FOrasmuch as it is Conceived, and Apprehended, by the Common Counsell, that this Citty (at present) it in great danger.

Conceived &c: A meere conceit indeed; for where (I pray) lay the danger, under Ground, or above Ground, in the Ayre, or above, or under water; was the Thames to be blowne up the second time, or was there any feare of Castles in the Ayre, or another dangerous powder Plot, with an &c. Therefore give me leave to ex­postulate in the language of Thomas Sternhold, Psal. 2.

For mine own part, I know my self to be as very a knave and Coward, as any man living (except the Lord of Olds­worth) yet I was no more afraid with any danger or dammage now from the Army, then of a Capon and white broath at a Thanksgiving dinner, Then why shall such a one as I feare? And therefore I declare now, they were the Feares, and Iealousies of the Common Cuckolds [counsell I would say) and not mine owne, the text is cleare in the point.

Conceived and Apprehended by the Common-Councell.

Apprehended; in Good time Verily; Are the Common-Councel men all turn Constables; or what do they Appre­hend or catch at their owne shadowes (that is themselves) to my knowledge (which I know and all men know is very slender) there was no more ground of feare now then was [Page 4]in 88. or November 5th. 1605. Out upon't; In my con­science (which is as little as my Science) Sir Walter Earle, or Harry Pelham the Negro Mock speaker) has bit these Common Coxcombs, and they are (now almost two Moneths before Midsomer) Ready to run mad with Fears, and Jealousies.

These are therefore according to the desire and direction [...] the said Court, to Will and require you in his Maiestie Name.

Mark (Beloved) that therefore the meaning of it is this, Because these Wise-acres of the Councell feare, where no fear is, or was, therefore [forsooth] I must be such an asse as to declare I know not what Jmaginary danger. You se [dear S ^•s] it is not my desire or direction, but the desire & direction of the Court, for my part I love not this directory, though I was compeld to obay it. But if ever they catch me doing a­ny good to this City (especialy this Blew-bonnet-Scotifi­ed Councell) I'le give 'em leave to Prinne myne eares or hang me as they did one of my Predesessors, Nick. Brem­ber was in 11th. yeare of King Richard the seconds Raigne, Anno, (or Anna) 1388. He was a stirring stickling fel­low, and had he not been hang'd he had been created Duke of Troy, or of London by the name of Troy: He had beene divers times made Lord Major, Which I purpose not to be, He lov'd his King dearely and Loyally (which I yet never did) for his royalty he was hang'd, and his throat cut after wards, but follow his example he that list, if you will know more of him, Read Stowes Chronicle, page 303. I confesse he was an honester man then my selfe.

Thus you see that I who have beene al my life, a Uolun­tarie Hypocrite, am now compeld to be one; And you know that Necessity hath no more Law then I have Loy­alty; And therefore had not the Counsel desired and di­rected too, I (of my selfe) would never have used his Ma­jesties name in the businesse, I would sooner have decla­red in the Devills name, as in whom I have more interest, and you too.

[Page 5] In his Maiesties Name, &c. And here my Brethren (the Saints I meane and not the Aldermen) I must distinguish my selfe (as the Parliament did the King) into two capa­cities, (viz.) into my Politicall and Personall. That is the Lord Major, by which Office of Majestracie, I am of a capable capacitie and understanding to be a polititian; But in my personall Capacitie, I am plaine JOHN VVAR­NER, and (in that sence) so I am out of my polliticall ca­pacitie, and consequentlie no polititian.

I could instance this Argument further, by demonstra­tions out of the Records and Annalls of Quinbourough, where the Major spake wisely as followeth.

Beloved, J am by my place the Kings Iamag [...], Therefore for a man to say more then a Man can say, I hold it not fit to be spoken: But for a Man to say what a Man ought to say, there I leave you my Brethren. Or as the Learnned Poeti­cal VVater-Poet said in his Laborious History of Non­sence.

But, to proceed Breathren, Asse I am Iohn Warner I love my selfe and you, But Asse a Magistrate I even ha [...]e my selfe perfectly; Except in order to your ends, or designes (the plunder and Ruine of the City) And those I am sure I have promoted with as much Art and Industry as my zeale and Braines could attaine to; And my two [...] (Atkins and Pennington) and my selfe, who have made as perfect a Triumvirate, or Iunto (hard words these are) of Catalines and Traytor to this City of London as over were in Rome, or Hell, I tel you, you doe hate magistrates, and as I being [...]o, I hate my self, if it be truly and hig [...]ly principled; for (Deare Breathren Saints) Is not S [...]ilo come, Then must Septers come & Crowns departe, the Inference is as cleare as my Conscience. Hath not CHRIST made us free, why then should we be slaves, or Subjects to any King or Par­liament (for they would all be Kings too) in Kent or Chri­stendome.

[Page 6]Follow then the Thrust (Victorious Soules) dispatch Charles Stewart, then downe goes monarchy: and then streight way those [...]igg-widgeon Traytorly Don-qu [...]k­sotts of Westminster, (most of them as meane and mecha­nick as our selves) will tumble after, and vanish like their owne Ordinances or a morning Cloud.

