befallen is just from God for our sinns, and those of our house, and
the whole land, and all the families in it, have lykewise helped to
pull downe the judgement, and to kindle this fierce wrath. Wee shall
strive to be humbled, that the Lord may be appeased, and that he may
returne to the thousands of his people, and _comfort us according to
the days wee have beene afflicted, and the yeares that wee have
seene_. You are going, you sat, upon the deuites, for returne of the
afflicted land, (you do well to do soe,) and to try the
instrumentall causes and occasions of the disaster and surpressal.
Looke not too much upon second causes, the pryme and originall, and
only cause, is God's just displeasure: for the causes of defeats in
armys, they are harder to be found out than in any other of the
actions of men, a word, a sound, the mooving or remooving of any
body or squadron, may be, and have beane, the causes of the losse of
battles, and how often have pannicke feares seazed upon them, that
never any ground or resone could be given for? Lay not the fault
upon this or that, coming doune, or not staing upon a ground of
advantage, or upon this person or the other. That is the worst way
of all, for nothing devided nor discord can stand or prosper, but
leaste of all ane army; any thing of that kinde is the sodaine ruine
of it. Upon any other constitution it will not worke so soone.
Therefore wee intreete and charge you, as ye feare God, love his
cause in your hands, have affection to your countrie, or respect to
us, that you will remember, you are brethren in a covenant, and that
you now stand up and joyne together as one man for religion, your
countrie, your wives, children, liberties, and us, as your
predecessors have done in their difficulties in their generations.
Wee shall as willingly as any of them be ready to hazarde our lyfe
(nay to lay it down) with you for God, the covenant, and the honor
and freedom of this hitherto unconquered kyngdome, with any handful
you have together, or when it shall be thought convenient."
(Thurloe's State Papers, vol. i. p. 163.) The gross hypocrisy of
Charles, in putting his name to a letter containing sentiments like
these, and thus exciting false expectations in the minds of his
credul