IN this time of scribling when every man is bold to write a ● print what he please , some make use of this Liberty to ge●● subsistence , and vent weekly News to the people for a li●● profit , wherein , sometimes with no less folly than boldn●● they will take upon them to write and make their own co●ments upon several passages , and give their advises ; Oth● finding the people taken with these Pamphlets , and so 〈◊〉 happy as to suffer themselves oftentimes to be transported by some of th● before they have examined the truth of that which is in them , or been so w●●dvised as to consider the end that those might have who intended to abuse th ●hereby , have of late thought this a better and safer way to carry on their de●igns and disguise them , than by sending another Cranford to the Exchange to ●ent palpable lies there amongst the multitude , and start another Hare for them ●o run after ; that their eyes might thereby be taken off from that which other●ise no Manifesto , Pamphlet , or Paper-practise , though followed with never so much industry in the Citie , could so easily have given an escape unto ; which was ●hat unhappy and unseasonable march of their Scottish Army backwards into West●erland , with the consequents thereof : This being resolved of , out comes a Pamphleter of another Port and Garb than ordinary , a Zanzummim , who looks ●own upon the rest of his Companions as so many Grashoppers , and with a ●ord of disdain kicks them all out of his way as a company of mercinary flatte●rs , or splenitive and scurilous detractours of mens persons ; For himself , if you ●ill take it upon his own word , he comes to set before the people ( Truth its ●anifest ) a specious vizard , under which you shall finde upon the examination ●●at there is masked the most malicious , false and seditious libell that yet hath ●een offered to impone upon the people , either from Oxford , or else where : so ●onfident are they now grown of the peoples patience , credulity , and readiness ●o be abused by taking things upon trust from them .

This man makes his entry through the great gate of a long Epistle to the Rea●er , that he may make his way with more state than the common Pamphletters , ●nd be received with more credit . The fi●st part of his Epistle is to that end be●owed in a large commendation of himself ▪ First for his personal endowments , Se●ondly , for the competencie of his estate giving him some advantages , and being ●b●●●vient to his resolutions of speaking to the point , as he saith : The qualitie● 〈◊〉 his minde he sets forth to be , such a calmness and freedom of Spirit , void of ambition and covetousness , that no hopes nor fears can work upon him ; he can speak to the point , and tell truth down-right , his tongue indeed can run through the earth , and he is not afraid to offend the gods , although thereby his hopes be crossed , and he may be hindered in his private interest ; as he saith , it seems then the man hath some hopes and private interest , but sure they are in Scotland , not in England , and then in this discourse of his he hath secured them sufficiently . In a word , this man , as he proves it , through his whole discourse is one of those who is not afraid to speak evil of Dignities , having filled his mouth with the swelling words of vanity and falshood . Next his estate cooperates much to the continuance of these virtues , he hath Far modicum , a sufficient Viaticum which he preferreth to the glystering slavery of ambitious men . Here you have an ample Testimony given of himself by himself , and certainly there is more than need of all this if any man would believe it the sooner for his saying it , when you shall compare his carriages in his discourse following with this profession in his Epistle . In the second part of his Epistle he will give you evidence and demonstration of his impartial proceeding , that you may not rest upon his bare word alone ; and therefore he will begin with his own Nation , the Kingdom of Scotland ( for no man that reads him will doubt of his being a Scot ) the report goeth also that he hath been a School-master , or a Tutor , who hath been accustomed to have Boys under his Rod ; and this is very probable , considering how Magisterially he carrieth himself all along , for we know your Pedagogue is ever the onely forward putting man ; if you will make use of him , you may put him upon any thing , as this man , who having wrapped his head up in his own dream , like that bird , which useth to thrust her head into a bush , thinks he shall never be discovered and flushed , and thereupon he goes on to threaten Kingdoms , reprove Parliaments , counsel the Commissioners of another Kingdom to stir up the people of this Kingdom to sedition , and appeal from the Parliament wherein resides the Supream power , unto the multitude , he traduceth the Committee of both Kingdoms , casts the froth and falshood of his brain upon particular men of both Houses that are of greatest fidelity and integrity , he doth not name them indeed , that he tells you he will forbear , but so describes them that he need not say there is a Nose in the middest of your face ; could you expect all this from any other but your Pedagogue ? who in the mean time may fancie himself walking with his serrula in his hand up & down in the middest of his boys , elevated to the height of a supercilious gravity , as his phrase and manner of speech sheweth . Yet let us hear what he will say of the Kingdom of Scotland , it may be he hath exceeded his Commission , and will have no thanks for his labour , though his good intentions were onely to flourish there , that the better way might be made for him to give a home-thrust , where he intended it , against the Kingdom of England .

