plots and Conspiracies which the Enemies of God have completted, contrived, and conspired against the Church and People of God, to bring their wicked Designs to pass; and if so be I could with convenience have sent you the King's Cabinet Letters taken at Naesby sight, it would have been a strong confirmation of this truth: I pray you to peruse these lines through out with a diligent carefulness, and weigh each particular according to its several weight, and conscionably practising all things herein contained in your life and conversation, for the good of your poor soul, it will be a re dy means for the good and welfare both of soul and body for time to come, and in so doing I shall for ever remain  
Yours to command, FRANCIS FREEMAN.   

For Colonel Windham.  
SIR,  
I Have made bold to write unto you, proposing certain several questions, with your own answers (as I suppose) to each particular question, upon what grounds you stand to maintain the true Protestant Religion, the Laws and Liberties of the Subject, and Privileges of Parliament (as you say) and yet by your actions you seek to destroy them all. The first question, what profession are you? Answ. A Gentleman, and a Soldier. The second, what Religion are you off? Ans. The Protestant Religion. The third question, who do you fight for? An. For the King. The 4. question, Doth the King stand to maintain the true Protestant Religion, the Laws of the Land, Liberties of the Subject, and Privileges of Parliament? As. Yes, he doth so, witness all his Declarations, Proclamations, and Protestations. The fifth question, Why doth the King suffer all the Papists, and Irish Rebels (some who have been proclaimed traitors both by King and Parliament) to join with him against his Parl. to destroy it? An. Because they are better Subjects than his Parliament are, who endeavour to deprive him of his Sinck-Ports, and all his shipping, and also his Prerogative Royal. The 6. question, But do all these things of right belong unto the King only? An. Yes, they are all to be at his disposing for the good of his Kingdoms, or else I would not fight for him. The 7. question, but now I pray you tell me what you think of the Parliament: what Religion are they off? An. I must confess, that I think they are Protestants, but there are a great many Sects and Schisms among them, which makes them far worse than any Papist, or Irish Rebels; there is the Puritan, alias Round-head there is the Brownist, the Anabaptist, the Separatist, some Antinomians, and some Independants, and these are the men that seek to deprive the King of all His Rights and Privileges, and raise up arms to fight against their King. The 8. question, But what do you think would be become of the Law if the Parl. should be destroyed? An. I think we should enjoy the same still, for our King have set forth many Declarations, wherein he hath made many gracious promises, and bound it by many Protestations, that we shall enjoy all our own with advantage, if we will but stick close to him, and fight for him against those Parliament Rebels and Traitors, and that man is worse than a Rebel or a Traitor that will not take the word of a King, and believe his King: these and the like grounds, I suppose you have to fight for your King, which you so much deify, that if it were possible you would set him in God's throne, or above him, as you do in your heart, which doth appear plainly by your answer to some of these Questions, or else you fawn upon him for some by-sinister ends of your own to be great in the esteem of the world; but I shall by God's blessing endeavour to give you certain evident Rules, in the handling of each particular, that will demonstrate unto you, what gross errors you have committed, what dangers you are in both soul and body, and a remedy how to avoid and escape these dangers. I shall handle them in order, and so make particular application according to the times. I shall begin with the first answer, which is touching your profession: you say you are a Gentleman and a Soldier. I answer, If you are so, than you are in a very good condition; but I must tell you, that all Soldiers are called Gentlemen Soldiers, and those are Gentlemen Soldiers in a more special manner that fights the Lords battle, he that fights under Christ's banner, he that fights against sin and Satan and to destroy the works of the Devil, he that endeavours to beat down Popery, Superstition, Idolatry, and Tyranny, he that endeavours to set up Christ in his heart, and regulates his life and conversation according to the Rules he hath prescribed in his Word, he that endeavours a Reformation, and loves the Brethren, which are the Members of Christ, & will join with them, and fight for them, to free them from wrong and oppression, he that keeps himself free from plundering and spoiling the Country, and doing any wrong or injury to any man by his will, or the like: these are true properties of a Gentleman Soldier. I could wish Gentlemen Soldiers to be better advised, and not rashly go to war; but first look into their own heart, and see what grounds they have for it, and ask council of God, for he is the God of war; he taught David's hands to war, and his fingers to fight, and if you see your enterprises tends to God's glory, than you may assure yourselves of the victory by him, who is only the Almighty, and can turn all flesh into dust with the breath of his mouth, and now I shall appeal to your own conscience to make particular application, if it be so that Gentlemen Soldiers must be thus and thus qualified, what will be become of all you Cavaliers? I would entreat you in the fear of the Lord to begin first with yourself, and examine your own conscience, see by your actions whether your enterprises tends to God's glory, or no; & then I presume your actions will be a shrewd evidence against you (if you try yourself by the touchstone of the Sanctuary, & now I shall tell you, how true Gentility first came in, Gentility came in first by some heroic virtues by the sword, or by some extraordinary valiant acts of Chivalry, or else by some extraordinary gifts of Learning, whereby they were had in high estimation above other men in respect of their qualifications & endowments; but most of your Gentlemen have been so notoriously wicked along time, that they have cast a foul stain upon their Gentility, and at this present day, there lies a stain upon their souls as black as Hell itself; besides there have been many Generations, since Gentility first came in, and so consequently many bastards; for all Cavaliers do but do the Devil's drudgery they do the works of the Devil; [ye are of your Father the Devil, & the Lusts of your Father ye will do] john 8.44. Now certainly if the Devil be their Father, they must of necessity be bastards, and so I come to the second particular; You say you are of the Protestant Religion. I answer, that the Protestant Religion, is a Christian Profession of the Gospel of Christ, according to the Word of God, wherein men did enter into a Covenant, and bound themselves both to God and Man each to other, protesting that they would stand to maintain the true Faith in Christ Jesus and him crucified, which they then professed, even to the hazard of their lives, lands, and personal estates; & hence it came to pass that so many godly and holy Patriarches, suffered martyrdom in the time of Q. Marry, and this protestation of theirs was in the nature of our Covenant that was lately set forth by the Honourable Court of Parliament, and both for God and his Glory, for God's hand shall be either for us, or against us, according to the performance of the duty, either by truth, or deceit: those godly men in their Protestation entered into an Oath, and into a Curse, Neh. 10.29. and so have we in our Covenant so that every one that taketh an oath, doth bind himself either to the performance, or to the punishment, Num. 30.2, 3. so that we make God our witness, our Party, and our Judge; besides we entered into a Covenant in our Baptism, there we promised to forsake the Devil & all his works, etc. and Baptism is a Seal of the Covenant of Grace: but we have committed all manner of actual rebellions since that time all manner of sin & impiety, and now at this time here is a Nationall sin reigning amongst us, & it deservs a National judgement & punishment and when a Nation, or a People are a guilty of an extraordinary heinous sin, it is both lawful, and needful for them to enter in a Covenant, and to renew their Covenant, to bind themselves against sin, to forsake it in their own persons and to hinder & punish it in others, Esa 10.3.— 8. and this shall suffice for the second particular.  
