A GAG TO LOVE's Advocate: OR, AN ASSERTION Of the Justice of the Parliament in the execution of Mr LOVE.  
By J. H. Esq.  
London, Printed by William Dugard Printer to the Council of State. August 25. 1651.   

TO THE PARLIAMENT AND Council of State.  
GOD hath led you through strange paths, and made you his instruments of wonderful things; you have been carried on with such a series and continuation of Miracles, that must needs extort a Confession of Providence from them that deny it; and of astonishment from them that reverence it: there hath been nothing in Your affairs but extraordinary and sur-humane; when You were encircled with enemies, You gathered strength at the Centre, and burned through them like stubble; when Providence had surprised You (as I may say, for never so great an action had that event and suddenness) to the Execution of the great Offender, he set You, contrary to all thought, firmer than You were before; he hath made You terrible and victorious, enlightened You with many strange discoveries, and given glorious Issues to all Your Expectations. To answer all this indulgence, You have been in the measure of men just to Him and to Your selus; Just to Him, in providing laws for His purer worship, and enlarging the Liberty of His Saints; Just to your selus, by making many excellent Acts, and Reformations for them whom you represent; Just both to Him and your selus, in the execution of the Plotters of that Conspiracy, which hath so troubled this Land. But all men being not clearsighted enough to see a Justice, or too much prepossessed to prais your magnanimity, I thought it my duty by this Paper, which I throw at your Feet, to assert both; that if it chance to survive, future ages might know that this age produced some men heroically virtuous, and others that did pay them their due adoration.   

A GAG TO LOVE'S Advocate: OR, A short confutation of those Reasons offered for Mercy in his behalf.  
IF there be any thing makes a State precious in the fight of Heaven or Earth, it must certainly be their due attemperation of Justice and Mercy; without the one they may be sanguinary, and destroyers of them, whom they ought to preserv; in the other they might be no less cruel; for the effects of excessive lenity are more dangerous. To take away the life of a single man, is no doubt highly ; but it rests there: but to suffer a Plot to ripen, when it may be prevented, or to have compassion on the chiefest Actors in it, is to raise a new one out of its ashes: and how dangerous even the smallest beginnings of civil wars are, who knows not; and how seldom civil enemies come to a perfect reconciliation; for though terror may over-aw them, 'tis impunity does confirm and settle them. And truly (if it be not flattery to speak a truth) I think the Parliament of this Commonwealth have showed themselves, both honourably merciful, and Christianly just in their deportment towards this heinous Criminal, that this Advocate pretends to plead for; and therefore, now they have at last given him up to the hands of Justice, we must need's say they have done nothing, but what hath endeared them to God, and all good men, unless we will look upon the state of the business through a falls light.  
For the nature of the Plot, you have it faithfully from another hand, 
* A short Plea for the Commonwealth.  and one who had better opportunity to si●… i●. I durst undertake for to parallel it with Catilines, if you will consider but the strictness and the formality of the conjuration, after the solemn invocation of the almighty, hearing of that which they call his word, oaths of secrecy, infusions of Principles into the conspirators, whereby they might without danger of perjury be perjured, all which signify not much less than that bloody bowl of Catiline, and the dark conventions of his fellow-Conspirators; Besides, the sacking of Rome, and ruining of the present establishment, was all that Catiline had in his eyes; and truly, though we cannot say, that directly these men endeavoured the sacking of London, and ruining of the whole Nation; yet whether it would not have been a consequence of their endeavours, when we consider with what persons they had to deal with, it may not well be doubted. A banished King, one, whom even filial affection, besides the desire of a Crown, and rapine, obliged to all ruin and devastation; one who was to be maintained in a part, equal to what he pretended to, and yet was to miss all the goods of his Father, as forfeited and justly sold; A sort of exploded Courtiers, people of Criminal and luxurious lives, who with all their appendages were to recruit their fortunes, out of a ruin'd and enslaved people, and (which were enough to consummate utmost desolation, though the other two were wanting) an Army of Scots, who, if even in the time of peace, and in small numbers, they were such horseleeches, it may easily be guessed what they would have been, if they come with a victorious Army; when being but mercenaries, they have proved themselves such excellent disciples of the German Barbarism and rapine, that the North and Hereford-shire, though they found them disguised in their best civility, found them such handsome leeches, that they sucked away more blood than those people will recover these many years. And if it be now so burdensome to us to pay a small tax, and that for the maintaining of our present being, I wonder how able we should have been to have satisfied the appetites of such insatiate Cormorants.  
