THE KINGS MOST GRACIOVS MESSAGES FOR PEACE AND A PERSONAL TREATY Published for His Peoples Satisfaction that they may see and judge whether the foundation of the Commons Declaration touching their Votes of no farther Addresse to the KING viz. His Majesties aversenesse to Peace be just Rationall and Religious PSAL. 21.7 The King trusteth in the Lord and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved Printed in the Yeare 1648. TO THE READERS of whatsoever Nation Quality or Condition Readers THe Papists teach that Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion but we believe of mischief rather The world knew him not says the Spirit of our Saviour for had they known as in another place they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory and â—f Ignorance it was they desired Barabbas and denyed Jesus I wot that through Ignorance ye did it sayes the Apostle So many people in these times have been busily mischievous against their King through Ignorance because they did not know Him for had they known His Vertues and His Graces they would not doubtlesse have opposed Him nor preferred such as they have done before Him But as our Saviour was so hath our Soveraign been shaddowed much from vulgar Eyes by the black cloud of sclaunder and reproaches which notwithstanding was and is removed from each by the patient sufferings gentle actions and gracious sayings of them both so that what was hidden did and doth at last appear maugre spight to admiration Verily this was the Son of God said some of Christ in those dayes who before had thought but meanly of him And againe Never Man did or spake like him So those men who when time was had low opinions of their King are even forced to confesse now that Doubtlesse He is a man of God highly beloved of the Father for never any in the midst of so much sorrow suffered acted or writ better then He hath done What Christs Minde and Spirit was even unto those who studyed His hurt the Gospell shewes and that all men might know the same 't is His Command to read that Search the Scriptures sayes he for they are they which doe testifie of me Indeed they are His Messages of Peace to mankinde they dâ—scover His love and disposition to us His strong desires of Reconciliation with us And of like nature or kinde to them are these ensuing Royall Papers which also for a like end are here collected published and presented in one view that the world might more fully see and know the King They are Messages of Peace from Him the wronged party and may be not unfitly called His Majesties Gospell to His people wherein they may most clearly view His Gracious Spirit and His temper His gentle Nature and disposition even towards those who take pains and pleasure both to vex and grieve Him Had that Heathen Senate of old Rome read Christs Gospell and Him therein His power and readinesse to save them they would not doubtlesse have voted Him no God So it may be thought if the Senate of these dayes had read these Messages of their Soveraign with a right Eye and observed His goodnesse expressed in them His ability and willingness of minde to pardon such as themselves are they would not have voted Him no King or which is little lesse no more Addresses to be made to Him But it seemes now through their default in grace and light His Majesties Regality like Christs Divinity must depend upon the approbation of His own Creatures for such they are as they possesse the place of Senatours and must passe for currant no longer in the world then they shall please to allow of it But doth not this Act of theirs proclaime to all they fear not God 't is His command that if a Brother an equall or common man be at odds with any there should be a going or sending to and a receiving from till a concord be concluded but these being at difference with their King their Soveraign their Publick Father to whom they owe all duty have voted the quite contrary and Resolv'd upon the Question that no more Addresses be made unto or received from Him and supposing that this their opposition unto God might be noted to their shame they have since that advised upon an Ordinance that none shall presume to speak against them or to finde fault at their so doing This is the Divinity of these times or rather of these new Reformers but we refer their doings to the worlds censure and themselves to the Iudge of all flesh Readers You have here set before your Eyes Piety and Conscience Wisdome and Humility Majesty and Mercy Bowels of Compassion and Charity to Friends and Enemies Yea what ever discovers a good King and a perfect Christian you shall meet with it in these Messages of His Majesty Behold them Read them Consider of them And let that sweet Spirit of God which shines and breathes in them be conveyed plentifully into your Hearts by them The Preface HAd Solomon lived in our daies He would scarce have said there is no new thing under the Sun or that which is hath been for surely that which now is hath never been the Sun never saw such a shamelesse and viperous Generation as the wicked world in this her last and worst Age hath brought forth Patience cannot mention them without a zealous passion against them and should Christ himself speak of them He would say they were of their father the Devill who undoubtedly hath put forth his whole strength to their begetting by whose sole help He hopes under contrary pretences and professions for ever to disgrace if not to ruinate Christian verity in this Kingdome to banish all Duty and