Justice upon the Army REMONSTRANCE. OR A rebuke of that evil spirit that leads them in their Counsels and Actions. With A Discovery of the contrariety and enmity in their ways, to the good spirit and mind of God. Dedicated To the General, and the Council of War.  
By William Sedgwick.  
But they shall proceed no further, for their folly shall be manifest to all men.  2 Tim. 3.9. 
LONDON, Printed for Henry Hils, and are to be sold over against S. Thomases Hospital in Southwark, and for Giles Calvert, at the Black Spread-Eagle at the West end of Paul's, near Ludgate M.DC.XLIX.   

TO His Excellency Thomas Lord Fairfax, GENERAL Of the Parliaments Forces, AND To the General Council of War.  
You drive furiously over the necks of King and Parliament, Laws, Covenants, Loyalty, Privilege, and no humane thing can stand before you: You are now faced by the majesty and light of God, while you are asleep in a dark night of earthly affairs: You have appealed to God in your second Declaration, but did not expect so sudden an answer: 'tis eternal and almighty truth that must and will prevail; if you come into it, 'twill save you; if you turn from it, you forsake your own mercy; if you oppose it, you dash yourselves in pieces; you cannot go from it, or besides it, but into the darkness of hell▪ The Lord is here O●braiding your unbelief, but mourning over his Jerusalem▪ with love to your persons, but with fierce anger against your practices: I would you had those lively and fresh evidences of your personal and everlasting good in your own breasts, as I have; your eternal state is sure; 'tis your present wander that are here condemned; Blindness hath happened to you in part; and this is the time of casting you away; you will have a time of being received again; you are now broken off through unbelief, you will be graffed in again: 'tis your fall now, you shall have a restoring; you will wonder to behold so much goodness to your enemies, and so much severity to you Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God How unsearchable are his judgements, and his wares past finding out! I have reproved you sharply, or cuttingly, its proper for you, With vengeance to save you, and to pull you as firebrands out of the fire; your condition requires it; Gentleness is abused, mercy despised, you have a long time trampled upon kindness, and obstinately refused the word of the Lord: You must remember my Sermon to you at Windsor upon that Text. Overturn, overturn, overturn; 'tis Scripture still, and that word lives in and upon you. Salt-marsh his message quickly followed it, Depart from the tents of these unrighteous men; he lives still: And Mr Pinnels admonition from the Lord following that: These, and other testimonies against you, have been slighted and disobeyed; your sins grow greater, and the anger of God hotter against you; your reprieve is not your salvation; you are grown to a height of confidence and presumption upon your successes; your necks are as iron, and your brows brass; and you walk  in your way, triumphing as the only Princes in the earth, as fit to sway the Sceptre of England, and all nations; as the only righteous, honourable people in the world; the great Lords of the Land▪ Therefore it pleases me to pour contempt upon you, to be shod with scorn and indignation, and so trample upon Princes as mortar. Except I should deal thus with you, you would not be sensible of what I say, being hardened against mercy; and having done all you have done against love; Prosperity ●●ayes fools, and therefore the rod is sit for their backs.  
I know my dealing is just and righteous to such as you are, being (as Th●l. 3.18, 19) Enemies to the Cross of Christ; seeming friends to his Gospel, Ministry and Kingdom, but enemies to his cross: You hate to think that those fair beginnings of your peace and deliverance, should come to end in shame and death; you cannot think of leaving your hopes of outward glory, and lying down quietly, to let the world trample upon you: This you count folly, Whose end is destruction: Destruction you practise, 'tis your work, 'tis your end▪ you cant not see beyond it, and you are hastening to it, it is the centre to which you tend; and therefore I cannot but show it you, that you may stop your course before the pit shut her mouth upon you▪ Whose God is their belly; Your saith, understanding and God, is sunk into your bellies, and your rule, your strength, your confidence is only in sensual and brutish things; your raised spirits into the things of God are buried in an inferior region of gross, dull, carnal affairs, and except I should pierce deep, your slow bellies would not find ears: Indeed you are so lost and drowned in sensible things of the world, and so eager in seeking for those things your belly, your carnal affections require of you, that I doubt you will be deaf to what I say. Whose glory is in their shame; You are full of glory in your great things that you have done; wonderful things, a mighty presence of God. But in sum, what is it? You have torn a poor, sinful Kingdom in pieces; You have executed wrath upon your Brethren, Friends and Countrymen; You have laid desolate your Father the King, the Parliament your Mother, your own Country; this is your glory to be executioners; Assyria, the rod of my anger: What a crown is this? Have you restrored, blessed, healed, comforted, saved any? No, you have but plunged the Kingdom and yourselves into a pit of darkness and confusion: When the things of God are proposed to you, to suffer for others, to love enemies, to do good to all, to bless all; you glory in your shame, and say, you serve the Lord in this, and there be lower as well as higher dispensations: You are indeed servants of God, so was Nabuchadnezzar, so is the Devil; and you do the work of God, but 'tis base drudgery, 'tis his strange work, to be instruments of his vengeance; and 'tis a lower dispensation indeed, to dispense curses, not blessings, to be below in hell, exercisd in the wrath of God, not above in heaven in the glory and love of God; and for sons, heirs, so you would be thought, to take pleasure in such mean employment, is vile and unworthy: Who mind earthly things; this is another property of yours, your minds are now captived to the earth, deep in the lower parts of the earth, in the belly and foundations of the earth, pleading the earthly cause of earthly people, or digging caves and holes in the earth to secure an earthly peace to yourselves.  
It's high time to withstand you, and to rebuke this destroying Angel; for 'tis not men only that suffer from your violence, but the Lord; your sword goes so deep, That it peirces thorough his soul also: You are gone so fare in dissolving the foundations of government, that you are come to him that upholds the pillars of the earth: You reach to the head of principalities and powers, to the Lord who is the author and upholder of all these things; he is in these poor, broken and despised Ordinances of his, and sensible of every blow that is given to them: You have digged thorough the wall of flesh and men, and broke down that partition wall that divided them from God; and now you are in the bowels of the Lord, these miserable, broken powers are now the Lord: Go on to tear and rend, you will at last look upon him whom you have pierced, and mourn.  
The King and Parliament cry unto God in their distress, saying, Doubtless thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not, Thou, O Lord art our Father, our Redeemer. Though you in the greatness of your faith, and confidence in your privileges, as high as Abraham and Israel in your literal form, do not know them, yet the Lord owns them, and will hear their cry and deliver them.  
Your proceed are against the Lord; and though you say these things you do must be done till Christ come; and when he comes, then 'tis true, there will need none of these things to secure yourselves, but as yet you must act as men: In this, you say, your Lord delays his coming, and so drunk with your prosperity and victories, you beat your fellow servants.  
But here you will find your Lord in an hour that you were not ware of: You say he will come and destroy you and your ways in time, but he is already upon you, and your are not ware of it, and cuts you asunder; opens your inward parts, divides the secrets of your hearts, and appoints you a portion with hypocrites and unbelievers, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth: You act against God, and God against you; Your souls loathe him, his soul loathes you.  
Finally, Here's nothing written but what is written in your hearts; 'tis the opening your own souls; 'tis but what you have feared, and that punishment which your own humiliations and confessions have acknowledged just and due to you▪ Nothing but what I have suffered for acting in those ways in which you are; What measure hath been measured to me by Gad, that do I measure to you: And as I lay it on you, so I suffer it with you, and shall, be content to suffer till you are restored from this condition, of shame and wrath, to honour and love, and dwell with you in these everlasting burn, which will purify you from all your filth. Till then, Farewell.  
I am W. Sedgwick.   

Justice upon the Army Remonstrance.  
THERE is, and always hath been in all things in the world, some good, some evil, some light. some darkness: And in this declining state of things, the world grows worse and worse, and they that act for it and in it, though under very specious pretences of justice, are still more base and filthy than those that have, gone before; every generation having a more evil and less good than their predecessors. I know there be many good men amongst you, and that you have since the wrack of the Kingdom borne up gallantly, as if you would outlive the storm; That you have worn many favours of God, above, and against others; That you have owned yourselves to be the people of God, and God by many outward mercies hath owned you: But in this work you manifestly show, that you have deeply revolted; and that after you had escaped the pollutions of the world, you are again entangled therein, and over come; And with the dog, returned to your own, and others, vomit: to lick up the filth of the world, which others, having drunk the Wine of the wrath of God, have spewed up; You have been exalted unto heaven, and are brought down to hell: You have back-slidden from a formal and carnal profession of the Kingdom of Christ living in God, etc. to embrace the tail of this present evil world, to petty, beggarly, unbelieving, malicious projects for self safety. And as you have left God, and waxed wanton, upon his blessings, so he now hath left you; hath made your table to become your snare; fatted you up by former mercies, to receive your last and greatest judgements: What you had is taken from you, and your wisdom, majesty, largeness and goodness, that hath sometimes appeared in you in other things, is turned now into distracted stumbers, dark and sad dreams of ruin, into uncertain, lose, wand'ring fancies of your own woeful condition, and absurd shadows and vain imaginations of ways of deliverance: Poor wretches though, angry at you, yet my soul pities you; never were men caught in such a snare of the Devil as you are; glorying you are in your own righteous cause, and confident of your innocency and success; And indeed you are shut up in a pit of darkness, and already lost in divine displeasure.  
As there are good men amongst you, so there is, I confess, some good lies scattered in this Remonstrance; The Lord is in it; But as two legs, or a piece of an ear in the mouth of a Lyon. So torn in pieces, and almost devoured by that roaring Lion, that wrathful, cruel, malicious beast, the Devil, that it I should take pains to bring it forth to your view, it would most displease and offend you; you could not bear the sight of it, but would yourselves hate it; therefore I will not lose my labour in it.  
But the evil part is so gross and visible, that I can with most ease deal with it, and for the present with most profit to you. And when that heap of dirt and folly is brought forth, and you made sensible of it, the good that lies now buried in it, will be released, and delight to come forth in you. It will be the greatest mercy to the holy One in you, to give a severe sentence against that wicked part that at this time prevails so much in you.  
In dealing with this work of yours, I shall not trouble myself to follow you in all those crooked ways, confused and multiplied parenthesis, dark and vain tautologies, in which you are lost and grope: But well knowing your principles upon which you go, as I find them expressing themselves, I shall show you the evil and folly of them, and that with such plainness, as the wiser and soberer of you shall be convinced and brought forth, the rest condemned in themselves, and the world may run headlong to their destruction, and dash themselves in pieces against that rock of justice that falls upon them.  
In the first part of your preamble you tell us of your tender regard to the privileges and freedom of Parliament: Wherein you deal very deceitfully with the world, and conceal your own principles; For upon this ground you know you act, that the powers of this world are to be broken into pieces; That the Parliament is one of the powers of the world, and that you are called to break them in pieces: And therefore it becomes you (you know) to be steeled with stoutness and resolution, to trample upon all authorities that stand up against that justice of God that acts you: The privilege of Parliament is a poor, corrupted thing, to that extraordinary presence of God that goes with you, and those high undertake that you have in hand for the public good, and the eternal salvation of the people: You should do as you have done, break through these spiderwebs of privilege and freedom of Parliament, and immediately go through all to that glorious work of yours; and not suppress your own principles, to court the world into a deceived opinion of tender regard to them. Indeed the privilege and freedom of Parliament is gone and lost long ago, and you do but fancy one; for a new and true privilege and freedom doth not yet appear to you, neither can you own them.  
In the next part of your preamble you tell us the reasons of your present declaring yourselves, because things are [brought to the utmost crisis of danger] 'tis true this, but you make a very ill use of it: There is two in the Kingdom, the holy one our life, peace, union, agreement, etc. whom you have not seen yet: and a wicked one, which is wrath, malice, death, revenge, etc. These two are now conflicting together: The holy one would establish love, bearing one with another, forgiving one another, selfe-deniall, etc. The destroyer would continue mischiefs, wars, accusations, cruelties, etc. The contention grows sharp, and the evil one making his utmost and last resistance.  
Now we that see the power of truth and love, are at rest, being assured, that the righteous Lord is above all.  
But here you come with your woeful fears, and say [which calls upon every man to contribute what help be can:] Doe not you know yet, that vain is the help of man: You and all men come to offer help, but it is to a wicked world, to bring fuel to the fire of wrath; for fear, misery and destruction should cease raging; Cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils: A proud and empty thing: and cease you foolish men from blowing the coals of division amongst us: (And seeing, no effectual help from else where appear) your curse is not to see when good comes: We see salvation is nigh them that fear him, that glory may dwell in cur land; God a present help in the time of trouble: You are blind, and cannot see the Lord our effectual Saviour An enemy would make this sense of your words: War is your life, and seeing peace ready to come, and no effectual help appears to lengthen out misery, and destroy the Treaty, you will do it.  
