An English Balm Lately Pressed out of a Shrub
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A96759.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
Opobalsamum Anglicanum: AN ENGLISH BALME, LATELY Pressed out of a Shrub, and spread upon these Papers, FOR The Cure of some Scabs, Gangreeves and Cancers endangering the Body of this Common-Wealth; and, to whom it is now tendered, by the WELL-AFFECTED English, in a Double-Speech, disjunctively delivered, by one of their Fellow-ship, both to the Faithful, and Malignant-Members of the Representative-Body of this Kingdom.
Penned, by the Author of Britain's Remembrancer GEO: WITHER Esquire.
Psalm: 141.5,6.
Let the righteous smite me, and it shall be a kindness; and let him reprove me, and it shall be an excellent Oil, which shall not break my head, &c,
When their Judges are overthrown in stony places, then they shall hear my words, &c.
Printed in the Yeare, 1646.
Opobalsamum Anglicanum. OR, An English-Balm, lately pressed out of a Shrub, &c.
THE PREFACE.
GReat hopes I had, of perfecting, e're this,
My
VOX-PACIFICA,
and songs of
PEACE:
For,
FAIRFAX,
with his
Victories,
begun,
So stoutly, and successfully, went on,
That, neither
Summers
heat, nor
Winters cold,
Brigade,
nor
Army,
Fortified Hold,
Nor
Force,
nor
Policy;
No, nor their
wiles,
Who did oppose, in secret, all the whiles,
Could bring his brave procedeings to a stand;
Till he had marched quite throughout the
Land,
As in a
Tryumph;
And, had brought even those
Presuming, and proud
Bragadochean-Foes,
(Who had despised, and slighted his
beginnings
)
To be the sad Spectators of his
winnings;
And, to be
prostrate-suitors,
unto
them,
For
Life,
and
Mercy,
whom they did contemn.
Our
BRETHREN,
also, and their
General,
If, we impartially consider all,
From first to last (and, mar not things, in making,
By rashly misbelieving; or mistaking)
Have greatly added, to the hope of that,
Which, I, and all good men have aimed at.
At least, I think so; and will so believe,
Till I shall know, that they my hopes deceive;
For, I my duty, shall discharge the better:
And, if they fail, their shame will be the greater.
Our
PARLIAMENT,
hath also, done, what they
With so distempered a
Body
may,
(And so dismembered) laboring about
The
Public-welfare;
and, in working out
Her
Saving-Health,
against those interruptions
Which are
without;
and all those hid corruptions
Within
her
Members,
hindering the success
Of their
Designes,
and our desired
Peace:
And, I have waited, now, a
complete-Yeare,
To hear that
VOICE
proceed, which I did hear
So long ago; and, which, had then proceeded,
If
Justice
had been done, and
Mercy
heeded
But, all this time, though oft aside I, went
(And, many an hour my best endeavors bent)
To hearken out, and bring unto this
Nation,
The longed for
News
of
Reconciliation,
No sound, I had thereof; yet, every day,
I heard those
Rumours,
wherewith others
•…
ay,
And, do delude themselves; and, must, perchance,
Till they repent their willful-Ignorance,
And take that
course,
which
Avarice,
and
Pride,
Hath made them wave, and, hitherto deride.
As when a
Surgeon,
who hath undergone
A
Cure,
and, therein, his endeavor done
According to the
Art
by him professed:
When, he, the
sore
hath searched, clens'd, and dressed,
With
Tents,
and
Plaisters
proper thereunto,
(And, all things else, befitting him to do)
If, on the
Wound,
his
Medicine
worketh naught
Of that effect, which, thereby hath been sought;
But, keeps it at a stand, or, makes it worse:
He, presently, begins another course;
And, if that, also, fails him, grows assured,
It is a
Cancer,
hardly to be cured;
And, may become a
Gangreeve,
which will stay
His
Patient,
if it be not cut away.
So, I, observing well, how many ways
The healing-hand of
Providence,
now, lays
His Plaisters on our
wounds;
and, yet, how far
Our
Maladies,
from perfect healing
•
re:
I, searched for the
Cause,
and, quickly found
There was
Malignant-matter
in the
Wound,
Which would into a
Cancer,
be corrupted:
And, peradventure (if not interrupted,
By timely care) into a
Gangreeve
grow,
Which, will effect the
Bodies
overthrow:
Or, else (beside much trouble, grief, and cost)
Occasion many
Members
to be lost.
Which, when I had discovered; my true zeal,
(Although I may have little thank to deal,
In such a
Cure
) provoked me unto
That, which, most
Friends
and
Strangers
use to do
When one is fallen sick: That is, to tell
What, they believe or know, may make him well:
And, I conceiving somewhat to that end,
Would now, perform the duty a Friend.
A dangerous Disease brooks no delay:
I will not, therefore, trifle time away
In useless
Prefaces:
but, with what speed
Is possible, will, to the
Cure proceed.
And, lo; the
Simple,
whence we will enforce
A
Balm
to cure it, shall be this
Discourse.
The
WEL-AFFECTED,
having suffered wrong,
By some, too soon entrusted, and too long,
About those
Cures,
for which, with joint-consent
Our
State-Physicians
called a
Parliament:
And, they well knowing, that, this
Double-College,
Hath neither been, through want of
Care
or
Knowledge,
Defective in their duty, or unjust;
(Although some
Individuals
faild their trust)
Were studious, how, a course they might invent,
To have the
Trust-infringers
roundly shent,
Yet, all their
Faith-full-Friends,
kept free from blame:
And,
Providence
did thus effect the same;
(By means of one among them, who intends
To lose himself, e're they shall miss their ends)
Upon a time (which I remember not)
The
Well-affected-Partie,
had the lot,
To meet with (but, I know not where it was)
The
Members
of both
Houses,
in one Place;
And, finding some occasion of their stay,
(I know not how) till they their minds might say;
They, having, intellectively, collected
The
WORTHIES,
from the
Persons-misaffected;
And, with humility, attention prayed,
First, to the
Faithful-Members,
thus they said.
The Speech of the Well-affected-English, to the Faithful Peers, and to their constant Trustees, being Members of the honorable House of Commons.
STARRES, of the great, and lesser magnitude;
Behold us not, as if we would intrude
Upon your
Orbs;
nor think, this
Throng
appears
To interrupt the motion of your
Spheres;
To hinder your aspects; or, take offense
At any late effect, or influence,
Derived from your Power; or, at ought done
By you, in both; or either
House
alone,
When,
violence
their
motion
suffers not,
Whereby prodigious things may be begot:
For, so heroic, and so noble, ever,
Hath been your prudence, and your stout endeavor,
To keep upright the wheels of
Charles
his
wane;
And, every harmful
Vapour
to restrain,
Exhald by
Meteors,
to the wrong of them,
Whose habitations are within your
Clyme;
That, we confess, with praise, and admiration,
Your constant Labors, in the preservation,
Of this distracted
Empire;
and, present
All humble, and all due acknowledgment,
For persevering, through those many stops,
Obstructing the fruition of our
hopes.
We are not ignorant how many
Feares,
How many
real-mischiefs, Rubs,
and
Snares,
Great
hazards, hardships, murm'rings, calumnies,
Scoffes,
and
almost-Impossibilities,
You, with untired constancy have past,
In hope, to wrestle out, for us, at last,
The
Blessing
we desire: And, we confess
You, are the means of what we, yet, possess
We do ascribe, as to the
Second-Cause,
The preservation, of our
Lives,
our
Laws,
Our
Conscience, Liberties,
and of what e're
To
us,
or
ours
hath been esteemed dear,
To be from you: And, we confess, likewise,
That, in your
Honor,
and your
safety,
lies
Our
safety,
and our
Honor;
and, that, we
In your
well-being,
judge our
Weale
to be;
And, every danger, and disgrace of your,
To be a danger, and disgrace, of our.
Excuse us therefore, if the
Double-due
Of what, we owe, both to ourselves, and you,
Produceth an Attempt and an effect.
Which you do nor imagine nor expect;
And drew us to the pardonable Fault.
Of making this unlooked-for Assault
Upon your patience; since, the thing we do,
Is that, which we appear obliged unto;
And, tends to naught less, then the preservations
Of
you,
of
us,
and all the
British-Nations.
Suspect not, our assembling, thus, together;
Nor look upon us, as if we were either
Of their Confederacy, or their Condition,
Who come to raise an uproar, or Sedition;
Or, to compel you forcibly, to do
What our wild
Fancie
hurried us unto:
But, rather, pleased be to understand,
That, we are of those people in the Land;
Who are most peaceable; and, well content
To be obedient to that
Government,
Which doth preserve the
Freedomes
of the
Nation,
Continuing firmly on the first
Foundation;
And, free from
Superstructures,
which pervert
The works of
Nature,
by the Quirks of
Art.
We are no
Partners,
with those
Factious-Fellowes,
Who bring the fuel, or, who blow the bellows
Of
Civil-Discords:
nor, of those, that, Dary
Their
Principles,
when their
Designes
miscarry:
Nor of their
Creed,
who will believe no more,
Then, what they have believed heretofore:
Or, what their
Grandfires
did believe, of old;
Or, what shall by their
Priest,
to them be told:
Nor are we of their mind, who, therefore do,
What they
have done,
because, they
have done so:
But, we are men, who, good advisement had
Of what we do (though some, yet, think us mad;)
Men, that, have all our best endeavors vowed,
To loose no Freedom
Reason
hath allowed;
Men, who resolve to seek a
perfect way;
To walk it, as uprightly, as we may;
To keep unchanged, GOD'S and
Natures
Laws,
And, change all other things, as there is cause.
SIRS, we are they, who, for the
Common-right,
Began to speak, e're we began to sight;
Some of us, are well known to be the men,
Who, with the
Purse,
the
Person,
and the
Pen,
Engag'd ourselves, this
Quarrell
to defend,
Before we had an
Army,
or a
Friend,
To aid, or second us. We did expose
Our selves, against the violence of those,
Who exercise
Oppressions
of all sorts,
In
Monopolies, Arbitrarie-Courts;
And upstart
Offices;
although it cost
Our liberties, and our preferments lost,
Whilst they, who such rewards to us afforded
Were for their Villanies, enriched and Lorded.
And, we are they who, but a while ago,
When
Tyrannie
did so presumptuous grow,
(And, to such impudency, as to dare
Improve
wrongs-private,
into
open-war
)
Who did oppose it: yea, when
Superstition
Was, to oppress us, joined in Commission
With
Tyrannie,
and these came both together
So furiously, and boldly marching hither,
That, justly, you began to be a fraid
Of
Public-Ruin,
and called out for aid;
We were the men; even we, who first of all
Came in, to your Assistance, at your call.
And, when we came, we came not
backward,
in,
Or, as if we insensible had been
Of your, as our own dangers: But, came flying,
As if we heard our
Wives,
or
Children
crying,
Come help, or we are murthred!
without stay,
Our
Callings,
and
Estates
we flung away:
Our
Plate,
our
Coyne,
our
Jewels,
and our
Rings,
Arms, Ornaments,
and all our
Pretious-things,
To you we brought as bountifully, in,
As if they had old rusty horshooes been:
Yea, (GOD is witness with us) we, our
lives,
Our
Parents,
our dear
Children,
and our
wives,
Have often valued at so low a rate,
And, so neglected them to serve the
State,
At your Command; as if they had not seemed
Things, worthy to be any whit esteemed.