He saith , not few , but many , not small ones , but the chief and leaders of the rest , not through infirmity and weakness , but with study and a high hand , upon malice , had left their integrity and sincerity to the cause of God , and followed the devises which pride and covetousness carried them unto , and for their private interest fall to plotting and caballing how to supplant one another , and increase their own factions , still busying their thoughts to bear down their opposites , not sorry in their hearts at the Enemies success , hoping thereby to make advantages for the setting up of their own party . This with much more of the same kinde , he scatters up and down in the Map presented to us by him of his own Kingdom of Scotland , and the chief leaders therein . What instruction would the man have the simpler sort and well meaning people ( to abuse whom is the end of this discourse ) gather from all this ? would he have them think , and put them in fear , that what he affirmeth to have been the practice of their chief and leading men , and most cried up for their zeal to the good cause in hand in their own kingdom , where they had greatest obligations , and no want of Oaths and Covenants , may fall out to be so in this ? we will hope better things , though this mans premises ( the proof whereof we leave to himself ) look towards such a conclusion , in as good Logick or better than he makes use of all along in this discourse to asperse others withall . He complains further , that those , who were employed against the enemies , betrayed their trust , omitted many fair opportunities and good occasions , which in appearance might have made an end of the War , that others complyed with the Enemie and helped him secretly with advice ; ill symptoms all in such a time as this is : But because the man takes upon him to declare , in the name of the Scots , what he pleaseth , as pag. 60. and to avow and disavow in their behalf , ( by what Commission , and by whom instructed , it were well worth the knowing ) we will suppose him also instructed to answer , any demands in their names , which shall be made : he can tell us how it came to pass that such men were imployed , who brake their trust , and such intrusted , who did comply with the enemie for the advancement of their own Factions : Did it arise from hence , that in all their affairs and negotiations , they are an open hearted and plain dealing people in whom there is no guile , no cunning , but measuring others by themselves , they are the less cautious and more apt to be deceived , being not at all suspitious ? If this be a right character of them , as he sometimes will have it , we have lighted very unhappily amongst so many plain hearts , upon such a one as he is , and some others of them like himself , who with so much industrie , as the father of lyes can hardly exceed it , studie and endeavor nothing more by their Pamphlets , Papers , and Emissaries for the carrying on of their designes , than to raise jealousies , and suspitions in the minds of the simpler sort of those persons , and for such things , as it is probable they that raise them , do not themselves believe either the persons guiltie thereof , or the things true . Remember , the hidden things of darkness will one day be brought to light . If you turn to the 118 , 119 , 120. pages of this discourse , there you shall have himself very freely and liberally giving in unto you , the cause why such men , by whom he saith they have been betrayed , were intrusted . In these late Troubles , which in humane reason had ended in the ruine both of their Liberties , and that which this man so often calls their Religion , had not their Brethren of England refused absolutely to assist or engage against them , though all means were used both in Parliament and out of Parliament , by threats , by promises , by oaths invented to ensnare them and oblige them thereunto ; which refusal proved an assistance unto them , enabling them to do their work and cost them nothing , a thing that deserves much better to be remembered than that which this man so often lays in our dish . Yea , when they had done their own work by this means , this Nation was content to pay them their wages in the brotherly assistance so freely given them : all this is written in the Sands , and our ears are filled with nothing but the Miracles done for us by the SCOTS ; well , yet when we had put this advantage into their hands , of Settling their own Affairs as they would themselves , what Peace did they make ? In the Conclusion to piece up all ; this mans Friend , that mans Kinsman , and the Allies of another must be spared ; to facilitate which , Titles of Honor , and Offices of profit must be conferred , and when this was done , these men must be received into their societies , yea , into their Councils and imployments , though they had been found guiltie , and declared Enemies to the State , as this man tells you with regreet , for saith he , What is there that the Scots will not do for their Friends , Kindred , and Allies : by making up their breaches in this manner , when so much had been discovered , as that they sent the Examinations up to the Parliament in this Kingdom ; they had gotten a Wolf by the ears ; if the men connived at wear not also confided in , but laid aside , they would become Enemies again : if trusted and imployed , they had opportunitie put into their hands , to strengthen their partie , and increase their Faction , that which the School-master saith ( and is much scandalized at it ) they altogether studied and aimed at , plotting , cabballing , and devising how to supplant one another to that end : these are his own words , and it should seem by him something is effected in regard of their Factions . The tables are turned , the High men before are now become Low men . Let the Honest men therefore amongst them look to themselves , and keep to their old friends , notwithstanding the