MY Lord, your own words deli­vered, Sep. 12. as your ſpeech page 36. ſheweth, that ſome­times there is a neceſſity for a man to ſpeak, and that pure neceſſity hath no law: I would there were no cauſe for me, af­ter I had ſpoken ſo much for you, to the diſcon­tentment of all my friends, and alſo to you, all for your advantage. If you had followed mine adviſe, according to the propheſying of God in your behalf, as you have it in all my books, ſpe­cially in my book, called your Vindication. I ſay I would there were no cauſe for me to have expoſtulated theſe things with you now, and in ſuch a manner as this is; ſeeing I have ſo often by writting and printing ſhewed what by right you ſhould do.

And as this twelve moneths I have been, ſo I am now kept off, by them that attend you, from having ſuch conſerence with you, as heretofore I had; and therefore I am forced to print what I would have but ſpoke or write, hoping it may come to your hands, and thence to your heart; yet leaving out ſomething, which in private might be phyſical unto you, becauſe I dare not commit them to the Preſs, and ſo make them ſubject to fooliſh cenſures.

My Lord, It was no ſmall grief unto me, when I hard that which befell you laſt Saint Michaels day, though ſome to comfort me, ſaid, that it made much for me, becauſe, ſaid they, therein God hath appeared to maintaine my affirmati­ons, and to conſute your high aſſertions, in your ſpeech lately publiſhed. All glay be to God who did ſpeak to you in this time of need, though by a thunder. I would not declare it, if I knew a better interpreter that would deal more faith­fully with you concerning it, then I ſhall do; for I believe, though I be but a mean inſtrument, yet I am appointed of God to tell you, that it was Gods love to rebuke you, and it was his mercy to ſave you, and good may come to you of it. If you deſire to underſtand what is Gods meaning by it, I anſwer, his minde is, That you turn from your own deſignes NOW, and do Gods deſigns; GODS DESIGNE is made known unto you already by my books; that is, briefly, to ſtabliſh King Charles, and the true Religion; I mean Biſhops as we had before, and for that end God ſaved you. Your own deſigne is made known alſo, by your going about to do the contrary, for which cauſe God rebuked you.

And I pray you conſider it, God did not ſpeak to you in an unknown tongue, nor deny all your aſſertions (wherein you call him to witneſs) in a language that you cannot underſtand, and there was much of his love to you in that, Iſa. 28.11. but he anſwered you by your own words. For where­as you ſay, p. 37. of your ſpeech, That you could ſooner be willing to be rolled into your grave and buried with infamy, then part with that government which did eſtabliſh you a ſupreme; I pray conſider whether you were not rolled very3 neer your grave, ſo that a little more had done it. Behold it is hereby clear God diſowns your government, and your being ſet up by him; and they whom once ye counted the good people ſay as much, and them who ye counted the bad people ſay no leſs: who then is for ye, but a ſort of lukewarm people, that will turn with every winde? and what truſt can you re­poſe in them? Oh lay theſe things to heart, and know that God hath told you by this alſo, as I have told you often by writing, and will you not yet hear? Oh take heed leſt the trumpet of God wax louder and louder, Exod. 19.19. untill you be forced to hear.

My Lord, I have no pleaſure in telling you theſe things, but it is needful I ſhould do it, for I finde men, yea Ministers, and your own too, do not deal faithfully with you; it is true, they tell you of ſin in general termes, and give hints alſo in publike of this very judgement before all men to your diſhoner; yet they do not examine the cauſe why, and ſhew you for what great ſin this threatning hand of God appeared againſt you. The Magicians dealt not ſo with Pharaoh when they ſaw God appear for Iſrael, but told him plainly, This is the finger of God, Exod. 8.19. And how doth Joſhua take on, when he ſaw the judgement of God upon them; and what en­quiry doth he make untill he found out the ſin which was the cauſe of it? Joſh. 7. Yea, the very heathen were ſo troubled when they ſaw a ſudden tempeſt come upon them, that ſearch is made with all ſpeed to finde out the ſin and cauſe of it, Jon. 1.4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

And how was Pharaoh troubled with his dream untill he found out an interpreter? and what4 great benefit came unto him by knowing the truth of it, Gen. 41. And what a ſtir Nebuchad­nezzar kept about his dream, though he had forget it, ſo that he would have deſtroyed all his wiſemen, becauſe they could not tell him both his dream and the interpretation thereof, had not Daniel anſwered his expectation, and who can blame him for it? the matter is worthy of all that ſeeking after, Dan. 2. was not alſo Belſhazzar troubled when be had prophaned and diſhonor­ed Gods holy veſſels, and ſaw his ſentence of death written before him on the wall, was not he troubled for an interpreter to open it? Dan. 5. and though the news to him was bad, yet how gloriouſly doth he reward Daniel according to the manner of the two former Kings!

