parliament as if commiffions of array could deal with him alfo.

But of all thefe conditions, as it is now evident in our eyes, God accepted none, but that final petition, which he fo oft, no doubt but by the fecret judgment of God, importunes againft his own head; praying God, "That his mercies might be fo toward him, as his refolutions of truth and peace were toward his people." It follows then, God having cut him off, without granting any of thefe mercies, that his refolutions were as feigned, as his yows were frustrate.

XXVI. Upon the Army's furprifal of the King at Holmby.

TO give account to royalifts what was done with their vanquished king, yielded up into our hands, is not to be expected from them, whom God hath made his conquerors. And for brethren to debate and rip up their falling out in the ear of a common enemy, thereby making him the judge, or at least the well-pleafed auditor of their difagreement, is neither wife nor comely. To the king therefore, were he living, or to his party yet remaining, as to this action, there belongs no anfwer. Emulations, all men know, are incident among military men, and are, if they exceed not, pardonable. But fome of the former army, eminent enough for their own martial deeds, and prevalent in the house of commons, touched with envy to be fo far outdone by a new model which they contemned, took advantage of prefbyterian and independent names, and the virulence of fome minifters, to raise difturbance. And the war being then ended, thought flightly to have difcarded them, who had faithfully done the work, without their due pay, and the reward of their invincible valour. But they who had the fword yet in their hands, difdaining to be made the firft objects of ingratitude and oppreffion, after all that expenfe of their blood for juftice, and the common liberty, feized upon the king their prifoner, whom nothing but their matchlefs deeds had brought fo low as to furrender up his perfon: though he, to ftir up new difcord, chofe rather to

give up himself a captive to his own countrymen, who lefs had won him. This in likelihood might have grown to fome height of mifchief; partly through the ftrife which was kindling between our elder and our younger warriors, but chiefly through the feditious tongues of fome falfe minifters, more zealous againft fchifms, than against their own fimony and pluralities, or watchful of the common enemy, whofe fubtile infinuations had got fo far in among them, as with all diligence to blow the coals. But it pleafed God, not to embroil and put to confufion his whole people for the perverfenefs of a few. The growth of our diffenfion was either prevented, or foon quieted: the enemy foon deceived of his rejoicing, and the king cfpecially difappointed of not the meaneft morfel that his hope prefented him, to ruin us by our divifion. And being now fo nigh the end, we may the better be at leifure to ftay a while, and hear him commenting upon his own captivity.

He faith of his furprifal, that it was a "motion eccentric and irregular." What then? his own allufion from the celeftial bodies puts us in mind, that irregular motions may be neceffary on earth fometimes, as well as conftantly in Heaven. That is not always beft, which is moft regular to written law. Great worthies heretofore by difobeying law, ofttimes have faved the commonwealth; and the law afterward by firm decree hath approved that planetary motion, that unblamable exorbitancy in them.

He means no good to either independent or prefbytcrian, and yet his parable, like that of Balaam, is overruled to portend them good, far befide his intention. Thofe twins, that ftrove enclofed in the womb of Rebecca, were the feed of Abraham; the younger undoubtedly gained the heavenly birthright; the elder, though fupplanted in his fimile, fhall yet no question find a better portion than Efau found, and far above his uncircumcifed prelates.

He cenfures, and in cenfuring feems to hope it will be an ill omen, that they who build Jerufalem divided their tongues and hands. But his hope failed him with his example; for that there were divifions both of tongues

and

and hands at the building of Jerufalem, the ftory would have certified him; and yet the work profpered; and if God will, fo may this, notwithstanding all the craft and malignant wiles of Sanballat and Tobiah, adding what fuel they can to our diffenfions; or the indignity of his comparison, that likens us to thofe feditious zealots, whofe inteftine fury brought deftruction to the laft Jerufalem.

