OBviaverunt, They that meet may seem to be asunder, and although they contend at the first, they kiss before they depart. Meeting, if it be not hostile, be it never so mean, is a mutual society, Prov. 22, 2. Isa. 34. 14. the wildest creatures want not their loving meetings. Truth meets Mercy in Christ, and in Him all Promises are fulfiled, Luke 1. 68, 69 Acts 13. 32. 33. It is mercy that returned the captivity of jacob, and Babylon was the type of our bondage, and Christ our deliverer. Mercy would have man to be saved, Truth must dispute the way; and finding man in error, cannot help him without a birth, which must bud out of the Earth, as Flowers do that spring of themselves without mans sowing or planting; and so Christ and the Christian are born: Christ of mans seed without him, out of the earth or womb of a Virgin, and a maid and a Mother are the great wonder of the Word, which the world must believe, or else no truth will meet mercy; and the Apostle tells us so much, Gal. 6. 16. that the first and the last meet in Christ, as the means, and with him buds forth the birth of the new creature not from the earth, but from heaven, Gods righteousness having looked down to justify him, and the Holy Spirit to sanctify him. Of the glory of God all men are destitute by sin. Rom. 3. 23. and he dwells with them in the communication of it in his Son, Rev. 21. 3. 11. Isa 60. 1. and changeth them into the image of it from glory to glory, 2 Cor. 3. 18. And indeed Christ is this glory when he dwelled in our Land, and was made flesh, and we saw the glory therof, as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, joh. 1. 14. When God shewed Mose● his glory, he put him into the cleft of this Rock, and covered him with the hand of his Mercy that he might not die at the sight of his face, and that his goodness passing by, might be seen, and he live by the same hand, discovering the way to know God, Exod 33. 13. 23.  
For application, Obviaverunt, as many things meet in the Kings Oath at his Coronation, mercy and truth, justice and Peace are the Sacrament He takes, and to teach Him perjury when they have most need to meet, is to take glory from our Land, and lay us wast in the miserable desolations of Gods goodness, the Lands increase, the execution of justice and the footsteps of former times. We desire not to accuse but to answer acusations against the obviaverunt of our dayes. We say the conjunction of the great lights in heaven the interview of great States on Earth ever bodes some great matter. Much is made of a conjunction of celestial bodies this ensuing year, and we should not need to fear the stars, if our 3. Estates, were rightly established in our Parliament, according to the Office and Oath of Him that hath called them to such a meeting. I am sure the 4. Attributes I have name, are as great States as any in the Court of heaven, and by a sacred Oath they meet upon Earth; and what can His Majesty do more, then call this meeting continue it, and see that mercy and truth may meet, not in pitched a Field but with Iustitia& pax osculatae su●●? They should not run one at another as Enemies, but kiss as loving Friends. It were no wonder for mercy and peace to meet, our miseries make way for both. Peace cries out of a Civill war, and mercy of national Cruelties and the poor People know nothing of truth and justice, and the encounters made against them. The conclusion of peace would be as easy as the motion of mercy, if truth and righteousness were not opposite. righteousness bears the Sword not in vain, and the truth will be severe against error; and we must 〈◇〉 expect mercy and peace without them: and our misery is, that the King, Lords and Commons have met without an Osculati sunt; and why is that true praevaricati sunt? If they had not written we should never have known the secrets of State.  
It is one of the greatest treacheries of State to divulge the secrets of either House without common consent. What hath caused so much heart-burning as the revelation of matters in delibera●ion, before any determination? His majesty may conceive the wrong done to His council, that He hath understood the meaning of it in the first motion, reported as David says of Doeg, 1 Sam. 22. 22. to do mischief. If His Majesty had never 〈◇〉 with such men, but all as one man had declared their mind to the King, there would never have been any division; nor could it have been known in Votes who passed the Bill, and who were against it. We know all or the most make a general Vote, and so His majesty ought to receive it, and not so much as to know who were against it. His majesty receives a Declaration at New-market, and knows to one man in the Lords House and to a few in the House of Commons, who were for it and who against it, and concludes the Declaration was made against Him, because so many were for Him in both Houses, and the lawful Vote against him. Who shall be able to speak in either House, if such divisions be made? Is it not upon good reason when the King speaks in either House, that no one Lord nor Commoner answer Him till all have consented; and shall any tell the King what the Houses mean, before he hear it from them all? I am deceived, if this have not deeply wounded many in both Houses, as Doeg did Abimelech, to his destruction, with above 80, persons wearing a linen Ephod. Members are nominated for Traitors, and may not know their Accusers, and the Lords and Commons judge it an injury to have them accused, and not know by whom. Ipsa ratio dictat, common reason doth teach, that no accuser should be any mans Judge; and Kings call not for offenders to punish them, but in a legal way, and counsellors to be called for( by them that are bound to receive just information) upon treachery, is intolerable injury. Many things are penned and Printed in papers under a royal name, that are in this kind most unrighteous, and have caused first division in the Parliament, and then the desertion of that society.  
