A plain CASE, OR, REASONS TO CONVINCE ANY( THAT would be honest or thrive in the World) which side to take in this present war.  
Printed in the Years M.DC.XLIII.   

A plain Case, or, Reasons sufficient to convince any( that would be honest, or thrive in the World) which side to to take in this present war.  
SInce the two Hoses of Parliament will have the Sword give the Law; I make bold to set down some plain Arguments why the people of England, should wish victory rather unto His Majesty, then unto the two Houses. And although our supinenesse hath been hitherto such, as to hazard the Government of Church& State( under both which we and our ancestors have been so long happy) for a new, so far from being approved, as it is not yet known what they desire. Though this hath been to this day not weighed by many( who look not beyond the present hour) t'will concern the people of England to consider what must necessary follow this war.  
1. If the two Houses overcome the King, then is the kingdom liable unto all their debts upon the public faith, which amounts unto more then Three Millions; This will be the first benefit such a victory can bring the people, to engage them in a debt, that no man can hope to live to see satisfied. But suppose one battle should not overthrow the King, and this war should last many yeares, the three millions of debts before mentioned would grow to threescore; and then how long will the people be paying such a debt? for 'tis not to be imagined that the King& his whole posterity can be rooted up without a long war.  
2. Next I wish the people would consider, that they make themselves miserable for a few mens ambitions, and avarice, who have thrown the whole kingdom into this confusion, saving their own stakes by the mass of money which is well known the chief factors have conveyed away. For of the three millions received by the two Houses, not one hath been disbursed in this war, as by themselves is confessed, and by some of best account amongst them complained of.  
3. If the King prosper( as tis very probable he may) having at this day three armies on foot, any of them able to encounter the earl of Essex in the field. I say it is considerable that the Kings debts are not a third part so great as the Parliaments, which clearly shows their abuse in those vast sums appropriated to their own particular use; which money the people have not only payed against all Law and equity, but must be forced again to repay as a debt of the public faith.  
4. Consider that their arms, ammunition, ordnance, ships, and all accommodations for war( to the value of a million more) were taken out of the Kings stores, and cost them nothing. Thus I conceive the matter of money( by which all men subsist) ought to incline the people to wish victory unto the King; although they have contributed to this war against him.  
5. The people ought to consider that the King hath no general quarrel to them as by his daily clemency is seen, and by his general proffer of pardon unto those people, whom he conceives only guilty of being misled.  
6. If the King hath an absolute victory, this war is at an end, and the kingdom happy under its ancient laws and Religion, which the King never thought to alter, but if the Rebels conquer, who knows what laws, or what Religion they will establish, that have destroyed all laws, and do profess no Religion.  
7 'tis to be considered very many of those, who now assist the King in this war have been the most zealous for the liberty of the people and privileges of Parliament, and are persons of highest quality, and greatest fortune, and therefore cannot be thought so indiscreet as to be the instruments to bring servitude upon themselves and others.  
8 The King doth now pretend to no power, but such as is established by law,& maintained by constant practise; therefore it is not probable he will endeavour to exercise any other; because he must then evidently falsify many public protestations made to the contrary in divers declarations, and thereby justify much of that the Parliament hath said against him.  
9 The Kings interests are of such a nature as cannot be restored,& the distractions of the kingdom are likewise such, as cannot be cured but by the authority of a Parliament: so that if the King were conqueror, he must necessary resort to that way of Parliament in which he can never prejudice the interests of the Subjects; nor advance his own, beyond their due bounds.  
10 It cannot in common prudence be imagined that the King against whom so great advantage hath been taken, for some pretended preceedings from the law in his former government, and who hath partend with so much of his own right, to satisfy all apprehensions of the like for the time to come, should again resort to any course so destructive, and ruinous to himself.  
11 If the Parliament had sought the good of the subject and the peace and wealth of the kingdom, why did they reject so many gracious proffers from His majesty to settle whatever could be desired to make a nation happy? And what King did ever do more to show how really he intended the just satisfaction of his people, by the maintenance of their Religion and laws, then ours hath donne? and yet this Parliament hath had power to misled the people, from an assured happy tranquillity into this desperate irreligious war, and to requited all the great immunities granted to them by the King; with a most pernicious rebellion against him, making the ignorant innocent people their instruments to compass their own most horrid design, for now they dare avow their intention to unthrone the King, subvert the monarchy,& to supplant the Church, by crying up their several sects in all Countries near them, displacing the grave, learned, Orthodox Divines, to make room for Anabaptists, Brownists, and other irreligious Sots, who they employ to seduce the people, while themselves sit like absolute monarchs of the Land, disposing of the free subjects lives, and estates at pleasure, a Tyranny beyond the Turkish Emperour; and thus enforce the King to take up arms for the preservation of the laws, and the interests of the people, who therefore is not like to endeavour the destruction of what he hath now protected with so much hazard to himself, and so much affection to his subjects: for if we consider how easily the King might have satisfied the ambitions of the chief Rebells, and by such means have bought his own desires, at a much easier rate by then this war; we ought to pray for his good success.  
12 It is evident that no lawless power, nor arbitrary government can be so safe, or so advantageous to the King, as that power is which the laws of this kingdom have conferred vpon the King, and trusted the crown withall.  
13. If the Rebels get the victory, the people will be perpetually subject to an arbitrary government for the liberty of their persons, and property of their estates; then all their Ordinances will be as laws, and all these taxes become continued on the people: for the Parliament can have no other way to maintain what they shall get by the sword, but by the sword. Let the people also consider, that this Parliament hath in these two years, more violated the laws to the prejudice of the people, then all the Kings since the conquest have don. How blind then are the people of this kingdom to engage themselves in an endless war, subject to such a tyranny, as no story can parallel, whose hoped victory can procure them at best to be but slaves unto slaves, wilfully rejecting the known happiest government that ever nation lived under, and this proffered to them by the King without more blood. But if their hearts be hardened, and they will rather choose to have a perpetual Parliament then their Prince, certainly the Plagues of a perpetual war will be their reward, so that as long as one of the royal blood remaines on the earth, this war can have no end. So that in my opinion God cannot sand them a greater curse then their own desires; for one victory doth in this case but summon a new enemy to rise up against them. But suppose that by many conquests they could confounded all the royal line as they desire? What receipt have these Rebells to persuade the free people of England to subject themselves unto the tyranny of fellow subjects? or how can they hope to divide the government amongst themselves so as to content all that have equally contributed unto the treason? For Religion( though it be of least consideration amongst them) is it yet agreed whose shall be established● Which of the Lords Religion shall be preferred? or whose in the House of Commons shall prevail? or must we expect an Hotch potch of all mixed, all allowed, and every man have liberty to choose what his palate dictates him, as my Lord Say wishes? Certainly these men cannot propose unto themselves peace that have laid a foundation onely capable to raise a continual war. All these things are more worthy, the consideration of the people of this land because all this will fall on their heads for the wicked contrivers sit spectators only of the storms by them raised, far enough from any danger.  
FINIS.