Discovery of Free-State Tyranny, Narrative
After this Remonſtrance ſent, upon the motion of ſome of my friends, this Order and Warrant thereon was made at Whitehall, and ſent to Pendennis Caſtle, for my releaſe.
Tueſday firſt of February, 1652. At the Councel of State at Whitehall.
Ordered,
THat Mr. William Prynne be diſcharged from his Impriſonment, he giving his Bond to the ſumme of one thouſand pounds, That he will not for the future act any thing to the prejudice of this Common-wealth, and the preſent Government thereof.
Exam. John Thurlo, Clerk of the Councell.
SIR,
THe Councell hath thought fit, that Mr. William Prynne now Priſoner with you in the Caſtle of Pendennis, ſhall be diſcharged from th reſtraint upon him, he giving his own Bond of one thouſand pound, that he will not for the future, act any thing to the prejudice of the Common-wealth, and the preſent Government thereof. The Councell have thought fit, that the taking of his Bond, ſhould be left to your care, and do therefore deſire you, to ſee the ſame entred into by the ſaid Mr. Prynne, according to uſuall forme, and the condition above mentioned; which Bond when the ſaid Mr. Prynne hath entred into accordingly, as is hereby directed, you are to return the Bond to the Councell, and to ſet Mr. William Prynne at Liberty. Whitehall Feb. 2. 1652.
JOHN BRADSHAW, Preſident. To the Governour of Pendennis Caſtle, Theſe.
Signed in the name, and by Order of the Councell of State appointed by authority of Parliament.
Exam. John Thurlo Clerk of the Councell.
Upon reading of this Order and Warrant, brought me by the Deputy Governour, I peremptorily reſuſed to enter into any Bond at all upon any termes; the Illegality and Tyranny of which Bond and Condition, I at length expreſſed in a Letter to a Member of Whitehall that ſent them; reſolving rather to die a Priſoner then live a Bondman in my Native Country, where I was borne a Freeman: Whereupon they ſent this abſolute Order for my enlargement, without any Bond or limitation whatſoever, upon which I was thence releaſed.
THeſe are to will and require you forthwith upon ſight hereof, to diſcharge and fet at liberty the body of Mr. William Prynne from his Impriſonment, if he be under reſtraint with you for no other cauſe, then that is expreſſed by the Order of the Councell for his Commitment, of which you are not to fail, and for which this ſhall be your Warrant. Given at the Councell of State at Whitehall this 18. day of February, 1652.
To the Governour or Commander of the Caſtle of Pendennis. JOHN BRADSHAW, Preſident.
Signed in the name, and by Order of the Councell of State appointed by authority of Parliament.
Exam. Jo. Thurlo Cler. Concil.
Upon my repair to London in November laſt, I writ and ſent this enſuing Letter to Mr. Bradſhaw.
SIR,
UNderſtanding you are now returned to Weſtminſter, I thought meet to minde you, that by ſundry illegall Warrants under your hand, during your caſhiered Whitehall ſuperlative power, my ſtudy in Lincolnes Inne, and houſe, ſtudy at Swainſwick, were ſearched; my Records, Writings, Papers taken away; my perſon forcibly ſeized by, and cloſe Impriſoned, in three ſeverall remote Caſtles under Souldiers, for two years and eight months ſpace: my Priſon-chamber and very Pockets ranſacked; my notes, tables to the Books I read in priſon, violently taken from me; all perſons prohibit…d to ſpeak with me, but in the preſence and hearing of my Gardians; all Letters to or from me, inte…cepted, pe…uſed; the liberty of ſending Letters to demand my freedome, debarred; acceſſe to Gods tublick Ordinances, denyed me; my Laundreſſe, Brother in Law, Servant, with ſome others, impriſoned and examined extrajudicially againſt me; and that before, without the leaſt legall accuſation, hearing, tryall, or any particular crime, or cauſe objected againſt, or hitherto ſignified unto me; contrary to all rules of Law, Juſtice, the great Charters of England, the Pe…ition of Right, and the Votes of both Houſes of Parliament in my very caſe (as you well know, and I then informed you at large by ſeverall Letters,) to the prejudice of my health, decay of my eſtate, and extraordinary dammage, after all my former unrecompenſed great loſſes and martyrdomes for our Religion, Laws, Liberties, under the beheaded King, Prelates and old exorbitant Councell table. The true cauſe of whoſe Tyrannicall proceedings againſt me, being yet unknown, even to ſuch of your late Whitehall aſſociates, as I have hitherto met with, (who are aſhamed of theſe Barbariſmes, and remit me wholly to your ſelf for the true reaſon of them, of which they profeſſe themſelves ignorant) I thereupon held it neceſſary and juſt, now at laſt to demand from you by writing, the true reall cauſe of theſe irregular reſtraints and proceedings againſt me; together with full damages for the ſame, in