THAT Great Expedition for IRELAND By way of underwriting proposed, by both Houses of Parliament, and Graciously assented unto by His Majesty is here Vindicated As Pious, Charitable, Just, Politic, Profitable. And Objections to the contra●y clearly answered, by one who hearty wisheth the speedy promotion of this Proposition of underwriting, as almost the only remedy. Printed at London for joseph Hunscort. 1642. BY how much I was more affectionately apprehensive of the present calamities and deplorable estate of the Kingdom of Ireland, and whilst the voice of my friends there seemed to make one Chorus with the fowls under the Altar, of them which were slain for Rev. 6. 10. the Word of God, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood. So much the more this proposition was unto me (if I may without presumption make such an application) honey to my taste, imusick to mind ears, joy to mine heart: towards which, whilst others offer great sums, give more leave to cast my mite into the treasury, and because I cannot subscribe as a cotracter, permit me yet to subscribe as an insurer. These Irish Esau's have long expected such a day, though like Lupus est & tremens & fremens. Aug. burnt children they dreaded the fire, but a wolf whether he be fearful or furious is still a wolf. Now when they thought they had their opportunity, (what I writ is most certain) and that they had committed us together, like the Lion and the Boar in the Greek Apollogist, they hoped well that they with the Vulture might steal away the prey from both parties. But this Contract ●ill quickly same the courage of the Rebels and abate the triumphs and insultations of the Popish party. The 〈◊〉 concurrence of all degrees of men will soon change their Harp job 30. 31. into mourning, and their Organs into the voice of them that weep. As if there were a revolution of the great Platonical year, those days seem to be reinuned wherein the Israelites did present their free will offerings, towards the making and adoming Exod. 36. of the Tabernacle; or the Consulate of Le●●●us & Marcellus atter the overthrow of Cannoe, when the Citizens of Rome emptied their private Coffers, to supply the pressing necessities of that State. They know that the public may subsist without the Privare but the private never without the public. This alone gave that City the advantage of Carthage, and the prehemineace of the whole world, only the want of this (to forbear nearer instances) was the ruin of Constantinople, which made the conqueting Turk● laugh to find such poor enemies, and rich captives. It is thought there were two special remorahs which did retard the prosperous success of the late Irish wars. The one was slow and short supplies, coming like cain's sacrifice in process Gen. 4. 3. of time, and in such a thirsty unthristy way, that they lost an hog for an half penny worth of Tar. It is a great fault in Client to starve his cause, but worse in a State. I know not whether it have been the fate or fortune of our late expeditions, that still our wings wanted impinge, just when we should have made an advantageous flight. Our late renowned Deborah, Q Eliz being much perplexed with the bad success of her Irish affairs, sent over that expert Commander Sir Roger Williams to find out the true reason thereof; who returned her Majesty a true report veiled in this homely story, of an Oxford man that bought a goose in Dublin for a groat, and a penny faggot to roast his goose, but his faggot was consumed by that time the goose was well warmed, so of necessity he was to buy another faggot, which made his goose begin to drop; and after that a third faggot: but because it cooled between faggot and faggot, his goose was little better: Then the man grew angry, and bought a whole g●oats worth of faggots together, and roasted his goose well in the turning of an hand. The application is easy. The other rub was conceived to be the too much correspondence between some of the Commanders and the Earl of Tyrone, who would not stick in private to brag to themselves, how much they were beholden to him. Surgeon's often prolong their cures, and beggars ordinarily nourish their fores for advantage. It would trouble a man's mind to hazard his life, and for his reward thrust himself out of all his employment, unless he might be sure either of triumph at his return, or a good Dividend out of the spoils: Both these inconveniences will be removed by this contract; The war will not cool between one supply and another; the great and inferior Officers will themselves become adventurers, which is a consideration of great weight, able to inspire valour into a pale-liverd coward, when (as Tacitus said of Catiline's Soldiers) Divitias decus glorians libertatem patriam in dextris portunt: When men bear their country, their riches, their portions, and their hopes in their right hands. In a word, this proposition is a centre wherein all the lines of Piety, Charity, Justice, Policy, and Utility do meet together. Hence is a cord not only threefold, but fivefold, almost as double as Ajax his shield. First for piety, he that had viewed the beaten ways to their Masse-houses, and the narrow paths to our Churches, in the most parts of Ireland, might justly have taken up that of the Prophet Jeremy, The ways of Zion do mourn, because no man cometh Lan●. 