ENGLANDS COMPLAINT, OR The Church her Lamentation, pittifully bemoaning her ſelfe to her Children, to move them to compaſſi­onate her, now in this troubleſome time, and to bring them to a mutuall agreement and reconciliation.

IT was the Fathers complaint over his children ▪ Heare O Heavens, and hearken O Earth, for I have nouriſhed and brought up children, but they have re­belled against me: Even ſo now it is, and may well be the Mothers: Heare O yee Heavens, and hearken O Earth! For I have nouriſhed and brought up children, but they have rebelled against me, in ſeeking to deſtroy me, and to bring me to utter ruine and deſolution Ah woefull Mother of a ſtubborn and diſobedient off-ſpring. How did I ſit as a Queen (rejoycing and ſolacing my ſelfe in the midſt of the Nations) and ſaid, I ſhall ſee no ſorrow? But now (behold) that which I feared not is come upon me, it is come upon me ſuddenly and in a moment, and paines as upon a woman in travell. My lovers and acquaintance begin to forſake me, and ſtand a far off, looking upon my trouble. I am forſaken of mine own chil­dren, even thoſe I brought up upon my breaſts, and dandled upon my knees. Behold therefore if there be any ſorrow like unto my ſorrow, and like unto that, wherein the Lord begin­neth2 to viſit me. Pity me ô my children, ô pity me and let not your fainting and diſconſolate mother, ſinke down betweene your hands. O be not ſo cruell and hard-hearted as by your civill diſcord, by inteſtine war, by ſchiſme, faction and diviſi­on, to rend and teare out the bowels of your mother! which hath ſo lovingly nurſt & brought you up, ſo tenderly kept you, and Pelicane like hath fed you with her own heart bloud, even the bloud of Saints & Martyrs. O make not my ſorrow greater, in deſpiſing of me. I am black, but comely: I am black in re­gard of ſome enormities, miſdemeanors, and imperfections; but comely as the tents of Kedar, and as the curtaines of Salomon ▪ Regard ye me not, becauſe I have ſome ſpots and wrinckles in outward ſhew and appearance? yet (behold) within I am all faire and beautifull: For the King's daughter is all glorious within: It is the Romane ſtrumpet that doth adorne and ſet herſelfe forth to the eye, that would ſeem all beautifull without, when as within ſhe is full of rotteneſſe, dead mens bones, and all uncleaneſſe. It is the note of a falſe and erroneous Church, to boaſt its ſelfe of its purity. I confeſſe my fault, I acknow­ledge my deformity and deſire to be reformed. Therefore plead with me my children, convince me of my errors ▪ Let our controverſie be decided by a lawfull aſſembly, which the King and Parlia•ent may appoint. But (alas) how ſhall they appoint that, about the which they are in controverſie already? If that which ſhould be my curing, bee my wounding, how great is my miſery. Let the righteous ſmit me, but let not their precious baulme breake my head. Fall not out my deare chil­dren, neither deſtroy your ſelves for the blemiſhes and imper­fections of your mother. O give eare and liſten to my coun­ſell: leaſt I be conſtrained to call upon the Father of thoſe children, to be a Iudge and a Witneſſe againſt them.

Give eare and help me, ô my King! for the children are brought to the birth, and there is no ſtrength to bring forth. Dread Soveraign your Nobles and Peeres do ſit in Parliament, for a redreſſe & reformation of things; and there is no ſtrength3 to bring to paſſe without your Royall conſent. God himſelfe is about a work, a great work, a work of Reformation, tending to his own glory and our good, ô be not you a means to hinder or prevent it, or that that which ſhould be for our cōfort, turn to our utter ruine or deſtruction. Remember that you alſo have a King above you, to whom you muſt give an accompt of all your ways at the laſt day: Reſiſt him not, withſtand no lon­ger, leaſt hapily you be found to fight againſt God himſelfe. Remember that you are not only a Defender of the Faith, but alſo that you ſhould be a nurſing Father. O let not poſterity re­cord you a deſtroyer of your people and Countrey. Let not the frogs of Egypt or the Locuſts of the bottomleſſe pit any longer whiſper in your Royalleares, to ſeduce and deceive you, they croke only for their own advantage, and to bring you and yours back again to the Egyptian bondage, and to Romiſh captivity.

