AN HUMBLE acknowledgement OF HIS MAJESTIE'S INCOMPARABLE GRACE, EXPRESSED In HIS PROCLAMATION OF PARDON.  
 printer's or publisher's device  
London, Printed in the Year, 1660.   

AN HUMBLE acknowledgement OF HIS MAJESTIE'S INCOMPARABLE GRACE Expressed in HIS PROCLAMATION of PARDON.  
May it please Your most Excellent Majesty,  
WHen I red Your most Gracious Declaration, since verified by a further Confirmation of the Pardon therein promised, my mind was rapt into a Contemplation of that Divine Mystery, which revealed itself to the amazed world, when the All-glorious Spirit of Forgiveness descended from Heaven, and stood between apostasy and Hell.  
After it was certainly known that the World was turned Rebel, one would have thought that nothing was now to be expected, that but the Chaos should re-mand the Creation, and that the abused Creator having dissolved the amicable League of different Principles, should have destroyed the Order of the wel-form'd Universe, by the mortal Clashings of Unchain'd Contrarieties: What could one imagine, but that suddenly God should have extinguished the Sun, unhinged the Heavens, or have opened the Doors of his Treasures of Water, and made the disimprison'd Sea revenge the Abuses which were offered to him upon dry Land; or else that he should have burned and drowned the Earth both at once by raining down showers of Fire from Heaven?  
But beyond all human thought, and quiter contrary to the Worlds Demerit, the Divine Mercy, which lay as a Reserve in Gods Bosom to save trembling Sinners from deserved ruin; came forth, and in the midst of that black cloud, condensed with Disobedience and horror, which enveloped the despairing World, painted a Mysterious Rainbow, and adorned it with most Illustrious rays of Forgiveness.  
When men beholded this light with dazell'd eyes, they wondered what wronged Divinity meant, that it did not immediately Equal the Unreasonableness of Sin with due Proportions of Just Misery. But as that was a hard Task,( for afflicted man could never have made amends for his offence, though he had been tormented with all Instances of Punishment.) So is was as Unpleasant to the Nature of Increated Goodness, and Unsuitable to the Design of Infinite Wisdom. God had a Mind to let us see that he did not make the World in hopes to gain any thing by it; for he was content when be seemed to lose by it. He showed the Glories of the Deity, which were yet concealed, though men had affronted what they had seen, and took the first occasion to let them know, that He which made them good, and commanded them to continue such, could also Pardon them when they had made themselves evil.  
The Angels did not know that God could forgive so much, but yet fell down before his Throne in Wonder and Silence, when they saw that instead of the Astonishments of dreadful Revenge, in which it was just for him to have appeared, he amazed self-condemned Men with the Glories of unexpected Grace; and having stopped the mouth of gaping Hell, struck sinners onely into the humble Depths of hopeful Repentance, and with a gentle Voice pronounced a Pardon in these great Words, The Meek Lamb of God shall be a merciful Propitiation for the offences of Wolves.  
Sir, I hope you will amongst other faults pardon me that I have continued my speech so long upon this Subject, since it is the Original Exemplar according to which you have drawn that most excellent Copy, which all the World admires. The temptations which you have vanquished, have witnessed the constancy of your Religion, and the Actions you have performed do plainly show, not only how truly you love the God whom you worship, but also how much you judge what he hath done worthy of your highest imitation. Whilst you have singled out for mo●e special Examples Clemency and Goodness, you have discovered the Height of a Princely Mind, and taught all the World wherein chiefly God would be resembled by his Vice-gerents. You knew well that, as he said, Primus est Deorum Cultus, Deos credere: Deinde reddere illis Majestatem suam, reddere Bonitatem, sine quâ nulla Majestas est. Your wisdom  told you, that you could not by any other means so sully ascribe Majesty unto God, nor adore his aweful Goodness in more humble Prostrations, then by Commanding Your own, and others Anger to permit You to imitate the most Merciful Deity. If we had not offended, the World had never known how much you could pardon; and by taking this fair opportunity, you have shown us that you knew the infinite value of any occasion, by which you might appear like unto God.  
What strange Pictures of your Majesty did we receive from beyond Sea, drawn by such, who, to deprive you of your Subjects Love, made You an Object of terror with dismal Characters? Just as the Indian Priests disguised their Pagan God with an unmerciful shape, and made him frightful with sharp Teeth and crooked claws, that they might make a profitable use of his Worshippers Fears. Your Majesty hath destroyed that Malicious Policy with Your Presence, and disabused those who would not have erred in their thoughts concerning You, but that they were seduced by Mifrepresentations, which God and Time have mercifully taken off. You have made those which were terrified into a desire of Your Absence to lay aside their fears, and to rejoice and give thanks for Your happy Return.  
Your Subjects, that is, one part of them, forced from You by themselves, were at last afraid of foreign Arms, for they could not but think that God would sand Aliens to chastise such unworthy Natives. But how much were we mistaken both as to the Method of Providence and Your Majesties Condition? God would not have You be holden to Strangers for the possession of that which he had given You, nor put You to the trouble of fighting any more for Your Right. Who would not, who did not gladly yield to a Prince that desired only to Conquer by Love? We are reduced to our Obedience by such admirable Motives, that we know not which we should express first, Repentance or Admiration. You love those which had abandoned You, and when a sore wound was made upon us by Disobedience, You have shown the all-conquering skill of Love, and healed it without a Scar. The Offenders confessed that their Crimes needed an Expiation, but Your Pity choose rather the tears of Penitents, then the blood of Sinners. Indignation hath no Acceptance in the calm breast of our Prince. Those Royal Perfections which dwell there, can spare no room for such a mean Passion as Revengefulnesse. Asperis incultisque solûm Regionibus diutiûs haerent Nives. You have given Cruelty leave to fall into the Pit of Devils. You soon discerned Implacableness to be no excellent Quality, because You could not find in Gods Nature, and have  told those sinners which believe otherwise, that they must needs be assured of their own Damnation. You have condemned the Excuses of Malicious Hypocrites, and declared the Insufficiency of their weak Pleas, who think themselves justified in taking Revenge by alleging that none can forgive. Who dare be so foolish as to think so, that hath but heard what You have done? What hath any man to forgive in Comparison of Your Wrongs? What Multitudes of Sins have You covered with Love, and butted in Pardon? This Incomparable Amnesty shall be had in glorious Remembrance to Eternal Ages. God was willing to repair Your Honour, and when the Means was in Your choice, You took the best. As Heaven had done before, You departed from Your Right, lest the Execution of rigorous Punishment should leave none to return to their Duty, and that those which saw themselves so mercifully spared, might repent more hearty. Who will not be sorry that they have so long offended one that is now as ready to forgive, as he was always unwilling to do wrong? Who will now despair since You have engaged Your Clemency by a gracious Promise, and have satisfied us concerning our Condition, if we be resolved concerning our own behaviour, and assured Your future Favour to all, but such as will be unworthy of it. You have so far restored Your People to Serene joys, that nothing can grieve them now, but the remembrance of those faults, which You have forgotten; neither can they dislike any thing in these happy Accidents, but that Your unparalleled Goodness hath Undone the Choice of virtue in their future Obedience, having made it impossible to all Ingenuity to Sin again.   
FINIS.