And now you give us the ground of your undertaking th●s work, (Conscience, and duty to God and men obliges) you sleighty pass over this which should be fully cleared; and the reason is, you are not upon a sound foundation; nor dare you come to a strict examination of your own ground, but are hurried on blindly, upon weak passions of fear, jealousy, necessity, etc. without any sound bottom. This likewise I observe from your words here, and from some conference with some of you, that you know not which of these two to take for your principle, God or man; but are in a lukewarm condition, neither hot nor cold; neither hot enough in the spirit of God, to do all things in a divine way: nor so cold, as to submit to the laws of men. In discourse with some of you against your proceed, that they were contrary to the royal law, the Will and Way of our Father; Which is, To do good to them that hate us, and persecute us; to forgive our enemies; to overcome evil with good; to conquer by esuffering and love: They have professed, that in these things they act as men, in a civil respect; which in you that own yourselves to be godly, spiritual men, and to have the power of godliness, is great impiety: For you in your affairs openly and professedly to decline the perfect way of Christ, and go to the ways of the Heathen; to lay aside, exclude and thrust out the heavenly man and his light, that you may please yourselves in the darkness of men. You do fully manifest not being Christian, divine, holy in all things, that truly you are so in nothing, and so your religion is vain: Or that you are fallen from God to man; You begun in the spirit, and end in the flesh, and so Christ is of none effect at all; for he that doth not do all things in the power of God, he doth nothing in it: You forget that speech of Saint Paul, You walk as men, are you not carnal?  
When we say, if you will walk as men, you must submit to your Governors, live under humane Laws, and be subject to them: than you fly from such ordinary things to an extraordinary call, as Phineas; to be carried by the mighty power and presence of God: that you in all things are as the Israelites in the wilderness; to have a Pillar of Cloud by day, and Fire by night to go before you: Thus you halt between two opinions, and gad about to change your way; and are true to nothing, neither God nor man; but become as those Beasts in the Revelations, that have many heads and crowns upon them: your ways are beastly, cruel, absurd, monstrous with many heads; yet you'll be crowned with the most glorious titles of the presence of God, the people of God, the cause of God: Therefore know this, though you would shuffle up your ground work, Conscience and duty to God and men, you shall not: For a conscience guided by the wisdom & power of God scorns such base and unworthy ways as you walk in: & those men that you think are far below you scorn to lift up themselves above their superiors, and to Lord it over King and Parliament as you do; nor dare continue in arm●s against command of God and men, and uphold a company of vile and wicked wretches (only for their own safety) to the wasting and destroying of their Country.  
Now you begin another part of your preamble, wherein you say that that rule of Salus populi, suprema lex, is of all others most apt to be abused: You have all pretended to this maxim, but have miserably abused it, and the people too: a company of deceivers and mountebanks that talk of curing, saving, delivering, but all waist, spoil and destroy the people.  
We shall ere long see, that Suprema lex, that law of love, the mercy and goodness of the most high God, is only Salus populi, the salvation of the People of England; its misse-applyed so long as any man assumes it to himself.  
And here for two or three pages you are trimming your way to seek love as the Prophet saith; you put an excellent dress upon your work, and daub over a rotten sepulchre, wherein there is nothing but dead men's bones; with a show of wisdom, as if you would out the hair of justice, and go away more exact than all that have gone before you; a pure medium between all excreams; avoiding all the rocks of Levellers and Cavaliers; of all rashness and evil intentions, in which work you wrap up yourselves in such a mi●t of circumlocutions, and are in such a wood of long and tedious expressions that as Solomon says, Are too wonderful for me!  
You are in this discourse, An Eagle in the air; carried a loft by the prince of the air in your own fancies: A serpent on a rock, a crooked serpent, winding and turning this way and that way upon a rock of confidence of God and your own wisdom. A ship in the midst of the sea: You are gone from all firm land, from all solid principles of goodness, and are tossed about in a sea of weakness and confusion. And the way of a man with a maid: You are lusting after your Mistress, honour; and to enjoy her, nimbly fly from one secret place to another to hid yourselves from shame: such is the way of your adulterous spirits; being gone from your husband, the Lord, to the world: You eat up King, Parliament and People, to satisfy your carnal love of safety and an outward Kingdom, and wipe your mouths with some fine language, and say you have done no wickedness: you may deceive yourselves, but can't deceive either God or man: 'tis very plain, that when you have multiplied your vain words, your swelling words to justify yourselves, it is but the attire of a harlot; and every one will see that you do but darken counsel by words without knowledge; and while you think to make yourselves more vendible, you make yourselves more abominable.  
There be many particulars in this part worth answering; but those things wherein any show of strength lies, you make often use of them, and we shall meet with them again he reafter, and therefore for present shall pass them over.  
From the seventh to the twelfth page, you are relating how the Parliament Voted no more addresses, and how they were turned into this course of the Treaty. It were exceeding easy to show in several particulars, of your discourse, that you do, in favour to yourselves, abuse the Parliament and others; and in most things accuse others of those things that you yourselves are guilty of: but I shall leave that to some other Pen that loves to deal in such things: I would in all things discover to you how unchristian your charges are; In sum, you here lay open the instability of the Parliament, and by what means they were tossed from one thing to another, and so declare the evil practices of the King's party; in both you are very large, and very harsh to both; without any mollifying oil, or mirigating mercy; having nothing else in your eye but to cover your own shame, and as fully as you can, discover others, to ease yourselves and load others: 'tis Christ's work to excuse others, and pity them, Father forgive them they know not what they do; and to take the burden and guilt upon himself, to bear our sins; he is made sin for us: but 'tis your work to condemn others, and justify yourselves Christ pities others when he suffers by their hands: you are cruel and merciless to others when they suffer under your hands: such infinite distance is there between your spirits, and the Spirit of the Lord.  
The poor Parliament, for their sins, are shattered and broken, full of perplexity; the whole Kingdom full of discontent against them; and they reeling this way and that way to save themselves and the Kingdom, and know not how to do it.  
The King's party for their sins, likewise lying under sore burdens, heavy pressures, and struggling to get from under their intolerable afflictions, but can't. And in all these afflictions, our Lord is afflicted, and bears all our infirmities, they lie upon Christ's shoulders; and you seeing the Kingdom, and the Lord of the Kingdom) lying like the poor man, travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho, wounded and half dead; not only pass by, as the Priest and the Levite, and leave it to sink under its misery; but delight to tear and rend its wounds, to keep them open that they may bleed continually: In all not a Word of peace or pity to any; as dry and hard as the rock: you have no balm at all for our wounds, nothing of the good Samaritan: but vinegar, piercing, accusing, condemning speeches; as Flesh-flies, living upon the putrified sores, so do you find ease, pleasure, and life to your cause upon the filth and ruin of the Nation: In this you are as the man possessed with the Devil, you are led by a dark, foul spirit, to walk and live amongst the graves, conversing with the dead carcase of the Kingdom; you stretch out the line of confusion upon the Kingdom, and gather together the stones of emptiness: you make long furrows upon the backs of the people, intent our ruin to the furthest; and bring in to our desolate Nation, the wild beast of the desert to meet with wild beasts of the Islands; the Satire to cry to his fellow, the Screech-owl, and the great Owl to lay and hatch; and the Vultures with their mates: all these dance together in your discourse, which is black as pitch, dark and uncomfortable as the night, and threatening to add misery upon misery upon us, and not a syllable of healing mercy in any: sure your nature is to take pleasure, to wallow and tumble in our Nations woes. Give me leave to tell the storyafter you, and to relate the business thus.  
Once our King and Parliament, or People, lived quietly and lovingly together, embraced in the arms of divine goodness, prospered together as Husband and Wife, till their iniquities on both sides broke this union: and being parted by their jealousies and lusts, after many unkind blows betwixt them; The Parliament the Wife, in a high rage, at the remembrance of all her Lords unkindness, and giving too much ear to her own passion, and the accusations of adultery, and provoaked by a multitude of perplexities, Voted not move Addresses: She would have nothing to do with her Husband, but would forsake him for ever and be divorced from him; and than you who always have lusted after the Royal Bed, encourage her with thanks, and court her for yourselves.  
But ere long the natural1 affections of these two divided friends, though much clogged with jealousies and discontents, gins to work towards each other, which may be interrupted for a season, but cannot be totally extinguished: The Parliament finding nothing but distraction, dishonour, with scorn and misery in a solitary state, and finding herself unable to satisfy her unquiet children without their Father, gins to think how she may again recover her own head and husband, and to this purpose Voted a personal Treaty with the King.  
And now we are fallen upon the principal and main subject of your Remonstrance, to show the evil and danger of this Personal Treaty, in page 12. etc. you fall directly upon (this miserable inconvenience of a Personal Treaty) and elsewhere (miserable ensnaring Treaty) It seems this Treaty doth very much offend, you declare so bitterly against it: 'tis true, while things are at this imperfect state, it is a very easy matter to accuse or condemn any person or thing, but a hard matter to justify or save any thing; that's the work of the devil, this is the work of God. I confess this Treaty is a poor, low, dark thing, neither party managing of it with that clearness & brightness of love and goodness that I could wish: that it doth not for the present give satisfaction to any side: & being infirm you have great advantage in appearing against it, and some show of reason for it; and therefore your acting against it may do some good to clear it from some evil that adheres to it: for this is my mind, you nor none else can do any hurt to him, or them, that are truly good: but all things, be they never so evil in themselves, work together unanimously and constantly for their good: For this Treaty, there is a blessing, destroy it not; the seed of peace is in it, and it will thrive and flourish; act what you can against it, you cannot destroy peace or union, that's the Lords.  
In this dark business where the King and Parliament are groping together to find a little ease and rest for themselves, being wearied with the miseries of war, doth the Lord come as a thief in the night; so that if both parties should design by it to cozen the world, and one another, the thief would cousin them both: I mean, steal away their evil lusts and sins, and bring good out of it against the designs of men; and if you would trample upon it, because its low and poor; and be jealous of it as dangerous and ensnaring; he will deceive you too, and make it for your good and peace as well as others, and against your present thoughts of strife, steal into your breasts, and beget love and peace there also. This is the robbery of this thief in the night, to steal away evil from us, and surprise us with good.  
Your fiery contention therefore against it will be very useful; 'twill burn up those doubts and fears that are on either side; melt each other into a closer union: The root of it being the divine love; all you do against it will but quicken that principle, and spur them on to a more hearty and earnest closing: and while you endeavour to rend them from each other, they will clapse the faster about each other, and turn all their contention against you, who from your present promoting of differences, will be suspected to be the authors of all their strife.  
Let us now examine the reasons you give against a Treaty, pag. 14, etc. You first quere, and then declare, that it is not just and good, nor safe; and so all along you insist upon these two things, satis faction and security; To prove the justice of it, you state the interests of the Kingdom and Parliament, as they have been the matter of our quarrel: In which we find these faults.  
First, You would make your own and the public interest to be one; they are so much different, that you are feign to patch them up together often, and bring in yours in a parenthesis; as here, pag. 14. (though even the particular safety of such as have engaged for the public is not to be neglected) In this and in the rest of your discourse, it appears, you conceive yourselves neglected and left out in the Treaty; and you do by this require your own interest to be considered; and that's very obstructive to peace, for men in a distracted Kingdom to uphold a particular interest, thwarting the general, peace and union, the common interest of all States, and with violence to enforce it to the ruin of the whole.  
That which you offer to us is not the public, but your particular interest; which indeed is not your interest neither, but a rent and division an erroneous opinion. For that there be a common and supreme council, that the power of making laws, choosing officers, punishing offenders, be in them, etc. It's very apparent that this is not half the interest of the Kingdom, 'tis much too narrow for a rich, honourable nation: Generally you know the people of England desire peace, settled religion, established truth, freedom of trade, and this with His Majesty, under their King, that he may govern them according to their honest and known laws, that they may live in prosperity and honour: For these devised things, you propose the people know them not, affect them less than know them; they are invented only to please and secure yourselves, and to pull down Monarchy, against which you would make yourselves irreconcilable: These principles are but the axe or knife, to prune and cut the extravagancies of Monarchy or tyranny; and if all the Kingdom were an axe or knife, we were in an ill case: You are but a part, and alas, an inconsiderable part; not one of an hundred will own what you set down as the public interest; and a diseased part; a bone started out of his place; a piece of timber, that is gone from the whole frame of the Kingdom, which is large, and consists of King, Lords, Commons, with innumerable, excellent branches growing out of these.  
Now this were a strange cure, to break off the bones in the body, to bring the whole to one dis-jointed part, or to force the whole house to come after one piece that is started out, is i'll workmanship. 'tis a strange thing that men should place the welfare of the Kingdom in such inconsiderable things: Methinks 'tis a wonder, that men should bring forth some pedantic conceits, and then magnify them so fare, as entitle them to the whole Kingdom. Thus will mean and narrow spirits do, when they intrude themselves into public affairs: When soldiers, men of private spirits, confident of their ability and judgement in greatest matters, shall produce brats of their own brain, and impose them upon the nation, we shall be slaves indeed.  
Secondly, That you that are Christians, that talk of the reign of Christ and of the Saints, should now engage yourselves to so base an interest as this is; that you will espouse so poor a quarrel, which, in sum; is to throw down a King and Lords, and set up the people: That all power should be in the hands of the Parliament, and that to be certain, and in the hands of a subordinate officer to call, etc. Will the establishing of this satisfy you for all the bloodshed, estates ruined, & c? is this your satisfaction? should you not rather propose, that all power, and dominion, and reign should be given to the Lord, that King, and Parliament, and People, and all should be filled with the righteousness and goodness of God? But these things are too good to be spoken of, beyond your faith ever to see it: But I'll tell you, if this be not your interest to have God all in all, to fill every thing, and to have all things offered up to him in truth and righteousness: your interest and Gods are more divided than yours and the Kings; and if you adhere to that you have proposed, you forsake your own interest, and espouse the Devils, the God of this world, the Destroyer, and will perish with him.  
