A Religious Retreat Sounded

Worthy Gentlemen and Soldiers.

WHen you had done God and the Kingdom that faithful and succesful service, for which you deserved to be recompensed with all the honor and rewards the State can well afford you;

If then you had tendered yourselves in a Christian manner to lay down your Arms, or be disposed of by the piety and prudence of the Parliament, you had crowned the Gospel and yourselves with perpetual praise.

If then you had consulted what is amiss in the state and Church, and tendered your observations to the Parliament with respective entreaty, that as you had given proof of your fidelity and magnanimity for their sakes, so they would please now to manifest their sanctity and ingenuity for yours, in considering and redressing what you had or should proffer; you had not only sealed up your Christianity to all ages, but obliged both Houses to have rendered you all due regard, or to have prostituted themselves to such Animadversions from all hands, as they could never have born with honor.

But seeing you are pleased to choose another way, wherein not a few of your godly Brethren and Friends fear you expose yourselves to more temptations, and re-involve the state in more troubles, then are yet felt or foreseen: give leave to one who loves you as much for your valor and virtue as any other whatever he be, to speak a few words in your ears, wherein if he shall take a piece of your courage upon him to speak freely, he presumes you will excuse him.

Fortis fortem amat.

I know you are too too full of Agitations, to attend to any general Declamation about the Purgatory of civil wars, or the Paradise of National Peace: whereof I believe many of you have read much in Scripture and human Histories: I shall rather address myself to you, with some opportune perswasives taken from instant occurrences which tender themselves obviously to the view of such as are seriously observant of divine Providences,

It hath pleased God, whom we all acknowledge to be the Lord of our Hosts, and the King of our Peace, so to over-shadow and overrule these late sinful and threatening tumults, that what good men feared, and evil men hoped, is not come to pass; instead of Blood and Rapine, we have met with quietness and innocence: blessed be his Name, he hath guided you with such moderation, that all honest men honor you for your honesty: Let it be your and our wisdom, to honor Him, who hath honoredyou, and favor'd us, far beyond both our deserts and expectations.

This more then ordinary goodness of his, hath suggested two great motives to peace.

First, his apparent unwillingness that we should proceed to any further war; what provocations and preparations were in the spirits of both sides is known to Him, and not unknown to us, assuredly much more then can be justified; the City was resolved to fight for their safety and reputation, the Army resolved not to be outdar'd, but the God of mercy and peace would suffer neither to draw a Sword; it stood with his honor to restrain the pride and rage of man; and thereby he hath spoken plainly, that he will have us fight no more one against another, unless we will first fight against him and his will.

Nor hath he discovered his own mind only, but the minds of all that are well minded, how weary they are of war, how desirous of peace, how willing to lay down all human glory for peace sake. How easily such a City might have swallowed up such an Army, is easily confessed by any humble heart; nor do I doubt, but some Spirit or other whispered in the ears of many Citizens what the senators spake out to the City of Rome in the like danger.

But you shown yourselves not teterrimi, but amicissimi fratres; nor did the City conspirare, but portas aperire; surely the Spirit of peace won the day of the Spirit of war in all your hearts.

The remarkable kindness of God in these over-tures of his good pleasure towards us, hath set me on work, with all sincere affection to beseech and besiege you with this following Intreaty; wherein, because you are Gentlemen of Roman Spirits, I shall here and there intersert a few passages of the old Roman wisdom, praying you to understand, that I turn not the worst side, or sense of them upon you, but only what is placide and persuading; and knowing sundry of your chief Council, to whom I chiefly direct my speech, to be well acquainted with the Roman tongue I shall not troul le myself to put them into English, and the rather, because I would not have common people hear all I say.

My intended aim is Threefold:

First, to entreat you now to re-collect yourselves in cool blood, and with all meekness of wisdom, resolve to reserve such a competent Army of select Forces on foot, as the wisdom of the state shall think meet for our present safety, so ordered and quartered, that they may be neither a terror nor a burden to the Country: and to suffer the rest to be disposed of, according to the mind of God, and prudence of the Parliament, not infringing the Liberty of the Subject.

