A Word for the Army and Two to the Kingdom, Title page
A word for the ARMIE.
And two words to the KINGDOME.
TO Cleare the ONE, And cure the OTHER.
Forced in much plaineſſe and brevity from their faithfull SERVANT, HUGH PETERS.
—Nunc nunc properandus & acri
Fingendus ſine fine rotâs—
LONDON, Printed by M. Simmons for Giles Calvert at the black Spread-Eagle at the Weſtend of Pauls, 1647.
A Word for the ARMIE, and two words for the KINGDOME.
THough I have looked upon the Scriblings of this age as the fruits of ſome mens idleneſſe, and moſt mens folly, and therefore ſhould not willingly have owned my ſelfe, if found among that Rabble. Yet when it grows ſo unlimitedly high, and impudently brazen, that ſome men I know, men even above flattery, and ſo ſleek & ſmooth, in their uprightneſſe (Among whom I place the preſent Generall and his Second) that I had thought nothing of that kind could ſtick; and yet theſe beſmeared by uncircumciſed pens.
1. Two things I reſolved which now I offer to the World. The firſt is an humble Petition to the Parliament, that they would pleaſe to try their now well-backt authority, that ſome one faithfull diſcreet man may be choſen to divulge Gazets, Corants, or newes: who ſhall be accountable to the State for what he prints or communicates to the Kingdome, and that two of each party (for parties there are) ſhall undertake for what is Printed on the behalfe of either, that ſo all ſcandalous and ſlanderous perſonall affronts may be avoyded, and matters worth time and reading may be publiſhed; or if none of theſe may be gotten, at leaſt men may put their names to their Papers; that honeſt men may know where to find an accuſer, for ſi ſat ſit accuſare, quis erit innocens? I liſt not to anſwer objections may be made hereunto, ſince this boundleſs kind of boldneſſe were better curb'd to ſome inconvenience, then continued to a miſchiefe, even the poyſoning the whole Nation: It ſhould not be a wiſe mans Qu…e, what ſtrength, wit, acuteneſſe, &c, runs through ſuch a paper: but cui bono?
2. My ſecond Reſolve is, though not to anſwer every late Pamphlet punctually, which rather then doe, I might undertake to cleanſe the ſtable in the ſtory: yea though my Share lies ſo much in them, that it would be coſtly to purchaſe cleane handkerchiefs to wipe off every ſpattering on my face, and could as ſhortly and more truely anſwer all as he did Bellarmine with thou lyeſt; knowing no publike inſtrument in no age, in no place can travel without others daſhing and dogs barking: Yet to prevent ſtones from ſpeaking, and graves from opening, or ſome horrid unheard of thing from appearing, to ſatisfie the wide-mouth'd world, and the black-mouth'd Pamphleteers. I ſhall in plaineneſſe and faithfulneſs ſhew you the Armies wounds ſince they put up their ſword, and with them the States diſeaſes; and in humility offer the cure, and leave all to a wonder-working God.
Firſt, Let me tell you negatively the evills commonly charged upon the Army, are not the Armies evills. Wee have generally Cauſam pro non cauſa, in which Mr. Prin was wont to exceed, who ſpake much more then he meant to ſtand too: the ſumme of all his is the Armies rebellion: another Pedanticke ſounds a Retreat, who being nameleſſe will not endure a Charge; the marow of his Divinity, Non-obedience; another brings the Army to the Barre, where he pleads with a company of bal'd threatnings, and would fright Fairfax with a ſight of a King at White-Hall; One cryes they ſin againſt Caeſar; another, they have deflowred the Parliment; another, they have raviſht the City; another, they are Sectaries, enemies to Government, falſe to God, to man, friends, enemies to themſelves. They have loſt Ireland, ruin'd England; oh! taxes and free quarter; oh! this trinkling with the Court cryes one; oh! their doubtfull carriage with the Court cryes another; Cavalliers ſhall up cryes one; we ſhall never ſee good day ſayes another, I doe not think Paul heard ſuch a confuſed noyſe, when himſelfe could hardly get leave to ſpeake; That the word Army muſt anſwer all the doubtfull miſchievous deadly queſtions in the World. For Example.
Who brings Famine? the Army.
Who the Plague? the Army.
Who the Sword? the Army.
Who hinders Trade? the Army.
Who incenſeth Scotland? the Army.
Who hardens the King? the Army.
Who confounds all? the Army.
And if it ſhould be askt the Cavalliers and Malignants who conquer'd you: they would anſwer, the Army. If the Presbyters, who diſappointed you? the Army; If the Independents: who leaves you in the darke? the Army; And if Haman were askt what he would doe with theſe Jewes? we know the Anſwer: alas poore Army: qualis de te narratur fabula? But to my purpoſe; The grand complaint, which, as moſt inſiſted upon, ſo is moſt likely to have vulgar acceptance: is the Armies diſobedience to the Parliament, by which the State was endangered to looſe all conſiſtency; In reſpect of which, the Apprentices routing the Houſe is but duty or innocency; or at worſt a parallell practice.
