THe distempers, distractions iealousies, lawfull and unlawfull wars of these present times, un­happily falne, stirred up, and fomented by some, under specious, but uniust pretences, are the onely motives to write on this present Subiect. The word is Confido, and it signifies to trust, or to put his trust in.

From these premises the inference that I deduc [...] is this; let every soul be subiect to the higher pow­er, for all power is of God: They are not my words, but the assertion of the great Doctor of the Gen­tiles, Saint Paul in his 13. Chap. Rom. 1. wherein there are two things considerable, a precept in the first words, and the reason enforcing it in the latter; for all power is of God. There's a threefold power, Monarchicall, Aristocraticall, and Democraticall All these are of God, and there's none that is, but is derived from him. The first is the power of the Prince, the second of the Peeres, and the third of the people, or the house of Commons a All these must be obeyed, because all power is of God; yet under correction, give me leave to hold this positi­on, [Page 3]that the first of these being Supreamest, ought [...] the prime place to be obeyed.

Divisum Imperium cum Iove Cesar habet; our [...]esar is Superiour to all, and Inferiour to none [...]ne to God himselfe, the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings. There is a kinde of Divinity in the word Monarchy, Vno minor est Iove, the King is a Sove­raigne Monarch, and being but one, he is next to God: per me Reges regnant, 'tis Gods priviledge, and let not us deny his Vice-gerent his prerogative. The Kings power is conferred upon him by the su­preame power, the power of all powers; and there­fore must every soule be subiect to it (and then we confide,) I say every soule, 'tis of a vast extent and capacity, none is exempted, it being a tearme of universality.

The Church of Rome doth except the Clergy, [...]ing that every soule of the Laity ought to be subiect, and here we may not confide; but the Church of England is of a better opinion, holding according to the tenent of Saint Paul, that every soule ought to be subiect, for he is no good subiect who is not subiect to the King; and here you ought [...]d will I hope confide.

The duty that every subiect owes to his Sove­reigne is threefold; honour, subiection, and obe­dience.

First, honour him in your thoughts; ye must not coniecture ill of his Maiesty; he that think ill of the King, said the wisest, King Salomon, of mortall [...], of immortall memory (shall not goe unpu­ [...]ed.)

Secondly, honour him with your tongue in giving him his iust and due title and stile, defender of the true ancient Catholique and Apostolick [...] [...] in all causes, and over all persons, as well Ecelesiast call as civill, next under Gods Sacred Maiesty; su­preame head and governour, ye must speak well of him, and for him; for who shall say unto the King, what dost thou, as you haue it in the 8. of the Ecele­siast, and 4. ver.

Thirdly, honour him with your hand, I mean with the homage of tribute, with your meanes and sub­stance, if he be King (though he come to the Crown by inheritance, by election, by donation, or by the law of the sword) we must be subiect, and obey him; whatsoever he commands, if it be not contrary to the sacred Word of God, we must yeeld obedience to, for the wrath of a King is as messengers of death, Prov. the 16. and 14. and in the 22. & [...]. he that pro­voketh him unto anger sinneth against his own soul.

O remember eternity, eternity, I say eternity, and then you will yeeld a double obedience, active, and passive, in doing and in suffering, though he should command what is again [...] the law of the Land: we must by no meanes rebell, for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, what we cannot performe with obe­dience, we must be content to suffer with patience; but thanks be to God, we have no such King, that requires of us any obedience against the will of God, his will and promise is to rule us according to the knowne and Fundamentall Lawes of the Land, hee is our deerest parent, and we are bound by the Law [Page 5]of God to honour and obey him, though hee be not [...] luminum, the Father of lights, nor Pater Spi­ [...], the Father of Spirits (for these two are Gods [...]tles) yet hee is Paterpatria, the Father of his [...]rey, and the nursing Father and fosterer of this Church and State. But good God into what [...]entable times are we now fulaie; out of Silla into [...]bdes, from a high borne storme, not confide­ [...]ing of a calme, to an unmoved rocke, or an uncon­ [...]nt sand; though we ought to obey him, depend [...] him, believe him, honour him, and be subiect to [...], yet (such is our wretched diffidence and incre­dulity) wee will by no meanes confide in him; wee [...] so full of feares and iealousies upon meere fan­ [...] and apprehensions, generall and uncertaine [...]ounds, that we cannot confide in him; rather then we will take his word, we levy forces pretended for [...], and are so strong in our weaknesses, that we are [...]y enemies to our owne peace (is this to confide, [...] the word take its birth where it will, here it is [...]ative) this in the period will make us ludibrium [...]ium, the laughing stocke of the Nations, a prey [...]our adversaties, a ruine to our selves, and an ob­ [...]quie to those about us.