And David had his Prophets, that told him of his particular ſin, and he gladly heard them, and was obedient, 2 Sam. 12. 2 Sam. 24. and when a judgement came, David enquired him­ſelf for to know the cauſe of it, 2 Sam. 21.1. but ſee the contrary ſpirit; Amaziah, though ſometimes a good King; yet when the Prophet told him of his particular ſin, he could not en­dure him, 2 Chron. 25.2.7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. And Herod gladly heard John Bap­tiſt, and did many things as he would have him do; but when John comes to deal faithfully with him, and told him of his own darling ſin, which by no means he could endure to hear of; then John's head muſt be taken off, rather then Herod would part with his ſin, Mark 6.17, 18, 20.27.

Therefore my Lord, blame me not, though I deal faithfully with you; God ſpeaks by viſions once, yea twice, and man perceiveth it not;5 then GOD is gracious, ſends an interpreter (one choſen from among a thouſand) to ſhew man his way, and to keep him from the pit, Job. 33.14, 15.23.24. For a man in a great ſin, is as one in a deep ſleep over a pit; and though God ſpeaks aloud to him, he cannot hear, for the ſweet rest that he takes in his proſperity, and ſin will hardly ſuffer him to awake before he falleth into the pit, and then it is too late. It is a great grace for a man, when he is told of his particu­lar ſin, not to deny it, but to confeſs it and forſake it, Prov. 28.13. How ſweet a thing it is to ſee Davids Confeſſion, when Nathan had taken him as in a net, by making him pronounce Judgement a­gainſt himſelf, 2 Sam. 12.13. And how grievous a thing it is to ſee a man hardned like Pharaoh in his ſin, when his own Magicians tell him, Exod. 8.9. This is the finger of God.

Oh my Lord, God hath ſpoken once or twice to you, let him ſpeak no more to you after this manner, leſt you ſmart to the purpoſe for it, I am ſure he hath a part in you that he will not looſe; he will put you to the greateſt afflicti­ons that ever was in the world, yea beyond Jobs, rather then you ſhall go on in your ſin. Oh then return at this one voice, as Saint Paul did, who a little before was as reſolute to the contrary as you can be. I know my Lord you are wiſe, and exceeding wiſe, and that by your wiſdome you think to ſtand; glory not in it, but know this, that God takes the wiſe in their own craftineſs, Job 5.11, 12, 13, 14, 15. 1 Corin. 3.19, 20. There­fore do not think, or ſay within your ſelf, be­cauſe I am wiſe, I am rich, I am ſtrong, Jer. 9.23. I will go on to keep out ſuch a party; be not deceived any longer, for God is wiſer, ſtronger, and6 richer then you, he knoweth wherefore he hath deſigned you. And though he ſuffered you to go on with proſperity thus far, and you think it is pleaſing to God, yet you will finde it is not ſo.

I do verily believe that your Speech came from your heart, and you thought God went along with you all this time, for God did foreſee, that an eminent man ſhould have a ſtrong erring confidence (as once Paul had) being utterly de­ceived in his thoughts of God, at the time when he came to judgement, and therefore hear what he ſaith, Pſal. 50.4, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. But unto the wicked God ſaith, What haſt thou to do to declare my Statutes, or that thou ſhouldeſt take my Covenant in thy mouth? ſeeing thou hateſt inſtruction, and caſteſt my words behinde thee? When thou ſaweſt a thief, then thou conſentedſt with him, and haſt been partaker with adulterers. Thou giveſt thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth de­ceit. Thou ſitteſt and ſpeakeſt againſt thy brother, and ſlandereſt thine own mothers ſon. Theſe things haſt thou done, and I kept ſilence: thou thoughteſt that I was altogether ſuch a one as thy ſelf: but I will reprove thee, and ſet them in order before thine eyes. Now conſider this, &c.

