Three Kingdoms Made One by Covenant, Warrant
The full purpoſe; totall intendment; true uſe of Prince ROBER his Warrant to the Conſtables of Northampton-ſhire; for the ſpeedy Posturing their Country; Signed with the Great Seal, and dated the firſt of November, 1643. This relates to the 34. Page of this Book.
OUT of Our Princely Care, and [ſo often proteſted] zeal, for The Defence of the True Proteſtant Religion, The two Houſes of Parliament; [he has abuſed a known figure here, the Subject for th' Adjunct, For the Defence of the two Houſes; duplicate page duplicate page but for The Totall deſtruction of the Nobilitie and Gentry therein, and] Their Rights and Priviledges; The Liberties and Properties of the Subject; we have iſſued forth Our Princely Warrant to command you, and every one of you, That inſtantly upon ſight hereof, you cauſe all the Inhabitants (ſit for Warre) in your ſeverall Towns and Villages, to make their appearance before Us; With Us, To carry on Our Royall Deſigne, For The Defence, as aforeſaid [by impoveriſhing Cities, laying waſt Towns, Plundering, Pillaging, Firing Houſes, Murthering the men there; Raviſhing Mothers there; Deflouring Daughters there, For the Defence, as aforeſaid:] And in caſe, yee ſhall refuſe to do according to Our Royall Charge [In ſo Legall a way, according to the known Laws of the Kingdoms;] Expect yee to ſuffer, yee, your Wives, and your Maidens [as aforeſaid;] Beſides the totall Plundering, and Burning your Houſes; with what other miſchiefs, licenced and hungry Souldiers [with their Prince, that ruleth mightily with the Children of diſobedience] can inflict upon you.
Rupert Rober in Dutchland. England.
THis Warrant was iſſued forth in the Forenoon, and before High-Noon of the ſame day, This valiant Prince ran His own way, the way of Cain, againſt the blood of his Brother: And of Balaam, againſt the Angels ſword: But no man was ſo mad to blunder after Him, but they that were as blinde as Himſelf: except the Avengers of blood, who feeling the waight of their Office, True ſence of Duty, and of Love to their Country, (having power in their hand,) purſued after this Murtherer, as ſometimes the Engliſh did after grievous Woolves, which no more ſpared their flocks once, then theſe Woolves ſpare their Sheepheards now.
The True Ʋſe is at laſt, To goar the ſides of our Iſſachaars, all the ſtrong Aſſes in our Gen. 49. 14.Land, who bend their necks to the yoak, and crouch under the Burthens laid upon them by a ſtrange lord; To undeceive all the Chriſtian World; To ſummon-up every perſon there, To ſtand-up in their place; or, as their calling may be, to come-in ſpeedily, and enroll themſelves for this Holy Warre, againſt the Beaſt.
This is the Ʋſe of this Warrant, and it ſhall be the End.
FINIS.
End of the text · Hezekiah Woodward, Three Kingdoms Made One by Covenant (1643)