Κολλȣριον,  
OR EYE SALVE to anoint the Eyes of the Ministers of the PROVINCE OF LONDON; THAT THEY MAY SEE Their Error (at least) in opposing the present Proceed of the PARLIAMENT and ARMY, in the due execution of JUSTICE.  
By a Minister of the Gospel.  
LONDON, Printed by G. Dawson for Henry Cripps and are to be sold in Popes-head Alley. 1649.   

An Eye Salve to anoint the Eyes of the Ministers of the Province of London, that they may see their Error (at least) in opposing the present proceed of the Parliament and Army, in the due execution of Justice.  
Quaere I. 
 WHether Kings that have the Government of Civil States and Kingdoms are not (under the New Testament, and times of the Gospel) 
* In these our times we are to distinguish between the state of Kings in their first original, and between the State of settled Kings and Monarches, that do at this time govern in civil Kingdoms. King james Speeching Parliament, cited by Mr. Burton, in his Epistle Dedicatory to King Charles in his seven Vials. So again a little after, Speaking of the Bishop that Preached before him, saith he, If I had been in his place, etc. I would have concluded as an Englishman, etc. putting a difference between the general power of a King in Divinity, and the settled and established State of this Crown and Kingdom. id ibid.  rather of a humane then Divine Constitution and Creation, according to 1 Pet. 2.13. Submit yourselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to every ordinance of man: or, to every humane Creation, for the Lord sake, Whether it be to the King as supreme &c, and therefore are not properly to be called and styled (as is the practice of Ministers in their prayers usually to do) the Anointed of the Lord.  
II. Whether those Kings that are so constituted, when they degenerate from their Kingly authority, with which they are invested by their people, and turn down right 
* And therefore a King governing in a settled Kingdom leaves to be a King, and degenerates into a Tyrant, as soon as he leaves off to rule according to his Laws Therefore all Kings that are not Tyrants or Perjured, willbe glad to bond themselves within the limits of their laws and they that persuade them the contrary are Vipers and Pests both against them and the Commonwealth id. ut sup.  Tyrants, Murderers and destroyers of their Kingdoms, may not safely and upon just grounds be called to an account, and have the law executed upon them for so doing, they being as subject to the laws, by which they are to govern, as their people over whom they are set? and 
* Vid. Fox martyrolog. edit. ult. vol. 2 p. 879 880. as Mr. Prinne citys it in his 1 part of the Papists disloyalty to their Sovereign.  whether in this case civil governor's in a State, are more exempt from Deposition, then Ecclesiastical in a Church?  
III. Whether the King of England did not (in an almost unparalled way, excelling his Predecessors) make himself guilty before God and good men, and of those (never enough to be abhorred) abominations of Tyranny, Murder, and Oppression in his three Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland: and whether, if the Commons of England (whom it principally concerns) should wink and connive at those aforesaid unparalelled abominations, and neglect to execute righteous judgement, according to the laws of God, Nature & Nations, they should not bring the guilt of all these abominations, committed by the said King, upon their own heads, and so become accessary to their own and the Kingdom's ruin; yea, 
King Vortiger anno D. 454. King Sigebert, 756. K. Ofred 789 K. Ethelred 794. All before the Conquest with many others after quoted by Mr. Prinne, ut sup.  the ruin and misery of their Posterity after them.  
iv Whether there be not infinite examples in Histories of the People's proceed in ways of bringing their Tyrannical Princes to condign punishment, and setting up others in their steads.  
V Whether the Army under the Command of his Excellency the Lord Fairfax, hath not been in a special manner instrumental from heaven to bring down, that proud 
* Gen. 10.9.  Nimerod, the KING that hunted after, not only the Estates, but Liberties and precious lives of the best of his Subjects; and broke through all the hedges and boundaryes of just laws both of God and Man, that should have kept him within compass; and were acknowledged the friends of God and good men for so doing, and many prayers and praises put up to heaven in the behalf of them.  
VI Whether the foresaid Army are not still to be look upon in the present Transactions they are upon, as instruments in the hands of God (though in an extraordinary way) for the saving of the Kingdom, so long as they proceed by the lawful Authority of the Kingdom, viz. the Parliament; in bringing the grand Incendiaries of the Kingdom to condign punishment.  
VII. Whether the God of Heaven, who is 
* Revel. 15.3.  just and holy in all his ways, doth not according to his wonderful workings, beyond the shallow reach of humane capacities, many times stir up (in an extraordinary manner) private persons, to execute his 
* Num. 25.7.  just and righteous judgements on those that are his and his People's proud & implacable adversaries, especially when ordinary ways & means fail: and whether we are not rather to reverence and adore the glorious and wonderful actings of God this way, in order to the vindication of his own great Name, and his people's salvations, as at this day in England, then to quarrel and fall foul, with the Instruments, that he is pleased to make use of.  
VIII. Whether God hath not in his word commanded a speedy execution of Justice, without respect of Persons? 
* 2 Chr. 19.7.  and been greatly displeased for the neglect of it: and whether the Lords beholding such a neglect, hath not provoked him to make bare his own arm, and to act in a more extraordinary way and manner to the effecting and bringing to pass of such a great work, as the execution of Justice and Judgement is.  
