THough I am my self reduced to a very low state and condition , and arrived at an age , almost uncapable of repair and recovery , as to temporals ; yet I have , for the honour of others , as well as for the further magnifying of Gods graces in poore contented sufferers , hitherto forborn , either to complain of mine own continued afflictions , or to murmur at the prosperity of others . But now the sad complaints of multitudes of my fellow-sufferers , that languish and consume away , under the extremity of want and penury ; and the dying groans of diverse of them , that have starved and perished already , and are daily and , hourely like to starve and perish , through hunger , cold and nakedness , and by weakness and sickness , from thence contracted , have so peirced my bowels , pained my heart , and broken to spirit ; that I can no longer be silent , but must cry , and cry aloud ; wishing with all my soul ( as the Prophet Jeremiah sometimes did ) That mine head were waters , and mine eyes a fountain of tears , that I might weep out what I ●m not able to expresse , in the bemoaning their most deplorable condition . And to whom shall I cry ( next after my crying to Heaven , and to the God of Heaven ) but to you , their most Reverend Fathers and mine , and to the rest of my fellow Brethren , their Reverend Pastors and Teachers , that have been fellow sufferers with them , in , and for the same righteous Cause ; and know best how , and wherefore , to have compassion upon them ; and are , in many respects , better able then others to succour them , both by your own bounty , and by recommending them to others Charity . For as for the King himself , though his bowels are as much moved for them , and enlarged towards them , as ever any Kings were towards his afflicted subjects ; yet either his own present and pressing Domestick necessities , and his great and deep engagements abroad for the Honour and safety of the Nation , tye up his hands from relieving them ; or some swift-winged , Eagle-clawed Harpies catch , what he hath at any time to spare , from him , and devoure it , before those poor hunger-starved Loyalists can creep neer him . And for his great Council ; though they are the most really devoted to , and the most cordially affected with , and the most ambitiously studious for , the supplying both his Majesties urgent occasions , and their importable indigencie , that ever any Parliament was , or indeed can be , yet the regular motion of that great body is so slow , and their legall wayes of raising supplyes of so long accomplishment ; that a multitude of their pined carcases will be sunck into their graves , and their Father corruption have seized on them ( though their Mother and Sister worms will be very much cheated by them ) long before either food or rayment can be in that way provided for them . Whereas you may with very much facility and expedition , contribute so much to their relief , as may preserve their lives , both for a seasonable capacity of receiving what the King and his Parliament shall think fit further to bestow on them , and for an happy opportunity of adventuring them once and again in some more fortunate , though not more honourable ( for that 's impossible ) service . And these scatterings of what ye have late reapt with full hands , will increase ( as ye better know ) your honour here , and glory hereafter , more then all that plentifull harvest , that your Coffers or your Graneries have been inriched with , except what hath , or shall be expended in the same , or the like eminent works of Charity , Piety , and Mercy . And this seasonable bounty of yours will be also ( as you cannot but acknowledge ) a provoking example of others to imitate you , and a most acceptable service to his Majesty , and to his great Council , as well as a most pleasing sacrifice to God himself .

I know many of you have both seen diverse of their gastly Ghosts , that I am now interceding for , walking up and down the streets , and heard their moans , and refreshed some of their fainting spirits . But my greater acquaintance with very many of them formerly , when we acted and suffered together in that royall and highly to be honoured , but unfortunate , and therefore foolishly despised , cause , as also my still undistanced and more familiar converse with them , hath given me more opportunities of knowing them , and their inexpressible miseries , then others of you have had . And perhaps they have been the more willing to impart themselves and their condition to me , because they see that I am hitherto as much passed by , and as little regarded as themselves ; though God is pleased to bear up my head somewhat above those waters , wherewith some of them ( poore wretches ) have been quite over whelmed ; and others of them have with much difficulty as yet strugled against , till their hearts are ready to break . For to whom will men in misery so soon complain , and so freely and fully discover themselves , as to those , whom they believe to have the most sense and compassion of their miseries , though they be otherwise the least able to help them ? it being some ease to them to have such , into whose bosomes they may powre out their complaints , and receive some pitty and commiseration from them , though they receive little or nothing else ; they knowing that they have nothing else , wherewith to relieve them . And what are their complaints ? Why , the very same some of them , that the Prophets most Lamented in their bewayling of the peoples miseries , unto whom God sent them : and some of them are such , as none of those great Seers did ever know or foresee ( so far as we read ) to be the lot of any people .

