watered for and whose eager appetites had long hungred after the subversion of our Religion Secondly perfidious and rotten-hearted Prelates and Arminian-pontificians who mightily and maliciously cherishing formality or conformity and superstition greedily also gaped after a change in Religion or at the least the outragious supporting of their Eeclesiasticall-tyrannie and usurpation Thirdly profane irreligious and even atheisticall Courtiers and Councellours of State who for their own private and beggarly ends had engaged themselves as being doubtlesse mercenarie pensioners to forrein Princes to the prejudice of their own naturall King and the State at home And as you have seen the agents were potent and politick So the common principles by which they moulded and managed their craftie counsels and impious actions were as pragmaticall as prejudiciall As fiâ—st to work and win the King to stand stifly to his Royall-prerogative and the people for the maintenance of their Priviledges and Liberties that thus they might have the advantage by siding with the King against the Subject and so to be counted his fastest friends and trustie servants and thereby engrosse to themselves and their factious confederates all places of greatest trusâ— and power in the Kingdom that so they might the more safely fish in troubled waters Secondly to suppresse and stifle the sacred puritie and power of religion and to curb and keep-under all of all degrees that were best affected to it in profession and practise these being sore pearls in their eyes and the greatest impediments to that change which their voracicus and eager appetites extremely longed and laboured to introduce among us Thirdly to countenance and encourage their own fast faction and on all colourable occasions to disgrace vilifie and dishearten all the opposite partie Fourthly and lastly by slanders and false imputations to work the King to an utter-dislike of Parliaments and putting him on unjust and forcible wayes of supply yet masking them with fair pretences of great and just advantage to his Majestie though indeed they brought more losse than gain to him and great distresse and distractions to the whole Kingdom And thus have you summarily seen the Basis or foundation of their building now be pleased with as much brevitie as may be to behold what a fair fabrick and stately structure they raised and erected on it And here by the way take notice of this diffusive sememting-materiall or bracing-piece conglutinating or holding fast the body of the whole ensuing frame namely that in all the compacted and conioyned ligaments of this omiâ—ousarchitecture the Jesuites craftie counsell and as wicked as wittie wilinesse was instead of a prime architector or Master Builder of the whole edifice and had they not all been by Gods overpow'ring providence timely prevented these Jesuiticall-Artificers would undoubtedly have over-builded the Prelaticall-Labourers and instead of a new have pul'd down an old-house on the heads of all the rest of those as credulous as accursed cooperating Carpinters or work-men with them in this their Babell of confusion And now in the first yeer of the Kings reign their work began to be revived and hotly to be set upon again For it is here to be considered that in the last yeer of King James his reign it had been somewhat dampt and quâ—sht both by the breach with Spain that yeer as also by his Majesties marriage with France whose people were not so contrary unto nor so hotly active against the good of Religion and prosperitie of this Kingdom as those of Spain and besides the Papists in England being more zealously addicted and affected for matter of Religion to Spain than France yet still they retained a resolution to weaken the Protestant-partie in all parts and places of Europe yea even in France thereby to make way for an intended change at home The first effect and evidence of which their recoverie of strength was the dissolution of the first Parliament at Oxford after two Subsidies granted but no grievances removed After which many other bitter effects of this bad begiâ—â—ing followed or rather flowed and gushed-out apace as namely the losse of Rochel Fleet yea of Rochel it self a lamentable evill to the French-Protestants by the unhappie help of our ships The diversion of a most facile and hopefull war from the Wâ—st-Indies to a most expensive and successelesse attempt on Calâ—s raâ—her to make us weary of warre than prospeâ—ous in it The precipitate breach of peace with France A peace concluded with Spain without consent of a Parliament contrary to promise made by King James to both Houses whereby the Palatine câ—uâ—e was shamefully deserted by us The Kingdom soon charged with billetted Souldiers together with the concomitant project of Germane-horses to enforce men by â—ear to all arbitrarie taxations The dissolution of a second Parliament in the second yeer of his Majesties reign after a declarative intention of granting five Subsidies Violent exacting the said summe or a sum equivalent to it by a Commission of Loan Divers worthy gentlemen imprisoned for refusing to pay it Great summes of money extorted from subjects by Privie-Seals and Excise The most hopefull Petition of Right blasted in the blossome of it A third Parliament called and as quickly broken and therein Parliamentariâ— priviledges violated by after ill-usage of some of the best and worthiâ—st Members thereof who were clapt up in close-imprisonment denied all ordinarie and extraordinarie comforts of this life and preservation of health no not so much as their wives permitted to come unto them yea deprived of spirituall consolation for their souls not suffering them to go to Gods House for enjoyment of publike Ordinances or godly Ministers to come to them but kept them still in this oppressive condition not admitting them to be bailed according to Law And this crueltie might have been perpetuall to them and others had not another Parliament been necessitated to relieve and release them Upon the dissolution of those Parliaments O what scandalous and opprobrious Declarations were published to asperse and besmear their proceedings and some of their woâ—thiest Members unjustly to make them odious and the better to colour their exorbitant violence exercised on them Proclamations set out to those effects thereby also extremely disheartning the Subjects yea and forbidding them once so much as to speak of any mo Parliaments this being in the fourth yeer of the Kings reign Then injustice violence and heavie oppressions without all limits oâ— moderation brake-out upon the people like unresistible floods gushing out of a broken-down Dam or stoppage with huge inundations checking yea even choaking all our freedomes and fast fettering our free-born hearts with manacles and chains of most intolerable taxations Witnesse the mighty sums of money gotten by that plot of Knighthood under a fair colour of Law but iâ—deed a meer violation of justice Tonnage also and poundage received without any pretext or colour of Law The
unassayed that might conduce to a perfect cure and therefore I say how he put into the hearts of our ever to be honoured Worthies in Parliament both Peers and Commons seriously to consider how sick at the very heart the Commonwealth was both Church and State Religion panting by many fearfull fainting-fits of a strong and violent Quotidian-Ague of Poperie Arminianisme and many Popish apish innovations mightily tending to idolatry and superstition and the State brought into a deep consumption almost hopelesse of remedie by reason of those many and mischievous taxations and impositions most unjustly pressing and oppressing its strength and abilities as hath been most abundantly set forth and shewn in our preceding descriptions of them Therefore I say on judicious advise and premeditation of the condition of Both our most noble Colledge of expert Physitians by Gods good providence timely thought on an Aurum-potabile a precious potion a select electuari to recover its almost irrecoverable health and strength a most pious and prudent Protestation to be taken next to the heart all over the Kingdom to revi◠their formerly fainting spirits like pure Aqua-vitae or most soveraign stomack-water to help us all against the future chilling and killing qualms of Poperie and Oppression The Protestation I A. B. do in the presence of almightie God vow and protest to maintain and defend as far as lawfully I may with my life power and estate the true reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and Popish innovations within this Realm contrary to the same doctrine and according to the dutie of my allegiance his Majesties royall person honour and estate As also the power and priviledges of Parliament the lawfull rights and liberties of the Subiect and every person that maketh this Protestation in whatsoever he shall do in the lawfull pursuance of the same And to my power and as far as lawfully I may I will oppose and by all good wayes and means endeavour to bring to condign punishment all such as shall either by force practise counsels plots conspiracies or otherwise do any thing to the contrary of any thing in this present Protestation contained And further that I shall in all iust and honourable waies endeavour to preserve the union and peace between the three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland and neither for hope fear or other respect shall relirquish this promise vow and Protestation A Protestation I