Thirdly, This is a fault that you all along carry the interest of the public in opposition to the Kings; which is a wicked thing to divide them that God hath joined: wherein you do, as sword; men, cut in pieces, and indeed destroy and mangle, not only the Kingdom, but the word, Interest, which is of a uniting signification; inter esse is to be in or amongst each other: The public hath its interest in the King, and the King his interest in the public; or they have the same esse, or interest, which is to be together in each other; the King is in the people, and the people in the King; the Kings being is not absolute, or alone, but an interest, as he is in union with, and relation to his people, which are his strength and life; and the people's being is not naked or solitary, but an interest in the greatness and wisdom of their King, who is their life and honour: And though you will dis-join yourselves from Kings, God will not, neither will I; God is King of Kings; Kings and Princes God, as well as peoples; their, God as well as ours, and theirs eminently, as that spaech enforces God of Israel, Israel, God above all the nations; so King of Kings, King's God more than of common men; and by near and especial kindred and communion; assuming their titles and honour, and giving them his majesty and dominion; kingliness agrees with all Christians who are of a royal nature, made Kings with Christ, and cannot but be friends to it, being of kin to it; the children of God, borne of the King of heaven, are men of honour (not in a base, vain way, but in a true, just way) and if there be not Kings to honour, they would want, objects to bestow that fullness of honon that is in their breasts; would lose the greatest part of their delight, which is majesty and glory, would want occasion of expressing their high and noble spirits: It's a bastard religion that is inconsistent with the majesty and greatness of the most absolute Monarch; and such spirits are strangers from the Kingdom of heaven, and know not the glory in which God lives, and are of narrow and evil minds that are corrupt themselves, and not able to bear greatness, and so think God will not, or cannot qualify men for such high places, with answerable and proportionable power and, goodness: You are indeed much in the flesh, in a form of religion which is weak and of a parting nature, cannot conceive nor comprehend things in union; you are dividing still 'tween heaven and earth, between God and King; you can't own them in union, and so divide King and people: but the spirit of God is large, and reconciles, composes, gathers all into one, into Christ; God and man into one person; head and members into one body. This love you know not, that embraces God and the King in one person, and King and people in one body.  
A fourth fault is, in your further stating of the controversy between King and Parliament, you bring in, in the second place, religion; the order shows the present frame of your spirits, first the world, and then godliness: But in this you err exceedingly, in putting all the enmity against godliness and the power of it, on the King's part, and charging it upon him as his interest, and assuming all religion and godliness to yourselves.  
Upon this ground stands much of the controversy between the Cavaliers and you; that they are wicked, you godly; they enemies to God, you Saints; they darkness, you light, and therefore as you say afterward, What fellowship hath light with darkness? This is a ground (if it stand good) of an everlasting quarrel; and if it falls, I hope some of the edge of your contention may be taken off.  
The answer of this is as proper for me as any; who, you know, do well understand the utmost of the religion you walk in, and have been exercisd in it with as much exactness, faithfulness, power and comfort as any of you: Your consciences, many of you, can bear witness of the uprightness and efficacy of my conversation amongst you; and that I was, when I was with you, not only a companion, but a leader to you in the best things: and since have been tried by very great sufferings, and made a spectacle to God and men, and been publicly set up as a mark, for all men to shoot their opinions and judgements at, and dare challenge the whole earth, the Lord being my Righteousness to accuse me of any injustice to God or man: and now must testify concerning you and myself with you, that that way wherein you walk is not the power of godliness, but a poor, weak, fleshly form.  
You are indeed Saints by intention, counsel, hope; you aim at it, look for it: but in your present state you are carnal, and walk in the flesh in great infirmity: that your state at best was but to be as the Jews, having a form of knowledge according to the letter of the law: which form is now corrupted, left and forsaken of God, and you are become, through blindness & ignorance, enemies to the spirit, and to the Cross of Christ: You live not the life of Christ; you are not dead to the world, nay, you oppose that death; you will not suffer with Christ; you have not the spirit of God; walk not in your affairs in the wisdom and strength of God, nor in the love of God; you know not the mind of God, have not communion with God; what ever you do, or have done, you do it by the strength of man, and not by the power of God; and now lest to a poor, blind, unstable way, not knowing whether you go, your ways being dark and slippery, and yet glorying in fleshly and outward things; mistaking earthy and common blessings for heavenly and inward; crying up the Lord, the Lord, when you do the works of the Devil: The Holy God will no longer suffer you to wear those names of Saints and Godly, but will cast dung upon your solemn feasts, and curse your blessings, and discover you to be but whited sepulchers, and cause your rottenness to come forth, uncover your nakedness before the nation, that all may abhor and loathe that outward, formal religion which you profess; it doth and will more stink in the nostrils of those people that have no knowledge of God, to see pride, self-love, contention for the world, rebellion, falsehood, folly and hatred of God, to be in such zealous pretenders to the spirit of God.  
As you have not the power of godliness, so you have many visible, gross lusts and evil principles which moral men do oppose in you; you are not pure, nor is it only for your purity (as you suppose) that the King's party oppose you, but for your withstanding some things that are good in them, and such as their consciences are bound by God to prosecute; though there be that wickedness in many of them too, to hate that of God that hath appeared in you, because different from theirs: but their opposition is not directly against the face of God, for that never shined forth clearly in us, but against that particular form, as destructive to theirs, and our carnal principles which were contrary to theirs, and those obscured with many infirmities too: so that 'tis high pride for us to think that we are all Saints, godly, etc. and they enemies to God, because to us.  
And 2. It is as much uncharitableness to judge them, as altogether in the dark; for though they are indeed visibly in greater looseness many of them, and more in the condition of the Centiles, living more manifestly according to the course of the world, etc. yet in many things you have justified their principles as more righteous than yours; and many of their persons more sober, patiented, loving, gentle, yea more knowing and discerning in the things of God than you: And though there be amongst that party the greatest, visible and moral wickedness, yet there is among you the greatest enmity and malignancy to the spirit of God; the greatest pride, hypocrisy, self confidence, and spiritual wickedness.  
And this you will know that thus judge after the flesh, that those Publicans and Harlots shall enter into the Kingdom of God before you: Many of them shall come from the East and from the West, and from the remotest parts of the earth, and greatest distance from God, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God, and you shall be thrust out: Therefore this manner of judging of yours, of accounting them evil, and yourselves good, is one of those strong delusions spoken of; whereby you are,  
First, Led to the destroying of others as righteous as yourselves.  
S●condly, Kept off from the sight of your own iniquities, and and making war with them: for indeed these two parties are within you; and if you were not kept by this formally, fleshly opposing of sin in others, you would have no other contention but with sin in your own breasts, to destroy those works of the Devil in which you are bound.  
Till you lay down this fleshly war with others, and begin that spiritual war with Antichrist, Malignants, etc. in your own hearts you will never have peace: And to satisfy you and all parts in the Kingdom concerning these oppositions and contests in religious matters, 'tis thus.  
All men are in the dark, and know not the whole body of divine truth, only lay hold each of some part of it; So that truth, which is one in itself in, and amongst the darkness of men is divided, cut in pieces, and lies scattered about here and there; and every one holds what ha' holds in enmity and contrariety to others, and through pride and malice with that good that is in him, opposes God and goodness in others; that by this all may be ashamed and broken in pieces, and become guilty before God, and made at last to come down from their proud conceits, and see they are fools, and know nothing as they ought to know, and to be willing to learn of others.  
After you have stated the controversy to prove the injustice of an accommodation, you fall upon the King, judging him in the highest manner, as guilty of the foulest treason, murder, etc. and that too in a most unpardonable and irreconcilable way, as incapable of mercy, and beyond all peace and accommodation: There is nothing wherein the Devil is more exercisd, then in accusing; from which he hath his name: and there is nothing wherein he hath more corrupted the nature of man in these last days, than this; it being that general form into which he hath cast the spirits of men, whence they are called, 2 Tim. 3.3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Accusers, or in plain English, Devils: Men are now very ordinarily, and with a show of justice, Devils one to another.  
This is common amongst men, especially amongst religious and professing men; The Scribes and Pharisees, men in the highest form of religion, are the most guilty of it, thinking ordinarily that they have right to judge; and this is notoriously your sin in this work. To destroy it in you and others, we shall set set out the evil of it, as it hath been expressed in some Scriptures.  
Rom. 2.1. Thou art unexcusable, Oh man, whosoever thou art, that judgest; God hath reserved the authority of judgement to himself, who is and will be Judge of all; its proper for God only, who knows hearts; who only knows good and evil; who can save as well as destroy; and therefore not fit for man, who can do neither good nor evil; at best he cannot save, and therefore most unfit to be a judge: Therefore you, whosoever you are, be you never so good men, religious men, blest with never so great favours, you have nothing to do to judge while you are men.  
If it be objected, then there should be no Judges amongst men. I answer, Judges are Gods; I have said ye are Gods: and if they have not the power and goodness of God, as well as the place and title, they are Idols, Heathen Gods; and when we say, God is Judge alone, we mean not God out of, but in man; or man taken up into the Righteousness and Authority of God, man sanctified by God.  
Secondly, Man, a judge, is inexcusable; he that will be a judge, is supposed to be so high in holiness, so innocent as needs no excuse; he that is in the nature of God, 'tis a shame for him to think of an excuse, 'tis my infirmity, I am a sinner; but I have a Saviour: 'tis a dangerous thing therefore, being men, and needing excuse for your weakness, that you presume to be judges, and put yourselves out of excuse; you cannot say you are ignorant, no, you are wise judges; you cannot say you are weak, no, you are strong to sentence others; you cannot say you are sinners, being judges of the law you may not be thought breakers.  
Or for a vile man to lift up himself in the place of God, to be so sottishly blind in himself, as not to see his own filthiness, and conceive himself a God, it's a presumption that admits of no excuse 'tis so gross: or for a man to be so cruel to his brother as to judge him and thrust him out of the grace of God, is so Diabolical, as there's no excuse for it; by doing this men show them▪ self Devils, for whom there's no mercy, no favour.  
It follows, For wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest dost the same things. There is a fellowship in evil as in good: every man while he is a sinner hath in him whatever any sinner hath; as every righteous man hath what ever another righteous man hath: If you judge any part of your nature, you judge the whole: If a man that lives in the world, than yourselves, your spirits, principles, actions, which are all worldly and sinful: Especially and particularly, what ever any party accuses another of concerning these wars, they themselves do the same things: To instance in the present case.  
You judge the King guilty of breaking Covenant, of betraying trust, have we not broke our oath of Allegiance to him, and betrayed the trust he put in his people? and have not we likewise betrayed that trust the Parliament put in us, when after promises of subjection to them, the Army refused, and made war with them?  
You judge him guilty of all the blood, rapine, spoil: Dare any man say he is not guilty of it? Were we absolute in taking up arms, in prosecuting the war, in continuing in arms? Is there not in all, self-love, malice, revenge, envy, distrust of God? Had we been rightly carried in freeing England from oppression, we had freely laid down our lives in a voluntary suffering, and that would have saved the Kingdom; whereas by our rash running to force, we are guilty of the miseries of war as well as the King: But in continuing the Army after your enemies subdued, you are manifestly guilty of the present oppression upon the poor people; of the intolerable burden of freequarter, and unreasonable taxes.  
You charge him for seeking to set up his own interest of will and power. Do you not do the same thing? What do you now but set up will and power? Going beside all Law and right, to set up the worst will and power, the will and power of People, of the sword: Therefore let me expostulate with you, as that Apostle, Thou that sayest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? etc. Thou that hast so much light as to oppose tyranny, art thou the veriest tyrant? Thou that plead'ft for Laws, art thou greatest violater of Laws? We will go further with the Apostle; Thou that abhorrest Idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? You abhor his ways as gross; but you have more secret and close iniquities; you rob God even of his Throne, setting up your formal religion in the place of God: you complain of shedding innocent blood, and you shed the truly innocent blood of Christ: Of Rapine and spoil, and you daily spoil the Temple of God, your own bodies and souls with your noisome lusts. Afterwards verse 3. Thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them that do such things, and dost the same, that thou shalt escape the judgement of God? He that judgeth is guilty, and his guilt gins to stir in him: God gins to write bitterness in the conscience, and then to save himself, he gins to judge others; judgement of men is the constant effect of troubled spirits; and this is your condition, you are restless in yourselves, you find God frowning upon you for your sins, that makes you seek for fatis faction for blood, that it may be expiated, and the wrath of God appeased: The fire is kindled in your own hearts, your tongues are set on fire of hell. If you had the peace of God upon true grounds you would be still; or if your consciences were besprinkled with the blood of Christ, you would not seek for expiation: But there is the voice of thy brother's blood, the blood of: Abel cries, not the blood of Christ. The blood of Christ, if you knew it, cries peace, reconciliation, union, favour, love, taking away enmity. The blood of Abel for revenge, for justice: this is your voice, which shows, a cain's spirit; you are troubled for your sins; Thinkest thou to escape the righteous judgement of God, no, thou art running farther into it; you are not quitting yourselves, but increasing your evils: Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness: God hath been gracious unto you, and re prieved you for a while from destruction; do you thus abuse it to harden your hearts to pride, malice and wicked insulting over your brethrent is this the use of your Victories, to have opportunities to do more mischief? And so treasure up wrath for yourselves: For all that you lay upon others, you, provide it and store it up for yourselves. God hath declared, you know, rich mercy to the King and his party, in my Book called, The Leaves of the Tree of Life: You despise this rich mercy, scorn it, and set up your merciless justice against it; Not knowing that the goodness of God leads to repentance: you require repentance before mercy: God's goodness goes before, and leads to repentance; and that goodness that hath been manifest, though you ignorantly despise it, counting it folly and madness, upon no other ground but because 'tis too rich and good for you to apprehend; it shall produce its own effect in power, and manifest your ungodliness in contradicting of it: And know you, that no man shall appear either directly or indirectly against it, but he shall by it discover the evil of his own heart, and manifest that he walks in darkness, and knows not the glorious counsel of the Lord.  
