I thought that in all reason, the gaining of that respite could not be so much to the Rebels advantages (which some have highly calumniated against 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 another._ _Because we have no more loved thy truth, and practised in charitie, thou hast suffered a Spirit of Errour and bitterness, of mutuall and mortall hatred to rise among us._ _O Lord, forgive wherein we have sinned, and sanctifie what we have suffered._ _Let our repentance be our recovery, as our great sins have been our ruine._