Give eare and way (dread Soveraigne) to your Parliament, and truſty Counſellors, who not only know and are privy to the enormities of the Land, and the diſaſtors of the Kingdom, but alſo are willing to redreſſe and reforme them, having their hearts touched with zeale to Gods glory, love and duty to your Majeſty, care of their Countrey, and ſeeke and indeavour the good and welfare both of Church and Commonwealth. They deſire not to rule, but to be ruled, neither are they wil­ling to uſurp ſoveraignity, but to acknowledg you their leidge Lord, they deſire to bring in no innovation, but to reduce the Church and Countrey to their ancient Lawes and Liberty. They indeavour to bring your Majeſties ſubjects to your obe­dience, and our Religion to that purity, it was in Chriſt and his Apoſtles time. For this they have humbly ſued to your High­neſſe, for this they ſtrive and contend. They deſire (being Pro­teſtants) to conforme themſelves to all other Proteſtant-Churches, and not to halt any longer between two opinions: between Chriſt and Beliall, betweene the Truth and Anti­chriſt, between Rome and England, or between a Papiſt and a4 Proteſtant, or being luke warme, to deſerve to be ſpued out. It is no diſhonour for a King to be ruled by a wiſe, and reli­gious Councell: Your Majeſty intends no other Law or Diſcipline; but what was in force in Queene Eliza••th her time, and in the dayes of your Father our ▪ late Soveraigne of famous Memory: the Parliament intends nothing elſe. Onely they indeavour to breake and diſa•ull that abſolute Soveraignty, your Highneſſe doth ſeeme to challenge; whereby they find not only your Subjects Liberty infring­ed; but alſo themſelves and the whole Land brought into an unaccuſtomed bondage and ſervitude. You blame them for taking up Armes. It is not againſt your Majeſty, but for you. It is for the peoples liberty and ſafety; and in ſo much as it is for them, it is for you: becauſe the Ho­nour, welfare, and happineſſe of a King, conſiſts not o••­ly in the multitude of his people, but alſo in the Liberty ▪ Peace, and ſafety of his Subjects. Your Highneſſe will a­leadge, that they have no Law for what they doe. I an­ſwer, they have and are a Law in themſelves; for Parlia­ments both have made Lawes, and d••nanull'd them. And though they ſeeme to enterprize that which was never ſeene nor heard off before, and from the which your Ma­jeſty may ſeeme to be diſſenting; yet if either i•be groun­ded upon, or according to Gods word, or make for the peace, and welfare of the Kingdome, it is lawfull. For wherefore were Counſellors ordained, but to be Rulers in the Kingdome, and the eye and direction of the King: but it is well knowne, that the Parliament is your Maje­ſties great Councell, and by the ſame you ought and muſt be guided and directed.

Give eare and pitie me, O my Parliament, and help thy rufull and diſconſolate mother, commiſerate my wofull and diſtreſſed condition. Behold how I ſit mourning all alone, and there is none to comfort me; looke upon my breaches, and upon my ruine and deſolation, which ſeemes5 to bee at hand, if it be not ſpee•ly prevented, my ſonnes doe faint, and begin to bleed, my Widdowes and Virgins mourn, and ſit comfortleſſe in the ſtreetes, my honour is gone, my beauty failes mee, my wealth i•conſumed, and joy and mirth is fled away. Oh let mee not be a hiſſing to the Nations. but labour, O labour with ſpeed to bind up my wounds, and to cure my ſoares, labour with his Maje­ſty for a peace and reconciliation, labour to gaine him by love and humility, and that he may ſee you are his friends, and that you deſire his enemies to be as the duſt before the winde, and the Angell of the Lord to ſcatter them, but that upon himſelfe, and his poſt•rity, his Crowne may e­ver flouriſh. And if your ſwords mu••be drawne, O let it be drawne in defence of him, and in defence of your ſelves, in defence of the Kingdome, and in defence of the Lawes, and••berties of the ſame. Be zealous, be valiant, for the battel is the Lords and no•yours, and the c•uſe is Gods, and not mans. Be faithfull unto the death, and Chriſt hath promiſed you a Crowne of life. Subdue the proud, ſpare the lowly, and let all you•actions be ſeaſoned with mode­ration and diſcretion. Sp•re not, O ſpare not to take us the Fox•s, even the little Foxes; that ſpoyle our Vines? and while yee have rooted out all Superſtition, Errout, and Hereſie: and while you have reſtored your mother to her ancient ſplendor beauty, and dignitie.

