insnared and caught in this net of trouble you are ingaged by honour self-preservation c. to go on in this hellish trade You are in darknesse and know not which way to goe having got a course of fighting you go on to fight for you know not who nor what Not for the Parliament you know if ever they have opportunity they will remember your war against them and make it Treason and if you had the same opportunity you would doe as much for them again as you have done master them So your cause is lost and you only fight because you are an Army because fighting is your businesse All that you did in your greatest undertaking against the Parliament and City is blasted and undone Members restored to the House the Tower in the same hands it was which writes vanity upon your proceedings and shewes what foolish builders you were that when you had power in your hand instead of doing good too and for all you minded nothing but your own and your friends advancement having indeed not the generall nature of the whole but the affection of a party and faction Your waies are not now paved with love and sweetnesse as heer to fore but full of briers and thornes your work hard and knotty meeting with a fierce bloody inraged Enemy sharpned and provoaked against you by a sense of their own and the Kingdomes ruine harsh and angry weather True you have subsistance still but not in honour peace greatnesse but in war in vexation and that increasing so fast upon you as threatens your overthrow or at least shew you so much worke to doe that you must go on butchering men as long as you live for as fast as one party is crusht another rises that tels you the spirit of the Nation is against you and that oppressing power upheld by you so that you must fall under their fury or the Nation be consumed by you either you must give way to their rage which you can't or continue to be the scourge of the Kingdome still a wretched life This Woolfe you have by the ears in this dark and black path you walk in If you think you are well because you live because you are not come to nothing you know not to be an Army or to be in the cnodition of private persons would be your mercy but you are ingaged to bee in dishonour in warre shame tormentors and being tormented Chap. X. Shewing the state of the Levellers THe Levellers are men that are justly sensible of the miscariage of all that are gon before them see c their corruption how they have swarved and declined c that 's not heard but in applying a remedy they are as much mistaken as any His excellencies is not great assisted he is by a discerning Angell that discovers the falshood injustice and wicked waies of others and opens this truth more then any how all power and authority ascends out of the People or descends from the People making in a kinde them the chiefe But alas this Angell is low and weak that speakes and writes in a corner but come forth into action he cannot but sinkes under the fall of the Kingdome and his own mistake Thy errors are these Thou canst not bear the Kingdomes suffering under the hand of God nor thy owne but in a carnall love of this worldly state seekest to uphold it against the justice of God and so fallest into the same evil of thy Fathers self-love and preservation in enmity to the LORD To save thy self that the over-flowing scourge may not come nigh thee thou makest a Covenant with hell and an Agreement with death the Agreement of the People who are turned by the Divine justice into a hel and death Thou art ignorant of that wisdome of God that only can save the Nation and having gathered some scraps of earthly knowledge from others thy proud heart is lifted up and thou conceivest highly of thy self as if thou art able to save the Kingdome and so presumest upon that which thou art not called unto T is true The King is by the People and the People are the originall of power but this is an imperfect peece and take it alone it is very destructive The King is of the People so is Man by the Woman yet the Woman must not shake off her yoke of subjection For as the Man is by the Woman so the Woman is of the Man and for the Man so the People are taken out of the King and are for the King as well as the KING by the People KING and Parliament are in relation to the people as Christ to David He is the root and of-spring of David Davids Son yet Davids Root and David in spirit calls him Lord. So is power in King or Parliament the root and ofspring of the People The King is Son to the People and Father too and so in spirit is called Lord. While you take one part in darknesse and leave the other you confound and disorder the whole In your actings to set up a worldly power now you are of the earth earthly The Nation ground to powder or dust dust thou art and to dust c. the Serpents meat You confess no Father acknowledge none above you and therefore art Terroe-filius or filius populi Son of the Earth or Son of the People The base Son of the Parliament begotten in her Adultery growing out of her principles The people must not be left without a remedy to save themselves c. Self-saviours your cry is the People all power is disolved and the people must judge T is according to your wish the people in divers parts do take the power and above all would mine you their greatest indignation is against you so you runne from God to hell for help T is your portion to suffer in the common calamity and to be as mad men striving with your fetters as a Bull in a net toyling your selves or