Through
heat
and
cold;
through
dangers
& through
Fears;
Through
wants
&
wounds;
& thorough
swords
&
spears.
Yea (which is worse) through their neglects & scorn,
For whom (in part) we, all these things have born,
We have adventured; that, we might-uphold
Your
Honor,
to the uttermost we could.
Which we repeat not, to derive from thence,
Self-praise;
but, to beget a confidence
In you, this day, that, we appear as
Friends
With our
first-love,
and with as loyal ends
As when we first came in to offer to you,
The services, we able were to do you:
And, we are still resolved, if need appear,
To be as free, and forward as we were,
Your
Dignity,
and
Honor
to maintain;
Yea twice mote, yet, and three times thrice, again.
If you (which we suspect not) shall go on,
With faithfulness, to do the work begun;
And, shall nor faint, nor fail, in your pursuit
Of what, you are about to execute:
We do engage, with you, to fall or stand;
To give assistance, both with heart, and hand,
To all your just
Designes;
and, settle them
In spite of those, who shall our hopes contemn.
Yea, whether your
Antagonists
are they,
Who, here at home, your
Counsels
would betray;
Or, Enemies who, from abroad, shall dare
Invade our
Freedomes;
we resolved are
To stand the shock, of all their threats, & powers,
Be they
States, Prelates, Kings,
or
Emperors,
Or, altogether: For, what, hard can be
To these three joined? GOD, and
You,
and
We?
But,
You,
and
We,
(as reasonable men)
Must, to GOD'S help, add our endeavors, then;
Or else, both
You
and
We,
in vain presume
That, GOD our
Coadjutor
will become.
Our best endeavors, too, must be employed,
Where we most likely are to be destroyed;
Which, otherwhile, he better may discern
Who
trims the Sails,
then he that
Guides at Stern,
You are the
Brain,
the
Liver,
and the
Hart
Of this great
Body,
and the
Vitall-part
Which gives it motion: But we are the
Hands,
Whereby it Acts; The
Feet
whereon it stands;
The
Bulk
and
Bones
which must the burdens bear:
And,
We
with
You,
may claim to have a share
In all the senses; and, without offense
In that, which hath been called the
Common-sense.
By us together, therefore, and alone,
Our Duties must respectively be done,
According to the
Common-Interest,
(And to the Faculties, by us possessed,
Vnited, and a sunder) with such care
To heed each others counsels, doubts, and Fear,
And with such mutual readiness to add
All comforts, all good helps that may be had,
And all endearements, which may knit together
Our Forces, and our Loves to one another,
That, none may come between us; or, find way
To mixe with us, our
Counsels
to betray.
This last, will more endanger us, then all
The strength of
Spain
and
France
united shall,
If we prevent it not: And, there is need
That, hereof, at this present, we take heed:
For, of this Evil, to our grief, we view
Both symptoms and effects; yea, not a few.
Most honored
Peers
&
Comons;
whilst you wake,
And watchful are, that we no harms may take,
We sleep not so supinely, as to sleight
Our own security, or, that which might
Endanger
You:
And, by this means, our eyes
And Ears, have made some late discoveries,
Which, your employments for the
Public-weal,
(Or trust-abusing friends) from you conceal,
With such fair guildings, that, both
You
and
we
Are lost, unless, they quickly heeded be;
And, heeded so, that, likewise, you provide
A remedy, and see the same applide:
For, we have good
Provisions,
oft, and many;
But, little execution made of any.
Your Courage, and your wisdom we confess,
Your Piety, your Care, and watchfulness,
In your own Persons; and, that, you oppose
With good success, your most Malignant Foes
Which are
abroad;
by means of that dispis'd,
(Yet valiant
Army
) lately modelliz'd,
In God's own time: But, noble SIRS, there be
Worse Foes
within,
then those
abroad
you see:
And such they be, as do require you should
As much reduce your Houses, if you could,
As you have done your
Army:
For, we fear
Disguised Foes do lurk among you there,
Which need a
Privy-search;
& one to show them,
Who by their Spots & secret marks, doth know them
Foes,
that, have put your
Friends
quite out of grace;
Plead Privilege of
Person,
and of
Place:
Such, as by some
well-doing,
now and then
Have done more harm, then Troops of fighting men,
And
Private-Privileges,
have enjoyd,
Till
Public-Freedomes,
are almost destroyed.
Hîc Dolor,
WORTHIES! all our
doubts
are here;
Hence, is our greatest
Grievance,
and our
Fear.
We sleight as Trifles, all the Frights and Foes,
Which, some, for our discouragement propose
To be considered on. We sleight all that,
Wherewith we have been menaced of late;
Aswell the threats of open-Foes, at home;
As those, which from
beyond-Sea
hither come.
The
Cavaliers,
who swagger up and down,
And mixe among us, now, in every Town,
And Country village (with their foolish brags)
We fear no more, then when their Feather wags.
Although the
King
should frowardly be bent
Against the
Propositions
you have sent,
Or, by delaying his assent, delay
That
Blessing,
which we look for every day;
It would not startle us: Nor, do, we fear
Those Inconveniences which may appear
Drawne on us, by the
Prince
his running from
The
Kingdom,
whereto he was prayed to come,
To make a misadventure into
France:
Nor, how, the
Queen
her
Projects
may advance
By that Occasion: For, GOD'S providence
Hath, for our good, it may be, sent him hence:
And, we may find, when all accounts are cast,
Their Losses, will be greatest at the last.
Our hearts it not a whit discourage can,
That some have hopes, the
Hollander
or
Dane,
May by persuasions, their own fingers burn
To do their Neighbors, here, an
evil-turn,
Which, (ere the
Cup,
now filled, hath gone round)
Unto their own destruction may redound:
Nor fear we those
Alliances,
with which
Great
Princes,
one another do bewitch,
And, knit themselves together in a band,
Which binds them, like a Cable made with Sand.
Nor are we frighted, with the Leagues of those,
Which have been old confederated Foes
Against this Kingdom, though we often hear
Of mighty men, who, in their
Cause
appear;
And, of great sums, raised by their Munks and Friars
(Whose brats, men say, sit by their neighbors fires)
Though
Fame
reports of many
Horse
and
Men,
Which they will set aflote (they know not when)
With
Ships
and
Arms,
and other things in hope,
Beside the
Curse
and Blessing of the
Pope,
We fear them not: for GOD, before they come,
May, peradventure, find them work at home;
Or they will (as of old) but make a crack,
And stinck, and smoke a little, and fall back:
Since, they who act their
Catholic-Designes
Observe the Principle,
Self-Love
enjoins,
As men do here; and will no longer drive
Their neighbors Car; then they thereby may thrive:
Yea, we ourselves, by dear experience, know
That,
Ayd soon promised, is in coming, slow.
Nor fear we, that, our
Army,
or the
City,
(As they who more suspicious are then witty,
Suspect of late) will anything assay,
But, that, which they with your good liking may,
Whilst firm to your own
Principles
you stand;
And, act not with your
left-malignant hand.
Nor do we fear a breaking with the
Scot;
For, greater cause of fear they give us not,
By ought we see then some of us have given
To them, of late; So, we and they are even,
In giving
Cause;
as, we hereafter shall
In ruins be, if we asunder fall.
Nor fear we (though revived among us are,
Old-Prophesies,
which put
Young-fools
in fear)
That they who do with
Ireland,
now, begin,
Shall not give off, till
England
they do win:
For, till our wickedness doth here increase
To equal us with them, in barbarousness,
(And bloody crying-sins) there is no dread,
Of being, by those Blood-hounds conquered,
Or, any other; if we will prevent
The threatened Plagues, by being penitent;
And, ere it be too late, some course foresee
To scape those Foes, that mixed among us be.
These are the
Foes,
whom most of all we fear,
And, those, of whom we wish you to beware.
For, without these, all other, outward
F
•…
s,
Would prove like rags, set up to fear the
•
rouse;
And, harm us, by their furiousness, no more,
Then
Paper-guns
discharged against the shore.
Nay, other
Foes
would be occasion, rather,
To make us prudently more strength to gather;
Arm us
within,
against our Foes
abroad;
And, make us fly unfeignedly to GOD.
But, these, if long conniv'd at, will be able
To make the meanest
Rascals
formidable,
That shall oppose us: These, will skrew into us,
If suffered)
Principles,
that, will undo us
Without another Foe, and draw us, on,
To trust in our own wits, as they have done;
And leave our Faith and confidence in GOD,
To seek our happiness, in flesh and blood:
These, have, already, made us, grow afraid
Of those, that are our Friends, and bring us aid;
Yea, fearful of our
selves;
nay, of our shade,
And, things, by mere
imagination,
made.
These, will deprive us, e're perceived they are,
Both of the
Bones
and
sinews,
of the War;
Steal from us, to be Factors for their ends,
Our
Wives,
our
Children,
and our
bosom-friends;
Enfeeble, by degrees, the
public-strength,
And, altogether, ruin us at length.
That, you may know, we speak the truth of
these;
Observe it, now, in practice, if you please:
For, you yourselves, have seen with lamentations,
Their practices, and their prevarications.
Behold, your
Friends
and
servants
are disgraced;
Malignants,
in Authority, are placed;
They, who inform you, how we are abused,
Are, for
Suborners,
shamelessly, accused,
And, voted such, without due proof or hearing;
Or, any probability appearing.
They, who came, first, our
Freedomes
to redeem,
Are set among the hindmost, in esteem:
Even by their prevalency, who, conceal
Their disaffections, to the
Common-weal.
These, by their cruelty, injustice, pride,
And wicked practices, have justifide
All
Courts
and
Persons,
that corrupt have been,
Before this
Reformation
did begin:
And, these, by fooling some, and failing more;
By making Villaines rich, and good men, poor;
By slighting others; by oppressing many,
And, seldom doing Justice unto any,
Have so displeased, and enraged so,
The
generality,
that, mad they grow;
And, are upon the point, if none prevent,
Of showing symptoms, of their discontent.
And, upon whom, do your
Malignants
lay
The blame of this? who, do these (think you) say,
Is cause of all our Troubles, and distractions?
Of our oppressions, and our large exactions,
But, even this
Parliament?
nay, many a one,
Who for this
Parliament,
hath said and done,
And suffered much; begins to think the same,
And, that, the best among you are to blame,
In most that is amiss: because, they see
Their known
Oppressors,
kept among you be.
What would this come to, if the many cries,
Of men oppressed, should make the
People
rise?
And, like a furious whirl-wind, hurry hither,
Newters, Malignants, Friends
and
Foes
together,
In such a posture, as a
Multitude
Disordered comes? how, could it be withstood?
What, could be done or said, that, might asswage
The roarings, of such
Waters,
when they rage?
Then, what, your packed and false
Committees
vote,
Would not be valu'd at an old cracked groat:
Nor would the people, in their fury hear you,
Although both
Houses,
should assent to clear you.