private, before I demand them in ſuch a publick manner, (if neceſſitated thereunto) as may expoſe you to greater obloquy and infamy, then ever beheaded Canterbury ſuſtayned for his …xorbitances againſt me. For my own part, I was never of a revengefull ſpirit; yet I cannot be ſo ſtupid, as to put up theſe tranſcendent iujuries, and illegall oppreſſions I ſuſtained under you▪ becauſe I underwent them, not as a private perſon, but as A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT; and that in and for the publick cauſe of the whole Engliſh Nation, I then ſupported; whereupon I muſt no… paſſe them by in ſilence without publick ſatisfaction, even for the preſent and future benefit of the Nation, and vindication of the liberties and p…iviledges of Parliament, according to the Tenor o… the Covenant: leſt by my ſil…nce they ſhould prove dangerous preſidents to prejudice poſterity, I b…ing then a Member of Parliament, i… the former Parliament continued in being, as you affirmed it did in your very Warrants for my reſtraints. Wherefore ſeeing we are once more become fellow▪ commoners again, I do hereby in juſtice require and expect from you an undelay…d …ccount, both of the grounds of my forementioned illegall unchriſtian injuries and restraints, with full reparations for the ſame, as I did from Canterbury, and my quondam Lordly Whitehall unjuſt cenſurers; which I preſume you will not diſdain to render to him, who through Gods mercy, maugre all mens Tyranny, ſtill continues to be, what you ever found him,
Your long oppreſſed, yet ſtill unconquered Tyranno-maſtix, William Prynne. From my Chamber at Lincolnes Inne, Nov. 24. 1654.
To this Letter Mr. Bradſhaw returning a long unſatisfactory anſwer in writing, dated the 1 of of December, I thereupon ſent him this Reply thereto.
SIR,
UPon my return late laſt night to my Chamber, I found your anſwer to my former lines, under my door; which by reaſon of company, I had no time to peruſe till now, wherein as I finde not the leaſt ſatisfaction touching the particular grounds of theſe illegall proceedings againſt me, I informed you of; juſtifiable (as you well know) by no Lawes of God or Man; ſo your hand alone being to the Warrants, preſcribing and occaſioning them, contrary to the preſidents in former times, and all my commitments by the old Whitehall councell, to which all my committers ſubſcribed their hands, or had their names ſuperſcribed by the Cle…k of the Councell, as you may ſee in my New diſcovery of the Prelates Tyranny; I could reſort to none but your ſelfe, both for ſatisfaction and reparation; being wholly ignorant, who elſe concurred with you therein. For any pretended mercy ſhewed to me by you or others of your aſſociates in my restraints under you, I muſt yet account them ſuch mercies only as Solomon defines them, Prov. 12. 10. and you ſuch friends alone, as Job and David complain of, Job 19. 13, 14, 19, to 24. & 6. 14, 15. Pſal. 41. 9. & 55. 13, &c. As for the ſurmiſed benefit you did me at laſt, by your caſting voice, which (you ſay) brought me out of Priſon, when as your hand alone caſt me into it; Let Seneca the Philoſopher reſolve you what it is, De beneficiis, l. 6. c. 26. NEQƲITIA EST ut extrahas mergere, evertere ut ſuſcites, ƲT EMITTAS INCLƲDERE. Non eſt BENEFICIƲM INJƲRIAE FINIS; Nec unquam id detraxiſſe MERITƲM EST, quod ipſe qui detraxit intuberat. Non vulneres me malo quam ſanes. Potes inire gratiam, ſi quia vulneratus ſum, ſanas; non ſi vulneras, ut ſanandus ſum, &c. That others joyned with you in the injury, &c. was but Canterburies old exploded plea, and and rather aggravates then mitigates your offence, by Gods own reſolution, Exod. 33. 2, 7. Yet notwithſtanding I am not ſo vindictive or implacable, as to deal with you as you did with me; to ſurpriſe you without the leaſt notice, to begin with execution, without any precedent proceſſe or parle, as my former lines atteſt. Neither ſhall I take advantage of the preſent ſeaſon by way of revenge, which others perchance would do, but only end…vour to right my ſelf in a juſt and Christian way, for the damages ſuſtained in my eſtate and perſon, to prevent the like future injuries, and to advance publick liberty ſo far, that my illegall reſtraints under you, may become no preſidents to prejudice, but benefit poſterity. And ſeeing I finde you inclined to a friendly conference when and where I ſhall appoint, (which would have done better before my commitment then now) if you nominate any Chamber in any of the four Innes of Court, where me may meet to morrow, or Thurſday morning about ten of the clock, I ſhall (God willing) then and there expect ſuch further ſatisfaction from you, as is due in juſtice and conſcience to
Your injured, oppreſſed quondam Friend, and Martyr for the publick, William Prynne. Lincolnes Inne, 5. Decemb. 1654.
