Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
justice_n good_a king_n people_n 3,603 5 4.8197 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A74924 A Faithfull searching home vvord, intended for the view of the remaining members of the former old Parliament in the time of their late second sitting at Westminster. Shewing the reasonableness and justness of their first dissolution, as also the dangerous rock they formerly split upon, that so they might learn to beware for the future: But being a second time dissolved upon the like account, as so many fruitless trees twic dead plucked up by the roots. It is now presented to the officers of the army as another looking-glass wherein they may plainly see, how woefully they also have dissembled, dealt treacherously, deceitfully and wickedly both with God and man, in having so greatly apostatized from, rejected, trodden under foot, persecuted, Judas-like betrayed, and as it were crucified and kept down in the grave (as the soldiers formerly did Christ) that blessed cause and those good principles, they once so highly pretended to own ... Together with an other seasonable word by way of counsel and proposal to the aforesaid officers of the armies of England, Scotland, and Ireland. All which, is also to be seen, and read of all men loving righteousness, that thereby they may (with the army) better know how to chuse the good, refute the evil, and rightly steer their course, and bend their spirits in the future, for the exaltation of Christ, his cause, and interest, and against all the apostacy and treachery, though never so refined, that may further appear in this gloomy, dark, overturning day. 1659 (1659) Wing F285; Thomason E774_1; ESTC R207286 59,601 45

There are 6 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

the ease of the people you turned them out on purpose to hinder them from bringing what they had so voted and were going on to do unto perfection And after this illegally and dishonestly imprisoned and banished some of the aforesaid honest Members of the Little Parliament and others of the faithful friends of the Cause without any thing laid to their charge seeing the face of an accuser or bringing them to a legal Tryal which is worse then was done in the Kings dayes As also sent Alderman Chiverton then Lord Major now one of your Commissioners for the City Militia and Alderman Robbinson the then Sheriff two reputed Malignants with their Malignant City Marshals the acquaintance and confederates of the late Mall Cutpurse and her Crew to hale others of the forementioned friends of the Cause from their Meeting-place in Colemanstreet when they were seeking the Lord and pleading for his Righteous Cause and witnessing against your Apostacy from it and to cast them in prisons to make them give over and afterward set the then Chief Justice Glyn one of the Eleven Members formerly impeached by your selves of Treason as also Alderman Tichborne and others of your now new Council of Safety and Commissioners of the Militia to try and pass Sentence upon them who though the Jury had cleared them yet to satisfie your lust and please you for their own advantage they illegally laid Fines upon * viz. Cornet Day and John Clark two of them and kept them in Newgate above half a year after at great charges and when the judgements and overturning dispensations of the Lord came upon you and took away the light of your Eyes breath of your Nostrils and struck your head from off your Shoulders and they durst keep them no longer they turned them out saying nothing unto them which wicked action among other things of this kinde that might be mentioned declares plainly That the Cause even among your selves as well as among the Old Parliament was almost in every thing going to the ground yea the Cause of the people of God a despised thing with you Likewise unrighteously decimated the Estates of the Cavaleers when by your carnal unbelieveing selfish Act of Oblivion they would not be drawn to your Interest As also carryed it in so insolent high and arbitrary a manner that almost no Lawyer durst plead in a Cause against you for fear of being cast into prison Revived and upheld Monopolyes so greatly complained of in the late Kings dayes not onely in Merchandise and other things but also upon the Scriptures so that some Bibles were not to be had without paying ten or eighteen pence a piece more then they were formerly sold for Suppressed the printing Presses against all who wrote in vindication of that Blessed Cause and those good Principles you once so highly pretended to own and assert and against your Judas = like Treachery and Back-sliding from them and is another evil that your selves formerly * See Book called the Looking-glass page 19.20 complained of in the Old Parliament also stood by and abetted your Kingling or Humble Petition and Advice Parliament Mostly made up of Sons Kindred Servants and Sallary-men to trappan and like so many evening Wolves ravening the prey cunningly to steal upon and take away one whole years rent from the people for all such new houses as they had built within ten miles round the City of London upon new Foundations to the almost if not altogether ruine and undoing of many of them the better to uphold your new Court Pride Pomp and Luxury