might reigne over us and will they lay down their Rule Authority and Power surely no and yet this they must be forced to do before the Kingdome will ere be setled But how will they settle this Kingdom without the King even as they have setled Ireland they would never be quiet as you all know till the management of the war there which themselves also as is now believed had an hand in raising might be wholly in their hands with exclusion of His Majesty whom God hath appointed and too many of you the people in the simplicity of your spirits were for them against your Soveraign and desired that the Parliament without the King might take order for that Businesse and now you understand too plainly how well they have ordered the same these two last years in speciall while they had nothing else to mind and have kept so many lazy Officers and Souldiers to burden and oppresse you O how do the poor neglected and straved Soldiery in that lost Kingdom as well as the ruinated Protestants there pour forth now their deserved execrations and curses against these deceitfull and false-hearted men How are they now brought to beleeve and forced to confesse that none is nor was so tenderly affected towards them as the King and that Gods blessing will not concur with any endeavours there till they be managed againe by Him whom God hath intrusted O remember Ireland remember Ireland Happy may you be yet once againe in this Kingdom if the miseries which have been felt in that since these new Masters tooke upon them to be the sole disposers of affaires there may make you wary O take heed therefore in due time you do not beleeve them when they say they will settle the Peace of this Kingdom without the King Againe they promised to set up Iesus Christ in the Throne of his Kingdome but they meant themselves onely in the Throne of this for do you not see how they have gone about it and how far they have advanc'd their worke in 7. years Have they not imprisoned turned out of Gods Vineyard the most faithfull and painfull Labourers forbidden them to preach in that name or to publish that truth which this Church professeth and themselves protested to maintaine How many Congregations at this present want Pastors in this famous City and how many thousand Parishes are destitute in the Countries of right teaching now for what cause is all this why are Gods Prophets thus knocked off from their imployments wherefore are they inhibited the doing of their duties is it for any thing else then because they inveigh against that wickednesse which God abhorreth are they not for this sole reason said to be enemies to the Parliament to preach against that why do they not say in plaine termes the Parliament cannot sin or that sin and that are all one and must not be reproved or else having nothing else to lay to their charge why do not they suffer Gods Messengers to declare their Ambassage or if they will not so let them at least discover themselves as openly in this at they have done in other particulars for though they said as first they tooke up Armes to remove ill Councellors and to bring Delinquents to punishment yet now they can speake out and say it was to wrest the Legislative power and Militia out of His Majesties Hand and though they promised at first to make the King MOST GLORIOUS yet now they blush not to proclaime we will not have this man to reigne over us we will make no more addresses to Him we will exercise Authority without Him and against Him So though they promised at first to set up Christ in His Throne let them now tell us in plaine English also that they meane to thrust Him and all that truely professe Him according to the right Doctrine of the Gospel out of this Land for this is the very language of all their Actions Againe they pretended great Emnity unto Popish Doctrines and Tenents and Episcopacy was pull'd down out of zeale against Popery as if that had been a friend unto it With what clamours did they represent unto the people Secretary Windebanks intercourse with Iesuites and Popish Priests and the Bishops Chaplaines licencing of Books supposed to be Popish and yet these very men have permitted Mabbot the allowed Broaker of all these venemous scriblings to Authorize the Printing a booke of Parsons the Iesuite full of the most Popish and Treasonable positions that were ever vented for very good Doctrine nay more then this have they not contributed 30. l. toward the charge of Printing the same when after its publication it was told them by some that the said booke had been condemned by Parliament in the 35. of Queen Elizabeth and that the Printer thereof was Hang'd drawne and quarter'd for the same that it was then enacted that whosoever should have it in their house should be guilty of high Treason when all this was related to some of the Committee of Examinations did they not stop their eares at it did they not slight those that thus spake unto them their owne Consciences know all this to be true and that we are able to prove it before the World yet these be the men forsooth that hate Popery This Popish Booke which we speake of was at first published Anno 1524. under the name of Dolman and intituled a conference about the succession of the Crowne it consists of two parts whereof the first conteines a discourse of a Civill Lawyer How and in what manner propinquity of blood is to be preferred it is divided into 9. Chapters all which this blessed Reforming Parliament hath now published under the Title of Severall speeches delivered at a conference concerning the power of Parliaments to proceed