AS I have ever found you a truly loving friend to mee and mine heather to, and that in my greateſt adverſity and hotteſt conflicts, which with all thankfulneſſe I doe acknowledg, and have with reciprocall affection anſwered your love: So I hope there ſhall never on my part, any juſt occaſion bee given of violating this our mutuall affection: for to the uttermoſt of my abilities, I ſhall endeavour to keepe peace with all men eſpecially my Chriſtian acquaintance. And ſo confident I am of your good opinion, that there is not any calumny how high ſo ever it fly, and how loud ſoever it ſpeake, and by what multitudes ſoever it be ſpread obroad and divulged, that can in the leaſt alienate your charity from me before you have heard my juſt defence. And truly at this time though I ſhould not returne an anſwer to your Letter in way of juſtification of my owne integritie, ſo aſſured I am of your Love, that al • thoſe foule aſperſions that are now cauſleſly publiſhed concerning me, by reaſon of a Letter printed by Leiu. Col. Lilburne ſhould not in the leaſt ſtagger your good eſteeme of me or eſtrange you from me: much leſſe would they extort a cenſure from you before you had heard what I had to reply in my owne behalfe. But ſeeing you have deſired for the ſatisfaction of others to heare from me concerning the buſines between me and the Leiut. Colonell, I thought fit to gratifie you in a few lines, not that I am ſollicitous about that matter, or that it doth in the leaſt trouble my minde, or diſquiet my thoughts: for ſuch is my innocency in this cauſe, that beſides the teſtimony of my owne Conſcience, I have the witneſſe of the whole Parliament, the great Councell of the Kingdome to acquit and free me from the Colonells crimination: ſo that all men may ſee that it was malitiouſly laid upon me, onely to make mee hatefull to all good people. You know that Calumny (who is quicker then Martiall Law) doth ordinarily arraigne, accuſe and condemne men before they have beene heard ſpeake for themſelves, and men are uſually put to death and murdered in their reputation, and their fame taken from them before they know of it: and thus at this time it hath hapned to me, who am made as odious and infamous as the tongues of Revilers can make me, and that upon no juſt grounds; as you ſhall ſee by and by. It is a ſinne that many in this Nation are highly gui • ty of, who deale not with others as they would be dealt with, and eaſily receive a reproach againſt their Neighbour, both which notwithſtanding are againſt the Royall Law of love. Neither is there any man that would not complaine if one ſhould either ſpread an evill report of him, or imbrace one againſt him; yet that they condemne in others is the practiſe of too too many in theſe our dayes: and they that ſit at the Sterne of Government canno • keepe themſelves from the Obliques of ſuch as owe their lives unto them for their care and watchfulnes for their good, and therefore we that are of the low degree may not thinke our condition miſerable, when we ſee our Rulers and the chiefe Magiſtrates of the Kingdome, and that not onely in tongue and word, but in every ſcurrilous Pamphlet, hour ••• traduced: But now to the matter in hand. You tell me, you heard That Maſter John Lilburne hath againe printed another Letter, where in together with others, 〈◊〉 hath ſorely taxed me, to have done him agreat deale of wrong, &c. What he hath publiſhed concerning others, I leave them to an • wer to that, but what hee hath printed concerning my ſelfe, it is moſt falſe, and no way beſeeming him a brother, ſo to deale with one, that had loved and honoured him, more than he did himſelfe, and ſo farre, I have ever beene from wronging him in the leaſt meaſure as all that know me, or ever heard me ſpeake of him, when he was accuſed of pride, raſhneſſe, malverſation factiouſneſſe of ſpirit, &c. I ſay, when I have heard many bla •• him, as well friends as en • mies, they can all witneſſe for mee, hee had ever my good word, either wholly to excuſe him, and vindicate his reputation, or at leaſt to extenuate his offence: ſo that I am not in the leſt thing guilty of diſaffection to him, much leſſe of that, hee layeth to my chrge, yea, had it beene true, that hee chargeth mee with, yet it had beene no more a cryme in me, then it was in himſelfe, when he not only communicated a buſineſſe concerning Col, Hollis to Mr. Samuell Gooſe, but afterward made it knowne to ſome Members of the Houſe; which ſaith he, we did without any deſigne in the world ſaving the diſcharge of our duty. Thus he ſpeaketh in his Letter concerning himſelfe and Maſter Gooſe: Now if they thought it a diſcharge of their duty, to informe the Houſe of ſuch things as concerned the State, becauſe Robinſon ſaid he would juſtifie it to the death, why ſhould any thinke it a crime in me, to informe the Par • iament of thoſe things that others affirmed▪ with as great a probability of verity as Robinſon did? Eſpecfally when it concerned the whole Kingdome? Yea in the 8th page of his Letter hee ſpeaketh of three Citizens, that were come downe from London to Westminster, namely Maſter Prity a Draper and one of his neighbours in Dowgate▪ and one Maſter Worly that lives about Morefields, and all theſe (ſaith he) were come downe to Weſtminſter, and did give information to 4. Members of the Houſe of Commons, namely to Colonell R • gby, Sir Walter Earle, Col. Long, and Maſterr Corbet, concerning Sir John Lenthall and the Speaker, as they had heard it from others, and the which was knowne (as he affirmeth) to thouſands of Citizens by the hearing of the eare: and all this the Colonell in his Letter, ſaith, thoſe men were informing the Houſe of; when he came to Weſtmin. And in all there ſo doing I do conceive he thinketh they did but their duty. Why therfore ſhould the very ſame men, thinke it ſo hainous a crime & offence now in me, if I made the ſame information it to the whole Houſe, which they had done to ſome perticular Members of was it a vertue in them, and a thing praiſe worthy, and it is a crime and P • aculum in me? But it was againſt a friend and a brother to whom, I was exceedingly beholding. Firſt therfore I ſhal deſire you to take his own expreſſion concerning the buſineſſe, and after my reply. His words are theſe.

It ſeemes Doctor Baſtwicke (a man that ſtands obliged to me, with as many tyes of friendſhip and reſpect, as I am confident he doth to any man in the world, for whom I have often both in England and Holland adventured my life, and all that was mine, and for whoſe ſake and cauſe, as an earthly inſtrument I underwent all the ſorrowes and miſeries, that I ſuffered from the Biſhops for diverſe yeares together) ſ • nt in a paper to the Speaker to informe him, that I had accuſed him for ſending threeſcore thouſand pounds to Oxford (though with the ſaid Doctor Baſtwicke to my remembrance, I had not any diſcourſe at all about any ſuch buſineſſe: for the diſcourſe I had about that buſineſſe was with Leiutenant Colonell Roes, the Scout-Maſter Generall, whom I brought up out of the Guarden to the aforeſaid three Citizens, that had newly given in their information under their owne hands. Maſter Worley, one of the three, being Leiutenant Col. Roes old acquaintance, told him more (I am confident of it) by many degrees, then before hee had from me. Yet (as I am informed) upon Doctor Baſtwickes paper • barely, the Speaker g • t a Vote (before ever I knew any thing, though I all day waited upon the Parliament) to paſſe the Houſe in theſe words.

Reſolved upon the Queſtion by the Commons aſſembled in Parliament, that Leiutenant Colonell Lilburne, • ee forthwith taken into cuſtody by the Sergeant as Armes attending the Houſe, and ſo kept till the Houſe give further Order.