say most worthie to be taken by all honest-hearted English Protestants over the whole Kingdom a Protestation which I dare be bold to say and justifie none but hard'ned impious Papists profane atheisticall Libertines or grossely ignorant asses and carnall earth-worms onely can dare to be so gracelesse or else shamelesse either directly to refuse or so much as dissemblingly to defer or neglect on any colour of pretence whatsoever And that ye may see the substance of what I say herein ratified by the Worthies of our Parliament I thought fit to give you here their own Vote thereon Resolved on the Question That this House doth conceive that the Protestation made by them is fit to be taken by every person that is well affected in Religion and to the good of the Commonwealth and therefore doth declare that what person soever shall not take the Protestation is unfit to bear office in the Church or Commonwealth Now then good Reader put all these last recited admirable mercies together and tell me whether thou dost not most evidently see and mayest not most freely and faithfully say that our great Jehovah hath most blessedly brought us out of the Mount of many mightie straits and been seen for our most happie deliverance from them all in the Mount of mercies And seeing these so great and gracious mercies to so sinfull and so undeserving a Nation and provoking people as we are so ungratefull so unfruitfull O who can forbear to break-forth in holy exultation to the high exaltation by praises of our good God and with the pious Prophet David that sugred singer of Israel say and sing with the 〈◊〉 llifluous melodie of a most gratefull heart I will love thee O Lord my strength the Lord is my stonie-rock my fortresse and my deli◠rer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler the horn of my salvation and my high towre O how great is thy goodnesse O Lord which thou bast laid-up for them that fear thee and which thou hast laid-out and wrought for them that trust in thee even before the sons of men O therefore love the Lord all ye his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithfull and plenteously rewardeth the proud doer Yea I say wait on the Lord therefore and be of a good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart wait I say on the Lord. Thus have we seen what wonders God hath wrought for us in the Commonwealth he pleased now therefore to lengthen-out and lend me thy Christian patience and I shall now also shew thee how the Lord hath been as gloriously seen if not much more in the Mount of parliamentarie-mercies to his poor afflicted and affrighted Church among us which yet the Reader must be pleased to take notice were intermixedly performed together with the most and first of those fore-mentioned in the Commonwealth onely I have ranckt them together for mine own better and more methodicall handling of them About the beginning of this blessed Parliament the Lord put into the hearts of our grave and godly parliamentarie Senators to act their first pious parts about reformation of Religion by a most diligent inquisition and search after oppressions and oppressours of the Church of God and by their parliamentarie power to break and knock off the pushing horns of those fat buls of Bashan wherewith they had fiercely and furiously yea and as it were even frantickly pusht at and almost goard to death the people of God and first upon the petitions of Mrs. Bastwick and Mrs. Burton the pious but then most disconsolate and too untimely widowed-wives of their thrice noble and heroick husbands as also a petition exhibited in the behalf of most precious Mr. Prinne that incomparable and rare pair-royall of most worthy witnesses of Gods truth the pious Parliament like noble Ebed-melech redeemed those just Jeremies of the Lord out of their otherwise perpetually captivating most remote and desolate dungeons to the great joy and comfort of Gods dear Saints together with religious Dr. Laighton a long and lamentable Sufferer for the great cause of Religion as also reverend and religious Mr. Smart Mr. Walker Mr. Foxley and that undaunted picus young gentleman Mr. John Lilborn and many others all of them immediately set at libertie on the exhibiting of their petitions to the Parliament who had most of them been most unjustly and most injuriously clapt up in close imprisonment some of them fast fetter'd in irons all
such as not to be corrupted by such base bribes That Captain Billingslâ—y was invited by Sir John Suckling a suckling indeed in honestie but not in treacherie to have employment in this pernicious project and that one Captain Chidley brought down many instructions to the Armie That Colonell Goring should have been Leivetenant-generall of the said Armie and that the Prince and the Lord of Newcastle were to meet them in Nottinghamshire with a thousand Horse all which Propositions came from M r Jermine and were dispersed and made known by Serjeant Major Wallis and Captain Chidley The said Wallis having confessed also that the French would assist them in this their Design and that our holy or rather hollow-hearted Clergie of England whereof the reverend forsooth Bishops were the ringleaders would at their own charge set forth and maintain a thousand horse farr more than ever they yet proffered by a thousand to assist against the barbarous and bloudy Popish Rebells of Ireland To the addition of their everlasting shame and ignominie be it spoken Finally that an intercepted Letter of M r Jermines to M r Mountague imported that they expected the Earl of Straford with them in the North but blessed be the Lord their wicked hope was frustrated as aforesaid and that for the better completing of these their most accursed designes Jermine much endeavoured to get Portsmouth into their hands as one M r Bland confessed but could not compass it These and such like plotted designes for the ends afore-mentioned being farther discovered and witnessed by severall depositions of diverse examinates as the Reader may more fully see in the late Remonstrance of Ireland published by authoritie of the Parliament But when this mischeivous assigne and attempt of theirs thus to bring on that Armie against the Parliament and Citie of London which they well knew was all along a main and strong fast friend to the Parliament had been by Gods great mercie timely discovered and thereby utterly frustrated and prevented they presently undertook and attempted another design of the same damnable nature with this addition to it namely to make the Scottish Armie neutrall and so to sit still and let them alone whilst the English Armie which they had laboured to corrupt and invenome against the Parliament and Citie of London by false and slanderous suggestions should execute their malice to the subversion of our Religion and the dissolution of our long happie government Thus I say did they plott and continually practise to disturb our peace and to destroy all the Kings Dominions And for that cause had employed most industriously their Emissares and agents in them all for the promoting of these their devillish designes But by Gods infinite mercie and the vigilancie of such as were honest and well-affected to religion to peace and the prosperity of the Parliament they were all I say still timely discovered and defeated before they could be ripe enough for execution among us in England and Scotland Onely in Ireland which was farther-off and full of Papists Jesuites and Priests they had time to mould and prepare their wicked work and had brought it to much pernicious perfection For not long after the most bold and bloodie rebellion in Ireland brake-out there which had it not been timely revealed and prevented by Gods great mercie and good providence in the preservation of the Castle of Dublin but the very Eave before it should have been taken by the rebels the whole Kingdom had been fully possessed by them the government of it totally subverted the true Religion had been quite extirpated and rooted out and all the Protestants whom the conscience of their dutie to God their King and countrey would not have permitted to joyn with them had been utterly destroyed as in a most lamentable manner very many thousands of them poore souls have alreadie been as is most fully and fearfully to be seen to the terrour and amazement of all Christian hearts that read the same both in that Treatise entituled Irelands-Tears and the Irish-Remonstrance And indeed they have therby kindled such a fire there and blown it into such an over-spreading flame as nothing but Gods extraordinarie blessing upon the wisdom and endeavours of this State will be able to quench it And certainly had not God in his great mercie to our Land and Nation discovered and confounded their first designe for the grand-plot of all on England and Scotland we all in England had certainly been the prologue to this wofull tragedie in Ireland and had by this time and before them been the most deplorable spectacle of lamentation and wo ruine and confusion to all Europe that ever the Sun beheld And therefore here me thinks we may most fitly take up that of holy David with a little inversion of the words to our selves If the Lord had not been on our side now may England say and that most justly if the Lord had not been on our side when men rose up against us Then had they swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us Then the waters had overwhelmed us the proud waves and raging billows had gone over our souls But blessed O for ever