<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
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<CHANGE>
<DATE>2010-02-03</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Megan Marion</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B100116.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A96766">
<STC T="W">w3186</STC>
<STC T="T">e1121_1</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99863799</BIBNO>
<VID>116014</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P>VVithers <HI>REMEMBRANCER:</HI> OR, EXTRACTS Out of Ma&s;ter WITHERS his Booke, CALLED, <HI>Britains Remembrancer.</HI></P>
<P>Worthy of the review and con&s;ideration of him&s;elfe, and all other men.</P>
<P>LONDON, Printed in the Yeare of our Lord, 1643.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2"><!-- PDF PAGE 112 -->
<PB REF="2"><!-- PDF PAGE 112 -->
<HEAD>TO THE READER.</HEAD>
<P>_THere flie abroad cetaine Pamph|lets in the world, being Extracts of a Poem written by M^r <HI>George Withers,</HI> called <HI>Britaines Re|membrancer:</HI> As if there were &s;omething in them to tell the world, from the propheticall provi&s;ions of the Author, of &s;uch things as are now to befall it. It were yet &s;ome happine&s;&s;e unto us, if that Author, on whom the &s;everer &s;ort of men look with &s;ome admiration, might with his book be brought forth to let us &s;ee the ju&s;t and true mea&s;ure of our condition at this time, which he hath there as prophetically as any thing el&s;e &s;et downe, with &s;uch remedies and advices as he thinks nece&s;&s;ary for our reco|very; this were to give us &s;ome hopes yet to out|live our mi&s;ery. But &s;ince wee cannot for the pre&s;ent command him, (being in a po&s;ture of warre above our power) wee &s;hall however be|come
<PB REF="3"><!-- PDF PAGE 113 -->ma&s;ter of his booke; out of which &s;ome ma|teriall pa&s;&s;ages are extracted, That <HI>tanquam ex ungue Leonem,</HI> wee may di&s;cover the &s;en&s;e of &s;o popularly Magi&s;trall an Author. With mee I mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e they prevaile, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="3"><!-- PDF PAGE 113 -->
<HEAD><HI>Withers</HI> his Remembrancer, <HI>OR,</HI> Extracts out of M^r WITHERS his Booke, called <HI>BRITAINS REMEMBRANCER.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_WIth mee I mu&s;t confe&s;&s;e they prevaile the more, becau&s;e I have had a great opinion of the pietie and &s;pirituall ir|radications of the man; (otherwi&s;e to mee unknowne) and e&s;pecially of that worke of which this is part: <HI REND="margQuotes">and in which he &s;eemes to be warranted by a &s;pe|ciall calling to &s;peak boldly of great matters, and to cen&s;ure where none el&s;e dares give any judg|ment.</HI> What therefore he &s;ayes, is not to be con|temned; or el&s;e wee mu&s;t, as the Scripture com|mands us, try the &s;pirit whether it be of God. Now &s;ince it is knowne, that for a long time Ma|&s;ter <HI>George Withers</HI> hath command of a Troope of Hor&s;e in the &s;ervice of the Parliament, and beene quartered at <HI>Maid-&s;tone</HI> in <HI>Kent,</HI> (an act in the fir&s;t motion and progre&s;&s;e of it without the commands of the King, and expre&s;ly again&s;t his Proclamations &s;ince:) and hath executed &s;ome things in the Coun|ty, beyond the &s;en&s;e of his book at lea&s;t, and needing
