THE MISTAKE OF THE TIMES, WHEREIN Is obſerved the preſent difference betweene the PARLIAMENT and ARMY.
IT hath ever been held an unfit courſe to Intermeddle with other mens actions, eſpecially when one hath nothing to do with the matters in queſtion, yet here methinks every good ſubject as well as every great ſubject, may challinge an intereſt; I have therefore (though in the midſt of my own private diſtr•ctions) lent thy obſervations to thoſe publick diſtances between Parliament and Army. Indeed I have often heard it that a King is the husband, and the Common-wealth is the wife, now whom God hath joyned together let no man nor malice ſeeke to ſeperate; ye•if any differences ariſe, I ſhall pray they may compoſe them themſelves, or elſe they throw themſelves upon the c•••u•e of others, but ſometimes they may be lyable to ſuch diſtempers, that they may need a Phyſitian, and Parliaments have been held the fitteſt and beſt Phyſitians to cure diſquiets in either; For as houſhold jarrs may rend and ruin a family, the husband pulling one way, and the wife another, to their own infinite diſquiets; So when theoſe differences are compoſed, it doth knit the bond of affection the firmer, that many times they may cry out, we are happier by our failings and falling out; But if any go about to make the breach wider now horrid a taske they undertake, they and they only can tell, who have been lyable to ſuch miſchances, for when bad perſwaſions meet with ſuch untoward humours as are2 apt to entertaine ill conceits of one another, how eaſie a thing it is to make that irr〈…〉, which by〈◊〉and ſeaſonable advice is ſoone compoſed, even ſo in a diſtempered Kingdome, where either the Prince playes the wanton with his prerogatives, and gives others power to abuſe his Subjects, thinking his people bound to ſuffer any thing he layeth upon them, or where a diſtempered Nation•egin•to thinke evill of their Princes,••…pi••…ing to ſee any in grea•er power then themſelves, how eaſie is it for any ſiding with either, to make the ſparkes of deviſion grow to ſuch a flame as may ſet the whole Kingdome in combuſtion. And how eaſie is it on the other ſide to procure a faire compoſure, if any will modeſtly and mannerly ſhew their Prince how he is abuſed by his inſtruments, and what a derrogation it is to his Princly dignity to imploy bad agents, becauſe the worſt of the evill••flects upon himſelf, Therefore intreate him in time to prevent ſuch growing evils by taking advice by a Parliament, and no the other ſide to perſwade the people to have a reverent eſteeme of their Prince, as of one God hath ſet over them and that as ſoone as the world became populous, there was a neceſſity of diff•rence and diſtinction of perſons, and that ſupreame powers are ordained by God, and thoſe that reſiſt them reſiſt the Ordinance of God. And ſo having brought both to ſee their ſickneſſe, to perſwade both to make their refuge to the Phyſitian; but now if this Phyſition ſhall proceed ſo cunningly with both, as to refuſe to undertake the cure, unleſſe all the power they both have be conferred on him, preſuming the Prince will indure no ſuch coraſives if there be occaſion to uſe them, nor the people being of an untamed humour) will not be kept in fitting bounds, if I ſay the Parliament be ſo cau•ious (as out of theſe conſiderations), not to undertake the cure unleſſe it be inveſted with this power the danger will be, and is but to apparant, the cure man be worſe then the diſeaſe.
For could it have been imagined that the King for his volun•ary deſire to ſatisfy his ſubjects in granting the continuance of this Parliament, that they ſhould not onely make it5 perpetuall, but deprive the King of all ſubjection to him, nay of all livelihood, and did the Common-wealth immagine, that out of a deſire to be freed from all Monopolies, and all illegall demands, as Shipmony, and the reſt, they ſhould have been thus enſnared, as to pay greater Taxes, new Exciſes, ſuch Contributions, as do not onely farre exceede all former demands, but are ſtill ſo increaſing, that they not onely groane under the burthen of them, but grow not able to diſcharge them, and yet they are made beleeve this is for the liberty of the Subject, I have heard that none can mannage an eſtate ſo well, as thoſe that are breed in the familiar uſe of it, which is the reaſon, that the Sonnes of thoſe men that ſuddenly grow rich, are for the moſt part prodigalls; ſo I wonder not that this Parliament having ſuch an expected power put in their hands, prove and play the Prodigall with it, what vaſt ſumms have been rayſed, and how diſpoſed, not the wiſeſt amongſt them (I verily beleeve) can tell, why Armies have been liſted, hummunition provided, ſo many Innocents killed, can any of them give a reaſon? for what good hath all our fighting produced, but breed an inviterate hate againſt one another, nay after all our glorious (as they call them) victories, are we any whit the nearer happineſſe? nay (I feare) we are rather falling into greater diſtractions; for doth not the Army preſcribe rules to the Parliament, nay to the King himſelfe, by fetching him violently from Holmby, and ſtill diſpoſing of him as they not he pleaſeth, ſo as I feare they guard him for danger, not from danger, and do they not impeach the Members of the Houſe of Commons, and require a perfect time for determination of this Parliament, and divers other things, and do not the Quer•es object againſt the Army, nay may not the Parliament juſtly wonder that an Army ſhould at one and the ſame time require pay from them, and infringe their priviledges, is not this ſtrange bandying at one another, & offing one another from hazard to hazard, even to the hazard of one anothers ruine, for4 are we not next doore to be againe imbroyled in a new warre, and ſo to be made (and what is worſe to make our ſelves) the ſcorne of all our Neighbour Nations, but was it not ſo with the Children of Izrael when they had no King? did not every man what ſeemed good in his owne eyes and I pray conſider what ſtrange thinge have been acted both in Church and Common wealth in this Kingdome of la•e, may it not truly be ſaid? Thy holy Temples they have defiled, and made Ieruſalem an he•p•of ſtones, ſo as it is a wonder to me that the ſtones do not cry out, and now muſt we expect our happineſſe from further diviſions, certainely no, I wiſh therefore we would prevent ſo neere an approaching evill before it come upon us; for let us once more be ingaged in juſtifying our ſeverall conceits by the ſword, it will then be too late to wiſh a reconcilement.
