Look about you

Look about you.

TO the Noble and prime Champions of this Kingdomes Laws and liberties, the right Honourable the Lords of the upper House of Parliament, is this my Dis∣course directed; Looke about you. To you I say in the first place, you being highest in preheminence, doe I shape my counsell; nor will you, I hope, despise it: For, out of the mouthes of Babes and Sucklings hath God ordained strength to still the Enemy and Avenger, Looke about you: a short it is, but a most patheticall axiome; for, if you right Ho∣nourable, who are the pillars which support the reeling State of the Kingdome should not with a provident fore∣sight survey the events which threaten the peace and safe∣ty of the people, they were likely to meet a sudden de∣solation and ruine. For your Honours wisdome must needs perceive with what violent acrimonie and unjust procee∣dings the Malignants about his Majesty aime at the ruines of your lives, fortunes and honourable families; how they arme themselves, friends and followers for your subver∣sion, and utter extinguishment, they would not leave you, a light in this our Israel, nor suffer you, to have any portion in the inheritance of your fore-fathers, but sacrifice your lives and estates to that Idoll of their owne setting up, namely, their owne pride and naughtinesse of heart, going

about like roring Lyons, seeking whom they may devour. It is time therefore for your Honours to looke about you.

It is perspicuous to every well-affected and judicious eye, that your Honours have omitted no one point of discretion which might tend to the advancement of the Common-wealth, to reclaime his Majestie from his perverse and ma∣lignant Councellors, and to reunite him to the body of his Kingdome now assembled in this honorable & prudent Par∣liament; but since not only your Councels are despised and unhearkened to, but also forces perpetually raised at home, machinations abroad attempted to bring in forraigne forces, to transport armes and ammunition into this Realme for the subduing your Honours, and overthrowing that which you are in part instrusted withall (the liberty of the Subject) when no indevour for peace will succeed, but the noyse of warre must still thunder through this Kingdome, rapines, plunderings and murthers being daily committed upon the persons and estates of the Subjects. Surely it is then no ill ad∣vice to looke about you. God in his great mercy hath furnished your Lordships with understanding hearts and valiant hands for the defence of your selves and the people, now com∣mitted, as it were, to your charge, you are the Worthies, the chosen men of might, to fight the battells of the Lord, and he bids you looke about you.

And now to you the Husbands of the Common-wealth, the honourable the Knights and Burgesses assembled and elected by the peoples suffrage for the security of their liber∣ties, I may without offence say, looke about you; you have beheld how divers of your most worthy and honourable members against the ancient constitutions and priviledges of Parliament have beene called into question, and by force and violence demanded in your House, where you sit to ne∣gotiate and treat about the welfare of the Republi••••. your wisdomes doe daily perceive what slight value (••••s Majesty being misled by the pernicious counsells of his Cavaliers) sets upon you and your proceedings. Your are sensible how

much the poore distressed Subject suffers, labouring even to death under the pressure and weight of the malignants op∣pressions and devastations; there are rumours of wars, how true I know not, from all the parts of this Kingdome, Papists (such as ever have been, and continually will be, persecutors of the little flocke of Christ) who have by murthers and powder-plots, fought the ruines of our Kings and Poten∣tates, brought into the field ready armed and abilited to doe mischiefe, and surely they will not spare the blood of the faithfull; therefore I may with modesty and pardon from your honourable wisedomes presume to say to you, Looke about you.

Dangers, as I said, that great King, and sweet Singer of Israel, and the shadow of death had incompassed me round about, yet I feared nothing, for my trust was in the Lord: your selves may apply that saying to your selves, though (thankes be to God) these dangers have not yet come neere you; for he hath protected you as the apple of the eye, and so will ever doe against all assaults of your enemies; it is for him you fight the battells of the Lord of hosts, for the truth and security of his Gospell, and he will not suffer the Sunne to burne you by day, not the Moone by night: the counsells of the ungodly shall be brought to nought before you, for he who is the Watchman of Israel neither slumbereth nor slee∣peth; the eyes of the people are upon you, they have ap∣pointed you the feoffees in trust for their liberties; and certainly they will never revoke their act, but spend their lives and fortunes in the tutelage of your just and honourable proceedings, they will be gathered together as one man, even from Dan to Beersheba to destroy those wicked Benjamites that have committed folly in Israel, to assist you against those wicked malignants, that have too much wrought upon his Majesties goodnesse, and sought to destroy the essence of Parliaments, and you will be victorious over them, onely looke about you.

