STRONG MOTIVES, OR LOVING AND MODEST ADVICE, Unto the Petitioners for Presbiterian GOVERNMENT.  
That they endeavour not the compulsion of any in matters of Religion, more than they wish others should endeavour to compel them.  
But with all Love, Lenity, Meekness, Patience, & Long-suffering to do unto others, as they desire others should do unto them.  
Whereunto is annexed the Conclusion of Lieuten. General Cromwell's Letter to the House of Common tending to the same purpose.  2 TIM. 24.25.26. 
But the servant of the Lord must not strive, but must be gentle towards all men, apt to teach. Suffering the evil, instructing them with meekness that are contrary minded, proving if God at any time will give them repentance, that they may acknowledge the truth, and come to amendiment out of the snare of the Devil, of whom they are taken Prisoners to do his will.  
Dear Friends, you cannot, nor would not account true Religion the life and Crown of all your Liberties and Privileges; except you may have free liberty to exercise the same according to your own understandings and consciences (as you conceive) to be informed by the word of God; and if so be, than it will be your part to do, as you would be done unto: You would not be compelled to worship God contrary to the light of your Consciences, nor be withheld from worshipping him according to your Consciences, How is it then, that you so earnestly endeavour for such a Government, as pretendeth to have a right of controlling and directing all men in matters of God's worship: and whereas you would be understood to have sound out true Religion; if you will ingeniously consider, you must acknowledge you have no more to prove yours to be so, but that upon grounds of Scripture, you are fully assured in your own minds of the truth thereof.  
But now I hope neither you, nor Counsels, nor Synods, have any Spirit of infallibillity, you may mistake and misapply the Scriptures, as well as other men may do,: What reason is there, (or can there be then,) that you should be so earnest to enforce all men in this Kingdom, to walk by your uncertain rule: All other conscientious people of what judgement so ever, are as you are, in this kind; even fully assured in their own minds upon grounds of Scripture, rightly understood (as they believe) that they have found out true Religion: and may upon as good grounds (it may be) as yours, endeavour to compel you as vehemently to walk by their rules, as you may compel them to walk by yours. And what though you could prevail with Authority, to second your endeavours? shame not yourselves (and kick not against pricks) by endeavouring a thing so evidently unjust; nor tempt a just power to do a thing so contrary to their own Consciences and so prejudicial to the Common Wealth.  
And since you labour for a pure and perfect Reformation in all Christ's Ordinances, it would be happy for the whole Nation, that you would insist principally upon his greatest undisputable Ordinance, which is LOVE: Love you know, is the fulfilling of the whole Law, the end of the Commandments is love: By this shall all men know, that you are my Disciples, if you love one another: And that you are translated from death to life, if you love the brethren: Yea, though you speak with the tongues of men and Angels, and pretend never so much zeal to all Christ's Ordinances, (as indeed you abound in glorious language in that your Petition): yet without Love, you are all but as sounding Brasses and unckling cimbals. So Love is the lustre and beauty of Religion: Let your light therefore (your Love) so shine before men, that they seeing your good works may glorify your father which is in Heaven: If you have this world's goods, and see your Brother lack, how dwelleth the Love of God in you? Pure Religion and undefiled before God even the father, is this, to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their distress, and to keep yourselves unspotted of the World.  
Will it (think you) be sufficient in the great day of the Lord, to say, Lord we have preached and heard and prayed and fasted and mourned and received in thy name, but consider; Though you could say, Lord in thy name, we have cast out Devils, and done great miracles, you know your answer aforehand, Away from me I know you not; For when I was an hungered, you fed me not; when I was naked ye clothed me not, when I was sick and in prison ye visited me not, etc. But how far short of these rules do those come, that will not allow their brethren a peaceable life amongst them, if they but differ from them in some points of judgement? if you do conceive any one to be in an error, break not the bonds of love to bring him out of his error, for you may easily mistake truth for error, but love is so well known, that you can no wise excuse the breach thereof.  
If you would have an end of all your troubles, study love, though it be the only neglected, unpathed and forgotten way, yet is it like the poor wise man that saved the City by his wisdom, for love is wise, and since the loving way is the most prevalent way in all things, endeavour therein to be most forward, in all your purposes, counsels, debatings, or petitions, and let love govern; & say within yourselves in every thing, how doth this consist with love? Love is the form of every sound mind, and useth none but Just means to obtain his just desires, and cannot but be displeased when Christians do the contrary.  
And truly, Love itself doth much dislike, that you should flatter the world into a high conceit of the Reformation in King Edward's or Queen Elizabeth's days; when it was but a mere bustling of the Clergy, to get one another out of their places; by which indeed the people gained some small measure of knowledge: But yet Penry, Greenwood and Barrow were put to death for knowing more than the State allowed; And though much better be hoped from the present Reformers yet if you consider the manifold miseries and sufferings of Godly harmless people for Conscience sake, even in these times, and could look upon the same with an eye of love, it would make you weep and fear the issue, as well as rejoice in the Parliaments proceed.  
