The Simple Cobler of Aggawam in America Part 5

Ill Counsellours are very ill Gamesters; if they see their own stake a losing, they will play away King, Queen, Bishops, Knights, Rooks, p.a.w.nes, and all, before they will turne up the board: they that play for l.u.s.ts, will play away themselves, and not leave themselves so much as a heart to repent; and then there is no Market left but h.e.l.l; if the case be thus, it is to no end to look for any end, till one side make an end of the other.

_They that at stake their Crownes and Honours set, Play lasting games, if l.u.s.t or Guilt doe bet._

_Cessation._

If G.o.d would vouchsafe to give his Majesties Religion and Reason, power to fling his Wills head over the Wall, in matter of Composition, and his Subjects strength to throw their l.u.s.ts after it, Arms would be soon laid down, and Peace soon taken up. They that are not at peace with G.o.d, are not at peace with themselves, whatever they think; and they that are not at peace with themselves, cannot be at peace with others, if occasion provokes, be their natures never so good.

So farre as I can conjecture, the chiefe impediment to a generall and mutuall Cessation of Armes, is, a despaire of mutuall and generall forgivenesse. If ever _England_ had need of a generall Jubile in Heaven and Earth, it is now. Our King and Parliament have been at great strife, who should obtaine most Justice: if they would now strive, who should shew most Mercy, it would heare well throughout the world. Here also my speech must be twofold and blind-fold. It is now nine Moneths and more since the last credible News was acted: it is possible by this, the Parliament may be at the Kings mercy: Did I say a Kings mercy? what can I say more? no man on earth, can shew more mercy then a King, nor shall need more, when he comes to give an Account of his Kingdome: Nor did ever any Parliament merit more mercy than this, for they never sinned, that I know, I meane against the Common and Statute Law of _England_: it is pity they who have given so many general pardons, should want one now. If our King hath lost his way, and thereby learned to looke to his path better hereafter, and taught many Successors to King it right for many Ages; Me thinks it should impetrate a Royall Redintegration, upon a Royall acknowledgement and ingagement. But how should an erring King trust a provoked Parliament? Surely he may trust G.o.d safe enough; who will never trust that State more with a good King, that will doe ill to a King that is turned so good. Me thinks those pa.s.sages of Scripture, _Esa. 43. 24, 25._ _chap. 57. 17, 18_. The strange illation, _Hos. 2. 13, 14._ should melt a heart of steele into floods of mercy.

For others, were my head, one of the heads which first gave the King Counsell to take up these Armes, or to persist in them, when at any time he would have disbanded, I would give that head to the Kingdome, whether they would or no; if they would not cut it off, I would cut it off myselfe, and tender it at the Parliament doore, upon condition that all other heads might stand, which stand upon penitent hearts, and will doe better on than off; then I would carry it to _London-Bridge_, and charge my tongue to teach all tongues, to p.r.o.nounce Parliament right hereafter.

When a kingdom is broken just in the neck joynt, in my poore policy, ropes and hatchets are not the kindliest instruments to set it: Next to the spilling of the blood of Christ for sin, the sparing of the blood of sinners, where it may be as well spared as spilt, is the best way of expiation. It is no rare thing for Subjects to follow a leading King; if he will take his truncheon in his hand, it is to be expected many will put their swords in their Belts. Sins that rise out of mistake of judgement, are not so sinfull as those of malice ordinarily: and when mult.i.tudes sin, mult.i.tudes of mercy are the best Anodines.

--_gratia gratis data, gratissima._

_Grace will dissolve, but rigour hardens guilt: Break not with Steely blowes, what oyle should melt._

_In Breaches integrant, 'tween Princ.i.p.alls of States, Due Justice may suppresse, but Love redintegrates._

Whosoever be pardoned, I pray not let _Britanicus_ scape, I mean a pardon. I take him to be a very serviceable Gentleman; Out of my entire respect to him, I shall presume to give him half a dozen st.i.tches of advice:

I intreat him to consider that our King is not onely a man, but a King in affliction; Kings afflictions are beyond Subjects apprehensions; a Crown may happily ake as much as a whole Common-wealth.

