GREAT BRJTTAJNES DISTRACTIONS: OR An Alarm to awaken all good Subjects; Showing them the Cause and Cure of their present Evils. And briefly answering some false frivolous Objections, made by one of the Chief RABBIS of these Times. WITH An Exhortation in the Conclusion to all good Subjects, for to put in practice their just duty.  
Written by a true lover both of God, his King, and Country.  
London, Printed. 1642.   

GREAT BRITAIN'S DISTRACTIONS: OR An Alarm to awaken all good SUBJECTS.  
GOd never leaves Man until Man first leaves God; Punishments are but the sad Concommitants of sin, if every soul would avoid the cause, any soul needs not dread the effect. Sin (my dear Countrymen) hath caused distraction, as a just revenge, to fall heavy on us. Let every one examine privately his own heart, And I dare boldly say, it will evidently and manifestly appear, that this Hell-poysoning venom [Sin] hath too much taunted his soul, and brought upon us this present evil: and hence comes it to pass, that as the shadow attends the substance: so a deluge of miseries wait upon a multitude of enormous sins, crying, as it were, for Vengeance, Vengeance. Yet see, see beloved, and justly Ponder and Admire Heavens Sacred Mercy, though our Nation hath been swift in sinning, for these many years past: Yet our good GOD hath been slow in punishing; Witness those Halcyon Days, those Nestor Years, I had almost said, even Heavenly ones, that we have many of us sweetly enjoyed for these threescore years and upwards. I might add more, under that Mirror of Women kind, the ever truly Famous Queen ELIZABETH, under that renowned Monarch, King JAMES, of ever blessed memory: and in a word, under our most happy and Vnparalled example of all Princely and Heroic virtues, our Illustrious King CHARLES, until these three last years of His present Reign. And then, O then, and I fear, Woe ere long; me thought I perceived a black Cloud teeming in the North, in which were not darkly seen Armed men, of which I should remember to expatiate my discourse, but that I cannot, and ought not to forget, that there hath by Royal ascent passed an Act of oblivion touching that unhappy business. Only this, from the inward of my soul, I do wish there never had been such a precedent, or being, That like Apes our British had not too greedily pursued to soon to imitate them. Then should I have had just cause to have held my peace in peace, and no way have had so undesired a Subject to treat of, as is said; unhappy distraction! of which, lest I might seem too much to distract you with a bare Denomination of it only, my subsequent Discourse shall more fully and lively Portraiture it unto you.  
Distraction is nothing else, but a strange Metamorphosis, or a sad change of welcome joy, into unwelcome sorrow; of smiling peace, into a frowning war; or if you please, a drawing in of men into a maze of confusion, if it preoccupate the understanding; it is enough to hazard the utter confounding of it, if the republic subvert and ruinated it, if the minds of men do alienate them from their duty: and lastly, if it have seized upon the heart of the subject, 'tis unfortunately all-sufficiently able and powerful to withdraw him from his due loyalty, yea even to sovereignty; and I fear it doth too many, yea too too many; in a word, 'tis a frenzy that so captivates poor man, that he oft doth he knows not what, and less cares, (more is the pity) against he knows not, or will not at least know, whom. And doth not our British Nation groan, groan, yea even to death almost, sorely vexed and miserably tormented, withal the several species and kinds of distraction City, Country, Court, Nobles, Gentry, Poor men, Good men, Clergy men, Lawyers, Physicians. Finally, all sorts of men are spiced with this distemper; some more, some less, yet all in some, though in a different measure, no sex, no age, but a taint of this malady. Go into the City, and there you shall hear, a numberless number of all sorts of people lamenting at a dearth of Trading: Visite the Country, and there you shall find the abler Sort complaining that they cannot get money for their Commodities. Poor men they want money to buy Commodities, and work to gain monies. Frequent the Court, and then you will there find a world of Distractions caused, for that they cannot be made Masters of a world of Possessions. The Nobles, they emulate each the other, I wish I could justly say, not envy one another. The Gentry, are doubtful they shall hazard the loss of what they have. The poor man is as much perplexed, how to get wherewithal to subsist. Good men are distracted, for to see Vice so much promoted, Virtue contemned, and Clergy men, many of them, (God forbidden) I should think or say all) are more sorely perplexed for fear of a diminution of their yearly revenues, than an alteration in Religion. Lawyers are molested for want of Clients, and Physicians enforced to have Patience instead of Patients. Finally, all sorts of men, all Sexes are distempered sorely, for fear of what will become of all: But what hath caused this Epidemical disease. I shall not positively take upon me to afirme, but only probably lay open unto your view, what my conjecture is, if I Augurate aright, you have cause to side with me; yea and to thank me: If amiss, I pray excuse me.  
