A defence of the principles of love, which are necessary to the unity and…

8. But seriously, Brother, I beseech you let us review the Effects you mention or respect. Is it possible for any sober Christian in the World to take them to be blameless, or to be little sins. What! both the violating the person and life of the King. And¹ the Change of the fundamental Government or Constitution. And an Armies force upon the Parliament which they promised obedience to? First upon eleven members; next upon the greater part of the house; and lastly upon the remainder? The taking down ⟨p. 15⟩the house of Lords; The setting up a Parliament without the peoples Choice or Consent. The invading and Conquering Scotland: ²The making their General Protector. The making an Instrument of Government themselves, without the people. The setting up their second Protector. The forcing him to dissolve the Parliament. The pulling him down, whom themselves had lately set up. The setting up the remnant of the Commons again: The pulling them presently down again: The placing the Supremacy in a Council of themselves, and their adherents. Was all this lawful? And to do all this as for God, with dreadful appeals to him? Dare you or any man, not blinded and hardened, justify all this? If none of all this was Rebellion or Treason, or Murder, is there any such Crime, think you, possible to be committed? Are Papists insulting over us in our shame? Are thousands hardened by these and such like dealings into a scorn of all Religion? Are our Rulers by all this exasperated to the severities which we feel? Are Ministers silenced by the occasion of it, about eighteen hundred at once, (even many hundreds that never were in any Wars, and such as consented not to this at all.) Are we made by it the by-word and hissing of the Nations, and the shame and pity of all our friends? And yet is all this to be justified, or silenced? and name of it at all to be openly repented of? I openly profess to you, that I believe till this be done, we ⟨p. 16⟩are never like to be healed and restored; and that it is heinous gross impenitence, that keepeth Ministers and people under their distress: And I take it for the sad Prognostic of our future woe, and (at best) our lengthened affliction, to read such writings against Repentance, and to hear so little open profession of Repentance, even for unquestionable heinous crimes;