joyne in a Petition in their owne Names, to the two Houfes, to the fame Effect, but with worfe Succeffe; for the Houfe of Commons, having Infor mation what was in Agitation in the City, fend Wat. Long to feize on the Petition, and the Subfcriptions; by which Meanes, the Names of the Subfcribers being knowne, there wanted not Arts to make them retract their owne voluntary Act: fome by Perfwafions, and private Solicitations, others intimidated by Threats, and Menaces, are compell'd to recant, and because it was a Note of Levity, if not worse, fo fuddenly to protest against their owne voluntary Act, therefore the Decoy to bring on the reft, to so base, fo unworthy a Revolt, was Lenthall the Speaker's Brother, which Example (he having broke the Ice) was followed by many, that loved an ignoble Quietneffe, before Freedome with Trouble.

This laft Petition was that which they call Benyon's Petition, and indeed Sir George Benyon was (and he needs not be afhamed of it) a Framer, and a chiefe Promoter of that most reasonable, moft equitable Petition: which notwithstanding was made that great Crime, that afterwards drew on his Impeachment, and heavy Cenfure in Parliament. In which Sentence, the World may see what groffe Injuftice and Partiality was used by them, that would be angry, not to be thought the moft upright, unblemished Juftitiaries in the World. The Christmas before (which wee now must call Nativity Tide) the Lord Mayor, and the Recorder, were convened before a Committee for obftructing the Apprentices Petition, against Episcopacy; and learned Peard (who hath no more Law than what was made this Parliament) fitting in the Chayre, told them, that it was against the Freedome and Liberty of the Subject, not to permit them (without any Let or Interruption) to prefent their Grievances in Paper to the Parliament, nay, for Feare they should want Worke, there was an Order publifhed in Print by the House of Commons to that very Purpofe; yet Sir George for making Ufe of the fame Liberty, which themfelves had proclaimed, is fentenced thus: First, fined in three thousand Pounds. Secondly, disfranchized, utterly deprived of the Priviledges of the City. Thirdly, never to beare any Office in the Kingdome. Fourthly, to be committed Prifoner to Colchester Gaole for two Yeares, and laftly, at the Expiration of that Tearm to give Security for the good Behaviour, fuch, as the Parliament (if they then fate) fhould then thinke fitting, and in Case the Parliament were diffolved, fuch as the Lord Keeper for the Time being fhould approve of, How will this Sentence, for ever juftifie the fevereft, that were ever given, either in the Star Chamber, or High Commiffion? That did doome a Man to ruine, for no other Fault, than what themselves had authorized, and judged it against the Liberty of the Subject, to oppose it even by their owne Order.

The Committee for the Pofture of Defence, being by these dishonest Practices made Lords of the Militia, and being armed with as much Power as Will, to ferve the most desperate, treasonable Designes, which either Say or Pym fhould fuggeft, they now goe on without Checke or Controule, and beate downe all before them that ftand in their Way. On triviall Pretences, or for neceffary Obedience to the King's just Commands, they remove honest

Sir Richard Gurney (whofe Name in after Chronicles will outfhine famous Walworth's, and upbraid this Rebellious City to all Pofterity) from the Governement of the City, and in his Place fubftitute Little Ifaac, rejecting the Olive, and advancing that Bramble, out of which I feare will come that Fire, which will confume this feditious City. Now the People are authorized by Ordinance of both Houses, and encouraged and preffed even in Point of Confcience by their Boutefeau Lecturers, to lift Horfes in Moorefields, fend in Money and Plate to Guild ball for the Service of the King and Parliament; and because they would be fure to have an Orator in every Pulpit to quicken the People, to poure out their Wealth liberally, to further the Rebellion intended, they cause the very Dregs and Scum of every Parish to petition against the Orthodox Clergy; who being imprisoned, or fled, they fequefter their Livings, for the Ufe of their owne Levites: fo that at this Day, there is not a true Orthodox Minifter left, freely speaking his Confcience, and exercifing his Miniftery in the whole City: fo that whatfoever they pretend, that they take up Armes for the Defence of the Proteftant Religion, if they meane the Proteftant Religion, as it is by Act of Parliament established in the Church of England, I affure you, Brother, were you here, you could no more fee a Face of the Church of England, than you can at Amfterdam.

They have not onely banished all Decency and Order, together with the established Liturgy out of our Churches, but instead of the Gofpel, our new Preachers entertaine their Auditories with Newes, which upon Examination prove but Fictions and Lyes to blind the People, or else with bitter Invectives against the King and his Governement: and as for Faith, Charity, and Re pentance, they are laid afide as impertinent Arguments: all their Exhortations now, are to Treafon and Rebellion: So that, as in the Holy League of France, as my Author speakes, our Pulpits are made the Chaires of Fuglers, nay, the very Sacraments escape not their Blafphemy and Prophanation to thefe vile Purposes: I doubt not but you have heard of Mr. Cafe his Invitation of the Congregation to the Lord's Table, who, inftead of You that do truly and earnestly repent you of your Sinnes, and be in Love and Charity with your Neighbours, and intend to lead a new Life, &c. befpake them thus: You that have freely and liberally contributed to the Parliament, for the Defence of God's Caufe and the Gospels, draw neere: To the reft he threatned Damnation, as comming unworthily to the holy Sacrament; it were endleffe to write unto you, (it deserves fome Man's Labour in particular) to acquaint you, and the Kingdome, with the Blafphemies, Prophanations, and Absurdities, which he and his Brethren in Evill, vent every Day in their extemporary Prayers and

Sermons.