agitators not resting quietly in the grave of publicke misery waiting for a resurrection but disturbed agitated dust in a whirlewinde of divine wrath Chap. XI Shewing the Judgement of the City of London LONDON the chief and Mother City of this Nation hath been the place of residence of the great glory of England the house that gives entertainment to the head the King and body the Parliament and these florishing together in peace and righteousnesse The Heaven wherein these dwell and chiefly shine forth themselves The habitation of these Majesties in which they are comprehended That is inriched by them with honour state greatnesse and doth again supply and inrich them with plenty of cloaths food c. And thou hast held up thy head high in these times and been mightily preserved by a great Angell in thy many dangers Thy evils of sinne and punishment are besides the common guilt and plagues of the Nation Thou art wholly ignorant of thy heavenly originall thy true foundation upon which thou
you lye downe in the Eternall By this your arreares are paid you are nothing you are dead and you can require nothing you and your demands are fallen to the ground your service is dead and nothing is due to it but to be buried and all your miscarriages in forgetfulnesse Who do you require arreares of The Kingdome is dead the sword reignes and therefore the Kingdome is free if you will be paid take blood want spoile confusion ruin that 's all that is left of the Kingdome pay your selves of that Do you expect it of the Parliament That is dead too Poor Parliament you have eat it up your selves in greedines of pay you tore her bowels out and you can have no more But all anger is past there remaines nothing but love you are dead and live with Christ come forth of your graves stand up in the resurrection of Christ in union and fellowship with Christ The Lords host now the Lord is in you and you pitch your tents about the Lord and are the arme of God stretched out for his owne defence and for the punishing of transgressors living in the strength and Spirit of the Lord and now mighty and powerfull to execute Divine pleasure Now you are under the Captain of our salvation and at once interested in the salvation of the Nation and of Christ our Saviour Now we can pay you arreares you never stuck upon arreares till you sunk into the earth into poor earthly mindes rise you again into spirit you will count it your honour to help England freely Mony and a Saviour cannot subsist together That Spirit of Christ that once acted in you to let goe the prisoners Englands freedome and justice without price or reward that spirit shall revive in you and then you will scorne to be mercenary I know you disdaine to keep Englands woundes open to suck her blood you have hazarded your lives for justice and freedome and can't now insist upon pay you are worthy your selves and have the worth of all with you if you desire pay enter with us into Cānaan and you shall have Vinyards that you planted not wels that you diged not A land flowing with milk and hony such mercies and blessings as you could not expect The Lord is Judge he will audite your accompts and pay all that he owes you Religion flourishing in the purity of it peace and righteousnesse as Rivers and Seas the sweet holy unmolested enjoyment of your own families and estates in the presence under the government of the most high You shall now subsist in our bowels be disolved into the Church and Kingdome which is the beloved of Christ Terrible as an Army with banners terrible to the world and the God of the world to the prince of darknesse and so wee shall disband you into spirit and power the whole Nation shall be Souldiers able to draw the sword of the Spirit against all forrain power amongst our selves wars shall cease from the earth you must beat your swords into plowshares and spiers into pruming hooks to your honest trades again there will need no Iron or steely wrath but to plow up your own hearts and to cut down enemies within your own brests all our Townes and Cities are garisoned with a heavenly host and we have salvation for our wals and bulwarks we shall lye down in peace and none make in afraid while we need force we shall use you but not in civil wars you must be removed and only imployed in service against strangers if you delight to sit down by the still streames of Englands peace and feed in our green pastures of eternall love you shall if your valour makes you desirous of military actions we shall finde enemies abroad to imploy your swords against and when you under take such expeditions the Lord shall goe with you you shall have Angels spirits that shall make you invincible where ever you goe The Levellers grew out of the Army and are again shrunk into the Army and therefore we will now joyne you to the Army being mingled together In your endeavour to impose your Democracy your popular Government upon the Kingdome over-throwing and overturning all powers into the People we hear the voice of one crying in the Wildernes England is become a Wildernesse all flesh grasse all power is corrupt the Spirit of the Lord hath blowne upon it and its withered This is John Baptist that exalts the valies and brings down the hils he brings all into the waters the People God is in these Levellers casting the Mountains into the depths of the Seas plunging all into a confused People not suffering one stone to lye upon another Thy place is to be in the Wildernesse and not to come