Give eare and help me O my Nobles, my Gentry, and Commonalty, pitie mee, O pity mee, and let not the Mothers ruine & deſolation be your conſolation. Make not my rent greater, by the mutuall diſcord, and by imbrew­ing you•hands in one anothers blood. Side with the King, but ſide with you•Parliament alſo; and ſo ſide with both, that you may bee ſure you ſide with God. Which you cannot doe, if either you take part with the King, againſt the Parliament, or with the Parliament (in any unjuſt or un•awfull thing) againſt the King. But the Parliament (you6 have heard) ſeeks your good, it deſireth your welfare, the glory of God, the honour of the King, & the peace and welfare of the Land. Lay down therefore your weapon•, and think•ot you are for the King when you ſeeke the deſtruction of one another, for the Kings ea•e and welfare conſiſt•in your mutuall love and unity. Lay downe your courage and haughtie mindes. How long will yee contend, & bend your ſwords againſt your ſelves, and againſt your brethren: know yee not that it will be bitternes in the later end; & that when ye have left deſtroying, you ſhall be deſtroyed? Againſt whom do ye fight, againſt an enemy, againſt a forraigne•? or ſtranger: no but a­gainſt God, againſt the King, againſt the Parliament, againſt your friends, againſt your ſelves: Are yee wretched and ma•d, that be•cauſe ſtrangers doe or will not deſtroy you, that you will deſtroy your ſelves? Who hath bewitched you; but bee only that is the com­mon enemy of mankind, and ſeekes your ruine and overthrow? O liſten no longer unto him, give no more eare; you are not acquainted with warre; nor ſhedding of blood. Put up therefore your ſwords, and fight no longer, for it is enough O father of my children, pitie thy children, and let it greive thee, to ſee them ſlaughter down one another, before thy face: knowing that when they are deſtroyed, thou canſt not be ſafe. It is falſe ſeduc•rs, and ſuch as ſmell of the ſmoake of the bōttomleſſe pit, that bre•ks your peace, and ſets you together by the eares. Why then againſt them (with the Parlia­ment) ſeek to bend your ſwords, Domeſtick, & home-bred enemies are worſe then alie•s and ſtrangers, indeavour to root out theſe, and your feares and jarres are at an end.

Give eare and help mee, ó my Iudges and grave Counſellours! where is now your ayde? What is there no Balme in Gileaed, for to cure my ſ•are and maladie? is there no wiſedome nor underſtand­ing in you? Is Wiſedome periſhed from the ancient. and Counſell from the prudent? Is there no knowledge in the Land? Or are yee like unto Ephraims ſilly Dove; altogether without heart? what is the cauſe that you are ſilent now in theſe troubleſome times, ſure­ly ſomething is ▪ the matter, that your mouth is ſtopt. I doubt (ſome of you) have beene thoſe that have gone downe into Aegypt for help, and increaſt my trouble. I doubt yee have taken counſell, but not o•the Lord, and covered with a covering, but not by his Spirit, that yee might adde ſinne to ſinne, and devoure the Land in his preſence. You have miſlead the King, miſguided the State, and for your owne advantage, and for filthy lucres ſake; Which now7 is the cauſe of my greife, the cauſe of my feare and danger, the cauſe that his Majeſty is ſo hardly wonne to a right underſtanding be­tweene Him and his Parliament, ſo hardly reclaimed from his wonted conceipt a•d opinion of things. Yet now at the length put to your helping hands, freely confeſſe your faults and errours, and by all poſſible meanes labour to bring a right underſtanding be­tweene the King and his great Councell, and to reconcile him to his Subjects and to recover his Subjects love to him. Curſed be they, that wiſh not proſperity to Zion and pray for the peace of our Ieru­ſalem. Give eare and help me, ô my Clengy. But a•ſi•full Nation, a ſe•d of evill doers, how ca•or will yee help, when as the moſt of y•u ſeeks•o deſtroy. You mind Popery, you ſeeke Hierar•hy, you uſurpe ſoveraignyt, you are a people laden with iniquity: Your greatneſſe is and will be your ru•ne and downefall; and not of you onely, but alſo of the whole Nation and Kingdome, for your ſakes: You worſhip and adore Tables, you commit Sacriledge ▪ and are in love with Mammon more then with God. You fleece Chriſts ſheep but ſeed them