destruction therefore thy life shall go for his life Now see how the King of Syria after this answers Ahab ' s love About three years after Chap. 22.31 Israel and Syria engage in a new War and the King of Syria gives command unto his Souldiers that they should fight neither against small nor great but against the King of Israel Benhadad ' s life was once in Ahab ' s hand and he ventured Gods dispeasure to let him go but see how Benhadad rewards him for it Fight neither against small nor great but against the King of Israel Honourable and Worthy The Application if God do not lead you to do Justice upon those that have been the great Actors in shedding innocent Bloud never think to gain their love by sparing of them for they will if opportunity be ever offered return again upon you and then they will not fight against the poor and mean ones but against those that have been the Fountain of that Authority and Power which hath been improved against them Worthy Patriots you that are our Rulers in this Parliament 't is often said William Jenkins The Policy of Princes p. 33. Printed for Samuel Gellibrand we live in Times wherein we may be as good as we please wherein we enjoy in purity and plenty the Ordinances of Jesus Christ. Praised be God for this even That God who hath delivered us from the imposition of Prelatical Innovations Aâ—tar-genuflections and Cringings with Crossings and all that Popish trash and trumpery And truly I speak no more then what I have often thought and said The removal of those insupportable burdens A tast of the Reforming Spirit coutervails for the Blood and Treasure shed and spent in these late distractions Nor did I as yet ever hear of any godly men that desired The Kings Murther justified by a Professour were it possible to purchase their friends or money again at so dear a rate as with the return of these to have those soul-burdening Antichristian-yâ—kes re-imposed upon us And if any such there be I am sure that desire is no part of their godliness and I profess my self in that to be none of the number Mr. Bagshaw Taxes me in the Fourth place for saying that great Dangers are still remaining c. R. L'S [4.] Should I have said That great dangers are still remaining in not preferring the Kings Friends E. B. Pag. 6. as if his Majesty would prâ—fâ—r any â—ut those that were of unsuspected Loyalty should I have added further thaâ— the danger is great and number also of ill-chosen Justices All which passages directly tend not only to dâ—fame the Government but to render it ridiculous as if it were not politique enough to preserve it self c. I do not pretend to hint any Danger because the Kings Friends are not Preferr'd but because divers of his Persevering and Irreclaimable Enemies are and This I conceive may be spoken without Offence either to Loyalty or Good-manners Are none preferr'd but by his Majesties Special Nomination and Appointment Or are none but Persons of unsuspected Loyalty Preferr'd How comes Edward Bagshaw to be Preferr'd then a Libeller against Praelacy and Church-Rites and a Denyer of the Kings Authority Touching the Danger and Number of Ill-chosen Justices I do not speak of what People have been but of what they Are and if the Number of such be Great I think no-body do ubts of the Danger Is it not well when men may be Bayl'd for Threatning another Change and hinting that This King will not stand long when the Person that gives Notice of this is forc'd to fly his Countrey for 't It is not long since a Compleint of This Quality was brought to his Majesties Chief Secretary and in Truth there are but too many Instances of This Nature But Mr. Bagshaw I perceive is of opinion that the King had better be Destroy'd by not knowing These Indignities then that the Government in his Learned sense should be Defam'd by Discovering them Caesar was Murther'd in the Senate and his Murtherers were in our Adversaries Phrase of Unsuspected Loyalty Had any man made Caesar Ridiculous that had adverted him of the Conspiracy In short Reason of State belongs to Ministers of State but Enformation in matter of Fact where the Publique is Concern'd is every Private mans Duty and every Honest mans Business [5.] Should I after I had in some former Pamphlet expresly Libelled your Lâ—rdship afterwards by making some dull Aphorisms about a Favourite E. B. Pag. 6. labour to abuse you to your face I should then think I had done enough to deserve not only the Name but likewise the Punishment that is due to one thâ—t is factiâ—us and Turbulent To make short work R. L'S I think the Libeller deserves the Pillory and I 'm Content to stand the Issue whether it shall be Bagshaws Eate or Mine Why does he not Name that same Former Pamphlet and shew my Lord what 't is he calls a Libell I shall not make half the Ceremony with Him but immediately prove This same half-witted Levite to be the very Thing he would have Me Thought to bee In the Ninth Chapter of my Memento Memento p. 85. concerning Seditions and shewing in what manner they arise from These