to your Soveraigne and there is none that have hazarded their lives and lost their liberties and estates for him their Religion Lawes liberties and propertie but would be ready and willing upon a resettlement of all these without any more blood and other publike calamities to catch at and embrace any reasonable propositions and kisâ—e the beautifull feete of such propounders As therefore yee have tryed many other waies for procuring peace and they have all failed you â—o be intreated for Christs sake who is the Prince of peace and the propitiation for our sinnes to make tryall of this way of acknowledging your sinnes and forsaking them which never yet failed any and which is so infallible as that God himselfe gives that as the reason of his giving over people when their sinnes are come to their full measure and they ripe for ruine to blindnesse and heardnesse of heart least they should be converted and be healed implying that if a people did turne from their sinnes unto him he could not but heale them Turne thou us O Lord and we shall be turned Turne thou us and we shall be healed Let that be your dayly prayer to God Come lâ—t us returne unto the Lord For he hath wounded and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will bind us up let that be your constant exhortation to one another and practise your selves what you shall so exhort others And the Lord heare and accept you in both Having repented of your sinnes and in particular of your Rebellion Blood guiltinesse and other iniquities and impieties attending them The next thing that you are besought to consider is the present state and condition of Religion here in this Kingdome That the Church of England in its Reformed established Religion was not onely a defence and refuge but the glory and honour of all the Reformed Churches in Christendome cannot justly and therefore I hope will not be denyed by any of those Churches if it should wee are able to evince it out of the mouths of their own most learned and eminent Preachers and Professors And had not those unhappy diâ—â—sions breaking out as they did prevented it the Christian world had in all probabilitie ere this seen the happy fruits thereof in the harmonious and of them and us much desired conformity of other reformed Churches especially the more Eastern as well in Discipline as Doctrine so far as conformity in Discipline could have been conveniently observed in severall Nationall Churches This the Tobiahs and Sanballets of the Church of Rome have known and maligned so long that their attempts against this Church and the established Religion thereof have been more and more industriously and eagerly prosecuted then against any Church whatsoever though they have not omitted any opportunitie of practising their complotted designes upon any of the Reformed Churches or the members thereof And having tryed all the other wayes and courses that they could invent and some of them such as I hope will never be forgotten of this Nation Some few yeares before the beginning of this Parliament Cardinall Richeleiu the Politique favourite of France and gracious sonne of Rome used all his art and skill to kindle a fire against us in Scotland which art and skill of his prospered too much there by the unskilfulnes and imprudence of some of our managers of Church affairs here in England No sooner was that fire kindled but Emissaries of Rome were â—ent thither to inflame it and the better to effect it some of them pretended great love and affection to a new Reformation of that Kirke even to a seeming disclaiming and detesting of their own About the same time there were not a few of those Incendiaries dispatcht hither into England to practise upon those of this Kingdome that were disaffected to the established Government of this Church or that distasted some new rites and practises too much favoured and countenanced by some of the Governours thereof and so far had they within a short time crept into the favours and Counsels of some leading men of each sort that this Church and State began to be much distempered Insomuch that our most Gracious and Religious Soveraign next under Christ the prime defender of our Faith and nursing Father of our Church and Common-weale whom they had many other wayes assaulted but found impregnable was perswaded for the peace and safety of both his Kingdoms to call a Parliament and within a while after for the peace and security of all his three Kingdomes the third being also then inflamed to derive unto them greater liberty of continuance but otherwise not of any power then ever Parliament had and as we finde by sad and wofull experience then they had grace to make good use of The Jesuites and Jesuited party finding this advantage and feeling by the Pulse of the chief of the disaffected and discontented part of that great Assembly how their hearts stood inclined they applyed themselves to them in all wayes and services possible One Jesuite well known to the most reverend and Religious the Primate of Ireland his Grace was a constant Tabler and Counsellor to the Lord Brooks an active furious driver on of the mad factious peoples desperate