into the City to expire and dye speedily to decrease that he that comes after may increase Thou art beheaded thy devices are fallen to the ground a mushrome thou wert little and art nothing What went you out to see A reed shaken with the wined growing out of the mire of the Nation or a man clothed with soft rayment People got into Kings houses In this state thou art vanisht lost and raised in the Spirit of Christ the divine and eternall love of God and in this Kingdome there is a perfect Levell The People the originall of the Parliament and King by a free giving up themselves and and their estates to the Parliament and King are in the King and Parliament and fully pertake of the royalty and power of both and are leveld with it The People give honour and glory to the King and so higher then hee or he their Subject He that gives is greater then he that receives heer all the people are one with that spirit that is kingly that Anointing that makes Christ King and so called mine Anointed living all in the liberty of that spirit that makes Kings and are most perfectly content in the Kings greatnesse being that which themselves constitute making it themselves they live in it and enjoy it And the King is levelled to the people by his sufferings or humiliations and by his love taking in every Subject to himself humbling of himself to be but the Kingdoms Servant and wearing his Crown only for the happinesse and good of the people living together and brought into one body head and member The eternall love is the Leveller Divine Charity that lifts not up it selfe but is lifted up and being lifted up drawes all after it I rejoyce in the healing thy breaches oh London thou honourable City Thy iniquities have been great there is a righteous one under them that will carry them without the City as a scape Goat into the wildernesse we see the Lord in thee in thy greatest filth in thy violent enforcing powers above thee to thy own minde in constraining the Parliament to thy will by bold petitions urged with tumults we see darkened and shadowed the intercession of the Son of God who with violence wrests
the Peace of God The union and agreement of Father Son and Spirit in one this is our peace and a well grounded peace settled and sure that is lasting and durable a threefold cord that cannot be broken We are one with God reconcil'd to God we dwell together in the same house he hath married us one in God one as God one amongst our selves as he is one All in the Father the Head the KING all in the Son the Body the Parliament All in Spirit in combination acting and living together in their just and lafull rights and in perfect fruit of righteousnes love and peace Secondly The Nation desires SETTLEMENT after her shakings here 's everlasting Settlement upon sure foundations The sure mercies of David upon the rock of ages he who was is and ever will be those pillars upon which England stood made cleare and bright and the Kingdome settled upon them Now the world is establisht in eternity so that it cannot be moved Thirdly The HONOVR OF THE NATION honoured indeed For glory doth dwell in our Land our Nation now is the very throne and seat of Divine glory a Royall Nation filled with Princely spirits the Kingdome it self raisd from the grave of lusts luxury coveteousnesse oppression basenesse and beastlinesse into the noblenesse and wisdome of the Spirit of God England first brought forth into that excellent and perfect righteousnesse liberty and justice that shall bee a copy to other Nations a Mother that shall bring forth salvation to all the earth Fourthly The SETLING OF RELIGION of the true Orthodox ancient Protestant Religion and the rooting out sects herisies popery This doth it compleatly and fully We now shall have sound doctrin measured by the scriptures of truth the golden line of truth it self truth derived from the bowels of eternity and constantly preserved and kept in the worst ages free from defilement giving testimony of it self successively in the darkest times and now breaking forth in undeniable and indisputable authority and evidence Not peeces but a whole body of Divinity divinity it selfe not in shadow but the body of it not maim'd but intire and whole from the highest head and glory of God to the lowest part of hell and all the variety of estates in Christ in Angels in men with their fallings and risings descendings and ascendings fully and plainly brought forth The Sun shall shine so clearly as shall discipate these mists of error that are amongst us with such power as shall compose the madnesse and disorder of peoples judgements into a beautifull Uniformity by power of the Spirit of God and in satisfaction to every minde Fiftly Another Publick interest is LIBERTY from all oppressing powers this we have here restored a glorious liberty in which all English men shall live under Authority as children not servants nor slaves some shall rule as Fathers others shall obey as Sons Nothing but love goodnesse and gentlenesse in both both to command and obey shall be sweet and delightfull no Laws but the perfect Law of liberty which the subject shal choose and desire A KING free and enlarged into the hearts and estates of his people living in all they are and have they pleased to have it all the Kings every one hating that which will not be the KINGS and Common wealths counting that base and unworthy that is not every one 's as well as his own and that only to be rich which is free for all and so men