PREROGATIVE a little paring off some superfluous part of it will prove Balm from Gilead to heal the whole Nation of the most Epidemical disease that ever yet seized this poor dying Kingdom Sir I shall not need to court you to what you are so willing nor to inforce this argument had I never so much Elocution as God knows and Your Majesty doth find I have none I wish Your Majesties People were all of my belief concerning Your Mercy and Justice I flatter not I wish the flattery of a Prince were high Treason and so punished and may my soul never enter into rest if I beleeve not that Your Majesty will grant more if more with Reason and Religion may be desired then I have too too audaciously presumed to press in my following Propositions Sir It was said in the beginning of this Parliament by M. Pym if I mistake not that the Parliament would make You a glorious King and who knows whether your Majesty when you were in the head of Your Army at Edg Hill or else where had not some hopes to make Your self a glorious King And I have been told that this Army would have perswaded You when time was that they also would make You a glorious King Sir You have failed in Your hopes They in their promises and who knows whether what Your Majesty hoped and sought for and They promised and performed not may not yet be done another and a better way if at least You will be pleased to take him for your guide who hath hitherto so miraculously preserved you and I hope ever wil I say Sir taking God for Your guide all may be made good and may yet be brought to pass by Your self not by fighting any more to the hazard of Your Royal Person and the Persons of your Princely Issue and of Your Nobility and the destruction of Your loving Subjects but by extending and really performing of those two God-like Acts of Mercy and Justice without partiality to all Your People And this is Via Regia indeed and well becoming the Majesty of King Charls And now Sir behold how wonderful the ways of God are contrary to the ways of men past finding out till himself discover them You have long layen under the Cross restraint to a King is a great Cross were there no more in it You are not free I dare not say you are a Captive and yet Your Person with the power that God hath given You over Your self and the Grace he hath endued you with to serve him must suddenly come forth to the redemption of Your Subjects out of their Captivity Captives in their native Country under their fellow Subjects or they are lost lost for ever In this Abyss of Exigency no Expedient can be found to save Your People but the presence of Your sacred Person armed with Mercy and Justice Mercy and Justice to your People and Justice against Your self nor could You so easily do it as I beleeve had not God thus fitted prepared and quallified You by the Cross whereby You have obtained a fellow-feeling of the miseries of Your Subjects David said of himself It was well for me that I was afflicted Great Sir Let Your Engagements and Promises to Your People for the time to come in Your perfecting of this blessed Peace be like the Laws of the Medes and Persians irrevocable And so God shall bless You and Your Posterity for ever So much of good towards his People so much of honor to himself no King ever had in his Power to act as Your Majesty now hath by the saving of the effusion of so much innocent blood and perhaps the Kingdom from utter ruin God I doubt not will give Your Maiesty a heart to make a right use of it And now Sir I will presume to set down what Acts of Grace You were pleased to pass this Parliament in Anno. 1640 c. First Your Majesty put down Monopolies Secondly You put down the Star-Chamber Thirdly You disannulled the High Commission Court Fourthly You consented to the outing of Bishops from the House of Peers Fiftly You Regulated the Councell Table Sixthly you granted the Trieniall Parliament Seventhly You condescended to the continuation of this until dissolved by the consent of both Houses c. This was the Peace-Offering Your Maiesty then sacrificed for the good of your People May it please Your Majestie as a second Peace-Offering to your People to grant these following Propositions 1. THat you will not break any Priviledg of Parliament and therefore it were fit that the particular Priviledges were set down that so the King may not intrench upon them in the least 2. That your Maiesty wil not diminish or intrench upon the liberty of the Subiect but hold your self strictly to the Laws of the Land 3. That your Maiesty will not extend your Prerogative in the least beyond the due bounds granted to your Predecessors or to the prejudice of the Persons of your Subiects or the known Laws of the Land To which end you desire the particulars and extent of it to be set down and agreed upon that so you may the better perform it 4. That you will grant nothing to any Person out of your Revenue and this for your Posterities sake that so by your own good husbandry you may be the better inabled to reward those you desire 5. That you will answer no Petition for matter of profit to any Petitioner but first that you will refer it to two Judges of the Law to certifie you the legallity of it and that no Subiect or the Crown be any way prejudiced by it and if your Maiesty be abused in it the Judg to be highly punished and if he dye before the discovery his estate to satisfie it to the Crown 6. That your Maiesty will protect the person of no Subject for debt but only your menial servants and yet not his Goods or Estates neither but all things except his person to be liable to the Law 7. That your Majesty will give no protection to any person for above 6. moneths but not for-their Goods or Estates at all 8. That your Majesty will demolish all Forts and Castles the Parliament shall desire within the Kingdom of England 9. That your Majesty ingage your self That if you shall assist any forraign Prince you shall do it out of your own purse and power not constraining any Subiect or pressing them any way but what they shall willingly do of their own accord 10. That your Majesty wil levy nothing by Tax or any way contrary to the known Laws of the Kingdom but what shall be ordained by Act of Parliament 11. That your Majesty will confirm the Charter of London and all Corporations in the Kingdom that shall desire it not prejudicial to the Universal good of the Kingdom 12. That your Majesty will sit one day every Term if you be in the Town in every Court of Justice at Westminster and then to hear the Causes
