Against abuses committed on Sundays The King to make Leases of Lands parcel of his Dutchy of Cornwall For ease of obtaining Licences of Alienation and in the Pleadings of Pardon in the Exchequer or else where For restraining Misbehaviour in Inns and Alehouses That this Session shall not determine by his Majesties royal assent to these Acts. Then passed a Bill in the Lower House of Tonnage and Poundage but because it was limited to one year whereas former Grants to his Majesties Predecessors were for Life It was foundred in the Upper House The Reason of this Restraint was thus In a Parliament the 18. of King Iames the Kings learned Councill culled out of that Act reasons for pretermitted Customes and other Impositions which were accounted Grievances to the Subject and an Imoderate charge upon those Customes and therefore their Design was to reduce them to the rate settled long since tempore Mariae but they wanted time enough to mold it now The next Assembly met the first day of August at Oxford The Divinity School for the Commons and the Gallery above for the Lords Hence is observed a pretty Note To give up the Divinity-School to the Commons and that Chair to their Speaker put them into an usurpation of Determinations of Divinity and henceforward no Parliaments without a Committee of Religion of Lay-Persons not onely to mannage controversies of Divinity but to ruine the old and to establish a New And because the Kings designes required Expedition He summons both Houses to christ-Christ-Church Hall where he urged to them his Necessities for setting forth his Fleet. But his desires found no other consideration than for a formal Petition against Recusants and the causes of their increase with the Remedies Most Gracious Soveraâ—gn IT being infallibly true that nothing can more establish your Throne and assure the peace and prosperity of your People then the unity and sincerity of Religion We your Majesties most humble and loyal Subjects and Commons in this present Parliament assembled observing that of late there is an apparent mischievous encrease of Papists within your Dominions hold our selves bound in conscience and duty to present the same unto your sacred Majesty together with the dangerous consequences and what we conceive to be the most principal causes and what may be the remedies thereof 1. Their desperate ends being the subversion both of Church and State and the restlessness of their Spirits to attain those ends The Doctrine of their Teachers and Leaders perswading them that therein they shall do God good Service 2. Their evident and strict dependance upon such Foreign Princes as no way affect the good of your Majesty and this State 3. An opening a way of Popularity to the ambition of any who shall adventure to make himself head of so great a party The principal causes of the increase of Papists 1. The want of due execution of the Laws against Iesuits seminary Priests and Papists Recusants occasioned partly by Connivance of the State partly by many abuses of Officers 2. The interposing of foreign Princes by their Ambassadours and Agents in favour of them 3. Their great Concourse to the City and their frequent conventicles and conferences there 4. The Education of their children in Houses and Seminaries of their Religion in foreign parts which of late have been greatly multiplied and enlarged for the entertainment of the English 5. That in many places of this your Realm your people are not sufficiently instructed in the knowledge of true Religion 6. The licentious publishing of Popish and seditious Books 7. The imployment of men ill affected in Religion in places of Government who countenance the Popish party The Remedies be these 1. That there be great Care taken in the choise and admitting School-Masters and that the Ordinaries make diligent inquiries of their demeanours and proceed to the removing of such as shall be faulty 2. That the antient Discipline of the University be restored being the famous Nursery of literature 3. That for the propagation of the Gospel such able Ministers as have been formerly silenced may by fair entreaty of the Bishops be reduced to the service of the Church and that Non-residency Pluralities and Commendums may be moderated 4. That a straight provision may be made against transporting of English children to Popish Seminaries beyond Seas and for recalling such as are there already 5. That no Popish Recusant be permitted to come within the Court unless upon special occasion agreeable to the Statute 3â— Iacobi 6. That all Jesuits Priests and others having taken Orders from the See of Rome may be banished by Proclamation and in case of disobedience may be proceeded against according to the Laws of the Land 7. That none by any authority derived from the See of Rome be permitted to confer Orders or exercise any Ecclesiastical function within your Majesties Dominions 8. That all former Grants of Recusants lands made to the use and interest of such Recusants may by the advice of your Majesties Council be voided 9. That all Recusants may be excommunicated and not absolved but upon conformity 10. That all Recusants be removed from places of authority and government 11. That all Recusants be disarmed according to the provision of the Law 12. That they may be all confined to remain at their Country habitations and not to travel above five miles from thence 13. That none of your Majesties natural born Subjects be suffered to repair to the hearing of Masses or other superstitious service at the Chappels or houses of foreign Ambassadours or elsewhere 14. That all such insolencies as any Popishly affected have lately committed to the dishonour of our Religion be exemplarily punished 15. That the penalâ—y of 12. d. every Sunday for default of coming to Divine Service in the Church without lawful excuse may be put in Execution Lastly that your Majesty would be pleased to order that the like courses may be taken in Ireland for the establishing of true Religion there The Kings Answer was so satisfactory and sodain to each particular being heretofore branched to his Father and the remedies resolved upon them and now so reasonably required as that the King took him from hence to speak for himself and to put them to it to supply his very urgent Necessities to set forth his Navy It found affection in some earnest to give and to satisfie the present occasion with expedition Others having no heart to deny nor willing to contribute but cunningly to gain convenient time as to prejudice the Design which was to be sodain and there were these the most averse that quarreled not the Expedition for it was secret and so ought to be but old Sir Robert Mansel a quarrelous person for his interest in the Glass house then in dispence must be set up a Man of great Experience and sound Judgement but where in the Narrow Seas And he by Guess had declared against the Design and tendered some overtures
all retired to Bugden where he lived very Hospitably and in manner and order of the good Bishops not without an eye and ear over him of such as were Intelligencers of Court And at Westminster Hall the Ceremony begun towards the Abbey Church in order thus 1. The Aldermen of London by couples ushered by an Herauld 2. Eighty Knights of the Bath in their Robes each one having an Esquire to support and a Page to attend him 3. The Kings Serjeants at Law Solicitor Atturney Masters of Request and Iudges 4. Privy Councellors that were Knights and the chief Officers of the Kings Houshold 5. Barons of the Kingdome bare-headed in their Parliament Robes with Swords by their sides 6. The Bishops with Scarlet Gowns and Lawn sleeves bare-headed 7. The Vice-Counts and Earls not in their Parliament but in their Coronation Robes with coronetted Caps on their Heads 8. The Officers of State for the day whereof these are the Principal Sir Richard Winn Sir George Goring The Lord Privy Seal The Archbishop of Canterbury The Earl of Dorset carrying the first Sword The Earl of Essex carrying the second Sword The Earl of Kent carrying the third Sword The Earl of Mountgomery carrying the Spurs The Earl of Sussex carrying the Globe and Cross upon it The Bishop of London carrying the Golden Cup for the Communion The Bishop of Winchester carrying the Golden Plate for the Communion The Earl of Rutland carrying the Scepter The Marquess Hamilton carrying the Sword of State naked The Earl of Pembroke carrying the Crown The Lord Maior in a Crimson Velvet Gown carried a Short Scepter before the King amongst the Serjeants The Earl of Arundel as Earl Marshall of England and the Duke of Buckingham as Lord High Constable of England for that day went next before his Majesty The King entred at the West Gate of the Church under a rich Canopy carried by the Barons of the Cinque Ports His own Person supported by Doctor Neil Bishop of Durham on the one hand and Doctorâ— Lake Bishop of Bath and Wells on the other His train six yards long of Purpleâ—Velvet held up by the Lord Compton Master of the Robes and the Lord Viscount Doncaster Master of the Wardrobe Here he was met by the Prebends of Westminster Bishop Lawd supplying the Deans Place in their rich Copes who delivered into the Kings hands the Staff of King Edward the Confessor with which he walked up to the Throne Which was framed from the Quire to the Altar the King mounted upon it none under the degree of a Baron standing therein save only the Prebends of Westminster who attended on the Altar Three Chairs for the King in several places first of Repose the second the antient Chair of Coronation and the third placed on an high square of five steps ascent being the Chair of State All settled and reposed the Arch-bishop of Canterbury presented his Majesty to the Lords and Commons East West North and South asking them if they did consent to the Coronation of K. Charles their lawful Soveraign The King in the mean time presented himself bareheaded the consent being given four times with great acclamation the King took his Chair of Repose The Sermon being done the Arch-Bishop invested in a rich Cope goeth to the King kneeling upon Cushions at the Communion Table and askes his willingness to take the Oath usually taken by his Predecessors The King is willing ariseth and goeth to the Altar and is interrogated and thus answereth Coronation Oath Sir Sayes the Arch-bishop will you grant and keep and by your Oath confirm to the People of England the Laws and Customes to them granted by the Kings of England your lawful and Religious Predecessours and namely the Laws Customs and Franchises granted to the Clergy by the glorious King St. Edward your Predecessor according to the Lawes of God the true profession of the Gospel established in this Kingdome agreeable to the Prerogative of the Kings thereof and the antient Customes of the Realm The Kings answer I grant and promise to keep them Sir Will you keep Peace and Godly agreement according to your power both to God the holy Church the Clergy and the people I will keep it Sir Will you to your power cause Law Iustice and discretion to mercy and truth to be executed to your Iudgement I will Sir will you grant to hold and keep the Laws and Rightfull Customes which the Comminalty of this your Kingdome have and will you defend and uphold them to the honour of God so much as in you lieth I grant and promise so to do Then one of the Bishops read this Admonition to the King before the people with a lowd voice Our Lord and King wee beseech you to pardon and to grant and to preserve unto Vs and to the Churches committed to your charge all Canonical privileges and do Law and Iustice and that you would protect and defend Vs as every good King to his Kingdomes ought to be Protector and Defendor of the Bishops and the Churches under their Government The King answereth With a willing and devout heart I promise and grant my Pardon and that I will preserve and maintain to you and the Churches committed to your charge all Canonical privileges and due Law and Iustice and that I will be your Protector and Defender to my Power by the Assistance of God as every good King in his Kingdom in right ought to protect and defend the Bishops and Churches under their Government Then the King ariseth and is led to the Communion Table where he makes a solemn Oath in sight of all the people to observe the premisses and laying his hand upon the Bible saith The Oath The things which I have here promised I shall perform and keep So help me God and the Contents of this Book Then were his Robes taken off and were offered at the Altar He stood a while stripped to his Doublet and Hose of White Sattin Then led by the Arch Bishop and Doctor Lawd the Bishopâ—of St. Davids he was placed in the Chair of Coronation a Close Canopy spread over him the Arch-bishop anointing his Head Shoulders Arms and Hands with a costly ointment the Quire singing an Anthem of these words Zadook the Priest anointed King Solomon Hence he was led up in his Doublet and Hose with a White Coife on his head to the Communion Table where the Bishop of St. Davids Deputy for the Dean brought forth the antient Abiliments of King Edward the Confessor and put them upon him Then brought back to the Chair of Coronation he received the Crown of King Edward presented by the Bishop of Saint Davids and put on his Head by the Archâ— Bishop of Canterbury the Quire singing an Anthem Thou shalt put a Crown of pure Gold upon his head whereupon the Earls and Viscounts put on their Crimson Velvet Caps with Coronets about them the
