A GILDED PILL, for a new Moulded PRESBYTER.

OR, Wholesome advice for the holy Synod: and all New-modelled Reformadoes.

With some Hints or Observations concerning the late Petition (promoted by some factious Shimeies) to ruine this famous City and Kingdome.

Now they shall say, We have no King, because we feared not the Lord. Hos. 10. 3.

Printed in the Yeare 1647.

A PILL for a new-Moulded Presbyter.

Brethren:

I Heere present unto your view a M [...]p, that may well be called, The M [...]p of Misery, or the direct Plot of the fatall Tragedy that should have beene acted upon you and this City: or a gilded Pill, that is without side Gold; within side Deadly Poyson, which I hope will prove a caveat to the well affected party of this langui­shing Kingdome, and teach them (if they be wise and provident while th [...]y have time and power) to avoid the Serpentine and ve­nemous snares of that execrated and pestilent brood of Presbytery, who in sheeps clothing, prove ravenous wolves, and devoureth: too simple credu­lous and easi [...] to be inveagled sheep of the little flock of Christ. This Frater­ni [...]y of Iniquity, of the Soc [...]e [...]y of the Serpent, (or Only distingui­shed thus▪ The one lives in a hot Coun­trey, the o­ther in a cold. Scot I should say ra­ther) from whom they have q [...]ickly learned (as is most proper to their na­tures) actions and Doctrines, crafty wiles, impieties, lies, equivocations, murders, impostures, and the like, all which th [...]y are taught of that old Scot, the D [...]vell, their principall Instructer, are now become an overspread­ing Leprosie over the face of this Kingdome, (al [...]hough the Lord be praised the The King, the true hear­ted Com­mons, and Sir Tho­mas Fair­fax Army. Head, the heart, and hands, of this Kingdome are yet (most of them) free from this infectious dis [...]ase.) O let us use all the meanes we can for the cleansing this Leper: let us purifie the inward roomes of our hearts with the pure incense of prayer, and wash the very walls and outsides of these out earthly Tabernacles, with true repentant tears, that the Lord may put an end to all our mis [...]ries, and that we may resolve in our hearts to give Caesar his due, to feare God and the King, and not to meddle with these mony chan­gers, that sell Doves in the Temple of the Lord, that is, That live by the The Synod. ruines of the innocent people: But we truly beleeve, that the Lord will ga­ther his wheat into his Garner, and burne the Stinking Elders. tares with unquenchable fi [...]e.

CUrteous Reader, I have thought good to insert here the Petition for their late combination, and to expose to thy view some notes or observations upon it, which if thou takest in good part, it shall be my Directory ere long to expose to thy view a new Century of Presbyterian Priests, Vale.

To the Right Honourable the Lord Maior, the Right Worshipfull the Aldermen, &c.
The humble Petition of the Citizens, Commanders, Officers, Yong men, and Apprentices. &c.

Sheweth:

THat your Petitioners taking into serious consideration, how Religion, his Majesties honour and safety, the privi­ledges of Parliament, and Liberties of the Subject, are at pre­sent greatly indangered, and likely to be destroyed; And also sadly weighing with our selves what means might likely prove the most effectuall to procure a firme and lasting peace, with­out further effusion of Christian English blood, have therefore entred into a solemne engagement, which is heereunto annex­ed, and doe humbly and earnestly desire, that this whole City may joine together by all lawful possible meanes, as one man, in hearty indeavours, for his Majesties present comming up to his two houses of Parliament, with honour, safety, and free­dome, and that without the neer approach of the Army, there to confirme such things, as he hath granted in his Message of the 12. of May last, in answer to the Propositions of both King­domes: and that by a personall Treaty with his two Houses of Parliament, and the Commissioners of the kingdome of Scot­land, such things as are yet in difference, may be speedily set­led, and a firme and lasting peace established: all which wee desire may be presented to both Houses of Parliament, from this Honourable Assembly.

And we shall pray, &c.

Considerations upon the Petition, and engagement, and late Decla­ration.

TO the right understanding of the true intents and end of this Petition and engagement, these subsequents fall ne­cessarily into consideration.

First upon what occasion this enterprize is begun, and upon what ground it pretendeth to take its foundation: The occasi­on and ground as both Petition and engagement seemeth to [Page 6] import, are thus, that Religion, his Majesties honour and safety, peace and safety of the three Kingdomes, Priviledges of Parliament, and Liberties of the Subject are not only greatly endangered, but like to be destroyed.