Seven Interests The Church the Benâ—h the Court the Camp the City the Country and the Body-Representative Treating of the Court 〈◊〉 Pag. 100. I make use of a Judgment of Sir Francis Bacon's in his Essay of Counsâ—l which is thâ—t a Prince may be endangered in his Counsel either by an Over-greatness in One Counsellour or an over-strict Combination in Diverse According to the Quality and Requiry of the Subject under the Head of Over-greatness in One Counsellour is handled the Humour and Working of a Vitious Favourite Pag. 103 104 10â— If Scrupulous he goes to work Thus if Ambiâ—iciu Popular Fawning Covetous c. So or so And This doe Mr. Bagsâ—aw's Scurrilous Râ—verence call an Abuse of the Loâ—d Chancellour sawcily imposing upon my Naked and Political Discourses his own Libellous and Personal Application Why does he not charge me with Flattery too for asking what can be more Desirable Pag. 188. then for a Prince to have a Watchful Wise Faithful Counsellour and the People a Firm Prudent Patriote in the same Noble Person Why did he not as well make mee mean the Bishops the Judges The General the City-Magistrates the Gentry and the Commonalty in my Reflections upon the Other Six Interests Truly upon the whole if Mr. Bagshaw will agree to it let the Libeller be Gibbetted After diverse Rhetoricating Exclamations If He should have said Thus or so in his little Pedantique way [G] YEt my Lord says Mr. B. all this and something worse is said in Priâ—t by one Mr. L'Estrange E. B. Pag. 6. 7. a Gentlemen whom I never saw but yet I have â—eaâ—d so much il of him that I think my self
Acknowledgment and submit to take the Covenant These Gentlemen if Living as I suppose they are will acquit me that I Refus'd it In Order to my Reprieve I wrote several Letters to The Earl of Nâ—rthumbâ—rland the Earl of Stanford and others of the Nobility that are since Dead From which Noble Persons I received all Honourable Justice and Fâ—vâ—ur In the House of Câ—mmons I was Particâ—larly Obliged among others to Sir Iâ—hn Câ—râ—et and Sir Hâ—nry Châ—â—mondâ—y who can bear me witness that I used no Unworthy means to save my Life But Reprieved I was and in Order to a Further Hearing in appearance though effâ—ctuâ—lly during Pleasure After almost Thirty Months spent in vain Endeavours either to come to a Hearing or to put my self into an Exchangeable Condition I Printed This following State of my Case and Dedicatâ—d my Charge and Defence as an Appeal frâ—m the Court-Martial to the Lords and Commâ—ns Entituled L'Estrange his Appeal from the Court-Martial to the Parliament My Lords and Gentlemen HE that suffers without a President is not bound to act by one if I be the only man in whose behalf no man will mâ—ve blame me not I beseech you if I be the only man too that moves for himself My Application must be singular as my Fortune which I think is peculiarly mine own After thirty months patience at least a hundred Petitions but for â—reathing room not so few Letters of Thanks to your Members only for saying 't is hard After all this and mâ—re and to no pâ—Rpose I am told my Case is different from other mens I am condemn'd and there 's nothing to be done in my business Am I then becalm'd in Newgate Truth it is I was condemn'd by a Court of Warr but by your Honours Repriev'd and with some check to the temâ—rity to the Court. For I was in effect tryed by one Committee and sentenced by another Since that I have awaited my promised Hearing and can now expect no longer unless I make it a Business of the next World being at this instant reduc'd almost to my first Principles by a Consumptive Hectique Distemper I shall therefore immediately bring my self to the Barr and Appeal to you as my Judges My charge was taken in Characters from the mouth of the Judg-Advocate and this is exactly the same with that whereupon I stand condemn'd My Answer to it I present you with it and with that my Desires which are that either upon security or my Parole I may enjoy a seasonable Liberty upon Conditions either of rendring my self a Prisoner within what time you fix or indefinitely when you demand it If any man shall yet scruple my freedom upon the old score I offer my self to any charge he shall pretend against me But if thus I must perish as I have been civil to you I shall be just to my self and find at last some way to vindicate my Ashes from the reproach and infamy of a Gaol Be pleased now to take as fair a view of my Crime as you have of my punishment and then to measure them The Judge Advocate having read the several Examinations and the Commission thus begins Judg-Advocate Sir John Corbet I have now done with the Evidence I shall only crave leave now to make some few Observations First That this Commission of the Prisoner is not the Commission of a Souldier to raise or conduct any strength or men of Warr but a Commission of meer Bribery and corruption to make a party with Money and Preferment Secondly The Prisoner came with this Commission from the Enemy into the Quarters of the Parliament without Drum