to second and so he was fain to desist but he exercises his fury at home on the very Branches of the House of Lorain persecutes the Duke of Guise to the death and so to destroy the Family which forced Lorain his Manifesto That not able to contest with his powerfull Enemy he tranfers all his Rights upon his Brother Francis and so retires to be General of the Catholick Army in Germany Richelieu assured that this mad deed of Guise was but pro tempore till that this Dukes Brother had sent to Rome for a Dispensation to marry his Cosin Germane and to render his Cap to the hands of his Holiness seizes him and his new Bride at Paris Prisoners to the Bastile out of which they escape disguised through Savâ—y Florence and Venice so far about ere they got safe to Vien Thus malitious was Richelieu to attempt the extinction of this most illustrious and most ancient Family issued from Charlemain and other Kings sacred for their Services to Christendom nay to France her self in the Battel of Crecy and all the Wars of the English And that story of truth that Iohn of Orleans of this Family like a second Iudith saved France from the oppression of Strangers And so the Cardinal having deprived the lawfull Prince called in the Gothick Nation to ruine it and therefore they that accuse this Duke of having so often falsified his faith silence the the cause thereof either through malice or ignorance This year by a Floud near Glucstat in Holstein there were drowned six thousand persons and above fifty thousand Cattel And by the Plague which beginning in the North passed through Holland there died about twenty thousand persons in the Town of Leyden onely without reckoning those that were consumed in Amsterdam and other Towns This Contagion was fomented by the Famine in Germany not the Living able to bury the Dead The French were totally beaten out of Germany and so we may observe Catholicks against Catholicks Lutherans against Catholicks and now follows Lutherans against Lutherans and then the Reformates against the Reformates the most extravagant War since the World began wherein the most unbridled passions of man had the Helm Vengeance produced Licentiousness and that also such barbarous Cruelties as can be imagined And after their miserable effects we in Great Brittain felt the like misfortunes none escaping where Gods hand of Justice prosecutes sinfull Creatures Laud Arch-bishop of Canterbury makes his Visitation and as usual with all his Predecessours Inquisition is made but now more narrowly than had been heretofore of the great neglect of religious Duties both of Clergy and Laity for a uniform obedience to the Rules of the Church much neglected in Arch-bishop Abbot's time And because some Bishops had been over-nice to examine their own Diocess in favour of the Presbyterians this Arch-bishop on purpose to direct them the way was the rather severe and so by his Examinations and Example it began to be strictly observed and as boldly opposed by the Puritan It is instanced in the Remove of the Communion Table from the Body of the Chancel to the upper East End with the side of the Table against the Wall Altar-wise with a Rail or Ballaster about it and no new things commanded now for the Committee of Parliament had taken liberty eight years since to except against some Ceremonies and in fear or remisness to displease them the neglect of Duties were the rather more narrowly commanded now and but time for never more profaness in divine Service which the King understanding by often Complaints thought fit to give order for the amendment In whose power by Statute 1 Eliz. c. 2. he is to ordain and publish such further Rites and Ceremonies as may be most for the Advancement of Gods glory the edifying of his Church and the due reverence of Christ 's holy Mysteries and Sacraments And this was done by the Dean and Chapter three years since at Saint Gregories Church the Communion Table set Altar-wise and though complained of by some ordinary Parishioners the King and Council hearing the cause made an Order for confirmation thereof So then these Proceedings had been before First the Statute of Queen Elizabeth the Kings Prerogative and the ancient Laws of the Land and indeed it was a Renovation of a Rite not an Innovation And truly to instance the Bishop of Lincoln for opposing with his Holy Table Name and Thing which was rather to oppose the Kings Command than to speak his Conscience for never Prelate lived more Episcopal than he when he was retired at Bugden yet for his ends after he seemed a Puritan and what not perfidious to secure himself and to please the Publick and so at last became a professed Presbyterian and there he setled to be one of their own whose Characters are much minced in their demerits if you afford them free of any moral scandal I wish they were not but I fear rather guilty of all by their Hypocrisie in all And without doubt more to blame than the Prelate Ministers who are falsly reproached to be vitious even to scandal for which he is justly blamed And as the Ceremonies of outward worship were inquired into so were the Doctrines and Manners of Ministers specially of the Lecturers chosen by the People the more factious the fitter for their Pulpits Such an Examination came before the King and his Council between the Bailiffs of the Town of Yarmouth in Norfolk on the one side and the Dean and Chapter of Norwich and Master Brooks the Minister and Preacher there on the other side upon the Return of a Commission sent thither for the Examinations of Proofs The Case was thus Mr. Brooks being Minister and Preacher at Yarmouth by the Patronage and supplyment of the Dean and Chapter to whom it belonged The factious there had notwithstanding set up one Mr. Brinesley not conform to the canons of the Church to be a Lecturer of their own and to officiate in a room called a Chappel being formerly used by the Dutch for their assembling in their service never consecrated and but lately a ware-house for Merchants goods And the rather the people were invited thither in throngs neglecting their Parish Churches Against Mr. Brinesley comes thither an Inhibition from the Arch Bishop of Canterbury directed to Mr. Brooks who serves him therewith in his Meeting-place And for which the Town authority committed Mr. Brooks by the heels encouraging the other to go on in his Lecturing Whereupon It was Ordered with this Preface That the Matters of the Church at Yarmouth had been factiously carried by the refractory spirits of some Persons in chief places of power there whereby the busie humours of those whose Ears itch after Novelty have been nourished and incouraged And therefore his Majesty being sensible and careful in the countenancing and maintainance aswell of Ecclesiasticall Authority and Discipline as of civil Order and Government
is very memorative how hardly King James the sixth procured the Post-Nati of Scotland by which they are admitted to all dignities priviledges and offices in England must they have freeâ—dom here and must the English be debarred there o Tempora o Mores 4. How many of themselves at that instant had preferment to hereditable rites of Iudiciary and why must the King be now limited 5. The Chancellour of Scotland holds his precedency without any positive Law why not the Treasurer and Privy Seal the first branch of the Kings Crown is to distribute honours and precedencies as he please But the King having knowledge of these their Extravagancies sent to his Commissioner the Earl of Traquair to Prorogate the Parliament until the second of Iune and if they should presume to sit still then to discharge them upon pain of Treason But if they did yeeld obedience thereto his Majesty was graciously pleased to admit such persons to his presence as they should send to represent their desires and his Commissioner to repair to the King and to bring all the transactions of that Session Against this command they protest and stile it a Declaration of the Parliaments 18. December 1639. WHereas John Earl of Traquair his Majesties Commissioner having closed the Assembly and sitting in Parliament with them did now take upon him without their consent or offence to prorogate the Parliament upon a private warrant this being a new and unusual way without president in this Kingdom heretofore once being convened have continuation by the expresse consent of the Estates We therefore declare that any prorogation made by the Commissioners Grace without consent of Parliament shall be of no force and the actors to be censured in Parliament And knowing that Declarations have been published against us and our proceedings made odious to such 〈◊〉 do not consider that we are not private subjects but a sitting Parliament We therefore declare that whatsoever we might do lawfully in sitting still yet we have resolved for the present to make Remonstrance to his Majesty and some of each Estate to remain still at Edinburgh to attend his gracious Answer And if it shall happen that our malicious enemies do notwithstanding prevail against us we professe our selves free of the outrages and Insolencies that may be committed in the mean time we do our best to prevent confusion and misery And the Committee appointed to expect the Kings Answer were the Earls Lothian and Dalhouse the Lords Yester Balmerino Cranston and Naper for the Barons the Commissioners of the Lothians Fife and Twidale the Burroughs named the Commissioners of Edinburgh Lithgow Sterlin Hadington Dunbar to attend at Edinburgh the return of his Majesties Answer Their Deputies came to the King at White Hall the Earl of Dumfirmlin and the Lord Loudon but coming without warrant from the Kings Commissioner Traquair being a high contempt they were in disdain commanded home again without audience Then comes Traquair and privately consults a whole night with Hamilton and between them was framed a writing a represenration to the Councel of the most considerable matters proposed in that Parliament satisfactory enough to make the wound wider for however Traquair managed his Commission the end of the designe was to foment a war and to engage the King and for the Scots they were prepared And it is most true that a muttering there was in Court against Traquairs treachery for the Arch Bishop of St. Andrews the Bishops of Rosse and Brichen accused Traquair of High-Treason in the grosse miscarriage of his Commission in the General Assembly and Parliament and subscribed the charge the Scots law in such cases bearing poenam Talionis if they could not prove it A strange law against the secutity of Kings certainly treasonable in the making and no where else is practized but in Scotland But upon the whole matter related by Traquair the debate was whether considering the Insolency and height of their demands even in civil obedience it were not fit to reduce them to their duty Then the Question whether by the presence of the Kings Person and acting power of justice there But that was expresly opposed by arguments of policy and other reasons offered in writing with this title Shall the King go to Scotland I wish he may if with honour and safety he can but as the case stands and spirits are affected I see neither 1. THe treaty of peace is by them most falsly interpreted without any regard at all to His Majesties honour 2. The many and palpable violations of the Articles of peace are known to the King 3. It is evident what his Majesty expects at their hands for to let go all the disgraces offered to his Royal authority since the beginning of these troubles what one thing the King hath obtained of them in acknowledgement of so many favours upon their several petitions bestowed upon them 4. Their obstinate resolution to adhere in all points to their Assembly at Glasgow is undeniable witnesse their false and disgraceful glosse upon that Article of the treatie witnesse their oath of adherence to that Assembly since the peace witnesse their protestation against calling of Bishops and Arch Bishops to the Assembly witnesse the violence offered to the Clergy for not adhering to the Assembly even since the peace 5. So the Assembly now to be holden at Edinburgh shall have but one act for all and that shall be the ratification of the Assembly held at Glasgow 6. Now shall the King countenance such an Assembly the very constitution and first meeting whereof is most derogatory to the honour of his Crown while by a mutinous crew of Incendiarie Preachers and a conspiracy of Lay Elders the Prelates of the Church are by meer violence against all authority Law example or reason excluded abjured excommunicated 7. Shall the most Christian Defender of Faith countenance such a conspiracy against God his Church and himself where the most matchlesse Villany that ever was hatched shall be made piety Rebelions conscience and Treason reason all the Loyal and Orthodox Clergy banished most Ignorant and trayterous fire-brands put in their places the Supream power in Spiritual and Ecclesiastical causes violently pulled from the Crown and devolved in the hands of a mixt meeting of Ministers and Lay-men 8. It is high Treason in my minde to conceal from His Majesty that his Supremacy in Elections is in greater security for the Crown in the hands of any whosoever then in the power of such men whose pernitious maximes subjects the Crown to the pleasure of the people whom they have ever since their Reformation set on fire when they have been so pleased and stirred up to Rebellion by their seditious Sermons have countenanced all the commotions against authority in King Iames his reign and robbed the King of the hearts of his Subjects by most trayterous calumnies And now there is not one Presbytery free of Seditious Sermons even since the peace 9. Shall
fled nor could any creature discern the Murderer but by several suspitions of those that were left last above with the Duke and therefore some cried out upon Soubiez the Frenchmen Friar whilest Felton having no power to fly far uncertain what to do stepped aside into the Kitchin near at hand hither the uproar and search followed some cried out Where 's the Villain Felton mistaking the words for Here 's the Villain suddenly started and said I am he whom they seized and with much ado to preserve alive from the fury of the Servants Mr. Stamford the Dukes follower tilting at him with a Rapier which others put by that missed but little of his intent to repay him to the full This being the truth we can scarce give credit that any one much less that the Earl of Cleveland and some others who were in the hearing of the thing reported that the most religious Murderer in the very act of striking said Lord have mercy on thy soul a Speech which the Duke had scarce ability to say himself but was onely heard to say some report with an Oath The Villain hath kill'd me We must observe the Authours easiness to believe Reports so improbable that the Earl and others Witnes enow should be so near to hear the thing and the several sayings and yet could not meet with the man till he discovered himself How very Christian-like he stiles â—he Malefactour The most religious Murderer and grounds his faith no doubt upon his charitable Requiem for the Duke's Soul which he had scarce ability to say for himself and yet with the same certainty he assures us that the Duke was heard to say much more and that with an Oath The Villain hath kill'd me This Oath was either an Asseveration which needed not or a Curse more wretched and both alike unlikely to be true Strange Reports are seldome of certainty which wise men justly forbear without good proof To say upon hear-say that A. B. hath hang'd himself is an abominable untruth if he be living Yet in such case the party belied hath time and means hereafter personally to recover his good fame by disproving the Report But to create and chronicle a fatal Scandal upon the very Soul of a noble person dying and that irreccoverably beyond the reach of repair is no doubt most unbeseeming an Historian or a good Christian. And for his two especial almost singularly observable things are thus mistaken that the Gorps was he says totally abandoned by each living man Indeed he dead the inquisition for Murder made every good man a party in the search as in such distraction is always needfull and besides the Duke's Dutchess and other Ladies in the upper Chamber hastened all mens affections and charity thitherward to preserve them and others in desperate agony And for the other ill news hath wings carried to Court by Captain Charls Price who found the King in the Presence chamber at his publick daily Prayers and the Company about him on their knees over whose heads he unhandsomly bestrid to make his way to the King rounding his ear The Duke is murdered which being thus passionately