There is one place more I would have the world consider, and it would make them afraid of judging: Math. 7.1, etc. Judge not that you be not judged: You have judged the King and his party; for it you shall be judged, I'll judge you; And what judgement ye judge, you shall have; that measure that you give him you shall receive: You exclude him from peace, you have none yourselves: You thrust him from mercy, you have no mercy yourselves: You live not in the enjoyment of divine love, if you did, you could not be so cruel as you are, such enemies to peace: You are that evil servant, God hath forgiven you ten thousand talents, you come and take your fellow servant by the throat for an hundred pence: The Lord is wrath with you, and now your forgiveness is recalled, and you must pay the utmost farthing: You shall not have mercy, as you have had it, freely, but you shall suffer for it: You remember the King's fins, God will remember yours again: Know this, you are not in the Kingdom of God, nor blessed; if you were, you would be peacemakers; for Blessed are the peacemakers, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven; they that are blessed by the enjoyment of God, and in the light of God's Kingdom they see all things in union, the King one with God; and the Parliament and people one with the King; they are one in God in his largeness of love, but you are cursing, dividing, and so are in the Kingdom of darkness and the Devil: This is your judgement, all the evil that you bring forth is within you; 'tis your own, though you will fix it upon another; if it were not in you, you would not, could not produce it.  
And why beholdest thou the mote in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye, etc. The evils that you charge the King and his party with, though great in your narrow minds, are but motes in the account of God; your smallness aggravates them, his largeness lessens them; He that counts the nations as a drop of a bucket, and dust of the balance, counts these miscarriages that are amongst the nations a very small matter, easily blows away that which you silly creatures lift at as mountains, toil and sweat at it to bring forth ruin from it: 'tis but a mote to a godly heart, easily forgiven; and a mote in the eye, hindering sight; the King and his party many of them saw no better; thought they ought to defend their right against us that rebelled: And now it's a more in the eye indeed, it vexes them they are afflicted for it under the hand of God, and that's your cruelty; You persecute him whom the Lord hath finitten, and talk to the grief of those whom God hath wounded: But you have a beam in your eye: Your sins are greater, being aggravated by many mercies, much light that others have not enjoyed: your sin is a beam; your religion, strength, upon which you lean and lay so much weight, that's become an iniquity, and a beam in your eye, that you cannot distinguish any thing, nor discern good from evil, but are stark blind, you cannot see your brethren, but judge them enemies; and enemies are not fit judges: and if you could see them, brethren, you would not judge them as you do; you cannot see to pull out the mote, to take away the evil, and leave the eye, but you are pulling out the eye, the eye of the Kingdom, one that is the apple of God's eye: of whom he fares, Touch it not: not the eye only, but the head, and so the whole body, taking away the eye, that you may lead the body whether you please.  
Having taken this power of judging out of your hands, and showed your sin and shame in presuming upon it; We shall now consider some grounds you lay down why the King is not to be received again to peace, nor restored to his office and dignity: And we shall in the view of them see how much your injustice is against God, and yourselves, in that where you profess for justice.  
First, You insist upon this, pag. 24. God hath given him so clearly in your hands to do justice, and afterward God hath given a double judgement against him, etc. And elsewhere you, pag. 5. to set forth God's favour to you, you say, God makes haste to judgement, and hath appeared as a severe avenger: 'tis true, God hath judged the King again and again, and dealt very severely with Him; He is the greatest sufferer in the Kingdom, having lost His Crown, Honour, Family, Liberty, Revenue, etc. And you thrive, increase in wealth, honour, live better now then ever, are Lords where you come; and you add misery to misery, and affliction to affliction: Is this justice or malice? Hath God judged twice? And why will you not submit to his judgement? Why will you take it out of God's hand? Doth not God know how to do it? Is he not severe enough? You say he is severe: Doth he want wisdom to secure himself and his people? He knows not how to make all sure, you must mend it: When did God chasten or judge man, and then give him to men to chasten again? Or when did God's people fall upon punishing after God had done it? Is God weary of afflicting, and reputes him of the evil, or remiss in executing his judgement, that you would have men take it into their hands? Know, foolish men, your plea is your condemnation, and what you bring as your strength, shows your rebellion and unsubjection to the judgement of God  
Secondly, You argue, pag. 24. No remorse appearing proportionable to the offence; if that could be seen, you should regard it with a proportionable tenderness towards him. Herein you destroy and deny that free mercy of God, upon which you have lived a long while; and manifest that your profession of the Gospel was indeed but in letter, not in power; if it had, you would as freely forgive, as God for Christ's sake forgave you: And give freely as you have received freely. Where the love of God and the Gospel comes in power, it transforms and changes the person into its own glory, and makes a Christian be indeed to others, what God is to him and in him. You requiring proportionable remorse for the offence, and then will give proportionable regard; how legal and humane is this? God forgives and shows mercy, that men may repent; he loves first before we can love: but you must receive good before you can give, and will see repentance before grace, and that in the severest way of merit: Such sure will be the way of God to you, yea, such it, is, and your hearts are dry and utterly void of the riches of divine mercy; and you live upon your works, duties, experience, victories, and such empty husks, and not upon the love of God; or else you would not bring forth such wretched, harsh, flinty stuff as this is.  
Then you say, There is no change of heart, no repentance, no free, nor full yielding to all the parts of public and religious interest: you know not the heart, nor can you judge of the King's principles; they are too high for you, you know not your own hearts, and therefore not his: you expect he should turn, not to God, but to your form of religion and government; and cannot count any thing a change, but yielding to your way; which if he should, he should but be seven times more the Child of the Devil.  
'tis true, the King hardly parts with his right, and unwilling to commit the government wholly into others hands; but he hath done it, though in weakness and darkness, in a smoke: but for you to quench this smoking flax, is not the spirit of Christ; he is in a doubting condition, between willingness to yield, and a fear of wronging himself, his posterity, and others by his grants; 'tis a hard case, and deserves bowels of pity, and is pitied by the bowels of the mercy of God, though you deal harshly with him. It's a hard thing to part with honour and greatness; it's easier far to seek and get it then leave it: and if you could remember how God got ground in our hearts when he came to change us; how we disputed every inch, & never yielded to the Lord but by constraint, you would accept of the King's compliance: But remember, the same measure, etc. you will have occasion, ere long, to think of this with horror.  
Thirdly, You argue against the accommodation, because now there is no equal balance of affairs, pag. 24. Your meaning is, as you often express, the King's forces are wholly subdued; he is in your power, and now to restore him to a state of equality to yourselves, making yourselves level with him.  
To all men yet; what you make an argument of severity and justice, hath been an argument of mercy: noble enemies require no more, but to get their enemies into their power, than they show mercy, 'tis Elisha's reason concerning the Syrians, Wouldst thou smite those that thou hast taken captive, with the sword and with the born; set bread before them that they may eat and return to their master. This way likewise the Father of mercy's uses and hath used to you and us, never bringing us down, but that he might restore us and lift us up again. And all noble creatures, both man and beast, have this part of the majesty of God in them, to spare them they have subdued; only Devils get into their hands that they might torment.  
A fourth reason is, That he often caused war to maintain his interest against the public interest, this constantly and unweariedly. We must note this by the way in proposing such an interest as you hold forth, to be the ground of the quarrel: you lie grossly: for these things, as you propose them, were never thought on in the beginning of the quarrel; yea, the Parliament and we always professed the contrary, etc. never to alter the government; never to change the fundamental laws; yea, to protect and defend the King's person: therefore the case now stated by you is much different from what it was; yea, these principles, you were lately not only ignorant of them, but opposed them, when held forth by the Levellers; and are indeed but the dust or shivers of a split or broken Kingdom that you and they have gathered together to build yourselves a nest with, and taken up now in design only to attain your end, malice, ambition and revenge.  
But your proposing this as that against which the King made war, you do the most justify the King that ever arty one did or can do; for your present form of government is such a headless monster, such a hoddy-doddy, such an all-breech, so different from the majesty of God, and the wifedome of men, that it would fright solid and serious men to their arms: if I should fight against any thing I should fight against this. And doth not your present practice confirm the King and his party in their way of war, when they now see clearly, what before we concealed, that the life of the King and his posterity is aimed at: If there be any reason for a Prince to take up arms against his subjects, this is, when men attempt to destroy the King, and overthrow the very foundations of government: 'tis true, for a Prince to strip himself wholly of all his dominion and royalty in love to his subjects, and to cure and recover their rebellions, is Christ-like; and the Lord will enable the King to make a full resignation of all, and of Fife too, into the hands of God; and when he shall do it, it will be his ease and deliverance: And what the Lord requires in light and mercy, you require in darkness and malice; For the Lord takes away that he may restore again; and the King shall by losing save all; by parting, with his power unto God in dark and cruel men, shall receive it again into the life and glory of God.  
You come, pag. 26. to the second part of the question, and a second reason against accommodation, The safety of this agreement.  
Let us consider what you would have secured, and that is expressed in your Remonstrance, That the King hath forfeited all his power into your hands; That the people are free to make the best advantages: And pag. 27. Having him and his party captivated, and in their power; and sometimes you speak, conquest; which shows, that we have gotten all the King hath; we have, by war, gotten advantage of power, honour, etc. And this is in danger now to be given away and lost by a Treaty; We see murder will out; what hath been whispered in a corner, is come to be told upon the house top: We have all this while, to justify ourselves in this war, said, that our war was but defensive; and indeed if it prove otherwise, we must repent of it, and bear the shame of it; and now the truth shall come forth, I must deal plainly with you and myself; indeed it's so gross in your writing, that it was not only defensive, but offensive, that it cannot be concealed; and that we had designs of particular interest and advantage: When we began the war there was this in our minds, and hath been in our minds continually, That the King and his party were wicked men, and not worthy or fit for their places and power they had; and that we were Saints, godly, and they did properly belong to us: That the Saints are to have the high places in the earth, and now was the time for these things to be performed, and no body is now fit to administer justice, to rule over men, but we: Therefore we always were glad of any of the King's ways that tended to difference and breach: glad when he left his Parliament and took arms, thinking that he was running to his destruction, and that he would split himself and his party by it, and we should have the spoil of them, and an opportunity to obtain our ends; and though we complain now of the King's obstinacy, really we have been always glad of it, because it led to his destruction, and consequently to our advantage; and the King not yielding, you know, now at this time was thirsted after, and you would not stir till he manifested a yielding mind to accommodation, or peace; being always held destructive to our end, or the recovery of our right (the whole Kingdom) for we think ourselves the only true Lords: except the King would take part with us, and become one of our Saints, and so we should share with him. But wow God manifests that you are not Saints, but as weak men as others, as fooilsh, oppressing as others, if not worse: that you are not in a condition of reigning yet he is pleased to blast your honour and keep you low; and hath so ordered it, that a Treaty is on foot to settle things and you are left out, are likely to lose those places which you and your riend: have, & not to attain those golden days you hoped to see: you find fancies of reigning to be but a dream that you must come down again from that you have gotten, and hoped to get; so your outward and fleshly glory is dying, lies a bleeding in this miserable inconvenience of a Treaty; this ensnaring Treaty; when you and your friends in the House and abroad, shall have your hearts ripped up to you, you'll say this is truth; and this is the reason that you seek security, something to uphold your tottering Kingdom: Now to part with this is death to you, and you call it a preposterous and self-deserting way, page 27. Now consider this.  
First, you have by this woefully defiled your cause and manifest you undertook the war for advantage; though it may be you were such strangers to your own hearts, as not to know it: But their is more evil in you then yet you understand, and it will break forth in your life. If the war had been only defensive, you would have rested quietly, when much more is offered than we ever had.  
Secondly, that you count all your own because you have fought for it; the Kingdom and glory of it is but enough to reward you for your works; that you have right to all, 'tis yours, and your parties, and this makes you often express the King's title by conquest; indeed you would enforce him to hold by it, though he never mentioned it; because it's your present claim, you count yourselves conquerors; which is a brutish thing, and by it you would extinguish civility, contract, religion, humane nature, law, and all the obligations of them to bring in your title, force: Beastly War: That you will lose nothing, but keep what you have got, and would by war and force secure what by force you have won; and therefore call self-deserting (all one with self-deniing, or self-forsaking) preposterous  
Now then to conclude this, you are not Saints yet; Saints will not seek a Kingdom by the destruction of others, nor rejoice in the evil of others, either sin or punishment; not in others fall, that they may rise; not advance themselves by an Army composed of ungodly men; not by force, but love: Yet 'tis true, Saints shall reign notwithstanding, and those will prove Saints before you, that you little think for; God will provoke you by a foolish people. Know too, that Saints rights are secure in heaven, and need not beg security of men; I scorn that cause that is subject to ruin and destruction; and therefore your fears and sad expressions of danger impending, shows your foundation to be upon the sands; I laugh at your destruction, and mock when your fear comes: You live in God, stand for God, and the Gospel of God, and talking of ruin and destruction; base is that way, and accursed, that is subject to such black thoughts; our cause is immortal, 'tis eternal, it lives and triumphs in death, is gain in loss, destruction is fare from us, we know it not: But sit under our own Vine and Fig tree, and none makes us afraid.  
