by a free Law and not by constrained Ordinances violently obtruded against our wills upon us The bounds of our Law being Meum Tuum and the Ends Defence and Freedome And therefore we are not free because the Laws do make us free for by our Laws we are bound and must obey But because we have free power to make such Laws unto which we willingly do assent and obey Now that these priviledges of Parliament are confirmed by Law is undeniable and therefore he that violates the least of them is punished as a Law-breaker But that there may be Laws or Acts altered and repealed and no priviledge broken is manifest and one Parliament may and we know doth often alter and abrogate what another did establish and enact Ergo the maintenance of priviledges of Parliament is not to be understood chiefly of the Laws thereby established but of the legislative power priviledges and libertie wherewith they of the Parliament are invested as of right and as I may say in feodo simpli for the doing of whatsoever shall seem good unto them for the honour of the King relief of the Subject and good of the Kingdom the which they lively personate Therefore it is that their power their priviledges and personall liberties which we are more principally bound to defend and most nearly doth this concern us For the life and libertie estate welfare and verie being under God of you and me and of every man and member of this Kingdom is wrapt up in them and their priviledges And if we stand onely in defence of the Laws enacted as they of the * The Kings Army in the North who under colour of maintaining the Law would have imployed their Forces against the Parliament for the support of Bishops Army in pretext would have done and not of their persons and rights to them adherent as they are Parliament men We may have still our old Laws if not our old oppressions but no execution of them our Law-makers being illegally taken from us as wofull experience of late had almost * The case is plain because the accusation was palpable taught us And albeit severall r Asts of Parliament do confirm both Bishops and their Votes in the Lords House yet neither Bishops nor their votes are therefore lawfull nor yet necessarie Neither custome nor antiquitie can justifie falshood or tolerate incommoditie As for Bishops I have spoken somewhat alreadie sufficient as I suppose for this Treatise they are a theme requiring a more ample discussion And as for their votes in Parliament it hath been proved and long since adjudged that a Parliament may be absolute without them * De Doctor Standish 7. H. 8. and often have Laws been made and ratified by the Parliament without them 25. E. 1. and 35. E. 1. and 7. R. 2. and what may be done in this case at one time may be done at any time and therefore it followeth there is no necessitie of them and what should any member unnecessarily do there Besides the Bishops right in Parliament is of another nature then that of the Noble Peers for that of the Peers is inherent and hereditary but the Bishops theirs is onely durante bene placito during the Kings pleasure or so long as they shall please him For they sit there but by their Masters favour and what hope of good from him that is disswaded through fear or perswaded for favour Again it is incongruous and inconsistent with their * See the Speech of the Right Honorable the Lord Say against the temporall power of Bishops function The Bishops have often used that Proverbe Ne sutor ultra crepidam let no man meddle out of his calling to silence the just reproofs against them when as indeed it might more justly have been objected to them Ne Episcopus verò ultra Ecclesiam But let not a Bishop leave the Church But I will desist from further prosecution of this point because blessed be God we have our desire in this matter most rightfully alreadie granted Howsoever thus much may suffice to prove that such as have petitioned against Bishops and their votes in Parliament have done nothing against their oath as my Author doth subtilly infer but truly done their duty and discharged their conscience And so I come to my Authors third ground in these words following fol. 3. viz. Thirdly I am bound by the said Protestation to s maintain and The Authors 3. ground defend the lawfull rights and liberties of the Subject and if this extend to every subiect in particular much more to a Parliament man Now they being Subiects and their rights and liberties being lawfull I am bound to maintain them so far as lawfully I may in those lawfull rights and liberties Again the t making and repealing of laws for the good of the Common-wealth is a speciall and peculiar power priviledge and right proper t onely to Parliaments Therefore not to be v forcedor coacted by me being no Parliament man For that may be lawfull and warrantable in my governours to do by reason which is altogether unlawfull and unwarrantable in me to require by will This is rather to be a tyrannicall w Judge then a legall