That Zions adversaries were become the cheif , and her enemies did prosper , and magnified themselves , and spread out their hands upon all her pleasant things , and entered into her Sanctuary ; whilest her own people did sigh , seek bread , and give their pleasant things for meat to relieve their soul ; and that their comforters , that should relieve their soule , were far from them ; and when they called for their lovers , they deceived them . That their children and sucklings swooned in the streets of the City , and said unto their Mothers , where is corn and wine , and so poured out their souls into their Mothers bosomes . That they that did feed delicately were desolate in the streets , and they , that were brought up in scarlet , embraced Dung-hills . That they that passed by did clap their hands at them , hisse & wag their heads at them , & open their mouths against them , and gnash their teeth at them , as if that were the day they looked for , &c. were some of Jeremiahs lamentations for the inhabitants of Jerusalem . And all these , and many more of his lamentations for that people , may be as truly taken up for the distressed Loyalists in England ; as may also , very many other sad complaints and lamentations made by other Prophets in the bewailing the miseries of those unto whom they prophesyed ; though not without this difference observed . Those miseries , which those Prophets bewailed , were brought upon those people , by them that were strangers of other Nations , and in the times of open hostility and invasion : But the miseries of these English Loyalists , were brought upon them at the first by the seditious and rebellious of their upon Nation , in times of intestine commotions and warres , and are still continued on them by the sleighting and disregarding of others , that professe themselves to be as Loyal and faithfull subjects as themselves , and that too now in these times , when the peace and settlement of this Nation , is ( praised be the Lord ) fairly restored and in some good measure reestablished amongst us .

But then there are some agravations of these poor distressed Loyalists miseries , that are not to be found in any of the Prophets ; no nor in any of the Evangelists or Apostles : Nor can indeed searce be paralleld by any other peoples sufferings in the world . As namely , that they should spend their Estates , loose their Bloods , and hazard their lives for their King , Religion and Laws ; and now when the first King , that they fought for , was barbarously Murthered , and the true Heir of his Crown and vertues is miraculously restored , the same pure Orthodox Religion is happily re-established , and the same righteous Laws are effectually reinforced ; they , that did so vigorously and valiantly contend for them all , should after all this , be neglected , passed by , and despised ; and they that fought against , and helpt to Murther the Royal Father , and proceeded as farr as they were able , in doing the like to his dear Son , their then undoubted Soveraigne , should be preferred , advanced , and honoured ; and they that cryed down , pulled down , and trampled on Bishops , Deans and Chapters , and then sacrilegiously invaded their rights and revenues , should divers of them be now dignified with some of those dignities , and others of them be admitted Tenants to those Revenues ; and they that made all the righteous Laws of the Nation to truckle to their unrighteous and arbitrary practise , should now be permitted to enjoy some of the most profitable imployments in the Law . That they , who persevered in their duties of Allegiance and Fidelity , and upon all occasions Acted as highly and courageously , and suffered as deeply and contentedly for eighteen years together in the defence thereof as mortalls well could , should now , when they might in equity expect some recompence and reward for their so doing and suffering ; especially these two last years , when Loyalty and Allegiance is so much pretended to , be in a worse condition , in respect of indigence and penurie , then when the greatest enemies to both , that ever the earth groaned under , were in their highest power and prevalency . That they who , when some of their neighbours , and other Caterpillers of this Land , had devoured all that they had , sought their bread out of desolate places amongst strangers and foreigners for sundry years , and there found it , should now , when they are returned home to their native country , and seen so great and miraculous mercies returned to it with the return of their long exiled Soveraigne , faint , swoon and dy away for want of bread in the streets and skirts of the great Metropolis of this Nation , wherein fullness of bread hath most superabounded , though at this present a scarcity and famine of bread is much to be feared , and the more for their not supplying their want . Lastly ( which renders all their miseries the more insufferable and importable ) that they , who for many years were the Kings and their professed enemies , but do now pretend to be his friends and true subjects , should still reproach and upbraid these poor perishing Loyallists , and scoff and mock at them for their Loyalty and their being so ill requited for it : Telling them that they may now see what their cause was , and what fools they were to adhear so fast and firm to it , even to the losse of all that they had and themselves with it : whereas , if they had been on the other side , they might have kept their own estates , and gotten not a little out of the estates of others , enough to be sure , to have fixed them to those places and offices which they could have pleaded any interest in , or at least , to have purchased some other , that they had a desire to . Ah! silly wretches ( cry those scoffers ) to leave your wives , children and estates to the mercy of your enemies , and to expose your lives to so many hazzards , and perills for the King and his Cause , and to cleave so inseparably to His Son after him , till God brought him back to His Fathers Throne and Inheritance ; And now to hear those wives and children cry to you for food and rayment , when ye your selves have not a morsel to put into your own mouths , nor scarce a rag to hang upon your backs ; and to see others possessing your Lands and Goods , when ye have not any Cottage to hide your heads in , nor the assurance of so much Land as a Cave or Grave to be buryed in , no nor a winding sheet to wrap you in . And when all this misery is befallen you ; to have your old friends and fellow sufferers , that have tasted of the same Gall and Wormwood wherewith ye have been filled , ( and so should know the better how to commiserate you ) to passe by you at a distance ( like that unkind and indeed unnatural Priest and Levite in the Gospel ) and seeing you stript and wounded and half dead , not to pitty you , or shew any compassion to you ; much lesse to perform the least good office of the good Samaritan to you . We hope you are now sensible of you mistake in taking part with those , that so little regarded or commiserate you ; at least , we doubt not but others will hereafter , if there be the like occasion , beware by your example . Away , away , ye seditious and seducing spirits , spirits indeed of the infernal pit . Ye make false , rebellious and diabolicall inferences ( as it is usuall with you ) from premises that are too true .