blessed be God that hath not given us over as a prey to their devouring teeth Now about this time it pleased the Lord to permit the malignant partie so far to prevail with the King and among them the Lord Cottington a Popish Lord and strongly suspected to be one of the prime projecting heads of that faction that Sir William Belfore a worthy and noble gentleman then Lieftenant of the Tower of London was displaced from that office of so great trust and the said Lord Cottington made Constable of the Tower who presently kept a great pudder in the Tower placing and displacing things therein planting Ordâ—nance on the wals thereof with their mouths toward the Citie entertaining Souldiers to guard and keep it of very ill-condition and suspected for Poperie all these to the great terrour and amazement of the vigilant Citizens of London who had still extraordinarie jealous eyes on him and all his actions and carriages and thereupon complain'd and petitioned the Parliament against him and his demeanour in the Tower and the Parliament moved the King most instantly about it who on their long and urgent importunitie at last so far prevailed with his Majestie that he put the Lord Cottington from being Constable of the Tower and chose-in one Collonel Lunsford to be Leiftenant thereof a man of an ill name and condition of life and whom I my self knew a prisoner in Newgate not very long before for a great abuse offered by him to Sir Thomas Pelham now a worthie Knight of Sussex and at which time of his imprisonment there it was generally and credibly reported that upon an abuse done by him also to one of the Officers of Newgate who had been his very
GOD In the Mount Or Englands Remembrancer Being a Panegyrick Piramides erected to the everlasting high honour of Englands God In the most gratefull commemoration of al the miraculous Parliamentarie Mercies wherein God hath been admirably seen in the Mount of Deliverance in the extreme depth of Englands designed Destruction in her years of jubile 1641. and 1642. By the unworthie admirer of them JOHN VICARS Jehova-jireh Genes 22. 14. I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart and wil shew forth all thy marvellous works Psal 9. 1. Commit thy cause to God which doth great things and unsearchable marvellous things without number Job 5. 8 9. Deut. 33. 29. Happie art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O People saved by the Lord the sheild of thy help and who is the sword of thine excellencie And thine enemies shall be found lyers unto thee and thou shalt tread on their high places Psal 111. 2 3 4. The works of the Lord are great sought-out of all them that have pleasure therin His works are honourable and glorious and his righteousnesse endureth for ever He hath made his wondrous works to be remembred the Lord is gracious and full of compassion LONDON Printed by T. Paine and M. Simmons for John Rothwell and Thomas Vnderhill 1642. TO THE ETERNALL ALMIGHTY AND MOST GLORIOUS WONDER-WORKING INCOMPREHENSIBLE AND INDIVISIBLETRINITIEIN UNITIE JEHOVAH-JIREH GODIN THE MOVNT J. V. HIS MOSTUNWORTHIE AND SINFULL SERVANT DOTH DEDICATE AND CONSECRATE BY CHRIST JESUS HIS ONLY MERITS AND MEDIATION HIM-SELF AND THESE HIS POOR LABOVRS TO HIS EVERLASTING PRAISE AND GLORY TO THE RIGHT Honourable thrice Noble and illustrious Senatours of the House of Peers in Parliament TO OUR Trulie Honourable and most renowned Patriots the House of Commons in Parliament RIght Noble Lords and Englands Commons rare For whom the Lord hath joyn'd disjoyn who dare Your humble Servant Vowed Votarie Hath to Heav'ns-Honour And your Memorie ☞ * Most humblie this Pyramides erected Hopefull by your just power to be protected From sturdiest Stormes which Mischiefs mightiest blast May dare on It or your blest actions cast By foule aspersions Causelesse Calumnies To rob-both us and you Of our fair prize ☞ * Even happy Halcyor daies Which God by you Begins to bring To blessed Britains view Whose eyes and heart late full of frights and tears Your untyr'd Prudence Providence re-chears Courage great Patriots God is on your side Whiles you do to his Gospel close abide ☞ * Go on like Davids Worthies valiantly To curb and crush Truths-foes-malignity Go on I say like Nehemiah's brave Like Ezra's and Zorobabels most grave To work a pure A perfect Reformation As men most famous In your generation ☞ * Yea most renowned To Posteritie As Faiths fast friends And props of Veritie As wise Repairers of those Breaches great Which did both Church and State so sorely threat Go on though you great obstacles endure Sol shines most clear though clouds It oft obscure Heav'n crown your Counsels still with good successe And you and yours for all your labours blesse So ever prayeth Your most humbly devoted John Vicars TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL HIS MOST WORTHY and ever most highly honoured good friends Sir RICHARD SPRIGNALL Sir IOHN WOLLASTONE Alderman PENNINGTON and Alderman WARNER Together with each of their most truly virtuous and pious Consorts my singular good friends All of them eminent Patrons and Patterns of Piety Vertue Religion and Learning J. V. unfainedly prayeth the most happie fair and full fruition of the glorious effects of the plenarie-Reformation intended by this pious Parliament here And of the Saints celestiall beatificallvision in Heaven hereafter HAving by Gods good hand of providence and direction Right Worshipfull and my most highly honoured good friends undertaken a subject of Gratitude to our holy God in this succeeding historicall narration of all his wonder-striking Parliamentarie-mercies to us of this English-Nation in generall I could not but reflect my serious thoughts on your Worships as most worthie objects also of my thankefull heart for many singular favours and courtesies toward me in particular And somuch the rather because of that which Chrysostome in his 51 Homilie on Genesis hath as sweetly as succinctly touched Nihil tam gratum Deo homini quam anima grata gratias agens Nothing in the world is so acceptable to God or man as a gratefull-heart and a thankefultongue The due and deep consideration whereof I say hath made me most desirous as most bounden to tender this â—umblâ— and plain-stiâ—'d historie of Englands God in the Mount of Mercies â—r Englands Remembrancer of gratitude to God for all the Parliamentarie precious blessings most fully and freely conferred or rather poured-down upon her within these 2 yeers last past as a â—estimonie of my most thankfull-heart to your good Worships for many both publike and private favours to me and mine Which historie though I ingenuously acknowledge it might well have befitted a far more fluent and high-soaring rhetoriâ—all-Penman than my poor and plain unworthie-self yet since it hath pleased the Lord that my poor zeal for Gods glorie hath thus prevented them I most humbly hope and heartily desire candide and courteous acceptance of it and of my sincere desire and endeavour mainly to manifest my infinitely obliged gratefull-heart first to our ever-living and ever-loving wonder-working Lord God next to our most Pious Patriots his precious Agents and instruments in these great and glorious works and then to your worthie selves my much honoured friends Which my endeavour herein though short I say of your judicious expâ—ctation and of the histories due desert yet hoping it may remain as a pledge of my plighted humble services and bounden gratitude and as the best Barthol'mew-faring which my poor abilitie was able to present to your good Worships with the humble tender also of mâ— heartiest poor prayers to the throne of grace for all sanctified sublunarie blessings and celestiall soul-cheering graces on you and aâ—l yours I ever rest Your good Worships in the Lord to be alwayes commanded JOHN VICARS GOD IN THE MOVNT OR ENGLANDS REMEMBRANCER THE omnipotent and omniprudent great God of heaven and earth having by his unsearchable wisdom unresistible power and most pure and inculpable righteousnesse from all eternitie both fore-seen and preordained the wayes and means of manifesting and declaring to the world his two especiall and most glorious attributes of Mercie and Justice Mercie on his elect and choice vessels of honour and justice on the forsaken vessels of wrath those devoted vassals of the devill and both these in that admirable Master-piece of his workmanship of the world Man Who as the Prophet David saies of himself was fearfully and wonderfully made And for this and and purpose having put this excellent creature Man into a most pure and perfectly holy condition placing him in Eden or Paradise a place of most wonderfull delight and admirable varietie of sense-affecting contentments and having also