I have red many Books of Remonstrances and Declarations from the Lords and Commons in both Houses, by no private pens, but public consent, and confess myself convinced of their most just proceedings, and constant resolutions: but in the other fearful contradictions, shameful reproaches, and most uncharitable constructions of all things. To give some instances. Rebellion is laid upon the instruments of the Parliament, and the Parliament freed, the actors judged, and the authors justified. The Parliament is deserted and accused of Faction, as if Faction were not in the desertours, but the deserted; as if the great council of the kingdom were to bear the disgrace of Offenders. It is a council called by the King, continued by an Act of all the Members, and yet by departure of persons may be deprived of power●●s if it were a Court in being and might administer no Justice. It's called to consider of Questions supper dubiis, upon doubts in Laws; and de Queremoniis supper injuriis, and of complaints of injuries, and yet must suffer doubts not to be resolved, and injuries( as the Apostle speaks) not to be revenged, Rom. 13. 4. Besides these, imminent dangers must not be provided for, but neglected by desertion. The twentieth part of mens estates to be taken from them to save the kingdom from actual invasion, when nothing is to be spared that may be a speedy remedy of all mens Rights. Is it against Law to save the whole City from fire jo pluck down some mens houses? to drown mens Lands to prevent a greater danger? to build Bulwarks upon any mans ground to save the whole? either the King must do it, or the Parliament▪ for it was never denied Him in the not being of a Parliament, in case of necessity to use all means of safety for his people, by an arbitrary Government: but in time of Parliament that power is committed to it, and no man may refuse to do that for his safety that all men are bound to do, and wherein the Parliament, besides the pains are deepest in their own persons and purses.  
The Kings of England have no mere but mixed Empire, that is a royal power mixed with one that is politic, and therfore as a King he may not do what he will, but what is Law; and in time of Parliament, he may not proceed in any arbitrary way without It: and as He hath no righteous judgement out of all inferior Courts, so when a Parliament is called and continued, He may not desert it, to do any thing out of his own judgement: and whatsoever he doth is extra-judiciall, arbitrary, and obligatory to no body. His regal power contrary to the which is politic, is always unrighteous, and to be ruled by any is Rebellion in them, and to be resisted by all loyal Subjects, without all fear of damnation, whatsoever Divines may say to the contrary: for they do but cross the Apostle, who enjoins not obedience to persons but powers; and royal power in Peter is usurped, being applied to Emperours( such as Nero) who ruled not by laws, but their own wills, but such are not the Kings of England, nor of Israel, further then they made themselves slaves, 1. Sam. 8. refusing Gods Government for Tyranny, for he provided, Deut. 17. that the politic power should go before the regal, and make it righteous, which is called not the judgement of the Kings, but of the kingdom, 1 Sam. 10. 25.  
Mercy should move the King to give Truth a meeting, and not desert it, to see his Subjects in misery and error. Truth would teach the whole kingdom that they are in an error that defend the regal power against the Righteous power in Parliament. They are abused by Divines in the mixed monarchy, as if it were absolute, and had the power of imperial and Civill Laws, when ours are common by custom, chosen by the people, and Statutes of their election in Parliament, which no royal power can contradict. Mercy and Peace as bed-fellowes sleep together, but not securely without Truth and Iustice. They are Collectaneae, as Bernard speaks, and suck one milk, one breast, but the nourishment may be poised by cases of Consciences alleged without Truth and Iustice: as to teach men to follow personal commands against political, the deserting of Parliaments, against well deserving Members, pressing Precepts to Emperours, to bring men into errors to Kings, as if all were to be obeied alike, when some are to be obeied above their laws, because their will makes them, when others are to be obeied according to their Laws, to the which themselves are Subjects, ubi enim miseriocordia esset. si cum misero non esset? where should mercy be, if with misery she should not be? such is the condition of our kingdom, and such should our great meeting be.  