To this Letter I received a large impertinent anſwer, dated the 6. of December, giving no account of the cauſe or justice of my Reſtraints, but proffering me a meeting at Mr. Ellys his chamber in. Grayes Inne the Saterday following, about 8. of the clock in the morning, freely to debate the buſineſſe in a friendly manner, without prejudice to either ſide: Where I meeting Mr. Bradſhaw accordingly, he ſeriouſly proteſted to me, That he neither knew nor remembred the Informers names, nor any perticular informations given in against me, whereupon I was thus impriſoned, reſtrained; but he would peruſe all his own papers, and the Books at Whitehall with all poſſible ſpeed; and if he could finde any particulars relating to my commitment in them, he would give me a ſpeedy account thereof. After which he ſaid, That he had ſundry things in the generall to alleadge for himſelf in relation to the proceedings againſt me, which did quiet his conſcience: the ſum whereof (which he amplified with many words) was this alone.
1. That he and the Councell at Whitehall (as he ſtyled them) had their authority derived to them from a true and unqueſtionable Parliament of England.
2. That this Parliament gave them particular inſtructions to purſue, for the preſervation of the Peace and ſafety of their new Common-wealth; which they accordingly purſued according to their judgments and conſciences, without malice or partiality.
3. That there were many deſperate plots and conſpiracies ſet on foot againſt this poor infant Common-wealth by the enemies thereof, threatning utter ruin thereunto, had they not been carefully prevented, about and during the time of my commitment, which enforced them to extraordinary proceedings.
4. That though he knew not the particular grounds or cauſe of my reſtraints, yet he was perſwaded, that it was done in order only to publick ſafety, and not out of any malice, but rather out of a tender reſpect of the Councell towards me; and that he did nought therein but only by the Councels command, which he was bound to obey.
To which I preſently returned him this anſwer, That I much wondered with what face or confidence he could condemn the late King for a Tyrant, and yet ſoon after become more arbitrary, unrighteous, and Tyrannicall himſelf in his proceeding againſt me, (his late ſpeciall friend) then ever the King or his Councell were.
For firſt of all, they only ſommoned me in the day time to appear before them by a ſingle ſworn Meſſenger the next day, without any attachment of my perſon: But he at the very firſt attached me neer midnight in my own houſe, by a party of horſe, without any ſworn legall Officer.
2. They ſummoned me to appear before them to anſwer ſuch things as ſhould be objected againſt me: but he attached and ſent me as far off from him as poſſible, to remoteſt Caſtles, without bringing me ever before him; as being afraid or aſhamed to ſee my face.
3. They when I appeared before them, objected a particular book to my charge, as ſcandalous and offenſive and heard me concerning it before they committed me▪ But he at firſt objected no particular crime or Book againſt me, nor would he afterwards during my long reſtraints, ſignifie any ſpeciall cauſe of my cloſe impriſon…ent, though oft importuned by my Letters; which he would have done for his own reputation, and my own or the worlds ſatisfaction, had there been any. And now at laſt he proteſts, That be neither knows, nor remembers any particular informations given in againſt me for which I was ſo long committed; my papers, records, writings ſeized, and my very pockets, as well as my Houſe, ſtudies, and Priſon-chamber ranſacked; But he will ſeek if he can find out any particulars, which would have been found out long ere this, had there been any ſuch, even ſince my firſt Letter to him in November laſt.
