HAving peruſed much joyfull Newes from the North; I could not let it paſſe without ſome Obſervations thereon: I muſt confeſſe it is but a mite of thankfulneſſe, I could wiſh it might be a Monument, that being erected, might eternize the honour of the Scottiſh Nation, which they have pur­chaſed by their Fidelity to our Kingdome: I wiſh it might ſwell future Chronicles to large Volumes of Thankfulneſſe; let it be written in leaves of Marble with a pen of iron, that it may be able to withſtand the devouring teeth of envious Time, never, never to be forgotten, till all things ſhall confeſſe their aſhes, and time ſhall be no more. Would I could per­ſwade our Engliſh Country-men to prepare their hearts and enlarge their Meditations to let in theſe mercies, that our unworthineſſe tells us we have not merited; Here's a Union worthy to be commemorated to all poſterity: No more Anglia & Scotia, but Brittany, Famous Brittany, England and Scotland united; Two made One.

Here therefore you ſhall have in an Epitome the faithfulneſſe of our Brethren, a great deale of matter in a little roome: The Diſcourſe needs no Diviſion, it's of Union. To tell you of our Brethrens coming to our Aſſiſtance, were but to tell you, that that hath been delivered by former Pens.

One may obſerve very many circumſtances that makes this courteſie very acceptable, they own'd us, and that in the day of our diſtreſſe; they helpt us, when we could not helpe our ſelves, and when ſome that were amongst us, were riſen up againſt us.

'Twere not unſeaſonable to ſpeake of the time in which they came into our aide, and helped the Lord against the mighty: They tooke a hard march, a hard taske, in a hard ſeaſon, fighting with a potent, ſtub­borne, powerfull adverſary, who was well appoin­ted, ready Garriſon'd, provided, and prepared to re­ceive an enemy, though very powerfull and formi­dable.

Amongſt the many things that might be ſpoken in our Brethrens commendation, this I account as none of the leaſt, viz. the great doubt which party would prove Conquerour; 'tis ſufficiently knowne with what variety of faces the truth of this appea­red, the moſt judicious could not tell, whether wee might be reckned amongſt the living or the dead.

But our provident God foreſaw all, the Lord of Hoſts (that was (and is) the giver of victory) hath crown'd our ſufferings with the happineſſe that wee now enjoy: Our Prayers are turned into praiſes, our ſighs into Songs of deliverance; for our War we have peace, for feare of utter ruine, the fruits of a preſent happineſſe: For our former wants (in which we did abound) we have as much felicity, as the frailty of man is capable of: You know who it was that ſaid, Sorrowes may endure for a night,Pſal. 30.5. but joy commeth in the morning: We have had our Night, a black, darke, ſad ſtormy Night, but now the bright beames of the5 morning hath diſpel'd all theſe vapours, and we have our morning of happineſſe, after our night of miſery: We have had newes of this Towne loſt, that Caſtle loſt, that Garriſon ſurrendred,Witneſſe that barbarous act of P. Rupert at Bolton in Lancaſhire. another Fort yeel­ded, and all our men maſſacred: We had then many of Jobs meſſengers; but yet (we ſee) wee are left a­live as living Monuments of the Lords mercy, and doe reap the fruits of this bleſſedneſſe, which our Bre­thren have purchaſed with their deareſt blood.

And here I may fitly ſpeake a word of thoſe that dyed in defence of this cauſe, (Englands Cauſe for her Rights and Liberties) may we not envy their Happi­neſſe? they act their parts gloriouſly in Heaven, that acted them well on earth, they are raiſed to the high­eſt pitch of happineſſe, moſt fortunate, moſt bleſſed, moſt wiſe, moſt all, they dwell all upon ſuperlatives, Quis non optaret ſic moriendo mori? How noble is it to dye in a juſtified cauſe? A cauſe ſo juſt, ſo righte­ous, ſo equall, that we may juſtly pronounce thoſe unjuſt and wicked, that would have rather let it ſunk then patronize it:

Our luke-warmneſſe here at home could not doe that that their zeale hath performed, 'twas that that ſet them on this work and acted it for them: If I ſhould deſcend to particulars, and take a view and a regard full ſearch of their zeale in this Reformation, I ſhould ſwell my Pamphlet beyond its intended bre­vity: I ſhall name one act of our Brethrens of late, (if I did not ſpeake, the thing would ſpeak it ſelfe,) I muſt confeſſe it quadrates well with my Genius, viz. their care for the obſervation of the Lords day, to which end they have provided, and ſo ordered, that6 no Fayres or Markets be kept on Mondayes or Sa­turdayes, and I hope there's none but will agree with me in this point, but that it is a very worthy act, a memorable Act, and worthy of our beſt imitations; they have hitherto chalkt out a way for our Reforma­tions; if we tread in their ſteps in this particular, the world wil not call us unhapy, having ſuch good Con­ductors,Joſuah 22. and ſo good a Copy to write after.