which persons of a self-denying sincere honest publick spirit would greatly abhor to do All which with many other evil practises of yours relating to the late and present abhord Apostacy that might be mentioned which I leave to the lately dissolved Members of the Old Parliament for the lessening their evil if compared with yours to make a more full discovery of it plainly appears that not onely in every one of those particulars which you have so charged upon them as the reasons of their first and second Dissolution but also then for which you fought with brought to Justice and beheaded the late King you have by far done worse your selves and therein overpassed the deeds of the wicked which treacherous dealing of yours with wickedly departing from Judas-like betraying and as it were crucifying and keeping down in the grave that blessed Cause of Christ his faithful people and those good Principles you once so greatly pretended to own thereby standing in the way and hindering the faithful Friends of the Cause from going to Zion is the chief cause of all those losses miseries disappointments and judgements which hath been from the Lord upon you and the Nation as upon Pharaoh of old who would not let Israel go to Canaan from that time to this very day and hath occasioned the enemy both at home and abroad as also the Carnal Episcopal Atheisticall Apprentices of the City of London whom the Lord for the malignity and opposition of their spirits to his Cause and People hath so many times disappointed and subdued as the people of his curse to misapprehend and say it is onely because the Government by King and Bishops is taken away with other blinde stuff of that nature and that it will never be well until they be restored again thereby casting dirt upon and as much as in them lies making null and void all those wonderfull and glorious Appearances Deliverances and Victories which the Lord from time to time hath shewen and given to his People both against them and it as if all had been onely by Chance Fortune or Common Providences or as among Papists Turks and Heathens and to threaten once more to put it to the trial whether it be not so and how far the Lord may make use of them as his Rod to rebuke and scourge you and all your Cycophant Addressors who have sided with abetted and not witnessed against your wickedness as also the poor Nation may likewise suffer in the common calamity for your sakes together with their own iniquities and opposition of their spirits to the Cause and People of God the Lord who will not be mocked nor dealt treacherously withal by you as you have mocked and dealt treacherously with his people onely knows For how can you rationally or honestly expect any other but that a consumption and destruction from the Almighty is determined and will unavoidably come upon you unless you speedily and thorowly repent and return from your Apostacy And yet too too much is it to be feared that notwithstanding this as also all the wholesome advice admonition and reproof that by speaking writing printing and therein line upon line that from time to time hath in all singleness and plainness been laid before you in order thereunto you lay it not to heart nor intend to act according to it no more then the Old Parliament did the Counsel and Advice
judgement that for the saving of the Cause there was an absolute necessity to pass upon you and also how most of the good people in the Army Navy and Churches c. in the three Nations did both approve of and rejoyce therein And to say the truth there was but very few compared with the others who might then truly be said were Friends to the Cause that were dissatisfied whose dissatisfactions were not meerly because you were dissolved and the other chosen in your stead for they also complain'd of you and desired a New Representative as well as others but that it was done in such a manner as in their then apprehensions not onely made way for the General to take the Power himself but also tended to pluck up by the very roots the old way of chusing Rulers by the whole Bulk or Body of the people which they called and formerly was so the Legall Foundations which was then in their judgements and still is of some of them who understand no better how to follow the Lord in his overturning dispensations the onely legal and best way for the choice of Rulers So that all things considered setting aside the forementioned dissatisfactions of some which was onely as to the manner but not to the matter of your being dissolved which signifies little or nothing at all as to the clearing of you it plainly appears that for your unfaithfulness in and unfitness for your stewardship and not thoroughly improving the Talent which was then committed to you for God and his People you were both by his Providence and their Approbation and Consent justly laid aside Insomuch that if the now true friends of the Cause had either Light and suitable thereunto a sincere upright courageous single and lively Spirit for Christ and Righteousness as they ought to have and as the Saints shall have when the Law shall go forth of Zion to follow the Lord in his Overturning dispensations who as he hath formerly and in our Day so hath promised for the future safely to lead his People on in his work in wayes they have