4. They committed me only a priſoner at large, as firſt to the Tower of▪ London, their uſuall Priſon, neer my friends and place of reſidence; without any reſtraints of Letters or conference with any. B…t he ſent me to three remote Caſtles one after another, every one worſe then another, the laſt near 150 miles diſtant from my houſe and friends; and there kept me under the ſtricteſt reſtraints and armed gards; contrary to ſundry expreſſe Statutes, and the Votes of both Houſes of Parliament in my former caſe; debarring me for a long time the liberty of Gods publick Ordinances; which I enjoyed under them. In all which reſpects, after the Parliaments cenſures againſt the old Councell-table, Prelates, Canterbury, and his own ſentence againſt the King; he had manifeſted himſelf a worſer Tyrant then they, and might therefore juſtly expect as heavy, or a far worſe cenſure as any of them ſuſtained, in caſe he repented not of, and gave not ſatisfaction for theſe tranſcendent injuries. As for the generall grounds he alleadged, to excuſe or juſtifie his exorbitant proceedings againſt me; I told him, they were frivolous, and would rather aggravate then mitigate his offence before any Legall Tribunall.
To the firſt of them I then immediately anſwered, that I much admired, how any man who profeſſed himſelf a Lawyer, or ware a Gown upon his back, durſt affirme, That about 50 or 60 members only of the late Commons houſe, confederating with the Army-officers to deſtroy, (a) Modus Tenendi Parliamentum. Cokes 4. Inſtit. ch. 1.condemn and behead the King, the * head of the Parliament, aboliſh the whole houſe of Lords, the ancienteſt, honorableſt, chiefeſt of branch our Engliſh Parliaments. Wherein the judiciall (b) See my Plea for the Lords and Collection of the ancient Councels and Parliaments of England.power of Parliaments wholly or principally reſided; and ſecure ſeclude the majority or five parts of four of the whole Commons houſe (only, for voting according to their conſciences and endevouring to ſettle the Peace of the Kingdome, after eight years bloudy wars,) and to ſubvert all future reall Engliſh Parliaments, contrary to their truſts and duties, the very expreſſe words of the writs and retornes of thoſe by whom they were made and elected members; contrary to the direct tenor of the c1 Eliz. c. 1. 5 Eliz. c. 1. 3 Jac. c. 4, 5. 7 Jac. c. 6. 16 Caroli. The Act for Trienniall Parliaments.Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance, which they took and muſt take before they could ſit or vote as Members; contrary to the Solemn Proteſtation, Vow, League and Covenant, which they all made and took after they were Members; contrary to their manifold printed Declarations, Remonſtrances, Ordinances, Votes, whiles there was a reall Parliament, and they actuall Members of it; contrary to the Deſires, Petitions of thoſe who intruſted them; yea contrary to the principles of the Proteſtant Religion, the Priviledges, Rights of Parliaments, the fundamentall Lawes of the Land, which they profeſſed, covenanted, ingaged inviolably to maintain, as they were Members; ſhould be a true and unqueſtionable Parliament of England, of themſelves alone, without either King or Houſe of Peers, or the mainity of the ſecured and ſecluded Members; eſpecially after the Kings beheading, which dSee my Plea for the Lords. My legall Vindication againſt illegall Taxes. Prynne the Member, reconciled to Prynne the Barriſter.actually diſſolved the Parliament, and ſitting ſtill under the overawing guards and force of the Army? demanding of him in an earneſt manner, by what Parliamentary or Legall Records, Hiſtories, Law-books, reſolutions of our Judges or Courts of Juſtice, he could prove that unparliamentary Juncto, to be a lawfull Engliſh Parliament, when as his own ſcience and conſcience muſt attest, that they all declare and reſolve them to be no Parliament at all? Whereunto he replyed, he muſt needs confeſſe, that all Records, Hiſtories and Law books were clear againſt him; that they were no legall Parliament; but yet yet in this caſe of extremity, wherein we then were, It was lawfull for the minor part of the Commons Houſes to ſeclude the King and houſe of Lords, with the major part of their fellowcommoners, when they would have endangered the ſhip of the Common-wealth to preſerve it from drowning; as I my ſelf granted in one of my Books, that the Mariners might ſecure the maſter of the Sip, and thruſt him from the ſterne, in caſe he would wilfully ſplit it againſt a Rock or Quickſands, to preſerve the ſhip and themſelves from periſhing: to which I rejoyned; that the ſimilitude ſuited not with the caſe in queſtion. For the ſecluded majority of the Commons and Lords houſe, according to their truſts, duties, at the earneſt deſires of the generality of our three Kingdomes, endevoured to preſerve and ſecure the ſhip of the Common-wealths of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and bring it into a ſafe harbour, by a happy cloſe with the late King, upon far more honourable terms and propoſitions for the ſubjects benefit, liberty, weal, ſecurity, to which the King conſented, then ever we or our anceſtors enjoyed, or our poſterities can hereafter hope for; and laboured to their power, to prevent thoſe bloudy inteſtine wars between our Proteſtant Realms and Allies, and that prodigall expences of many millions of treaſure, which this vi… lence upon the King, Peers and Commons houſe, have ſince produced, and is ſtill likely to occaſion, by theſe few Members confederacy with the Army; who in ſtead of ſaving have quite wracked the ſhip both of our true ancient Parliaments, and Republicks, and of their new infant Common wealth too, and left us in a more deſperate diſtracted unſetled condition, then they then found us (which he con…eſſed to be true). Therefore he could no wayes juſtifie this their violence, much leſſe infer from thence, that they were an undoubted true Engliſh Parliam…nt, for by like reaſon he might make the Army, or Generall Councell of Army Officers (the chief authors and actors in this violence only) to perpetuate their own armed power and our inteſtine wars for their own private ends (as now all clearly ſee) a true Engliſh Parliament▪ as well as that Fag end of the houſe of Commons confederating with them; who now too late repented of this their folly, treachery, and heartily wiſh, they had joyned with us in our really endevoured, and neer accompliſhed ſettlement upon the Kings confeſſions, which now they deſpair of more then ever, to enjoy under any New Government.
