NO ſooner had I curſorily run over this Book which herewithall I ſend you, but forth­with a great controverſie aroſe in the diſ­courſe of my minde concerning many mat­ters: as firſt, What ſhould ail Mr. — my Stationer to ſend me down that piece which he knew would ſcarce obtain a peruſal at my hands; and ſe­condly, when indeed I had firſt ſcan'd it, it could not by and by work upon me that it was any other but the fictitious vanity of ſome idle Wit; yet a while I ſuſpended that my conceit, till I had once again warily con'd it over: And firſt of all for the Title, (ſo far muſt I diſplay mine own weakneſs to the world) I profeſs I do not underſtand that Aenigma of Mu­tatus Polemo; happily it may be a pretty conceit of the witty Novice, and worth the enquiring after; I beſeech you (Sir) let us ſee one line of your London interpretation in your next.

At the firſt view of the Frontiſpiece, verily I was (for the preſent) much ſtartled, when I found the Jeſuite to be clos'd with the godly party of the Presbyterie, and all to draw on the old Catholike Cauſe; but turning over leaf, and finding it de­dicated to the Lord Preſident, I began to reſolve it was meerly an invented and compoſed thing of ſome of their own party; yet when again in the Epiſtle I finde him gravely acknow­ledging his deſerts of a Rope and Death, (its true) it a little ſtumbled me, not much, I confeſs; all might be jugling yet for all this; But Sir, when he comes to his Reader, in good2 ſooth he grapples ſhrewdly with my belief, and does aſſure us that ſome of our greateſt Statſmen knew the reality of theſe thing•already, and ſo ſhall we alſo in another Diſcovery of his, now fitting for the Preſs, &c.

Certainly Sir, the man is not mad to engage the Publike State, and his particular reputation, (whom (he ſayes) we ſhall be acquainted with hereafter) and all for the confirma­tion of a Novell Invention.

But (Sir) let us ſpeak impartially, I profeſs I am perſonally convinced of the truth of the generality of his diſcovery; when I ſee he ſticks not to tell us whoſe Convert he was, even that incomparable Divine, (as he indeed fitly calls him) (and I may add moreover that ſometimes worthy friend and ac­quaintance of mine) Mr. G. of C.C. in Oxford, now in that Houſe a Principal, of which I my ſelf was once a mean mem­ber. And to be brief (Sir) its ſome little ſatisfaction to me, that he is really a Novice as he pretends (but I mean in Inde­pendencie;) becauſe truly if you mark, he is ſomewhat too acutely facete; he is not ſufficiently initiated in their Tone and Dialect: and beſides his deſcription of Places, and his ſo home-particularizing of ſo many ſundry eminent perſons, both French, Welch, Engliſh, and Scotch, makes me think o­therwiſe of it then a Romance: Truly then if ſo be, as he pro­miſes, he will ſpeedily undertake the Miniſtery, I am confi­dent he will not (as indeed he may not) be aſhamed of the great ſervice he hath done to the Church of God wards, and his Countrey, in this pithy (and in my ſecond thought) ſeri­ous Relation of his.

And now Sir, let me ask leave to extract out of that piece of his ſome ſad Obſervations which too nearly relate unto us, who have all along been profeſs'd parties of the Presbyterie; In truth they lye very heavy upon (and oppreſs) my ſpirit, and concerning which (good Sir) I earneſtly deſire (and in the Bowels of Jeſus Chriſt conjure you) to ſend down your ſerious and unbiaſſed opinion, that ſo we of your friends in the Country, by your judicious holdings forth, and the work­ings of the Lords Spirit upon us, may be rightly informed in that which we are too willing to ſtand in doubt of.

3Page 1.For indeed, as the Novice begins, here are things diſcovered to my ſence which have lain long buried in deep vaults below the gueſſes of ordinary men.

