An Eye Salve to anoint the Eyes of the Miniſters of the Province of London, that they may ſee their Errour (at leaſt) in oppoſing the preſent proceedings of the Parliament and Army, in the due execution of Juſtice.
Quaere I.WHether Kings that have the Government of Civil States and Kingdomes are not (under the New Teſtament, and times of the Goſpel)**In theſe our times we are to diſtinguiſh between the ſtate of Kings in their firſt originall, and between the State of ſettled Kings and Monarchs, that doe at this time governe in civill Kingdomes. King Iames Speeching Parliament, cited by Mr. Burton, in his Epiſtle Dedicatorie to King Charles in his ſeven Vials. So again a little after, Speaking of the Biſhop that Preached before him, ſaith he, If I had been in his place, &c. I would have concluded as an Engliſhman, &c. putting a difference between the generall power of a King in Divinity, and the ſettled and eſtabliſhed State of this Crown and Kingdome. id ibid. rather of a humane then Divine Conſtitution and Creation, according to 1 Pet. 2.13. Submit your ſelves〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to every ordinance of man: or, to every humane Creation, for the Lord ſake, Whether it be to the King as ſupream &c, and therefore are not properly to be called and ſtiled (as is the practiſe of Miniſters in their prayers uſually to doe) the Anointed of the Lord.
II. Whether thoſe Kings that are ſo conſtituted, when they degenerate from their Kingly authority, with which they are inveſted by their people, and turn down right**And therefore a King governing in a ſettled Kingdome leaves to be a King, and degenerates into a Tyrant, as ſoon as he leaves off to rule according to his Laws Therefore all Kings that are not Tyrants or Perjured, wilbe glad to bound themſelves within the limits of their laws and they that perſwade them the contrary are Vipers and Peſts both againſt them and the Common-wealth id. ut ſup. Tyrants,2 Murtherers and deſtroyers of their Kingdomes, may not ſafely and upon juſt grounds be called to an account, and have the law executed upon them for ſo doing, they being as ſubject to the laws, by which they are to govern, as their people over whom they are ſet? and**Vid. Fox martyrolog. edit. ult. vol. 2 p. 879 880. as Mr. Prinne cites it in his 1 part of the Papiſts diſloyalty to their Soveraign. whether in this caſe civil governours in a State, are more exempt from Depoſition, then Eccleſiaſticall in a Church?
III. Whether the King of England did not (in an almoſt unparalled way, excelling his Predeceſſours) make himſelf guilty before God and good men, and of thoſe (never enough to be abhorred) abominations of Tyranny, Murther, and Oppreſſion in his three Kingdomes of England, Scotland, and Ireland: and whether, if the Commons of England (whom it principally concerns) ſhould wink and connive at thoſe aforeſaid unparalelled abominations, and neglect to execute righteous judgement, according to the laws of God, Nature & Nations, they ſhould not bring the guilt of all theſe abominations, committed by the ſaid King, upon their own heads, and ſo become acceſſary to their own and the Kingdomes ruine; yea,King Vortiger anno D. 454. King Sigebert, 756. K. Ofred 789 K. Ethelred 794. All before the Conqueſt with many others after quoted by Mr. Prinne, ut ſup. the ruine and miſery of their Poſterity after them.
IV. Whether there be not infinite examples in Hiſtories of the Peoples proceedings in wayes of bringing their Tyrannicall Princes to condigne puniſhment, and ſetting up others in their ſteads.
V. Whether the Army under the Command of his Excellency the Lord Fairfax, hath not been in a ſpeciall manner inſtrumentall from heaven to bring down, that proud**Gen. 10.9. Nimerod, the KING that hunted after, not onely the Eſtates, but Liberties and precious lives of the beſt of his Subjects; and brake through all the hedges and boundaryes of juſt laws both of God and Man, that ſhould have kept him within compaſſe; and were acknowledged the friends of God and good men for ſo doing, and many prayers and praiſes put up to heaven in the behalf of them.