Trumpet or Pass which alone brings him within the danger and penalty of a Spy Thirdly Hee came attended with no manner of Forces as an Enemy but alone in a secret maner and made choice of a solitary place near Lynne to obscure himself the better to effect his Treacherous Design Fourthly That he relyed not on the strength of his own Party to have surprized Lynne but used unwarrantable and treacherous means to accomplish the sâ—me promising Leman 1000 l. and Corporal Haggar 100 l. and a Canoniers place both of the Garrison if they would contribute their assistance therein Lastly His Design was of that nature and carryed on in so clandestine a way as that himself thought not fit to Treat upon it without a strict Obligation of Secrecy By all which it appears that as the Prisoner came not into our Quarterss as a fair and open Enemy but with Treacherous ends and practises so being now taken in the manner hee may not expect the priviledge of a just Enemy but rather the condigne punishment which by the Law and Custom of Armes belongs to Spies and Treacherous Conspirators To These I Answer in Order and for Satisfaction refer you to the Commission it self The Commission Charles R. WE having received from our Trusty and Well-beloved Roger L'Estrange Dâ—clarations of the Good Affections of divers of our well-affected Subjects of our Counties of Norfolk and Suffolk and particularly of our Town of Lynne as also some overtures concerning the reducing of our said Town of Lynne We have thought â—it forthwith to return our Royal Thanks unto our said well-affected Subjects and particularly to give our said Trusty and well-beloved Roger L'Estrange these encouragements to proceed in our Service and principally in the work of Reducing the said Town of Lynne First That in case that attempt shall be gone through withall hee the said Roger L'Estrange shall have the Goverâ—ment of the Place Secondly That what Engagements shall be made unto the Inhabitants of the said Place or any other person capable of contributing effectually to that Service by way of Reward either in employment in his Majesties Navy or Forts or in Monies not exceeding the summe of 5000 l. the service being performed shall be punctually made good unto them Thirdly That they shall in this Work receive what Assistance may be given them from any our neerest Garrisons Fourthly That whenâ—our said Town shall be reduced unto Our Obedience Wee shall forthwith send thither such a considerable Power as shall be sufficient to Relieve and Preserve them Wee being aâ— present even without this fully resolv'd to send a considerable Power to encourage our faithful Subjects in those parts and to regain our Rights and Interests there By his Majesties Command GEORGE DIGBY Oxford Novemb. 28. 1644. Now to my Charge L'Estrange FIrst This Commission is the Commission of a Souldier enabling me to raise and conduct such a Party as should attempt the surprizall of the Town The matter of Money and preferment is in the Commission expresly propounded by way of reward and to pay the Souldier is neither Bribery nor Corruption Secondly The Article runs Within the Quarters of the Army not Parliament But I was not apprehended within the Quarters of the Army therefore no Spy Thirdly I came attended as an Enemy that is enabled to any Act of Hostility
Master-piece where very slily he winds off as if the Reconcilement of Differing Opinions about Religious Matters to a Candid Persuance of the same Civil Interests were the Thing in Question But that 's a Juggle He takes the power from the King and gives it to the People He Charges his Majesty with Usurpation Reckons Him among Impious Pretenders Contradicts and Opposes Him even against the Confessed Dictates of his Proper Conscience And what 's all This now to difference of Opinion about Religious Matters We have brought him now to his last Complement where with Sir Philip Sidney's Spaniel he bemires with fawning Yet see with what a face of Dignity and Virtue the Servile Trifle Menages his Bold and Vain Pretensions 'T is not with Him you 'll find as with the greatest part of my Lords followers In Truth if it were so with Them as 't is with Him my Lord would have great Cause to be ashamed of his Retinue But Mr. Bagshaw's Picture is best drawn by his own hand and His Humour best express'd in his own words * * E. B. Pag. 10. ANd though the greatest part of your Lordship's Followers may perhaps croud to you for the Eminenâ—e of your Place and the Height of your Power Yet I can assure your Lordship that your great Personal Worth and the Excellence of your Civil Accomplishments together with That strict league of Friendsâ—ip which such Resemblance of Virtuous Qualities must needs produce between your Lordship and That Right Honorable and truly Noble Person to whom I am Related are solely reflected upon by Mee when I take leave thus publickly to profess my self My LORD Your Lordships most humble and most obedient Servant EDWARD BAGSHAW 〈◊〉 Laâ—e May 10 1662. Here 's Mr. Bagshaw's Glosing Reverence