witnesse to break Laws rather then to preserve them and in stead of Reformation to bring in confusion Here is much chaffe but little corn Now he acknowledgeth that he is bound to s maintain the lawfull rights and libertiâ—s of Answer every subiect and therefore much more of Parliament men before he takes care onely for the established Laws but as for the Law-makers he argueth nothing I had almost thought him to be of those that would lately have had them in prison And again here he grants that it is onely t proper to Parliament men to make Laws and repeal them the which I am sure they can never do without their liberty to convene and consult and therefore as I have already said it is not so much the established Laws as the power priviledges and personall liberties of Parliament men whilest they are so and do onely what is meet that we must defend Nor hath any man assumed this power and proprietie but they as I know though my Author doth insinuate t so Unlesse it be such as would limit their Councels and propose them a way after their own fancies accounting all that is done by the Parliament contrary to their crooked will and liking to be contrary both to law and justice for there is a generation with whom onely quod libet licet what pleaseth is lawfull But the Petitioners are not of this kind and therefore not thus presumptious for they onely sue for justice not directing but begging redresse But toward the end my Author imputes an enforcement v or coaction to such as petition them What impulsion he meaneth I am ignorant for I am privie to none I am sure not that * By the Cavalliers and broken Souldiers martiall commination Januar. 4.
THE PETITIONERS VINDICATION from CALVMNIE and ASPERSION And the Young Mans Animation to the building up of ZION Published in their Defence against a scurrilous Book or Pamphlet lately written against them by I. W. and scandalously intituled Petitions against Bishops and their Votes in Parliament Subscribed unto after a Clandestine delivered after a tumultuous manner and falsly going under the name of a whole County or Town proved to be both contrary to our late taken Protestation as also utterly unlawfull by many other cleare and evident Reasons Now answered and refuted and Petitions delivered unto the PARLIAMENT by impregnable reasons proved to be both lawfull and according to the Petitioners duty and the late taken Protestation With many other remarkable passages worthy of observation By T. Robinson Veritati Devotum Prov. 26. 24 25. He that hateth will counterfeit with his lips but in his heart he layeth up deceit Though he speak favourably beleeve him not for there are seven abominations in his heart LONDON Printed by T. P. and M. S. and are to be sold at the Castle in Cornhill 1642. COurteous Reader for your better understanding of this Book I have first recited the Author of the book I answer his matter with the folio of his book wherein it is then as I handle his particular sayings or assertions I denote them alphabetically both in his matter and mine as for example In his Ingression or entrance fo 2. of this book he saith viz. For him who is but a private subject and no Law-maker to give his hand in a factious way c. I first undertaking to clear that scandall set the letter a at the words factious way and so likewise in my answer thereunto And thus throughout the whole Treatise that wheresoever a letter by it self is in any part of my Answer you may look back to the same in my Authors argument just precedent and discern more plainly the thing by him affirmed or implyed and by me refuted And if I had not so done I know not how you would rightly have understood him For he hath observed neither rule or method in his discourse or argument but heapeth up many things confusedly together thereby to perplex the mind and darken reason that so like a cunning Merchant he may the better in a bundle put off his suffisticated ware for sound and currant unto men T. R. THE PETITIONERS VINDICATION FROM Calumnie and Aspersion And the Young Mans Animation to the building up of ZION THe Author of the aforesaid book folio 1. doth by way of Introduction first imply the importuning will of some friend by him there called Mr. Cachisme for his hand to a Petition such as by his discourse appeares have of late by severall parts and persons of this Kingdom been delivered to the Honorable House of Parliament Secondly his unwillingnesse to subscribe the same and willing mind to satisfie him therefore albeit as he saith he shall be alwayes readie and willing not onely to give his hand but his heart and purse likewise for the good of the Common-weal County or Parish wherein he lives and for that cause hath been both active and passive severall yeers together Where he properly liveth or what his proper name is I know not nor hath he declared it may be he doth here but reside or sojourn upon some negotiation and his true living may be in Spaine France Flanders or