Maxims of Pious Policy, Dedication 2
To his Excellency THOMAS Lord FAIRFAX, Lord Generall of all the Parliaments Forces, in England and Wales▪ And the Right Honourable OLIVER CRUMWELL, Lord Lievtenant of Ireland, Commander in chief of all the Parliaments Forces there, With the Generall Councell of Warre; Grace, Mercy, and Peace be Multiplyed;
Right Honorable, and Honorable,
THe hearts of ſuch who truly fear the Lord in this our Iſrael, cannot but be towards you, who have jeoparded your lives to the death, in the high places of the field: what Titus acknowledged in his ſucceſs againſt Jeruſalem, the ſame may we in yours, De…s vobiſcum in liberand… hoc regn… pugnavit, he who hath called you unto, fitted you for this ſervice, hath united your ſpirits mutually to affect, to effect one end, that you are ut manus ut mens Angli…, as Hector, & Aen… of Troy, whereby the Publick hath gained much, both Peace, & Liberty, although your ſelves as yet little, for magis mor…, quam mummorum cauſa, doe you ingage▪ England unworthy the affections of ſuch Worthies, (this Generation much degenerating) that ſhould you reſpect the opinions of man concerning you, more then the affection of God, unto you, who obſerves all men, all things, (a heathen but a ſpeach becomming a Christian) you would repent of all that good afforded them: But whatever is the eſtimation of the world, you are the glory of God in his Churches, (apud deum major eſt qui melior, & ille melior qui in virtutib… praeſtat). The Crown of his Saints, yea Sanctorum amor & delici…. Luther tells us there be Miracula, Ocularia and Auricularia: Ages to come will admire our mercies in ſuch renowned inſtruments: ſhould we unworthily forget you, or your acts, which deſerve to bee had in eternall … not wee of this Nation variable in our affections, … in our judgements, wee could not but honour … your Phyſicall Preſcriptions, (upon the Prudenti… Obſervance of the Cauſes▪ … and P…ognoſt it is of the Malady of this State, (for ſpent by the Kings evill) adminiſtred in the moſt deſperate Paroxyſm of our great Body Politick, effectuall (through the Lords bleſſing) to the abſolute cure of the Nation, the Remedy being powerfull not only to remove what at preſent doth diſtemper this State, but to prevent what in future may occaſion a Perillous Relapſe, ut …hil defi…it, quod ad ſalutem ſufficit. Theſe acts of your doe publiſh your Honours, your Humilities doe crown your Graces, thereby you deſerving rather then deſiring the praiſe of your vertues, your vertues. And becauſe your Prudence, as well as your Courage, the wiſe and Omnipotent God hath proſpered to the healing of the Nations, I ſhall humbly beſeech you▪ to improve both for the advance of Religion in the power and purity thereof, and maintenance of Juſtice amongſt us …gal the evills threatning this Nation in the deformation of the one, or in the Non or Mal-adminiſtration of the other, may he prevented and removed.
The Lord beat your enemies as ſmal as the duſt, and ſtamps them as the mire of the ſtreet, give you courage to purſue them, and not to turn again untill you have conſumed them: the Lord be the ſhield of your help, the Sword of your Excellency, that by his ſtrength you may run through a Troup, by his help you may ſcale a wall, that your feet may be … Hinds feet, and a how of Steel be broken by your Arms: the Eternall God be your refuge, and underneath you be his everlaſting Arms: that the Enemy may be thruſt out from before you in England, in Ireland, that he may ſay deſtroy them, that you may return from Ireland with as many victories by your Armies, as good ſecurity to your perſons, as much rejoycing to your friends, as great confuſion to your Enemies as you did from Scotland, that all there, all here, all elſewhere, that do conſpire agaiſt you, (even the multitudes of the great and …ervible ones) may be as chaffe that paſſeth away, and periſh… in an inſtant, ſodainly: as the Lord hath ſaid, ſo prayeth
Your Honours humble Servant in the ſervice of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, Eno. Grey.