lessons this School-master would teach them . The man takes this occasion to make ostentation of his Impartiallitie , Tros Tyriúsque mihi , nullo discrimine agetur ; be he a Scot , or be he an English man , all is one , he shall have his lesson taught him , and so he begins to read some lectures fit for boys to hear , and the simpler sort to be cosened withall , every wise man seeth what is aymed at , he would gain some credit hereby to be the sooner believed in those Scandals he desires to fix upon honester men than himself , to take credit from them , that they may not keep his well meaning people from being abused by him and those of his Council , which is the main end and drift of this Pamphlet . But lay aside your Stage-Play , your grave documents to those of your own Nation , and let them take out this one lesson from their own experience and learn it well , that will be to some purpose , all this is but histrionicall , and you do but personam agere in it : Let them take heed in respect to themselves , as well as of us , that they do not byas us into a Peace which shall not be safe and well grounded . These are good words and often used , let nothing be practised which consists not with them , let them not be made use of to bring about other mens ends ( which it may be they see not into the depth of ) hoping to make use of such men again to effect their own , lest God who will curss the one , do also justly cross the other . Let them not endeavour to make their advantages of our foolish divisions amongst our selves , lest in the issue they finde themselves thereby divided from the true cause and end , which they should onely promote and aym at in their Coming into this Kingdom , at which God being displeased , can easily lay open all to the world , and as easily crush them in the closing of those divisions , which they would needs thrust themselves between to hold up , and continue for their own ends . There needs none of these carnal and fleshly devises ( for such are all Divisions and Contentions made use of ) to carry on a good cause : neither doth he like to be helped by mens sinful devises , but rather delight to catch the craftie , and intangle them in their own wiles .

Being thus fallen upon this subject of Peace , the present practices on foot will require a little digression in discoursing of it , which I shall the rather take libertie to do , because it is the continual practise of this Pamphleter and others of his complices , who have his aims and ends , to buz into the peoples ears , That there are some who would have no peace but keep them always in war for their own ends and interest , the falshood whereof I will stay a little upon the discovering in this place , that I may not be put to further trouble about it , and may prevent the mischief intended by the often inculcating of these lies . In the first place let this be considered by those who are apt to hearken to these false suggestions , that there is not a greater mark of a seditious incendiary than this , to go about to possess the people with an opinion that the Parliament would not most gladly put an end to their troubles by a peace safe for them , and their posterity , if by any means it may be obtained ; For this is to alienate the hearts of the people from the Parliament ; that which is answered in this case , and accordingly made use of by this man , that they speak not of the Parliament , but of some swaying parties in the houses of Parliament , was Oxford language long ago , when they called the Parliament Traitours , they said they meant it of a swaying party , or faction in both houses : I wish these who now take up their language , do not drive on their designs , and become the Heyfers amongst us , with whom they at Oxford plow . But for the thing it self there is not a wise , nor an honest man in either house that doth not desire , indeavour and pray for a safe and well grounded peace . Those men that are such do indeed take care that the Parliament be not cheated , or forced into a peace which is neither safe , well grounded , nor likely therefore to continue ; but onely carried on , and accommodated to the ends and advantages of particular men who affect to be esteemed the contrivers thereof , and to enjoy the rewards of making it such as may be acceptable at Oxford : This , honest men watch to prevent according to the trust the people have reposed in them , and this is it for which they suffer all these slanders , calumnies , and false accusations , this subjects them to all the envy they ly under ; and we hope God in his time will so disabuse and open the eyes of the people that they shall clearly see it . A demonstration of this , sufficient to convince any that is not wilfully blinde , is that course the Parliament hath now taken to select and chuse out of the rest of the propositions those onely which are absolutely necessary for the present settlement , and future security of the Kingdom , which if the King shall pass in Bils sent unto him , the War is at end , he may come up to his Parliament and settle all other things in a Parlamentary way afterwards , Arms being laid down , and the Kingdom in peace : But if the King shall refuse to do this untill he first come to Westminster ; or if others shall refuse to consent to the setlement of a peace upon these Propositions , though they onely concern the safety of this Kingdom , and be by both Houses ( whose the judgement is ) judged necessary thereunto , except they may interest themselves in our Government , when they in the mean time require that we should demand of the King for them , not onely what ever their Parliament , or Convention of Estates have agreed upon for their safety , but that he grant all such further acts as they shall agree upon hereafter ; If this shall fall out , let all the World judge between us , whether there be true meaning , or no , and whether it be not rather likely that there lieth some pad hid in the