The golden Rule, Dedication
To the Right Honorable The COMMONS of ENGLAND: And His Excellency, the LORD FAIRFAX, Lord General of all the Forces raiſed in ENGLAND, by authority of Parliament: And His General Councel of War.
IT is well ſpoken by Philip King of Macedon, that the reproaches and injuries of the Athenian Orators ſhould cauſe him to order his words and deeds ſo; that themſelves might be proved lyers. Your good beginning promiſeth the ſame to the whole Nation; and we have great hopes now, that ſuch a further progres will be made in the work of a full Reformation, as the righteous ſhall ſee it and rejoyce, & all iniquity ſhal ſtop her mouth.Pſal. 107.42.
For the mutinous tumult and noiſe which ſome men make in the City, by reaſon of their looſe tongues and pens, to obſtruct your good proceedings, and to raiſe a new war, and involve the people again in blood, it is but a flaſh, and the Lord will ſuddenly blaſt it: Only it is worth your obſerving, how your enemies in many particulars, are like the adverſaries of Nehemiah, and the honeſt party with him. When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geſhem the Arabian, and the reſt perceived that all their former Malignant deſigns took no effect, but the building went proſperouſly forward, they drew over to them the Prieſts, by bribery and flattery, and by theſe mens ſpeeches they thought to affright the Governor, and bring that to paſſe which they could not do by other means.Neh. 4.1.2,3.11.15. chap. 6.1,2,4,5,9,10,12,13,14 ch. 13.28 29. This preſent conſpiracy amongſt the Prophets, is a bringing up of the rear, the laſt piece of the whole work: As we ſee on a ſtage ſeverall actors, and every one playes his part, yet all make but one Tragedy; ſo the riſing in Kent, Eſſex, Wales, the revolting of the Ships, the bringing in of the Scots; the Perſonal Treaty, and theſe Pulpit Incendiaries, 'tis all one plot, howſoever acted by ſeveral perſons, and therefore I doubt not, but as the Lord hath diſcovered the treachery of the one, ſo he will the hypocriſie of the other, and confound the whole building, both firſt, and laſt.
Moreover we cannot but take notiſe, in and through what further difficulties and ſtreights the Lord hath held you up, and carried you on; we are very ſenceable how ſome have left you in the work, of whom we thought better things, & did think they would have been more faithfull and reall to their truſt, the truth and their own principles. Aelian reports of Dionyſius that he married two wives in one day, the one followed him in his wars, the other accompanied him only at his return: Men are forward enough to come in when the fight is over, to have a part and ſhare in the ſpoil and fruit of the victory, but what they deſerve, is to be conſidered of, and this to be minded. Ignavum fucos pecus a praeſepibus arcent.
I have made the more haſt to publiſh this Firſt Part, becauſe I perceive not only Royaliſts and Cavileers accuſe you of high injuſtice againſt the Perſon of the King, and that the action hath been formerly carried forth meerly by power, without Law, reaſon or conſcience: But alſo, the lawfulneſſe of the thing, is by ſome better minded, and perſons more honeſt, doubted, and are not cleerly ſatisfied therein: And for theſe later, I ſay, ſpecially for their ſake, I have taken in hand, not your cauſe ſo much, as the cauſe of the whole Nation, and have not only given a ſatisfactory anſwer to whatſoever may be objected againſt the act, but juſtified what hath been don by your authority in point of Law and conſcience, to all rational and indifferent men.
I confeſſe it yeelds to the ſoul but little peace, when our actions have no other bottom or foundation, but opportunities, power, advantages, ſucceſſe. But when we know it is Gods work, and we ſee it don in Gods way, then the preſent opportunity, power, and ſucces, is a manifeſt and infallible witnes, that as the Lord owne the work, ſo he will honor the workmen, & be their mighty protector.
And this I prove to be your caſe, not that the action was juſt becauſe you had opportunity and power to do it, but being in it ſelf juſt, and you lawfully called thereto; the power and opportunity which God gave you, did manifeſt his approving your zeal & juſtice. Now the God of peace, and the Lord of hoſts, be ever mightily preſent with you, to counſel, direct, protect, and proſper your endeavors, that we may no longer talk of Subjects liberty, and right things, but know them and enjoy them, we and our poſterity; and this being accompliſhed, he that deſires the Publick good, reſteth Yours to ſerve,
JOHN CAN.