None, would be able to distinguish, then,
Betwixt the
Faithful,
and the
Faithlesse men,
Who, had occasioned this: But, while you have
Their
Company,
their sins to you will cleave;
And, nothing will be able to prevent
Your sharing, in their shame and punishment:
For, these, we fear, would hardly be so tame,
As He, who, but to seize
Five Members came.
Or, if th'
offenders,
who, now home are brought,
Should practice (as tis likely some are taught)
To work upon the people's discontent,
And, so much their distempratures foment,
As, that, they should withdraw away from you,
Their former
Love;
or, their
obedience
due,
To your Commands: or, make them colder, in
Their zeal, then they, in former time, have been;
How, would it all our present hopes endanger?
How, would it hearten an
invading-stranger?
How, would it please, and reincourage those,
Who seem your Friends, but, till they may be Foes?
And, then, how nimbly would your
False ones
prove,
That
mischief,
for their purpose, to improve?
How quickly, then, would many turn upon you,
Who, hitherto, have
outside-service
done you?
How many scandals, would there, then, be raised,
From actions, which are, at this present, praised▪
How many flatring
Priests,
who, now applaud
Your courses? and, ascribe the praise and laud
Which you deserve; would say as much for them,
Whose practices, both you, and they condemn?
And, then, what will it profit those among
Your
Members,
who delight in doing wrong,
That they when an apparent wrong they do,
Shall add a greater injury thereto,
To clear themselves of what they were accused?
What, will it profit them, to have abused
The
well-affected,
by unjust proceeding,
And
false reports,
the
Parliament
misleading,
To cast a heavy censure upon those
As willful Malefactors, or, as Foes,
Who, if impartially they had been heard,
Instead of punishment should have reward?
What will it them avail, by saving, thus,
Their credit for, a while, by wronging us,
If they at last, be to those Judges turned,
By whom their power and censures will be scorned?
Excuse us, if our love and faithful care
Compel us, plainly to express our fear,
By these Expostulations; and to vent
Our councils thus, beyond all president:
For, neither have our dangers, nor our crimes,
Had any president in former times;
Nor can we think ourselves, from treason free,
If, in these perils, we should silent be.
Oh! let us not be judged to exceed
Our Bounders, at a time of so much need;
Nor, suffer us, who seek but to maintain
Your honor, and your lives, to speak in vain:
But, rather, purge, or cure, or cut away
Your
Gangreev'd-Members,
with what speed you may.
If, you suppose there are no such among you,
As we suspect; that, thought will greatly wrong you.
And, bring you all in danger, by degrees,
Of dying without sense of your
disease.
You know, there have been
breakers of their trust,
And, many
Members
heretofore unjust
In both your
Houses:
And, why may not there
Be such among you, as aforetime were?
Nay, who can think there are not, who doth see
What oppositions, yet, among you be?
For, where much disagreement, see you shall,
There, out of question, some are naught, or all;
Since bitter
Factions,
rarely have been made,
But, where are to be found, both
good,
and
bad,
Or all corrupted. And, the man who says
That, none, among you, walks corrupted ways,
Is, doubtless, one of those, who hath deserved,
To have his ways and walkings well observed.
Are none of those, think you permitted, yet,
In either
House of Parliament,
to sit,
Who, when the
City
should have been betrayed,
Did know of it? think you, when
Waller
said,
(To strengthen his
Confederates
) that, he
Knew many, who thereto, would aiding be
In either House? think you, he should have had
His pardon; if none feared he could have made
The saying true? Or, that, he naming none,
Should, into banishment, so cheap have gone,
Unless, because, he could have named so many,
That, if the
Houses
should have questioned any,
It might have brought upon us, at that season,
A danger, almost equalling the Treason?
What ere ye think, we think, this was the cause,
Why he, who was in breaking of the Laws,
The
Principal,
escaped with life, when they
That
Accessaries
were, their debts did pay:
And, are we bound to think now
Wallers
gone,
That, here, of his Confederacie are none,
While we perceive
Delinquents
so defended,
As yet, they are, and we so ill befriended?
Who, in both
Houses,
would have scorned more
To hear such questions asked, heretofore,
Then
Strafford
and the
Prelate,
who, are now
A headless pair? And, which is he of you
Among the
Commons,
who enjoy'd a name
More honorable, and a fairer fame
Then
Hotham
had? which of you stood so strong
A charge as he? and, held it out so long
Without recoiling? Or, engaged this
Nation
Unto him, by a greater obligation,
Then he did, for the time? And, yet, at last,
You saw he fell; because, he had not plac'
•
,
The
Structure,
(though 'twere strong) upon those rocks,
That could abide reiterated shocks.
And, if men, in desert so eminent,
(Till we discovered in what path they went)
Fell from that bravery in resolution,
And, so much constancy in execution,
Then well may we distrust that, some of those
Who, at this present make fair seeming shows,
May possibly be false? At least, when they
Have trodden heretofore beside the way,
And, are at present probably suspected;
Though, they in some things, faithfully have acted?
Since, we have oft, experience had, that, none
Have to the
Common-wealth,
more mischief done,
Then some, who, for a while, have, had the fame
Of
Patriots;
and, did but play that game,
Till they had opportunity, to catch
That grace at
Court,
for which they lay at watch.
And wherefor should it seem to wrong the rest,
If, we have jealousies of some expressed,
Who gave us cause? (And, if no cause there be)
What mean those symptoms, which, thereof we see?
Wherefore, do some of you, yourselves bewail,
As if you felt some
limbs
of your to fail?
Why do you
halt,
sometimes, and are so
slow,
At other times, when you should faster go?
And, find defects among you, now and than,
Which frustrate good
designs,
do what you can?
Wherefore, so frequently, do you
divide,
As if you had a
Palsy,
on one side?
And, often, have so much ado to stay
Your
Votes,
from running on the
left-hand-way?
Yea, wherefore, do the best among you find
Some failings, of your fellows, in this kind,
If none be questionable? Or, if we
Offend, in saying such among you be,
Why, are there daily, strivings in your womb,
As if
Rebecca's
twins, again, were come
To be new born? and, to afflict the Mother,
By struggling how, they may supplant each other?
Why, are complainings, if no wrongs be done?
Who can
Oppressors
be, if, there be none
Within your
Houses?
Or, if none of your
Corrupted-members,
have abused their Power?
Since, all Oppressors, every other where,
May have,
or,
ought to have,
redresses there?
As
Samuel
said to
Saul;
if none are spared
Whom GOD condemns, whence are these bleatings heard,
Which fill our cares? How, come th'
Amalekites
To be so jocund, and the
Israelites
So much dis-heart'ned? What mad-men are they,
Who bring
Petitions,
almost every day,
Against your Members? And, wherefore do some
(Although, they pris'ners for it are become)
Still prosecute their
charge,
and
Plaints,
as far
As men imprisoned enabled are,
Against those men; if, really they be
From
Guiltinesse,
and just
Suspition
free?
And, why, are not
Accusers
daily hear'd,
That,
knaves
may punished be, and
goodmen
cleared?
If, all are in their actions so upright,
Why do not they, on whom
aspersions
light,
Offer themselves to trial by the Laws,
According to the merit of the Cause,
Without respect of Persons; that, the
greev'd
May in their sufferings duly be releev'd?
The mouth of
clamour
stopped, if she hath made
An out-cry, when no cause, at all, she had?
And, that, all men who truly guiltless are,
May not in scandals, with men guilty, share?
Why should you, like the
Benjamites
connive
At wickedness, until
God's Justice
drive
The much
incensed-people,
of the Land,
To come, and to require it, at your hand?
Nay we draw nearer: Why, have you so long,
Pursu'd the
King,
because he did us wrong,
To keep from censure, those, who merit blame;
If, you yourselves, have done the very same?
Why, may not we as justly question them,
Who break their
trust
to
us;
as,
you
do
him?
And, hope, that, GOD will find us out a way,
Wereby, the
Common-wealth
deliver may
Her self from those, that, her
Trust-breakers
be,
(In most convenient time) as well as he,
Gave us this
Parliament,
even when else, none,
Knew how, without Rebellion, to have done,
What, now, we do? although the
King
had broke
That
Trust,
wherewith, the
Crown
he undertook.
Consider this; and, keep yourselves, and us
From
straights,
and
courses,
which are hazardous,
Least you both loose the glory you have got,
And, feel a mischief, when you fear it not.
For, if you do not
wicked men
protect;
Yet, while their prosecutions you neglect,
You may incur the
curse
of their offense,
Who do the
work of God,
with negligence;
And to destruction, all your friends expose,
By being too indulgent to your Foes.
Let GOD, or
Baal
be served: For, hate we do
Those, that are always halting between two.
All they, who in simplicity of heart,
Adhere to one, though to the
worser part,
Are, so far in the way of walking right,
That those we hate not, though with them we fight.
Nor shall we fear, when reconciled these be,
But, that, they will be found as true as we.
Take not we pray you, this free-pouring out
Of
Gileads Balm,
as if we went about
A needless
Cure:
Or, would have men believe
We did
anoint,
when blows, & wounds, we give;
Nor think, we rub too hard: For, we are friends
(What ere we may be thought) whose love intends
Your honor with your weal: And, having found
How to advance them, do as we are bound.
We are no
Mountebanks,
who would endear
Our
Surgery,
by putting you in fear
Of greater dangers, then indeed are found:
But, we would search the bottom of the wound;
Because, we cannot perfectly be healed,
Till all our kown corruptions, are expelled.
We know no means of saving
you,
and
us,
But, by
plain dealing;
and, by speaking thus;
That you may take some wise, and speedy course,
To stop this mischief, ere it groweth worse.
The
Common remedies,
are at a loss;
The
Sanctuary gold,
is mixed with dross;
And, there's no means to part them, which we know
But, by attempting that, which we do now:
Nor can you save your
honor,
(though you save
Your selves) if long, you ill
companions
have.
For, what your
evil Members,
have mis-done,
Upon your score, is every day set on,
As well as your best deeds: and, in your faces
Their dirt is hourly fl
•
ng, to your disgraces.
Those
Resolutions
which conduce unto
The Public-weal, want but a
Voice,
or two,
Somtimes, of being lost: such are their
wiles,
Or, such their
number:
And, if otherwhiles
They carry on a
Vote,
in your despite,
That seems not to advance the
public-right,
You bear the blame thereof, as much as they:
Yea, to the
Parliament,
the
People
lay,
Not only, that which is concluded on
In either
House,
although the same were done
By some unjust contrivance: But, it bears
The faults of every
Member,
too, of theirs,
Whose life is scandalous; yea, it pertakes
In blame with him, for each known
scape
he makes.
For, when abroad the
Common-people
hear
A
Member
of your
Houses,
lie, or swear,
Or, some of them, no conscience make to pay
Their long due debts; when, well enough they may;
Or, see them reeling out of Tavern doors;
Or, impudently, courting of their Whores;
Or some such way employed: Oh! how quick,
They shoot at you their Arrows! and, how thick!