I desire him also to conceale himself as deeply as he can, if he cannot get a speciall pardon, to weare a Lat.i.tat about his neck, or let him lie close under the Philosophers stone, and I'le warrant him for ever being found.

If he be discovered, I counsell him to get his head set on faster than our _New-England_ Taylors use to set on b.u.t.tons; Kings, and Kings Childrens memories are as keen as their Subjects wits.

If he fears any such thing, that he would come over to us, to helpe recruite our bewildred brains: we will promise to maintain him so long as he lives, if he will promise to live no longer then we maintain him.

If he should bee discovered and his head chance to be cut off against his will, I earnestly beseech him to bequeath his wits to me and mine in Fee-simple, for we want them, and cannot live by our hands in this Country.

Lastly, I intreat him to keep his purse, I give him my counsell _gratis_, confessing him to be more then my match, and that I am very loath to fall into his hands.

_Prosecution._

If Reformation, Composition, Cessation, can finde no admittance, there must and will be Prosecution: to which I would also speak briefly and indifferently still to both sides; and first to that, which I had rather call Royalists then Cavaliers; who if I mistake not, fight against the Truth.

Foolish Cowardly man (I pray patience, for I speak nothing but the pulse of my owne heart) dreads and hates, nothing in Heaven or Earth, so much as Truth: it is not G.o.d, nor Law, nor sinne, nor death, nor h.e.l.l, that he feares, but onely because he feares there is Truth in them: Could he de-truth them all, he would defie them all: Let Perdition it self come upon him with deadly threats, fiery swords, displayed vengeance, he cares not: Let Salvation come cap in hand, with naked Reason, harmelesse Religion, lawny embracements, he will rather flye or dye, than entertaine it: come Truth in what shape it will, hee will reject it: and when hee can beat it off with most steely prowesse, he thinkes himselfe the bravest man; when in truth it is nothing but exsanguine feeble exility of Spirit. Thy heart, saith the Prophet _Ezek. 16. 30._ is weake, like the heart of an imperious whorish woman: a man would thinke, the heart of an imperious wh.o.r.e, were the very pummell of _Scanderbergs_ sword; alas, she is hen-hearted, shee dares not looke Truth in the face; if she dared, shee would neither be whorish, nor imperious, nor weake. He shews more true fort.i.tude, that prayes quarter of the least Truth, at a miles distance, than hee that breakes through and hewes downe the most Theban Phalanx that ever field bore. _Paul_ exprest more true valour, in saying, I can doe nothing against the Truth, than _Goliah_, in defying the whole hoste of _Israel_.

Couragious Gentlemen, Yee that will stab him that gives you the lye; take heed yee spend not your bloods, limbes and soules, in fighting for some untruth: and yee that will fling out the gantlet to him that calls you Coward, dishonour not your selves with such Cowardise, as to fight against Truth, meerly for feare of it. A thousand pities it is, such gallant Spirits should spend their lives, honours, heritages, and sweet relations in any Warres, where, for ought many of them know, some false mistake commands in Chiefe.

Honoured Country-men, bee intreated to love Truth: if it loves not you againe, and repaires not all your losses, then install some Untruth in its roome for your Generall. If you will needs warre, be perswaded to contend lawfully, wisely and stedfastly, against all errours in Divinity and Policy: they are the cursed Counter-mures, dropt Portcullises, scouring Angiports, sulphurious Granado's, laden murtherers, peevish Galthropes, and rascall desperadoes, which the Prince of lyes imployes with all his skill and malice, to maintaine the walls and gates of his kingdome, when Truth would enter in with grace and peace to save forlorne sinners, and distressed Commonwealthes: witnesse the present deplorable estate of sundry States in Europe.

