forbut crying Bookes and Pamphlets about the Streets, whereby
to get their living to avoid the Miseries otherwise attending them
in these uncharitable times?--- Oh yes! they are dangerous Libells
which tend to the intollerable dishonour of the high Court of
Parliament, and the whole Government of this Common-Wealth, and
of the Citre in particular: For they tell the People, they are no Parliament,
but Rebells and Traitors, who have Murthered the King, whome
they Protested and Covenanted before God and Man to preserve and
maintaine, with all his just Power and Priviledges: That they are the
only subvertors of Religion and the Fundamentall Lawes of the Land,
which they swore they would maintaine, having voted downe the
Bishops; and thrust the Orthodox Ministers all out of their livings, some
out of their native Countreys, others out of the World; and left none
to supply their Offices but such as have devoted themselves to their
service, in Ruining these Dominions, and enslaving the good People
thereof. That they are the only Sacrilegious Church-Robbers that
ever infested the Christian world, having sold the Churches Lands, and
converted her Temples (consecrated to a holy) to prophane uses, Making
them Stables, Privies, and common Receptacles of their Lewdnesse;
or at best, places of Seditions wrangling, to render us more
ridiculous in the eyes of Forraigne Nations, who formerly envied our
Happinesse; but now laugh at our folly and madnesse : That they have
banished Justice, and made the People subject to the inconstancy of
their perverse and boundlesse Wills, Ruling us by the Sword, who were
wont to bee Governed by good and wholsome written Lawes: That
they have deprived the People of their just Freedome and Liberties, and
made them Vassalls and Slaves to their Tyranny and Oppession: That
they have beggered the Nation to enrich themselves, and debased the
Honour thereof to advance their owne greatnesse. Nay, they dare tell
Lentball hee's a Turne-coat temporizer; That Bradshaw's an impudent
Regicide; Cooke a Roguish Renegado; Steele and Aske venomous
and imbittered Traytors : Nay, that Fairfax is a foole, Cromwell
a Tyrant, and hee and all his Myrmidons damned to eternitie. That this
Common-Wealth is become the Common-shore of Sinne, Shame,
and Miserie: That the Citie is an Asse laden with burthens, defiring,
but never indeavouring her case: her Mayor and Aldermen base degenerate
varlets; the Common-Councell-men Ideots, fond fellowes
neither of fortune nor fashion.
Thus much these Pamphlets say, and this is more;
The State's the Bawd, the Cittie is the Whore.