turbulancâ—â—s Others applyed themselves to others whom I forbear to name Only one passage I must not omit Before those worthy members of the honourable Houses of Lords and Commons that held firm to their duty and allegiance were forced from the tions so bold were those Romanists grown that an honourable member of the House of Commons was earnestly importuned by one of them an acquaintance of his to recommend a Pettion to the House in behalf of the Romish party for the taking off all penall laws from them which he refusing to doe and expostulating with the Gentleman about it as suspecting that he came to intrap him and to render him more distastfull to the factious party and so more disserviceable to his King and Country the Gentleman replyed that he was very much mistaken â—â—t â—hat Petition would findâ— better acceptance in the House then he thought for And accordingly it being soon after presented there by another who may be presumed to account it an honour to him to be known by such a motion viz. Mr. MARTIN it was seconded and entertained by some of the greatest pretenders of Reformation in that assembly till one of courage and esteem stood up and said He was sorry that he had lived to see a Petition of that nature finde such favour in that place wherein those prudent lawes against which it petitioned had been upon so good and just grounds and with so much wisdome and deliberation framed and thereupon it was for that time waved and laid aside Since that how far the Jesuites and Jesuited party have proceeded and succeeded in their prosecuting of that designe of a toleration is sufficiently visible in the fruits thereof to every seeing eye But because the greater part of men
most of them men of known tried integrity and honesty and many of them your very next neighbours and have they not so proved themselves by their Declarations Remonstrances and actions Do they not all professe clearly that they have and do ingage themselves in this present undertaking only for the defence and preservation of the established Protestant Religion for the delivering their Soveraigne from bondage and imprisonment and from being murdered therein for the restoring of his Majesty to his lawful Government just rights and throne in Parliament for the maintenance of the known Lawes of the land and the rights Liberties and properties of their fellow-subjects and for the procuring and setling of a firme and happy peace in this miserably divided and allmost utterly ruined Kingdome would to God that the Army which call themselves the Parliaments when they please had declared or would out yet declare halfe so much and give such assurance for the performance thereof as those Worthies will give and then it might be hoped that these unnaturall warres would soone be ended But when so many of that Army have so openly declared and proclaimed the contrary to all these and some of them have been bold to say that they fought neither for King nor Parliament and that they had above sixty thousand to be at eight houres warning to fight both against King and Parliament and have given very observable earnests of their having too many in a readinesse by their sudden raising such considerable Troopes and Regiments of such and wholly such within very few daies It is high time for all those that would not bee gull'd cheated or forced out of all those forenamed comforts and honours to betake themselves to their armes for their defence maintainance and contiâ—uance And what a staine shame and reproach will it be to you of this Countie and to your Posterities after you That when such men of such knowne honour and integritie and of such approved firmnesse and fidelity to their Religion King and Countrie like those renowned Worthies eternized by the Spirit of God to memory and imitation jeoparded their lives to death in the high places of the field for the defence and maintainance of those very truths and rights which ye your selves have often sworne and protested and doe still pretend and prosesse to defend and maintaine and that against the most base perfidious pernicious seditious tray terous bloodie tyrannous professed and proclaimed Enemies thereof yee not onely deserted them and came not out to their helpe To the helpe of the Lord against his and their adversaries but rose up and came out against them and cast in your lot with those Adversaries that lay waite for blood for the blood of Kings Princes Priests and people and lurke privily for the innocent without a cause not considering that by so doing ye lay wait for your owne blood and lurke privily for your owne lives And so my poore Countrey-men I come a little closer yet to your selves and to the consideration of your owne state and condition and then I shall commend you to Gods mercy if by your repentance ye shall render your selves capable thereof How little you of this Countie have beene sensible of the miseries and distresses of your fellow Subjects and Brethren and how much you have contributed to them I leave to your owne conscience to examine and to your selves to judge your selves for them Onely take these two conclusions along with you as two