THE MISTAKE OF THE TIMES, Written By a faithful Son of the late flourishing Church of ENGLAND, observing present differences between the Parliament and Army.  
Being written by one much bemoaning the the sad condition of his native KINGDOM. From a Scholar in Cambridge to his friend in London.  
LONDON, Printed for George Linsey at Londonstone, 1647.   

THE MISTAKE OF THE TIMES, WHEREIN Is observed the present difference between the PARLIAMENT and ARMY.  
IT hath ever been held an unfit course to Intermeddle with other men's actions, especially when one hath nothing to do with the matters in question, yet here methinks every good subject as well as every great subject, may challenge an interest; I have therefore (though in the midst of my own private distractions) lent thy observations to those public distances between Parliament and Army. Indeed I have often heard it that a King is the husband, and the Commonwealth is the wife, now whom God hath joined together let no man nor malice seek to separate; ye● if any differences arise, I shall pray they may compose them themselves, or else they throw themselves upon the c●●●u●e of others, but sometimes they may be liable to such distempers, that they may need a Physician, and Parliaments have been held the fittest and best Physicians to cure disquiets in either; For as household jars may rend and ruin a family, the husband pulling one way, and the wife another, to their own infinite disquiets; So when theose differences are composed, it doth knit the bond of affection the firmer, that many times they may cry out, we are happier by our failings and falling out; But if any go about to make the breach wider now horrid a task they undertake, they and they only can tell, who have been liable to such mischances, for when bad persuasions meet with such untoward humours as are apt to entertain ill conceits of one another, how easy a thing it is to make that irr 〈…〉, which by 〈◊〉 and seasonable advice is soon composed, even so in a distempered Kingdom, where either the Prince plays the wanton with his prerogatives, and gives others power to abuse his Subjects, thinking his people bound to suffer any thing he layeth upon them, or where a distempered Nation ●egin● to think evil of their Princes, ●●…pi●●…ing to see any in grea●er power than themselves, how easy is it for any siding with either, to make the sparks of division grow to such a flame as may set the whole Kingdom in combustion. And how easy is it on the other side to procure a fair composure, if any will modestly and mannerly show their Prince how he is abused by his instruments, and what a derrogation it is to his Princely dignity to employ bad agents, because the worst of the evil ●●flects upon himself, Therefore entreat him in time to prevent such growing evils by taking advice by a Parliament, and no the other side to persuade the people to have a reverend esteem of their Prince, as of one God hath set over them and that as soon as the world became populous, there was a necessity of difference and distinction of persons, and that supreme powers are ordained by God, and those that resist them resist the Ordinance of God. And so having brought both to see their sickness, to persuade both to make their refuge to the Physician; but now if this Physician shall proceed so cunningly with both, as to refuse to undertake the cure, unless all the power they both have be conferred on him, presuming the Prince will endure no such corrosives if there be occasion to use them, nor the people being of an untamed humour) will not be kept in fitting bounds, if I say the Parliament be so cautious (as out of these considerations), not to undertake the cure unless it be invested with this power the danger will be, and is but to apparent, the cure man be worse than the disease.  