1. 4. to the solemn Assemblies. Of that of our Saviour, Wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, etc. Straight is Matth. 7. 13. the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, etc. But this course if it be pursued, will spread Religion throughout the whole Kingdom in an instant, as the lightning which shineth in the East, and appeareth in the West. Next after the glory of God, hallowed be thy Name, we are taught to pray for the dilating of Religion thy Kingdom come: When the owner heard that the Lord had need of his goods, he presently let them go. Matt. 21. 3. If there were no certain expectation of profit, yet in this case we ought to offer freely, and bless God who hath given us means and hearts to lend unto him some part of his own store. When Solomon bestowed such an infinite mass of treasure upon 1 Chron. 29. 16. 1 King. 10. 27, the Temple, yet we read that silver was as common as stones in Jerusalem. Next for charity. It was not without cause, when the Lord offered David his choice of three plagues, that he prayed, Let me fall into the hand of the Lord, but not into the hands of men. Their 2 Sam. 24, 14. mercies are cruel; sure I am, the Irish mercies have been very cruel, like the mercies of a prevailing coward, in cold blood to be cruel, without provocation to be cruel, to be cruel to that sex and that age (women and little ones) whom God would Deut. 20. 14. have spared even after peace, is rejected. To be cruel (extreme cruel) to that unarmed profession, which should itself be a protection, the Ministers of the Word of God, yet the garrison of the Philistines did not hurt the college of the Prophets. But for these butcheries there can be no reparation, Numb. 35. 31. except 1 Sam. 10. 5. the blood of the murderer, he that sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed, without which the Land cannot be cleansed from the guilt of innocent blood; nay to be cruel Numb. 35. 33. even to the very fruit-trees, which God expressly forbiddeth. To be cruel to the very walls and roofs, which the civil heathen Deut. 20. 19 did abominate. Tully calls it nefarium bellum, a wicked war, which is made with walls, and roofs, and pillars. And Livy commends the Romans, that having taken Capua, they did not tirranise over the walls and houses. But it seems these men despair to hold them themselves, and they would not have them to become receptacles for us. All this while I speak not of those goods and movables which they took from the Protestants, which in the space of ten weeks were stimated by a moderate survey at ten hundred thousand pounds. Then if it be a blessed thing to them to receive, what a blessing will this be to join with others in the relief of so many desolate widows, distressed orphans, & banished people. That very day that Zacheus made such a proffer, he heard, This day is divation come to thine house. And this likewise will be a second fruit of thy subscriptio. Thirdly, for Justice, There are three grounds of a just war. First, The defence and protection of the innocent. Secondly, The recovery and repetition of things wrongfully detained. Thirdly, The punishment and revenge of injuries received. Here all these considerations or rather obligations do concur; The persons to be protected, are brethren by Nation, by Religion, and by the same bond of subjection under a gracious Sovereign. The things detained are their lands, their goods, their wives, their children, their friends, and whatsoever a man can call dear in this world: And not detained only, but abused, famished, starved, and used worse than dogs. The injuries received are of all sorts, reflecting both upon soul, and body, and estate. So this Contract is pious, charitable, and just. In the fourth place, it stands with the rules of good Policy. Is it not one cause of our distemper, that the head wants a due proportion of aliment, and is necessitated out of proper course sequi pabulum? Now in respect Ulster is the lowest rated and most planted, and by consequence the least expectation of Escheats there, by a probable Medium, which cannot much err, this Million of money to be contracted for, will not take up above 25 or 2600000 of English Acres; and out of this will arise to his Majesty a constant yearly Revenue of 23000. l. or thereabout: To which all the rest of the Escheated Lands being added, and improved in like manner, it will raise such a considerable Revenue as may in a great part ease the Subject of extraordinary Subsidies. The poorer sort are yet sensible of the late charge of Subsidies and Poll-money, This course will free them, and transfer the burden upon