For what though this be the lot of too many true hearted Loyalists ? yet ( praised be God for his mercy , and for ever magnified be the King for his goodnesse and love to such ) many , yea very many of them , are already amply and superabundantly recompenced for all that they have done and suffered in and for that righteous cause . And that there are no more as yet rewarded , is principally to be ascribed and attributed ( next after Gods all-wise and unsearchable providence in exercising some by sufferings unto death , and reserving their reward and Crown for them in eternal life and glory ) it is ( I say ) to be ascribed and attributed unto you , the Luciferian spirits , and to your worse then Ziba like flatteries , insinuations , and supplantations , backt perhaps with the rotten counsells and corrupt practises of some of their own covetous , ambitious , ungratefull and perfideous fellow-sufferers , and ( which must not be forgotten ) to the present urgent necessity ( as was before hinted ) of imploying what can be fairly raised , for the publick service , security , and honour of this Nation , which ye so many years , pillaged and harrased , wasted and almost ruined , and so rendered contemptible and despicable to our friends , as well as enemies . And yet if all true hearted Loyalists had been as ill rewarded , as some have been ; had God inabled them to have borne it with as much equanimity , patience , contentednesse , and cheerfull , perseverance , as he hath inabled some of them even unto Perishing . Surely their sufferings in and for that righteous cause and sealing it with their bloods , and Gods witnessing with them by his gracious inabling them so to suffer for it , had sufficiently justified the integrity of those Loyal sufferers consciences , that so propugned it unto death ; and vindicated the righteousnesse of that cause it self , whereunto God inabled so many to give so great and unfeigned testimonie .

And whereas it is objected by others , that the late Kings Army did him more disservice by their sins and iniquities , then service by their persons ; and to countenance that their calumny , and make a blinde for their designe thereby , have perverted a late saying of a Reverend Dean in his Sermon before the Honorable House of Commons , namely , That the sins of the Royal Army ( as they falsly relate his words ) cut off the Kings head . I must first assure them , that ( if mine own ears did not deceive me ) they have dealt with that excellent Preachers saying , as their old father did with some sayings of God himself , when he tempted our Lord and Saviour . They have left out a part thereof , and wrested the other part to serve their own turns . For his words were these or to this effect . [ The Rebell Army cut off the Kings head , and the sins of the Royal Army helpt to bring him to the Block . And so the saying was most true and very seasonable for that day , wherein we were all invited to humble our souls for our sins , and particularly for those sinns of this whole Nation , by which we all contributed so much to the sadnesse of that day and the black dismall occasion of it .

In the next place , I cannot forebear the minding of all such as cast this objection in the poore loyall Sufferers way , That , if the sins of the Royall Army did his Majesties renowned Father more disservice than their Persons did him service ; and that be a reason of any validity , why these poore starving remains thereof should be now laid aside , cast off and passed by of his Majesty , and those that love and honour him , ( for that I conceive to be a great part of their contrivement ) then by the same reason his Majesty ought much more to abhor , detest , and abominate all those that had any hand in raising , continuing , and maintaining the Rebels army against his renowned Father ; who were not onely guilty of far greater iniquities then they of the Royal Army were , such as Rebellion , Treason , Perjury , unparralel'd Hypocrisie , Sacriledge professed Blasphemy , against God and the King , &c. but their very being such an Army , and the hell-bred designe thereof , were such matchlesse crimes , as transcended all the foulest crimes of the Royal Army by almost infinite degrees : though God was pleased , for some reasons best known to him self , and most suteable to his wisdome and justice , to punish the Royal Armies crimes with a severer stroake , & a sharper scourge as to temporal punishment ; and to reserve the crimes of the Rebel Ar - ( unlesse it be prevented by a timely repentance , of which they have not as yet , except some very few of them , shown the least sign or simpton ) for eternal torments . And yet if that Rebell Army and their friends , and favourites would but seriously consider , how God hath dealt with them , since the time of his making use of them , as his rod to scourge others ; they would be constrained to acknowledge , that Gods wrath and indignation hath been already more visibly , and more emminently and remarkably manifested by his own immediate confounding them , then ever it was by his overthrowing the Royal Army by them . Besides suppose that the sins and iniquities of the Royal Army did the King more mischief , then their Fidelity and Loyalty , their Fortitude and Valour , did him good : Yet that is no just and reasonable allegation , either for not respecting their Persons , which were cheerfully and readily exposed to all hazzards and dangers for the defence of his then sacred Majesty ; or for the not rewarding those Graces of Fidelity , Loyalty , &c. which God inabled them to exercise in that defence . For if it were , why have some of the same Royal Army , which were as much guilty of the same , or as bad miscarriages and misdemeanours , been already graciously lookt upon , preferred , and honoured ? ( Praised by the Lord for that mercy , and for ever magnified be the King for that graciousnesse ) But it is evident that his Majesty knows how to distinguish betwixt his Loyal subjects persons and their sins , betwixt their Graces and their Vices . And so , though he have too much reason to hate and detest their iniquities , yet with all , he hath so much Religion as to love and honour their persons and Gods Graces in them , viz. those before named , their Loyalty , Fidelity , Valour , &c.