straw which we see not . This is a discovering time , God hath made great discoveries of late , and if men would be so wise as not to be precipitated and hurried on blind-fold into snares and pits which they will not through prejudice suffer other men to keep them from falling into , they would , before it be too late ( suspending their judgements but for a little time ) see the danger they are in , and be contented that wise men , who foresee it should deliver them out of it . To conclude this point , that I may not return to it , and as I said , trouble my self again with it upon every occasion given , God doth know we would be glad of a safe peace , we would have the King come to the Parliament ; but we would first provide he might so come , as that he might not be capable by making divisions and factions amongst us , and by being tempted and misled as formerly by ambitious men ( whereof we have here too many ) to cast himself and the Kingdom again into the same , or worse troubles . And yet we would have the World to know th●s also , that there be some things which have been whispered up and down ( it may be this man hath met with them in some of his Cabals ) that we will not have to make our peace ; The one is , to set up the Son , and depose the Father ; we will none of this expedient : Every wise man foreseeth what the issue of this must needs prove ; Either the Son will imbrace it with a real intention to carry it on for himself , and then the war is continued , or the Father must run Edward the seconds fortune to put an end to it : or else he will dissemble his intentions in accepting the Crown , and hereby inable himself to effect his Fathers designs by their means , who have opposed them , and in their ruine . We love him too well and the Crown , to subject either to parricidian guilt ; we know what the success of it hath been , Non gaudet tertius haeres ; and we love our selves and the Kingdom too well to dig a pit with our own hands to bury our selves and our posterity in for perpetual slaves . There is another we like as ill as this , and that is a totall alteration of the Government from a mixed Monarchy , duely bounded as this is , into something else , they that fancie it and talk of it know not what themselves ; any thing so there be a change , though from the best to the worst of all : we will none of this expedient neither , the fire is as bad and worse than the frying pan , as we say : as we hate Tyranny in one , so we do factions in a few equals , and as much , or more confusion in the many headed multitude . We resolve therefore to keep the three estates co-ordinate equally to poyse and ballance each other ; and by a due interposition to be a just boundary and limit one to the other to prevent extreams . We need not , we will not , to gain a peace , be without a King , no nor without this King : Onely he himself hath brought this necessity upon us , not to trust him with that power whereby he may do us and himself hurt ; but with so much alone as shall be sufficient to inable him to do us good : A mortal man as he is subject to failings , and considering with himself what he hath already done , might cheerfully , yea , thankfully close with his people upon these terms . A third is that which we scorn to have obtruded upon us , and I believe there is not any English heart amongst us but riseth against it , where ambition , envy , or some other fascination from the Priests doth not byas and squint the mindes of men , and it is this , That if the government according to the pattern in the North may be set up and established amongst us for the Church ; for our ancient English Government of the Kingdom setled by mutual stipulations and Oaths ; For our Judicatories fundamental to this government , for our Laws and Liberties in and by them preserved , we shall be l●ft to shift for our selves . This is the price the King must pay for a peace , and if this be yielded , other things shall be accommodated to his content , his prerogative and the maintaining thereof shall be made a matter of conscience , and much tenderness pretended of touching upon the Kings power , for fear of Oaths and Protestations . To meet with these things from Enemies is no more than we had cause to expect , but contrary to our expectations we have met with them also where we did little look for them : indeed this Agent for the Scots , throughout his whole Pamphlet , would make us believe , our Brethren came in for no other end ; this was their Errant , the onely Diana , great amongst them , this is the Cause of God , of the Church , and State , with such like stuff . But we expect that they themselves should make another interpretation of our taking up Arms , which was our just defence in the things before specified , both in respect to our selves and our posteritie ; and to assist us therein , it was that we called them into the Kingdom for ; their securitie in the same particular , depending upon their defending us in the Vindication of our just Rights , the cause being one & the same , and the quarrel about it as it began with them , so would it certainly end in their ruin , if they should suffer us to perish first : this is their advantage , they determin and preserve their own Right at our Charge , and save their own house from being set on fire , by quenching the fire that burns their neighbours . Some passages at the late debates in the Conference about the propositions to be sent to the King at the Isle of Wight , have been so strange and unexpected to us to come from the Commissioners of Scotland , that they have called to rememberance things , before either slighted , or suspended in mens minds , and have raised new jealousies , these argumentations of theirs being compared with some former actions , and late informations and discoveries . Yet we will hope the best , and deserve no other , but confidently affirm this as the sence of every English heart , that we will not bestow