A rational DISCOURSE OF THE CAVSE OF THE Present War, WITH A FAIRE pattern FOR A Good Peace.  
LONDON, Printed in the year 1643.   

A rational Discourse of the cause of the present War, with a fair pretence for a good Peace.  
IN these times to writ were no new thing Books are as common as is common opinion; yet so to writ, as to declare the truth of judgement without hypocrisy of one side, or flattery on the other; or to writ whereby to reprove advisedly the offences that disturb the times, & to lay open a faire way for good a issue, were time well spent, and labour well bestowed.  
The first of the former concerns an active part of these times, who coming to sit upon the grievance of the kingdom, upon Shipmoney, and Monopolies, injustice of Judges, and such Church faults as were within their reach( as what had not been in a fair way upon the particulars offending) reprovable and corrigible, and not be content to have the same delivered into their hands, but must, further then the reach of human judgement, or common understanding, subject all regal Power, Ordinances of Authority, and ministry of Justice, together with the root and branch of Church government, unto the will or malice of such as wilfully did purpose, or maliciously would undermine the state of those powers whose foundation was from God alone. To explain the contradictory agitation of these times to the divine Orthodox way of Christianity, were tedious, and the rather because I cannot but think every one( not wilfully ignorant) is sensible of it; therefore I pass by it, deciding the controversy only by this: Blood is spile, what if the Throne had shadowed or eclipsed the bea●●●s of mercy whereby judgement might be attracted, who shall in this case judge, or rise up and say he standeth innocent? Concerning the distractions of the times, the overture of justice and judgement was the decay of Government, and the continuance thereof shows they are not sought after nor regarded. The abuses in Gods worship, and Church government grow more and more as may be seen by this, namely, opinion is risen up to decide truth. But to say something equal to the expectation of the Reader, according to the exordium of this time and labour. Is it not shane to see that so great and glorious a Nation as England was, is become so full of offences, that its disturbances are resemblances of a kingdoms overthrow, and similize times expiration: Where is your wisdoms that should have looked to these offenders, knowing that w●e unto the world because of offences; For it must needs be that offences shall come, but woe unto that man by whom offence cometh; if then you will meddle with judgement, why look you not to the offendor, he and his party are countenanced, made great, and abound with riches, and all manner of pleasures, as if the glory of the times, and all things else were made for his dispose, whose power was from death, whose riches got by corruption, are reserved by the mystery of iniquity and filthiness: Thence came the glory of the kingdom to be ravished; thence sprung depravation of laws, and monstrous corruption; thence grew regal dignity to be scorned, and set at nought; thence came the Church to be defiled, and from those soul vapours raised by false indigni●ies grew Englands Sunshine darkened; what course then to be taken? What, now but to make ourselves wise by temptations, by breeding more darkness to cast out vapours of death and destruction to the multitude, and giving them stones instead of bread, whereby they fall at difference, and murder each other about a cause, which was causeless until caused by breach of faith and public trust. Where was now the medicine for a body so diseased? Why was not the particular branches of the kingdom, that were grieved and burdened with oppression, relieved and made to spring again, whereby it might have appeared the stock & root had not been dead. The offences in the Church I confess look something more desperate then ordinary, and it may be said, what course could be taken for that? Why it was not ripe( yet God keep it from ripening so again) whence grew it, I may not take neither honour, nor tithe from God nor his Ministers; and who saith that Bishops are not lawful, is a wretch; or that such governours are not requisite in Church and Common-wealth, is too wise for me. But that Bishops should bee Lord Treasurers, and the most active men in a State about temporal dignities and preferments, is beyond my divinity or conscience, and had these things been looked after in a usual, mild and commendable way, and amended by degrees, the gloss of gross offences, and vices of a Court had not excited your mindes, that had judicature in your hands to have risen up and been carried away with the violence of vengeance upon those you supposed yourselves justly grieved at, which hath caused the wasting of your estates, and blood of your friends and Countrymen, and hazarded the desolating of a kingdom.  
