A Beam of Light, Section 3
SECT. III. The King and Parliament disagree about Breach of priviledges, in the case of the Five Members. The Londoners own the Parliament, against the King in that matter. The face of a Civil War. The Cause is stated. Armies raised. A Scotch Army brought in upon the Account of a Solemn League. Some godly persons scruple the taking of it. This kindles a fire in the Parliaments Quarters. Their Cause brought low. Prayer made in these streights by an hidden People.
THe Five Members being sheltered in the City of London, The Five Members sheltred and secured in the City, against the King.out of the Kings reach, and after a few daies, put into their places by strong hand, in contradiction to the King, and that his desperate Design; Brought in triumph to the Parliament, in Affront to all the Kings Power.He discerned an impossibility to destroy them, by any assistance near at hand: Whereupon, forsaking White-hall, and passing by degrees to the City of York, did by and by, betake himself to Arms: Whereupon, it came to pass, He being thus bearded by his subjects, makes haste in fear from Whitehall.that a most expensive, bloudy War was Commenced and violently carried on, betwixt the King and Parliament, for divers years; which occasioned a stating of the Cause on both Hands; War commenc'd, the Cause stated on both sides.Both Parties endeavouring to insinuate and infuse into the People of the Nation, the Justice of their Cause, each of them according to their proper Interest.
The Parliament, stating their Cause with reference to the true Interest of the people, did so express themselves, as that we understood their full purpose was, to recover and secure the Just Liberty, safety and happiness of the well-affected of the Nation: So, as that they might not be swallowed up in the Gulf of Monarchical Prerogative and Arbitrary power, any more for ever; as they had been endangered, for many years before. And, the better to effect the matter, The Magazine at Hull seized by the Parliament.seized the Magazine at Hull; Declared for the true Protestant Religion, the Laws of the Land, Priviledges of Parliament, and Liberties of the People; not excluding at the same time, The Parliament did not at the beginning Declare against the King, but Orders were given forth in the name of King and Parliament.the Person and just Prerogative of the King; affirming frequently, they were not only willing, but Ambitious to make him a more Glorious Prince, then any of his Predecessors, if he would comply, and hearken to their Counsel. They had no thoughts at the first, to ruine him and his Family, But the Counsel of God takes place, not their Counsel.So far were they from any purposes to destroy Him and his Family at that time, and many years after: although in process of time, it came to pass, by the Determinate Counsel and fore-knowledge of God, beyond their own Intentions or expectations.
The King (and his evil Counsel) likewise, the better to engage his Subjects, set up his Standard, and stated the Cause, even in the self-same words (for it was esteemed his proper interest also in that Juncture): stamping upon his new Coyn, For the Protestant Religion, the Lawes of England, Both Parties make their appeal to God, and to the People.and the Priviledges of Parliament: this superadded Circumstance, from both parties was observed, viz. their making solemn Appeals to God, and to the People, to judge betwixt them.
The generality of the Puritans and Sectaries, The Puritans of all sorts, & all who had groaned under oppression, cle…e to the Parliament.together with other honest and well-affected of the Nation, beleeving the Declarations and Remonstrances of the Parliament, ingage themselves to strengthen their hands in this Noble Cause so stated and declared, And bring inall kindes of Contributions.with all sorts of Contributions; and, which was the life of all, with Faith, Spirit, and Courage, in abundance.
The Papists, The Delinquents. The Royal and Prelarical party come in to the King.the Prelats, and all Cathedral men, the Chancellors, Surrogates, Archdeacons, Apparitors, with all that depend upon the Hierarchy, a great part of the Nobility, the debauched Gentry, many of the Commons, give credit to the King, and cry him up, as ingaged in a most righteous Cause; The Puritans and all that joyned in the Parliaments Cause, are now frequently called Roundheads and Rebels.bidding the people take no care; the Roundheads (as now they were called, the word Puritan growing out of date) shall never prevail against the Lords Anointed: no question but the King shall prevail against all his Adversaries. And the truth is, if by hellish oathes and curses, if by horrid blasphemies and outragious threatnings, what they would do to the confusion of the Roundheads, they could have overcome them; they were the only men of war, alive, meet to fight the battels of their soveraign Lord the King.