I come now to the third you say you fight for the King, but because the fourth particular have so near a relation and dependency on the third I shall therefore handle them, both jointly and severally; you say likewise that the King stands to maintain the true Protestant Religion the Laws of the Land, the Liberties of the Subject, and Privileges of Parliament, and call all his Declarations, Proclamations, and Protestations to witness. I answer, It's true, there have been many set forth in his Name, and signed with C. R. although he never knew of the publishing of them, therefore do not deceive yourself: there are and have been many evil Councillors about him, and a Porter keeps the Seal; besides, how can you say that you fight for the King, whereas the King himself fights to destroy his Kingdoms; It's true, you fight for him so far forth, as to help him do it. To proceed farther, suppose the King should offer violence to his own Person to destroy Himself (which God forbidden he should) would you help further him in it? Certainly you are in a most miserable condition as the case stands; but if it were lawful for the King to go to war against his Subjects, than it were lawful for you to fight for him: but I shall make it evidently appear, that you fight clearly against him, against God himself, his Church and People, against yourself, & against the whole Kingdom and State.  
First, you fight against the King, in striving to set up an Arbitrary Government, which no Earthly King can have (unless of Subjects we should become Slaves as they are in France) but the King of Kings who sits in Heaven, and seethe all things here below, and is present in all places, and disposeth of all things according to his own will and pleasure; but if it were possible that our King could be present in all places as the King of Kings is, than he might claim and challenge an Arbitrary Government to himself, and govern his People according to his own will, and we as Subjects would obey him according to the French fashion.  
Secondly, you fight against God, and against Christ; nay you fight against all the members of Christ; for all those which make a profession of Christ, and endeavour to regulate their lives and conversations according to the gospel of Christ you do not only hate their person, but their very profession. Thirdly, you fight not only against you self, but against the whole Kingdom and state; for you fight to destroy the law by which every men ought to possess and enjoy that which he had successively from his predecessors, or purchased with his own money. 4, You fight against the Parliament, which the King himself both by law and oath is bound to maintain, besides all this although you Cavileeres have stole away the King's Person from his Parliament, yet his Power is their with them still: for the King is subject to his inferior Courts of Justice, much more is he subject to his high Court of Parliament, which commands all other inferior Courts; for if the King's Writ be issued out of his inferior Courts of Justice, and put in due execution, although he be a hundred, or two hundred miles off, yet the Law goes on in as full force and power as if he himself were personally present, and the King himself ought to be with his Parliament, in which he ought to join with them in the ordination and establishment of Laws. Thus you see, you fight against God, and against Christ and all his Members, you fight against yourself, and against the whole Kingdom and State; you fight against the Law, and endeavour to destroy the Parliament the representative body of the whole Kingdom, and so consequently you fight against the King: [But the Lord sits in Heaven and shall laugh, he will have you in derision] Psalm 1.2.4. He lets you alone, till the measure of your iniquities be full, as it was with the Amorites, Gen. 15.26. Then the Lord will power forth the cup of his fury, and will destroy them utterly because you are so incensed and enraged against the Church & people of God, Isa 41.11. you shall be as nothing, and as a thing of naught, vers. 22. Now is not this a foolish madness for you, to rage & vent your malice against God's people, and all in vain; for says the Prophet DAVID in the 2 Psal. 1. [Why do the heathen so furiously rage, and the people imagine a vain thing] and in the next verse he saith [the Kings of the earth stand up, and the Rulers take counsel together against God and against Christ,] and although they stand up and take counsel together, and rage and rend their malice against the people of God, yet the Lord shall speak to them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure as in the 5 verse, and in the 10 verse, there the Prophet gives them wholesome instructions, and exhorteth them to repentance. [Be wise now therefore O ye Kings, be instructed ye Judges of the earth serve the Lord with fear; etc. and thus you may see plainly, that all you Cavaliers do fight against the King, and the King against himself & his Kingdoms: & now I shall show you who you fight for, you fight for the Devil & the Pope, & Goring & his soldiers are of the Devil's Lifeguard (as his soldiers say themselves) Goring is Captain, and the Devil is their General over that black Regiment, whose foul sins are as black as Hell itself; for you strive to set up Popery, Superstition, Idolatry, and Tyranny, the Kingdom of Antichrist above Christ's Kingdom; you join with all the Papists in the Kingdom, both English, Dutch, French, Walloons, nay Irish Rebels too, who have had their hands imbrued in the blood of many thousand poor Protestants there, and yet these cursed Rebels must be called his Maj. Catholic Subjects, and must fight for him against his best Subjects for the Protestant Religion too: O monstrous, horrid, and prodigious prodigy, is there any man can be so sottishly ignorant as to believe it, I shall endeavour to clear it by the testimony of many wicked Plots, Treacheries, and Conspiracies, which the Popish faction those wicked Enemies of God have used, conspired and contrived against the Church and People of God, in K. james his time, and ever since the beginning of this King's Reign, to bring their wicked designs to pass: First, in K. james his Reign that desperate Powder-plot, never to be forgotten, whereof many of the Contrivers suffered for it as traitors and yet not many years after the Papists prevailed so fare with the King as to grant them a toleration of Religion, he being a timorous fearful man granted their desires, it being done, they might the better contrive and work some other mischief: but that toleration did not long continue, the King was better advised by his Council; yet notwithstanding they would not leave their design so naked, & without hopes, but that they went again to