A fanatic PRAYER, By Sir H. V. Divinity-Professor of RABY CASTLE.  
WE are not here assembled, (most Glorious Lucifer) to compliment thy Infernal Majesty; but rather to Argue, and Expostulate, with thee, the Reasons of thy late withdrawings from us; and to Plead before thee, the cause of thy people, in this the Day of their Tribulation. To whom should the Sons of Disobedience repair for Comfort, and Protection, but to the Father, and Patron of all apostasy, and Rebellion? Have not all our Thoughts, and Actings, been directed by thy Immediate Inspirations, and wilt thou now forsake us? Alas, Thou know'st, that for thy sake, we have Subverted a Glorious Church;— Blasted a flourishing State;— Dissolved the best Temperd Constitution of Government in the world;— robbed, and murdered our Fellow Subjects;— and finally washed our Sacrilegious Hands in the Blood of our lawful sovereign (the Best of Men, and of Princes, at once) Nay, in Imitation of thy great Example, we have attempted the Dethroning, even of God himself: We have made it Treason, to keep his commandments;— blasphemy to Preach his word; Sedition, to obey the Dictates of Humanity and Reason— and to conclude; by Violence, Perjury, Schism, and heresy, we have promoted the Kingdom of darkness, in the Land of the Living.— After all this; behold, (thou that hast Raised us out of Nothing) thy Servants returning to their first Principles; our Godly Exercises are Interrupted; and those Weapons, which thy Chosen had provided for the Throats of Unbelievers, are taken from them.— The Oath of Abjuration, is laid aside; thy faithful Servants, displaced;— Thy Ministers, discouraged,— and (which makes the wound still more Grievous) many of our bosom friends engaged against us.— Nor are we conscious to ourselves of any Omissions in order to the Great work of Reprobation, which might Provoke thy Displeasure against us. But we labour, Night and Day, in our professions, still bearing up against all opposition whatsoever; wear (in fine) resolved upon Martyrdom, if we fail of Deliverance; and we have already disposed of all conducements to that end. We publish Seditious Papers, and Rumours, to divide, and distract the Counsels of our Adversaries.— We have entered into Sacramental Combinations against the Ungodly; and whatsoever, either Fire, or Sword; Policy, or Perjury, can effect, shall not be wanting. Dost thou not see (Dear Lucifer) how dangerous and Popular a Design is now on Foot, for a settlement in Church and State? And how those, that would have served thee, faithfully to their Lives end, are Forced to leave thee, for want of Pay; and Acquiesce under a Carnal Authority? a ahhh— direct us in this our great extremity;— Prosper those that are Resolved to fight thy Battles.— Endue this Famous City of London, with Ignorance, Faith, Wealth, and Patience: and Breathe upon the whole Nation, the Spirit of Slumber, and Delusion: that, like a Company of Fools, they may Credit, Relieve, and Fear us. In a Particular manner; comfort, in this their day, thy distressed Servants, Tichborn, and Ireton; keep up the Hearts, and strengthen the Hands of thy chosen ones, in Authority, that they be not disappointed, by the Damnable Integrity of a Christian Common Counsel. Confond the Anti-Diabolical Devices of Conscience, Honour, and Reason.— Guide thou the Hand of him we have appointed to murder the General; and Provide for thy Scattered Remnant, commonly called the Rump. Fit us in our several Callings for those Services unto which thou hast reserved us.— Give us the Tenderness, and sincerity of the Olivers;— The Religion of the Harry's.— The Patience of Lambert.— The Perseverance of Bradshaw.— The Volubility of Whitlock.— The Compunction of Haslerig.— The Conscience of Ireton.— The Piety of Tichborn.— The Zeal of Luke Robinson.— The Continence of Mildmay.— The Modesty of Scot.— The Courage of Atkins.— The wisdom of thy Similitude, Miles Corbet.— And the Illuminations of Goodwin, Sterry, and Peter's; More particularly, we beg from thee the Grace of Obstination:— ah— keep us from backslidings; who knows, but thy servants, Judas, and Hoyle, might have Repented, and Dishonoured thee, hadst thou not seasonably taken them unto thyself?— Far be it from us, to Impose upon our Lord, and Master. No, no; we are ready to be any thing, or nothing, in order to the advancement of thy Interest; even as thou Pleasest, any thing, but the Right, is our business. The Rump of Smectymnuus, as it may be ordered with Independent sauce, is a most Savoury, and Satanical Morsel; and Disobedience, any way Disguised, or dressed, is a Dish for thine own Palate. In order to the better Accommodation of Schismatical, and Disloyal interests, nothing is left undone, which either Malice, Force, or Wit, can contribute. Thy Creatures are now at work, upon the grand account, to cheat the People. These, are thy faithful Servants, Lucifer; and they Deserve their wages.— Like bats; they can both Fly, and Creep:— Shift themselves into all Shapes;— comply with all Humours;— Change parties, and Opinions, oftener than their Shirts,— and then bewail their wanderings. Ah, be a Gracious Devil to these People. Cast an Egyptian darkness over the whole Nation, lest they discover the Delusion; and find, that to be Great, and Rich, is that we Fight, and Snivel for. 'Tis a Free-Parliament, they Claim; and that we dare not for our Heads deny them,— Darken their Understandings, we beseech thee, that they may not distinguish betwixt liberty, and restriction; a faction, and a representation;— their own choice, and our impositions.— Send forth a Spirit of Infatuation among these infidels, to charm them into a Belief, that none are fitter to reform their Laws, than the Subverters of them:— that those, whose lives are forfeited to the Law, are the most likely Persons to preserve it;— that such, as offered violence to their own Members, to keep themselves in power, will turn themselves out now to make way for others. And to conclude, persuade them, but to constitute those people Arbitrators of their Lives, and Fortunes, that have spilled English-blood, like water, and sold their Fellow-Subjects (like Beasts in the Market) six pence the Head for Slaves, to any Purchaser,— and then we'll govern them (by thy assistance) in Saecula Saeculorum.  
FINIS.