in power or authority onely used at the Councill board to execute and countenance not to debate and deliberate-on their State resolutions nay so far from being employed in any place of trust and power that they were utterly neglected discountenanced and on all occasions injured and oppressed by the rest of the contrarie faction which now was grown to that heighth and entirenesse of power that now they began to think-on the complete catastrophe and consummating of the whole work to their hearts desire which stood on these three parts or pillars of confusion First that the Government must be arbitrarie set free from all limits of Law both concerning persons and estates Secondly that there must be an union and conformitie between Papists and Protestants both in doctrine discipline and ceremonies onely it must not yet be called or counted Poperie Thirdly Puritans under which name all that were zealous for the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom and for the maintenance of Religion in the power of it were included must be either rooted out of the Realm by force or driven away by fear And thus now at last we have the full dimensions every way of this pestilent and most pernicious plot And could they possibly have digged deeper or in humane apprehension and contrivement have founded it firmlier Whatsoever worldly wit and wealth could do whatsoever carnall craft power and policie could effect was wholly for them with full and copious concurrence they now seemed to carry all irresistibly before them And now nothing was wanting fully to finish the work no stone unturned no Remora to be removed save onely one In which God gave them the lie to their teeth according to that of the Psalmist Surely men of low degree are vanity and mâ—n of high degree are a lie and both to be laid in the ballance they are altogether lighter than vanity it self Such vanity yea such lying-vanity these great-ones in their supercilious high-built hopes and bigg-swoln timpanie of ambition pride and perfidie began to be now rendered by the wisdome and mercie of our good God This one rub I say now to be remov'd proved the main break-neck of their whole designe and makes way for mine also which is to let you and all the world see moss cleerly how heaven made these impious plotters fall by their own folly and madnesse by their own creft crest all their secret counsels and confederacies and made their own invented mischief work-out their own miseries According to that of the sween Singer of Israel most pertinent to this purpose Behold he travelled with iniquity hath conceived mischief and brought forth falsehood He made a pit and delved it and is fallen into the ditch which he made for others his mischief shall return upon his own head and his violent dealing shall fall upon his own pate Whiles Gods dear Saints of England and Scotland escaped as birds out of the snare of those Fowlers and by Gods free grace and rich mercie found full and fair deliverance Which I say is the main scope and principall aym of this our present history For now as they verily beleeved they had made England their absolute-asse to bear all their back yea soul-breaking burthens So that they thought it most fit now in the last place to reduce Scotland to such Romish-harmonie and conformitie to embrace those Popish superstitions and innovations as might make them apt to joyn with England in that great change which they intended for as for Ireland they were sure enough to prevail there at their pleasure as t is too well known to us all and to themselves also by their late bloody experience which had been much more had not God crost their plot there also and enabled us to help them Whereupon our Church-Canons and a new-minted Liturgie not the very same which is used with us in England which with our vestures gestures and superstitious service-ceremonies had been abundantly enough to have vext them but with most pestilent Popish-additionals and unsufferable new inventions of the Arch-prelate of Canterbury or some of his Romish-factors framing put in over and above ours to make them starke mad as it were must be sent unto them and most violently obtruded on them Both which they instantly and stifly opposed especially when they considered and called to mind those three rare gentlemen as some imminent Scots have acknowledged who had been so lately and barbarously abused on pillories in England but the 30 th of June before and this attempt on them was in August immediately following for opposing and writing against those and such like Romish fopperies their women in Scotland being the first and forwardest stoutly to resist such an uncouth and strange imposition on them Where by the way let me desire the godly Reader not to passe over this remarkable passage sleightly as a triviall thing For though this child of hope was now but in the embrio and unpolisht conception and as yet had no strength at all to bring forth a perfect birth of deliverance to them or us in the eye of the world yet let us remember what a notable caution the Prophet gives us Despise not the day of small things For they shall rejoyce and shall see the plumet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven eyes of the Lord which run to and fro through the whole earth Now the women having thus begun to oppose this new English-Romish Pope an Archbishop of Scotland appointed as they called it to read and publish it in his fine linen Ephod and other Popish-Pontificalibus were seconded by the men between whom was a huge hubbub made in the Church at the bringing in of the new Liturgie or Service-book which they I say thus utterly rejected and cast out from amongst them and upon this first and small rising like the cloud at first no broader than a hand it quickly grew so bigge that the whole Land was over-spread with it the Kingdom in generall being highly incensed also against it did utterly refuse to admit it among them Whereupon foule calumnies and scoffs were cast upon them in England yea a Proclamation read in all Churches calling and counting them Rebels and Traytors for thus resisting our Prelats most injurious impositions on them and an Armie was speedily raised at the Prelates instigation to enforce them by fierce compulsiâ—â— to obedience and to take that yoke on their necks for the advancing of which said armie our Prelates with the rotten-hearted Clergie and Papists were most free and forward with libeâ—all contributions The noble and valiant Scots were thereupon constraineâ— to do the like in their own just defence But when both Armies were met and ready for a bloody encounter God who hath the hearts of Kings in his hands by the honest and wholesome counsell of his Nobility so wrought on the heart of our King that maugre all the prâ—gging
Now this Remora thus happily though very hardly removed this clinging-clyver I mean the foresaid Earl of Straford which was ready to over-top and choak the good corn of the Kingdom thus blessedly eradicated together with the impeachment and imprisonment of Judge Bartlet and divers other Judges and Bishops t was most strange to say and see what a sudden and generall serenitie and calmnesse from late former fears and affrights shon upon the hearts and minds of most men a long time after even all over the Kingdom Especially also when that Lamb-skin'd Woolf the Arch-prelate of Canterbury who had so long and so craftily and cruelly woorryâ—d Christs innocent lambs was also impeached of high treason and thereupon forthwith put into safe custodie under the Black-rod and afterward lockt-up fast in the Tower of London for his suture safe forth-coming and thus all his former huge and hyperbolicall puffe of ayrie honour and false windie reputation among his clawing Pontificians now at last tumbled into the dust yea besmeard with the dirt of due disgrace contempt and ignominie O then t was mâ—rry with harmlesse lambs when ravening wolves were shut up fâ—st and lambs at libertie As it is recorded to be the speech of that blessed Queen Elizabeth of ever-rarest memorie upon the Lords delivering her from all her uniust great troubles by the happie decease of her fierie-Sister Queen Marie when the Romish bloodie Bishops of her time were clapt-up into prison in her stead and she delivered from their divillâ—sh thraldom Yea then I say the former thick-clouds and foggiâ—-mists of manifold fears began to be cleared and the fair sunshine of chearfull hopes to arise in the hearts of Gods people and contrariwise a stonishment and fear began to surprise the spirits of traiterous proiectors especially at Court. For much about these times or not long before and after also Sir John Finch Secretarie Windibank Mr. Jermin and since of late also the bold and waspish young Lord Digbie in the depth of the guilt of their consciences being impeached also of high treason trusting more to their heels celerity than their hearts sinceritie which it seems was none at all posted away in private like most unworthie fugitives being thus spued-out as I may say of their own native countrey like nauseous clods on the stomach of the State which could not be at any ease or content till it had by some means disgorged them Or rather as it is reported of that hatefull vermine Rats and Mice who by instinct of nature observing an old barn or rotten-house ready to fall or be puld-down they skip and scud and creep away apace to some more remote and secure place thus to save themselves from that otherwise inevitable destruction So I say did this traiterous vermine of our Kingdom those devouring rats of rapine and mice of mischief who would have gnawn and eaten into the bowels of Religion to the ruine of Church and State finding the rotten-house of their long-plotted mischiefs readie to fall on their own heads to their unavoidable destruction thought it now hâ—gh time to skip and scud and run away for their lives and to get themselves far enough beyond Sea out of the reach of Justice strong and long-reaching arm at home By which means namely justice thus cone on some of them and the said stroke of justice thus terrifying and affrighting others away out of the Kingdom the Church and State are like by Gods mercie to reap this double benefit to wit ease and freedom from fears for the present time and also