A LETTER OR EPISTLE TO All well-minded People in England, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland.
Written By Lieut. Col. Joyce, for the undeceiving of the good People, July 7.1651.
That which moved me hereunto, was a conſideration of the evils to come upon thoſe that ſeek to obſtruct Juſtice; fearing leaſt ſome would bring themſelves into a ſnare, as others have formerly done in the like caſe.
⟨July 10th⟩LONDON: Printed by J. C. and are to be ſold on Addlinghil. 1651.
AN Itallian having found his enemy at an advantage, promiſed him if he would deny his faith, to ſave his life; he to ſave the one, denyed the other: which having done he ſtab'd him, rejoycing that by this, he had at one time taken revenge both of ſoul and body.
THere being more then an ordinary neceſſity at this time to undeceive the people, and for the preventing of that diſtraction and diſturbance which might unhappily come upon or in this City unawares; God having already born witneſs againſt all ſorts of men that have directly or indirectly ſought to involve this Nation in to blood; the ſame God hath ſtretched out his mighty Arm, and hath a long time called for Juſtice and Judgement.
And no ſooner doth this Spirit appear in or amongſt the great ones, but immediately ariſeth a ſpirit of fear amongſt ſome, who lifteth up with one hand, and pulleth down with the other. Take heed who ever thou art, God is a ſtrict watchman, and marketh thy ways; and will finde thee out, though thou goeſt never ſo ſecretly to work to obſtruct Juſtice, or delay the execution thereof.
My love is to mankinde, and that all ſhould turn from their evil ways and be ſaved; this doctrine I held forth to the late King, who juſtified himſelf,2 and ſtood upon his innocency; and dyed a Martyr or ſufferer for Truth (and his people) as he would have made the world believe.
The ſame ſpirit was in Mr. Nicholas Love (whoſe Tryal I have heard for the moſt part) and unleſs men had univerſally heard and ſeen his carriage and ſpirit, will hardly believe the truth thereof, when declared.
But this in the general, I am ſure he was many degrees worſe ſpirited then the king, who had more plea for himſelf then Mr. Love had, would he have pleaded or made uſe thereof; but his principle led him out to what he did,
And when I compare matter of Fact, and foreſee what is now come, and will come if God alone prevent not. I am able to make it appear that Mr. Love's trayterous and bloody actings have been as bad as the late Kings, who loſt his head, and of almoſt as long a ſtanding as his was.
The wiſe man foreſeeth an evil and preventeth it, blood is a ſad thing to behold, when brought upon a Nation or people by Stratagems, or deſigning to ruine that poor handful of Gods people, who hath not at all delighted in blood, but prayed that they may live a peaceable and Godly life, under a civil Magiſtracy; much agreeable to the Scriptures mind, & will of God.
But before I come to declare what I know of the Defign, and the depth, and antiquity thereof; of which Conſpiracy, the like was never heard of in our generation. I ſhall preſent you with my former obſervations concerning the perſonal Treaty, and when the whole Myſtery ſhall be devulged, men will ſtand amazed; for the like was never in this world, nor in all the Hiſtories now extant, for ſo far as I am able to3 judge, I ſhall give you a hint, deſiring that it may ſuffice at preſent, and alſo deſire your patient waiting for the whole, when a Juſt ſeaſon cometh.
After the King was in the Armies Quarters, ſome proud hearted men were ambitions to be acquainted with him, and did oft preſs me to bring them to him, and through their importunity at laſt, did gratifie their deſire; but adviſed them to have a care, or elſe the King would be too hard for them; as it ſeems he was after a little while, as you may ſee by and by.
Huntington, Hobſon, Tuledah, and others ſpake with the King, and immediately were lifted up, and nothing would ſerve them but a Perſonal Treaty with the King; and who muſt be the firſt moving cauſe of this paſſage, but theſe men before mentioned, together with ſome others; they diſputed the lawfulneſs thereof, and brought Scripture; and at laſt reſolved upon it. And immediately upon their reſolution, ſome progreſs was made in the Petition at London and other places, by them and others; I thought it my duty to acquaint ſome or all the forementioned men, of what dangerous conſequence it would be, and and plainly declared to them, it would be a means to divide the godly people, and break them in pieces, which were all of a piece before; and very unanimous.
But before this could be taken up again (as huſhed) the name Leveller was given out, and a report was made by (Henry Lilburn) that the Levellers would kill the King, and this aroſe upon the ſtopping of the Petition for a Perſonal Treaty; which was carrying on with great zeal, like this for Mr. Love, which may have a worſe effect if great care be not had, or the Providence of God who is above all, who is able to quiet4 the ſtouteſt heart, and break in pieces the devices of men; who lean their ſhoulders to uphold that pillar of Antichriſt which God will throw down, and is now doing of it; therefore ye ſons of Jacob, take heed ye be not conſumed before you are aware of it (as ſome of the deſigners was in that deſign) and as a juſt judgement came upon ſome of the reſt ſince. Obſerve.