For the ruin of the present Government, which necessity and malice made Catiline look upon with a bloodshot eye, I am afraid that some like causses urged these men; the Hierarchy they aspire to, was wisely and rationally not established, those Revenues of Bishops, and Dean and Chapters were diverted towards the great necessities of the State, not parcelled and squandered in augmentations, and the King was disposed of by other hands, they not having the execution of him; at whose ruin they did only aim, and were mainly, if not chief, instrumental. These enraged them against that admirable change, which God hath signalised with so many of his Favours, and made glorious and terrible to all our neighbours. Against this we have their weekly harangs, their sly insinuations into their abused and credulous Proselytes, their many detorsions of Scripture, and their keen satyrizing against those dispensations of Providence, which daily broke out with such brightness. Hence their averseness for putting up their thanks to Heaven for our successes, and trampling on all those just Commands that Authority imposed upon them.  
But these are but the actions of the Day, the actions of the night were, Addresses to Charles Stuart; one, whom the Parliament call Traitor, they their King; and (the better to have an influence on him) to his Mother, a bred and settled Papist, and one for her high demerits to this Nation, impeached in Parliament of high Treason; Jermin and Percy, declared enemies, and the one a Papist; the assembly of the Scotch Kirk, a Conclave that have usurped and overthrown the Civil Liberty of the Nation; precious Chancellor Louden, and Apostate Massey; and all this for the ends aforesaid, and by the means aforesaid, which were so refinedly Jesuitical, as might justly breed wonder in a rational man, how it could fall into the imaginations of men of their breed and circumstances; but it may be they were but screws and pulleys made by some cunninger Engineers; Veritas temporis filia.  
In this horrid attempt was M. Love the chiefest architect, and instrument; his house, nay his study was the chiefest place of resort; and all missives and transactions passed under his Vote, nay, casting-voice; He it was, that was the centre to which all lesser lines referred; and certainly, since he hath made it appear, that he neither wanted dishonesty, cunning, or impudence, to make him capable of such a Trust.  
When it had pleased God by a miraculous manner, to bring some part of this wicked design to light, the Council of State, among other, who were engaged in this work of darkness, thought fit to apprehend Mr LOVE, (I presume to mention this the rather, because the clemency and indulgence of the State, and the stubbornness and prevarication of so horrid a Criminal may the better appear) who being come to examination, and among some Questions certainly known, others doubtful, to the one he answered, You must excuse him, (Which at his trial he said, was Scripture-Language) he would betray no man, etc. To the others, negatively, and elusively, as he saw occasion. Notwithstanding this, he was sent for several times after, and fairly admonished not to walk in so unnecessary a disguis; nay, some hints were given him, from which he could not infer, but that these hidden paths were throughly traced; but all this was not enough, he stood to his innocence (as he called it) and defied Justice. When he was told that he was brought thither by a power, that abhorred to be unjust, and was too sensible of the Liberties of men, to imprison them for nothing, but such as had a desire to make him rather a means of discovery, than example of punishment, and therefore, if he continued to stand out, they must be forced, even for their own vindication, to bring him to a trial, he bid them do it, for his part he would answer any thing he had done, or words to that effect.  
The mildeness of the Council being so unsuccessful, his next scene was at the High Court of Justice; where, after he had vainly attempted a penned oration, which, in all probability, might, to no purpose, have employed the whole day, and contemptuously and impertinently urged some passages of Law, and John Lilburn's trial to avoid pleading, it was very much ado, after the Lord Precedent, some of the Judges, and the Recorder had with the patience of three hours tenderly persuaded him not to undo himself, after the fourth call, he pleaded Not guilty; but Mr Attornie had scarce spoken in order to opening of the evidence, but with three Protestations as high as dreadful, nay particular, as I think can proceed from the mouth of man, he asserted his innocence, and denied his concurrence to that design; when notwithstanding, by that daie's evidence, there were few rational and indifferent men, that concluded him not guilty, and wondered with what face and with what Conscience he durst appeal to that Allseeing Tribunal of Heaven, when his crime was made so apparent to a lower one on earth. What his defence was, let them that heard it remember; full of equivocations, fallacies, misapplied Scriptures, Lectures to his Judges, and threaten, if they condemned an innocent man; yet were those honourable Gentlemen so like Judges, that is to say, dispassionate, that they examined the evidence with the greatest nicety, and endeavoured to satisfy themselves both as to several supposed weaknesses, or if there had been contrarieties; but it proved so full, and so clear, that there was not one man dissented from the sentence, which notwithstanding, that he might be in the capacity of the mercy of the Parliament, was delayed, as to the execution, for ten days; yet this man, though he lay under the stroke of death, and it should seem, had not the greatest resolutions to die that ever were, continued still on his guard, and would neither confess, what had been clearly proved against him, nor yet acknowledge the Authority against which he had so highly offended; but he tell's them he was justly condemned by Their Laws: He might as well have said (and I believ Mr Calamie might have advised him as much) to a Company of Robbers, (for Robbers and beggars have good constitutions as to their end) that his purse was taken away by their laws; But to a just and a settled Authority, to make such applications can be no other than mere disaffection, or, to say better, Rebellion against those great dispensations of Government which the Almighty hath been pleased to make appear unto the world. But the tuesday after, this not having been effectual, there appears a Medley of Ministers, chequered Presbyterians and Independents (for Sampson's foxes may be applied more ways than one) and these could not know Authority, but must write Power; I wonder they had not that title too in their Address to the Army; but nevertheless, such was the respect the Parliament had to show to a godly Ministry, and compassion to a woman, whose throes were hastening upon her, that (notwithstanding neither the Ministers nor Love acknowledged any offence, which might need's obliquely tax the High Court) the Parliament was pleased to say, He should live for a month: at the end of which, when too late, he began to seek mercy; he put in a whole narrative of the proceed of the business, to the utter confutation of all that he had before protested or affirmed of his innocence.  