Another thing in danger, is, persons engaged, the party adhering; you harp often upon this string, pag. 28, 29. four or five times; you think the King will be revenged of you for your eminent activity against him: This discovers a base and poor spirit, and unbecoming Christian soldiers, to continue war, break off peace, design the ruin of the King and his family, subvert the whole government of the Kingdom to secure your own lives; and this, I know, is one main reason of your present activity, and others are but assumed and pretended to cover this; a Principle very destructive to a Kingdom's peace, and contrary to the spirit of Christ; fear, a snare and the pit have taken hold of you, that are forced t o continue the disturbance of a nation, and all the miseries of war upon us to save yourselves: Let us suppose your fears (and the fears of those that are called honest men, for this is a general distemper) to be demonstrations, as doubtless to you they are, and that indeed the King should pick out a dozen, or twenty, or more, to suffer; what then, suppose I were one of them, I account thus.  
I have victory over death, and death is swallowed up by victory, and therefore cannot fear it, am free from it, death cannot hurt me, I sport with it, am above his reach; I live an immortal life, and cannot see death; and he that hath not this freedom is a slave.  
Secondly, I have no life but truth, and if truth be advanced by suffering, than my life also; if truth live, I live; if justice live, I live; and these cannot die, but by any man's suffering are enlarged, enthroned; and so I am enlarged: If I, or any other, have a life distinct from truth, it's a lie; if distinct from justice, its unjust.  
Thirdly, My life is a common life; I live with you and in you, I can confess you and all have a right to it; if you come for it, take it; if I had a life separated from you I would lay it down for my brethren, and I ought to do it; that I might live with you, and you with me; and I would spoil principalities and powers by this cross; If the King should come to take it, I would so freely yield, that he could not but yield to that love that can die for him; & so hold forth a true immortal power that is too strong for earthly and fleshly oppositions; or if any should seek my life, I would be content to give it, that I might live again in their souls: And this is the way of the Gospel to overcome Tyrants, and no other way, and to gain Kingdoms indeed.  
Fourthly, I count it not an honest life that needs such force with so much misery to the Kingdom, to maintain it; but on the other side I am engaged to die for my Country, and I shall more advantage the cause of liberty and religion by one single suffering that is pure, than we have done by all the blood that hath been shed in this rude way of war; and lay a better and stronger foundation against tyranny and error, than all these wars; I judge it ten times more honourable for a single person, in witnessing truth to oppose the world in its power, wisdom and authority, standing in its full strength, and that nakedly and singly, then fight many battles by army force; this Is brutish, common, the other Christian, divine, holy, excellent; and therefore your great care of securing yourselves, comes from a slavish fear of death, from an unwillingness to suffer, and want of the power of godliness to meet the power of the world with, and true and heavenly love to your Country: you know not that command, Eph. 5.2. Walk in love as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour: If you had this perfect love it would cast out fear; if your life were indeed united to God, or Christ were your life, or that you loved others so as you could die for them, you would not not now be to seek for security: 'Tis your great fear, and expressed page 38. you may be made a sacrifice: That which is proposed to you by God, upon the example of Christ is abhorred by you. If Christ had been led by this principle when he saw his enemies engaged against him to seek his life, to have sought their life to secure his own, he had not showed himself to be the Son of God: and you in this, declare yourselves not to be the Sons of God: It's no justice, less piety, to take away another's life to save our own; that's the way of God to lay down his life for others: and that's a wicked life that requires other men's lives to maintain it, that cannot stand but by others fall.  
Now let us consider the reasons of the insecurity of the public interest in this accommodation; you give many, and may give many more, considering how much wrath God hath let out upon the world and all parts of it to destroy it; 'tis the easiest thing now that can be to find out ways of ruin; but hard to find ways of peace: and though we must confess you very quicksighted in discovering of dangers, and very sensible of evil, yet we will not admire it as any excellent piece of policy, but judge it as the effect of a fearful and self-condemning spirit.  
In the first place, you fall down into the observation of past times, and challenge story for an instance etc. page 27. There is, I know, a good use of story; but in you, it is a dull and heterogeneous thing; and a looking back for strength, declining your own principles which you have professed; new light, the Kingdom of Christ, to be carried on by the Spirit and power of God; and those things will not, you know; subject themselves to the weakness and darkness of former ages: you know you have a light of truth and justice that no age can parallel; that your ways are beyond all example: why do you then disturb the dead, and challenge them to testify in these affairs that they are ignorant of? Or why do you seek the living amongst the dead, and departed from the living God to dead Idols to relieve you?  
Then you bring forth many evil surmisings, as how apt Princes are to break such accommodations, and how easy 'tis for them; page 29. and in proving these, you are as a bird wand'ring from her nest, you have forgotten your resting place, and being in a dark wilderness, you are pursued by fear and wrath on every side; I will not follow you in you wander; but give you sight of your condition in these few observations.  
First, You look upon all past passages and present actions in this Kingdom, in the darkness of man, not in the light of God; in the weakness, instability and unfaithfulness of wicked man; not in the strength, stability and faithfulness of a righteous God.  
If you would see the peace of God in this agreement (though covered with rags) you would rejoice in it and bless it; and if you saw God bringing down wicked powers, and preventing of them in an evil course, you would rest in the work of the Lord, and know God that hath done it is faithful, and will do it still. If you saw the justice of God against tyranny and oppression, you would know that, justice is eternal and will for ever secure us: or if you saw God give us these concessions and grants from the King; God disposing his heart by fear or love, and could say 'tis the Lord that doth it, you might think he will continue them to us, or if he take them away 'tis to give us better: If you did see the heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord, and 'tis by him he yields to what he yields; you would rest in it, that the same hand will cause him to do more: or if you saw God hath taken the King into his power, and so the whole Nation; that God hath taken his great Reign, the power of God is come forth to sway the Sceptre, than you would conclude that Satan shall not mislead the King to be treacherous and false to us: But you behold things as they are in the wicked one, and there you find nothing but curses, fears, troubles; and it's best for you that you might by that be led to the Lord: But for the present you see things only in a carnal eye, and not with a spiritual, and so with an evil eye, which is the reason you cannot see your rock, the goodness of God.  
Secondly, You do declare, by your fears, and expressly by words, that those things that the Parliament now obtains of the King, in the way you behold them, that they are forced things, not natural, but violent, and so not durable: that they are unjust and oppressing, and so not lasting: for if you could look upon them as natural, or right and just, you had reason to think they were lasting; for God is the protector of just things, and stand firm against all the power of hell; and if they were so in you and them, or as far as they are so, all things that appear against them will be dashed in pieces, Justice being an invincible Rock: but you are extreme sensible of their going back again to the King from whence they came; and returning to their original.  
If you did indeed believe that the original of power were in the People, these grants would rest with you; and if there be any more behind, you might be persuaded they would freely follow these you have already, for things naturally or by the appointment of God run to their centre. But it seems you find no peace in these, and complain of the danger you are in of losing of them, which shows those things have no good bottom or foundation in you: And know this, that these violent courses that you are upon, of disclaiming and renouncing all dependence on the King, or accord with him, and an utter rejection, expulsion and deposure either of his whole race, and all that claim it upon the same account of right; or at least of his particular Person, and execution of justice upon him, page 28. will not secure what you have got; but rather it is the way to lose them, and set up Princes in a higher way than ever: for all things being by force, compelled from their nature, that force being removed, they return with the greater earnestness: and nothing that is violent can be perpetual: Besides, He that will save his life shall lose it: especially when it is going, and men use wicked ways to uphold their tottering state, than it goes, as we say, with a vengeance; and that is your condition: God says in your hearts and consciences, your standing is corrupt and ungodly, and he hath a quarrel against it, and it must fall: The rumour of your fall (In respect of your present greatness) sounds in your bosoms, and it is that which puts you upon these courses to save yourselves, which will hasten your fall.  
Thirdly, Your deep sense that you have of the Kings recovering what he hath lost, of his getting into his seat and Throne again, and of the disposition of the generality of people to help him to his beloved dignity: whence you make such total conclusions not only of probabilities of danger, but certain insecurity, and perpetual prejudice to publi●e interest, supposed the best constitutions and strictest laws imaginable etc. page 47. These things do declare that these Concessions are not long lived; and do prophesy the restitution of the King to his ancient Rights, and give a clear testimony to the immortality and stability of Kinglines.  
You see that the King hath a will to redeem his present loss: you may see it in your own hearts, that every man hath a lust after power and authority: And you have seen it in his constant carriage. For my part I condemn his unlawful seeking of it, and any falsehood in it, but if he should not endeavour the maintaining: and restoring of the dignity of Kings, He were false to his trust, and the glory and majesty of God that he is entrusted with: And therefore that desire of recovering his loss, is justifiable in him; yea, I should condemn him as unbelieving and weak spirited, if he should not hope for it, and constantly aim at it: But here's his misery, and yours for the present, that you are not acquainted with that fullness of power that is in God to dispense, and that wisdom whereby it shall be disposed; so that he shall have as much and more than ever he had, and you all, and more than you desire; and that way will be showed him to confirm what you ask of him, and give you more, and yet continue his own Royalty in the greatest abso lutenesse and perfection: And for want of this, you are tugging and pulling the Kingdom in pieces to satisfy yourselves with dominion; whereas if you were in a right understanding of things, there is enough in God, in the nation, to satisfy all desires, and largeness enough for all to have what they would, without entrenching one upon another, or maligning one another. If he desire it in a carnal and wicked way, he shall never have it; If he commit it to the Lord, and expect, it from him, he shall have it, and that will be his and our mercy.  
'tis granted then, that he hath a mind to recover, and that this is according to his principle, and maybe managed rightly, and not to the prejudice of the Parliament, or his opposers: And that he shall rise, yea, is now great, your Remonstrance seals to it. You condemn the Parliament for owning him so fare, as to seek to him by a Treaty; and you by taking such pains to arm yourselves against him, make it manifest, he hath a great power; which is a wonder, that a Prince, spoilt of all his authority, naked, a prisoner, destitute of all friends and helps, wholly at the dispose of others, tied and bound with all obligations a that a Parliament can imagine to hold him, should yet be such terror to you, and fright you into such a large Remonstrance, and such perilous proceed as you are upon to save yourselves from him, that is now a worm; either you are full of fear, that are so affected with a shadow, or else there is some strange power in him.  
As you give testimony to his power, so you take a course to advance it; for there is nothing that hath any spark of God in it, but the more it is suppresid, the more it rises; afflictions being always great improvements to good things, which shine most when they are tried.  
You speak of his reputation, pag. 36. The more you crush him, the sweeter savour comes from him; and while he suffers, the Spirit of God and glory rest upon him: There is a sweet glory sparkling in him by suffering though you see it not: You do but rend away his corruptions from him, and help to waste his dross, and draw forth that hidden excellency that is in him; and naturally men are ready to pity sufferers, When nothing will gain me, affliction will; I confess his sufferings make me a Royalist, that never cared for him: He that doth and can suffer shall have my heart; you had it while you suffered; now you are great, and need it not; the poor, suffering, oppressed King and his party shall have my compassion; your severe punishing him for his weakness in government, and great abuse of government yourselves, will beget in people an high account of the King, and provoke them to greater rage against you; and therefore you are upon foolish ways; while you, are seeking to prevent these evils, you are running further into them; you are raising more evils against yourselves, not allaying of them: 'tis the power of love binds men from hurting you; cruelty enrages men, and will turn men into Devils against you.  
Fourthly, Your speech shows what's within, Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh: A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things; and an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart, bringeth forth evil things: no man can speak any thing but himself. 'tis our happiness to live to see the hearts of men clearly brought forth.  
You tell us of the King, how probable, yea, demonstrable 'tis, that he will cast off these verbal and literal confessions and concessions, and that his yielding for the present is but upon design to obtain the Throne, but when be hath it he'll quickly break, and have colourable grounds for it: Which doth but tell us what you would do, or what is in your hearts to do: It seems you are able to teach the King deceit, and to show him a way to escape out of all engagements; Charity thinketh no evil, because it thinks nothing but God, it hopes all things, believes all things, because it sees God at the bottom of all things: But you hope for nothing but deceit, falsehood and treachery, Wise to do evil, but to do good no knowledge: You speak evil, but cannot sgeake good; Curse you do, but bless not; you never speak any good of the King, or any, but in scorn; and so you mention the King (Good man) So large and cunning in discovery of ill, and void of good, shows you empty of one, and full of the other.  
Fifthly, You express a multitude of dangers ready to come upon us by this Treaty; from the King his reputation, party their multitude, their activity, their greatness, from abroad, from home, from the Parliament their divisions, their burdening the people with taxes, from the force that is upon the King, etc. Fear hath taken bold of you, it en compasses you about on every side; Like Cain, that says. Every one that meeteth me will kill me; you know no safety: Can this be away of God? Doth not God establish our go, and set our feet upon a rock, and make us able to lie down and sleep in a wilderness, and not be afraid? We know none can hurt us, having Salvation for walls and bulwarks, and can and do live in the face of hell, death, Devils, and not be disturbed, yea, seek no other protection than the arm of God.  
