Martin's eccho: or A remonstrance, from His Holinesse reverend young Martin Mar-Priest, responsorie to the late sacred synoddicall decretall, in all humility presented to the reverend, pious, and grave consideration of the right reverend father in God, the vniversall bishop of our soules, his superlative holinesse Sir Symon Synod.

REjoyce! Rejoyce, good People, for this blessed Reforma∣tion; which is ready, like an Evening Wolfe, to cease upon you, and your loving Friends and Neighbours, stand still gaping with your mouthes, and quietly bow downe your backs, whilst you are bridled and sadled, and let the holy, humble, and gentle Presbyters get up and ride, they will doubtlesse deal very meek∣ly with you, and not put you out of your pace, though the Proverbe be, s••t a begger a hors-back, and hee'l ride to the Devill, though they have spurs, yet they will not use them; you remember how the Bishops poast∣ed you furiously too and fro like Jehu the son of Nimshy, untill with foundring and surbates they had even wearied you of your lives, the gen∣tle Presbyters will in no wise ride you so hard, though some Malig∣nants would make you beleeve, that Sir John will never be off of your backs, because it is intended hee shall have his holy spirituall Courts in every Parish in the Kingdome, but this benefit you are like to have, that if by his continuall riding, he so gawle your backs and shoulders, that you can no longer endure, but cry out by reason of your soare op∣pression, you shall have Liberty granted you, to leap out of the frying-pan into the fire, by making your appeal to the Common-Councell of Presby∣ters forsooth, where when you shall come with this complaint, Your Fathers the Bishops made our yoak grievous, and our Parochiall Pres∣byters, (those Lyons Whelps,) doe adde thereto, now doe you ease some∣what

the grievous servitude, and heavy yoak put upon us. You may expect from this Honourable Court, an Answer like unto that of Rehoboams to those distressed people that cryed unto him, Our Fathers made your yoaks heavy, but wee will adde thereto; Our Fathers chastised you with whips, but wee will chastise you with Scorpions, and mend your selves as you can, for we are the divine Power, and consequently the Law-givers both of Church and State, and therefore you are to be content, and submit your selves to your Superiours: your severall Presbyters, in your severall Parishes, that have the rule over you, must in no wise be resisted, but as it is meet, be humbly obeyd in all things, that they shall command you, and their Power is not to be questioned, for the same Power which lately was resident and confind to the breast of one man, to wit, an Archbishop, is inherent, and of divine Right in the body of the Presbytry, and convey'd equally to every particular Presbyter, therefore if their Episcopall Power be offensive and obnoxious to you, never expect to have it otherwise, for your Parliaments themselves cannot lawful∣ly help you.

Now have you not cause to rejoyce for this Jubilee, this Yeere of deliverance from your Antichristian servitude to Egyptian bondage? yes sure; therefore, I say, Rejoyce and be glad, & again rejoyce, lift up your heads, for doubtlesse your Redemption draweth nigh, the Righteous shall be delivered out of trouble, and the wicked shall come into his stead. Prov. 11. 8.

But in plain termes (loving Freinds, Neighbours and Countrey-men,) let us a little reason together seriously: Have not you borne the brunt and heat of this unnaturall Warre? Is it not you that pay all the Taxes, Cessments and Oppressions whatsoever? Is not the whole Burthen laid upon your backs? burthen after burthen, even till your backs breake? How many thousands of you, who were of great estate, are even redu∣ced your selves, your dear Wives and Children to misery and extream Poverty? How many Thousands and Millions have you exhausted; yea, hath not your hands been liberall beyond your abilities? how freely have you brought in your Gold, your Silver, your Jewells, Rings, &c. which in London, Midlesex, and Essex, amounted to above 11. Millions, besides Threescore Millions extracted out of the Coun∣ties, with the innumerable summes otherwise raised, and spent in this service? Hath not your blood, the blood of your deare Children and Friends, been only engaged and spilt, and is it not daily shed in this

quarrell, while the Presbyters clap you on the backs, animate, encou∣rage and Preach out your very Lives and Estates, and involve you in all these miseries, and themselves touch it not with the tip of their little finger, you have your Husbands, your Sonnes and Servants impress'd from you, and forsooth, a Priest must not be medled withal, under sacra∣lidge, blasphemy or profanesse at least; they are freed from all Char∣ges, a••d Taxations, and all is laid upon you, and notwithstanding your insufferable misery, your unsupportable charge and oppression under which you groane, and are fit to expire, those greedy wretches are not ashamed to exact their Tythes, though they pluck it out of your Childrens mouthes, there had been more need of an Ordinance to have Cess'd the Priests, and Impress'd them to the Warres, for that would have been more conducent to the Kingdomes good; for should but the King set his Episcopall Clergy, and the Parliament their Presby∣terian Clergy in the fore-front of their Battells, forlorne Hopes, and put them in stead of other honest Innocent harmlesse soules, upon all their desperate Attempts, without doubt they would as zealously preach for Peace, as they doe now for warre, they would quickly agree, and turn as they were, rather then loose all, I am confident, this would prove the most effectuall meanes for our reconsiliation, then any that hath yet been attempted; consider this I beseech you, call to mind all your former Expences, Ventures and Cessements for this present War, and the miserable condition you and the whole Kingdome strugleth in, as it were for life, and are now all ready to be devoured, your estates are wasted, your men slayne, your hands weakned, and the Kingdome is fit to be over-runne, your strength decayeth, and your enemie en∣creaseth, and all your assistance hath been convey'd through the hands of the Presbyterian Party, they have borne all Offices, and have had all in their owne disposing, but what is become of it? wise men say, that the Treasures and wealth that hath been spent for the man∣naging of this Warre, would have maintained a greater Warre seven yeeres longer, some body have feathered their Nests, though yours are bare; now how think you it is otherwise possible, but the Kingdome must be ruin'd, if this course be con••inued, and to adde more certaintie of destruction to it, these men now in this our greatest extremity, la∣bour to divide the Parliament Partie in twaine; Before the Synod was