the King & prevailed so fare with him as to grant a toleration for all manner of Sports and Pastimes on the Sabbath day, dancing at Maypoles, and the like fooleries; this continued till his dying day, and since revived by K. Charles, and thus came the sluice and fludgate to be opened to all manner of licentiousness and liberty, together with a strange wife, as if they were twins born at a birth: then the Bishops & rotten Clergy saw which way the King and Queen, and the young gallant Lords and Courtiers were inclined; then they began presently to fawn upon them like so many puppy Dogs, and some pillows under their elbows; and make such flattering Sermons with so much quaintness of wit, and flashes, as they termed it, that you should have them so humed up, as if they had been at the Blackfriars, or the Cockpit at a Stage-play; but I must tell them, that such fawning Spannels, are far worse than dumb Dogs; but yet they grew more & more in favour at Court, insomuch that godly and painful conscientious Ministers were disfavoured & discountenanced, & many of them put to s●…lence that could not endure their foolish superstitious sopperies, than there must be new Canons imposed on them for a Church-Government; the Communion Table must be turned Altarwise forsooth, where you might see so much bowings, curching, and cringings, as if they were going to dance an Antic; but yet they endeavoured to make the people believe, that God's special pre●ents was there, and these actions were a part of God's Worship, w●en alas they worshipped they knew not what like unto the woman of Samaria, john 4. [where she told our Saviour Christ, that our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain and jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship; but our Saviour Christ saith unto her, [woman believe me the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this Mountain, nor at jerusalem worship the Father; ye worship ye know not what;] but the hour cometh, and now is, when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and Truth: then after this they must have the new Oath, &c, that men should swear to that they know not, or if they refused it at their own peril be it and so many an honest man suffered deeply for it: then after this began all the Monopolies that could be devised To back Patents, and Soap Patents, and the like and by this time the Court was grown to a mighty height of pride, Superstition and Idolatry; & sometimes you might find the Bishop of Canterbury at White Hall to see a Masque or a Stage-Play on the Sabbath Day in the Afternoon insomuch that it was a great grief to the godly to see Popery so countenanced, & creep in by degrees, yet durst not speak against it, for fear of punishment in the high Commission Court, either by silencing or by suspension: But than it pleased God after a little while, our Brethren the Scots had a fellow-feeling of our miseries, & somewhat sensible of their own, what would follow after; then they began with their own Bishops, and presently took them off, of their Episcopal Dignities; then our Bishops began to stir & wince and presently must labour with the King to call a Parliament in all posthaste, certain Articles of Church-government must be propounded unto them, and a new book of Prayer sent, but the Scots refusing their Popish kind of Discipline, would not condescend thereunto; then presently a Proclamation of Rebellion must go forth against them; the Parl. must be dissolved, an Army must be raised to stop this Rebellion all manner of unjust taxes & imposition must be laid upon the poor Subjects, as Coat and conduct money, and the like; the unjust pressing of Train Soldiers, and buying and selling them by Deputy Lieutenants, and Popish Commanders, like horses in Smithfield: then the King must go himself in Person into Scotland; the Nobility and Gentry must wait on him; the Bishops and rotten Clergy, whose war it was, must contribute large sums of money to uphold their Hierarchy; hence it came to pass, that it was called Bellum Episcopale; but howsoever they found the Scots a stout and sturdy Nation, their cause being good they met us upon our English ground; then the Bishops found it not according to their expectation, a treaty of Peace must be proclaimed, and a Pacification must be concluded the Scots received into his Maj. gracious favour, & called by this Epithet, our Brethren the Scots, than there must be a Parliament summoned, differences must be composed & reconciled, there must be an Act of Oblivion betwixt our Brethren the Scots & Us and the Kingdoms must be settled in peace & tranquillity, but that the Lord had otherwise determined it: the Parliament began, & had not sat long, but presently the Rebellion in Ireland burst forth, their bloody Plots being contrived beforehand, & what they did they had good warrant for it under the Kings own Hand and Seal (as they said) but certainly it was signed with C. R. and it might very well be so, for a Porter kept the Seal as I said before, but it did not always lie dorment with Endymion, but howsoever Delinquents must be punished here in England by the Parl. strafford's head must be cut off, Finch and Windebank must fly for it, an Act had passed for the continuance of this Parl. and for a tryannal Parliament under the Kings own Hand, signed with C. R. so that it could not be dissolved; after this, the King with his Cavaliers came to the Parl. to demand the five members & Kymbolton as traitors, and proclaimed them so, but being crossed & disappointed of his purpose and resolution, he returned in much wrath to White-Hall, where the Queen was exceedingly vexed and troubled, being crossed in her design; then the Bishops, with the Popish, Spanish, and French Factions, together with the Monopolists, and such as were not Parliament proof, seduced the King from his Parl. into the North Country, the Standard must be set up at Nottingham, the Commission of Array must be put in execution in those Heathenish Northern Counties by the E. of Newcastle, and others of the like stamp; the Commission of Array must b● put in execution in the West Country by the Marquis of Hartford, & Hopton, such as had a kind of profession of Religion, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, and they as the Devil's Instruments set a work, drew on all their ungodly Tenants, & acquaintance, which were not grounded upon good principals, to be on that side; Rupert and Maurice must be Overseers of the ruins of their Uncle's Kingdoms; they must see the ruins of those who gave them their first milk as it were, and have paid for the very breeding of them ever since they were born: Thus I have showed you who you fight for, what sort of people you side withal, & how and where the King have raised his