elsewhere and so what he hath apologized may be * For the good of the common weal County or parish wherin he lives good otherwise the sequell of his writing in my judgement doth plainly render him evilly affected to our good viz. to the Republique of this our England and the common cause in hand For his pretended satisfaction tends meerly to the diminution of the courage and constancie of good men the freezing of the cold and the incouragement of the wickedly bold And his Ingression But for me who am but a private Subject c. is palpably a slye insinuation of a matter of * The best glosses are often put on the worst commodities and the worst wine into the purest glasses The Authors Ingression conscience for the not subscribing his friends Petition the better the reby to gain credence and perswâ—sion from the hearts of people and that principally from the greater multitude the ignorant and indifferent But by the way a word of that viz. But for me who am but a private b subject a c Protestant and no d Law-maker to give my hand in a factious a way and without e command from Authoritie to will that there should be f no Bishops and that they shall have no voice in the House g of Peers is against my h conscience and that i light of reason and understanding which I have received And I dare not comply with the k distempers of the people and follow the streame of a multitude to do evill on these grounds follooeing Ye have him in his own words verbatim Lo here he concludes both Petitions and Petitioners to the House of Parliament to be a * Mark doth he not impudently asperse the whole Parliament hereby as if they did countenance both factions and factious persons for they accepted both the Petitioners and their Petitions factious a phrase wholly scandalous Answer and used to deter others For what disturbance or commotion was thereby either plotted or practised through them either against King or State what breach of Law or publique peace only as members sensible of the great jeopeardy the whole Body was in they humbly fought for redresse to the Fountain of succour and justice And every one as a private b man hath an interest in the publique state and cause of the Land For it is not onely one mans cause but every ones and we are all members one of another And as every particular member doth participate of the universall health or sicknesse of the body and as every member naturall doth grow and prosper according to the distemperature or sound constitution of the heart or brain from whence and on which its whole life and motion doth depend so is it in every member politique And as the members corporall being hurt sick or any wayes grieved do by a naturall instinct and way inscrutable forthwith look and send unto the prime parts before named for strength and comfort yea and secretly excite all the other parts also to be assistant So questionlesse may the members of the Body politique finding themselves wounded weakned and many wayes grieved by their oppressive foes and distractive fears lawfully look up and by humble Petition sue unto the King and Parliament both which are one the verie heart and head life and being of this pristine land and Nation and of every true member of the same yea and invite others also to assist them therein The woman in her distresse cried to the King of Israel for help when it was not in his power to help 2
King 6. 26 27. And shall not we pray help my Lord O King Nay help O ye Noble Senators ye Parliament in whose power it is through Gods good hand upon them to help us For blessed be our God our case is not yet like the womans And if mine Author be a c Protestant as he boasteth himself and that in re and not onely nomine he ought the rather to sue in the Protestants behalf and be the more forward in promoting their cause unlesse he be a withered branch and live insensible of the generall calamitie and so more fit to be cut off then nourished Who will seek and sue if the Protestant do not neither the Papist nor the Atheist nay who should seek but the Protestant For his cause it is even his onely But mine Author is like the men of Ephraim that being called would not go Judg. 12. 2. and will abuse his brethren for going ver 4. But let him take heed as like as he would seem to be a * Anguis later sub herba Gileadite he will be found but an Ephraemite he pronounceth Sibboleth for Shibboleth ver 6. And if none but d Law-makers ought to petition then the Parliament men themselves should onely petition and what needed that know they not their own minds and if the thing to wit petitioning be ipso facto unlawfull as he argueth against the Petitioners then I conceive it is much more unlawfull in the Law-makers as in Majore then it is in others But if it be lawfull in the Law-makers as by that word d Law-maker he inferres then it is also lawfull in others and so in the Petitioners Besides freedome of information and to make our grievances known is a chiefe priviledge