against their King for misgovernment they were all Answered as they are in the Iesuites booke by Sir Iohn Haward Doctor of the Civill Law in the year 1603. and Dedicated to King Iames which Answer is common in Booksellers shops to be still sold. Now there is no difference betwixt this book published by this Parliament and that of the Iesuite condemned by that other An. 35. Eliz. but onely this when the Iesuite mentions the Apostles He addes the word Saint to their names S. Iohn S. Iames S. Peter which the Author of this new Edition leaves out and saies plaine Iohn Iames and Peter and perhaps in some places the word Parliament is put instead of the word Pope or people nay the variation is so little that it speakes the publisher a very weake man and those that set him on work none of the wisest in imploying so simple an Animall in a businesse of so great concernment we shall instance but in one passage Old Dolman or Parsons had said in the year 1594. that many were then living in England who had seen the severall Coronations of King Edw. the 6. Queen Mary and Queen Eliz. and could witnesse
the manner of Addresse which is now made unto Him Unlesse his two Houses intend that his Majesty shall allow of a Great Seal made without his Authority before there be any consideration had thereupon in a Treaty Which as it may hereafter hazard the security it self so for the present it seems very unreasonable to his Majesty And though his Majesty is willing to believe that the intention of very many in both Houses in sending these Bils before a Treaty was only to obtain a trust from Him and not to take any advantage by passing them to force other things from Him which are either against His Conscience or Honour Yet his Majesty believes it clear to all understandings that these Bils contain as they are now penned not only the devesting Himself of all Soveraignty and that without possibility of recovering it either to Him or his Successours except by repeal of those Bils but also the making his Concessions guilty of the greatest pressures that can be made upon the Subject as in other particulars so by giving an Arbitrary and Vnlimited power to the two Houses for ever to raise and levie Forces for Land or Sea service of what persons without distinction or quality and to what numbers they please And likewise for the payment of them to levy what Monies in such sort and by such waies and means and consequently upon the Estates of whatsoever Persons they shall think fit appoint Which is utterly inconsistent with the Liberty Property of the Subject and his Majesties trust in protecting them So that if the Major part of both Houses shall think it necessary to put the rest of the Propositions into Bils His Majesty leaves all the world to judge how unsafe it would be for Him to consent thereunto And if not what a strange condition after the passing of these four Bils his Majesty and all his Subjects would be cast into And here his Majesty thinks it not unfit to wish his two Houses to consider well the manner of their proceeding That when his Majesty desires a Personall Treaty with them for the setling of a Peace they in answer propose the very subject matter of the most essentiall part thereof to be first granted A thing which will be hardly credible to Posterity Wherefore his Majesty declares That neither the desire of being freed from this tedious and irksome condition of life his Majesty hath so long suffered nor the apprehension of what may befall him in case his two Houses shal not afford him a Personal Treaty shall make him change his resolution of not consenting to any Act till the whole Peace be concluded Yet then he intends not only to give just and reasonable satisfaction in the particulars presented to him but also to make good all other Concessions mentioned in his Message of the 16. of Novemb. last Which he thought would have produced better effects then what he finds in the Bils and Propositions now presented unto him And yet his Majesty cannot give over but now again earnestly presseth for a Personal Treaty so passionately is he affected with the advantages which Peace wil bring to his Majesty and all his Subjects of which he will not at all despair there being no other visible way to obtain a wel-grounded Peace However his Majesty is very much at ease within himself for having fulfilled the offices both of a Christian and of a King and will patiently wait the good pleasure of Almighty God to incline the hearts of his two Houses to consider their King and to compassionate their fellow Subjects miseries Given at Carisbrook-Castle in the Isle of Wight Decemb. 28. 1647. For the Speaker of the Lords House pro tempore to be communicated to the Lords and Commons in the Parliament of England at Westminster and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland HIs Majesties Afflictions have been much increased by manifesting His care as an equall Father that satisfaction might be given to all ingaged interests therefore Presbyterians Independents Army Scots and all whoever they be that acknowledge a part in them and remain yet unsatisfied have reason as Christians as Subjects as men for meer gratitude sake were there no other reason to endeavour the vindication of those wrongs at least which His Majesty hath suffered since He stood forth as their Common Advocate To prevent their Audience upon the Kings motion were these Bills devised and sent in this sort unto His Majesty And for His not consenting so far to their damage and to the undoing of all the rest of His Subjects as these Bils