See now a history of this man; see his picture, though it be but dead-colored; see whether they have not had patience and-long-suffering for him, his crimes and carriage considered; see whether the cruelest wickedness may not lurk under the shape of formal Sanctimony.  
But because there have been a many who have not been contented for to receiv satisfaction as concerning him, but have rather considered his coat severed from his Person, or his Person from his crime; I shall here take a short view of the reasons mentioned by his Advocate, who, I conceiv, had been instructed by the Junto, with what could be rationally discussed for him. The Author that lurks under the name of G.L. doth not unfitly subscribe himself to the Parliament, The unworthiest and meanest of their servants. The book begins with as strange a piece of Logic as ever I met with, that because this design of Mr Love's and his associates might have proved destructive, a wide door of reconciliation is set open between the Presbyterian and Independent; I hearty admit that God may bring light out of darkness, but how we may expect either from any rule in Scripture, example in History, or experience of the parties themselves, that the pardoning of a civil Treason should make a reconciliation between two different, and enraged Ecclesiastical parties, is, I confess, not very clear to me, unless we may reconcile it thus, that either the whole Presbyterian party will confess themselves to be allied to his guilt, and conceiv themselves to suffer in him, and therefore take his life for such a boon, as that their compliance (which I think is not very toothsome to them) can only recompense, or else the Independents must turn their faces towards the tail of the horse, and ride Scotland-ward; for certainly, if these two parties had had such a great mind to peace, they had never had so many bicker for so many years, or else they might have found a more timely occasion; for I shall never bode well of that peace that stands on so unsteady a base, and is procured by such unworthy brokage.  
And therefore our Author now, when he hath done his part captandi benevolentiam, pretends to lay open the horridness of the design (which he ever and anon tell's you was ineffectual, and therefore would infer that it signifies a dream, a trifle, or nothing); but indeed to no other purpose then slily to convey into the minds of them that see not so clearly, that it was a thing almost improbable, and that no man with such qualifications as Love and his Associates, would undertake, for says he, Can Mr Love, an eminently godly Minister, and publicly engaged for Church and State, side with men, whose debauched conversations carry inevitable ruin in their foreheads? Thus would a Counsellor at the bar argue à probabili, yet all this was proved, and whether or no to his credit, with all these pretences of sanctimony, that for to carry on a design so malicious and damnable, to shake hands with these men, and with that party whom he had so many times zealously and publicly declared abominable both to God and man, and therefore in my opinion, I think, 'tis not hard to conclude that the memory of all his former services, which are not so high in my account, as in some of his adorers, aught to be blotted out or rather made an aggravation of his present miscarriage. Yet notwithstanding our Author even in the close of this convincing argument, as he calls it, would have the favour showed that Solomon did to Abiathar, and, in stead of accusing, bewraie's his defending him.  
His second extenuation in regard of the Church, which as he well prosecute's, so I am to note, that we might justly fear, that the power of Religion and fear of God wrought very little upon the hearts of those that could entertain a compliance with Papists and old Malignants, I dare not say, the gall of bitterness was upon these men, but certain it is, that either their principles are strangely altered, or else these men had forsaken the principles, in the prosecution of when; they had made their names formally precious in the eyes of all good men.  
He tell's Mr Love, that he hath brought a general odium upon the Government of Presbytery; For my part, as I think, Presbytery and High Treason not to be so near a kin, that they must like Hippocrale's twins live and die together; so I do utterly deny that Mr Love hath brought such an odium upon it, for I verily think, take any man in his senses that consider's the rise and growth of it, and by what faithful Patriarches and worthy Ministers it was lifted up almost to a jure divino, and withal what an excellent government it is in itself, how consistent with the civil power and humane Society, and what effects it hath produced, where it is established, must need's say, that it was odious enough before this aggravation of Mr Love's, for in this point I must need's clear him.  
