REASON AGAINST TREASON: OR, A Bone for Bradshaw to pick.  
Imperium cupientibus nihil medium est Inter precipitia& summa.  Tacit. 
Insidiantur temporibus aliena appetentes.  Polybius. 
Printed in the year 1649.   

REASON against TREASON.  
BY an Ordinance of God Coeuall to the creation of Adam, all the societies of mankind have been limitd to a Magistracy, or Government, the word hath for its Correlative subjection, and wheresoever the power is placed, it challengeth a Reverence by participation of Divine sovereignty: for as the soul hath as good an understanding in an Idiot, and as good a memory in a lethargique person, as in the wisest, and the liveliest man: so hath sovereignty in every State equal vigour, though the organs by which it worketh be not in all alike disposed: we have no Scriptum est, no written Word to command, or commend our form above another, and it were an absurdity to believe we had any such limitation; for then we should be prove to condemn all those communities which are not specificated to our form, as violations of Gods Ordinance, and to pronounce them, or to imply our own unlawful; but of this timerity the Apostle hath most pregnantly insinuated a prohibition, saying, The Powers that are, are ordained of God: the propensions of such men are too fleet for their judgement, that would from hence infer a liberty to turn about the great wheel of self interest, and to center their obedience onely in the windefals of advantage. This I know is the Doctrine of ourself seeking times, and against this I bend my present discourse. For when by the Gubernative reason of God( his Providence) a right is conveyed to a Person or Family, by the means of a public fundamental Oath, or a contract and agreement of State, it becomes equivalent to a divine Word, and within the conditions, bounds, and provisions of that public agreement; the conveyed power is as obligatory, as if the privilege of an extraordinary Word had designed it; and with this agreeth St. Ambrose, Irrevocabiliter Populus libertatem alienat cum regem elegerit: The People upon their choice of a King do irrevocably alienate their liberty; neither let any man be so brain sick as to believe them, that do not indeed believe themselves, when they affirm that regal Authority is derived from man; for the election of a King doth but represent him to God. When the People from the dictates of rectified reason have begot such a form of Government, then doth God infuse the soul of power into it; not that men have lighted a King at the candle of their election, or transferred certain degrees of Jurisdiction into him, for God hath immediately imprinted in mans nature to be subject to a power infused by him: and therefore it is a muddy and a cloudy search, to trace into the first root of Jurisdiction, since it is not grounded in man. proof of this we have had brought to us from the remotest parts of the World, the discoveries that have been made into Peru, Mexico, Brazill, China, and other places, do sufficiently demonstrate that men void of all learning and Religion do by the light of nature subject themselves to one as their King; and shall we that have for almost one thousand yeers upwards in our generations flourished under the government of Kings in al variety of blessings, against the commandement of God, murder them, dishonour them, and banish them?  
We have for seven yeers insensibly wasted and languished, by the specifical poisons of co-ordination, and the superiority of the People over their King; but let us speedily take down some Antidotes before our vital spirits be consumed. Let us no longer be infatuated to follow them, or fear them, that think it no bad bargain to assure upon themselves an eternity of damnation, to purchase a ticklish, troublesone and transitory sway. Let not our Purses be any deeper purged by the gilded pill of Justice and Reformation; for can they think themselves religious, that destroy them whom the Lord hath commanded them to honour? But here presseth in an irresistible opposer, one John Goodwin, or if you desire a surer Character of him, one Mariana of the Society of Jesus, improved by a metempeucosis; he will tell you out of his last book, that the People are above the King, and he will prove it, and out of Scripture too; for, saith he, as the Man was not created for the Woman, but the Woman for the Man; for Adam was first formed, and then Eve; so the People are not for the King, but the King for the People, and therefore above him, and when he proves a Delinquent, draw up his Charge, and dispatch him. S●… h as the mans Interest is, such is his inference; for may I not prove with as good consequence, that a wolf( especially John Goodwin in Sheeps clothing) is also above the King; for we red that the Beasts of the field were created before Man: how fulsome is this from such a man? how rank it sen●s of the Sisterhood? it hath me thinks the very Hant-goast of a Conventicle.  