VI. Whether the foreſaid Army are not ſtill to be look upon in the preſent Tranſactions they are upon, as inſtruments in the hands of God (though in an extraordinary way) for the ſaving of the Kingdome, ſo long as they proceed by the3 lawfull Authority of the Kingdome, viz. the Parliament; in bringing the grand Incendiaries of the Kingdome to condigne puniſhment.
VII. Whether the God of Heaven, who is**Revel. 15.3. juſt and holy in all his wayes, doth not according to his wounderfull workings, beyond the ſhallow reach of humane capacities, many times ſtirre up (in an extraordinary manner) private perſons, to execute his**Num. 25.7. juſt and righteous judgements on thoſe that are his and his Peoples proud & implacable adverſaryes, eſpecially when ordinary wayes & means fail: and whether we are not rather to reverence and adore the glorious and wonderfull actings of God this way, in order to the vindication of his own great Name, and his peoples ſalvations, as at this day in England, then to quarrell and fall foule, with the Inſtruments, that he is pleaſed to make uſe of.
VIII. Whether God hath not in his word commanded a ſpeedie execution of Juſtice, without reſpect of Perſons?**2 Chr. 19.7. and been greatly diſpleaſed for the neglect of it: and whether the Lords beholding ſuch a neglect, hath not provoked him to make bare his own arme, and to act in a more extraordinary way and manner to the effecting and bringing to paſſe of ſuch a great work, as the execution of Juſtice and Judgment is.
IX. Whether the Lord Generall and Councell of war in the Army, have acted in this preſent buſineſſe of bringing the King to juſtice (and thoſe have been in confederacy with him in the Parliament and Kingdom) by themſelves alone, without the knowledge and approbation of the Kingdome; and whether they have not been continually inſtigated by the honeſt and godly party, as well Presbyterians as Independents, by their petitions and ſupplications to enterpriſe this buſineſſe, looking on it as the next & ſpeedieſt meanes through the blood of Chriſt, to turn away the**Num. 25.12. wrath of God from this Nation, and to preſerve it in a ſound and better peace for the future: And whether the godly party ſo petitioning the Lord Generall and Army hereunto, and ſlighted in your letter are not (without offence be it ſpoken) men of as great integrity, judgement and conſcience, and as well inſighted in the nature of the preſent tranſactions, as thoſe few Miniſters of the province4 of London (as they are pleaſed to ſtile themſelves though without any warrant in Scripture) who are known by experience (at leaſt diverſe of them) to come exceeding ſhort both of learning and the power of godlineſſe, and have more need to hearken to the Counſell of the Lord Jeſus, in Matth. 7.3. Firſt to take out the Beam that is in their own eye, then to attempt to pluck out the Moat that is in their brothers eye.
X. Whether the Parliament and Army in waging a juſt warre againſt the King and his malignant party, had not been free from the bloud of the King, if his life had been taken away in theſe warres; and whether it be not every way as lawfull when they have overcome him (through the bleſſing of God upon their endeavours) to proceed againſt him in a legall way, to try him for his abominable murthering his innocent ſubjects, as it was formerly to wage warre againſt him.
XI. Whether (the premiſes duly weighed) yee the Miniſters of the province of London) have not ill requited he Lord & his faithfull ſervants in this Nation, for their great work and labour**Heb. 6.10. of love in ſaving hitherto this miſerable kingdome though your oppoſing ſo bitterly (contrary to the nature and commiſſion of true Goſpel and Evangelicall Miniſters) their juſt and righteous proceedings in a legall way to have the known and undoubted enemies of the Lord and his people, brought to condigne puniſhment: and whether this may not in an houre when you little think of it, be found juſt matter of ſhame and ſorrow to your poore ſoules.
XII. Whether yee have not heretofore in your conſciences beleeved, and accordingly in a publick manner profeſſed, that the King (whom you now ſo much plead for) hath been a notorious enemy to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and ſought (quantum in ſe fuit) to lay violent hands on his Throne, and to make his heritage deſolate, and to introduce an arbitrary and tyrannicall power into the civill State, and to confirm (as to this day, that Antichriſtian Government in your Church which you have covenanted againſt; and whether you have not preached prayed, and written, if not ſome of you fought againſt him in your proper perſons, or at leaſt incouraged the Souldiers thereunto,5 when you have been formerly in the relation of Chaplains or Preachers to them, though now your judgements and practiſes (without any juſt grounds) are clean altered and turned about.