Here's an honourable occasion and ground indeed, were it as reall as by them pretended; but later anguis in herba, here's a bewitching entising baite, but the hooke is venemous and mor­tall; For if also we doe but duely weigh and consider, where, and by whom this great danger is, and who are those threat­ning destroyers, those Petitioners and new devised Covenan­ters (especially the contrivers and promoters of the designe) will be found the only continent wherein the said epidemicall mischief lodgeth, and from whence all feare therof ariseth, and yet this very Petition, and new Machivillian Protestation is no other then an eleaven Membered designe for a new bloody direfull war even for the destruction of Religion, of his Maje­sties honour and safety, peace of the three Kingdomes, &c. yea, and for the most horrible and dreadfull destruction, and subver­sion of this mighty populous City: For it is first to be conside­red by all who shall be moved hereunto to subscribe, and be assistant before they subscribe, assent or act, where, and by whom those forementioned principles of Englands safety are so desperatly endangerd; if it be found that these kind of enga­gers, contrivers, and drivers on of this new device, be the ve­ry men from whom all the said danger hath hitherto arisen, and from whō it is now only threatned, then this new engagement can be no other esteemed then an engagement of the people in the very destruction of that, for which it thus glori [...]usly pretends s [...]fety and preservation: for can wee expect grapes of thornes, or figges of thistles? such as are the engagers, such must wee suspect and deem the intent of, the engagement and designes, for every thing produces its like, and you may know a Beare by his paw. And to put the matter out of doubt, com­mon observation, or every mans wofull experience tell us where the faultlies; there are but two parties in the King­dome upon which now it can be laid, either this Army and their friends, or the obstructing traiterous party in the two Houses at Westminster, with their Clergy accomplices & con­federates. As for the Army and their friends they have ever [Page 7] actually and visible engaged for the foresaid principles of com­mon right and safety, and now to give undoubted testimony to their uprightnesse and sincerity in their said undertakings, they doe now faithfully and unanimously stand for the due and effectuall accomplishment thereof, as their severall printed pa­pers evidence to every impartiall capacity: Therefore there can be no just ground or reason in the engagement for these things, if the engagement be against them: for to engage a­gainst the reall engagers for a thing is a direct engagement a­gainst the thing it selfe, though never so much under the no­tion and colour of the thing: And now the face of this new de­signe is directly against the Army, for the rescuing of his Maje­sties Royall Person from their honorable safe protection and custody, end enforcement of them at such a distance to the City; and yet it would seeme to make the subscribers believe, as if that were the most likely meanes, to prove most effectuall, to procure a firme and lasting peace without a further effusion of Christian English blood; and how like that is, let the world judge: For what can be surmised or concluded from them but j [...]rres, discord, strife, confusion, warres, effusion of bloud, &c. for such an en­gagement as this cannot possibly be without such disasterous horrible effects, for what is done in this nature, and after this kinde, must needs be done by force of armes. T [...]erefore this engagement must needs arise from such as are most desperate inveterate enemies to the Army, and to these foresaid pillars of the peoples safety, who for their owne protection in the ruine of the Army would engage King, Kingdome, and City in their owne destruction; therefore let this be a caution for every honest hand and heart endeavouring and desiring the peace and prosperity of King and Kingdome to forbeare subscription or concurrence thereto; touch not, taste not, handle not.

Now concerning the factious traiterous party in the House (with their complices) who are the hinderers of those fore­mentioned principles of safety but those? Are they not the party under the weight of whose trecherous delusions, oppres­sions, and cruelties, this Kingdome still laboureth in paine? and who obstruct the course of justice, and under that obstruction protect themselves from justice, even to the disquieting of the [Page 8] Kingdome, [...]ndangering the peace, and eminent ruine thereof? impartiall judgement tell us they are, and how can this new engagement (those weighty premises considered) be judged for any other end, then for the protection of these delinquent traiterous Members, their accomplices, and accomplishment of their owne factious designes, and even to the very apparent ruine of the Cities of London and Westminster, and endange­ring the stately structures thereof to be laid levill with the ground? For who are the Armies enemies but these? And what party considerable in the Kingdome have these men to shelter themselves from the edge of their particular charge? Are not their greatest hopes in the City? And so rather then they will perish even the City it selfe shall sinck and perish, for here­by they would engage it, to lay it selfe in its owne ashes: for if this their desperate work should go forward, what can the Ci­ty expect, but to be sacked, plundered, and destroyed, and left in its owne rubbish and ruines? for is not the whole King­dome in a manner concurrant with the Army? And if there should be such an engagement, and protestation and vow in the City, as one man to make resistance, and to suffer no neutrallity amongst them, how can they thinke to stand against this just and faithfull Army, and this Kingdome, and scape the consuming vengeance of sword and famine? C [...]rtainely vengeance will dog the heeles of the Tyrant and oppressour whether soever he flyeth, and when inquisition is made, woe unto his protectours and defenders; therefore you that are, or shall be moved to this perilous bloody plot, looke well before you leape, yeaster­day cannot be recalled, to day if you will heare the voice of safety, harden not your hearts, least you hurry swift destruction upon your owne heads, the City, and Kingdome too: Thus having this foresaid Petition and Covenant put into mine hands, I thought good in haste to adde a short consideration thereto, that if hapily I may adde unto the just preventi­on of the ruine of this Kingdome and City thereby, and so present and leave both to the use, judgement and conside­ration of all whom it may concerne, and remaine,

Faithfully devoted to the peace and safety both of Kingdome and City.
FINIS.

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