not gone with their feet Isa 41.2 And to bring the blinde by a way they know not and lead them in paths that they have not known c. Isa 42.16 Would lay aside the excrementitious outside shell or notion of things relating to a further carrying on of the Cause in its purity to wit the spirit of the Nation or whole body of the People which the Lord by a continued series of providential Dispensations because of the malignity of their spirits against his Cause and People hath one time after another cast out and witnessed against and on the other hand would look into the very spirit kernel and substance of things relating thereunto to wit the spirit of the good People who have gone on with the Lord in his work to this very day who desired consented and approved of your being then laid aside you were really clearly deservedly and justly cast out and to say the truth had not from that time to the very day of your second Call nor have not now the least ●●ght to sit again upon the former account which I am perswaded the Lord in due time will make manifest notwithstanding through the short-sightedness though I trust simplicity of some friends who desired and were instrumental therein you might be called to sit a second time and possibly by your selves it is apprehended that there we went out of the way at first and therefore must there begin again But if I know any thing of the minde of God as I trust through his Grace I do by the observations that I have made of his footsteps in the carrying on of his work hitherto amongst us you are all mistaken and I know you will finde it so which I doubt not but clearly to manifest in that which follows For although we had many Deliverances and Victories and the Lord eminently blest us with success and our dread was upon our Enemies both at home and abroad whilest you were sitting especially towards the latter end yet be it known unto you it was not purely for your sakes considered as you were a Parliament in the Bulk but as there was a sincere single honest spirit according to their then light acting for Christ his Cause and Interest in some among You in the Army and also in the Nation which I conceive will be granted by every discerning person who was upon the place and made observation of things and which the late General Cromwell and his then Officers do also acknowledge in the forementioned Speech to the Little Parliament Page 27. of that Book in the following words Sayes he After divers turnings of Affairs it pleased God much about the midst of the War to winnow the Forces of this Nation and to put them into the hands of men of other Principles then those that did engage at the first c. Those strange windings and turnings of Providence those very great appearances of God in crossing the designs of men to wit Hollis Stapleton and the men of that spirit among you and in the Army that he might raise up a contemptible company of men not verst in Military Affairs nor having much natural propencity to them through the owning a * If the General and Officers of the Army had kept close to the practice of this honest Principle those Officers he hath left behinde him and their pretended faithful brethren lately imprisoned in Scotland had not been served such a Monckish treacherous trick as now they are but they that deal treacherously with their Principles as also stand by and assist whilest their Brethren are imprisoned for their faithfulness thereunto it is just with the Lord to suffer or appoint others to deal treacherously with them Principle of Godlines which so soon as it came to be owned and the state of Affairs put upon that foot of Account how God blest them and all their undertakings by the raising up of that most improbable despicable contemptible means for that we must for ever own you very well known c. He goes on Page 27 28. The issues of those successes that God was pleased to give this Nation were very great things brought about besides the Dints that were upon those Nations and places where they were carried on even in the Civil Affairs to the bringing Offenders to Justice the state of this Government to the Name at least of a Commonwealth the searching and sifting of all Places and Persons the King removed and brought to Justice and many great ones with him The House of Commons the Representative of the People of England winnowed sifted and brought to a handful c. All which great things were instrumentally brought forth by the honest Party after the many strivings and contendings with a Malignant Rigid Presbyterian Neutral Corrupt Party among you as the then General and Officers also confess in Page 28. of that Book Sayes
