THE PREPARATIVE FOR LONDON. Be merciful to yourselves. An hearty and friendly premonition to the City of London, before their meeting in a Common-Hall, which is now to be called, by the good providence of God, upon Saturday the 24. of June. Whereby they have, if they neglect it not, a gracious opportunity offered them to become the happy instruments of their own safety, and the peace and preservation of these Kingdoms. By Thomas Warmestry. D. D. MAT. 5.9. Blessed are the Peacemakers. Printed in the Year, 1648. The Preparative for London. SHall the Sword devour for ever? 2 Sam. ●. 26. Know ye not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then, ere ye bid the people return from following their brethren? Oh let me beseech you to remember the Lord your God And to take the wasted and bleeding condition of your poor distressed country into tender consideation. Let the groans and the sighs of the fatherless and the widows, and the cries of the oppressed and consumed people of this Land; and of poor distressed Ireland, enter into your ears and pieree your hearts, that you bring not the guilt of innocent blood upon yourselves. Provoke not the Almighty to give you the dregs of that Cup, which hath been mingled in his fury against the sins of you, and of these Nations; because you have showed no pity upon your Brethren. Hear their cries unto you, that the Lord hear not their cries, and the cry of that blood, that hath or shall be shed against you. And let it be in your hearts now at length to lay aside all thoughts of division and selfseeking; of strife and debate; of opposition and contention; And to put on bowels of mercy towards your fellow Christians and Countrymen. Yea, to be so merciful unto yourselves to prevent that impendent ruin & desolation that hangs over your City, like a flaming Sword or dreadful Comet, and seems every day to draw nearer and nearer unto you; lest when the fire is once kindled amongst you, you cannot quench that with your fruitless tears which you would not prevent by your timely endeavours. Consider that power, that God of his great goodness, of his great goodness to you in special, if you neglect it not, as well as to these Nations in general, hath yet left remaining in your hands, and in your hands alone, with his blessing and assistance, which the Lord grant you, to put yet an happy period unto the great miseries of these Kingdoms. Consider the great and manifold inducements, both heavenly and earthly, both politic and economical. Both public and private, Both in point of duty, in point of piety, in point of justice and mercy, of honour, of interest, in the regards of safety, of wealth, of welfare; and of very being and subsistence, that do now exact it at your hands. It is the duty that nature in self hath taught all men; even the very heathens themselves, and is much more clearly commended unto us by the rules of Christian charity: That all men ought to seek the good of that state and body of which themselves are members. Piety commands us to seek the preservation of God's Church, and the recovery and establishment of true Religion amongst us. Justice engageth us to employ our lawful and Christian endeavours for restoring Law and Justice amongst us, and of wronged and oppressed people unto their rights. Mercy obligeth us to seek the preservation of ourselves and brethren, and to prevent the farther shedding of innocent blood: That the poor people of this wasted Nation may be no longer worryed by those savage wolves and bears, that have now for so long a time take their pleasure in the devouring of their brethren. If regards of honour be of any force with us, what an honour will it be unto this City to be the moderatours of so bloody a quarrel, and to procure a reconciliation between the King and His people, which shall illustrate their names unto all posterity, and endear them to the hearts of the people, as the repairers of the breaches of their Country, and the preservers of their King, and this whole Kingdom under God. If your interest, wealth, and welfare, or your very being and subsistence be considerable unto you: all these hang upon the designs of peace, and upon the restitution of Government amongst us; without this your foreign traffic is like to be obstructed by the Navy; and if this fail you, the intestine trade is too shallow to feed the roots of so great a tree, as is this of your City. How many several callings, manufactures & occupations, that make up a great, and the most flourishing part of your City will be utterly starved in so great a straight? Besides that your trading at home doth daily, and is like, continually to decay, by the banishing of a great part of the people from the City; and by the impoverish-of many thousands more, whereby they are disabled, and others not suffered to exercise that commerce with you, that should make for the mutual supply and supportance of you and them; and so your very being is in question, when your livelihood and supportance is cut off. Consider the great and providential conjuncture of affairs in the present state and condition of things, that doth invite you to the undertaking of this work. So great and considerable a part of the Kingdom, going before you with flaming desires, in