Armies; he hath got them from all parts of the Earth even among the very worst of the Sons of men, the very scum of the Earth (as it were a company of Dammee-boyes) such heathenish & ungodly wretches, as if he had raked Hell, & scumed the Devil for them, and so from Bellum Episcapale, it was come to be Bellum Regale: the Bishops stirred up the Wales, and the King with his Monopo ists blowed them up into a flame. I had almost forgot the cessation of arms in Ireland (after the surrender of Bristol) a most devilish Plot, hatched in the bottom of Hell itself, merely to cut the throats of the rest of the Protestants, and do the like for us if they can; for the greatest Rebels that were in that grand Rebellion were sent for hither, and received into great favour, and called his Maj. Catholic Subjects: then after the cessation of arms in Ireland, there must be a new Fast proclaimed here in England, as if all had been well in Ireland, but it was for nothing else but to blind the eyes of the world, to make them believe it was out of pure zeal to the Protestant cause, and the public good of his Maj. Kingdoms; but certainly your Fast was invented of yourselves; Did you fast un●o me saith the Lord? do I approve it? and when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did you not eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? Zach. 7.5, 6. you did abstain according to your own fantisies, and not after the prescript of the Law of God, nor yet looking upon the right object for which Fasting & Humiliation was ordained, and so I pass to the other particulars, which shall be very brief in the handling; because I know that any thing that hath a savour of Religion and Godliness will be very tedious to you Cavaliers, although Godliness is profitable to all things, it hath the promise of this life, and of that which is to come. I shall give you a hint of the particulars, and but a little touch them and so come to the application according to the Times, and so conclude. First, you say that Papists and Irish Rebels are better subjects to the King than the Parliament are: and that the Parliament seek to deprive him of his Prerogative Royal his Sinck-Ports and Shipping, you say also, that they do of right belong to the King only, and are to be at his disposing, or else you would not fight for him; Furthermore, you do believe that the Parliament are Protestants, but because there are so many Sects and Schisms amongst them, that they are far worse than Papists and Irish Rebels for you say they raise up arms against the King & seek to deprive him of his rights and privileges: And lastly, you do believe that if the Parliament should be destroyed, that you should enjoy the same Law still as before, and that you shall enjoy all your own with advantage, if you stick close to the King, and help him to destroy the Parliament rebels and traitors. Now if it be so, that the Parliament do seek to deprive the King of his Prerogative Royal his Sinck-Ports and Shipping as you say they do; then certainly they are worse than Papists and Irish Rebels, but the Parliament have always strove to maintain him in all these, witness those many Petitions sent unto him in the North, with this gracious Epithet, Your sacred Majesty, etc. with many solicitations, and invitations, expressing much sorrow for his absence, with loyalty, obedience & fidelity towards him humbly praying his Sacred Majesty to return home unto them & forsake those wicked Counsellors that they might receive condign punishment according to their several offences, ergo, the Parliament are his best Subjects; for his Sink-Ports and Shipping do not of right belong unto him only but to the whole Kindgdom and State in general for their preservation from all foreign invasion; for if so be they did of right belong unto Him only, than he might join with those wicked Counsellors that are about him (without the knowledge or advise of his good Council) to let in the Turk or any foreign Enemy to invade his Kingdoms and would do it, rather than to be crossed in their wills; for I am persuaded, that they had rather the Turk or the Pope should enjoy his Crown, than the Parliament, together with all his best Subjects, should enjoy their Laws, Liberties, and Privileges; which doth evidently appear by his entertaining so many Popish Rebels, and Traitors, and all to cut the throats of his poor Protestant Subjects, but certainly he have had many a free pardon and indulgence for these things, and those many Declarations, Proclamations, and Protestations, for of all that ever was yet set forth in his Name, there hath not been any performance at all in the least tittle, if it be so that you can tell me of any one Proclamation or Declaration that hath been performed on his part, then will I turn Cavalier, and join with you to fight against the Parliament; and as for His Prerogative Royal so much talked off, certainly it was ever maintained by the Law, and what would become of it, if the Parliament should be destroyed; besides the glory of a King, is to govern His Kingdoms with his Subjects love; and Mercurius Problematicus will tell you, that the safest Armour for a King is his Subjects love, and a good head-piece and if he had had such Armour, he need not have set up his Standard, nor put the Commission of Array in execution, which was done contrary to Law, unless it had been against a foreign Enemy; for what necessity was there for the execution thereof, when as the Parliament had made provision for the defence of the whole Kingdom, against any foreign Enemy, such was their provident care for the Kingdom's safety, but that the Lord had a scourage for his People for their sins, and made you Cavaliers to be the Executioners thereof, but it was to bring them more near unto himself, and although you rob, plunder, and spoil them of all their goods and good Name, yet they will be but afflictions unto them and will take away their sin; for by this the Iniquity of jacob shall be purged, Isai 27.9. and this is all the fruit of it; nay sometimes the Lord sets wicked Kings to reign over his People etc.  
But I hasten and this much I can assure you, that the Parliament have always stood faithfully for the Vindication of the King's Honour, Crown and Dignity, for His Laws, Rights, and Privileges, for the Liberty of the Subject, and Privileges of Parliament, as much as ever any PARLIAMENT did since the Kingdom ever Being.  
And whereas you scandalise them by the Name of Schismatics, Roundheads, Rebels, and Traitors, I can assure you they are Religious, Godly, and Holy Patriarches, placed there by God him else for the Vindication of his own Honour and Glory: for they endeavour a Reformation, which is the main cause of your inveterate hatred and malice against them.  