Assembled, the cryes of the people were heard, their Petitions answered, miseries redress'd, Monopolies removed, Oppression eased, tender Consciences respected, the servants of God delivered out of Prisons, Courts of Tyranny and Oppression suppress'd, &c. But since their Session the case is quite altered, nothing but Jesuiticall and Machiavillian Pollicy hath been on foot, thousands of Peti∣tions of poor Widdows, Orphans, and all manner of distressed, oppressed per∣sons, who Cry daily, and cannot be heard, and these fatt Priests can have Ordinance upon Ordinance for their ends, they can have the sweat of other mens browes confirm'd upon them by an Ordinance, whiles others cannot have their just requests for their owne Rights answered, though their wives and children perish, our Prebyters wives must goe like Ladies, with their silkes and Taffety, some with their Fans, and silver Watches forsooth hang by their girdles, to please the Pretty sweet-fac'd lovelie Mopphets withall; prittie Things, 'tis pittie there's not an Ordinance al this while for them to weare Rattles: consider this with your selves, and for what your Estates and blood hath been engag'd, The Liberties of the Subject, and the Protestant Religion, now how much, after this vast expence, this sea of blood, of the Subjects Liberties, have you attain'd? even thus much; Hee that shall open his mouth freely for the vindication of your Native Liberties, cannot doe it without the hazard of his owne, yea of his life; I know that the Priests thirst after my blood; but I call the GOD of heaven to witness, would it quench their thirst, and be a ransome for our Posterity, I would freely offer it to the common good: and as for the Protestant Religion, hath it not been lock'd up in the breasts of the Assembly? hath not your faith been pin'd upon their sleeve? your estates spent, and your blood shed for the result of their minds, right or wrong, and so have fought for you know not what? but it may be you'l say, you have engag'd for the suppression of Prelacy, High-Com∣mission, &c. you have indeed beat the bush, but the Presbyters have caught the Hare, in stead of one High-Commission, in the whole Kingdom, you shall have one in every Parish under the name of a Parochiall Sessions, besides the generall High Commission call'd the Common Counsell of Presbyters, now have you not, to shun the smoak, skipt into the fire? is the matter any thing amend∣ed; sure you have got a worthy Reformation, but it may be you have a better esteem of these new Courts, then of the Old High Commission; let me aske you? doe you thinke that they'l be better then their patterne? let me give you a glance of the Proceedings of our Scotch Brethren in Ireland, and I think you may discerne a Bear by his paw: One Timothy Miller, and Adam Lease, Englishmen of Belfast in Irel being chosen to the eldership there, but through

their ignorance of the Office, and inability to performe their duties therein, they refused the place, whereupon they were summoned to appeare before the Presbyters of the Scotch Nation at Newtowne, Aug. 7. 1644. Mr. Macke∣leand Minister being Moderatour, where after many eatching Intergatories to entrap them, Mackeleland demanded, if they had taken the Covenant; their answer was yea; Mackeleland said, you shall fare the worse for it, and we will deal worse with you, then with him that hath not taken the Cove∣nant: They answered, We desire to be dealt by as the Covenant was read and explained unto us, it is not yet determined by the Parl. of England, that the Kirk of Scotland is to be a patterne to the Church of England and Ireland, we now joyn with you in hearing, &c. Mackeleland. We will not let their Church alone till the Parliaments determination, but see to correct and doe what is fitting for present, and the Parliament is bound to give us thanks for so doing. And all that will not joyn with us, and doe as we doe, shall pack and be gone, &c. and in the conclusion they were banished, and could not obtaine a copy of their Censure, Thus you may see what you are to rely upon, if in conscience you cannot submit to any thing they command, you know your wages, you must be banished; and doe not our Presbyters not only labour for the banishment, but for the lives of the contrary minded to them? and is not this think you, as evill measure as ever was measured out of the High-Commission? wherefore I beseech you freinds, consider what you doe, consider the fruit of your bodies, into what slavery you are fit to en∣thrawl them, I know you wou'd be loath your children after you should be deprived of trading or living in the Kingdom, though they should differ a little in opinion from others. I could wish wee might lay down this Con∣troversy about opinions, and not thus devour, rend and tear one another a∣bout them, every one with violence labouring to exalt himself, & his own, but with patience bearing one with another, unanimously to joyn together against the common Adversary, for the generall purchase of our freedomes, &c. for never was there greater need, we are weakned, and divided, and the enemy is strengthned; I may be bold to presage certaine & sudden destruction to the Kingdom, if this breach be not healed, & our differences amongst our selves composed, for how is it possible in all humane judgment, to conquer, or de∣fend our selves, when our strength is departed? I beseech you therefore, save your selves from this wicked generation, who have spent your estates, your blood and all, and you are now worse then ever you were hitherto, all hath been in their disposing, and you are betray'd and daily delivered as a prey to the enemy: The Lord deliver us, Amen.

Young Martin Mar-Priest.

FINIS.