acted and so observed the Chaplain he made a stop till the King bid him go on as not to interrupt his Devotions with any outward accident But others he says thought he might dislike the mode of the Dukes dispatch yet was well pleased with the thing as if Providence had rid him of the subject whom he could not prefer with safeâ—y nor desert with honour an unhandsome character of the Kings conscience Many Messengers posted to Court with this ill News more hasty than able to satisfie the particulars therein and as passionately the Courtiers posted to Portsmouth There was one had command to inquire of the Fact to see the man and to search out somewhat to satisfie the King and with his Warrant to the Governour was put in to the Prisoner a little timber meagre gastly frightfull face Fellow already clapt into a small Centry house upon the Guard horribly laden with manacled Irons neither to sit nor to ly down but to be crippled against the Wall with him thus in private and to sweeten his devilish conditions the party pretended that in affection to some of his Friends he came of this visit to administer comfort with his Prayers the best effects of Charity to him But he answers that he was not so ignorant to believe that a man in his condition should be admitted such comforts but â— rather receive you an Examiner said he impowred to make inquisition of me and this Action of mine And after some disâ—oâ—rse Sir said he I shall be brief I killed him for the â—â—use of God and my Countrey Nay said the other there may be hope of his life the Surgeons say so It is impossible he replied I had the force of forty men assisted by him that guided my hand And being interrogated to several Questions he made these Answers That he was named John Felton heretofore 〈◊〉 to a Foot Company â—â—der Sir James Ramsey that he had endâ—â—voured for a Commission to be Captain in this Expedition and faild tâ—â—ein but without any regret upon the Duke from whom he had found respect nor for any private interest whatsoever that the late Remonstrance of Parliament published the Duke so odious that he appeared to him deserving death which no Iustice durst execute That it was not many days since he resolved to kill him but finding the Duke so closely attended that it should be his business to pass a Voluntier and do it in this Voyage Somewhat he said of a Sermon at St. Faiths Church under Pauls where the Preacher spake in justification of every man in a good cause to be Iudg and Executioner of sin which he interpreted to be him That passing out at the Postern-gate upon Tower-hill he espied that fatal Knife in a Cutler 's Glass-caâ—e which he bought for sixteen pence It was the point-end of a tuff Blade stuck into a cross Haft the whole length Handle and all not twelve Inches fastened to his right Pocket and from that time he resolved therewith to stab him That some days after he followed the Train to Portsmouth and coming by a Cross erected in the High-way he sharpened the point thereof upon the stone believing it more proper in justice to advantage his design than for the idolatrous intent it was first erected That he found continual trouble and disquiet in minde untill he should perform this Fact and came to Town but that Morning That no Soul living was â—â—cessary with him by any ways or means of the Dukes Execution That he was assured his Fact was justified and he the Redeemer of the Peoples sufferings under the power of the Dukes â—surpations c. And his Paper tackt in the Crown of his Hat seemed to satisfie his Conscience that he was thereof well pleased A little assurance may serve the turn to satisfie any
England which received opposition and intermissions till the year 1616. where at Aberdine their general assembly of Clergy made an act authorizing some of their Bishops to compile a form of Liturgie or book of Common-Prayer first for the King to approve which was so considerately there revised and returned for that Kingdome to practice which same service book was now sent for by this King and committed to some Bishops here of their own to review and finding the difference not much from the English He gave command in Scotland to be read twice a day in the Kings Chappel at Holyrood-house at Edenburgh that Communion should be administred in that form and taking on their knees once a month the Bishop to wear his Rocket the Minister his surplice and so to inure the people by president of his own Chappel therâ— first and afterward in all parts for the publique The Scottish Bishops liked it reasonable well for the matter but the manner of imposing it from hence upon them was conceived somewhat too much dependancie of theirs on our English Church therefore excepting against the Psalms Epistles and Gospels and other sentences of Scriptures in the English book beeing of a different translation from that of King Iames they desired a Liturgie of their own and to alter the English answerable to that and so peculiar to the Church of Scotland which indeed was more liker that of King Edward the sixth which the Papist better approved and so was the rather permitted by the King as to win them the better to our Church And so had it been accustomed to the Scottish several Churches for some years without any great regret and now particularly proclaimed to be used in all Churches to begin on Easter sunday which was respited to Sunday the three and twentieth of Iuly being then to be countenanced at Edenburgh by the Lords of Session then sitting as it had been before commanded in publique Sermons to the people by divers Ministers by Rallock that Covenanter afterwards and others of the same And accordingly in St. Giles Church the chief of Edenburgh the Dean in presence of the Counsell Bishops Lords and Magistrates beginning to read the women first and meaner men began the Mutiny clapping their hands and cursing with their tongues raising such a hubbub that none could be heard but themselves The Bishop designed for the Sermon stepâ— up into the Pulpit to interpose their madness and minding them of their irreverence and horrible prophanation of that sacred place which incensed them into fury flinging what came to hand Stones Seats Stooles and cordgells almost to his murther Then the Arch Bishop St. Andrews Lord Chancellor and others offering to a peace were no better handled untill the Provost Bayliffs and civill Magistrates were forced to shut the multitude out of the Church And so the Service-book was read throughout though with the rage of the people hollowing knocking and battering of the windows without with staves and stones and watching for the Preachers the Bishops he was incompassed with the cominalty of the baser sort and hardly escaped their intent to smother him to death And so in sundry other Churches in the City with the like clamour and disorder which moved the Councill further to assemble at the Chancellors and there to command the Lord Revall and Officers to order the people into a more quiet for the afternoon which was done with some moderation in the Churches but after Sermon endangering the Earl of Roxborough Lord Privy seal to be the first Martyr St. Stephen for but having the Bishop of Edenburgh put in the Coach with him And in outward shew Magistrates dissembled their resentment of those disorders and pronounced an order of the Councill to themselves to advice upon anobligatory Act of security to the Ministers persons that did or hereafter that should undertake to read the Book and maintenance also for them And afterwards in shew some of the most unruly were slightly punished as being therefore under hand encouraged to do so again for which at first had they been hanged the example might have discovered all others from falling into the like folly the King having thâ—n force enough at Sea to have blocked up their Haven he might soon have brought the Edenburghts to obedience and after them the whole Nation But by his suffering of them then and of such like following after he was come to that misery as one saies well cum vel excedenda sit natura minuenda dignitas either out go his own nature or forgoe his own Authority And the Scots were so well assured of the Kings Levity as that with a couple of Letters from them to the Arch Bishop of Canterbury to palliate the practice and to promise their paines to the compleat effecting of his Majesties desire in the Service-book and so signed by all the Bayliffs who proved afterwards the onely Actors in the like mutinie The Stage indeed became afterwards better hanged and the Schemes better set out their intended Tragedy with a specious Title â—f Piety and Religion The next Moneth of businesse abroad Vacation and Harvest employed them from their confluence of acting until October when all such came to Edinburgh of all conditions and from all Counties of that Kingdom which looked so like a Muster for Insurrection that the Councel was put to prevent it by three Proclamations the 17. of October 1 That no Church matters should be resolved but that all persons depart home unlesse they shew good cause to the Councel upon pain of Rebellion 2. For removing the Session or Term from Edingburgh to Lithgow for the present and afterwards the succeeding Sessions to Dundee till further pleasure 3. And the third for calling in and burning a seditious Book intituled A Dispute against the English Popish Convention obtruded upon the Kirk of Scotland These proceedings prevailed not to appease them for the next day the Councel Chamber being the place appointed â—o Examination of a Judicial Tryal before Sr. William Elphingstone and the Bishop of Galloway passing thither was suddenly surrounded with the tumult of disordered people to the very Councel House where he was again assaulted with a fresh Troop to the hazzard of his life had he not been defended and pulled in whom yet they demanded with such outrage as necessarily called to his succour the Earl of Trahair then Treasurer and the Earl of Wiggon of the Councel who got in and were then in worse case being all besieged and enforced to send for aid to the Provost and Officers assembled at the City Councel They also in the like extremity sent word by their Messenger Sr. Thomas Thomson of the same mischief to themselves and that to save their lives from fury were forced to subscribe 1. To joyn in opposition to the Service-Book and in Petitioning to that purpose 2. To restore Ramsey and Rollock two silenced Ministers 3. And to receive Henderson again their
Band made by King Iames the sixth 1580. obliging those mutually to assist one another at the Kings command but this Band of theirs made without the Kings consent and excepting him is a cunning Combination against and to abuse the People as if by it they were tied by Oath to joyn in Arms or Rebellion No Covenant in the whole World that ever had left out the Head or had not a Negative voice except in cases of Rebellion as this is Then they were told of their treasonable actions Their provisions of Arms. Their levying Taxes of ten Marks per centum every Mark a Hangmans wages in England thirteen pence half penny publishing seditious Papers burned by the Hangman refusing the Lord Estrich sent by the King to be Governour of Edinburgh Castle committing Outrages upon the Garrisons there Raised Fortifications against the Castle and Inchgarvy imprisoned the Lord Southeck and others for their fidelity to the King delivered up the power of Government of several Towns to a Committee which is High Treason and then to fill up the measure to the brim the King produces their own Letter to the French Kirk to call in forreign aid So then the Covenant the Articles of Perth the scandalous Paper burnt and this Letter is to be particularly expressed and somewhat to be said concerning them This Covenant was accompanied with a Supplication or Imprecation upon Record and witness to posterity against them That we the General Assembly acknowledg that there resteth nothing for crowning of his Majesties incomparable goodness towards us but that the Members of this Church and Kingdom be joyned in one and the same Confession and Covenant with God with the Kings Majesty and amongst our selves and do even declare before God and the World that we never had nor have any thought of withdrawing our selves from that humble and dutifull subjection and obedience to his Majesty and his Government which by the descent and under the Reign of an hundred and sevâ—â— Kings is most chearfully acknowledged by us and our Predecessors That we never had nor have any intention or desire to attempt any thing that may tend to the dishonour of God or diminution of the Kings greatness and authority but on the contrary acknowledg all our quietnes stability and happiness to depend upon the safety of his Majesties person and maintenance of his greatness and Royal authority as Gods Vicegerent set over us for the maintenance of Religion and Ministration of Iustice. We have solemnly sworn and do swear not onely our mutual concurrence and assistance for the cause of Religion and to the utmost of our power with our means and life to stand to the defence of our Dread Sovereign his Person and Authority in the preservation and defence of the said true Religion Liberties and Laws of this Church and Kingdom but also in every cause which may concern his Majesties honour shall according to the Laws of this Kingdom and the duty of good Subjects concurre with our Friends and Followers in quiet manner or in Arms as we shal be required of his Majesty his Council or any having his authority and therefore being most desirous to clear our selves of all imputation of this kinde and following the laudable example of our Predecessors 1589. do most humbly supplicate your gracious Majesty and the Lords of his Majesties most honourable Privy Council to injoyn by Act of Council that this Confession and Covenant which as a testimony of our fidelity to God and loyalty to our King we have inscribed be subscribed by all his Majesties Subjects of what kinde and quality soever The thirtieth of August 1639. How they have faithfully observed this National Profession let the World judg and how they have grounded their Covenant which follows God will judg of their Oath It was presented to his Majesties Commissioners by this assembly That besides many other the true and real causes of so many evils which hath troubled this Kirk and Kingdome might appear First the pressing of this Kirk by Prelates with a Service-book or Common-prayer without direction or warrant from the Kirk and contayning besides the Popish frame thereof divers Popish Errors and Ceremonies and the seed of manifold gross superstitions and Idolatry with a Book of Canons without warrant or direction from the general Assembly establishing a Tyranical power over the Kirk in the persons of Bishops and overthrowing the whole discipline and Government of the Kirk by Assemblies with a Book of consecration and ordination without warrant or authority civil or Ecclesiastical apointing Offices in the house of God which are not warranted by the word of God and repugnant to the discipline and acts of our Kirk and with the High-commission erected without the consent of this Kirk subverting the Iurisdiction and ordinary Iudicatories of this Kirk and giving to persons meerely Ecclesiastical the power of both swords and to persons meerly civil the power of the Keyes and Kirk-censâ—res A second cause was the Articles of Perth viz. The observation of festival daies kneeling at the Communion confirmation administration of the Sacraments in private places which were brought in by a Null Assembly and are contrary to the confession of faith as it was meant and subscribed anno 1580. and divers times since and to the order and constitution of this Kirk Thirdly the change of the Government of this Kirk from the assemblies of the Kirk to the persons of some Kirkmen usurping priority and power over their brethren by the way and under the name of Episcopal Government against the confession of faith 1580. against the order set down in the Book of Policy and against the intention and constitution of this Kirk from the beginning Fourthly The civil places power of Kirkmen their sitting in Session Councell and Exchequer their riding sitting voycing in Parliament and their sitting on the Bench as Iustices of peace which according to the constitutions of this Kirk are Incompatible with their spiritual function lift them up above their brethren in worldly pomp and do tend to the hindrance of the Ministry Fiftly their keeping and authorizing corrupt assemblies in Linlithgow 1606. and 1608. at Glascow 1610. at Aberdine 1616. at Saint Andrews 1617. at Perth 1618. Which are null and unlawful as being called and constitute quite contrary to the order and constitution of this Kirk received and practized ever since the reformation of Religion and withal labouring to introduce novations in this Kirk against the order and Religion established A sixt cause is the want of lawfull and free assemblies rightly constitute of Pastors Doctors and Elders yearly and oftener pro ne nata according to the liberty of this Kirk expressed in the Book of Policie and acknowledged in the act of Parliament 1592. After which the whole assembly with one heart and voyce did declare that these and such other proceedings from the neglect and breach of the Nationall