of Parliament and of us by the Parliament And what e command more authentique then liberty confirmed by Law And although many have petitioned that there may be f no Bishops yet have they but done what they ought and what their oath doth require For both their standings and present titles as shall hereafter be fully proved are altogether Popish and unlawfull and to will that these Prelates may have no Votes in the house g of Peers who can deny it to be a thing not onely lawfull but expedient for can a man serve two Masters no more can they serve two offices And therefore all this sure can become no such heavy burthen to my Authors h conscience especially having received so much i light as he boasteth of Nor need he fear to comply herein with the people for these their humble supplications cannot by any judicious Doctors be accounted k distempers Indeed well he may do not to follow the l stream of a multitude to do evil for at this time it is so violent and strong as that perhaps it may suddenly carry him to ruine headlong But the Petitioners part is not this multitude for comparatis comparandis comparing them with the Adversaries they are but a manuall And it is certain they are fewer in number that desire the good of Zion and of the Citie Jerusalem then they that hate it But all this by the way upon his Exordium or Entrance Now to his grounds and I will repeate them in his own words as followeth fol. 2. of his book viz. First because I have by the example and recommendation of the The Authors 1. ground Parliament solemnly m taken the Protestation whereby I have seriously protested to maintain and defend so farre as lawfully I may the o true reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the doctrine of the Church of England against all n Poperie and Popish Innovations contrary to the said doctrine Now in the 36. Article of the said expressed doctrine the office of Bishops is inclusively confirmed Here he confesseth himself solemnly to have m taken the Protestation for the maintenance of the true Reformed Protestant Religion Answer and yet is his writing against all such as according to this Protestation and their conscience do arise and apply themselves to the maintenance and defence of the same Religion making the Protestation which is the very ground and strongest obligation of the Petitioners performance his prime argument to dehort them therefrom so perniciously inverting the end of the Protestation as if it had been ordained and by the Worthies of the Land taken and to us commended rather for the quenching that little love of the truth and zeal of Gods worship which is in men then any wayes to inflame and excitate the same and for the shutting men up in silence and tying them up from action rather then to imbolden and strengthen them both by word and deed to further the work of Reformation and the building up of the house of God And although he hath sworn to defend this Religion against all n Poperie and Popish Innovations yet he maketh his oath the cause of his refusing to joyn with others in lawfull means for the defence thereof and thus he overthroweth his first * As read and mark it ground and plea from thence For if the Protestation doth bind a man as indeed it doth and so himself confesseth to defend the true reformed Protestant Religion and to oppose all Poperie and Popish innovations how then is he left free what excuse can it be to him not onely for his sitting still and giving way to Poperie for he that is not with us is against us but also for his opposition against such as in discharge of their oath do stir in defence of the true Protestant Religion and expulsion of poperie and popish Innovation The Protestation hath not Twinnes in it it comprehends not contraries nor doth it leave a man to his own pleasure Therefore being thus taken by him it doth for his negligence and aversenesse plainly condemne him and better had it been for him never to have taken it then having taken it not to keep it Eccles 5. 4. for the oath is not with man but with God When the people of Judah and Benjamin had sworn and entred into covenant with God Ezra 9. 5. so soon as the Priest had told them their sin and what they should do to glorifie God they presently consent and put it in practise ver 10 11 12. We have sworn and entred covenant with our God and our Priests the faithfull Ministers of God have told us our sin and what the strange thing is we must put from us that God may be glorified by us and is it not lawfull for us to sue for a Bill of divorcement yea to divorce our selves For we have loved our strange Ceremonies and Service as well as ever the Jews loved their strange wives And although we lay not hands upon vain crosses and pictures Copes and Surplices Organs and Cornets and the rest of the Whores Dresse yet give us leave at least to petition that they may be all abolished and that with all Israel 2 Chron. 31. 1. we may now at length break down all the