such as are both able and willing to undergo it, this will much quicken and accelerate the supplies; less bodies are more capable of sudden motions; By this means Ireland shall be speedily rescued before it be lost outright. If our enemies had the command of that backdoor, we should not long want them here. When the Romans had once gotten Sicily, they soon after invaded and gave Laws to Africa. You remember the old Proverb, He that will England win, with Ireland must begin. Let us defend Aras & focos, our Region, our Religion, rather at a distance than at home. This will amplify and extend the power and glory of the English Nation: whilst trees grow in a throng, on an heap, they cannot spread out their bows at liberty, as they may do when they are removed and planted at a greater distance. There are two reasons why Rome did flourish more and longer than Athens or Sparta; the one by incorporating those whom they conquered with themselves, as the Sabines and the Albans, by this means changing enemies into Citizens, which course succeeded prosperously to Henry the eighth, in the union of Wales to England. The other was their Colonies which they sent abroad: when Rome was the Mistress of a great part of the world, their chiefest strength was in their Colonies, out of which the greatest part of their Armies were ever raised, Hanum subsidio imperium populi Romani stetit, saith Livy, If this contract Lib. 27. proceed with effect, I doubt not speedily to find another England in Ireland, and to see that old saying proved false, Ireland will not be reform till the day of judgement. Former Plantations sell by drops here and there, Rari●autes in gurgite vasto, (that was the reason why so many of the old English degenerated and turned Irish.) They could not operate beyond the spheere of their own activity, but this by the blessing of God will presently give a settlement both to itself, and that Kingdom. Hitherto a great part of those who have gone over, have been poor Farmers, or necessitous persons, that were not able to make a considerable improvement. These contracters will be able to make it a gallant Kingdom forthwith. So you see Religion, Charity, Justice, and Policy, are four great encouragements to subscribe this Contract. But yet there is one wanting which is as much looked after in the world as any of them, that is, the smell of gain, Quid dabitur viro? What advantage shall a Contracter reap by it? If there be a concurrence of this also, Omne ●ulit punctum qui miset utile dulci. Yes surely, be it spoken with all due submission to the Almighty providence, in whose hand is the event of battles, and by his grace and blessing upon the just Arms of his Royal Majesty, and his loyal Subjects, I do not conceive the adventure to be much greater than a voyage into the Weiles, especially if we begin with speed before they get foreign aid, and not a velitation but a just war. It was the Spartan error, that with Skirmishes rather than Battles, they taught the Thebans to become their Masters. Now if a man would set out one hundred pounds for the insurance of another, which were a great proportion, considering the adventure, yet the contract would bear it over and over again. To speak modestly within my compass, That with might have been sold for six thousand pounds within this year, a Contracter shall now have for less than one thousand pounds, besides the expectation of a mighty improvement by this plantation. So as it is clearly the most gainful trade that can be driven in this Kingdom in these dead times, and more secure than that which is rudentibus apta, which hangs upon Cable-ropes, where his sacred Majesty, the honourable members of both Houses of Parliament, and the whole body of this Kingdom are so deeply engaged in the insurance. So I may twist this fifth thread of Profit, with the other four, of Religion, Charity, Justice, and Policy. But weak eyes are offended with the light of the Sun, Though this Contract be never so pious, charitable, just, beneficial to the public State, to private Contracters, yet the tooth of envy will not want something to by't at, nor the tongue of malice to bark at. First, they say, Christ never planted Religion in blood, when the Disciples demanded leave to call for fire from Heaven, to destroy the Cities that did not receive them, our Saviour answered, Ye know not what spirit ye are of. Luk 9 54. I answer in the first place, that this war is not merely as they would make the world believe, a war of Religion, but mixed with other considerations. I omit the native and hereditary love of the Irish to the Spaniard, as to the root from whence they spring. I pass by the Spanish Pensioners in Ireland, among whom the Romish tributary Archbishop of Cashell was not long since questioned for one, and dismissed merely for his simplicity, as a more probable enemy to a cup of Usquebah than to a State. Yet I hear and fear that the party who was employed to apprehend him, hath since lost his