1. Mark my Lord, Pſal. 50.16, 17. He tells of your preſumption in declaring his Statutes, as if you were called to do it; and of your caſting away behind you his inſtruction, and his true Miniſters who are lawfully called, and enabled to declare to you the truth perfectly, even the Miniſters of the Church of England.

2. Mark my Lord, verſ. 18. He tells you how you conſent with thoſe theeviſh Kings, who like Nimrod, Gen. 10.9. think it is lawful for7 them to take what they can get by the ſword; and of your partaking with men in ſpiritual a­dultery, or falſe worſhipping of God.

3. Mark my Lord, verſ. 19. He tells you this, Thou giveſt thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue fram­eth deceit, that is againſt God, the King, and the Church, and yet you thinke it is not ſo.

4. Mark my Lord, v. 20. He tells you of your ſitting in State, and wronging the King, who is the ſon of your true and onely mother, the Church of England.

5. Mark my Lord, He tells you, that God did let you go on all this time, and ſay nothing to all that you did; wherefore you never doubted, but thought ſurely, God in a more extraordina­ry manner was with you and your army, then he was with any people on earth, as your ſpeech ſhews, page 37. therefore he tells you, that you are miſtaken in your thoughts of God, and that you are adverſe before him in your works•••ch he ſets in order before your eyes; that he now will let you know his minde, and reprove you indeed, and tear you in pieces, except you or­der your converſation aright, verſe 22, 23. and make your peace as Zacheus did, Luk. 19.8.

My Lord, thus righteous David, or rather God ſmites you, that you might turn to him, Pſal. 141.5. Iſa. 9.13. Doubt not but that I give you the true meaning of Pſal. 50. and that you are the perſon there ſignified, verſ. 21. For I have the ſpirit that David had, becauſe he and I was anointed together; and I believe that you will ſay that you have ſeen ſome of the effects of my anointing by my propheſying, which already have been fulfilled.

And to prove my anointing, look in 1 Sam. 16. verſ. 3. (ſaith God to Samuel) thou ſhalt a­noint unto me, him, whom I name unto thee, verſ. 11. (Samuel ſaith to Jeſſe) ſend and fetch him, for we will not ſit down till he come hither, verſ. 12. (the Lord names me, and bids him anoint me, as you ſee) And the Lord ſaid, Ariſe, anoint him, for this is he.

Now obſerve, according to the command and promiſe, verſ. 3. Thou ſhalt anoint him whom I name, verſ. 12. he doth not name David, but ariſe; and if you obſerve, the holy word takes off all objections; and leſt ſome ſhould ſay, God bide Samuel who was ſat down, ariſe to anoint David, therefore ſaith Samuel to take off that conceit, verſ. 11. We will not ſit down till he come hither, ſo that it is clear; that as David was anointed with oile, as you ſee by the Hiſtory: ſo I was anointed by the ſpirit, as you ſee by the myſtery, and by many other places I could prove it; therefore I believe that I have as good authority to do what I do, as any man hath; and I hope my Lord you will not deſpiſe it, though per­haps many (whoſe caſe is miſerable) that have not taſted of the heavenly gift, Heb. 6.4. nor known the quickning power and operation of the work of God upon their ſouls, Heb. 4.12, 13. 1 Cor. 15.45. will both deſpiſe it and reject it.

Now my Lord I ſee, and you may ſee, that you have been miſtaken in God, and in his Church all this while; for it is Gods time to help his people, when all their power is gone, ſo that there is none ſhut up or left, Deut. 32.34, 35, 36. and nor afore. Then ſheweth God his power to ſave his Church; and therefore do not think,9 that though God ſuffered men thus far to tread down his Church, and to do to them what they pleaſed: but that God now will remember and ſave them: Herod for a time vexed the Church, and he killed James; and becauſe he ſaw that it pleaſed the wicked Jews (as now it pleaſeth the Presbyters to ſee an Ordinance come forth to afflict our Miniſters) he laid hold on Peter, thinking utterly to deſtroy the Miniſters, hoping that then the pillars being down, the Church would fall of it ſelf. But in this time of ſtraight­neſs, the Lord ſends his angel to deliver Peter and the Church, and to deſtroy Herod, Acts 12.1, 2, 3.11.23.24. and then the Church flouriſhed.

