TO THE SOULDIERY.
I Cannot, nor ever ſhall I endeavour to hide or deprive of their due Praiſes, thoſe godly Lights which have ſhined amongſt you, in the Armies of England, Scotland, and Ireland; who by their many examples of Valour, Equity, Wiſedom, Magnanimity, Dexterity, and other excellent Virtues, are beyond all parallel: But I muſt withal let you know, That to Judge of them ſoundly and aright, both you and I, and every particular man of the2 three Nations, muſt fly to the Father of all Lights, who uſing theſe great and worthy Perſonages for the building, preſervation, or encreaſe of this Eſtate, hath enriched them with great and precious Graces; that acknowledging him the Author as well of theſe Virtues, as of the happy ſucceſs of things manged by them; we all may learn to yeild him homage, for the preſervation, continuance, and encreaſe of this Common-wealth.
Suppoſe we then, that theſe former goodly Lights ſhould now appear, as ſo many terrible flaming Comets, or degenerate into ſuch ſparkling Firebrands, as would in a moment fill theſe three Nations with inteſtine Flames, and unnatural Combuſtions; Would not you who are the Souldiery of theſe three Nations, wiſely conſider with your ſelves, what you went about, before you would force the poor people of theſe Nations, to become freſh Fewel to ſuch Infernal Flames? and would you not hear Reaſon, and conſult with good Counſel and Advice, before you raſhly made your ſelves, the Inſtruments of ſuch lamentable Effects which would ſhortly follow?
Let me tell you then, That hearing with grief of heart, the Diviſions which are noiſed abroad, and like to happen amongſt us, by occaſion of ſome of the great Officers of your Armies; I thought it high time to come forth, and to repreſent unto you the dargerous inconveniencies, which may happen by ſuch alccrations, which vvill fill each3 Town with Confuſion, our Neighbour States with Scorn and Deriſion, and every other N•tion with bad Examples: Therefore in the firſt place, I earneſtly deſire you all, That you would unanimouſly entreat, and humbly requeſt your Heads and Officers, to lay aſide all ſpleen and animoſity, and to be reconciled to their Heads and Governors: For you, all of you, ſufficiently know thoſe miſeries which do accompanie the Torrents of Inteſtine War and Diſſention.
Contemn not therefore this good Counſel; but receive it with the reſpect and reverence which is due to ſo great a Common-wealth; and with the ſame good will vvhich you have ſhewed at the firſt, ſo continue it unto the end.
All things are yet in good Eſtate, and may continue ſo if you will; for, by the Grace of God, your Troubles are no ways come to irreconcilable Extremities. 'Tis too true, you are too much behinde with your pay; yet I hope you will not ſo far prefer your Profit before Reaſon, as to force your Magiſtrates, and fright their Miniſters and People, to ſubmit to your wills and pleaſures; ſeeing they are all of them reſolved (if you hold but your hands) to pay you all ſpeedily, and with their thankful acknowledgment of your good ſervices, further to honour and advance you. Perſwade therefore (if poſſible) your Officers and Commanders, to leave their conceived hatred and ſpleen, and to lay aſide their paſſions, and4 with quiet ſpirits, to conſider of all inconveniencies of Times, Places, and Perſons. You ſee we are now in peace, almoſt through the three Nations; and will you be the firſt to ſound the Trumpet to begin a new VVar? VVould you that your Native Country ſhould ſerve as a Theater, to add a bloody Cataſtrophe, to our late paſt Tragedies? Alas! you are all in the ſame Veſſel, in the ſame Encloſure, breathing the ſame Ayr, uſing the ſame Tongue, and the ſame Laws and Cuſtomes: And be aſſured, That thoſe vvhom you or your Commanders, do now repute for your Adverſaries, are your fellow Subjects, your Neighbors, your Kinsfolke, your Brethren, and and Members of the ſame Body: And though your Opinions be diverſe, touching matters of Religion, yet your VVills ſhould be united for the good of the Common-wealth. To this end, let me entreat you once more, to entreat your Officers and Commanders again, and again, to abandon all thoſe pernitious Counſels, which preſent nothing unto them, but through the falſe ſight of Opinion and Choler, and vvhich vvill plunge them into a Gulf of Miſeries at the laſt; and invite them all by your examples, to embrace union and concord, vvhich is the foundation and root of all the reſt, the Nurſe of Peace, the Conſolation of good Subjects, and a plentiful Harveſt of all good Things.
And as for your particulars, let me ſeriouſly5 and ſeaſonably adviſe you all, ſtill to remain in the Port of this Concord, where the State doth gu•de us all, after ſo many Storms and Temp•ſts; and where both you and we ſhall be aſſured. •he Sea doth no harm to Ships that have good Anchors: Now Obedience is the Anchor which doth aſſure out Ship againſt the fury of both VVinds and VVaves; it is that which gives l•fe and motion to all the members of the Body; and there is not a more certain ſigne of the life of a Commonvvealth, then this Obedience.
Let us all therefore ſtand and wait the providence which almighty God hath apointed, which ordinance neither Enemies can hinder, nor Friends advance; and therefore the direction of this Truth, ought to teach you all to Sail in this Sea, every man in his Place and Office, as he ought, and according to his Degree and Command amongſt you, expecting a more happy Harbour, by the bounty and wiſdom of him that rules the VVaves of humane Confuſions, as the Soveraign Judge, holding in his hands both the hearts and the events of all things.
I ſhall conclude with the Exhortation of Moſes the General of Iſrael, to his both Spiritual and Temporal Souldiers, in theſe words, And Moſes ſaid unto the People, Fear ye not, ſtand ſtill, and ſee the ſalvation of the Lord, which he will ſhea to you today. Exod. 14. 13.