blood for that D. S. P. service. But I cannot omit a Treaty in Spain about two years since, between some of the greatest instruments of State there and sundry Irish Papists, wherein it was proposed by the Irish party, what revenue, what provision for shipping, what other This story is in the Clerk of the Counsels books in Ireland. advantage Ireland would bring to his Catholic Majesty, and how facile it was to gain it; how the Irish stood affected to him. It is well known to some persons of great eminency both in England & Ireland, who were present at this consultation, what was their resolution, to employ two Friars with Letters of credence thither, to a great number of the Nobility and Gentry of that Kingdom as well Irish as old English. (I confess the choice argued no depth of understanding,) The Friars are known, the persons to whom they were to address themselves are known, and if it had not been for some accidental troubles, they had been apprehended, or escaped narrowly. If you ask how I know this, Suppose one of the Friars was as big with the secret as Midas his Barber, and forfeare of bursting did vent himself among some roots of reeds, which after made the discovery. The relation is most true. So you see there is something more in it than Religion. I have seen a Letter from the late Earl of Tyrone, and the Earl of Terconnell, to the now Cardinal Protector Barberino, wherein they profess that though they did for a time supersede from their right in Ireland, yet they did not intent to desert it. I have seen another Letter from a company of mean and contemptible persons, saving that they had some old Irish blood in them, to the same Cardinal Protector, wherein they style themselves Barones and Dinastae, Nobles and Peers of the Realm. This shown they had not forgotten their Progenitors pretences; but here was nothing of Religion in it. I have seen two Letters of late dated from Sir Philomy O Neale and his brother Tirlogh, since they were in rebellion, to two eminent Gentlemen of the Scottish Nation, wherein they offer and desire not only quarter but friendship, alleging this reason, that both Nations were one in their original, and entreating that they might continue so in affection: I urge not this as though those Gentlemen did credit it, but to show that there is more in their designs than Religion, otherwise they would have sought other Confederates. I might add those Prophecies which of late did fly abroad familiarly among them; as that of the three Cocks, the red Cock and the black, which continued wounding one another, till the white Cock (whereby they denoted the Earl of Tyrone) came and destroyed them both. These people had their thoughts taken up with something else than Religion. Surely if there had been nothing in it but Religion, they would never have persuaded a Gentleman to go to Mass, upon assurance of life, and presently when he had done it, have hanged him up, so fare as was in them to kill both body and soul; yet thus we hear from all hands they used Master Mi●aletor. Surely if it be Religion, it is such a Religion as that of the Shechemites, Shall not their cattle and their substance be ours? Shall Religion Gen. 34. 23. then become a cloak or a stalking horse for those who rob and burn and ravish and kill unarmed enemies? Were all our houses, Towns, stackyards, heretics, that they were condemned to be burned? This is most certain, that every one of the Rebels upon the first insurrection, did seize all those Lands which his Father, or his grandfather, or his great grandfather had held before Tyrones' Wars, or before the Artainder of Shane O Neale, although all these were invested in the Crown by Act of Parliament 1ᵒ. Eliz. and have since been quietly possessed builded and planted by the English. There is no question, but this was the Religion which they thirsted after. Their debts were great, their fortunes and estates desperate, even generally. They had no other way left to repair themselves but this. And yet our old English Gentry in the pale, are so dull as to be fooled with this gross conceit, that this war is only for Religion. Let them take heed, their Land is the flower of the whole Kingdom. The old Irish have the same pretences to it which they have to the rest, and if it should come to that, they would find by woeful experience, that the goodness of the soil would much inflame their devotion. What favour could they expect in such a case, but that which Polyphemus promised to Ulysses. That he should be the last devoured? Though they have an equal appetite unto both, yet we and they together have been too much for the stomach to digestat one meal. Admit they are confederate with them, have they not offered the same terms to the Scots? But they were not so credulous to be gulled by them. My hope is that my Countrymen shall buy their repentance at a readier market. But to take their case at the best, admitting, but not granting that it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 war of religion. There is a vast distance between these two, to plant religion with the sword, which whether, or how far it be lawful, is no way pertinent to this present case, and to protect true piety against superstitious vanity, to defend Orthodox christian's from Heterodox Papists, ●oyall Subjects from rebellious Traitors, To break the jaws of the job 29. 