nulling of all his Majesties Declarations against both Houses of Parliament or any other person that hath offended or seemed to offend the King as also a calling in and nulling of all such as the two Houses have set forth against the King or his Friends as shall be agreed on in the Treaty 35. That all things passed by the Seal made by the Parliament be set into a right order yet so as the Honor of the King Majesty be not touched upon to posterity This is a weighty matter and requires the gravest and wisest heads in the Kingdom to settle and yet it must of necessity be so in regard of after-questions I leave it to the Treaty 36. That during the Treaty which doubtless if the People come with equal hearts to Peace as the King doth upon these Resolutions his Majesty will take such order that none of his Party shal come within so many miles of the Court or who so doth shall be by his especial license and knowledg given to the Parliament and his Majesty to answer for them for the not disturbing the Peacè of the Treaty If your Majesty shall be pleased to add or diminish as you are free This is far from being by me intended other then to shew the heads of so many necessary things for the good of the People which I conceive your Majesty might confer upon your people according to Reason and Religion After these voluntary Offers of Your Majesty to Your People or what You shall please to add me seems it is very necessary for Your Majesty to make these Demands and what other You shall be pleased 1. TO be setled in all your Revenues 2. To be invested in all your Customs 3. The Tunnage and Poundage formerly given to your Ancestors and your self to be continued in liew whereof your Majesty wil maintain the narrow Seas from Pyrates as the Custome was 4. That the bestowing of all Honors and Offices throughout the Kingdom by Sea and Land all that were formerly your Right and never heretofore questioned in any Parliament since your Raign be in your Majesty and your Majesty to place and displace all persons that are in Office under you either by Sea or Land none excepted 5. That the Court of Wards be again setled and regulated if need be or if in the Treaty it be agreed otherwise then to give 150000l per annum in liew of it 6. The titles of Honor of what kind soever your Majesty hath conferred on any person since the beginning of this Parliament not to be disputed but held good for the Honor of your Majesty 7. The naming of all Officers of Ireland in the War for Ireland if it be a War to rest in your Majesty 8. That all your Majesties friends who have any way adhered to you in these Wars or otherwise to possess all their Estates and no man to lose any part of it though given away or disposed by Ordinance of Parliament 9. That the Officers of your Majesties Army and all the Souldiers Arrears be satisfied 10. That the Publick Faith be satisfied 11. That the disbursements for Ireland made by the City be satisfied to them 12. That if your Majesty find a way or means of your own not contrary to the Laws nor opposing the Subject whereby you can in 7 or 8 years redeem the Bishops Lands and pay the interest that the Lands be returned into Your Majesties hands having first satisfied the Debt and Interest payd for them 13. That for the Queens Majesty care be taken for the setling of her Rights and Joyntures and for the exercise of her Religion as it ought in Honor and Reason 14. That the Militia stand as it formerly did before the beginning of these troubles without disputing and if it be thought fit to strengthen it in the hands of the Sheriffs more for the Peoples safety then advantage of the King Peroratio SIR ALL the world now sees that you are the Center of Peace I therefore the most humble and most unworthy of all your Majesties Servants and Subiects having a long time from my very soul grieved the sad condition of your sacred Person your Royal Consort and most Princely and Numerous Issue the sad and languishing Estate of your Maiesties three Kingdoms the horrid and dayly bloodshed of your poor Subjects perpetrated by their own hands after some earnest prayers to Almighty God from whom alone cometh every good and perfect gift to enable me some way to express to your Majesty and the Kingdom something which might at least point out the way to a happy Peace and a perfect and right understanding between you and your People It hath pleased God of his infinite goodness and mercy after some months study to open unto me this door or entrance at least for your Maiesty if you are so pleased to pass through into the Temple of Peace which Temple is only in your Maiesties power to build and in the power of no mortal man besides your sacred Majesty must take the pains to lay the first and the last stone in this building your self must begin and perfect this great work It is you alone that have found the Art of Oblivion as well as you have the power to give an Aâ—t of the highest Oblivion that was ever read of in the Annals of any Monarch whatsoever Your Majesties many Declarations to both Houses of Parliament and to your three Kingdoms have so deeply seized my soul with belief that I am confident your Maiesty will not refuse to do or ofter any thing to your People in your power that may conduce to a safe and well-grounded Peace so as that you are not in the least prejudiced in what you are so great a Master of Reason and so great a Servant to Religion and for this poor Talent which God hath vouchsafed me and which I here with my self most humbly prostrate at your Maiesties Feet I hope you will not find that in the least I have been so presumptuous or proved my self such a Traytor to your Reason or Religion as to have offered any violence in the least degree to either of them If your Maiesty in the perusal shall find it so I know as an Angel of God so is my Lord the King to discern good and bad Therefore Thy Lord Thy God shall be with thee and so shall he for ever pray who is Your Majesties Most humble and obedient Subject and Servant Richard Farrar THE KINGS COVENANT With His PEOPLE JC. R. Do here in the presence of the blessed Trinity God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost profess to all the world without any Equivocation or mental Reservation that I now do and for ever will forget and forgive all kinds of offences against me either in word or deed committed by any of my Subjects of England and contained in the Act of Oblivion and this of my own free will and desire I do that all my People may see
