Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
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A89178
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The mistake of the times, written by a faithfull sonne of the late flourishing Church of England, observing present differences betweene the Parliament and Army. Being written by one much bemoaning the the [sic] sad condition of his native kingdome. From a scholler in Cambridge to his friend in London.
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1647
(1647)
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Wing M2255; Thomason E410_23; ESTC R204457
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3,824
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10
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THE MISTAKE OF THE TIMES Written By a faithfull Sonne of the late flourishing Church of ENGLAND observing present differences betweene the Parliament and Army Being writtten by one much bemoaning the the sad condition of his native KINGDOME From a Scholler in Cambridge to his friend in London LONDON Printed for George Linsey at Londonstone 1647. THE MISTAKE OF THE TIMES WHEREIN Is observed the present difference betweene the PARLIAMENT and ARMY IT hath ever been held an unfit course to Intermeddle with other mens actions especially when one hath nothing to do with the matters in question yet here methinks every good subject as well as every great subject may challinge an interest I have therefore though in the midst of my own private distrâ—ctions lent thy observations to those publick distances between Parliament and Army Indeed I have often heard it that a King is the husband and the Common-wealth is the wife now whom God hath joyned together let no man nor malice seeke to seperate yeâ— if any differences arise I shall pray they may compose them themselves or else they throw themselves upon the câ—â—â—uâ—e of others but sometimes they may be lyable to such distempers that they may need a Physitian and Parliaments have been held the fittest and best Physitians to cure disquiets in either For as houshold jarrs may rend and ruin a family the husband pulling one way and the wife another to their own infinite disquiets So when theose differences are composed it doth knit the bond of affection the firmer that many times they may cry out we are happier by our failings and falling out But if any go about to make the breach wider now horrid a taske they undertake they and they only can tell who have been lyable to such mischances for when bad perswasions meet with such untoward humours as are apt to entertaine ill conceits of one another how easie a thing it is to make that irr 〈…〉 which by 〈◊〉 and seasonable advice is soone composed even so in a distempered Kingdome where either the Prince playes the wanton with his prerogatives and gives others power to abuse his Subjects thinking his people bound to suffer any thing he layeth upon them or where a distempered Nation â—eginâ— to thinke evill of their Princes â—â—…piâ—â—…ing to see any in greaâ—er power then themselves how easie is it for any siding with either to make the sparkes of devision grow to such a flame as may set the whole Kingdome in combustion And how easie is it on the other side to procure a faire composure if any will modestly and mannerly shew their Prince how he is abused by his instruments and what a derrogation it is to his Princly dignity to imploy bad agents because the worst of the evill â—â—flects upon himself Therefore intreate him in time to prevent such growing evils by taking advice by a Parliament and no the other side to perswade the people to have a reverent esteeme of their Prince as of one God hath set over them and that as soone as the world became populous there was a necessity of diffâ—rence and distinction of persons and that supreame powers are ordained by God and those that resist them resist the Ordinance of God And so having brought both to see their sicknesse to perswade both to make their refuge to the Physitian but now if this Physition shall proceed so cunningly with both as to refuse to undertake the cure unlesse all the power they both have be conferred on him presuming the Prince will indure no such corasives if there be occasion to use them nor the people being of an untamed humour will not be kept in fitting bounds if I say the Parliament be so cauâ—ious as out of these considerations not to undertake the cure unlesse it be invested with this power the danger will be and is but to apparant the cure man be worse then the disease For could it have been imagined that the King for his volunâ—ary desire to satisfy his subjects in granting the continuance of this Parliament that they should not onely make it perpetuall but deprive the King of all subjection to him nay of all livelihood and did the Common-wealth immagine that out of a desire to be freed from all Monopolies and all illegall demands as Shipmony and the rest they should have been thus ensnared as to pay greater Taxes new Excises such Contributions as do not onely farre exceede all former demands but are still so increasing that they not onely groane under the burthen of them but grow not able to discharge them and yet they are made beleeve this is for the liberty of the Subject I have heard that none can mannage an estate so well as those that are breed in the familiar use of it which is the reason that the Sonnes of those men that suddenly grow rich are for the most part prodigalls so I wonder not that this