No ſooner was the laſt I ſpake of, namely the Petition, laid aſide or forgotten by that ſort of men called Indendents, but they ſeeing the evil, being ſo groſly miſled, repented thereof.
But Sion Colledge men, and many other notorious and eminent men in this City, ſet on foot a Petition for a Perſonal Treaty, and nothing elſe would ſerve (but they muſt, and ſo they had it) and ſhould I ſay Mr. Love, Calamy, Aſh, Caſe, Viner, and many other ſitting in Synod, had a great hand in it, I ſhould do them little wrong; but ſhall ſay no more of that at preſent, onely declare a little of what I know of old, as I before promiſed, and as much as I have always believed, that God will not be mocked; but he will, as always he hath done, diſcover and deſtroy thoſe that will not appear for him; and bear witneſs and teſtimony againſt unrighteous men, though in Parliament Army or people, I mean by laying them aſide (or other puniſhment) as hereafter will more evidently appear.
Now for the Antiquity of the Deſign, and how God hath from time to time fought againſt it:
Firſt conſider a little after the Treaty at Uxbridge, where Maſter Love preached, and ſaid, It was as eaſie to reconcile God and the Devil together, as it was to reconcile the King and Parliament (which thing he himſelf hath5 now done, by what Spirit let the world judge: Sometime after this Treaty was over, a meeting was appointed at Weſtminster; where the Scotiſh Commiſſioners, and many then Members of Parliament were, where they did ſolemnly Vow before God, theſe things as followeth; viz. to indeavor to bring in the King, and to rule him by force; and to rule England by the ſame Law Scotland was governed; as I take it the words were theſe (By Lords and Barons.)
And at the ſame time it was alſo agreed, that a certain number of the Houſe of Commons, whom they called Factious men, ſhould be choſen out, and there heads cut off: Alſo a certain number of the City, and leading men of the Countrey choſen out, and hanged for examples, who were the ring leaders of that Party, and all the reſt baniſhed (which made me tremble:) but my God aſſured me at that time, the ſnare they laid to catch others, themſelves ſhould be taken in; or the pit they digged for others, themſelves ſhould fall into. And after this from time to time they met, ſometimes at Dr Gouge's, other times elſewhere; and never left til they had moulded a Militia in the City, and hatched a Remonſtrance, and obtained many things, though in order to the fore-mentioned deſign; and at length brought it to what you now ſee, even another War, which England now feels, to her great coſt. Alſo another War is laid at home, and will ere long break out (if not timely prevented:) And as the King was in daily hopes of an Inſurrection, by which he might probably had a deliverance; even ſo is it now: Take heed, my friends, delays are dangerous; and as you have judged ſome Petitions dangerous (this now on foot may be far more then6 thoſe; and tend more and more to divide the Godly, not onely in this City, but throughout England. And though I am not againſt Petitioning (but for it as much as any;) yet I can do no leſs but lay theſe things before you, as a ſmall parcel, picked out of three or four quier of Paper: And wherein I ſhall declare the whole, and all that I have known, ſeen, and heard of truth; being an attendant upon the Parliament, and as a Member of the Armies, obſerved Gods dealings with this generation, and particular men therein; and what I alſo believe and know will come to paſs, that ſo God alone may have all the Glory; and that no fleſh ſhould glory but in the Lord; alſo that men may take heed, and not to ſplit themſelves againſt that Rock, which is too hard for them, and will daſh all the Nations of the Earth in pieces; ſaying, Bring thoſe my enemies before me, that I may ſlay them.
And now let none that know the Lord, lean their ſhoulders, or put there ſtrength to uphold that Antichriſt, which is now falling, though it be like Chriſt.
Alſo take heed my dear friends and brethren, I mean the upright whereſoever, or of what Name or Title ſoever, that you ſin no more againſt your Light, but return to the Lord and repent; then he will heal thoſe that have back ſlided, and be a God and guide unto you, for ever and ever. So I take leave and reſt,
And becauſe I cannot leave the world in ignorance, of what Deſignes have been upon the Weſt; God having my life in his own hands, though men cunningly ſeek to take it away; thought my ſelf bound in duty to God and my Country; to bear my witneſs, that when I come to die, I may have nothing elſe to do, but to die; and that for righteouſneſs onely.
And that the world may ſee I have taken notice of former ages; ſhall briefly relate as followeth.
A people being ingaged againſt a King for Tyranny, could not conquer him; his ſtrength being too great. An active man, who by his honeſty, together with a ſmall ſtrength, then under his Command; accidentally came to the people, by which means the people conquered the King, and had Juſtice executed upon him.