and behold the Candor of my Heart and I do here bury in the grave of Oblivion all things contained in the Act of Oblivion in my soul not desiring to remember it and vowing never to revenge it So help me God and the Contents of this holy Book and this I confirm by the taking of the Sacrament TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LORDS and COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT The humble Petition of Richard Farrar Esq Sheweth THat as an addition to his former Expedient for the Peace and Safety of the Kingdom he is very confident by the mercy and goodness of God he can express something more unto His Majesty so convincing in Reason and Religion whereby there may be a sudden and unhoped for happy settlement of the Kingdom and that in a way unanswerably Rational and Religious for the satisfaction of all Interests whatsoever and of all men not wilfully and wickedly opposite to Peace who have any sparke of Reason or Religion left in their hearts Your Petitioner doth therefore most humbly pray that he may have free liberty from both Houses of Parliament upon the score of his own abundant folly to go to the Isle of Wight and there to present His Maiesty in writing with such particulars as your Petitioner hath long since conceived and prepared for the sudden and happy setling of the Peace of this unhappy Kingdom without further shedding of innocent blood which hourly cries up to Heaven for vengeance on all hands your Petitioner being more confident then formerly if possible it may be that he is capable by the mercy of God who he believes hath enabled him for this Expedient to answer any obiection whatsoever that His Majesty shall be pleased to alleadg in opposition to what your Petitioner shall propound to him for a safe and well-grounded Peace And the whole Kingdom with your Petitioner shal as in duty they are bound dayly pray c. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE Lords and Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT MY Lords of the House of Peers and you the Members of the Honorable House of Commons the Representative Body of the Kingdom of England since I have taken the boldness as a Subiect and Servant to His Majesty to signifie to him what I conceive his duty to be in the setling or towards the setling of a safe and well grounded Peace Give me leave I humbly pray to say thus much at least that the welfare and happiness of every Member of both Houses as of the whole Kingdom lies at the stake either for good or ill according as God shall move your hearts in the tender and speedy care of the Peace of this Kingdom and this Peace you can neither well begin nor happily end but by following the example of His Majesty Regis ad Exemplum c. in taking out and practising a true Self-Denial of any the least private Interest of your own either of Honor Profit or Revenge making it subordinate to the publike good and welfare of the Kingdom your Nurse and Mother who expects a speedy accompt of you at the present she being wounded all over from head to foot weltring in her blood ready to give up the ghost as God doth likewise look for a strict accompt and will do to all Eternity of your true and faithful performance of your duty for the instant Peace and quiet of the Kingdom To this purpose you were chosen for that end was your Call by God and Man and nothing else but that ought to have been from the beginning to the end your care and study day and night but how you have performed this trust in your Endeavours and eight years sitting and what success hath been let the world not I Judg This I am too sure of the neglect of many in attending their duty at the Houses in the beginning as if they had not been called to any such purpose as to wait there daily the divisions amongst the Members of both Houses from the first sitting to this present time and the absenting of others or worse the breaking out of the pale of Parliament which ought on no terms to have been done hath been no small cause of the Miseries of this unhappy Kingdom who hath been still every way wounded by her own unnatural Children Then after that the great Eruptions the differences of opinions in Church and State the setting on foot of Self-Interests of several persons and those not mean ones neglecting the Peace of the Kingdom as if it might have been had with whistling for or at a beck all these put together were no small addition to our common Calamities Add to this the Reproach cast upon Soveraignty the promulgation of contentions and strifes the prosecution of it to a War and so an engaging of the whole Kingdom on both sides in it the taking of a Covenant not of love I fear to the extirpation of that Church-Government that had been so long setled by so many Acts of former Parliaments and the inducing of a new Government more different in name then in essence and truly if rightly examined scarcely differing much in either at least not worthy the making of such bloody differences as have been about it al this without any good success to the Kingdom or content to many of your own particular Members who have varyed many of them even from the Covenant they once took for what ends or Interests I know not I cannot forget to put you in mind or remember you also the several Design of the Army and the Grandies thereof under the Earl of Essex though they were put to a nonplus in it nor of the backwardness to make Peace when it might have been nor of those whose Counsels modelled the new Army which yet for all their successes successes I confess many great and high had they made right use of them for the settlement of the King and Kingdom as they might as they ought to have done who yet not 18. moneths since when the Army was at Newmarket it was a question whether they should have been an Army or no Army kept a foot or disbanded Nor can I omit their rise again if not upon the head yet at least upon the shoulders both of King Parliament City and Kingdom what Designs on all sides and to what ends or how the poor Kingdom hath been shaken with this long and yet terrible Earthquake through Self-Interests and Divisions I press not but this I must say If Designs were well meant and for the good of the Kingdom as I hope they were there was no blessing went along with them for they have not so well succeeded as was by some hoped and by all wished for And then those yet unhappy Votes of no Addresses to nor from His Maiesty which I fear God Almighty is not well pleased with or rather highly offended at God never denyed Addresses to him from the greatest Sinner had he come with true repentance to Cain himself God says If thou