<PB N="2" REF="4"><!-- PDF PAGE 114 -->the omnipotencie of <HI>Peters</HI> chaire, to make, not barbarous words, but actions good; and to recon|cile what hath beene there done and here written: It is not only convenient, but nece&s;&s;ary (for the ad|vantage of the cau&s;e, and other Chri&s;tian re&s;pects) that Ma&s;ter <HI>George Withers,</HI> who hath given to ma|ny weake ones publique offence and &s;candall, doe as publiquely, and as becomes a man of &s;uch a &s;an|ctified and religious profe&s;&s;ion, informe the world upon what grounds of con&s;cience or rea&s;on he fir&s;t undertooke &s;uch a charge. And I have warrant to pre&s;&s;e this upon him, not only from mine owne &s;cruples, but his owne invitation, expre&s;&s;ed in the latter end of his Premonition to his booke. <Q>If you find ought el&s;e that may be doubted of, or for which I may &s;eeme reproveable or needing advice; Let mee chri&s;tianly and charitably receive intelligence thereof: And if I make not a rea&s;ona|ble defence, I will humbly acknowledge, and give the be&s;t &s;atisfaction for my errors that I am able.</Q> When this &s;hall be done, I &s;hall be either converted or confirmed: In either of which I &s;hall adhere to truth; in who&s;e defence if I peri&s;h, it &s;hall be to mee a victorie.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>In Pag. 195. 196. &amp;c.</HI> He is &s;o large in reprehending of the &s;editious and &s;chi&s;maticall wayes of &s;epara|tion; and commends &s;o ju&s;tly the heretofore happy government of the Church by Bi&s;hops, that the Reader is to be referred thither for <HI>M. Withers</HI> opinion therein. The reproofes he be&s;towes on <HI>Lon|don, p. 207. 208. &amp;c.</HI> Are likewi&s;e too large t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> be here in&s;i&s;ted, I de&s;ire the <HI>Londoners</HI> to have re|cour&s;e to his book.</HEAD>
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<LG>
<L>The Church revenues for the pre&s;ent need<NOTE PLACE="marg">218. a. b.</NOTE></L>
<L>Seque&s;tred are (to &s;tand a while in&s;tead</L>
<L>Of Temp'ralties:) And &s;ome them&s;elves per&s;wade</L>
<L>That they will now be lay-po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions made.</L>
<L>But God forbid: for he that &s;hall bereave</L>
<L>The Church of her inheritance, doth leave</L>
<L>A cur&s;e upon his children, which &s;hall &s;tay</L>
<L>Untill his whole de&s;cent be worne away.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD><HI>In Pag. 219. a.</HI> He hath a proper Elogie of the ver|tues of that illu&s;trious Prince&s;&s;e and her i&s;&s;ue, the <HI>Queen</HI> of <HI>Bohemia.</HI></HEAD>
<LG>
<L>&mdash;That illu&s;trious Dame</L>
<L>(To whom I owe, ev'n more then all, I am:)</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Whether then, is it fit the Parliament &s;hould tru&s;t him with a Troop of Hor&s;e? le&s;t if Prince <HI>Rupert</HI> &s;hould come into <HI>Kent,</HI> he might be as good as his word.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L><NOTE PLACE="marg">225. a:</NOTE>&mdash;Neither art thou &s;olely <HI>[He &s;peaks of the Nation.]</HI></L>
<L>De&s;pi&s;ed and di&s;honour'd by thy folly:</L>
<L>But in tho&s;e mi&s;chiefs which thy &s;inne procure</L>
<L>Thy Prince a di&s;advantage doth endure:</L>
<L>His vertues are repul&s;ed from that height</L>
<L>Of Honour, whereunto a&s;&s;ur'd thy might,</L>
<L>Wer't thou le&s;&s;e wicked! He whom as our eyes</L>
<L>We &s;eemed as but ye&s;terday to prize;</L>
<L>He for who&s;e ab&s;ence we &s;o much<NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">In Spain.</NOTE> complain'd,</L>
<L>And wep't, &amp; pray'd, &amp; vow'd, whil&s;t he remain'd</L>
<L>Divided from us: and at who&s;e return,</L>
<L>We did &s;o many piles to a&s;hes burn.</L>
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<L>Even he hath not received that content</L>
<L>From us, which he expected, and we meant.</L>
<L>Some &s;pirit of di&s;&s;ention loos'd hath bin,</L>
<L>Some &s;parks of di&s;cord have bin hurled in</L>
<L>And blowne among us: &s;o that he and wee</L>
<L>Not &s;o well plea&s;ed in each other bee</L>
<L>As both de&s;ire: And &s;hould this flame encrea&s;e</L>
