A DECLARATION OF Major General HARRISON, Now Priſoner in the Tower of LONDON.
SInce the committing of Major General Harriſon to the Tower of London, divers of his Friends and Relations have had a Conference with him, touching the Grounds and Motives of his Actings: To which he declared, That he was throughly convinced of the Juſtneſs of the Cauſe he firſt engaged in; That he eſteemed reading of the Word of God an Ordinance of God both in private and publick, but did not account reading to be preaching; That he eſteemed that preaching beſt, wherein was moſt of God, leaſt of man, when vain flouriſhes of wit and words were declined, and the demonſtration of Gods Spirit and Power ſtudied; yet could he diſtinguiſh between pureſt plainneſs, and negligent rudeneſs: That he accounted perſpicuity the beſt grace of a Preacher, and that method beſt which was moſt helpful to Underſtandin•, Affection, and Memory: That he eſteemed the Lords Day a Divine Ordinance, and reſt on it neceſſary ſo far as conduced to Holineſs: That he was very conſcientious in obſervance of that Day as the Mart day4 of the Soul; That he was very careful to remember it, to get houſe and heart in order for it, and when it came he was ſtudious to improve it; That he redeemed the morning from ſuperfluous ſleep, and watched the whole day over his thoughts and words not onely to reſtrain them from wickedneſs, but wordlyneſs. And that all parts of the day were alike holy to him, and his care was coninued in it in variety of holy Duties: what he heard in publike, he repeated in private, to whet it upon himſelf and Family: Which Rules and Precepts, he deſired to be made practicable throughout all publike and private Congregations, for the enlightning the dark Corners of the Earth, &c.
A Gentleman ſtanding by, being tranſported with ſundry Reflections, replyed as followeth:
Sir, I might with reaſon believe that firſt election of the Party wherein you ſtood engaged, proceeded from inexperience and the miſtake of your Zeal; not to ſay from your compliances to the paſſions of others; becauſe I know how obſequious you have always ſhewed your ſelf in ſeveral Actions, eſpecially in your former Obedience to the Commands of a Monſtrous Tyrant and Rebellious Uſurper.
But, upon diſcovery of the Impoſtures which perverted them, and the ſignal Indignation of God, upon the ſeveral Periods which your eyes hath lately beheld, of the bloodieſt Tyrannies, and moſt prodigious Oppreſſors that ever any Age in the World produc'd. To put the Ballance (therefore) into the hands of every Rational Engliſh-man, to poiſe the State of this Kingdom, which through the unexampled diſtraction and confuſion of a moſt ſordid and horrid Rebellion, was an unſufferable weight to be born by any Man, who could make Title to Underſtanding; To hear with ſilence, people pretending to Religion, and to nothing elſe; crying up againſt Reaſon, a Reformation, in which themſelves are (however in themſelves inſenſibly) to the ſtranger ſtanders by viſibly ruined. Provoked therefore by compaſſion to my Country, I ſhall endeavour to convince the Opiniators of a Reformation, by putting yeſterday and to day, this and the end of a preceding Septenarie in the Ballance. And therefore invite ſuch who are in any capacity of being adviſed, to a retroſpection, ſo far as the year, 1639. Where they may, if they look not thorow State-Spectacles, ſee a King ſelected, whoſe Royal, or Chriſtian Reputation, Fame dared not; could not, with ſo much as whiſper,••lley; Rich in the5 accumulate Hearts of a Numerous and Loyal People; and a Court in which (himſelf being Preſident) the Men and Manners compleated an Academie. They may ſee a Church full of Light, Order and Diſcipline, having a form beautiful, and an inſide garniſht, and enricht with as much (not to ſwell the compariſon) Learning and Piety, as Obſervation or Story can attribute to any ſince Chriſtianity was a Profeſſion. Thoſe then inconſiderable few Oppoſers, or interrupters of its Peace and Government, being perſons of as obſcure mark, as of clandeſtine and mycheing motion, skulking like young Foxes, and no ſooner unkenel'd, but as Vermine purſued, the general Odium being contracted upon them: They may ſee a Nobility, Luſtrous, like Mirrours by the Suns, their Princes, reflex in the badges of their Honour and Office, a flouriſhing Gentry, plentifully ſharing Dignities, and Truſts in the Military and Civil Magiſtracy. But behold the Scean is again changed, bleſſed be God; and theſe State-Mountebanks, that formerly ſerv'd and rais'd up themſelves to that pitch and Inveſtiture, are blown away; and theſe Puppets of policy are alſo taken in the ſame Nets and Gyns that they laid for others. When I ſeriouſly reflect upon all this, I cannot but detect them in their procedure, and deplore the ſadneſs of their condition. For, ſince you are apt to recriminate, and boaſt the Juſtneſs of your Cauſe, let us go back to the ſource, and ſearch the very principles; and then ſee, if ever any Cauſe had like ſucceſs indeed. Firſt then, be pleaſed to look North-wards upon the Scots, who made Reformation their pretence, to gratifie their own Avarice, introduce themſelves, and a more then Babyloniſh Tyranny, impoſing upon the Church and State, beyond all example. I ſay, look upon what they have gotten by deceiving their Brethren, ſelling their King, betraying his Son, and by all their perfidie; but a ſlavery more then Egyptian, and an Infamy as unparalled, as their Treaſon and Ingratitude. Look nearer home, and tell me if there be a perſon of them left, that can ſhew me his prize, unleſs it be that of Sacrilege, which he or his Nephews muſt certainly vomit up again. O the perpetrated Actions of theſe Sons of Thunder! What hath been ſpawned under their Atheiſtical Government, is beyond all compariſon: Under the Sun was never ſuch things heard of: Yet thoſe that died by the ſword, fell in the bed of honour; their Religion and their Loyalty will be renowned in the Hiſtory of Ages, when the Names of Traytors will rot with their Carcaſſes, a•dung upon the face of the Earth.