February had required the Arch-bishop of Armagh lately come into England to give them his Directions concerning the Liturgy and Episcopal Government whose Answer was thus The Bishop of Armagh's Direction to the Parliament concerning the Liturgy and Episcopal Government being thereunto required by them Febr. 1640. To satisfie you Demands both concerning the Liturgie and Episcopal Government First for the Book of Common Prayer it may be alleged First that God himself appointed in the Law a set Form of Benediction Numb 6. 23 24 25 26. Secondly that David appointed set Psalms to be sung upon especial occasions as the Title to each of them sheweth Thirdly that the Prophet Joel appointed a third Form of Prayers to be used by the Priests at a solemn feast Joel chap. 2. verse 15. 17. Fourthly That Christ not only commands us to pray after such a manner Mat. 6. 9. but to use a set form of words Luke 11 2. when you pray say Our father c. Fiftly the spirit of God is no more restrained by using a set form of Prayer then by singing set hymns or Psalms in Meeter which yet the adversaries of our Common-prayer Practise in their Assemblies Sixtly of All Prayers premeditated are the best Eccle. 5. 30. of Premeditated Prayers those which are allowed by publique Authority are to be preferred above those which are uttered by any private Spirit Seventhly All the Churches in the Christian world in the first and best times had their set formes of Liturgie whereof most are extant in the writings of the Fathers to this day Eightly Let our Service-book be compared to the French Dutch or any other Liturgies prescribed in any of the former Churches and it will appear to any indifferent reader that it is more exact and compleat then any of them Ninethly Our Service-book was penned and allowed of not onely by many Learned Doctors but glorious Martyrs who sealed the truth of the Reformed Religion with their Blood Yet it cannot be denied that there are quaedam in pulchro Corpore mendae And it were to be wished so it be done without much noyse First That the Calendar in part might be reformed and the Lessons taken out of the Apocrypha might be struck out and other Lessons taken out of the Canonical-Scriptures appointed to be read in the place of them for besides that there is no necessity of reading any of the Apocrypha there are in some of the Chapters set in the Index passages repugnant to the doctrine of holy-scriptures as namely in some Chapters of Tobit Secondly that in the Psalms Epistle and Gospels and all sentences alledged out of holy-scripture the last translating of King James Bible may be followed for in the former there be many passages not agreeable to the Original as may be proved by many instances Thirdly That in the Rubrick where of late the word Priest hath been put instead of the word Minister it may be expunged and the word Minister restored which is less offensive and more agreeable to the language of all Reformed Churches And likewise that some clauses which seem to have surreptitiously crept into it to be expunged as namely after the Communion every Minister shall Communicate and shall so receive the Sacraments and other rites according to the order in this Book appointed which words can carry no good sence in a Protestants eare nor those after Private baptism that it is certain by Gods word that Children being baptized have all things necessary for their salvation and be undoubtedly saved Fourthly that in the Hymns instead of the song of the three-Children some other word might be placed out of the Canonical scriptures and that a fitter Psalm were chosen at the Churching of a woman for those verses he will not suffer thy foot to be moved and the Sun shall not burn thee by day nor the moon by night seem not very pertinent Fiftly that in the Pravers and Collects some expressions were better as where it is said Almighty God which only worketh great wonders send down upon our Bishops c. And let thy great mercy loose them for the honour of Jesus Christ his sake and from fornication and all other deadly sins and the like Sixtly That in the singing Psalms either the lame rythms or the superfluous words as I say's and for why's And homely phrases as thou shalt feed them with brown bread and take thy hand out of thy lap and give thy foes a rap and mend this geer and the like may be corrected or at least a better translation of the Psalms in meeter appointed in place of this old Secondly for Episcopal-government it may be alleged First That in the old-law the Priests were above the Levites Secondly that in the Gospel the Apostles were above the Seventy Disciples Thirdly That in the subscriptions of St. Paules Epistles which are part of the Canonical Scripture it is said that Timotheus was ordained the first Bishop of the Church of the Ephesians Fourthly That Episcopal ordination and Jurisdiction hath express warrant in holy Scripture as namely Titus 1. 5. for this cause left I thee in Crete that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordain Elders that is Ministers in every City and of Tim. 5. 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man and 5. 19. Against an Elder or Minister receive not an accusation but before two or three witnesses Fiftly The Angels of whom the Epistles were indorsed the unanimous consent of all the best Interpreters both ancient and latter expound it to be the Bishops of those Cities Sixtly Eusebius and other Ecclesiastical writers affirm none contradicting them that the Apostles themselves chose James Bishop of Jerusalem and that in all their Apostolical Seats succeeded Bishops which continued in all the Christian world and no other Government heard of in the Church for fifteen hundred years and more then by Bishops and the Canons of Councels both General and Provincial which consisted of Bishops Seventhly That so many acts of Parliament and Laws of the Kingdome and Statutes of Colleges of both Universities have relation to Bishops that the removing of them especially there haveing been never any other Government setled in this Kingdome will breed an Infinite confusion and no Reformation but rather a deformation in the Church yet it were to be wished that in something our Government might be reduced into the constitutions and practice of the Primitive Church especially in these particulars First that Bishops did ordinarily Preach either in the Metropolitan Church or in the Parochial-Churches in their visitations Secondly That they might not Ordain any Minister without the consent of three or four at the least grave Pastors Thirdly That they might not suspend ab officio et beneficio at their pleasures by their sole authority and only with a necessary consent of some assistance and that for such causes and crimes only as the antient Canons or the Laws of this Kingdome appoint Fourthly that none might be
and so an abrogation of those of Ireland Now there was not a reception of the one instead of the other but the one with the other there being no difference in substance but onely in method number of subjects determined and other circumstantials argue no more an abrogation then that doth of the Apostles Creed by our reception of the Nicene Creed and Athanasius's wherein some points are more enlarged Or that the reception into our use the form of the Lords prayer according to S. Matthew abrogates that of S. Luke being the shorter Neither do I see but if for the manifestation of the union of the whole Reformed Churches We then should approve and receive the Articles of Religion agreed in other Reformed Churches and they receive ours it were no abrogating of either And the difference in them being onely in Circumstantials and not in substance all might be called one confession That as of many Seas one Ocean of many National Churches one Catholique Church so of many formes of Confessions but one faith amongst them That Argument from the Apostles speech of making void the old Covenant by speaking of a new or taking in the first day of the week to be the Sabbath instead of the last when but one in seven was to be kept doth not fit the Case for in these there was a superinduction and reception of the one for the other but in the Canon the Articles of England are received not instead but with those of Ireland And the practise of divers Bishops confirms it who many years after that upon an Ordination examined the persons as formerly according to the Articles of Ireland and took their subscription of them And in this I shall give you the sence of a most eminent learned and judicious person upon the view of what the Observator rescued had written of it I have received saies he the Book you sent me and have perused it I see he will have the allowance of our Articles of England by the Synod in Ireland to be a virtual disanulling of the Irish Confession which I conceive saith nomore but that both Confessions were consistent And the Act of that Synod not a revocation of the Irish Articles but an approbation of ours as agreeing with them He hath his flings at the Sermon preached at the Lord Primates Funeral but in truth he wrongs himself and our Church in those detractions from him Now this being so that the Articles of Ireland were not abrogated nor by the Primate so apprehended where was the ground of any displeasure disaffection or former grudge pretended very uncharitably by the Observator to be the cause of the Lord Primates carrying a sharp tooth against the Earl of Strafford It could not be for the first Canons passing which was all that was done in it for himself proposed and commended it and such as were intimate with him never heard him express any displeasure to the Earl upon that account And what Arguments soever may now be picked out of the draught of the Canon to imply an abrogation virtually or legally which is the last refuge the Observator flies unto are of no force to prove his displeasure then who did not so apprehend it and if he had then taken any such offence they are strangers to that holy man that can believe he could smother a grudge so many years but for such as have so aspersed him I shall pray that the thoughts of their hearts may be forgiven them So much for the clearing of that mistake concerning the Articles of Ireland which being made the Foundation of that other Building we are next to enter upon must accordingly fall with it also viz. The second Scandal in putting forward of the Earl of Strafford 's death But first to the whole matter which I shall lay down as plainly and briefly as the business will bear it The House of Commons having voted the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Strafford which with some difficulty passed at last the House of Lords also and so tendered to the King for his royal assent He refused it for the present as not being satisfied upon his Hearing the Charge and Defence with the Evidence on both sides of which himself was witness That no sufficient proof was made nor any Law then in force whereby the Earl could be guilty of high Treason It was therefore necessary that Judges for the Law and Divines for his Conscience should satisfie him therein and they were with him to that end sent for by him and not sent to him The Houses of Parliament already really assured that their Proceedings and Votes for the Earl's condemnation ought to be sufficient satisfaction for the King without scruple of his own conscience to sign to their judgment the King being a party in Life and Death of a Delinquent ought to confide in the Verdict of the Iury. Nor was the King present as to satisfie his own conscience but his curiosity and it had been a strange President in the Parliament to consent unto much less to send any persons to the King to clear his conscience contrary to the Parliaments sentence especially such persons not having Vote in the House as the Judges have not Nor are the Bishops so much as assistant in cause of bloud or death by the fourth Canon of the Council of Toledo And it is confessed by both Authours that the Judges and Divines also were not willing to give their Opinions point blank against the Vote in Parliament And certainly if they had they might well have expected to be further questioned for it But in truth the Judges told the King that in point of Law the Oath made by Sir Henry Vane of the Earls advice to raise Horse to aw this Nation the Earl was guilty of Treason which though but singularis testis and which circumstances have been taken for sufficient testimony in Treason and more the King could not draw from the Judges as to any other particular but they flew to their general Opinion that super totam materiam he was guilty The King then starts his last Doubt that in his conscience he could not pass the Bill although the Earl were guilty having promised him under his hand that his Prerogative should save him never to pass that Bill nor to consent to the acting of any thing to take away his life And this was now that point of conscience Breach of Promise mostly insisted upon wherein the Divines were to satisfie And we have heard what hath been said of them And now let us see what the Arch-bishop of Armagh is pleased to say and that under his own hand-writing The Arch-bishop of Armagh's Testimony in Answer to the Historian pag. 257. l. 29. That Sunday morning writes he wherein the King consulted with the four Bishops London Durham Lincoln and Carlile the Arch-bishop of Armagh was not present being then Preaching as he then accustomed every Lords day to do in the Church of