The meeting of great friends, was our second Note, and St. Aug. in Psa. upon the ver. meets with carnal men, tu fort unam habere vis, et alteram non vis, many would meet with mercy, that mind not the truth, would lay hold of the one, and let go the other: misericors et verax, God is not more merciful then true, nor merciful at all to them that love not his truth. He is abundant in goodness and truth, reserving mercy for thousands and yet will not clear the guilty of his wilful errors: peace is in every mans Petition, and rather then miss it, they will spare righteousness: fac justitiam et habebi● pacem, do well and fare well, depart from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it; si amicam pacis 〈…〉 veris, non amabit te pax, if thou love not the friend of peace, peace will not love thee: I cannot but collate this Quaternion in the psalm with our Parliament, mercy makes ●● truth for a compamon, truth to justice, and Justice to peace. Servabis pacem, is the first part of the oath, the last part of my text. facts fieri justitiam in misericordia et veritate, is the second part, and such a Quaternion is all we can desire in the office and oath of a King; and more then Kings promise that are at liberty, and few perform that are born to their Crownes, and yet they are best when they do it. Elegerit would never have need so many criticisms if election had been qualified with just and reasonable; who would have limited it to laws made, if the making of new ones had urged no more? and more is not contained in the peoples election, and to stick to the old when the new are so good, is merely to maintain Monarchy to be bound to no laws at all for that power that is royal to make what laws it will, is at liberty to break as many as it list. Our misery is, that our friendly meeting of King, Lords and Commons is hostile, and who shall be able to judge of the quarrel, if the Parliament be shut out? The members that remain have the best in the dispute, and if we find three Estates, wee shall have the powers to judge, the persons that may be judged. The King calls the council, and cannot recall it, and who can deny the power to be, where it cannot be recalled? The people sand the Commons, and can they be excused that are departed? Or can he call them from the Parliament that hath called them unto it, cessant quacunque excusatione, &c. To be driven away is but a dry excuse, and mercy to themselves, will not excuse justice to others, nor in truth free them from the just censure thereof. Wee have either the friendly meeting in Parliament, or all the attributes in my text are lost, no mercy without this meeting, no truth to discover errors. righteousness will not reign, or Peace bee procured to kiss without deceit.  
The birth of truth should end all controversies, and the original of it is to be noted for the place, every thing hath it's appropriate being from the birth, and earth buds forth truth naturally, as in the Creation, Ge. 1. 11. Dixit et fuit, truth pronounceth as the thing is, and the thing is as God pronounceth it to be, and so many expound the words, faithfulness springeth; that is, the Land bringeth forth faithful increase answerable to Gods blessing upon it. The Land is a figure of mens minds, Heb. 6. 6, 7, 8. and morasly is taken for the Councells of men, and so every man conceives truth as he is able, and many minds in a friendly meeting bud forth, and boult out the truth better then divided persons, and wee are bound to the Parliament for truth above all other councells and as Courts the judgement of truth can be received from no other, as the last resolution. David corrected one council by another, 1 Cbron. 13 2.& 15. 2, 3. he gave the council that discovered the error, but would act nothing without a general council and for my part I shall never expect a friendly meeting till the Parliament bud for that truth that may be accompanied with mercy, draw Justice from Heaven with Peace to bee present at this meeting. ●●●e●naturally truth is born of a virgin, job. 1. 14. the word was made flesh, and tabernacled in us, and the consequent is fullness of grace and truth, and wee were happy this birth would bring some fruit to us Christians, not to  shed that blood, for which our Saviour  shed his, that we might not perish; and perish wee will to defend Papists in this waire, which is their last, and ends the testimony of the two witnesses, Rev. 11. 7. Who i● Doctrine, Death, Resurrection and ascension resemble their Saviour. he for the space of three yeares and an half taught most heavenly Doctrine, died to seal the truth of it triumphed over death by a glorious resurrection, and by his ascension lead captivity captive so conceive of this mystery of the two witnesses, they prophesy as many dayes, as the moneths of the Beast contains, and when they shall finish them, the Beast shall 〈◇〉 hardest, and the witnesses shall be helped by the dissension of all Nations from the grave; and whilst they bury one another, shall rise, ascend and Rome salf, and therefore lo not the godly fear the present miseries, not the arming of Papists, for by them the beast b●●eth, and the God of truth reveal to all his righteous judgments and speed that peace to, his Churches that is promised to them and those that shall look out fresh as the morning faire as the moon, clear as the Same and terrible as an drmy with banners, Can. 6. 10.  