Now if you will demand of him who shall be Judge of the Kings misdemeanours or delinquency, he ecchoeth the People( for vox Populi must be vox Dei, till they are all fooled into a whirlpoole of misery) that is, the Representatives of the People, that is the Parliament, that is the House of Commons, that is the Army, that is the council of State, that is, a company of men in whom neither Faith, Oath, nor Altar take place: Qui in templis fulminantem prierant Jovem. The first Sacraments of whose confederacy were perjury, sacrilege, and plunder; even these People must accuse, judge, and condemn their lawful, just, and religious King. But what was the Kings Delinquency? why? in one place John Goodwin will tell you, he was guilty of all the blood that hath been spilled since these Warres began; and in another place, he telleth the sneaking Presbyterians( to whom they have given the go by) that he wondereth they should account the proceedings against the King to be rigorous or unjust; for, saith he, the sad condition of the King hath h●… the prise for which the People for seven yeers together have run through fire and blood; and should they be now discontented for their success of obtaining it. Compare these two places together, and you may soon know where the gl●… of blood must be charged: and also take notice of the conscience of the Man, whose fore-head is so hard as to prostitute his complicated evidences to an infamous famed. But thus oft times God suffers wise men to confute themselves: Aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus. In all emergencies of contestation and difference, it is by all men held equitable to submit to the umperage of some third disinterested party; and if we offer the royal cause to the determination of Antiquity, doubtless we sand no foul challenge, for he that will deny credit to Antiquity, doth teach Posterity how little credit will be due to us: and certainly, when they come to examine the transactions of our righteous Parliament, the greatest wonder will be, that we should have so many appearances of Civility, and so little practise; so many Books, and yet so much barbarism( unless perhaps it may seem a greater wonder, that they left us any Books) but whilst we have them let us make use of them.  
My first Author shall be a man of late dayes, and when be lived able to justify his words against John Goodwin. Enim a quo aliquis constituitur esse superiorem constituto, verum est duntanit in ea constitutione cujus effectus perpetuo de peudet a voluntate constituentis, non autem in ea quae ab initio est volentis, post ea vero effectum habet necessitatis, quomodo mulier virum sibi constituit, ●… i p●… ve semper necesse se habet. For the benefit of all Readers thus in English; In such a constitution where the constituted or elected Prince, is always in the power, or at the will of the electors, there onely the People or electors may be said to be above the Prince; but not so in that constitution( and this is our case) where that which at first was an act of the Peoples will, doth afterwards successively devolué into an effect of necessity; as a Woman solitary may choose or refuse a Hvsband, but being married she hath contracted upon herself a necessity of perpetual obedience.  
My proof of the second magnitude cometh from Thomas Aquinas, a doctor of whose authority I know John Goodwin will not despise, for in one passage of his last book he telleth his Reader by words of crafty diminution( like a Citizen that vents his wears by dark lights) that a baubling Crucifix will sufficiently put a devout Christian in remembrance of his Saviours passion: this is a shrewd strain of ridling Independency. But in another place he is not altogether so reserved; for he saith, the Papists are as acute, as solid and as sound as the Protestants, unless in some Controversies where they differ from us. Where you may observe the word Us, and those words the Protestants are contradistinguished, he including himself in the monosgillable Us, sets himself and his party in diamer opposed to Protestants; so that in effect his words import that in some things they and the Papists do not yet agree, but all in good time they may give one another the right hand of fellowship. My authors words are these; Cicut olim pia erant sacrificia secundum legem quamvis ob implis sacerdotibus celebrata, fie pi●… res est imperium quamvis ab impio teneatur; That is, as under the old Law the Sacrifices were holy, though celebrated by unholy Priests; so Monarchy is a sacred thing, though the Prince be wicked.  