O that both Parliament and Army would therefore (before it be too late,) throw themſelves at the Kings feete, and humbly acknowledge thinge are done improperly on both ſides, for as it is mans weakneſſe to err, ſo it is mans wickedneſſe to perſiſt in errour; for I am perſwaded if we would yet at laſt put all our miſtries into the Kings hands, it will prove the likelyeſt way to cure our overſpreading maladies before they grow to ſuch an height, as they will be impoſſible to be cured, and that we would deſire him to ſettle things as ſeemes beſt in his eyes; for certainly, as God hath endowed him with knowledge above his fellowes, or elſe he could never have borne thoſe high and ſtrange affronts as have been put upon him with ſo admirable a patience, ſo I am confident, affliction hath been prepared him to mannage the Scepters of his three Kingdomes, with more ſafety to his Subjects, and honour to himſelfe, then he hath done before; for new he ſees plainly, freeborne ſubjects will not indure indirect demands, and therefore there is no doubt his own pious heart deſires ſo to mannage thoſe things are committed to his charge, as to prepare and ſecure his way to Heaven, and future happineſſe; for here we have no abaling City.
5O Lord (for thy mercies ſake) open the eyes of this ſi•full Nation, that not truſting to their own〈◊〉, nor••••…ing to their own conceite, they may reinveſt His Majeſty in his juſt rights, and learne and reſolve to ſubmit to his Commands, and then upon the diſſolution of this Parliament ▪ it is not to be doubted but His Majeſty will call another, and ſo ſettle the Peace of this (now totterring) Kingdome, but if ſtill we keepe him at diſtance, and continue our thwarting and croſſing one another, we may undoubtedly (and that very ſhortly) ſay, we might have been happy but would not; therefore woe, woe, woe, is but too likely to be our portion, let us O let us, therefore devote with all reverence a day of generall humiliation for our crying ſins, ſo may our generall deſolations be Preuented, nay let us (for〈◊〉we had needs) 〈…〉mi•••ily to the Lord) to••ver•his•udgements〈…〉, King, meete with condigne puniſhment, we were of all Nations moſt miſerable, but there is mercy with him that he ſhould be feared, if therefore we can truly humble our ſelves, and implore his mercies in an humble, lowly, pennitent, and obedient manner, there is yet hope, we may not quite periſh; for as man cannot commit greater ſins then God can forgive, yet if we perſiſt in theſe crying impieties, it is to be feared, we may commit thoſe ſins God will not forgive, but that other Nations and our future Generation, may have cauſe to bemoane our juſt deſolations, and that our gardens be given to thoſe will make a better uſe of them then we have done; for if famine, murther, rape, (which are the bitter Attendants of warre) be the effects of our reformed religion, how will the mother be deteſted that bringeth forth ſuch loath ſome iſſue; let us therefore take heede we not onely wound, but altogether deſtroy our religion we ſeeme with ſo much zeale to eſtabliſh, I wiſh therefore we would take warning by the parable of him that planted a Vineyard, and let it out unto husbandmen, and when he expected fruite, and ſent a ſervant to them, they4〈1 page duplicate〉5〈1 page duplicate〉6beat him, and ſent him away empty, and ceaſed not there, but uſed two others in the like or worſe manner, nay they killed the Sonne himſelfe, but what the Lord of the Vineyard did I tremble to think on, leaſt the like puniſhment for the like impieties befall us.