And now firſt (Sir) Though I could willingly pretermit and neglect that ſame ſhrewd Character which he very homely beſtows on the late King (and which in very truth our Bre­thren, as well as the Independent may acknowledge to be too too like him) yet I cannot but call to minde his obſtinacie (as he calls it) eſpecially againſt the Reformation and Co­venant of God, even during the time the Lord was pleaſed to make us his inſtruments of affliction unto him, I mean all the impriſonment, contempt, and hardſhips he endured at our hands, before Providence gave us power not longer o­ver him; No doubt ſome of his Sycophant creatures have been ſo carnally minded, as to predicate this to be a certain con­ſtancy in him, which verily (it ſhould ſeem) was a meer natu­ral implacability incident to Princes, and inherent in him; who when he once hated any man (as he did us, equal with the In­dependent) he would never be perfectly reconciled to him; nor would he (you know) be moved to take the Lords Cove­nant by our perſwaſions, in the Ile of Wight, though never ſo convincing; and for his ſervility to thoſe whom he loved for his own ends, we are ſatisfactorily perſwaded the Novice is in the right: Certainly a Digby could make him forſake his own judgement, and a Rupert his knowledge.

Yet verily I do not approve of that expreſſion of the No­vices, when he ſays, that by the art of Diſſimulation which he had in him, he could (when he ſaw occaſion) cloſe with the moſt mortall of his enemies; in good truth Sir, this is not ſo, for at our great Treaty with him, nor at Holdenby before that, we could not make him yield to us; we were glad (you know) for ſome ſecret reaſons of State, and for fear of ſtoop­ing to our fellows, (and ſo to looſe the beſt end of the ſtaff) to ſubſcribe unto him in moſt things (I grieve to ſpeak it) which were prejudicial, yea truly diametrically oppoſite to our promiſed Reformation; then certainly if I am not much out, the Novices meaning herein muſt be this, his running to the Scots.

4Again, verily it is a bitter wipe given us, in laying it to the charge of us who are the Lords Miniſters; and of that honeſt godly party, (who once would not treat with him upon any terms, till he acknowledged himſelf the great murtherer of all the dear Saints and Servants of God which have fallen and periſhed ſince the commencement of England, and Irelands ci­vil wars; which no queſtion (according to the Novices com­putation) do amount to above the number of five hundred thouſand poor Chriſtians:)Page 2. That now we (becauſe not im­ployed in the buſineſs, and that the Lord did not call ſome of us (but ſome of our Brethren) to be actors in that glorious unparalleld piece of juſtice) cry him up in our Pulpits for a Saint and a Martyr, and the Lords inſtrument of Juſtice for Regicides and murtherers; Nay (ſays he) (and I would ſome of us had given him the lye, and not ſuch occaſion to ſay ſo) that we ſcarſe allow him ſecond to Jeſus Chriſt.

Truly (Sir) you muſt help me to evade this Dilemma; whe­ther it be righteouſly done of us (I ſay) to force our King (if innocent) to confeſs an infinite guilt of moſt horrid murthers; or (when guilty) after he hath received the due juſtice of a murderer, to proclaim him innocent, and denounce his muſt juſt Judges murderers.

Well, Let us now paſs on to the Argument of Polemo's Story, as it begins: This King of ours (it ſeems) went to the Scots; there are ſome, (and indeed a great ſumm) can teſtifie this; but to what end can a man imagine he ſhould be induced to caſt himſelf rather on the Scotch then the Engliſh Bottom? Certainly (quoth Polemo) he well hoped to have out-witted, out-deceited them; perchance he did not think that worthy the term of Fraus, which was done but Fallere fallentes: But what ſays he further to this? No, he went not to them as ima­gining they were more true or generous then the Engliſh, but becauſe he knew they were more eaſily wrought upon and di­vided from their fellow Covenanters then are we Engliſh.

Ah Sir! Conſider I beſeech you, what a Byter this is to our Brethren; Alas, do we not ſee this fulfilled in their unrighte­ous preſent tranſactions and ungodly accord with him whom we have great cauſe to fear (with a godly jealouſie) hath even5 yet a Deſign againſt the Covenant of God, and every one of the godly Party (let him be Independent or Presbyterian) that was in the leaſt manner an enemy to the abominations of his wicked father, who is now dead and gone?