Undoubtly, This unfortunate distraction, or fraction, shall I call it; for it hath indeed broken already too many, since God in his justice hath permitted it to fall amongst us; For that we have broken and fallen from his Commandments. I will not Commemorate at large, the crying sins of our Nation, Pride, Envy, Whoredom, Drunkenness, Ingratitude, and a Thousand such like Diabolical vices. Nor will I particularise any man's frailty, only this I must deal plainly with you, I cannot but with unspeakable sorrow of heart, condole abundantly, to see how our good and gracious God, as well as our pious and Religious King is less graciously treated with by many of us; then justly beseemeth such, who carry the name of good Christians, and loyal Subjects; Witness our neglect of due obedience to Sovereign power; Witness our undervaluing of holy men and holy exercises, I mean such, as efficaciously endeavour to invite and press us to Fear God and Honour the King; Not such, who however pleasing to the times, or plausible in outward show in their Doctrine, vent little else but malice and Sedition, making it their inauspicious emulation and ambition, to draw the hearts of men, rather to themselves then to GOD, or their good King, God's anointed, and the place where Divine Oracles should be enucleated, a place where God's Word is wrested to their own ends, to maintain that which I should injure Truth, and wrong my own judgement, if I should brand with any better appellation than Schism, Faction, yea down right Treason. Treason against God, Treason against the King. For Tell me, dear Soul who ere thou art. Art thou in holy Writ denominated to be a creature, made after Gods own Image. Then let me tell thee, Gods own command is, Honour thy Creator. Wouldst thou gladly learn to honour Him, O then obey and put in practise his Celestial commands, Be subject unto thy Prince, for Kings are Gods Anointed here on earth: and not he that knows the will of his heavenly Father, but he which doth it, shall receive the reward. I pray God direct all Christian hearts to put in practise this, and all other their just duties.  
Then shall we have no grounded reason to take up Arms, and imbrue one another's hands in each others blood.  
Then shall we have no hopeless hope, either of our Kingdom, or our own particular safety.  
Then shall we have happy Testimonies, that if we will yet return to God, by a contrite sorrow for what is past, God out of the riches of his accustomed mercies, will cause Peace to be within our walls, and plenteous▪ within our Palaces.  
Lastly, Then shall all the people unanimously yield a due Loyalty to their Sovereign Lord the King, and the good King like an indulgent father seek all Auspicious means dexterously to preserve his people.  
Thus briefly, and plainly, I have made apparent unto you one cause, and a great cause of our present distractions, intimating unto you, how originally it took its first breath, essence, and being from our neglect of duty both to God, and the King, in not awefully fearing the one, and readily, and cheerfully honouring and obeying the other. I have also prescribed you a celestial Cordial for the cure; let every one in God's name make use of it: and I dare confidently affirm, that it will produce peace and plenty unto us; peace at home, and peace abroad, peace Temporal, and peace Spiritual, plenty of good works, and plenty of good rewards. O then dear soul, hast thou through negligence lost yesterday, yet through double diligence gain tomorrow: 'tis never too late to mend, and never too soon to begin. And thus much I recommend briefly unto you all, out of a Christian desire, prudently to direct; I dare at least say, most safely to admonish you all. I should now give a Period to this unpollished peroration, but that me thinks, I hear some factious Rabbi, a man too well known in this age, too much favoured, and indeed, famous only for his infamous life and doctrine, who hath more piety in his tongue and outward show, then in his heart; impudently begins to teach you another kind of lesson.  
I animated you to seek after peace, but he roars cut amain, crying aloud, Arm, Arm, turning himself this way, that way, and the other, but never the right way.  
