A fourth Preparative was, The put&rehy;ting of such Persons in places of Trust and Power, which would be a coun&rehy;tenance to godly men and Godlinesse, and discountenance Atheizme and Pro&rehy;fanenesse.

And lastly, As to the outward Court of Gods House, The Administration of Judgment, and Justice amongst men, what were his desires and in&rehy;deavours, and what his care from time to time to fill the Benches with able and Learned Judges, we all know.

All these preparations, and many more, did his Highnesse make for this House, and all the materialls thereof are so fitted, and squared before hand; by the humble Petition and Advice, and other good Lawes made by the late Parliament, that, by the help of God, there will be no need of any new ham&rehy;mering, nor that there should be heard the noyse of any Hammer, or Axe, much less of Spear, or Sword, or any Tool of Iron, for what is to be further done in the building of this House. Such indeed that look upon the Peti&rehy;tion and Advice with a partial and prejudicate eye, or, as it may be distort&rehy;ed on the one side or the other in the execution thereof, may think there hath not been a right measure taken of ma&rehy;ny things, and that there is great need of running them over again. But who&rehy;soever shall well weigh the same, and look into it with a single eye, will finde, That both our Spiritual and Civil Li&rehy;berties have been squared, stated, and defined therein with a great deal of care and exactness, and that according to the true nature of Definition; That it is neither too Narrow, nor too Broad, nei&rehy;ther too Long, nor too Short; That it hath not taken In any thing that should have been left Out, nor left Out any thing that is Essential. I say this, as to the main, That no truly Godly men need to fear Persecution, nor any wilfull Sinners, of any sort, either in Faith or Practice, hope for Impunity: That no Free men need fear to be made Slaves; nor, That any mens lawless Li&rehy;berty, under pretence of making all free, should indeed make all men Slaves.

But the Legislative and Executive Powers are so stated therein, in relation to one another, and to their own parts within themselves, that nei&rehy;ther may hinder, but each part help, the other; and that none in ei&rehy;ther might have more or less pow&rehy;er then is necessary for the good of the whole. And yet is there still behinde a great and a glorious Work, in the location and compo&rehy;sure of these parts, though never so well fitted. The Execution of the Law is the Life, the Complement, the perfection thereof. The application of Things to persons, and of Persons to things, and the right joynting and ce&rehy;menting of one part to the other, by a Spirit of love within, and establishment of due and necessary order without, will make this House to rise up into a strong, a perfect, and a beautifull structure and Fabrick amongst us; to which much of care, and many provisions will be necessary. What then remains, but that his Highnesse and both Houses of Parlia&rehy;ment, should set about this noble work, till they have brought it to perfection. That, as is fresh in your memories, and as you even now heard from that reve&rehy;rend Person who was the mouth of God unto you, Mercy and Truth may meet together, and Peace and Righte&rehy;ousnesse kisse each other, that Christian liberty may be preserved, without un&rehy;christian licentiousnesse, that Ministry and Magistracy, may be maintained and refined, and Learning and the Schools thereof so ordered, that they may con&rehy;tinually supply the same; and not be as Abbies and Monastries sometimes were, either Nurseries of Vice and Idleness, or of Faction and Contention; That Godliness may be set on the Throne, and Profaneness thrown out on the Dunghil; That Law and Justice may be executed with Equity and Mercy, That neither Craft nor Cruelty may take advantage of the rigor of the Law, or of the hands of God to turn Judg&rehy;ment into Wormhood, and Justice in&rehy;to Gall: That Judgment and Justice may run down with a clear and swift Stream; and if any Rubbish, Mud, or Weeds, through length of Time, be got into the Channel, it may be cleared by such careful hands, as, in scouring the Channel, will take heed not to dig down the Banks, whereby an Inunda&rehy;tion of Arbitrary Power and Jurisdiction, shall be let in upon the Na&rehy;tions.

In the last place, That which I shall offer to your consideration, is, That, if this Government, when it first sprang up in the hands of his late Highnesse, out of those dreadfull Confusions which had covered the face of these three Nations, was readily imbraced by them as a choice and hopefull Plant, though as yet but a tender one, and such as had but newly taken to the Soyl: with how much more reason may we now expect, that it should be enabled to encounter the sorest Stormes and Tempests, that may arise? being supported partly by its own proper Firmnesse, through the good will and liking of the People, out of the Experience they have had, of the Be&rehy;nefit they have recieved from it; and the Peace and Tranquillity they have enjoyed under the shadow thereof; and partly by the accession of Parliamentary Authority, both past, and to come, which it cannot but much expect, and relye upon, from time to time, and at all times, conside&rehy;ring the great obligations that their wisdome and good affection to the welfare of these Nations, and the Law, by their oaths, and otherwise, hath laid upon them in this behalf: So that it being so well rooted downwards, and so well grown upwards, though pos&rehy;sibly the boughs and branches there&rehy;of may be a little shaken sometimes, and moved one while this way, and ano&rehy;ther while that way, yet there will be no danger of the trees falling, by Gods grace, unless we have so far provoked his justice by our ingratitude in gene&rehy;ral, and in particular for the mercy we have, and may still further enjoy (if it be not our own faults) under this Government, that he shall suffer a Spirit of division to run through the prin&rehy;cipal parts thereof, that they fall one from another, and so at length fall one upon another, and so at last fall down all together, and then be trodden un&rehy;der foot, and that on all hands, and on every side, and with them the peace of these Nations which they enjoy at home, and the honor and renown which they have gained abroad; than which they never had more then at this day, both far and near. But what speak I of the honor of men, when as the ho&rehy;nor of God, and the safety and prospe&rehy;rity of his Churches and people, both here, and throughout all Christen&rehy;dome, doth so much depend upon the peace and consistency of these nations at this time, as in truth they do, as much, if not more, than on all the Nati&rehy;ons in the world besides?

