A Warning, or, A word of Advice to the City OF LONDON, And to the whole kingdom OF ENGLAND, concerning the Armies Intentions and Actions;  
BY Him who is a Lover of righteousness and Peace; and at present a member of the Army, very useful and Considerable.  
Printed at London for Giles Calvert near Ludgate, 1648.   

A Word of Advice to the City of LONDON, and to the whole kingdom of England, concerning the Armies intentions and actions by him who is a lover of righteousness and Peace, and at present a member of the Army; very useful and considerable.  
OH the city of London, and the kingdom of England! What mercies hast thou enjoyed, or rather, what mercy have you not both abused: How may thy friends and true lovers stand weeping over thee, and saying, Oh the great metropolitaine city, the kingdom of England, hadst thou known the things which belong to thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes, I say, hadst thou known, thou hadst not necessitated an army, (which generally hath used to be furthest from righteousness, Justice and equity) to do that for thee which thou thyself shouldest have looked after: oh thou great city, thy sins are many, thy provocations great, thy temptations increasing within thee, to oppose thine own good, thine own peace.  
And now I shall tell thee, that the Armies intentions, art and their actions will be for thine and the kingdoms good, peace, welfare, be you but passive, seeing that through your neglect, if not contrary activeness, you have compelled them to be active; they intend not your trouble, impoverishing, or ruin: but first, that Justice may be impartially administered without respect of persons, without which they judge there can be no establishment either of righteousness or true and lasting peace, that which yourselves long after, and be ye assured, it's not the plunder of your City, nor the decay or decrease of your trade that is intended: but rather that you might be settled in a more free way of liberty in your tradings,  
Secondly, That this way be effected, viz. the execution of Justice, they intend only to question those both in Parliament and City, which have been the obstructors of it, that so they may be expunged from any farther power, in betraying their trust, as of late, in wheeling round so fast into an unity with those whom formerly they opposed, as the great occasioners of our trouble and miseries.  
Thirdly, That by this means the Justice of God may be taken off the kingdom, which is not like to be, until justice be executed; for God is a just God and will make inquisition for blood; and blood cryeth for blood, and it's far better justice take hold of a few, if God so please, then of many thousands as must be expected, if justice be not executed; for believe it, the way of the treaty is the high way of ruin even to those who cry it up, work it and manage it, and you will find the Army to be in the hands of God, your saviours in delivering you from it. This is that others see, although you see it not: and that which you cry up as the only way of Peace and liberty, others see it to be the high way of bondage and ruin; give them therefore liberty to save you with fear pulling you out of the fire, &c.  
Fourthly, That they might once see this poor bleeding and dying kingdom delivered from its oppressions and burdens, and established in its just Rights and freedoms; and this is that which God will effect, whatever shall say him nay, although at present to many, the remedy seems worse than the disease, yet the end shall be glorious.  
Object. But perhaps you will say, this is that which belongs to the Parliament and we are to look to them; and to acquys in what they do, they being chosen for that end.  
Answ. It's true, it properly belongs to them indeed, but they betraying their trust in making peace with men of blood, contrary to Law and Religion, contrary to the Law of Nature or of God; they are to be questioned by those for whom they are employed: For if we will allow of Arbitrary Will and Power in the Parliament, as good in the King; as good an unlimited power were in the hands of one, as of many; for this is a truth confessed by all, that the Parliament are servants of State unto the People, and I hope the servant may be questioned by his Master if he betray his Trust and that wilfully too, as a great part of this Parliament hath done, in Voting and carrying on a Treaty of Peace with the Enemies of Peace, and that not only ignorantly but wilfully, contrary to the minds of those who trusted them, as appears in their rejecting of all Petitions from all Counties who Petitioned them the contrary: and secondly, in their not freeing the kingdom from burdens, but rather increasing of them.  
Object. But those Petitions came not from the major party in the City and Counties to the Parliament.  
Answ. True, for the major party are such as have betrayed their interest in the Parliament, in fighting against them, and are not to have any Vote in the choice of them; and so are not to be looked upon as within the liberty of propounding grievances, or judging the actions of those whose ruin they have so long d●sired: they are capable to receive government from them, but not govern or vote in governing; therefore the Parliament is proper to the honest well affected party that have stood by them and with them in all difficulties, and they it is, who are ca●led to have an eye to their Parliaments proceedings, and they it is who have Petitioned their Parliament time after time, but could not be heard; and now their eyes are greatly upon the Army, waiting what God will do by the Army for them, the Army being the kingdom's servants as well as the Parliament, the Army being in the hands of God, the only visible power in and of the kingdom, by whom the enemy is subdued, upon whom the eyes of all those who expect righteousness and Justice are for the accomplishment of it; and therefore I must tell you that if the Army should altogether be silent, they should likewise be perfidious and traitors to that trust reposed in them, betraying both the Lives and Liberties of themselves and friends into the hands of implacable and murderous men.  