free to part with as well as to injoy estates free as well as persons and men not slaves to men nor to their wealth no not to propriety which is the greatest bondage to serve them selves and their own wealth That 's true wealth Common wealth And the People free living in the bosome of the KING in his authority and greatnesse they have a true right to it as they have anything Tbe Court is their Fathers house the Throne their own home where every subject dwels and lives in the Kings honour and presence Sixtly In this we have A RIGHT VNDERSTANDING between King and Parliament The wisdome of God to shew us a way of peace the true light shining from heaven upon us the night of our mistakes is past The prince of darknesse is thrown down we are translated out of a kingdome of darknesse into the Kingdome of God in which we shal alwaies have the true wisdome to guide us Seventhly Here likewise have we AN ACT OF OBLIVION whereby all transgressions are blotted out all carried in to the depth of the Sea where sin if it be sought for it shall not be found such a fullnesse of pleasure and satisfaction as will not admits a thought of revenge if we shall remember past things it will bee with joy and thanks to each other for in â—â—rting we have saved one another wherein we have done evill to any it is turned to their good The KING will thank the Parliament for rising against him and the Parliament thank the KING for leaving of them There is GOD and perfect good in all that every party hath suffered HAPPINES it selfe England now hath a confluence of the riches of Heaven and Earth in one blessednesse England a glorious Land the Land of God abounding in store trade justice peace amity We are fallen but as hath been expected We RISE AS ONE MAN England acted by one head one spirit is become one man every one loving another as himself rising against the COMMON ENEMY the Devil the destroyer who is and hath been our only enemy wee hate none but him and by this RISING wee free our selves from him As this satisfies the publick so every particular interest or all interests are here satisfied and brought into one interest which is the true nature of an interest to be in others a joynt or common subsistence every part made cleane and right and so inter-weaved into one intire garment which is the excellency of Divine works they are large save all that 's a humane and devilish designe that saves one by the ruin of another but that is Gods way to save all so as the salvation of one is the salvation of another Now here you see all contented The KING as all have sworne and prayed advanced into honour and greatnesse freed from prison from chains of darknesse wherein he hath been held brought out of a low dungeon of wrath and heavy affliction to the highest Throne of Majesty Person and Office restored from blacknesse and foulnesse to splendor and brightnesse into the Majesty of God and that performed which the Parliament often promised A GLORIOUS KING a KING in the glory of God or the glorious God the Immortall KING Reigning in man and over men Sir this is your true interest t is your life and soul I know t is your heart though yet lying hid T is the Key will unlock your spirit and bring it out into the light and liberty of God unlock your understanding after
standest The new Jerusalem that is from above Neither hast thou shined with that blessednesse and holinesse but upheld a worldly and divelish darknesse and so art become a filthy Sodome a vile and poluted thing living not as the Lambs wife but in filthiness of adultery with the pomp and greatnesse of the World glorying in thy own Riches Power Multitude and not in the Lord. Thou hast been proud and lifted up and every way hast vaunted and boasted of thy government Militia wisdome c. and hast boldly pressed into the Throne of the Government of the Kingdome and at pleasure hast interposed authoritatively beyond thy place Common Citizens in great confidence of their ability to rule the state busily intermedling in things much above their understandings and quite out of the sphere of their callings You have often given check both to King and Parliament and lifted up your head above the power of the Kingdome and that rashly effeminately and without judgement in rude bold violent and tumltuous waies You have not in a Mother wisdome and moderation endeavoured the composing these differences it was thy place to spread thy Armes of love to imbrace both King and Parliament to have inclosed and begirt them both in unity But thou hast headily passionately according to thysex engaged with the Parliament and wert far too eagar and inconsiderate in promoting war and partiall in thy affection and laying out thy strength T is thy property to be rich and wanting it in a naturall and just way of trade you are many of you turned Officers publicans Excise men others buying Bishops and Irish Lands an unnaturall way of Merchant adventurers to strive to catch the ruines of the Kingdome as they fall or to grow rich upon publick miseries this is un-blest wealth there is a curse followes it Thou sufferest deeply in the common calamity and the spoyling and plundering in the Nation must be put upon thy accompt thou art pillaged in most parts of the Nation The great and intolerable losse of King Court to shine in thee in peace righteousnes proena damni the pesence of the King in thee living in agreement with his People is thy true life and glory and makes thee a heaven and the want of it is to