Charity from among us to rob us of that Liberty which no people like us did injoy and to keep us under the most cruell and unreasonable Bondage that ever was and so to make us who were the Happiest of all nations the most miserable and despised To which ungodly ends this sinfull Brood have raised a most wicked war in their own native Country against their Soveraign the indulgent Father of it unto whom themselves had often sworn fidelity and Allegiance nor hath the supream Moderator of Heaven and Earth yet stopt them in their way but for the due punishment of our sins the full discovery of their incredible wickednesse and of those admirable graces in the King hath suffered them rather to prevail prosper and grow worse and worse these 7 years together in which interim or space of time His sacred Majesty though the wronged party imitating the Great and Good God hath often in his Commiseration and pity both to us and them of our misery and their madnesse sought Peace at their Hands who for no cause had broke the same yea and offered more for the Purchase of it then was ever till now desired of any English King But they designing as is now Evident to inslave us and settle themselves
in his Throne have like deaf Adders stopt their Ears and been most perverse unto all desires of that nature yea and to prevent his sending them any more have now at length not only imprisoned his sacred Person but also as may be affirmed interdicted him all Humane Society by voting no further Addresses to be made unto Him and forbidding all men under penalty of High Treason to receive or bring any Message from Him so tedious it seems to the Haters of Peace are motions thereunto and so irksome is Reason to them who resolve to Heare none But supposing in their black Policy this Height of impiety might somewhat Startle the amazed world who had not been acquainted with the like before they promised a satisfactory Declaration wherein should be shewn the Reasons of so strange Votes and courses upon which the seduced part of men grew big with expectation and looked for some new great mountain of Errour to be brought forth against the King never yet seen or heard of But behold at last what appeared only a parcell of stale stuffe a new Heap of old tales without proofs which had been oftner told and confuted already then there be Members left in both Houses so that the repetition of them on this occasion is confessed by those who were blind before to be but an open discovery of an impotent spight that wants nothing but matter to work upon And so far is this Declaration from satisfying amazed minds concerning those uncouth votes that it rather leaves them more astonished the Ground or cause thereof being more strange and impudent then the votes themselves viz. the Kings aversnesse unto Peace it begins thus How fruitlesse our former Addresses have been to the King is so well known to the world that it may be expected we should now declare why we made the last or so many before rather then why we are resolved to make no more And again in the same page We have no lesse then 7 times being never yet forced thereto made such Applications to the King and tendred such Propositions that might occasion the world to judge we have not only yeilâ—ed up our Wills and Affections but our Reason also and Iudgment for obtaining any true Peace or good Accommodation But it never yet pleased the King to accept of any tender fit for us to make nor yet to offer any fit for us to receive Had these men who thus speak acted the Kings part and He theirs there might have been much of truth though little of Piety and manners in these Expressions of their Soveraign or had Affairs betwixt His Majesty and them been agitated in a Corner not in the worlds Eye perhaps by these so confident aspersions of him some ill suspitions might have risen in peoples minds against him but the case being as it is and matters been acted as they have on the publick Stage we have cause to admire at their Hard foreheads Certainly did they not fancy us stark blind they would not tell us it were night a noone day did they not think us given up to the strongest delusions that ever were they would not speak to us after this fashion but from this their Language we shall learn this Lesson That they who are not ashamed publickly to Charge such a thing upon their King so manifestly contrary to all mens knowledge will never blush to traduce him to the full Height in matters more secret or lesse visible This beginning of their Declaration therefore doth well instruct all people how to believe them in the sequel of it These Brass-brow'd and unreverend Men that so boldly affirm the world well knows how fruitlâ—sse their former Addresses have been c. cannot shew one Addresse so qualified as they speak ever made by them to the King that proved fruitlesse they cannot name any one Act wherein they denied their own Wills or discovered the least good Affection to their Soveraign since the beginning of these Divisions nor can they instance in any one motion ever proceeding from them unto His Majesty and refused by Him that had any favour of right Reason or relish of true Iudgment in it nay have not themselves continually slighted and most unreverendly rejected what ever Messages of that nature have been sent from him did His Majesty ever demand any thing of them that was not His own by Law nay in order to Peace did He ever ask so much as by Law was due unto Him did He not alwaies recede from the same to satisfie