To the ſecond I replyed, that admit them to be a true Engliſh Parliament (which I could not grant) yet certainly they neither would nor could grant him or his Whitehall aſſociates any ſuch unlimited arbitrary inſtructions and Tyrannicall power, to cloſe-impriſon me or others in remote Caſtles under Souldiers, to break open, ranſack our houſes, ſtudies, ſeize our writings, records; deny us liberty of Gods O…dinances, or free commerce with others by conference or Letters, which the whole Parliament and themſelves ſo lately condemned, ſentenced and publickly voted, declared againſt, as repugnant to the great Charter, Lawes, Liberties, properties of the Nation in my own and others caſes, and made new acts againſt. And if any ſuch exorbitant, tyrannicall power had been granted them upon any pretence, yet the Statutes of 25 E. 1. c▪ 1, 2. E. 3. c. 1. declare them, to be null and void, and himſelf knowing them to be ſuch in law, could neither in juſtice nor conſcience purſue them to mine or others prejudice.
To the third I ſubjoyned, That the many deſperate plots and conſpiracies againſt the true reall Commonwealth of England, were on his and his aſſociates part, who ſubverted our old Fundamentall Laws, Government, Monarchy, Parliaments and the free courſe of juſtice, by arbitrary power, force, and Courts of higheſt injuſtice, not on mine, or the ſecured and ſecluded Lords and Commons, who deteſted, oppoſed all their apparent late plots a…d conſpiracies againſt them; and that now, by Gods retaliating Juſtice, they poor infant Commonwealth (founded in Treachery, Perjury, Violence, Injuſtice, Bloud, Tyranny) was ſuddenly ſubverted, deſtroyed, by that very armed power which firſt erected and engaged to ſupport it still. But admit the allegation true; yet this was very ill Logick, and worſe Law and Policy; becauſe there were many plots and conſpiracies againſt their new infant Republick by others; Ergo, he and his Whitehal aſſociates might cloſe-impriſon me (after all my ſufferings and ſervices for the publick) and all elſe they pleaſed, in remoteſt Caſtles, without cauſe or hearing, though guilty of no reall crime, plot or conſpiracy; which ſtrange exorbitancy, in my judgment, was our principal cauſe of their new Commonwealths and Whitehall Councels ſuddenunexpected downfals: However, I being a Member of Parliament that had then a being; neither he nor his Whitehal aſſociates, could thus impriſon and ſecure me by any generall inſtructions, without a ſpecial order of Parliament, without th… higheſt breach of Parliamentary Priviledges; and if there were no reall Parliament in being which gave them their uſurped authority, (as in truth there was not) they were then but a company of private men, deſtitute of all legall authority and had no more lawfull authority to reſtrain or impriſon me upon any pretext, then I had to impriſon him or them, ſince Par in parem non habet imperium; as he well knew, without ſome ſpeciall law authorizing him.
