The Debauched CAVALLEER: Or the English MIDIANITE. Wherein are compared by way of Parallel, the Carriage, or rather Miscarriage of the Cavalleeres, in the present Reign of our King Charles, with the Midianites of old. Setting forth their Diabolical, and Hyperdiabolicall Blasphemies, Execrations, Rebellions, Cruelties, Rapes, and Robberies. Do unto them, as unto the Midianites, as to Sisera, as to Jabin at the brook of Kison, Psal. 83.9.10. Penned by G. L. and C. L. for public good. LONDON, Printed by L. N. for HENRY OVERTON, in Popes-head Alley. MDCXLII. The debauched CAVALLEER, or the English MIDIANITE. Christian Reader, BE pleased to consider, that the intent of this ensuing Discourse, is wholly to render a viperous brood of prodigious Incendiares both of Church, Sic Canibus Catulos similes sic matribus hoedos. Noram. Sic parvis componere magna solebam. Virgil. and State, more odious in the eyes of all the Kings most loyal, and religious Subjects throughout this Kingdom, that they may hereby be excited to contribute, both their Prayers, Substance, and all the Interest they have with God, and man, against these debauched Cavaliers either for their sequestration from the presence of our King, or for their total extirpation out of this Realm of England. In which Discourse, shall be dispatched these two particulars. 1. Concerning the name of Cavalleers. 2. Concerning the degeneration of these wretches from the name of Cavalier, by several characters (a) running parallel with the Midianites, and who did set themselves against the Israel of God, and the God of Israel. Condemnari nemo debet, antequam nomen e●us delatum sil. 1. Concerning the name of Cavalier. There is a rule in the civil-law, none ought to be condemned before his name be known. Since therefore we come to condemn the damnable practices of those men who bear this name, we shall endeavour to make it known unto the world. The word Cavalier used amongst us here in England, is derived from the Italian word Cavallero, which signifies an Horserider, as that word is derived from Cavallo, which signifies an horse, whence the Italians have this usual speech amongst them, monte Cavallo, Mount, or Get upon your Horse. There is another word like unto it in sound, and used amongst us here in England, and that is Chivalier, being derived from the french word Chevalier, which signifies an horseman, as that word is derived from Cheval, an horse, whence the Frenchmen have this usual speech amongst them, Mounte Cheval, up and ride, and whence also our english Noblemen in their tilting have the notion of Chivalry amongst them. We are not ignorant, that some Ancients deduce the name of Cavalier from the latin word, Gaballus, which signifies a great horses; as if the name Cavalier, were as much as Caballier, V, and B, being letters which are symbollicall, and so being transelemented, they easily sally forth, and run one into the other. And the Greeks' Becman doth observe, derive it from the Greek compound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, from the weighty and burdensome saddles, which are cast upon the backs of great Horses. However, though not utterly disallowing these two last derivations, because they are ingenuous, we shall accurre unto the former, both the French, and the Italian satisfaction, and so much the rather, because our Cavaliers here in England, are either French, or Italian, at least in the affection, yet notwithstanding we shall especially agree to the Italian original, as the most proper head radix, and fountain. The name itself, we confess, is honourable, and is equivalent with our Miles, Armiger, Armigerans, vel Equus auratus, which is a Knight, a Soldier, or a golden horseman. But these unworthy miscreants have made the very name a reproach, as the Antichristian Prelates, the name of Bishop, which in Saint Paul's time was worthy of double honour, but by reason of their tyrannical usurpation, is (as old father Latimer expresseth it) worthy of a more than a double, (even) a Triple reproach. Thus according to the Physicians, Corruptio optimi, fit pessima, the best thing being corrupted proves the worst: and a good name being abused, is now become most odious. And therefore now, since the name of Cavalier is known what it is, we now descend to show in the second particular how it is for the present abased, and abused by these sons of Belial, who have degenerated from the honourable reputation of the term of Cavalier, as shall appear in these ensuing Charactars', paralleled with the Midianite. The Characters of them are gathered out of the Books of Numbers, and Judges. 