The two Tribes and a halfe, after they had helpt their Brethren to conquer the promiſed Land, in their returne homewards built an Altar of teſtimony, the end why is ſhewed in the 24. verſ. leſt the Children of Iſrael might ſay to the children of the two Tribes and a halfe, What have you to doe with the Lord God of Iſrael? The name of the Altar was Eol (which being tranſl•ted by the holy language) is a Witneſſe, this was a Witnes, leſt in time to come the ſeed of the children of Iſrael might ſay to the ſeed of the two Tribes and a halfe, Yee have no part in the Lord: The plainneſſe of the Hiſtory applyes it ſelfe; if we can ſet up ſuch a Witneſſe between us for the Government of the Church, we ſhall be happy in a moſt abſolute man­ner: ſo far I have deviated from my circumſtances.

But now I come to one more, and that is of the ſea­ſonableneſſe of the deliverance; that in the very nick of time, they came in to doe us good; and when we found we could not find a way how to break the power of our Adverſaries, they interpoſed, and the contro­verſies ended, the queſtion's decided: To a poore condemned man there is nothing more acceptable as a pardon, and if it come in th' opportunity and nick of time (juſt before the intended execution)7 nothing comes more welcome: The Application makes it ſelf. We were condemed, and (if ſame were not too laviſh) our eſtates divided: The ſtory of them that bought the Beares skin is very remarkable, worthy onely to be imitated of ſuch greedy Chap­men. There's yet one thing that heightens the De­liverance, and that is that, after the burthen had laine ſo long upon our backes that it ſhould then be removed, when our miſeries were at the higheſt pitch, in the ſuperlative degree, the addition of more miſeries could ſcarce have made us more miſerable; who's then more welcome then a deliver? When a Coliah was in Armes againſt Iſrael, who more accep­table then a David? whoſe part our Brethrew hath ſo well acted, as that I am ſorry for nothing more then that we are not able to reward them.

Wee were a long ſeaſon in the Furnace, but the ſeaſonableneſſe of the deliverance makes us forget all former miſeries; Barclay ſayes, That warres ne­ver laſt ſo long in England as in other Lands. Barclay•cun. Animorum.Coſtly experience tels us, this is rather a Fable then a Chro­nicle: You cannot think but that we eſcaped from Scythian cruelty, when we were like to be brought in­to an unworthy ſervitude; and vertue was like to be­come a ſlave to thoſe that had ſold themſelves to Vitiouſneſſe.

Now (I hope) you will ſay, if theſe things deſerve not an obſervation, and a perpetuall commemorati­on to the honour of that famous Kingdome, the World will call's unthankfull.

Come we neerer to our Brethren that are gone from us, their names ſhall laſt the longeſt length of time,8 they are equivalent to the very beſt of men, inferi­our to none, the ſingular Ornamerits of this Age, Europes wonder: Theſe expreſſions proceed from me, becauſe I do not deſire that Valour ſhould have Oblivion for its grave: But the memory of their Opponents ſhall periſh, and their names ſhall bee buried in the eternall night of Oblivion: And yet if you will have them recorded, let it bee in times brazen-leaved booke with ignominy and diſgrace, there to remaine as a Caveat for Generations yet unborne.

Our Brethrens carriage in theſe late affaires hath been terrible to their (and our) enemies, feare ſtri­king amazements to our Adverſaries, that ere now have bin ſo numerous, that the ſpacious fields could hardly afford roome for their armed Troopes; and now we ſee by our Brethrens valour, fidelity and aſſiſt­ance, they are reduced to a better method, there ſcarce remaining a ſtump or ſtem of that huge Tree, that one while over-ſpread whole Countries: for this their fame is gone out thorow the ſpacious Orb, and their victorious hands will be remembred by all ſuc­ceeding Generations.

Their zeale, their juſtice, their magnanimity hath made them inferiour to none of their Predeceſſors in greatneſſe of true glory, never, never to be blot­ted out of the Regiſters of memory.

