The way of true peace and unity in the true church of Christ in all humility and bowels of love presented to them / by William Dell.

To his Excellency the Lord General FAIRFAX, And the Honorable Lieutenant-General CROMWEL, Together with the Councel of VVar.

THE presence of the Lord having turned your course backward like Iordan, from what it was a year ago; and all former inchantments and di∣vinations used against you, being dissolved, through the renewing of the same presence of God with you. after a manifest with-drawing of it; and You through a blessed necessity, being now doing that work of God, which once you had little minde to, viz. The procuring the Peace of the Kingdom, by subduing the great enemies of P••ace, and removing all the enmity against peace, that was inwrapped in our very Laws, and degenerated Constitution of the Kingdom: I thought good, whiles You are thus busie about the peace of the Kingdom, which is a peace without you, to put you in minde of the true peace of the true Church, which is a peace within you, and an eternal peace, as the former is but a temporal; for what advantage will it be for you, to have peace among men, & to want peace with God? to do the work of God in the world, and to be destitute of the work of God in your own hearts? to destroy the enemies to worldly peace, and yet to maintain in your own hearts the corruptions of unrenewed nature, which are the enemies of heavenly peace? Take heed therefore, that your present employments, do not so over-in∣gage you in this world, that you neglect the world to come: take heed, lest by seeking your selves, you have your reward here: but do the work of God, for God; and whilst you act for God, live in him, and let him be your reward, and not the creature.

And now here in this Dicourse, shall you see a better Peace and Agreement, then you are striving for, (though your work also be

excellent and glorious) even such a Peace and Agreement, of which Christ himself, is the immediate Author and Prince, and which he communicates, not to the world, but to them he chooses out of the world, even the Peace of God in Iesus Christ, by the Spirit, which hath its foundation in Christ; and its influence into each Communion of Saints, all the world over: And this Peace can no more be brought about by your Sword, then by the Magistrates Scepter; and therefore take heed, lest you now, having power in your hands, to another purpose, should so far forget your selves, as to do that your selves, which you have condemned in others. Therefore suffer the Word only, to be both Scepter and Sword in the Kingdom of God, and let the true Church remain free, in the Freedom which Christ hath conferr'd upon it; or else, the Lord, whose own the Church is, will as certainly in his due time, take the sword out of your hands, as he hath done the Scepter out of the Magistrate's, and throw you into one destruction with him. But I am perswaded better things of you, though I thus speak, and even such things, as are suitable to the light of the Gospel, and to the vertues and graces of Christ and his Spirit, which have been hitherto (and I hope, will yet still be) very manifest, not only in You Honorable Ones, who have the chief Con∣duct, but also in very many of the Councel and Army besides. And upon such a gathering together of Gods people, and Saints, (let the world (if it please) still laugh at that word) who can but think, he hath some choice and singular work in hand for his own glory? The Lord God Almighty hath already done great and wonderful works by you, and is yet doing greater, if you will continue to beleeve and obey; and in all these things he only is to be exalted, and not You. For hath not that Day of the Lord of Hosts dawned? yea the morning of it is already gone forth, Which is upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up, and he is to be brought low and the Lord alone is and must be exalted, in this day.

Now the Lord cause you to dwell and continue in that Church, which is the body of Christ, and habitation of God, and give you peace with those that are reconciled to God by Christ, and to one a∣nother in Christ, by the Spirit; in which union and communion, I remain.

Your assured Servant, W. D.