<L>God knowes how much it would offend our Peace.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>My Prince and Countrey,<NOTE PLACE="marg">226. a. b.</NOTE> though perhaps I be</L>
<L>Not much to them, are both mo&s;t deare to me:</L>
<L>&rindx; And may I peri&s;h, if to &s;afe my life</L>
<L>I would betwixt that couple nouri&s;h &s;trife:</L>
<L>Or if for one of them, I that would &s;ay</L>
<L>Which might from others due take ought away.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>&mdash;to have power and ayme</L>
<L><NOTE PLACE="marg">226. b.</NOTE>To touch the Lords annointed I di&s;claime:</L>
<L>I have no warrant; neither know I ought</L>
<L>To reprehend him, for although I mought.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>For as my Princes faults I may not blaze,</L>
<L>So, I am al&s;o bound (as there is cau&s;e)</L>
<L>To ju&s;tifie what vertues I doe heare</L>
<L>To be in him: and &s;ee in him appeare.</L>
<L>The Generall faults of others mine owne eyes</L>
<L>Have &s;een; and that's enough to warrantize</L>
<L>A generall reproofe: but never yet</L>
<L>In him beheld I what did not befit,</L>
<L>His per&s;on or his place: much have I &s;een</L>
<L>That rather hath an honour to him been.</L>
<L>And what&s;oe're &s;hall mutter'd be of &s;ome,</L>
<L>There reigns not any King in Chri&s;tendome</L>
<PB N="5" REF="5"><!-- PDF PAGE 115 -->
<L>Of whom there was divulg'd a better fame,</L>
<L>Dr, whom a royall Throne &s;o well became:</L>
<L>And what is lately done to blot the &s;torie</L>
<L>Of his de&s;erts, or to deface his glorie?</L>
<L>Or wherewithall can any tongue traduce</L>
<L>His actions which admitteth no excu&s;e?</L>
<L>What if the people have expected more</L>
<L>(From hopes by them conceived heretofore)</L>
<L>Then yet &s;ucceeds? What can from thence redound</L>
<L>To prove his vertues and his wayes un&s;ound?</L>
<L>Why may not this effect ari&s;e from them</L>
<L>That &s;o &s;u&s;pect much rather then from him:</L>
<L>As God long &s;ince unto the Jewes did &s;ay</L>
<L>(Who judged him unequall in his way)</L>
<L>So &s;ay I; <HI>England;</HI> Is thy Soveraigns path</L>
<L>Unequall? or is't rather thine which hath</L>
<L>Such indirectne&s;&s;e? wherefore may not all</L>
<L>Which is ami&s;&s;e by thine own fault befall?</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><NOTE PLACE="marg">228. a.</NOTE>Let every one examine well his way,</L>
<L>And for him&s;elfe and for all others pray:</L>
<L>For this is farre more likely to redre&s;&s;e</L>
<L>The pre&s;ent mi&s;chiefs, then our forwardne&s;&s;e.</L>
<L>The party that hath innocencie &s;hall</L>
<L>Be &s;ure to &s;tand; though all about him fall:</L>
<L>And, if we all perver&s;ely wicked prove,</L>
<L>We &s;hall have all one judgement from above.</L>
<L>If in thy King, O <HI>Brittain,</HI> ought ami&s;&s;e</L>
<L>Appeares to be 'twixt God and him it is.</L>
<L>Of him he &s;hall be judged: what to thee</L>
<L>Pertaineth it his cen&s;urer to bee?</L>
<L>If thou &s;halt &s;uffer with him thine offence</L>
<L>De&s;erv'd it, and nought el&s;e but penitence</L>
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<L>Becomes thy practice; neither &s;hall there ought</L>
<L>That's wrong, by other meanes to right be brought.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><NOTE PLACE="marg">228. b.</NOTE>Why may it not be po&s;&s;ible that thou</L>
<L>Demande&s;t what he might not well allow,</L>
<L>Without di&s;honour? Or, if all were right</L>
<L>Which thou required'&s;t, yet the manner might</L>
<L>Di&s;ta&s;t him? or, who certaine is but &s;ome</L>
<L>(Pretending publique grievances) might come</L>
<L>With private &s;pleen and malice to pur&s;ue</L>
<L>Tho&s;e faults in others, which their con&s;cience knew</L>
