the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England If they keep close to the good of the Nation then they are the late Parliament We had divers Consultations and Thoughts of heart in what way and manner we might provide for the Peace and good Government of this Common-wealth truth is you have been very busie all along you break our Heads and then think of Plaisters for us you broke this Parliament formerly and after six years when you found your own dirty Interests going down then you had many Consultations how to keep them up and when you could not go on your own way the way you are now agoing for the Clamours of the People and the interposing of your own inferiour Officers you had some Conferences with some of the late Parliament as you call them from whom it seems receiving some good hopes of doing your Journey-work you resolve to put it to the Tryall Whether they will be your Slaves or the faithfull Servants of the People Who having failed your Expectation can be a Parliament no lo longer at length calling to mind no sure it was put in your Heads much against your Mindes those many great Things that had been effected for the good of these Nations during the sitting of the sayd Parliament Look back upon the Declaration of May 6. and see how it is there expressed Calling to minde That the long Parliament consisting of the Members which continued there sitting untill the Twentieth of April 1653. were eminent Assertors of the GOOD OLD CAUSE and had a speciall presence of God with them and were signally blessed in that Work Read the very Words and observe a Juggle That may be done during their sitting that is not done by them Make your own Observations and being likewise fully perswaded that the Government of these Nations might be most happily placed upon the Foundations of a Common-wealth and that upon such Principles as was then agreed upon by us this is the Plague o' nt they that for the most part of them Viz. The General Councel of Officers must make a Mark for their Names think themselves so wise as to agree Principles among themselves which are best for the Government of this Common-wealth and what are these Principles You shall find them in their Petition and Address May 12. 1659. the chief Corner Stones whereof are these Article 12. We do unanimously acknowledge and own the Lord Charles Fleetwood to be Commander in chief of the Land Forces of this Common-wealth Article 13. That there be a select Senate Co-ordinate in Power with the Parliament Article 15. That all Debts contracted by his late Highness or his Father since the Fifteenth of December 1653. may be satisfied and that an honourable Revenue of Ten thousand pounds per annum with a convenient House may be setled upon him and his Heirs for ever and Ten thousand pounds more per annum during his life and upon his honourable Mother Eight thousand pound per annum during her life To the end that a mark of the high esteem this Nation hath of the good seruice done by his Father our ever renowned Generall may remain to Posterity It concludes thus These having been the thoughts and desires of our hearts unanimously agreed upon before your returning to sit c. You may judge whether these are not rare Principles to brag of A Senate to controul the Parliament And Ten thousand pound per annum and a convenient House for ever Ten thousand pound per annum for life for the Protector and Eight thousand pounds per annum for the old Dowager Upon my word I do not know who contrived this so rarely but 't is a good Reward for making bold to rule us by his Will and pleasure to pay his Son and his Wife so well for it besides what Rewards he took out of the Earle of Worcesters Estate and what besides he converted to his own Coffers If I were Lord Lambert I should venture hard to make my self some-body if when the worst came my Heirs and Wife should be so well rewarded If when I could keep my Kingdome no longer I should be so well cared for that my Son should live like a Prince These are brave Principles for a Common-wealth that the Council of Officers should boast of You proceed And hoping through their experience of Affairs of Government we might most safely deliver the Power and Trust of these Nations into their hands pardon me you have done all you can to keep both in your own hands and having those further encouragements that they having lyen under that rebuke for some years which God hath given them for their former miscarriages That is the Rebuke you had given them when you turned out of the way and turned them out of the House who you say your selves Decl. May 6. were such eminent Assertors of the GOOD OLD CAUSE and had such a speciall presence of God with them that you judged it your Duty to invite them again to discharge their Trust and really 't is their eminent asserting the GOOD OLD CAUSE and nothing else that are the miscarriages for which you so rudely rebuke them And also from some previous meetings with some worthy and leading Members of that House these were I hope none of those the Army is now so angry at who upon debate with us approved of the Principles aforesaid and communicated them to some of their Fellow-Members Mark here their debate and the agreement of some Members with them in their Principles of their Addresse is a grand argument to perswade them to readmit the Parliament You finde no such matter in Decl. May 6. But there it seems to be only conscience of their sin in disturbing the Parliament and wandring from equall and righteous paths together with a sense of their duty as bound to call them again being such eminent Assertors of the GOOD CAUSE This is strange prevarication It seems too they were not so unseigned in the shame they took to themselves for all the disfiguring of their faces that they durst trust God having done their duty but must feel the Pulse of some Members first and give them their Lessons or the Principles they meant to insist upon So that they can take shame to themselves and yet drive on their Design they are Masters of Art in Dissimulation and can make Religion a Nose of Waxe to serve their Interest We were like to have our businesse well managed by this praevious Meeting if the Parliament had had so little honesty as the other wit That not only old displeasures would have been forgotten so they were but that the single and setled Government of this Common-wealth would have been only aimed at So most men believe it was having understood nothing to the contrary but observed the Parliament very earnest in contending for it and had made a large progresse in it even to admiration though they had met with many Disturbances and not a few from your selves but