Heye then up goe wee.

In his Maiesties Name, &c iust as our fellow Hippocrites in the Ghospell made use of the Name of Christ the King of Kings; Math. 7.22. Have we not prophecied in thy Name, (yes we have prophesied to some purpose, for all the peo­ple of God are Prophets, and in thy name cast out Devills, No wee have brought Devills in) and in thy name done ma­ny wonderfull Workes. Yes as the wonder working Parlia­ment did in Richard the 2. time, Anno 1388. [that Parli­ament did Raise and ruine whom they listed, and beheaded, hang'd, Imprison'd, fined, Banish'd and beggerd whomso­ever they pleased, So that as we have done the worke wee may expect their Reward in the text, we look to have the same Mittimus, Depart from mee yee workers of ini­quity.

But to work iniquity by pattern, is but to sinne by Authority: for has not this blessed Parliament used the Kings name more then 7. yeares to his and his freinds Ruine, It is probable that they committed him to close prison in his owne Name, (as these) Charles King of England, we charge thee in thy personal capacity that [in obedience to the authority of thy Politique Capacity] thou submit thy self to be deprived of all the comforts of this life, [viz:] as Wife, Children, freinds servants, Estate, Dignity, Goods, possessions and Libertie. I tell you (my Brethren that this deep State-logick, newly practised, newly printed, and newly come forth, Are not all writs Issued as formerly, and all Briefes passed under the name of Charles by the Grace of God &c. down to this very yeare 1648. And subscribed Given from our Pal­lace at Westminster, such and such a day, and in such a yeare [Page 7]of our Reigne &c. when as poor King Charles (Good man) God knowes hath not seen Westminster or White-Hall, since February 1641. except at a distance from Brainford or Hampton Court, &c.

The old saying was that all mischiefe begun in [...]ni or Anni Domino (for we that have the Guift of Tongues may speake the Language of the Beast) But all the Plagues of Agypt began Annu Domino Regis. No Subject now is so­lemnly undon, but in his Soveraigne Lord and Masters name, the King, Nor was any honest Man, or truly Loyall Royalist hangd or beheaded since these merry mad times, but they have all suffered in the Kings name, though for the kings Cause or sake.

And so (Deare Brethren) I have done with the King; though you will do as you have don, and never have done with him till he be undone.

These are therefore to will and require you &c. that present­ly upon fight hereof, you [...] do repaire to every Houshol­der &c. and give them strict Charge and Command at their Pex [...]ll [...], That they do so Order and dispose of their Servants, &c: That they be not only kept from Committing any entrage or Misdemeanor, But that they, and their Servants &c, be in Readines [According to their severall Capacities] with arms weapons, and Ammunition for the preservation of the Peace, Defence of themselves, the City and the Magisthates thereof, &c.

O rare Magistrates, O brave Lord Mayor. I am sure nei­ther God or the King made me a Lord, and none but fooles and knaves made me mayor, and the troth is, that I my selfe do know my selfe to be to better then a paper, or (at the best) a Past [...]ord Pageant: and my horse is but a Hobby-Horse. And yet I, even I, J perce J, John, though not John a Leiden [or leaden Iohn] but John of London, I my selfe [Page 8][forsooth do Will and require &c. and what think you veri­ly of my Command that all the Citizens [upon occasion] shall with their Servants, keep their houses till their throats be cut, in their owne defence, that you King Oliver (the Chieftaine of the Lord) might kill them in severall▪ And gleane them one by one at your pleasure, which (were they in ful Bodies, and in a posture of defence) I without the hazzard of those pretious Saints of Whitehall▪ and the Mewes, the one Ambulent, the other Equitant, (Both Mil [...] ­tant) And yet I further declare, for fashion sake; that,

The Trayned Bands of this City, do from time to time, upon the Beat of [...], Repaire with all speed to their Colours▪ &c: and for the safety and wellfare of this City.

To their Collours, &c. Namely that the Citizens may be murdred in their Armes and [...]artial Equipage, as once the old Roman Aldermen were (in Pontificalibus when the Gaules storm'd the City.

This be confident of Brethren [for you [...] confide in mee] That the leiutenant General [for the General him­selfe is not wise enough to be trusted with a secret] Brother Atkins, Brother, Pennington, and my selfe [with Foulk [...], our Auxilliarie, [...] laid a most exact Model of the Cities plunder first, and then Destruction, or [which is worse] Captivity and perpetuall slaverie, And then would the Cittizens have been forc'd to Hang out their new Lights. All had been Goshen then, which now (if either the Prote­stant or [...]resbyterian partie prevaile, and we miscarry; (as 'tis to be feared we shall] will continue Aegypt stil, and for want of our Light [though we be hang'd out] [...] in dark­nesse, and in the shaddow of death.

So much for the Text; Now two short words of Ap­plication, and I have [...]; The words are these [...] which I leave to your considerations [...]o Conster land In­terpret.