it, no Book being more commonly fold by all Bookfellers, I hope I need not fear the Offence of any Man, by doing Right to the World and this Work. Which I now Publish from the Original Manufcript, done by his own Amanuenfis, and given me by himself above twelve years fince.

To this I have joyn'd the Treatife against Arch-Bishop Bramhall, to prevent the like prejudice, which must certainly have faln on it, (there being fo many falfe Copies abroad) if not thus prevented; as alfo the Difcourfe of Herefe from a more correct Copy; and have likewife annex'd his Phyfical Problems, as they were tranflated by himself, and prefented to His Majesty, with the Epistle prefix'd, in the Tear 1662. at the fame time they came forth in Latin.

These things premis'd, there remains nothing but to with for my felf good fale, to the Buyer much pleasure and fatisfaction.

Tour Humble Servant,

William Crooke.

Behemoth.

Behemoth,

OR THE

EPITOME

OF THE

Civil Wars

Q F

ENGLAND.

A.

T

PART I

Fin time, as in place there were degrees of high and low, I verily believe that the highest of time, would be that which paffed between 1640.

and 1660. for he that thence, as from the Devils Mountain, fhould have looked upon the World, and obferv'd the Actions of B

Men,

Men, especially in England, might have had a Profpect of all kinds of Injultice, and of all kinds of Folly that the World could afford, and how they were produced by their Hypocrifie and felf conceit; whereof the one is double Iniquity, and the other double Folly.

B. Ifhould be glad to behold that Profpect. You that have liv'd in that time, and in that part of your Age, wherein Men ufe to fee best into good and evil; I pray you fet me (that could not fee fo well) upon the fame Mountain by the Relation of the Actions you then faw, and of their Caufes, Pretenfions, Juftice, Order, Artifice, and Event.

A. In the Year 1640. the Government of England was Monarchical, and the King that reigned, Charles the first of that name, holding the Sovereignty, by right of a defcent continued above 600 years, and from a much longer defcent, King of Scotland, and "from the time of his Ancestors Henry the fecond, King of Ireland, a Man that wanted no vertue, either of Body or Mind; nor endeavour'd any thing more, than to difcharge his Duty towards God, in the well governing of his Subjects.

B. How could he then mifcarry, having in every County fo many Trained Soldiers as would (put together) have made an

Army

Army of 60000 Men, and divers Magazines of Ammunition in places fortified?

A. If thofe Soldiers had been (as they and all other of his Subjects ought to have been) at his Majefties command, the Peace and Happiness of the three Kingdoms had continued, as it was left by King James; but the People were corrupted generally, and difobedient perfons efteemed the best Pa

triots.

B. But fure there were Men enough be fides those, that were ill-affected, to have made an Army fufficient to have kept the People from uniting into a Body able to oppofe him.

A. Truly I think, if the King had had Money, he might have had Soldiers enough in England; for there were very few of the Common People that cared much for either of the Causes, but would have taken any fide for pay and plunder; but the Kings Treasure was very low, and his Enemies that pretended the Peoples eafe from Taxes, and other fpecious things, had the command of the Purses of the City of Londong and of most Cities and Corporate Towns in England, and of many particular persons befides:

B. But how came the People to be fo cor rupted? and what kind of People were they that did fo feduce them?

B 2

A: The

A. The Seducers were of divers forts. One fort were Minifters, Miniiters (as they call'd themselves) of Chrift; and fometimes in their Sermons to the People,God's Ambaffadors, pretending to have a right from God to govern every one his Parish, and their Affembly the whole Nation.

Secondly, there were a very great number, though not comparable to the other, which notwithstanding that the Popes power in England, both Temporal and Ecclefiaftical had been by Act of Parliament abolished, did ftill retain a belief, that we ought to be governed by the Pope, whom they pretended to be the Vicar of Christ, and in the Right of Chrift to be the Governour of all Chriftian People; and these were known by the Name of Papifts, as the Ministers I mentioned before were commonly called Presbyterians.

Thirdly, There were not a few, who in the beginning of the Troubles were not difcovered, but fhortly after declared themfelves for a Liberty in Religion, and those of different Opinions one from another; fome of then (because they would have all Congregations free and independent upon one another) were called Independents: Others that held Baptifm to Infants, and fuch as understood not into what they are baptized to be ineffectual, were called there

fore