Secondly, I answer, that the Army is very tender of a Parliamentary power and intend not to act things themselves, but to see those who have betrayed their trust purged forth, that so there may be a free course of Justice in a lawful Parliamentary way.  
Object. But it's reported that the Army are Levellers, and intend to make all things common.  
Answ. It's very false and untrue raised by those who are enemies to truth and peace, its true they desire to level all powers which are contrary to and against God: and this is that assure yourselves the great God will bear them out in, for its God indeed who is the great leveller both within and without his people; and who art thou O great mountain that will stand up before him, thou shalt be made plain.  
Object. But there is not unity in the Army in their proceedings, they are much divided amongst themselves.  
Answ. That is likewise an untruth, for God hath poured down a mighty spirit of unity and courage amongst them that as one man they are united for the common good, and this I must tell you likewise that God hath not only given them that spirit of unity but a spirit of prayer and faith likewise, believing a deliverance before they engage they are in good earnest, a praying, a believing people, therefore I shall now proceed to a word of advice unto you and that first be advised how you entertain thoughts of opposition & so of the beginning of another war in England, and that for these reasons first before if you oppose you will have the great God against you: second, then be sure you shall fall before him for he is able, and will dash you to pieces like a potter's vessel, it is neither multitudes nor tumults can save before him.  
2 According to principles of reason, you of all people in the kingdom declare your folly and weakness: if you should begin a tumult, for be sure if ever you strike stroke you are undone; if not by the Army, yet have you not so much wisdom as tofore; see that there are those amongst yourselves who wait for a pray to be enriched in your fall; O London, London, dost thou not yet know what belongs to thy peace; shall it be hid from thine eyes or wilt thou not do good, nor suffer good to be done, mine eye and my heart pitieth thee, if thou wilt work out thine own ruin,  
3 And be you therefore advised as you tender the safety of your Persons, Estates, Trading, the Peace of the kingdom, the honour of the great Jehovah that you oppose not his work in hand, lest you perish in your way, for who is he that shall stand before him; I must tell you that God hath a dispensation of righteousness to bring forth in the work and he will effect it though all the world say-him nay; and he will make his people his battle and weapon of war, by whom he will break all that shall oppose him; have you not seen God breaking to pieces great and mighty powers by them, O when will you see that its God fights our battles for us and delivers enemies into our hands; take heed how you are found fighters against God.  
4 Consider you have for the most part all the godly people in this kingdom, as one in this act, and as one against you, if you oppose and they are the great interest of the kingdom; for first, they are a praying people, secondly, they are a believing people: thirdly they are made a courageous fighting people, and then with them you will have their God and Father to be against you, in a word you will have all the powers of Heaven against you, and nothing but the powers of darkness and confusion to be for you.  
5. And finally be you sure to perish in any design you undertake against them for there is neither policy nor power against them, God undermines it all and brings it to nothing Faith is given in already in this particular, and that which I have said to the City, I say to the whole kingdom of England: be not perverse seek not to raise new troubles be at the least passive, suffer good when it cometh for all that oppose must be led forth with the workers of iniquity into confusion and misery: God will punish them with astonishment and madness, and will recompense unto them the fruit of their own ways: thus have I very briefly and that with much bowels and tenderness, given you this word of warning, that if God so please thy ruin may be prevented, but if you will not hear my soul shall weep in secre● for thy pride; yet know that thou hast had a word of warning from him who foresees both thy sin and misery; and if notwithstanding this thou will be rebellious and oppose the work of the great Jehovah, and so perish in thy opposition, thy Destruction is of thyself and thy Judgement will be the more just: harken not to flatterers neither flatter thyself, it will be to late to repent when the judgement is past: consider that thou thyself by thy clamourous petitions to the Parliament, hast been the cause of this approaching storm, add not therefore sin to sin, but repent and amend look not at dishonour in thy submitting, better be dishonourable in receiving good then honourable in opposing it: better be dishonourable in being passive in receiving them: to lose all in opposing, and your greatest honour now at least will be to conquer lust and pride; before you are conquered for your pride, you know what sad dooms have been past upon you by many, I cannot yet say that is past upon you by God; I desire the Lord to deliver you from that fiery destruction threatened, therefore have I written that you might be prevented from working out your one ruin that so you might have peace  
FINIS.