6To proceed to the eſſential Parts of our gracious Soveraign, this beyond compariſon is obſervable: 1. If we conſider him in the Natural Endowments of his Mind, thoſe his moſt Tranſcendently Symmetrical Organs are full ſtretcht, with the internall gifts, and moſt accompliſhing graces of a ſerene Soul: Of a moſt piercing Apprehenſion, nimble Wit, but ſound Judgement: Of ſo conſtant a Reſervedneſs and Majeſtique gravity, 'tis queſtionable whether he can be angry or pleas'd, griev'd or rejoyc'd, ſo far as to betray his Senſations to every Beholder; ſo merciful and kind in his very Severities, and ſo ſevere in his Kindneſſes, that his greateſt Enemies become his greateſt Friends, and his Friends can never be otherwiſe, but by the envy of his Vertues, and winning Sweetneſs; So moderate, He pleads for his cruelleſt Adverſaries, and ſo tender a Father to his unnatural Subjects, He pities (not inveighs againſt) their miſcarriages: Of a conſtant Reſolution, and undanted Courage, none more valiant, none more merciful; none more Amiable, none more Chaſte and Temperate, and withall ſo Religiouſly Devout, and ſo Piouſly Conſtant in all Divine Worſhips and Services, that He may truly be called a good Church-man, as well as a good King.
But leaſt I loſe my ſelf in ſo large a field, give me leave from this ſweet Subject to come to his Education, where you may expect I ſhould bewail the averſeneſs of his Stars, and thoſe Diſaſtrous Times, and Tempeſtuous Seas, and Avious Deſarts, he was forc't to trace the Muſes in. But we find no want in him, either of a ſtrict and conſtant Tutorage, the Nurſe of Art, the Converſe of a Flouriſhing and Glorious Court; yea, we cannot but ſee that thoſe Providences which to others would become the greateſt diſadvantages, have been to this moſt Excellent Perſon the higheſt Improvements.
In a word, Thoſe ingenuous and candid Principles connaturall to Him are ſo approved by his Afflictions, the experience of the inconſtancy of this Tranſitory World, thoſe true ſparks of Religion and pure Conſcience which ſeem to flame in him, and the ſweet content his Majeſty took in his innocent Retirement, that he could ſeem to project nothing in his return to England, but the ſaving his unnatural Children from that inevitable ruine and miſery they would have brought upon themſelves and the Threé Kingdoms, had they gone on in their diſobedience: Nay, often hath his Majeſty been heard to ſay, No Enormities could or7 ſhould diſoblige him from that Fatherly tenderneſs to his Countrey-men and Subjects, would they but return to their duty, and that he ſaw no reaſon any Sect whatſoever ſhould be diſowned by him (as ſuch) more than a deformed Child by a Natural Father; ſince 'tis in the power of God alone to reform the Conſcience.
To conclude, ſo affectionately doth many of theſe Sects with Loyalty ſubmit under the influence of ſo good a Prince, That divers of the People called Quakers, Anabaptiſts, Fifth-Monarchy Men, and Levellers, Do wiſh from their hearts, that our gracious Soveraign may be, and the Kingdoms by Him, more happy than any; and that the true ends of Government may be had and communicated fully; that every honeſt Heart may have cauſe to rejoyce in GOD, the KING, and their LAWS. Reſolving, (through Grace) to reſt quiet and content under God's Vicegerent, and to let the King of Kings alone with ruling the World, to whoſe Wiſdom and Power all Creatures ought to ſubmit.
And further they have declared, That they will be paſſive under Authority, rather than impatient; to procure the quiet and peace of the Nation to their utmoſt; to mind things inviſible, and of a better conſiſtence then theſe below, and to pray for the happineſs and welfare of his Majeſty, and the reſt of the Royal Iſſue, Whom God long preſerve.