A Conference with the Soldiers.  
OR, A Parley with the Party of Horse, which with drawn drawn sword, entered the Sessions at Mr. John Lilburn's Trial.  
Gentlemen,  
WHat are you? Are you Englishmen, and true English soldiers raised for maintenance and defence of the ancient Rights and Liberties of England, [the chiefest whereof are peaceable, free, and unforcible legal Trials, for men's lives and estates] if you are such [as you ought to be] how is it that as a party of armed soldiers you enter the place and legal Courts of Justice, with horse and swords drawn, and in the very face thereof, cutting, beating, haling by the hair of the head and trampling upon the people peaceably there, as is their right, to see that all men have justice come them.  
Can you imagine that in so doing you do not over-aw, affright, and terrify the Jury men present? and, in effect, tell them Mr. Lilburn's blond must now be had, and that right or wrong they must find him guilty: But, dear friends, what is this ye do? Was ever such a thing done in the late Tyrant's time? Nay, when in any time was the like violation of the liberties of England?  
And what is it moves you thus to do, in his case, more than in all others? Is it because you are commanded so to do? Think you that will suffice to justify your actions at the Day of judgement before the most just and All-seeing God? who hath made you men, furnished with judgements and consciences, able to distinguish between good and evil; and not beasts to rend and tear, fetch and carry, terrify and affright, kill and destroy, without demanding a cause, or making some scruple for conscience sake Make you no difference between enemies in Arms, or in open Hostility, and peaceable people, when you are commanded? The Lord work upon your hearts.  
You would be offended any should say you are not Christians: Christians judge nothing before the time: you, by this your violent appearance, doom him to death, before any thing is legally proved against him: whereas Christians, in doubtful cases, aught to judge the best; and all things, before proof, are to be esteemed at least doubtful.  
But you judge, possibly, as you are told by some who thirst after his blood, that his crimes are notorious and evident: Good christian soldiers be not deluded; nor delude yourselves; for you cannot but know, that the worst the Parliament laid to his charge, was no more, but that he had scandalised Sr Arthur Haslerig, and the Committee of Haberdasher's Hall; and published a Petition (offered to the House) before they had read it: And for this, mark how they sentened him (for it's your own case) they fine him more than twice his estate; to wit, 7000 pounds, banish him for ever, and enact him to die as a Felon, without benefit of Clergy, if he returned: This was their Judgement; and no marvel: for his Adversaries were his Judges; and this without once hearing what he could say in his own defence; so hasty were they to be rid of him and cause they had: for had he stayed, he was like enough to prove those things called Scandals, real Truths, to the hazard of Sr Arthur's new-gotten huge Estate, and to the laying open the foulness of some of the Committee; and which yet fearing he may live to effect, is now one main cause his life is so violently pursued.  
You have heard much of the unrighteous Judgements of the Council Table, High Commission, and Star-Chamber; but never in the worst of their Times was the like unto this: And are all those Courts justly thrown down? And have you and your Officers routed the Parliament, that made this most cruel Judgement, and Act; and can you now thus violently appear to justify his Trial thereupon, in such sort, as if you would force them to find him guilty: And in so doing, do ye not draw his innocent blood upon you; yea, though the Jury should acquit him, as, if they have any conscience or fear of God in them, they must do, and no doubt will; as fearing him that can kill the soul, more than you (that would your conscience permit you) can only kill the body.  
But it is to be doubted, there are other matters that raise your hatred against Mr. Lilburn; for a certain libellous book hath been officiously dispiersed and read to and amongst you and the rest of the Army, intimating, That Mr. Lilburn hath been tampering to bring in Charles Stuart; and this (the more effectually to deceive you) under the Ouches or divers Witnesses. But, dear friends, in this also you are not to be hasty in belief; for you know the like was published before his Trial at Guild-Hall, by the Council of State, to enrage the Soldiery and honest party against him, and not one word proved true: So when you shall understand what wretched perjured Creatures those Witnesses are (mentioned in that book) you will grieve at the horrid wickedness of such devilish stratagems: Besides, a person of unquestionable credit with the chief of your Army, hearing of the mischievous slander of Mr. Lilburn, hath offered, and is ready at all times, to depose upon oath, that during Mr. Lilburn's residing beyond seas, and since the War with Holland, he had the best and truest Intelligence of all proceed there, from him, and most advantageous for the State of England; Which Mr. Lilburn certainly had never done, if he had had any design for Charles Stuart: But if you believe those false aspersions, only so long as that through your passion and violence you shall occasion his destruction, his deadly enemies by you obtain their bloody desires, and you contract matter of sad repentance for ever.  