My third proofs, and of the first magnitude are from Saint Hierom and Saint Austin, men as free from flattery as John Goodwin, and altogether as great strangers from any pondarlike soothing of a Princes entrusts; the first, in one place hath these words, nulla creatura judicat regem, said deus benedictus; no mortal creature can judge the King, only God our blessed creator. In another place, contra regis injurias nulla in populo relicta est potestas magistratus deprivatis principes demagistratibus, deus de principibus judicat. In the former words John Goodwin might have fallen upon the creature, because it seemed to be Individually spoken, and was not collectively united in a Representative sense; but here in the latter Saint Hierom doth seem as it were to silence the jewish nociferations 〈…〉 monster the People crying for the blood of their King 〈◇〉 saith he, the Magistrate condemneth the fellow, the 〈◇〉 the Magistrate, but God only the King, for against the ●… ju●ies of a King there is no power left in the people to p●… them. Si quis de nobis orex( saith St. Austen also) justitie ●… mites transcendere volverit ate corripi potest; si vero tu excesseri 〈…〉 te corripiet? loquimur enim tibi, said si volveris audis, si autem volveris quis 〈◇〉 damnabit? nisi is qui se promutiavit esse justitiam. If any of Us, O King, transgress the rules of our obedience, it is in thy power to punish us, but if thou exceedest the measure of thy power, who shall reprove thee? wee supplicate thee, wee petition thee, if thou wilt, thou hearest us, if thou 〈◇〉 not, who shall condemn thee, but him that hath pronounced himself to be the righteous judge. This is the Harmony of Antiquity, and many more authorities might be heaped on this, but I profess one line of these mens writing doth more sway my judgement then a library full of partial relations gathered out of the books of Presbyterian State pochers, or Independent Regicides; and did not base covetousness, ambition, at first a desire, and now a fear of revenge, interpose between their consciences, and their judgements, I am confident many of them would disband themselves, and by a private life confess their seductions.  
Every one hath read the charge drawn up against the Monarch, it seems it was in the composition of it a service of so quick a reflection to the Honour of Lucifer, the ●… d would not suffer the Civilian to be recompensed by the mediation of his Trustees in Parliament, but in all hast sent for him to his own Court to gratify him when he had 〈◇〉 cramed himself, as a Duch beast, for such along journey, that there might be gurges in gurgite, one gulf swallowing up another.  
I expect every day to hear that John cook followeth in the second place, for like the villain Selomon speaketh of, 〈◇〉 flieth, when no man pursueth him, for a company of Boyes in Chancery-lane having recovered a lost Football in the streets, crying out, here tis, here tis,( such horrid torments are prodused by small causes in the consciences of blud-thirsty men) this self condemning Gaderine ran violently down the Temple toward the water, just as the swine when the devil had entred into them, and drowned he had been most certainly, but that there is a fatality in our proverb, He that is born to be hanged, shall never be drowned. That he means to finish like Judas in an Elder three, he doth me thinks insinuate in the close of his most scientificall Book; for you must know that wickedness condemned by its own witness, is very tymerous, and being over-pressed with conscience always fore-casteth grievous things; that he shall die by the hands of a Ravilliacke is his fear, this Ravilliacke was one that murdered a King; and surely John cook cannot think that there is any such meritorious Transubstantiation in the work, that the killing of a King should make the destroyer a King; therefore he being the murderer( to help this Tertullus to make up sense) doth intend to be his own executioner.  