delay not to do it and beleeve me it is better to give willingly what you may spare then to have all you have taken from you who can give you a better hope No man can say who will be the Victor if Peace end it not You see a Forraign Nation come in already and perhaps many of you laugh at it in your sleeve and rejoyce in it Alas poor abused souls Do you think you shall not be the Spoil who ever is the Conqueror Be not so sottish There is no party in Arms already or like to come into Arms belonging to these three Kingdoms but hath just cause to upbraid and reproach you and will certainly ruine you at the last Nulla Fides Pictasque viris qui castra sequuntur Said the wise Poet and a good Christian knows it to be true Buy Peace at any rate but not with a drop of blood take heed of that But first get internal Peace else never hope for external and then you are in the way to eternal Peace And thus he prays you may do who was the Son of a Citizen of the best rank quality and bred up amongst you and heartily wishes and would endevor to his power for the Peace and welfare of this honorable City to whom he professes himself though no Freeman of it a Servant in a peaceful way and ever will be whilest he is Richard Farrar THE COVENANT OF THE PEOPLE OF ENGLAND One with another I A. B. Do here in the presence of the blessed Trinity God the Father Son and Holy Ghost profess to all the world and that without any Equivocation or mental Reservation that I now do and for ever wil forget and forgive all kinds of offences against me either in word or deed and committed by any of my fellow-Subjects of England and contained in the Act of Oblivion from Anno. 1648. to this present day and this of my own free will and desire I do that all my fellow-Subiects may see and behold the Candor of my Heart and I do here bury in the grave of Oblivion all things contained in the Act of Oblivion not desiring to remember it and vow never to revenge it So help me God and the Contents of this holy Book and this I confirm by taking the Sacrament TO THE VVhole Kingdome OF ENGLAND And to every particular Subject therein IN order to the Peace of this Kingdom I published my first Expedient for the Peace and Safety of all the People of England I refer my self to the world to judg whether better security can be had or hoped for then is contained in that Expedient and in His Majesties Covenant set down in this Book I have you see finished a second Expedient for the King But I desire the whole Kingdom not to mistake me at least all that shall read it as if I in the least intendded that either the Offers which I have set down from the King to his People or his Demands from them should strictly be insisted on in this great work Ear be such a presumptuous thought from my heart No they are only heads of a few such as in my poor apprehension might usher in more from His Majesty as doubtless he will offer and perform all that he can for the good of his People and otherwise I intended them not It will appear to the whole Kingdom that His Maiesty begins with Self-Denial Read his second Peace-Offering and pass not over the first which he offered to you all 1640. And Faithfully beleeve that for the good of his People he will yet deny himself more then ever any King did In the name of God try him but still remember he is your King and forget not that saying of Solomon Fear God and honor the King and give unto Casar that which belongs unto Caesar and Caesar will give you more rather then less then belongs unto you If the whole Nation now will but imitate the King and begin with Self-Denial without which there can be no Peace no Religion How happy shall both Prince and People be If you are not so minded chiefly those who sit at the helm do you hope for Peace by a bloody War Let no man tell me Peace is the end of War Be not deceived my beloved Country-men if you keep your old hearts of Self-Interests and proceed on to a new War you will find the greatest destruction that ever Nation did For as there is no Peace to the wicked saith my God so there is no holiness but hellishness in War The Apostle tels you whence strife and contention proceeds from below says he and do you expect a blessing upon War and blood from above That any man should dare to blaspheme God so highly to pray to God to prosper him in his bloody undertakings daub it over with what specious pretence of Priviledg or Liberty you can what doth that man less then pray to God to bless the actions of the Devil within him Blasphemy worthy the tearing of garments and for which God will amongst other sins sorely visit this Nation The King must if he will prosper begin with Self-Denial and that to some purpose too so must the two Honorable Houses of Parliament the Clergy should begin to all the Kingdom they have most need I will not say they are the most backward The Army great as it is is under the power of the Lord of Hosts and as they have long since in their Declarations promised it God he expects Self-Denial from them if not he will one day deny their entrance into the Eternal Tabernacles of Rest prepared for those only that deny themselves Those blessed Mansions are not to be purchased but by storming of them with Self-Denial Our Saviour saith The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force I hope no man thinks Christ meant by force of arms by killing plundering and ruining the bodies and souls of men women and children sure it was meant by the violence of the good Spirit of God moving in the hearts of his peaceful Children the earnestness of whose souls is such in resisting and opposing the deeds of darkness and the fiery darts of the Devil which is in them in the old Adam that they have a dayly storming combat and strife with all violence within themselves to dispossess the old Adam of his strong hold and then the Kingdom of Heaven so much is it can be in this life is gotten and obtained for he that gets it not here shall never possess it hereafter as the tree falls so it shall lie The Citie also must go into Self-Denyall my discourse to them tells them no lesss And lastly you the whole Kingdom under whom the four last are comprehended must likewise go into Self-Deniall For all of you in Generall I exempt not my self have and do abound with all sorts of sins yea with the greatest sins and particularly that of Bloody a fearfull and a crying sin which