them if their guilt and perversenesse had not made them uncapable of Satisfaction Surely the King hath not 7 times onely but rather 7 times seven within these 7 years made such Applications to them offered such tenders of mercy pardon and of His own undoubted Rights Priviledges as did in very deed occasion the world to judge that He had yeilded up His will and Affections yea His Reason Iudgment and all for the obtaining of a good Accommodation but they would never yet please to accept of any when He spake to them of Peace they Hardened their Hearts against it and made themselves ready to Battaile these things they know we are able to demonstrate being such as the world hath taken full notice of and yet with what audaciousnesse doe they affirm the Contrary before the worlds face to the Kings dis-honour and their owne Commendation as they would have it But it seems Change is no Robbery in their opinions sith they return to the King what is theirs and apply unto Him their own Conditions in lieu of that Candour and righteousnesse which they take from Him to paint themselves withall they think they have done very good Justice Our Saviour Himself had to doe with such persons who could charge him home with their own faults and appropriate most favourably to themselves that Innocency and goodnesse which was truly His they could accuse and sclaunder His Holy Actions and give a large good report of their own ill doings whereby as He saies they spake their Testimony to be untrue and themselves Children of the Father of Lies so whosoever considers what these have writ must needs conclude the like of them even that Satan is in them of a truth But their Conceit as appears is that the last word will get the day and credit enough to their sayings and this they think they are sure of for 't is fore-provided that His Majesty shall either not know what they object or if He doth and hath a mind to speak for Himself He shall not be suffered nor must any man dare under pain of High Treason to bring from Him into publick view any Papers or Writings of what kind soever though tending only to the vindication of Himself from their base vile and ungodly sclaunders it must be sufficient to condemn Him that they who thirst for His bloud have thus accused Him And here is the wisdome of these Happy times this is the Iustice of
appearance against them His Armies being for most part of the time disbanded and His Townes and Garrisons resigned In a word we shall present to the worlds review onely those Messages for Peace sent from his Majesty in these two last years since a little before He laied down His Sword and ceased from Action against them whereby it will be manifest enough what little cause they have to speak as they doe in Commendation of themselves and their owne good natures or to suggest of the King as if He were so unperswadable to this very day that neither their owne sighs and groans and tears will incline Him to be quiet nor the crying bloud of Fathers Brothers Children and of many Hundred thousand free-born Subjects in three great Kingdomes can prevail with him to desist from Cruelty and destruction And then after this we shall desire to see what Evidence themselves can alleage for what they have said we shall wish they would produce the strong reasons they have used to shew those Humble addresses which they have made and doe so much boast of that they would let us Hear some or their self-denying streins affectionate expressions or devout Petitions which as they infer have so respectfully and tenderly flowed from them so often and so long that thereby the world to whom they appeal may Judge in this case betwixt their King and them which if they are not able to doe no question but what they have voted of Him will be generally concluded of them viz. that they are worthy to be interdicted all Humane society to have no more Messages sent or offers made unto them nor any request or Petitions hereafter received from them And that the King should say to them as God doth to such as they Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hands and no man regarded but have set at nought all my Councels and slighted all my motions therefore when your fear commeth as Desolation and your Destruction as a whirlewind when distresse and anguish is upon you then you shall call unto me but I will not answer you shall seek mercy from me but you shall not find it you shall eat the fruit of your owne waies and be filled with your owne devises As you have done so shall it be done unto you His Majesties most Gracious Messages for Peace sent to the two Houses of Parliament at Westminster since the 5. of Dec. 1645. His Majesties first Message CHARLES R. HIs Majesty being deeply sensible of the Continuation of this bloody and unnaturall Warre cannot think Himself discharg'd of the duty He owes to God or the affection and regard He hath to the preservation of His People without the constant application of His earnest endeavours to finde some expedient for the speedy ending of these unhappy distractions if that may be doth therefore desire That a Safe Conduct may be forthwith sent for the Duke of Richmond the Earle of Southampton Iohn Ashburnham and Ieffery Palmer Esquires and their Attendants with Coaches Horses and other Accommodations for their Journey to Westminster during their stay there and return when they shall think fit Whom His Majesty intends to send to the Lords Commons assembled in the Parliament of England at Westminster and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland furnished with such Propositions as His Majesty is confident will be the Foundation of a happy and well-grounded Peace Given at the Court at Oxford the 5. of Decem. 