It being now no more in his hand to be revenged on his oppofers, he feeks to fatiate his fancy with the imagination of fome revenge upon them from above; and Like one who in a drowth obferves the sky, he fits and watches when any thing will drop, that might folace him with the likenefs of a punithment from Heaven upon us; which he straight expounds how he pleases. No evil can befal the parliament or city, but he pofitively interprets it a judgment upon them for his fake; as if the very manufcript of God's judgments had been delivered to his cuftody and expofition. But his reading declares it well to be a falfe copy which he ufes: difpenfing often to his own bad deeds and fucceffes the teftimony of divine favour, and to the good deeds and fucceffes of other men divine wrath and vengeance. But to counterfeit the hand of God, is the boldeft of all forgery: And he who without warrant, but his own fantastic furmife, takes upon him perpetually to unfold the fecret and unfearchable mysteries of high providence, is likely for the most part to mistake and flander them; and approaches to the madness of thofe reprobate thoughts, that would wreft the fword of juftice out of God's hand, and employ it more justly in their own conceit. It was a fmall thing, to contend with the parliament about the fole power of the militia, when we fee him doing little lefs than laying hands on the weapons of God himfelf, which are his judgments, to wield and manage them by the fway and bent of his own frail cogitations. Therefore "they that by tumults firft occafioned the raifing of armies" in his doom muft needs "be chaftened by their own army for new tumults."

First, note here his confeffion, that thofe tumults were the firft occafion of railing armies, and by confequence

that

that he himself railed them firft, against thofe fuppofed tumults. But who occafioned thofe tumults, or who made them fo, being at first nothing more than the unarmed and peaceable concourse of people, hath been difcuffed already. And that thofe pretended tumults were chaftifed by their own army for new tumults, is not proved by a game at tic-tac with words; "tumults and armies, armies and tumults," but feems more like the method of a juftice irrational than divine.

If the city were chaftened by the army for new tumults, the reafon is by himself fet down evident and immediate, "their new tumults." With what fenfe can it be referred then to another far-fetched and imaginary cause, that happened fo many years before, and in his fuppofition only as a caufe? Manlius defended the Capitol and the Romans from their enemies the Gauls: Manlius for fedition afterward was by the Romans thrown headlong from the Capitol; therefore Manlius was punithed by divine juftice for defending the Capitol, because in that place punifhed for fedition, and by those whom he defended. This is his logic upon divine juftice; and was the fame before upon the death of Sir John Hotham. And here again, "fuch as were content to fee him driven away by unfuppreffed tumults, are now forced to fly to an army. Was this a judgment? Was it not a mercy rather, that they had a noble and victorious army fo near at hand to fly to?

From God's juftice he comes down to man's juftice. Thofe few of both houses, who at firft withdrew with him for the vain pretence of tumults, were counted deferters; therefore thofe many muft be alfo deferters, who withdrew afterwards from real tumults: as if it were the place, that made a parliament, and not the end and caufe. Because it is denied that those were tumults, from which the king made thow of being driven, is it therefore of neceffity implied, that there could be never any tumults for the future? If fome men fly in craft, may not other men have caufe to fly in earneft? But mark the difference between their flight and his; they foon returned in fafety to their places, he not till after many years, and then a captive to receive his punishment. So

that

that their flying, whether the caufe be confidered, or the event, or both, neither juftified him, nor condemned themselves.

But he will needs have vengeance to purfue and overtake them; though to bring it in, it coft him an inconvenient and obnoxious comparison, "As the mice and rats overtook a German bishop." I would our mice and rats had been as orthodoxal here, and had fo pursued all his bishops out of England; then vermin had rid away. vermin, which now hath loft the lives of too many thoufand honeft men to do.

"He cannot but obferve this divine juftice, yet with forrow and pity." But forrow and pity in a weak and overmastered enemy is looked upon no otherwife than as the ashes of his revenge burnt out upon himself: or as the damp of a cooled fury, when we fay, it gives. But in this manner to fit fpelling and observing divine justice upon every accident and flight difturbance, that may happen humanly to the affairs of men, is but another fragment of his broken revenge; and yet the fhrewdeft and the cunningeft obloquy, that can be thrown upon their actions. For if he can perfuade men, that the parliament and their caufe is purfued with divine vengeance, he hath attained his end, to make all men forfake them, and think the worft that can be thought of them.

Nor is he only content to fuborn divine juftice in his cenfure of what is paft, but he affumes the person of Chrift himself, to prognofticate over us what he wishes would come. So little is any thing or perfon facred from him, no not in Heaven, which he will not use, and put on, if it may ferve him plaufibly to wreak his fpleen, or eafe his mind upon the parliament. Although, if ever fatal blindness did both attend and punifh wilfulness, if ever any enjoyed not comforts for neglecting counfel belonging to their peace, it was in none more confpicuoufly brought to pafs than in himfelf: and his predictions against the parliament and their adherents have for the moft part been verified upon his own head, and upon his chief counsellors.

He concludes with high praises of the army. But praises