The end of the birth of truth is the reconciliation of God and man. Ortus veritatis, brings with it occursus misericordiae, and prospecius justitiae osculum pacis. Every one gives a blessing in the close. Mercy meets at the birth, and brings glory to God, and free grace to Men, Truth of promise, as well as of threats enters the Stage, and stands out for mercy to bee made good in promises, which are all performed at the birth of it upon earth: Then fol●… owes the gracious aspect of justice, which breaks open a door in Heaven, and opens ●… t to all believers, with pardon of sin, and power to subdue it, and peace of conscience, ●… nd courage for it, make a Christian fear no dangers to appear in the behalf of truth▪ ●… nd my heart gives me that all that fight against the Parliament raise a wicked war, and, ●… romise protection without mercy, for it comforts not without truth, and to fight for ●… rrors may( as Daniel says) make men obstinate to understand nothing, Dan. 12. 10. and want of true wisdom will leave every man in distress, and they that delight in unrighteousness ●… orsake their own peace, and miserable is that fallacy that seeds many with vain persuasion they are for the King, when they are most against him, not knowing they may rebel ●… 'gainst his authority, when they obey his personal commands, and either his person may ●… e absent from his power, or he hath one power to bee sollowed in Parliament, and a●… other out of it, and so no man shall know what to obey, and whether he shall be damned to obey him in his Court, or in his camp against it, and if Caesar, will fight against Caesar, who shall be Caesars subject? It's most true all appeals are from Caesar to Caesar; ●… nd Caesar alone may reverse the judgement of Caesar: but it must be in a right order, as ●… rom Caesar in one Court to another, and when we come to the highest, there to rest: and ●… et Caesar may repeal the judgement of one Parliament by another: But his proceeding out of his Courts is too Caesar-like,& will stand good neither in true Divinity, nor honest ●… umanity.  
Mercy is the first in every good motion for man, the psalm is full of the remembrances of it, Lord thou hast been favourable unto thy Land; thou hast brought back the captivity of jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin, &c. After remembrances follow Prrayres of conversion, contrition, expostulations with him whose anger cannot be endless; he will revive and rejoice the bones he hath broken, mercy must bee shewed to mourners and salvation granted to the distressed: Prayers are attended with patience to ●… ear what God will say: Patience wants not experience of peace, and hope holds the ●… earth from fainting. And Faith makes salvation at hand to them that fear him, and all ●… his that glory may dwell in our Land. Such is the power of mercy to make way for truth, which is able to dispute with all errors, and justice gives the argument of each mans ●… ight, and when all are satisfied therewith the conclusion will ever be peaceable. Such would be the proceedings of Parliament, where there must needs bee the greatest com●… assions, as having the common cause in hand, which concerns as much themselves as any others, and it were unnatural for any man to wrong himself, and as in a body 〈…〉 one member suffer, all the members suffer with it. So in the estate, the members that truly remain members feel most of the common calamities and move most for their cure what care they have of the kingdom that are departed from the Parliament, is plain by their self-love, for they remain not members of the body they belong unto, but as persons part from it, every one seeking his own things and not the things of another. As for truth to dispute all errors, it is the most faithful council in the kingdom, and for justice the fittest Court to give every man his right, and to expect peace without it, is neither probable nor possible. That the Parliament should seek for peace to the King is as necessary as to Petition for any good law, and war is by all means to be avoided, and herein the Parliament hath used all patience& does pass by infinite injuries. Notan accusation but forced upon false grounds. Treason is coined cunningly by distinguishing persons from the Parliament,& the Parliament from the powers that make it. His majesty i● taught to condemn persons for Traytors& the Parliament is aimed at in them, for defending them, which is just, as far as they do the work appointed by such a council& to deceive the people they part the King from being in it by his power, because his person is absent▪ and so he may be from any Court, and yet remain in it for his judgement, and I know nothing necessary for a personal Act, but his Vote to make a law perfect and permanent as for the declaring of law they want not the power of a Court,& in imminent dangers, to ordain for the present what should be done in the personal absence of the King.  
FINIS.