the prosecution of the design of Peace: many whereof have opened the way unto you with their blood, and many more waiting and expecting your example and encouragement, no doubt, that they may join hands with you in so happy an undertaking. Consider the charge that is like to be your part, if the Kingdom be engaged in another War. And the poor supplies that are likely to come in, in those abridgements which you are already under, to enable you to nurse up such a daughter of the horseleech, that will ever be crying unto you give, give, without regard either to your necessities, or possibilities. Vnde habeas quaeret nemo, sed oportet habere. When the Sword of the Soldier is once more made drunk with blond, you will find much ado to make it understand reason. Non missura cutem nisi plena cruoris hirudo. Will they leave sucking at your veins think you, till they have drawn out your very life, and heart blood? Consider how bloody and violent the prosecution, (you may guess it by a late paroxysm in Essex) how hazardous and uncertain the event of another War will be; How you yourselves are like to be divided within yourselves, by the several parties which is likely to set you on fire amongst yourselves (& that perhaps in a literal sense, when want and famine shall become the dismal nurse of fury and rage amongst you) at the best, it may expose you to a a City-war, and what confusion is like to attend it? Consider, if you could be choosers of the success, and in that you would not agree, but would be at war amongst yourselves, about the very event that you should choose. But, in case you could, as the case now stands with you, that you have in either part, or in whole displeased all parties at one time or another: What event can you expect, that will not in probability make the spoil of your City, (if by that time you shall be extant, or have any thing left that is worth the plundering) the centre of the motion, and the reward and triumph of the victory? If the King prevail; it's true, he is gracious, and hath learned no doubt, by his own sufferings, great lessons of mercy and compassion towards others: But the sons of Zerviah may be too hard for him, and perhaps he may have much ado to conquer the rage of his incensed Army, that he may be merciful unto you. The Scots are hungry, The Army full of fury and offence, and when they are gotten into power, your cold courtesies will be taken for injuries, what you have done will be forgotten, and what you have denied, will be remembered. The Houses have received divers discontents from you. The Presbyterian Party hath been deserted by you, and many of them chased away, and others imprisoned, by your admission of the Army; you are a body made up of such variety of complexions, and have showed yourselves so variable in your actions, That you have left room enough for every side to pick a quarrel, to make advantage of their power against you; and that Sword that shall be up, will hardly be disputed with: each of them will find their several enemies amongst you, which may engage the whole unto disaster; or if they could find none, yet it is no hard matter for arbitrary Conquerors to make enemies, that they may make use of their successes. Though you be Guelph, yet your goods will be Gibellines. No way in the world to secure you in any degree, but a timely peace. Consider the small number of moments that is allowed you, for the dispatch of this great business, and the prevention of such important mischiefs, which calleth upon you to delay it no longer; consider the great and horrid impiety that is now discovered by the great mercy of God, in the design to have poisoned his Sacred Majesty, which should have been the crown of the rest of those hellish cruelties, which have been exercised against Him; The God of Heaven look upon the authors and complices, and put it into your hearts to separate yourselves from all compliance with such devilish and atheistical undertakers, and to seek the deliverance of Him out of their hands. Consider, I beseech you seriously to consider, that happy opportunity which hath been heretofore denied you, though many of you have desired it: and now God by the forelaid plot of his Divine disposition and goodness, hath by the seasonable return and the course of times put into your hands, by the necessary public meeting of your City at this time, an opportunity which you should look upon as a call from heaven, to set you about this blessed business; an opportunity which if you now neglect, the Lord knows whether ever you shall have the like again: for ought you know it may be the last offer that ever God will make you, for the procurement of your own preservation: for ought you know if you shall despise this merciful concession of the Lord unto you, before another such a season shall return (and you know how hard it is to procure such a meeting out of course.) The flame of your City may be the funeral pile of yourselves, and your Wives and Children; and the Ashes thereof may be left as the great trophy, or monument of your stupid folly and impiety, and of the mine of this whole Nation: The Lord of his mercy give you wisdom to prevent it. I know there are variety of opinions amongst you: I know it too well, and