Yet were all this Treafon fet out mix'd with Wit, or did they preach Re bellion advantag'd by the alluring Helpes of Art and Eloquence, it might perfwade fome amongst us not to turne Recufants from their Affemblies; but they are the dryeft, and the dulleft Beafts that ever peep'd over a Pulpit: while these remaine in the City, Rotheram the Lecturer never needs feare to be heard in his Deprecation, that we might never fee fuch a Famine here in London, as was once in Samaria, where an Affe's Head was fold for fourscore

Pieces of Silver. Thankes to him and the reft, wee have great Plenty here, and while we have fo many, there is no Feare that they will ever rife to fo high a Price.

But when People are difpofed unto a Rebellion, fmall Helpes will serve their Turne; a Ram's-Horne is as good as Shebah's Trumpet: yet they have one Art (and I may not forget it, because it takes much with the People) and it is this, you fhall have one, and the fame Argument poffeffe most of our Pulpits on the fame Day, the fame Matter is the Subject, either of their rayling Invectives, or rebellious Exhortations. The undifcerning Multitude, not piercing into this Imposture, fondly are perfwaded, that this is no leffe than the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost, when, GoD knowes, this is no more than an Intimation given them from the Heads of the Faction, to Calamy, and the Junto that meet at his Houfe, from whom their Emiffaries receive Directions, what concernes the prefent Opportunity, and is neeeffary to be preached unto the People.

By these and the like Arts, 'tis a Wonder to fee what Forces have been raised, what Summes have beene advanced, and poured out, to further this Rebellion: It is the Opinion of very wife Men amongst us here, that have observed the severall Helpes, which the City of London hath contributed to this present unnaturall Warre, that they have fupplyed the Treasury of the Rebells with no leffe than Three Millions of Money, and their Army with Threefcore Thousand Men, first raifing, then recruiting their mangled, beaten Regiments; at fo great Expence both of Treasure and Blood hath this proud unthankfull City been, to dethrone the King, and ruine the Kingdom.

And that they might not want Supplies of Men. to keepe this Rebellion on Foot, they have cancelled, or difpenfed with all the Obligations and Tyes of Religion, Nature and Lawes: They have given the Sonne Power not only without, but contrary to the Parents Commands, to lift himselfe, and take Entertainment in their Army; the fame Liberty they have given to Apprentices, and Servants, to take Armes, not only without, but contrary to the Command of their Masters and Miftreffes. How many poore Parents, how many poore Tradefmen, nay, how many poor Widdowes, and their diftreffed Orphans, be here in this City, that had no other Subfiftence but what was hardly earned, by their Children or Apprentices Industry and Labour, are now all like to starve, or are neceffitated to fly to the Almes of the Parish (though the Poore's Stock it felfe be invaded and spent in this Warre) while those that fed them are left in this unnaturall Rebellion? Nay, how many difconfolate Parents have you in the Country, that fent their Children hither to this City, and gave great Summes with them, to bind them Apprentices to Trades and Manufactures, hoping that hereafter they might live like Men, nay, perhaps fome of their Mothers out of an overweaning Opinion, might fancy to themselves Hopes, that they might live to fee their Sonnes Lord Mayors of London, (and why not?) that now fit mourning, and wringing their Hands, and curfe the Day not onely in which they fent them hither, but in which they were borne, not because they have loft a Legge or an Arme, or returned maimed, so that all they can hope for is to have Enter

tainment

tainment in an Hofpitall, and that no longer neither, than till the King's maimed Souldiers fhall come, and tell them that that Charity was never provided for Men difabled fighting against their King, but because they have loft their Lives, and not onely their Lives but their pretious Soules too, dying in a grievous Sinne, in the very Act of Rebellion: methinks you in the Country (if there be any Bowels of Compaffion yearning over the Fruit of your Bodies, if there be any Senfe of that eternall Condition that doth attend them after this Life, if there be any Hope of the Joyes of Heaven, or Feare of the Torments of Hell) fhould be very fenfible of this.