such vast sums of money , and endure those pressures , which their Free-quarter and Plundering hath occasioned in many parts of this Kingdom , to obtain an assistance from our Brethren of Scotland , which shall onely end in this , that instead of one slavery , wherein they would leave us as before , we shall by their means , be cast under another as bad or worse ; That of the Prince , this of the Priest ; and so purchase to our selves at so dear a rate this preferment , to become two-fold more the children of slaverie than before , by being made their Proselites . We know very well who they are that compass Sea and Land to make these Proselites , what pains they take both in Press and Pulpit , where they collegiate themselves , hold their Cabals , lay their Designs , and issue out the results of their Consultations , and how they deceive men otherways well affected , and make them their conduits , to convey through the whole Citie , this imbittering water , whereby they leaven and sour the spirits of men against those , to whom they ought to be most sweet and indeared ; the end and aym of this mysterie is not discovered by many an honest man who acts in it , and truly that is to be lamented , and it doth sad the spirits of godly men , that even those of the Ministerie whom we believe not onely to profess pietie , but to be truly godly , and whom we have and do still esteem and reverence as such , yet these suffer themselves , with Barnabas , to be led into the same dissimulation , not having Peter for their companion therein , which would not excuse them , but men of a far differing spirit , such , who if they may attain to their ends , regard not whether the means they use be such as becometh the Ministers of the Gospel : how ill doth it become them who are the Messengers of Peace to be the occasions of dangerous divisions , how far distant from that simplicitie , which the Gospel requires in teaching , is this practising with the people to sow in them the seeds of Sedition by Sermons and written Discourses , to the disparagement of the Parliament , whereby the people are inflamed and imbittered against the highest Powers to whom they ought to be taught by the Ministers all subjection ? and what can in probabilitie be the end of this , but that they may be incited in a tumultuous way , to extort from the Supream Power what these men would have , or at the best be rendered disaffected to them whom they ought to honor & obey ? should not godly Ministers rather suffer wrong , if it were so , than joyn with others to speak evil of Dignities ? what man like Job , as it is well said by El●hu , would make himself a companion with those who blaspheme them that are called Gods , and fill his mouth with the North-blasting wind ? God will certainly abase those that are his for these practises ; how much better had it been to proceed so far as the Magistrate could be convinced , and wait for what you think remaineth untill God shall reveal it ? Certainly godliness had thereby been much more promoted , and the Gospel in your Ministry would have had a freer passage and better acceptance in the mindes of men , than which nothing , not life it self should be dearer to you : it may be you will not believe it , but it is too true that while you seem to men , to preach to get power into your hands , the power of your Ministry is so weakned & withered in the consciences of men , in respect of what it hath formerly been , that if you desist not from this teaching after an unlimited Power , and making the world believe you have turned our Zeal for Religion into a Contestation for the advancement of the Clergies power , as in the time of Poperie , and now amongst them , under the name of the Church , all Religion was made but a Stalking-horse to the ambition of Clergie men ; you will speedily contest your selves out of the consciences of good men , and the power of godliness out of this Kingdom . Men alreadie begin to say , Where shall we go to hear Christ preached ? others , who care not much whether they go to a Sermon or not , say they had rather stay at home than go to hear the Parliament railed upon . What I have here spoken of these of the Ministerie , is no way spoken with any desire to disgrace Ministers , but with a sad heart in respect of those of them whom I believe to be godly , desiring from my soul , that they would consider it and lay it to heart , and not involve themselves in the guilt of other mens ambition , to the prejudice of their own Ministeries , and to the casting of stumbling-blocks and offences in the way of Gods people . This digression may be of use at this time , and therefore born withall , since it is applyed to take away from this Incendiarie , the chief engine by which he works upon his simpler sort , and well-meaning people , indeavouring to poyson their affections , and incense them against the Parliament , by infusing an opinion into them , that they intend no Peace , but an alteration of the Government , thereby to disjoyn them from the Parliament , and so prepare them for a conjunction which may put coercion upon the same ; and certainly to this end , if not in the intentions of the Agents , yet in the effect of the work done , concur the practises of those men , whose eyes hereby I would be glad I could open , that they might timely see what they are doing and invited unto , though it may be many of them go as those whom Absolon invited in the simplicitie of their hearts : But to prevent this mischief , and to stop the projects and practises of those men , who in their meetings , whisper up and down , and make overtures privately of such things as these whereof I have spoken to gain a Peace by , I have here clearly and truly expressed what the two Houses of Parliament have in their intentions , as to that which concerneth the Peace of the Kingdom , which by their many Declarations and constant Proceedings suitable thereunto they have made manifest to all men .