to my Lord Chancellour now let the Reader only cast his eye upon the next Column and he shall fee this very Edward Bagshaw doing more Honour and Professing Dâ—â—per to the most abominable Monster in Nature ††Epist. Ded. to Gods Decrees c. To the Honourable My Lord BRADSHAW Lord Chief Justice of Chester I Have no one outward motive more Prevailing with Me then my perhaps too great Ambition of presenting something to your Lordship whereby I might testifie to the World not only That real esteem I have of your Lordships Singular Worth and Eminence in General but likewise to manifest in Particular how mindful I am of those many Signal and Unparalell'd Marques of Favour which You have been pleased to conferre upon my self for which though the Service of my whole life will be too Poor and mean a Sacrifice and no endeavour can amount to deserve the name of Requital yet I could not but think it my duty to study an acknowledgment which Zeal of mine if your Lordship pleases either to accept or pardon I have attained my end For I aime at nothing more then the Honour of being owned for My Noble Lord Your Lordships most obliged most thankful and most humble devoted Servant EDW. BAGSHAWE Ch. Ch. Dec. â—0 16â—9 I shall now give Mr. Bagshaw leasure to Reconcile his Contradictions and to Prove that the Enemy of Hierarchy is a Friend to the Order of Bishops That the Disclaymer of the King's Authority has a most Affectionate Esteem for his Majesties Person and Government and that his Adorations of the Late King's Murtherer will admit a fair and equitable Plea under the Government of his Royall Successour I am still in Mr. Bagshaws Debt for an Answer to his Second and Third Exceptions to my Memento Concerning the Defamers of the Government that scape better then their Accusers and Those that can come off for Printing and Publishing down-right Treason when I have much ado to scape for Telling it That shall be Clear'd in due Season Only there lies a General Cavil in my way to it and I shall speak â—o That First for since my Pen is in Course I think I had as good do all at a Heat I am suspected to Write out of a Love of Scribling and Traduc'd as if I medled further then belongs to me with the Government of Church and State Those very Persons that Think so I am content to make my Judges and here 's my Case Upon his Majesties Return there were Printed and Reprinted New and Old divers Seditious Pamphlets of most Pestilent Reflection upon the Kings Honour and Justice and directly Libellous against the Government of the Church Some of the Fouleft of them I delivered into the Hands of certain Parliament-men naming the Stationer for whom they were Printed and as I am enform'd Compleint was made of them in the House of Commons which notwithstanding they were still publiquely sold in Westminster-hall and There the matter rested without any further Prosecution This Freedom of the Press had so manifest an Influence upon the minds of the People that in a short time That Unanimous Proneness of Affection which upon the Kings Restauration was most remarqueably evident in the Generality of the Nation was so far alter'd and wrought upon by the means of these poysonous Discourses that the Presbyterian Caâ—se was grown to be the Common Argument of Publique Meetings and the Power of the Two Houses Co-ordinate with his Majesty not obscurely defeâ—ded Finding so many Bitter and Infectious Writings to escape not only unpunished but unanswered to the dayly Encouragement of the Faction and the Scandal of the Government I reckon'd it my Duty since no body else would meddle to supply the Place of a Better Defendent My first Engagement was a Reply by way of Observation upon a Treatise Entituled The Interest of England in the Matter of Religion Written by I. C. Wherein without any Provocation He Justifies the Presbyterian Cause of 1641. Pag. 10. He excludes the Royal Party that serv'd the late King from having any hand in the Restoring of This Pag. 13. He revives the Pretended Misdemeanures of the Bishops as Occasional to the last War Pag. 31. 32. He mainteins the Actings of the Presbyterians according to the Covenant Pag. 44. He makes the Two Houses Participant of the Sovereignty Pag. 49. He denies the Lawfulness of the English Ceremonies Pag. 88. These Positions and Others like These over and over urg'd were the Occasion of my Holy Cheat. The next Pamphlet I wrote was call'd a Caveat c. and Drawn from me by a desire to clear the Cavaliers from some Officious and well-meaning Imputations cast upon Them by I. H. in His Cordial Some Passages therein being otherwise Repâ—esented then I meant them and to my Disadvantage I was forc'd to follow it with Another by way of Explanation and that I call'd A Modest Plea c. My Relaps'd Apostate was an Answer to a Seditious and Schismatical Pamphlet Entituled A Petition for Peace with the Reformation of the Liturgy And the following Supplement was only a Discovery of the Malice of Some Other Presbyterian Pamphlets My next Discourse was a Vindication of the