I profeſs (Sir) I am not ſatisfied in his orall ſubmiſſion, nor that extorted Declaration; tis a difficult thing for our Bre­thren to anſwer that one Objection of our Parliament; That This day they ſhould proclaim him a follower of, and a goer on in all the evill of his fathers foot-ſteps; and To morrow (for­ſooth in one nights ſleeping) declare him ſufficiently purify'd, an abſolute Convert: Dear Sir, I fear jugling and ſelfiſhneſs to be crept into the hearts of our Brethren: Ah that the Lord would infuſe a diſcerning ſpirit into them, that they may not be given over to beleeve lyes: Ah that they may not be drawn aſide by inchanting Court-ſpells; ah that they may give over to fall out about Empire; and the Lord grant that they may yet at laſt deſire amicably to compoſe ſuch triviall concernments, as may accidentally intervene between the fel­low-Saints of God; that ſo once again a way may be m•de open for us to go on hand in hand in the proſecution of a Bleſſed Reformation.

But next the ſtory leads me off from our ſelves to that good old friend of ours the Catholike: A quawm (ſhould ſeem) comes generally over their ſtomacks, and they were weary of any longer marching o'the Royal ſcore, meerly becauſe they ſay Monarchy (I will not ſay Tyranny) and not ſo much as pretence of Religion was aym'd at by the King and his Cavies.

And here firſt, Sir, Polemo calls a friend of yours and mine (Oxford) to witneſs the truth of his ſubſequent Relation, and having told us the factions and fractions of the Great ones there, he deſcends ſtrangely to particularize the perſons, of­fices, characters, and forreign negotiations of ſome men, as particularly the pilgrimage of one (Sir John Kempsfield) to Rome, and from thence haſtily diſpatcht by the Pope in a ſe­cret employment to Ireland, and yet (he ſayes) he dares not divulge all he knows of the perſons of ſome men now acting for the Reſtauration, not of Charls, but the &c. — yet a6 horrible large Catalogue we ſhall ſhortly have (O that we could ſee it once) of Devils in mens ſhapes; yea (he ſayes) in Miniſters too, crept in to undermine us.

Ah (Sir) I am weary of ſighing all the day long, when I conſider, a Jeſuite may more ſafely and covertly walk under the guize of a Presbyter, then any other borrowed ſhape he can aſſume; Ah that there ſhould be ſuch an hole in the holy Covenant to let him creep through into the Pulpit a­mongſt us! aſſuredly (dear Sir) I begin to be fearful, and am almoſt of opinion that many whom we now deem to be zea­lous for our cauſe of God, and conſcientious, adherers to the Covenant of God and their Principles; that many of thoſe (I ſay) whom we take to be faithful diſpencers of the Lords my­ſteries, and whom the enemy term Rigid Ones: are (if the truth were known) (and the Lord enable this Polemo to make it out unto us according to his promiſe) very Agents to, and Inſtruments for the Pope.

Truly Sir, in this ſcruple of conſcience, I am alſo much diſ­ſatisfied, why we ſhould keep ſuch a ſpudder in the Pulpit, in matters meerly civil and politick; alas Sir, let us preach Jeſus Chriſt, and deſire to know nothing elſe; Ah me! how do ſome of our brethren (eſpecially amongſt ye at London) make us ſhrewdly ſuſpect them (whom otherwiſe the world muſt have in great reverence and eſtimation, for their eminent wor­thineſs in Goſpel-pains-takings) when the whole ſcope of their exerciſes is to ſet the people a madding, and to ſpawle ſo ſo much in the face of Authority; enough to make that un­unreaſonable Hydra riſe up, and tear in pieces our fellow-Saints, whom ('tis true) the Lord hath ſet over us, and yet to be our ſervant Governours.

Pag. 5.But on, next he tells us the Good Catholike is quite turn'd Presbyter, and doth now clearly relinquiſh the Royall Cauſe, ſo much as that he is reſolv'd to aſſiſt us with ſome grand pie­ces of his Treachery; not doubting but that we ſhall ſerve to add vigour to their cauſe, as more able and apt Inſtruments then were the hare-brain'd Cavaleers.

Verily (Sir) if his reaſons hold water to prove this, we ſhall be with ſome reluctancy and grief of ſpirit enforced to ac­knowledge7 the pernicious evill of our Presbyterian Diſcipline: what? a Papiſt be able to cloud himſelf under the holy walk­ings of a Presbyter? O lamentable! let us hear his reaſons I pray (Sir) and the great Jehovah be pleaſed to work an in­formation upon all our ſpirits.