1645. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore THis Message being received a Letter was sent thereupon from the Speakers of both Houses to Sir Thomas Glemham the then Governour of Oxford promising an Answer to it with all convenient speed which His Majesty expected with silence accordingly ten dayes and then solicites them again for the same thing which He had done before as followeth His Majesties second Message CHARLES R. HIs Majesty cannot but extremely wonder that after so many Expressions on your part of a deep and seeming sense of the miseries of this afflicted Kingdome and of the dangers incident to His Person during the continuance of this unnaturall War your many great and so often repeated Protestations that the raising of these Arms hath been onely for the necessary defence of Gods true Religion His Majesties Honour Safety and Prosperity the Peace Comfort and Security of His People you should delay a Safe Conduct to the persons mentioned in His Majesties Message of the fifth of this instant December which are to be sent unto you with Propositions for a well-grounded Peace A thing so far from having been denyed at any times by His Majesty whensoever you have desired the same that He believes it hath been seldome if ever practiced among the most avowed and professed enemies much lesse from Subjects to their King But His Majesty is resolved that no discouragements whatsoever shall make Him faile of His part in doing His uttermost endeavours to put an end to these Calamities which if not in time prevented must prove the ruine of this unhappy Nation And therefore doth once againe desire That a safe Conduct may be forthwith sent for those persons expressed in His former Message and doth therefore Conjure you as you will answer to Almighty God in that day when he shal make inquisition for all the Bloud that hath and may yet be spilt in this unnaturall War as you tender the preservation and establishment of the true Religion by all the Bonds of Duty and Allegiance to your King or compassion to your bleeding and unhappy Country and of Charity to your selves that you dispose your hearts to a true sense and imploy all your faculties in a more serious endevour together with His Majesty to set a speedy end to these wasting Divisions and then He shall not doubt but that God will yet again give the blessing of Peace to this distracted Kingdom Given at the Court at Oxford the 15. of December 1645. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore THis Message seconding the former spake as many others had done His Majesties earnestnesse for Peace and how much affected He was with his peoples miseries in the want of it but 't is thought meet by them to whom 't is sent to make His Heart more sicke by delaying His hopes and therefore neglecting their owne promise of returning an Answer with all convenient speed they cause him to wait ten daies longer at the end of which time they seemed as far from remembering either Him or themselves as at the beginning which His Majesty observing and withall conceiving this unwillingnes in them to admit of Peace might be for that He had motioned to send it by others apprehended because they had in pretence at least fought so long to injoy His presence that if himself should carry it they would undoubtedly both imbrace that and reverence Him and thereupon offers to go unto them and to Treat personally
themselves were many and had imployed all their craft which was not little 8 Months together as they pretended in the framing of them yet were perswaded as it seems that His Majesty alone in regard of His clear wisdome sincerity and honesty of Heart was able in three or four dayes to Answer them fully and therefore they assigned him no longer time to deliberate on them or else they supposed that His Maj. in His eagernesse of minde to obtain Peace so oft earnestly writ for by Him would blindly and suddainly consent without more adoe to what ever on that condition they asked of Him for as crafty Chapmen will enhaunse the price beyond all reason of that Commodity they have to sell when they see a Customer fond of it so did these men deal with their King He had fully manifested a most fervent desire of procuring quiet to His people by His many Messages large Offers wherein He had shewed a readinesse to yeild up His own Rights or to speak in their phrase His will and Affections yea and His Reason and Iudgement too for the purchase of it So it were reall and good Whereupon perhaps they fancied that He would not stick to resigne up His Conscience also upon their demand together with the Rights of His Crown to which He was born and the trust committed to Him by God and the Law over the lives and Estates of all His Subjects into those Hands which have been excercised in nothing this seven years but Bloud Rapine and Oppression without any probability of recovering the same againe to Himselfe or His successors For indeed they are now come to that pitch of the pinacle that unlesse the King will condescend to cast Himself down to destroy himself and to ruine Monarchy no concessions of His shall please them nor shall his many Messages and large offers obtaine peace from them unto his people who may themselves judge of what kinde it would be by that experience they