Some say in scorn; and some, in discontent;
These, are the
Members
of our
Parliament:
These, are those
Worthies,
that, must set us free
From
Tyrannie:
These, our
Deliv'rers
be:
These are the
Chosen ones,
who to this
Nation
Must bring the blessing of a
Reformation:
Yea, these, whom here you thus debauched see,
Pertaining, to the
Honest-party
be,
Or to the
Godly;
the Malignant says:
And, on them, descants many other ways,
With such like scoffings, as no modest ear
Can without grief, or indignation hear.
All which, reflects on you, who are the best;
And, so it will, till you reform the rest.
How can you be insensible of this?
And, since an injury supposed it is,
To let aspersions, on one
Member
fall;
Why brook you them, who scandalize you all?
Why keep you those unquestion'd, who are thought
Blame-worthy; till, the blame on all is brought?
If you seem all concerned, though but one,
Be some way touched, as if he had misdone;
How much more are you scandalized if they
Who justly do accuse, have cause to say,
They could not have their
Informations
heard;
Nor
legal-trial;
nor, their due regard?
How doth this scandalize you, if, when we
(As by our
Covenant
injoynd we be)
Have
Informations
brought, which closely touch,
On what concerns the
public-safety,
much,
We have, not only, waited with submission,
And hearing sought by Speech, and by Petition;
But, persevered, also, weeks of days,
Nay, months and years; and, then, tired with delays,
Gave off, because, we none, that while, could find,
To heed our
Cause,
or, bear the same in mind?
How scandalous is this? 'It is either true,
That, in your
Houses,
there be very few
Affecting
Justice;
or, they hardly found;
Or, that in their employments they abound;
Or, else, that they perceive the
questioned-crime,
Would come to trial, in an evil time.
This saves your
Credits:
For,
God
hath a season
For everything: and (though you see no reason,
Of such, and such obstructions, or delays)
Doth all things timely; and walks prudent ways.
And, peradventure, he will now, begin
To do, what hath so long deferred been.
Work you, with him; as, also, we intend;
And, he shall give our hopes, a happy end.
Take not thereat offense, as if, we wrong you,
When we affirm there are
false-men,
among you.
Why seems the scandal, any whit the more,
To have this spoken at the
Senate-door,
Then, to be made the common talk, of all
Who travail through the streets, or walk the hall?
What are men less dishonored, though none dare,
In print, to publish, that, they Traitors are?
If every man, almost, who hears their names
Thinks, knows, & speaks of their deserved shames?
And, wonders, that, no
Member,
no
Committee,
No
County, Corporation, Town,
or
City,
Takes thought to question them? or, forth to learn
The truth of that, which doth so much concern
The
Common-Peace?
For, 'tis no work for
one,
Except for him that means to be undone:
So chargeable, so troublesome, they make it;
So long; so dangerous, to undertake it.
These things, we mention not to be the least
Detraction from your
dues,
or
interest;
Or, from your
Honor:
or, because, we grudge
You,
or your
Houses
any
Privilege
That may preserve your
Persons,
or that
Power,
Which may be for the
Public-weal,
with your:
But, we would only mind you, to have care
No other, make them larger, then they are,
Both to th'indamaging of
Vs
and
You;
Who know, that, all the
Privileges
due
To
Public Persons,
were, at first, bestowne
More for the
Public-sake,
then for their own,
And, presently are forfeited; if, used
Beyond their bound, or, any way abused.
When
Cato,
that great Senator of
Rome,
Whose dignity, it did as well become,
As any man's here living, to have claim'd
Those
Privileges,
whereat, some have aim'd:
Although his Innocence was oft abused,
And, He, no less, then fifty times accused
By false
Informers;
and, though, thereupon
The
Senate,
thought to have decreed, that, none
The boldness should assume, in future time,
To charge a
Senator,
with any crime,
Not fully proved against him;
Cato,
rose,
And, their intention, stoutly, did oppose.
By this
Edict,
said He, we should deprive
The
Common-wealth,
of that preservative,
Whereon her
Safe-subsistence,
much depends:
This, would secure her
Foes,
destroy, her
Friends,
And, make it safer, Treason, to commit;
Then, to endeavor, for preventing it.
He, that shall give occasion of suspicion,
Hath, so far, forfeited the true condition
Of one in
Innocence;
that, he must bide
The rubbings of the
Test,
till he be tried;
And, cannot, justly, say, it is a wrong
Yo bear, what to purgation, doth belong:
Since, every man is bound, as well to shun
Appearances of
Ill,
as,
evil-done:
Else, to submit (for giving of offense)
Unto the trial of his
Innocence.
Suspected-men, therefore, if innocent,
With noble
Cato,
rather, are content
To stand accused; and, guilty to appear
Some space, then, willingly, to leave a fear
Upon the
Public;
or, to countenance
A
Custom,
which might
Treacherie
advance;
Or, bar a needful, or, a
just-proceed,
Against those men, who guilty are, indeed.
But, faulty-men accused (if, still, they find
Their power continue) fee'l another mind.
Unto their guiltiness, they malice add;
They grow revengfull, mischievous, and mad,
Plunge, in the toile, strive, strugle, scratch and tear;
Rage like a Tiger, roar out like a Bear;
And are so nettled, that, you may behold
Their
guiltiness,
before the same is told;
Yea, and by hearing them, e're them you see,
May know what
Vermin,
and, what
Beasts
they be.
These things consider, with a serious thought,
And, let to trial, every man be brought
Who hath deceived his
trust;
or, ought,
neglected,
Or
done,
whereby,
false-dealings,
are suspected.
If you intend, in safety, to remain;
Hear all, who, reasonably, to you complain:
And, judge with
Righteous Judgment,
that, GOD may
Delight to be among you, all the day;
That, all your
Members,
may be men approved;
And,
Iealousies
and
grudgings,
be removed;
So, you shall strengthened be, in one another,
And, knit, with such assurances, together,
That, there shall neither be, in all your actions,
Frauds, failings, fears, repentings, or distractions.
So shall the
Peoples
hands with you be strong,
And, we in hope, of that which doth belong
To our just
Rights.
Then, all your
open-Foes
Their greatest strength; their greatest hope shall lose,
And, all their
new-designs,
and juggling
plots,
With
Vs,
the
French, Danes, Hollanders,
or
Scots,
Shall come to naught; or, by
preventing-grace,
Redound unto the welfare of this place.
Then, you shall get
Confederates,
and
Friends,
Who, heeding, with your just, and prudent ends,
That power and Counsel, timely, you provide;
Will think, they in your Friendship, may confide.
And, then, we, likewise, whom you oft have tried,
Will, firm to you, at every need, abide;
Still, freely hazard all our
lively-hood,
Our
Limbs,
our
Lives,
and our dear
Children's blood,
To vindicate our
Birth-rights,
and our
Laws,
In spite of all th'opposers of our
Cause.
Yea, if the much desired
Reformation,
Of those, who are the
Chosen,
of our
Nation,
You shall begin; we, will to you adhere
So closely, that, you shall not need to fear
Effecting it; although, of
Trustie-men,
There were not, in both
Houses,
five times ten:
For, we are confident, half of that
number,
Well rouz'd, would wake us all, out of our
slumber:
Strike terror, into all the hearts, of those
Who dared, that undertaking, to oppose;
And, make (when their
Foundation
they had laid)
Malignancie,
and
Tyrannie,
afraid.
We are as confident, (and, to this
Nation,
We dare assure it, on our Reputation,
And, on our Lives) that, if, you shall go on,
To do this
Work,
as, yet, it may be done;
You should, not only, show the
Wordly-wise,
How far,
just-dealing,
out strips
Policies;
But, also you shall
honesty
reduce
To practice; bring true
Piety
in use;
And, build up such a
Fabric,
in this Land,
Of
Prudent-Government;
that, it should stand
To be a pattern, for all
Christendom;
And, flourish, till the
Son
of GOD, shall come.
But, if you hear us not, with such respect,
That our just-motion, may have due effect:
Then, know frō us (for, 'twill be worth your knowing)
That, down the
Hill of ruin,
you are going;
That, all things you shall
order,
or
ordain,
Vote,
or
debate on,
will be done in vain:
That, by our
Contributions,
and our
Ayd,
Destruction,
shall be, for a while, delayd,
But, not prevented: That, the
Hypocrites,
Shall do you, for a while, as great despights,
As have been, lately, done unto you, here,
By our profane, and,
Godlesse-Cavaleer;
And, that, GOD shall give back again these
Lands
Into this
Kings,
or, some worse
Tyrants
hands;
Till, his
Avenging-power,
hath rooted hence,
All those, who, without either care, or sense,
Of public miseries; of private woes;
Of their own fall; of others overthrows;
Of either GOD or man; of heaven or hell;
Have spurned, at the way, of
doing-well.
For, let us not suppose, that, we may trust
Upon our
Cause,
though, that be very just.
The
Jewish-cause
was good: yet on them, fell
Destruction, for not handling of it well,
And, for
Injustice;
wherein, we offend
So grossly, that, unless we soon amend,
GOD will put off (if we can truth presage)
The
Work
now doing, till the following age:
And, then, shall rise another
Generation,
And make complete, that work of
Reformation.
Which now is hindered, by the cunning sleights
Of
Tyrants; Hypocriticall-deceits;
Self-seekers;
and the
Avarice
and
Pride,
Of some, who seem to take the
better side.
And, that, which hath by
Jehu,
been begun;
Shall, by
Elisha
perfectly be done.
But, we, no longer, Noble
Senators,
Will tempt your patience, or oppress your ears
With our bold pleadings; lest, by speaking much,
We unawares, upon some strain may touch,
Which by our ill expression, or mistake,
Us, to miscensures, liable may make.
What e're we say, be pleased to believe
We, would not, willingly, occasion give,
Of your displeasure; or, of discontent
To any
Member
of this
Parliament
That, maketh conscience of his
public-trust;
Much less would we in anything, disgust
The
whole, convened together;
or, forget
Our selves so far, as to dishonor it:
Or, draw one
Line,
that really, might shame
Or, shadow, any Glory of the same.
To witness, that we mean the thing we say,
The
faults now found,
our purpose is, to lay
On those, with whom we found them, and, with whom
To chide a little, we, are hither come.
On those, alone, to whom reproofs are due;
On those, whose falsehoods, have dishonor'd you,
By thrusting in, among you; Even, on those,
The burden of our
Speech,
we will impose:
And, (by your Favor) as we cause do find,
Speak, now, to them, a parcel of our mind.
"The WELAFFECTED, when they ended had
"This
Speech,
unto the
Faithful-Members
made,
"Paws'd, for a while; to mark, if an assent
"Were likely to be granted, with content,
"To their desire of
Leave,
to speak their thought,
"
Of,
and
to
those, by whom, our
Woe
is wrought;
"And, ghessiing (by their grave, & gracious smiling)
"
Them,
to that
motion,
not to be unwilling;
"They made a low
obeisance:
Then, withdrew
"A little back; and, taking into view
"The
Trustlesse-Members,
fixed, on them their eyes;
"And, with a
Speaking-frown;
spoke, in this wise.
The Speech of the WEL-AFFECTED, to their perfidious-Trustees, dishonoring the Parliament, by deserting the same, or, by not acting cordially therein.