all Irish Papists many of the chief Commanders now in the Head of the Rebells have been licensed to pass thither by his Majesties immediate Warrant His Majesty therefore having used all possible ways to prevent it he would be resolved if this Speech were so delivered by Master Pym that they review upon what information it was grounded and so to be found false and the King injured or the King to be assured by whose means his Authority has been so highly abused as to be made to conduce to the assistance of that abhorred Rebellion and so to see himself vindicated Febr. 7. To this Message they justifie the Authour Master Pym what he said to be the sense of the House and ordered to be printed and that they are so advertised had your Majesties Warrant and that some others have been staid and are yet in safe custody and named these to be the Lord Delvin and four others in his company and one supposed to be a Priest Colonel Butler Brother to the Lord Miniard now in Rebellion and Sir George Hamilton all Papists and another the Son of the Lord Nettersfield whose Father and Brother are now in Rebellion And are sorry that his Majesties extreme caution therein hath been so ill seconded by his Ministers of which they beseech him to prevent the future dishonour to his Majesty and mischief to the Kingdom Febr. 10. To this the King replies Whether such a general Advertising be ground enough for Master Pym's Speech and their positive Affirmation and challenges them to name any so warranted which he is assured that they cannot and bids them lay it to heart how this their Authority may trench upon his Honour in the affections of his good people as if not sensible enough of that Rebellion so horrid and odious to all good Christians by which in this Distraction what Danger may possibly ensue to his person and estate and therefore expects their Declaration to vindicate his Innocency and Honour And as for the Persons named Butler and Nettersfield had their Passes of his Majesty in Scotland long before any Restraint here being assured of Butler's loyal affection to his service and Uncle to the Earl of Ormond approved faithfull and both Protestants and of Nettersfield there never had been any the least suspition Nor did the King know of their Order of Restraint till Hamilton's stay who was the last that had any Licence And if any had been Papists yet of known integrity they may remember that the Lords Justices of Ireland declared in their Letters that they were so far from owning a publick Jealousie of all Papists that they had armed divers Noble-men of the Pale that were Papists and therefore expects their Declaration for his Vindication as in Duty and Justice they ought to do This he required but that they would not do and the King must sit down by the loss and rest so satisfied Nay they never left clamouring till he had turned out Sir Iohn Byron and put in Sir Iohn Coniers at their Nomination to be Lieutenant of the Tower of London And then they proceed to their Nomination of several fit persons for Trust of the Militia in their respective Counties And passes an Act for disabling all persons in Holy Orders to exercise any Temporal Jurisdiction or Authority as if no men of Religion were fit to do Justice He tells them by Message that to satisfie and compose all Distempers he will by Proclamation require all Statutes concerning Recusants to be put in execution That the seven condemned Priests shall be banished and all Romish Priests within twenty Days to depart the Kingdom That he refers the consideration of the Government and Lituâ—gie of the Church wholly to the Houses And offers himself in person to the Irish War Again the Parliament are at their five Members and Lords and Commons petition that though your Majestie â—inde cause to desert their Prosecution yet in their Charge the whole Parliament is imputed and therefore desire the King to send the Informers against the said Members with their suggestions to the Parliament to be proceeded as in 37 38 Edward 3. Thus forward they are and the Parliament begin to ordain the power of the Militia for safeguard of the Parliament Tower and City of London under the Command of Serjeant Major General Skippon approving all his Orders and Commands already therein by former Directions and now they establish him therein declaring that if any person shall arrest or trouble him for so doing he doth break the Privâ—leges of Parliament violate the Liberty of the Subject and is thereby declared an Enemy to the Common-wealth No more mention of King or Kingdom And they petition him to settle the Militia according to their Nomination of particular persons in Trust therein for all the several Counties To which the King respites till his Return being now to conduct the Queen and the Princess Mary to Dover for their Voyage into Holland Which they answer is as unsatisfactory as an absolute Denial pretending that the Irish endeavour to invade England with assistance of the Papists here Febr. 22. The Lord Digby for some passages heretofore to prevent the Censure of the Parliament was fled beyond Seas and had written three Letters one to the Queen and two others to Secretary Nicholas and Sir Lewis Dives which the Parliament intercepting and opening very maliciously â—omenting the Jealousie between the King and his People therefore upon the Desire of the King for that Letter to the Queen they send hâ—m all three with their prayers for the King to perswade her Majesty not to correspond with him or any other Fugitive or Traitours who depend on the Examination and Judgment of Parliament The King now returned from Dover from whence the Queen and the Princess Mary voyaged to Hâ—lland where she was to negotiate Forreign Aid and Assistance for the Kings Designs being too hot for him to remain at London sends to Hampton Court for the Prince to meet him at Greenwich wherein the Parliament were surprised as now doubting the effect and therefore send a Message thâ—t the Prince his Removal may be a cause to promote Jealousies and Fears which they conceive very necessary to avoid but could not prevail to prevent it The Parliament havâ—ng now the Militia the security of the Tower and City of London Trained Bands of the Kingdom and all the Forces out of the Kings hands they begin to think upon Propositions of themselves for reducing the Rebells of Ireland and order That two Millions and an half of those Acres to be confiscate of Rebells Lands in four Provinces may be allotted to such persons as will disburse Moneys for mannaging that War viz. For each Adventure of Two hundred pounds one thousand Acres in Ulster Three hundred pounds one thousand Acres in Connaught Four hundred and fifty pounds one thousand Acres in Munster Six hundred pounds one thousand Acres in Lemster All English Measure Medow Arable
a fourth part of the Members of either House whose judgments free single and apart did approve or desire such destructive changes in the Government of the Church I am perswaded there remains in far the major part of both Houses if free and full so much Learning Reason Religion and just Moderation as to know how to sever between the use and the abuse of things the institution and the corruption the Government and the mis-government the primitive paterns and the aberrations or blottings of after copies Sure they could not all upon so little or no Reason as yet produced to the contrarie so soon renounce all regard to the Laws in force to Antiquitie to the pietie of their reforming progenitours to the prosperitie of former times in this Church and State under the present Government of the Church Yet by a strange fatalitie these men suffer either by their absence or silence or negligence or supine credulitie believing that all is Gold which is gilded with the shews of Zeal and Reformation their private dissenting in Iudgment to be drawn into the common Sewer or stream of the present Vogue and humour which hath its chief rise and abetment from those popular clamours and Tumults which served to give life and strength to the infinite activitie of those men who studied with all diligence and policie to improve to their innovating Designs the present Distractions Such Armies of Propositions having so little in my judgment of Reason Iustice and Religion on their side as they had Tumult and Faction for their rise must not go alone but ever be back and seconded with Armies of Souldiers though the second should prevail against my person yet the first shall never over-come me further than I see cause for I look not at the number and power so much as I weigh their Reason and Iustice. Had the two Houses first sued out their Liverie and once effectually redeemed themselves from the Wardship of the Tumults which can be no other than the Hounds that attend the Crie and Hollow of those men who hunt after Factions and private Designs to the râ—ine of Church and State Did my judgment tell me that the Propositions sent to me were Results of the major part of their Votes who exercise their freedom as well as they have a Right to sit in Parliament I should then suspect mine own judgment for not speedily and fully concurring with every one of them For I have charitie enough to think there are wise men among them and humilitie to think that as in some things I may want so 't is fit I should use their advice which is the end for which I called them to a Parliament But yet I cannot allow their wisdom such a compleatness and inerrabilitie as to exclude my self since none of them hath that part to act that Trust to discharge nor that Estate and Honour to preserve as my self without whose Reason concurrent with theirs as the Sun's influence is necessarie in all Natures productions they cannot beget or bring forth any one compleat and authoritative Act of publick wisdom which makes the Laws But the unreasonableness of some Propositions not more evident to me than this is that they are not the joint and free desires of those in their major number who are of right to sit and vote in Parliament For many of them savour very strong of that old Leaven of Innovations masked under the name of Reformation which in my two last famous Predecessour's daies heaved at and sometimes threatned both Prince and Parliament But I am sure was never wont so far to infect the whole mass of the Nobilitie aâ—d Gentrie of this Kingdom however it dispersed among the Vulgar nor was it likely so suddenly to taint the major part of both Houses as that they should unanimously desire and affect so enormous and dangerous Innovations in Church and State contrarie to their former education practice and judgment Not that I am ignorant how the choice of many Members was carried by much faction in the Countreys some thirsting after nothing more than a passionate revenge of what ever displeasure they had conceived against me my Court or the Clergie But all Reason bids me impute these sudden and vast desires of change to those few who armed themselves with the many-headed and many-handed Tumults No less doth Reason Honour and Safetie both of Church and State command me to chew such morsels before I let them down If the straitness of my Conscience will give me leave to swallow down such Camels of Sacrilege and Injustice both to God and man as others do they have no more cause to quarrel with me than for this that my throat is not so wide as theirs yet by Gods help I am resolved that nothing of passâ—on or peevishness or list to contradict or vanitie to shew my Negative power shall have any byass upon my judgment to make me gratifie my will by denying any thing which my Reason and Conscience commands me not Nor on the other side will I consent to more than Reason Iustice Honour and Religion perswade me to be for God's glorie the Churches good my peoples welfare and mine own peace I will studie to satisfie my Parliament and my people but I will never for fear or flatterie gratifie any Faction how potent soever for this were to nourish the Disease and oppress the bodie Although many mens loyaltie and prudence are terrified from giving me that free and faithfull counsel which they are able and willing to impart and I may want yet none can hinder me from craving of the couâ—sel of that mightie Counsellour who can both suggest what is best and incline my heart stedfastly to follow it It is now by these Propositions laid open to all men that the Cabalists of their business have with great cunning reserved themselves untill due preparations should be fitted for their grand Design to quarrel with the King for they having removed a troublesom Rub in their way the Law that they might undermine the very foundation of it a new power had been assumed to interpret and declare Laws by extemporary Votes without any case judicially before them and without the King Orders and Ordinances pressing upon the peoples as Laws The next step an upstart Authority without the King to command the Militia the Magazine and Town of Hull and bestrid Hotham in his bold-faced Treason with unpresident Invectives against the Government with false Aspersions of His favouring a Rebellion in Ireland that the King ought to pasâ— all Laws offered by them to him however his Conscience shall be unsatisfied notwithstanding the clause in Law 2 H. 5. They do acknowledg there That it is of the Kings Regalitie to grant or denie such of their Petitions as pleaseth himself That the King's Guard is with intent to levie War against the Parliament to render him odious to the people They have so awed his good Subjects with censures and imprisonments that none