most hopefull long preservation for the time to come And was not here a rare parliamentarie mercie indeed to the Kingdom to be rid any way of such Catelines of their Countrey And ought we not to be as thankfull to our God for his privative as positive favours toward us as well for the absence of evill things as the present possession of good things as well to see Gods enemies flie before us as to see his faithfull servants and dear saints returning-home unto us Yes doubtlesse and to triumph in their terrour and to laugh and reioyce when their fear comes upon them yea when it comes upon them like a fierce armed-man For so saies Solomon and the kingly Prophet David When the wicked spring as the grasse and when all the workers of iniquitie do flourish it is that they may be destroyed for ever Yea sayes he also Certainly thou O Lord didst set them in slipperie places and thou castedst them down into destruction O how suddenly do they fall into desolation and are utterly consumed with fear and terrour And then he sweetly concludes fully to our purpose The righteous shall reioyce when he seeth the vengeance he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked So that a man shall say verily there is a reward for the righteous verily it is God that iudgeth the earth Now whereas for these many yeers heretofore the discontinuance and unhappie dissolution of Parliaments hath most like the want of soveraign healing-salvâ—s to dangerous sores occasioned extreme preiudice by long fâ—stering and pâ—stering enormities in Church and State and mightily encouraged the audacious and most ungracious workers of iniquitie through strong hopes thereby of impunity Our good God hath by this blessed Parliament provided a cordiall preservative and soveraign antidote against such future pestilentiall diseases and mortiferous growing gangrenes namely in that our renowned Worthies have by a firm Act of Parliament setled a Trienniall-Parliament to be for the time to come duely called among us And yet farther since the frequent and abrupt dissolution of Parliaments hath also been no small supportation to the wicked intentions of traiterous active spirits among us It hath pleased the Lord to put into the hearts of the King and Parliament with an unanimous consent to passe a Bill for the most happie and blessed continuation of this present Parliament so as that it shall neither be dissolved nor adiourned without the consent of both Houses Which two Laws well and seriously considered especially the last of the two the incomparable happinesse whereof I am not able to relate for the present but time to come may may justly be thought more advantageous to the Kingdom than all the former because they secure a full operation of present remedie like a constant course of wholsome physick to a very crazie bodie full of encreasing and growing infirmities affording I say a perpetuall spring of remedies to Church and Common-wealths future growing griefs and maladies And because according to that old adagie a threefold knot is not easily untied or a three-fold cord not easily broken the more strongly to corroborate all our hopes and ensuing comfortâ— and to make them as constant as cordiall see how yet farther it pleased the Lord our good God to enlarge his hand of bountie and benignitie toward us to leave no means
by prisons or exile all these I say were by those our blessed Master-builders in Parliament by their unanimous suffrages not onely voted against as a superfluous and unprofitable burthen on Gods Church but thereby also a way was made plain and wide-doores were set open for a blessed restauration and replantation of most faithfull and painfull Pastours and laborious Lecturers chosen and set up with the peoples consent and good liking and not to have dumb-dogs or soul-robbers and theeves which came not in at the doore but through the windows of the Church violently obtruded on them whereby the Gospel begins to thrive and flourish again and Sions young-converts to be graciously growing up among us in the true judgement and knowledge of Christ Jesus whereas formerly the Prelates and Pontificians durst scoffe fleer and jeer familiarly at those faithfull and painfull Lecturers and most atheistically ask in derision What kind of creatures those Lecturers were and most impiously and audaciously even in the presence of the great God of heaven vow to worm them out â—re they had done with them But our good God gave these curst cows or rather wilde buls of Bashan short horns and though they had gone-on in a great measure and done much mischief therein yet they could not do the hurt which their hearts aymed at ever blessed and praised be our good God for it And now good Reader reflect thine eyes and review these rare mercies and tell me then was not Englands God herein also seen in the Mount of Mercies by this so strange an overture and alteration of things interposed between such eminent and imminent danger of utter losse of our bright and burning Candlesticks of the Gospel and fear of stinking snuffs of ignorance errour and atheisticall profanenesse to be set up in their places and little or no hope at least itâ— humane apprehension of help by lesse than such miracles of mercies as God himself hath in these our happie dayes wrought and poured-down upon us and such indeed as none but a God could procure for us O how sweetly and suddenly hath God turned our Captivitie into admirable freedom and libertie And who can consider these things without serious and deep admiration and who can call them to remembrance without heart-ravishing ioy and delight yea who can chuse but acknowledge in his most gratefull heart the great praises of the Lord and with holy David that harmonious chanter and musicall inchanter of Israel confesse Gods infinite free favour and love to England in thus encompassing and begirting us about with sweet songs of such deliverances But yet here 's not all for our blessed parliamentarie Worthies have also given us great hope by Gods goodnesse of timely purging also the two famous Fountains of our Kingdom Oxford and Cambridge from the much myre and mud of Romish innovations which setling there also hath made their streams stink of Poperie yea I say great hopes of happily healing the once most clear-sighted but now and of long time blear-eyes of our Nation grown mightie sore with Romish-rednesse by drinking in too much of the wine-lees of poysoning Popish fopperies in so much that Truths clear sighted Servants eyes began to be mightily offended by but looking on them and not without cause for as our Saviour himself saies If the eyes be evill the whole bodie will be full of darknesse and if the light that is in a kingdom and especially which is to give light to a whole kingdom be darknesse O how great is that darknesse and such truly began to be our Kingdoms condition but now we have I say great hopes by Gods gracious assistance that our Parliament will seasonably provide a soveraign Collyrium or eye-salve some well-distilled eye-bright of Reformation to purifie the sight of these two once most glorious lights in the whole Christian world Yea these our noble Nehemiahs and grave and gracious Ezra's have taken most pious pains to see Gods Sabbaths more sincerely sanctified than of late they have been and the profane soil of trauelling Carriers Taverns Ale-houses and Tobacco-shops and other loose and irreligious Shop-keepers who heretofore mightily polluted that day most sweetly swept away any cleansed A work of great concernment and high esteem for the glorie of the Lord than which I am certain a greater a better cannot be undertaken as being the very prop and promoter of all true Religion and without the entire and sincere sanctification whereof all true religion would quickly decay and be utterly lost yea I say a Nation-upholding Christian dutie of richest valuation as having more precious promises annexed to it than any other I know of in the whole book of God and which hath more ennobled our Realm and made our Kingdom more illustrious God alone who hath so graciously upheld it among us have all the praise and glorie of it and we onely the comfort than all our reformed Neighbours about us yea such a blessed and holy duty as hath caused more mercies to fall yea flow upon our English-Nation than ever did on any people of the Christian world Yet our most iniurious Prelates together with their profane Pontificks have most shamelesly striven to viciate and defile this our Sabbaths precious honour the main readie and road-way to have brought the curse of God upon us and utterly to have ruinated our whole Kingdom by whose means it began in King James his dayes to receive a deep died stain by that most wicked and accursed book of tolerating vain sports and profane recreations forsooth on the Lords day which since hath been avowed and advanced more highly by them than at the first but now since in our present Soveraignes time more pertinaciously pressed and perniciously enforced on Gods dear Saints and servants in the ministerie than formerly it had been whose tender-consciences could not endure it and who being in their most just zeal for the Lords high honour therein and sincere love to true Religion transported above all fears and frowns were most egregiously abused vexed and punished for refusing to admit and read the said wicked-book in their Churches untill it most graciously pleased our good God by the blessed Parliament to prevent the most mischievous growth of this unexpressible abomination of our so holy Fathers of the Church together with the rotten rable of Pontifick-Arminians Romes Minions indeed by a particular Order from the House of Commons in Parliament for the more strict sanctification of that day which I have hereunto annexed The Order of the House of Commons for the due sanctication of the Sabbath or Lords day April 10 th 1641. IT is this day ordered by the House of Commons that the Aldermen and Citizens that serve for the Citie of London shall intimate to the Lord Maior from this Hou e that the Statutes for the due observing of the Sabbath be put in execution And it is further ordered that the like
