AN ALARM TO WAR: PROCLAIMED By our Royal SOVEREIGN, AND His Loyal PARLIAMENT.  
To Subjugated the Savage cruelties, and inhuman Massacres Acted by the Nocent Papists; AND To vindicate the barbarous bloodshed, and impious insolences suffered by the Innocent Protestants of IRELAND.  
To which is annexed An Encouragement to all his Majesty's truehearted, and valiantly disposed subjects, here in England, who are already, or shall be hereafter engaged in this present Expedition against those Romish Rebels, and all that are confederate with that malignant Party, there in Ireland.  
By J. L. Acad: Cant: in art: mag:  
LONDON, Printed by H. I. 1642.   

AN Alarm to War.  
THough the countenance of War be horrid and formidable to all Nations, in regard of the inevitable ruin, and certain destruction which it carries along with it (for nulla salus bello, there's no safety, but all vastation and desolation in the time of War) yet when the matchless tyranny of Popish Rebels shall exalt itself over the liberties, consciences, and lives of our dear brethren in Ireland, who profess the Protestant Religion, when their horrible outrages have been there committed, are still perpetrated and continued, to the stupifying even of Amazement itself, to the hazard of that Kingdom, and peril of this; in such a case, the aspect of War is both amiable and acceptable.  
De nobis narratur, The case is our own. Those nefarious miscreants, have not only unlawfully surprised many Towns and Cities in that Island, but their cursed rage hath been so implacably bend against the poor Protestants (their selves being violently transported beyond all bounds of nature and humanity) that they have most unmercifully and unchristianly fired divers places which they have invaded, and savagely sacrificed the inhabitants to their mischievous malice, and insatiate insolency. Never were Tartars, Turks and Mahometans so bloodily minded, as these villains have been. Those Monsters of nature (for men I will ●ot term them) have not only sacked and pillaged wheresoever they have come, but they have taken delight to torture the Protestants without any bowels of compassion. They have ravished, and deflowered chaste women, and virgins, thrown small children into R●●ers with Pitchforkes; they stripped 1500 starknaked, driving them (like Dogs) towards Dublin, drowned and killed many of them by the way, cutting off Pious, Protestant Ministers and their wives in pieces. I tremble to speak it, they have searched women's privities for money, and in a most horrid and stupendious manner, they have ripped up their wombs great with child, and slain with the sword, both them and their infants.  
Quis talia fando,  
Temperet a lachrymis?  
The Cruel enemy (whose very mercies have been cruelties) hath poured out their blood in every street, and there hath been no friend to help them: but in much mercy of late, it hath pleased the Almighty to consider their distress. He will not suffer the rod of the wicked always to lie upon the back of the righteous. Vengeance (though slow) is sure: And God will be ávenged for the blood of his Saints, their blood being in conspectu Domini, in the sight of the Lord, as precious as their death.  
Sin has a crying voice, and the effusion of innocent blood is of all other sins peccatum clamans: It cries aloud from the bortome of the earth, to the top of heaven. As the sins of Sodom were great, and the cry of them came up before the Almighty; So the Sanguinean sin of cursed Cain cried unto heaven, to the God of Heaven for vengeanc. In like manner, the blood of those poor Protestants, so undeservedly and lamentably spilt, hath made such a clamour in the All-hearing ears of the Almighty, that he hath been graciously pleased in pity and compassion of their manifold miseries, and most grievous massacres, by a celestial voice, to speak to the heart of his dear Anointed, our dread Sovereign, and to his heavenly-minded Parliament, to commiserate their deplorable calamities, and forthwith relieve them with a powerful (heaven-prospering) Army.  
Hereupon the voice of War is proclaimed, a statute for it by the King, and the high and Honourable Assembly of Parliament, hath been enacted, the Commission to his Majesty's Officers to press both land and Seamen, hath issued forth.  
The Lord of Hosts go along with our hosts, guide and direct them in all their ways, prosper their cause, grant them a propitious success, and glorious victory over his and their bloodthirsty enemies: And I pray God send more auxiliary Forces to them who are already there arrived, that in so just a quarrel they may be the better co●solated, and animated, that the Rebels may with more facility be quelled and conquered, and that the Kingdom of Ireland may be the sooner reduced to their due subjection, and awful obedience to the Crown of England, and to the law and ordinances made by his Majesty, and his States of both Kingdoms.  
There was never any King that had more just and weighty cause to war against a people at any time, than his Majesty hath against the Rebels at this time. And as the cause is urgent, so the expedition of it is as important. There was never a more requisite necessity of a speedy supply, then at this present; For the Rebellion there is so general, that it is not the force of a small Army from hence that can suppress them. Though there are no spiders in the Kingdom of Ireland (as many have averred & maintained) yet the Romish Spider hath spun so fowl a web in that fair Island, that it hath need of a great besom to sweep it out again. And for the better confirmation hereof, It is not only publicly rumoured, but credibly reported, that neighbouring Princes have taken up Arms, the one of Spain, & the other of France, both of them at this present very potent at Sea; and it is generally supposed, that they are intended for Ireland, to assist these Assassinates against the Protestants.  