the mischief is that all this was not done in two moneths that they might have died in Mount Nebo before now But to shew what they might have done and that two moneths was long enough in conscience their new 23 must settle a Government in six Weeks and then I trow they may go to Mount Nebo and die too And although we were not ignorant that by their former interruption it was the opinion of many able and learned persons that the late Parliament was wholly dissolved Speak out Gentle-folks Mr. Pryn told you so and what did he tell you besides Tell the whole truth Doth not he tell you You are Rebels perjured persons Papists Jesuites Sectaries And is not this last as true as the first If you knew them really dissolved why did you conjure them up again Why would you put such an abuse upon the Nation Why did you resist Sir George Boothe to bloud for denying them to be a Parliament Surely if this be true you laid a Stumbling-block in your Brothers way whose Bloud and Estate you yet seem vigorously to pursue Certainly upon your heads must fall all the bloud that hath been spilt in this Quarrell it is your sin to set up an unjust power not Sir George Booths to resist such a power But why if this be true do you so often style them The Supreme Authority why doe you say 't is your duty to call them again to their trust that it becomes you to yield them your uttermost assistance to sit in safety Doth it become you do you think to juggle thus before God and men especially since you were so well instructed of their being wholly dissolved Good Lord to what impudence shall we arrive ere long and what may not prophane Wretches doe if men that pretend so highly to Saintship dare deal thus Lord what wilt thou doe for thy Great Name What a Reproach lies upon the Protestant Religion Lord roul away this Reproach from us And to this wretched shift is the Army driven lest they should own them to be a Parliament For if they were a Parliament then they have no way of escape but are Traytors with a witnesse Yet being desirous like Drowning men who are ready to catch hold of every twig to lay hold on any thing that had the least appearance of Civil Authority This is pretty so it seems you now lay hold of another twig I mean your 23. but that they want the least appearance of Civil Authority But do you think this is Christian-like to do evill that good may come of it is this to abstain from all appearance of evill I cannot tell but this Twig may in time make you smart for your folly and wickednesse Thereby hoping to see the Nation established upon the Basis aforementioned Mark that They laid hold on this Parliament hoping they would settle the Nation as the Army had contrived it in their Petition and Addresse before mentioned This is rare good sport is it not Therefore we did think fit in our Declaration of the 6 of May nay you say there You judged it your duty it is one thing to think fit another thing to think it your duty to invite the Members of that Parliament c. Look back a little and observe whether the reasons they alleadge there that perswade them of their duty to call the Parliament and the conceits they mention here which made them think fit to invite them doe well agree I think you finde few of the former reasons in this Declaration and as few of thâ—se Conceits in the former Declaration Pray stay here a little and meditate it will be worth your while There you may observe they confesse they had wandred divers wayes from equall and righteous paths and that God disappointed all Essayes for settlement that the GOOD OLD CAUSE became a Reproach and the good Spirit that formerly appeared among us began to decline and did daily decline and being led to look back and examine the cause of Gods departing from them and where they turned out of the way that they might return and give him glory And calling to minde that this Parliament were eminent Assertors of the GOOD OLD CAUSE and had a speciall presence of God with them and were signally blessed in that work therefore they judged it their duty to invite and did most earnestly desire them to return to the exercise of their Trust What is all that is it no more then this calling to minde what great things were effected during their sitting or is there ever a word of your own thoughts of heâ—rt that they were the best Principles and fittest to bottome the Common-wealth upon that you agreed among your selves No we immediately saw it was but a faigned Repentance and a partiall shame when we read your Addresse of the 12. May of which I gave you notice in Print Have you any such motive there as the experience of this Parliament in affairs of Government that you mention in that Declaration May 6. to induce you to deliver the power and trust of the Nation into their hands not a word I warrant you to this purpose nor yet of such an encouragement us this that the Parliament having lyen under the rebuke of God for their former miscarriages would be like to follow him more close now in the wayes leading to peace and righteousnesse nor a word of any previous meetings with any Leading Members of the House and their approving of the Armies thoughts of heart nor yet of laying hold upon them only as that which had only an appearance of Authority I am sorry to