But to proceed with this Pamphleter ; after the man hath plaid his part to gain the credit of much zeal for the Church , as he calls it , and that without all partiality , He falls upon the Kingdom of England , and makes his entry thus : If judgement begin at the house of God ( that is , Scotland whereof he had spoken ) then let England look to it , that is , where shall the wicked and ungodly appear ? I like not to enter into comparisons , but since the man will needs begin , and make themselves Bethel , and us Beth-aven ; I will appeal to the conscience of every observing judicious man that hath lived any time in both these Kingdoms , and conversed with men of all ranks and professions both in the one and the other , whether there be not an hundred in this Kingdom , for one in your Bethel , that holds forth the power of Godliness in a holy life and unblameable conversation , without Hypocrisie , cosenage , and deceiveable unrighteousness , notwithstanding your Government and Stool of repentance , a devise of as much spiritual use as our old white sheet ? so undoubted a truth was that lately preached before the House of Commons by Mr. Strong , now one of the Assembly ; this might have shut the door upon him , and whether he hath been taught his lesson better since his admission , he best knows ? but certainly that was a truth , which all experience of former and later times in all places beareth witness unto . The sins of Scotland , he saith , are raigning in England , bat besides that , there are many more which have not been seen in Scotland ; and of these many , when he comes to his instances , he names but onely two , which are two notorious slanders , laid upon the Government to no other end , but to bely some particular men in Authority : Heresies , Errours , and Sects of all sorts , he saith are countenanced by some of those who are in Authority : black mouthed man , instance in one that is countenanced , and by whom , Dolosus versatur in generalibus , a Jugler keeps himself in generals : But this mans Heresies , Errours , and Sects , what are they ? Not to conform exactly to the pattern in the North , as you may see by his second instance , which is all he hath to make us in comparison of Scotland , his house of God , to be Beth-aven , the wicked and ungodly ; There be some of power and credit , he saith , who are so far from furthering the Reformation of the Church , as they hinder it , not by undermining plots alone , but by open profession against it ; wherein consists his Reformation which the man in all this Pamphlet of his so much cries out to be opposed ? Onely in the alteration of the Government by Bishops , into the Discipline set up in the Church of Scotland , and then no doubt all are instantly Saints : and this he would make the World believe , we are bound to by the Covenant , whereas there is no such thing , but Scotland is as much bound to conform to us by the Covenant , as we to them , if we come nearer to the word of God , then they , in our Reformation . But who , I pray , are those in power and credit , That thus oppose your Reformation of Religion ? You will very readily answer , that they are the men whom you put the name of Independents upon in both Houses ; for now every one is an Independent who refuseth the Altar you would bring in according to the pattern which you have seen , though it should fall out , and upon examination be found , that the Brasen and true Altar should be laid aside for it .