have had of them already if the King should yeild so far as to lay down his life and Crown for the purchase But God be thanked our King is no Child nor false Shepherd but a man after Gods own Heart and a very Moses though meeke and patient to admiration in his own case throughout all his dealings with this stif-necked and rebellious generation yet most valiant and magnanimous in the Cause of God and most faithfull in the dicharge of that trust reposed in Him our Saviour would rather suffer himself to be no Man then yeild himself to be no King he would rather part with his life then his Kingship and so will our Soveraign and therefore our God we trust will preserve both for the further Happinesse yet of this Church and Nation But let 's observe His Majesties goodnesse towards these men in this His Message or Answer to their Propositions He was ashamed as seemeth that the world should take full notice of their impiety and unreasonablenesse in them and therefore was pleased to shadow the same in a measure from the worlds eye by impleading the difficulty of understanding the said Propositions for want of necessary explanations as if there had been or might haply be more Iustice and Reason in them then was apparent when indeed there was more mischeife then could be easily beleeved And this he alledgeth as the cause of his not returning particular Answers to them and in truth there is much ambiguity and darknesse in them which the Contrivers were studious and carefull to leave in their composing of them that thereby themselves might still have evasions and occasions to raise cavills what ever His Majesties Answer should be unto them to which end also they were provident to Bind up their Commissioners tongues from speaking any such word in way of discourse as might discover to the King their further meanings Wherefore his Majesty finding it impossible to returne such a plenary Answer as in His Conscience might be justifiable in Gods sight or conductive to a safe and well-grounded peace he proposeth again his own comming to London to treat with them and for the avoiding of all mistakes to hear them explaine their own meanings and ingages himself to give his cheerfull assent to all such Bills as shall be really to the good and peace of His people and to prefer the Happinesse of this Kingdome before His own particular and as a mean to work a confidence in them of His own sincerity in these things he offers again to trust them with no lesse then his own Person and conjures them as they are Christians as they are Subjects and as they are men who desire to leave a good name behinde them so to receive make use of this His Answer that all issues of Bloud may be stopped and these unhappy distractions peaceably setled But as appears neither the Dignity of Christians the Duty of Subjects nor the Credit of a good Name will prevaile with them any more then his Majesties former Messages and Intreaties had done for they had as it seemes renounced and rejected them all before hand and therefore without taking any notice of this Conjuration of their Soveraign or of any thing else which he had writ unto them in the whole Message they go on silently and resolutely in that way which themselves had chosen which His Majesty observing after some months patient expectance bent His thoughts to the making some particular Answers to the fore-mentioned Propositions desiring if possible to give them content but upon His most serious consideration on them He found that He did but labour in vain for He could not speak so unto them but some who lay in wait for that purpose would mis-construe and pervert His sayings to a contrary sence unlesse Himself were present among them to paraphrase upon his owne words and explain His meaning wherefore He hoping that Gods grace and spirit might at last peradventure have some footing in their minds He rather chuseth to propose again by another Message five months after the former His own coming unto them and renues His former offers discovering thereby that notwithstanding their transcendent neglects and contempts of Him yet He was still as constant in His good intentions to them as they were in their ill resolutions against Him His words are these His Majesties thirteenth Message CHARLS R. HIs Majesties thoughts being alwaies sincerely bent to the Peace of His Kingdoms was will be ever desirous to take all waies which might the most cleerly make appear the candour of His intentions to His people And to this end could find no better way then to propose a Personall free debate with His two Houses of Parliament upon all the present differences Yet finding very much against His expectations that this offer was laid aside His Majesty bent all His thoughts to make His intentions fully known by a particular Answer to the Propositions delivered to Him in the name of both Kingdomes 24.