presence of the Lord that was with the Councels and Forces of this Nation is by reason of the late and present Apostacy almost clean departed and we as it were upon our last legs and do well understand some of them at least who are more clear-sighted that it is not barely the name of a Commonwealth Government and a people of a low dull spirit and understanding exercised therein who like so many heavy listless horses put into their gears must either draw or be whipt to it as most of you were in the time of your first Sitting and to the day of your late dissolution But the Righteousness and Justice thereof executed and brought forth with an excellent lively fresh spirit by an humble gracious willing people who have the concernments and wellfare of the Nation upon their hearts more then their own and are tender unto and faithful with all the Saints anointed thereunto by the Lords Spirit which once the Army so greatly pretended to own that will save and exalt these sinking Nations and do see that thither we must come or we perish and therefore if you would not speedily put to your helping hand in this crisis of danger to bring this in but would from time to time as in the time of your first Sitting either continue your selves with your old spirit or not before your rising so provide as to keep out Cavaleers Neuters Presbyters and the late New Court Party from coming into Power for the future as there was very little likelihood you would so many among you having Apostatized from your former Acts Votes and Declarations and fell in with the Protectorall Government nay voted for Kingship again and therein dealt treacherously with the Cause of Jesus Christ and your own Principles as well as the Army you could not expect any other from them and the Army if their hearts were sincere and upright with God indeed as they lately pretended to be but that they would take care to do it themselves though as formerly a desperate disease had a desperate cure And it seems for this very cause among others it was that you were so lately dissolved a second time whereby it very plainly appears that your late call to the Power was not a dispensation from the Lord to manifest we went out of the way in your first dissolution but onely that the necessity and justness thereof might more plainly appear not onely to your selves but to the satisfaction of some friends of the Cause that could not otherwise be satisfied but by the late tryal of your spirits a second time As also that you might be instrumental as the righteous judgement of the Lord upon them to take away the Power Government Splendor and Greatness of that family which was so hypocritically unrighteously and wickedly raised up upon your and the honest part of the little Parliaments ruines though in the outward pretence and shew for better ends and this your work being done to be removed again as before that so a second trial might be upon the spirits of the Army to see whether according to their former and late pretences they would indeed be so honest having so greatly mist it hitherto * The Lord hath one time after another since the Army rejected their profest spirit and principles in casting out the honest part of the Little Parliament as upon Pharaoh of old who would not let Israel go to Canaan Exod. Chap. 7. to Chap. 12. so blasted their designs and thereby plagued and brought them down as they are necessitated for their own preservation to send unto and call upon the faithful Remnant as did Pharaoh to Moses to pray for advise with and come into their assistance as if he would force them to let them go and doubtless will never let them rest till they acknowledge their iniquity and return to walk with more refinedness according to their former honest Principles and thereby Pharaoh-like hindered the Lords faithfull people from going to Zion as to bring in better and more suitable persons then your selves whom they had so greatly complained of into the Government of the Nation to carry on with life and power the blessed Cause and Work of the Lord for the future which both you and they notwithstanding your many high professions have so greatly opposed and dealt treacherously withal I might have been more large in comparing your spirit and actions in your late second Sitting with the forementioned Particulars charged upon you by the Officers of the Army as the grounds and reasons of your first Dissolution and have shewn more fully wherein you were rather worse then in the time of your first Sitting but it being more properly the Armies work to do it for their further vindication who have in the Generall done something therein already in their Plea they set forth for your late Dissolution I shall leave it to them or to some other persons who were more upon the place and could better observe you then my self who had little heart to come where you were upon the forementioned account and shall conclude with I hope a Seasonable Word by way of Counsel and Proposal to the Officers of the Army themselves of whom the true Friends of the Cause have to this day too great reason to say having had such sad and woful experience of their Adulteries from their former honest principles neighings and going a whoring after the accursed thing to wit the Monarchical Tyrannical Power Pomp and Greatness and their great lewdness and abominations therein committed yea greater then for which the late King was beheaded and they also pretended to dissolve you a first and second time and yet like the Whore Prov. 30.20 wipe their mouths as if they had done no wckiedness But are now as ever equally endeared to the Good Old Cause and utter enemies to all Tyranny and Oppression when as the Lord and his people yea the carnal people of the Nation knows it is not so As the Lord concerning Jerusalem of old Jer. 13.27 O Army Army will you not be honest sincere upright deny your self-Interest and Greatness and he in reality what you have so greatly profest Will you not return from whence you are fallen and so truly be said to repent must you needs ruine the Nation by your continuing to go on in your Apostacy and Wickedness will you not be clean when shall it once be A Seasonable Word by way of Counsel and Proposal to the Officers of the Armies of England Scotland and Ireland YOu may by reading over the foregoing Word to the Remaining Members of the Long Parliament lately sitting at Westminster whom you have now dissolved a second time as it concerns you so to do take notice of almost all the most considerable circumstances relating to the Blessed Cause and Work of Christ that you and the good people of this Nation have been so long engaged in and upon what account it was that the Lord so