Give me leave to speake a word more: it is but this; Yee will finde it a farre easier field, to wage warre against all the Armies that ever were or will be on Earth, and all the Angels of Heaven, than to take up Armes against any truth of G.o.d: It hath more Counsell and strength than all the world besides; and will certainely either gaine or ruine, convert or subvert every man that opposes it. I hope ingenuous men will rather take advice, then offence at what I have said: I had rather please ten, than grieve one intelligent man.

If this side be resolute, I turne me to the other.

Goe on brave Englishmen, in the name of G.o.d, go on prosperously, because of Truth and Righteousnes: Yee that have the Cause of Religion, the life of your Kingdome and of all the good that is in it in your hands: Goe on undauntedly: As you are Called and Chosen, so be faithfull: Yee fight the battells of the Lord, bee neither desidious nor perfidious: You serve the King of Kings, who stiles you his heavenly Regiments: Consider well, what impregnable fighting it is in heaven, where the Lord of Hosts is your Generall, his Angells your Colonels, the Stars your fellow-souldiers, his Saints your Oratours, his Promises your victuallers, his Truth your Trenches; where Drums are Harps, Trumpets joyfull sounds; your Ensignes Christs Banners; where your weapons and armour are spirituall, therefore irresistable, therefore impierceable; where Sun and wind cannot disadvantage you, you are above them; where h.e.l.l it selfe cannot hurt you, where your swords are furbushed and sharpened by him that made their metall, where your wounds are bound up with the oyle of a good Cause, where your blood runs into the veynes of Christ, where sudden death is present martyrdome and life; your funeralls resurrections, your honour glory; where your widows and babes are received into perpetuall pensions; your names listed among _Davids_ Worthies; where your greatest losses are greatest gaines; and where you leave the troubles of war, to lye down in downy beds of eternall rest.

What good will it doe you, deare Countrymen, to live without lives, to enjoy _England_ without the G.o.d of _England_, your Kingdome without a Parliament, your Parliament without power, your Liberties without stability, your Lawes without Justice, your honours without vertue, your beings without wel-being, your wives without honesty, your children without morality, your servants without civility, your lands without propriety, your goods without immunity, the Gospel without salvation, your churches without Ministery, your Ministers without piety, and all you have or can have, with more teares and bitternesse of heart, than all you have and shall have will sweeten or wipe away?

Goe on therefore Renowned Gentlemen, fall on resolvedly, till your hands cleave to your swords, your swords to your enemies hearts, your hearts to victory, your victories to triumph, your triumphs to the everlasting praise of him that hath given you Spirits to offer your selves willingly, and to jeopard your lives in high perils, for his Name and service sake.

And Wee your Brethren, though we necessarily abide beyond _Jordan_, and remaine on the American Sea-coasts, will send up Armies of prayers to the Throne of Grace, that the G.o.d of power and goodnesse, would incourage your hearts, cover your heads, strengthen your arms, pardon your sinnes, save your soules, and blesse your families, in the day of Battell. Wee will also pray, that the same Lord of Hosts, would discover the Counsels, defeat the Enterprizes, deride the hopes, disdaine the insolencies, and wound the hairy scalpes of your obstinate Enemies, and yet pardon all that are unwillingly misled. Wee will likewise helpe you beleeve that G.o.d will be seen on the Mount, that it is all one with him, to save by many or few, and that he doth but humble and try you for the present, that he may doe you good at the latter end. All which hee bring to pa.s.se who is able to doe exceeding abundantly, above all we can aske or thinke, for his Truth and mercy sake in Jesus Christ.