And certainly ( most Reverend and Learned Fathers and Brethren ) ye cannot but subscribe to that distinction and Practise , as most warrantable and justifyable . And therefore suppose , that these poor Loyal sufferers were greater sinners then others , which ye know , both by the example of Job and other just and upright men in the old Testament , and by our Saviour Christs doctrine , and a multitude of examples in the new , ye ought not to suppose ; at least , not from the greatnesse of their sufferings ; Yet I am sure , ye are not to learn how to relieve their persons , and to incourage those graces , that have manifested themselves in them ; and to passe by their sins and infirmities , as you see God himself and his vicegerent have done yours , and many others , that are of the same Loyal Principles , without being extream or severe to marke what hath been done amisse . It is excellent Counsell , that St. Augustine gives in this case , saying If a wicked man do at any time meet thee , &c. and desire an Almes of thee , ne pigrescant in hoc viscera misericordia , let not thy bowels of mercy be straightened towards such a one , because he is a wicked man ; homo enim peccator occurrit tibi , &c. for a wicked man meets thee , &c. Now when I name a wicked man , I name two things , one thing that is wicked , and that is the work of man , another thing that it man , and that is the work of God , Dato igitur operi Dei , &c. Give to that which is the work of God ; but do not give to that which is the work of man . Give to the man to maintain him in his life , but give not to his wickedness to maintain him in his sin . And this is all that is now Petitioned and begged at your hands . That you would be pleased to give so much only to poor starving Loyalists , as may help to preserve them in their lives ; that they may live to repent of their sins , and to spend the short remainder of those lives better , in God and his Majesties service , and in praying to and praising of God , both for his Majesty and you , their principal preservers under God .

And therefore seeing your lots are fallen in faire places , and God and his Majesty hath honoured you with eminent dignities and comfortable preferments ; for Christs sake , for your Religion sake , for your King and Countrys sake , for that righteous Cause sake , whereof ye have shewn your selves most couragious and constant propungners , and for your own honour sake , and what else is most precious to you , remember ( as the Prophet Jeremiah in his Lamentatious brings in Zion crying to God by prayer ) remember , what is come upon some of your poor afflicted fellow-sufferers ; consider their miseries , and behold their reproach . Spare them but so much out of your abundance to supply their wants , as to help to keep them alive , till his Majesty and his most Loyally devoted Parliament , encouraged by your pious example , and quickened by your recommending them to their charity ; can better provide for them , and disposed of them . And to that end , be pleased to choose and appoint two ( or more if you think fit ) that are approvedly honest , consciencious , discreet , compassionate men , that may have free accesse to you ; and to whom those poor , modest , miserable wretches may have the like accesse , to collect speedily your Almes and charitable benevolence ; and to dispense them prudently upon good and sufficient testimony and assurance of their severall necessities that shall receive them ; giving you a just and exact account thereof to a farthing , under the hands both of the givers and receivers in a book to that purpose . And without all peradventure ye cannot do any one Act , that will cause more thanksgiving to God on your behalf , that will bring more honor and esteem to your honorable Profession , stop the mouthes of your enemies , cheer the spirits of your friends , indear the King and his Parliament , recover the lost reputation of the Nation , refresh the hearts of the fainting Loyalists and all their well-wishers , and fill your own hearts with more joy and comfort , then this seasonable and most Christian Act of mercy and commiseration ; unto which you are thus earnestly and humbly supplicated by one , that desires to live no longer , then whilst he does most studiously and industriously indeavour , upon all seasonable opportunities , ( whereof he hopes this will be reputed one ) to approve himself ,