ΤΟ

CHARLES II.

KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, and the Dominions thereunto belonging,

ROBERT BARCLAY,

A Servant of JESUS CHRIST, called of GOD to the Difpenfation of the Gospel now again revealed, and, after a long and dark Night of Apoftafy, commanded to be preached to all NATIONS, wifheth Health and Salvation.

A

S the condition of kings and princes placeth them in a station more obvious to the view and obfervation of the world, than that of other men; of whom, as Cicero obferves, neither any word or action can be obscure; fo are thofe kings, during whofe appearance upon the stage of this world it pleafeth the GREAT KING OF KINGS fingularly to make known unto men the wonderful steps of his unfearchable providence, more fignally obferved, and their lives and actions more diligently remarked, and inquired into by pofterity; efpecially if thofe things be fuch as not only relate to the outward tranfactions of this world, but alfo are fignalized by the manifeftation or revelation of the knowledge of God in matters fpiritual and religious. Thefe A 2

are

are the things that rendered the lives of Cyrus, Auguftus Cafar, and Conftantine the Great in former times, and of Charles the Fifth, and some other modern princes in these last ages, fo confiderable.

But among all the tranfactions which it hath pleafed God to permit, for the glory of his power, and the manifeftation of his wisdom and providence, no age furnisheth us with things fo ftrange and marvellous, whether with refpect to matters civil or religious, as thefe that have fallen out within the compafs of thy time; who, though thou be not yet arrived at the fiftieth year of thy age, haft yet been a witness of ftranger things than many ages before produced. So that whether we refpect thofe various troubles wherein thou foundeft thyfelf engaged while scarce got out of thy infancy; the many different afflictions wherewith men of thy circumftances are often unacquainted; the ftrange and unparalleled fortune that befel thy father; thy own narrow efcape, and banishment following thereupon, with the great improbability of thy ever returning, at least without very much pains and tedious combatings; or finally the incapacity thou wert under to accomplish fuch a defign, confidering the ftrength of those that had poffeffed themselves of thy throne, and the terror they had inflicted upon foreign states; and yet that, after all this, thou fhouldeft be reftored without ftroke of fword, the help or affiftance of foreign ftates, or the contrivance and work of human policy; all these do fuf

ficiently

ficiently declare that it is the Lord's doing; which, as it is marvellous in our eyes, fo it will justly be a matter of wonder and astonishment to generations to come; and may fufficiently ferve, if rightly obferved, to confute and confound that Atheism wherewith this age doth fo much abound.

As the vindication of the liberty of confcience (which thy father, by giving way to the importunate clamours of the clergy, the anfwering and fulfilling of whofe unrighteous wills has often proved hurtful and pernicious to princes, fought in fome part to reftrain) was a great occafion of thofe troubles and revolutions; fo the pretence of confcience was that which carried it on, and brought it to that pitch it came

to.

And though no doubt fome that were engaged in that work defigned good things, at leaft in the beginning, albeit always wrong in the manner they took to accomplish it, viz. by carnal weapons; yet fo foon as they had tafted the fweets of the poffeffions of them they had turned out, they quickly began to do those things themselves for which they had accused others. For their hands were found full of oppreffion, and they hated the reproof of inftruction, which is the way of life; and they evilly entreated the meffengers of the Lord, and caufed his prophets to be beaten and imprisoned, and perfecuted his people, whom he had called and gathered out from among them, whom he had made to beat their fwords into plough-fhares, and their spears into pruning-books, and not to learn carnal war any more: but he raifed them

up,

up, and armed them with Spiritual weapons, even with his own Spirit and power, whereby they teftified in the streets and highways, and publick markets and fynagogues, against the pride, vanity, lufts, and hypocrify of that generation, who were righteous in their own eyes, though often cruelly entreated therefore: and they faithfully prophefied and foretold them of their judgment and downfal, which came upon them, as by feveral warnings and epiftles delivered to Oliver and Richard Cromwell, the parliament, and other then powers, yet upon record, doth appear.

And after it pleafed God to restore thee, what oppreffions, what banishments, and evil entreatings they have met with, by men pretending thy authority, and cloaking their mifchief with thy name, is known to most men in this island; especially in England, where there is scarce a prison that hath not been filled with them, nor a judge before whom they have not been haled; though they could never yet be found guilty of any thing that might deferve that ufage. Therefore the fenfe of their innocency did no doubt greatly contribute to move thee, three years ago, to caufe fome hundreds of them to be fet at liberty: for indeed their fufferings are fingular, and obviously diftinguishable from all the reft of fuch as live under thee, in these two refpects.

First, In that among all the plots contrived by others against thee fince thy return into Britain, there was never any, owned of that people, found or known to be guilty (though many of them