And to your right Honourable the present Lord Mayor of

this noble City of London, and the well affected Aldermen your Brethren & Assistants, in all humility I tender the same counsell, Looke about you. You sit at the helme of governe∣ment in this famous City, the Metropolis of our Kingdome, and daily behold a company of factious and pertinatious ma∣lignants, even among the Inhabitants of this our Sion, who spurne at, and set at nought your good endevours, for the commodity not onely of your City, but the whole Common-wealth; let not their malicious practices or traducing lan∣guage, hinder or discourage you in the prosecution of your religious and legall proceedings, authorised by order from both Houses of Parliament. It will be hard for them to kick against pricks; Wolves may howle at the Moone, but their voyces can neither impeach it in its course, nor eclipse its brightnesse, their malice will not hurt you, but just, as if they should spit against the wind, the filth will returne into their owne faces; your knowne goodnesse will beat backe their calumnies upon themselves, howsoever trust them not, but Looke about you.

Your have heard, and so have all this City, your ho∣nourable selfe, and some other worthy and well-affected Citizens, desiree by his Majesty, as Delinquents to be given up to imprisonment, let not that thunderbolt amaze you, it is farre enough, thanks be to God, from piercing you. In your discretions consists a great part of the advancement of the present cause for the glory of God and good of your Bre∣thren; now your hand is put to the Lords ••••ough, pull it not backe, but endevour cheerfully and couragiously to animate the Citizens and able persons resident within your walls, to contribute largely to the maintenance of these wars, till an honourable and just peace, with which truth may walke hand in hand, give a period (and no good man but wishes it) to all these civill distractions, wars and tumults; how∣soever forget not this axiome, but weare it imprinted in the tables of your hearts, Looke about you.

And you the wealthy and well-affected Citizens under

the government and charge of the said right Honourable the Lord Mayor and his Brethren, it principally concernes you to looke about you; you are the Indies which those blood∣thirsty Cavaliers have aimed at, your wealth, your plate, and other riches, which like the Spaniards Indies, they have still made a reckoning should fall as a prey into their fingers: and certainely they would use as little mer∣cy to you here, as the Spaniard did to them there; it is neither respect of kindred, friends or acquantance that should any whit moderate the rapacity of their hands, or licenciousnesse of their appetites, should they once gaine the superiority in these warres, and enter your goodly City by force, neither your wives or beautious daughters should escape their violent lusts, all that is deare and pre∣cious to you would be given up a spoile to their avarice; and therefore I say to you, Looke about you, and doe not like Aesops Dogge in the Fable, catch at the shadow, and forgoe the substance; doe not let a little covetousnesse of saving part of your wealth make you forfeit the whole, but as the Israelites in the Wildernesse did consecrate all the Jewells of Gold and Silver with a willing mind to∣ward the building of the Tabernacle; so throw you in every one out of the abundance of your store, plate and moneys, into the treasury of that sanctuary of yours and the whole Kingdomes liberty, the Honourable the High Court of Parliament, God will restore it you an hundred fold, since it is chiefly intended for the promotion of his service, the rescuing His Excellent Majesty from the in∣thralment of the Malignant party, and for the estabish∣ment of peace againe in this our Israel; in this case there∣fore be wise and looke about you.

And lastly, to you the Nobility, Knights, Gentry, and Yeomanry, diffused and dispersed through this Kingdome of England, to you I present the same lesson, Looke about you, you have already seen the calamities of your neighbours, and felt your owne; you have either had fire and sword

in your owne dwellings, or heard of it in your friends and fellow-Subjects, not one County in this populous King∣dome escaping the dreadfull and pitilesse assaults of these desperate and blood-minded Cavaliers; I may therefore with just reason advise you to looke about you: and whilest you have yet time left, associate your selves to the faith∣full, and conforme your actions to the proceedings and directions of the High court of Parliament, send forth all the able young men amongst you well prepared and har∣nessed for battell to their assistance against these Malig∣nants that study to inslave you, your estates and liber∣ties; the Parliament is the tower of your refuge, and un∣der God, the strong hold and castle of defence you must trust to; let not other hopes or pretences deceive you, but submit your judgements to theirs, whose wisdomes will breed your welfare and tranquillity; willingly im∣part your estates, and lives if need be, to their defence and protection, who will defend and protect your free∣domes and livelihoods from all dangers, and make this Kingdome flourishing and fortunate by their institution of Gods Lawes for the security of the Subject, which will in happy time be brought to good effect, if you take my poore and humble counsell, Looke about you.

FINIS.