The devil's an asse: or, the policy of hell made plain to the dwellers on earth: Being a serious reflection upon the late inhumane rebellious warr. Wherein is laid open the folly as well as wickednesse of that horrid sin of rebellion. By T.B.

THE DEVIL'S An ASSE.

HA my beloved, are you thereabouts with your bears? I thought the Devill had been a cunninger knave, than to think to play over an old Game, when the World is so sensible of that piece of Roguery. What! Mazarin and the Scot, with an infinite swarme of I know not what tatterde∣mallian vermin, and confused rabble of whining Sectaries! and fierce John—too, with his re∣verend beak, must be goosified once more, to save forsooth (when indeed their Aims were to de∣stroy) our Capitoll. O rare Rogues! is there yet such impudent folly to be found in this so lately

Chastised Nation? Can the Devill besot these wretches so, as that they should be insensible of so stupendous a Providence, as the restoring of our Soveraign, Lawes, and Liberties together; nay this Miraculous cure being wrought, when the Na∣tion gasped as it were for it's last breath, and that without the least Force, might convince, (if possi∣ble) the Devill himself of folly, in indeavouring to cross so cleare a Providence; and all men not absolutely bewitched, and besotted with Scismati∣call, and Rebellious Incantions of Atheisme, Irre∣ligion, and plain fighting against God himselfe, who shall not, not onely rest satisfied, but rejoyce in this happy recovery of our Church and State, from Anarchy, Rebellion, and Confusion, to a pro∣bable way of Unity, Peace, Concord, and con∣sequently all possible happinesse. But I shall in great earnest endeavour to shew the World by what meanes, honest, poore, ignorant people have been drawn in, and insnared by the Devill and his Agents, to their own destruction; and as God is more wise, and more Powerfull than he, how that proverb hath been verified upon the infernall Father of Secta∣ries, and Hereticks, Give him rope enough, and he will hang himselfe. By the permission of the Almigh∣ty, and for our Triall, that Grand Master of Poli∣ticks hath played the highest game within these twenty yeares in England, Scotland, and Ireland, that ever the World heard of; for he hath domineer'd Generally, and particularly over good and bad: over the Estates, Persons, and sometimes lives of the former, in the hearts, heads, and mindes of the latter: How many miserable Jobs have we seen,

who, not onely lost their children, cattell, and all outward comforts, but even wanted the liberty of a dunghill, and potsheard to scratch their sores, and were not permitted so much as the air, only be∣cause they breathed Loyalty, and fidelity.

But this was not his highest project. The World knowes it were impossible for the Devill to deceive any considerable part of men in his own likeness, or that any man should be in love with Hell torments, under their true notion and appearance. But the course he ever took to insnare and catch men, was to sugar over his baits, to put on the garb of Sanctity, and extraordinary zeal, when he would perswade to Heresie, and ever-fought against the Church with, and endeavoured to turn her own Weapons of Sanctity and patient suffering, against her own breast. But yet could never before bring the World in love with sin, yea the greatest of sins, Rebellion, murther, Rapine, usurpation, and what not unheard of inhumanities till these late times, which to de∣monstrate fully, would require an indefatigable pen, and large volume, the subject is so large; however, I will say what I can within the narrow compass of a sheet: and first to the meanes he used to bring this about.

1. It is to be understood, the Devill can work onely by naturall meanes, having attained no super∣naturall excellency, what ever ignorant people sup∣pose, and are fool'd into the belief of by that Father of lies. Now for the particulars, he who knowes any thing, cannot be ignorant that there were some abuses in the Court of our late King of blessed me∣mory as there ever were, are, and must be in all

Courts and Concourses of people and power under Heaven, this weakest imaginable, did that spirit of darkness, joyning with the fittest opportunities, make the strongest, pretense to raise the emulous ambiti∣on and avarice of those he made his instruments to colour all the detestable, impudent, lying pasquills and satyricall libels those Engines of Hell then cast out against our Court, Church and State. I need not insist upon the depraved nature of man, how credulous of any evill, nor of the common experi∣ence of the dire execution of those paper-shot, but onely remind those at the stern, to be carefull to crush such scorpions in the shell, since 'tis plain, the same brood is now hatching.

The Ratsbane of Rebellion being thus laid in e∣very corner of the Nation, yet wanted the full ope∣ration upon the spirits of the vulgar, till those after∣wards call'd Non-conformists, persons some way disap∣pointed in their expected preferments, by the merits of better men, and thereby incensed, became inve∣terate inveighers against all Authority, and by the stygian waters of their pestiferous Lecture-Sermons so intoxicated the deluded people, that they who be∣fore lived in the enjoyments of peace, plenty and contentment in their stations, begin to think them∣selves above their Neighbours in Sanctity, and preach the promise that the Saints should inherit the Earth, and thought it grievous to be top't by their Lords, and the Prerogatives of the King and Peers.

3. When these Kirk Dragons had performed their parts with wonderfull dexterity, then Lucifer drawes out his state Engineers, who now by the incourage∣ment of a confused cry of rabble, dispute, first pri∣vately,

then publiquely, the priviledges of the people against the Prerogatives of the King, deny first one, and then all: and all this was honied over with the Title of The Free born People of England, which in∣deed proved so taking, that the Parliament general∣ly began to think it a fine thing to be equall to, or above their Soveraign, and in fine, from one degree of infatuation to another were come to that, they raised Arms against his late Majesty, and having run on so far in rebellion, as to the cutting off many of the gallantest Persons in the Nation, and exhausting the Treasury and Kingdom indeed, by their rebelli∣ous Warre, the more active had no way left, but to maintain those wickednesses, they had perpetrated by attempting higher, and so proceeded to the mur∣ther of their onely too patient and good King. Then were they cock-sure, enjoyed the Nation by Con∣quest, and none were endured, but who could with hellish impudence slander and vilifie the sacred Per∣son as well as Relations of our gracious Soveraign, concluding their Empire was as lasting as their spi∣rits unlimited: but when these Vermin came to drink freely of the waters of prosperity, their Poyson workt so highly, they became obnoxious to all the World, and this bait of the Devill grew as useless, as odious, and at last Lucifer and his Instruments were forc't to quit their Dominion to God and his Anointed, to which God be prayse and glory, for ever and ever.

Thus you see by a familiar instance the methods of iniqui∣ty, the meanes of the most accursed machinations of Hell, and the designs of that first of Rebels the Devill, to bring all

men into his own condition, as it is reported, to be naturall to those who are infected with the Plague, to reduce all men as far as they are able into their own miserable condition. Now that you may see the folly as well as misery of rebelli∣on, let us trace it from the very first rise. Was not the Devill himself whom Rebels themselves wonder at for that Masterpiece of sin, the first President of Rebellion and Apostacy? Did not he lead the game to all the World? And who will not tremble to think of becoming a Proselyte to the Prince of torment? Consider the policy of your grand Master, who because he could not be content to continue a loyall subject in Heaven it self, is become a tormented De∣vill in the lowest Hell? And (to be short) you who snarl, libel, &c. against our gracious Soveraign, consider whether your case be any thing different from that proud rebellious Angel, who sleighted the Incarnate as you do the Anointed of God: but that, as his Creation, so his capacity, and conse∣quently his sin and punishment, are and will be higher. But still his folly and yours, who in your capacities, might equally enjoy happiness, as is hath already in part, will more manifestly if you proceed, appear to be more than bestiall: which God forbid:

FINIS.