XIII. Whether now in this preſent juncture of time for ſuch as yee are, that pretend to be Miniſters of Chriſt, and friends to the kingdomes peace) to plead for the King and his malignant party, that were happily ſecluded from ſitting at the Helm of the Kingdome any longer (they ſteering ſo directly contrary to the ſafety of the Kingdome) and to preach & pray, and write for them, and againſt the preſent Parliament and Army, that cannot juſtly be taxed of carrying on any other deſigne then the glory of God, and ſalvation of this miſerable Kingdome, and have deſerved far better at your hands, bee not with Iehoſophat that godly Prince, to**2 Chron. 19.2. help the ungodly, and love thoſe that hate the Lord; and whether this be any other then to fall from your**Rev. 2.4, firſt love, and betray your truſt you pretend to be committed to you by Chriſt, and whether wrath be not for this gone out againſt you from the Lord.
XIV. Whether if you narrowly ranſack your boſomes, & deale impartially with your own hearts many of you, (if not all of you that have ſubſcribed the Letter lately ſent to the Lord Generall and his Councell of War) have not appeared againſt their preſent preceedings with the Parliament in the ſecluding the malignant members, and triall of the King, out of meere prejudice againſt them, becauſe you underſtand they are about to pull downe that Dagon of the presbytery, viz. Tyths & offerings, &c. the which you ſo much ſtrive to keep up, (though altogether inconſiſtent with the Ark of God) and can no more endure to have taken from you, then old Micah could his carved and moulten Image, his Ephod and Teraphim, Iudg. 18.18. who cried out, Yee have taken away my Gods, and what have I more.
XV. Whether in this late ſetting your ſelves againſt the proceeding of the Parliament and Army, in trying of the King, and bringing him to juſtice, ye doe not directly break the Covenant you ſo much idolize and plead for, by endeavouring (what in you lies) to keep from condigne puniſhment ſuch as are convicted of delinquency, and are without controverſie6 known enemies to the State and Kingdome in the higheſt degree; and whether your exempting the perſon of the King from juſtice, be not to make the righteous God a〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. i. a reſpecter of perſons.
XVI. Whether this courſe you have lately taken, by your publick preaching, praying, and writing, to oppoſe the preſent weighty proceedings of the Army, be not in a very great meaſure, a making ſad the hearts of the godly party, and rejoycing the hearts of the wicked, yea a ſtrengthening their hearts and hands to be more active and deſperate then ever (if the Lord from heaven did not put a hook**Iſa. 37.29. in their jaws to reſtrain them) in their old wayes of bloody Cavaleriſme: and whether you doe not hereby give juſt occaſion as to the enemy to juſtifie the King and themſelves in their former curſed wayes of diſobedience to the lawes of God and this Kingdome, ſo to the Lords people to doe your errand to Heaven, and fill the eares of Jehovah with loud cryes and ſad complaints againſt you, and to beſeech him either to open your eyes, or ſtop your mouthes.
XVII. Whether you have not juſt cauſe to feare, that you are in the number of thoſe the Prophet Malachi ſpeaketh of, chap. 3.2. who ſhall not abide the day of Chriſts coming into his Temple, nor ſtand when he appeareth, as a Refiners fire, and like Fullers ſope; and whether you are not ſome of thoſe Prieſts and Levits there ſpoken of, that ſtand in need of Chriſts putting you into his Refining pot, that he may purge out that droſſe and take away that ſcum of ambition, covetouſneſſe, and bitterneſſe, that ſo apparently remains upon you, ſo that you may be able to offer to the Lord a pure offering, and an offering in righteouſneſſe indeed, and not mingle the cleane and unclean any longer together, when you draw nigh to God in the wayes of his ſacred worſhip and ſervice.