He urges (you ſee in the Book) that they have more hopes by us, then they had by the Biſhops: and here a Dominican Father ſhews us how; to wit, That if the points of our Reli­gion, (where I conceive he hints at Auricular Confeſſion and Penance) with their Diſcipline and Policie (no doubt he means our owning a Kirk-Chair-Infallibility) were ſeriouſly conſi­dered; that there is no form of Religion in the world does ſo neerly adhere to, and conſent with the true Catholick Faith, though he denyes it to be ſuper veritate fundatum, as theirs is, (becauſe perchance we ſo much ſtand upon our Kirk, and they upon their Church.)

He proceeds on with his Reaſons, becauſe we of the Mini­ſtery are ſo mutable and given to change; ſo that he concludes a probable hope of our converſion to them in the end.

O (Sir) that our unmoveableneſs in the wayes of worſhip, godlineſs, and walkings with God could ſupply us with an Argument to repell this undenyable objection of theirs; Oh dear God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, we do confeſs and acknowledge the inſtabilities and waverings of our opi­nions in many fundamentals and ſound points; Ah (Sir) help me to deny that Marginall witneſs he there inſerts a­gainſt us [A Common-Prayer-Directory-Covenanting-Royall-Aſſembly-Engaging Ministers of England:] Let me tell you (Sir) though we ſeem out of ſome humane carnall concern­ments ſo much to boggle at the engaging to the preſent Go­vernment; yet I profeſſe it was indeed an odder change in us to run point-blank againſt all thoſe former oaths we had ſo often taken, at our ſeverall Degrees and taking Orders; then now but to make a promiſe (by ſubſcription) of being obe­dient to that Government which the Lord himſelf doth indu­bitately own to be over us by his perſpicuouſly appearing ma­nifold providences and bringings about; it doth not trouble me (though indeed it was contrary to our many oaths) that8 we have laid aſide the Biſhops; but it grieves my ſpirit when I conſider we could heretofore ſo eaſily ſwallow a Camel, and that we ſhould now ſo nicely ſtrein at a Gnat.

Pag. 6.Next, for that which he calls Volaticum jus jurandum, our Covenant, how can we deny but that our Brethren make the main uſe of it now for a pick-quarrel with England? which (as we have grounds to ſuſpect) if the French have put them upon, then aſſuredly ſome body hath given an aſſurance of his firm converſion to the Faith Catholick, and we of the Presbytery the onely ſtaffe He intends to lean upon, which truths of his aſſertion, that he may the more clearly hold forth, you ſee he ſticks not to tell us the particular ſervices and good turns they did us, for the advancement of, and twiſting together the Catholick-Covenant-Cauſe.

Pag. 7.Certainly we cannot chuſe but ſee day all abroad at this great hole, and through theſe crannies we cannot but eſpy the Jeſuiticall cloſings with us; [I pray God it be not ours with them; as in the buſineſs of France and Ireland:] For (as he goes on) it ſhould ſeem when he ruled the roaſt, the Jeſuits were better able in any notion to diſguiſe themſelves under our Diſcipline then any other; becauſe alas we were ſo cre­dulouſly formall, that whoſoever would but turn Covenanter, we were eftſoon confident he muſt be an honeſt man, if he had been the higheſt Cavaleer, Ieſuit, or King himſelf; which if the laſt had, as his ſon now has done with his whole fry of Ieſuites and Malignants about him; I am ſubject to beleeve with the Novice, they would, and theſe will (if the Lord avert it not) in ſhort time reduce England to a more ſad condition then all we have hitherto ſuſtain'd; for (let us ſpeak ſoberly Sir) if the late ungodly King had but come in by that cobled Treaty of the Iſle of Wight, there would (I am confident) hardly a moneth have commenc'd before we ſhould have had ſome of our now beſt ſtanding heads lopt off: and I profeſſe I have often feared with my ſelf, that ſuch as you and I ſhould ſcarce have been ſeated in thoſe affluent Benefices, and crea­turely full enjoyments which we undiſturbedly may (if we will) now enjoy under theſe our gracious Governors.