STand off, ye Traitors;
that, me may not smutch
A
Blameles-Member,
whilst your faults we touch:
Stand further off,
we say; lest, whilst we speak,
S
•
me
Foolish-fellow
may our words mistake;
And, think; we have a purposed intent
To lay aspersions on the
Parliament.
Stand, yet a little further, from among them;
That, every man may see we would not wrong them,
But, rather, do them honor by assayng
To help prevent their scandal and betraying,
By making, every wronged
Subject
know
From whom, their troubles, and oppressions flow.
So; being singled out, as you are, now,
None, but a
Brainlesse-Fool,
or, some of
You,
Can be so impudent, as to apply
Our Checks, to that
High-Courts
indignity;
Or, seem displeased, because, our minds we say
As fearlessly, as honest
Freemen
may;
Since, we presume no further, then to do,
That, which necessity compels us to;
And, that, which being longer time delayd,
May come too late; and, quite in vain, be said.
When first this
Parliament
convene'd together,
Who called for such as you? How came you hither?
Confess the truth; are not you some of those,
Who made the
Burgers
drunk, when you were chose?
Or, bribed them, with hopes, that, when you die,
You would bequeath their
Town
a Legacy?
Or, be, at least, so neighborly unto them,
As none of those discourtesies to do them,
Which, must, undoubtedly, have been expected,
If, they your profer'd service, had neglected?
Though now you look upon us, as if we
Your
Vassals,
and your
slaves,
e're long should be;
Are not you some of those, who came, and went
And spake, and wrote, and su'd for our consent?
Were not you they, who trotted up and down,
To every
Inn,
and
Alehouse
in the Town,
To gain a
Voice?
Did not you, for your ends,
Crouch to your
equals;
importune your
Friends;
Court your
Inferiors;
scrape acquaintance, with
Meer
Strangers;
Feast, the
Cobbler,
and the
Smith?
Nay more; upon the drunken
Tapster
fawn,
And, leave your
word
and promises in pawn
With
Chamberlaines,
and
Hostlers,
that, they might
Be Factors for you, being out of sight;
To move their Customers, who had a
Voice,
To make you Objects, of their servile choice?
Sure, you are some of them, although we see,
A Metamorphosis in you to be,
Which puts great distances, 'twixt what you are,
And, what, but some few years ago, you were:
For, we, that were your equals, or your betters,
Are, to your courtesy, no common debtors,
If you will condescend, to let us know,
We do not out of your acquaintance grow;
Which we shall hazard, too, unless we seem
To have your wisdom in most high esteem;
And, in your
sayings,
doubtlesly, confide;
Although, you know, we know, your Worships li'd.
When, first, your
Fellowes
left us, you, are they
Who, having not the grace to run away,
Abode behind, to see that service done,
Which, had been mist, if all the
Knaves
had gone.
For, (give the Devil his due) had you not staid,
Our
Counsels,
and our
Cause
to have betrayd,
This WARRE, whose date, as yet, we do not know,
Had quite been ended, nigh four years ago:
Which, whilst such
Vipers,
we, among us, cherish,
Will have no end, till
You,
or
We,
shall perish.
Hear,
therefore, now, a sober word or twain,
Lest, you repent your willfulness, in vain.
Stop your
Career,
before it be at height,
And,
face about,
ye
Madmen,
to the right.
We wish not your destruction or your shame,
Nor, take we pleasure to divulge your blame,
Though you malign our weal: Take therefore, heed.
To what we say; and, wherein you proceed.
Be not so overdaring in your sin;
Lest, such your pay be, as your work hath been.
Or, lest, you roll yourselves, if you persevere,
Down to that pit, whence no man can deliver.
For, though you think your walkings are concealed;
Your secret paths and courses be reveald.
Your private Aymes, your Avarice, your Pride,
Your fraud, and double-dealings are espide;
And, we perceive the guildings, and the paint,
Wherewith, your cursed Projects you be-saint.
Though some of you, yourselves have falsely named
The GODLY; and some other of you shamed
The HONEST-
party,
by pretending to
What, you had never, yet, the thought to do,
Your grand Hypocrisy, the people notes,
Both in your
Vowes,
and
self-denying-Votes;
And how you cheat, delude us, and oppress
With
mock-shows,
of dissembled
Holiness.
They mark, how you perform your
Declarations;
Your
Orders, Covenants,
and
Protestations;
And, when your turns are served, with what pride,
You cast your
Promises,
and
Friends
aside.
They have observed, what Designes you drive;
Whose game you play; whose profit, you contrive;
How, though with faces toward us you row,
Quite from us, your intentions are to go:
And, by the preparations, for the
Scoene,
We find what, you to put in action mean.
It is observed, how, some of you desire
'Twixt
us
and
Scotland
to renew the fire;
And, how you wish occasions may be given,
That, they by force of Arms might hence be driven,
Whom you invited in: As if, GOD took
No notice, when your
Covenant
were broke
In wishes and desires, whilst you are free
From breaches of your Faith that actual be:
Whereas, in vain an outward
Truth,
you show;
Unless, the purpose of the heart be true.
They have observed, how, some of you, as wide.
From Moderation, on the other side,
Have by pretending fairly with the SCOT,
Endeavor'd how those plagues may be begot,
Which in appearance, you would fain prevent;
And, how, you sow the seeds of discontent.
You work upon the weakest of both Nations,
By secret ties, or open Aggravations
Of those discouragements, which they have had;
Or, of those failings, which by them were made,
By those
Decoyes,
which best can use the wing,
The foolish Ducks into your snares ye bring;
And, whatsoever way your
Grandees
go,
Your Party takes, like
Wild-geese,
in a row.
It is observed what mischiefs you intend,
By seeming friendly, where you are no
Friend;
By slandering of their Piety and Zeal,
Whose valor, hath preserved the
Common-weal,
And, by contriving, and dispersing lies,
To breed distrusts and foster Jealousies.
Apparent are, your Projects on the
City;
Your Arbitrarie strains, in each
Committee.
To work the people into discontent,
And bring an Odium on the
Parliament.
'It is seen, how, needlessly, you oft protract
By long delays, what, you with speed, might act.
'It is seen, how, to accommodate each other,
Even you that are at odds, can join together
Against the public, and exchange as friends,
Your curtesies, to further private ends.
How, in
Petitions,
you confound and cumber
Your selves, and us, by taking without number,
Or order,
Causes
in; and, heeding neither
Right wrong or method, shuffle all together
Into a Chaos; where, we find our grief,
Increased, by endeavoring for relief.
And, otherwhile, your malice doth make void
Those
Orders,
too, whereby might be enjoy'd
The
Parliaments
intentions, to relieve
Those, whom the
Foe,
or, our own
Party
grieve;
And, by pretending justice, dares abuse
The justice, and the wisdom of the
House.
For, when their order shall concern the right
Of any man, to whom you bear a spite,
'It is but an Order (slighting it) you say,
Got from the
House
upon some busy day,
Without
Commitment,
or
Report
thereon,
As if, all right were at
Committees
done:
Or, as if you impli'd, that, times there are,
Or, opportunities, (if watched they were)
In which, your
Houses
well considered not,
What we
petitioned,
or what they
vote:
Whereas, indeed, there's nothing done amiss
In
Parliament,
but that which granted is
On those
Reports,
which
false Committees
make:
For, every man almost, doth notice take,
How, they are managed; how, they are made,
By those, who are
Crafts-Masters
in the trade:
How, they are brought to
meet,
or
keep away,
As, this, or that man, it advantage may:
And, how, when their debates are at an end,
You can, when up
Reports
are drawn and penned,
Insert a
sentence, word,
or
circumstance
Which may the
Cause
mar, hinder, or advance
As you shall please: And, by this cunning way,
The
Parliament,
to scandals you betray,
When manifold affairs compel them to
Commit some, to such hypocrites as you.
We likewise more then jealousies have h
•…
That some of you, have
Agents
here been mad
•…
For
Royalists:
And, that, you had at
Court,
Your Factors, and your
Leagers
to report
Your services, for them performed here;
And, to the
King,
your persons to endear.
We hear, whose peace was made; who also made it,
With what respect, and on what terms he had it▪
Who did his lodging at the Court provide;
And guess we do, why here he doth abide.
We could declare, which of you had intentions
To fly to
Oxford,
and, by what preventions
You stayed, when you purposed to have went,
We know who raised
horse;
who,
money
sent;
And who did other services which you
Are loath to hear of, least we prove them true.
For, of such things, you guilty know each other;
In private, you discourse of them together;
And, hear them spoken of from day today,
Yet question not the speakers; nor give way
To those that would; except, it may be, there,
Where, you who are accused permitted are
To hear, examine, and debate the
cause,
Contrary both to conscience, and the Laws:
By which means, some have traitors been so long,
That, now, to question them, it seems a wrong,
Because, they were not questioned heretofore;
As if that took off guilt, which makes it more;
Or, as if 'twere a clearing men from sin,
To let them live unquestioned, long, therein.
But, doubtless, if the blood of one man spilled
Ten years ago, makes nothing less his guilt,
Who did the murder; we no reason see
How, they, who traitors, to the public be,
Excusable, or innocent should grow,
By having many years continued so;
And, who by scaping their just doom, so long,
Encrease our private, and the public wrong.
Can ever we have hope, that such as you,
Will to the
Common-Liberties
be true;
Who, to infringe our
Freedoms
did begin
Ere into
Trust,
you had admitted been?
And screwed yourselves into it by those ways,
Which neither are our profit, nor your praise?
You thought it not enough, that, you had got,
(By practices, which
Law
alloweth not)
Your selves, made
Members
of this
Parliament;
But, also, for the better settlement,
Of your
Designes;
you seek to bring in those
Who in your purposes with you may close:
And, to that end, intrude upon the right,
Of other men, with all your wits and might.
You ride, and send; you promise and entreat;
Feast some; speak others fair; some others threat;
And, many other diligences use,
The soon deceived people to abuse;
That, you may draw them, to confer their
Voices,
On men, who are not their, but your own choices.
From which high impudence, and bold intrusion,
We make this undeniable conclusion;
That, now, the ordring of the
Common-Cause,
Our
Liberties, Lives, Liveli-hoods,
and
Laws,
Is in the power of many, who were chose
Not, by our
Countries
friends; but by her
Foes;
And, such as had nor wit, nor care to know,
On whom, the
Public-trust,
they did bestow.
And, if in this proceeding you go on,
What can we hope will follow thereupon?
But, that, if long this
Parliament
should sit,
Your
Members,
still,
new-members
would beget
On every
Corporation, Shire,
and
Town,
Till they had made their
Members
so their own,
That, our free choice were generally lost,
As at this present day it is almost.
For, on the
Writs
injuriously you seize;
You put them back or forward as you please;
And, whereas, if they had come forth together,
And, been within some little time sent thither
Where choice was to be made; more satisfaction,
It would have given us; and drowned that Faction
Whose manifold corruptions made you doubt
Those
new Elected-ones,
would purge them out:
But you contrived it so, that they must come,
By one and one, or else by some and some,
That they the better may be prepossessed
(Before they know the public-Interest)
By you to your advantage; who intend
By making show, of a Religious end,
And holding up two
Factions
to abide
The safer; till, you better can provide.