They are the sinners in Zion that are afraid; We that are the people of God, dwell in that mountain where there is no hurtful thing; Our City gates stand open night and day, and we fear no surprises, no designs can betray us; we are not troubled to shut our gates to keep out death, evil flies from us; we need no black designs against our enemies to save ourselves, we do declare against all that walk in a way contrary to this; That their wisdom is not from above, not pure, so not peaceable, but is earthly, carnally sensual and devilish. In this perplexed state you are in, is seen your judgement is begun; you have left God, and he hath left you to these tormenting fears; this is the wrath that was threatened upon you; you are seeking selfe-safety, 'tis your business; therefore you uphold your Army to preserve the lives of the godly party, and safety flies from you: God looks every way upon you with sadness and wrath; 'tis your wickedness to think of, or speak of safety in a worldly state; you have been taught otherwise, and know, you shall never have it; you think you may use the means, no, all means are wicked that have an end contrary to the revealed will of God; and this hath been told your hearts, that there's no peace but in God. This is a general distemper, and that which your friends are guilty of extremely, but 'tis the spirit of hondage to fear, and not of love and a sound mind. This passion sets you on work, and therefore your business must needs be base and vile; to act for ones self in any kind, is evil and un-christian; but to aft for selfe-safety is so mean and poor a thing, as it must needs produce most vile and absurd actions: It is of all affections the unworthiest; a deep pit, and causes black, horrid and foul things: I'll show you a little that rest and peace which we enjoy; that security which you have turned your backs upon, in refusing the Lord, and for want of it are groping in these dark waves of yours.  
First, I fear no party nor interest because I love all, I am reconciled to all, and all are reconciled to me; I have enmity to none but the son of perdition; I oppose nothing but destruction, and therefore nothing opposes me: 'tis enmity begets insecurity; and while men live in the flesh, and in enmity to any party or interest, in a privace, divided and self good, there will be perpetual wars and strife; except that particular should quite ruin all other parts, and live alone, which the universal must not, will not suffer, for the admitting a part to eat up and devour others, were to destroy the whole, which is God; and such a mind in any part doth not only fight with another part, but against the whole; and so every faction of men striving to make themselves absolute, do directly war against God, who is love, peace, and a general good, gives being to all, and cherishes all; and therefore in such, opposition of fellow members, and of God, the God of peace and union, there can be no peace nor securicy: But we being enlarged into the largeness of God, and comprehending all things in our bosoms by the divine spirit, are at rest with all, and delight in all, for we know nothing but what's in our hearts; Kings, Nobles are much beloved because they are in us, of us, one with us, we being Kings and Lords by the anointing of God.  
Secondly, We inherit all things, having overcome; we are free the Sons of God, and all things are given unto us, are our own for our use: the greatest as well as the least; and therefore fear nothing, being Lords of all: To be in a state apprehensive of danger is to be a servant; and while servants are quarrelling one with another, beating one another, their Lord is absent, and they are in danger one of another.  
This is the condition of all the world, and of you in the Army, and therefore are fare from Lordship, true spiritual reigning; yea, hell, death's destruction itself is ours, and doth us service: In our great houses there are vessels of honour and of dishonour; both useful and profitable; Captivity is become our captive; death is become life; confusion hath its beauty, they are all excellent, as we in our house dispose of them and enjoy them; our interest is public, extends to all, and all are our interest.  
Thirdly, We live in heaven, peace is in our walls, and plenty, in our palaces; that word is performed to us, They shall see evil no more; we know no evil in our Paradise, not eating of the forbidden fruit; all is good, in all we see a smiling, bright, sweet face of majesty; We live upon Mount Zion, and it is large enough to receive our souls, bodies, estates, lives, families, all is taken within the Gates of the Holy City, and this City reaches all over the earth: Here we enjoy all things, all persons, all actions, we never go out of it, but live in the peace and safety of it continually: And here there is no more curse, nor death, sorrow and sighing flee from us; God wipes all tears from our eyes, and enjoying this, and all in this, in truth and power; we need no defence, no safety but our own rock. Our house which is from heaven.  
Fourthly, I fear nothing in the world, because Greater is he that is in us, than he that is in the world; I have overcome the world, it is at my feet, I trample upon it; If you find any world in me, you shall do me right to afflict it, break it; Let it suffer, 'tis righteous it should, I would have no worldly thing that lives out of God have rest, it's against my life and principle; and by this I do overcome it, and shall never be troubled for the loss of it, for I would have no inheritance, no life or being but in the eternal world: The world, I know, it is a poor shadow, a fading thing, and is only terrible in the dark, there's nothing in it, but it is more excellently and mightily in us in God; Men, Kings, Emperors, as they are in an earthly state, we know they are worms that shall die, mortals, and trouble they may themselves, not us; They are not worthy of a caution to them that live above them, or take heed: Have they power: so have we everlasting power, and either theirs is one with ours, or infinitely short of it: you show yourselves weak and under them when you fear them. Have they policy, wisdom, we have treasures; either theirs is ours, or else we can make fools of them; if they act not in our light, we are, and can, when we will, go beyond them; they are  men that fear cunning, narrow pated men, that cannot secure themselves from policy: Have they multitudes, a large and numerous party; we have more, and they can have none but ours, all are ours, we have Legions, ten thousand times ten thousand; They that are with us are more than they that are against us; yea, all are for us, if they knew us and what they would have, we having with us the desire of all nations: Would they have a King, they are in the dark; but we know they truly can desire none but our King, etc. and if you doubt and fear, you are solitary and alone, a widow, not married to God and his innumerable hosts: Of all things we would not fear men because they are wicked, false, breakers of Covenant, perfidious, etc. This is to set up wickedness by a Law; to accuse God, that the wicked go unpunished, that 'tis in vain to serve him, that he is not just; 'tis to offer the highest honour to the basest creatures, men in wickedness; We know they work in that fire that will destroy them: if men be evil they can't hurt me but as they hurt themselves; they are hastening to their own destruction, they carry their ruin with them: besides, we know such men are in hell, and there chain them: though Kings; we can, by the power of God, bind them in chains of Iron: have power to bind the devil and cast him into the bottomless pit: We assure you, that the devil shall not appear in any form or persons, be they never so great, never so gifted, never so glorious in religion or power, be it in you or any other, but we will deal with him, cast loads of wrath upon him, and fill him with torment; cast him from his heaven of outward religion or power, and secure him within his own bounds, that he shall no longer destroy the earth: We do and will dissolve his works be they never so wisely contrived, Set our feet upon him, and tread upon this Lion and Adder, and he shall not hurt us.  
Therefore you, while you tell us or your great fears, and demonstrate certain certain insecurity, and travel to bring forth your sense of danger, you and the godly party are in; you think you are wise men, must act as rational men for your safety, and judge us fools, mad men, that if you should do as we, the whole Christian cause would fall to the ground, and all would be lost; We will lay this upon you, Rev: 21.8. The fearful and unbelieving &c, have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death: you are in a lake of sire, work in the fire, and this is of the Lord, it is the just judgement of God upon you; not of men, but of and by the Lord; you are beyond the reach of men, but are reserved to be punished, from the presence of the Lord, This is your second death; you were dead in sins, are quickened by repentance, but are gone back; the life of grace and Religion is dead in you, and you that escaped the first, are fallen into a second death: But one word more answering to this, Revelations 22.15. Without are dogs: you are acting all along without the City: yea, professedly setting up a power that is in the world at distance from and out of God; which you call highest power on earth, created, standing power on earth; and for that power that divinity hath designed, you laugh at it; & you know your whole trade is now driven in the world as distinct from heavenly things, though you would cover it too with a sheep's skin, and cry 'tis the Lord, the Lord with us: but you are cast out, and gone out, and live out of the blessed and glorious presence of God, and so are dogs rated by God into a filthy kennel of base things; and are fearful as dogs: God hath beaten you by the King, and kept you under, and you are fearful of the same hand still, and think 'twill be worse yet, we shall suffer again; and that sets you a barking out your wrathful angry and fierce stuff. If you were with your Father in his presence as Sons, these clamours would cease, and you would be above all, and do good to all, and bless all as your Father doth.  
This is a main groundwork of your whole business; that law of nature which teaches men to save themselves, and therefore we have taken the more pains to discover the rottenness of it, and how you decline God and grace to fly to depraved and corrupt nature to be your guide and God; and to the poor and basest principle of nature, self-preservation, which must lead to the unworthiest things; and for professed Christians to act so low, is great wickedness and a curse.  
You do in this discourse meet with two objections.  
First, Your own former declaring for the King, which seems a little to trouble you; but you with some difficulty scramble over it; and I think in that spirit that you are in will stand at nothing: we will only say this, that by breaking those Proposals, you justify all the breach of promise in the King or any others, and do, not only break the command, but teach men to do so; for upon the principles of your apology for yourselves, every man is free from all engagements whatsoever.  
As first, you say, page. 43. concerning your compliance with the King, Partly necessitating us for the present prevention of that mischief to the public they were running into in that kind as we apprehended: we were drawn into etc. if men for necessity, and to avoid public danger, say a thing though he perform it not, there is no great evil in it.  
Secondly, That moderation was but hypothetical; That is no such engagements are absolute, but conditional, nor to be observed, but saving the Public interest; Now we being judges of what is safe for the public interest, can deliver ourselves when we please; which is the Pharisees law, If a man say it is Corban, it's a gift, shall be free.  
Thirdly, We aimed not at the strengthening ourselves to the ruin of any persons, but to prevent, etc. So that there be honest intentions, we may step over these outward bonds; and wisely to prevent mischief, break all relations, trample upon all authority. And afterward you repent, and say, 'Twas error, frailty, unbelief and carnal counsels, pag. 44. And pag. 52. you fall upon it again, and there you say were led to it by the Parliaments course: and now God hath opened your eyes, and let you see beyond what you did before.  
How excellently do you teach men to go from what they have said; if they see further and can repent it, they are free: See how abominable religion is when once corrupted: There's no kind of men can be such complete and neat knaves, as a Jesuit, a Pharisee, an old well studied professor of Religion; when once men's consciences are defiled, and they begin to trade in the world, with a pretence that 'tis for God, they are so cunning, that no bonds of honesty or faith can possibly hold them.  
This business of your repentings concerning your former compliance with the King, is a great strength to you, and you much build upon it: You have seen your sin, you say, and been humbled for it, and sought God, and are clean from it, you have been troubled, but now are at peace: Alas poor men! A deceived heart hath turned you aside, and you see not the lie in your right hand; This your Righteousness is a broken bow that starts aside; A broken reed, that while you lean upon it, will pierce your hand. To shame you for the iniquity of holy things, and show the abomination even of your Reformation, Know this from him who knows your ways and hearts.  
First, That it was not your sin to carry out principles of tenderness and goodness to all, and of fair and gentle dealing towards enemies, as you formerly did in your proposals: but to do this falsely and hypocritically, to take these Lamblike proposals to cover a Ravening Wolf; or to assume them, not out of love to them, but to gain reputation; or to gull and cheat a party into a quiet waiting upon you for deliverance, till you had gained your end, and then deceive them, and wholly relinguish them, this is your sin; And this you were by me admonished of concerning the King, that if you did look towards him, you should nakedly and freely discover your hearts and bosoms to him; if he did so close with you, it might be well; but that you should not (as you did) in distrust of God, falsely, without judgement accept of him and agree with him, that was declared to you to be evil, and a daubing with untempered mortar.  
Secondly, In your turning now you turn not to God; God says to you, You do not at all fast to me, but you are an empty vine bringing forth fruit to yourselves: For this present expedition, though you are blind and see it not, is merely for and to yourselves; And there are in you the same wickedness that was in the former, and worse; frailty is now malice; unbelief turned to selfconfidence; carnal counsel into devilish counsel: There is nothing more of the glory of God in you now, but less; yea, That which you seemed then to have is taken from you; your wisdom, mercy, moderation, etc. So you turn not from the iniquity of your way; not from this in hypocirsy, to this in truth, in righteousness; but from a vain proposal of good to acting evil, you turn indeed, but to Egypt, you are gone from good in show, to evil in substance.  
Thirdly, The root of this work you have in hand is a sense of the loss of God's favour; you have felt God's frowns upon you, and that hath put you upon this work, to recover your lost splendour, and to make satisfaction.  
This is a miserable, dark principle, and begets very wicked practices: in a sense of the wrath of God to seek for means to expiate his displeasure: Esaus tears, saul's sacrificing, Israel's offering up the first borne of their bodies for the sin of their souls: Poor blinded men! when they seek to satisfy God, run more in wickedness against him: he that goeth upon such grounds to satisfy an angry God, and to quiet a fearful and guilty conscience, will always be bloody and cruel, and are thrust on commonly to some eminent folly, some notorious and absurd wickedness, and so are you, not being established in the love of God, nor walking in a plain path of righteousness, but blinded in wrath, are hurried from one extreme to another: This cursed giddiness of flesh to do evil, and think they do God good service, is the fruit of apostasy, and quenching the spirit of God; to be so left to yourselves, that which way soever you go, you commit iniquity, and not able to know or practise the truth; you are in this the greatest examples of divine justice that this age hath brought forth.  
The second thing that lies in your way, is the Covenant, which obliges to the preservation of the King's person and authority, pag. 54. but not so strongly, but the snare is broken, and you have an honest way to escape; Many things you bring to quit yourselves from it; that clause, In the preservation of the true Religion and liberty of the Kingdom, pag. 55. If it have an evil sense it calls for repentance, pag. 57 This however will never fail, repentance knows how to wash away any Covenant. Then you plead, 'twas 'twixt man and man, and would exclude the King, as not present nor consenting, pap. 58. and after would exclude God from being any thing but a witness, pag. 50. You would have God have as little interest in it as you can: 'tis a very ill temper of mind that lessens the interest of God in our affairs: It's an ill tongue that is an orator for man, and denies God; that says God is but thus: 'tis no dishonour to the King to be left out, where God is not admitted to be a party, only a looker on: But God says, What you did to one of these little ones, you did to me: You vowed to me in the King, though a little one, imprisoned, sick, naked; yet your oath was to me.  