This is his owne expreſſion; by the which it is manifeſt, that the information was made to four members of the Houſe of Commons, before my Paper was ſent in to Maſter Speaker, which was about three a clocke in the afternoone: So that I did nothing, but what had beene acted by the three Citizens before. Now if they were not baſe and paultry fe • lowes and Knaves for doing this, then there is no juſt ground, nor cauſe why either Leiutenant Colonell Lilburne, and Mr. Worley and there companions ſhould aſperſe me with thoſe odious tearmes, and many more, calling mee an Apoſtate, as they have beene often heard ſpeake, and for no other cauſe but for informing the Houſe of that which they themſelves had done before mee, yet all theſe calumnies I now under go from theſe men and of all their fraternitie, and for no other offence but for that they applaud in themſelves for a vertue. But now for anſwer to that which Leiutenant Colonell Lilburne chargeth me with, and for a replication to your requeſt, know this Maſter Vicars, that it is moſt falſe, and that I may expreſſe my ſelfe in the words of a Parliament man (when he had read the printed Letter) it is a moſt impetuous lye, for ſo ſaid a Member of the Houſe to me, that Lilburne had printed a moſt impetuous lye againſt me, whiles he upbraided mee, and my ever to be honoured brother Maſter William Prynne of lying, and to ſpeake the verity, I doe not thinke there was a more groſſe and wilfuller untruth ever printed againſt any man: for I underſtanding that Leiutenant Colonell Lilburn had given out that I had informed againſt him, I ſent him word by one Miſtris Barber, which told me that ſhe was very ſorry to heare that I ſhould do ſuch a thing againſt a brother and a loving friend and fellow ſufferer, to whom I meerely replyed, that it was a groundleſſe report, and that I never did it, and with all told her, that it was one Hawkins, and deſired her to ſignifie it to my Brother Lilburne, that he might be undeceived, and fearing that ſhe ſhould not relate it unto him, (though ſhe was then going to him) and promiſed me that ſhe would) the next day finding him waiting on the Committee, I blamed him that he ſhould report ſuch things of mee, and told him that hee had exceedingly wronged me in ſo doing, in raiſing ſuch a report and withall ſignified unto him that it was his friend Hawkins that had accuſed him: Notwithſtanding all this, ſuch is his inveterat malice towards me, becauſe I writ againſt the Independents, that he printed that falſehood againſt mee, only as I ſuppoſe to bring an Odi •• s upon me through the Kingdome (for his Letter is now as publike as weekely newes, and in every bodyes hands) and I am induced to beleeve that this was the deſigne both of himſelfe and thoſe that are of his ſociety, becauſe it hath ever beene their ordinary practice, to abuſe ſuch in tongue and print withall manner of callumnies and blaſting language as they think Malignant and Leiutenant Col. Lilburne by name, is notorious, and famous for this faculty of reviling, as this his printed letter doth ſpecifie and his many other Pamphlets, and that which not long ſince he printed againſt Col. King a Lincolnſhire Gentleman who had deſerved as wel from the Parliament and his Country (if famelye not) as moſt of thoſe that have bin in publike ſervice for the State▪ and who expoſed himſelfe to as many dangers, and did as faithfully diſcharge his place and the truſt committed to him as any man: yet this man, becauſe he oppoſed the Independent party, and would not whiles he was in Come mand, ſuffer them in a diſorderly manner to leave the publike Aſſemblies where the word was faithfully and Orthodoxly preached and vent their own novelties, to the ſeducing and miſleading of the poore people and making a faction in Church and State: For no other ground (I ſay) that ever I heard of, ſaving that he being a man not only of integrity, but wiſdome alſo and courage, and could not indure to ſee his Country-men made a pray of to pur • oyners, and ſuch as aymed more at their owne honour and private emolument then at the publique good and dignity of the Parliament; for theſe very cauſes and no other, that ever I could learne what I ſay with that party hating him, and the Independents joyning with them, by their falſe informations and clamorus againſt him and their malitious ſuggeſtions, as that he was of a troubleſome and contentious ſpirit, they have made him as odious as any man in the Kingdome, excepting my ſelfe and my learned and honoured Brother Mr. William Prynne. And Lieutenant Colonell Lilburne not ſatisfied to raile of this gallant Gentleman whereſoever he came, but printed a moſt notorious lying Libell againſt him, and ſuch an one, as all the truly Godly and honeſt men of that County doe affirme, they never ſaw more prodigious untruthes publiſhed againſt any man: and ſuch of his Country men as are acquainted with him and his abilities know very well, that if hee had but faire play, hee is able for wit and worth to deale with a whole Army of Indepents, and all his enemies, and for valour and skill in Armes he is inſeriour to none of them, and whiles hee was in their good eſteeme, and before hee oppoſed their faction, they neither thought nor ſpake otherwiſe of him, but as of a brave and diſerving Gentleman as can be prov'd by a cloud of witneſſes and under the hands of the beſt of them: but now, becauſe he is adverſe to theer way, as with all good reaſon, hee and all good men, ſuch as love the peace of Sion, and the welfare of the Kingdome, ought to bee, to their whimſy of Independency, therefore that party and their abbettors do moſt horridly abuſe him with all manner of reproaches, and my Brother Lilburne by name, (as I ſaid before) hath publiſhed ſuch beaſtly lies of him, as ſcarſe the Sunne ever ſaw greater, and in the ſame tracke and path do all the Independent faction walke in, blaſting all thoſe they hate with vilifying language, and for this very end and for no other purpoſe, I perſwaded my ſelfe he publiſhed that lye againſt me, that he might make me deſpicable, and of no reputation amongſt honeſt men: for in his accuſation, hee chargeth me with two crimes, Lying and Ingratitude, either of which were enough to make mee infamous through the World, much more they being both joyned together, and that with aggravation for there is nothing that all ingenious men hate, & abhorre more then alyat, and an ungratefull fellow, and that deſervedly neither can any honeſt man keepe ſuch men company with ſafety, as are guilty of thoſe crimes. And truly, if I were ſuch a man, the world might juſtly diſtaſte and abjure mee. Now to prove me a lyer, he thus argueth. The Doctor (ſaith hee) ſent in a paper to inform the Speaker, that I had accuſed him for ſending threeſcore thouſand pound to Oxford, though with the ſaid Doctor Baſtiwck I had no diſcourſe at all about any ſuch buſineſſe. And therefore he is a notorious ly • t, to affirme that I accuſed Maſter Speaker, when I had no diſcourſe with him about any ſuch buſineſſe. And to prove me an ungratefull fellow, and one that had done him evill for good, which is yet a degree of Sin above ungratitude: Hee thus diſpureth. Doctor Boſtwicke, a man that ſtands obliged unto mee, with as many tyes of friendſhip and reſpect, as J am confident he doth to any m • n in the world, for whom I have both in England and Holland, adventured my ſelfe and all that was 〈◊〉 , and for whoſe ſake and cauſe, as an earthly inſtrument I under went all the ſorrowes and miſeries that I ſuffered from the Biſhops for divers yeares together. And for this man to make an information againſt me and thus to reward mee, rendring me evill for Good, he proclaimes himſelfe to the whole world to be an unworthy and ungratefull man, and therefore ought deſervedly to be abhorred and abominated of all good people, as a lyer & an unthankfull fellow, and this is the ſcope of this gallant ſword-mans diſputation, to wound and diſtroy his Brothers reputation, and this effect it hath allready produced, that amongſt all thoſe of that fraternity (for they take all pro confeſſe that he either ſpeaketh or Printeth) they talke no otherwiſe of mee then of a baſe fellow, calling me knave and paultry fellow at every word, and this dialect they have learned of Lieutenant Colonell Iohn Lilburne, who when hee ſpeaketh of me, giveth me no other name, although it is well knowne untill I had declared my ſelfe againſt Independency, there were no praiſes though great enough both for me and my Brother Prynne, ſuch is the ſickleneſſe and vanity of the poore creature, one day crying Hoſanna, and another day crucifie him, if in the leaſt ye diſpleaſe his humour, and ſo hee dealeth with the Parliament, who, but the Parliament not long ſince with Iohn Lilburne? and now they are a company of Tyrants? and the ſupreame Court of Judicature is with him as bad as the High Commiſſion, and the Star-chamber, and worſe and all the Judges in the great Councell, as bad as Strafford and the Prelates, trampling downe Magna Charta, and the liberty of the Subjects under there feet, ſo that if their dealings towards the Subjects be juſt, he profeſſeth he hath loſt his judgment, and muſt beginne to learne A. B. C. againe, &c. But to wave his diſpiſing of Government, and rayling of dignities, a Sin which God ſo much abhorrs, 2 Pet. 2. Iude and which belongs to thoſe in authority to redreſſe, and whom it moſt concernes. I come to his particular charge againſt mee, and firſt, where hee accuſeth mee that I put up a paper againſt him to the Speaker, hee beginnes his crimination with calling, for I never put up a paper againſt him, neither did I ever in my life inform againſt him unto any Parliament man, or ever open my mouth to any of the Houſe in his leaſt prejudice to this preſent day, but have ever ſpoken well of him to the Parliament, and for this I now ſay, all the Parliament can witneſſe for mee: and ſo farre I was from making an Information againſt him about this buſineſſe, that I knew not at that time, that hee had ever heard that Mr. Speaker was accuſed of any ſuch thing, nor had not knowne it, had not hee himſelfe in his letter ſignified ſo much that Pendrid had told him ſuch a thing, and therefore I could not informe againſt him, and in the firſt paper that I and Colonell King put into the Houſe, wee were ſo carefull of preſerving others reputations, that we named none in it but Haukings. But after we had ſent in the firſt paper, and underſtanding from others, that Hawkins varied in his relation, and whereas to us he had only by name accuſed Maſter Speaker, and Sir Robert Harlow, ſaying that many more were equally guilty, and hearing that, to others hee in his relaton ſaid there were ten more ſpecifying a certaine number upon this new intelligence, we conceiving that if he would communicate theſe things to us which were ſtrangers unto him, hee would much more impart his mind to his familiers and thoſe of his owne faction, and ſeeing him in the company of many of that way from whoſe ſoſiety hee then immediatly came and related thoſe things to us, we verily perſvvaded our ſelves that hee had told them alſo the ſame things, and thinking vvith our ſelves if Hawkins ſhould deny his words as probably hee might, that then we might the better corroberat and ſtrengthen our witneſſe with their teſtimonies, which would alſo have added great force and life to our information as being men of reputation and of good eſteeme and credit in the Parliament, and againſt whom there could be no juſt exception or ſuſpition of hatred to that party, they being Independents and no Presbiterians, I ſay for the ſtrengthening of our witneſſe, in the next paper wee ſent in to the Houſe, wee put in the names of ſome of thoſe that were in Hawkins company, as Colonell Iret •• , and Lieutenant Colo •• ll Lilburn, for ſuch was the honour we then bare to them, as we had thought to have had their teſtimony and witneſſe, joyned with ours, (in caſe that Hawkins ſhould have jugled with us, or denyed any thing he ſpake to us) and truly Colonell Iret • n might as well have pickt a quarrell with none at Lieutenant Colonell Lilburne, if he had beene of a malitious and contentio • s ſpirit: for all that wee intended by naming of them in the paper preſented to the Houſe, was for no other end, but to produce their teſtimonies with ours, if (as I ſaid before) Hawkins ſhould have denyed his words. And whether the naming of theſe men were any wrong to them, or any juſt cauſe of a quarell from Lieutenant Colonell Lilburne, I referre it to the judgment of any Sober and diſcreete man! But for the ſaitisfaction of your ſelfe Maſter Vicars and all good men, teke the information as it was put up in its formall words, which I am not now affraid to publiſh becauſe the buſineſſe is now in print by Iohn Lilburne, Lieutenant Colonell, and is now publikely knowne: and becauſe alſo the innocency of the parties accuſed, is novv vindicated and commonly taken notice of, there being nothing made good againſt them, ſo much as vvith any ſeeming probability, much leſſe proved it being vvell knowne alſo, that there vvas not any one of reputation that vvere either the accuſers or proſecutors of the buſineſſe. But the laſt information that vvas put up into the Houſe of Commons vvas this;

Theſe Mr. Vicars, are the very words wee put up to the Houſe, now I appeale unto the judgment of all juditious and moderate Chriſtians, whether there be any one word of accuſation either made by me or Colonell King, againſt Lieutenant Colonell Lilburne, ſo that it may now appeare unto all men, that it was a moſt malitious lye, fained againſt me by my good Brother Lilburne, and publiſhed only to defame mee: and which is more to bee taken notice of, that howſoever there were many more beſides my ſelfe tha • put up informations to this purpoſe againſt Hawkins, and in this very paper Colonell King by name joyned with me, and that in the firſt place, yet hee baukes them all and ſingles me out to make the Theame of his ſcurrillity, and expoſe mee to the hatred of all good men. So that now M. Vicars I am confident that you & all who ſhal ſee this are ſatisfied by my juſt defence for this firſt point, and ſo you will all free me from his accuſation, and accompt him for his paines a meere calumniating lyer, as hee moſt juſtly deſerveth.

And now I will anſwer to his other cryme of ingratitude. But that you Maſter Vicars, and all to whom you ſhall communicate it, may the better ſee into the temper of this man, and all that are of his faction, I ſhall now communicate unto you, firſt the originall and beginning of my acquaintance with Mr. Iohn Lilburne and of the mutuall affection and reciprocal. Offices that paſſed betweene us untill hee fell into the boyſterous way of ſeperation & did proſecute it vvith, ſuch violence: and then I will relate unto you his carriage of late towards me, beſides his aſpertions, in his Letter of lying and ungratitude, and with all tell you ſome words and paſſages alſo of thoſe of his faction, and how cauſleſly they have abuſed me in word and deed.