or dunghill with this inscription engraven in Marble with fair capitall letters This jakes was once the High-Commission-Court So hatefull and hurtfull I say was that Court and its accursed effects to Gods people in this Kingdome especially being backâ— and â—oulsterd-up with the irresistible wrongs and unavoidable oppressive censures of the Star-Chamber whether godly men and women of all ranks and conditions that disobeyed the High-Commissions unlawfull Commands were turned over when their own Ecclesiasticall Power was not prevalent enough to punish and plague them so deeply as their malice and mischief aymed at Yea and the all-overtopping power of the Councill-Table was no small assailant of the subjects and assistant to the Prelates wicked Designes but that tyrannizing Starr-Chamber Court is by our prudent Parliamentary Worthies voted down as hath been formerly touched to the unspeakable comfort and freedome of the Kings best and most loyall Subjects and the immoderate and excessive power of the Councell-Table is by the wisdome of our most Worthy Senators so ordered and restrained that we may well hope by Gods mercie such things as were heertâ—fore frequently done to the intolerable prejudice of the Subjects libertie will appear amongst us in future times but onely in Stories to give us and our posteritie more just occasion to bless our God for his Majesties goodn ss and for the faithfull and indefatigable endeavours of this present Parliament Now then put all these last fore-mentioned Parliamentary-Mercies together into one account and then tell me whether they do not arise to a mightie 〈◊〉 and deep debt of â—â—erlastingly obliging gratitude to our so bountifull and â—pâ—n-handed enlargedhearted a God to us so und serving and rather wrath-provoking a people in thus conferring such 〈…〉 such incomparable free kindnesses on England such a sinfull naugâ—â—ie Nation Yea tell mee good Reader on serious recoâ—â—ction and recogitation of these most bounteous bl ssings whether the Lord Jehovah hath not been seen most conspicuously to England above all Nations round about it On the Mount of matchless Mercies to the ineffable joy and rejoycing of our Soules in the deepest gulfes of our stinging-Staites Whether our God hath not with admirable patience goodnes and favour waited on us that he might be gracious unto us and exalted himself that he might have mercie upon us for the Lord is a God of judgement O blessed are all they that wisely wait for him For his people shall dwell in Sion at Jerusalem and shall weep no more For he will be very gracious unto them at the voice of their cry and when he shall hear it he will answer them And though the Lord give them the bread of adversarie for a season and the water of affliction yet shall not their Teachers be removed into a corner any more but their eyes shall see their Teachers again Thus O even thus hath our gracious God directly dealt with us thus hath our English-Israels Shâ—aphâ—rd of his late poor despised stock kept a carefull watch over us who had been els made the Prelates perpetuall-Asses to bear all their Romish and slavish burthens Wherefore with holy David we may justly and ingenuously acknowledge Thy righteousnes O God is very high who hast done great things for us O God who is like unto thee Thou who hast shown us great and sore troubles yet hast quickned us again and brought us up from the depth of the grave Our lips shall greatly rejoyce when we sing unto thee and our hearts and soules which â—hou hast redeemed Our tongues shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long for they are confounded and brought unto shame which most seditiously and scelerously ought our destruction And thus have we all most perspicuously â—een and observed how gracious and propitious the Lord hath been to his late most tottering Church crossing her 〈…〉 â—n all their deepest designes most sublime imaginations leaving them still in the lurch and loss when they seemed to swell with highest concâ—ipts of cruell and accursed conquests over their harmless brethren letting them see if they wilfully blind not their eyes their big-swoln tympanie of unsufferable pride and arrogancie to be turned into a flashie ignis fatuus of self-deceiving subtiltie and changing all their vaporous puffs of gross impiety into folly and madness But now let us proceed to enlarge our most serious observations on what remains still in a most admirable measure heerin and let us yet farther see and consider how the Lord who is neverweary of well-doing nay who takes delight and great pleasure to pleasure his freely beloved Ones with his plenteous benefits Of whom we cannot say as Esau to his Father Isaac Hast thou but one blessing my Father but a God who the more he gives the more he hath to give being indeed an unexhaustible spring and never to be dryed but ever-overflowing fountain of all goodnes whatsoever But withall take this note by the way with thee good Reader that as before so now especially in these ensuing remarkable mercies thou shalt see the rage and malice of the malignant partie marveilously interposing their wicked plotts to cross and utterly to frustrate as much as in them lay all the wayes and means of Gods intended yea and miraculously performed mercies to us but yet all their plotts and desperate designes by Gods good providence were still strangely thwarted and timely discovered and disappointed to our comfort and their shame and helpless vexation Let us now then I say goe-on to see how our glorious Lord and King persists to make us of our selves I confesse and in respect of our Capernaum-like means of grace so unimproved the most infull and undeserving Nation under heaven the most beloved and happiest Nation in the world See therefore how our renowned Parliamentary-Worthies freed the Kingdome from that former illegall compelling of the Subject to receive the order of Knighthood against their will from the encroachments and oppression of the Stannary-Courts and Extortions by Clerkes of Markets from vile vexations also by Parkes and Forrests which were now by a Law reduced into their right bounds and limits Yea how they moved and prevailed with the King to set forth his Proclamation for banishing all the Romish Priests and Jesuites out of the Kingdome on pain of death upon their after-apprehension in the Land Together with an Act of Parliament for disarming of all Popish-Recusants over the whole Kingdome to the great comfort and securitie of Gods people who before were in continuall feare of their mischievous insurrections as being well acquainted with their rebellious Spirits on all advantages it also being a Principle of their Religion for the advancement of the Catholick-Cause not to keep any plighted faith with Heretickes for such they account all that are not of their Romish not faith but faction Yea that cage of most unclean birds Sommerset-House I mean in the Strand cleansed in good measure
English Prelates by reason of their princely pomp and lordly dignities and familiar intermedling and tampering in temporall affairs to the continuall provocation of the wrath of God and the derogatorie dishonour of Christs will and prescript pleasure in their ministeriall function It shall not be so with you And now let the godly Reader here see and consider the admirable equitie and justice of our wise and most holy God meeting them full in their own wayes and works They who being Lords and Barons forsooth in that high Court of Parliament yet could seldome or never find a heart or voice for Christ and religion but freqently against Christ in his holy members and against the power and purity of religion have now most justly no voice or place in Parliament to help themselves but are thrust out as men not desired like that wicked King Jehoram who departed this life without being desired And take this note also by the way before we leave them That they who in themselves and predecessors ever since the time of glimmering reformation even in Queen Elizabeths dayes of ever blessed memorie to this very time all along without intermission had silenced suspended imprisoned and impoverished many hundreds if not thousands of holy painfull and profitable Preachers for Non-subscription have now by an act of subscription imprisoned themselves in the Tower of London and almost quite devested themselves of their Prelaticall arrogated superioritie over their fellow-Ministers Thus God hath taken them by their own iniquities and hath held them with the cords of their own sin Thus Goliah is slain with his own sword and Haman is hanged upon his own gallows And thus was their former furious and most injurious carriage and course a just presage and omen of their totall ruine and downfall which in substance is now blessedly come to passe in this their denudation stripping and whipping from their lordly