We see the design you and those who set you on work , and that concur wit● you , drive on ? you would cosen and deceive the simpler sort , and well me●●ing people as you term them , by way of insinuation and flattery as you wo●● have it received , but with scorn and contempt enough , as they may well understand it , when you would put out their eyes , and then become their guides , perswade them by lies and slanders to entertain an ill opinion of those men , who are most able to serve them , most faithfull to them , and most watchfull over them , to prevent their being insnared , and inslaved both spiritually , and civily , and which is worst of all , irrecoverably at their own instance , and by their own means , before they see what it is they are about to do ; your way herein with these well meaning people , is the same de●cribed by the Oratour , to perswade the silly sheep to fall out with , and banish all the dogs that watch the flock , and then they shall have Peace ; these be those that hinder their peace and good agreement with the Wolves ; stop their mouths , hearken no longer to them , and all shall be well : you would have men so simple , as to take it upon trust from you , and such emissaries as are sent about with your Pedlars pack and deceitfull wares , that these men oppose Reformation , and the setling of any Government in the Church , because they desire all Heresies , Errours and Sects may be tolerated : And that they oppose the Propositions for peace , and keep the Kingdom in War , because they intend the alteration of the Government for their own inte●ests and advancement ; Whereas the truth is ( and no conscientious in either House can deny it ) that these are the men in both Houses , by whose care and endeavour the Ordinances for Church Government have been prepared , and the passi●g of them pressed on untill they were finished and passed , when by others they were let to lie still , and stick in the birth , whether purposely to raise a clamour , and hereby inforce the Parliament to yield what some are reaching after , let their consciences answer , which being brought into the sight of God , will finde such a practise , neither acceptable to him nor justifiable before men . They will not have their consciences pressed to act according to what is setled , except the settlement be such as they like of : and will they , who pretend conscience herein , press upon the Magistrate to act against conscience , against the trust reposed in them , to maintain the Subjects Liberty from being incroached upon under any pretence whatsoever , before light received sufficient to convince them of a superiour Authority and Divine right calling for the same , and appointing it ? and this to be effected in a seditious and tumultuous manner by the seduced and inflamed multitude ; will this be esteemed a practise fit for conscientious men ?

For the Propositions for peace , who were those that laboured in composing of them , that laboured most for the passing of them that they might be speedily sent , that moved and obtained that some few , such onely as were absolutely necessary for the settling of a peace that might be safe for the Subject and well grounded , should be first sent away , that if the King would pass them by Commission sent unto him , whereby it might appear he came up with clear and fair intentions to agree with his Parliament , in that which was necessary for the security of the Subjects just Right and Liberties , and the good of the Kingdom ; these Bills being passed he might come and settle other things in a Parliamentary way , the Kingdom in the mean time enjoying peace , and Forces disbanded : was not all this promoted , pressed on , and to their uttermost power indeavoured 〈◊〉 those very men , whom this incendiary all along seeks to raise jealousies of , and slandereth with having contrary intentions for their own ends ? No man , but he ●●t makes no conscience of speaking untruths for to advance his plots , will denie it . Indeed where there are secret plots and designs carried under ground , cloaked with pretences of Religion , and Zeal for Reformation , these fair Names and specious Titles being made Stalking-horses for the ends of those men , who to obtain their designs , must cosen honester men than themselves ; there we have no hope to convince or satisfie such Contrivers ; for they seek their ends aymed at , not satisfaction to their reasons , whereof those reasons that are patent they are not led by , they use them but as Varnish , the latent reasons , which will not abide the light , those onely sway them ; and therefore the most evincing arguments are cast away , and it were but labor spent in vain to use any , were it not to disabuse those , who are strangers to these Mysteries of iniquitie , and yet so deluded by these Jugglers , as to be made to play other mens games to their own utter undoing , when they shall have made them winners . For their sakes therefore , and to prevent that mischief which may arise to the Publick , by mens being still carried on in mistaking both of things and persons , I cannot forbear , but must again take a little more libertie to insist upon these two heads of Church Government , and Peace ; the sp●cious pretences which the same men , who were formerly observed most to oppose , now find it necessarie to seem very zealous for , that thereby they may take the people and make use of them to gain and compass their own designs by ●heir help , which the people , blinded with these fair vizards , are not able to discern : But what the designs of such men , who thus abuse them , are like to prove , there have been of late strange Discoveries made , yet who so blind as those that will not see ?