Thus the Hydra of the Romish Faction doth daily multiply, their Army doth increase, yet God be thanked, some of their Men and Ammunition have been of late intercepted and prevented; and I pray God, in this particular, continue his goodness still unto us. Their Forces are very strong, their Assistants and adherents for the present being potent, their insolences are grown to the utmost height of impious impudence & impudent impiety: They are resolved, no more to be subject to the Crown of England, and the Laws & Statutes of the Kingdom; but their unreasonable demand is, to have such a Viceroy, or Gubernator, as may be well accepted of by them, and no other.  
Thus as they have cast out of their hearts Christian compassion to the K. subjects, so they have cast off from their necks the yoke of due subjection to the King himself. Rebels they have proclaimed themselves to the whole world, and that in summo gradu, in the highest degree, of as high a nature, as ever Histories have recorded, or age of man can commemorate. Never did the wildfire of their hideous Conspiracies so circumvolve itself into one violent flame, the actors thereof being so unanimous in their Diabolical designs, (that Hellish Gunpowder-Plot of Treason only excepted) as this last year hath been attempted by them.  
'Tis not long since a Roman Priest was sent from the Pope, who was landed here in England, and hath cunningly and closely wrought with divers English Catholics amongst us, to prepare themselves to put in execution such determinations and resolutions as shall be propounded to them, for the defence of their Religion, and ruin of our Brotestants: which Priest (as we are really informed) h●th had frequent access to an expert Romanist, who is very skilful in making Gra●●does, and all forns of Fireworks; with whom the aforesaid Priest hath privately dealt, and constantly persuaded to practise his Art, and to put the same into execution against the chiefest Cities of England, for the better overcoming them, so soon as those dissolute and resolute Rebels had conquered Ireland, & landed their Forces here in England. Thus you may evidently see, that their exorbitant offences have been so heinous and, facinorous, and their crimes are still so capital, that that saying of the Lyric Poet (one word inverted) is verified of them:  
— Audax omnia perpeti,  
Gens Romana ruit per vetitum nefas.  
But what mean ye, O ye besotted sons of Insurrection? Will ye, through your Rebellion, desperately perish? Fools & mad men as ye are, Quae vos dementia cepit? How long will ye abuse the divine Patience? What, or who hath deluded & bewitched you? for Rebellion is as the sin of Witchcraft. Hath Ambition, the Pope, or the Devil instigated, and seduced you thereunto? Or rather, have not all these three been Agents (though one of them were sufficient) for your confusion? To these three, take three more to your consideration; which if they do not work in your hearts an impression of contrition, they will serve for an addition of horror and astonishment to your wretched souls. Is there not a severe judge above you, that can condemn you? Is there not a gnawing Conscience within you, that will terrify you? And lastly, Is there not a tormenting Tophet below you, that gapes for your obstinate Rebellion? Know thus much (ye unfortunate sons of mischief) that as soon as ye have made up the full measure of your iniquities, as the Amorites did then the Sickle of God's judgement will cut you all off. For God is righteous, the Truth of God is eternal, Hell is where it was, and your damnation without contrition, will be just.  
And now brave Soldiers, that have already encountered with these Rebels, your and our enemies, and ye valiant spirits that are preparing to meet them, Sun Theo, in God's Name, for God's cause, go on, & prosper: undantedly stand, and courageously fight the battles of the Lord, for the defence of his people, the propagation of his Gospel, and preservation of his Religion. If there were no other argument, but the effusion of the poor Protestants blood, who were worried to death by these Wolvish Rebels, it were sufficient to animate you; blood requires blood: but there are many more motives to induce you to this War: Piety to God (whose honour and Gospel are enteressed therein) Allegiance to the King, whereby ye express your loyal hearts to his Majesty's honour, peace, crown, and dignity; Love to your native Country; for the safety of our persons, and security of our present and future estates depends upon the happy success of this war. There's no assurance of peace or tranquillity, without the rebels be reduced. Remember 'tis for Religion, your King and Country that you fight. Besides all these, Providence and Prudence for yourselves: If ye live, ye shall be sure not to lose, but to get what will be worth the keeping; and if ye die, yet ye have no cause to be disheartened, but rather great ground to be consolated: For as there is no blessedness in this life, so there is all happiness after death. 'Twas the saying of a Heathen, Dignum & decorum est pro p●tria mori. 'Tis a worthy and comely thing to die for a man's Country: And the Roman Orator was of this opinion, that there cannot come an evil death to a valiant man, nor an untimely death to a wife man. To conclude all, whether ye stand or fall, ye are certain of a famous victory, or a renowned death; so that come what will come, conquest, or the loss of life, an Eternity of Fame attends you on earth, an immortality of glory expects you in heaven.  
FINIS.