<L>Them&s;elves are guilty of&mdash;</L>
<L>If &s;o it be, I doe admire the le&s;&s;e</L>
<L>That thy Petitions had an ill &s;ucce&s;&s;e.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><NOTE PLACE="marg">229. a.</NOTE>Of Reformation thou do&s;t &s;hew great Zeale,</L>
<L>But &s;ome corruption mai&s;t thou not conceale</L>
<L>That marres the ble&s;&s;ing? art thou &s;ure thou ha&s;t</L>
<L>No ju&s;t occa&s;ion given to di&s;ta&s;te</L>
<L>Thy King? Doe thy complainings all intend</L>
<L>The publique welfare, without private end?</L>
<L>And in preferring them do&s;t thou commit</L>
<L>No errors? or no deceits forget?</L>
<L>I will not &s;ay thou did'&s;t; but I doe feare</L>
<L>That they who wi&s;e&s;t are, in &s;ome things erre.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>There al&s;o were&mdash;</L>
<L>Unwi&s;e and undi&s;creet ones,<NOTE PLACE="marg">232. a.</NOTE> mixt among</L>
<L>Our Parliaments, who did tho&s;e meetings wrong,</L>
<L><NOTE PLACE="marg">232. b.</NOTE>By controverting of Religion there,</L>
<L>And moving que&s;tions that improper are</L>
<L>To that a&s;&s;embly. For there is provided</L>
<L>A Synod, wherein ought to be decided</L>
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<L>Such matters: and what they determine &s;hall</L>
<L>The Parliament may ratifie&mdash;</L>
<L>But we may blu&s;h to &s;ee how much ami&s;&s;e</L>
<L>Some &s;tretch the Parliamentall power in this.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>He would not be mi&s;taken, as if he would not have Parliaments looke after the exerci&s;es of Religion.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>But my de&s;ire is al&s;o that they further</L>
<L>The Church affaires in their owne place and order.</L>
<L>&mdash;though &s;ome threaten fearfull things to tho&s;e</L>
<L>Who dare a Parliamentall power inclo&s;e</L>
<L>Within a bound: yea though, &s;ome talking things</L>
<L>Prate as if they might make, and unmake Kings.</L>
<L>Coine new Religions&mdash;</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L><NOTE PLACE="marg">234. b.</NOTE>What their forefathers unto them did leave</L>
<L>Let them not &s;uffer any to bereave</L>
<L>Their children of. For they may that deny</L>
<L>Even to their King; provided legally</L>
<L>They doe it, in re&s;i&s;ting his demands</L>
<L>By legall pleadings, not by force of hands.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Let them therefore their ancient rights retaine</L>
<L>By all ju&s;t meanes; and let them yeeld againe</L>
<L>The Royall dues:<NOTE PLACE="marg">235. a.</NOTE> for tho&s;e things pro&s;per not</L>
<L>Which are ami&s;&s;e from God or Cae&s;ar got.</L>
<L>All wrongs &s;hall be revenged, but none brings</L>
<L>Such vengeance, as the wrong to God, or Kings.</L>
<L>If but in word alone (nay but in thought)</L>
<L>Wee have again&s;t our Prince committed ought</L>
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<L>Which is di&s;loyall, hid it &s;hall not lie,</L>
<L>But be revealed by a winged &s;pie.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Nor let us as wee doe in corners prate,</L>
<L>As if the &s;overaigne power, or the State</L>
<L>Encroacht injuriou&s;ly; and &s;o defame</L>
<L>The Government; di&s;grace the royall name;</L>
<L>And nouri&s;h by degrees an evill &s;pirit,</L>
<L>That us of all our peace will di&s;-inherit.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>&mdash;Bring not when yee come to plead with Kings</L>
<L>Again&s;t their claimes, &s;ome bare conjecturings:</L>
<L>For what thou ha&s;t no utter evidence</L>
<L>To be the right, the right is in thy Prince;</L>
<L>It is a Royalty to Monarchs due&mdash;</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>&mdash;Let pure humilitie</L>