And, you are they, who when you in are taken,
Had rather three whole Kingdoms should be shaken
Then your least
Privilege
dispensed withal,
What reasonable
bar
foe're befall.
No men are half so zealous in that cause
As you, by whom our Liberties and Laws
Are most infring'd. Oh! how you, ride and run
And plot, when
Informations
are begun
Against a
Member!
Be it right, or wrong,
How you consult together! how, you throng,
To that
Committee,
whither they are brought!
How speedily exceptions, forth are sought
Against th'informers? what severity
Are they examined with? how partially
Are proofs considered? how slur'd and slighted!
How, are the persons wronged and despighted?
How, inhumanly, are they, oft reviled?
How, of their Liberties are they despoiled?
How are they scandal'd by false imputations,
Of base Conspiracies, and subornations?
How frequently are spread, to their disgrace
(By men of seeming gravity, and place)
Injurious rumors? which even they who speak them,
Know to be false; because, they first did make them?
Thus you have used us; and, drawn in some
Your partners, in injustice, to become,
Because they thought you good, and, us as had
As by your sly deportments, we were made:
And, by these practices, with many moe,
(Which, we by dear experience, come to know)
You have almost improved them so far,
That, men may be as wicked as you are
Without reproof: Because, but few or none
Dare, now, to speak, of what you have misdone.
These things, with wrath, and scorn, the people heed.
And, how in other matters you proceed,
To that High-Courts dishonor, which, in show,
You seem to serve, but, seek to overthrow,
They notice take, with whom we do comply;
What
Stars
and
Compass
you have steared by;
For whom, you oftnest at Committees are;
Against what Persons, you do most appear;
What great
Rewards,
and
Titles
you propose
To pay a debt, which
King
nor
Kingdom
owes;
How, you acccompt; and, what Accompts you take
Whom you displace; whom Officers you make,
On whom the richest places you confer;
How, to yourselves,
Delinquents
you endear,
And, how you vex them, with affronts and braves,
Who, have preserved you from being
slaves.
The People, your indulgence, likewise, marks
To your dependents, and malignant Clerks;
To what a height of pride, and wealth they clime
By serving the
corruptions,
of the time;
To what a vastness their estates are grown,
By that, which hath the
public,
overthrown;
What
Privileges,
are by some, enjoyed,
Whilst they who suffered for them, are destroyed;
Whilst they are slighted, and without regard,
Whose better service, merits best reward;
Whose
Bounty,
hath enabled you to give;
Whose
valor,
was the means, by which you live;
And, by whose perseverance, you possess
The hopes of all your earthly happiness.
For, 'tis by them, whose blood you cast away
That, you have bread and raiment, at this day;
And, that within your
Parlers,
you may sit
Of all your braveries, unplunder'd, yet,
Whilest your
Deliverers
are like to starve,
Through want of what you wast, and they deserve.
It is from you, whence all these mischiefs come,
Which, to this Nation, are so troublesome.
The
Privileges
upon you bestowne
For public ends, are used for your own.
The
Duties,
which have been enjoin'd unto us,
Are made, by you, but engines to undo us,
Or, to betray us, to the spite of those,
Whom, for the public safety, we oppose.
The
Power,
which we to save our
Freedomes,
gave,
You have employed,
Freemen
to enslave;
And, would, should others act as you have done,
Set many
Tyrants
up, instead of
one.
But, You, and HEE, whose willful ignorance,
Of our just Rights, hath made him follow
France
In his Designes; and, hope in imitation,
Of that
French-Tyrant,
who inslav'd his Nation,
To bring our
English-necks
to that base Yoke;
Even
You
and
He,
shall know you much mistook;
And, that, if too sharp curbs, our courses check,
We, shall go near to break the
Riders
neck.
Our
Nation
much can bear; and, now and than
Brook somewhat more, then at all times it can;
But, tread not on us: For, you will not find,
In
English-Yeomen,
your
French-Peasants
mind.
Our
Citizens,
have served to be free;
So born our
Nobles,
and our
Gentry
be:
And, though
French-Spaniels
fawn, when they are beat,
Our true-bred
English-Mastives,
scorn it, yet.
We hated
Tyrannie,
though in the
King;
And, will not brook, in you, the self-same thing.
Presume; not, therefore, to provoke too far,
Abused patience, lest, deceived you are.
By
Justice,
and by
Kindnesse,
you may take us;
But, ever by force, you bend us, you will break us.
To keep us
Freemen,
we have you elected;
Our rights we claim; and, more is not expected:
Nay, so far are we from desiring more,
That, we, will, freely, back again restore
What e're you give us, if it shall be known
You give us anymore then is our own.
It is not our desire, that, for our sake,
You, ought that is the
Kings,
from him should take,
Or any
Trust
of our, but, what abused
By him hath been; or, what may be misused,
Both to his harm and our: nor are we bent
Either to keep, or change the
Government,
But, as GOD pleaseth, and shall move the
Nations
To do, hereafter upon just occasions;
And, as it seems expedient: For, we see
Things-lawful,
inexpedient, sometime, be;
Especially, when we shall snatch at them,
Before they either have stood out their time,
Or, we are fitted for them: This,
rash course,
Instead of mending; maketh matters worse:
And, therefore, till, GOD, plainer shall disclose
Those
purposes
of his, which no man knows;
We seriously, endeavor, and desire,
Our
King,
unto his
people,
should retire;
And, by Repenting, burnish up that
Crown,
Which, for our sins and his is rusty grown.
For, though our
Cause
be better; yet, since we
Are in ourselves, as blameable as he;
And, unto GOD-ward, in Offences even;
We could as well forgive, as be forgiven.
But, in this point, your hearts are not upright:
Yea, and among yourselves, you differ quite;
For, some of you, mistaking the intent,
And, loyal purpose of the
Parliament,
(Who leaves no means untride, whereby, it may
Reduce the
King
unto the
regal-way,
)
Have, out of Policy and (and, hope of that
Which we were ever, far from aiming at)
Appear'd desirous to contrive it so,
That, he, and we might more asunder go,
Untill our differences might increase
Into impossibilities of
Peace.
Some other of you, to the King adhere,
Not out of loyalty, but, out of fear,
To whether side, you may most safely go,
To save yourselves; still, staggring, to and fro,
Inconstantly, from the one, to the other side,
According to the Current of the
Tide;
Not caring, whether
Partie
thriveth best,
But, as it may advance your interest.
And, this, hath made you otherwhile, assay
How, you might either
Him,
or
Us
betray.
Whereas, if you were faithful to that end,
Which, outwardly, to favor you pretend;
And, in the means, with patience, would await
God's leisure, without wav'ring, or deceit;
(Endeavouring, as we have truly done,
That,
He,
and
We
might meet again in one)
GOD, who, at pleasure, turns the hearts of
Kings,
And, light, out of the greatest darkness, brings;
Might make this
Breach,
a means, perhaps, become,
To knit a True-Love-knot through
Christendom;
Occasion give, to make this King endeavor
To banish
Tyrannie,
from hence, forever;
And, be the first of
Kings,
who, truly, shall
Lay down his
Crown,
his
Dignity,
and all
At CHRIST his feet; and, take them up again,
To act his
will;
and by his
Law
to reign.
For, though the Kings late failings do exceed,
And, though GOD, peradventure, hath decreed,
To cast both him and His, down from the
Throne,
Or, do to him, as justly he hath done
To many
Kings
and
Tyrants;
yet, this
Nation
Hath hitherto, received no Revelation
Of such a purpose; nor command, that they
Should cast him, of their own accord, away.
And, therefore, very wisely doth our
State
God's own proceedings seek to imitate,
In prosecuting him, and his offenses,
As, GOD doth us, in our impenitences:
That, if the King, still frowardly go on,
He, by his own
Designes,
may be undone,
And, GOD himself remove him: So, shall we
Of our own sufferings, no avengers be,
Ought further, then good conscience, and our laws,
May justify our progress in the
Cause.
For, by this patient waiting on his will,
Whether God bring him back, or let him, still
Proceed and fall; yea, whether unto
him,
Or unto
none,
he give that
Diadem
Which he abused: GOD, shall so bring to pass
What, for his
glory,
pre-ordained was;
That, it shall likewise, to our
Weal,
redound,
And, we with
David,
shall be blameless found
Of hastening our
deliverance,
e're the day,
According to our own devised way,
As some have done; and, thereby mixed the
Blessing
With many bitternesses, in possessing.
This
patience,
and this
prudence
would bring on
That work, which is desired should be done.
And, here should be that
looked-for Kingdom
then,
Which will advance, all good and honest men.
A
Kingdom,
wherein, they who are unjust;
Where
Parasites;
were they who fail their trust,
And men of wicked hearts, and shameless faces,
Shall have nor
credit, Offices,
nor
Places.
This,
this is that, ye
Rebels
which ye fear;
This,
makes you so enraged as you are:
This,
makes you, in vain
projects
to persist,
And, drive a Factorage for
Antichrist;
Whilst you are persevering, to fulfill
The fleshly longings, of your
private will.
But, know, that, on your paths GOD hath an
eye;
An
open-care,
to every poor man's cry:
An
able-hand,
a
stretched-out-arm
to fetch
Your
Policy
and
Power
within his reach:
And, that though for a season you may thrive,
In acting what you wickedly contrive;
Yet, e're it shall befall as you fore-think,
The
Floods
shall rise, and make the
Mountains
sink.
Then, turn back to your
Vowes,
e're 'tis too late;
By Justice, help repair this ruined
state;
Unite yourselves, unfeignedly, to those,
Whom, seeming to assist, you, still oppose.
Be warned oh
Judges:
and oh
King
be wise,
And, sweeten so your daily sacrifice,
With
Justice,
and with
Mercy,
that, GOD may
From these three
Kingdoms,
turn his wrath away▪
That all the long-long sufferings he hath daign'd,
That all the
victories
we have obtained;
That all the counsels, vows, cries, prayers, and tears,
Of trusty
Commoners,
and faithful
Peers,
And all that wealth, and blood, this
cause
hath cost,
May not, through want of
unity,
be lost.
Make not this
Parliament,
without effect,
By which, our greatest good we did expect.
Permit not that, which our chief praise hath had,
A scorn, by your corruptions, to be made.
Sad not their hearts, who in their trust are true;
Who had ere this, prevailed, but for you;
Who, undeservedly, share, now, among them,
The blame, wherewith, your guiltiness doth wrong them,
And, will do so, til
Justice,
forth shall thrust,
The
wicked,
from th'
Assemblies
of the
just.
Make not more
Breaches:
For, alas! there are,
More then enough, already, everywhere:
And, yet perhaps, no more then shall promote
GOD'S glory; who, can press an
Antidote,
Out of those poisonous fruits, and baneful things,
Which forth from our
corrupted nature
springs;
And, teacheth us oft times, even by offenses,
The knowledge of approved
Excellencies.
That
Independent-Presbyterian-Ginn,
Which of
divisions
hath occasion been,
Shall never move to propagate that
end,
Which many fear, and many do intend:
For, by his
providence,
and grace preventing,
GOD, shall at last, extract from our dissenting,
A wholsomer
production,
to these
Nations,
Then, yet, arides the vulgar expectations:
Unless; a crying
Epidemick-sin,
To mar the
blessing,
cast some poison in.