Truly my Lord, you ſhall finde that I am faithful to you; you are not the firſt that was deceived after this manner: but I finde none ſo like you as Saint Paul was, who breathing out threatnings and ſlaughter againſt the Diſciples of the Lord, in the hight of his perſecuting zeal, fell to the earth a Phariſee, but roſe a Chriſti­an, Act. 9. Oh it was a good fall to him, and ſo I hope your fall will be to you. Poor man! the very light that he ſaw from his fall, ſtruck him blinde, ſo that he was willing to receive his ſight of him whom Chriſt had appointed to give it him, though a man without any out­ward call to do it. So I truſt you will receive your ſpiritual ſight of me, who am not appointed of the Miniſters, but of God alone to do it: the paralel holds in all things, and therefore be ſure that it is of God, and it is his will for your ſalva­tion, that you now ſhould hear me. And this I ſay unto you, that as Saint Paul was Jeſus Chriſts chief Champion for his warfare, ſo ſhall you be10 King Charles chief Champion for his warfare, and all to the glory of JESUS CHRIST. For there is but one juſt war in the world; and that war is for the firſt born of Japhet, the elder ſon of Noah, Gen. 10.2, 3, 4, 5.21. which is in the world. How to finde out this man, by his Genealogies, it is impoſſible, 1 Tim. 1.4. And therefore God pro­miſeth to give teſtimony of him to the world, as he gave teſtimony of his own ſon Jeſus Chriſt, by giving a day-ſtar alſo at his birth, Rev. 2.27, 28. and as the Star was taken notice of at Chriſts birth: ſo muſt this Star be taken notice of, at this mans birth, as Saint Peter ſaith, 2 Pet. 1.19. take heed to the day-ſtar; and ſo much notice was taken of it, that there was Latin Verſes made of it, and preſented to the late King Charles, as followeth.

Engliſhed thus by Mr. J. B.

And this man hath as true, and more autho­ity over all the world, be they Kings, or of11 whatſoever degree they be, then any man or King hath over his own children; and as he is bound to rule them ſeverely in righteouſneſs, ſo every one alſo is bound upon pain of eternal damnation, Rom. 13.2. to aſſiſt him againſt all ſuch Rebels as ſhall oppoſe him; and there is great need of ſuch a King to be over all the Kings in the world, to puniſh them that quarel and are rebellious to Gods word, for Kings com­monly are as other wicked men be that fear not God: tell them of Jeſus Chriſt, and that he will puniſh them at the day of Judgement; alas they matter not that, that never hinders them, no more then it doth hinder a thief from ſtealing. And as there is many theeves, yea moſt men are ſo minded they would ſteal, if it were not for fear of the gallows, which fear doth reſtrain them; ſo theſe theeviſh minded Kings of the earth, If there were one to puniſh them here, they would fear him, and not do wickedly; and he would be as terrible to the wicked kings of the earth, Pſal. 76.12. as the gallows is for a theev­ing minded man, who would ſteal, but dare not for fear the gallows catch him; for as in Jeſus Chriſt God ſhewed the excellency of his mercy to mankinde; ſo in this man God ſheweth forth the excellency of his juſtice to mankinde, without which juſtice good peaceable men nor Kings cannot be perfectly happy.

Therefore, you that will draw the ſword, draw it for King Charles; all that draw it other ways, draw it for Nimrod: and Nimrods cauſe and te­net was this ſaying, Becauſe I am ſtronger then my neighbour, brother, or father, therefore it is lawful for me to kill him, and take all that he hath: and if you ſay unto Nimrod, You muſt do unto all12 men as you would have all men do unto you, he will anſwer, ſo I will, For I would have any man, if he can, to kill me, and take all from me; there­fore I do no more to them then I would have them do to me, if they dare. And by this rule and law Princes go to this day, and ſo the world is diſ­quieted: therefore God ſaith (meaning Charles and his line for ever) He ſhall cut off the ſpirit of Princes, he ſhall be terrible to the Kings of the earth, Pſal. 76.12. that is, to ſuch unjuſt princes and Kings, that live by the ſword, and not by righteouſneſs.