I grieve to think on't. The Lord in his good time make an end of all differences; He is able to do it, and I hope he will do it, in some good measure, and in his good time, If we disappoint not ourselves of so great a blessing: But in the mean time, I beseech you let not any difference in judgement so quite extinguish the flame of Christian Charity, which is a robe large enough to hid a multitude of errors, as well as fins: as to make us forget all compassion unto one another; at least not to forget to have compassion upon ourselves; let us repair the breaches in our affections, which I dare be bold to say, no diversity of judgement whatsoever, hath Commission from God utterly to dissolve, & then we may well hope that God will take his season, to make up the differences that are in our apprehensions: since it is his promise to the meek that he will guide them in judgement. Psal. 25.9. The unity of our hearts must be the foundation, to set up the building of our united judgements, for froward thoughts separate from God, and wisdom is a loving spirit, is canonical truth, though it be in an Apocryphal book. The want of mutual love puts us out of the school of Christ, since it is the very livery of his Disciples to love one another, John 13.35. This is the right method of union, and I wish it were better thought on, and then the mutual conversation, and peaceable and Christian communion and conference with one another, might be a great means to unite us in our judgements; but our Wars and fightings, come from our evil lusts. James 4.1. In the mean time do not henceforth hold your opinions at so dear a rate, as to make them the purchase of the ruin and destruction of yourselves and these whole Kingdoms, and Nations. It is a truth wherein nothing can divide you, but inexcusable, compliance with corruption: that you all aught to join the utmost of your force and wisdom, to prevent ruin and destruction to that body whereof you are now Members, and the word of God lays no impediments in your way. If any carnal interests and engagements do, I am sure they are held at so high a price, by those that stand upon them at this time, that if they understood it, they would not think it their interest, to maintain such interest. The asserting of private advantage, with the perdition of the public, is as if a man should pull a board out of the main bottom, to preserve the beauty or integrity of a Cabin, which with all its ornament and entireness, sinks unto the bottom in the drowning of the ship. The truth is, whatever the Articles be that are proposed, there is inequality and injustice, in the very capitulation, whensoever the public is enforced to a treaty with private concernments for the preserving of itself: since no particular goods is at all considerable where it stands in counter to a public, in the same or a higher kind: And those Members have rather need of evacuation than nourishment (that I say no more,) that like the spleen in the body, maintain their growth by the consumption of the whole Body. The particular motions and inclinations of natural agents, maintain themselves in their utmost force, whilst their currents run toward the. Ocean, and comply with the universal good. But as the Tide of the Sea carries back the Rivers, so when these natural agents receive a prohibition, or supersedeas, from the superior Court of the general safety. Then Xanthe retro properat versaeque recurrere lymphae— Incipiunt:— Then those streams do lose their force, And do retreat from wont course. The particular element of water will forget its fluidity, and without any bonds of a frost or ice; will be consistent as wax to preserve the integrity of the universe; and upon the same terms it will remove its descensive motion, & ascend upward; and the air will take leave of its lightness and descend downward, for the prevention of a vacuum, offering the tribute of their single natures, as it were an homage due unto the security and supportance of the whole Body of the world. This is the Policy that God hath set up in the creatures; The whole world is a great Corporation, and this is the great and inviolable law whereunto God hath engaged all the parts of that Body, which is the great ligament of the entireness thereof, and keeps out schism from that great Congregation. There is a public spirit, I was about to say, a kind of spirit of natural martyrdom, and self-denial, that runs through all the particles of this great fabric, that makes each parcel thereof ready to sacrifice itself, its appetite, its force, its kind of life, it's very being, unto the safeguard of the total compact; men I am sure should be of an higher school. The Philosopher tells us man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, A politic living creature, not made then for himself, but for public Benefit. God hath ordained the good of mankind to hang as it were upon the society of mankind, and hath forbidden man to be happy alone, that he might engage him to seek after the common security. Therefore it is, we may well conceive, that God hath made him the most inermous of all the creatures, and the most necessitous of all the creatures almost: That the very love of himself might bind him to love the public before himself, as