A little after this, ſome great and wiſe men among the people, endeavoured to work over this upright man to their party; that ſo they might have made themſelves as great as the King was before. But he continued his integrity, and would not be won to unrighteouſneſs, to Tyranny. A debate aroſe what was beſt to be done with this man, ſome acknowledged he deſerved ſuch a gratuity for his pains, and hazard; that they were not able to reward him for his deſert. Others cunningly ſuggeſted to take away his life, leſt his honeſty ſhould cauſe the people to fall in love with him; and if ſo of what dangerous concernment would this be to us: they knowing ſo much, conſulted a little while; and at laſt agreed to take away his life: A good reward.
8Now to the Deſigne.
One brought a Charge to the Honourable Councel of State, againſt Lievtenant Collonel Reed, Governour of Pool, who was put out of his Governmentand juſtly for ought I know; for he hath not as yet had a Tryal: though the Councel of State have granted many Orders for a juſt and legal Tryal, they being informed, he was a very honeſt godly man,
But the potency of one who threatned to ruine the ſaid Governour; hath, and ſtill doth endeavour to carry on his Deſigne, not onely to ruine him, but many others alſo; and to get the whole Weſt into his own, and friends cuſtody.
And beginning too ſoon, could not do it that way he aimed at; and therefore hath found out away to anſwer his former deſign, by ſlighting the Garriſon of Pool, and getting Col. Hains his Regiment to be removed (which indeed is a very good work:) And had not the deſigners been almoſt perſwaded, they ſhould have removed: Lieutenant Col. Joyce out of the Ile of Portland, and put in another, that ſo they might have done their work. Now Lieut. Col. Joyce had never been ſo ſtruck at, if he had not known the deſign and the deſigners, which he hath along time done, and did what he could to prevent it, fearing blood was at the bottom thereof; at leaſt ſetting up a Scotiſh Presbyterian faction, by countenancing whatſoever came cunningly from the Prieſts of that County; For no ſooner had the Prieſts with others gotten out Lieut. Col. Reed, Governor of Pool, but immediately got in one Scut, a Towns-man, who was formerly laid9 aſide, for being againſt the Parliament and Armies proceedings, in order to this Commonwealth; If I ſhould ſay he was caſhiered for perſecuting of Godly men, I ſhould do him no hurt: Part of this deſign was privately carried on by a potent man, to requite the Towns-men of Pool (who are for the moſt part Scotefi'd) for making of one Mr. Dennis Bond's ſon Recorder of Pool.
The forementioned potent man ſtill goeth on with his deſign, and did lately obtain a Commiſſion for one Bingham, to be Governor of Gernſey.
And as ſoon as Bingham was made Governor of that Iſland, Col. Hayns affirmed that it was enough to envite an enemy thither; others ſaid they never knew him fight: Moreover he was diſſatisfied with the Parliament and Armies juſt proceedings againſt the late King.
This was not all that mighty man did, for, he alſo obtained a Commiſſion for one Lieut. Col. Lacey, a man reputed no fighter, but a common tipler. ; theſe men to be ſent to Gernſey, is not all.
But Major Harriſon muſt be ſent for away, though he be a man of an approved valor, and honeſty, truely fearing God.
I ſhall ſay little more at preſent, unleſs I ſhould be call'd upon to give the relation of theſe deſigns: And when I have more time, ſhall manifeſt unto the world, the whole deſign and drivers thereof at large. And how the great Deſigner was like to tare the hair from his head, when he could not have his will anſwered. And not long ſince threatned to cut our ſwords ſhorter, and many other abuſive words, &c.
10The Agent of Dorſet-ſhire, whoſe name is Brag, ſon to the Receiver General of the ſame County, a lewd deboyſt yong man: It was therefore deſired he might be put out, being unfit for that place, and a honeſt man put into his rome; it was alſo offered to Mr. Dennis Bond to do it, he being the onely man that put him in: This could not be done, though Lieutenant Col. Joyce, who is that Countryman, and oft times ſent to Mr. Bond about it, it being a kinſman of his own: The anſwer he had was, if any of the ſaid Country Gentlemen would ſay as much or deſire the ſame, he would do what he could in it.
Upon which Lieut. Col. Joyce ſent into the Country about the buſineſs, and had this anſwer as followeth.
YOurs I received but cannot anſwer that expectation; for you know the power of the great Man is ſuch, that his wrath is counted as the roaring of a Lyon; what have been formerly, is now amended for ought I know. But the underſtandingſt fellow in our parts, if it were not for the great Mans rage, it were eaſie to have it teſtified; but I think their is another courſe to be taken, which is to conſider where it be fit, that the Son ſhould be the onely ſurveior of the Fathers actions, and to give an account thereof when they pleaſe. (it is a ſtrange kinde of Reformation) I ſay no more till I ſee you, which I hope will be within this ſeven days: Thus deſiring God to make more honeſt men, and to preſerve others that he hath ſo made: Is the earneſt deſire of him who is your faithful friend
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