When I was a priſoner in the Gate-houſe, I lay there a whole yeare, & a halfe to my beſt remembrance, before I ſaw any Citizen in London, ſaving my owne kindred, and ſuch people as in whoſe Houſes I had Lodged, when I was forced by the tyrany of the times and my malitious enemies, to wait upon the Courts of Iudicature all the tearme time, for there was ſcarſe a Court in the Kingdome where, Tom Newcomin, Danet, and Richard Daniell, thoſe impious and treacherous fellows out of the rancor and hatred had not put me, notwithſtandiug I had bin a meanes to preſerve the ſaid Daniel, the Brother of Thomas Newc • min from the jawes of famine, as all the people of Col • cheſter can witneſſe, yet all they conſpiring againſt me out of malice, hoyſted me up into the Court of Chancery, Kings Bench, High-commiſſion, &c. ſo that I was conſtrained to dance attendance all the Terme long upon one Court or other for many yeares together, untill I was by their proſecution caſt into Priſon, ſo that of neceſſity I was forced into ſome acquaintance, at for my freinds generally, they were like the Rivers of Arabia, when I vvas in the greateſt heat of affliction, and had moſt need of them to refreſh mee, they vvere all dryed up, and as Iobs and Davids friends, either out of baſe feare of the Beaſt, they ſtood a farre of, and ſo declined me, or elſe proved miſerable comforters and added affliction to my bonds, ſo that I found that of Solomon true, confidence in an unfaithfull friend, is like unto a broken tooth or a foot out of joynt, for as a broken tooth and a foote out of joynt, not only fails men vvhen they have the greateſt need of them, for their ſuſtinance and ſupportation, but paine, hurt and anoy them, and many times exceedingly torment them, even ſo it happened to mee, they ſeldome came to mee, except it were to rate mee, and revile mee, and joyne with my enemies, yet though they fayled mee, I had got ſome acquaintance by theſe my ſufferings, who now and then came to viſit mee, and were kinde unto mee, and theſe excepted, no Citizens did ever accoſt me, or come nigh mee in all London for eighteene Moneths. And that which alſo made me not regarded, nor looked after, ſome black mouthed Phyſitians that made Religion their ſtalking Horſe to get into practiſe, one of the which alſo, ſtood really obliged unto mee, in as many Obligations of reſpect and frindſhip, as Lieutenant Colonell Lilburne falſely affirmes, I ſtand bound to him, and yet this man alſo forgetting al courtifies and humanity, for no other reaſon, but becauſe I could not applaud all his diſtempers joyned with the other men unknowne to mee by any familiarity, and with whom to this preſent day I yet never Changed a word, and they all as it were in a confedracy combined together to defame mee, and ſpake all manner of evill of mee (and continue the ſame trade to this day) ſo that in the judgment of all the Citizens that heard of mee and through their calumnies, I was thought worthy of no pitty, and eſteemed of a • man no way to be regarded: yea I was condemned by the moſt of them that heard of mee, as an evill doer, and my puniſhment thought to little for mee, and they ſpake generally of mee as of a debauſhed fellow and a madman: and all thoſe aſpertions were laid upon mee partly out of malice, and partly for feare, leaſt any ſhould make uſe of mee for their Phyſitian, for they were ſure they ſhould ever find mee at home, when others perhaps would be in the Country when they had greateſt need of them, & therfore for feare (as I ſay) leaſt I ſhold hinder Gri •• s from comming to their Mi • l, & out of envy they often traduced me, and vilified me every where an ordinary practiſe eſpecially of the independent Phyſitians, and all that I now ſay Maſter Vicars, I think you in part can witneſſe: ſo that I remained a Priſoner of hope, deſtitute of friends and in a deſpicable condition, and knew not the face of any Citizen but my kindred, and ſome few that I formerly made mention of, untill one Mr. Wharton an old Diſciple, an honeſt and a godly man, was ſent unto me by a Doctor of Divinity, as prelaticall a man as hee told mee, as any in England, which made the good-old man to wonder, yet hee being a learned man tooke pity of mee, and ſent me twenty ſhillings in Gould, which was the firſt preſent I ever received from any man of that function, forbidding him to tell me his name (which hee concealed faithfully) with this Meſſage alſo, that if I were in any neceſſity, I ſhould make Mr. Wharton acquainted with it, and then I ſhould heare from him, and hee likewiſe charged him to take a care of mee, • elling him that he never read any Puritans writings from which he had better ſatisfaction, and gave me hyperbolicall prayſes as he related unto me; whereupon the ould man began to aske mee, how I ſubſiſted there, and I told him in particular, all my means that was left to ſupport me to a Peny (and I bleſſe God I ſp • ake it to his Prayſe) I was as well contented with water-gruell in P •••… lon as ever I was with greateſt plenty at liberty, God bleſſing it to mee and mine, it ſuſtained us and if my poore Wife could purchaſe one roſt joynt of meate in the Weeke, wee thought our ſelves happy, and our little Children would skippe as much to ſee a peece of roſt meat on the ſuit, as others would do at any thing of greateſt delight or wonder, and would cry out one to another roſt-meat, roaſt-meat, that it would draw teares many times from my Wifes eyes to heare them (and that that I now ſpeake the Lord in Heaven knowes it is true) and all this while bleſſed be God, we had our health; & looked well, And in this low and contented conditi • n we could have continued without ſtarving, though wee had never had ayde from any mortall man, but I had a very loving Kinſman (whom you know well Mr. Vicars) Mr. S • rang by name, who ſuſpecting the worſt ſhewed me may kindneſſes and his Children likewiſe, and he lent me money upon any occaſion, and that was no ſmall comfort unto us, but otherwiſe I was friendleſſe and helpleſſe, untill old Mr. Wharton by that Docters meanes came to me who much incouraged mee, and intreated me I would write ſomething in Engliſh, for the people (ſaith hee) underſtands not Latine, and therefore can reape no benefit by your labours, neither will you ever be knowne unto them and ſo hee extreamly urged mee that I would write ſomething in Engliſh, whereupon I demanded of him what theame hee would put me upon, by any meanes (ſaith hee) write againſt the Biſhops, for he could not indure them, they having utterly undone him two or three times and proſecuted him for the ſpace of forty yeares, whereupon I told him that in few dayes I would do ſomething concerning that Subject, and perceiving that he was a good cheerfull, merry old man, I began with my Letany which when he had heard it made him laugh as if hee had bin tickled, ſo that I never ſaw a man more pleaſant at a peece of grillery. And the very day he brought ſome Citizens of good repute into my Chamber, who beſtowed a dinner on mee, and after they had heard my Letany once, they were ſo highly pleaſed at it, that they int • eated to heare it read again • , and deſired each of them a copy of it, and at their departure they ſhewed themſelves very Chriſtianly noble and kind, and gave me ten peece • , which ſet me up, and this was the firſt curreſie that ever I received from any Citizens that were ſtrangers to mee, neither were they loving to me at that time, but now and then they both came and ſent to mee, delighting in my company, ſo as they commended me unto their Neighbours with compaſſion grieving as they ſaid, that I ſhould be neglected and no more regarded, and they read my Letany to them alſo, and ſo from one to another, by this meanes I came to be knovne, and to be in eſteme among ſome Godly Citizens, and to be acquainted with them, who ſhewed me many courteſies, vvhich vvas not a little comfort unto my bands vvhich I acknowledge with all thankfullneſſe to God and them (and all theſe were the old Puritans of E • gland and now Presbiterians, not one of them independent) and this was the firſt occaſion of my being knowne to the City, And not long after this, the good old Father, brought me acquainted with ſome young men towardly and fearing God, and they alſo tooke pleaſure in my ſociety, and I was as glad of theirs, amongſt the which was Mr. Iohn Lilburne, who as his occaſions permitted him, would now and then viſit mee, of whom I had then as good an opinion, as of any young man in the Towne, and conceived of him as an honeſt hopefull and godly youth, and gave him as good councell, as I could give to any, and loved, and eſteemed of him, as I did of any of my Chriſtian Brethren, and after ſome familiarity and more intimate acquaintance, he made knowne unto mee his condition, and told me (as I remembred) that he was now, either out of his time, or that it approached that he ſhould be a Free-man; but withall related unto me, that his ſtocke was very ſmall to beginne with (and if my memory faile not) he tould mee hee had but fifty or threeſcore pound for his portion, which ſaith hee, you know, is very li • tle to ſet up withall, (But what trade hee was of I know not to this day) and hee intreated mee, that I would be pleaſed to give him a Copy of my Let any, and my anſwer to the Bill of information put up againſt me in the Star-chamber, ſaying that hee doubted not but hee ſhould get money enough by them, for he perceived that they were well approved of by all that read or ſeene them: whereupon I diſwaded him from thinking of ſuch a thing, telling him, that it would expoſe him to great danger, and that it might prove his ruin: but withall, I ſaid, if that hee did really conceive or beleeve that it might bring any benefit unto him and might raiſe him a ſtock, that withall my heart, moſt willingly I would give it him, or any other Copies of anything I had either in Latin or Engliſh: but I told him for my Letanies they were all gone, and I had never a Copy left. Then hee demanded where hee • ight procure one, and I told him, that one Maſter Vicars a Schoole Maſter in Chriſt church had one, and I thought that hee would be willing to let him have it, whereupon Hee intreated mee to write unto you Maſter Vicars, and ſo I did earneſtly, deſiring you to let him have yours, which you moſt willingly and readily condeſcended unto: with all you may remember Mr. Vicars, that I uſed this Argument to make you more willing to pleaſure him, that hee was a hopefull young man, but he had but a little ſtock to begin with, and hee conceived that it might be a meanes the better to ſet him up, to which you the more willingly liſtned unto, and freely gave him my Letany. And all this you can witneſſe unto. Whereupon John Lilburne repayers to mee, returning many thanks, and tould mee with all, that hee had my Letany, and was now taking his journey into the Low-Countries to print it, and brought with him a young man, whom hee ſaid, he would imploy for the diſperſing of his bookes, that he ſhould ſend over before his returne: but I diſſwaded him for confiding in that man (though I had never ſeene him before) for I tould him I liked not his lookes, and I was afraid that he would betray him: but notwithſtanding what I ſaid, hee • eied moſt confidently upon him, profeſſing that he would put his life in his hands, aſſuring that hee had experience of his fidelity, and ſeeing that I could not prevaile with him to make uſe of ſome other, I left him to himſelfe, telling him againe and againe, that I was perſwaded hee would prove a falſe friend unto him, for hee looked like a knave. And all this John Lilburne cannot deny, and as I tould him it came to paſſe, for he betrayed him to the Prelates afterward, but it was carried ſo cunningly on the Prelates part, and ſo craftely by that fellow, that it did not appeare to Iohn Lilburne that he was deceived, though it was palpable to all men beſides. But now a word or two of John Lilburnes ſucceſſe in the Low-Countries, when hee came thither, hee made all ſpeed to print the Letany, with my anſwer to the Bill of information, and it was no ſooner publiſhed, but hee got threeſcore pounds cleerely by it in a few dayes, as hee himſelfe hath often related it to mee and others, as I can prove: and had not that baſe fellow betrayed him, he might for ought I know, have gotten five hundred pounds by it: for never did any apolegy ſell better: but as ſoone as the Bookes were landed in England, and that, that Judas had intelligence of it by John Lilburnes Letters, hee immediatly informed the Prelate of Canterbury of it, who could not endure the very name of my Letany, and forthwith he ſent downe a Purſevant vvith plenary authority, to the place where they landed, and ſurpriſed all the books & burnt them there where he found them, (if I have not bin miſinformed) & as ſoon as Iohn Lilburne was arrived he cauſed him to be apprehended & caſt into riſon and after to be cenſured in the Star-Chamber, and made him moſt barbarouſly and cruelly to be whipt, pillired, and gagged, and afterwards to bee moſt tyrannically abuſed in the Goale, againſt all Lawes both of God, Nature, and all humanity, all which hee might have eſcaped, if hee would have followed my counſell, and had not truſted to his owne wit, and confided in that treacherous fellow, who was his overthrow. This is all true, Maſter Vicars, that I have now related unto you, and both your ſelfe and many more can witneſſe for me, that I have not in my relation falſified any thing. Now I ſhall deſire you, and all thoſe that ſhall reade what in truth I have written, to conſider, whether I ſtand obliged to John Lilburne, with as many tyes of friendſhip and reſpect, as to any man in the world (as he affirmeth) or whether or no, hee is not obliged rather to me in all thoſe tyes of friendſhip and reſpect, that was ſo willing to gratifie him meerely, for a few viſets: for I never at that time had received a farthing of mony from him of his own? Or whether he ventured his life in England and Holland for my ſake, or for his own profit and hope of gaine? Or whether hee underwent thoſe miſeries hee ſpeakes of for my cauſe, or for his owne emolument and benefits which hee affirmeth? All theſe things Maſter Vicars, I referre not onely to your judgment, to bee conſidered of, but to the wiſdom and diſcretion of all moderate minded men, who if they ſhall impartially judge, I am moſt aſſured, they will determine that the obligation lyes on John Lilburnes part towards me, and not on my part towards him, eſpecially if they ſhall ſeriouſly way all other paſſages betweene us, which in the following diſcourſe will appeare for I freeley gave him the Copies of both my Letany and anſwer, never expecting any profit to my ſelfe by them, or ever looking for any reward from him, or any other thing but his love. And I am moſt confident, if I could have beene mercenary, as yet I never was, (who never tooke a penny of my Printer for any thing I did) I might have had forty pieces at leaſt for the Copies of them: and it will not be a difficult thing to prove what I now ſay. Now then whether or no, Iohn Lilburne bee not for this my humanity obliged to mee, I leave it to all mens conſideration. And whereas hee ſaith he adventured his life at home and abroad, and underwent all thoſe miſeries for my ſake and cauſe, it is moſt falſe: for he expoſed himſelfe to all thoſe dangers, as Mariners doe to all the perills of Sea, for hope of gaine, and of getting a livelyhood for themſelves & their Families; And it is well known that Iohn Lilburne at that time was not ſo well inſtructed in the controverſies of the Church as uow he ſeemeth to be, who dares all the World to diſpute with him: Neither was it ſo much his zeale to the Cauſe, that put him upon that imployment, as the eye he had to his own honour and profit, which in all probability, if he had not beene betrayed, hee would have concommitated his endeavours: and if John had not forgot himſelfe, he would as formerly hee hath done acknowledge that I was the beſt maſter, and inſtructour that ever hee had for matters of controverſie, and Religion; ſo that next unto God he owes his greateſt ski • l to mee, who was a good Tutor to him, and I would have him to know that I am yet able to teach him, and a better Schollar then any independant in England, who are yet to learne their Primer in Politickes, and their Catechiſme in Divinity, though through the judgment of God upon this Nation which affect Novelties the people are infatuated with that generation of men: and as it is in the ſong of Moſes, Revel. 15. Great and wonderfull are thy workes, Lord God Almightie, and just in all thy wayes, thou King of Saints, to give men over to error becauſe they receive not the truth, in the love of it, that they might be ſaved, 2 Theſ. 2. ver. 10. 11. And if John had but grace in him he would not diſdaine at this preſent, to be adviſed by me who ſo long as he followed thoſe wholſome principles, and the good councell I gave him, hee had true honour indeed and might have lived and dyed with comfort and repute, whereas taking thoſe idle courſes, and following a company of unſtable guidy-headed people out of vaine glory and ambition to have a name of a Champion of the Independents he perpetrates thoſe unwarrantable things that brings diſhonour to God and ſcandalls all Chriſtian Religion, and his holy profeſſion, ſo that whiles hee would be thought to bee a Teacher and Doctor as Saint Paul ſpeakes, 1 Tim. chap. 1. Hee underſtandeth not what he ſpeaketh, nor whereof he affirmes, who hath erred from the truth, and is now turned in to vain janglings, not knowing that the end of the Commandement is love out of a pure heart, and a good Conſcience, and of faith unfained, which forbids him to rayle of dignities and to ſpeake evill of Government, and injoynes him to obedience, and teaches him in love, to thinke better of others then of himſelfe, and to preferre others before himſelfe, Rom. 12. v. 10. Phil. 2. and not out of a vapouring humour, proudly and arrogantly to vaunt himſelfe, and dare all others, and our of his turbulent and tumultuous ſpirit to rayſe a Faction to the diſturbing of both Church and State and the diſquieting himſelfe and others, to the griefe of all ſuch as wiſh his good both for ſoule and body. Now as I have related unto you Maſter Vicars▪ the beginning of our acquaintance, and ſhewed you what the Obligations were that hee ſayes, I ſtand ſo much ingaged unto him for, ſo I thinke it not amiſſe to ſpeake of ſome other paſſages of love both from my Wife and my ſelfe towards him. As for my Wife in the time of my baniſhment at his ſufferings, ſhe was failing to him in no offer of friendſhip but withall tender affection, ſhee was ever ready to yeeld him her beſt aſſiſtance in any thing and night and day ſhe was ſolicitous for his good providing for him a moſt faithfull and diligent Chirurgion, often viſiting him, and ſtirring up friends to doe him good and according to her owne abilities pleaſuring him, in any thing hee ſtood in need of continually taking order that hee wanted nothing that was ſitting for a man in his condition, and had as great a care of him, as if he had been his owne Father, and that when he was diſerted of his friends (as can ſufficiently be proved) and after he was ſet at liberty, and I was returned from my baniſhment, we lived in as great amity and affection, as ever any two chriſtian Brethren did, and there was no office of love that I have ever hitherto been failing to him in, either in his ſickneſſe or in health, notwithſtanding in the time of his impriſonment, he falling into acquaintance with ſectaries and ſtraglers, was much ſwarved from thoſe • uthes, and that purity of doctrine he had learned of me; yet all this in the leaſt alienated not my affection from him, but I continued as cordiall as ever, rejoycing either to ſee or heare of him, and of his wel-fare, and he had my prayſes whereſoever I came; and all theſe were obligations, and ſo would any others have thought.