But to proceed: Souldiers of Fortune on both sides.both Armies being filled up with Commanders from forein parts, the War was drawn out after the manner of Mercenaries. The Scotish Covenanters in a short time are by Treaty brought in upon the terms of taking a solemn League and Covenant, The solemn League enters England.enter England in the Parliaments Cause, against their own Native Prince. The Issue was doubtful, Treaties were fruitless; the Northern and Western parts were possessed by the Kings Forces, after several Battails, Skirmishes, Sieges. At length, the Parliaments Army, under the Earl of Essex is taken in a share in Cornwall, and the Parliament Cause and Interest appeareth at a very great loss, which was the occasion of hellish Blasphemies among the Cavaliers, both in the English and Latine Language: For, It was magnified when it came into England first, as the very Ark of Gods presence. And many were perswaded we should prosper upon the Account of the Covenant. Divers ref…se to take it, and thereupon lose their Trusts.notwithstanding the assistance of the Solemn League and Covenant, (the great Idol of both Kingdoms, at that time,) the affairs of the Parliament were at so low an ebb, by the concurrent force of several Causes, that many good Men did begin so far to despair of victory, or salvation, that they were transporting themselves on the other side the water. And now, what some few, precious hearts did foresee, did accordingly come to pass; namely, that the Solemn League and Covenant would not be found a fit weapon in this warfare: & therefore, could never be perswaded to enter into it, or to suffer it to enter into them. Although Order upon Order issued forth, from the Scotish Spirit in English-men, to constrain all the Commanders and Officers, to submit unto it, or otherwise to quit their places and trust in this Common Cause.
This new Intestine contest among the Parliamentarians, riseth high: Division betwixt the Covenanters and the Non-Covenanters.Will you not take the Solemn League and Covenant? all the good wise men of the Kirk of Scotland have taken it: their best Ministers, their chief Elders; and the good wise men of both Houses of Parliament, the Reverend Assembly of Divines, they have all taken it, and it doth very well with them all; Uniformity pressed.they are presently better upon the taking of it: more zealous, more trusty, more capable; Nay, your own party, the Heads of the Congregational way, say it may be taken very safely, without any danger at all. Uniformity rejected.It is answered by the Sectaries, (but, they are very conscientious ones), We cannot take it, we dare not take it; we desire the Liberty of our Consciences, The Royallists glad of the Division.&c. Now the difference betwixt the Presbyterians and the Dissenting Brethren breaks out into a flame; and the Kings party being quick of apprehension, do presently begin to warm themselves at that Fire.
The firm Covenanters, both Scotish, and English, they are now the only Orthodox Divines, and the sound Protestants; In contradistinction to the Cavaliers on the one hand, and the Sectaries on the other. But the Sectaries, that will not take the Covenant, they must be discountenanced. Sectaries discountenanced.Divers eminent men among them are laid aside, Division aboundeth; this poor people that desire Liberty of Conscience, Tormented with a strange Gangrena.are hugely tormented with a cruel Gangrena, (a Book so called) whereby they are rendred so far as ill-will, and lies, and slanders, and backbitings can prevail, a very monstrous people: all kennels are raked, for dirt, to throw in their faces; they are not worthy to come neer the houses, Note this well.or be in the neighbourhood and company of the Orthodox; so that the poor Independents, and other good men, Non-conformists to the Presbyters (as the Presbyters were formerly, Non-conformists to the Prelats) are exceedingly slighted and grieved. Nevertheless, some of them, by the means of some moderate and prudent men, Some of the best Sectaries connived at, by means of moderate menare continued in Imployment, because of their Abilities and Activity against the common Enemy, and for the true Interest of the English Nation.
However, the Cause was given for almost lost by those, who being of a weak Faith, had thoughts of retirement. Many of a weak faith were ready to give all for lostDespondencies appeared every where (for a little space) because of Divisions in the Parliament, Army, Assembly, City, &c.
In this interim, there were a hidden People that plyed the throne of Grace, pleaded our Cause, there at that throne, An hidden choice People had recourse to Prayers.with all Scripture-Arguments, the Glory of God, the promised Deliverance of his People; the insolency and blasphemy of the Adversary, if he should prevail after so many battels and appeals; the increase of bondage and persecution after victory on the Kings side; the Prophesies, concerning the destruction of Antichrist, the faithfulness of God, for the finishing of what he had begun, our being taken as firebrands out of the burning, but the other day, as it were, and will the Lord throw us in again? These pleadings and expostulations were not known publickly; but it was given us to believe that the work should prosper, though there were at present a dismal death upon it, and many had joy and peace in so believing, blessed be the Name of our God and Father, for ever and ever, Amen.