private respects of his own, and only seek God's honour, in his care of the common good.

Now, most noble lords and gentlemen, God having called you unto it, let your country see, and all the world know, that there is more power in religion, than in heathenish principles: Join all your forces together to promote his gospel, and your country's good.

O that the reviving of these few sparks that I have, by this occasion, brought to light, might add fervour to your brave English spirits: What though there be some so degenerate, as, to raise their fortunes, and keep their honours, care not what becomes of the commonwealth, and gospel of Chirst: Yet we have found there are many, yea, many, that still retain that ancient virtue in them, and do, even at this time, practise it; to such I will say, Go, on, noble lords and gentlemen, do worthily in Bethlehem, and you shall be famous in Ephrata; set aside all private respects, and, as you have begun with unwearied pains and patience (which in all due thankfulness we do humbly acknowledge) go on still to continue your care of us, and our country's good, and for all others contrarily minded, the Lord either convert them, or suddenly confound them.

In this ensuing relation, I shall only use that honourable lord's own words. I leave their application to all true-hearted Englishmen. The heads are these:

First, His advice for sea preparations, which are not (as I conceive) unuseful for this present time.

Secondly, His protestation of his affection to his country, worthy the imitation of men of his quality.

Thirdly, His extraordinary affection to soldiers and men of war, the favouring and cherishing of whom will be no small security to this kingdom.

Fourthly, His judgment concerning pluralities of religion, tolerated in a state; a thing worthy of due consideration.

Fifthly, The sweet harmony betwixt a loving prince, and loyal subjects, a desireable and imitable thing.

Lastly, A sweet reprehension of the superfluous expence of these times, which, if some course were taken therein to limit them, I see not, but it would make much to the general good of this commonwealth.

First, For his advice for sea preparations, it was this, that, if her Majesty would be pleased but to raise up a sum of a hundred and fifty thousand pounds a year, and put it into the hands of an honest and sufficient treasurer, for the wars, and to be issued by a council of war well chosen, it would fully and sufficiently maintain the war with Spain; yea, such a force should be maintained thereby, as, her Majesty having a convenient number of her own ships, and repairing and furnishing them, as yearly she doth, the enemy should bring no fleet into the seas for England, or Ireland, or Low-Countries, but should be beaten, nor seek to gather one into Spain, but the parts of it should be defeated, before the whole could be assembled; yea, those services

should be done upon the enemy, that the poorest prince or state in Christendom should have little cause to fear his malice.

Secondly, For his protestation of his affection to his country, it was, that the reputation of a most faithful subject, and zealous patriot, with the hazard of his life, and decay of his estate, he had sought to purchase: and when he was offered by the King of Spain, what title, sum of money, or pension he would desire, so as he might be won to take their part, he did profess, that, if God had not put him back, and arrested him by contrary winds and tempests that summer, he would have taught that proud King what effects his proffer had wrought in him; and, the longer the will of God and his sovereign did restrain him, with the greater interest he hopes to pay him in the end, that had sought him out as a fit man to betray his queen and country.

Thirdly, for his respect to soldiers, and men of war, he professed he did intirely love them. First, for his own sake; for he found sweetness in their conversations, strong assistance in their employments with him, and happiness in their friendship: That he loved them for their virtue's sake, and for their greatness of mind (for little minds, though never so full of virtue, can be but little virtuous) and for their great understanding; for to understand little things, or things not of use, is little better than to understand nothing at all: That he loved them for their affections, for self-loving men love ease, pleasure, and profit; but they that love pains, danger, and fame, shew that they love publick profit, more than themselves: That he loved them for his country's sake, for they are England's best armour of defence, and weapons of offence; if we have peace, they have purchased it; if we should have war, they must manage it: Yea, while we are doubtful, and in treaties, we must value ourselves by what may be done; and the enemy will value us, by that which hath been done by our chief men of action. Before action, providence made him cherish them for the service they can do; and, after action, experience, and thankfulness, made him love them for the service they had done.