1. The first Character of the Midianites. They were full of rage, and blasphemy, when the Altar of Baal was thrown down, Judg. 6.28, 29, 30, 33. So are the Cavalleers, what makes them rage, but that the Priests, and Altars of Baal; are throwing down amongst us? and what makes their blasphemies break forth, but their rage? according to the speech of the Prophet Isaiah c. 8. v. 21. They shall fret themselves, and curse their God. Now to give a list of their raging blasphemies, our joints tremble, our hands shake, and our pens do quiver; yet how ever, to render them more odious to all the world, we could do no less, then depaint them out in their own labours, and publish to the world some of those blasphemous execrations, which upon certain information we have gatherered and inserted here as follows, I. (a) Whereas the Apostle did avow, and Heathens did confess, that we live, move, and have our being, only in the living God. Act. 17.24. yet these men say, they live, move, & have their being in a mortal man. We drink a health to King Charles, in whom we live, move, and have our being. II. (b) Lo behold nthat Gospel which is the only means to keep men from everlasting confusion, do these men wish confusion to us, throwing away the only plaster that can cure their wounds, and the only remedy to save their souls. Procul, o procul este prophani. Vir. We drink a health to the confusion of the Gospel of jesus Chrst. III. (c) A speech full of blasphemy if they meant the true God, whom he doth serve, or at least of uncharitableness, also adjudging him to worship a false God. We drink a health to the confusion of PIMMS God. FOUR (d) Here is an unparallelled blasphemy, contrary to the principles of Nature, Reason, and Religion. We will drink, and be drunk, and whore, and be damned, and will not be beholding to God to save us. V (e) The round heads might rather wish to be out of heaven, with those who are termed by them Roundheads, then be in Heaven with such swearing & and blasphemous Cavaliers, if it were possible that such sins should reign in Heaven. We had rather be in hell with our Comrades, then in Heaven with the Roundheads. These five particulars were reported by a Godly Gentleman who went with a message to the King, who declared that he heard all these himself, which Mr: Norton a Minister now about the Army received from his mouth, and sent up in a letter to Mr: George Walker a Reverend Pastor of a Church in Watlingstreete here in London which Letter by him was delivered to the Parliament, that the worthies also might read those horrid Epistolarie Execrations. VI (f) Oh to what senseless stupidity are these men grown to, who have forgot their maker! and know not the Answer to the first question in the child's Catechism, Who made you? instead of answering God, they say, The Devil. The Devil that made us Damn us. This was avowed in a Pulpit, by that reverend Preacher of God's word Mr: Simpson who came lately from Holland. VII. (g) It is well we know who are the Roundheads in the Cavaliers opinion; viz. All those who will not wish their own damnation; rather our tongues should cleave to our mouths, than such hellish language should proceed from us as this. 2 Parallel. A great Company of Cavaliers coming to plunder a Town, they swore, that they would rob, and slay all the Roundheads in the Town; but some of that Rascally Crew demanding how they might know the Roundheads from the rest of the Inhabitants. Answer was immediately returned, they would make them wish God Damn us, and all who would not wish God to Dam them, they would rob and slay for Roundheads. And thus by their Notorious Blasphemies, they do some notable despite, and wrong even to the Spirit of Grace, the Holy Ghost Heb. ch. 10 v. 29. Wherefore we lift up our hearts to Heaven in the words of the Psalmist, Remember this O Lord, that the Enemies have reproached thee; and that this foolish people have blasphemed thy Name, read Psalm. 74.18. Thus we leave them to God to whom Vengeance belongs, that he may execute on them the judgement written, And thus we have done with the first character. 2. The second Character of the Midianites. They were men of Cruelty and Oppression, judg. 6.2.4. because of the Midianites, The children of Israel made them Dens which are in the Mountains, and Caves, and strong holds, and they Encamped against them and destroyed the Increase of the Earth and left no Sustenance for Israel neither Sheep nor Oxen. (h) O quot Neronis, quot Domitiani, quod Commodi, quot Bassiani, quot Imites Dionisii hasce peragravere terras. Sic Benzo in Histor. Indica. etc. and thus the Holy Ghost proceeds to emblazon, and set forth their oppressing Cruelties. Now let the world judge whether * the Cavaliers of our time do not fully answer the oppressions of those Midianites spoken of in the world; and many parts of this Kingdom can by sad experience give testimony hereunto. How many of the King's faithful and loyal Subjects have been forced