The Fifth Monarchy or Kingdom of Christ in Opposition to the Beasts Sold at the Crown in Popeshead Alley Letter wherein are five of the Particulars of your Charge See that Book page 22. First They complain of your evil mannagement of the Affairs that were under your hand 2. That the then dangerous remedy of dissolving you was not used till all other ways had been by the Army assayed and by you rejected 3. That after four years expectation from you since the change of the Government to wit from Kingship to a Commonwealth they found no * Was it not so again in this your second sitting Indeed you were very expert in laying Burthens and Taxes upon the people But what Righteousness and Justice did you bring forth Or what yokes lying either upon the Consciences or Bodies of the good people did you take away Or what hath the Officers of the Army who thus complain of you and dissolved you for not doing these good things done herein to this very day but strive to advance and settle themselves performance by you of those good things that tended to the settlement of the Commonwealth in Peace and Righteousness 4. They say They were abundantly satisfied from the long experience they had of you that as you were then constituted you were so far from being the Instruments of perfecting the Work of the Lord that the whole Cause was in great danger to perish under your hands for which there hath been so vast an expence of Blood and Treasure and therefore after seeking the face of God and taking counsel with one another it was generally apprehended that the onely way left to preserve the Cause was to prevent your sitting by a speedy dissolving you and laying the Government upon the shoulders of such men as might hopefully give the People the fruit of all their Labour and Blood and encourage good men to be still willing to hazard their lives against the Common Enemy which as things then stood many had little heart to do 5. That it was in their hearts to seek those good things in such a way as that you might have had the honour of it but you had not then a heart to incline to the Motion made in order thereunto but rather endeavoured a hasty inconsiderate passing of an Act for a New Representative though the General and Officers at a meeting with many of your Members did abundantly demonstrate the evident danger of it yet did you the next day so earnestly and precipitantly persist in it as necessitated them to put you to that suddain dissolution Thus far the Letter They also say in the Speech by way of charge against you see page 29 30 31. of the forementioned Book wherein are twelve Particulars 1. That when the General and the Officers of the Army came from Worcester they expected that you having such a History to look back unto a God that appeared for you so eminently so visibly the mercies that God had shewed the expectations that were in the hearts of all good men would have prompted you that were in Authority to have done those good things which might by honest men have been judged a Return fit for such a God and worthy of such Mercies and a discharge of duty to those for whom all these Mercies had been shewed to wit the true interest of the three Nations And likewise say They came fully bent in their hearts and thoughts to desire and use all fair and lawful means they could with you to have had the Nation reap the fruit of all that Blood and Treasure that had been expended in this Cause and had many thirstings in their spirits to finde out wayes and means wherein they might be any wayes instrumental to help it forward and that they did from time to time solicite you to that purpose and when they saw nothing could be done they reminded you by a Petition but had no return at all all the satisfaction they could get from you was but a few words And finding the People * It hath since appear'd that the Armies strivings and thirstings to have had the Nation better'd by all the expence of Blood and Treasure hath onely been to greaten and enrich themselves and studying how to get the peoples money to be upheld therein whereby they are looked upon as cheating self-seeking unfruitfull persons as well as your selves neither of you both having either honour or repute but are a stink unto all honest men do bring down judgements upon the Nation put all things into confusion yet neither they nor you the honesty or goodness to lay these things to heart to this very day but Lambert Disbrow Berry-like go on to advance your selves though the Nation perish dissatisfied in every corner and bringing home to