thee intolerable and makes thee a Hell After the recovery of this happinesse doest thou insatiably thirst and canst not live without re-enjoyment of it Thy glory and reward hath been stained thy greatnesse brought down by the Army Thy trade is lost and broken thy wealth wasting and consuming there is stretched out upon thee The line of confusion and the stones of emptinesse Thou art continually shaken with fears and indignations tossed about as a Ball unstable and uncertain Fires of divisions kindled and burning fiercely in thee in all thy meetings common Councel common Hall Nothing but fire and brimstone bitter and sharp contests horrible rage one against another spitting fire in the face of each other preparing for the destruction of one another The wants of the poor threatning to tear out thy bowels a heap of disorder and confusion acting in all things in darknesse and wrath and so art of the nature of the Kingdome in the destroyer and a particular hell of thy self and to thy self mighty in malice rich in madnesse t is thy trade and busines having little else to doe but to design mischiefe to torment thy self Chap. XII Shewing the irrecoverablenesse of Englands ruine by humane waies ENgland thou art lost for ever lost Thou hast departed from God who is thy life and now thou art dead Rejected into destruction The Peace Wisdome Justice and Goodnesse of God hath left thee and the madnesse wrath injustice and malice of Satan fils thee Thou art broken like a Potters vessell into shivers into many peeces Thou art nothing but division head from body limb from limb and each party hath a peece of thee thou art by divine justice distributed and given forth into severall interests The King hath his part The Parliament their part The Army another c. and each an essentiall or integrall part without which the whole cannot subsist These severall principles or spirits of the Nation are by the breath of God blown into the severall parts of the earth scattered into the four winds as much divided as East and West North and South And all parts have distinct natures given to them severall principles of self-subsistence which sets them a contending for their own being yea such beings as can never be nulled standing upon the unmovable pillars of the decree of God and of the constitution of the Kingdome especially in the great division of King and Parliament both must subsist T is as impossible to destroy Kinglinesse wholly or to settle England without a King as t is to overthrow the first person God the Father if Heaven would dispence yet the earth would not King being as naturall unto us as a head to the body King is engraven in the spirit of the Nation If it were consumed to ten men they would have a King if the Nation were shrunk into one Family they would he governed by a King Upon the same ground stands the Parliament you may pull Christ out of Heaven as well as overthrow the interest of Parliament it may be suspended a while but quite suppressed it cannot Christ will eternally uphold it so the Nation will perpetually and restlesly require it it being the heart and life of the Nation The distinct natures or principles are strongly confirmed by Covenant Oath conscience honour on all parts whereby the Persons in whose hands these interests are are engaged to maintain and uphold their particulars to death And so bound to maintain their own both at a distance from God and from each other as while they save it they lose it being in the dark seperated from God to continue it is its certain death so that it must be and they will have it and in the way it is it cannot but be miserable But these parties are not only thus divided one from another but inplacably set to destroy one another in deadly opposition one to another and so instead of being each others life as they should they are each others death standing directly in the way to each others happines each perswaded that they might be well if their adversaries were gon There is a good and an evill in both the good of each is hid from the other and turned away the bright side the face and the back-parts the weaknesse the foule part in view and sight of each other The Kings party say if it were not for this Parliament and Army the Kingdome would be happy the Parliament and Army say if it were not for King and Cavaliers the Kingdome would be happy Being desperatly with mortall hatred enraged one against another they heartily seeke the destruction of each other and in destroying each other they do destroy them selves for indeed they are
In the Parliament Now is manifest the Son of GOD made flesh and dwelling amongst us Thou art here our Lord incompassed about with infirmities in abundance of weaknesse in temptations feares distresses in so poor a body as thou art not known to them they deny thee kill thee and know not what they do In this forme Thou comest to thy own and thy own receive the not Thou art in them speaking in such dark parables in such confused and un-understood wayes with such a rabble of oppressing Publicans Harlots and sinners about thee that thou art judged a Devil and to mention thee here is blasphemy to all men T is the cry of King and People Away with him away with him he is not worthy to live thou art here loaded with iniquity made sin indeed In the Parliaments assuming the power of the King his Prerogative his revenue we hear the Lord say All that the Father hath hath he given unto me All power in Heaven and in Earth The King is with