Iuly last But the more He endevoured it He more plainly saw that any Answer He could make would be subject to mis-informations and mis-constructions which upon His owne Paraphrases and Explanations He is most confident will give so good satisfaction as would doubtlesse cause a happy and lasting Peace Lest therefore that good intentions may produce ill effects His Majesty again proposeth and desires again to come to London or any of His Houses thereabouts upon the Publâ—ke Faith and Security of His two Houses of Parliament and the Scotch Commissioners that He shall be there with Honour Freedome and Safety Where by His Personall Presence He may not only raise a mutuall confidence betwixt Him and His People but also have those doubts cleared and those difficulties explained to Him without which He cannot but with the aforesaid mischievous inconveniencies give a particular Answer to the Propositions And with which He doubts not but so to manifest His reall intentions for the setling of Religion the just priviledges of Parliament with the Freedome and Property of the Subject that it shall not be in the power of wicked and malicious men to hinder the establishing of that firm Peace which all honest men desire Assuring them as He will make no other Demands but such as He believes confidently to be just and much conducing to the Tranquility of the People So He will be most willing to condescend to them in whatsoever shall be really for their good and happinesse Not doubting likewise but you will also have a due regard to maintain the just Power of the Crown according to your many Protestations and professions For certainly except King and People have reciprocall care each of other neither can be happy To conclude 't is your King who desires to be heard the which if refused to a Subject by a King he would be thought a Tyrant for it and for that end which all men professe to desire Wherefore His Majesty conjures you as you desire to shew your selves really what you professe even as you are good Christians and Subjects that you wil accept this His Offer which He is confident God will so blesse that it will be the readiest means by which these Kingdoms may again become a comfort to their Friends and a terrour to their Enemies Newcastle 20. Decemb. 1646. To the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore to be communicated to the two Houses of Parliament at Westminster and to the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland WHat man can read without tears these pathetick desires and expressions of His Soveraigne only to be Heard and that but to Speak and plead by word of mouth for the peace and tranquility of His people sith His many Messages by writing to this purpose were not regarded sure these Persons have hearts harder then the neither Mil-stone they have forgot themselves to be either Christians Subjects or men but doubtlesse the time will come when they who thus stop their ears at the requests of their King shall themselves cry and not be heard and no man shall pity them His Majesty we see refuses nothing which may tend to the setling of Religion the freedom of Parliament and property of the Subjects He denies no pardon security or indemnity to these His Enemies that will not have Him to reign over them if they would accept it His own rights He 'll refer to them to be setled as may be to the Kingdoms good as to His own in a probable continuation of Gods blessing upon the same as upon himself His Person He offers to their trust and the just power of His Crown to their care nor is He willing so much as to doubt of their due regard in maintaining the same unto Him according to their many Protestations and professions And nothing doth He desire for Himself in lieu of all this but only leave to speak liberty to be heard which Himself in His prosperity never denied to the meanest Person though the greatest Malefactor Let all the world with admiration think upon it and judge in the case what Prince can offer more then He hath done or what man can desire lesse what Christian spirit doth not rise to see Piety and Majesty thus slighted and despised what Subjects bloud doth not boyle to hear his Soveraigne forced for the purchase of so little to offer so much unto His own Vassals and yet be repulsed and rejected by them should Turks and Heathens behold this they would be inraged could the inferiour Creatures apprehend it even they would grow furious at it surely this is and may be a matter of astonishment to the whole earth for as the Prophet saies Passe over the Isles send to other Lands inquire of all Nations search all stories of former and later times consider diligently and see well if there be or ever were any such thing or ever the like heard of from the beginning of time Did ever people thus exclude their King or thus vilely use him set but that act of the Jews aside against our Saviour and this example may be affirmed to be Sans parallel never did Subjects make larger protestations and professions of love and duty and never could Devils go more contrary unto the same then these men have done let but those their words already quoted upon the tenth Message be seriously considered on and of necessity it will be concluded that Hell is not more opposite to Heaven nor darknesse to light then their carriages are and have been unto those expressions and so it seems 't is resolved they shall be still for His Majesties conjuring them to shew themselves really to be what they professed no whit moves them to shew themselves any other then they really are now they have catch'd the fish cheated the people inslaved the Nation got their owne ends the power into their hands to keep all men under they may fling away their baits throw off their vizards cast aside their disguises and appear freely in their proper shapes and colours All their solemn Protestations and professions were of the same nature and tenure with their solemn League and Covenant which as Martin himself one of their prime birds openly saies was not intended to be everlastingly kept the causes of making them being but as the grounds of striking that meerly occasionall for the joyning in a War to suppresse the Common Enemy for so now they call the King and He being suppressed what are the Protestations and professions come to be but as the Covenant it self is only like an Almanack of last year of no more regard or estimation witnesse Hen. Martin p. 11. of Indepency of England maintin'd against the claim of the Scotch Commissioners In vain therefore did His Majesty by mentioning their former Protestations and professions put them in mind of things out of date and to as little purpose did He again desire to come to London in Safety and Honour for they could not hear on that side