And this I may alſo ſay, that he may thanke me as an earthly inſtrument (that I may make uſe of ſome of his owne language) for all the honour he had in the world; for his acquaintance with me, and his ſuffering about my books (as many of the Parliament have often told me) was the cauſe that he became ſo famous, and ſo well knowne and honoured, whereas otherwiſe he might have lived and dyed in obſcurity, and been knowne no farther then a man can ſhoot a pelle • with a Trunk, and perhaps not to his next neighbours doore, as it happens in London to many thouſands of eminenter men, otherwiſe for all parts then he, though his abilities are very conſiderable; and therefore i • that alſo he is beholding unto me.

Beſides, I taught him ſome courtſhip by being in my company, and made him ſit for all Gentlemens and Noble-mens ſociety; whereas when he came firſt to be my Scholler, though he were Honeſt and Religious, yet he was but a meere country courtier, and very rough hewen, ſo that he could neither make a legge with grace, nor put off his hat ſeemly, till I had poliſhed him, and taught him all his poſtures of courtſhip, and now he is become a very gallant Fellow, aud hath commenced Lieutenant-colonell Lilburne; and who but John among the controlereſſes of dripping-pannes, the Independent ſiſters?

Beſides, by my ſociety he bettered himſelfe, and that not a little in his language and dialect, and is ſtill beholding to me for many of his beſt and choyſeſt expreſſions, as all that know him can ſay, and all theſe were obligations, which many a gratefull man would have thought he could never have cancelled, though John has forgot all, which makes me therefore (though it be contrary to my complexion) to enumerate them, that every indifferent and intelligible man may ſee, that Lievtenant-colonell John Lilburne is not alwayes to be beleeved, though he be in print: And that Maſter Vicars, you may ſee how fairly I deale with him, I will conceale no curteſie that ever he did me, that all men may behold the extremity of my engagement • towards him. Whileſt he was in a good mood, he was very loving and kind unto me in word and deed, and when I was a priſoner in York-ſhire, he laboured much for my exchange, and writ many Letters to my Wife about it, and ſent his Drum once or twice to me to Knarsbrough caſtle, which was two miles or thereabou •• fr • m the place where he billited, and one of thoſe times he ſent me ten ſhillings, which I eſteemed of as a great favour, and in way of thankfulneſſe, I gave unto his Drum eleven ſhillings, as the Captaine and Souldiers there can witneſſe, who ſtood by all the time he or any man talked with me: But by the way, Maſter Vicars, I will ſay thus much, that this ten ſhillings was the firſt and laſt money that ever I received from Iohn Lilburnt; and withall I profeſſe unto you, that notwithſtanding all our acquaintance, I never yet brake my teeth with any of his capons, or ever eat of his bread; yet at that time eſpecially, he ſhewed his readineſſe to pleaſure me; and through his meanes, as I conceive, many other great commanders laboured my exchange, and ſent their Drums and Trumpets about it to me, as the Earle of Mancheſter, and Generall Crumwell; to both which Honourable Perſonages, I ſtand ſtill ingaged, for that excellent favour of theirs: And at my returne, he came lovingly out of the city, with others, to bring me into London. But here let me tell you alſo Maſter Vicars, and what I ſhall ſay I am able to prove; that all this time my brother Iohn Lilburne ſhewed me ſo much kindneſſe, and was ſo ſolicitous for my liberty, and came ſo friendly out to meet me, he not onely conceived me to be an Independent, but reported it that I was of their way, and one of them; and this, I ſay, I can prove; ſo that it was not pure charity and unfained love, but all under the notion that I was of his judgement, that he ſhewed me ſo much favour: For ſince that I declared my ſelfe that I was of a contrary opinion; it is well knowne that he hath not onely relinquiſhed and abandoned me, but in words moſt reproachfully abuſed • e, with all manner of calumnies behind my backe, calling me baſe fellow, paltry fellow, knave, apoſtate, an enemy of the Generation of the juſt, a perſec • ter; and all this before his Letter was printed, wherein he hath to the purpoſe rayled both upon me and my highly honoured brother Maſter William Prynne; but it is his uſuall cuſtome thus to aſperſe the very Nobility and Peers of the Kingdome, if they do • not in all things humour him, as the Illeiſtrious Earle of Manchester, yea, he ſpares not the King his Highneſſe, nor the Parliament.

And for his complices, all that Rabble rout, tagragge and bobtaile, that followed him in theſe his needleſſe and ſought for troubles, as Worly by name, and others, they told me, and that in a crowded aſſembly, that I was very high, but they had knowne me low enough, and that not long ſince I lived on their almes, and affirmed, that they had kept me from hanging, but now I was turned an Apoſtate, a perſecuter, and an enemy of the godly party, and joyned with the wicked, againſt the Saints (it ſeems they are all Saints) and that I had ever been factious, inſomuch that they could not entertaine me in their hearts, nor ſo much as pray for me: All theſe reproaches, and a grea • many more, they caſt upon me in the preſence of many, when they were in a tumultuous manner attending upon the Committee of Examinations, and that without the leaſt occaſion on my part given them, any more then my preſence in that place, whether I was ſummoned to be a Witneſſe: And for theſe men that did thus ignominiouſly and injuriouſly relvile me, they were all Lieutenant-colonell Lilburnes followers and abettors, and ſeconded by him, and all of them unknowne to me, and ſuch as I had never ſeen (to my beſt remembrance) ſo much as the very face of any one of them before that day, neither did I ever amongſt chriſtians behold ſuch odde complexions and ſtrange looks; if ever you had ſeen the picture of Hel, M. Vicars in York-houſe, where all the poſtures of the damned creatures, with their griſly lookes are deſcribed, and had alſo taken notice, what ghaſtly, ugly ſower and muſteds faces, out of dolour, paine and anguiſh they made, and had been amongſt this company, and had ſeen what griſly looks they out of malice, rancor and envy to the Presbyterian party, and eſpecially to my ſelfe had made, and had withall heard their confuſed, hiddious noyſes, calling for the liberties of the Subjects, and for the benefit of Magna charta, and the Petition of Right, and for a publike hearing, you would have thought your ſelfe in the very Suburbs of Hell, and that theſe had been the ſonnes of Pluto or Pinus aſcended out of Orco; the complexion alſo of many of them being like the bellie of a Toad; and to ſpeake the ttuth, Worly was one of the propereſt Gentlemen amongſt them all, and he was the moſt remarkable and taken notice of, by reaſon of his habit and buſie diligence; he went that day in a great white and browne basket-hilted beard, and with a ſet of teeth in his head, much like a Po • -fiſh, all ſtaring and ſtanding ſome diſtance one from another, as if they had not been good friends; it may be conjectured, he picks them twice a day with a bed-ſtaffe, they looke ſo white and cleare; he was mighty diligent about the Common-wealth that day, and the Priviledges of the Subject, and all the fraternity came flocking about him upon all occaſions, as a company of Turkyes doe about a Frogge, wondering at her as at a ſtrange ſight: Without doubt when the Parliament comes to be recruted, the Independents will make him a Member; and I am confident he will prove a rotten one, for he looks as if he had gotten a blow with a French colt-ſtaffe, and it is notorious he is a bankrupt of all goodneſſe, and whatſoever ſhew he makes now of Independency, Anabaptiſme, or any of the new wayes, or to ſtand for the Common-wealth, both he and Saint Sprat their Soliciter, have been knaves from their mothers womb; and therefore Maſter Vicars, if you have any hand in chooſing of Members, let not him have your voyce.

But now to ſpeak ſomething of their babble; how can any man living that either ſaw them or knows them perfectly, with reaſon, imagine that I ſhould ever have lived of theſe mens almes? moſt of which, by all conjectures, live and depend on other mens curteſies, and are onely ſupported by being of that Faction; for more obſcure and ill conditioned fellowes did I never behold: And what a baſe lye it was in them, to affirme that they kept me from hanging; whereas I never was (as all men know) ſo much as queſtioned at any Earre, or in any Court for my life, and therefore had no need of the Pſalme of mercy, much leſſe of their help in that kind; and I bleſſe God, I was never brought ſo low, that I could not have ſubſiſted without ſtarving, with the ſtumps of that eſtate my Father left me, after all the vaſt expences I was cauſleſly put unto, by my malicious enemies in all their Courts, although my children would have fared the worſe for it, and I ſhould not ſo comfortably perhaps have undergone my impriſonment, had not my chriſtian friends been ſome help unto me; and I can truly ſay this, and make it appeare, that all that ever I received by way of curtifie, doth not amount by a thouſand pound and more, to that meanes my Father left me, beſides my Wives portion; ſo that I am above two thouſand pounds worſe, in reall money and eſtate at this day, beſides the loſſe of my time, for theſe twelve yeers, ſince which my troubles began, above eight of which I was kept a cloſe Priſoner, and three of them in baniſhment; and they that know what I am now worth, can witneſſe the ſame for me, men of reputation: And therefore they were barbarouſly inſolent ſo to ſpeake to me; and indeed all the ſtanders by wondered at their rudeneſſe and inhumanity towards me, affirming that they never ſaw a more uncivill and ill conditioned people.