His third is in respect of the Nation, which he very sensibly aggravates; but if he had thought even by a civil analogy what these men must be in their morals and religions that efferated by a private spleen, would give up their Nation to ruin, I believ, He would not have put himself to a trouble to a framing these merciful expedients; and I am to tell you that our Author hath cut the throat of all his after-arguments, for since 'tis the duty of a Magistrate, quà Magistrate, to look only at the felicifying and preserving the people he is entrusted with, and this Plot being by his own confession, to the ruin and devastation of the whole Land, it will necessarily follow, that the Parliament without breach of Trust, as Christians ought not to dispense with it, because they know to whom they are to give an account of their Stewardships, and what a vast expense, both of blood and treasure this very Plot, though defeated in the main hath caused. And were they heathens, they were then as much obliged, for than they had no higher Principle to appeal to then the merits of the Caus; and certainly, he that cut off his son for breach of a point of Military Discipline, would have found greater indignation, had it lain in the power of humanity, for this man, whose very endeavours at one time undermined the safety of his Country, and tended to strangle the very vitals of all Justice, and correspondency.  
His fourth is for themselves, wherein he takes occasion, instead of aggravation, to put us in mind of Mr Love's forwardness at the business of uxbridg; for my part, as I was at too much distance to be acquainted with the passages of that Treaty; and the mystery of it hath not been since discovered to me, so I am to note, that I understand not that Mr Love did any more than was in the ordinary road of his profession (though some blamed him of too much heat); and 'tis an easy thing for one that hath the Liberty to talk an hour or two uncontrolled, and withal follow's but his custom; for to dogmatise as much as he pleas; but granting he did service there (as I must only admit it consequentially) yet does not this very Sermon rise up against him? and hath not he, to the sight of all men, fallen back from the maxims that he there asserted? and how horrid a thing is this in a Minister, we have from hence to consider. For he knows whose Ambassador he is, and if he deliver's his Master's Embassy faithfully; for him to turn Renegado is much more heinous then in any of those over whom he hath the oversight. If he say that his Judgement is altered, and he hath new appearances, he leaves mankind in suspense, and suffers them to float in an uncertainty of Doctrine, or else like the Church of Rome, he must be unchangeable and infallible.  
We have seen the Advocate impeach his Client; and since the matter of his Plea branche's into two heads, I conjecture that he hath a better success in the former, than he will find in the later, which he must usurp in several arguments, the first whereof is, That all men acknowledge (I profess, I doubt it) him to be a man precious in God's account, and therefore a difference ought to be put between him and the Grandees of our unhappy troubles, which I think have not all been Cavaliers. From hence we are to infer (admitting this Doctrine) that, because the man is a godly man, and a Traitor, he ought to be pardoned, because he is a godly man; which must either invest the Magistrate with a greater power than he hath, that is to say, to pardon offences which strike at the very heart of the State, or else endow him with an omnisciency, to view both the heart and the reins; for he can look no more then at the outward man; and for one tied to a formal profession, and sedentary life, 'tis easy to avoid most apparent scandal, to be reputed a virtuous person, when notwithstanding, he may be one of the grossest hypocrites in all the world. And this knew the Court of Rome very well, when they brought it (I cannot tell how deservedly) against the famous Father Paul of Venice, whose excellent endeavours of asserting the Civil Right against the Ecclesiastic usurpation will scarcely be forgotten, and our Writer must give me leave, to put a difference between the Cavaliers and Mr Love; I believ many honest men, were surprised in the King's business, and had their eyes dazz'ld at the sight of Kingship, not considering it was an opake body, and only shined by reflection from the people; but Mr Love came fresh, and sincere to the business, bragged to the High Court of Justice, that he was hindered of a degree, for opposing of the Bishops, was a forward appearer; So 'tis not probable, but he was satisfied with the Caus. The King was then in authority, and only owned with a dictinction, and had an army in the field, that he was an equal enemy; Providence had not cast the balance of the quarrel; many of them were Prisoners of War, and had Quarter; many of them had articles upon the rendition of Towns; most of them compounded upon Propositions offered by the Parliament; some of them, nay the head, were marked out for Justice, and suffered. If I understand this Text aright, he says, 'tis either injust to let Rupert and Maurice live, or else they ought inferentially to pardon Mr Love; But Mr Love lay not under the Qualification aforesaid, whilom he detested and abominated Cavalierism, and cursed it bitterly, was a friend of the Parlament's, sided, in all men's opinions, cordially with them, preached for and before them, was beneficed by them; so that his crime is to be looked on merely as a defection, non an encounter in the field; He was not at the head of a Troop, but in his study, laying of Powderplots, not maintaining an open war, but proditoriously ravishing, and stabbing the Freedom of this Nation: so, that as the Italian praies to be delivered from those enemies, which he think's his friends, I may not only say that he was a friend in our bosom that did thus, but he deserved to be punished as the Trumpeter in Alciat, because he made others fight, though he did not fight himself.  