You cannot endure such a curb for your sins, and your old course of living, which you so often accustomed yourselves unto, which makes all you Cavaliers to hate a Reformation, you are so opposite to the Doctrine of Christ; but commonly where God will have his Church, there the Devil will have his Chapel, and you Cavaliers are as Instruments and fellow-Labourers, set on work by him, against the Church and People of God; and although there are Errors in the Church now, (as there hath been in the Apostles times) yet it is but error in judgement & opinion, but we will agree in the Fundamentals, & it is sometimes necessary that there should be errors, that the truth may the better appear in its lustre and glory, & shine the more clearly in its purity; besides, if the Parl. and their Armies are Rebels and Traitors to the King as you say they are, yet I am confident their Rebellion is lawful as the case stands; for if you do but look into the 2 of Kings 17.7. there you shall find that Hezekiah rebelled against the King of Ashur, and served him not, and yet he prospered in all things he took in hand, he put down the brazen Serpent, and destroyed their Idols, & this you may see clearly in the text, that it was for their Idolatry: Then how can you look to prosper in your Armies, where Idolatry is set up, and so highly prised amongst you: but the Lord seethe your do, and puts up all your iniquities in a Bag; and although you may prosper and flourish for a while, yet the Lord will suddenly cut you off: for the very prayers and supplications of his servants will ascend up unto Heaven, which will cause the Lord to make you destroy one another, as he did the Children of Moab and Ammon, 2 Chr. 20.23. certainly the Lord will be glorified in his own work, and will deliver his People out of your hands; so if you look into the 32. chap. of the same Book of Chron. there you shall find how Zenacharis King of Ashur came to war against judah & jerusalem, and if you please to read the whole Chapter throughout, it will be worth your pains there you shall find how Zenacharis blasphemed God saying What God is be that can deliver his people out of my hands, and this is just the condition of you Cavaliers; for you will blaspheme the Name of God, & are so over-sweld with pride, that you think your selus able to resist & overcome even God himself, and comparing foolish and vain Idols (which were invented and made by Man) to the living God, as in the 19 vers. of that chap. and in the 20. vers. there you shall see how Hezekiah and the Prophet Isaiah prayed unto the Lord against these things, and cried unto Heaven; and in the 21. vers. there you shall find the issue and success they had by prayer, the Lord heard their prayers, for he sent an Angel and destroyed all the valiant men, and the Princes, and the Captains of the Host of the King of Ashur, and what became of the King of Ashur and his mighty great Army, which contained in number one hundred fourscore and five thousand: why surely they came to nothing, for they destroyed one another, and the King himself returned with shame to his own Land, and as the text saith, when he came to the house of his God they that came out of his own bowels slew him there with the sword; intimating unto us, how prevalent and effectua l the prayers of the faithful are with God, especially against such Tyrants, for where a Tyrant & an Idolater reigneth, there can be no peace and quietness; for the very plagues of God are always among such people: And thus you see how these Kingdoms are disquieted by Tyranny and Idolatry, and what distractions & distempers there are, and have been even among Kings and Princes, and mighty men of this world and you yourself have a share in the exercise of their cruelty, in upholding Idolatry and Tyranny against the people of God; and now by this time I have showed unto you who you fight for, and what dangers you are in both soul and body; and now I come to show you how to avoid & escape these dangers, which shall be by way of exhortation and admonition; let me now exhort and entreat you in the fear of the Lord to repentance and humiliation; humble yourself before the Lord in dust and ashes come out from among those cursed Crew of Infidels, whose tongues speaks nothing but blasphemy, & so long as thou continue there with them, thou cannot but participate of their filthy abominations and transgression, for if you do but connive and wink at other men's sins you are as guilty of the same sin, without reproof, as if you yourselves had personally committed it; therefore if you will avoid sin, and escape the danger thereof, than you must shun the occasion of it, and consequently shake off such wicked company. David said [depart from me ye wicked, I will keep the Commandments of my God] intimating thereby, that he could not set himself to the performance of any holy duty as he ought, so long as such wicked company were about him; yea, it hath been a grief to the godly to have been in the company of ungodly persons, as Let living in Sodom, when he saw their filth and abominations it vexed his righteous soul; and this was it that made David bemoan himself, and his estate and condition, when he was constrained to live among the uncircumcised people: [Woe is me, that I remain in Mesech, and to dwell in the Tents of Kedar, my soul hath long dwelled among those that be enemies to Peace. Now you see how careful these god●y men were to shun and avoid the lewd oompany of the wicked, and if you will imitate them in goodness, you must carefully labour to live in the practice of holiness, and avoid the company of such Idolatrous Papists and Atheists as are amongst you.  
Sir, I have wrote to you somewhat largely, and the truth of it is far more largely than I intended, but yet I hope it will not be labour in vain, but that it may please God to make me an Istrument of your conversion, if you will but carefully, diligently, & seriously read over this poor weak piece, and weigh every particular according to its several weight, and conscionably practise it in your li●e and conversation, walking in newness of life, and obedience to the Gospel of Christ, with earnest and fervent prayers to the Almighty God of heaven, to create a new heart and renew a right spirit within you, and if we humble ourselves, and turn from our wicked ways then the Lord will be merciful to us, and will heal our Land, 2 Chron 7.14. and if otherwise, that we do not humble ourselves, it will prove to be misery upon miseries and we shal● heap up wrath against the day of wrath; and so the Lord of his mercy direct your heart, and divert his Judgements from Us and give us patience to undergo these afflictions, and then the Lord in his due time will accomplish his own ends, and send us a happy and blessed peace, by a blessed Reformation. Now I would entreat you in the name of the Lord, and for your own souls healths sake, that you will take this my counsel and admonitions to shake of your wicked company, or if it be possible to reduce them to the obedience of the Parliament; but if there be any thing herein expressed whereof you make any scruple or doubt of the truth of it, I shall be ready to give you more full and ample satisfaction, if you please to appoint the time and place, (God willing) I will give you a meeting, or any Cavalier whatsoever, there to use liberty of Conscience, and freedom of Spirit to dispute the point without any manner of wrong or violence, each to other, and that there may be nothing but reality intended betwixt us, let there be sufficient engagements to each and I shall for ever remain  
SIR, Yours to command, FRANCIS FREEMAN.   