But here we may take notice what a ſlavery it is for any man to be beholding to ſuch a generation of creatures, who upon the leaſt conceived diſpleaſure, will caſt their courteſies (if any) in the teeth of thoſe to whom they have ſhewne them, if in the ſmalleſt punctillio you be not of their mind: And therefore we are councelled by Saint James, if we want wiſdome or any good thing, to aske it of God, who (ſaith he) giveth liberally and upbraideth not, Jam. P. 5. And if theſe men had ever given me any thing, as I am moſt confident they never did, yet all the world knowes, that when they gave it, it was for this reaſon, that they were then of my mind (for they ſay now they cannot pray for me) which argueth their want of charity, their levity, fickleneſſe and inſtability in all their wayes; but this is that that all their fraternity daily caſt in my diſh, though I am moſt aſſured, if all that ever I received from them, or any of thoſe that are now of that ſociety, it will not all amount to three ſcore pounds, and I am able to make good that I now ſpeak: And yet theſe are the daily claimours of this people, and onely for my conſtancy; for all that have read my books for which I ſuffered, and know me, can free me from that aſperſion of apoſtacy and faction, and from being an enemy to the truly godly party, and to the Saints, who I honour and love with my life. And after the very ſame manner, not long ſince, Maſter Samuel Gooſe, one of • hat way, a man that I never ſaw, to my beſt remembrance, till my laſt enlargement from priſon; yet he alſo upbraided me with his curtiſies, and told me, I had forgot my ſelfe, and that I had grieved and ſadded the hearts of the Saints, and that he was very ſorry for me, to ſee me ſide againſt the godly party; and in a very imperious manner told me, that whileſt I writ againſt the Independents, I writ againſt Chriſt and his truth; and thus did Saint Gander hiſſe a • me, and Grolliſe, who is a plaguey Stickler amongſt the Independents, and a very buſie Solicitor of their affaires, which I am afraid, if they be not ſpeedily lookt unto, will bring ruine upon the whole Kingdome.

Maſter Vi • ars, I have been ſomething longer then I thought to have been, 〈◊〉 I was willing to ſet before your eye, the full • Narration of all paſſages between me and Lievtenant-Colonel Lilburn, with his complices & the occaſion of our acquaintance, that you and all men may the better judge, whether I ſtand engaged to this man in ſo m • ny obligations as he pr • tends, or whether he be not rather obliged to me in them all, and hath proved very ungratefull unto me, who for my good will and love to him, a meere ſtranger to me at firſt, and never giving him any juſt occaſion, hath ſo maliciouſly and falſly aſperſed me to the whole Kingdome, and cauſeleſly brought all the Independent party upon me, who in all places and in all companies (which I account of for my honor) moſt unhumanely rayle on me; for if he had not laid that calumny upon me, and incenſed them againſt me, I am perſwaded whatſoever evill opinion they might have conceived of me ſecretly, becauſe I differ from them, yet they could never ſo ſhamefully have vented themſelves in publike, ſo that he hath proved himſelfe guilty of both theſe crimes, lying and ingratitude, that he accuſed me of, and wronged both me and all his party, and made all his aſſociates offenders in many reſpects, by theſe his pactices; for in complying with them in his unwarrantable wayes, they have made themſelves equally guilty before God and men, and have a great deale to anſwer for their tumultuous diſorderly carriage in all that buſineſſe, which to ſpeak the truth, concerned them not; neither had there been any juſt cauſe of offence given by me (if they would but deliberately weigh all things with reaſon among themſelves) if I had indeed informed againſt Lieutent-Colonell Lilburne, (which I did not) neither could it deſervedly have been accounted a crime; for there is no tye of friendſhip that ought to make me deſert my duty to the publike, and to break my Covenant, and violate my Proteſtation; by vertue of both which, I ought to informe the Parliament and State of any thing that I thought of common concernment, made for the peace of the whole Kingdome, and the honour of the Parliament, which I am bound to maitaine with the reputation of every Member of that Supreame and Honourable Court; for they are our Fathers, Magiſtrates and Protectors, and every Subject that is under obedience (and that has taken the Covenant and Proteſtation) is tyed in as much as in him lyes, to preſerve and defend them in their lives and reputation: And if any be informed concerning any one in that Councell, that he ſhould either doe, practice or attempt any thing that tends to the ruine of the reſt, and of the whole State and Kingdome, he is in conſcience bound to reveale it, (that if falſe, the divulgers of ſuch calumnies may receive condigne puniſhment; if true, evill may be prevented) and this I ſay he ought to doe, though it ſhould be to the prejudice of his nigheſt alies and intimateſt acquaintance; and this I conceive among the Independents may be thought no unjuſt act, which this information of mine could not have done, 〈◊〉 I by name, put it up againſt Lieutenant-Colonell Lilbure (as he falſly 〈◊〉 me) for he might as well have freed himſelfe from all danger, and 〈…〉 reputation (if he had told me thoſe things as well as Hankins, who 〈◊〉 • ithſtanding he related them unto us, not as hear-ſayes and 〈…〉 others, but as truths, which he ſaid ſhould be proved; yet this 〈…〉 queſtioned about it, and but relating that he received and heard it 〈…〉 Colonell Lilburne, he was forthwith diſcharged; even ſo might he have been, if he had modeſtly told where he had heard that report, and not in a diſguiſed, rebellious and proud manner behaved himſelfe: And it makes all men wonder to ſee the inconſiderable raſhneſſe of all that party, who fall ſo violently upon me, for but putting up my paper againſt Hankins, when Saint Worly and his aſſociates (for ſo they would be accounted) made the ſame information to four Members of the Houſe before, and have ever ſince with Spirit Sprat been the onely proſec • tors of that but buſineſſe; eſpecially they ought not to have been ſo furio • s againſt me, when Hankins reported it, that he related it to Colonell King and my ſelfe for this very end, that the whole matter might be fully ſearched into, ſaying, after I had lodged it with the Doctor and Colonell King, I left it, deſiring that the naile might be droven to the head, and that the truth might be found out: This was his expreſſion.

Now when I have gratified Maſter Hawk • ns deſires, who is the Sagamore of the Independants, and done but my duty & what he and his company would have me to doe, and what they themſelves do act; may it not ſeeme a ſtrange thing both to your ſelfe Maſter Vicars, and all that ſhall underſtand the true relation of theſe things, that the Independants ſhould thus clamour againſt me, and that for no other cauſe Lievtenant Colonell ſhould accuſe me for lying and ungratitude in the face of the Kingdome? I am almoſt of opinion, that many of the Independants when they ſhall heare the truth, will condemn all their raſhneſſe in this point; and truly if ever there were not onely temerity and uncharitableneſſe but unjuſtice in an action it doth appear in their dealing towards me and the Parliament; for their malice extends not to me onely, but to many Members of the Houſe, yea, it redounds upon the whole Parliament & every particular Gentleman of the ſame that are Presbyterians; for Lievt. Col. Lilburn blams them al as guilty of unjuſtice & unrighteous dealing, and ſo did all his company, & ſpak it openly in the preſence of hundreds, that there was no juſt proceeding amongſt them, and that they had not the liberty of Subjects and their priviledges, according to Magna Charta, and the Petition of Right, and this they with one accord affirmed openly at the Committee doore; ſo that Lieutenant-Colonell Lilburne is but their mouth, and the foreman of that Tribe, and what he did, they all owne, and to this day perſevere in it; and not onely ſo, but labour to ſpread his Letter through the Kingdome, that ſo they may with the more facility ſpread abroad and publiſh the ſentence given by the Lieutenant againſt the whole Parliament, the better to bring an Odium upon them all; for in his book he pronounceth ſentence againſt them all, being party, witneſſe, jury and judge in his owne cauſe; and in his ſo doing, whiles he cals to Heaven for juſtice againſt the Parliament, he ſhewes himſelfe very unjuſt, and behaves himſelfe rather like the wicked Judge, that neither feared God, nor cared for men, then the moſt righteous Judge of the whole world, who would not condemne the innocent 〈…〉 wicked, as we may ſee in the 18. of Geneſis.

〈…〉 doe beleeve that the Lieutenant conceives very worthily of his own party in both Houſes, and thinks that they are juſt, upright righteous men, and the onely godly party in the Parliament (for ſo I have heard the Lieuten. Col. ſpeak) and I perſwade my ſelfe alſo that he is not ſo uncharitable, as to think all the Presbyterian party in both Houſes unjuſt and unrighteous; now then if there be any either of the Independent party, or of the Presbyterian, that are truly juſt and righteous in their proceedings, he ought to have ſpared them; there is an old ſaying, we ought not per lutum uni •• totam gent • m perſtr •• gere, he ſhould indeed (if he had knowne any guilty of crime, and if he would have dealt juſtly) have ſingled them out, as he did me, and by name have aſperſed them, and not have condemned the whole Councell in one blaſt, and with one daſh of his quill: Any as he deales unjuſtly with the Parliament, ſo he he dealeth not very righteouſly with me and my Brother Pryn for he condemnes us both of lying, yet never convinced me of a lye, nor I hope never ſhall be able, for I writ nothing in my books againſt the Independents, but what upon my owne knowledge I can affirme to be true; yea depoſe it, having had what I wrote from the Independ •• ts owne mouthes, but that which coroberates what I ſay; I can prove all I wrote againſt them by a cloud of witneſſes, the worſt of them being better then the beſt of thoſe witneſſes they produced againſt Sir Iohn Lenthall and Maſter Speaker; and therefore that which I writ againſt their Faction, is ſo far from being a crime 〈◊〉 a lye, as I ſtand upon my juſtification, & undertake upon my life to make good the charge in my poſtſcript againſt the Independents, or whatſoever I writ in any other book againſt them.

Nay, I undertake to prove a great deale more then I have yet publiſhed, and that that may concerne all Presbyterians eſpecially, and make them looke to themſelves; for if they get the day and prevaile, they will ſpare none of them, for they have a purpoſe to put downe all the Nobility and Gentry in the Kingdome, (I ſpeake nothing but what I know,) howſoever their deſigne is carried very cunningly; but let them once attaine unto their purpoſe at the recruting of the Parliament, which is, to bring in out of all the Countyes, the Independent country Courtiers, to whom they will give inſtructions for this purpoſe, and you ſhall ſee ſuch an alteration in a little time, that the Nobles and Pears of the Kingdome, and all the Gentry of the ſame, the Flower and honour of all Nations, to be the moſt contemptible, and the onely men to be ſuſpected, who by all the Independent party at this day, have beene accuſed to be the ruine of the Kingdome, and to be of rotten hearts, and the Kings friends; and this I have heard many of them my ſelfe ſpeak, and I am confident, it may by many be proved, but this has ever been their evaſion, when we accuſe them of any thing they ſay, that they may not all be blamed and judged for the raſhneſſe of ſome, when notwithſtanding they that uttered ſuch words, ſpake nothing but what they had learned from their faction, or what they had received from the chiefe heads of them: And it is well knowne that Lieutenant-Colonell Lilburne is upheld by that party, and 〈◊〉 , yea animated in all that he doth, as all the crowds and 〈…〉 after him may ſufficiently witneſſe, and they look upon him as their Champion, applauding all his actions. And it will not be a difficult thing for me to prove whatſoever I have written in my books againſt the Indepedent party, from their owne bookes, and even from his owne Letter, and the proceedings of that company that followed him to the Committee of Examinations, and their behaviour and carriage there, may abundantly prove my charge in my booke againſt them; for they gave lawes to the Committee, and would not be examined but upon their owne tearmes, crying out of injuſtice, and threatning that they would bring up the whole City, and a thouſand ſuch other inſolencies they uſed there for many dayes together; all which doe manifeſt, that if in time their party grow a little ſtronger, they will give lawes to the Parliament, and make them doe what they would have them, or elſe they will take the authority into their owne hands; for Lieutenant-Colonell Lilburne hath plainly taught his Diſciples, that the power that now reſides in the Parliament, is inherent to the people, and that thoſe of the Parliament are not to act according to their owne will and pleaſure, and boldly taketh upon him to inſtruct the Parliament and teach them their duty; and affirmes, that the power is the peoples birth-right, and that they have but entruſted them with it; ſo that it ſeemes if they ſhall once conceive that the Parliament doth not diſcharge their truſt they have committed unto them, they may reſume it when they pleaſe, for that muſt neceſſarily enſue from his premiſes; and this is the Doctrine that he infuſeth to all his followers, and onely for to ſtirre up a commotion in the Kingdome, and to put the people in a heat; which if the Parliament timely prevent not, they will runne the greateſt hazard of being deſtroyed, that ever any Councell in the world did.