Our worthy author doth now come into his second, which is that, though Mr Love and the rest were drawn into that desperate design, and condemned for it ' as Traitors, yet he believes they had no treasonable intent. Reader! dost thou think, that if our Author were brought to Newgate, and were indicted for felony at the Old-bailie, he would be acquitted, because he had no felonious intent; Now every one knows accessories in felony there may be, but in Treason all are Principals; for the Law looks more severely upon offences that concern the Public, then wrongs done to private persons: because by the one, the whole body and system of a Republic may be broken, but the other only reaches to particular men. The conjecture that this learned Writer give's that the parson had no tresonable intent, is, that it was better to take off the Prince from the Popish Hispaniolized faction of Digby, Cottington, etc. to be a Covenanter, to promote the Government of the Church, according to the Covenant, that is to say, to make the young man leap out of the frying pan into the fire, or as the Spaniard says, comes out of God's blessing into the warm Son. It was prudently designed of Tully in that great year of his Consulat, to let that pestilent humour of Catiline break out, that the Commonwealth might know its own strength, and not be weakened by the accession of such as fight on the one side, and pray for the other; But Mr Love was more prudential, he was not content to let his young Master stay among that party that bred him, and possessed him both in person and Principles, that so he might have been abominable to all honest men, and lovers of their Country, and kept up that odious interest of his still unmingled, and undisguised; but (forsooth) they must come into Scotland, and there make an intrique with a people that hated him, as much as he hated them, and there he must bring in Kingship to advance Liberty, and Popery, or the old Church of England to establish Presbytery. But will you see what hath followed those harmless intents of Mart. Christopher; Stuart was by his means diverted from Ireland, whither he intended, and so we had had but one single interest to encounter with, and one war to maintain, and it might have pleased God that Scotland might have been our friend, but bringing him thither, raised up a cruel war between us, wasted many lives, and some millions, almost ruin'd that Country, and brought a ravenous and necessitous enemy into this. Now whether these be treasonable intents or no, that have been attended with such sad consequences, let a child with half an eye but see.  
We must consider, for that's his third reason, that he formerly promoted the Caus of the Parliament, which must be put in the scale with this late disservice. In the former he was only concurrent and instrumental, here principal and architectonical; then he had Authority for what he did, and did a thing lawfully; now he was a rooting up of Authority, and had neither Law nor Conscience to pretend; then he was public, which is part of our Autor's Argument, here he was like a mole working under ground; and however our author says, that the business was either perfected or effected, I believ he that hath read the answer to the former Argument will believ it had effect enough, though not to the height and malice of the design. But because this Argument would have Mr Love's accounts balanced, I could wish our Advocate to parallel Mr Love with Joab, which though he had done David faithful service, yet for fiding with Adoniah was cut off by Solomon.  
He goes on to a fourth, which is squandered into so many words, and pestered with so various Propositions, that I must take it in pieces. he tell's you his client had not engaged, had his Conscience been satisfied (this very argument might serve a Romish Priest, whom our Law mark's as a Traitor, for certainly many of them have zeal enough, though it be not according to knowledge) as now it is, concerning the lawfulness of the present Government. Certainly this blade hath got some of those spectacles of Boccalini, to look into the breasts of Priests, or possibly hath found some new art to know more of a man, than a man knows of himself, how else could he know Mr Love's satisfaction of the present Government, when Mr Love never yet acknowledged it, but obliquely, and only as much as was fit for an address, and would never confess his fault till it was his very last refuge, and offered up as a kind of a recompense for his pardon, and tell's you that people were startled when the house was guarded, that is, when the betrayers of their Trust and Country were thrust out, and all honest hearts rejoiced at it. He tell's you the next age may be satisfied with this Government, though this is not; by which I think, he conceiv's that the spleen and venom of the disaffected will be spent; he would have free construction be made of men's words and actions, though they be treasonable and inconsistent with the public safety, and in the whole aër and visage of this reason makes it appear to you, that though he be in the service of the Parliament to this day, that it is for some other reason then affection.  
The next thing the man bids the Parliament consider, is, his intercessors; truly for the ministers, we very well know the ingredients, and for Citizens and women, we find their spirits soon conjured up, and in great numbers, especially in matters that go against the hair. And though of the faithful to the present Interest some have had tenderness for him, yet most of them acquiesce in the judgement of the Parliament and High Court; and indeed I fear, that among the promoters of his pardon, it were very hard to decimate a faithful man to the present Establishment.  
The next is, that we must disappoint the expectation of the State, and bis adversaries (they must be so upon different motives) that thirst after his blood, and would have the Parlament's if they could. This indeed is a strong enforcement; the Parliament must neglect their duty in executing justice, because a sort of people led on partly by their own malignity, partly exasperated by his peevishness, are so malicious as to desire his death, and others out of horror and resentment of his crimes expect and claim it.  
The seventh forbids the Parliament to frustrate the prayers of their friends, that had sought the Lord in his behalf. If they have sought God for him, as to Repentance, sight of his evil, and for mercy, he is no good Christian, that will not join; if for his life, the wisdom of the Parliament, I hope is too steady and settled, then to be biased and diverted by any private affections or devotions.  