And left forgetfull time ſhould make us liable to ingratitude, 'twere not unfit that there were an an­nuall Obſervation of this our Brethrens Deliverance; and that as we are wont to write from the Gunpowder-Treaſon ſo many yeeres; from the Spaniſh-Armada9 ſo many yeeres; ſo to adde this to the reſt, Since Englands grand Deliverance from her plundring conſpi­rators, ſo many yeeres: A plot that equallizes any of theſe two famous Deliverances, an a••verſary that would have diſpoiled us of our lives, livelihoods, goods and fortunes, and (had it been feacible) they would have plundred us of our God, of our Religion, of our being and well-being, I hope (you well borne Engliſhmen) your hearts will tell you that I ſpeak no more then the greatneſſe of this Deliverance calls for.

'Twere eaſie to be infinite, the deeper I dig in this golden Mine, the more my fancy is inriched; yet all this will ſpeak us Atheiſts, if we ſpeak no other lan­guage before the concluſion. We know why Herod was eaten up of wormes,Acts 12.23. becauſe he gave not God the glory: Let us look then to that primum mobile, In whom we live, and move, and have our being:Acts 17.28. Let the glory of the day be given to him that is the Giver of the day; we doe not attribute theſe performances to man, we know that he is not proportion'd for ſuch employments, ſuch high affaires; Man is not able to conquer himſelfe, much leſſe his enemies.

But one Obſervation I mark in our Adverſaries, they were haughty and ſelf-confiding men, when as we know that there is no ſuch enemy as a patient, humble, ſelf-denying enemy: Experience reaches us, that the higheſt ſtructures have the loweſt foun­dations; and it is not the high Towring Rocks, but the humble Valleys that are fruitfull.

And now let us imitate the Prophet David, who after the receivall of many mercies, poſes himſelfe with a What ſhall I render? When we are in afflicti­ous,8〈1 page duplicate〉9〈1 page duplicate〉10the firſt thing is Prayer, and being delivered, the next muſt be prayſe; ſo that we may conclude that there's no deliverance, where God does not foreſee a Thankfulneſſe; without this we ſhall be without God.

If we receive the Lords Mercies without a grate­full retribution, and an humble acknowledgement, we ſhall turne his Mercies into Judgements, his Bleſſings into curſes, 2 Cor. 7.21, 22.

There's mention made of Solomons Temple, how that if then the people (a people of ſo many mer­cies) ſhould fall off, why this houſe which is ſo high ſhall be an aſtoniſhment to every one that paſseth; ſo that he ſhall aske, why hath the Lord done this unto this Land? If we be ungratefull, Pharoah like our hearts will be hardned; and as Gods Mercies increaſes, ſo will our ſinnes.

Acts 8.Let us therefore of this City imitate the Citizens of Samaria, where we read that the Church was much in affliction, and much in Deliverance, much in ſorrow and much in joy; ſorrow for their afflicti­ons, joy for their deliverance.

And therefore in the 8 verſ. it is ſaid, There was great joy in that City; And Prov. 11.10. Prov. 11.10.VVhen it goeth well with the City, the Righteous rejoyceth: the words may be very well inverted.

Gods people are ſometimes a mourning people, a­non a rejoycing people, in variety of eſtates and con­ditions, in Canaan and in Egypt, 12. wells of waters as Elim, but bitter water at Maras.

We have had our Aegyptian bondage, now wee have our bleſſed Liberty and refreſhment.

I thinke if I ſhould here lay downe ſome Argu­ments that calls for thanks, it were not amiſſe, but truly I finde them ſo many, and ſo great, that I ſtand amazed which to touch at firſt, here's poverty in plenty.

Firſt then, for the Goſpell, it being a bleſſing, the fruit of which, becauſe we alwayes enjoy, wee ſhould alwayes acknowledge in an eminent man­ner, the enjoyment of which in its purity is derived down to us from our Brethrens Fidelity.

For the thrice-fortunate and famous union of the two Nations; this multiplies and advances our joyes; Now wee muſt pray that theſe two thus joyned, thus made one, by an invincible Union, may ever bee able to preſerve our Joyes, that theſe Great Joyes may procure Great Acknowledge­ments; ſo that by this our Happy Union no For­raigne Enemy (how potent ſoever) unleſſe hee be weary of his owne Fortunes, will dare ever to of­fend us.

And if we look to our Anceſtors, there's an 88. a famous deliverance. 3. Armado.