This is a great word which I have said, but it is a true one, and if the pre&rehy;sent state, and posture of affairs through&rehy;out the whole Christian world, be well weighed, and considered, it will be found that this is no swelling vaunt, but a well measured truth. And because it is so, no doubt the grand Enemy of our Peace, because he is the grand Ene&rehy;my of God, and his Church, will be very busie at this time, with all his instruments, and will cast many mists before our eyes. He is a spirit of darkness, of error, and mistakes, that he may become a spirit of mis-under&rehy;standing and division, and he is a spi&rehy;rit of division, because he delights in war and blood-shed, the natural con&rehy;sequencies thereof; for he was a mur&rehy;therer from the beginning: But we are not ignorant of his arts, and wiles, and whatever fair and beautiful shapes he appears in at the first, yet if we examine him to the bottome, from top to toe, we shall at length disco&rehy;ver him by his divided, and dividing foot; and thence take warning to avoid him. We have also a wholsome, and Divine Council to preserve us from falling into his snare: That is, to hold the unity of the spirit, in the bond of peace. What is that bond of peace? In a Moral sense, it is that tri&rehy;ple knot of true love and good under&rehy;standing between His Highness and the two Houses of Parliament. In a po&rehy;litique consideration, it is the constitution of our Government, whereby we have another triple Cord, besides that of the three Nations united into one Commonwealth, viz. the consti&rehy;tution of their Supreme Legislative power, consisting of a single Person, and two Houses of Parliament; which Cord, while it is kept well twisted together, will be a great strength to it self, to the Nations, and to the people of God in these, and all our neighbouring Nations round about us. But if once it begin to unravel, and the two ends fall one from ano&rehy;ther, and from the middle, all will run to ruine. Therefore be very care&rehy;ful to hold fast the bond, and beware of all such as shall be picking at the knot, under what colour, or pre&rehy;tence soever, yea though they promise never so much, and undertake to binde it up so fast, and in a better fashion then it was before. This ty&rehy;ing and untying of the bond, and continual seeking after new fashioned knots, hath put these Nations to much trouble, and into more danger. It is good to hold what we have, till we are sure to meet with that which is better; And of all fashion knots, the Nations will be worst satisfied with a Bowe knot, a sliding, a slip knot, which will be alwayes fast and loose, which every touch at either end will dissolve, and leave the Nations always at uncertainty, always in unsettlement. But the knot which takes in both ends, the top and the bottome, and joyns them fast together, and to the middle with a treble knot, and where&rehy;in each part helps to fasten the other, and the drawing of either end, draws all nearer and closer together; this will make a fast knot, a knot (by Gods bles&rehy;sing) like to hold, and to continue. And surely were there no other consideration but this (give me leave to re&rehy;peat it, though I have said it once before) this alone were sufficient to make us keep close together, at this time, be&rehy;cause we cannot fall in pieces, as things now stand abroad, but the whole Prote&rehy;stant interest, throughout the whole world, is like to fall asunder also with us.