dost well shalt thou not be accepted c. and how amazed would the soul of any man be unless he were feared up by a total hardness of heart if God should from Heaven tell him Pray not to me come not to me with your Addresses I will not hear you I will shut my ears and be deaf to your Prayers But we all know the contrary of God At what time soever the wicked man forsaketh his wickedness c. and who knows whether the scales may not turn Let not him boast that puts on his armor c. And then if Addresses were sought and refused and that the King should say Did you not hate me and expell me out of my Fathers house How is that you come to me now in the time of your Tribulation as Jephta did to the men of Gilead might not this seem to be a just Reproach or as God in the same Book Go to the Gods whom you have served Remember what Solomon says The Wrath of a King is as Messengers of Death but a wise man will pacifie it And in another place The Kings Weath is as the roaring of a Lyon but his Favour as the dew upon the grass For your own sakes for this bleeding Kingdoms sake proceed to a sudden Personal Treaty with His Majesty God treats with his greatest Enemies nay he invites them continually hourly and minutely in their consciences and cries Return O Shulamite Return Return And again How oft would I and ye would not O yet if in this thy day c. The sum of all is and let it never be sum'd up what is past for actions cannot be recalled such offences or sins against God or man may be repented not repealed but a wilful continuance in such horrid and bloody wars as these are and not to seek and endeavour Peace by all fair means in the world would prove but a sad story to this age and to posterity I hope better things on your part and my poor aime is that all things amiss between King and Parliament for who can free himself from guilt be from henceforth forgotten forgiven and amended on all sides and that by a true and perfect not counterfeit Love and Union to which end I published my poor Expedient for Peace and Safety in Print and I would to God it had an Impression on all those who are opposite to Peace if there be any such which although for the present it be laid aside as not worthy a thought must and shall if ever a Peace conclude it and the all-devouring Sword consume us not totally be made use of Let the Honorable Houses look in Reason and Religion what they can expect more from the King then he doth if he will do them as I am confident he will in these Propositions preceding can you demand more for the good of the Subject he will do it he that will do so much will refuse nothing in Reason and Religion and beyond these I know these Honorable Houses will not demand the honor and restoring of the King how many of your selves have fought for and for the safety of the Kingdom Priviledges of Parliament and liberty of the Subject all have profest vowed it covenanted it sworn it hold to that the work is done the King doing his part as doubtless he will and I take it for granted turn the Tables as the Proverb is and let the Kings Game be yours yours his and then in Gods Name act according to Reason and Religion Remember the Golden Rule Whatsoever you would that men should do unto you do that unto them and I am confident the King shall be glorious your selves and the Kingdom happy and for me poor wretch I know you wil censure no worse of me then that I am an earnest desirer and hunter after Peace and the publike good and so he will live and die who is My Lords Yours and the most humble Servant of the KINGDOM Richard Farrar TO THE SYNOD OR THE Assembly of Divines AT WESTMINSTER AND To all the Clergy of the Kingdom of ENGLAND SInce I have presumed to speak to his Majesty the two Honorable Houses of Parliament and the Army why should I spare to say something to you O you sons of Levi You that take liberty to tell all men of their fanlts why should not you be told of your own Sure I am you have as much need if not more to be put in mind of Self-Denial as any profession whatever and it had been happy for this poor unhappy Kingdom if you who profess your selves our shepherds had practised it a little better then you have hitherto done The Accompt that you of the Clergy of this Kingdom for I exempt neither side are to give to God Almighty at the great day will I fear lie heavy on you For sure I am had you been what you would have the world esteem you the Embassadors of Jesus Christ and his Ministers you would never have added so much oyl to this flame as you have done but on the contrary you would have brought the cold water of patience humility love and meekness on all hands to have quenced it And this our Saviour and your Master as you call him taught you and all the world How the Clergy of this Kingdom behaved themselves towards God and the Kingdom in their duty to both before the beginning of this Parliament I leave to God and the world to judg but how unanswerably diametrically contrary to the example and precepts of our Saviour you have demeaned your selves both in the Pulpit and in the Press since these unhappy differences between the King and Parliament and how great Incendiaries and fomenters you have been needs no witness to testifie Had the Clergy on the Kings part and the Clergy on the Parliaments part plainly and truly without fear or flattery told both of them the danger and the devillishness of a War both for soul and body the wickedness and unlawfulness of it on both sides and perswaded them both to love meekness and forbearing one another told the King his own and the Parliament theirs and yet nothing but truth neither according to the Word of God I doubt whether it had ever come to a War at all I am sure they would never have been so forward on either side as they were The truth is I speak to the hearts of all honest men the Clergy on both sides had they been of the mind of Christ and his Apostles should have preached against it printed against it and if that would not have served the turn should have denyed both King and People the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for with what consciences could either side give or take it in the fury and rage of Blood and War wherein they were hourly engaged I understand it not And if that would not have prevailed they should not have afforded the Word nor their Prayers in Publick if they had continued still to persist in