required was His Majesty cast into a more hard and miserable Condition by some degrees then ever before having all His Servants on the sodain by violence thrust out from Him not so much as one of His Divines allowed unto Him Himself confined to two or three Roomes within the walls of a loathed Prison assaulted frequently He is with evil language and tormented with the spightfull behaviours of the Enemy permitted to see or speak to none but rude Souldiers who are set to watch Him and whom He hath hourly cause to look upon as Assassinates appointed for to murder Him His friends are not suffered to write unto Him nor His Children to send the remembrance of their duties yet His Trunks and Pockets are often searched for Letters with the highest insolency and rudenesse that can be shewn And all this with much more of like nature then can be expressed is come upon Him as it seemeth for moving in the behalf of all ingaged interests and therefore most truly did His Majesty in the Beginning of this Message say for He hath felt it since that He found the complying with all ingaged interests in these great distempers none of the least difficulties He met withall since the time of His Afflictions and therefore also as was said before were there no other cause they are all bound to ingage for Him till they have set Him free from His present Thraldome And indeed the Scotch Commissioners for their parts began well in their protesting in the name of their whole Kingdome against those unreasonable Bils at the same time that they were by the English Commissioners presented to His Majesty as being prejudiciall to Religioâ— to the Crown to the union and interest of both Nations and directly different from their former mutuall proceedings and ingagements now His Majesty for taking notice of this which was uttered in His presence and in the name of a whole Kingdome is extreamly quarrelled at and because He did not signe the said Bils notwithstanding the said protest He is immediately made close Prisoner and sensible of more then barbarous usage the Method of which is in part expressed in the following Declaration which twenty daies after His close confinement was written by His Majesties own hand and some twenty daies aftâ—r that by the speciall order and providence of him who is the preserver of Princes brought to light
of Reason And now I would know what it is that is desired Is it Peace I have shewed the way being both willing and desirous to performe my part in it which is a just compliance with all chiefe interests Is it Plenty and Happinesse they are the inseperable effects of Peace Is it Security I who wish that all men would forgive and forget like Me have offered the Militia for my time Is it Liberty of Conscience He who wants it is most ready to give it Is it the right administration of Justice Officers of trust are committed to the choice of my two Houses of Parliament Is it frequent Parliaments I have legally fully concurr'd therewith Is it the Arrears of the Army upon a settlement they will certainly be payed with much ease but before there will be found much difficulty if not impossibility in it Thus all the world cannot but see my reall and unwearied endeavours for Peace the which by the grace of God I shall neither repent me of nor ever be slackned in notwithstanding my past present or future sufferings but if I may not be heard let every one judge who it is that obstructs the good I would or might doe What is it that men are afraid to hear from me It cannot be Reason at least none will declare themselves so unreasonable as to confesse it and it can lesse be impertinent or unreasonable Discourses for thereby peradventure I might more justifie this my Restraint then the causers themselves can do so that of all wonders yet this is the greatest to me but it may be easily gathered how those men intend to govern who have used me thus And if it be my hard Fate to fall together with the liberty of this Kingdome I shall not blush for my selfe but much lament the future miseries of my People the which I shall still pray to God to avert what ever becomes of me CHARLES R. BEhold here all English-men and you of Scotland Wales and Ireland in whose manly Breasts doth yet remain any true sparks of right Religion or Auncient Honour Behold your King the breath of your Nostrils the Anointed of the Lord under whose shadow you dwelt in peace injoying wealth many years together whose yoak was easie and sweet unto you Behold behold He is taken and snared in a pit see how sadly He sits in darknesse and hath no light hearken how He complains unto you out of Prison that He is layed aside or become like a broken vessel forgotten as it were like a dead man out of mind shall it be as nothing to you All you to whom this Appeal is made this Declaration sent that your Protector your Defender the Glory of Christians and Mirrour of Kings is thus used Have you no feeling of His sufferings no share in His sorrows is it not for your sakes that He indures all these hard and heavy things can there be named any other reason for them then because He will not yeild you up to be slaves and bond-men is He not divested of all His power stript of His whole Authority deprived of all His Comforts barr'd from the sight of Wife and Children denied Liberty of going whither and conversing with whom He desires because He will not consent that you without rule or reason should be handled and used in this manner He will not wound His Conscience and Honour in betraying the trust reposed in Him by Almighty God over you He will not