have occasion for such work as this Minde your Preface in your Addresse May 12. Calling to mind the former Declarations of Parliament and the grounds therein inviting us to take up Arms and those many signall providences wherein the Lord hath owned you and your Forces by Sea and Land in asserting that Righteous Cause wherein the Civil and Religious Liberties of the People are involved so as all open opposition was beaten down before you and likewise weighing with our selves how in these severall Changes of Government that publick Spirit that appeared in that work hath since that time been discouraged that is since the Parliament was first disturbed by Cromwell and another raised up drawing back to the things you had contended against even to the hazarding the Essentials of that Cause We did upon serious thoughts of heart think it our Duty to appear against those back sliding wayes once more And the good Providence of God holding forth an opportunity to us to open unto you a way for the further discharge of your remaining Trust in Parliament we did by our Declaration May 6. humbly desire you would be pleased to return to the exercise discharge thereof I only lay these things before thee Judge righteous judgement Soon after their sitting We presented our Addresse to which we had to our great content ample assurance of their
THE ARMIES DECLARATION Examined and Compared WITH Their DECLARATION May 6. Their PETITION and ADDRESSE May 12. AND Their PETITION and REPRESENTATION Discovering some of their Contradictions Lies Calumnies Hypocrisie and Designes Well worthy Observation LONDON Printed 1659. THE ARMIES DECLARATION EXAMINED c. IT was the serious wish of some who were very careful for the reputation of the Army after they understood how well the Army had made good their most Christian Declaration of the Sixth of May past by forcing the Parliament a second time according to their wonted way of Exposition or doing clean contrary that now they would no more declare to make themselves and friends the scorne of Heathens for falsness and ficklenss but leave themselves a sufficient latitude and field to ramble in who could never yet be kept within the limits they had set out for themselves however they have pleased me better as it fals out for without peradventure many men who but the other day excused extenuated or at least respited their judgement upon the strange practice of the Army in keeping out the Parliament deamed that those worthy Persons had miserably violated their trust or had practised some unheard of mischief against the good people of this Nation that should necessitate this extravagant and indirect proceeding of the Army contrary to their own Declaration of a very late date and all Humanity and Christianity who by reading this New Declaration or at least by taking the Examination thereof along with me must needs be undeceived by little and little till they understand the naked reason of these Masters of misrule wherein the better to help thy observation take here verbatim their Declaration of May Sixth which will take up but little room which I re-print that you may see I mean to deal fairly and it will be of some use in the sequel It begins thus THE Publique concernments of this Common-wealth being through a Vicissitude of dangers deliverances and backslidings of 〈◊〉 brought into that state and posture wherein they now stand and our selves also contributing thereunto by wandering divers wayes from righteous and equal paths and although there hath been many essaies to obviate the dangers and to settle these Nations in Peace and Prosperity yet all have proved ineffectual the only wise God in the course of his providence disappointing all endeavours therein And also observing to our great grief that the good Spirit which formerly appeared amongst us in the carrying on of this great work did daily decline so as the Good old Cause it self became a reproach We have been led to look back and examine the cause of the Lords withdrawing his wonted presence from us and where we turned out of the way that through mercy we might return and give him the glory And amongst other things calling to minde that the long Parliament consisting of the members which continued there sitting untill the 20th of April 1653. were eminent Assertors of that Cause and had a special presence of God with them and were signally blessed in that work the desires of many good people concurring with ours therein we judge it our duty to invite the aforesaid Members to return to the exercise and discharge of their trust as before the said 20th of April 1653. And therefore we do hereby most earnestly desire the Parliament consisting of those Members who continued to sit since the year 1648 untill the 20th of April 1653. to return to the exercise and discharge of their Trust and we shall be ready in our places to yeeld them as becomes us our utmost Assistance to sit in safety for the improving the present opportunity for setling and securing the Peace and Freedom of this Common-wealth praying for the presence and blessing of God upon their endeavours Signed by direction of the Lord Fleetwood and the Council of Officers of the Army Tho. Sandford Secret 6. May 1659. I shall trouble your Memory but little to look further back having taken notice how apt your are to forget your selves Look you now whose was this Bracelet Was this the Armies Declaration or no surely that and this now to be examined never came from the same men or those men are not the same they were You begin with telling how unpleasing it is to you to be necessitated to justifie your selves or your Actings to these Nations we never yet found you backward to say all that could be sayd for your-selves but I think it will be a hard matter to justifie your selves or your Actings since 1652. and that may make it a little displeasing if you or any body for you can do that we will all go to School again when you can justifie your selves