for in all his discourse he doth not so much as blow upon it And what way more humble and lesse offensive then supplication and what way more submisse and tolerable then petition Sure he is rapt in the spirit intimating divine deprication then which with God nothing indeed is more forcible But I think I may rather say unto him Satin ' sanus es is he well in his wits for what is more lawfull nay more needfull and commendable then to ask things lawfull whether from God above or of the gods belowe especially with this conclusion humbly subjecting to their grave wisedom as it is well known all our Petitioners have done Again what man distempered in mind sick or maimed in body or crazed in estate will not discover to his Divine Physitian or Lawyer his grief yea and the cause too if he can earnestly imploring help and comfort from him nay not cease untill if it may be he hath in some good measure obtained it And hath not the whole mind and body to wit both the Ministery and Magistracie of the Land and every living member thereof been grievously distempered sick and wounded and whom should we inform and make acquainted with our desperate maladies and their causes But that most wise and ever approved skilfull Minister Physitian and Lawyer the all healing Parliament whom we have chosen and in whom under our God we do confide for the diligent search of our distempers redresse of our grievances reparations of our estates and restauration of our perfect health and strength again Yet as the Patient doth alway find and feele somewhat more in himself then the Doctor can discover or discern So doth the great Patient our Land and Kingdom find and feele many close and inward griefs which that learned Doctor the Parliament cannot of it self espie and therefore on necessitie must be by their great Patient the people informed of or else they can minister no remedie My Author hath forgot the old Rule Egrotare malum sed pejus nolle sanarl It is ill to be sick but much worse not to seek cure Besides he is but an ill servant and a negligent that while his master is busie in private consultation within or in serious examination of his estate will not have a carefull eye into the shop and affaires abroad and in case he discry any danger theft or other evill act do not speedily give his master notice for remedy The happie Parliament is our Privie Councell Chamber or the great withdrawing roome of the Kingdom where they as so many great State Masters do sit in consultation and strict examination of our publique estate and welfare The whole Land is the shop of all manner of intercourse and negotiation We should prove our selves but very bad members remisse servants and carelesse if while our great Masters were thus busied within we should not once look about in the shop in the common-wealth every man according to his severall place and if we see or foresee any evill present or approaching not yeeld them intelligence that so they may happily make prevention And now do I remember the urgencie yea and the varietie of vehement arguments the poore widow of Tekoah used to bring back banished Absolom 2 Sam. 14. 4. to 21. a wretch and of no relation to her Ought not we much more to be instant and that by many Petitions with our David with our Parliament who are indeed even as an Angel of God in hearing of good and bad therefore the Lord their God be with them vers 17. for the bringing back not of a murderous Absolom but a poore dejected distressed Kingdom spoiled and stabbed as I may say to the very heart not by one but many faire looked false-hearted Absoloms yea and as all the people throughout the Tribes of Israel 2 Sam. 19. 9. were at strife to bring back David to his Kingdom whom ambitious Absolom his unnaturall sonne had put to flight so why should not we contend what City what company and what County should be formost with our pains and petitions to bring back I cannot say our King Charles from exile God forbid but I may say * His Person to his Parliament his ancient glory and honour and the old renown of this Land and Nation which the aspiring Absoloms of our time unnaturall Brats have so farre as they could even put to flight and banished out of sight yea out of many a heart And I know no sound and honest heart can deem this a mark of a w tyrannicall Judge or an illegall witnesse or of a transgressour of the Laws or one that seeketh confusion as my Author implyeth against the Petitioners But he will say they came with weapons as swords bils staves c. It is true but neither to offend nor enforce but to defend their own persons from such as for their good will to the common good * As Lunsford and his company the Bishops imps and Dam-me Boies at Whitehall did maligne them and to their eternall contempt and odium be it spoken did despightfully use them And thus much for his third ground Now you shall hear his fourth fol. 4. viz. I am likewise obliged to maintain the Kings royall person honour The Authors 