And whereas he ſaith, that when the King went to Oxford, he left many of his friends behind him: I for my part believe that he is one of them; for I am moſt aſſured, that never any friend the King had, hath done the Parliament more wrong and indignity than Lieutenant-Colonell Lilburne; for it was not an apparent enemy to the great Councell, that hath done them this wrong, it was no Aulicus, for then they would have laughed at it, and made themſelves merry with it, but it was their friend, their familiar one, that the Common-wealth had fed at her table▪ and one that the Parliament had in ſpeciall honourd, favourd, and confided in, and who they had ſtood by in his greateſt difficulties, yea, and had preſerved his life; and for this man now to lay ſo foule things to their charge, as unjuſtice and tyranny, and trampling downe of the liberties of the Subjects; oh let not this be ſpake in •• b and Askelon! truly ſuch friends as he is, both are, and will prove, I am afraid, their greateſt enemies; and howſoever he often boaſteth and tell •• h them, that he hath drawne his ſword in their defence; it doth appeare, that it was for his owne baſe ends, for liberty of conſcience (as they call it in their dialect) which is meer licenciouſneſſe, and lawleſſe liberty, under the pretence of conſcience which they aime at, that they may both ſpeake, print and doe whatſoever pleaſe • t the ••• lves, both againſt the Law of God, Nature, and the Religion, and againſt the great Councell of the Kingdome, Synod, and all good men, which is their daily practice, as all their Pamphlets witneſſe, and this his Letter; for had Colonell Lilburne with a good intention and an honeſt mind, drawne his ſword in the defence of the Parliament, he would not now have drawne his pen to have cut all their throats, and to enrage all the people againſt them, as in this his Letter he hath done: He telleth many ſtories of his ſervice for the State, and what danger he hath expoſed himſelfe unto in their quarrell, and upbraiderh them all with their ingratitude, and how little requitall they have made him for all; there are many in this Kingdome that have adventured themſelves as farre as ever he did, out of their love to the publike, and have I beleeve ſuffered as much as ever he did, yet make no noyſe, but with modeſty and patience, wait and attend till the great and weighty matters in the Kingdome, will give leave for private buſineſſes: And all men know, that the publike good, the preſervation of the whole body, is to be looked unto in the firſt place; and then afterward as occaſion doth offer it ſelfe, without damage to the publike; private buſ • neſſe and the reliefe of the neceſſiited, are taken into conſideration, and ſatisfaction is given unto them that can juſtly complaine; and this has ever been the practice & cuſtome of all Nations, as the Annals and Hiſtories of all times relate: Neither have ſuch as have been forced to wait, forthwith publiſhed diſgracefull books, and mutinous complaints againſt the Councels and States of any Country, to bring them into hatred amongſt the people; neither would ſuch proceedings be thought tolerable in any well governed Country.

It is well knowne, that there are many Noble-men and great Gentlemen alſo of honour and eminency in the Kings Army, that have not onely ventured their lives and all their eſtates, but are at this day brought to ſuch extremities and neceſſities, as to relate would exceed beliefe, ſo that many of thoſe that had ſome three, ſome four thouſands by the yeer, ſome more, are brought to ſuch ſtreights, as they have not bread to put in their families mouths, nor cloathing to p • t on their backs; yet I never heard that they did ever print Letters in diſgrace of the King or his Councel and upbraid him with ingratitude towards his Souldiers, becauſe their particular neceſſities were not ſatiſfied, or becauſe they conceived they were wronged by his Majeſties Councel: And I am moſt aſſured, that if any of thoſe that follow the King ſhould doe any ſuch thing, or durſt attempt to diſparage the Kings proceeding, being one of that party, he would not onely be abhorrid by all the Cavaliers, but thought worthy of ſevere puniſhment, whatſoever former ſervice he had done his Majeſty.

Nay, I will ſpeak my knowledge, I have heard a Cavalier ſay, that if any of their party ſhould have done any thing in this kind againſt his Highneſſe or his Councell, the other Cavaliers would have cut him in pieces: And truly all ſober minded men, and ſuch as ſtand really wel-affected to the Parliament, cannot think thoſe the Parliaments friends, that in this kind write againſt them and their proceedings: For were it granted, that Lieutenant-Colonell Lilburne had done as good ſervice, as he pretends, though there be many that ſay, that the deviſions that he hath cauſed at Bosterne, and through Lincolnſhire, with his preaching up his new Doctrine of ſeperation▪ hath done more hurt to the ſoules and bodies of the people, then all the good that ever he is able to doe.

But I ſay, were it granted that he had done all good ſervice without exception; yet the diſgrace and evill he hath now done to the State, hath ſurpaſſed all the good he ſpeaks of: Many Cowes you know Maſter Vicars ordinarily give good milk, and then ſcummer in the payle, by which they ſpoile all that they had given down; even ſo it is in this caſe with Lieutenant-Colonel Lilburne, what he hath formerly built up, that he hath now throwne downe: He may remember what the Lord ſaith, Ezek. 10. If the righteous turneth from his righteouſneſſe, and doth that which is evill, I will forget all his righteouſneſſe, ſaith the Lord &c. So if a Commander doe faithfull ſervice for a time to a State, as the Hothams did, or as • holmly, and afterwards turne traitors, muſt the memory of their former ſervice hinder the courſe of juſtice? I trow not; if a ſervant for ſome time ſhall doe good ſervice for his Maſter, and afterwards prove unfaithful, or purloyne his goods, and labour to deſtroy him, is his former ſervice to be taken any notice of? it is perſeverance in any good that crowneth all; and therefore it is but a poore grollety to ſpeak of good ſervice formerly done, when they are acting all the evill that men can well act againſt a State or Kingdome.

But one thing is very obſervable, he would brand me with great ingratitude, and as if I had forgot what he had done for me, and in the meane time he is guilty of the ſame crime: For it is well knowne, that the Parliament not onely ſaved his life, but delivered him from his ſlavery and captivity, and greatly honoured him, and for ought I know, would have made him a full ſatisfaction for all his damage and ſuffering by the unjuſt Courts, when from their publike affaires, they could have been permitted to have liſtned to private grievances; yet he hath forgot all this their curteſie, and ſingular humanity, and now flings dirt in all their faces, and ſo deſpightfully abuſeth them, as no ordinary well bred man would abuſe an ordinary baſe fellow: But becauſe this is a buſineſſe that concerneth the honour of the whole Houſe, which he hath ſo contumeliouſly blaſted, I ſhall leave that to their grave wiſdome; onely out of my duty to that great Councell, the Supreame Court of the Kingdome, I may ſay thus much, that the whole Kingdome owe the preſervation of their Religion, lives and liberties, to their care and watchfulneſſe, and that all our Poſterity are bound to be thankfull to them for their fidelity, diligence and infatigable prayers in their common defence, who, all reaſon will dictate, could have no end for what they have done, but the common good and ſafety of us all: And therefore it concernes all the people to take heed how they joyne and adhere to Lieutenant-Colonell Lilburne, and ſuch factious ſpirits, who under pretence of defending the Subjects Liberty, raiſe tumults to bring all to a confuſion: And let them ever ſet before their eyes the ſtory of Cora, Da •• an and Abiram, and ſeriouſly weigh what they brought upon themſelves by their rebelling againſt Moſes their deliverer and preſerver, they cannot be ignorant, that while they aſſent unto him, and applaud and owne what he raſhly and unadviſedly doth, they make themſelves equally guilty; for as David ſaith, Pſal. 50. He that conſenteth with evill doers, makes himſelfe as guilty as they: So doth the Apoſtle Paul teach all men, in his Epiſtle to the Romans, chap. 1. 2. they that conſented to thoſe impious and wicked men, were in Gods account as equally guilty as if they had perpetrated al thoſe facinourus actions; yea, it is the practice of all Courts in all the Kingdomes and Nations of the whole world to condemne the complices of treaſons as well as the others: And as no men, no not the Independents themſelves, can indeer thoſe that comply with ſuch as they conceive to be their enemies, ſo they ſhould now make the Parliaments Cauſe their owne (for it is their owne indeed) and think that it highly concernes them all, and i • may be their condition ere long; for deſtroy once the power of the Parliament, and enervate their authority, and you ſhall ſhortly ſee every Country Courtier, fly not onely in the face of the Gentry and Nobility, but indeed every ſervant become a Maſter and Miſtris, and caſt off the yoke of obedience to their Superiours, whether Parents, Maſters or Governours; and therefore it concernes all men, as they will avoyd both the wrath of God and inevitable danger, now to take ſpeciall heed what they doe, in abetting with Lieutenant-Colonell Lilburne, in theſe his temerarious proceedings; for I well perceive the poore people are all deluded by his falſe information, and think his impriſonment, and the proceedings of the honourable Committee of Examinations, to be againſt the liberty of the Subject, and againſt Magna Charta, and the Petition of Right, all which inviolably remaine to the Subject, notwithſtanding whatſoever he pretendeth to the contrary: And as he hath traduced the Parliament cauſleſly, ſo likewiſe in his owne defence he hath abuſed the holy Scripture; for there is a vaſt difference between Saint Pauls ca • ſe and his, as will quickly appeare, if there be but a true information made of Lieutenant-Colonell Lilburnes buſineſſe, for the ſtory of Pauls ſufferings is ſufficiently knowne.

The verity of the matter is, the Parliament in their proceedings with Iohn Lilburne, have done nothing contrary to the Law of God or nature, or the cuſtome of Nations, and the Lawes of the Kingdome, and therefore ſo horrid an accuſation of the great Counſell is unſufferable: He quarrels the Parliament amongſt other things, that he was ſent to priſon, the cauſe not being ſpecified of his commitment: If indeed he had been arraigned and condemned before he had been heard, then there had beene a juſt cauſe of complaint; but that they did not in their Warrant ſet downe the cauſe both of his apprehenſion and Commitment: I muſt confeſſe for my part, I ſee no cauſe why he ſhould make ſo loud a complaint; for if there ſhould now in the City of London a conſpiracy be diſcovered, and ſome of the Conſpirators ſhould be appprehended (under reformation) I conceive it will not ſtand with the wiſdome of the City Office • s, and with the diſcretion of thoſe that are in authority, to ſet down the cauſe of their apprehenſion and ſending them to priſon; for if their complices ſhould have intelligence of this, that their plot was diſcovered, they would all either eſcape away, or attempt ſome deſperate thing that might be deſtructive to the whole City, and that that might endanger the whole Kingdome; therefore in ſuch a caſe as this, it is for the wiſdome of the Officers to conceale the conſpiracy till they have apprehended all the Delinquents; and in ſuch a caſe as this is, and many more, the Magiſtrate may, as I conceive, ſend any man to priſon without ſignifying the cauſe why unto the priſoner: For I read in many places of the Scripture that priſoners have been committed, and there was no cauſe given either to him that was committed, or to the Goaler, wherefore he was committed, and yet they are not condemned of unjuſtice for ſo doing: But when men have been condemned without hearing, or by falſe witneſſes, this hath made it a crime.