Good-men,
to both
opinions
do belong;
Truth,
is in both, with error mixed among;
The face of both
opinions,
you put on,
Or off, as your designs are to be done.
Somtime, an
Independent-Garbe
you choose;
Somtime, you
Presbyterian-vizards
use,
Untrue to both: and, when they see your scope,
They, will become as useless, to your hope,
Whom you deceive; as, to their hopes you are,
Of whose opinions, you, a while appear.
〈◊〉
who the WELL-AFFECTED, termed be,
Are they, who in the
Common-Cause
agree,
Although our judgments vary; we, are loath
To quarrel, to the ruining of both
Opinions;
or, the ruining of all,
For differing, but in points dogmatical:
Lest, whilst for chaff, and straw, we make a Fray,
Our neighbors come, and steal the corn away.
Some of us like one
Party;
some, the other;
Some of us, are not much in love with either;
Nor so displeased with either, as to joy
In ought, which their due comfort may destroy.
For,
Patriots
with both of them are found;
Both, build their
faith,
and
hope,
upon one ground;
And, we believe, that, when GOD, from our eyes,
Hath scrap'd the
scalos,
purged out our maladies,
(And, brought us by his grace, to treat together,
Without prejudicating one anothe
•
)
We, then, who, (being somewhat out of tune)
Do, for the present, harsh
divisions
run;
Shall, when our
notes,
are
tuned,
and rightly placit,
Joyne in a
Diapason,
at the last:
Which, to our great contentment, will disclose
That
Perfect-Music
from some
discords
flows.
We, therefore hope, (though yet your fraud prolongs
Our jealousies, & multiplieth wrongs)
That, all your
Engineers,
and cunning plots
Shall nor divide the
English,
from the
Scots;
Nor separate those
English
from each other,
Who by their Covenant are knit together;
Till they have done their work, and you are pai'd,
What they deserve, who have their
trust
betrai'd.
Or, else, till they or we commit that act
Which totally dissolveth our
contract:
And, we to them, who, shall unjustly take,
Or, give the cause, that cursed
Breach
to make.
But, whatsoever
Blessing
may ensue,
No portion of it, can belong to you,
In this estate: For, plainly, we descry,
That, in the gall of bitterness you lie;
We
〈◊〉
, although we cannot hinder it,
What you pursue, whilst in the
House,
you sit;
What things abroad, you practice, and allow;
What, you in secret, favor and avow;
And, to effect, your purposes to bring,
How, you abuse both
Parliament,
and
King.
We know the means, by which you entered in:
Upon what
Principles,
you did begin:
What
course
you took, before you were elected;
What fame you had; of what you were suspected;
In what base projects, you a hand have had;
How poor some of you were; how rich, now made
By public ruins; and, what follow must
If you be long continued in your
Trust.
We have observed, though many crooks it hath,
The turnings, and the windings of your path.
How you divide the
Clergy,
by your sidings;
How your divisions, and your sub-dividings,
You multiply, and many ways foment
To work destruction to the
Government
In
Church
&
Common-wealth;
and, how, your tricks
(Extracted from the
Jesuits
politics)
Do shake the
Fundamentalls,
whereon stand
The safety, wealth, and honor of the Land.
We see, although we cannot, yet prevent
Or, well express the same, how you have spent
The
Public-Treasures;
how the
Public-Power
Is brought, itself to weaken, and devour:
How, you oppress the
Country
without pity;
How, you abuse the Bounty of the
City;
Her valiant sons, how you have wronged and slighted;
Their faithful service how you have requited;
And, what, unless both you and we amend,
Will be our portion, and your later end.
Yea, we grow sensible, with what delay,
Our suits are trifled off, from day today:
How long we wait, to have Petitions heard;
And, when committed, how you dis-regard
Our charge, by keeping witnesses in town;
Our tedious pains in trotting up and down,
To woo for meetings; that our time and cost,
In feeing Clerks, and Council, be not lost:
All these, with other hind'rances, unnam'd,
(For which, the
Houses
are not to be blamed)
We suffer, to our bitter discontent,
And, to the scandal of the
Parliament
Through your defaults; who, have, by sitting long,
Learn'd new contrivances, for doing wrong;
And, such obstructive, and destructive ways,
As were to us unknown in former days.
GOD, be your speed, as your
designs
are just:
Els, let them thrive, as we believe they must.
Our
hope,
you were; but now, our
Fear,
you be:
And, kept, by you, as lambs by wolves, are we.
Regardlesse, of our
welfare,
you are grown;
God's cause
pretending, you pursue your own;
Increasing, by the Common-wealths decrease;
Improoving, by the ruin of our
Peace;
And, making to yourselves, even as you list,
A
Priesthood, Laws,
a
Gospel,
and a
Christ.
We that have been your first, and fastest friends,
(If, ever, you had honouroble ends
In order to the public) have, of late,
But served your turns, in serving of the
State.
This, having, for our fordwardnesse enjoyed,
That, we are most oppressed, and first destroyed:
And, through your fault, are grieved by their neglect
Whom we most honor, and do best affect.
Nay, which is worse, you who on us have brought
This mischief, must, the
Public-friends,
be thought,
And we
Delinquents;
for no other cause,
But seeking execution of the
Laws;
Or, for endeavoring how to break ope
Some necessary passage, to our hope,
When we are almost stifled in the throng
Of miseries, which have oppressed us long.
If, as our VOW enjoins us, we accuse
Your
Fellowes,
who, have seemed to abuse
Their
Public-Trust;
Though, by our
Information,
We, only, seek the Kingdoms Reformation;
Yet, such is your injustice, that, instead
Of suffering us to have a fair
proceed,
(According to the merit of the
Cause,
The Subjects
Privileges,
and the
Laws
)
You fall on us, as if that we were they
Who were accused, the Kingdom to betray:
At leastwise, we are used, and looked upon,
As if some great offenses we had done.
The men informed against, you do permit
In their own Cause,
Examiners
to sit;
To hear debates; our witnesses to see,
And speak with them, ere they examined be;
To act as
Judge
and
Party;
To enlarge,
The guilty; to condemn, without a charge,
Us, that are innocent; and to pursue us,
As, if unquestionable Rogues, they knew us.
And, if you were not, yet, more impudent,
It might be borne: But, to the
Parliament,
You seek to make us odious; and to leave us
Nor
friend,
nor
bread,
nor ought that ease may give us
And, which is worse then this, by having thus
Thus impudently, made a scorn of us;
(Whose good affections gen'rally are known)
The people so discouraged are grown,
That, had not some, a love unto the
State,
Which will out-live your tyranny, and hate;
The
Parliament,
would be deserted so,
And their
Just-Quarrell
so defamed grow,
That
Traitors
would be traitors without fear;
And, none be bold to say, they
Traitors
are.
A multitude of other ways you grieve us,
Through misinforming them, who should reli
•…
〈◊〉
Through
mis-reports,
and making outward shows,
Of better fruit, then on your dunghill grows:
And, we have little hope of gaining ease,
Till GOD himself, by miracle shall please,
(Or, by some extraordinary way)
To change your minds, or root you quite away:
For, our most
just-complaints,
do naught asswage,
Your cruelty, but, more increase your rage.
Our
Patience,
no respect at all hath won us,
But, rather, makes you more insult upon us;
Yea, and the more, your
wills
we stoop unto,
The more we have to suffer, and, to do.
If we seem forward for the
Common-weal,
With popularity, you brand our zeal.
If we contribute more then some of you,
With enviousnesse, our bounty you pursue.
And, whereas, we should favor'd be, therefore,
You do not only make our burdens more
Then other men's, when ableness have we,
But, lay them on, when we unable be;
And, for our being first in contribution,
Intend to make us last in restitution.
Nay, some of us, have cause to be afraid,
Well-doing,
shall with evil be repay'd:
For, we, whilst you proceed; as yet you do,
Have more then symptoms that it will be so.
If want, compel us for our own to pray,
With empty hands you send us, oft away;
With long delays, our patiences are tried,
Ere we can get our suits heard or denied;
And, then, lest too much grace, you should afford,
You seldom, give us one respective word;
But, look upon us, with such pride, and scorn,
As if to be your vassals, we were born.
Meanwhile your
Favorites,
forsooth, and they
That, humor you in your imperious way,
Are, for small merits, largely gratifi'd:
(Or, such as nearly are to you alli'd)
Their suits (if they petition) are prefer'd:
If they complain, ere long, they may be heard:
And, (though it were by chance) if well they do,
They get for trifles, thanks, and money too.
If nearer pinched, our
suits,
we do renew;
And, being slighted, some distemper show,
•
our zeal, one
hasty word,
of ours, more heeds,
•
hen all our good, and well-deserving deeds;
•
nd, well we scape, if to an empty purse,
•
ou add not somewhat else, that shall be worse.
Thus, we with our poor children, and our wives,
Are forced to live uncomfortable lives;
Whilst
you,
and
they,
whom
open foes,
we call,
Piece up, your tatter'd fortunes, by our fall.
For, of one
Moity, they
have us bereft;
And,
you,
have robbed us, of what they left.
By our opposing
them,
we shall be sure,
Of their despite, even whilst our lives endure:
By persevering, to our
Country,
true,
We are in danger of the like from
you;
And so, which side soever shall prevail,
We have a mischief on us, by intaile
To us, and to our heirs. For, you in heart
United are; though, corp'rally, apart;
And, join, by close compliances, in one,
In hope to finish, what you have begun;
Which is nor worse, nor better; but, to raise
Your
houses,
both by good, and evil ways;
And, for this end, to ruin, you would bring
Law, Gospel People, Parliament
and
King;
But, ere your hopes effected you shall see,
Hark
Traiters,
what your destiny shall be.
Hark, and observe it: For, it is the doom,
That, shall, without all peradventure, come
Upon their heads, who have their
trust
betrayed;
Oppressions on their faithful servants laid;
Or, multipli'd their wealth, with greediness,
By preying on their
Country,
in distress.
And, it is this;
He that such wrongs requites,
Shall give you portions
with damned hypocrites:
Your
pride,
by
shame,
shall suddenly be followed;
You shall spew up the gobbets, you have swallowed;
Your
way
shall perish: you, shall quite be thrust
Forth, from that
Congregation
of the Just,
Which you pollute:
GOD,
in your steads will place
Men, rich in wisdom, honesty,
and
grace:
Such, as are truly called, duly sent:
Such, as befit an English-Parliament:
And, able, then, that
Senate
shall become,
To curb their Foes abroad; and,
Knaves,
at home.
So, having uttered what we had to say;
Now, you among the
Faithful-members
may
Go shroud yourselves again: For, pleased are we,
You should be thought, as honest, as they be,
If, you will yet, repent; and, justly, do
The
Public-work,
which you are called unto.
We, likewise, could be very well content,
That, none should say, or think, these lines were meant
Of any one, within the
Senate-door,
If, cause there were, of no such thought before,
As we do intimate: For, we are come
Not with a
sword,
but, OPOBALSAMUM
To cure your
Ulcers,
and to make you clear
From all those
Blots,
which, now, on you, appear.