inseparable consequents of those two premises First That mers not being sensible of their brethrens miseries and so not taking warning by them pulls so much the more certaineand â—ore judgments upon themselves they that remember not Texts of Scripture enough to that purpose consult those in the margent Secondly That when God hath made use of any people to scourge others by for their sinnes and iniquities as he usually does of the worse to scourge the better he does constantly cast that his rod into the fire and punish that people the more severely by whom he hath severely punished others and one principall Reason thereof is because they whom God makes use of as his scourge to others doe with Gods chastisement or vengeance for their sinnes constantly intermix their owne malice and other iniquities in chastifing and taking vengeance on them And this conclusion you have confirmed in each circumstance by many remarkable and cleare examples as one of the Bookes of the Prophets namely in Ezekiels Prophesie As in Gods dealing with the Ammonites the Moabites and those of Mount-Seir the Edomites and the Philistines Ezek. 25. with those of Tyrus chap. 26. with those of Zidon chap 28. with Pharoah and all Egypt chap. 29. and with the rest of the heathen chap. 36. All which people had beene at severall times scourges to the people of Israel and Judah and are in that relation there called to an account adjuged by God to those judgements And though you may from these sad conclusions see evidence enough of your hastning Calamities yet there are other visible symptomes of your approaching Miseries which may perchance more awaken you as crying yet somewhat louder unto you and at lesse distance either to repent speedily or to expect swift destruction suddainly As first What thinke ye will be the inevitable consequents of your late ingagement against those Worthies of our David before but never too often named to their honour and your shame those English Heroes those Lords Knights Gentlemen Yeomen and others in renowned Colchester the most inferiour of which companie carries better blood in their veines because untainted then the proudest Adversarie that fights against them and I trust God will preserve it as preciously and the Citie wherein they are High exceeding high alreadie is the Honour of that Citie for being the Citie wherein Lucius Helena and Constantine the first Christian King Empresse and Emperour in the world were borne And it may please the Lord in his mercâ—e notwithstanding our multiplied iniquities crying so loud for the contrarie to rayse its honour yet much higher by making it the Citie wherein King Charles the most Religious of Christian Kings the Established Religion of the Church of England the Helena or Empresse of Christian Religion and the Incomparable Lawes and Liberties of this Kingdome which for equitie and Christianitie deserve the Crowne Imperiall of the World shall be preserved from ruine and be restored to their priâ—â—inâ— glory The same Almightie God that wrought that first great Work in that Citie is all-sufficiently able there even there to accomplish this second And we humbly beseech him that neither their nor our â—innes may separate betweene his blessing and their Loyall and Christian indeavours to that purpose and whatever the successe be that that Citie nor those Worthies that are in it may never want their due honour nor his gracious protection and comforts But suppose the worst Suppose that by your ingagement against that Citie and those
that Schism Heresie Ignorance Prophanesse and Atheisme flow in upon us Seducers multiply grow daring and insolent pernicious bookes poyson many soules Piety and Learning decay apace verie manie Congregations lie wast without Pastors the Sacrament of Baptism by many neglected and by many reiterated the Lords Supper generally disused or exceedingly prophaned confusion and ruine threatning us in all our quarters In all Humility therefore c. we out of conscience and in tender regard to the glory of God and the salvation of our people beseech your Honours that a form of Church Government according to the Word of God and the example of the best formed Churches may with all possible speed be perfected and confirmed by your civill sanction that Schismaticks Hereticks Seducing Teachers and soule-subverting bookes be effectually suppressed c. And what was their answer The Lords they answered like Lords professing much joy at the zeale and care of the Ministers of those Counties for the preventing the further increase of Heresie Prophanenesse c. They desire them to continue in their indeavours therin say they wil not be wanting to give them al incouragement c. they assure them that they wil improve their power for suppressing of Error Heresie seducing Teachers and soul-subverting books likewise for the setling of Church-Government according to the Word of God c. Here was a Lordly answer but that they had not consulted the House of Commons for they return another and indeed their common answer viz. That the most of the particular desires of their Petition were then under consideration and they hope will be brought to a