Fairfax also with Crumwell, Jreton, steel, Bradshaw, and many others( whose faces you often meet with in Tapestry, in the History of those that scourged Christ) will make their sudden departure with a cupio dissolui, we desire to be dissolved that we may be with Dorislaus, for Birds of a feather must flock together; for over all of them there is spread a heavy night, blackness of darkness, and an image of that which shall receive them. And John Goodwin, who doth tenter his faculties to eloquentiall blasphemy, with all his bemiring flattery, can but in a poor degree sweeten this life unto them. But the Monarch being gone who must draw up this charge against Monarchy, none so sit as John Goodwin; for, from Gods answer to the Jews requiring a King, this shall be the manner of the King that shall reign over you, he shall do thus and thus; as the cabinet counsellor to the Almighty, he telleth his credents in his last Books, that it was the clear intent of God in presenting such an ample draft and particular of the regal pressures unto them, to possess them( and in them all other People and Nations of the World besides, with a clear understanding and serious ●… sideration of the many sad inconveniences and burth●… which would attend the government by Kings. Now if I answer, that the Jews found themselves under some pressures or burdens, which they believed upon some prudential motives might be removed from them, by the govern●… of a King. He replieth in another place, that God gave them a King as a curse when he conceived displeasure against them; therefore they may upon opportunity given( and that is by getting their King into a sad condition) change this Government. By the same consequence, all you Wives that have bad Husbands, there is no King in power, no Law in 〈◇〉 take your opportunities, leave them, and take fresh co●… for this opportunity came upon them when God was 〈◇〉 pleased with your great Grandmother Eve, Ger. 3.16. In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children; thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. But let us make some progress 〈◇〉 the Scriptures, and examine whether God doth seem to distaste and dislike this form of Government( as John Goodwin insinuates;) for certainly, if God had foreseen it more obnoxious to inconveniences then others, his provident●… love to his creatures would not have suffered it to continue through all succession of time from the very beginning of the new World, and to disperse through all the regions of the earth; for we may very safely aver, that all People and Nations, both Christians and Heathens, hath submitted to, and approved of this form of Government, unless it be 〈◇〉 obscure angle of the World which cannot be sought out 〈◇〉 Map under a sabbath dayes journey.  
First, that Kings there should be, God himself in the 17. of Genesis ver. 6. by way of Promise telleth Abraham, I 〈◇〉 bless Sarah thy wife, and give thee a son also of her, she shall be a Mother of Nations, Kings of People shall be of her. And in ver. 2●. And as for ishmael, I have heard thee, behold, I have blessed him, 〈◇〉 Princes shall be beget, and I will make him a great Nation. Yet 〈◇〉 here no news of complaint or displeasure against this Government, no room for John Goodwins rotten engines of sad inconveniences and many burdens, by which he would jesuit like, tempt People to under-mine Monarchies. But the God of heaven doth here( delighting in his servant Abraham, the Father of the faithful) promise to his Posterity the greatest blessings and felicities that this World is capable of, to wit, to make them Kings of People and Princes of Nations. Before I proceed any further, I shall let loose two Questions to John Goodwin, or any sully text of them all.  
First, whether these words import, or can bear any such monstrous and ridiculous senses at are taught and Printed? that the King is but the vassal to the People, takes ways to be true to his trust, if he fail, and displease them, they may turn him out of doors, out of his kingdom, nay, out of the World.  
Secondly, what the People in the choice of these Kings( whose original we see God determined) did contribute by their election? What will become now of the Peoples superiority, in a collective sense? The Peoples being above the King in their representative capacity; and the People being above the King, because they made Kings. I perceive John Goodwin hath glatted and tired himself, in wresting the Scriptures by divided sences. I wish him therefore to betake himself to some new Alley, and refresh himself by an edifying exposition upon the Alchoron.  
Some perhaps may reply, that these Kings had an extraordinary calling, and therefore the People were immediately bound to their obedience; but that God hath not dealt so with every Nation, there is not amongst all People the same reason of subjection. This Objection I confess is alike obvious and futile. And for Answer to it I shall rise higher and look into the affairs of the old World before the deluge. In Gen. 23.6. thus we red; He are us, my Lord( say the Sons of heath) thou art a mighty Prince amongst us. And if we look into Gen. 14. we shall prove him a mighty Prince, for he over came four Kings at once. True it is we usually call them Patriarks that ruled before the flood; but to make 〈◇〉 for 〈◇〉 as the patriarch is here styled a Prince, so David a Prince is also styled a patriarch, Acts 2.29. saith Saint Peter, Let me speak boldly unto you of the patriarch David. Thus by the power of tr●… we have gained these two Conclusions. First, that Kings and Patriarks hold by one Commandement. Secondly, that subjection to Kings bindeth as a law of Nature, being given for such to the old World, long before any Law came into Tables. By this time it appears I did not strain my modesty, in affirming that all Nations of the World have embraced this kind of Government. And having proved it warrantable by the law of Nature, what a horrible& unconscionable attempt is it in John Goodwin to seek by fallacies to make the people overthrow their own natural Liberty, and by unchristian ill aquations to endeavour to silence in them th●se dictates which nature inculcates; and that is now, obedience and subjection to Charles the second.  