Second, that whatsoever else you intend to do, you would leave us a free Parliament, so free, that it may not only be fully free within itself, but clearly free in the apprehensions of the whole Land: if you leave us not this, you leave us just nothing, you rend our state up by the roots.

Third, to give you a true information of what Errors and temptations you have and may fall into, at least as wise and moderate men judge, what blames lie upon you, what fears possess the hearts of many who truly fear God, and have an Interest in the Throne of Grace, that you may be entreated to avoid them, and to listen to the two former, which I earnestly persuade with these ensuing Arguments, and that very briefly.

IT is acknowledged by diverse good men on your own party, and greatly bewailed by many godly men, that dare not close with you, that they cannot find out any religious or rational ground for these your late proceedings. Such as walk abroad are these:

That other people upon such motions, though irregular, have made their progresses to great heights.

That you are carried on by an Impetus animi, a more then ordinary impulsion of Spirit.

That you follow the Dictates of Providence.

That God hath now given the Dominion into the hands of his Saints.

That you have conquered the Land, and it being yours by Conquest, you may do what you do.

That you are privy to such plots as may ruin the Kingdom and Parliament, if you should not by this course prevent them.

For the Four first, they pass with me as vagabond tales, that have neither house nor home; it is too hard to believe, that understanding men should attempt such an enterprise upon such wild warrants. Historians will tell you, that they have been often found but destructive dreams: I need not say often, but ever. Logicians will tell you, that such irrational fancies give Commission to any mutinous Insurrections whatsoever; for what company of mal-contents may not plead them, and who can confute them? And Divines will tell you, that irregular beginnings, will nev • r warrant regular proceedings in the same hands and kind, not ever assure regular issues.

For the Fifth, though I suppose you are too wise to plead it, yet because some men plead it for you, I will say this little to it: If the Master and Mates of a rich Ship should endeavor to carry it away from the owners, and Merchants, and take it for their own use, and the rest of the Mariners should resist and overcome them, and preserve the Ship for those whose it is, I suppose you would not say the Ship and Goods were therefore theirs: Or if a man should hire some stout men to turn out of his house some that would take and keep possession of it wrongfully; that therefore they might claim and own the house. If you claim the Realm by conquest, it will be expected in good Justice, that you should repay to the Kingdom all the monies and costs they have been at; and that you should now take the care of the State into your hands to manage and rule it, and discharge the Parliament, who certainly will be loath to serve their servants, or to spend more travail and trouble about that which is yours.

The sixth is somewhat fair, if you can make it good by honest and honorable testimony, besides such as maybe had from any of your Army, for you are all joint accusers; That there are indeed such plots: That they are known to you, and not to the Parliament, who likely would and could prevent them: That they can by no means be prevented, but by this your very way. We shall then acknowledge, that though such proceedings may be illegal, yet they may not be unlawful.

You are reported to be an Army of Saints and Christians, at least in great part, I am ready enough to believe it: If you be so, you must not think much to give God and the State, whereof you are Subjects, a Christian Answer to that most Christian Question, which the Holy Ghost puts to all Christian Soldiers, Whence are your Warrs? James 4, 1. If you can do it, every Christian in the Land will rejoice in your Christianity; but till you do it, you must not be offended, if every Christian which is not acquainted with your grounds, interpret your intentions by the language of your actions, and suspect with a holy fear, that your wars, for so they may be called, though there be no strokes, are but wanton Wars, rising from, and striving for some unmodified lusts or other.

Yea, give me leave to tell you Gentlemen, that it concerns you, as much as your Lives, Honors, and Religion comes to, to give the state and Churches of ENGLAND, a satisfactory accompt of these mystical motions: it may be many of you are satisfied in yourselves, but that is not enough in public and popular cases.

If you cannot do it, it will please God best, that you put an end to them as speedily as you can, and trust him with his own cause.

It is likewise feared by those that love you much, That you run too great a hazard for your own behalfes.