To which this is my plaine and full anſwer.
It is confeſt, they were not willing to disband at Walden, being urged thereunto, and denyed in Eſſex, when expected and preſt: But conſider. 1. It was required but conditionally, with regard to their ſecurity, indempnity, and Arreare, and none of theſe performed; It was not ſuch a Monſtrum horerndum:
2dly. They were free Engliſh-men as Souldiers, and muſt maintaine their obligation to the State, as wel as anſwer the Major and more corrupt Votes of the Houſe.
3dly. Nature commanded their ſelfe-preſervation, when ſuch Inſtruments were ſent to disband them, and command them for Ireland, of whoſe non-integrity they had good experience.
4ly. When not long before they could not have leave to Petition their faithfull Generall, how ſhoul… they expect any thing being disbanded.
5ly. This piece of diſobedience … not new unto them, when the ſame practice was familiar from men more mercenary in the North, and their denyall never counted rebellion: but glibly ſwallowed.
6ly. I anſwer, and I deſire it may be obſerved: The firſt force ever put upon the Parliament was long before this, and that neerer hand: did not the City Remonſtrance hang like a Petard upon the Parliament doore weeke after weeke, and every Ward in courſe to attend and fire it; ſpeake (Gentlemen of the Houſe) how you were accoſted and ſaluted, and in what language, till you were forced to ſpeak pure London.
7ly. I doe here offer to make good upon oath, that the Commanding party in the Houſe, had more force put upon them to disband us, then we put upon the Houſe in refuſing. For proofe whereof, Maſter Anthony Nicholls lately with us at Kingſton before his flight, being urged by my ſelfe before an other ſufficient witneſſe, to ſpeak to this point, calling for a teſtimony from heaven) Profeſt, that when the Army offered at firſt to goe for Ireland, he with the other impeached Members fully condiſcended to it, and they gave him the agitation thereof: but (as he proteſted) the Miniſters in London came to them with violence, preſſing the contrary upon this ground: That this Army would ſoone conquer Ireland, fill it with Schiſmes: and not only command it: but in a ſhort time give law to England: and therefore would heare of nothing but the disbanding it, wch (quoth he) put us upon that violent courſe; Now who forced theſe Miniſters? I doe not ſay, but you ſee who forced thoſe Parliament-men, & we know they would force the Army: and upon denyall the Army are the forcers. And if the City-Remonſtraters durſt ſpeake, they can tell you who forced them to force the Parliament: and if the Apprentices would breake ſilence, they could tel you who ſpet in their mouths, and clapt them on the back.
In all this I ſpeake not my delight, but my griefe, that ſo many Pulpits ſhould as plainly witneſſe this force, as Hiſtory tels us who poyſoned King John. And though we have not been ignorant of this kind of violence (which I had rather attribute to my Brethrens zeale, then their malice) yet you ſee how tenderly wee have dealt with thoſe: we knowing many godly amongſt them, who have not yet declared againſt them, complained of one of them; Nay though this Army from firſt to laſt never had any of theſe Brethren to offer one Sermon to us to encourage in dangers, to rejoyce with us in our ſucceſſe. Nay, though they know wee want helps, and have been forced to uſe ſuch help, as they have reviled us for; and ſo would have us make bricke without ſtraw; Nay though wee know moſt hard meaſure met us. I doe profeſſe I conceive even Gangraena himſelfe might have marcht through the Army unmoleſted, though we are not ignorant: hinc noſtri ſundicalamitas. The Lord pitty and pardon, the Army doth.
8ly. Laſtly, the Army durſt not disband, not ſeeing a ſuitable power to ſtand betwixt honeſt men and their dangers; the Garriſons not poſſeſt by men of truſt, and the 5000. horſe intended not in ſuch hands as to be wiſhed: and the beſt of them might bee ſoone disbanded when the foot ſcattered.
No, no, this is not the Armies wound or ſore; and to anſwer the Retreaters grand queſtion, whence are Wars. I anſwer with the Apoſtle James; and adde Peace begets plenty, plenty, pride, and pride, warre, and warre begets peace, and ſo round againe. The Schoole-boy that helped him to ſo many Latine ends out of Tully, can anſwer a harder Quaere: but ſince hee pretends to Religion, I wonder this offended Brother doth not attend the Rule, Matth. 18. Why cannot he as well ſpeak to a brother offending, and ſo tell him, as to tell all the world of him; I have beene ſatisfied in mine own ſpirit, that the godly could not be much offended with us, ſince none have taken the liberty of ſpeaking to us, which I dare ſay from the Generall to the meaneſt Officer, profeſſing godlineſſe, had not been unwelcome.