Let us wade a little deeper: We have a Law, saith John Goodwin, and by that Law he is accountable to the People; and if he be found guilty( they being his Judges) he is not exempted from the penalty. speak not evil of the King, no not in thy thought, saith our Scripture; and if not speak evil, certainly much less do evil, much less yet murder him, sei●… his Revenue, and banish his Posterity. Now how much venomous contumely, and malicious obloque hath his soul● Pen spattered upon the ashes of our King; a pious, prudent, m●gnanimous, and religious King, nay, a dead Kings and De mortuis nile nisi bonum; nothing but good be spoken of the dead, was ever the rule of Christians.  
In another Section; I wonder, saith he, whether any King can be saved? I answer mouth; hath not God himself  told thee, That he hearts of Kings are in his hands, and he disposeth them as it seemeth good to him. Wonder rather what will become of thy own soul, that hast bewitched so many souls to imbrue their hands in the blood of their King. If these things be not near of kin to that sin which shall never be forgiven, I am much mistaken; for you have boasted above all men of new lights; and therefore to you the Apostle speaketh it, Hebrews; It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, if they shall fall away, to renew them to repentance. And if these Principles which you maintain be not Apostate from the Doctrine of Christ, who commands us to Give unto Caesar the things which are Caesars, let all honest men judge. The Doctrine of the Scripture is, Take away the evil councillors from about the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness. John Goodwin saith, if the King break promise with his People, take away his Militia, his life, and translate his kingdom to a council of State. What? shall the Fathers unfaithfulness be punished upon the Son too? I, saith he, the bad qualities run in a blood; they have meditated revenge ever since their Grandmother was beheaded. Let any man that hath but soul enough to preserve him from sinking, judge how ridiculous this man hath made himself. And let all English-men, that love the peace and freedom of their Nation, take notice from another passage of his Book, into what an unknown labyrinth of misery they are tumbling, if they prevent it not by settling the King. For his Opposer minding him of an advantage which had accrued to the Parliament, by an accommodation with the murdered King, that it would have reinvested them in the Peoples affections. I value, saith he, these words as a puff of wind. So that there is a conclamatum est of the Peoples election of any new Members; farewell Kings, Parliaments, Liberty, Property, Religion and all, if not timely prevented. I am engaged in the approach of yeers, fuller of memory then hope( as to the things of this life.) But whilst I have ab lity to hold a Pen, I shall speak for the truth. And since God hath said, By me Kings reign: And since God hath said. Touch not mine anointed; let God be true, and let the whole Army, Parliament, and all the Proctors of Rebellion, and all the seducers of the People be esteemed as they are, liars. And since David,( who knew Gods mind as well as John Goodwin) when Abishai tempted him, and  told him, God hath shut up thine enemy King Saul, I pray thee let me smite him with my spear to the earth. This tyrant, this persecutor, this possessed party, this destroyer of the People, or what you will, since David checked him, saying, destroy him not, who can lay his hands upon the Lo●… anointed, and be guiltless? Why may not I tell John Goodwin, when he teacheth me to destroy my sovereign and his Posterity, that he is the Son of destruction and perdition. Ewry temperate and disinterested man hath the insinuations of natural reason for his instructor and counsellor; let 〈◇〉 hold with Reason rather then against it, inviolably persisting in this, that what is most reasonable is most religious; for they suffer themselves to be sequestered of the use of Reason that adhere to the designs of other men without any other exercise of judgement, and usually like bruit Beasts are lead to their own slaughter.  
We have heard that obedience and subjection to all Kings, for that respects their Office, and no man can deny but we owe estimation and effection to good Kings, for that respects their virtues. Now every Englishmans choice( in point of conscience) lieth thus; whether he will yield his subjection to Charles the second the indubitable son and heir of Charles the first, of bleeding memory; who hath authority from the Word of God for the sanction of his authority; and to the known laws of the Land, which are by their institution conformable to the Word and laws of God? or whether he will give up his obedience to I know not, not he knows not what laws, nor when enacted, nor by what Authority ratified and confirmed? that is, whether his Reason will adhere to a certain good and an absolutely lawful convenience, or to an evil absolutely unlawful, uncertainly convenient. Having our King we keep our Laws, he swears to maintain and govern by them; forsaking him we destroy our Laws, and know not what we shall have in lieu of them. He that seeks an uncertain good by means certainly evil, deserves to encounter with a certain mischief. And if this council of State must be our Law-givers, I will hold my— to Crumwels nose; we meet with a mischief for a remedy, not a remedy for a mischief, John Goodwin.  