IX. Whether the Lord General and Council of war in the Army, have acted in this present business of bringing the King to justice (and those have been in confederacy with him in the Parliament and Kingdom) by themselves alone, without the knowledge and approbation of the Kingdom; and whether they have not been continually instigated by the honest and godly party, as well Presbyterians as Independents, by their petitions and supplications to enterprise this business, looking on it as the next & speediest means through the blood of Christ, to turn away the 
* Num. 25.12.  wrath of God from this Nation, and to preserve it in a sound and better peace for the future: And whether the godly party so petitioning the Lord General and Army hereunto, and slighted in your letter are not (without offence be it spoken) men of as great integrity, judgement and conscience, and as well insighted in the nature of the present transactions, as those few Ministers of the province of London (as they are pleased to style themselves though without any warrant in Scripture) who are known by experience (at least divers of them) to come exceeding short both of learning and the power of godliness, and have more need to hearken to the Counsel of the Lord Jesus, in Matth. 7.3. First to take out the Beam that is in their own eye, then to attempt to pluck out the Moat that is in their brother's eye.  
X. Whether the Parliament and Army in waging a just war against the King and his malignant party, had not been free from the blood of the King, if his life had been taken away in these wars; and whether it be not every way as lawful when they have overcome him (through the blessing of God upon their endeavours) to proceed against him in a legal way, to try him for his abominable murdering his innocent subjects, as it was formerly to wage war against him.  
XI. Whether (the premises duly weighed) ye the Ministers of the province of London) have not ill requited he Lord & his faithful servants in this Nation, for their great work and labour 
* Heb. 6.10.  of love in saving hitherto this miserable kingdom though your opposing so bitterly (contrary to the nature and commission of true Gospel and Evangelicall Ministers) their just and righteous proceed in a legal way to have the known and undoubted enemies of the Lord and his people, brought to condign punishment: and whether this may not in an hour when you little think of it, be found just matter of shame and sorrow to your poor souls.  
XII. Whether ye have not heretofore in your consciences believed, and accordingly in a public manner professed, that the King (whom you now so much plead for) hath been a notorious enemy to the Lord Jesus Christ, and sought (quantum in se fuit) to lay violent hands on his Throne, and to make his heritage desolate, and to introduce an arbitrary and tyrannical power into the civil State, and to confirm (as to this day, that Antichristian Government in your Church which you have covenanted against; and whether you have not preached prayed, and written, if not some of you fought against him in your proper persons, or at least encouraged the Soldiers thereunto, when you have been formerly in the relation of Chaplains or Preachers to them, though now your judgements and practices (without any just grounds) are clean altered and turned about.  
XIII. Whether now in this present juncture of time for such as ye are, that pretend to be Ministers of Christ, and friends to the kingdom's peace) to plead for the King and his malignant party, that were happily secluded from sitting at the Helm of the Kingdom any longer (they steering so directly contrary to the safety of the Kingdom) and to preach & pray, and write for them, and against the present Parliament and Army, that cannot justly be taxed of carrying on any other design then the glory of God, and salvation of this miserable Kingdom, and have deserved far better at your hands, be not with jehosophat that godly Prince, to 
* 2 Chron. 19.2.  help the ungodly, and love those that hate the Lord; and whether this be any other then to fall from your 
* Rev. 2.4,  first love, and betray your trust you pretend to be committed to you by Christ, and whether wrath be not for this gone out against you from the Lord.  
XIV. Whether if you narrowly ransack your bosoms, & deal impartially with your own hearts many of you, (if not all of you that have subscribed the Letter lately sent to the Lord General and his Council of War) have not appeared against their present precedings with the Parliament in the secluding the malignant members, and trial of the King, out of mere prejudice against them, because you understand they are about to pull down that Dagon of the presbytery, viz. Tyths & offerings, etc. the which you so much strive to keep up, (though altogether inconsistent with the Ark of God) and can no more endure to have taken from you, then old Micah could his carved and molten Image, his Ephod and Teraphim, judg. 18.18. who cried out, Ye have taken away my Gods, and what have I more.  
XV. Whether in this late setting yourselves against the proceeding of the Parliament and Army, in trying of the King, and bringing him to justice, ye do not directly break the Covenant you so much idolise and plead for, by endeavouring (what in you lies) to keep from condign punishment such as are convicted of delinquency, and are without controversy known enemies to the State and Kingdom in the highest degree; and whether your exempting the person of the King from justice, be not to make the righteous God a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. i. a respecter of persons.  
XVI. Whether this course you have lately taken, by your public preaching, praying, and writing, to oppose the present weighty proceed of the Army, be not in a very great measure, a making sad the hearts of the godly party, and rejoicing the hearts of the wicked, yea a strengthening their hearts and hands to be more active and desperate then ever (if the Lord from heaven did not put a hook 
* Isa. 37.29.  in their jaws to restrain them) in their old ways of bloody Cavalerisme: and whether you do not hereby give just occasion as to the enemy to justify the King and themselves in their former cursed ways of disobedience to the laws of God and this Kingdom, so to the Lords people to do your errand to Heaven, and fill the ears of Jehovah with loud cries and sad complaints against you, and to beseech him either to open your eyes, or stop your mouths.  
XVII. Whether you have not just cause to fear, that you are in the number of those the Prophet Malachi speaketh of, chap. 3.2. who shall not abide the day of Christ's coming into his Temple, nor stand when he appeareth, as a Refiners fire, and like Fuller's soap; and whether you are not some of those Priests and Levits there spoken of, that stand in need of Christ's putting you into his Refining pot, that he may purge out that dross and take away that scum of ambition, covetousness, and bitterness, that so apparently remains upon you, so that you may be able to offer to the Lord a pure offering, and an offering in righteousness indeed, and not mingle the clean and unclean any longer together, when you draw nigh to God in the ways of his sacred worship and service.  
FINIS.