ainst me) as it might have been for the Protestants future, as well
as present safety: If during the time of that Cessation, some men had
the grace to have laid _Ireland_'s sad condition more to heart; & laid
aside those violent motions, which were here carried on by those, that
had better skill to let blood then to stanch it.

But in all the misconstructions of my actions, (which are prone to
find more credulity in men to what is false, and evil, then love or
charity to what is true and good) as I have no Judge but God above
me, so I can have comfort to appeal to his omniscience, who doth not
therefore deny my Innocence, because he is pleased so far to try my
patience, as he did his servant _Job_'s.

I have enough to do to look to my own Conscience, and the faithfull
discharge of my Trust as a King: I have scarce leisure to consider
those swarms of reproches, which issue out of some mens mouths &
hearts, as easily as smoke, or sparks do out of a furnace: Much lesse
to make such prolix Apologies, as might give those men satisfaction:
who conscious to their own depth of wickednesse are loth to beleeve
any man not to be as bad as themselves.

'Tis Kingly to do well, and hear ill: If I can but act the one, I
shall not much regard to bear the other.

I thank God, I can hear with patience as bad as my worst enemies can
safly say. And I hope I shall still do better then they desire, or
deserve I should.

I beleeve it will at last appear, that they who first began to embroil
my other Kingdoms, are in great part guilty, if not of the first
letting out, yet of the not timely stopping those horrid effusions of
bloud in _Ireland_.

Which (whatever my Enemies please to say, or think) I look upon, as
that of my other kingdoms, exhausted out of my own veins: no man being
so much weakened by it as my Self: And I hope, though mens unsatiable
cruelties never wil, yet the Mercy of God will at length say to his
Justice, _It is enough_; and command the sword of Civil Wars to sheath
it self: his mercifull Justice intending, I trust, not our utter
confusion, but our cure: the abatement of our sins, not the desolation
of these Nations.

_O my God, let those infinite mercies prevent us once again, which I
and my Kingdoms have formerly abused, and can never deserve, should be
restored._

_Thou seest how much cruelty among Christians is acted under the
colour of Religion; as if we could not be Christians, unless we
crucifie one anot