The Popish Royal Favorite, Dedication
TO HIS EXCELLENCIE ROBRT Earl of ESSEX, &c. Lord Generall of the Forces raised by the Parliament… for the defence of the Kingdome, King, Religion, Laws, Liberties, against the Popish and Malignant Party, who by force of Armes invade them, and intend their utter ruine.
Right Honourable,
THe*Alberius Gentiles, & Hug…. Grotius de Jure belli. lib. 1. Hen. Bocerus de Jure pugnae, l. 1. c. 5. Georgius Obrectus de Belli Principiis theses 50. to 82. Hen. Ranzo. Bellici. Commentarii, l. 1. c. 4. goodnesse of the Cause for which Armes are taken up, is the Generals, Souldiers, greatest encouragement: where Religion and Iustice are the reall Causes, Victory and Successe will certainly be the effects of War. That these are the true unfeigned grounds of the Parliaments and your Excellencies defensive Armes, is sufficiently manifested to the world by sundry late Printed Discourses; but by none more perspicuously cleared then by these Collections, which upon this consideration especially I humbly recommend to your Honourable Patronage.
The extraordinary presence and admirable Protection of God, with that victorious successe, which hath accompanied your Excellency in two Signall Battels, at Edge hill and Newbery, wherein the Enemy (by reason of their many advantages) assured themselves of a full and totall Conquest, are an undubitable evidence, that you are the Generall of the Lord of Hosts, and the Cause you fight for His. Therefore*Isa. 54. 17. No Weapon that is formed against your Excellency in this quarrell shall prosper; and every malicious tongue that shall rise against you in judgment (for fighting in this just cause) you shall condemn. *Acts 5. 38, 39.This work is not of men, but of God; therefore the very gates of hell, the Antichristian adverse power of the Romish Malignant Party,Mat. 16. 18. shall never prevail against it, can never overthrow it.
Your Lordship and our Reformed Church (now really Militant) resting upon this Rock of assurance, may, in expectation of future successes, confidently take up these triumphant speeches of the Heroick Psalmist: Thou art*Psal. 44. 4, 5. our King, O God, Command deliverances for Jacob: Psal. 46… 11.through thee we will push down our Enemies, through thy Name shall we tread them under that rise up against us. The Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge.*Psal. 37. 20. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord (now in Armes against our Church, Parliament, Religion, Laws, Liberties, Properties, Lives, Estates) shall be as the fat of lambs, they shal consume, into smoak shall they consume away. Yea*… 83…. 3. … though they have taken crafty counsell together against Gods people, and consulted against his hidden ones: and have said, Come and let us cut them off from being a Nation, that the Name of Israel (of Puritans and Protestants) may be no more in remembrance: through the tabernacles of Edom and Ishmaelites, Moa… and the Hagarens, Gebal, Ammon, Amaleck, the Philistines, Tyre and Assur, be now all confederated and joyned together to destroy them; yet God shall do unto them as to Sisera and Iabin at the brook of …ison, which perished at Endor, and became as dung for the earth: he shall make them like a wheel, as the stubble before the wind: he shall persecute them with his tempest, and make them afraid with his storme. They shall be troubled and confounded for ever; yea they shall be put to shame and perish, that men may know, that he whose Name alone is JEHOVAH, is the most High over all the earth. And in regard of the former Victories atchieved by your Excellencies incomparable valour and prowesse, we may all sing this gratulatory Song of Moses and the Israelies, after the overthrow of Pharaoh and his host at the red Sea. *Exod. …5. 6, 7, 9, 10, 11.Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power, thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatnesse of thy excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee; thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them, they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee, O Lord, amongst the gods? who is like the…, glorious in holinesse, fearfull in praises, doing wonders! To this great Lord of hosts, and *Exod. 15. 3.man of war (of whose omnipotent Protection Our present Parliament and your Excellency have had many adorable experiments) I shall in my dayly Prayers recommend your Honours Person, Forces, and Military proceedings, till through his blessing on them, *Isa. 2. 2, 3, 4.the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountaines, and exalted above the hills; the Kingdome and power of Romish Babylon (notwithstanding all the confederated domestick, forraign, Popish Forces now united to support it) utterly subverting throughout our Dominions; and thereupon our swords be beaten into plowshares, our spears into pruning …ooks: And one part of our Nation, Kingdome, shall not have any cause to lift up a sword against the other, nor to learn nor exercise a civill destructive war any more, but *Rom. 16. 16. 1 Pet. 5. 14.mutually imbrace each other with an holy kisse of Charity and Peace. Which that your Excellency, by your successefull Armes, may speedily accomplish to your eternall Honour, shall be the prayer,
Of Your Excellencies devoted servant, W. PRYNNE.