settlement speedily c. O the miraculous care and diligence of that House There was scarce ever any Petition for redresse or reliefe in any things presented unto them but they were just then in Consideration of them and hoped that they would be speedily ordered as they desired only through some intervening obstructions they could not do as they would But how came it to passe that the Commons had most of those particulars under their consideration and had proceeded so far in them as to hope for a speedie settlement therein and yet the Lords knew of no such thing at least forgot it quite in their answer Well but let that passe How much of all these faire promises hath been performed either by the one House or the other from that time to this Why so nothing but the just contrarie that everie abomination complained of in that Petition is increased to that height and hath received that countenance from some of the Petitioned as well as some of the Petitioners that though each of them deserve a particular sad complaint in a sharp Petition yet 't is thought but vain for any to petition or complain to them of them all And do but remember what successe all other Petitions since that from other Counties either for Religion or King or Lawes or ought else that good is have found at their hands and hope for reliefe or redresse from them if you can Examine throughly in the last place whether those men both of the Clergie and Laity which have been since these unhappie divisions reviled slandered and persecuted under the names of Popish and Popishly-affected persons have not in former times been to their power verie manie of them as zealous propugners of the Protestant Religion and as earnest opposers of Poperie and Superstition and whatsoever seemed to incline that way as anie men whatsoever yea above anie of those whom ye now most adore as also whether they have not all these sad times through to the eternall honour of their Religion as well as of themselves both in their owne and in other Nations as manie of them of note as have been forced abroad held firm to their first faith and to each principle thereof notwithstanding all temptations of poverty and want attending that their constancy and all allurements of large supplies and honourable imployment and preferment if they would desert or dissemble it whiles they whom ye have cried up magnified and idolized as the great Pillars and supporters of the Protestant Religion have both in former times failed like staves of reed and falsified like broken bowes and now in these times have shuffled and shifted not only from post to pillar but from seeming to be pillars in one profession to seeming and being anie thing that might serve the times in another even to their owne everlasting shame and to the reproach of that Religion which they have pretended Put these and all those other particulars mentioned in this second consideration together and then judge whether it be not high time for all those that are true Protestants indeed according to that distinctive name so long used to look to their Religion and to themselves least otherwise they be suddenly cheated of it or at least of the happy and long injoyed freedome of professing and exercising it and that by those that pretended and so seemed for a while to be most devoted to it and least Popery so much objected and so falsly charged upon those that least deserved it be within a while obtruded on them by those who have suggested those objections and forged those accusations as the stales and cries whereby to draw men within compasse of their nets and snares there being no such ready way to catch and insnare any creatures as by imitating their cries and calls and by setting some of their owne kind or somethings verie like them for stales You cannot but remember who it was for his blood is yet fresh in some of your skirts that told you when he was on the Scaffold that it was part of his Prayer that the tumultuous people of this Nation might not be like those Pharisees and their followers who pretending a feare of the Romans coming and taking away their place and Nation when there was no such cause only they made use of that suggestion to further their mischievous designe of murthering the innocent had at last the Romans brought upon them indeed and were utterly ruined by them The factious tumultuous people of this Nation have in all other things the most resembled the Pharisees that ever did any people God of his mercy grant that they do not also resemble them in this 3. Next to the consideration of the dangerous and deplorable condition of Religion here in this Kingdome be pleased as many of you as have any spark of Religion in you timely to consider the state and condition of your King I forbeare the assaying any description of his condition because 't is so well knowne and so far beyond the being comprehensible in a description by the best of Artists as I likewise abstaine from all Epithetes or Periphrases to set it out by or to set mens passions on worke to condole it the condition of our King being above all sympathie of passion even of his most loving and compassionate Subjects as