God says, I put in the preservation of the King's life and authority into the Covenant, into all your oaths and protestations, on purpose to save him after all his sufferings for sin: And observance is due to me; I was in that Covenant, and will punish the breakers: Where are you now?  
Concerning your breaking this Covenant in a thing so express, so agreeable to all the Parliaments Declarations and Remonstrances, we will lay down these three considerations.  
First, That Oaths and Covenants, the main pillars of humane society, the greatest determiners of controversies, the chief part of divine worship, is in this age most commonly violated, and impudently profaned: Poor world! what will you do? Thy great security from danger, Oaths, thy Physician that hath cured thy breaches often, and healed distempers, is become ineffectual: There is such wickedness amongst us, and that crept into the best of men, and under such pretences of piety to God, that no Covenants will hold them: Certainly if God doth not manifest, a new and everlasting Covenant to compose and bind us together, we shall live in a wilderness of horrid confusion.  
Secondly, That these are the last and perilous times spoken of, 2 Tim. 3.1. etc. And that you, amongst others, are the people there spoken of, Lovers of themselves; That's your fundamental Law, selfe-preservation, and the ground of your present actings, to intrude yourselves into the world's greatness, out of a high opinion of your own deserts, thinking yourselves only wise, just, holy, honourable, etc.  
I could show you the other particulars, and may in time apply the Text to you, if you repent not; but for the present occasion, 'tis said, there they shall be Truce-breakers, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, against accommodation, no treaty, no agreement: Or breakers of Covenant, and then it follows, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Accusers, and at this you are exquisite.  
Thirdly, That Covenants being the strength of humane societies, and so great bulwarks of the world, degenerated or apostasied Religion is the great engine of God's wrath appointed to break them down: Solemn Oaths and Covenants are able to hold most men's consciences, but men heightened by Religion into the forms of the spirit, doing things by immediate direction from God, carrying a glorious presence of God before them, affirming that they are called by God to do some special work in the world: these can easily mount above the highest forts of Oaths, and trample them under foot presently: Men that have tasted of these high things, and begin to make them serviceable to worldly ends, they are such cunning picklocks, that they can find a way through all doors to come to the treasures of power and authority: A people that have had a savour of heavenly things in a fleshly way: turn them lose into the world, and they'll tear it up by the roots; they are whetted for destructions such as are spoken of, Ezek. 21.31. Brutish men, skilful to destroy: such wicked spirits are now abroad, that are brutish, spare not the holiest nor honourablest things: Kings, Lords, Ministers, Scriptures, Ordinances, Oaths, Covenants lay all waste; and yet in the greatest brutishinesse, skilful, though there be the most sensual and beastly confusion, yet they shall do it artificially, skilfully, say 'tis for God, justice, religion, etc. and that they do it by the power of Christ, and the spirit of God, in religious zeal, etc. and so exact, that they will not be known from bvilders, restorers, reformers. But the holy, good, wise, merciful spirit of the living God, the Father of mercies, will in his own light condemn this unclean spirit, and drive him out of the land.  
Having cleared your way to what you have to propose you give us your apprehensions of the remedy, page 60. your first is to, lay aside this evil and dangerous Treaty: This is a strange remedy against civil wars, to lay aside treating: Then you require that the King's demands be rejected, especially that of his restitution to London; This is very terrible to you that the King should recover any strength; no, keep him down as long as you can, let him not rise: how far is this from the power of godliness, oracting in the power of God: a poor pusillanimous, cowardly, worldly policy: you dare not think of the King getting any power, for than you know you durst not deal with him; not barely in the power of God: but he a prisoner and you free; having an Army at your command, you dare accuse him; if he were in power, you would shrink out of the Kingdom; whereas if you lived in the power of God, you might trample upon Thrones; if he were wicked pull him from his greatest glory, and bind him in chains.  
Secondly, you would have that bargaining proposition laid aside, and would have all justice done immediately, from the judicial power of the Kingdom the Parliament, and not by grant from the King: you do the King a courtesy in that: and this being done, you wish moderation and mercy; not as long as there be any apprehension of fear▪ there's little mercy from fearful enemies: mercy is in Breasts that are strong and mighty. But page 62. you come to the marrow of the business, to propound high things that sha1l reach us peace with God, and quiet amongst men: There was never such a mocking of God since the world stood: for men that have professed Christ our peace so long as you have done, should now tall from that atonement (which you only talked of, had not in power) to offer up to God the blood of men, the blood of men already in affliction, the blood of their enemies, and that upon such principles to secure themselves, to obtain and keep self-advantages; 'tis such a sacrifice as was never yet by the darkest heathens invented: if you had covertly sought revenge upon him, etc. you had had some equals and examples for your fact; but to do the same thing (in fear and revenge to remove an adversary) and boldly, impudently, to bring it to God as a sacrifice to appease his displeasure, and expiate sin, is an unparalleled wickedness: and a project as foolishly contrived, to quiet the people by taking away a Prince beloved of his people, endeared to them by his sufferings; whose government (though full of weakness) was far better than those that succeed him; a Prince, strong in the affection of his Subjects, and foreign alliance, and then when he is in a yielding way to peace, to give satisfaction to his Subjects, yea, when he is upon an agreement, then to seek the removal of him by death, or deposure against the desires of the body of the Kingdom, and of their representatives in Parliament; upon the foul and black designs of a few unbelieving people, that this should be a way to quiet the Kingdom it's as far from policy as the other is from piety.  
But to your Proposals; first, you propound, That that capital and grand author of our troubles, the Person of the King, may be brought to justice for the treason, blood, etc. Two things we will consider.  
First, Your Justice.  
Secondly, The person upon whom 'tis to be administered.  
First, 'Tis not justice that you desire, it appears so to your blind and deceived hearts; but in the face of God it appears fare otherwise: To tell you that justice must be done by law, and that no law takes hold of the King, will not convince you, though to others it will manifest that; you that pretend to contend for the laws, are the greatest violaters of them. But the searcher of hearts will deal otherwise with you, and show you what's within you, and discover the falsehood and injustice of your spirits.  
First, Know this (for you have felt it) that God hath a controversy with you: that though you have done many things for him, yet you are not perfect; but there is some wicked thing to be purged out of you, which is your glorying in that fleshly way in which you are: God hath called you out of it, and you have refused him, and sunk down deeper into it, blessing add strengthening yourselves in it; being unwilling to strip yourselves naked of those carnal1 helps and advantages that you were engaged to; or to suffer a loss of those glorious favours that you have received, that you might have better: but loving this present evil world, and despising the Spirit of God and refusing his safety alone, and to rest and live under his wings abhorring to cease acting in the flesh, and to be perfected by sufferings: You have, by this joined yourselves to the prince of darkness, departed from God to the God of this world, by which Satan hath betrayed you, spoiled all your glory; gotten those good things God gave you, into his possession, and employs them against the Lord, and takes the poor people of God captive, to serve in the foul and base ways of the world; and the Lord now comes for justice against this spiritual wickedness in places; you have dealt against small petty corruptions and have seen them executed; but now the devil hath corrupted all your gifts and graces, and spilt the blood of Christ, who was a babe in you, and brought great spiritual mischiefs upon you, death, wrath, trouble, absence of God, deprived you of your freedom with God, etc. now God calls for justice against this destroyer of such precious beginnings of godliness, and creates trouble in your spirit for want of it: but this cunning serpent beguiles you and sets up a shadow of an enemy a King without, as an object to your justice, to save himself and all his villainy from the justice of God within: Poor beguiled wretches, you are not yet acquainted with his wiles: you are turned out of the righteous way, and will never find peace till you come to see all those evils in yourselves in truth, which are in show and shadow in the King; and when the sword of the Spirit which cuts inwardly, is turned against those enemies of God you will do justice indeed.  
Secondly, This way of acting in you for justice, is great apostasy, for a company of men that have been led up into such high things of God, to live in God, and do all things in the Spirit of God; now to fall down into the way of heathens; to lay the weight of their spirits upon so poor a thing as moral justice, and to dance after the example, or take for their guide and rule the blind actings of Gentiles that lived in the world without God; and only sought an outward freedom: and to prostitute the Spirit of God to such Common and profane things, is exceeding unworthy of the profession of a Christian, and a going back from Canaan to Egypt.  
Thirdly, Your Justice is but a bare name, or a heathen covering, borrowed from men to hid your shame, your malice, unbelief, fear, and such like monstrous lusts, which you know you are not free from; and though you would not see, you shall see, and the world shall see too, that you are as other men are, and take up the lees and dregs of the world: cunning ways to remove adversaries, to take away those that stand in your way; and paint them over with the names of justice, security to the public interest, and so act them in the face of the Sun. Take but this instance; hundreds of the King's party, the basest and worst of them who have borne arms for the King; are yet admitted into your Army, joined with you in engagements; because it is for your advantage end the strengthening yourselves; to let go the principal and punish inferior instruments, say you, is not just: And so spare inferiors to serve us, and punish great ones to secure ourselves of them, it is great injustice: It is an old deceit of justice to lay hold of small offenders, and let go the great ones, that is gross and common: but to accept the small ones into, alliance, favour and service because we want their bodies; and to seek the ruin of great ones, because we would have their honours, places and estates, is a new wickedness, a path not trodden in before; high flying and gallant cruelty, spare rogues, slaves to do slavish work, men of no conscience, worth nor honesty, and strike at a Prince standing for his interest engaged by conscience and honour: This is your justice.  
Now for the King, against whom you go in full cry; I have this to say to check your violent course.  
First, That he had and hath a true lawful right in the Kingdom and to the Kingdom, as good as any man hath to any thing he possesses, his crown, revenue and dignity is as righteously his birthright and inheritance as another's house or land; and he that denies this is wilfully blind.  
As he hath a right to his Crown and Subjects, so it is his People's right to have a King, I confess it my birthright to have relation to a King, to live under a great Monarch; and if I am denied it, I am denied my native right, and so my pleasure of honouring and serving him, and receiving honour from him, and many and great profits coming by him.  
And he having a right to his Crown, and his People a right to him, it was as just for him and his party to stand for their right as for any other party to uphold theirs: It is true his interest, and Parliaments, and Peoples were all in the dark, and none could distinctly divide one from another, or clearly judge which is which; and so ordained by God for the fall of them as they stood in a worldly way: It is true the King abused his interest and power, and in the exercise of it transgressed against GOD and his People. And it is as true, when the Parliament came to plead their right, they were to seek, and did in contending for it sin against GOD and the King so that both have a right, both have some reason to contend for their right, but both have erred in maintaining their rights; And therefore the King is not free from sin alone, nor guilty alone, nor his party: The Parliament not free alone, nor guilty alone, but each side have some good and evil mingled together, you nor they perfectly righteous, all have transgressed and gone out of the way; and therefore 'tis pride and partiality in you to say he is guilty of all the blood, rapine, etc. No, all are guilty; We must say, There it none righteous, no not one: You may say he was first guilty, or most guilty, because he is first and greatest, and so hath suffered first & most: but to clear yourselves as pure only, & condemn others as guilty only, is pride and uncharitableness; and all proceed upon this ground, are acts of hostility, and a continued prosecution of the old difference.  
Thirdly, I say that the King in his present state is more righteous than you, he now suffers and acts, and is in his present way the most just in the Kingdom.  
First, He hath confessed his error, though you wickedly urge it against him; and though it be in weakness, yet the Lord is tender of him in it: He hath expressly owned his sin, and the Parliament implicitly in yielding to treat with him, and showing a readiness to receive him to favour: 'tis in their hearts that they were rash, violent, and too captious and ready to take advantages against the King, being spurred on by some carnal and smister ends; and so fare as they incline to acknowledge their errors, they are in a way to pardon: Only you justify yourselves as innocent, and so most or 1ast guilty.  
Secondly, He hath been in this Treaty in a selfdenying way, in a way of parting with his rights, though misinterpreted, being looked upon through enmity and jealousies, and you and the Parliament are upon the gaining and securing to yourselves: He is coming down, you and others are getting up: He is falling, you rising: He is a sufferer, you inflicters of sufferings.  
Thirdly, He owns a God in the world, and appeals to him: that principle that you disdain so much, pag. 47. and elsewhere, is more righteous than yours, which are seeking to set up a dark form of Government without God; so just as not to need God; in which we may rest, and never go further to appeal to God. The King hath appealed to God, and it hath cost him dear; God hath judged him for his sins, as you say often in your Remonstrance, and 'tis a wonder to me that you should fleight that maxim of impunity from man, and appealing, to God, when God is come forth so visibly as he is, to punish all ill government: Yea, that which you fly to yourselves in your second Declaration, and the Holy God is as righteous to you as to the King, to punish you in your kind as him in his: And as it hath been his fall, so it will be his and your rising, sticking fast to your appeal to God in distress, he will restore him and you.  
A fourth is this, That the King in his offers of peace hath showed a fatherly and large spirit, and endeavoured the comprehending of all interests; and you insist only upon your own, and others, as relating to yours.  
The fifth and last thing I have to say for the King, is that which I have already published, That he is an Image of the glory of God the Father, and chosen by the divine majesty to bring forth itself: A vessel of honour, pardoned, loved, and taken into union with God.  