and to devise a prevention of this three years confirmation lest they should feel the lash so long and be kept under worse then an Aegyptian Bondage and in order to this they began to find fault as there was cause at the Presbyterians ill usage of the King for they indeed were His chief Tormenters at Holdenby Master Marshall and his fellow-Minister being then also of that faction because at that time it was the most prevailing they exclaimed on them for handling His Majesty so hardly in keeping Him as a Prisoner denying Him the freedome of His Conscience and service of His Chaplains they remembred also with much regret of spirit as then seemed the wicked tenents of Buchanan Knox and others the erectors and propugnators of the Presbyterian Discipline in Scotland about excommunicating deposing arraigning and killing Princes and their practices against Iames his Grand-mother his Mother and himself in his Infancy and they did plainly observe as themselves said by the carriages of these Presbyterians towards His Majesty at this present that they resolved to tread in the same steps as their predecessours had done before notwithstanding their so many solemn professions and protestations to the Contrary And hereupon they said they thought it their duty according to their first ingagement in this war to bring the King to His Parliament with Safety and Honour that He might injoy the just rights of His Crown as well as of His Conscience largely promising and protesting to be instruments of the same to the content of His Majesty and the whole Kingdome and upon these pretences the King was delivered by them from that particular thraldome at Holdenby And afterward brought with the applause and joy of His people to His Manour of Hampton where His Servants and Chaplains at first were allowed accesse to Him and many of His Subjects permitted to glad their hearts with the sight of Him And this gleame of prosperity blazed well till the Houses were thinned of the chief Heads of the contrary faction for in very deed all this was done to another end then was pretended and ordered by other Councels then yet appeared it being the nature of some men to envy that any should be more injurious then themselves or have a greater hand in acting evill then they There were in the Houses and elswhere some Grandees as they are since called that were ambitious of ingrossing the sole power over King and Kingdom which others as yet had as large a share in managing of if not a larger then themselves to exclude whom they made use of the Independent humour in the inferiour Officers and Souldiers layed the plot for them in that manner as it was acted secretly provoked them to the undertaking and countenanced them in it when it was done by pretending to be of their Religion clouding their maine Designe all the while from the body of the Army whom they set a work to make certaine Proposals partly in their owne behalf and partly tending to those things which had been promised to the King while themselves in the interim were dressing or making ready to act the very same part which those they disliked had done before and had been thus intermitted for a season till those others were ejected or cast over-board for the very same Propositions in Effect that had formerly assaulted His Majesty at Newcastle and were answered by Him from Holdenby as we have seen are to renew His trouble remitted to Him which His Majesty returns Answer unto in these words His Majesties seventeenth Message His Majesties most gracious Answer to the Propositions presented to Him at Hampton-Court CHARLS R. HIs Majesty cannot chuse but be passionately sensible as He believes all His good Subjects are of the late great distractions and still languishing and unsetled state of this Kingdome and He calls God to witnesse and is willing to give testimony to all the world of His readinesse to contribute His utmost endevours for restoring it to a happy and flourishing condition His Majesty having perused the Propositions now brought to Him finds them the same in effect which were offered to Him at Newcastle To some of which as He could not then consent without violation of His Conscience and Honour So neither can He agree to others now conceiving them in many respects more disagreeable to the present condition of affairs then when they were formerly presented unto Him as being destructive to the main principall Interests of the Army and of all those whose Affections concur with them And His Majesty having seen the Proposals of the Army to the Commissioners from His two Houses residing with them and with them to be treated on in order to the clearing and securing of the Rights and Liberties of the Kingdome and the setling of a just and lasting Peace To which Proposals as He conceives His two Houses not to be strangers So He believes they will think with Him that they much more conduce