I Cannot, nor ever shall I endeavour to hide or deprive of their due Praises, those godly Lights which have shined amongst you, in the Armies of England, Scotland, and Ireland; who by their many ex­amples of Valour, Equity, Wisedom, Magna­nimity, Dexterity, and other excellent Virtues, are beyond all parallel: But I must withal let you know, That to Judge of them soundly and aright, both you and I, and every particular man of the [Page 2] three Nations, must fly to the Father of all Lights, who using these great and worthy Personages for the building, preservation, or encrease of this Estate, hath enriched them with great and preci­ous Graces; that acknowledging him the Author as well of these Virtues, as of the happy success of things manged by them; we all may learn to yeild him homage, for the preservation, continu­ance, and encrease of this Common-wealth.

Suppose we then, that these former goodly Lights should now appear, as so many terrible flaming Comets, or degenerate into such sparkling Fire­brands, as would in a moment fill these three Na­tions with intestine Flames, and unnatural Com­bustions; Would not you who are the Souldiery of these three Nations, wisely consider with your selves, what you went about, before you would force the poor people of these Nations, to be­come fresh Fewel to such Infernal Flames? and would you not hear Reason, and consult with good Counsel and Advice, before you rashly made your selves, the Instruments of such lamen­table Effects which would shortly follow?

Let me tell you then, That hearing with grief of heart, the Divisions which are noised abroad, and like to happen amongst us, by occasion of some of the great Officers of your Armies; I thought it high time to come forth, and to represent unto you the dargerous inconveniencies, which may happen by such alccrations, which vvill fill each [Page 3] Town with Confusion, our Neighbour States with Scorn and Derision, and every other N [...]ti­on with bad Examples: Therefore in the first place, I earnestly desire you all, That you would unanimously entreat, and humbly request your Heads and Officers, to lay aside all spleen and animosity, and to be reconciled to their Heads and Governors: For you, all of you, sufficient­ly know those miseries which do accompanie the Torrents of Intestine War and Dissention.

Contemn not therefore this good Counsel; but receive it with the respect and reverence which is due to so great a Common-wealth; and with the same good will vvhich you have shewed at the first, so continue it unto the end.

All things are yet in good Estate, and may conti­nue so if you will; for, by the Grace of God, your Troubles are no ways come to irreconcilable Extremities. 'Tis too true, you are too much be­hinde with your pay; yet I hope you will not so far prefer your Profit before Reason, as to force your Magistrates, and fright their Ministers and People, to submit to your wills and pleasures; seeing they are all of them resolved (if you hold but your hands) to pay you all speedily, and with their thankful acknowledgment of your good ser­vices, further to honour and advance you. Per­swade therefore (if possible) your Officers and Commanders, to leave their conceived hatred and spleen, and to lay aside their passions, and [Page 4] with quiet spirits, to consider of all inconvenien­cies of Times, Places, and Persons. You see we are now in peace, almost through the three Nati­ons; and will you be the first to sound the Trum­pet to begin a new VVar? VVould you that your Native Country should serve as a Theater, to add a bloody Catastrophe, to our late past Trage­dies? Alas! you are all in the same Vessel, in the same Enclosure, breathing the same Ayr, using the same Tongue, and the same Laws and Cu­stomes: And be assured, That those vvhom you or your Commanders, do now repute for your Adversaries, are your fellow Subjects, your Neighbors, your Kinsfolke, your Brethren, and and Members of the same Body: And though your Opinions be diverse, touching matters of Religion, yet your VVills should be united for the good of the Common-wealth. To this end, let me entreat you once more, to entreat your Offi­cers and Commanders again, and again, to aban­don all those pernitious Counsels, which present nothing unto them, but through the false sight of Opinion and Choler, and vvhich vvill plunge them into a Gulf of Miseries at the last; and in­vite them all by your examples, to embrace uni­on and concord, vvhich is the foundation and root of all the rest, the Nurse of Peace, the Consolation of good Subjects, and a plentiful Harvest of all good Things.

And as for your particulars, let me seriously [Page 5] and seasonably advise you all, still to remain in the Port of this Concord, where the State doth gu [...]de us all, after so many Storms and Temp [...]sts; and where both you and we shall be assured. [...]he Sea doth no harm to Ships that have good An­chors: Now Obedience is the Anchor which doth assure out Ship against the fury of both VVinds and VVaves; it is that which gives l [...]fe and motion to all the members of the Body; and there is not a more certain signe of the life of a Common­vvealth, then this Obedience.

Let us all therefore stand and wait the provi­dence which almighty God hath apointed, which ordinance neither Enemies can hinder, nor Friends advance; and therefore the direction of this Truth, ought to teach you all to Sail in this Sea, every man in his Place and Office, as he ought, and ac­cording to his Degree and Command amongst you, expecting a more happy Harbour, by the bounty and wisdom of him that rules the VVaves of humane Confusions, as the Soveraign Judge, holding in his hands both the hearts and the events of all things.

I shall conclude with the Exhortation of Moses the General of Israel, to his both Spiritual and Temporal Souldiers, in these words, And Moses said unto the People, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shea to you to­day. Exod. 14. 13.