Now reader, let me have thy opinion, whether this next argument be for him, or against him; He is, an able minister, but a weak Statesman; and therefore this is a fruit of his ignorance in civil affairs; and with my consent he shall only have a civil punishment. But truly, Mr Love's education had not been such as fitted him for the greatest transactions of State, yet by the cleanly conveyance of this design, it appears he was fit enough to do mischief when he had a mind to it, only it seems he would not bid at small iniquities. But it is a shame to a profession and a mystetie of iniquity working strongly (though its operations in the Jesuits and ours seem a little different) that a man set apart for the ministry, which the Apostle says is work enough for one man, should neglect a vigorous and a close persuance of that calling, and mingle and interest himself into civil affairs. This very Parliament was so sensible of it at the beginning, that they thrust all the black coats out of Commission, and made them uncapable of civil offices; but they cast out one Devil, and seve, worse are entered in; for a grave Doctor in a cassock to sit upon a bench at a Quarter-sessions, or to give out a warrant for a Hue & Cry, was a thing though somewhat unfitting for them, not very heinous; but for a young man, who hath had only the slender breeding of the University, and some short acquaintance with systems to perch up into the pulpit, and hence give laws to the State, subdivide the populacy to factions and interests, cry or decry as it comes to their passion; profit, or Ignorance, which I profess I tremble at, and abuse that sacred and internal judge of man Conscience, leading it in the seducible, and screwing it, & transforming it into what shape they pleas. So that either like Santons they are hurried and transported with agitation of every violent loose thought, or else like jugglers they either deceiv the cie, or do things, by confederacy. Far be it from me to intent by this, that precious and seraphical part of the Ministry, that daily bring in souls, and shine like stars in their several orbs; These that move like the heavens silently and constantly in their calling, yet daily shed down rich and happy influences. But I mean those other that tread out of their paths, and in stead of preaching of Christ, faith, humilicie, obedience, etc. dispute passes, fall upon rears, bring in Intelligences, and so distort the word to varnish their own distractions. These the civil magistrate (to whom God hath entrusted the ways of saving his people) ought to beware as pests and banes of mankind, as busybodies, which, though like monkeys, they may look grave and solemnly, yet such as know no idleness, and whose business is only mischief.  
Certainly if it was accounted the greatest action of Regulus to leave killed the great serpent, though he had the assistance of his army, and the Knight's errants live to this day in destroying of Monsters that were only offensive to particular voisinage. I think it were no lefs heroic to extinguish these firebrands that throw all Europe into flames and combustion.  
Ninthly, He put's us in mind that he was a public instrument of the Church, and hath converted many souls (more shame for him to leave that good employment and become a sour of sedition) and many poor souls must suffer with him, for the saving of which (which is but a presumption,) the Parliament must destroy themselves, and the people they are entrusted with, that is to say, do evil that good may come of it.  
His tenth is, the parties offended are Judges, and therefore to show mercy in their own cause is most honourable. If the parties offended were private men, this were a good and a Christian argument; but to public Ministers, for 'tis not they, but through their sides, the public safety and majesty of a people, which are the two indispensable maxims of Government, which caunot be receded from without disturbance of the harmony and violation of the very being of States. And from hence it is, that everic Judge on the bench is conceived a party offended by a prisoner at the bar, because the one hath transgressed those Laws, which the other is to execute. Therefore I conceiv not how the members of the Parliament can be called parties, when it was no private injury to them that brought on the trial and sentence.  
Eleventhly, He dream's that because the month's reprival had procured a weekly Junctillo, who labour to satisfy themselves into a reconciliation, (which I believ will be, when you can make two parallels meet in an angle.) Therefore they may expect upon a pardon some greater effects from this Treaty. This seems to be a main argument of his, for 'tis the very same that he begins his book with, therefore shall I save paper in this mist; but the motive that he adds anew here, is to my thinking a very strange one, That the Presbyterian Party would-therefore become serviceable, for he tell's you aminducement that any school-boie would have brought, Ingenious spirits are led more on by the cords of love, then by a thousand stripes. For the Presbyterian Ingenuity, what it is, I know not, it hath made itself so little appear to the world, that I doubt not, but many inquisitive men are equally ignoraned. Only we may suppose, that in almost three years they had time enough for compliance, if they had had a mind to it, (whereas on the contrary, no people so backward and malicious) and that now for the life of a single Demagogue they should suddenly change their opinions, and lay aside their perverseness, is a conjecture that seems to meeutterly groundless, if not absurd.  
His twelfth is a conmon place of God's mercy, wherein he assume's the Parliament to be his vicegerents, and therefore like him, that they ought to be merciful; but God's mercy is said to be above all his works, because the emanation of all beings is from him, and he rather love's to show compassion then to execute judgement, yet want there not many sad Examples of his Justice through the Scripture. As for the Kings of Israël, that it was their glory to be merciful, I may say the clemency of this Parliament hath been a noble error of theirs, and he that will call to mind their proceed will say, that in all their executions of Justice, they have been absolutely necestitated, yet in the midst of these necessities have not forgotten to pardon.  