not; you ſell and make merchandize of ſoules, of Heaven, and Chriſt, and all you have & do abuſe the King, you ſeduce the Noble, you delude the people. You can•ot be content with one living, but you muſt ſeek to ſcrape all into your hands, you cannot be content with meat drinke & rayment; but you muſt build Houſes, plant•ine-yards and lay living to living, while there is left no place for the poore to live beſide you. And to the end you may bee great, and that your poſterity may prayſe your doings, you alwayes ſide with the ſtronger party; and to gaine the world, yee would even looſe your ſoules, forgoe the Goſpell, and betray Chriſt, for this cauſe you are more ready to blo•the fire that is kindling, then to quench it. You like and ſkill ſo well of ſuperſtition, and Ido­latry, that you neither can nor will forgoe the Roman Monarchy, ſeeing it was the firſt of you riſing, & is as yet the only prop of your greatneſſe: no wonder then, that King and people be ſeduced, wh•n­as thoſe that ſhould be our guides, doe miſtead us, and are miſlead themſelves, for if the light that is in us, be darkneſſe; how great is that darkneſſe. You are or ſhould be the light of the world, but re­ſei•ble the darkneſſe of Aegypt; dark Lanterns that do lead thou­ſands to eternall perdition and deſtruction; So that Satan needs no ▪ other agents upon Earth but you, you are ſo accuſtomed to eaſe, that you cannot take paines, and therefore downe with preaching, play­ing bec•mes you better then praying, and feaſting then faſting. And if you preach at any time, it is to ſhew your ſelves, your Learning,8 your Eloquence, and to obraine your baſe ſiniſter endes; even to get a living, preferment, or the like, or to maintaine and uphold the Pa­pa•l dignity, your pompe, your pride, and vaine glory, or to move ſe­dition and faction in the Land, and to breed diviſion between the King and his Subjects, and betweene the Governours and their in­feriours. You are in and of the fleſh, and therefore cannot ſavour the things that are either of God, or of his ſpirit. The Apoſtles travelled from country to country on foot, preaching the Goſpel of the King­dome, being poore, naked, d•ſtitute, and deſpiſed; yee ride in coaches like Princes, and j••it up and downe in long Robes and coſtly ap­parell, f•ring deliciouſly every day. Yee have greetings i•the mar­kets, the chiefe roomes at Feaſts, and of men to bee called Rabbi. O how unlike are yee to the Apoſtles, whiles yee would ſeeme to imi­tate th•m, & pretend to be their ſucceſſours, finally & in a word, yee are the ſole and onely cauſe of all my evill; and of the trouble and danger that is come upon mee. Pity me therefore, ô my children, and repent, and doe the firſt workes: Leaſt God remove the light of his countenance, and of his Candleſtick from among us, and take his word and Goſpell, and give it to a Nation or people more thankfull than wee, and that will bring him forth the fruit thereof in due ſea­ſon. Let us breake off our ſinnes by ſpeedie repentance, and our ini­quities by ſhewing mercy to the poore, if it may be a lengthaing of our tranquillity. Let us pray for the peace and welfare of Ieruſalem, & for the ſafeguard and protection of our King and Country, know­ing that it is for our ſins, that he and the Land is troubled. Let us,•let us by a mutuall love and concord ſeek to reconcile our ſelves one to another; knowing that our jarring is but the rejoycing of our E­nemies, and that our fall will bee their r•ſing; whereas our friends cannot chuſe but mourne and lament at our miſery and ruine. Let us every one turne from our evill wayes, and from the violence that is in our handes; who knowes whether the Lord will turne and re­pent him of his fierce anger, that we periſh not? O Let not this po­tent and flouriſhing Land and Nation come to a perpetuall and ut­ter deſolation. Let not Satan delude you my children, to make you a h•ſſing or a mocking ſtock to other Nations, but remember your mothers former and ancient ſplendor and brightneſſe remember your zeale, your love, your faith religion and happineſſe, and be not overcome of evill; but overcome evill with goodneſſe. The which that we may all do God of his infinite and endleſſ•mercy and good­nes give, grant, and give us his grace, for Chriſts ſake, Amen.