For Mr. Francis Freeman in Dunster, these. Three— in Print.  
Sir,  
I Have perused your Manuscript, and would willingly have thoroughly weighed (as you drsire) your (as you well call them) poor weeak endeavours: but truly they proved weightless, and however you please to style them, more powerful than ordinary, even converting me from myself sometimes to Democritus, then to Heraclitus, and from him again to the former, making me smile, pity, and again laugh at your ignorance, impudence and folly, even in one and the same minute. I had thought to have concealed your shame in part, and not have hazarded the becoming equally ridiculous with you, in going about to blaze what yourself have more then sufficiently already done; I would willingly have kept silence, and not answered a word: but finding by late speeches over the walls, that you take occasion thereby, to think wickedly, that I am even such a one as yourself, and that your frivolons (what shall I call them) are unanswerable, and also harkening to the wise man's advice, who wills to answer a fool sometimes according to his folly, lest he be (over) wise in his own conceit: I have forced myself now (though unwillingly) to return answer unto some of your particulars (to all were endless:) but (believe me) where to begin, what first to say, or what order to observe in answering so disorderly a piece, I well know, not: so great is your confusion, so immethodical your proceeding, that I should bewray a great deal of indiscretion, should I endeavour to tract you: but jacta est alea) we must on some way or other. At all adventure then, we'll undertake your first,— you call it a Problem, (you are well read in Aristotle, it seems, learned you nothing else thence but this specious appellation?)  
Surely this needed no Oedipus, the merest Davus in our Castle had been able enough to have shaped you a ready answer thereunto: however (thanks to your charity) it seems you will help, if not prevent us therein: for you answer in our names, a Gentleman and a Soldier; and we must take these two terms forsooth on your bankrupt credit, for convertible, and so naturally, or rather supernaturally joined together, that it were impiety to sever them, as though all Soldiers were Gentlemen, and all Gentlemen Soldiers,— risum teneatis amici: A acquaint device to Gentilize your Pedlar, Dishmaker, and the like, and to make the young Squire a Martialist. But Lord, how this fine military youth must be qualified, what precise rules he must follow, he must, and he must, he must not and he must again, (any thing I warrant you but fight for his King) but whence learned you this? out of Alien the young Artillery man, or your new Edenburgian, trow? Fie on't, are you not ashamed to dally thus, and confound things so foolishly together? speaking of a mere Soldier, simply considered as such, must we presently conceive him metamorphosed, & become a spiritual one? Was Hector, Alexander, Caesar, or any of the Ottoman race, ever so? and yet they were Gentlemen, they were Soldiers, if we may confide in their Heraldry; were they acquainted with, did they observe these rules? But why trifle I thus, and wonder at nothing? The spirit we know, is at your command, the flesh your handmaid, and you love copulation hugely: surely, you were at some conventicle when you thought on this; but did not you do the Devil's drudgery then too? Speak tru●h, and shame the Devil, and never wrest any text of Scripture so profanely, to put your bastards on him, but father them yourselves a God's name, they may prove babes of grace; ten to one but some of your holy sisters were their mothers, however to the pure all things are pure, and your faith is strong, and can easily conceit what you would have be, as though it were, even as easily as his that first (I know not what to call it) turned Quadrata rotundis.— But hark, Sir, should we be so bold with you, as to ask you the same question, What profession are you of? what would you answer, a— a— a, or as you do for us, a Gentleman and a Soldier? Good truth, we can hardly believe you, not that our charity is pinioned, but out of reverence to the truth, speaking much otherwise in their actions: for truly (for all your late Bugbears) you have showed very little of the one, but fare less of the other since your sitting down before us: we could instance your incivill, inhuman, and treacherous dealing with— you know whom, contrary to faith given, contrary to all Law of Arms. But let that pass, the General no doubt, in due time, will thank you for it; and we ourselves may ere long peradventure make you requital.  
Your second question is, Of what Religion are you? and you answer for us (more than you can for yourselves) The Protestant. Well, we acquiesce therewith, and seeing you have nothing to say against us therein, (which may be well scored up too) we'll pass on in quiet, and not make an enemy where we find none, as you do. Yet we cannot choose here but smile at your weakness, or rather wilfulness, in going about hence so absurdly to countenance your rebellious covenant, and your quoting of the Prophet, Esra 10.3.8. to prove God knows what. Brother, brother, this was a great oversight, and confirms clearly what upon good ground we guessed before, that you pin your faith more closely on other men's quotations, and marginal notes, then on the Text itself.  