The constant endeavours of honest men ( whom it concerns these juggling Contrivers , for the better attaining of their ends , to blast and blemish in the opinion of the people ) hath been observed of late , to be so eviden● and apparent in promoting both th●se in the Houses , that being not able to denie it , they now begin to accuse them , that they do it out of design ; promoting the Settlement of Church Government , bu● such as they knew could not be yielded unto , that so there might be none exercised , but all heresies and errors still maintained ; the Propositions for Peace agreed upon , such also as cannot be admitted by our Brethren of Scotland , and so our Troubles continued . What will not envie , malice and spight , pricked on by ambition , when it either is , or fears to be crossed , say a●d do ? Let us examin the rea●ons why the Church Government , settled by O●dinance , cannot be yielded unto , nor the Propositions for P●ace consented unto by our Brethren of Scotland . For the first it is alleadged , The Ministers will be enforced to admit such unto the Sacrament , who are scandalous , and so sin against their consciences ; and herein they are left without remedie , the remedie provided by the Ordinance , being Commissioners , is as much against their consciences to submit unto as the other . Both Houses of Parliament have Declared , that ignorant & scandalous persons shall be kept from the Sacrament , the question is , Who are these Ignorant and Scandalous persons that shall be excluded Communion , and by whom they shall be judged to be such ? the Ministers will have it to be by themselves Arbitrarily without limitation , without appeal to the civil Magistrate at all in any cause , otherways their consciences cannot be satisfied : The Parliament wils them to enumerate sins which they esteem to be scandalous , that they may thereby judge how that Power will be exercised , which the Ministers will have them force the subjects under , & that they may provide against giving into the Ministers hands by a Law , such an Arbitrarie and unlimitted Power , as to exclude men from the Sacrament , for whatsoever they will call Scandalous ; for not paying their Tithes it may be , as they think fit , and call for ; for not making their bargains as they please , nor letting their Lands to their Tenants as the Ministers think reasonable , for this they will call , the one Sacrilege , the other Oppression , and therefore both Scandalous ; if a man obtain a Decree in a Court of Justice , he must not have the execution thereof , if they shall judge it hard and u●just ; this hath been practised in Scotland , where they have obtained this unlimited Independent Power into their hands , as one of their own Countrey-men writes . Now against this abuse and pressure upon the subjects by an Arbitrarie and unlimited Power , the Parliament had reason according to the trust reposed in them , to provide ; yet they still offered to consider of any other sins that may be thought scandalous , if the Ministers would present them , and add those to such as were enumerated , if they should be made appear to be of that nature : and further , because it was pretended , there might fall out to be emergencies so circumstantiated as might make sins scandalous , which could not be foreseen , and in such cases Ministers would be put to act against conscience , untill the case might be brought to the Parliament , and there adjudged ( for they would not directly seem to decline the judgement of Parliament ) the Parliament appointed Commissioners , who upon all occasions of emergencie might be readie to judge of them , and be at hand to State them rightly , and convey them to the Parliament as the case should require ; that so the subject might not be left without all remedie , and the Ministers be made their own sole Judges over them in all sins , nay in all things , for by the old hook of the Clergie , in Ordine ad spiritualia , they would draw all under their net , this expedient was found out in their behalf , and for the more speedie dispatch of business ; otherways they might , if they would , have put the Ordinance in execution before , when the Appeal lay onely to the Parliament : But this expedient could not in conscience be admitted , and the Pulpit and Press were both full of strange language and expressions against it , when every wise man and indifferent , saw clearly , that this had no one reason which lay against it , that did not every whit as much lie against the Parliament it self being judge , or determining in these cases , onely the Parliament might be preached against and spoken against through the sides of these Commissioners with less danger and offence , than in direct terms . But wherein were these Comissioners an offence to conscience ? in that it would make the Reformation to be , not according to the Word of God , nor according to the practises of other reformed Churches , especially that of Scotland , and so be against the Covenant which we have taken : where shall we find a Classis in the Word of God , where Triers , where a Provincial Synod , or a National Assemblie with Coercion in either , or Subordination of other Churches to the Coercive power of any such ? The two later were , when ever they were called , for advice and counsel onely : where doth the Word of God shew any foot step of such an infallibilitie placed any where since the Apostles times , as that thereupon a Coercive power was left in any , or might by them be exercised over particular Churches ? you must step a step higher upon this Ladder of your own framing , and so do some of your Ministers in their writings , and that is to an Oecumenicall Council , whereunto add your Coercion , and you will in Ecclesiastical matters bring in Forreign Power , and so fairly fall into Treason , which will prepare another Ladder for such pragmaticks .