Alas, you little think of the manifold inconveniences, that you desire for yourselves in hastening your Church Government, until you have a Church to be governed. Do you know what judgement you may be of, before half a year come to an end? and would you willingly be liable to compulsion or restriction, to molestation or punishment for, serving God according to your Consciences? You know not what spirit you are of, nor whose work you are doing: And (did not the wisdom of Parliament prevent,) you would draw inevitable thraldom upon yourselves, your innocent brethren, the posterity, and the whole Nation: You are deluded with glofing language, affectation of speech, and holy terms sophistically framed, whorishly painted, and artificially composed, and you are causelessly affrighted with old Popish exclamations against Heresy, Schism, Scandal, Strange Sects, Horrid, blasphemous opinions, Separated Assemblies, illiterate Pastors, boldness, insolency, contempt of all Authority, Seditious persons, disturbance of the City, unnatural flames of division, especially about Church Government, in the same Kingdom, between people and people, Minister and Minister, Pastor and Flock, Master and Servants, Parents and Children, Husbands and wives, differences in opinion, breeding alienation in affection.  
It is wonderful, that in our great and victorious Army, differences in opinion should have no such evil effect but the contrary, as witnesseth that worthy and religious commander Lieutenant General Cromwell, Master John Rushford in his Relation to master Speaker about taking of Bristol, certainly the reason is from the wisdom of his Excellency, our most worthy and prosperous General, in making no distinction of his Officers or Soldiers, but as they are virtuous or vicious, perform or neglect their duties: That true Christian love is more regarded universally in that army, than any forms of worship or Church Government at all, Love is the life and soul of Religion, and the true mother of all unity and peace.  
Well, but I pray you observe, what other mischiefs are collected, to animate you to make your Petition, for your present establishing of Church Government; Why? here lieth the weight of all this agravation, the reason of all the other exclamations; and the true cause of the haste. Faithful Ministers are despised and discouraged in their Ministry, Hopeful plants disheartened, and terrified from the ministry, Public. Assemblies are forsaken, the pretended Preachers of new Gospels cried up: Universal toleration of all opinions pleaded for: believe it, here's matter enough indeed, for if there be once granted a freedom of speech, an opening of the Presses, and toleration of all Opinions and immediately down goeth the glory of the Clergy.  
They will easily be proved to be no other than other men, (if so good,) their impofition of hands, will not hold up their honour in the least: Jure Divino is already dashed, and there remains no hope of recovery: Down also falleth their domination, for why should those Clergy men, who are in no more relation to God than other men, but mere errable men like others, assume unto themselves a power of judging and censuring of opinions, doctrines and practices in matters of Religion?  
And then also down falls their profit, for no man will henceforth think himself bound by any law of God, to pay tithes any longer, now under the Gospel, as of old was due to God's faithful Ministers under the Law; and so they will stand only as public men appointed by the State, to an Office of teaching and instructing the people, and performing other business as the Parliament shall think meet, who also may appoint to every one a competent stipend, suitable to his charge and carriage than it may be, they will both live quietly and let others live quietly too: and so the whole Nation will have rest from this intolerable oppression of a compulsive Church Government: and the Parliament be freed from a continual trouble and importunate diversion, from their more important affairs.  
But this doubtless would follow, that the learned Clergy know better them you do, and they had rather you should know any thing then those things, for you must observe, that self deny all is more often preached then practised by them: Why do you think they are such enemies to the Independents, and all sort of the Separation? You imagine it is because they run into errors and damanale opinions to their soul's destruction; No, no such thing, it is only because the true Independents and separation, do all the very Pastor's offices themselves, renounce and disclaim all Glory in distinction, from the greatest to the meanest of their Flock, and all usurped domination, being but as any other men, in judging of Doctrines or practices, and but as the mouth or speaker of the Congregation.  
Also, they renounce all right or claim to any pay, and if they want not, their judgement is, that they ought rather to give then to receive; the difference is visible enough, You may perceive your Clergy do stand for Glory, Domination, Profit. Our faithful Officers do renounce them all, both in name and in deed. And thus you see, the cause of that mass of Clamour and exclamation and reproach, which they heaped together for you, in your Petition to blind your eyes: wherein they prevailed to much upon your zeal, to the great prejudice of your judgements: for it will hardly be credited, that such an understanding people as you are, should be induced to petition, for the establishment of any Model of Government, which you had never secne nor examined, according to the word of God.  
And was it not as improper, to urge the victory at Nazeby, the quick recovery of Liecester, the relief of Taunton, the Surrender of Bridgewater, Shurburne Bristol, as an Argument to hasten that Government, which must necessarily hasten the thraldom of most of those worthy Commanders and Soldiers, whom God was pleased to honour with so many both unexpected and undeserved blessings? The same hands have been since laden with more benefits of the samr nature; if that would any thing avail with you: You once knew an Army or two, that hated nothing so much as Tub preachers, as you too much have delighted to hear worthy men so reproached, and all such Roundheads were wearied out, you know also what followed, certainly God and you have judged differently of that sort of people.  
