In the mean time his Excellence thought fit to publish a Declaration
to see if it shall lease God that the persons dissenting, and
would by the reasons therein contained, be convinced of the Evill
of their actions, and return again to their obedience, He declareth
that this heady and unlawfull action hath two Evills in it, The one
against God and his sacred Name, the other against the liberty of
the Common-wealth, Hee tells them they are not ignorant what a
blessing hath gone along with their endeavours against the enemies
of God,and their Countrey, whilest they stood fait, full to the trust
reposed in them, engaging themselves against the Common enemy,
to their liberty and peace, and all this by the presence of God with
them. But by this unwarrantable act of theirs, how do they avowedly
declare their disowning of that Providence, trusting rather to the
violence of their own spirits, then waiting to see what issue God
will give to the great affaires of this Nation. And if they shall
persist herein, and be the occasions of another War, they will give
the enemy advantage to say, their Cause hath been good all along:
and that now this division amongst them, is a Judgement of God
upon them, for opposing them, and doing such things especially in
the execution of Justice, as doth rejoyce honest hearts to think of
but the enemy so much study to revenge.
Secondly, they do also disown the act of God, in denying obedience
to those who by his clear Call are set over them without any
provocation on their part, or so much as reason given by them for
their so doing; and herein they will be sound resisters not of man,
but of God. And no man is able to foresee the manifest hazard likely
to befall this poor wasted Nation, by this act of theirs; for
First, they will hereby give opportunity to the Caualeirish party,
to shelter themselves, and flie to Armes, under the protection of
this distemper, and
Secondly, They do manifestly hinder the relief of Ireland where
many persons of honour and honesty are ready to be swallowed up
by those bloud thirsty Rebells, for maintaining the very same cause
with them here: And if it shall happen that they be ruin'd there,
what can be expected, but an immediate comming over of those
Forces into England to revive their old cause and quarrell here.
After this he proceeds to informe them what the Parliament hath
done which hath bin more (he alleageth) then any of their Predecessors.
have done in a thousand years, he inlargeth himselfe upon the particulars.
And concludeth in an exhortation to the dissenting Souldiers, that if all