it were, as without whose felicity himself would be but a kind of damage and burden to himself. This as dark as it was in the now defaced records of nature, yet it was legible enough unto the very heathens and produced these save among them, Homo sum & nihil humanum à me alienum puto; I am a man, and reckon myself to be no stranger unto any thing within the bounds of humanity. And again, Dulce & decorum est pro patria mori; Sweet is the damage, though't be great; yea 'tis a noble gain, To part with life, that Country's good thereby we may maintain. And answerable to these say was the practice of many of them, as you may read in the stories of those heathen Heroes, Curtius, Regulus, and others; which however it was perhaps sophisticated with vainglory, and came short of the true value of genuine and native virtue, for want of the inward soul and life of it, and of the true guide, which is the knowledge of the true God, yet they may shame too many that pretend to have better eyes about them. Christianity is the repairer, and purifier of that corrupt and drossy humanity which we have received from our degenerated Ancestors. This refines mankind again, and sets us higher than the mere pitch of humane affection. It doth clear and rectify this public spirit; files it, and fourbisheth it from the dross of vainglory, and establisheth it firm upon the right foundation; it doth set again the disjointed bones of humane society which were broken and dislocated by the fell of Adam, and fastens them together with a stronger ligament than mean humane regards, even with that great sinew of Christian charity. This teacheth us that we are all fellow-members of one another, and that therefore, as the particular members will dispense with their private good, for the benefit and preservation of the whole; so ought we to behave cur selves in the body of the Church and State. The Gangrened member refuseth not to be cut off, that it may secure the life of the rest of the frame: The arm will not my its own integrity by exposing the head unto a mortal blow, but will interpose itself, to receive that wound which might otherwise be the destruction of all, by the maim of a more noble part, upon whole entireness and safety, the safety and welfare of the whole fabric doth depend. And to this purpose are those sacred laws of the Christian Commonwealth, binding us to account every man our neighbour to love our neighbour as ourselves, which leaves no room for a mere private affection, but breaks open all enclosures from about the heart of a Christian, and makes is to be of a public interest; teacheth us that no man ought to seek his own, 1 Cor. 10.24. but every man a wealth; to have our prayers in common; Our Father which art in Heaven, etc. our wealth in common, though not in anabaptistical sense, not to the destruction of propriety, but the Christian disposing of it; He that hath this world's good, and seethe his brother have need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? nay to hold our lives in common too, we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 1 joh. 3.16. A true Christian is to reckon of himself, and of his life, and of all his riches, commodities, and advantages, as none of his own, but the public interest, 1 Cor. 6.19 Ye are not your own (faith the Apostle) for you are bought with a price. If we had any right in ourselves, any private right, Christ hath bought it, and hath given it as it were unto the Church, and to the public, unto pious uses for the benefit of all. A true Christian is the best Politician in the world, And Christ's commonwealth is far better than Plato's. And is it not strange then that against all these rules of nature, of humanity, and of Christianity, men that would be accounted Christians, and the chief and only Christians, should yet stand upon their private concernments and advantages, where the ruin of a whole City, of a whole Church and Kingdom, nay, of three Kingdoms is in the question? to secure themselves from those losses which they have wilfully, that I say not wickedly exposed themselves unto, by the hazard of a total destruction, and desolation? That they should employ their wits to interrupt and delay those seasonable remedies, which the pious and Christian inclinations of so many in your City have through the goodness of God set their hearts upon, together with so great a part of the whole Kingdom for the recovery of peace, and the prevention of a total and incurable desolation ready to fall upon themselves and all the people of these nations? only to secure unto themselves some unwarrantable Bargains and purchases, that they have made with a flaming coal at the end of them apt to consume and waste all the rest of their possessions? or to make the innocent blood of their brethren, the security of those debts wherein the public faith is engaged unto them? Let me beseech them to be better minded, lest it discover unto all the world that they are but usurpers of that holy title of Saints & Christians which they take upon them; when all is done, he is the Christian that walks according to the rules of Christianity; and that is, to be a public man, and not to buy our wealth with the destruction of men's lives; and yet I have two