But you are to be pitied herein, as being not wholly yourselves in this cause, you have too much relied upon some, whose pride and domination must either fall, or God's glory, and the good of the Commonwealth, but if you persist in such fruitless business, after this timely advice, your sin will be little less than that of wilfulness; In mercy therefore to yourselves, and tender compassion to your yet too much despised brethren of the Separation, labour (by sound consideration) to amend your judgements; and by some proper work of love, make some amends for this your hard and unwarrantable intention against them, and whilst you live, love the Parliament that stopped you in your too hasty and inconsiderate pursuit thereof: Little do you imagine the benefits that would accrue to the whole Nation by general liberty, how is it possible you should judge clearly of a thing, you dare not think of, nothing so much distracts the understanding as fear doth chief of your unlimitable pre-eminence and intolerable maintenance.  
There is nothing more certain, then that the State shall thence receive its greatest safety, Provided it make good and pertinent Laws against all Treason, Treachery, Vice, and corruption of manners, and withal, appoint good Officers for execution of those Laws, if all peaceable people were countenanced alike by Authority, and all reproach and espiteful language discountenanced, all sorts of peaceable People could not choose but love such a Government, and errors would be convinced, by reason and demonstration in due time, which is the only just and proper way, for it is a sad thing that any man should suffer imprisonment, or other violent dealing, or punishment, for error in judgement, how great so ever, not maintained by any act of violence; you have taken but too much pleasure in observing some such dealing, even in this time wherein you boast of being restored to all just liberty.  
Make amends also in this, inquire who they are that suffer in this kind, and use all lawful endeavours for their deliverance, and no longer give countenance to those that glory in nothing more, than learning and literal abilities, and yet make use of imprisonments and close imprisonments too; & still labour for banishments (and death if the Parliament would give ear thereunto) to vanquish errors: O what is become of love? What is become of that meekness, plainness, gentleness, & patience that were in our blessed Saviour, & his Messengers that planted and propagated the Gospel, not by violence but by love? Let us all henceforth abandon all violence and unkindness one toward another, let us not strive about words or things that are needless, disputable, and obscure, but let all things be done in meekness, and lowliness of mind, and let us watch all opportunities, how to exceed in love one towards another: Blessed is he, whom the Lord when he cometh, shall find so doing.  

Courteous Reader.  
SInce nothing is more excellent, nor can be more prevalent, either in Wars, or any action or enterprise; then love, concord, and unity of affection, nor yet any thing more to be avoided, then needdlesse differences, denominations, and distinctions, which do arise by diversity of opinions; chiefly in matters of Religion, because they breed discord, and so tend to confusion. As when one saith, I am Paul's, another Apollo's, the third Cephas, and the fourth Christ's, as if Christ were divided, or Paul crucified, etc. Having yet some convenient room here remaining, I have thought it expedient, to insert the conclusion of Lieut. General Cromwell's Letter from the Army, because it not only keepeth an excellent Harmony with the former matter, but likewise it manifesteth to the world, how the persecuting party, I mean the Presbiterians and the Lawyers, their Adherents unjust dealing against those whom the Episcopal party called Roundheads, and they call Independents, and so not doing unto others as they would be done unto themselves.   

THE CONCLUSION OF Lieuten: General Cromwell's Letter From the Army, to the House of Commons, concerning the taking of BRISTOL.  
Which was contained in the Original Letter signed by himself, but omitted in the Printed Copy, which is Authorized by the House of Commons, though there was a whole Page left blank in that sheet.  
Whereby the World may know, how both the Truth, the Commonwealth, and that worthy gentleman are wronged (as well as other men,) either by the Printer or some others.  
PResbiterians, Independents, all had here the same Spirit of Faith and prayer, the same presence and answer, they agree here, know no names of difference; pity it is, it should be otherwise any where: All that believe, have the real Unity which is most glorious, because inward and spiritual in the body and to the head. As for being united in forms (commonly called uniformity) every Christian will for Peace sake, study and do as far as Conscience will permit; And from brethren, in things of the mind, we look for no cumpulsion, but that of Light and reason.  
In other things God hath put the sword into the Parliaments hands, for the terror of Evil doers, and the praise of them that do well; if any plead exemption from it, he knows not the Gospel. If any would wring it out of your hands, or steal it from you, under what pretence so ever. I hope they shall do it without effect, That God will maintain it in your hands, and direct you in the use thereof, is the prayer of  
Your humble servant, Oliver Cromwell. From Bristol, this 14 th'. of Septemb. 1645.    

Printed October. 1645.   
FJNJS.