deliver you up into those hands which have already so much abused you He will not abandon you to the unlimited power of the two Houses for ever He will not grant them His lâ—ave to levy Land and Sea sorces from among you by violence and to maintain them continually upon you at your cost and Charges and against you to keep you under without either Law or Limitation in a word He will not consent that you should be kept in perpetuall Beggery and made Vassals to your equals and fellows and for this cause are all these miseries heaped on Him Read over again and view well His many Gracious Messages and offers together with their unreasonable demands and Propositions and remember withall how uncomfortably how chargeably nay how miserably every way you have lived sinâ—e these men who would alwaies rule have exercised power over you Oh how is your Gold become dim since your King hath bin in darknesse How is your sine Gold changed since He hath been excluded the pretious stones of the Sanctuary how have they been defiled made as Common and poured out in every street since He the most pretious of all hath been refused by these new Mushrom Master-Builders the most Honourable Sons of Sion the Children of your Princes comparable to fine Gold how are they esteemed in these daies as earthen pitchers how have your most Heroick Nobles been vilified and debased your most Gallant Gentry been trod and trampled under Your free-borne Yeomanry the sinews of the Kingdome how have they been tyranniz'd over in their own houses and how many of all sorts have been begger'd butcher'd and destroy'd since these unhappy men who would for ever sit aloft have domineered How hath the most reverend learned Clergie the servants of the most high God been despised persecuted and defamed How is that rich and renowned City London become as a Widow in the absence of her Husband by the meanes and operation of these new usurpers How hath her most eminent Magistrates her Maiors and Aldermen been imprisoned Her wealthy Merchants impoverished her Commons of all sorts been baffled and deluded How hath the lustre of her excellent order and flourishing government been darkned and obscured She was so great among the Nations while her Soveraignes influence shined upon her that for her Beauty Freedome and Splendour above the rest she was reckoned a Princesse among all the European Provinces being as rich in Treasures as she was in People But now alas how is she become a Captive and a Tributary to her owne servants She now weepeth sore at least she hath cause so to doe and that as well in regard of her deception and her sin as of her misery for that among all her lovers whom she so foolishly and so wickedly doted on she hath none to comfort her for all those her friends whom she trusted in have dealt treacherously with her and are become her enemies yea her most vexatious Tormenters And because our most Christian King is not willing to signe a Bill of perpetuity for the continuation of these sad Calamities upon her upon you and upon us all for ever therefore is He tortured in that manner as we see and hear therfore is His Princely Honour blasted His Royall good name defamed His Regall power Authority and Revenues taken away and kept from Him His pious Conscience assaulted His sacred person imprisoned and every day in danger to be massacred and murdered O may it not well be asked and said Was there ever
sorrow like unto his sorrow for such a cause Were there ever wrongs like unto these that are done unto our King because He will not consent to the utter undoing of us his people Assuredly never was people more wretched and accursed then we shall be and that meritoriously both of God and Men if we suffer this and doe not stand up and appeare for His deliverance For what are these men that thus tyrannize over our Soveraign and over us are they not his vassals and our fellowes nay our servâ—nts entrusted by us to manifest and present the tenders of our duty and reverence unto him and doth it not concerne us therefore to bring them to correction as the case now stands with the King for these their grosse enormities will not their impieties and exorbitancies else be laid to our charge Nay doe they not in their impudencie act all their wickednesses in our names would they not have their late defamatory Libell to be understood as the expression of our senses Doe they not call it The Declaration of the Commons scil of England as if we at least gave allowance to it or set them a work to make it When as God and our consciences doe beare us witnesse we loathe it with our very soules as the most horrid heap of the most shamelesse lies blasphemies and slanders that ever was spued up against Majesty and Innocencie by men or devils since the first Creation Nay have they not since their publication of it tempted and provoked many of the ignorant of us in divers Countries to set our Hands to Papers coyned by themselves of Gratulations to themselves for venting the same and for making those their wicked Votes against our Soveraigne the Lords Anointed Doe they not hereby plainly endeavour Satan-like to involve our soules in their owne guilt and to plunge them for ever in the same pit of damnation with themselves As if it were not enough that they have already wasted us all in our estates and wounded the consciences of too many of us by ingaging us through their false pretences of Religion Liberty and Previlege of Parliament to associate with them in this unnaturall War unlesse they doe this also And have they not menaced others of us because we