And that other miraculous deliverance that is ſtill freſh in our memories, of 1625. 4. Powd. plos.

And then (for I cannot number them all) if we come to mercies of a latter date,5. Parliam. and never to our ſelves; how many Obligations of thankfulneſſes lies upon this Kingdom for this Parliament?E cujus pen­det noſtra ſa­lute ſalus. whom God hath given to regulate the inconveniences, exorbi­tancies and errors, both in Church and State; when12 as a famous Writer of this age ſaith;Dr. Browne in his Religio Medici. that by the am­bition and avarice of Prefates, the fatall corruption of Times, Religion has bin decayed, impair'd, and faln from its native Integrity: in ſo much that it re­quired the careful and charitable hand of theſe times to reſtore it to its primitive Integritie; by theſe Worthies we enjoy what we doe enjoy: if I ſhould goe about to particularize, there would not be room for all our Miſeries, nor for all our Mercies.

I ſhould come in a word or two more to our Bre­thren, for my zeale to them makes me confeſſe, that there's no mercy that I enjoy, but next under God) I ac­count them the Authors of it. I ſhould not conclude here were it not for that they ſay of Hercules, who e­ver diſprais'd him but an Enemie? There's none that ſpeakes ill of them, that deſerves ſo well, unleſſe it be their enemies, whoſe tongue at no time is a ſlander.

And now I ſhould here have concluded, were it not for ſome new thoughts that doe ariſe, and that is the diſappointment of all our adverſaries that did waite upon our diviſions, and would have boaſted at our falling out. And of them we know that there are two ſorts, the one an open profeſſed enemy, one that not long ſince was in open Rebellion againſt the Parlia­ment, a Malignant, ſtubborn adverſary; the other the cloſe private Sectary, which mingles himſelf amongſt us, and goes along with us in many things, yet per­haps he alſo would have rejoyced to have ſeene us ru­ine each other, their hopes are both fruſtrated; con­cerning the former I thinke it in vaine to uſe any arguments to perſwade them.

And for the latter, I wiſh I could bring any water13 to quench theſe flames, ſeeing ſo many adde oyle to augment them; tis come to it, that there is ſcarce a man that can enjoy a ſingularity in an error, without a Hereſie, nor be the Author of an Opinion with­out he be of a Sect alſo.

'Twere a good way to ſuppreſſe theſe unhappy diſſentions, if we would but ſuffer them to flame up­on their owne ſubſtance, without the addition of new fewell, and then they would goe out inſenſible of themſelves.

They would be no longer Hereſies, but bare Errors and ſingle lapſes of our underſtanding, without a joynt depravity of our wills: but the nature of He­reſie is like a Gangreene, ſtill dilating it ſelfe, they that are troubled with it have depraved under­ſtandings, and diſeaſed affections never thinking the diſeaſe to be far enough ſpread, til it be Epidemical.

Let's conſider that a Kingdome divided cannot ſtand, if it be divided with domeſtick factions it is eaſily conquered, but when it is perfectly united, it knowes not its own ſtrength; let us alſo know that there is a meane betweene both extreames, and that middle diſpoſition betweene thoſe two, is of tranſ­cendent excellency, being exactly framed to the I­mage of true perfection. Let us walke then in the middle way of the Goſpell, neither following ſuper­ſtitious Popery, nor affecting licentious Liberty; the for­mer muſt not rule, the latter ſhall nor, let the golden meane the Preſbytery decide this great Church-controverſie.

Ther's an error on the right hand, ſo there is on the left, Prov. 7.24. There are theeves on both ſides, on­ly Chriſt in the midſt: that man reforms amiſſe, that14 receives wholſome admonitions, to avoid Cove­touſneſſe, and becomes a Prodigall.

A certaine K. of France commands his Secretary to bring the beſt word, that ever he met withall in his reading: he brings him Moderation. Dedalus his adviſe to Icarus was, inter utrumpque vola, and Phoebus his councel to Phaeton.

Medio tatoſſimus ibis, ficta arguunt, the moral's good.

They plead much for Ovids golden age.

Sponte ſua, ſine lege, fidem rectumque colebat, and this is the predominant homour of this age. Let's think of the many offences that will ariſe by liberty, when as reſtraint checks looſneſſe, how did Spurta flou­riſh by its Damaſimbrotes reſtrayning of youth.

And never did Romes Common-wealth dilate her borders more then by the practice of Legal Auſterity, nor decreaſe more then by the introduction of Lawleſse Libertie.