1●. wicked, and to pluck the spoil out of his teeth. Shall it be lawful for them, being but Subjects, to usurp the inseparable rights of the Crown, to trample upon the Laws of the Land, to pursue the religion established by Parliament with fire and sword, to overthrow totally the propriety of the Subject: and shall it not be lawful for his Majesty to vindicate Himself, Religion, his Laws, his Subjects? It is true, this war may concern Religion in the consequents, otherwise I should be right ●●rt●e, but antecedently in itself it is no war of religion. Secondly, it is objected, that the Protestants beyond seas will smart for this, that this course will deprive his Majesty of all power to mediate for them, and take away that correspondence which is observed between Princes in point of state. It will not be needful in this case to consider, whether toleration or connivance in religion may be admitted, or of whom, with what cautions and conditions, whether it extend to the persons only, or to the practice also, who are tares in the Lord's field, how far these tares may be, or must be suffered. Whether justine the Emperor of Constantinople did well, to surcease from persecuting the Arrians in his Dommions, upon the humble suit of the Orthodox Christians in Italy, who groaned then under the persecution of Theodorick their King, an Arrian Prince, nor how far this history may be appliable to these times. It is sufficient to answer this objection, to show that the Irish are not called to an account for religion, but for robberies▪ rapes, murders, treasons. If ever Protestant's shall make themselves so unworthy, so uncapable of any mediation, Luant peccata let them suffer according to their demerits, and let no eye pity them. Thirdly, it is objected, that this course will prolong the war, and harden the Rebels, when they are excluded from all hope of pardon, that it will hinder all accommodations whereas now they offer to come in upon terms, that it will make the conquest more difficult, that it will take away all means of reparation from the poor Protestants, who are rob and stripped, and have no hopes of satisfaction, but out of the lands some of the arch Rebels, that it tieth his Majesty's hands from pardoning whom he pleaseth, and abridgeth the power of the chief Governor, disabling him from rewarding good servitors; that it were a safer way to take in the greater part upon submission, and afterwards to punish them insensibly, and by degrees. This argument is more specious than substantial, in true reason this course will rather shorten the war, when the enemies shall see that they are not like to be dallied, or to be trifled withal, it will soon humble them and make them present themselves with sackcloth upon their loins, 1. Kin. 20 32 and ropes upon their heads, as the Syrians did to the King of Israel. So those who have been drawn into action, by fear or feigned shows, may leave objects of his Majesty's grace, either for the pardon of their lives, or restitution to their estates, according to their respective deserts, or the favour they shall find in his royal eyes; and yet those be left to exemplary justice, whose black outrageous villainies have rendered them, even in the judgement of their own consciences, uncapable of all favour. Whose lands being escheated, will be able to counter-balance this fumme, according to the proportion contracted for. And yet I think no man will be so vain, to ask how then shall this great sum be employed, whilst this Crown and Kingdom are so far engaged in debts, whilst the poor rob Protestants cry for reparation, and this bloody rebellion hath showed us how necessary it is to have some more places of strength in Ireland. If they mean any other accommodation than this, I understand it not, unless they would have us, who have escaped their Butcherly hands to return among them, and gently to hold out our throats to be cut at their discretion. Who will not rather choose to forsake his estate there, and beg an halfpenny from passengers with Belisarius, than after so evident a demonstration of their universal rancour, to expose himself and his posterity to their barbarous cruelty? If they were only thorns in our sides to vex us, as the Canaanites were to the Israelites, it were more tolerable; Num. 33. 