Aug. 16. Upon these grounds The Parliament of England take resolution and declare their approbation and thanks to the secret Council and Assemblie in Scotland for their desires of unitie in Religion and uniformitie in Church-government in the three Kingdoms we having say they often had that matter in debate concurring in judgment and experience of the manifold mischiefs which the Government of the Prelacie hath in all times and ages produced in this Church and State and so we hope to satisfie the Christian desires of our dear Brethren of Scotland although we know that hereby we shall exceedingly irritate that malignant partie who will bend all their forces to ruine that holy work and to ruine and destroy us in the undertaking being the very same partie which hath now incensed and armed his Majestie against us The very same Design of rooting out Reformed Religion endeavoured to begin that Tragedie in Scotland which being perfected in one Nation will be accomplished in the other Religion is the band and safetie of both And as we resolve by the national Covenant betwixt the two Kingdoms to be carefull of Scotland so we doubt not but the secret Council and Assemblie there will be always ready to express their brotherly kindness to us according to the Articles ratiâ—ied between both Parliaments and advantagious to all the professours of the Reformed Religion in Christendom And so this being the Proeme to their Declaration the Parliament goes on with lamentable sighs and groans from the bowels of their hearts for being obstructed in this piaculous work of true Reformation and after much striving and seeking God wrestling with the Engines of Satan they have jumped in resolution with their Brethren in Scotland that the Prelatical party is the cause of all distraction And being thus backed they take the boldness to declare That this Government by Arch-bishops Bishops their Chancellours and Commissioners Deans and Chapters Arch-deacons and other Ecclesiastical Officers depending upon the Hierarchie is evil and prejudicial to the state and Government of this Kingdom and resolve the same shall be taken away And according to our Declaration of the seventh of February we will consult with godly Divines to setle a Government of Reformation And intend that a Bill for this Assemblie may be passed for their Meeting the fifth of Novemb. next And desire their dear Brethren of Scotland to concur with them in petitioning the King for his approbation And because nothing will prosper without their handy work they pray them to send some out of their many good â—nd godly Divines of that Kirk to assist our Assemblie for setling of one Confession one Directorie and one Catechism in all three Kingdoms to the relief and deliverance of the poor afflicted Churches abroad and confusion of the tyrannie of Rome being the prime cause and fountain of all calamities bloudy massacres outrages cruelties and bitter persecution of Gods people and saints in all the Christian world for many ages Here is now a resolution to reform all Christendom and beat down Popery in a trice but the result was that under colour of Religion the Design went on and so prospered in outward success And now to encourage the well-affected to lend money and bring their Plate upon Publick Faith which without a mans strong belief could hardly get Customers to come in fearing belike that the Kings gentleness and mercy might agree to an Accommodation having been upon terms of Treaty on his part The Parliament therefore once again to ascertain their Resolution to fight it out to the last man and being confident of success do declare That the Arms which they have been forced to take up and shall take up for the preservation of the Parliament Religion the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom shall not be laid down untill his Majestie shall withdraw his protection from such persons as have been voted by both Houses to be Delinquents and shall leave them to the justice of the Parliament to the end that those great charges and damages wherewith all the Common-wealth hath been burdened since the Kings departure from his Parliament may be born by the Delinquents And all his Majesties good and faithfull Subjects who by loan of moneys or otherwise at their charges have or shall assist the Common-wealth may be repayed and satisfied out of the Delinquents Estates And these Delinquents were sure to be made so out of the noblest and richest persons in the Nation against whom there could be found but the scent of Malignancie so that it became a huge crime first to be rich or able in any condition to be either Neuter or not wel-affected to the Parl. or to be suspected so to prove it a slender Accusation would serve the turn witness sundry persons which we shall have occasion to speak of ruined upon that score onely And first they begin with Iames Lord Strange Son and Heir of William Earl of Derby who to the intent and purpose to subvert the Laws c. did upon the fifteenth of July last past at Manchester in the Countie of Lancaster traiterously summon call together and raise great Forces and did kill murder and destroy Richard Percival a Linnen Webster for which the Parliament impeach him of high Treason And the sixteenth of September he is so published in all Churches and Chapels and Markets in the Counties of Lancaster and Chester and where the Parliament had any power for the County was mostly for the King against which party the City of London are desired to advance sixteen thousand pounds for setting forth ten thousand Dragoons and some Troops of Horse for suppressing that party upon Publick Faith which was soon raised but not repayed The King being at Shrewsburie whither Judg Heath came and advised for the Adjourning part of Michaelmass Term from the first Return In Octab. Sancti Martini Octob. 4. And at Bridg-North he proclames Thomas Nichols Humphrey Mackworth and Thomas Hunt Esq guilty of high Treason active men in the Militia and assisting the Kings Enemies in their Rebellion Octob. 14. The L. Fairfax for the Parl and Mr. Bellases for the King with considerable parties Commissioners on either side had concluded upon certain Articles concerning the peace in Yorkshire and dated the 29. of September To which the Parliament take exception That the Parliament gave no such authoritie to binde that Countie to a Neutralitie it being prejudicial to the whole Kingdom for one Countie to withdraw from the rest which thâ—y are bound by Law to assist It being derogatorie to the power of Parliament for private men to suspend the execution of the Militia and therefore it is ordered that no such Neutralâ—â—â—e be observed in that Countie without any defensive force whereby it will be open to the King to return with his Armie for Winter quarter in that plentifull Countie New-castle near for his Supplies by Sea And so they declare the Lord Faâ—â—fax and his
Eccleshal Castle surrounded with the Enemies Garisons the Governour the more wary adds to his former number of Men and gets in good Provisions and prepares for a Siege And long it was not ere Sir William Brereton Colonel Gell Colonel Greeves Colonel Ridgby and Colonel Iackson joyning Forces with the Counties of Stafford and Derby fell suddenly into Eccleshal Town and with easie bickering got possession of it standing in guard within the Church which faces the Castle The Governour burns all about not an Out-house Barn or Stable affords them other shelter The next day Brereton summons the Castle for the King and Parliament Bird makes present Answer That his Commission was to keep it for the King and unless the other could produce his Majesties Warrant to the contrary it would be labour lost to expect any other Reply but what power and strength should enforce Immediately the Besiegers with two Pieces of Cannon of four and twenty pound Bullet played all day against the Wall without any effect the next day they battered a Turret which at the last fell down and hurt three men and so their Ordnance continued their utmost force for a Week vvhen by so long trial they could not make any Breach they drevv off their Guns and made a Line to surround the Castle not so soon done but that they vvere fain to endure the good effects of several Sallies out of the Castle whereby he lost a Lieutenant and others and some hurt with greater execution on the Enemy And thus it continued for some Moneths with extremity to whose Relief the King sends in September the Lord Capel and the Lord Loughborough with considerable Forces against whom the Besiegers not able to withstand quit their Trenches and retire to the Church and there fortified themselves Then forthwith the Governour sends out what Forces he could spare joyning with the Lords sufficient now to attempt upon the Church by straitning or storming But it seems they had order onely to relieve the Castle not to fight afterwards and force the Enemy away but to be gon themselves and so to leave the business to desperation which the Governour knew would be destruction which he could not prevent and therefore with long dispute and many reasons offered and nothing prevailing he delivered it up to the Lords who put in one Captain Abel a Dane to command there But the old Souldiers not pleased with their New Governour and a stranger to them and a Foreign most of them immediately quit their service and marched away with Captain Bird. The Castle thus relieved the Parliament Commanders call a Council and now resolve to draw off and quit the Siege but a false brother discovering the weakness of the Castle and the discontent with their New Governour the Enemy attempts the battery again and after two daies the Dane surrenders it upon reasonable quarter Thus while the fight they Parliaments Ordinance commands all men to pay nothing to his Majesty the Queen or Prince which is due or ought to be paid unto them whereas the Lords and Commons in September last passed an Ordinance for seizing upon all his Majesties the Queens and Princes Revenues and for receiving all and all manner of Rents certain or casual in England and Wales with all the Arrears and Debts any way due to his Majesty Queen or Prince shall be paid to the Receivers of the Committee for the Revenue c. whose Acquittances shall be sufficient discharge There was late news from Virginia that the Plantation there denied contribution to the Emissaries of the Parliament complaining of the obstruction of their trade at London whereupon an Ordinance of Moderation came forth For abating the Excise upon Virginia Tobacco that the Protestants their brethren in other Countries may not suffer among Malignants and Delinquents in England endeavouring to gain upon Foreign Plantations which in truth were first setled mostly by such as could not indure Discipline at home Sir William Waller having deserved well of the Houses had a new Commission to be Sergeant Major General of Hampshire Surrey Sussex and Kent having layen long before Arundel Castle and this Commission being promised heretofore the General Essex obstructed it being suspected to play his own game with much vanity It was wonderfull how much the Lectures were frequented in London the Town so full of Schollars calling themselves plundred Ministers and so began the coloured Leaguer long Cloak Boots and Spurs as constantly in the Pulpit as heretofore the Gown Canonical Cloak or Cassock but then the Independant a new name for such as liked neither were working to set up themselves or rather thaâ— spirit that set the other at work plaies tricks with them and scatters them into thoughts and factions grinning on each other but yet not setled into tenents neither so that moderate men could not as yet tell what to make of either The Parliament therefore publish their Manifest in effect That it belongs to Christian Magistrates to be Leaders in Reformation of the Church That it is the dutyâ— of all people to pray for them and wait upon them That the Parliament have required the Assembly of Divines to make the VVord of God their own Rule That nothing can be more destructive against the cause of Religion than to be divided amongst themselves That the Assembly and Parliament for so it runs will not onely reform Religion throughout the Nation but will concur to whatsoever shall appear to be the Rights of particular Congregations That all people forbear till they see whether the right Rule will not be commended to them in this orderly way we enjoying more Liberty to serve God than ever was seen in England Here 's fast and loose the People in doubt what Profession to undertake or by this Declaration of what Religion was the Parliament then began Iack Presbyter so styled to be baffled in every Pamphlet and they again to return encounters the people had sport enough to be for neither and in truth of no profession at all but went a wool-gathering to pick up the flieces pilled from the Orthodox Ministry now in much misery mourning for the fall of Sion The Committee for Innovations appointed Workmen to pull down that famous Organ in St. Paul's Church at London and it was imprinted the like they did in King Henry the Seventh's Chapell at VVestminster and all other parochial Churches in and about London and so by degrees the whole Church of Paul's not repairing but uncovering the Roof whereby in time the whole Church and Steeple will fall down after so great a Sum of Money that had been heretofore contributed to the Repair or rather re-edifying thereof more gracefull than the first erecting And now the Parliament do publish That whereas his Majesty doth make a VVar against his Parliament for the promoting thereof divers Forces both of Horse and Foot have been and are levied therefore that no man be mislead through ignorance the
Pietie and Iustice therein And offered to joyn in any course for the good of that Kingdom These being the Particulars it will be considerable how far these Propositions trench upon the Kings rights without any considerable compensation First In that of Religion The Parliaments Commissioners proposed the taking away his whole Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction his Donations and Temporalities of Bishopricks His first Fruits and Tenths of Bishops Deans and Chapters instead whereof the Parliaments Commissioners did not offer to constitute the least dependance of the Clergie upon the King And for this considerable a part of his Revenue they proposed only the Bishops Lands to be setled on him reserving a power even in those Lands as the Parliament shall think fit whereas all the Lands both of Bishops Deans and Chapters if those Corporations must be dissolved doe undoubtedly belong to the King in his own Right And for the Militia as it is proposed The King is so totally divested of the Regal power of the Sword that he shall be no more able either to assist his Neighbour Allies though men were willing to engage therein or to defend his own Dominions from Rebellion or invasion and consequently the whole power of Peace or War the undoubted right of the Crown is taken from him And so for Ireland The power of nominating his Deputy or Officers there of managing or the least medling in that War or making Peace is thereby taken from the King Nay it was proposed to bereave him of the power of a Father Education or Mariage of his own Children and of a Master in the rewarding of his own Servants And it was observed to the Parliaments Commissioners That after a War of neer four years for which the defence of Religion Property of Subjects and Priviledges of Parliament were made the Cause should be treated and concluded in 20. daies the time limited by the Parliament Nor indeed in all the Treaty there hath not been offered to be treated concerning the breach of any Law or of the property of the Subject or priviledge of Parliament but only Propositions for altering a Government established by Law and for the making of new laws by which almost all the old are or may be cancelled and there was nothing insisted on of the Kings Commissioners which was not Law or denied that the other Commissioners have demanded as due by Law And for