us we have his power c. Christ saies in this dark poor forme The Father and I am one the Father is me the words that I speak are his and the works that I do He gives me to do them I come from the Father Thus the Son goes forth for a while appeares amongst men and the Father conceals himselfe and is not seen but in the Son and the Son challenging the honour name and power of the Father In the Parliaments undertaking the work of reformation and failing in it We now see the Lord in flesh coming amongst us and entering into The Temple and over turning the mony changers turning out those buiers and sellers those worldly Episcopall party that turn'd religion into a trade and worship into meer gaine and preferment prophesying anew forme a Kingdome but at last lost in it saying I have laboured in vaine I have spent my strength for nought and suffering under this accusation that he would destroy the Templets c. yea the Kingdome too And so the Romans come in and take away both our Place and Nation That he was a rebel to Caesar so crucified in shame betrayed sold and his Disciples leaving of him doubting his word saying We thought he would at this time have Redeemed Israel Our Lord is here in weaknesse failing in his attempts marred in his vizage more then any man so that all turne away their faces from him In the oppressing and confused Government of the Parliament We now see our LORD come not to send peace but a sword to set Father against Son and Son against Father c. Setting two against three and three against two requiring us to leave Father and Mother Houses and Lands for his Name threatning to undoe us and to strip us of all bringing of us to nothing wasting and spoiling the riches of the Nation so disolving of us that we must be borne again new-moulded in a baptisme of bloud In the Parliaments endeavour to preserve the Kingdome to uphold and maintain the freedome of it wee see the love of Christ to the World and his desire of saving it we hear him say Oh England England how often would I have gathered thee c. In the zeal and rage of both parties against each other we see darkly come forth the wrath of God against his enemies God fighting with those that fight against him the fiercenesse of the vengeance of Heaven against his adversaries cursing them raining snares and fire and brimstone upon them Thus doth the holy God dwell with and under the roofe of sinfull man Thou that knowest no sin art made sin Thou livest in those fleshly formes Thou sendest forth spirit and they are created And then doth blow upon them and they dye and wither lose their goodnesse and beauty and are tossed about as vanity as chaffe in the wind That thou mightest destroy them thou commest into the likenesse of sinfull flesh that thou migtest consume sin in the flesh appearest in flesh and so against it and under it that thou mayest at last save it And unfoldest the brightness of thy face and glory to be in perfect and undefiled purity in and under the vilenesse and basenesse of the creatures Chap. XIIII Of the second thing in saving of the Nation The Death of Christ and our fellowship in it AS God bears our sinnes so he suffers under them and we suffer in and with him and thereby is iniquity taken away T is by blood that we have remission of sinne God dwelt in the Kingdom The power of the King it was Gods God was in that majesty and dominion God was in the right and freedome of the Parliament in the peace and happinesse of the Nation in the wealth and honour of the City in the power and strength of the Army in the glory and order of the Church And God suffers in the death of all these he suffers with us loses in our losses not our blood alone but his is shed not our goods onely wasted but the Lords his they are and were and God is in union with them and suffers in them The Lord is made a curse for us our sin hath brought this curse upon God This is a sacrifice well pleasing unto God sufficient for ever to take away iniquity and to appease divine justice Though destruction should for ever wast England it would never be satisfyed but feeding upon the glory of God eating so deep into Englands sides as to reach the heart of God t is time for it to say I have enough let anger cease it doth feed upon God himself Cease to trample upon the head of King Charles God is there thou tramples upon God in him Cease to confound our Parliament Christ is there Cease to destroy the Nation t is a holy and heavenly Nation Now we are reconciled to God we were divided by death now one in death or God so loves us and is so neer to us as to suffer with us and for us our friend indeed that hath layd down his life for us The glorious love of our God is triumphing with us in and over death God is in our misery insulting over it O death I le be thy plague c. and so makes death sweet to us thou art now a lovely bed wherein our Lord and we being uncloathed of life lie down together death rends the vail and takes us into a naked enjoyment of GOD because wee could not live together our earthly in Gods heavenly Kingdome therefore must we die together we die because we have left God and he comes and dyes with us will not live without us but comes into the grave to us so that he might deliver us thence Thou destroying Angell proceed no farther The blood of God cries peace and you English mad to destroy cease crucifying the Lord of glory every wound you make Pierces the heart of God every sad and grieved spirit afflicts God every stone of scorne or