13. For Shimei's building him a house; This man might have continued in his, which was already built for him, besides the provision of a sufficient maintenance, had he not broke his conditions, and plotted their ruin to whom he ought his protection. And though Shimei was a persecutor of Saints, I wonder what there wanted in the endeavours of this man, that during the reign of Presbytery, was in the very gall of bitterness against these tender Consciences, that desire but moderate liberty, and since that what a persecution he hath raised against asort of men, whom God hath owned as precious and dear unto him, let the history of his conspiracy make evident. For Abiathar; 'tis true he was pardoned in respect he had born the Ark, which was a Type of Christ, and therefore one of the highest ceremonies under the Law; but this man in stead of preaching Christ, efferated the spirits of his Hearers into rebellions and commotions; so the case is different besides Abiathar was but an accessory to an open insurrection; this man a principal plotter of a close conspiracy. Besides Solomon took other blood which he conceived more guilty, and therefore was easilier induced to show mercy on Abiathar.  
14. For Joseph's kindness to his brethren was meeily the forgiveness of a particular Injury, and that to brethren; this is a public injury, and that from an enemy; and for David's forgiveness of Nabal, the offence was merely denying, of Provisions to his Army, a crime somewhat less than high, treason; besides, his wife met, him by the way with presents, which might be an occasion of his pardon, which David was no doubt the more easy to grant, because. Nabal was not in any capacity to do him any further harm, he being once established. But this man not only denied us provisions in the day of our necessity, that is, his prayers and assistance, but took away the hearts of the people, which are the veny life and soul of every Governor.  
In his last he falls pellmell upon the Parliament, in defence of the Ministry, never considering the provocations of the one, nor the temperate proceeding of the other; for certainly, a housekeeper had rather have his dog muzzled, then that he should perpetually be flying at his throat, and how much this hath been the practive of most of our modern, especially Presbyterian Ministers, he that hath visited the Presbyterian Church may easily tell. There is no doubt, besides their innate malignity, several reasons of interest, and peevishness that make them keep at distance, which, because our venerable Author takes the boldness in their names to represent in his sens, I shall only add my gloss.  
The first is, Their long debate with the assembly about Church-Government, settling that which they take little care to protect, that is Presbytery, which was only settled for three years, which being exspired they are no more obligeed unto it; besides, what their higher reasons may be, I know not; certain I am, the generality of men find it a Government so usurping, so lording in spirituals, that they have no mind to write after a Scotch Copy  
The next is their suffering of heresies, that is to say, breaking down the formalities, and knocking off the shackles of a rigid and specious Government, and taking tenderer consciences from under the bondage of the oivil man, and suffering meek spirits to breathe a due, yet sweet Liberty. As for that abominable crew of Ranters, or any that lift up their hand against the Sceptre of Christ; the Parliament both by their printed act, and severity against several offenders have sufficiently declared their detestation.  
Thirdly, leaving them destitute of competent livelihoods. I marry, this the is bone in their Throats; Had the Revenues of the old Church come to be divided among them, and fattened their Vicarages to Episcopal Competencies, we had been all quiet. But now (since the Assembly is broken up) and they cannot keep up Pluralities, and are confined to ordinatie Competencies, they are enraged at that Power that restrain's, and, under pretence of want of maintenance, really complain of wans of superfluity. But if they would be just and charitable, they might take into their Remembrance, the carefulness of the Parliament, to receiv all Impropriations, that devolved to them: the several Augmentations they daily grant, and the strictness to take for gathering Tiches, which is the chief flower in their Garden.  
The fourth is, their mistake about the Covenant, their pleading in positive Terms for the King, whose decollation was as Judicial an Act as ever they did. Judge whether this be not a royal Reason for their obstinacy, or rather a cloak and varnish for their disgust of maintenance.  
He bring's (to my thinking very impertinently) five grounds from whence some men desire the death of Mr Chr. Love, which are first, Prejudice against Presbytery. Secondly, Ignorance of the difference twixt it and Independency. Thirdly, slighting the later whilst the former was in Power. Fourthly, Too much liberty given to such as despise all Government; I cannot tell what this fignifie's, as to the end he bring's it for. Fiftly, because of his former zeal, the Malignants hate him. Whereas any Rational must needs understand, that as he was condemned for a civil Crime, he is to be looked upon as a Civil offender, and all secondary and personal considerations are to be laid aside.  
He takes upon him to answer three objections, in which how doutily he behaves himself, attend O Reader!  
The first is, he hath been instrumental, and cause of much bloodshed; which he would alleviate by these notable inducements. 