His Maiesty hath vowed and protested to God [...]d the world, that he intend, to maintaine the true [...]ant Religion, the ancient Laws of the Land, [...] liberty and property of the Subiect, with the [...] priviledges of the Parliament, and shall we not [...]nfide in him? so gracious wa [...] [...] the [...]gi [...]ing of this Parliament, [...] to [Page 6]put himselfe freely and cleerly upon the love and af­fection of his English subiects, you not withstand­ing invite him by your levies to doe otherwise [...] I trust in God there (will be no need) you have been told so, and if your consciences be not secured there is tel-troth too hee at first confided in us, and shall not we confide in him; the words of a king are like himselfe sincere, and shall we not take his word? he hath said (and I dare say) from his heart, so God deal with him and his, as he intends to doe with his peo­ple: will not all these expressions move u's to con­fide in him? If an ordinary mechanick should pro­fesse so much unto us we might not stick to take his word, much lesse may we make it a scruple to take the word of a King. Certainely that his absenting himselfe so long from his great Councell (the Par­liament) hath produced such a civill, or rather un­civill war at this time in the Kingdome, hath beene more sutable to other mens evill desires then to the Kings owne words. 'Tis a maxime in the Law, that the King can doe no wrong; but if any ill be com­mitted in matter of the State, the Councell, if in matter of iustice, the Iudges must answer for it, so much of knowledge I have of that unknowing and unknowne vindicator of the Parliament) his Maie­sty hath declared himselfe; that be will make the law of the land the rule of his power; he abhors that saying, voluntas Regi [...], lex populi, the will of the Prince the law of his people; and for all this will we not confide in him, we will confide in our servant that must obey us, and yet we will not confide in our [Page 7]S [...]eraigne that can command us: but it may bee [...]e will say how can he command us, when as wee [...]e his service. I answer that iwobedientia sub di­ [...] [...] tollit jus dominationis; The disobedience [...]subiects takes, not away the right of the Sove­ [...]e; and therefore if there were no other reason [...] the relation of King and subiect, it were suffici­ [...] [...]o perswade us, but there are many more; for [...] King is pious, gracious, prudent, iust, valiant, [...]erate, element, mercifull, he never delighted [...], nor was he ever ready to shed blood, but [...]d [...]ies willing to shew his innate mercy and saye it, he desires peace and to that end hath sent many gr [...]ieus messnages to his two honourable houses of Parliament, that he might prevent the effusion of in [...]cent blood, had he loved the contrary, where [...] the Parliament's being, or all the gracious a [...] he passed there, & yet we are not content, what v [...]d we, his Crowne, our ruine let us be modest [...] take heed, for that will cursh us to the centre of [...] [...]arth, which some hold to be the place of Luci­fer for his pride) as being farthest from heaven.

[...] was his fathers motto, beati pacifici, blessed are th [...] peace makers; and in my heart I am perswaded th [...] our Soveraigne his Son doth not in this legene­ [...] from his Royall Progenetor.

For our parts, let it be our care and duty to pray [...] God that we may seeke pe [...]ce and insue it, Psal. 34.13. and that our Royall King and his Par­liament may confide in each other, that there may [...]o more bloodshed in this his Kingdome, but [Page 8]that a happy and blessed union may bee drawne be­tweene them: and let us be confident (for o [...] couragement) that if wee pray in faith, G [...] grant our requests. Let us therefore (in the [...] and feare of God) pray for peace to the God of peace; (not with much babbling as though our [...] ­ers cost us nought, not yet with powdering [...] guns, and then gorging our selves like Cannibals) that he would be pleased to settle peace in this [...] ­ding and distressed Kingdome, that so we may [...] the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, that the two great armies now in the field may be speedily disbanded, and that upon this wished for pacifica­tion, his Maiesty may return againe to his high and honourable Court of Parliament, with the Olive branch of peace in his mouth, to the glory of God, the comfort of his people, and terror of all his enemies.