their doors the Non-performance of those things that had been promised and were of due to be performed judging themselves concern'd they say they endevoured as became honest Men to keep up the Reputation of honest men in the world it seems you would not and therefore had divers times endeavoured to obtain a Meeting with divers of your Members and in those Meetings did in all faithfulness and sincerity beseech you that you would be mindeful of your duty and of the discharge of your Trust to God and man and that they had at the least ten or twelve Meetings begging and beseeching you that of your own accords you would do those good things that had been promised that so it might appear you did not do them by any suggestion from the Army but of your own ingenuities that so you might have the reputation and good opinion of the people to the utmost also declared plainly to you that the Issue of not doing those good things would be the judgement and displeasure of God against you the dissatisfaction of the people and the putting things into confusion yet they could not prevail with you and that you laid them not to heart 2. That you would not hear of a New Representative till such time as the Army came to their close considerations what to do and then you began to take it to heart and seem'd exceeding willing to put it on but not with that integrity and caution as would have saved the Cause and Interest that you and they had been so long engaged in and that your intendment and design in all you did at that time was onely to recruit the House the better to perpetuate your selves several of the Officers having divers times been spoken to by you to give way thereto which was so unreasonable a thing as they not onely had a perpetual aversation to but did abominate the thoughts of and alwayes declared their dissatisfaction with and judgements against it 3. That though you were unwilling to hear of a * It was just thus with you in your second sitting for though you seem'd exceeding willing to hear of Proposalls from the Friends of the Cause in order
thus the business stands between the Officers of the Army and that honest Party of that Little Parliament to this very day In doing which wicked action and therein discountenancing persecuting yea what in them lay as it were crucifying this honest Spirit in these persons who were bringing forth the forementioned good things which the Army so greatly promised declared and pretended to fight for and which you were dissolved for not doing of And the General thus setting up himself upon the Monarchical or Beast-like Foundation so contrary to former Declarations and as it were upon the ruines of the very spirit and principles which he and his Officers but a little before had so greatly pretended to own and be of themselves and also doing the very same yea worse things then for which the late King was beheaded and which they also condemned in you as also Persecuting Imprisoning and Banishing some of the forementioned faithful Friends of the Little Parliament and others of the Lords people and blaspheming the Spirit of the Lord in them saying They were acted by a giddy headed rash fanatick devillish Spirit and this for no other cause then their faithfulness to the Lord in pressing after the good things according to their forementioned declared Principles and opposing the General and his Officers backsliding from them and doing things so diametrically contrary thereunto therein falsifying their Trust and building again what they formerly had destroyed and declared against the Army and all the forementioned corrupt Interests with several Independent and * The good things they desired in those Addresses doth no more excuse their evil in addressing and thereby abetting that Tyrannical Beast-like Government then the Devils bringing Scripture in his mouth excused his wickedness in tempting of Christ some Baptized Churches by their Power Addresses and otherwayes in the mean while countenancing encouraging abetting and upholding them therein by all which the blessed Cause and work of Christ was very greatly stopt and hindered the Spirit of the Lord and his People grieved Now since these with many other wicked things that might be mentioned came to be done by that professing hypocritical generation the forementioned glorious presence that was formerly with you the Little Parliament and their Councils and Forces was withdrawn the courage of the enemy heightned the corrupt Interests before mentioned lifting up their heads and rejoycing according to Rev. 11.10 The Nations abroad contemn and scorn us the lively fresh spirit for the work and Cause of Christ which seem'd formerly to be in the Army very much choaked and lost the hearts and prayers of the remaining faithful Friends of the Cause which were formerly with and for them now grieved and engaged against them by all which the state and condition of this poor Nation was and is very greatly impaired our Land Forces wasted and consumed at Hispaniola Jamaica Mardike Flanders and elsewhere our Shipping lessened and diminished our Stores and Provisions for Sea and Land expended and very much consumed and but very very little or no profit our Magazines emptied Treasures wasted Trade in a very great measure lost and decayed as Tradesmen of all sorts