But to let these things and the like pass, and to come to the grand question between us, viz. Whether ye be Rebels, or no? We confidently a verre ye are; and ye can but faintly, and as it were with blushes deny it: for if ye be so, ye say, ye are confident your rebellion is lawful, the case standing as now it doth. And why so confident, forsooth? Why? because Ezechiah rebelled against the King of Assyria, ye say, and prospered. O ridiculous! Did ever any understanding man produce examples as rules or proofs of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of a thing in controversy? let me tell you Sir, I think none but yourself. Examples may illustrate indeed, but prove nothing at all. But because you add, As the case now standeth, pray, let us examine how it stands, and what compare, or disparity there is between yours and Ezechia's rebellion as you call it: Ye were (or should have been) subjects, so were ye born, I am sure, and enjoyed such wholesome laws, such large privileges, liberties, and immunities, as few subjects in any neighbouring Kingdom can boast the like. His Majesty, your only and undoubted Sovereign, such a Prince as Envy herself could not, till she borrowed your tongues, tax with any personally addicted vice (humane infirmity the best may have) such a one as went not about any way to alter either law or religion, to infringe your privileges, or debar ye of any the lest your just claimed immunities, but endeavoured only to preserve his own regal authority, defend his loyal subjects, and rule all accodring to the common and known laws of the Kingdom: and yet ye, because ye might not have your own ways to innovate, and turn upside down all things both in Church & State, must needs rebel, rob him of his shipping, Ports, Castles, Cities, Towns, Lands, Revenues, and all, driving him out of doors, leaving him not so much as one of his own houses to put his head in, nay, and worse yet, persecuting him from place to place, endeavouring still, as much as in ye lies, not only to take the crown from his hea●, but even his head from his shoulders too. And thus stands the case with you.  
Let us look upon Ezechiah, good Ezechia, a t●ow sincere worshipper of the immortal God, (not likely then to run into so horrid a sin) a free absolute King himself (a condition somewhat incompatible with rebellion) legally succeeding his fore fathers in the throne, and no way subject (for aught I can find) to Senacharib, that heathenish, hellish tyrant, otherwise then the Lamb is to the Lion, or the weaker to the stronger. Yea, but he rebelled (say you) against him, the text is downright, and seems plainly to imply, that he was his subject. He rebelled. But stay, Sir, all is not gold that glisters, you'll play at small game I see rather than sit out, when you cannot explisitly prove, you will implicitly believe, and (as one ready to sink) catch at any thing, though never so weak) ●hat may but seem to uphold your accursed rebellion. But tell me, friend are you so well acquainted with the original, or have you so thoroughly conversed with the 72. and the learned train of orthodoxal expositors, that you can of yourself, or from any joint consent of theirs, assure me, that this word must needs be tied up so strictly, and rendered precisely thus, and no otherwise? I presume you will not say so: for, Sir, I can assurre you, that language was freeborn; and cannot endure such strict restrain; it will, it must have its liberty: and this word may be, nay and is, I have been informed, elsewhere somewhat otherwise rendered. Me thinks you being so great a Marginalist, might have observed some such thing, & your charity have taught you the rule in such cases, to make the best construction, especially when so good a man is concerned in it Surely the holy Penman hereof meant nothing less, then to appeach his good King of that bewitched sin here; for it is plain enough, he was not in the least kind guilty thereof. However, let this be taken notice of to your shame, that he guilty or not guilty (policy so requiring) acknowledgeth a fault, and submits to the tyrant's pleasure, 2 Kings 18 14. (your good King could never find ye yet guilty of so much ingenuity or grace:) but I observe withal, that though he acknowledge an offence, (now offence may be taken when not justly given) yet he will not acknowledge himself a rebel; he saith indeed, I have offended, but adds not, in rebelling against thee, which he would assuredly have done, had he known himself guilty therein: fear may make him do much, but not so much, not acknowledge himself, rebel contrary to all truth. But when, I pray you, doth his supposed rebellion appear to you, by what circumstances is it manifested? For my part I know not, and I think he must be wiser than you that can tell me.  
'tis true indeed that Ahaz his Father being vexed by Israel and Aram on the North, the Edomites and Philistines on the South, and so in sore distress, entreated aid of Tiglat Phileser the Assyrian, and to the end he might the more readily obtain it, sent him the silver and gold both of the Temple, and his Exchequer the Assyrian came, destroyed Rezin at Damascus, and so rid him of some of his fear: but his other enemies were not strong, so that Ahaz was little the better for what he did, nay far the worse, for besides those his former enemies, the Assyrian themselves being become a new one, distresseth him, 2 Chron. 28.20. and helped him not, verse the 21. yet must poor Ahaz say nothing, but for fear of displeasing the Tyrant, give him more gold: Bu● what of all this? nay, suppose further, that the Lion saying he had done him a curtysie, and he not daring to den ieit, out of fear promise to give him a yearly tribute in requital, (which yet, neither the text, nor any ancient historian I have met with acknowledge) is Ezechia bound to perform it? would not you if you had been in his case have endeavoured to have shaken off such a Yoke? and yet have thought yourself free enough from any the least blemish of rebellion? especially he being neither your native nor any way lawful Prince: I believe you would: and why then do you call it rebellion in him?— But lets observe Ezechi●as proceed: did he do as ye do? surely no, far otherwise: he confesseth an offence, submitteth himself, and payeth the fine imposed on him: but the proud Tyrant, not contented therewith proceeds further, sends a great host against Ierusal●m, and under colour of demanding hostages endeavours to ensnare him and swallow up all: and what does Ezechia then? why he betakes himself in the first place to the weapons of the Church, Prayers and Tears, then prepares himself against the siege, and lastly that he might be sure to go in a right path, sends to the Prophet for his advice, and being encouraged by him sets up his resolution to stand upon his just defence, and expect the Salvation of the Lord: O that your party had but done thus: then had ye been blameless, and neither Church nor State groaned under the heavy pressures they now do: but your Spirits were of another temper, as impatient of delay as any the least thwarting: ye must have all after your own wayward minds, and in your own time too. And if heaven smile not, you are confident hell will hy for Acheren in all post, the Witch of Endor must be consulted with (Rebellion and Witchcraft are near akin) and that under a religious pretence of speaking with the Prophet, to know the will of the Lord. But what, will the father of lies tell truth? Yes sometimes, when he is forced to it: what comfort thence then? Small God wots, for ye: let jezabel speak else, and cast forth her Problem, Had Zimri peace that killed his master? O Sir Rebel, think on this, and tremble: take heed of a worse fire than he (conscious of his own demerits) fired himself in, 1 King. 16.18.  
