England's Thanks: OR, A MESSAGE OF THANKS, (Delivered, by GUILDHALL) from our Mother ENGLAND to all her true hearted Children that have been any way assistant to the Parliament in maintaining the honour of the KING, the true Religion, Liberty of the Subject and Privileges of PARLIAMENT.  
With A CAVEAT to the VULGARS', that they speak not immodestly of the KING, and envy not His Person, but leave all things to be controverted by the grave and wise Parliament, and leave the issue to God.  
Oodered to be forthwith Printed and Published.  
B. R.   woodcut, a Tudor rose and a fleur-de-lis each crowned 
London, Printed for Francis Leach. 1642.   

THE MESSAGE As 'twas delivered BY GVILDHALL.  
Gentlemen, or what ere your titles are,  
WEre it suitable to your gravities to fancy Raptures from Poetic brains, I would satisfy your Appetite with golden Ver●e: or had I myself but Tully's wealth, I would deliver my Errand in words exactly placed, like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver: but you all know my Gifts, I never had that of Eloquence, therefore I shall not flatter you in either Strain.  
I bring you Thanks attended with all the circumstances of Love, to prove a grateful Acceptance of your good Affections you have so freely expressed: I come not from a bare Friend, from whom you might justly challenge that poor reward of Thanks, but which adds Glory to the Message) am sent by her that may command what you have done, though (which adds to her Goodness) she promiseth Repayment: may no● ENGLAND your Mother justly claim a maintenance from her children's estates, when as she made them capable of inheritances? surely, 'tis justice every one to have the Crop of his own Seed: As, 'tis more than cruelty in these that by't the Breasts from which their Infancy at first received Nourishment, so they are not less unnatural, that suffer an unrevenged Kick upon the Womb where they first received breath: This is your Mother ENGLAND'S case, and shall not she command her children's Aid, to keep her aged Self from an untimely Grave: Yes, yes, she may, and you like good Children have showed yourselves no less undutiful to her, than she tender to you: and she sends you Thanks to encourage your farther onset in case of greater necessity.  
Shall the Faith the brought you up in, and that purchased at first, not with the expense of a little Blood, and since maintained 'gainst many Oppositions, be checked now for fear of Bloodshed? Shall the Religion you have hitherto enjoyed be now basely betrayed, when your Adversaries the Papists have lest convenience? Shall the Liberties your Ancestors bought so dear, and bequeathed to you so freely unviolated, be now captivated with I know not what oppression? Will you now prove Bastards to your Father's bloods, and make your Mother guilty of a general Whoredom? Or can any men be so Degenerate, as if their Fathers had sold all their Virtues with a general Warranty? have you enjoyed a Parliament you so long expected, and will you not stand close to them that endanger their own lives and fortunes to preserve yours? 'Tis a Rule you may take now from your dying Mother (unless God be more gracious than Physicians skilful) that a powerful Parliament makes a glorious Prince, a weak Enemy, and a rich and quiet Kingdom: and you all, or at least, ye Aged among you, find, or have found that Rule without exception: Is not the Parliament a sure Revenger of an injured Cause? and when malignant favourites bar you of your Appeal to your most gracious and religious meaning Prince, are not they (being not subject to delusion) impartially ready to hear thy Conplaints? Surely you have all found them so, and if so, ought not you then to puze them at too high a rate to be sacrificed to the blood thirsting cruelty of Papist call and ill affected Cavaliers? Yes, yes, your Mother says you aught, and therefore she upon her blessing commands those that have been hitherto backward to let them see how they relish their Mother's affronts: and for you that have been forward, she blesseth those fruits of her Womb.  
But something else I am to tell you from your Mother, which as a charge she laid upon all her Children in general, but especially upon her youngest Children, I mean the Vulgars': she bid me tell it you all, not as if the better breeding and greater knowledge of you her eldest Sons were not sufficient to tell you your duties, but that you might call upon them being more ignorant to learn theirs: her charge is this.  
She says your cause is just and noble, else you should never have had encouragement from her: But yet she says you must not stand so much for your Mother England's right, as to destroy your Fathers, the Kings: She say God's command of Obedience to your Parents, doth not except against the honour you own your Father: Therefore her charge is, that as you are willing to assist the Parliament, so you be sure your private hopes or inward thoughts be not beyond the intent of the Parliament, for fear lest their just cause should fail, notwithstanding your large contributions) by reason of your just intentions.  
If you still give me leave to explain her words, her intent I will take to be this, she knows the intent of the Parliament to be good and honest, and she takes notice of the allegiance, respect, and reverence they give his Majesty, and she desires you to see that your younger brethren, the Vulgars', do not transgress with immodest language, whereby scandals may be laid upon the King your Father, and the blame at last be cast upon that guiltless and wisely innocent Council, the Parliament.  
The Law says the King can do no wrong, and the Parliament intimate as much by laying the fault upon his evil Councillors: and ought those Inferiors then to be commended or thought Religious, that do their best endeavours to stain Majesty itself, with that impudence that Superiors blush at? Can undue and scandalously unlawful Expressions be thought the fruits of a good and zealous Spirit? Surely if those of authority (I mean the Parliament) should lay no better a foundation than those Vulgars' do, our Church would soon be Ruinated not Reform, I cannot judge of men's hearts Certainly, but am bound to think Charitably, and therefore I do confess, that many nay all the Multitude may have honest Hearts, and yet the Zeal of their Houses (I mean their Conventicles) may eat them up: I mean when the virtue Zeal for want of Knowledge and Discretion is turned to vicious Passion) and such Men like blind Horses that are mettlesome may d●sh their brains against the Wall for want of a careful Rider.  
This is that for which your Mother does desire all her knowing and religious Children to correct their ignorant Brethren: I have no more to say to you his good Children that have been forward to join with this happy and blessed parliament to relieve your distressed mother, but only to deliver her blessing to you all, which comes as hearty from her, as the great testimonies I have received from you of your good affections.  
May all Accidents conspire to bless you with an happy Success: May you all Flourish, like the Tree planted by the River side, in despite of wicked Opposers. May you be Crowned with the accomplishment of your Religious aims. May the reward of you and your Posterity be the enjoyment of the true Catholic and Apostolical Religion, the worldly Peace and the Liberty of Subjects here, and may you all be naturallized in Heaven hereafter. May your mighty arm be stretched out in defence of your just Cause, and may the memory of your good Affections and of this blessed Parliament, never meet a Grave in coming Ages.  
Thus I have done with you, but let me tell you your Mother's Curse to those her Children that still perish, not only slighting but increasing her too great Miseries, for those she prayed that either better Qualities may possess them, or sudden death destroy them; and after their untimely Dissolution, may their injured Mothers causeless sufferings rise up in judgement against them, and may their unnatural Violence to their murdered brothers and ravished sisters, add several degrees to their deserved torments.  
DIXI.