All warriers ſhould take Abraham for their pattern, becauſe he is the firſt holy warrier we read off. And mark what the prophet ſaith of Abraham and of Chriſt to you ſouldiers, Iſa. 51.1, 2. Hearken to me ye that follow after righteouſ­neſs, ye that ſeek the Lord, look unto the rook whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged, look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah (the Church) that bare you: for I have called him alone, and bleſſed him, and increaſed him. And again ſaith our Saviour, John 8.39. If ye were Abrahams children, ye would do the works of Abraham. Now look what Abraham did in his matter of war: Abraham went out to help Lot a juſt man, who was taken captive, and robbed of all that he had (a juſt cauſe) Abra­braham had but his own houſhold, being three hundred men, and a few neighbors with him, to go againſt five Kings, that had put four Kings to flight, and conquered all the countries round about them. Abraham with his men over-takes theſe gallant Kings, cuts them down with al their hoaſt, and brings home Lot, with all the goods and perſons that they had taken from Sodom;13 and though the King of Sodom, who was ſure a wicked man, Gen. 13.13. deſired of him but the perſons onely, yet Abraham did give him all his goods alſo to a ſhoo-latchet, Gen. 14.

Hear is a great conqueror, yet he doth not go about to diſ-inherite the children of thoſe wick­ed Kings he had ſlain, he gives all the goods that they had taken, to the true owners again; he is no way ambitious to follow the war to make himſelf great; for ſurely he might ſoon have conquered the world, after the rate that he went for that little time. No, he would live private­ly in the ſervice of God, onely he would ſhew them that are ſouldiers an example, how they ſhould behave themſelves in their ſtation, but few follow his example, ſpecially in our days, yet they would be counted bleſſed, and Saints as well as he; but God will let them ſtay for the bleſſing of Abraham, untill they ſhew forth the works of Abraham.

And immediately after Abraham had ſhewed his faith to the glory of God, by doing theſe righ­teous actions before all the world: mark what followeth, Gen. 15.1. Then the word of the Lord came unto him in a viſion, ſaying, Fear not Abra­ham, I am thy ſheild and thy exceeding great re­ward, and this reward Abraham valued above all the world. Oh it is wonderful to ſee how well God is pleaſed with Abraham: upon this God comes to be more acquainted with Abra­ham, and tells him more of his counſel, gives him more of his love then he had before. And I pray obſerve, a body would have thought, that Abraham going out in ſo juſt a cauſe, and upon his own charge, That it had been lawful for him to get what he could from ſuch wicked Kings;14 and to ſerve them as they would have ſerved him, to take their poſſeſſions and diſ-inherite their children. No, Abraham did not count it lawful to rob the children of a theif and a mur­therer, who had bought it at ſo dear a rate, that he had given his ſoul and body to eternal torments for an inheritance to his children: God forbid that any childe of God ſhould out-bid them, let them take it, ſaith Abraham: I will have none of their accurſed things. Here you ſee the works of Abraham; though he fought for it: he reſtored to every man his own again, he doth not go about to diſ-inherit any of what was theirs; he never examined how they came by their riches, but he looks to his own conſci­ence, leſt that ſhould be defiled; and ſee how God bleſſed him above all the men on earth.

Oh my Lord, and all you noble ſouldiers, here is a fair example for you: do as Abraham did. If Abraham had been warring among us in your ſtead, King Charles had been on his throne afore now, and every man in his own in­heritance by his birth-right; he would have had no Caterpillars to devour the land, ſuch as your Committees, Sequeſtrators and the like. Oh then do the works of Abraham (that ye may have the bleſſing of Abraham) by reſtoring King Charles and his party, whom ſo many Kings, even the late Parliament, purſued, and took all from him and his party: and God delivered the Parliament into your hands; now put the King and his party into their poſſeſſions a­gain (though they be ſinners by your account, yet) they are not worſe then the Sodomites, and their King, to whom Abraham gave all again.