Neither hitherto have I ever read, that it was counted a crime in a Magiſtrate, or an unjuſt thing, or a thing againſt the Law of God, nature or Nations, to ask any man that is apprehended a queſtion; or to demand of him, whether he either ſpake any ſuch words, or heard any ſuch, or did ſuch a thing, or did it not; for none of both theſe proceedings were counted a crime in either Ioſeph or Ioſhua, or any other of the Rulers in Iſrael; for Ioſeph caſt his brother into priſon upon ſuſpition, and queſtioned all his other brethren upon a pretended jealouſie, and yet they accuſed not the Governour of Aegypt of unjuſtice to their good old Father: Neither was it a crime in Ioſeph to queſtion his brethren (if the buſineſſe had been reall;) or in Ioſhua to aske Achan whether or no he had taken the wedge of gold: And if either Ioſephs brethen or Achan had refuſed to have anſwered to the queſtion propounded unto them, til either Ioſeph or Ioſhua had told them the cauſe of their apprehenſion or commitment, I beleeve they might have laine in priſon till Doomſ-day in the afternoone (the time that Iohn Lilburne thinks the Parliement will pay him what they owe him) and no wiſe man would have condemned the Governour of Aegypt for ſo doing; and therefore he moſt ſhamefully abuſeth the Parliament for their proceedings againſt him, which ſtand very well with the Lawes of God, and all well governed Nations; and the Scripture that he citeth, concerning Paul, was nothing to the purpoſe, for Paul ſtood committed, and that upon ſuſpition: But the Judge thought it unjuſtice to proceed to ſentence, before that they had heard what Paul could ſay for himſelfe in his owne defence, and ſo the Parliament will doe to him; and I am moſt aſſured, he ſhall have all the faire hearing in the world; but all this is nothing to Lieutenant-Colonell Lilburne's cauſe, who might have been releaſed, as Hawkins was, and without any diſhonour unto him, if he had not diſobediently behaved himſelfe to the honourable Committee. For they demanding of him a queſtion, which by all the lawes of God and nature, and Nations, they might doe, and to which without offending, he might well have anſwered; he contemptuouſly not onely refuſeth to anſwer, but aſperſeth them with unjuſtice, which was the cauſe of the conti • uation of his commitment, and then his publiſhing of a libellous and a moſt dangerous Letter, was a cauſe of his new commitment to New-gate: And in all this that the Parliament hath done, I am confident when the people ſhall have a full hearing of the ſame, and be rightly informed, they will be abundantly ſatisfied of the juſtice of the Honourable Houſe.

Much I confeſſe I could ſay for the juſtifying of the Parliaments proceedings, not onely in this buſineſſe about John Lilburne, but all their other grave and weighty imployments, to free that great Councell from thoſe aſperſions that not onely John Lilburne layeth upon it, but all his complices; but I ſhall leave this worke to thoſe that it concerneth, onely by the way let me ſay thus much both to John Lilburn & his confederates, that they ought alwai • to have ſpeciall care, that whiles they ſtudy and labour to offend their enemies, they doe not deſtroy their preſervers, and abuſe thoſe men cauſeleſly as wiſh them as much good as they doe themſelves, though they tell them of their faults and errours; and amongſt others all the Independents have moſt injuriouſly in word and deed abuſed my ever honoured brother M. Prynne; and John Lilburne in this his Letter in ſpeciall, to my knowledge hath moſt baſely and falſly belyed him; for it is well knowne he was never a favourer of Malignants and ſuch as betrayed ſtrong Holds, as the buſineſſe of Briſtow can well witneſſe, for the proſecuting of that ſo cordially inraged many of the Independents againſt him; and there be many that can witneſſe for my brother Prynne that he was not the cauſe of the looſing of Gernſey, for had his counſell beene followed both thoſe Ilands at this day had bin under the command of the Parliament; and what he publiſhed concerning the two Captaines it hath been proved by ſufficient witneſſe, whatſoever they ſay to the contrary; and Sir Samuel Luke, a man of honour and approved integrity, would never have queſtioned them without ſufficient witneſſe for what he chageth them with; and as I have bin credibly informed, every thing he accuſeth them of is abundantly proved by two or three witneſſes. But this is the practice daily of the Independents, that they will owne nothing of that they have ſaid or done, but put men upon the proofe, and then aſperſe all thoſe that juſtly queſtion them for lyers and perſecutors; as at this time that confounded taylor Paul Hobſon and Richard Beawmon a ſucking Apothecary doe, who ſnip and doſe out their Sermons by weight and meaſure to the infecting, miſleading and ſeducing of the poor people, and the making a diſturbance in Church and State; and theſe ſeducers notwithſtanding would perſwade the world they are ſent from heaven, when as it is moſt apparent they are meere juglers and impoſters, and onely make a pray of the people and lead them captive to liberty and licenciouſneſſe; ſuch Teachers as theſe are ſo farre from a juſt call from heaven, as they runne before they were ever ſent; ſo that a man may truly ſay of ſuch Teachers and Miniſters Diabolus caccavit illos: and therefore my reverend brother Maſter Prynne hath writ nothing but the truth concerning them, and is moſt maliciouſly and cauſeleſly abuſed by Lievetenant Colonell Lilburne, and therefore this that he ſpeaketh concerning him it not to be beleeved, it being an untruth: And as little credit is to be given to that he relateth of himſelfe, how he dared Maſter Prynne to diſpute with him, but the Simpleton, as he calleth him, durſt not.

If Lievetenant Colonell Lilburne had really challenged him in that place, it had bin very incivily done in him; for the Committee, as it is well known, doth not ſit there to heare Diſputations, and I beleeve, if he ſhould have ſhewed himſelfe ſo vaine and light, as to have vented his folly in this kinde, they would not onely have ſharply reproved him for his temerity, but have clapt him by the heeles, as they might not have done; but as I have beene credibly informed, it is nothing ſo, he never challenged him; and therefore it is a notorious lye, although it be in Print. And whereas he ſayeth, my brother Prynne is beſotted and out of his wits in collecting and publiſhing Marty •• Books and the ſcurrilities of the Independent party, with many of the blaſphemings and railing ſpeeches againſt the great Councell of the Kingdome and their proceedings, and againſt the reverend Synod and Aſſembly, and indeed againſt all Authority. I conceive he hath done a very good and acceptable worke in reducing their railings, revilings and blaſphemies into a volumne, that they may be left to all poſtity and future ages, that in times to come the following generations may heare what a hideous and monſtrous Sect in theſe laſt and worſt times of the world is now riſen up, which ſpeake evill of dignities and all government at pleaſure.

Neither hath my brother Prynne in this tranſgreſſed, but hath imitated all the Prophets and the bleſſed Apoſtles and Evangeliſts, who have leſt upon record all the blaſphemies of Senacharib, and of all the wicked men in their ſeverall ages; David hath done the ſame concerning the enemies of God and his people in his dayes; the Evangeliſts alſo have recited all the blaſphemous ſpeeches they ſpake againſt Chriſt and Saint Iohn Baptiſt, and all the other Apoſtles have done the ſame, as Peter in ſpeciall and Iude; ſo that by their writings all men may ſee what a wicked generation of men were then living, and what judgements of God lighted upon them for their ſo doing, to leſſon all people in future ages to take heed by their examples, leſt they provoke God by the like wickedneſſe; for whatſoever was written was written for our inſtruction, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Now when my brother Prynne hath in this done nothing but what he hath preſidents for, and that out of Gods Word, he is neither beſotted nor out of his wits, as he maliciouſly and falſly aſperſeth him; but they rather are beſotted that either write, read or entertaine in their houſes with delight ſuch wicked Bookes as tend to no other end, but to the corrupting not onely of good manners, but the adulterating of the true Religion and perverting of mens judgements: and yet Bookes of this nature are continually to be found in the hands and houſes of all the Independents, and I know few other that are by them either regarded or looked after; ſo that it is juſt with God to give ſuch as they are over to fearefull errours, who leave the fountaines of living waters and digge unto themſelves ſuch broken ceſternes that hold nothing but puddle and ſ • inking filth.

This I thought by the way to ſpeak in my brother Prynnes behalf, nothing doubting but himſelfe, or ſome friend for him will ſhortly publiſh his juſt defence, againſt all other reproaches, to the world.

And now Maſter Vicars, I hope you are ſatisfied concerning Iohn Lilburnes calumnies againſt me and my brother Prynne, but for a corolary let me ſay thus much, that whereas Iohn Lilburne would accuſe me of ingratitude, I may juſtly complain of his unthankfulnes & uncharitablenes toward me, who hath rewarded me evil for good; for all that know me can teſtifie for me, that I was ever his friend to my power; but it is not he alone that would make me an ungratefull man, but all of that way aſperſe me with the ſame crime; many of the which notwithſtanding, have for ſmal favors done to me in the time of my impriſonment, been ſix times over requited for it, as I can prove, and yet they cry out of my unthankfulneſſe, and others of them that ſent me now and then a Piece, as a token of their love, and as a free gift, when they turned Independents, demanded it all of me againe, and I have paid them every penny, four pounds at a time, according to their asking, and yet they cry out of my ingratitude, and have to my face moſt baſely upbraided me with their kindneſſes.

Solomon ſayth, he that contends with a foole, whether he rage or laugh there is no peace; ſo he that hath to doe with the Independents can have no peace with them, if in the leaſt they differ from them; for if ye be merry with them in telling them of their grolleries, then they ſay ye jeere them, if ye be ſerious then they ſay ye raile, ſo that no man can tell how to pleaſe or humour them or how to enjoy the lawes of civility amongſt them, or to have any peace in their ſocieties, neither the Parliament, nor Synod, nor Presbytry, or any government can pleaſe them, for if the Parliament will have them faſt, then they will feaſt, and if they would have them feaſt and be merry, then they will mourne, and ſet dayes apart for humiliations, and ſay, they are ſad times, nothing can pleaſe the Gentlemen, as their practiſes can witneſſe: And truly if ever there were a contradicting people, and an ungratefull generation of men to all ſorts of benefactors, theſe are; if a man conſider things, either in generall or in ſpeciall.

As for the Parliament, it is well knowne, that they have honoured that Sect, as much as ever any authority did any, for they have the principall Offices in the Army, and through the Kingdome places of chiefe truſt and government put in their hands, the prime places of gaine and emolument likewiſe beſtowed upon them, through all Counties, and are ordinarily as well paid for their ſervice as any, and yet none ſpeak more unreverendly of the great Counſell, more harſh, more bitter invectives againſt them and their proceedings then they, and more aſperſe their authority, by their practiſes then they doe, as all their words, pamphlets, preachings and actions can witneſſe.

As for their ingratitude towards our brethren the Scots, and it is notorious to all men, for they cannot give them a good word for all their love to us, no not at this time of their di •• eſſe, when it appeareth to the whole world, that they have by aſſiſting us, not onely expoſed all their lives to perill, but endangered their whole Country, and now lye wallowing in their blood at home for being friends to us; and yet for all this their love, they cannot neither 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 think nor ſpeak well of them; ſuch ingratitude was never ſeen in any Nation; a ſinne ſo great, and crying ſo loud in the eares of Almighty God, that were this Kingdome guilty of no other, it were enough to bring downe the plagues of God upon us.