For if we well consider how the Princes, and States in Germany, both the Upper, and the Lower, and in the Northern parts of Europe, begin to state their interest otherwise, and to take a different measure of their Confederacies, and alliances, then for&rehy;merly they have done, We shall finde upon the matter but one single bar that is considerable, to check the growing power of the Austrian family in those parts, whereunto it cannot long make head, without support and help from others, and from whence onely, any that is considerable can be expected, is not hard to judge. I shallnot need to minde you of that which more nearly concerneth you (for it so nearly concerns you, that you cannot but be sensible of it) I mean the present condition of Affairs, in relation to the Sound and Bal&rehy;tick Sea, and the great Forces both by Sea and Land, that look that way: And how far, and how soon this may bring to the Stake all the Materials wherewith your Walls must be upheld, (I say your best Walls, and the best in the world, though Woodden ones) I leave to your consideration: And how critical this very Spring may prove to the sa&rehy;ving or losing of your Stake. Onely this I shall say, should your Wings be once clipped in that kinde, when you shall get up again to the pitch where now you are, none but he onely, who onely (and that too in an extraordinary way) can help you up again, he onely can tell. On the other side, for the other branch of the House of Austria, (which sometimes hath been, and may soon be again the terrour and jealousie of the whole world) you know what Ballance it onely hath, and upon what ticklish terms it now stands, and what friends he hath made, and what he further hopes to make of old Enemies; and what advanta&rehy;ges he hath, and still further hopes to make of them; not onely to your prejudice, and the endangering of your ruine, but of those themselves also in the end, whose help&rehy;ing hands, by inticements of present advanta&rehy;ges, he endeavours to draw to his assistance, in the pulling down of their own out-works, and best Supports. It is true, he hath suffered some Breaches, and received some Wounds of late: but how soon, by the help of that vast Treasure, which he drawes continually from the Indies (if he may bring it still quietly home) he may repair those Breaches, and heal up those wounds again, who doth not see? Some things are fitter for your thoughts, then your ears; therefore this I shall onely say in general, that the opportunities which you have had, and yet in part have, to put your Interest, and that of your best Friends, in some measure in safety, may soon be lost, (if they be not already upon the Wing) and then it may never be in your power to recover them again.

Therefore His Highness maketh no question, but that you will take these things into your speedy and serious consideration, and that you will think timely of the means of Defence and Offence in order thereunto.

The late Parliament having engaged in this War, very honourably made some considerable provisions to carry on the same, I say considerable with respect to our little World, out of which they were to be raised; though not propor&rehy;tionable to that great World, and those vast Territories and Dominions where&rehy;of our Enemy is possessed; and where&rehy;upon they vaunt themselves, that the Sun doth never set. But our comfort also on the other side is, that he that is our Sun doth never set, and he that is our shield will never fail us.

You will receive a particular Ac&rehy;compt, from those under whose Sur&rehy;vey and care those things are, of the state of the publique Revenue, and of the Forces both by Sea and Land, your inward and outward Walls under God; and as good as any in the world. But as all things which are good are also costly, so can it not be expected but that the charge of them should be great.

His Highness hath assured you, that the Army (I speak of the forces both by Sea and Land in the three Nations) is a good and faithful Army, and will be ready to engage in every good thing and action, whereof no man either ought, or need to make question. His Highness hath further told you, that they are a patient Army, and when you see the Accompt of their Arrears, that will be out of question; and without all question, God hath used them as singular instruments of his honor, and of the ho&rehy;nor of these Nations: And as England by Gods mercy is now enlightned in the knowledge of the truth, it would well near venture a starving, (though God be praised that is not its case) then it would starve such an Army, in such a Cause, wherein the honor of God and of the Nation shall be concerned. This I think I may adventure to say in gene&rehy;ral, that our preparations are not grea&rehy;ter, then our Neighbors, though our Concern is every way as much, or more then theirs; neither are our debts greater then theirs, though we have had more occasion of expence, or full as much e&rehy;very way: And if our in-come had an&rehy;swered the foot of Accompt, which the last Parliament went upon in their in&rehy;tended supplies, we had not increased much (if at all) the debt of the Com&rehy;monwealth, neither had we exceeded our bounds, or not so much (by Gods blessing on our designs) as we have inlarged its bounds and Territories; and that also, so advantagiously, as not onely the danger of Hostile invasion, and Trade-destroying Pyracie is set at a further distance from us, but also much Honor abroad, together with safety and advantage at home, is thereby accrued unto these Nations.

Before I conclude, I must again rei&rehy;terate that which runs so much in my minde, because it lies so much upon my heart; That upon the issue of your Counsels, and the Peace and consistency of these Nations at this time, doth very much, if not wholly depend, the life, and the breath of all the hopes of all the expe&rehy;ctations of the Churches of Christ, throughout the World. Since then there is so great a trust reposed in you, so great a Price put into your hands, lay your hands upon your hearts, and lift your hearts up to Heaven, where your help, where our hope lies. His Highness hath fully expressed His high esteem of Par&rehy;liaments, and His judgement of them, that they are the most adequate and com&rehy;mensurate Councils, to matters of so great and so high importance, and He doth as firmly resolve, that they shall in&rehy;joy all those great Freedoms and Privi&rehy;ledges which have been granted unto them, in order to those great ends; and His hope and prayer to Almighty God, is, that they may be made use of by you to those great and blessed ends, that all the Three Nations; yea, that all the people of God every where, may rise up all together and bless you, and that you may be blessed, and your names be a blessing to this and all succeeding Ge&rehy;nerations.

This is all that I have in charge from his Highness to say unto you, sa&rehy;ving what particularly relates to the Members of the House of Commons: That they should re&rehy;pair to their House to chuse their Speaker.