dignities haughtie honours and busie intermedling in secular affairs the rest I hope and pray will perfectly be effected in Gods due time Now then see here and observe good Reader with a wise and most gratefull heart both in regard of the thing it self and also of those two materiall circumstances so observable therein whether the Lord was not admirably seen in the Mount of Mercie to his poore Church in this so rare and singular freedome of it from future fear of Prelaticall tyrannie And give me leave to use the Prophets own words by way of exulting gratitude to the Lord our God Hearken unto me dear Christians ye that know righteousnesse the people in whose heart is the law of the Lord. Fear ye not the reproach of men neither be ye afraid of their revilings for the moth shall eat them up like a garment and the worm shall gnaw them like wooll But my righteousnesse shall be for ever and my salvation from generation to generation Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord awake as in ancient dayes and as in the generation of old Art not thou it that hath cut Rahab the Prelates of England and wounded the Dragon the whore of Rome Therefore do the redeemed of the Lord return and come with singing to Zion and everlasting joy shall be on their head They shall obtain gladnesse and joy and sorrow and mourning shall flie away About this time also it pleased the good hand of God to direct the hearts of our prudent and provident parliamentarie-Worthies to take notice of the most dangerous distractions of the kingdom and as just as great fears of intestine turmoiles which might arise among us by the Papists and malignant-partie if not timely prevented and therefore to resolve according to the joynt desires of the Subject in all their petitions exhibited in Parliament to settle a Militia by Act of Parliament for a certain time namely untill it might please the Lord happily to compose our differences and to put a blessed end to our domestick and forrein fears that thus by putting the Kingdom into a posture of defence we might by Gods mercie be the better secured both from homebred treacheries and transmarine invasions For which purpose they resolved in the first place to displace Sir John Byron from his Lieutenantship of the Tower of London and to put in Sir John Connyers a man in whom they had good assurance they might confide both for his fidelity and martiall abilities which though with much strugling at last they obtained of his Majestie to theirs and the Cities full content in that particular And for the better putting of life into the sad and bad affairs of Ireland and the more speedie and certain subduing by Gods assistance of those most barbarous and inhumane Rebels and accursed idolaters of Rome It pleased our most wise God to infuse a fair and famous project into the hearts of divers heroick and worthie Citizens of London first to proffer themselves by way of subscription of certain summes of money to be paid in at severall payments by them and other well-affected Subjects both in Citie and Countrey Whereunto the thing being moved by petition and singularly approved in Parliament the Lords and Commons in both Houses gave admirable encouragement by their free and forward subscription of great summes and all their moneys so laid out to be repaid and satisfied out of the Rebels lands when by Gods aid and assistance they should be totally suppressed and destroyed and not before nor by any other wayes or means And since that by reason of the most aâ—rocious and unparralleld cruelties of those Romish-rebels in Ireland very many of the distressed and bespoiled English-Protestant inhabitants especially women and children who were necessitated to flie thence carrying their lives in their hands and glad poore souls they so escaped to Dublin and so over-Sea into divers parts of this Kingdom being thereby plunged into deplorable povertie and miserie It was I say further ordered by our truly charitable and pious Parliament that there should be a generall collection or contribution over the whole Kingdom for and toward the present relief and supplie of such distressed men women and children as could hardly subsist without present help and relief Which said collection was so fully and freely advanced in this our noble and renowned City of London that at one Church therein viz Aldermanburie under reverend and religious Mr Calamies fruitfull Ministerie upon his pious and patheticall motion and instigation to his willing people a Collection was made and gathered at the Church-doores and parishioners houses which amounted unto between 600 and 700 â— at the least Toward the latter end of Februarie also 1641. It pleased the Lord to blow-off all clouds of displeasure from the Kings royall heart and to cause his countenance to shine so serenely on the Parliaments proceedings that he sent the House of Lords a most gracious and comfortable answer intimating his royall concurrence and
From which so high and dangerous an indignitie to our good God the Lord for Christs sake by the irresistible power of his good Spirit preserve and uphold England Scotland and Ireland and all thaâ— have by Gods gracious power and good providence shaken-off and broken in pieces that heavy yea that hellish yoke of Romes Anti-Christian tyrannie Amen and Amen All glorie be to God alone FINIS Gods 2. royall Prerogatives or attributes Mercie and Iustice Mans happinesse Satans fall foâ— pride Satan tempts man Mans fall Iob 33. 24. â—uk 1. 69. Mans restauration by the promised-Seed A combat denounced twixt the womans seed and the Serpents-seed Matt. 28. 20. The cause of the Combate 1 Ioh. 3. 1â— True religion The prosecution of the Combate In France Germanie England Scotland c. The ill-successe of the malignant Combatants The blood of the Saints is the seed of the Church Matth. 28. 20. Psal 34. 19. Mans necessity is Gods opportunitie Psal 35. 17. England the Land-mark of Gods mercies The Pope began to be pusht-down by King Hen. 8. King Edw. 6. Queen Elizabeth Spanish-Armado 1588. Powder-plot by Papists 1605. The main occasion of this Treatise Parliamentarie-Mercies The Mount of Straits The Mount of Mercies Iesuiticall-Priests and pontifick Prelates like Simeon and Levi. Contrarie juxta se posita mag is illucescunt Dangers and Deliverances opposed shew the more gloriously The first Parliamentarie-Remonstrance Psal 73. 1. The root and growth of this their plot The ripenesse of it The means of curing it The boyling obstructions against the cure The counter-checking of thoseobstacles The root and râ—ce of the plot was The Complotters Jesuited-Papists Prelates and Pontificians Profane and irreligious Courtiers Their Principles to work by To set the King people at jarres about Prerogatives and Liberties To suppresse the power and purity of Religion To countenance all their own and to disgrace all the opposite party To cause the King to disaffect Parliaments Note this wel Primo regis Caroli oâ—us servesâ—ere caepit This plot waâ— first machinated in King Iames his dayes The first Parliament at Oxford dissolved Sad effects of the dissolution of that first Parliament Rochel lost West Indie voyage diverted Câ—â—es attempted Peace with Spain without Parliaments consent The Palsgraves cause deserted Billetted Souldiers over the Kingdom German horse A second Parliament dissolved Sad events on the breach of this Parliament also A third Parliamentdissolved By which cruell usage Sir Iohn Ellâ—ot a most worthy Member of the House and pious patriot died then in prison More bad issues on the breach of the third Parliament Parliaments Parliament Members mightily vilified and disgraced Quarto Caroli Knight-hood money Tonnage and Poundage Book of Rates Ship-money Forrests enlarged Coat Conduct-money Traind-bands Arms taken away Gun-powder engrossâ—d The Forrest of Dean Many Moth-eating Monopolies Restraint of habitations trading Corporall â—â—xations and punishments inflicted on many good Subjects Star-Chamber Court a main fomenter of Suits and Censures Oppressions for Religion and Cases of Conscience No lâ—sse than transcendent barbarous crueltie Iudges displaced and discountenanced for their honestie The Privie-Councill Table a great favourer of these illegalities Selling of justice and places of judicature Prelatespranks in the Church Suspensions excommunications The high-Commission-Court little inferiour to the Spanish-Inquisition In Citie and Countrey men and women forced to flie into forrein parts Into Holland and New-England Who they were which got most preferments Court sermons what and to what end Godly Ministers thrust from their livings The faction now grown to its heighth Three parts of now perfecting thewhole plot Psal 62 9. Malum consâ—lium consultori pessimum Psal 7. 14 15 16. How they began to put their threefold plot aforesaid into full execution Scotland attempted A new Liturgie and Canons put upon them But rejected Dux faemina facti Virg. in his Aen. Zach. 4. 10. * Cap 3. 9. A great disturbance in the Church 1 Kin. 18. 44. All Scotland opposeth it They are proclaimed Rebels in all Churches in England An armie raised against them The Scots do the like The first Pacification God in the Mount Psal 33. 10 11 12. The malignant partie displeased with the Pacification Chiefly the Arch-Prelate Laud and the Earl of Straford Preparation for war again A Parliament motioned to an ill intent Psal 94. 