And 'tis not the least aggravation of your sin that you go on in your ways against him, after the divine Grace had so publicly owned him: And this you do without any knowledge of the mind of God, or any ability to show the evil & weakness of that discovery; but in a rude and brutish pursuing of your own sense and experience: you are sunk deep into the earth, or else you would not say (after such a manifest judgement given by God) as you do, pag. 48. If they claim by immediate, divine designation, let them show it, pag. 50. in a way of rejecting and denying at least; Which we are sure can be no less than something of Divinity: Indeed you cannot, nay will not see divine things amongst men, else you would not now say, Let them show it. But of all 'tis the greatest wonder that you should be such opposers of Divinity and divine designation, who have professed God is in all, there is nothing but God, and cry up the name of God so much to be in your own dark and confused ways, and will not acknoeledge him in any thing that is honourable or excellent: And though your Remonstrance be against this glory of God breaking forth in the King, your actions shall and do promote it: and this may be your comfort, that these sufferings will so refine and improve him, that he will appear in that excellent spirit of love and goodness, as shall freely forgive your violence against him, and rejoice in his sufferings, being the certain way to a true Throne of Glory. Thus I dare meet with all your power, and interpose between the edge of your inflamed wrath and the King; I value not what you can do or say: If you say I am turned Royalist, I am of a Royal Seed, a Royal Priesthood, and a lover of Royalty in the most High God, and no where else: If you say I do it upon carnal grounds, you may say it, but shall not long think it, but will wish yourselves as free from worldly respects and self-seeking in acting against, as I am in appearing for the King ere long.  
The three next things propounded are but the ravelin out of the same principle; wherein you show what a reach your great fears have, and how wary you are to fortify yourselves against all from whom there may be any appearance of danger; And so the King's Children must suffer, and a competent number of his chief Delinquents. There is here nothing of a new principle, and therefore I omit it.  
Your sift is, for satisfaction of Arrears: This is a main wheel, though it makes little noise here; For I believe, if you could get your Arrears, which are very considerable sums of money, and would help you to live conveniently, and could rationally and upon visible grounds promise yourselves safety and a quiet life, you would be content to lay down many of you and be quiet. This is good sober dealing, and you think it very justifiable, For the Labourer is worthy of his hire; And you know many of you, I think the greatest part of the body, would have left long ago, if they had not hoped to recover some good part of their Arrears. But is this suitable to our profession when we undertook this War? Did not we scorn a mercenary soldier, or soldier of fortune? And upon those terms have dealt with God and men; yet now the Kingdom must lie under misery till you have your arrears. I'll but say this to you, you are upon as good a way to pay or acquit your Arrears as the Scots were.  
Your next thing propounded is concerning the Parliament, that it should have a Certain period, and so the great trust reposed in them may return to the people, pag. 65. This Parliament hath been a pretty hackney for you, you can ride it as long as you will, and which way you will, and then turn it up: Prescribe it what it shall do, and how long: We see now your tender regard to the privilege of Parliament: How pitifully you use this Old Mass, as you call it, pag. 45. You guard it and regard it, mould and turn this mass till it be fit for your purpose; and when it hath dethroned the King and enthrond your government, you will release them and send them packing: You are as the Sea, boundless, let lose from all ties and obligations of superiors, and none can stand before you: You trample upon Parliament as well as upon King, imprison him, and force these to do your work, and then a period.  
At last you show us the grounds that you would have the Kingdom settled upon, pag. 66. which I shall not much meddle with in particular: Only consider,  
First, That you profess yourselves (and 'tis your property) to be appointed and called for breaking in pieces the powers of the world, and to be As the Potstheards of the earth, that dash one against another: And in this you are very skilful and able: But what then have you to do with settling? 'tis not your trade; you were never cut out for it, nor bound' prentice to it; and so it seems by the grounds you lay of common right; which are only framed with respect to your own private interest, and have little of right freedom or common in them, only much of safety for yourselves, as you think: Why do you dissemble with men, holding forth a foundation to settle the Kingdom, when you know all things are unsettling, and for that you act.  
Or if this be a ground laid for future settlement and safety, it's a woeful Babel, an Idol, a lie, a vanity, a thing that cannot save: Will this reach to heaven, or save you from the flood of wrath that is broken out upon you? 'tis an unprofitable, empty, desolate thing, A vessel in which is no pleasure, neither inward nor outward; Like the image of Dagon, fallen, and without his head; You would think it Apostasy for men to go bacl to 10 or 20 years since, but to plead for an age before the conquest, and run bacl to to the most barbarous times; not only from God, to the glory of great states, but to Egypt's Garlic and Onions, to the dull, senseless people, and set them up, as Idols, to save you, and fall down before this wood and stone, as things of vast concernment: What a condition are you shrunk into? Ensnared in holes of earth. Here lies the glory of your Saintship, of your Kingdom of God, or this is the end of all your carnal and fleshly religion: This is the heaven you settle in, the grounds of your peace; The Lord marches thorough the land in indignation, and wounds the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundations to the weak; Thou didst strike thorough, with his staves, the head of the villages; Thou hast wounded the head, the glory of the Kingdom, and now thou strikest thorough the head of villages, not only destroy royal, but popular power, and dost rip up the foundations, and show the folly, rottenness and ungodliness of the lowest stones as well as of the highest; None shall escape thy Righteo is judgements.  
Your last thing propounded is a contract or agreement; a contract or bargain, not a marriage, for there is no husband; An agreement with death, no life, no God; no, we have enough of them; Alas, they are poor things, they will not hold a quarter of a year; a cobbling device: Let us have a Saviour that can defend himself, and needs not to be tied together, and nailed fast by an agreement or contract: this is a poor God; an old Canonical trick, subscriptions; Conformity for State as well as for Church; That none be capable of any benefit by it but such as subscribe; None bear any office or place of public trust; nor King except be subscribe; This is public liberty and common right: There was never grosser tyranny ever appeared in the world: 'tis I am very sure, the last and worst piece of folly (in this kind) that ever was brought forth; And after the casting off all powers, breaking all Covenants, this comes in as a crown of the work, a great chain of darkness, to bind us to the earth for ever; a great bog, in which we may lie fast: Where is that liberty of the spirit, that glory of God that should make men confess God is in you of a truth? This is your binding Kings in chains of Iron: Did ever men fall from praying for, professing of, preaching of, aiming at the last and great glory of God? as you do to such a beggarly rudiment, as agreement with the people, subscription upon penalty. Your condition is well expressed, Isay. 65. 4, 5. Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near me, for I am holier than thou. You say to the King, Bishops and Presbyters, stand by, thrust them away, and their oaths, conformities, covenants; stand by all you Ecclesiastical subscriptions, we will have a civil one: You required some, we will have all subscribe: We are the most Righteous that have come yet, none before us did such things as we; And yet, saith the Text, Which lie amongst the graves: You lie down in the rotten Sepulchers of the Bishops; their ways are dead and putrified, and you go down into them, and defile yourselves with them, And lodge in the monuments: You have striven long for reformation, and for the Kingdom of God, but at last wildred and nighted, you take up your rest and lodging amongst the dried bones of your dead ancestors, would save yourselves by oaths, subscriptions, etc. which are the great signs of the uncertainty and mortality of states; when they find they begin to die, they set up their memories on these monuments of Covenants and Subscriptions: And eat swine's flesh; that's another evil; You live upon that beast, a swine that loves digging and rooting in the earth: You are not content with what the earth, by the favour of heaven, sends forth, but are digging into, and turning up the bowels of the Kingdom to satisfy your swinish appetites: Or love to wallow in mire, and to lie upon the dunghill of the Kingdom's confusions, and take pleasure in it: And broth of abominable things; you abominate tyranny, compulsion, enforcing in others, to impose and advance their own interest; but refusing to do the thing itself, you eat the broth, do the same thing in a loser, weaker, base and more servile way.  
You are the lees and dregs of the world, the tail of it; you think you are the best, but are the worst; for the world grows worse and worse, and the deeper you go into it, the further you are from God, and the nearer to hell, to confusion; for the world hath its foundations in the deeps: 'tis a fond conceit arising from the grossest ignorance and self-love, to think that you are better than others, all your ways being more absurd, violent, irrational, than the worst of those that have gone before you: You may read your description excellently penned long ago, 1 Tim. 4.1, etc. Now the spirit speaketh expressly; He speaks to whom all times are now, who sees all things present: He speaks truth, things are because he speaks them: Therefore doth your glory fade away, Because the spirit of the Lord hath blowed upon it, and he speaks expressly; There's nothing the Lord brings forth more exactly, fully and clearly, than the apostasy of carnal professors; a work wherein be delights to be complete, and to do it to the life; to fill religious flesh, kicking against him, with absurd folly and gross wickedness: In the latter times, which are these days, when time grows low, 'tis the worst: That time wherein we are looking for the greatest good, then appears the greatest evil.  
And that in Apostates Some shall departed from the faith; the spirit says now expressly you are these some; you have departed from the faith.  
First, From the doctrine of faith, expressed in the last verse of the former Chapter, and in the 6. v. of this Chapter, In the words of faith and good doctrine: The most forward of you in religion do departed from the chief and main doctrines of Christ; and neither do nor can hold forth those mysteries, God manifest in the flesh, etc. And from all rule of faith you do departed by profession and practice: to speak to you concerning those commands of subjection to Kings, Superiors, etc. is literal, legal, you have a spirit above those commands, and those concerning the worship of God, you are above Ordinances, etc. and so falling into a state of liberty and looseness from all laws.  
Secondly, You have departed from what you have believed, which was the Kingdom of Christ, purity of religion, etc. into levelling, irreligious, worldly principles, giving heed to seducing spirits: you talk of the Spirit, but are led by an unclean spirit, a false spirit, or an erring and seducing spirit; the devil and your own lusts have carried you away from the way of Christ, which is by the Cross, to ascend to glory, by suffering to reigning; but that way you decline and fall upon worldly contests for worldly things: I wonder at your gross deceit, deceiving and being deceived (did I not know your hearts are made gross and fat, that you are given up to strong delusions, to believe a lie) that you should pretend to be led by God in your ways, and that he goes before you, and yet are in such darkness (as yourselves profess) you see not a foot before you; but attend every day for new leadings, new discoveries of the mind of God: into what a miserable labyrinth hath the devil led you! to go blindly and confidently after your own imaginations which are confused, dark, and uncertain, and cause you to attend to those motions and actings, and tell you 'tis the Spirit of the Lord. No no, The Spirit of God is light, clearness, stability; 'tis that Anointing whereby we know all things, from first to last, he leads us in plain paths; in ways of order, peace, goodness: I abhor that that blind mole, that bat, that dusky night-owle, that halting, blind thing which you follow, should be called by the name of God or the spirit of God; Doctrines of Devils, of wrath, malice, accusations, disorders, confusions, destructions, or as Mead interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, of earthly, humane, petty Gods or Saints; such are your Gods humane, earthly, weak Gods, that have no glory, majesty nor excellency in them.  
Vers. 2. Speaking lies in hypocrisy; Your justice, public interest, common right are all lies; and so are all men, and things of men but a lie; and you speak them in hypocrisy, cunningly, to deceive and seek yourselves, and your own interest, Having their conscience scared with a hot iron: God hath set some brands and marks of favour upon you, given you some victories and success, to ensnare your proud hearts, to sat up the flesh for its destruction: This, and your fiery, zeal for justice, for common good, which is a base metal, at best iron (made to break things in pieces) but these, as a hot iron, do so hisse in your minds, and smoke in your eyes, that you cannot hear the voice of God, nor see his ways; you are so obdurate upon these things, Gods glorious presence with you, the wonders he hath done by you: (things common to Alexander, Caesar; and many Heathens more in a greater way than ever you had them) that you think it impiety, malignancy, etc. once to question your way.  
All the rest concerns you, Forbidding to marry, you forbidden heaven and earth to marry; forbidden King and people to marry; and the same spirit goes so fare in some, as to deny marriage, and to maintain a community amongst men and women, because In the resurrection there is neither marrying nor giving in marriage. To abstain from meats; Many things you would have men abstain from, Kings, Lords, Tithes, and many other good creatures of God, that your stomach cannot digest, and you forbidden others the use of them, because you are not sanctified, neither do you see them sanctified by the eternal word and prayer.  
You are drawing towards an end, and here I shall join issue with you, pag. 69. That since the heart of man is deceitful and corrupt above all things, and most apt to answerable counsels and actings where it can hope to walk in the dark, undiscerned and undistinguished: therefore you desire liberty of entering dissents: Upon this ground do I desire liberty to enter my dissent from you, and upon what follows in your words, In these transactions of such high moment to the public and all honest interests, and in times so apt to deceit, defection and apostasy. With you, pag. 70. I profess, That as the exigence of the case, and nature of the business requires (being of such vast importance to all public, religious and honest interest, not in this Kingdom only, but in neighbour nations) I have dealt with all plainness and clearness, as God hath enabled me. And now to conclude, we hope that in an age of so much light; mere will and resolution will not be held forth and pursued against it: But that what reason and righteousness there is in the things we have said, will be considered and followed. 'tis my request to you in your own words, & that you would not in prejudice or disdain lay these things aside; but that you would, setting aside your present actings of less importance far, yea, of certain danger & ruin to your selus and others, you would consider what I have here proposed in love to you, & for your good & safety, & the peace of the Kingdom.  
He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.  
FINIS.