Bloody Designs and Self-Interests and had you of the Clergy proceeded thus far you had done but your duty to God the King and the People and I am confident both sides would have stood at a gaze and not have been so forward as they were perhaps not at all proceeded to pass through such a Sea of blood as they have done and how many of both sides have perished in that red Sea from this world at the best I judg not of the next But was this course taken by you or if by some for I tax not all yet I never heard of any O no wo is me in stead of imitating our Saviour in these three particulars which all good Christians must imitate him in in his Life in his Love and in his Doctrine all of them imitated strictly by the Apostles I say in all these three the Clergy generally to our view have opposed our Saviour Christ in a strange manner First in his Life that was poverty and contempt all along from the Cradle to the Cross Yours as full of Glory Jollity and Honor as you can advance it Secondly in his Love he was all Love he preached it he practised it My Peace I leave with you That was Christs Legacy How well have you disposed of it or what executors are you of this his last Will and Testament He abrogates the old Law in that particular where it was said of old An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth c. But I say unto you it shall be so no more You shall love your enemies c. And behold I bring you a new Commandment that you love one another This was spoken to all the world of Beleevers much more to you who profess to be the Embassadors of Christ as you do You take Texts out of the Old Testament in opposition to Christ Curse ye Merosh and you incourage to fight and cry The Cause is good it is Gods I speak to both sides yea and you conjure the people to fight in the name of the Lord tell them they are Martyrs they cannot miss Heaven if they dye for the Cause such Martyrdom God deliver me from The Conscience not the Cause makes a Martyr and if that be not purged by the blood of Christ in true Faith and Repentance though a man suffers Martyrdom for Christ he is no Martyr He whom God calls to be a Martyr he fits him first and makes him a Martyr to the world in crucifying the lusts of it and sure men that fight for power though Kings or Subjects for Priviledges Liberty are not so wel seasoned with Self-Denial as is requisite to make a Martyr And for the Doctrine of Christ it was humility Learn of me for I am humble meek OGod have you of the Clergy practised this humility and meekness Nay have you not boldly to the world exprest the contrary in most of your conversations Had there been a Palsie in your tongues your tongues set on fire from hell as the Apostle speaks and in your hands this Kingdom had been happy Ye take too much upon you ye sons of Levi Did I say you do You ever did and you will do till the time come that Malachi the Prophet speaks of I hope neerer at hand then you beleeve were you true Prophets you would tremble at the Text and by the Spirit of Prophesie discern the time Malachi 3. 3. He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of Silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi And doubtless that is not the Reformation that you pretend to you do but take up the Stone and turn the other side It is you that have put us all in a flame your Tribe hath done and doth it all the world over Is there any evil in a Kingdom or rather this great evil in this Kingdom and have not you done it You have either done it or had the greatest share in doing it or not hindered it when you might you seek your own and not the things of God God forgive you why do you not imitate Saint Paul Be ye fâ—llowers of me as I am of Christ if he had erred that way which he could hardly do yet he forbids to follow it and must we follow you when you command things contrary to Christ But great is your Diana and you voyce her high up she is for all your roaring but an Idol she cannot stand she is falling she is falling Our Saviour says He that is greatest amongst you shall be the least and he that is least among you in the Clergy would be greater then the Civil Magistrate if he could Oh the ambition of the Priesthood Read the Prophets of old against the Priests and is not the Priesthood of these times worse compare them together What Aaron before Moses it was not so of old Nor will God ever have it so where his Spirit governs The Luciferian Pride Ambition and Covetousness of the Clergy is not the least quarrel God hath with this Nation what will you say or answer When God comes to make inquisition for blood where is the Vrim and Thummim in Aarons brest-plate it was purity of Doctrine and Integrity of Life I fear it is not to be found in your hearts in your Doctrine nor Life Open your eyes the time is yet Repent and amend Great would be the joy in Heaven for such sinners more then for any and great would your glory be here and hereafter Return O Shulamite return return and be not ashamed to do it Your example on all hands I am perswaded if sincere would strongly build us up in a better way A worse then you have taught us and a worse then we are in out of hell is not If the Apostle say Contention strife debate is carnal earthly divellish What is Plundering Murdering Ravishing Robbing and Confounding How can a man of God appear in a Pulpit and not Preach and speak against it pray against it print against it and lo you have done the contrary Shall I praise you I praise you not God forgive you with my soul I beg it To conclude for Gods sake inform me I am a poor weak man What warrant in Religion to Fast for strife and to give thanks for Victories and shedding blood both sides King and Parliament have done it God have mercy on them for it How can you approve of it ye sons of Levi Look into your Consciences those Glasses which will not cannot flatter and say How comes this to pass Where are you O God That I a poor ignorant man am forced to tell you and the world this Amend and that suddenly Preach love and practise it Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he comes shall finde so doing or as the sin now lies at your door and the whole Kingdom it is to be feared will curse you for it so a heavy and sad unexpected punishment here and hereafter must happen to you without Repentance