1. Had it taken effect, as though it hath not product a Scotch war, and spent thousands of lives.  
2. He was instrumental to unite King and Scots, but had not he been, the Scotch Commissioners would have done it. This is falls, for it was proved before the High Court, that after they had once broke off, Love and his Party were a means to bring the Treaty on again, and writ Letters to the little Qu., Jermin, etc. a purpose to work the King towards it. Agents they had at Breda, where it took effect.  
3. God hath so ordered that the blood that is spilt is only of his enemies, and very little else, as though bloodshed is no guilt at all; But we know it hath wasted no small number of precious and dear lives, though the smallest number of them by a conquered enemy, blessed be God.  
4. We must compare his former services which (he says) overbalance the later. This is one of his Tautologies to which we have ansered before.  
5. Bloodshed might be Intentional to his complices, accidental (this man hath very stupid charity for him) in him, as though he that joined with others to the same end, must not expect to obtain it by the same Means: for was it possible for any man in his senses to expect that, when a Nation was wholly garrisoned by a prevailing Authority, backed with a stout veterane Army, engaged to a detestation and enmity to any pretender what ever, would become so tame and stupid (especially being English, not Scots) as to give their Liberties, Fortunes, Religion, and all that was dear to them, without dispute? which how it could be maintained without letting open a wide floodgate of Blood, let our Author (whom some call a Colonel) consider.    
The second Objection is, That Justice ought to be administered without respect of persons; which he first wrest's to matter of change, and not to matter of Judgement; and so he never comes near the objection. He tell's us also that there is a difference between one misguided by opinion in Church-matters, and another that purposely set's himself against God, and his Caus, under both which predicaments we have cause to fear Mr Love may be reckoned. He tell's us Justice hath been showed in his condemnation, and therefore, he would acknowledge it a mere Act of mercy to save his life; As though Justice were Justice without execution, or that he would never acknowledge an Authority, would not rather laugh in his sleev, then thank them for an act of grace. For the sparing of Goring, etc. Mercy found them out in the midst of a crowed, and they were open enemies, not arch-conspirators.  
Thirdly, He sdie's Mercy in them would be no left-banded error; But I am afraid, had he found mercy, God had punished it in his abettors, as a lefthanded error.  
Fourthly, He tell's us that summum jus is summa injuria, which in the balance of Civil and Criminal Cases, and allaying the rigour of some positive Laws is very true, but after condemnation to take of execution, what man that ever took it into his mouth intended it? Besides, here is no extremity of forcing of Justice to any rigour, but a clear sentence grounded upon several Statutes, upon a crime manisestly and apparently proved, so that the execution is but a mere effect of the sentence, which if ineffectual might appear to be unjust.  
The fist is, That doing Justice in the Scripture-Language is not always punishing the offendor, and therefore because it hath another signification, our Author would allay the severity of, Judgement, and the safety of a Nation; for certainly Mr Love even in this since deserves that which his Advocate pleads against; for, if a fellow picked my pocket, or steal my horse, shall he not be hanged? and shall a man lay a train to blow up my Liberties, and for aught I know, my life and fortune, shall he not be beheaded?  
The third Objection is, That the soldiery should be unsatisfied, if he should despair. To this he tell's you first that soldiers are men of blood, and severe in point of execution, which is as much as to insinuate, that they were no better than Barbarians and Cannibals, whose only thirst it was, or such as should make no difference of shedding the blood of a Citizen before a Tribunal, and the taking away the life of an enemy in the open field. And certainly though they had stood to expostulate the life of this man, yet it had been but Justice to have had all their toil and blood recompensed with the effusion of his, who had been the occasion of such mischief to them. He tell's us secondly, that there are many in the Army, that neither care for Minister nor Magistrare, which is a desperate falls scandal on that brave sore of people; for my eyes have seen as much piety, civility, prudent and hearty thoughts for their Country among them, with as little of their contraries, as is possible (I think) to be found among such a generation of men; and therefore this blackmouthed Rabshekah hath taken but the old Malignant and Presbyterian course, to defame those with odious slanders, whom in the field, or by reason, they could never overcome. He tell's us thirdly, That the Genetal and the Army are but servants, and therefore aught to sit down at the determinations of the Parliament, which indeed our Author was very right in; for that noble Chieftain, and the Military Council, after consideration of that Petition which was brought down by Fortescue (who, I believ went not for that end only) utterly rejected all interest in the matter, and left it solely to the consideration of the Supreme Authority. And indeed as we are to note the craft of the enemies, that thought to engage the Army at that tickle time, in a buslness wherein they were to find the Parliament avers, and consequently sow dissension among them; so the modesty and prudence of the Army ought to he commended and remembered.  
You have heard both the Plea, and the Counter-Plea, and every Reader according to his prejudice or unpossession must be adjudged just or unjust. For my pard I had only this to say; that I might show how unvalid the reasons were, that were brought for mercle. It had been easy to have branched out into a long and positive discourse, but I forbore it, in respect I believ that it will be supplied by another hand, when the trial and execution of Mr Love is made Public.  
The End.