Pag. 8.Ah Sir, what can we imagine but that when we three (you9 know whom I mean) are but once joyn'd, but the effects will be moſt ſad? To us eſpecially; for whoſoever ſtands, we muſt fall.

I will not touch upon the ſound reaſons which in his 8. pag. he urgeth for this paſſage; they indeed make me ſilent to give a Reſponſe to him or them; for truly I cannot deny that the bloody intentions of the Cavaleers to us-wards, and ſo con­ſequently our juſt provocations againſt them muſt needs ren­der us both one with another impoſſibly reconcilable.

Pag. 9.But let us us ſuppoſe now, that if our brethren (with the aſſiſtance we could wiſh them, and the Cavaleers will bring them) ſhould prevaile againſt our preſent Government, and lay England flat on their backs, what benefit can we of all men propound or imagine to our ſelves? for ſurely the Cavaleer would flye high, and ſtand on tip-toe, outvying us both for ſervice and deſert, when at the moſt we do but wiſh well, and are ſaid to bawle a little in the Pulpit, when in the mean while they are now ſuffered and let in to act in the field, whoſe num­ber alſo and conſiderableneſs every man knows much ſur­mounts us in England, and (tis thought by the young Kings * pitching on his knees, and their ſo lifting up their heads in Scotland ſince the laſt Bang) not a whit inferiour, if not over-topping us there alſo; why then, no queſtion when our old friends are deſtroyed, our old Enemy and we muſt go to it a­gain; and I hope we have little hopes that the Catholick will take our parts, unleſs (as he promiſes,) he will the weakeſt ſide, till we have totally ruined and confounded each o­ther.

And now Sir I will leave his happy digreſsion to your ſelf to read, in his 9. pag. and come back with him to his place of imployment, which he ſayes was Oxford, which being ſurren­dred, he with his fellow-Ieſuites have not (it ſeems) been idle to ſtir up ſad contentions betwixt the Brethren and people of God.

Pag. 10.And now they have altered their outward Guize, and ap­pear almoſt in all manner of ſpecies, in hopes to work more good upon us for the Catholick cauſe: and what do they now? but down to Newcaſtle hye they to the King, where10Pag. 11. they then (it ſeems) had hopes (ſo long ſince) to exaſperate our Brethren againſt England, which (had they no•feared the Kings fickleneſs) they would then have put in action, but alſo that they over much doted on the great ſumm.

Page 12.But mark (Sir) Here he ſays they found, even in our Bre­threns army, unpardonable Cavaleers and Delinquents more then a good many; yea known Prieſts and Jeſuits (which truly afflicts my ſoul to conſider it ſhould ſo be in thoſe times of zealous profeſſion to the contrary) to have more then pri­vate admittance; yea publike acception amongſt them, not onely to the number of two Regiments of Catholikes,Page 13. but one whole Regiment of them reduced under the Lord Synclare, who ſhrouded a Papiſt under a Presbyterian walking, which verily is able to grieve any godly Profeſſor to think it could be poſſible: Nay more, Montroſs, who ſince I doubt is exe­cuted rather out of a Royal Politie then a zealous Piety, and (O monſtrous) Iriſh Rebels then to be joyned with, (as we cannot deny now they are) for a war then againſt England as now: But alas, our Brethren then feared the imputation of Covenant-breakers, which all moderate men would have accu­ſed them of, had they then begun; and whether they have fairly caſt it upon England by a two or three years procraſtinati­on, let the Lord judge; I fear, but am ſilent.

But methinks (in good ſooth) Polemo does a little excuſe our Brethrens ſelling the King, when he ſays their ſurrendring of him was to no other intent but to furniſh them with matter for a new falling out with England, being ſo cunning as to con­ſider that our Engliſh ParliamentPage 14. (being thus neceſſitated) could do no leſs in Juſtice, upon the great head of their evils, then what might furniſh them with new pretences for an In­vaſion, and bear them out in the opinion of ſeduced Engliſh­men, for their endeavouring to raiſe up new diſtempers amidſt us: Of two evils verily this is their greateſt, if they had taken money for their King, all moderate men would in part have excuſed them,Page 15. if it had not been upon ſuch unrighteous grounds and evil deſigns as are theſe: ſo that it ſeems an hard Problem to me, whether they are more glad they had ſo much for him, or leſs ſorry they were ſo conveniently rid of him.