and Shopkeepers many of whom are broken and are breaking every day finde by such sad and woful experience as they never did before nor in the memory of man was the lke ever known or heard of though Mr. Nye Tho Goodwin Dean Owen so called and the Officers and Messengers of above one hundred Congregations in England could tell their late Protector that they and the Nation had not eaten the Bread of Adversity nor drunk the Water of Affliction but had served God in the abundance of all things Very great new debts contracted little of old being satisfied all which sad effects with others that might be mentioned as was said before he that hath but half an eye or that runs may read is the bitter fruit of the Apostacy Treachery and Crucifying the Spirit of the Lord in the Members turned out of the Little Parliament who were bringing forth that Justice and Righteousness which the Army and good People of the three Nations were so greatly engaged in and was no other then what the faithfull Friends of the Cause are calling for in this day and will give the Lord nor them no rest till they do obtain All things going thus contrary to the sinful desires and vain expectations of the upholders and abbettors of this great Apostacy notwithstanding the many helps they had to carry it on yet as if they had been left by the Lord to studdy and procure their further destruction they not onely afresh imprison the Lords faithful people for witnessing against them but also suffer others of them to be haled before Magistrates cast into prisons forced to pay trebble dammages their goods to be seized upon and ten times more taken away then their pretended due came to for not paying of Tythes and this greatly approved of by the then General his Officers and all his worthy Addressors upholding him therein who was once the head of the Sectaries out of a carnal design to draw in the Presbyterian Cleargy to stand by his Interest who since the New Moddel and beheading the late King to this very day it is well known have been enemies to and opposers of the Lords Work and Cause that hath been and is yet further to be carryed on in these Nations Though he and his Officers not long before had as good as acknowledged in the forementioned Speech to the Little Parliament See Book page 40. 41. that the now Ministry of England as to their then and present standing derived it self and succession through the Papacy and therefore a false succession and none to be the true succession but what was through the Spirit given in that measure the Spirit is given which sayes he Christians are well able to discerne and do And yet for all this contrary to Scripture or Reason forced them to pay such Ministers as they judged were not onely destitute of a work of Grace in their hearts much less of the Spirit for that work but also derived their succession through the Papacy wherein with other things of this nature that might be mentioned it appeared their tenderness was forgotten to the Lords people under several forms as much as yours and that the cause of the people of God was despised by them Thus were things going on one the one hand and some of the Lords faithful people called Sectaries Anabaptists and Fifth Monarchy men by their Faith Prayers Appeals Prophesyings and Testimony against the Apostacy and Abettors of it counterworking and pulling down on the other which honest faithful spirit in them to the Lord his Cause and interest can will never leave working nor overturning till our Lord Jesus Christ comes whose right it is This remnant of witnessing Sectaries so called get ground all the designs and stratagems made use of to quell them and to uphold and strengthen the
greatly blest the Councels and Forces of this Nation against the common enemy whilest it was carrying on also how the forementioned good people desired that the Righteousness Justice and good things promised both by you and them might be brought forth and the Remaining more refined Oppressions lying upon their Bodies and Consciences taken away as an improvement of all those great Mercies and Victories which the Lord had so wonderfully and graciously bestowed upon us And how they likewise desired that the then Long Parliament sitting at Westminster being short of spirit for the further carrying on of this work as they were to the very day of their second Dissolution might be dissolved and that other more suitable persons thereunto then they were might be called to do it as also how greatly you seem'd to concur and go along with them therein as being of one heart with them declaring that you would have none to come into the Power for the future but Persons of Honour and Integrity that were well known men well affected to Religion and the Interest of the Nation Men who knew the Lord and had made observations of his marvellous dispensations Just men ruling in the fear of God A willing people who had faith in Jesus Christ love to and were faithful with all the Saints men who were called chosen and faithful yea that it was your duty to chuse men that feared the Lord to praise the Lord such as he had formed for himself because he expected not praises from others as also pretended you dissolved the Old Parliament for their unwillingness and backwardness in bringing forth these things yet how hypocritically