We, no man, individually, disclose,
But, speak, what almost every Reader knows;
And, whereof each man tattles to his friend,
(It may be) to a less commodious end.
We speak in
Generalls,
that, men to blame
Might be reproved, without open shame;
And, by themselves, in private, take occasion
To seek their
safety,
with our
preservation;
And, these things, to their own amendment mark,
Before those
Mastives
bite, which, yet but bark.
We charge you, here, with naught, but what we know,
And, what is known to many thousand moe:
Nay, here is nothing mentioned, but what
you
And, your own
Consciences,
do know is true.
We were advised hereof, before we spake it;
We are not ignorant, how some will take it;
Nor, with what secret malice, and despite,
They will pursue it, to their utmost might:
For, some of us, already, though unheard,
Are censured; nay, many have not spared,
Of
one yet living,
publicly, to say
He executed was; and, named the day.
Yet, we resolved were,
Elihu-like,
Without respect of Persons, truth to speak.
If you desirous be, that none should lay
These matters to your charge; your surest way,
Is not, to rage; or, furiously to turn
Upon the
Writer;
or, the
Book
to burn:
But, rather, to repent; and, make a show
That, of these free reproofs you do allow;
And, of our setting thus before your eyes,
A perfect draught of your deformities.
Yet, best of all your shame would be prevented,
If,
order
you procure, to have it printed,
And, some,
Reward,
bestowed upon those,
Who have character'd thus, their
Countries
Foes:
For, none can think, that they, who guilty be,
To such a
motion,
ever would agree;
Or, that, a prudent-honest man will frown,
To see the wickedness of Knaves made known.
However it succeeds; we say, and swear,
We neither for your frowns, or favors care:
Which protestation, if you think untrue;
Make trial; do your worst, and so adieu.
Thus, ended they their
Speech;
But, e're 'twas done,
A sullen murmuring, began to run
Throughout the
guilty-party;
yea, they all
With anger looked either red, or pale.
Some snuft, some puffed, some grin'd; the mouth some wride;
Some bit their lips, some hung their heads aside.
Some, jeerd, some fleerd, some rag'd; and they who had
Least honesty and wit, appeared most mad.
Some, ran into the
Hall,
in discontent,
To see, if they had put their Speech in Print:
Some, home; some, to the Tavern walked back,
(From whence they came) and drunk a quart of Sack.
Some, swore; and cursed all the
Well-affected:
Some threatened him whom justly they suspected
To be the
Penner
of it, and they swore
If they could help it, he should write no more.
Some, did advise to apprehend, and call him,
To some Committee, and, there soundly maul him,
That, others may take warning, how they dare
Speak truth to them, who love no truth to hear.
But, others minding what a
Vote
had past,
On that
Committee,
which abused him last,
And; being fearful, that his good intent,
Would e're long time, unto the
Parliament,
So evident be made, that their despite
Would rather on their heads then his alight;
They waved that, and, being at a stand,
In thinking, what they best might take in hand,
At length;
Come let us smite him with the tongue,
Said one of them, who knew what doth belong
To deep
revenge;
and
let us daily strow,
Some scandals of him, wheresoe're we go.
Another of them, wiser then the rest,
(In earnest, partly, partly too, in jest)
Perswaded much, to let him quite alone,
And mend, what they themselves amiss had done.
A few, approved the
Motion;
but, not all:
We therefore, know not, yet, what will befall.
But, you shall hear, within a day or two,
(If you have patience) what they mean to do.
Here, thought I, to conclude; but, hear, ye, now,
Before we part, a word or two, to
you,
Ye WORTHIES of both
Houses;
and, all ye
Who,
Well-affected
to this
Kingdom
be.
Now,
hear
HIM, for
himself,
who, hath not spared
To speak for your avail; nor been outdared
By any danger, to declare his mind,
According as our
Cov'nant
hath enjoynd.
He is not ignorant, how great a
Stake,
He hath among you: Nor, how, course to take
To thrive, as others do. But, he disdains,
For any hope on earth, to take the pains;
To vary from his
heart,
in
Word,
or
Action,
To humor any
man,
or any
Faction.
Be pleased to consider, that, all this
Was penned, for no private end of his;
Nor can procure him ought, save their despite,
Who, in the wrong of
harmless-men
delight;
Unless, you faithfully to him adhere,
As by our
solemn-Vow,
engaged you are;
Which, doth oblige, that, firm you stand to those,
Who do their best,
Delinquents
to disclose;
And, likely means, and lawful ways invent
To bring them to deserved punishment.
Thus, I, (as heartily, as any
One
)
According to my
Faculties,
have done;
And shown these Times, and, those, perhaps,
to come,
That,
Poesie,
may have an useful Roome,
In great Affaires; and
Poets,
fill their place,
Whether, the times, be generous or base.
Though I no
Patron
find, assured I am,
This
Work
would not have done the Author shame,
In better times: Nay, if an
Irish-Bard
Had sung thus much, to them, they would have heard
His
Numbers
with respect: and many things
Bestow'd; beside a
Harp with silver strings.
But, I shall think my game hath well been played,
If I, with mischief, shall not be repaid
For my
Good-will;
nor, le
•
t, when I have done,
To bear the burden of dispights, alone.
For your own sakes, take heed, I humbly pray,
It
•…
ot so; lest, you repent it may,
When you, by
One,
and
One,
oppressed shall be,
And, then, forsook; as, you deserted me.
I am not, for
myself,
of ought afraid,
Which can to me, be either
done,
or
said:
For, what my Foes
can take,
I, well can
spare;
And, nothing have to lose, for which, I care.
Ther's
Wealth
in want, there's
Honor,
in
Disgrace,
And,
Life
in
Death,
for him, that's in my case.
I ask of you nor
Riches
nor Reward;
(Though, those things, I, sometime, too much regard)
Let where you please, your
Bounty
be bestowed;
So, I may have, what, justly, is mine own:
That, will suffice, to set me fully free,
From all
Engagements,
now, oppressing me;
And, leave to those, for whom, I should provide,
Enough, to keep them, both from
want,
and
Pride.
I ask no
Honors:
For, no hope I have
Of
honor,
here, till I am in my grave:
And, if to me, some share be, then, allowed,
It will be best; for, 'twill not make me proud;
Nor in my life time, those
Corruptions
nourish,
Which, make of
men in honor,
Beasts that perish.
I ask not for
myself,
the smallest thing,
Which, merely, to
my-self,
may profit bring;
But, all I shall desire, is, these two
Boones,
(Which, I conceive, are just, and equal ones)
First, this; that, I, whose credit, now, appears
To have continued seven and fifty years,
Without reproach (except it be among
That
crew,
who cannot slander with their tongue)
May not, with you, a
Good-opinion
lose,
Though that
Report,
which, my
malicious-Foes
Have latelie made to my disreputation;
(By laying to my charge a
Subornation
)
Till, fully, and impartiallie, you hear
How, I shall make their
impudence
appear,
Who have traduced me; & what straits they pass,
(What open injuries, and what disgrace)
Who, in a conscionable path, shall go;
And, to the
Public,
would their duties do,
As I have done: They judge, as cause appears;
And, let him perish, that,
Right-Judgment,
fears.
This,
not for mine own
honor
do I crave;
But, that, your
honor,
may no blemish have;
And, that, by taking my repute away,
The
Devil,
(who such plots doth often lay)
Disparage not the
Truths,
that I have told,
To make them ineffectual, if he could.
To this end, only, I your Justice crave,
That, now, (with yours) my honor I may save;
And, to no other end: For, 'tis to me,
Honor enough, an
Innocent,
to be.
And, yet, who knows, but, GOD, may look upon
The wrongs, which have to me of late been done?
Who knows, but that ere long, receive he may,
The
Ports
of
Haman,
and of
Mordecai?
Or, make, what seems my shame, to be my glory,
When future Ages, read this Ages story?
My next
(oh! Noble Friends)
and last request,
Is this; that, if I should be so oppressed
As is intended, you, would think upon
Those,
whom, by serving you, I have undone;
That,
Halfe of Me
(who, had a share, in that,
Which I adventured freely, for the
State
)
And, those,
Branch'd from us,
who thereby are left
No means of
Bread,
or
Breeding;
but, bereft
Of all their
outward-helps:
Oh! let them find
More grace, then yet I do: yea, be so kind,
That, unto
them,
may truly paid be,
What, on the PUBLIKE-FAITH you owe to me,
In
Debts,
on fair account, due from this
Nation,
By
private,
and by
public-Obligation.
My
Natural-Affection,
makes me fear
This
Motion
needful. Therefore, have a care
You sleight it not; For, doubtless, if you do,,
GOD will
require
it; and,
requite
it, too.
Yea, if you shall forget what I prefer,
GOD, will remember, your REMEMBRANCER
And, when your Children shall with hunger pine,
Provide abundance of
good-things
for mine.
Thus hopes, and thus believes, GEO: WITHER.
Fiat Voluntas Dei.
The Printer to the Reader.
Readers;
THe Author of the Receipt prescribed in this Poem, desired me, for the better operation thereof, to entreat you to make use of it without prejudicacy; and with a belief that he aimeth sincerely at the public-cure, without any private respects, but such as may stand with the common-interest; as will appear to those, who know what hazards he shall run, if this be distasteful to them who have both him, and his estate in their power: and how possible it is, that there may be more who have tongues to vote against him, then of those who have understanding to judge the reasonableness of his undertaking, in this time of corruption; wherein, something must be attempted to remove our insufferable pressures: and, doubtless it is better that somewhat should be irregularly done, then all of us undone; especially when nothing is purposely mis-done, or maliciously intended, by him.
He protesteth he is neither for, or against the Presbyterians, Independents, Scots, English, King, Parliament, Members, or People, more or less, then according as he (in his judgment and conscience) thinks it may conduce to the wrong or right way, from, or toward the truth of GOD, and the peace of the Kingdom; with a charitable respect (so far as is possible) to the remedy of our general distemperatures, without the wrong, or disquiet of any person, who willfully draweth it not upon himself. And this impartiality (as he conceiveth) ought to make his words, the more considerable, and the more acceptable to all those, who desire the same peace, which he endeavoreth to promote, and establish, between the Nations, and between the English themselves; whose prosperity can be no way secured, but, by our counterworking to this Jesuitical principle, Divide & impera: Only thus much partiality (if it be a partiality) he confesseth himself inclinable unto, that he cannot choose but believe, that party to be most just and honest, which is most favorable unto an honest man in honest causes, though it may be over-voted by half a score voices; especially, when it is in a Cause seemingly repugnant to their own Interest, and on the behalf of a stranger who neither solicited any one of them to befriend him, nor had liberty to use the means of his Justification. What, he means, hereby, perhaps some of you, better understand, then I do; if not, I believe you will better understand him hereafter, when he hath raised the vindication of his late censure out of the ashes of his burned papers; which, if he have life and liberty, he bids you confidently expect; and to be as confident, that it shall be done (if the good party may prevail) with the preservation of the honor of the House of Commons, of every worthy Member thereof, and of the whole Parliament. And so I humbly take my leave.
Your Servant, Benevol. Typographus.