And though God hath manifeftly fought against them, for the King, giving him Victory in many Battailes, when all humane Helpes and Advantages were on the Rebeils Side; though GOD hath miraculously, and beyond the Hope of Man restored unto Him, the Hearts of the People, (which the Heads of this Rebellion, by Slanders had ftolne from Him:) though from fmall, and contemptible Beginnings in the Eyes of his Enemies (few or none standing for Him but GoD, and the Juftice of His Caufe) God hath profpered Him into many mighty Armies, which render Him formidable to the proudeft, and ftouteft of the Rebells; though every Victory hath beene feconded by a Tender of Peace, and with an Overture of Pacification, fo that as himself speakes in that Declaration published July 30, 1643. He could not probably fall under the fcandalous Imputation which hath ufually attended His Meffages of Peace, that they proceed from the Weakneffe of His Power, not Love of His People. Laftly, though like an indulgent Father of rebellious Children, He hath courted this City and wooed it, by many Pardons, many and often repeated Acts of Grace and Favour, to recall us to our former Loyalty, (if ever we were loyall) yet, inconfiderate, unthankfull Wretches as we are, we overlooke or fleight all these Invitations; for inftead of returning, we have added this, as the Complement of our other Rebellions, that (whether more unthankfully or undutifully I cannot tell) we have caft Dirt in our Soveraigne's Face, and flandered the Footsteps of God's Anoynted, as if he were guilty of all thofe Miferies, which at this Time threaten the Subverfion of this Nation: we will no longer wrong our King fecretly, through the Sides of His evill Counsellors, or Cavaliers, but charge him directly, and poynt blanke, as in that most feditious Declaration, or whatever you will call it, prefented by Sir David Watkins, and that broken Citizen, out at Elbowes, called Satten Shute, to the Common Councell, and by them to the Remainder of the Lower-Houfe, if it be not Breach of Priviledge to call it fo.

How willing have we obeyed every Commandement, except GoD's, and the Kings? How forward have we beene, to imploy the large Revenues of our feverall Companies, and Brotherhoods, (as heretofore to Exceffe and Gluttony, fo now) to fupport this Rebellion? How ready, even beyond our Abilities, have we been to fubmit to every Tax, and illegall Impofition, even to the Bondage, and Slavery of Excife, by which we are not fo much Proprietaries of our owne, as Stewards, or Cashierers to the Heads of the Rebellion: and all this to no other End but to keepe up the Rebellion: wee have not only protected, and fupported the King's Mortall Enemies, but as VOL. I. Hhh much

much as in us lay, have perfecuted all His Friends, or, if but fufpected to ftand well-affected to Him, and the Juftice of his Caufe, not fparing the Effufion of innocent Blood, as that of Mr. Tomkins, and Mr. Chaloner, which like the Blood of Abel, calls loud to Heaven for Vengeance, on this bloody City, and questionleffe will in Time be heard; for not content to buy these Men's Bloods with great Summes of Monies which could not be advanced but on this Condition, that Mr. Tomkins, and Mr. Chaloner, be delivered up to their Pleasure, and murthered for a strange Confpiracy called Obedience to the King: but being dead, in an unheard-of Barbaroufneffe they preffe into the Houses, where their dead Bodies lay, before their Funeralls, and thinking they could never be fure enough, of fo great a Guilt, they will not beleeve that they are dead, unleffe they force the Houses to see the Bodies of them whom themselves had murthered; infomuch, that to avoyd further Violence and Rage of the Citizens, they were faine to fet open the Doores where their Bodies lay, and expose them to the View of all, that fo they might glut themselves with beholding that fad Spectacle which themfelves had made.

That the King's gracious Offers of Peace have been fleighted and rejected with Scorne and Contempt, and his Meffengers that brought them (contrary to the Lawes of Armes, and Nations) Imprifoned; That thofe miferable Distractions, which have rent and torne this flourishing Kingdome, are fo farre from being clofed, that they are rather made wider; That the Sword of Warre, fo long devouring, is not yet fheathed, except in one anothers. Bowells; That this Kingdome is ftill made the Scene of Murthers, Rapines, Oppreffion and Plunderings, and whereon all the horrid Acts of Rage and Injustice are every Day acted, and the Nation put almoft out of Hope, ever to injoy her former Peace, and Plenty, is our Fault and ours wholly: Had not the Heads of this Rebellion beene animated by this City, and incouraged by Promises of more Supplies of Men, and Monies, they had long before this layd downe their Armes, and come with Halters about their Necks, and caft themselves at the King's Feet, fubmiffively begging those Pardons, which they have prefumptuously rejected: Time was, when the two Houses gave a Law to the City, now it is come to that Paffe, that the City prefcribes to the Reliques of the two Houfes; they must not conclude of Warre or Peace, without confulting the City; if they doe, they reckon without their Hofte.

Nay, though Fairfax be utterly routed in the North, and William, once firnamed Conqueror, be totally defeated in the West, yet they can neither be perfwaded, nor beaten into Thoughts of Peace. On the 20. of July laft, no longer agoe, many Thousands (as the printed Paper tells you) preferred a Petition to the Houfe of Commons, prefented by Mr. Norbury of the Curfitors Office, and John Hat an Atturney of Guild ball, both pernicious Men; which as it evidently fhewes their obftinate Averfion from Peace, fo it is the moft defperate divellish Slander, that ever yet durft looke the World in the Face; for first they tell the House of Commons, and in them the World, That the King, without any Touch of Confcience, and in Defiance of God, bath raifed an Army of Papifts, Out-lawes, and Traitors, for the Robbing, Burning, 3 Murther