conclusion of all which we conserve for the last place the Kings Commissioners being agast at the others sudden Declaration of no more time to Treat besought them to interpose with the Parliament that this Treaty may be revived and the whole matters not treated on may be considered and that depending the Treaty to the end they may not Treat in blood there may be a Cessation of Arms and the miserable people may have some earnest of a blessed peace And because they cannot give a present Resolution they are desired to represent all to the two Houses and that the King may have their speedy Answer So then in all the fore-recited passages it may easily be observed First the Parliaments Indisposition and Aversion from Treating Secondly their Impotency and Qualification of their Commissioners to Treat Thirdly their Expostulations and Demands in the Treaty And lastly their Obduration against all Enlargement Prorogation or Reviving of the Treaty The King complaines of what is come to pass the fruitless end of this Treaty that his Commissioners offered full measured Reasons and the other Commissioners have stuck rigidly to their demands the same with their former propositions which had been too much though they had taken him Prisoner and transmitted the command of Ireland from the Crown of England to the Scots which shewes that Reformation of the Church is not the chief end of the Scotish Rebellion But it being in him presumption and no piety so to trust to a good cause as not to use all lawfull means to maintain it Therefore he gives power to the Queen in France to promise that he will take away all the penal laws against the Roman Catholicks in England as soon as he shall be able to do it so be he may have assistance the visible necessity of his affairs so much depending on it the ill effect of the Treaty enforcing And professes in these words I look saies the King upon the way of Treaties as a retiring from fighting like Beasts to arguing like men whose strength should be more in their understandings then in their limbs And though I could seldome get opportunities to Treat yet I never wanted either desire or disposition to it having greater confidence of My Reason then my Sword I was so wholly resolved to yield to the first that I thought neither my self nor others should need to use the second if once we rightly understood each other Nor did I ever think it a diminution of me to prevent them with expresses of my desires and even importunities to Treat It being an office not onely of humanitie rather to use Reason then Force but also of Christianitie to seek peace and ensue it As I was very unwillingly compell'd to defend my self with Arms so I very willingly embraced any thing tending to peace The events of all VVar by the Sword being very dubious and of a Civil VVar uncomfortable the end hardly recompensing and late repairing the mischief of the means Nor did any success I had ever enhance with me the price of Peace as earnestly desired by me as any man though I was like to pay dearer for it then any man All that I sought to reserve was mine Honour and my Conscience the one I could not part with as a King the other as a Christian. The Treaty at Uxbridge gave the fairest hopes of an happy composure had others applied themselves to it with the same moderation as I did I am confident the War had then ended I was willing to condescend as far as Reason Honour and Conscience would give me leave nor were the remaining differences so essential to my peoples happiness or of such consequence as in the least kinde to have hindered my Subjects either security or prosperity for they better enjoyed both many years before ever those demands were made some of which to deny I think the greatest Iustice to my self and favour to my Subjects I see Iealousies are not so easily allaied as they are raised Some men are more afraid to retreat from violent Engagements then to Engage what is wanting in equity must be made up in pertinacie Such as had little to enjoy in peace or to lose in war studied to render the very Name of Peace odious and suspected In Church-affairs where I had least liberty of prudence having so many strict ties of Conscience upon me yet I was willing to condescend â—o far to the setling of them as might have given fair satisfaction to all men whom Faction Covetousness or Superstition had not engaged more then any true zeal charity or love of
the purchasers then the sword had done before Eighty barrels of power did the work most terrible to the Assailants that dreamed not of such an Accident Upon the firing the Cavaliers gave a charge also in the amaze of their Enemy and commanded by Sir Iohn Digby did the execution resolutely and bid farewel at Eleven at night and marched away into Cornwal These were old Souldiers of Gorings and Greenviles and now scattered abroad by this encounter Hopton was shot in the Thigh and Digby in the Head some Prisoners and Horse taken of such as were slaine But the rest kept rendezvouz at Stratton the Prince at Lamiston and Fairfax follows The 25. of February he sends a party of 1000. Horse and 400. Dragoons before he came to Lamiston commanded by Colonel Basset a gallant Gentleman fell upon this forelorn-hope and after a hot skirmish and the whole Army coming near hand he quitted the Town And the Prince hears of this and the forces marching towards Pendennis Castle he quits the place and ships himself with the Lord Capel Lord Culpepper and Sir Edward Hide March the first to the Isle of Scilly The Lord Hopton with some small forces at Trurâ— in Cornwal the General sends him summons Sir Through Gods goodness to his people and his just hand against their Enemies forces being reduced to such condition as to my sense the hand of God continuing with us they are not like to have subsistence or shelter long to escape thence nor if they could have they whither to goe for better To prevent the shedding of more blood I have sent you this summons for your self and them to lay down Arms upon those conditions enclosed which are Christian-like Noble and Honourable to be accepted March 5. Some time was taken up in this Treaty and concluded That the Lord Hopton shall disband his Army in the West the General Fairfax excepting His Lordship to have fifty of his own Horse and fifty of Fairfax for his Convoy to Oxford all strangers to have Passes beyond Seas and to carry with them what is their own without Horses and Arms. All English Officers to go home to their Habitations or if they will beyond Seas Each Colonel to have his Horse and two Men and Horses to wait on them Each Captain one Man and Horse The Troopers Twenty shillings a piece and to goe where they pleased March 13. But Hopton hearing of the ill effects of the Propositions for peace takes shipping with divers other of his Officers and sailed into France where he remained many years after And the West being cleared Fairfax returns back again to the Siege of Bristol where we leave him to take breath And in this time also the Kings party spared not to weaken his Enemies Towns are retaken some surprised encounters answered defeats redoubled death and devastation that I dread to write of all It sufficeth that mostly we have named the Fields and Fights for I have almost done whilst I devote my self to his Majesties pious Meditations upon this subject The various Successes sayes the King of this unhappy war have at least afforded me variety of good meditations sometimes God was pleased to try me with victory by worsting my Enemies that I might know how with moderation and thanks to own and use his power who is only the true Lord of Hosts able when he pleases to repress the confidence of those that fought against me with so great advantages for power and number From small beginnings on my part he let me see that I was not wholly for saken by my peoples love or his protection Other times God was pleased to exercise my patience and teach me not to trust in the arm of flesh but in the living God My sins sometimes prevailed against the justice of my cause and those that were with me wanted not matter and occasion for his just chastisment both of them and me Nor were mine Enemies lesse punished by that prosperity which hardened them to continue that injustice by open hostility which was begun by most riotous and unparliamentary Tumults There is no doubt but personal and private sins may oft-times over-balance the justice of Publick engagements nor doth God account everie gallant man in the worlds esteem a fit instrument to assert in the way of VVar a righteous Cause The more men are prone to arrogate to their own skil valour and strength the lesse doth God ordinarily work by them for his own glory I am sure the event or success can never state the Iustice of any Cause nor the peace of mens consciences nor the eternal fate of their Soules Those with me had I think clearly and undoubtedly for their Iustification the Word of God and the Laws 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 wild 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 allege who being my Subjects were manifestly the first assaulters of me and the Laws First by unsuppressed Tumults after by listed Forces The same Allegations they use will fit aâ—y 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 finde 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 only 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 designs by any Innovation 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 he did through his mercy crown many of them with eternal life whose lives were lost in so just a Cause the destruction of their bodies being sanctified as a means to save their soules Their wounds and temporal ruin serving as a gracious opportunitie for their eternal health and happiness while the evident approach of death did through Gods grace effectually dispose their hearts to such Humility 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 disloyal fiercenâ—sse could deprive them of or without Repentance hope to enjoy They have often indeed had the better against my side in the
hath over them who knows them to be exposed to as many dangers being the greatest Patrons of Law Justice Order and Religion on earth as there be either men or Devils which love confusion Nor will he suffer those men long to prosper in their Babel who build it with the bones and cement it with the bloud of their Kings I am confident they will finde Avengers of my death among themselves the injuries I have susteined from them shall be first punished by them who agreed in nothing so much as in opposing me Their impatience to bear the loud cry of my bloud shall make them think no way better to expiate it then by shedding theirs who with them most thirsted after mine The sad confusions following my destruction are already presaged and confirmed to Me by those I have lived to see since my troubles in which God alone who only could hath many waies pleaded my cause not suffering them to go unpunished whose confederacie in sin was their only security who have cause to 〈◊〉 that God will both further divide and by mutual vengeance afâ—â—â—ward destroy them My greatest conquest of death is from the power and love of Christ who hath swallowed up death in the victory of his Resurrection and the glory of his Ascension My next comfort is that he gives me not only the honour to imitate his example in suffering for righteousness-sake though obscured by the â—oulest charges of Tyranny and Injustice but also that charity which is the noblest revenge upon and victory over my Destroyers by which I thank God I can both forgive them and pray for them that God would not impute my bloud to them further then to convince them what need they have of Christs bloud to wash their souls from the guilt of shedding mine At present the will of my enemies seems to be their only rule their power the measure and their success the exactor of what they please to call Justice while they flatter themselves with the Fancy of their own safety by my danger and the security of their lives and designs by my death forgetting that as the greatest temptations to sin are wrapped up in seeming prosperities so the severest vengeances of God are then most accomplished when men are suffered to complete their wicked purposes I bless God I pray not so much that this bitter cup of a violent death may pass from me as that of his wrath may pass from all those whose hands by deserting me are sprinkled or by acting and consenting to my death are embrewed with my bloud The will of God hath confined and concluded mine I shall have the pleasure of dying without any pleasure of desired vengeance This I think becomes a Christian toward his enemies and a King toward his Subjects They cannot deprive me of more then I am content to lose when God sees fit by their hands to take it from me whose mercy I believe will more then infinitely recompense what ever by mans injustice he is pleased to deprive me of The glory attending my death will far surpass all I could enjoy or conceive in life I shall not want the heavy and envied Crowns of this world when my God hath mercifully crowned and consummated his graces with glory and exchanged the shadows of my earthly Kingdoms among men for the substance of that heavenly Kingdom with himself For the censures of the world I know the sharp and necessary Tyranny of my destroyers will sufficiently confute the Calumnies of Tyranny against me I am perswaded I am happy in the judicious love of the ablest and best of my Subjects who doe not only pitty and pray for me but would be content even to dye with me or for me These know how to excuse my failings as a man and yet to retain and pay their duty to me as their King there being no Religious necessity binding any Subjects by pretending to punish infinitely to exceed the faults and errors of their Princes especially there where more then sufficient satisfaction hath been made to the publick the enjoynment of which private ambitions have hitherto frustrated Others I believe oâ—â—ofter tempers and less advantaged by my ruine do already feel sharp convictions and some remorse in their consciences where they cannot but see the proportions of their evil dealings against me in the measure of Gods retaliations upon them who cannot hope long to enjoy their own thumbs and toes having under pretence of pairing others nailes been so cruel as to cut off their chiefest strength The punishment of the more insolent and obstinate may be like that of Korah and his complices at once mutining against both Prince and Priest in such a method of divine justice as is not ordinary the earth of the lowest and meanest people opening upon them and swallowing them up in a just disdain of their ill-gotten and worse used Authority upon whose support and strength they chiefly depended for their building and establishing their designs against me the Church and State My chiefest comfort in death consists in my peace which I trust is made with God before whose exact Tribunal I shall not fear to appear as to the cause so long disputed by the Sword between me and my causeless enemies where I doubt not but his righteous judgment will confute their fallacy who from wordly success rather like Sophisters then sound Christians draw those popular conclusions for Gods approbation of their actions whose wise providence we know oft permits many events which his revealed word the only clear safe and fixed Rule of good actions and good consciences in no sort approves I am confident the Justice of my Cause and clearness of my conscience before God and towards my people will carry me as much above them in Gods decision as their successes have lifted them above me in the vulgar opinion who consider not that many times those undertakings of men are lifted up to Heaven in the prosperiry and applause of the world whose rise is from Hell as to the injuriousness and oppression of the design The prosperous windes which oft fill the sails of Pirats do not justifie their Piracie and rapine I look upon it with infinite more content and quiet of soul to have been worsted in my enforced contestation for and vindication of the Laws of the Land the freedom and honour of Parliaments the Rights of my Crown the just liberty of my Subjects and the true Christian Religion in its Doctrine Government and due encouragements then if I had with the greatest advantages of success over-born them all as some men have now evidently done what ever designs they at first pretended The prayers and patience of my friends and loving Subjects will contribute much to the sweetning of this bitter Cup which I doubt not but I shall more chearfully take and drink as from Gods hand if it must be so then they can give it to me whose hands are unjustly and barbarously lifted up against me And