You know you cannot have the bleſſing of15 Abraham. If you follow that curſed ſeed of Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord, Gen. 9.22.25. Gen. 10.6.8, 9, 10. Abraham will anſwer ſuch, though they have been the greateſt Com­manders in the world of Nimrods ſide, worſe then he anſwered Dives, Luke 16. from verſe 20 to the end of the Chapter, yet that was bad enough, ſpecially to one that was his ſon, one that did no evil to no body: he did not ſend Lazarus away to Bridwell for asking alms: he might have gone where he would for him, but he would give him nothing, and becauſe of that he muſt go to hell: a hard caſe. Some ſay the Cavaliers go the way to hell; there is no ſuch matter, they ſee not right that ſay it, for ſince the caſe is thus with Dives, they are more liker to be the Presbyterians which go that way, for the Cavaliers are they that relieve the Lazarus's of our times, and the Presbyterians do not onely deny theſe relief, but alſo afflict them ſore in Bridwells, and that is more then Dives did to Lazarus; therefore my Lord, judge you which of them twain go the way to hell. I have obſer­ved, that where the Scripture commonly is moſt in men by notion, there its leaſt in practice of charity, & where it is leaſt in notion (for there is none but have ſome Scripture) there it is moſt in fruit of Charity; ſo that it is rare to finde a know­ing man (as we call it) that is Charitable. And it is ſo indeed, for Saint Paul ſaith, 1 Corin. 8.1. Knowledge puffeth up, but Charity edifieth, and Mat. 15.8. This people draweth nigh to me with their mouths, and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. My Lord you ſhall finde the Kings party (though they ſlip into ſmall ſins) to be the beſt men in the kingdom, and that16 their reſolution (in matters of the greateſt con­cernment) is true and conſtant to God and man (as for your others, they are but bubbles) and that the ſubſtance of Chriſtian Religion doth not ſtand in notions, but in contrition, charity, and devotion: which things moſt abound among Cavaliers; therefore miſtake not the people of God.

I have ſhewed you what you have to do, and how & under whoſe banner ye ought to, war, and for what cauſe: now let me tell you, that God hath ſent his Angel to deliver us, and to be aſſiſtant unto you, if you go the right way, as I have ſhewed you ſufficiently already: but if you will not, the ſame angel will be your adverſary, Numb. 22.22. And who then that God will ac­cept, can or dare pray for you? I would not have you miſtake me; for though I be for Charles Steward in regard of righteouſneſs, if that line ſhould fail, ſo that we were to ſeek again, I had rather have you to raign (and the Cava­liers are all ſo minded) then any man on earth beſides.

Yet ſince, like Balaams Aſs, I carried you on ſafely to this day, Now God doth open my mouth to tell the danger I ſee in your way, for you have had a mind (being ſtirred up by the Balacks of our times) to curſe Iſrael, that is, to to afflict the Proteſtants and our Religion, but take heed what you do unto them, for the voice of a King is among them, Numb. 23.21. and the Angel of the Lord with his drawn ſword ſtands in your way, though yet you have taken no no­tice of him; but I beſeech you again conſider ſeriouſly what befel you on Saint Michael the Archangels day laſt paſt, and know what an An­gel Michael is ſaid to be in Scripture.

1. He is ſaid to be the chief Prince of war­like angels, Dan. 10.13. Rev. 12.7. and you know one angel is able to deſtroy in a moment of time, the greateſt and ſtouteſt army that ever was, witneſs Sennacheribs army, whereof there was of them deſtroyed by an angel in one night, a hundred fourſcore and five thouſand, 2 Kings 19.35.

2. Michael is ſaid to hold with the man cloa­thed in linnen, which gives you to underſtand that he is for the Surplice, and for the true worſhip of God, and not for confuſed vain janglings and bablings, Dan. 10.5.13.21.

3. He is alſo the Prince of the people of God, and their angel to protect them, againſt which people you have appeared much, to deſtroy them hitherto, Dan. 10.21.

But take heed what ye do againſt the Pro­teſtant Church hereafter; for ſince Michael is come (whom they ſo much acknowledge (as you may ſee by the Collect for that day) that they deſire God to ſuccor them, & help them by his angels) And that Michael hath appeared ac­cording to their prayer, and the promiſe, which is, that in the time of need, God ſhould ſend him to ſtand up for his people, Dan. 12.1. 1 Theſſ. 4.16. 2 Theſſ. 1.6, 7, 8, 9. I ſay again take heed, for though you be a terror to poor men, you are no­thing in the hand of Michael the mighty Angel, who we believe will deliver us, and hath for that end ſhewed his hand againſt you the laſt Michaels day, to note to you by that day, and what befell you on it, that he is againſt you.