Your friends suspect you presume too much of the prowess of your Army, that it is irresistible and invincible; take heed you be not deluded, let not your late quiet march through London make you conclude beyond the premises; in which act you will hereafter confess, you walked too near the brink of a precipice. I supppose you doubt not but the Kingdom, if it please, can make very many Armies equal to yours for Leaders and Followers, for honor and valor; nor are you ignorant, that the victory is not always to the Strong. If God dislikes an Army, he can dissipate it with a far less; we have examples good store: If a Land grow weary of their Army, they can soon suppress it: and truly very many grow exceeding weary, and will be praying and studying to be eased.

You may also presume much of the sanctity of the Army, and the presence of God among you: we are glad to hear, that, there is what there is. should we grant it, yet it is not always a sufficient sanctuary in such cases; The holy Warriors compared with their enemies, might say as much, yet were defeated. If ever any, the Waldenses and Albigenses might trust in this; yet prevailed not: One Achan may trouble a whole Host of Israelites. You have indeed many godly men; and many as ungodly as ever I saw or heard; I am not willing the world should hear what I have been an eye and are witness of: be not too much displeased, if I say, that if my judgment fail me not, you have some among you, with whom I fear God is very angry, and will certainly find a time to bring them to sad reckonings, that make your Army very unsafe, I mean men or some mark.

You may also presume of the fidelity and obedience of your Soldiers, whereof we had a grateful experiment lately: but you shall do well to consider, what the experience of the most experienced Leaders in the world hath ratified to all ages; That

You have many very hungry of prey, extremely poor and rude, shiftles for livelihood, weary of labor and honest callings.

And let me tell you in time, that it is thought some men's faces among you differ from their hearts: they watch but a turn to lead their Leaders; and if the wind comes about to any purpose, it is feared you will meet with gusts, blowing out of your own quarters; that will hazard your very foremast; Verbum sapienti.

It is feared that you do not tenderly consider what a black cloud you may happily make in a future Story of your actions; nor what infamies and execrations you may bring upon your dear Children to many ages. What State will ever betrust them with places of trust so long as your memories last?

Nor that you do bethink yourselves, what injury you may do to such of our Nobility, Gentry and Ministry as you purchase to you, and engage in your disallowed way, who will hardly live to recover that interest in good men's hearts, which they have already lost.

Nor do you well consider what great wrongs you may do to multitudes in your Army that are young and poor, who had more need to be falling again to their work, and providing a better course of life then lying idle with you, when themselves and the Commonwealth have such need or their labor and diligence.

It is much feared that you too far proclaim either the weakness or the supineness of our Kingdom to foreign Nations.

If subjects do such acts, as give the world to understand, that these things are not to be found or feared in England, it may well emperill the State in such hostile times as these, when national ambition flows over all banks, and nothing contents men but wars: Loy all Subjects should be too studious of the honor and safety of this nation to let it be thought at home or abroad, that such as Army as this, can command the whole Kingdom.

It is feared you have by your examples misled ignorant and profane people into very sinful miscarriages; your deportment to the Parliament in some of your Demands seeming too imperative, it is thought hath encouraged many uncivil persons to slight it, and to offer it such Florentine rapes as have seldom or never been heard of in this State. You do very well to control them, but you had done much better, if you had never taught them the way, it is the most Lethall lesson that can be taught or learned by any Subject; such as have had any hand in it should do well to grieve with all the grief human hearts can afford: those that have offered such contemptuous affronts to supreme power, can do no more, unless it be to contemn God himself, who probably suffered it in part for your destruction.

It is an amazement to such as fear God, and know the proportions of State, to see multitudes present popular petitions to you, of such nature and importance, as intimate that they take you now to be the sovereign Power of the Land, or that you can command it.

But that which is more grievous, we read in some late Pamphlets, that in reference to some of these petitions, this and that is the sense of the Army, as if the sense of the Army were the supreme Law of the Realm. I am yet persuaded, it is utterly against your knowledge and will; but if you shall receive such petitions without check, and permit such answers to fly abroad without control, your faithfullest friends will fear that the frames of your hearts are very much altered from what they were when you first entered into your places: when we dare say for you, you would have declined such things with fear and trembling.