blood of another by War Who is My Lord Your Excellencies most humble Servant Richard Farrar TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE Lord Major The Right Worshipfull the Aldermen the Worshipfull the Common Counsel and every Free-man of the Citie of LONDON THis great Mâ—tropolis of yours lifts not up her head so high but that having so boldly adventured upon the Clemency of his Sacred Majestie the patience of the two Honorable houses of Parliament the Freedom of my speech to the Clergy the high priests Scribes and Pharisees of this Kingdom and the hazard of distasting the Army An Army and such an Army as hath made your proud walls shake at the very sight of it and for ought I know or you eithâ—r the earth-quake 〈◊〉 yet past I may presume to crie aloud in your gates and to proclaim in your streets that if any citie in the Christian world had need to be summoned to Self-Denyall It is this great citie whose Inhabitants were grown so proud with prosperity that they said in their hearts 〈◊〉 least and too much exprest it in their words and actions a Babylon did Revel. 18. 7. Shee said in her heart I sit a Queen I am no widow â—nd shall see no sorrow therefore shall her 〈…〉 c. And did not you eight or ten years since sit as a Queen in your bed of State and rest but lo Almighty God brought war into your gates and the sword into your Stately Palaces and your young men felt it you made but a sport of it at the first you courted the sons of Mars and you discovered all your wealth unto them as Hezekiah did to those that were sent from Babylon read the place the 20. Chapter of the second of Kings beginning at the 1â— verse untill the 20. I pray God it have no allusion in time to your citie and now after seven years Apprenticeship are you not weary would you not be made free Remember those dayes of peace when every man did eat of his own vine and sate under his own fig-tree did you make good use of it no you grew wanton with ease and proud with folly and therefore God sent war amongst you your hearts were alwayes various from the wayes of God and therefore God suffered you to be diversly minded to make way for your destruction and now at last for your wickednesse hath suffered the spirit of giddinesse and divisions to be even in the midst of your citie yea in every corner of it and it is just with you for you were so far from Self-Denyall that you denyed your selves nothing you had a mind to I passe by the excesse of pride in apparell like Princes rather then Apprentises and for Gluttony and Luxury the world could not match you I say nothing of your Epicurisme every way with your neglect of the poor that dayly beg'd at your doors I speak not this to all I am confident God hath a Remnant in this Citie who serve him most faithfully and who are not onely free from those sins but dayly lament them in others who stand in the Gap and for whose sake this Citie hath stood so long and doth yet stand Great hath been your Diana of profit and you have sacrificed so long at her shryne out of hope or fear that if God open not your eyes and that you suddenly repent your destruction is at hand Go into Self-Denyall or you shall have no peace lay aside all private and self-interests that of the Publicke Faith disbursements for Ireland Bishops Lands Excise Custome house c. and repent nor upbraid your for wardnesse at the first to help on the work had it been holy and pious The end shews plain now and it did long since appear you did it for your own ends it was fear or hope of profit put you on not the Zeal of Gods Glory the Honor of the King or the good of the kingdom I speak not this to all but to the most and chiefly to those whose private interests engage them now so hotly in the progresse of a war that the whole Kingdom is in hazard of utter Ruine look into your own hearts and say how true or false I speak if true make good use of it that is repent and amend and that not with cast down looks but humble hearts You petition for Peace it is well so you did once for War God forgive you but do you desire and pray that God will give you Peaceful minds one towards the other Do you endevor it Have you not like the rest of the world Peace in your mouths War in your hearts I wish I could forget that not many years since you cryed one day Hosanna and Crucifig the next If so you cannot 〈◊〉 deceive not your selves nor be you deceived by others that misguide you pray to God to open your eyes you are blind your wealth blinds you you cannot see where your safety lies Not in your selves not in your strength that is already proved not in your wealth you do but hoord it up for others unless God give you open and repentant hearts your safety lies in your Self-Denial and in your suffering not your doing away with all warlike and bloody designs you will be lost here and for ever by them add not to your former evils blood to blood there is no ill so great which you are not guilty of you have done like the rest of the Kingdom or rather you were their example You have sought your own and not the things of God nay you have fought for them more then once And now it is just with God to leave you a prey to your enemies Yet let me tell you your greatest enemies are not only within your walls but within your own brests It is your Treachery to God and to some body else hath betrayed you to hourly fears You look down to the earth you grovel there lift up your heads lift up your hands too but chiefly lift up your hearts to God from whom alone must come your salvation Do all you can for Peace in a godly way not by plots and strife We must not do ill that good may come of it This City hath a great account to give when God shall make inquisition for blood There is no worldly Counsel meer worldly can do you good God alone must do it by turning your hearts to him and to your lawful King and in your love to your fellow Subjects but add no more blood to blood The Militia of good consciences is better and safer for you then al your Arms or the Army if it were yours in the day of Trouble you will find it so If there be any means or power in you by Prayers to God Petitions to men or the opening of your purses in a peaceful way to procure Peace forbear not to do it Sero sapient Phryges Do it and that quickly for Gods sake for the Kings sake for your own sake for the whole Kingdoms sake