to leave their dwellings? and (as the Israelites when pursued by the Midianites) to run to the denns and caves of the earth? Those who were able to relieve and feed others, how are they now forced to beg their own bread? and those who had fair houses to dwell in, good beds to lie on, how are they constrained to lie in the open fields? (lest he should be exposed to (i) Vivitu● ex●apto, non hospes ab hospitutus. Ovid. Vitur ex rapto, non hospes ab hospite sospes. Palin. their rage and robberies) who have nothing but a Stone for their Pillow, the Bank for a Bolster, the Earth for their Bed, the Grass for their Rugg, the Trees for their Curtains, the Hedges for their Vailance, and are like to have (if not seasonably supplied) the Winter Snow for their Sheet, the Sky for their Canopy, and the chirping Birds of the morning to be their Alarm, to awake them. To bring up the Parallel close: as Midian did destroy the increase of the Earth, and left no sustenance for Israel, (l) They may well say of themselves, as the people said of themselves in Salvians days, Iniusti sunt Barbari, & nos hoc sumus. Avari sunt Barbari, & nos hoc sumus Infideles sunt Barb●ri & not hoc sumus. Impudici sunt Barbari & nos hoc sumus. Omnium denique Improbitatus & impuritatum pleni sunt Barbari, & nos hoc sumus. Salvian. l. 3. de Gubernat. Dei. 3. Paral. neither Sheep, nor Oxen, nor other beasts; so have (k) Populus Inviden●io●, Inimicior, Implacabilior sub Sole, Solis nullus est Judaeis. Buxtorf. Synag. judaic. c. 22. p. 426. these cruel Cavaliers destroyed the fruits of the Earth in many parts of this Kingdom, spoiled Corn in the ground, burned much up when gathered into the Barn, or standing in the Reek; and as for taking away their substance, they have by violence broken into houses, taken away all household stuff, and provision left nothing but naked walls, insomuch that men had not bread for their Wives, and Children. And as for taking away the beasts (as the Midianites did from Israel) to make that true, they have driven men's Deer out of their Parks, men's Sheep out of their Folds, men's Oxen out of their Ploughs, and Horses from their Harrows, constraining men to part with their horses, to further them in their unwarrantable Designs. And thus we have also done with the second Character. The third Character of the Midianites. They were rambling Renagadoes; now here now there, one while at Gaza, judg. 6.4. another while by Ophrah, judg. 6.11. another time at Baal's Altar and the Grove, judg. 6.28.29. another time in the Valley of jezreel. judg. 6.33. another time at Bethshittah towards Zererath, another time at the border of Abel-Meholuh unto Tabath, judg. 7.22. and another while at the Rock of Oreb, and the Winepress of Zeeb. v. 25. one while in Karkor, judg. 8.10. and another while at Tabor, judg. 8.8. and still to surprise Israel. Thus do (m) who are like the vain and Light persons of Abimelech, whom the Septuagint call persons mazed and affrighted out of their senses, who were hired with 70. pieces of silver out of the house of Baol-Berith, whom Vatablus terms Instabiles, unstable, rolling from Town to Town, from City to City, from Shire to Shire, and from one Kingdom to another. our Cavaliers rove from one place to another. First, from London to York, from York to Hull, then to Beverley, then to York again; thence to Warwick, thence to Banbury, then to Warwick again, thence to Coventry, thence to Nottingam, thence to Worcester, thence to Shrewsbury, and the Lord knows how soon they may come again to London. — Nam toties versa est fortuna locorum. And thus we have done also with the third Character. The fourth Character of the Midianites. * They were a crafty and a subtle Generation to beguile Israel and ensnare them with their wiles, seeking to get Israel at an advantage Numb. 25.18. So are our Cavaliers it seems, the Serpentine brood, a subtle Generation: witness the feigned Letters they send, the false Alarms they sound, the sudden surprisals they make, to take us at an advantage by Policy; for never had they yet the power to stand before the face of our Army. The fifth Character of the Midianites. They were unclean both by bodily and spiritual uncleanness. Numb. 25.6.18. We put spiritual and bodily uncleanness together, because one seldom goes without the other. As for bodily uncleanness, we will not accuse them how many they abused; you may take that ex concessio, for they said themselves (as hath been intimated in the fourth Particular of their Blasphemies) that they would Whore, Drink, and be Damned, wherefore if they do not whore, at least they lie, both which Sins God will judge; yet we cannot but give you the Report of the Country, of two Cavaliers who ravished one Maid while another stood by and held the Horses: of 7. more, who