11Page 16.And now (Sir) our Novice (like a mad Rambler) flies out into many ſeveral odd paſſages and ſtories; nay, he deſcends to ſeveral particulars of perſons and places, running on in a pretty wilde Diſcourſe, but very ſtrongly confirming his Relation by indubitate circumſtances, which hoping you have wel weighed, I ſhall paſs over many pages together, for indeed my deſign at firſt was no other but to touch upon that which moſt touches thoſe of our party; and where it is poſſible to wipe off that dirt which is thrown in the face of us that have not yet ſtooped to bow our knee unto Baal, nor gone back from the Covenant of God.

Page 17.But the next place he leads us to, is, to that Mother of Re­formation, that Metropolis of Scotland, Edenburgh; for (to the anguiſh of my ſoul he ſpeaks it)Page 18. A Catholike delights in no air (beſides his own) ſo well as in a Presbyterian; where (belike) Montril was at that time egging on our Brethren to fall out with England, though there were indeed mature deli­berations had upon his Propoſals, becauſe they ſavoured too much of a French-Engliſh-King, and no Engliſh-Scotch-King;Page 19. nor were our Brethren ſo valiantly fooliſh to fall on when the Independent ſtood ſo prepared for them; they onely made ſome flouriſhes, as I profeſs verily I fear they now do, meerly to enhance the price of a ſecond bargain.

Page 20 Page 21. Page 22. Page 23.Beſides this great skip, many pages more do I now willing­ly run over, as particularly the horrible cunning actings of Hambleton, Montril and the Jeſuits; its indeed a fitter Lecture for the Cavaleer then us, though moſt horribly have we both of us been deluded by Royal tricks: the gratious God be pleaſed to open their and our eyes, that we may ſee and underſtand his ways, and the evil of our miſleadings.

Ay, but (Sir) I beſeech you, in the name of Jeſus Chriſt, let the words of that cunning Merchant Montril never de­part out of your breaſt; O how prophetick are they? truly its a very great diſcovery, and worthy our perpetual conſideration;Page 24. I mean that additional good news which he ſpake to the comfort of the Jeſuite which came unto him about carrying on their plots in Scotland: I doubt not (quoth he) by what I have already brought to paſs with the Scots and Engliſh, but12 to ſee our three enemies beaten by themſelves, and his Banner of Chriſt, and Standard of his Maſter, to be in time erected amongſt us Heretiques, for ſo you ſee they account us, Never a Barrell the better Herring.

O then (good Sir) ſhould not this induce us to be all one in one, as it becometh the Saints and ſervants of Jeſus Chriſt? ſhall we rather deſire to be governed by a forraign French Foe, then a Native-Engliſh friend? Fie on this carnall mindedneſs, this ſelfiſhneſs, and deſire of rule and government which thus rules and rages even in the breaſts of holy profeſſors; truly this becometh not the dear Saints of God.

Pag. 25.But that which is the moſt intolerable burthen upon my ſpirit, is, when I conſider they ſay they had great hopes by the King and his party, but more now then ever, if but we of the honeſt party, and thoſe old Reprobate Malignants could be ever brought ſo to ſhake hands (though but with the teeth outward) as to be both willing to accept of aid from the French King; which truly I doubt is now paſt bringing to paſs in Scotland; and (by our Country Club-meetings of both parties) too neer wrought already here in England: the Je­ſuit did not doubt but to ſee this done, and verily without doubt it is; for ſo much have they wrought upon the nice diſ­ſatisfactions even of ſome of the godly party, that I think ma­ny of us (the more our madneſs is to be pittied, if not pu­niſhed) would be now very glad to accept of aid,Pag. 26. not onely from a Foraigner, the French, but (ah me) the Iriſh, any body, yea, & the prophane common enemy to boot, being (for ought I ſee) moſt of us very ready to joyn with any enemies, that we may but ruin and overthrow our fellow-Saints and friends.