how you will answer when God shall come to make inquisition for Blood I know not how will you answer it you blood Subjects of this bleeding Nation who joy and delight in Blood and Revenge who regard not the cryes and the Teares of those poor Innocents which your swords make Widows and Orphans whose cryes yet ascend up into heaven and must without sudden repentance bring done a most unheard-of judgement upon this Nation For you the Subjects of this land who are not Souldiers are equally guilty in your willing Contribution to bothsides and how many of you are ruined by your own party to whom you gave assistance And it is just with God it should so be A Land so defiled with Blood that professed such purity of Christianity and hath practised on all hands the most horrid and barbarous Acts that ever were read of The Father against the Son the Son against the Father c. And doe you expect Peace by going on in Blood bâ—leeve no Minister that preacheth War lawfull Read my Epistle to the Clergy when they preach such stuff that 's some of the leaven which those Scribes and Pharisees mingle with their other good Doctrine and so spoile the whole Lump Alas did they not mix some good things with the bad who would come neer them Christ taught the contrary viz. Love one another by suffering never came ill but much ill by resisting beleeve Christ and follow his precepts and example he that teacheth you other is an Antichrist This Kingdom is highly guilty of all the sins that all the Prophets denounced judgements against in the old Testament Israel Judah or any other Nation I shall not need to name them Prov 6. 17. God hates hands that shed innocent blood Isa. 59. 7. Their feet run to evil they make haste to shed innocent Blood their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity wasting and destruction are in their paths the way of peace they know not c. read on to the end of the 15. verse and behold the Prophet speaks what we with our eyes have seen and do see daily acted by Authority on both sides in this miserable Land And now as if that it were not enough that the Land hath been made drunk with our Blood and God knows how much innocent The other Element of Water the Sea that must be died of a bloody Colour Preparations on all hands And for that sin of oppression of the poor and innocent never the like that hath been on both sides within these seven years and yet is In a word the crie of the sins of this Kingdom is gone up to Heaven like that of Sodom and Gomorrah without sudden repentance we must expect the like plagues had there not been and were there not still some righteous Lots amongst us sure we had been destroyed long since and when those righteous Souls dye away or depart Gods wrath will suddenly raine done upon us without Repentance to our utter Confusion Repent therefore and that suddenly and as I said before go into Self-Denyall be quiet let no man force you to fight on either side much lesss be forward to go your selves as too many have done and paid dear for it Pray but fight not fight against your lusts and worldly corruptions against all self-interests whatsoever that's Self-Denyall and then all will be well the Peacefull-minded their prayers with the Widows and Orphans if they prevaile not with God to turn the hearts of the wicked shall at one time or other prove of such strength that like the Angel that destroyed the host of Sennacherib in one night so shall Gods Judgements find hunt out and destroy the wicked out of the land who hate the Children of Peace and laugh at them for the Children of God are the Sons of Peace What would you have would you have a King a good King the best of Kings and would you have Peace Behold he brings you the Olive-branch of Peace by his Self-Denyall he denies or will deny himself for your good as never King did were the best of you a King it would not be found an easy thing you are Subjects and yet you cannot part with your petty private Interests Molehills to the Mountains of those of a King Look upon the Kings Picture of Mercy and Love in my first Expedient and upon his Covenant in this tract you are equally safe with himself A better safety then the Militia Look every Subject into his own heart for I write to all and deny himself but half as much for a Subject as the King for a King and I dare say we shall have Peace a blessed and a happy Peace a Pious Peace away with a Politick Peace it will never hold we shall have a Confident Peace on all sides away with a Jealous Peace a distrusted Peace Think of no Peace but what comes by the security of Self-Denial on all hands it is above all your Militia's and casts down all Malice If no Peace must be till the fearful hearts and guilty consciences of all men be satisfied then we must never look for Peace In what a condition are you then in O ye Inhabitants of this Land I write unto you all Consider of it And let those men be branded to all posterity who will take or receive no security but what is beyond all history or example as this truly is nay beyond all reason and thereby render themselves the progeny of Cain himself I say once more Consider of it To conclude if speaking truth to his Majesty to the Parliament no lye to the Synod orthodox Divinity to the Army what Christ himself preached to the City what their own Consciences know to be true and to you all the Subjects of the whole Kingdom of England I except none what you are most of you highly guilty of even by the very Word of God I say if This be Treason I am a Traytor a Traytor against all and let me suffer for it but let my Tryal be at the Judgment-seat of Love at the Bar of the New Testament my Saviour my Judg the Apostles my Jury and then proceed I fear not You have all of you King Priests and People pursued your own ends your Self-Interests and you must cast away your Babylonish garment and wedg of gold or God who can do it will spue you all out and give this Land to a more deserving People Not the Scots or Irish alas their Graves must be digg'd before your Funeral be fully solemnized or perhaps to some of your poor innocent babes who are not old like you in sins and iniquities they may perhaps partake of that blessed Peace you would but cannot have so long as you wilfully resist God in your abominable sins of Malice Envy Revenge Hatred Blood-thirstiness Covetousness and that which is the Center of all and contains all the mischief that is Self-Interest the only venom that hath of late years poysoned this goodly and once flourishing Kingdom Christ denyed himself who should not The King denies himself and you will not Oh beloved Countrymen I speak to the whole Kingdom I wish every Ear heard me look your selves in this glass that I have here presented you with it is not of so pure a chrystal as it might have been made but it will shew you plainly the ugliness of your painted holiness and rotten-heartedness to God your King and fellow-Subjects that so by a true Repentance forsaking the evil and doing the good you may come to a sight of your grievous sins of Gods infinite Mercy of your Kings abundant Love and your own future happiness which is uncessantly prayed for at the hand of God by The greatest Sinner of you all yet ready to sacrifice himself for a safe and wel-grounded PEACE Richard Farrar Errata Page 6. line 7. read fought for sought Pag. 29. l. 36. read that lives FINIS