Amongst men there is no stronger seal of security, then the confermation of an oath; if we make use of this we make use of the best means that God hath left us for our preservation, and it cannot reasonably be required of us to use better then we have. This we require at the mouth and heart of our King, more we shall not obtain from one utopian Architects: but a King hath a soul to forfeit as well as Crumwell; but not the same temptations to trassique with the devil as he hath; for the King is appointed by God to the crown or to his inheritance, but the Crumwellians cannot culminate in this sphere without a conjunction of Treason, Rebellion, Revenge, repined, Oppression, Orphanizing of children. desolation of widows, blood, Murder, Parricide, Regicide and Perjuries as many as advantages; and those too guessed at by their wings. Now let him that loves his own welfare, the freedom of his Country, and the flourishing of his own Posterity, ask John whither the many sad inconveniences, and burdens, are most like to attend upon the Government of Charles the second, or that, of Oliver( 〈◇〉 thinks he was never christened for a King of England) the first, if John tell us the late King was fedifragous, and that this disease is Hereditary; besides that, it is a scurrilous reprocah, wee know Oliver had a tyburn hird to his son for poisoning his master an Apothecary, and thus, egregia est soholes scelerato nata parent. Wee know also that he favours much the opinion of Lysander( for actions are unerring commentaries upon mens minds) who held, that there was no meliority between truth and a lie, but the estimation and dignity of either was to be defined by the use, and profit of it. We know these Law-mockers( not Law-makers) play with oaths as children do with nuts, and with Co●… in the Comedy, think they were made to thrive by. They know no such evil by our King, he never disappointed his oath, he never dated the resolutions of his promises by the calendar of advantage, his tender yeares had been spent in an Imbibition of moral precepts, had not their prodigious impieties abridged him to an early experience of his politic capacity; his inclinations may be moulded by the advice of his faithful councillors to all virtue. cronwell h●th a conscience callovs and brawny, and by childrens tears and widows prayers less penetrable then is his Buffe-doublet by an unheated Tobaccopipe. All you therefore( dear Country-m●n) that are free, ensnare not yourselves in their councils, 〈◇〉 their Juramenia latronum, they are the Covenants of believes and Robbers, by which they indent to you confution, and to themselves damnation; hasty vows are best performed by repentance. If any of you have swallowed the Kircks bo●…? ne sit Sacramentum pietatis vinculum iniquitatis; make not the Sacrament of piety and obligation of iniquity; recant your unadvizednesse in swearing and doubt not the issue. Are you engaged by the Independent Higlers? injusta vincula rumpit justitia. Justice must break the wicked bonds asunder: repent thy purpose, endeavour not to perfect thy presumption.  
Have any of you vowed to the effeminate importunities of kindred, friends, any relations, not to bear arms? ne sit sacramentum pietatis, impedimentum pietatis. Let not the Sacrament of piety be any impedement to justice; break through it with repentance, and with your lives and fortunes pursue the re-establishing of your King, better it is your wives breed sorrow for a short absence, then all your children should become beggars; the youthful Father of your country will recompense those griefs, and Honour your obedience.  

Then let all them that love their King  
Close in this Chorus, and let's sing  
Saluus sit nobis Carolus, saluusque senatus.  
Moribus hic vivat Principis, ille Patris.  
To thee( great Charles) a hart I bring  
As an oblation to my King.  
Thy Peoples love, and Power to show it;  
That knaves may feel it, thou mayest know it;  
Thy Fathers virtues, and the crown,  
The right of Senate, and thy own  
Heaven sand thee, that we yet may s●…  
England restored to liberty.   
FINIS.