How can ye be thus wilfully, thus affectedly stupid and blind? but Surdis Canimus; ye have set up your resolution, and it must stand: let the Charmer charm never so wisely, ye like the Adder stop your ears; yea though wisdom herself cry aloud, ye are resolved ye will not hear: 'tis bootless therefore for me, to use any more words: and the truth is, my patience will hardly give me leave, if I would:— we'll but review then the strength of your Argument, and conclude: it stands thus: Ezechiah rebelled and prospered, therefore we may lawfully rebel, therefore we shall assuredly prosper: O weakness! produce nothing but an example, to prove the lawfulness of an act flatly forbidden, and that but one singly, grounded upon one word, ambiguous, admitting a more candid interpretation (which in such cases is always to be admitted) an example no way consonant to the business you aim at, but even di●-dia-paesôn differing, and making more against ye, then for ye! and can this make you so confident that your rebellion is lawful? fie on't, fie on't, God open your eyes, and turn your hearts: surely if your hands prove as weak as your heads: you'll gain but little here: but I forget myself: yet nondum manuum de tabula, for taking notice of your kind expectative conclusion, I can not choose but meet you in the same tract of Charity:— Let me entreat you therefore, in the Name of God, to lay aside all prejudicacie, to weigh things with a single heart: not to dote so much upon examples and precedents, but to make the divine precept the rule of your actions:— you cannot but know and acknowledge, that Kings (though wicked as Saul, though heathen as Cyrus, Esa. 45.1. are the Lords anointed; by him they reign, Prov. 8.15. In his hand are their hearts, and he turneth them as he pleaseth, Prov. 21.1. Take not too much then upon you, meddle not with God's Prerogative: think on Abishai, and David's neperdas to him, 1 Sam. 26.9. together, with his reason: Though that Saul were his, and the Church's enemy, though he had a fair opportunity, and as good a colour as could be imagined to cut him of, and though Abishai, were importunate to have it done, yet David who best knew the will of the Lord herein, forbids it, with a neperdas, destroy him not: the Lords anointed must not be destroyed, no nor touched, 1 Chron 16.22. not a hand, not a finger to be moved against him, no nor a foot neither, Prov. 30.31. no rising, no stirring a foot against him: 'tis dangerously wicked, 'tis wickedly dangerous, so to do: the Lord will not hold him guiltless that doth so: think on joab, 1 Kings 2.28. the 2. Traitors Ester 2.23. Absalon 2 Sam. 18.14. Sheba 2 Sam. 20.22. and the like; and tell me did these prosper in their rebellion? surely no, but came all of them to untimely (though merited, ends, & no doubt so shall all such as tread in their steps: beware then in time, and take example now by others; lest ye be made yourselves hereafter examples unto others: 'tis high time for ye to return into the right way, ye have straggled too long already, Salius è dimedia via etc. 'tis better late then never: be not ashamed to acknowledge an error, when ye perceive yourselves in it, 'tis no dishonour: St. Aug. got more credit by his retractations, than any other piece he wrote: and let not any by or worldly respect hinder ye, for what will it profit a man to gain the whole World, with the glory thereof, and lose his own Soul (as all such as go on in this accursedly cursed rebellion, are likely, without God's great mercy, to do) think upon these things, seriously consider them, and it will not repent thee, God in his mercy, dirvert his judgements from us, and guide all our feet in the way of Peace.  
Your Servant, Fran: Windham.   

To the Governor of Dunster Castle, these present.  
SIR,  
I Have received a Letter (as I suppose) signed with your own hand; but composed by those two scandalous malignant priests of Baal, A-dry and King: pretending it to be an answer to that which I formerly sent you: when indeed there was no answer at all; but a most lamentable frothy piece of nonsense, as if your heads had been gvilly of a cup of muddy ale, a bundle of stuff bombasted together, with three or four mouthfuls of Latin, taken upon trust by you without due examination: subscribed with your own hand; for which I shall hereafter chide you, and shall advise you to take better council, and not to follow such blind guides that shall build with one hand and destroy with the other, which argues abundance of imbecility and weakness in you; I shall therefore set it forth in print, that the world may but judge of your folly, and the title of it shall be Three— in print: but what shall I say, but use the very same words of our Saviour Christ in the 15. of Matthew 14. And if the blind lead the blind they both shall fall into the ditch. Truly you may justly be compared unto the false Prophets spoken of in the 5. of jeremiah and the last verse, the Prophet's Prophecy falsely: and the Priests bear rule by their means. and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? surely your end will be miserable, unless it please God to give you grace speedily to repent and amend your life; for you wrest the Scriptures to your own perdition: not knowing the ways of God because they are spiritually discerned, therefore let me advise you to cast those wicked scandalous Priests ' over the walls; it may be a means to avert God's judgements and somewhat abate the rage and fury of him that may yet prove to be.  
Your friend, Francis Freeman.   

Postscript.  
There is no news worth the writing, but that Hereford and Westchester are taken, and Colonel Birch made Governor of Hereford, but I cannot as yet rightly inform you who is Governor of Westchester, if I could I should gladly impart it unto you.  
I have sent also a Catalogue of all those Parliament Rebels and Traitors, as you call them, which are to be made 



Dukes.  
Northumberland  
Essex.  
Pembroke.  
Warwick.    


Marquesses.  
Salisbury  
Manchester    


Earles.  
Say & Seal  
Fairfax  
Wharton.  
Roberts.  
Howard.  
Willowby    


Viscount.  
Densi●  
Hollis.    


Barons.  
General Fairfax.  
Lieutenant General Cromwell.  
Sir William Waller.  
Sir Henry Vane, Senior.      
There is some other news flying, but how true it is I know not: and that is, that Goring, Hopton, and Miller, are gone into France. But the next news, God willing, I shall bring myself, and we will have it all in a Diurnal.  
FINIS.