Selected quad for the lemma: parliament_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
parliament_n	king_n	kingdom_n	treaty_n	2,512	5	9.3701	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40962	An expedient for the king, or, King Charls his peace-offering, sacrificed at the altar of peace, for a safe and well-grounded peace the welfare and happiness of all in generall, and every subject in particular, of his kingdom of England Behold! all ye that passe by, stand stil, and see the wonderful salvation of the Lord, which he hath wrought for the people of this kingdom, by his servant King Charls : Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God : Aske of the King, and he shal give you not stones, for bread, nor scorpions, for fish / studied and published for the honour of the King, and his posterity, and the universall happiness of the whole kingdom of England, by Richard Farrar, Esq.	Farrar, Richard, Esq.	1648 (1648)	Wing F520; ESTC R8687	30,129	43

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 A●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

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

what our Saviour saith Matth. 24. 48. But if that evil servant shall say in his heart my lord delayeth his coming and shall begin to smite his fellow servants c. The Lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not aware of and shall cut him assunder and appoint him his portion with Hypocrites there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth Our Saviour denonneeth all this woe but for smiting of a fellow servant what would he have said of Plundering Murdering Ravishing utterly ruining the poor the Fatherlesse and the widows This is violence in a high degree and how Guilty the Souldiers of this land on both sides King and Parliament have been in all this seven years war I leave to God to judge and those to lament it who have seen and felt it I know will the common question shall we stand still and have our Throates cut I say not so I know offences must come Christ says it but he likewise saith woe be to them by whom offences doe come And the Apostle sayes have Peace with all men if it be possible he doeth not for all that add but if you cannot have Peace Peacefully fight kill c. O no he could not preach such a doctrine how easy were it to spend sheets of paper to prove this by very texts of Scripture viz. the unlawfulnesse and wickednesse of war yet I am no Anabaptist Are the works of war from the Principles of light and love if so well and good happy your souls if not and there be self-interest in it Pride Malice Rage Revenge Ill yea ill indeed is it with your souls without Repentance no man repents who forsakes not the evill way●● I am sure those works come out of the Principle of Fire and darknesse out of Hell it self And such a people such a God saith the Psalmist His servants ye are whom ye obey with the froward thou art Froward and with the holy thou art holy saith the Psalmist speaking of God God still But God in his Excellency is Love for God saith the Apostle is Love and for certain the Children of God are the sons of Peace My Peace I leave with you was our Saviours Legacy To conclude no man I say no Man must doe evil that good may come of it and I am sure our war for these eight years hath done no good in Church or state though God knows best where a True Church is and we poor subjects can at the present scarce discern where the state is involved on all hands with misteries and ruines And for any man be he Emperour or King State or Republick I am confident the sin as great yea greater then great in the eyes of God to begin a War and if the hearts of such were searched as God can doth and will it would be found it is Self-Interest let them plead and say what they wil and to fight for Religion for Reformation be they who they will they have no true Christian Religion in them Religion by all Kings since Christs time hath been made but the stalking horse to catch up their other ends in the world Without holiness no man shall see God Is there holiness in War be not deceived God will not be mocked Let the Souldier therefore lay by all Self-Interest in your Declarations you have professed it and seek the Peace of the Kingdom the setling of the King in his just Rights Him and his Children the Parliament in their Priviledges the Subject in their true Liberties from Tyrannical Government and Arbitrary too You have promised it do it and the King I beleeve is ready to perform his part but do it by Love by Peace and God shall bless you and you shall find rest to your souls but if you proceed to do it by blood on that you will have a Peace of your own moulding I pray remember your own words p. 4. nothing more abhorring to you then a new flame of War I fear that will not discover the practise of Self-Denial to be yet embraced of you and had you all your desires for this world as I am confident the Souldiers profession Kings and Subjects have rarely or never obtained their hopes the reason is the blood that is by them spilt which God abhors Look upon the King of Swede see his end kil'd in a Battel by one of his own side it is thought and see yet how his people fare and what rest have they or when are they like to have any Yet what shall it profit a man saith Christ beleeve him ye men of War to win the whole world that 's more then a Kingdom and lose his own soul I speak to all who adore and dote on that Heathen God Mars War rightly interpreted according to the Dialect of the Holy Ghost by the Apostles in divers places the very Devil himself Now the works of the flesh saith S. Paul Gal. 5. 19. are manifest which are these Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witcheraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murthers Drunkenness Revelings and such like of the which I tell you now as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not wherit the Kingdom of God But the Fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against such there is no Law And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit Let us not be desirous of vain-glory provoking one another envying one another You have held out Reformation in Church and State take heed of Deformation in both or rather utter ruin of all where is your Commission to proceed in blood Learn of me saith Christ for I am humble and meek Is there meekness in War He that taketh up the sword shall perish with the sword saith Christ I know well he once asked his Disciples for a sword he was answered there were two he said it was enough and perhaps thought it too much he did not bid them use it nor did he ever make use of it or command it but the contrary You are Subjects as well as I am remember you are so and you are or were Servants also to the Parliament who employed you Act both parts according to Reason and Religion and then this bleeding Kingdom shall ow no small share of its happiness to you but if you fail to do it assure your selves the end cannot be good Love is the fulfilling of the Law Now the God of Peace and the Peace of God which passeth all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the Fear and Love of God c. So prays he that beleeves no man should dare to say the Lords Prayer Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us if he wash his hands in the