treacherously and unrighteously your selves afterwards dealt and went directly contrary thereunto in rejecting the good you had so greatly pretended to thirst after the accomplishment of and doing the very same yea worse things then you had so complained against them for your after actions compared with the several Particulars of your Charge against the aforesaid Old Parliament taken out of your forementioned Letter to Lieu. Gen. Fleetwood then in Ireland and the then Generals Speech in his own and your names to the Members of the Little Parliament before their Sitting do very plainly manifest First Did the Old Parliament mannage their Affairs evilly in the time of their first Sitting and did as evilly in rejecting the Councel and Advice you gave them and the means you used to have had them done the good things promised both by you and them and was of due to be performed tending to the Settlement of the Commonwealth in Peace and Righteousness So did you For after their first Dissolution you rejected the wholesome councel given you by your faithfull friends as to the choice of persons that would indeed bring forth that good you so greatly pretended to be thirsting after and dealt deceitfully and treacherously with your then declared spirit and principle as to the Qualifications of Rulers for so good a work packing that Little Parliament for the most part with self-interested persons such as Alderman Tichborn Mr. Lawrence Coll. Montague Mr. Strickland Sir William Roberts Coll. Barton the late Coll. Mathews Collonel Clark and others who were contrary to that honest publick spirit and principle which but a little before you had so greatly pretended to own in the Dissolution of the Old and choice of the Little Parliament who whilest they were sitting hindered the Honest Party among them as you have heard before from doing those good things that would indeed have settled the Commonwealth in Peace and Righteousness and you their encouragers and confederates all the while Secondly Did the Old Parliament do evilly in endeavouring all they could to perpetuate themselves and thereby all the Oppressions that then were upon the people by filling up their House with men of the same corupt Spirit and Principles with themselves in order thereunto As also in not laying the Government upon the shoulders of such men as would hopefully give the people the fruit of all their labour and blood and encourage good men for the future to venture their lives against the common enemy So did you For you very well know that the business was so laid between you and the forementioned Corrupt Party of that Little Parliament as that they not onely hindered the Honest Party among them from the doing of that good whilest they sat and providing for the sure laying of the Government upon the shoulders of faithful men for the future but that they might for ever hinder them from so doing and thereby uphold both your own and their several self Interests and all the remaining Oppressions that then were and to this very day are lying upon the people in a clandestine secret manner without the honest Parties knowledge or consent wherein you dealt deceitfully and treacherously with them the like carriage in the Old Parliament to you a first and second time was another pretended reason of their first and second Dissolution you consult together and so order the matter that the aforesaid Corrupt Party with the Speaker must leave the House and bring away their Power to your Geverall and Coll. Goff c. presently be sent with souldiers to turn out the other and your General soon after be set up upon the Monarchical Protectoral Beast-like Foundation with a Negative Voice in all things that opposed his Government as also the Power of the Militia during his life and afterwards to his Successor which the Lord his people and your selves had so greatly witnessed and declared against and which cost so much Blood and Treasure to oppose in the King end eavouring all you could to uphold and perpetuate him and your selves therein with all the Pride Pomp Luxury Tyranny Oppresion and Popish Sinful Heathenish Foolish Apeish Customs and Practises among your selves the City and the rest of the Nation attending the same with many other the like wicked actions committed by you which would be too tedious to mention wherein also you did worse then the Old Parliament Thirdly Did the Old Parliament do evilly in not providing such Qualifications in the Act for a New Representative they were about in the time of their first Sitting as to keep out Presbyters Neuters and Malignants from coming into Power for the future and therein would have given away the Cause into the hands that never bled for it and that would impose upon their Brethren which you say had you suffered you should have been the worst people in the world and have become Traytors both to God and Man So did you And therein to use your own words were you indeed Traytors both to God and Man for the very next Parliament that was called after your General was made Protector and the next to that did most consist of Presbyters Neuters and Malignants and Persons packed for the support of your Interests and secluded and kept from sitting near a hundred Members among whom were several Persons for a Commonwealth Interest