4. ground and estate and to preserve the union and peace between the three kingdoms much more among our selves Now there is no better way thereunto then to x keep his laws for both the honour and safety of the King the liberty and peace of the Kingdom and welfare of them both are involved in them Here is little to be gainsaid for who knoweth not that the Answer prime way to honour his Majestie and to preserve peace in the Kingdom and common-wealth is to keep and obey the Laws provided alway they oppugne not Gods Laws and I would they had been alway kept as they should have been and then we should have had lesse trouble at this time Yet one thing more then meer obedience to the Law is every one that hath taken the Protestation bound unto that is to do their best to bring every one that doth disobey the Laws to condigne punishment otherwise there can be but little peace be you and I never so obedient and the best way to conserve peace is to endeavour the correction of all the perturbers thereof which are the violators of the Laws the bonds of our peace and herein have the Petitioners but justly also fulfilled their oath in praying the execution of the Laws upon all Recusants and Delinquents who have ever been the onely Authors of our unquietnesse seeking still to break our bands our Laws and to cast our cords to wit our Statutes from them But as for my Author I do not understand that he desireth any such execution for he rather judgeth the Petitioners for justice breakers of the Laws then keepers of them and this he secretly x implyeth though not openly averreth And so I come to his fifth ground
thereof is odious even as that of a rotten sepulchre Insomuch that he may justly be challenged for one of those the Psalmist denotes Psal 5. 9. But herein he resembles those shagg headed Sages who call the Kings best Subjects * Thus it is said the Damme Boyes or Long-heads at Yorke served the Lincolnshire Gentlemen others that petitioned the King to return to His Parliament Round-heads I am sure they are Grosse Heads making good the old Proverbe More haire then wit Meere Caca-fucoes and would you know whose Agents Plutoes But their madnesse is apparant to all men and their own venome will in the end burst them For were not the Petitions and the Petitioners purposes evermore notified and made known even before they came up and presented them how then were they done in private and in the night time it may be some mans hand might be had in the night whose businesse kept him all day abroad Truly they may rather be said to have done it on the house top so publique have they been Nor is there any reason why they should be so close in this good action For of whom should they be afraid it is neither Rebellion Treason nor Commotion the black deeds of Papists and Bishops which they contrived and what man good and wise would go about to barre them of so just a priviledge And for that he saith they did it without the l consent and commission of Authoritie I answer They had authoritie both strong and sufficient First their own right Secondly the Parliament the onely object of their suits a Commission better then any that issued out of the High Commission and such a one as my Author though perhaps he love them not dares not question For this is one of the prime proprieties appertaining unto Parliaments to receive and hear the grievances of the people and a grand priviledge of the Subjects freely without curb or prohibition of Magistrates and Officers to * See the right worthy Worthy Sir Arthur Haselriggs Speech in defence of himself and the other accused Members impart their grievances and seek for relief to the Parliament And if we might not petition without the Sheriffes Magistrates and Officers consent of the City or County where we live we should be but still in bondage For our task-masters would but revile us when we should come to crave their assents and say with my Author that we were idle and factious For it may be these are the very causes we must complain of and it cannot be that they will write against themselves And so the evill causes might still remain and we poore Subjects still groane under the miserable effects For the evill the Parliament knoweth not it cannot amend Besides admit that not onely Magistrates but all sorts of people as there are too many evilly affected should dissent to joyn with me in petition for redresse and reformation Is it unlawfull therefore for me to petition because I am left alone and the cause is diserted of all men No. to omit private interest and respect In case that the welfare and being of the Land and Nation City or Countrey where I live and whereof I am member is in jeopardy and danger I ought and it is my bounden dutie though it be with my life in my hand to make known the distresses thereof to the Ministers raised by God for preservation and redresse and also to use those means God hath put into my hands for the redemption and deliverance of that place and people Read that history of Esther from the 4. Chap. to the last Ecclesiastes 9. 