As I was writing the last line, there came to my hand, a clear vindication of your loyalty herein, for which I heartily thank you.

It is doubted, that you do not commiserate the Country so much as you should, or the exhaust condition of it requires; your supernumerary soldiers which have flocked to you of late, such as are not so trusty to the cause of the Parliament, as they should, for whom you also demand pay. Divers Officers of your companies carrying their wives and servants with them; very many Gentlemen and friends with their retinue visiting and accompanȳing you in a work about which they set themselves and are not employed by the Parliament, and all allowed free quarter by your Quarter-master, do not only alienate the hearts of men from you, more then you are aware of, but miserably impoverish men's estates and families.

It is supposed, that though you profess the continuance of your Army be, to settle peace and suppress new commotions, yet that it will rather provoke to them. If one man stands in the street with a pair of Cudgels in his hands, he will soon invite many more to cracked crowns: while you march under the Commission and countenance of the Parliament, you were under God, safe; but since they ordered your disbanding, and you refused, you are looked at by many, as chalengers or Champions, having little else to bear up your arms, but your own legs. Men that have good ears and eyes, do not see any great fear of domestic Insurrections, nor of foreign Invasions, so much as to keep a numerous Army on foot to propell them; nothing appears to them more likely to stir up new wars at home, then these your proceedings; for it cannot be expected, that the spirit of war will be laid down so long as you keep your Army up, too many hoping for new employment cannot settle to any other course. Long wars have ever begat a trade of war. You must think that all who malign you, will be stirring up new quarrels against you, and patties to maintain them, that all who cannot allow your way, will be blowing smoke in your faces, that the whole clamour of the people will at length cry up stirs, to cry you down: You may easily observe, if you please, that all the late Stirres, which you call mutinies and treacheries, tending to new wars and spilling of blood, have rose in opposition to you; if you would lay down your Arms, it is hoped every true subject would lay down his head on his pillow, and willingly take his rest.

It is much feared, that these your proceedings are very pressing provocations to our brethren of Scotland, putting them upon extreme racks of conscience and counsel, in regard of their Co-interest and Covenant; and what the product thereof will be, nor you nor we can foretell; if it should be in any of your minds to continue your Army and way, that you may the rather provoke them upon us, I am bold to say, you go the next way to provoke God, to provoke our children, and children's children to such cursings and curses as neither you nor we shall lie quiet in our graves.

It is feared by some, whose charity I rather accuse then excuse, that these your courses are somewhat allied to the first great-civil stirs of Rome, whereof it is said,

If you should aim at any such thing for yourselves or any others, by whose help you might attain your own ends, the Land would blush it self en fire at the humility and pride of Saints.

Suppose sundry of you who are more godly, should level at no such matter, yet I fear you could not lay us in sufficient hostage to secure us from all your followers: nor will be in your power to hinder them, if you proceed much further.

They that do not well see where they begin, can never foresee where they shall make an end.

It is feared that the liberty of Religion, which you seem to desire, for tender Consciences, if it be not the better limited by the rule of the Word, will cause the State to offend all the Consciences in the Kingdom that are sincerely and judiciously tender, and the public peace also.

Especially in matters of Religion.

It is also observed, that you seem to set up, what God and the State hath pulled down, and to pull down what hath been set up with much pains and prayer: Sundry places where you have quartered falling again to the old Service Book, divers scandalous Ministers formerly sequestered, claiming their Livings under color of your allowance, which threatens a return to our old vomit; This doth utterly blast the esteem of your Army, in the hearts of good men, who conclude that your way cannot be of God; surely when he gives the Kingdom to the Saints, be will not suffer them to give such large toleration to erroneous opinions, nor to build with one hand, and pluck down with the other. This makes us all ready to cry aloud to our Honorable Parliament,

It is feared and felt, that these your motions put such an ague into the blood and spirits of the people throughout the Land, that they cannot bethink themselves of heavenly and spiritual things; godly men think that it is full time now for men to attend the working out of their own salvation, and the welfare of their families and posterities.