AN EXPEDIENT FOR THE KING OR King Charls his Peace-Offering Sacrificed at the ALTAR of PEACE For a safe and well-grounded Peace the welfare and happiness of all in generall and every subject in particular of this His Kingdom of ENGLAND Behold all ye that passe by stand stil and see the wonderful Salvation of the LORD which he hath wrought for the people of this Kingdom by his servant KING CHARLS Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shal be called the children of God Aske of the King and he shal give you Not Stones For Bread Nor Scorpions For Fish Studyed and Published for the honour of the King and his Posterity and the Universall happiness of the whole Kingdom of England BY RICHARD FARRAR Esq Printed in the Year MDCXLVIII TO The Kings most excellent Majesty Most Gracious Soveraign IT is the saying of Solomon the pen-man of the Holy Ghost and the wisest King that ever was Prov. 21. 1. The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water he turneth it whithersoever he pleaseth I a poor despicable man despicable because poor do presume out of my sincere loyal affection and duty to Your Majesty and my earnest desire for the re-uniting of You with Your Parliament and Subjects of this Kingdom to offer or rather to sacrifice my weak Conceptions to Your gracious Acceptance or Refusal Sir We are all in an Egyptian darkness be You but pleased to cause the Sun-shine of your Mercy and Goodness to break out upon Your poor Subjects of this Kingdom and there is great hope we may soon be delivered from this fearful Confusion whereinto we are faln For my own part I beleeve Your Majesties not being conscious of the misery Your poor Subjects are in in regard of the unkingly restraint You are for the present unhappily under is the cause You cannot be so zealous as otherwise you would to redress it and that your want of knowledg of the present conjuncture of Affairs is that which renders Your People so infinitely miserable that they are ready every minute to precipitate themselves into the Gulf of Despair It is said of Almighty God There is mercy with him that he may be feared and his mercy is over or above all his works And I beleeve without least flattery I speak it that there is abundance of Mercy and Bowels of Compassion with You towards Your poor Subjects that You may be both loved and feared and that Your Mercy will shower it self down to the amazement reproach of those that seem not to beleeve it Did I say Your Mercy yea and Your Justice also even against Your self in the voluntary clouding of Your own Princely Royalty and that Prince who shadows his own Glory meerly for the good of his Subjects is a rare Pattern And the first giver of so great an unexampled Example must needs render himself glorious to all Posterity Sir in the first place I presume with boldness enough I confess yet will I not flatter you so much as to say I beg Your Majesties pardon for it to remember you that Self-Denial is the only way to happiness Temporal here Eternal hereafter and had it been but a little practised on all hands by the three Estates of Parliament at the beginning or budding forth of these unhappy differences although Malice it self cannot but say that Your Majesty acted Your part and the very Lepers of Samaria shall one day rise up in Judgment against some and say that that was a day of good tydings and they ungratefully held their Peace In Your abolishing of Monopolies putting down the Star-Chamber disannulling the High Commission Court outing of Bishops from the House of Peers Regulating the Councel Table granting of Triennial Parliaments and continuing of This not to be dissolved without the consent of both Houses Your Majesty and Your People had not felt Gods heavy hand as You and They have done for these seven years past and yet do but for me to presume to tell Your Majesty what Self-Denial is were a most unpardonable offence And yet for Your Majesty to beleeve that this Peace-Offering which You sacrifice to the good and happiness of Your People in this sad condition Your Majesty is in and the most miserable one They are plunged into can be happily begun without Self-Denial on Your part first and then all the Peoples part also is so far as I can apprehend in Reason and Religion altogether unpossible and by the sequel of my discourse I doubt not but to make good the Truth of it at the Full Sir look into Your own heart and see whether informer times You were not more Your own or others who abused you then Your Subjects universally The word Proprium is of a neer relation and I doubt whether it sits not as close to the hearts of Kings as of Subjects which your Majesty well knows is not compatible with Self-Denial Sir You are a great Monarch true yet You are but a Steward nomine re a Steward of the great House of the Common-wealth and one day it shall be said to You as to the Steward in the Gospel Redde Rationem Give an Account of thy Stewardship And the Accounts of Kings are of a vast extent Sir You are a Sheepherd also a Sheepherd of a great Flock our Saviour calls himself a Sheepherd the great Sheepherd of Israel and he tells you a good Sheepherd will dye for his Sheep he did so And S. Paul Phil. 2. 5. speaking of our Saviour Christ and there deducing him from all eternity to time hath these words Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Wherefore God highly exalted him c. And shal I doubt Your Majesty will imitate our blessed Saviour in all you can I doubt it not He prayed for his persecutors and taught us so to do He forgave his enemies that crucified him even upon the Cross Father forgive them they know not what they do nay he dyed for them who dyed saith the Apostle for the sins of the whole world You are not desired Sir to dye out of the world or to part with Your Soul by a Sequestration of it from your body for then we were miserable Let the greatest curse that ever fell on the head of any man fall on that head that hath but such a wish or thought in his heart All you have to do or suffer is but to part with a sillable or two from one single word a few letters cut off from that Monster as the People call it although there hath been held out to them for a long time a more Prodigious one

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 f●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

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