14 15. Then he further shamelesly affirmeth that people are thereby m ingaged to break their Protestation he might better have said they were thereby ingaged to keep their Protestation for that had been truth But this is like the rest and ill will never spake well For is a certifying of their griefs with humble supplication that they may be eased and all things troublesome to conscience against which they have vowed removed a breach of their Protestation Contrarium verò verum It is onely the reall keeping of it indeed had they been perswaded to subscribe for the maintenance of such things as they have protested against then had my Author hit the nail on the head But none of them against whom he intends have been thus * As were of late some Kentish men insnared and therefore-his words here are both unjust and scandalous Neither have any been n enforced as he despightfully speaks to subscribe their hands for their own free wils have been their first movers and their own understandings their chief Councellors Nor is their ground or reason to force any in this action where is their authority where their justification neither would it ought avail or be profitable Yea it would prove very pernicious and prejudiciall But because my Author hath seen such great multitudes to accord in this thing therefore I beleeve the greater hath his spight and grief been And now I hope I have effectually proved those works by my Author injuriously called unlawfull and works of darknesse to be both lawfull and works of the light as clear as the Sun in his strength And whereas he saith they will not o endure the light Omnibus est notum It is well known to all men they have endured the very eye of light for all they against which my Author writes have had the full approbation and kind acceptation of the Parliament who are even as an Angel of light And so I come to his second and third cause why he is not satisfied with their manner of proceeding For I will put them both together because they are both of a nature fo 6. 7. viz. Secondly it is justly to be feared that these wayes are sinister in The Authors 2. and 3. cause the undertakers being very probable that some of them do it out of ill will hatred and malice as well to the government and governours or for favour and affection to some whom they suppose it pleaseth or for q gain and profit or fear of displeasure of p Landlords and Customers or for r vain glory that it may be said this is the Babell which they have wrought with their own hands and some few of those shall ingage and prejudice others and not without cause as it is to be feared by false informations and reasons to make men subscribe Thirdly the like sinister proceedings are to be supposed in the subscriber These kind of wayes by tumults and multitudes without legall allegations and probations to compasse that by will which you cannot obtain by reason is of a dangerous t consequence and threatens u the subversion of all government and governours For which of them be they never so good shall be secure if the multitude of distempered people please to will the contrary These cause much distractions hinder the s proceedings of the State and the relief of the oppressed breake
assured that i sin is the prime cause of all my sufferings and I fear that ingratitude in not being thankefull and walking worthy of those great mercies received hath been a principall cause why God hath shut the hearts of some of our Governours at this present as is much feared This whole argument is good and godly let the Devill have Answer his due and worthy of practise in all Protestants yet it tends nothing to prove that the Petitions against which my Author hath undertaken his discourse are unlawfull or that the authors of them hath therein acted any thing either against God or man And I do confesse that for the wickednes of a people God sendeth wicked Governors and that i sin is the prime cause of all our miseries But that ingratitude or other sin of the people is the principall cause why God doth shut up the hearts of Governours I do deny that is their own wickednesse Witnesse Pharaoh and Saul 1 Sam. 15. 23. 26. Many people have suffered for their Governours but to my knowledge I never read that ever any Governour suffered for the people Saul the hypocrite dealeth falsely and slayeth the Gibeonites but the people endure three yeers famine for it 2 Sam. 25. 1 2. So David sinneth but the people are plagued 1 Chron. 21. 7. 17. For the sin of Manasseh the King was all Judah carried captive 2 King 24. 3 4. And were they not the high Priests and Elders that crucified Christ yet was the whole Nation therefore destroyed And that it is the Governors own sin that causeth God to harden them I further prove it thus They having a will to fin and no regard unto God nor unto his word therefore doth he in his just judgement give them up to a reprobate mind to do things that are not convenient Rom. 1. 