25. but to be skins in our sides to murder us, is worse. No, no, there is no thought to be had of an English man's abode in Ireland, without the walls of a City, unless the Kingdom may be reduced to a better temperature and constitution. We often see a feverish distemper ushers in a better habitude of the body. Now is the time when it may be affected with justice, but after a free pardon, that which is justice now would become murder. Now is the time when their foreign Confederates have their hands full at home, and can afford them no great store of relief. All wise and flourishing Kingdoms and Commonwealths, have ever made choice to undergo a present charge, rather than a future and perpetual inconvenience. Neither will this project either give impediment to the reparation of those who are rob and damnified, seeing that if the Rebels submit, they may be repaired out of the sum contracted for, and if they stand out, there will be as much more land for them, upon the like rent; and yet sufficient left over and above both these proportions, to be disposed unto good servitors. Fourthly, it is said that this way is cruel, and tends not to a reformation, but to an utter extirpation, that it doth involve the nocent and innocent in the same punishment, That it were better to offer conditions Deut. 20. 1●. of peace, and then let the obstinate suffer. I answer with Saint Ambrose, Gravissimus nodus, etc. An hard knot must have an hard wedge. When Titus, the darling of mankind, saw the infinite mortality which accompanied the siege of jerusalem, by famine, pestilence, and the sword, he wept, and casting up his eyes to Heaven, called God to witness, that he was innocent of those miseries. So his Majesty may justly say, that whatsoever they suffer, they may thank themselves for it, He and his Kingdom are guiltless of all the blood that is shed 2 Sam. 3. 28 for ever, especially since they have yet time of grace, the red flag is yet up of mercy, mixed with justice; the black flag of utter ruin and desolation is not yet advanced, yet they have time to remove and flit from under the sign of the Sword, to be under the sign of the Crown, to use Saint Anselmes comparison. If they fall, they fall wilfully into the pit which themselves have digged; they have first unsheathed the sword, or rather, they have sheathed it in the bowels of innocents', and left their carcases as dung upon the face of the earth; Can they imagine that these do not cry for vengeance? If the same sword take his course about, and themselves feel the lashes of Bellona's bloody whip, whom can they blame? They have maliciously destroyed the good creatures of God and made wilful waist of his blessings, and offered the come of whole Countries for a sacrifice to the fire. Now if famine punish excess, if woeful want follow wilful waste, if others meet the same measure again into their bosoms, pressed down and running over, if condemnation merciless light on those that shown not mercy, whom can they condemn? I confess no virtue makes a man more like his Creator then mercy, but there is a terrible lenity, a sparing cruelty, a foolish pity, that is, when indulgence to the bad becomes cruelty to the good. When demerit and necessity do both concur, there punishment was never yet accounted severity. But that the innocent should be extirpated, God forbidden, be that far from the Throne of my Sovereign. Reward and punishment (as said Lycurgus) do preserve the Commonwealth. And these two have two suitable Ojbects, Well-doers, Ill-doers; The Magistrares care must be not to mistake either the Act or the Object, as Death and Cupid are feigned to have done their Bows, which made so many old doting Lovers; and young hearses, that he inflict not punishment upon good doers (the tears of Innocents' are more dangerous than any deluge) nor fasten rewards upon the Nocent; He that justifieth the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. Nay rather it is to be wished by all good Christians, that even those who are not transcendently nocent may find favour, at least for life, and principally those who (as God pleads for the Ninivites, cannot discern between their right hand and their left, but always with this caution, so fare as it may consist with the ●nah. 4. 11. security of the good Subject. Charity pleads for pardon, except it be where a greater charity pleads against it. I only propose a quaere (I presume not to apply) why the more stubborn and refractory sort of guilty persons, and yet not Ringleaders of sedition, may not be removed from their native soil, as the Romans dealt with the Ligurians a rebellious people, that if they will be sitting upon the Cockatrice's eggs of mischief and Treason, yet as the Florentine said they may never hatch them, being so far from their nests. In our memory, the King of Spain thought fear of danger a just ground to banish all the Moors out of his Kingdom, here both danger and desert concur to make it lawful. Others who are more apt to be conformed, may be partly dispersed in England, and partly continued in Ireland, so as they assume English names, wear English Apparel, speak the English Language, inhabit English houses, and above all embrace the Religion protested in England. Hitherto the Romish Priests have preserved these marks of distinction, as