And howſoever their Miniſteus enjoy all our Pulpits, and have ſuch priviledges and immunities without all controle, as was never by any State granted to any ſect; yet they cry out of perſecution and ill uſage, whiles they themſelves abuſe the whole world, and perſecute in tongue and print, every living thing that in the leaſt doth not pleaſe their humour: And for ſuch as have done incomparable favours and curteſies to many of them, and who have entertained them in their houſes, by the ſix monethes together, gratis, with their Wives and Children, and ſhewne them ſurperlative humanity, yet in their greateſt extremities, when they have been plundered of all, ſtript naked, and ſome of them have fled to London with ſcarce a rag of their backs, and have applyed themſelves to ſome of theſe Miniſters, thinking that they would have retained a memory of former curteſies, they would not own them or ſcarce look on them; and when poore Gentlewomen, that lived in time of their proſperity in reputation and honour, and had ſervants then to wait on them, and being now deprived of all, and brought to beggery, and did onely deſire them to get them but a ſervice in ſome friends houſe of theirs, profeſſing that they would willingly ſubmit themſelves to the loweſt condition, rathet then be a burden to any, ſo long as they had their health; yet they could not by all their importunity extort a good word out of their heads in their behalf; and when they deſired but their wives to give them but one of their old petticoats to cover their nakednes; for anſwer, they were told▪ that they were now going over into the Low-countries againe, and that they had ſent over all their cloathing, ſo that they had nothind left to give away; and this was two yeeres ſince, and they are yet in England, and have got very fat Congregations and of chiefe women not a few; ſo that had not ſome Presbyterians and ſtrangers too, taken ſome compaſſion of them, they might have ſtarved for all the Independent Miniſters and their Wives, as can be proved, notwithſtanding they were obliged unto them with all the tyes of friendſhip; & when they were in their friends houſes, as they had all reſpectful uſage ſo they looked for it, and expected dayly to eat and drink of the beſt, or elſe they might heare of it.

But as the ingratitude of the Independents is generally taken notice of, ſo eſpecially of their Miniſters towards their Benefactors; and their covetouſneſſe is very remarkable, ſo that it may be proved, that ſome of the Independent Miniſters have got more in a yeere here in London, then ten Presbyterian Miniſters, and yet they are as covetous as ever they were, and as much as ever complaining of want, and of the hardneſſe of the times, and for their phariſaicall pride, it is incomparable, and commonly they inſinuate themſelves into rich acquaintance, and love ever to be where good cheere is ſtirring, onely in this they differ from the Phariſes, for they faſted often, twice or 〈◊〉 a we • ke, and th • ſe feaſt and fare deliciouſly every day; and if they ſpare a dinner under pretence of an humiliation, they will be ſure to ſup exceeding well and of the beſt; there is ſome of them gone downe to the Army, I preſume they may trayle them all through Cornwall and Devonſhire with a White-pot; and there is no childe ſhall leape ſo at the ſight of a Baby as they will skip at the fruition of a Cuſtard; they will ſmell a Feaſt to the remoteſt parts of Ireland, and the gravy of a chine of Beefe into the middeſt of Wales, ſo ſenſible they are of good cheere; I dare boldly ſay that, let a Veniſon Paſty be the Text, foure Independent Miniſters ſhall open and devide it better and more acurately handle it then any eight Presbyters in the City of London; ſo that if yee behold them ſometimes at a Feaſt, you would take them to be the Nephewes of Helliogabalus. There is not any man that ſhall ſeriouſly thinke of them but will ſay they have very accute ſenſes, that can out of the Americans and out of the Low-Countries ſmell the good • heere and plum-pottage into England, which was indeed one of the chiefeſt cauſes that made theſe men leave their charges and flocks there, and chooſe rather to live among Wolves, Beares, Lyons and Tygars, (for ſo they tearme us) for certainly if it were not good cheere, and their belly that made them dwell amongſt us, they would never have lived here, but as long as that laſt we ſhall have their company, but when that ceaſes, their zeale will grow cold; for they have ſent over their treaſuries into Holland and into New-England; but as long I ſay, as there is a carcaſe left, they will ſtay by it; for our Saviour ſaith, where the carcaſe is, thither the Eagles fly, and therefore they are here yet fluttering about, and when they have picked the bones of it well, then they will take take their flight and be gone; the Lord ſend us peace and faire weather after them.

But in in the meane time Maſter Vicars, it concernes us all to take heed of them, for they are a very dangerous people in all reſpects; for beſides their good conditions that I have now named, they are terrible diſſemblers, and notorious lyars, as their daily language and libels can witneſſe, and this Letter of Lieutenant-Colonell Lilburne teſtifies; and you alſo know what a notorious lye one of their chiefe Paſtors told not long ſince of my reverend brother Waker, and he did not onely divulge it, but ſtands in the juſtification of it; and yet there are divers men, and them of reputation, can witneſſe the contrary to what he affirmes, ſo that no man of a contrary mind, can with ſafety converſe among them; for they will lay any thing to his charge, and then ſweare to it, yea they turne ordinary tale-bearers, the worſt of men, and violate many times all the lawes of humanity to ſatisfie their ſpleen, and will peccare contra jura jovis hostitatis, and all civility, to doe a Presbyterian a miſchiefe; and thus unchriſtianly dealt that independent Paſtor with my reverend brother Maſter Waker, to make him od • ous; and I have taken notice, that it is their practice to tell tales and lyes, and therefore I ſhun them all; ſaving my good Cozen.

I muſt confeſſe, if at the recruting of the Parliament, the Independent Country Courtiers creepe in there, I doe verily beleeve that the Greeks 〈◊〉 never ſo pollute the Temple, as they will defile the Honourable Houſe, and then downe alſo goes the Gentry and the Nobility, and all Churches; for they begin already to piſſe in them, and to ſcummer in the Pewes of Gentleman, out of a hatred they beare to that name, diſdaining that any ſhould be thought greater then themſelves; telling them when they forcibly crowd into their ſeats, that the Saints have more right to thoſe places then they, and therefore partly for the ſtinking of them out of their ſeats, as Baggars doe Foxes out of their holes, by defiling them, theſe Independent Country Courtiers ſcummer and piſſe in their Pewes; and partly alſo they doe it out of hatred to the very ſtructure of the poore Churches, which ſay they, having been conſecrated to Idolatry, ought to be demoliſhed, or elſe made a Tophet on, and a place of eaſement, and therefore it is now growne an ordinary • hing with the Independents thus to pollute Churches; and ſome of them would have given ſeven thouſand pound, not long ſince, for Pauls, that they might have demoliſhed it as an Idol Temple, and ſo in their judgements the Gentry and Nobility are Idols, and have too long been adored and venerated, and they now deſire that honor themſelves, and therfore if once they have the power in their hands, and get into the Parliament, then out go all the ſons of Belial, fot ſo they call the Gentry: Therefore if you have any acquaintance with thoſe that are to chooſe Burgeſſes for the Parliament, give them a ſpeciall caviat to take heed how they make any of that fraternity Parliament-men; let them have an eye to the godly and truly religious (without faction) and underſtanding Gentlemen in the Country, that know what really belongs to government: For conſider what a deale of miſery all the Countryes through the Kingdome are involved in, by reaſon of the Committees that are compoſed of thoſe independent Country Courtiers, who generally domineer over the very Noble-men and Gentlemen every where, where they are in authority, and exerciſe more ſeverity over the Parliaments very friends, then the Lords and Peers of the Kingdome, and the great Counſell doe ever againſt Delinquents, as all the poore Countries can teſtifie; therefore perſwade your friends againe and againe, that they make choyce of no Independent Country Courtiers to he Members, for then all the Kingdome will be made Linfie-Woolſie, for they will have all Religions, and give a greater tal •• oti •• then the Devil himſelfe, for he will not tolerate all Religions, for you know he perſecuted the Woman, the true Religion, in the Wilderneſſe, but theſe would tolerate all, and therefore in that point they are worſe then ſat •• : Therefore if you would avoyd an inevitable confuſion, perſwade your friends to take heed of the Independe • ts, who have made a combuſtion in Church and State already.

It is ſaid of our Saviour that he would not commit himſelfe to 〈◊〉 , becauſe he knew them, John 2. now we have ſome experience already of all theſe men, let us therefore take heed of them: Others you know will not commit themſelves unto men, becauſe they know 〈◊〉 not▪ and 〈…〉 is very good reaſon why they ſhould not; now for my part I doe beleeve that there is no man can ever know the Independents, and therefore they ought to ſhun them, for they themſelves profeſſe, that they keepe a reſerve d •• es ad triarior • s redierit res, and tell us that we put them upon too unreaſonable a task, to ſatisfie us in all things they doe or deſire: Now when we know them already by all their actions to be diſturbers of Church and State, and violaters of all the Lawes of God and humanity, and enemies of all good people, and notorious lyars, and they themſelves confeſſe unto us, that they have yet a reſerve of grolleries, they juſtly ought of all people to be abominated, for they profeſſe openly, we ſhall never know them: And thus much I thought fit in way of anſwer, to reply unto John Lilburnes falſe accuſation, and to ſpeak of all the Independents practiſes.

One thing I may not paſſe by before I ſhut up my Diſcourſe; Lievtenant Colonell Lilburne complaines of ſome affront given him by ſome of the Parliament; as that they ſlighted him, and made themſelves merry with him (which intimateſt friends uſually doe with their familiars) and that much troubled his patience. What would this man have done, thinke you Maſter Vicars, if he had beene openly abuſed, as I was by ſome of the Independent party, and favourers of their way? 〈◊〉 I but wri • for the Presbytery, and in defence of the Parliament, and the reverend aſſembly of Divines, againſt the Independents, who had Printed moſt ſcur • ilous Books againſt them all; and I was not onely roughly reproved, but threatned alſo, that they would complaine of me to the Parliament, for undertaking to prove the Presbytery to be jure divin • ; which they told me was againſt the ſenſe of the Houſe, and therefore puniſhable in me; telling me alſo in a very furious manner, that I was an incendiary and a maintainer of the Kings party: and whereas they had me in their Catalogue, intending upon occaſion offered, to have preferred me; ſeeing, they ſaid, I tooke this way, I ſhould never have their good word. If he bad 〈…〉 party as I was by the Independents, and that at the Parliament doore, what daggers would not this man have writ and ſpake thinke you? For my part, if all the Independents in the Parliament ſhould have ſpake that which two or three of them did, it ſhould not have moved me ſo much as the biting of a Flea; much leſſe ſhould it have made me 〈◊〉 any thing in diſgrace of the whole Councell, or in the leaſt to have impeached their dignity: nay, had I ſuffered as much for the Parliament, and from it as any man, I would not for ſome mens miſcarriages, or ſome neceſſitated failings, have writ any thing to the diſhonour of the whole Houſe (and God forbid that any Presbyterian in England, ſhould either doe ſuch wickedneſſe, or favour it in any.) I ſhall 〈…〉 or for ſome 〈…〉 for offences 〈◊〉 come: and therefore I neither thought nor never ſhall thinke the leſſe venerably of the Parliament for the affront that was put upon me by the Independent party; for as there 〈◊〉 no Family, though never ſo honeſt, that hath not a Whore or Knave of their kindred; ſo it is impoſſible in ſuch a great Councell as the 〈◊〉 is, but they ſhould have ſome ninnyes and grols, and men that have no 〈◊〉 wit then will reach from their noſe to their mouth, and are onely ſenſible; and therefore people ought not, for a few mens ſakes, to traduce the 〈◊〉 Parliament. Neither will I ever ſuffer it in any whiles I live, but ſhall ever 〈◊〉 my life defend the honour of the parliament againſt all Independents, notwithſtanding the failings of ſome Members. And although John Lilbur •• Maſter Vicars be valiant, yet in defence of my Religion and the Church of England, and for the honour of the Parliament and great Councell, I ſhall not onely diſpute with all the Independents; though I underſtand by ſome of that fraternity, that they have Gyants for learning, as well as Pigmyes, 〈◊〉 I ſhall alſo dare in the quarrell of either fight with John Lilburne with 〈◊〉 weapon from a Bodkin to a Pike.

But leaving him to his A. B. C. which is a great deale better imployment for him then the grave and weighty matters of State, and the ſtudy of po ••• ticks, and the great Myſteries of Divinity; and commending you and yours to his preſervation, who is the keeper of Iſrael, that neither ſlumbereth 〈◊〉 ſleepeth, with my earneſt prayers for a happy peace in this Kingdome, 〈◊〉 the eſtabliſhing of the true proteſtant Religion, and of the Parliament; I remaine