It is greuly feared by wise men, that you do hot prudently consider the season wherein you undertake so important an action, a time wherein God is abating the height of all human glory, you see how he hath dealt with our King, with our Parliament, with our City, if you grow too great and popular, your turn will certainly come in his season.

A time when God rains snares upon this whole Land, suffering men to act little else but obliquities, illegalities, absurdities, and self-disappointments.

A time wherein Satan hath set the Land on fire, and like Nero sits on his Turret, making music with his instruments, I mean his profane lying Pamphleters, that every man may dance Antick over his brothers head. It is a Proverb not to be neglected, that, he that danceth when the Devil pipes, shall certainly break his shins; if he hath not the luck to save them whole, by breaking his neck. Wise men will not travel in a night, when the air is full of ignes fatui, nor a sober Mariner hoise up all his sails, when the winds blow in all quarters.

It is feared, if not concluded, by very many of your true friends, that you run into deep errors, concerning the Parliament, and through them to the whole Kingdom. I shall touch them as tenderly and briefly as I may.

That so long as you continue in this manner, it is impossible but there will be great divisions in both Houses: your Army is like a black and blustering storm, that scatters a strong fleet of friends.

That nothing can be concluded comfortably concerning the Government of the Church; which though you professedly disclaim to meddle with, in some of your writings, yet it is thought you aim most at it, by circuit or circumvention, you may disavow it in your own military way, but if you mould a Parliament to your own mind, and cause them to establish what you desire, it is all one, and you will find it much worse: Quod vi oritur, vi moritur: These differences and delays are very grievous to the work and kingdom of Christ, through the conscientiousness of unmortified men; so long as each side are peremptory and inexorable, and you hold in the wedge between them, it is not likely they will agree upon such weighty debates with any convenient strength.

That you weary away many godly Members, who seeing their presence useless, withdraw to their homes, though I cannot commend their practice.

Yet heating their allegations, I dare not wholly condemn them.

but any longer is in vain.

That in respect to your minds and power, they have so long foreborn to punish the insolencies of sundry delinquents luxuriant in their tongues and actions, that it is likely that the Justice which God requires will never be done; and that it is almost too late to re-mind them, what was spoken to the like Counsel in the like case.

That by propounding matters of State and Church with your Swords by your sides, hovering so near as you do, you wholly take away the liberty of the Parliament.

That you do much impeach the wisdom and dignity of the Parliament in your Proposalls, wherein you not only require a repeal of some things they have deliberately enacted, but some things utterly destructive to Christianity and policy.

If the address lately published be indeed yours, which I do not believe, truly your case is much to be pitied, and you have great cause to fear your defeat is not so far off as you may happily hope.

If you can tell me of any such Army as yours, that rose against the State and minds of their Country to attain your supposed ends, that at length vanished not into naught; I will acknowledge the shortness of my memory and reading.

That by these courses you do not only what you may to annul the present, but to provoke the people to loath all future Parliaments, so long as this generation lasts. If they establish what you desire, for fear, or concur with all you propound for love, or turn this way and that way in mere observance of you, what English man will ever regard a Parliament more? and what foraigner will not say, the wisdom and strength of England is lost?

And here I must betray both my conscience towards God, my faithfulness to my Country, and my love to you, if I once again turn me not to our most Honorable Lord's and Commons, and say with a better Orator;

I have now spoken my thoughts to you in uprightness, wherein if I have vented any distemper of my own spirit, or aimed at any sinister end, my heart hath deceived me. I am not so stupid, as not to expect many frowns, both from some transported men of the Army, and from others also, who will tell me, that Tutum non est scribere adver sus eos qui possunt proscribere: and that there is no prudence but silence in such times as these.

For the Army, I hope I shall lie safe behind a treble Rampart. 1. Their piety, which will excuse me for speaking my conscience. 2. Their valor, Fortes non sunt vindices. 3. Their own freedom to speak and do what they judge ought to be spoken and done.

For others, I have reserved one old Roman sentence more to intrench myself in.