Pag. 27.Alack, Sir, it ſhould ſeem our ſtirring forraign enemy is not wanting of ſome ſhrewd Agents of theirs, even in the very Counſels and Armies of our State, who are now ſtirring up of Feuds, Diviſions & Rebellions amongſt our ſelves, againſt thoſe whom the Lord hath appointed over us; the truth on't is, the Jeſuites are ſtrange ſpirits; and when I read a touch of the No­vices, that the Levelling party was a plot of theirs to put us in a cumbuſtion:Pag. 28. O Sir, how did it grieve me that it brake off ſo abruply, that there was no more of that weighty ſecret diſco­vered;13Pag. 29. queſtionleſs he hath revealed more of that to thoſe who think it convenient in their deep judgements, not (as yet) to have it vulgarly made known.

Pag. 30.To conclude Sir, I muſt now paſs over many moſt conſide­rable Pages and paſſages, being reſolved (as before ſaid) to meddle with nothing of of the Hiſtorical part of Polemo, but what concerns our Party, though I alſo confeſs, it is impoſſible by way of Letter to touch upon one quarter of that which too too neerly relates to us.

But the Novice makes a great leap now, and in a trice has us over to France, and tells us many rare intervening Occur­rences during his abode there; indeed wonderfully (as to de­light and information) worth a mans reading; Amongſt all that which muſt grieve us to conſider, was that, when he came to the Engliſh Court at Germains, then was there great good hopes, that ſomething might be done that yeer for the obtaining of that pretty prey of England; but ſpeedily it was annihilated; I pray Sir mark the reaſon, becauſe our diſcontent­ed Party had not wholly faln off and deſerted our Parlia­ment, but that it is reſerved even for this yeers work: having now ſo gotten the ſtart of us, and ſuch a power over our judgments by reaſon of our young Kings ſeeming penitence and compliance;Pag. 31. and again, the death of the old King (which they ſo much hoped for, that are now ſo great pretending friends to the young one) they did not doubt but would very ſufficiently exaſperate and provoke us,Pag. 32. and make us eager (out of our mad malice) to take in him, who hath not onely fol­lowed ſuch profane, ungodly and laſcivious ways, as to have begot a Baſtard in France,Pag. 33. but his Brother alſo to be made a Cardinal, and he himſelf turned downright Papiſt, and declares that he will turn Turk (or any thing) to be revenged of the Engliſh, not ſaying which of us he means;Pag. 34. Pag. 35. Pag. 36. without doubt we ſhall be ſerved all alike, how confident ſoever our hitherto in­diſcreet reſolutions have rendred him and the Pope that we will be their main aiders; which in truth Sir, would be a great infatuation in us, if we ſhould, when we ſo clearly perceive ſuch daily diſcoveries of horrid practiſes againſt us; which are more abundantly evident in this Relation of the Novices, then14 I have time or patience to diſcuſs upon: I have here written a letter to you; but methinks it ſwels into a thing like a Pamphlet; truly it is not ſo intended, therefore I be­ſeech you let none (if any) but old friends peruſe it; for it may be dangerous in theſe times, for men of your and my profeſſion to be known but to have been what notwith­ſtanding they now really profeſs to be convinced in. Liberavi animam meam, I have unburthened my ſpirit (under God) to you, and earneſtly deſire your anſwer to this, with as much moderation as the Spirit will give you utterance; and without fail (good Sir) be pleaſed to ſend me down the ſecond part of Mutatus Polemo, whatſoever it coſt. I muſt indeed aſcribe the inſtrumental part of my convincement to the ſound Rea­ſons of that wonderful Relation; and I diſcover alſo a certain Providence working me hereunto, becauſe it was (I profeſs) a fortnight and upwards (before ever I chanced to come by the ſight of Polemo) that this Epiſtolary Tractate (which herewith­all I ſend you) was brought unto me from Mr. C.H. a young Gentleman of a very noble Family, and whom we take to be a great Wit in the Country, who writ it to me in anſwer of ſome Queries and objections I had made concerning the pre­ſent Ruptures between our Brethren and England, Indepen­dent and Presbyter. It ſeems now to me ſomewhat ſtrange that his judgement ſhould jump ſo even with future Diſcove­ries; it will be worth your reading, though prolix; onely per­chance your gravity may not in all things approve of his ſometimes harſh language. I will not keep back ſo much as his ſuperſcription; tis ſomewhat rugged at firſt view; but take it thus as it follows.