To the fourth I related; that if he knew not the particular grounds of my Impriſonment, then he could not poſitively reſolve, that it was in order to the publick ſafety. That to injure and oppreſſe me, who had written, acted, and ſuffered ſo much for the publick ſafety heretofore, was the high way to occaſion, haſten, not prevent their publick damages, and muſt certainly favour of much private cauſeleſſe malice of ſome men towards me, rather then of publick ſafety, or their private reſpects towards me. That I was ſo conſcious of my own innocency, that I neither feared nor declined, but oft deſired a publick legall Tryall for any thing he or his aſſociates could object againſt me; which I could not attain; and to ſay now at laſt, that all they did was only out of tender reſpects and favour-towards me; was a very abſurd and pitifull excuſe; eſpecially ſeeing he profeſſed, he knew no ground nor reaſon for it. That Canterbury and the Prelates, might have made the ſame abſurd allegation for my former cloſe reſtraints as well as he, and that if himſelf ſhould be ſo long cloſe impriſoned in three remote Caſtles, under ſuch armed guards, and unchriſtian reſtraints as I ſuſtained under him, by me or any other his pretended friends, without any legall cauſe, hearing, tryall; I doubted not, but he would interpret it, as an act of higheſt malice, Tyranny, and injuſtice, not as a ſpeciall favour and tender reſpect towards him. That himſelf well knew, in the caſes of many late Delinquents, illegall commands and commiſſions too from the King, Councell, or any others, had been frequently reſolved in Parliament, and elſewhere, to be no excuſe, nor juſtification at all for thoſe who obeyed or executed them; and therefore his pretended counſels, illegall commands to him, in relation to me, could neither extenuate nor juſtifie his illegall warrants and reſtraints, in the leaſt degree. That he was ſorry to hear ſuch poor excuſes from a Lawyer; and that he ſhould be ſo far overſeen, as to expoſe himſelf alone to anſwer and ſatisfie all the illegall actions, and exorbitant Warrants he iſſued by their unjuſ… commands, b…th againſt me and others; which they now totally diſclaimed, and ſo leſt him in the lurch to bear both the odium and dammage of them.
In brief, after near two hours diſcourſe, being unable to reply to my premiſed anſwers; he promiſed, to make a dil… gent ſpeedy ſearch after the particulars that were ſuggeſted againſt me, and to give me an undelayed account thereof, if there were any at all extant; as I preſumed there were none; Whereupon we departing, and I hearing not from him in five weeks ſpace, I thereupon ſent this enſuing Letter to him.
SIR,
I Preſume by this time, according to your former promiſe, you have made an exact ſearch and diſcovery, both of the Informers name, and particular Informators, upon which you committed me cloſe pri…oner near three years ſpace, to three remote Caſtles, without any hearing or tryall, againſt all rules of Law or Juſtice; of which I deſire to be preſently informed, that ſo I may know how to ſteer my courſe in righting my ſelf againſt this publick injury (leſt it prove preſidentiall to prejudice poſterity) in ſuch ſort as may moſt redound to my own vindication, and the common good of all Engliſh Freemen; which ſhall be the endevour of
Your Quondam cloſe Priſoner, William Prynne.
Since which I never receiving the leaſt account or anſwer from him, I take this long ſilence for a ſatisfactory evidence of my innocence and his injuſtice in committing and injuring me as aforeſaid, without any particular cauſe at all, yet diſcovered or declared, after ſo long a reſpite; whereupon to right my ſelf the beſt I may at preſent in point of reputation, (till a time of future reparation in ſome other kind ſhal offer it ſelf) I thought it both juſt and neceſſary for me to publiſh all the premiſes to the world; ſupporting and ſolacing my ſelf in the mean time with theſe old Chriſtian Cordials, of which I have had frequent experience, Pſal. 37. 5, 6, 37, 38, 39, 40. Commit thy way unto the Lord: truſt alſo in him, and he ſhall bring it to paſſe. And he ſhall bring forth thy righteouſneſſe as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Marke the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace. But the tranſgreſſours ſhall be destroyed together, the end of the wicked ſhall be cut off. But the ſalvation of the righteous is of the Lord, he is their ſtreng…h in the time of trouble. And the Lord ſhall help them and deliver them: he ſhall deliver them from the wicked; and ſave them, becauſe they truſt in him. Mich. 7. 8, 9, 10. Rejoyce not againſt me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I ſhall ariſe; when I ſit in darkneſſe, the Lord ſhall be a light unto me. He will plead my cauſe, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, I ſhall behold his Righteouſneſſe. Then he that is mine enemy ſhall ſee it, and ſhame ſhall cover him which ſaid unto me, Where is the Lord thy God? mine eyes ſhall behold him, and now ſhall he be troden down as the mire of the ſtreets.
FINIS.