and actings In first turning out this Parliament then opening the Door for them again as you say you were bound in duty and now shutting them out again and setting up Three and twenty Persons unto whom you have delegated such Power as most honest men say is not yours to give I say when you can justifie your selves herein you shall be forgiven your former Trespasses and have as full Indempnity as your hearts can wish You go on to do our selves Right we must necessarily insist upon the Miscarriages of Others of which we hold our selves obliged to give the People an Acount and of our Proceedings verily the People are much beholding to you I doubt you would make a bad reckoning o' nt if the People were enabled to call you to account We see the ARMY to justifie themselves resolve as they are obliged by necessity to insist upon the Failings of the Parliament and let them not spare they have done their worst let every sober minded man be assured that the Parliament are free from any Imputations that malicious Tongues and Pens have uttered against them which are not found in this black Bill who are so sure to say all that could be sayd against them and all little enough to justifie themselves that they strain hard to charge them with some things that though they were true yet are of little consequence to justifie such a proceeding in the Army they turn every Stone to make Matter against them But I must not anticipate thy Judgment you shall see by and by what the Mountain brings forth and as you go along pray note how much they insist upon their own Miscarringes and Failings Having thus Prefaced you declare in these Words Before the recalling of the late PARLIAMENT Observe it was the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England the Fifth of October last as they style them in their Petition and Representation But now the late Parliament surely they are as much a Parliament now as then and if Six years force could not hinder them of being a Parliament much less can Three weeks force but the Jest is they are the supreme Authority of the Nation when the ARMY please to Christen them so if the Army have any hopes they will serve their turn then they are
of that Brigade for you must believe Lambert had no hand in it found it upon their hearts to consult how they might improve this for the Glory of God you know what I mean then up comes this Paper for a Generall and generall Officers the onely means to effect their Designs but this with it may be some other particulars were too gross and had been grievously rebuked by the Parliament However this Design must not be layd aside for their Good old Cause would down if it did although Fleetwood had undertook great Matters to the Parliament to still this noise of the Waters and tumult of his People But after long Banding among the Generall Councell and rancor enough against the Parliament to the Parliament they came with a Petition and Representations full of sweet Expressions of Obedience and Duty to have drill'd out the Act of 100000 l. per mensem and the Custonics and Excise which was well enough understood but their Representation abusing the Information the House had received and their Petition calling for some things of dangerous consequence they could not then receive an Answer thereunto but had the thanks of the House for the good Expressions of their Affections In the mean while it must not sleep but the said Petition must be dispatched to every Regiment and Garrison as was said before the Parliament in the mean while go on to consider their Petition and resolve very honourably upon severall heads thereof during this Juncture the Parliament having certain assurance of the said Conspiracy of going about to engage all the Forces of this Common-wealth to side with them in their said unreasonable Desires and a Letter being produced with the Names of severall Officers wherein was inclosed one of the said Petitions to be subscribed by the Regiment to whom it was directed The Parliament also taking notice of the mischievousness of their Desire That no Officer might be Disbanded but by a Court Martiall whereby they would have been enabled to Cashire any Officer that was faithful to his Trust they having no other way to suppress that Conscience that was in many Commanders That they ought to be faithfull to them from whom they had received their Commissions Nor had they any other way to carry on their Design of a Senate the most horrid Vilany that ever was mentioned among us and there being no other Construction to be made of it but the Army by doing thus after their Petition was delivered and Debated intended to force their Desires their faithfull Servants going about to play REX the Parliament could not but finde it a Duty highly incumbent on them if they would be faithfull to the Interest of their Country to use their best Endeavours to stop this Carrier Hereupon it was with good reason resolved That no Money should be levied upon the people of England without their consent in Parliament and other things in that Act contained of very great prudence to the end forementioned and then with much Justice discharged the said Officers who had signed the said Letter from their Imployments The Parliament knowing how well some of the Army stood affected to them and how this would ripen and whet that violence that would nevertheless shortly have been acted upon them hoped well that Fleetwood would have been faithfull to his Trust whose Commssion was altogether or very neer of as long continuance as the Parliament had resolved the uttermost of their Session Viz. till May next but he then lost that Reputation of Faithfulness which he had with many men before and declined the securing of the Parliaments Priviledges and after acted against them Of which I hope he will repent one day The Parliament being at this loss Created seven Commissioners of which nevertheless he was one but this was below him forsooth Three whereof began to act