The holy Scriptures Rule to Soldiers, is, that they accuse no man falsely; but to act violently, or earnestly, upon a Report, is no less in God's sight.  
They are also to offer violence to no man; much less to a prisoner: towards whom, the very Heathen Soldiers, in Paul's Case, have left you, and all Christian Soldiers, a great example of care and tenderness.  
On therefore! be not worse than Romans unto him; Be not like Danes or Normans to the People, and Courts of Justice: Be not like men who have made ship wrack of all good Conscience: But be unto all in all your demeanour as becometh Christians; full of Mercy; full of Compassion: And cease not to persuade with your Commanders, to find you Employment more agreeable to your Understandings and Consciences; it being in all Cases more safe to obey GOD rather then MAN.  

The Publisher to the Reader.  
COuntryman, I pray thee take notice of two things in this place; first that those lying and false informations lately published against Mr. Lilburn are printed for or by the council of States-Printers, or Booksellers, viz. H. Hills, G. Calvert, and T. Brewster, and so in reason may be judged to be Printed by the authority of the Council of State themselves or by the Authority of their Supreme Lord, Master, and Creator the General.  
2dly. I pray thee observe the persons from whom those informations or depositions came; first from one Isaac Burkinhead alias Rogers, as he named himself beyond the seas, a most profane, deboist, drunken Rogue, who in his conversation beyond the seas to delude the Cavaliers, and to make them believe he was really as they were, in his cups made no scruple, as some of his own comrades have credibly reported, to take a glass of beer or wine, and in their presence to drink it, & wish that might be his poison if he were directly or indirectly an Agent, Intelligencer, or Wellwisher to the Parliament of England, the Council of State, the General, or Mr Scot or any appertaining to them, or that wished them well.  
The second person named as informer is Captain John Titus, a man of so vicious a life in his Cavalier way, for whoring, drinking, swearing, and forswearing, as the world hath scarce his fellow, whose several perjuries upon Judicial Records in England, are said by some of his own kindred not to be a few.  
The third witness, is one Capt. John Bartley, an Irishman or Rebel, and a grand Traitor and Pyrot for the late E of Derby, and who, as beyond sea he averred, could not be permitted in England to live, and who had no way to preserve himself, his wife, and children from starving beyond sea, but to combine with Mr lilburn's great adversaries and their Agents, to do as wickedly to Mr Lilburn as he hath done.  
The fourth witness is one Rich. Foot, a young delboist, wicked, and profane rogue, that rob and stole from his brother, who lives near Blackwell-Hall, betwixt 2 and 3 hundred pound in gold, and run away beyond sea with it, of a great part of which he being checked of by one Harbin, or the like name, Mr Lilburn out of his respect to one Col. Gamet, and Mr Ralph Parker, did the best he could to assist them in getting some part of it again, and did, but always scorned to discourse with such a thief and rogue as the said Foot upon State-affairs.  
The fifth witness against Mr Lilburn is one Staplehill, which the publisher knows not; but in Mr lilburn's name and behalf earnestly desires as much liberty to publish a full and absolute answer to those most false, lying, base, roguish Cavalier informations, as there was given to the sellers thereof, and then shall leave himself to the honest judgement of the Reader, to consider whether are base follows, Mr Lilburn, or his mighty and great adversaries, that employ such notorious known rogues to tell lies and falsehoods on purpose to destroy the innocent.  
FINIS.