questions to propose unto them, The first, whether when they have made all their obstructions sure, whereby the work of peace is so industriously intercepted by them, they can tell how to free themselves from as much, or a greater hazard of failing in those their self-ends that they aim at, than if they should commit them to the calm gales of peace; or whether their designs are clearly settled upon so found and unfaileable a bottom, that it is not possible that they and their hopes may sink in those surges which they intent to hold up; since they have not all the winds nor the tides at their command, and those that they think they have most on their side, and in their power, may when they least dream of it split them upon the Rocks? They may remember that every Gust that they have sailed with, hath not brought them fair weather. My second Quaere is, if they should be so much masters of their desires, as to find a Haven unto themselves in every storm that they shall nourish, or yet farther raise upon this poor tottered vessel; whether all their gain would countervail the damage, or that with all that they shall get thereby they shall be able to make satisfaction to the justice of God, for one of those many lives that should be lost in that turbulent adventure that they shall yet farther engage in, or for one the smallest drop of that sea of blood that by their means shall yet again overwhelm this poor selfe-deserted Kingdom? If they cannot tell how to answer these questions, I am fully assured they will be much more unable to answer some others that may be asked them at the day of judgement. But though golden Asses have long ears, yet they are commonly very dull of hearing. But I hope this paper may find a more easy passage unto the hearts of those unto whom this is directed. If it should be otherwise, yet I despair not of a remedy, whilst I have so fair a promise from so many good affections, that have showed themselves amorous of the peace of this Kingdom, in this City, seconded with the happy presage of so general a concurrence of the several countries, where they are not countermanded by the force of opposites. And though it may put both you and them unto some cost, yet the dearest purchase that shall be made of peace, as it is a fare better Merchandise, in all probability, will be as easily bought, as another war is likely to be maintained, though all the blood that is to be spilt should be left out of the reckoning, and the layings out will have a fare more pleasant return. This business is mainly yours, and now it is as it were put into your hands, if you let it go you let lose a whole flood of mischiefs, an ocean and deluge of calamities upon yourselves and country. This poor weakened Kingdom is now falling into a relapse, and that may be as dangerous to the body politic as to the natural. The disease indeed was never perfectly cured, and now it is broken forth again upon us, and the bloody issue runs afresh amongst us; and seems to be like a raging fit after a troublesome and unquiet slumber, which without a remedy may be the Prodromus of death; you if any under Heaven may be the Physicians with God's blessing to resist the beginnings of those recoiling evils. That you may do it, give me leave here humbly to offer my poor advice, not to prescribe unto your judgements, but to submit it to the corrections of such better thoughts, which the Lord shall suggest unto your reasons; if they prove not as wife as they are honest and hearty, yet the very folly and failings in them, may perhaps administer unto you better apprehensions; many good things are brought sometimes into our thoughts by those errors of other men, which we are engaged to correct. 1. That God may be in the whole business, let me desire you to apply yourselves unto him by earnest prayer and supplication, for his special influence upon you in these your proceed, for which purpose you have a mite offered into your treasuryes in a form of prayer set forth for that purpose. 2. Let nothing prevail with you to relinguish the benefit of a Common-hall which is now due unto you of course, if I mistake not, & is so needful, & of so great moment at this time, as you have been well advised by another hand, which together with the sense of your great concernment therein, may I hope save me the labour of pressing it upon you. 3. That in the next place (as that which must give life and authority to all your resolutions,) You desire the liberty of speedy address unto his Majesty, to be made by some of those whole wisdom and moderation shall present them to you as the fittest for such an employment, that you may both communicate your resolutions unto him, and receive his approbation of them, which will no doubt remove many fears and scruples, which are in the hearts of some among you, by such ample satisfaction, which his meekness and mercy, and the longing desire that lives in him after the good of you and all the rest of his good Subject, would its like long ago have given you, had he not been deprived of the freedom of expression of himself unto you; and that his Majesty may come to Hampton Court or some other place near your City, to that end, and that he may have a Personal Treaty with the Houses. 