refused to approve of this their late most abominable wickednesse and went about rather to move for His Majesties Liberty and restoration Have they not threatned to plunder and sequester us of all we have yet remaining if we proceeded to make any motions or requests to that purpose as if they had a spight and malice at Almighty God himselfe for opening our eyes at length and bringing us out of that darknesse wherein they had shut us and hoped alwayes to keep us and for his touching our hearts with remorse and sorrow for our former complyance with them as if also we must never dare to speak more but onely such words as they shall suggest and put into our mouthes nor to set our hands unto any thing but what they forsooth shall frame and dictate to us And is this the Freedome of the Subject so much cryed up Is this the Liberty which the people of England have so fought for Is this our so flourishing state of happinesse which was promised by our blessed Reformers Serò sapiunt phryges fooles may grow wise at length and so from henceforth shall we for ever following them any farther or being guided by them any more who by their glorious professions and protestations have seduced us already so far from the wayes of God We cannot but call to mind the proceedings of this Palliament or of this Thing which so calls it selfe being in very deed but a corrupt faction in it How at first they framed a Protestation Generall for the matter of it good we still confesse and acknowledge but the deep subtilty and intrige of it was not then apparent to us But now we consider how they did without the Kings sanction and ratification little lesse then impose it upon the whole Kingdome whereby they slily crept into a kind of unexampled authority no way belonging to them which they cunningly masked under the specious pretences of pious respects to the Protestant Religion Loyall regards to His Majesties Person and Dignity and of their serious care of the Priviledges of Parliament Properties and Liberties of the Subject no one of which as we now see by their actions was ever in their thoughts to preserve for their whole endeavours have since been and stil are to destroy and suppresse all these but hereby at first they catch'd us in their net and carryed us downe the streame with them And having thus surprised us Jealousies and Fears presently began to surprise them which also the whole Kingdome must be sensible of as if all the things to be defended by the Protestation were in some eminent danger of sodaine destruction to prevent which a Petition is framed in all haste by themselves and sent downe into all Countries to be subscribed there and sent back as the unanimous desire of the whole Kingdome that Bishops and Popish Lords who must be apprehended the conjoynt and deadly enemies to all good things contained in the Protestation might be put out of Parliament that the Kingdome might be put into a posture of defence or war against them and their Complices and the better to colour and credit the businesse we must desire in the same Petition to have a monethly fast Authorized And we well remember there was care taken at that very time lest this mistery of Iniquity that was in working should be discovered to us that the Learned Seers or watchmen of God who were most likely to to make it known should be exposed to scorne and contempt under the name of Prelaticall Scandalous and Malignant Clergie that so their Testimonies might be of no esteeme with us and a generation of men full of ignorance covetousnesse or discontents were countenanced and advanced over us as fitly instrumentall and subservient to the designe on foot which now we finde was only to ruine our King and us The Consequents of this Petition appeared soon after to be these 1. An alteration or change of military Officers the Train-Bands being committed into the hands onely of such as were called Confiding men 2. The appointment of a Guard to defend our worthies of Parliament as they were entitled And 3. An exposall of the Kings Person and Government to all possible danger and disgrace And that 1. By a most scandalous Remonstrance wherein the sins of themselves and others who had been His ill Officers were all layed to His Charge 2. By setting the Tumultuous People upon Him to drive Him from Westminster And then 3. By raising an Army to fetch Him back again as was pretended though in very deed we finde now it was to destroy Him rather We remember how they told us then that the King was amongst them in His politick Capacity whereby they had
further in the sequele of their Declaration sith their modesty and truth is such in the first page of it Assuredly you cannot that conclude but this of theirs is the most groundlesse shamelesse malicious and impudent slander that ever was printed by such an Authority as is pretended against such a Person And a Lye pardon that Scotch word so grosse and so thick that like the darkenesse of Aegypt it may be felt O consider well of it you the Subjects of this Kingdome and rouze up your selves at length in the behalf of your Soveraign and of your selves remember the Honour and dignity of your forefathers the wisdome and valour that made them so famous and so feared O where where is the Auncient Gallantry of this Noble Nation where is that life courage that was wont to kindle and flame in English-men when they saw themselves esteemed simple and contemned as base and vile what is it all dead and buried in snow and cold Ashes shall it be thought that no sparks of it are yet remaining in your natures will you suffer servants