Fourthly, concerning plurality of religion, professed, in one estate, that it was against the policy of all states; because, where there is no unity or order in the state, it is the manifest ruin of that state; for as the mingling of poison with wholesome liquor, in one vessel, doth not correct that which is lethal, but corrupts that which is wholsome; so the poisoned doctrine of those Hispaniolised Jesuits, once brought in that state, will not endure any profession, save their own.

Fifthly, for the sweet harmony, betwixt a loving prince and loyal subjects; thus doth he say, We, thanks be to God, have a Queen, who hath never been wasteful in her private expence; yet will she sell her plate, and jewels in the Tower, before her people shall be undefended. We are a people that will turn our silken coats into iron jacks, and our silver plate into coats of plate, rather than our sovereign shall be unserved.

Sixthly, and lastly, His pleasing reprehension of the superfluous expences of those times, it is, by way of objection that was made in those times, that they could neither have a good peace, or just war:

and, of two evils, it were better to have a patched peace, than an insupportable war. To which he answers, that those, that did so think, were injurious; first, to our men of war, that fight for them, and defend them, in thinking their arms (which have ever done honour to our nation, and struck terror into the hearts of our enemies) less able to defend our country than their treaties, which have never been free from scorn and disadvantage. Injurious they are to the country that bred them, which, being one of the bravest, strongest, and happiest states in Christendom, is judged, by these men, to be as weak as their own weak hearts. Injurious they are to her Majesty, who, being so great, so glorious, and so victorious a Queen, shall be judged unable to maintain war, when she cannot have peace, but at the pleasure of her enemy. Yea, injurious, and most unthankful they are to God himself, who hath hitherto fought for them, in that, for an unsafe peace, with an idolatrous and irreligious nation, they would leave an honourable and just war. But when some objections might be made, that her Majesty's treasure was drawn deep into, and, if there were any weakness in our means, to make war, it was in our treasure: To this he answers, That though her Majesty's treasure be drawn deep into, and the poor husbandman, by the late hard years past, hath now left scarce any means to live; yet, if our sumptuous buildings, our forfeiting diet, our prodigality in garments, our infinite plate, and costly furniture of our houses, be well considered, England cannot be thought poor: Can we exceed all nations, in Christendom, in wasteful vanities, and can we not arm ourselves against one nation, whom we have ever beaten, for our necessary defence? Was Rome so brave a state, that the very ladies, to supply the common treasure, and to maintain the wars, spoiled themselves of their jewels, and rich ornaments: And is England so base a state, as that the people therein will not bestow some part of their superfluous expences, to keep themselves from conquest and slavery? Did the godly Kings, and religious people, which we read of in the old testament, to maintain war against the enemies of God, sell the ornaments of the temple, and the things consecrated to holy uses? And shall not we, that have as holy a war, spare those things we have dedicated to our own idle and sensual pleasures? Could our own nation, in those gallant former ages, when our country was far poorer, than now it is, levy armies, maintain wars, atchieve great conquests in France, and make our powerful armies known, as far as the HolyLand? And is this such a degenerate age, as we shall not be able to defend England! No, no, there is yet left some seed of that ancient virtue: I remember, with what spirit and alacrity, the gentlemen of England have put themselves voluntarily into our late actions; there will ever be found some Valerii, which, so the state may stand and flourish, care not, though they leave not wherewith to bury themselves, though others bury their money, not caring in what case they leave the

state.

The Conclusion.