For what hope hath any man to see a future happiness, that murders his dearest and best friend for a cause that concerns him no more( if looked into with a single eye, and without selfe-affection) then when a master and a servant fall at difference for the blessings another man bestows upon his child. The offences that did cause the judgement, was for our sins, which no way to be diverted but by prayer and repentance: the grievances in Commonwealth by taxes( if not justly raised for the glory of the kingdom) was a great oppression, and the riches so taken were( in which the hands of many were mixed) detestable robberies, which to my knowledge were cried out against in those times, as well as since to you, and might have been remedied or made known by those that very well understood them, whereby satisfaction might have been required, and such as unjustly suffered, in complaining of abuses, been with the kingdom relieved both, who found help like a man fallen among thieves, who lying almost dead, a near acquaintance and friend espied, lying gasping for want of oil in his wounds, which he not administering to him, runs in hast to bee revenged of the thieves that hurt him, whereby the poor man became more miserable then before, his friends leaving of him without relief, adding to his former misery discontent; and his friend not certain of what might happen to himself, runs madly on to pursue the desire of his own will, which though good as the intent, yet not discreet nor wise in the ordering thereof, which by the example of sun, Moon, and stars, and all the fabric of Heaven and Earth, is represented as the cement to fasten them together, Order being next to Divine Providence, Natures chief supporter; and so not finding his strength sufficient, returns again with loss, besides his own detriment both of his friend and victory. If Englands friends had not run after the blood of revenge, they had not suffered her nor her distressed Members to have lain without relief, Gods blessing had not been so slighted, nor the wisedoms of former ages, whether extant by Bishops, or other inferior Ministers, or by other wise, ancient, and learned men of Church and Commonwealth, so vilified, as what they delivered and were subject unto, and in Church government and Religion died under, and were martyred for, is rooted up and cast away, as if the faults of the evil Governours must take away the glory of the foundation of government. But to take things as they stand, and to say something toward the recovery of truth, and discovery of the breach in Church, although there be no new thing done under the sun, yet times revolution hath afforded some things which before have not been taken notice of, and given them to our view in such a manner, that it seems as if there had never been the like before, and every man in the age wherein he lives, conceives the most remarkable things of his time so to bee. Vox clamantis was a forerunner of the day of Redemption, vox deplorantis is the voice of our times, and to bee feared a forerunner of immediate judgement, both which seem to oppose one the other, yet in effect tend all to one end, and act one and the self same thing: The one preceding mans redemption by a Saviour in suffering with shane and ignominy, the other preceding mans redemption by a Judge and mighty deliverer by his own power and glory, yet one and the self same person represented, and one and the self same matter performed. 'Tis even so now, truth banished is not easily recovered: tis a sore wound where she is wilfully opposed, or craftily denied her resting place. The misery of our times seems unparalleled, where blood cries out and is spilled so confusedly, that former ages have not set forth the like, that in one and the same kingdom under one and the same King, in one and the same Church, nay in one and the same house men fall to war, and to siding; if combinations and private champerties were not amongst them that have power in their hands, the people could not be so deluded, nor the kingdom tossed like a Ship under a false Pilor, who instead of the channel divert the helm, and runs her on the rock or sands, and where such things are kept and concealed, truth must needs be abandoned, and delusion spread itself to the destruction of the harmless wayfaring man whether on sea or on shore.  
For the Church I conceive never any government to be toward in her while blood is continued to be  shed, nor victory to be to her whilst such passages continue under colour or pretence of her glory: for it is observable a word to be given both on the Kings side, and on the Parliaments; the King is God, and the King, and well he may take it up, for, fear God and honour the King, are commandements by divine Writ; but what word can it be for a man to spill his brothers blood, and say it is for the King and Parliament, although contrary to his Proclamation, &c. For my part I conceive it a delusion, and men die in darkness thereby, if it must be decided so, let this be the way to know for whom God is pleased to reserve the kingdom for, if a man fight let him do it, and say For God and the Church, and one side must surely fall without much bloodshed more: for God will bee with his Church unto the end. But to fight as now adays I verily believe most do for money and pillage, is worse then common robbery, who if they understood that what they fight for is their own already, it being the price of their saiths, might as well go in clusters to Guildhall in London and demand so much as their faith is worth, as go and bee hired with the price thereof to spill the blood of their brother in Christ, their co-native in the Country, their friend in national affection, & their neighbour in habitation, not to speak of others in alliance and consanguinity: And for matter of plunder or p llage, or call it what you will, observe what the Church of God did in Ahasuerus his dayes: when Haman had got a decree sealed with the Kings Ring, that all the Jews, Mordecayes people, should be destroyed, Hester and the people fasted, and by the providence of God she brought it to pass, that a decree issued( the matter being rightly understood) that Mordecayes people should do the like to their enemies; but( although they had an express leave or grant so to do) on the prey they laid not their hands, for it was for their lives, laws, and religion for which they fought, and had been by Haman accused to King Ahasuerus. And if any such thing were against us really, where one riseth, a thousand would rise and fight rather naked for such a Cause, then for Money, upon never so faire pretences, to hazard the blood of his friends, and destruction of his own life and soul: in such a cause, if any, a man may have cause to fight against his opposer, but howsoever those that can fight as well as those that cannot, must rather pray with devotion that God will bee pleased to divert the judgements threatened, which ought rather to be submitted unto, or diverted by prayer, then withstood, or by us thought to be remedied, or sought to be remedied by our own strength or power, knowing that obedience is better then sacrifice; and that violence hath thrown down kingdoms, wisdom( not the sword) made mean men Kings.  
FINIS.