A Word in Season to the Kingdom of England, Title page – To the reader
A Word in Seaſon TO THE KINGDOM OF ENGLAND. OR, A precious CORDIALL for a diſtempered KINGDOM. Wherein are laid down things profitable, and uſefull for all, and offenſive to none that love the Truth and Peace.
By the meaneſt of the Servants of Jeſus Chriſt, M. Cary.
ISAIAH 48.17, 18, 19.
Thus ſaith the Lord thy Redeemer, the Holy one of Iſrael; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way which thou ſhouldeſt go.
O that thou hadſt hearkened unto my commandments: then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteouſneſs as the waves of the ſea. Thy ſeed alſo had been as the ſand, and the off-ſpring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof: his name ſhould not have been cut off, nor deſtroyed from before me.
LONDON, Printed by R. W. for Giles Calvert, and are to be ſold at the Black-ſpred Eagle at the Weſt end of Pauls, 1647.
To the READER.
WHoever thou art that readeſt the inſuing diſcourſe, know, that if thou art one that art active in helping on of that which I call the poſitive part; then thou doeſt what lies in thee to bring happineſs, and tranquility to thy native Kingdom: and however it go with others, thou ſhalt ſurely reap the benefit of it, either internally, or externally, or both. But if thou art one that driveſt on the negative part, thou art one that endeavoureſt to drive on thine own ruine: and this I hope thou wilt plainly ſee in the peruſing of it: wherein I ſhould have been far more Copious, but knowing that generally brevity is affected, I have endeavoured to ſay as little as could be ſpoken (if I ſaid any thing) in the things that are moſt generally acknowledged, and to be as compendious as I could in the things that are (though clear in themſelves) more ſtumbled at by ſome. Now therefore if thou wouldſt not be the contriver of thine own ruine, but deſireſt thine own and the Kingdomes proſperity; then deſire ſtrength from above, to overcome all the temptations under which thou art, and lay aſide all the deſignes which thou haſt on foot (in which it may be thou aimeſt at thine own outward advantage) wherein thou croſſeſt all, or any of the particulars, laid down in the poſitive part of this diſcourſe: ſo ſhalt thou have thy deſires ſatisfied, which that thou mayeſt obtain, is the aim, and fervent deſire of
Thine in any Chriſtian office of Love (however thou dealeſt with me) that lies in my Power. M. C.