for Guarding the Parliament expecting that a Force should be put upon the House which was soon endeavoured for it was not long before a considerable Party came into the Palace Yard for the same purpose but being prevented of taking possession of the House they intercepted the Speakker and after Affronts given him turned him back and so they say they have put a period to the Parliament I appeal whether this be the naked state of the Case and truth of the Matter yea or no to their own Consciences You will judge then they have well told thir own Tale the rest of the story every body knows and I hasten to the Press It remains now that I should make some Observations upon what they declare is upon their hearts to do but because what is upon their hearts to day or what they tell us is upon their hearts to day will be at their Heels to Morrow I hold it not at all worth my Labour but resolve henceforward never ot believe what they declare for the Good of the Nation till I see it done and then I shall never believe it and for what they resolve to do which tends onely to Ruine as some things they now have upon their Hearts look sturvily that way I shall heartily wish that some wiser men may take the WORK out of their Hands Or if I should take them a little to Task I should but make sport and I am loth to be a Foole in the Play Doth any body think that they will endeavour that a Due I do not understand what they mean by that Word Due I doubt it comes from a Root that signifies something else besides Just Liberty may be assured to all the Free-born People of these Nations Free-born People of the Nations who are they they must be twenty years old and upwards I think but if they were not born Fooles I am sure they are made Fooles what pretty Work are they like to make with the Reformation of the LAW sure no body doubts but you will do more hurt then good That a faithful godly and painful Gospel Preaching Ministry may be maintained a long story but not a word of Learning no that is superstitious He warrant you they can tell you the minde of Christ peremptorily enough without consulting the Originall not a Wise man among them at their Devotions in Whitehall And the truth is if they would make all of our Ministers Officers of the Army they might be maintained in a more certain and honourable way then that scurvy way of Tythes which will yet be more vexatious to the People ten thousand times when you can bring it into the Exchequer as I really believe that to be the Design But here comes a most certain Truth no body questions it Why do you trouble your selves about it We have no Aimes or Ends to set up a Military or Arbitrary Power but I hope Necessity may put you upon it if the People prove unruly and will not submit to those Principles you have agreed among your selves But have already provided you shall have no thanks for your paine that the Civill and Executive part of Government may be lodged in a Committee of Safety This is a fine new Name indeed this is no Military Government Whose Deputies are they trow if one should Carechise them Question Who made you Answer The Generall Councell of Officers Quest Who gave you your Name Answ The Generall Councell of Officers How many Colonels Generals and Lords of the Army are there among them what are they no Military Power because they are not all of the Generall Councell of Officers yet there is one Lawyer among them it seems and that makes them a Civill Power I think half of this Committee of Safety are of the Generall Councell of Officers and yet they have no Aimes to set up a Military Power and they obliged in a short time I thought it bad been just six weeks to prepare such a form of Government as may best sute with a Free State and Common-wealth that is wisely done He promise you I hope they have more wit then to be obliged to it can you tell what is that form that will best sute or will you take their words for it That what they prepare is the best if they should have so good a conceit of their own Contrivances as to promise you that it is such No It must be according to the Principles agreed upon at Wallingford House must it not wherein no doubt all that know you will say on your behalfs You are not sufficient for these things and will cry unto the Lord not to carry on the work in your hands no honest men dare do that That he will arise from his holy Habitation and judge the Cause of the oppressed of the Father less and the widow That he would judge between them that fear God and them that fear him not That he would make bare his holy Arme and witness against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of them even those that have made void his Law That he would scatter the people that delight in War And that they that take the Sword may perish by the Sword And that he would restore us Judges as at the first and Counsellors as at the beginning Men fearing God and hating Covetousness To be Repairers of our breaches and Restorers of Paths for us to dwell in That we may never want Parliaments to Rule over us least we become a Prey to the Teeth of unreasonable men whose tender mercies are cruelties And for you Soldiers that you may do no Violence but be content with your Wages and if for this we become your Enemies and you count us evill men because we cannot say as you say Let God the righteous God judge between US and YOU FINIS POSTSCRIPT REader Take notice there is two sheets of Paper Intituled A Parliamenters Petition to the Army which is verbatim the latter part of a late Book Intituled The Grand Concernments of England Ensured To which some body hath added one Page of Notes stoln out of a Sermon which I utterly disown and dislike All which is done without any knowledge of mine and I fear with no good design Besides some expressions of those prophetick Notes as they are styled were severely censured by learned and godly men as savouring of too much Levity and for his Sermon I think the Parliament gave him no thanks