hem. He meaneth well in all this at the beginning,
and thinketh he doth all for the Safety of the Godly, and the Publick
Good, but not without an Eye to himself.
When Successes had broken down all considerable opposition, he was
then in the face of his Strongest Temptations, which conquered him
when he had conquered others: He thought that he had hitherto done
well, both as to the _End_ and _Means_, and God by the wonderful
Blessing of his Providence had owned his endeavours, and it was
none but God that had made him great: He thought that if the War was
lawful, the Victory was lawful; and if it were lawful to fight against
the King and conquer him, it was lawful to use him as a conquered
Enemy, and a foolish thing to trust him when they had so provoked him,
(whereas indeed the Parliament professed neither to fight against him,
nor to conquer him). He thought that the Heart of the King was deep,
and that he resolved upon Revenge, and that if he were King, he would
easily at one time or other accomplish it; and that it was a dishonest
thing of the Parliament to set men to fight for them against the King,
and then to lay their Necks upon the block, and be at his Mercy; and
that if that must be their Case, it was better to flatter or please
him, than to fight against him. He saw that the _Scots_ and the
Presbyterians in the Parliament, did by the Covenant and the Oath
of Allegiance, find themselves bound to the Person and Family of the
King, and that there was no hope of changing their minds in this:
Hereupon he joyned with that Party in the Parliament who were for the
Cutting off the King, and trusting him no more. And consequently he
joyned with them in raising the Independants to make a Fraction in
the Synod at _Westminster_ and in the City; and in strengthening the
Sectaries in Army, City and Country, and in rendering the _Scots_ and
Ministers as odious as he could, to disable them from hindering the
Change of Government. In the doing of all this, (which _Distrust_ and
_Ambition_ had perswaded him was well done) he thought it lawful to
use his Wits, to choose each Instrument, and suit each means, unto its
end; and accordingly he daily imployed himself, and modelled the Army,
and disbanded all other Garrisons and Forces and Committees, which
were like to have hindered his design. And as he went on, though he
yet resolved not what form the New Commonwealth should be molded into,
yet he thought it but reasonable, that he
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