according to the prescript of his word which hath long since been miserably convulst and disjoynted And this a National Synod duly called and freely debating will best effectuate To the King namely my Successor you will render full right if you restore those things which by the clear letter of the Law stands expressed Lastly you will put the people in their rights and due Liberties not by listing them in the consort of the Throne and sway of the Scepter but by recovering unto the Laws their Authority and the peoples observance to the abrogating of which by the enormous power of the Sword when as by no means I could be induced I was brought hither to undergoe a Martyrdom for my people So his last breath gently dissolving into a most meek prayer the Bishop of London promps him â—hat if his most excellent Majesty pleased he would openly profess what he thought touching his Religion not that any one alive could suspect it of which himself at all times throughout the whole space of his life had given manifest testimony but for custom and the peoples satisfaction Hereupon saies the King That he deposited the testimony of his faith with that holy man meaning the Bishop or else expected defence on this behalf of all men who well knew his Life and profession Namely That I dye saith he in the Christian faith according to the profession of the Church of England as the same was left me by my Father of most blessed memory Then looking about upon the Officers Having saies he a most gracious God and most just Cause that I shall by and by â—â—â—ange this corruptible Crown for an Immarcessible one I both trust and exult and that I shall depart hence into another Kingdom altogether exempt and free from all manner of disturbance Then preparing towards the Circumstances the Bishop put on his night-cap and unclothed him to his Sky-colour Satten Wastecoat He said I have a good Cause and a gracious God and gave his George Order to the Bishop bidding him remember to give it to the Prince There is but one Stage more Sir saies the Bishop this is turbulent and troublesome and but a short one but it will soon dismiss you to a way further even from Earth to Heaven there you are assured of joy and comfort I go saies the King from a Corruptible to an Incorruptible Crown where no disturbance can be but peace and joy for evermore Then lifting up his eyes and hands to Heaven mildly praying to himself he stooped down to the Block as to a Prayer Desk and most humbly bowed down his generous neck to God to be cut off by the vizarded Executioner which was suddenly done at one blow Thus fell Charles and thus all Britain with him Tuesday 30. of Ianuary about the minute of two a clock afternoon There are those persons who have seriously observed some passasages afterwards against the Corps which they stile barbarous in relation to his blood shed thereabouts nay to the Block and to the Sand distained therewith and to his Hair the ground whereof was 〈◊〉 those things were procured by the Royal party well-affected even for a price Certainly there were very many such that coveted any thing as a Relique which evidenced his Martyrdom as they esteemed it And to this day there are divers Devoters that affirm the effects of Cure by application of those things distained with his bloud we need not go farre to finde out the truth hereof if we take the Narrative of the Woman-patient at Dedford near the City of London being thereby cured of her blindness and many others of like infirmities His Head and Trunk was instantly put into a Coffin covered with black Velvet and conveyed into the Lodgings at Whitehall There it was imbowelled by Chirurgions of their own but a Physitian privately thrusting himself into the dissection of the body relates that Nature had designed him above the most of Mortal men for a long life And all sides manifested by those that beheld the admirable temperature almost all ad pondus of his body and mind Then they bear it to St. Iames's House and Coffin it there in Lead About a fortnight after some of the Kings Friends the greatest of Nobility and Honour the Duke of Lenox Marquess of Hartford the Earl of Southampton and the Bishop of London begged the Body to bury it which they conducted to Windsor Chappel Royal and interred it there in the Vault of King Henry the eighth having only this Inscription upon the Coffin Charls King of England From the Bishop of London long time kept Prisoner they take away all the Kings Papers ransack his Coffers and clothes for Scripts and Scroles but Almighty God in his providence hath preserved a Volume of the Kings own a Posthume work of which if any man or Broughton shall impartially weigh the matter the Elegancy of the Stile the nerves of Reason the ardour of Piety even envy it self will confess he deserved the Kingdom amongst Writers and though his own is wrested from him the mercy of his Lord and Saviour hath given 〈◊〉 Crown of Erernal Glory He was a King worthy to be numbred amongst the best of Princes in al-beading ages a strength of will but of more and greater Endowments of vertue of a most strict temperature in the natural disposition of flesh and blood and by the effects of Divine grace the most exact observer of Conjugal Rites and therein for his continency much admired His personage comely of an even well timber'd tallness which assisted him to be excellent in all exercises and therein to be indefatigable for the minde or body None of the Kings no not one not of Britain only but also all as many as any where sat on Throne ever left the world with more sorrow for his his luck women miscarried men fell into melancholly some with Consternations expired men women and children then and yet unborn suffering in him and for him The Pulpit places of all Sects and Opinions lamented even the same men in vain bewailing the losse of him whom they strove heretofore who should first undoe now they extoll and compare to Iob for patience to David for piety to Solomon for prudence most worthy he was of Government if otherwise it had not been his due to Govern herein he performed that great piece to Act one man in every place with the same Tenor of Vertue and condition The same Mean in the most different fortunes without any mutation of the temperature of the mind He addulced as with Charms his Enemies to be made his adorers Reproaches he converted into Praises He in a word excelled in goodness of whom this world was not worthy and therefore the Heavens have him there He had his failings of perfection in the first years of his Reign not so well versed in the affairs of State but that he being put to it trusted too much to others
differences and offences by impartiality or so order affairs in point of power that you shall not need to fear or flatter any faction For if ever you stand in need of them or must stand to their courtesie you are undone the Serpent will devour the Dove you may never expect less of Loyalty Iustice or Humanity then from those who engage into Religious Rebellion their interest is alwaies made Gods under the colours of piety ambitious policies march nor only with greatest security but applause as to the populacy you may hear from them Jacobs voice but you shall feel they have Esau's hands Nothing seemed less considerable then the Presbyterian Faction in England for many years so compliant they were to publick order nor indeed was their party great either in Church or State as to mens judgments but as soon as discontents drave men into sidings as ill humors fall to the disaffected part which cause's inflamations so did all at first who affected any Novelties adhere to that side as the most remarkable and specious note of difference then in point of Religion All the lesser Factions at first were officious servants to Presbytery their great Master till time and military success discovering to each their peculiar advantages invited them to part stakes and leaving the joint stock of uniform Religion they pretended each to drive for their party the trade of profits and preferments to the breaking and undoing not only of the Church and State but even of Presbytery it self which seemed and hoped at first to have ingrossed all Let nothing seem little or despicable to you in matters which concern Religion and the Churches peace so as to neglect a speedy reforming and effectual suppressing Errors and Schisms what seem at first but as a hand breadth by seditious Spirits as by strong windes are soon made to cover and darken the whole heaven When you have done justice to God your own Soul and his Church in the profession and preservation both of truth and unity in Religion the next main hinge on which your prosperity will depend and move is that of Civil Iustice wherein the setled Laws of these Kingdoms to which you are rightly Heir are the most excellent Rules you can govern by which by an admirable temperament give very much to Subjects industry liberty and happiness and yet reserve enough to the Majesty and Prerogative of any King who owns his people as Subjects not as Slaves whose subjection as it preserves their property peace and safety so it will never diminish your Rights nor their ingenious Liberties which consist in the injoyment of the fruits of their industry and the benefit of those Laws to which themselves have consented Never charge your head with such a Crown as shall by its heaviness oppress the whole body the weakness of whose parts cannot return any thing of strength honour or safety to the head but a necessary debilitation and ruine Your Prerogative is best shewed and exercised in remitting rather then exacting the rigor of the Laws there being nothing worse then Legal Tyranny In these two points the preservation of establisted Religion and Laws I may without vanity turn the reproach of my sufferings as to the worlds censure into the honour of a kinde of Martyrdom as to the testimony of my own conscience the troublers of my Kingdoms having nothing else to object against me but this that I prefer Religion and Laws established before those alterations they propounded And so inded I do and ever shall till I am convinced by better Arguments then what hitherto have been chiefly used towards me Tumults Armies and Prisons I cannot yet learn that Lesson nor I hope ever will you that it is safe for a King to gratifie any Faction with the perturbation of the Laws in which is wrapt up the Publick Interest and the good of the Community How God will deal with me as to the removal of these pressures and indignities which his Iustice by the very unjust hands of some of my Subjects hath been pleased to lay upon me I cannot tell nor am I much solicitous what wrong I suffer from men while I retein in my soul what I believe is right before God I have offered all for Reformation and safety that in Reason Honour and Conscience I can reserving only what I cannot consent unto without an irreparable injury to my own Soul the Church and my people and you also as the next and undoubted Heir of my Kingdoms To which if the divine Providence to whom no difficulties are insuperable shall in his due time after my decease bring you as I hope he will my counsel and charge to you is that you seriously consider the former real or objected miscarriages which might occasion my troubles that you may avoid them Never repose so much upon any man's single Counsel fidelitie and discretion in managing affairs of the first magnitude that is matters of Religion and Iustice as to create in your self or others a difâ—idence of your own judgment which is likely to be alwaies more constant and impartial to the interests of your Crown and Kingdom then any mans Next beware of exasperating any Factions by the crosness and asperity of some mens passions humours or private opinions imployed by you grounded only upon the differences in lesser matters which are but the Skirts and Suburbs of Religion Wherein a charitable connivence and Christian toleration often dissipates their strength whom rougher opposition fortifies and puts the despised and oppressed Party into such combinations as may most enable them to get a full revenge on those they count their persecutors who are commonly assisted by that vulgar commiseration which attends all that are said to suffer under the notion of Religion Provided the differences amount not to an insolent opposition of Laws and Government or Religion established as to the essentials of them Such motions and minings are intolerable Alwaies keep up solid Piety and those fundamental truths which mend both hearts and lives of men with impartial favor and justice Take heed that outward circumstances and formalities of Religion devour not all or the best encouragements of learning industry and piety but with an equal eye and impartial hand distribute favours and rewards to all men as you finde them for their real goodness both in abilities and fidelity worthy and capable of them This will be sure to gain you the hearts of the best and the most too who though they be not good themselves yet are glad to see the severer wayes of vertue at any time sweetned by temporal rewards I have you see conflicted with different and opposite Factions for so I must needs call and count all those that act not in any conformity to the Laws established in Church and State no sooner have they by force subdued what they counted their common enemie that is all those that adhered to the Laws and to me and are secured from that fear but they