a wall of separation to prevent an Union; hereafter let it be as capital for a Priest to come there, as it was for an armed Englishman to be seen in Calais. I confess some Irish have done good service against the Rebels, these deserve to be rewarded: I confess in some places the chiefest abuses were acted & committed by the meaner sort of people. But do we believe it was ordinarily done without the consent, nay without the command of their Landlords? It is scarce credible to those who know the absolute power of an Irish Lord over his dependants, why did they not restrainthem where they could, Qui desinit obviare cum potest, consentit. The Benjamites refusing to punish the guilty persons were prosecuted theselves: plotters and contrivers, I add also concealers and smotherers of Judg. 20. 13. this horrid Treason, deserve as much to be punished as the Actors and Executers, or rather more, as being commonly more eminent, and more dangerous. It was Tarquin's silent, but in that case unjust advice to his Son, when with his Rod he strake off the heads of the Poppies. It was the just practice of the Romans upon the tumultuous Ardeates, the rebellious Cyprians, and many others. It would be known what was that good success which was fasted and prayed for weekly in public, before this plot was discovered, and who were present at that meeting, or privy to it; where it was questioned how this business should be managed, some advising that the English should be kindly used, only their Forts and strengths be seized; others that they should be stripped and turned out of all; others that they should not only be stripped, but Massacred: All which were followed in several parts. It brings to my mind the advice which Heremius gave to Pontius the Captain of the Samnites, when he had the Romans in a strait, either to dismiss them all with love, which would produce an honourable peace, or else to kill them to to one man, Dead men by't not. But Pontius took a middle and most pernicious course to himself, first to abuse them basely, and then to dismiss them, irritating thereby a powerful enemy to the ruin of the Samnites. Lastly, conditions of peace are to be offered to foreign Enemies; but to be petitioned and sued for by domestic Rebels. If they desire Peace, in the first place let them deliver up to Justice the heads, and Authors of the Rebellion, as the Citizens of Abel did Shebah the son of Bickrs, and the Lands, Forts and Goods, which they detain unjustly, and then come in and submit themselves to his Majesty's Grace. This is the only way left them to obtain mercy. There is one Objection more, that the event of War is doubtful, That it is not comely to sell the Bear's skin before the beast is killed. It is true indeed, it is not good to fish too far before the Net, nor to boast presumptuously of to morrow, for we know not what a day may bring forth; And therefore let not him that girdeth on his harnesie, boast himself as he that putteth it off. The eleven Tribes had the bette● 1 Kin. 10. 11. judg. 20. cause, and did much exceed the Benjamites in numerous preparation, yet it was the Will of God they should be beaten in two Battles. But that was before the eleven Tribes had humbled themselves before the Lord, so it be done without presumptuous pride, with a due submission to the Will of God, placing our chiefest confidence, not in our own strength, but in his blessing: I do not see what can be taxed in it, for manifesting whereof I only lay down these two conclusions. First that spoils in a just War and Escheats of rebellious Subjects were ever held lawful, it was Israel's Legacy to joseph: I give thee one portion Genes. 48. 22 above thy Brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amerites with my Sword and with my Bow: The Law is general, Thou shalt take unto Deut. 20. 14. thyself, and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemy. Secondly, that the dividing and apportioning of the spoil before hand is grounded upon the same reason and equity, with the judicial Law of Almighty God for the dividing of the spoils. Numb. 31. 37. And with those rules for dividing the land of Canaan, before it was conquered. Num. 34. So I conclude, notwithstanding all Objections, that this contract is pious, charitable, just, politic, and profitable; And though I will not make the subscription or not subscription thereof, to be like Shibboleth, and Sibboleth, a mark to distinguish between an Ephraimite and a Gileadite: yet as in the body natural, when any member is illaffected, all the bad humours flow unto it, and on the other side when any part needeth aliment, the good humours have recourse thither; so let that union and conjunction which is among the Rebels to destroy the body of the Common wealth, teach all loyal Subjects with mutual and reciprocal affection to endeavour the preservation thereof. My heart is towards the Governors of Israel, which offered themselves willingly among the people. judges 5. 9 FINIS.