But I looke upon that Author as great a ſtranger to the Armie, as he is often to his owne principles, and his whole courſe to be a trade of Retreating, and leave him to another pen; nor is a generall toleration the Armies Gangraena, when as they never hindred the State from a State Religion, having onelyonly wiſhed to enjoy now what the Puritans beg'd under the Prelates: when we deſire more, blame us, and ſhame us. Neither was it the evill of the Army, that being modell'd, they ſuddenly clos'd, and marcht at that time when the boldeſt complainer now, would have given them two parts of what they had to have ſecured the third; (Friends) it was not their evill to divide part of their Force to Taunton, & with another part to fight at Naſeby, and after that (by Gods bleſſing) to deliver up a free Kingdome to an ungratefull Inhabitant, and to an envious cruell piece of a Parliament; nor did thoſe honeſt-hearted ſo much aſperſt Fairfax and Crumwells ſin in owning the Army at New-market; nor in their march from thence towards London; nor in their reſpects to thoſe noble Commiſſioners of Parliament ſent to them; nor in their courteſie to thoſe diſcreet Citizens from London (who deſerve much) nor their condiſcending to their deſires to march off upon promiſe of two things;
Firſt, That they would put out the imperious Reformadoes.
2dly. In ſecuring the Houſe, though neither performed, nor in ſcattering their Forces at 200. miles diſtance, and providing for Ireland; nor in their returne upon thoſe confeſt inſolencies; nor in marching unto, and through the City, to ſhew their harmleſſe intentions; nor in ſecuring the King in that juncture; nor in hearkning to their Agitators in their juſt Propoſalls; nor in asking money to avoid free Quarter and other burthens; nor in bringing thoſe of the Houſe that fled to them, home againe; nor in deſiring a ſound Parliament, and cleering it from ſuch perſons as had ſhaken their publique intereſt; nor in propounding wholſome means to the Houſe, and leaving them to their feete to be enlarged, altered, or explained to the Kingdoms advantage; nor laſtly are complaints againſt private Souldiers the proper evil of the Army: ſince when I ſpeak of the Army, I mainly intend their Councell & conduct; For you know in ſuch a body that ſickeneſſe in pay cauſeth death in Diſcipline. But poſitively we will turn up our lap, and ſhew you our nakedneſſe, et habebitis confitentes, reos. We acknowledg we are reaping the ill fruits of our want of action. Saevior Armis luxuria incubuit victoſ que ulei vitur.
It may be ſome of us have had our Lordly diſh in Jaels Tent, and our head may be nayled to the ground; wee may thinke (the war being ended) we may begin to look to our own comforts, and ſubſiſtance, and we are apt to plead, who ſhall enjoy honour and other advantages: but thoſe that have wonne them through hazards, and think they may be confided in; It may be ſome of us looke upon our ſhops and Trades as things below us. Wee want that communion with God, and one with another which we had in ſad hours: we are forgetfull of our mercies: we may be apt to quarrell one with the other for want of an enemy.
We may have ſuch a neighbor of the Court, as ſome of us may be Planet-ſtruck, yet I hope not principle ſhaken; we may wander too much from our own firſt undertakings in the opinion of others.
We are not without varieties of thoughts about the matters of God, which never appear'd when we had no time for talking, having ſo much to doe and act. We cannot (we confeſſe) live beyond our frailties in many kinds. To be ſhort, we have prayed more, loved more, believed more then we doe. We are grown effeminate with eaſe, and are more cowed with a dead dog, then wee have been with a living Lyon. We are leſſe in heaven and more in earth, and theſe truely are our wounds deare friends.
Some other diſeaſes there are as much conſiderable among others, which may be of greater and ſtranger influence, as
Firſt, All mens unbeliefe in God for the carying on his worke, he is not minded in the whole buſineſſe.
2. Our not deſigning a government from firſt to laſt.
3. Our general, proud, and careleſſe carriages towards the preſent differences which make ſo much noiſe among us.
4. A ſelviſhneſſe & negligence in Committees and men intruſted, behaving themſelves as if they could keepe their painted and well-ſtuft Cabbins when the ſhip is ſinking.
5. A generall want of the fear of God, and that ſpirit of trembling before him, which whilſt it was upon Ephraim, he was a glorious Tribe.
6. An oſcitant and untruſt kinde of deportment in all men towards publique affaires, the truth is, the want of a publique ſpirit threatens ruine very much.
7. Unwarranted Jealouſies of all men and all actions: yea though convinced of each others faithfulneſſe.
8. Common unthankfulneſſe & ingratitude to God and man, I feare ſhortly the greateſt errour in the Kingdome, will be the famine of Love.
9. Delay to the diſtreſſed, making them more miſerable then the matter of their complaints doth.
10. A ſpirit of lying and falſe witneſſe-bearing, reaching to the undervaluing of our enjoyments, to ſay England is growne ſo poor by the Warre, is falſe, excepting what is blaſted by ſome Northern winds, our treaſure is yet in the Kingdome: London as rich as before; witneſſe cloaths and dyet: witneſſe marriages and diſpoſing of children, where piety, proportion, parentage take little place, unleſſe mingled with much red clay; witneſſe the ready money for purchaſes if cheape: though ſhaken Titles in tottering times.