4. That some course may be thought on, with his Majesty's consent by the joint concurrence of the City and Kingdom, for the paying of the debts of the public faith, and for the reimbursing unto the purchasers that money that they have laid out in the purchase of Bishops-Lands, or of the Church Revenues, any other such like; which may be done by the contiunance of a moderate excise, by the Customs of exportation and importation, and by a public yearly contribution both of the Laity & Clergy throughout the Kingdom; which will be much more easily undergon, & much more willingly, by all good men, than that the whole Kingdom should be ruined; or an happy peace and reconciliation obstructed for want of it; it will be an honourable & a Christian purchase to buy the peace of our King and Nation though it is not so honourable in them that sell it. 6. That his Majesty be desired to grant a free and general pardon unto all, with an act of perpetual oblivion, and that an oath may be framed by act of Parliament, to be taken by all Members of succedent Parliaments, never to revive the memory thereof, nor to call any passages of these times into question, with such limitations and exceptions only as shall be found extremely necessary to the preservation of the King and Kingdom, which pardon to have its full effect, as long as they shall not attempt any new disturbances otherwise to become void, & the Laws of the Kingdom to proceed against such as shall be actors therein. And that there may be likewise an act of Parliament made for the utter abolishment of all odious names, & terms of opposition, as Cavaliers, Malignants, Roundheads, Committee-men, etc. Under some great penalty, that the mention thereof may neither preserve nor revive the quarrels hereafter among us. 6. That out of this pardon only those may be excepted that shall be found to have had an hand in that late horrid design of poisoning his Majesty. 7. That there may be a set time appointed for the dissolution of this present Parliament, after the granting of the aforesaid pardon, and the enacting of those Laws only which shall be found necessary for the present peace; and that his Majesty may engage himself by such engagements as may satisfy, to call another free Parliament within two months after the dissolution of this. 8. That all Armies may be speedily disbanded before the dissolution of this present Parliament, with the payment of some competent portion of their Arrears. And that the Scots be desired to return, having such satisfaction given them as may be reasonably desired; and that these and all other such like payments may be made by the public charge. That the Militia of the City may be placed in such hands, as his Majesty, the Parliament, & the city, shall agree on for a time, until the streams maybe reduced to their former channels. 10. That immediately the Government of the Kingdom may be managed by the known Laws of the Kingdom, and all illegal powers dissolved, and all illegal proceed made void; every man that is not disseized by legal course being restored unto his own possessions; And the Ministry unto their live; and that those Ministers that have left their own live, and taken others, may be restored to their own again, upon engagement not to disturb the peace of the Church and Kingdom. 11. That the Government and service of the Church may stand for the present as it is established by law, witn such liberty only allowed unto those that are otherwise minded as shall be found necessary, until upon the calling of another Parliament, such alterations shall be legally made, as shall stand with God's glory, the Truth of his Word, and may conduce to the peace of this Church and Nation, allowing all that liberty to tender consciences, that do not encounter these. 12. That His Majesty may be moved to engage himself upon the beginning of the next Parliament, to call a Nationall Synod, consisting of a convenient number of the moderatest spirits of all Parties, and that there may be an oath administered unto them, against partiality, and siding, and all turbulent designs, and that by a fair and free debate in this Synod, there may be a reconciliation of judgements attempted; First by declaring their consent in those things wherein all agree, in terminis, Secondly, by assaying an union in those things wherein the terms are opposite, by a fair and charitable interpretation. And if neither of these courses can end the contentions, That it may be considered, whether the questions that remain are in the Conclusions of either part necessary to be stood upon, if not, that the questions themselves may be abolished and silenced. And, that where there remaineth any difference unreconcilable in things necessary, The judgement of some learned and moderate foreign Divines may be desired. Lastly, That his majesty having given such satisfaction to the desires of all sides as is necessary for the security of a well-grounded Peace; He may be restored to his royal power, and all his Revenue and state; The Queen, Prince; and the Duke of York, and the Lady called home, and received with honour and safety. And that all may be concluded with a general humiliation to God first for our sins; And then a general for his mercies and deliverances. FINIS.