<L>True pietie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">235. b.</NOTE> due love, and charitie</L>
<L>Be brought along: and when all the&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> yee bring</L>
<L>Then goe with loyalty and meet your King,</L>
<L>In his and your affaires without mi&s;tru&s;t,</L>
<L>And then (as certainly as God is ju&s;t)</L>
<L>In every due re&s;pect ye &s;hall prevaile,</L>
<L>Or gaine &s;ome great advantage if yee faile.</L>
<L>Go ca&s;t your &s;elves before him with &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion;</L>
<L>Pre&s;ent him with Petition on Petition</L>
<L>With one accord, and with a fearefull face</L>
<L>Informe him how much hinderance and di&s;grace,</L>
<L><NOTE PLACE="marg">236. a.</NOTE>Or danger to the land there may accrue,</L>
<L>If he your loyall Coun&s;ell &s;hall e&s;chue.</L>
<L>For God, becau&s;e his lawes wee di&s;obey,</L>
<L>Us at our Soveraignes feet doth meane to lay</L>
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<L>To humble us a while. If wee repent</L>
<L>To all our loyall &s;uites he will a&s;&s;ent;</L>
<L>If otherwi&s;e, God will give up this land,</L>
<L>Our lives and fortunes, all into his hand.</L>
<L>Goe offer, while to offer you are free;</L>
<L>And what you give him, &s;hall peace offerings be:</L>
<L>If that which for atonement you provide</L>
<L>With love and patience be &s;anctified.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Speaking of our own inheritable rights and freeholds.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L><NOTE PLACE="marg">269. b.</NOTE>Tho&s;e dues we &s;hould pre&s;erve with all our might</L>
<L>By pleading of our ju&s;t and ancient right</L>
<L>In humble wi&s;e; if &s;o the &s;overaigne &s;tate</L>
<L>Our freedome &s;hall attempt to violate.</L>
<L>But when by peacefull meanes we cannot &s;ave it,</L>
<L>We to the plea&s;ure of the King mu&s;t leave it,</L>
<L>And unto God our judge: For all the power</L>
<L>In us con&s;i&s;ts, in &s;aying, This is our.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>This therefore is my rule;<NOTE PLACE="marg">266.</NOTE> That Government.</L>
<L>(What ere it be) in which to me God lent</L>
<L>My birth and breeding; that untill my end,</L>
<L>I will obey and to my power defend.</L>
<L>Yea though it tyrannize, I will denay</L>
<L>No more obedience, then by Law I may;</L>
<L>Ev'n by tho&s;e Lawes and cu&s;tomes that doe &s;tand</L>
<L>In force, and unrepealed in that Land.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>&mdash;If any faction &s;hall con&s;traine &lindx;</L>
<L>That I one fact mu&s;t take, I will maintaine</L>
<L>What bore the Soveraigntie when I came thither,</L>
<L>And I and that will &s;tand and fall together.</L>
</LG>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="conclusion">
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<HEAD>To clo&s;e up all, as in a fit place let us here in&s;ert &s;ome more of <HI>M^r Withers</HI> his owne lines; which will &s;erve for a rea&s;on too of the Title to the&s;e few Ex|tracts.</HEAD>
<LG>
<L>Let all tho&s;e Ob&s;ervations I have had</L>
<L>Of others errors be occa&s;ions made</L>
<L>To mind me of my owne:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 8. pa. 282.</NOTE> and le&s;t I erre,</L>
<L>Let every man be my Remembrancer.</L>
<L>With &s;o much charitie, as I have &s;ought</L>
<L>To bring their duty more in thought.</L>
<L>And, if in any &s;in I linger long</L>
<L>&rindx; Without repentance: Lord, let every tongue</L>
<L>That names me check me for it: and to me</L>
<L>Become what I to others faine would be.</L>
</LG>
<CLOSER>Amen</CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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</DIV2>
</DIV1>
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