alwaies to rule over you to inslave and inthrall both you and your King awake for shame or else for ever worthy to be despised and look about you bethink at length what you have to do Was ever Nation so gull'd as you have been so orereach'd by Cheaters did ever any who caried in their breasts the spirits of men delight to be so abused by their fellows to be made fools used like Asses and so accounted and will you affect it shall they who triumph over you think you alwaies Children without understanding surely had they not believed you as full of weaknesse still as themselves are of wickednesse they would not with that boldnesse have imagined to flam you off with so base a Narrative against your Soveraigne as if thereby they had given a satisfactory reason to your simplicities for all those wrongs which they have done Him And what do they aime at hereby but to make Him most odious and contemptible who of all men living deserves the greatest Reverence Love and Honour and why do they this but to the end that they might have some colour to destroy Him And will you Crucifie your King saies Pilate to the people of the Iews as if he had said what an unheard-of vilany will that be How doth the Curse cleave to that Nation for that act unto this very day so may it not be said to you O people of England will you murder your King will you suffer your most pious and gracious King after all these unspeakable abuses which He hath already indured for your sakes at the hands of your Servants or Representatives as they call themselves to be destroyed by them if you play the Iewes you shall be payed like Jewes you and your Posterity shall grone under the Curse of God and man for ever qui non vetat peccare cum potest jubet not to prevent a mischief when you may is directly to command it to be done As Absolom by going in to his Fathers Concubines on the house-top declared in the sight of all Israel that He meant the breach should be irreconcielable betwixt his Father and him so have these men by this their Declaration spoken loudly to all the world that their intentions are that the difference shall never be made up betwixt their Soveraign and themselves but indeed herein we may observe that their impudence doth far exceed Absoloms for while he was on the house-top committing his wickednesse he did not accuse the King his Father of the same sin or lay heavily to his charge that very evill which himself was then in acting as these men have done for they in their Declaration do burden their Soveraigne with their own faults they tax Him of those very things which themselves have committed and that not only heretofore when they were His ill Officers and Servants but even now are acting at this very instant time before our faces and upon our selves while they are exclaiming upon His Majesty And when should the King make Himself liable to all this blame and odium which they cast upon Him was it since they promised to make Him so glorious Themselves do not affirm this but as they pretend a great while before how comes it then to passe that in their present judgments He who was formerly deemed fit to be made the most glorious Prince in Christendome and promised so to be if He would but comply with them in those things that should be for His owne Honour and the Kingdomes good is now in their present judgments being still the same become worthy of so much hatred as is here manifested and not fit to have any more Addresses made unto Him bad are the memories of these men the change of their condition hath made them quite forget their former principles and professions what credit think you can be given henceforth unto them what confidence can be put in any of their promises is it not likely they will fail you who ere you be that trust them as they have done their Soveraigne nay have they not failed you enough already do you look they will ever repay that Mony with eight in the hundred interest which they took up of you in Publike Faiths name what speciall respect do you observe the City London and the adjoyning Associate Counties do now find from them for all that wealth countenance and assistance which hath been afforded to them doe not they like their owne father Satan exact most still from those whom they have found most compliable and most yeilding Nay more then this do they not now discover a manifest adherence to the schismaticall Army which they intitle the faithful Army against the City the Associate Counties the whole Kingdome and Scotland too as well as against the King have not some of the unsavory Aldermen Members of the Commons House gone senting up down of late and soliciting men to ingage themselves to live and die with the Parliament and the Army and against whom but King and Kingdome who it seems are now looked upon as one again and conjoyned though it be in the notion of Common Enemies by these good Counsellours these faithfull Representatives that broke the friendly union And what doth this new Ingagement speak unto you but that their intentions are to rule from henceforth by the Sword without all Law save that of war to keep you under You may remember at first 't was King and Parliament they cried up then Parliament and Kingdome but now at length 't is come to be the Parliament and the Army so that you see how unsetled they are how God hath made them like to a wheel in continuall motion and therefore no confidence is to be put in them They promise now that they will setle the Kingdome without the King who unsetled it but themselves and for what cause did they so but that themselves