_Amen. Amen._

A Word of _IRELAND_:

_Not of the Nation universally, nor of any man in it, that hath so much as one haire of Christianity or Humanity growing on his head or beard, but onely of the truculent Cut-throats, and such as shall take up Armes in their Defence._

These _Irish_ anciently called _Antropophagi_, man-eaters: Have a Tradition among them, That when the Devill shewed our Saviour all the kingdomes of the Earth and their glory, that he would not shew him _Ireland_, but reserved it for himselfe: it is probably true, for he hath kept it ever since for his own peculiar; the old Fox foresaw it would eclipse the glory of all the rest: he thought it wisdome to keep the land for a Boggards for his unclean spirits imployed in this Hemisphere, and the people, to doe his Son and Heire, I mean the Pope, that service for which _Lewis_ the eleventh kept his Barbor _Oliver_, which makes them so blood-thirsty. They are the very Offall of men, Dregges of Mankind, Reproach of Christendome, the Bots that crawle on the Beast taile, I wonder _Rome_ it self is not ashamed of them.

I begge upon my hands and knees, that the Expedition against them may be undertaken while the hearts and hands of our Souldiery are hot, to whom I will be bold to say briefly: Happy is he that shall reward them as they have served us, and Cursed be he that shall do that work of the Lord negligently, Cursed be he that holdeth back his Sword from blood; yea, Cursed be he that maketh not his Sword starke drunk with _Irish_ blood, that doth not recompense them double for their h.e.l.lish treachery to the _English_, that maketh them not heaps upon heaps, and their Country a dwelling place for Dragons, an Astonishment to Nations: Let not that eye look for pity, nor that hand to be spared, that pities or spares them, and let him be accursed, that curseth not them bitterly.

A Word of Love to the Common People of _England_.

It is, your, now or never, to muster up puissant Armies of Prayers to the Mercy Seate; your Body Representative, is now to take in hand, as intricate a piece of worke, as ever fell into the hands of any Parliament in the world, to tye an indissoluble knot upon that webb which hath been woven with so much cost and bloud, wherein if they happen to make one false maske, it may re-imbarque themselves and you all into a deadly relapse of scorne and calamity. It is the worke of G.o.d not of man, pray speedily therefore, and speedingly, give him no rest till your rest be throughly re-established, Your G.o.d is a G.o.d whose Name is All-sufficient, abundant in Goodnesse and Truth, on whom the Sonnes of _Iacob_ never did, nor shall call in vaine, you have a Throne of Grace wherto you may goe boldly; a Christ to give you a leading by the hand and liberty of speech, an Intercessor in Heaven to offer up your Prayers wrapp'd in his own; a large Charter _aske and have_, a Spirit to helpe all your infirmities in that duty, a sure Covenant that you shall be heard, and such late incouragement as may strengthen your feeble hands for ever. If you who _may command G.o.d concerning the work of his hand_, shall faile to demand the workemanship of his hand in this worke, your children will proclaime you un-thrifts with bitter teares to the worlds end.

If you see no cause to pray, read

_Jer. 18. 1.-10._

Be also intreated to have a continuall and conscientious care not to impeach the Parliament in the hearts one of another by whispering complaints, easilier told then tryed or trued. Great bodyes move but slowely, especially when they move on three leggs and are over-loden with weighty occasions. They have now sate full six years without intermission to continue your being, many of their heads are growne gray with your cares, they are the High Councell of the Kingdome, the great Gilead of your Balme, the Phisitians of all your sicknesse; if any of them doe amisse, blame yourselves, you chose them, be wiser hereafter; you cannot doe the State, your selves, your posterity a more ungratefull office then to impaire them with disparagements and discoragements who are so studious to repaire your almost irreparable ruines.

Be likewise beseeched, not to slight good ministers, whom you were wont to reverence much, they are G.o.ds Emba.s.sadours, your Ephods, your Starres, your Horse-men & Chariots, your Watchmen, & under Christ your Salvation, I know no deadlier Symptome of a dying People than to undervalue G.o.dly Ministers, whosoever despiseth them shall certainly be despised of G.o.d and men at one time or other.

A most humble heel-piece.

to the Most Honourable Head-piece the Parliament of _England_.