Parliament having such an expected power put in their hands prove and play the Prodigall with it what vast summs have been raysed and how disposed not the wisest amongst them I verily beleeve can tell why Armies have been listed hummunition provided so many Innocents killed can any of them give a reason for what good hath all our fighting produced but breed an inviterate hate against one another nay after all our glorious as they call them victories are we any whit the nearer happinesse nay I feare we are rather falling into greater distractions for doth not the Army prescribe rules to the Parliament nay to the King himselfe by fetching him violently from Holmby and still disposing of him as they not he pleaseth so as I feare they guard him for danger not from danger and do they not impeach the Members of the House of Commons and require a perfect time for determination of this Parliament and divers other things and do not the Querâ—es object against the Army nay may not the Parliament justly wonder that an Army should at one and the same time require pay from them and infringe their priviledges is not this strange bandying at one another offing one another from hazard to hazard even to the hazard of one anothers ruine for are we not next doore to be againe imbroyled in a new warre and so to be made and what is worse to make our selves the scorne of all our Neighbour Nations but was it not so with the Children of Izrael when they had no King did not every man what seemed good in his owne eyes and I pray consider what strange thinge have been acted both in Church and Common wealth in this Kingdome of laâ—e may it not truly be said Thy holy Temples they have defiled and made Ierusalem an heâ—pâ— of stones so as it is a wonder to me that the stones do not cry out and now must we expect our happinesse from further divisions certainely no I wish therefore we would prevent so neere an approaching evill before it come upon us
for let us once more be ingaged in justifying our severall conceits by the sword it will then be too late to wish a reconcilement O that both Parliament and Army would therefore before it be too late throw themselves at the Kings feete and humbly acknowledge thinge are done improperly on both sides for as it is mans weaknesse to err so it is mans wickednesse to persist in errour for I am perswaded if we would yet at last put all our mistries into the Kings hands it will prove the likelyest way to cure our overspreading maladies before they grow to such an height as they will be impossible to be cured and that we would desire him to settle things as seemes best in his eyes for certainly as God hath endowed him with knowledge above his fellowes or else he could never have borne those high and strange affronts as have been put upon him with so admirable a patience so I am confident affliction hath been prepared him to mannage the Scepters of his three Kingdomes with more safety to his Subjects and honour to himselfe then he hath done before for new he sees plainly freeborne subjects will not indure indirect demands and therefore there is no doubt his own pious heart desires so to mannage those things are committed to his charge as to prepare and secure his way to Heaven and future happinesse for here we have no abaling City O Lord for thy mercies sake open the eyes of this siâ—full Nation that not trusting to their own 〈◊〉 nor â—â—â—â—…ing to their own conceite they may reinvest His Majesty in his just rights and learne and resolve to submit to his Commands and then upon the dissolution of this Parliament it is not to be doubted but His Majesty will call another and so settle the Peace of this now totterring Kingdome but if still we keepe him at distance and continue our thwarting and crossing one another we may undoubtedly and that very shortly say we might have been happy but would not therefore woe woe woe is but too likely to be our portion let us O let us therefore devote with all reverence a day of generall humiliation for our crying sins so may our generall desolations be Preuented nay let us for 〈◊〉 we had needs 〈…〉 miâ—â—â—ily to the Lord to â—â—verâ— his â—udgements 〈…〉 King meete with condigne punishment we were of all Nations most miserable but there is mercy with him that he should be feared if therefore we can truly humble our selves and implore his mercies in an humble lowly pennitent and obedient manner there is yet hope we may not quite perish for as man cannot commit greater sins then God can forgive yet if we persist in these crying impieties it is to be feared we may commit those sins God will not forgive but that other Nations and our future Generation may have cause to bemoane our just desolations and that our gardens be given to those will make a better use of them then we have done for if famine murther rape which are the bitter Attendants of warre be the effects of our reformed religion how will the mother be detested that bringeth forth such loath some issue let us therefore take heede we not onely wound but altogether destroy our religion we seeme with so much zeale to establish I wish therefore we would take warning by the parable of him that planted a Vineyard and let it out unto husbandmen and when he expected fruite and sent a servant to them they beat him and sent him away empty and ceased not there but used two others in the like or worse manner nay they killed the Sonne himselfe but what the Lord of the Vineyard did I tremble to think on least the like punishment for the like impieties befall us FINIS