Let the truth of that religion I professe, be represented to Her judgment, with all the beauties of humility, loyalty, charity, and peaceablenesse; which are the proper fruits, and ornaments of it not in the odious disguises of levity, schisme, heresie, novelty, cruelty, and disloyalty, which some mens practices have lately put upon it.

Let Her see thy sacred and saving truths, as thine; that She may believe, love and obey them as thine, cleared from all rust and drosse of humane mixtures.

That in the glasse of thy truth She may see thee, in those mercies which thou hast offered to Us, in thy Sonne Jesus Christ, our onely Saviour, and serve thee in all those holy duties, which most agree with his holy doctrine, and most imitable example.

The experience We have of the vanity, and uncertainty of all humane glory, and greatnesse in Our scatterings and eclypses, let it make Us both so much the more ambitious to be invested in those durable honours, and perfections, which are onely to be found in thy selfe, and obtained through Jesus Christ.

VIII. UPON HIS MAJESTIES REPULSE AT HULL, AND THE FATES OF THE HOTHAMS.

My repulse at Hull seemed at the first view an act of so rude disloyalty, that My greatest enemies had scarce confidence enough to abett, or own it it was the first overt essay to be made, how patiently I could beare the losse of My kingdomes.

God knowes, it affected Me more with shame and sorrow for others, then with anger for My selfe; nor did the affront done to Me trouble Me so much as their sinne, which admitted no colour or excuse.

I was resolved how to beare this, and much more with patience: but I foresaw they could hardly containe themselves within the compasse of this one unworthy act, who had effrontery enough to commit, or countenance it. This was but the hand of that cloud, which was soone after to overspread the whole kingdome, and cast all into disorder and darknesse.

For tis among the wicked maximes of bold and disloyall undertakers: that bad actions must alwayes be seconded with worse, and rather not be begun then not carried on, for they think the

retreat more dangerous then the assault, and hate repentance more then perseverance in a fault.

This gave Me to see clearly through all the pious disguises, and soft palliations of some whose words were sometime smoother then oyle, but now I saw they would prove very swords.

men ;

Against which I having (as yet) no defence, but that of a good conscience, thought it My best policy (with patience) to beare what I could not remedy and in this (I thank God) I had the better of Hotham, that no disdain, or emotion of passion transported Me, by the indignity of his carriage, to doe or say any thing, unbeseeming My selfe, or unsutable to that temper, which, in greatest injuries, I think, best becomes a Christian, as comming nearest to the great example of Christ.

And indeed, I desire alwaies more to remember I am a Christian, then a King; for what the majesty of one might justly abhor, the charity of the other is willing to beare; what the height of a King tempteth to revenge, the humility of a Christian teacheth to forgive. Keeping in compasse all those impotent passions, whose ex

cesse injures a man, more then his greatest enemies can; for these give their malice a full impression on our soules, which otherwaies cannot reach very far, nor doe us much hurt.

I cannot but observe how God not long after so pleaded, and avenged My cause, in the eye of the world, that the most wilfully blind cannot avoid the displeasure to see it, and with some remorse and feare to own it as a notable stroke, and prediction of divine vengeance.

For, Sir John Hotham unreproached, unthreatened, uncursed by any language or secret imprecation of Mine, onely blasted with the conscience of his owne wickednesse, and falling from one inconstancy to another, not long after paies his owne and his eldest sons heads, as forfeitures of their disloyalty, to those men, from whom surely he might have expected another reward then thus to divide their heads from their bodies, whose hearts with them were divided for their KING.

Nor is it strange that they who imployed them at first in so high a service, and so successful to them, should not find mercy enough to forgive him, who had so much premerited of them: for, apostasie unto loyalty some men account the most unpardonable sinne.

Nor did a solitary vengeance serve the turn, the cutting off one head in a family is not enough to expiate the affront done to the head of the Commonweale. The eldest son must be involved in the punishment, as he was infected with the sinne of the father, against the father of his country root and branch God cuts off in one day.

These observations are obvious to every fancy: God knows, I was so far from rejoycing in the Hotham's ruine, (though it were such as was able to give the greatest thirst for revenge a full draught, being executed by them who first employed him against Me) that I so farre pitied him; as I thought he at first acted more against the light of his conscience, then I hope other men doe in the same cause.

For, he was never thought to be of that superstitious sowrenesse, which some men pretend to, in matters of religion; which so darkens their judgement that they cannot see any thing of sinne and rebellion in those meanes they use, with intents to reforme to their models what they call religion, who think all is gold of piety, which doth but glister with a shew of zeale and fer

vency.