28. 30. Had Gods Word been by Saul regarded Saul by God had never been rejected And thus fall they to sin the more freely and abuse their authoritie eating up Gods people as bread untill God by their hand hath sufficiently punished them and then doth he break those rods in peeces and consume them in his wrath for the evill of the people shall not excuse their ungodly government no nor extenuate their judgement And so I proceed again as followeth fo 12. viz. Sixthly I know God will correct his children for their sins and in The Author the exceution of his judgements on the world he will begin at his own house either to work out sin or to work in grace or to make that grace more manifest which is already wrought I know that the end of Gods correction is reformation till then if smaller afflictions will not prevail greater shall if not one kind then another if the sword of our enemies do not the swords peradventure of our own amongst our selves shall if not they peradventure the pestilence or the famine or some other shall sundrie of which sometimes come together to let the world know that our afflictions come not immediate from any one k secondary or instrumental cause but that it is from the will and pleasure of the Almighty so to order and to dispose it who will not take off his judgements as the effects till our sins as the cause be removed Herein likewise is nothing to be gainsaid Onely I must still Answer notifie that whatsoever is here alledged doth not justifie mine Authors clandestine aspersions against the aforementioned Petitioners and Petitions or any wayes condemne therein either their actions or persons That our afflictions come not immediately from any k secondarie cause who knoweth not Is there evill in the City and God doth it not Amos 3. 6. Lam. 3. 38. Yet this doth not therefore prove that such instruments as aâ—â— manifestly the secondarie causes of our troubles either justifiable or tolerable And as mine Author would not have us account the Bishops the immediate cause of our perturbation and affliction so I wish he would advise them not to take us for the onely cause of their shamefull fall and confusion but their own detestable impietie and abomination the which the righteous Lord hath justly brought on the heads of them to the astonishment of the whole earth So I come again to his own words fo 13. viz. Seventhly I dare not l use any unlawfull means to ease mine The Author affliction I know no better way then by m humiliation and prayer to God for a sight of those sins whereby I had provoked him to wrath and for grace and true repentance for the same and remission by the merits of my Savâ—our Jesus Christ And then to apply my self with all diligence to all lawfull means to remove them yet I am not to put too much n confidence in them I could never yet find any benefit by o impatience under the hand of the Almighty I have found more afflictions procured thereby and I am assured that the Church and children of God never lost by their p patient suffering What this man l dare not do I am sure as yet we have not Answer done as hath been plainly proved albeit he secretly involves our rebuke in his dare not For as not he so no man can prove a petitionary way unlawfull and other means then humble petitions and modest solicitations there hath been none used by us excepting that principall means of m humiliation by himself so much preferred the which by the goodnesse of our King and Parliament hath rather been president then subsequent to our other endeavours And I verily beleeve men have been so farre from putting too much n confidence in the use of means as that they have not given due credit to the promise of God made unto them For how many but a while since did even despaire * Witnesse every mans arming himself and standing upon his guard notwithstanding the means used And of o impatience who can reprove us what people have so easily subjected their necks to such grievous yokes as we have done and that not for daies but yeers illegal taxes impoverishing Patents forcible impositions popish Inquisitions cruell censures and bloody sufferings And now the waters are moved God hath sent his Angel to cure us shall we not stir shall we not enter shall we not lay hold upon so happie an occasion if we cannot make means our selves we may with the lame man at the pool of Bethesda sit still long enough there are none so charitable many otherwise to make means for us We have not with the traiterous Papists rebelled for our oppressions but like a woman with child patiently waited though in great anguish the Lords appointed time for our deliverance and it being come and we in pain may we not seek for help to the Midwife of our heavy burthens the skilfull Parliament yes doubtlesse lawfully and ready and willing are we to undergo whatsoever charge or trouble they shall enjoyn and put upon us so that we