Those with Me had (I think) clearly and undoubtedly, for their justification, the Word of God, and the Lawes of the Land, together with their own Oathes; all requiring obedience to my just Commands; but to none other under Heaven without me, or against me in the point of raising Arms. Those on the other side are forced to flie to the shifts of some pretended Fears, and wilde Fundamentals of State (as they call them) which actually overthrow the present fabrick both of Church and State; being such imaginary Reasons for self-defence as are most impertinent for those men to alledge, who being my Subjects, were manifestly the first assaulters of Me and the Laws: first, by unsuppressing the Tumults, after by listed Forces: The same Allegations they use, will fit any Faction that hath but power and confidence enough to second with the Sword all their Demands against the present Laws and Governours; which can never be such as some side or other will not find fault with, so as to urge what they call a Reformation of them to a Rebellion against them: some parasitick Preachers have dared to call those Martyrs, who died fighting against Me, the Laws, their Oaths, and the Religion established. But sober Christians know, That glorious Title can with truth be applied onely to those, who sincerely preferred Gods Truth and their duty in all these particulars before their lives, and all that was dear to them in this world; who having no advantageous Designes by any Innovasion, were Religiously sensible of those ties to God, the Church, and my Self, which lay upon their souls, both for obedience, and just assistance. God could, and I doubt not but hee did through his mercy, crown many of them with eternall life, whose lives were lost in so just a Cause; the destruction of their bodies being sanctified as a means to save their souls. Their Wounds and temporal Ruine serving as a gracious opportunity for their eternall Health and Happinesse; while the evident approach of death, through Gods grace, effectually dispose their hearts to such Humilitie, Faith, and Repentance, which together with the Rectitude of their present Engagement, would fully prepare them for a better life then that which their enemies brutish and disloyall fiercenesse could deprive them of; or without repentance hope to enjoy. They have often, indeed, had the better against my side in the Field, but never, I beleeve at the Bar of Gods Tribunal, or their own Consciences; where they are more afraid to encounter those many pregnant Reasons, both for Law, Allegiance, and all true Christian grounds, which conflicts _with_, and accuse them _in_ their own thoughts, then they oft were in a desperate bravery to fight against those Forces which sometimes God gave me.