20 The Scots prosecuted again The Earl of Straford in Ireland cals a Parliament whereby they deeply engage themselves for this war A Prosopopoeia to Ireland as touching this act and her present state A short yet sharp check to England also The Earl of Straf returned home Simeon and Levi. A fourth Parliament called April 13. 1640. The said 4th Parliament dissolved Mark this O England for thy comfort Reverend Mr. Case in his 12. Arguments of comfort to England May 5. 1640. Violent courses again exercised to get money Very ill usage to some eminent Parliament Members A scandalous Declaration published A forced loan of money urged in the city of London Aldermen imprisoned for refusing it The Apprentises rising in Southwark side and at Lambeth Exod. 8. 19. The Clergie continue their Convocation New Canons made A new-forged Oath with a monstrous c. in it Punishments on those that refused to take it Exod. 1. 9 10. Pharaohs speech to his Nobles Pharaohs policie proved meer follie The Arch-Prelate of Canterbury his speech to his Pontificians in the Synod Exod. 18. 11. Large taxations laid on the Clergie towâ—â—d the war Bellum Episcopale Praiers against the Scots as against rebels The Souldiers marching forward to York Turn rude-Reformers Non omninâ— laudo admirer tamen Iudg. 5. 23. 31. The Papists did enjoy almost a full toleration Sir Francis Windibank their great friend A Popes Nuncio Great libertie to the Papists A Popish private Parliament in England Divers notable private contrivements of the Popish partie for the full perfecting of the plot See here by all these particulars if England was not bought and sold to destruction England brought into a Mount of Straits Psal 94. 20. Jer. 16. 16. Gen. 10. 8 9. Nimrod a mighty hunter 2 Chron. 16. 9. Psal 65. 2. Nehem 9. 17. Psal 46. 1. Luk 8. 48. Exod. 14. 13. Deut. 3â— 35 36. Admirable comfort in deepest distresse Mr Cala. Fast-Ser The introduction to the now subsequent Parliamentarie-mercies A mightie and strange overture of things for the better The Nobility begins to be sensible of our sorrows The Kings royall Standard set up at York The Peers do petition the King The Scots also were vexed as well as we They enter our Kingdom with a strong Armie The Scots at New-castle The intention of the Scots Armyâ— printed and published in private The King entertains good counsell at York Sept. 24 1640. A treatie at Rippon A cessation of Armes agreed A fifth Parliament called to begin Novem 3. 1640. Râ—dis indigestaque moles Seges ubi Trâ—jâ— fuit God in the Mount Psal 68. 34. 32. Psal 46. 9. Psal
beholding the evident sun-shine of the truth in the subsequent and most luculent demonstrations thereof in this Kingdom of England after a speciall manner which God hath graciously made the very Land-mark of all his rich mercies to the everlasting glory of his great Name and free grace unto us a most sinfull and undeserving Nation as we have been and that in the midst of such means and miracles of mercies which he hath conferred on us and wrought for us above all our neighbour Nations round about us Now herein my purpose is omitting many former mercies to our Land of high concernment and most worthy of everlasting and indelible thankfull remembrance as the shaking off of the Antichristian shackles and yoke of Poperie begun in the dayes of King Henry the eighth and his most blessed Son King Edward the sixth but especially in the happie halcyon-dayes of Queen Elizabeths reign of ever most blessed memorie Since whose most blessed dayes and times we have enjoyed the Gospel of peace and peace of the Gospel almost these hundred yeers and now are not onely Protestants but most blessedly begin to be reformed Protestants notwithstanding the many most nefarious and treacherous plots against her sacred person happily defeated the falsly so termed Invincible Spanish Armado in 1588 and the most exorbitant and hell-hatch't Powder-plot by those Romish traytors Garnet a grand-Jesuite and his twelve impious apostles in the yeer 1605 by heavens vigilant eye of providence timely prevented together with many private and pernicious conjurations or conspiracies not so much by force as by fraud clandestinely machinated and by Gods mercie fruitlesly attempted enough to fill up voluminous Treatises and infâ—â—itâ—ly to magnifie Gods endlesse praises all which I say here to omit my purpose and main intention is as I fore promised by the blessed assistance of Gods gracious Spirit to manifest and declare to all who vouchsafe the patient and impartiall perusall hereof all the memorable and wonder-striking Parliamentary mercies effected for and afforded unto this our English Nation mauger the malice of Hell and Rome Papists and profane Atheists Satans active and able agents with inthe space of lesse than two yeers last past 1641 and 1642. And for the better and more exact setting forth of the most illustrious lustre and glorious beautie of these incomparable parliamentarie-pledges of Gods undoubted love and free favour toward us my intention is first to shew my Reader the cloudy-Mountain of Straits into which the Lord had in his wisdom and justice brought us or rather suffered us to be drawn and driven into for our sins and transgressions and then the sweet and serene-Mountain of Mercies wherein God was most gloriously seen of his meer mercie for our most timely and happie deliverance I mean I say to let the godly Reader see the deep distresse and danger whereinto we were plunged by the nefarious and multifarious plots and projects of Jesuiticall-Priests and perfidious Prelates for I may most justly couple and link them together like Simeon and Levi brothers in iniquitie of these our late and worst times and other most disloyall atheisticallagents in these desperate designes all of them faithlesse factors for the See of Rome all of them complotting and contriving to reduce us to the accursed Romish religion yea all of them combining and confederating to work and weave our three famous and flourishing Kingdoms England Scotland and Irelands fatall and finall ruiâ—e and downfall This being done I shall endeavour by Gods assistance most punctually to promulgate and most exactly to record to posterity those even myriades of remarkable mercies conferred on us to strange amazement and deep admiration of all truly pious and faithfull Christians That thus contraries being set together in an exact Antithesis or opposition they may both appear the more apparently to the eyes and understanding of ingenuous and judicious beholders that thus I say the dangers being seriously considered and worthily weighed the mercies may the more gloriously break forth like the Suns glorious rayes and heart-cheering bright beams after a thick and black cloudie storm and heart-damping tempest and that thus I say the god y Reader ruminating and recollecting Both in his sad and serious re-cogitations may justly and ingenuously acknowledge that God was in the Mount for our Deliverance Now herein for my better and more methodicall proceeding in this renowned Storie I have resolved to make our most famous and renowned Parliamentarie-Worthies first Remonstrance wherein all our Kingdoms heavie pressures and oppressions are summarily and succinctly even to the life delineated my most worthily imitable copie and pattern to write by but in these I intend to be as concise and brief as conveniently may be because my chief ayme and resolution is â—o hasten to the copious and comfortable narration and description of our Parliamentarie-Mercies and Deliverances to the everlasting glorie and precious praise of our great and good God and that at the rare and faire sight and cordiall contemplation of them the godly Reader may break out in an extasie of holy and heavenly joy and say with holy David Truly God is good to his English Israel and to all therein of an upright heart Wherefore now to pretermit all further ambages and circumlocutions and to addresse my self seriously to the matter intended I shall first with my most worthie-Masters briefly declare the root and growth of their mischievous designes and the rice of our dangerous estate thereby Secondly the maturity and ripenesse to which the malignant partie had hatcht and cherisht it before the beginning of this Parliament Thirdly the efficacious means used for the eradicating and rooting up of this evill weed so rank-grown in the garden of the Kingdom both by the Kings royall assistance and Heavens blessing on the Parliaments great wisdom industrie and providence Fourthly the bold affronts and audacious obstructions and oppositions to interrupt and check the Parliaments fair and faithfull progresse and proceedings therein all along Fifthly and lastly the counter-checking means used to annihilate and make void those obstacles and impediments which so retarded the fair fabrick and comely structure of a happie reformation of those superfluous and rank-grown evils and of redintegrating and re-establishing the ancient honour and security of this Crown and Nation even by a Parliamentarie-power the onely remedie left under God to prop-up the tottering State to force away our over-flowing fears and to heal the mortall wounds and sores of our distressed Land Now the root and rice of all the plot was found to be a pernicious woven knot of malignant active spirits combining and confederating together for the supplanting and utter subverting of the fundamentall Laws and principles of government on which the religion and government of the Kingdom were firmly establisht And those actors and promoters were fiâ—st and principally Jesuited-Papists whose teeth had long