But now you wil ask me, why do we take no­tice of his day? I anſwer, Do not you take notice18 on Gregory or Magnus day, being Sept. 3. to be a good day for you? yet that day this yeer proved to be the Lords day; therefore I ſay ſince that you have ſuch eſtimation of Sept. 3. that though you do not keep it as an holy day, to worſhip God on it, yet you make it the chief day for your enterpriſe, why ſhould not we then having all our hopes in heaven, take no­tice on Sept. 29. it being the Archangel Mi­chaels day, ſet apart to worſhip God on, ſeeing he is the angel which God hath promiſed to ſend from heaven to deliver us? and truly being that your Higneſs hath ſeen, and we finde ſuch a prodigious omen to fall upon that day, we ought the more to acknowledge it, and to be­lieve that the angels of God are come down to deliver us; and it is high time, all other hopes are gone now, for our enemies are potent, they have got all from us, Therefore from whence ſhould we look for help but from heaven?

And leſt you ſhould ſay that we are popiſhly affected in worſhipping of angels, I ſay we wor­ſhip him onely whom the holy angels worſhip, even God who created all things, and his ſon Jeſus Chriſt, by whom he created all things, and the holy Ghoſt which ſanctifieth the whole cre­ation; yet God forbid but that we ſhould have the holy Angels in great eſtimation for his ſake that ſends them, and for their works ſake, and for their own ſake, becauſe they are them which glorifie God in the higheſt degree; for if we are to have men in very high eſteem, be­cauſe they exhort us, 1 Theſſ. 5.12, 13. by how much more ought we to eſteem the Angels of God, ſent to do for us that which men cannot do for us; and truely we may err in the worſhip­ing19 of men, for they are vain-glorious, and apt to exact from us that reverence not due to them; but the Holy Angels are of another nature, ſo that we cannot err in that worſhip we do unto them, for they will tutor us ſo, that if we give unto them more then is meet, they will reprove us; therefore I ſay it is better, ſince we do not know the degrees of Angels, that we fall down flat before a Holy Angel, then ſtand againſt him, for all the Angels we read of, did not refuſe ſuch a worſhip, and who can tell which is the Angel of Gods preſence?

And though that angel, Rev. 22.8, 9. did ac­knowledge Saint John, inſomuch that he call­ed him his fellow-ſervant, and therefore would have no worſhip from him, he being as honor­able as himſelf, becauſe he was the beloved Apoſtle and Evangeliſt of Jeſus Christ; yet it is a queſtion, that if the ſame Angel at that time had been ſent to the Emperor of Rome, And that he had faln down before the Angel, whe­ther the Angel would not have taken it as a due worſhip from the Emperor, and yet deſtroy him with all his perſecuting hoaſt (as he did Senacheribs) except by repentance and amend­ment they had prevented it.

And truely thoſe people are in a ſad condi­tion, when the Angel of the Lord is ſent to per­ſecute them, Pſal. 35.5, 6. And they like Balaam going on ſtill, with their wicked intention, and cannot ſee the Angel with his drawn ſword, Numb. 22.22, 23. nor will not be admoniſhed. I have told the people of England (and ſpecially the chief of them) what they ſhould do, and what would follow, if they did it not. And now the Angel is come, my work is done, for he that20 is able to bring it to paſs, hath taken it off my hands.

One aſs did reprove the madneſs of Balaam, 2 Pet. 2.15, 16. ſo that he ſaw the Angel of the Lord, and was ſaved from the preſent danger, Numb. 22.33. but the ſix horſes which ſaw the Angel, reproved the madneſs of this generati­on, and they will not ſee the Angel and repent. Oh miſerable men! do not you ſee the Scripture fulfilled (in this act of God?) how juſtly at this time may the Church of England (which you ſo perſecute) ſing the ſong of Moſes and of the Lamb? Exod. 15. Rev. 15.2, 3, 4. And what com­fort is it for them to ſee the Angel of the Lord engage for them, and encounter with their ene­my! I am ſure it makes many glad heart.

But what a joyful ſong ſhould we ſing, to ſee you return againe to the Church and the King! Oh it would be a joyful day to England; and ſince the Angels are become your adverſaries, we can expect no leſs, then to ſee either your ſud­dain return, or your ſuddain deſtruction. And who can help it, while ye go againſt God and his Church, and deprive your true and lawful King of all his right? Who dare petition to God for ſuch a people, that are reſolved not to repent of ſuch high inquity, that all the world rings of it? the ſin of Sodome was nothing to it, yet God came down purpoſely to deſtroy them poor igno­rant ſouls, and did it, and do you that have the Law and Goſpel to inſtruct you (commit ſuch evils, and) think to eſcape temporal and eternal puniſhment?