abused another, before she could be released from them; besides the many Rapes and Chamber-Adulteries, which we leave to the Allseeing Eyes and Revenging Hand of justice, and as for Spiritual Uncleanness, which is Idolatry, that cannot be free from their Camp, having so many Papists and profane ones in their unhallowed and Pseudocatholique Army. 6 The sixth Character of the Midianites. They were frequent in plotting Combinations with the Children of the East, the Amalekites and others to discomfit Israel. judg. 6.33. judg. 7.12. judg. 6.3. So do these (n) Chrisostomus loquitur in Holmilia unicam ad populum Antiochienne. Cavaliers combine with the Praelaticall party, who are the children of the East, and with Papists who are these Amalekites, with persons accused of treason, with divers Delinquents, and Incendiaries both to Church and State; To give you a view of their Plots and Combinations, look bacl to their Endeavours of Surprising the six Worthies of Parliament, their Plots to enter the Town of Hull, their late desperate Plot to blow up our L. General in Worcester. Yet to all these Plots we may say as to the Conspirators of old. Associate yourselves together, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces etc. Es. c. 8. v. 9.10. 7. One Character more of the Mid●●nites. They were subdued, judg. 8.28. Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no mo●e, & the Country was then in quietness. More is the pity that the Cavaliers do not run parallel with them in this Character; yet they are not subdued, and yet is not our Land in quietness. But do unto them O Lord as unto the Midianites, Read Ps. 83.9.10.11.15.16.17.18. verses. as to Sisera and jabin at the brook of Kison which perished at Endo●● they became as dung for the earth: make their Nobles like O●●b and Zeeb, etc. Christian Reader, thou hast presented to thy view by these Characters that which might make thine ears tingle, thy heart tremble, thy joints shatter, and blood to startle in thy face, that the Name of the living God should be thus blasphemed by mortal men. Oh! stand amazed, and wonder, that an holy God should suffer such hellish Blasphemies to go so long unpunished, that they (being but worms under his feet) he should not trample them to powder, and make them lasting Monuments of everlasting vengeance. God lets them live so long to make your rising more visible, and their fall more dismal: wait but a while and you shall see what slaughters your God will make; he is whetting his glittering Sword, lifting up himself on high, his hand taking hold on justice; their blow is coming, their doom approaching, their judement near, their sin ripe, the sickle of God's wrath will soon cut them down, they shall whither like the grass, be scattered like chafed before the wind, and consumed like stubble before the everlasting burn. Oh ● think no time too long, no labour too great, no cost too much, in so good a cause, against so bad enemies: they are the greatest enemies to Christ that ever this land bred; they have lifted up swords against him, drank healths to the confusion of him, they defile his Name, abhor his Worship, throw out his Ordinances, oppose his Gospel, malign his people, and would lay all his honour in the dust; yea they would infringe your liberties, ensnare your consciences, pull Laws up to throw you down; they expect to be happy by your misery, and rich by your poverty; these idle Vagrants would feign live by the labour of your hands and the sweat of your brows: Oh! how can you hold your hands from these men of violence and blood, lest that curse come upon you of this Land which was denounced by the Prophet jeremiah, c. 48. v. 10. Cused be he that doth the work of the Lord negligently: and cursed be he that keepeth back (in this case especially) his sword from blood. Wherefore turn your plate into money, your Coach-horses into Warre-horses, your Ploughshares into swords, and your pruning-hookes into spears, and make ready for the Battle. Let us tell you, you have that mark to shoot at, at which God is aiming to have his arrows stick in their sides, and be drunk in their blood. O ye Inhabitants of England, in whose eyes Christ and the Gospel, your Laws and Liberties are Precious; go on and prosper, up and be going, up and be doing, and up and be fight, and the Lord be with you. If you will not, take heed lest ye be found fighters against God, felonious to yourselves, rebellious to Nature, treacherous to your Country, injurious to posterity, and infamous to eternity. Wherefore to conclude, as Moses spoke unto the people, in Numb. 31.3. saying. Arm some of yourselves unto War, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the Lord of Midian; and so do you also against the Debauched Cavaliers, or the English Midianites. FINIS.