THUS far are his own words; and here I intended to have finished this discourse, but my thoughts pressed me to a new task; and what shall I say, most noble lords and worthy gentlemen? I will say to you, even as Abraham did to God: Seeing, saith he, I have begun to speak unto my Lord, that am but dust and ashes, let not my lord be angry, I will speak but this once. Seeing I have taken upon me to publish something, that, I hope, may tend to the good of our bodies; give me leave now to add something, which, I hope, may be no less for the good of souls, and that is this: Most humbly to crave, that you will be pleased to take to your most wise and grave considerations that noble and pious work happily begun, and successively proceeded in, of the feoffees for redeeming in impropriations, of which body, before it was was suppressed, I was, though unworthy, a member, and, therefore, can say the more; of which I dare be bold to say, it was one of the most glorious works that ever was undertaken in this kingdom of late years, and did more conduce to the spreading abroad of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, than any I ever understood or heard of. Of which I may truly say, as Solomon of the virtuous housewife, Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou surmountest them all.' I deny not, but it is good to give to hospitals, to repairing of churches, setting up of free-schools, building of alms-houses, and the like; but I have ever thought, such as concern souls, to be as far above them, as the soul is above the body.

This pious work, it was well approved by his Majesty, as we were informed, at our first undertaking of it; and, I am sure, of all his best subjects, only the Diotrephes's, that St. John speaks of, that love preheminence, and thrust their brethren out of the church; the prelates of our time, that never did further, but ever hinder any good work, that tended to the advancement of the gospel of Christ, if it did not comply with their ambitions. But of them I will say no more, you have said so much and so well; but, for this pious work, I dare be bound to say, if it had continued, and not been suppressed, by their means, that, by this time, most of the impropriations of this kingdom had been brought in, and laid unto the church again. A work fit for such an age as this, that hath enjoyed the gospel so long, to have propagated it to the dark corners of this kingdom; and this to be effected and done, not by a forced and strained exaction, but by a free and willing contribution of such as understand the nature of it, and saw the present good fruits and effect of it, which adds much to the glory of it. The contributions, at first, were very encouraging and some underwrit yearly good sums; others, to every impropriation we brought, certain sums; but, towards the time of our unhappy dissolution, the contribution grew much greater; for, not a week before we were suppressed, a lady, yet living, sent us word, she would give a thousand pounds presently, to the furtherance of the work; and many wills have since been altered, that we heard of, that gave brave proporportions to it. I never heard of, nor can yet see any such way, to

spread the gospel to the remote and blind corners of this kingdom; neither can we, for aught I know, ever hope to see popery quelled, till a godly painful ministry be established; and that will never be, till competent means be provided; both these had been effected, and the effects, in time, would have manifested what I have said, and the benefit thereof would not only have extended to the church, but also to the commonwealth; for, where a good ministry is placed in a town, there idleness will be abolished, the poor and impotent children, and vagrant set on work, and his Majesty have gained true and loyal subjects, such as he may repose himself in their loves and fidelities. It is the glory of our religion, it was never stained with those hellish plots, massacres, and treacheries, against their sovereign; and, if ever popery be put down to purpose, it must be by the means of establishment of a powerful ministry; then shall we see Satan fall down like lightning; it must be the breath of the Lord that must abolish the man of sin. I deny not, but good laws do well, but, what through favour, conniving, and want of execution, we daily see they have not such good effect, as were to be wished; that I am confident, it must be the powerful conscionable preaching ministry of the gospel, that must especially effect it; and, to procure that, nothing will more conduce, than a full, free, and plentiful provision for the dispensers of it, and not for such as do least to have most. The Lord, in mercy, direct you, bless and prosper your proceedings, and, in his good time, give us to enjoy the happy fruits and Effects of your great, long, and unwearied pains.

STRANGE APPARITIONS,

OR,

THE GHOST OF KING JAMES:

WITH

A late Conference between the Ghost of that good King, the Marquis of Hamilton's, and George Eglisham's, Doctor of Physick; unto which appeared the Ghost of the late Duke of Buckingham, concerning the Death and Poisoning of King James, and the rest.

Printed at London for J. Aston, 1642. Quarto, containing eight pages.

King James.

DOST

ther.

OST thou know me, Buckingham? If our spirits or ghosts retain any knowledge of mortal actions, let us discourse toge