I gave you wholesome advice to fear God, and honour the King, he makes it (more is the pity) the sum total, almost of his discourse, to dissuade you from obeying your lawful Prince; and so by consequence instigateth you to commit treason, both against God and Gods anointed: Nor fears he to teach you this lesson again and again, he hath taken Sanctuary already, and will not I fear quit himself of his Pulpit this two hours, nor stops he where many lose themselves, At Arm, Arm: after which Alarm he casts himself so furiously about to the people as if he had meant to cast away his own arms. No, he hath found out many weighty motives and reasons to spur on many of his Auditors, which in one half hour, he had preached almost fast asleep; fear and jealousies possess his brany, and he is fully resolved ere long, they shall enter into the minds of his Auditors; for which end, he roars like a Lion, and cries amain, plots! plots! unheard of plots! Popish plots! At the report of which his Auditory awakes, and begin to prick up their ears to give attention to his frivolous seditious discourse.  
These, even these, (though none such ever were,) he avoucheth to be true, and unless you will take Arms now to defend yourselves, these plots menace your utter ruin. And thus he poisons not a few of his auditory.  
Stays he here? no, yet further he goes, and impudently affirms, that Bishops are Limbs of Antichrist, decent Ceremonies are superstitious, he counts order in praying, as the Church hath set down unto us, as Papistical; nay, the Lords prayer is abomination in his mouth.  
Stays he here? surely no, further to enliven you in this cause, he dares tell you, your life, your liberty, your religion, all that is near or dear unto you is now at stake, except you fight, or at least assist with your purses this cause.  
Desire you to know your enemies, why they are at hand, I am sure, at least they are in his mouth; who who are they? marry he'll tell you, they are those damned Cavaliers, he is sure they are damned. And I am sure he said so, there is nothing wanting to complete their damnation, if you will believe this grand Assertour; in truth, this uncharitable Christian: but that you reciprocally resolve to cut them off, and so send them immediately into Hell, where he leaves them in his own imagination, and having wasted away two hours, takes his leave of his Pulpit.  
I will not take upon me to judge what may become of this man in the World to come, because sacred writ commands me not to judge, lest I be judged. Let him that condemneth another take heed, lest he be condemned: But sure I am, these and the favourers of such as these men are, who ever they be, next to our sins are the only cause of our woes, our miseries, our distractions. And as they are justly odious in the sight of God, who greets with a heavenly blessing the Peacemaker: saying, Blessed be the Peacemaker, etc. So he denounceth nothing but judgement, and direful curses to fall on the contentious man, who sows discord as tares to poison and hinder the good seed; I will close up all in a word.  
My dear Countrymen, and truly dear, if dear in the sight of God, as I hope and wish you all ever may be; God hath pleased to bless this Nation above all others with all manner of blessings, for many years past as I told you before. Under one Sovereigness, and two Sovereigns, the latter of which God long preserve, he being the mirror of all Christian Princes, unexampled for his piety, unparallelled for his free acts of grace and mercy, and one who so long, and no longer, desires the blessing of the Almighty to him and his Royal posterity, and his good Subjects lawful assistance, as he shall maintain their religion in the purity of it; their estates, liberties, and laws for the safety of them, their lives, and their posterity. And so long beloved Countrymen, I dare sacrifice my life for to maintain the assertion, if a just and necessary occasion should invite me thereunto; we are all bound to defend his Royal Person, Crown, and Dignity, against any power whatsoever, that shall labour to hazard the one, or infringe and debilitate the other. And if it should fatally fall out, that our King on his part should not perform his Royal and sacred word, for the word of a King, is and aught to be as sacred, as is his Person, (which as yet I deem a kind of impiety the least to doubt of;) then, when he breaks on his part, (which fatal omen God avert:) we have some colour, though I cannot truly say, any just and lawful cause to keep from him any of his just rights, which we are bound by the law of God to render unto him by the law of this our Nation; and finally by the oath of Supremacy, Allegiance, and the late Protestation; and in the name and fear of God I dare confidently assure you, that if you all faithfully resolve actually to perform this duty, God will restore you abundantly to your former happiness, and multiply his mercies on you and your posterity. Yea, though the malevolence of some Sectaries, (those who are indeed the true Malignants;) maugre their spite, and spit their utmost venom. God dispose every one of your hearts, as may be best for his honour, and glory, your King his Kingdom, and every one of your own safety.  
FINIS.