For could it have been imagined that the King for his voluntary desire to satisfy his subjects in granting the continuance of this Parliament, that they should not only make it perpetual, but deprive the King of all subjection to him, nay of all livelihood, and did the Commonwealth imagine, that out of a desire to be freed from all Monopolies, and all illegal demands, as Shipmoney, and the rest, they should have been thus ensnared, as to pay greater Taxes, new Excises, such Contributions, as do not only fare exceed all former demands, but are still so increasing, that they not only groan under the burden of them, but grow not able to discharge them, and yet they are made believe this is for the liberty of the Subject, I have heard that none can manage an estate so well, as those that are breed in the familiar use of it, which is the reason, that the Sons of those men that suddenly grow rich, are for the most part prodigals; so I wonder not that this Parliament having such an expected power put in their hands, prove and play the Prodigal with it, what vast sums have been raised, and how disposed, not the wisest amongst them (I verily believe) can tell, why Armies have been listed, hummunition provided, so many Innocents' killed, can any of them give a reason? for what good hath all our fight produced, but breed an inviterate hate against one another, nay after all our glorious (as they call them) victories, are we any whit the nearer happiness? nay (I fear) we are rather falling into greater distractions; for doth not the Army prescribe rules to the Parliament, nay to the King himself, by fetching him violently from Holmby, and still disposing of him as they not he pleaseth, so as I fear they guard him for danger, not from danger, and do they not impeach the Members of the House of Commons, and require a perfect time for determination of this Parliament, and divers other things, and do not the Queries object against the Army, nay may not the Parliament justly wonder that an Army should at one and the same time require pay from them, and infringe their privileges, is not this strange bandying at one another, & offing one another from hazard to hazard, even to the hazard of one another's ruin, for are we not next door to be again embroiled in a new war, and so to be made (and what is worse to make ourselves) the scorn of all our Neighbour Nations, but was it not so with the Children of Israel when they had no King? did not every man what seemed good in his own eyes and I pray consider what strange thing have been acted both in Church and Common wealth in this Kingdom of la●e, may it not truly be said? Thy holy Temples they have defiled, and made jerusalem an he●p● of stones, so as it is a wonder to me that the stones do not cry out, and now must we expect our happiness from further divisions, certainly no, I wish therefore we would prevent so near an approaching evil before it come upon us; for let us once more be engaged in justifying our several conceits by the sword, it will then be too late to wish a reconcilement.  
O that both Parliament and Army would therefore (before it be too late,) throw themselves at the King's feet, and humbly acknowledge thing are done improperly on both sides, for as it is man's weakness to err, so it is man's wickedness to persist in error; for I am persuaded if we would yet at last put all our mysteries into the King's hands, it will prove the likeliest way to cure our overspreading maladies before they grow to such an height, as they will be impossible to be cured, and that we would desire him to settle things as seems best in his eyes; for certainly, as God hath endowed him with knowledge above his fellows, or else he could never have borne those high and strange affronts as have been put upon him with so admirable a patience, so I am confident, affliction hath been prepared him to manage the Sceptres of his three Kingdoms, with more safety to his Subjects, and honour to himself, than he hath done before; for new he sees plainly, freeborn subjects will not endure indirect demands, and therefore there is no doubt his own pious heart desires so to manage those things are committed to his charge, as to prepare and secure his way to Heaven, and future happiness; for here we have no abaling City.  
O Lord (for thy mercy's sake) open the eyes of this sinful Nation, that not trusting to their own 〈◊〉, nor ●●●●…ing to their own conceit, they may reinvest His Majesty in his just rights, and learn and resolve to submit to his Commands, and then upon the dissolution of this Parliament▪ it is not to be doubted but His Majesty will call another, and so settle the Peace of this (now totterring) Kingdom, but if still we keep him at distance, and continue our thwarting and crossing one another, we may undoubtedly (and that very shortly) say, we might have been happy but would not; therefore woe, woe, woe, is but too likely to be our portion, let us O let us, therefore devote with all reverence a day of general humiliation for our crying sins, so may our general desolations be Prevented, nay let us (for 〈◊〉 we had needs) 〈…〉 mightily to the Lord) to ●●ver● his ●udgements 〈…〉, King, meet with condign punishment, we were of all Nations most miserable, but there is mercy with him that he should be feared, if therefore we can truly humble ourselves, and implore his mercies in an humble, lowly, pennitent, and obedient manner, there is yet hope, we may not quite perish; for as man cannot commit greater sins than God can forgive, yet if we persist in these crying impieties, it is to be feared, we may commit those sins God will not forgive, but that other Nations and our future Generation, may have cause to bemoan our just desolations, and that our gardens be given to those will make a better use of them then we have done; for if famine, murder, rape, (which are the bitter Attendants of war) be the effects of our reformed religion, how will the mother be detested that bringeth forth such loath some issue; let us therefore take heed we not only wound, but altogether destroy our religion we seem with so much zeal to establish, I wish therefore we would take warning by the parable of him that planted a Vineyard, and let it out unto husbandmen, and when he expected fruit, and sent a servant to them, they beat him, and sent him away empty, and ceased not there, but used two others in the like or worse manner, nay they killed the Son himself, but what the Lord of the Vineyard did I tremble to think on, lest the like punishment for the like impieties befall us.  
FINIS.