to the satisfaction of all Interests and may be a fitter foundation for a lasting Peace then the Propositions which at this time are tendred unto Him He therefore propounds as the best way in His judgment in order to a Peace That His two Houses would instantly take into consideration those Proposals upon which there may be a Personall Treaty with His Majesty and upon such other Propositions as his Majesty shal make hoping that the said Propositions may be so moderated in the said Treaty as to render them the more capable of his Majesties full concession Wherein He resolves to give full satisfaction to His people for whatsoever shall concern the setling of the Protestant Profession with liberty to tender Consciences and the securing of the Laws Liberties and Properties of all His Subjects and the just Priviledges of Parliaments for the future and likewise by His present deportment in this Treaty He will make the world clearly judge of his intentions in matters of future Government In which Treaty His Majesty will be well pleased if it be thought fit that Commissioners from the Army whose the Proposals are may likewise be admitted His Majesty therefore conjures his two Houses of Parliament by the duty they owe to God and his Majesty their King and by the bowels of compassion they have to their fellow-subjects both for the relief of their present sufferings to prevent future miseries that they will forthwith accept of this his Majesties Offer whereby the joyfull newes of Peace may be restored to this distressed Kingdome And for what concerns the Kingdome of Scotland mentioned in the Propositions his Majesty will very willingly Treat upon those particulars with the Scotch Commissioners and doubts not but to give reasonable satisfaction to that his Kingdome At Hampton-court the 9. of Septemb. 1647. For the Speaker of the House of Peers pro tempore to be communicated c. It appeares by this Message of His Majestie and more fully by the Propositions themselves which it relates unto that
the Tragedie is still the same the variation is onely of the Actors not of the Scene Nor did those Pharisees desire his death and down-fall more then these Saduces doe and will endeavour to prevent His Resurrection T is the same Leven that sowres both factions and the controversie between them only is which shall be the chief or have most strength to expresse most sowrenesse But His Majesty finds a difference in the present condition of Affairs from what they were at the former presentment of these Propositions for they seemed to be totally destructive to the interests of the Army now more manifest to Him then before whom His Majesty was pleased to look on at this present not only as Subjects but as Friends and being desirous in His Princely care and equity as a common Father to give satisfaction to all His people doth as we see in His wisdome and publick affections answer accordingly and since the Army had been their Servants and Hirelings though against Himself their naturall Leige Lord yet He thinks it meet in His Fatherly Clemency not only to passe by what they had done as acts of ignorance in them but also to endeavour that they be payed their wages and to this end commends their case and Proposalls to those their Masters who had imployed them and sent these Propositions unto Him And that all parties may have content He desires againe a Personall Treaty with them for Peace whereunto He is well pleased for His part if it be thought fit as he sayes that Commissioners from the Army may also be admitted that so without more adoe a cleare open and full satisfaction might be given to all parties And sure the Soldiers as well as the rest of his abused and deluded people will find in the end that the King will prove their best friend and pay-master who in the meane time as they may observe makes Himselfe even a Petitioner in their behalfe to His two Houses whom He conjures againe as He had done oft before by the duty they owe to God to Himselfe their King and by the bowels of compassion which they have or ought to have to their fellow-subjects to give way that their present sufferings may be relieved their future miseries prevented and the joyfull newes of Peace againe restored But this request and conjuration of His Majesty at the present found no other respect with the new purged Houses then His other before had done when by their owne confessions these Houses were so filthy and uncleane indeed the purging was not compleatly done according to the Law of clensing for the Leprosie that hath so troubled us all was as now appeares spread to the very walls and stones and morter it self all which should have been taken away and other stones and morter put in the place thereof that is New Houses should have been throughly framed of new materials and so the Plague might have been quite healed which upon this default grew worse ere long then it had been before as if the evill spirit had been onely thrust out to fetch in seven more spirits worse and more wicked then himselfe for not long after His Majesty had sent this last Message or Answer He was forced back to His former Condition of Captivity He is circled with Armies watched by Soldiers yea hath strict and strange guards set and doubled upon Him and His servants that were formerly admitted excluded from Him In a word He is reduced to the same if not to a worse condition by his Deliverers at Hampton Court then that was which they pretended to free him from at Holdenby For some amongst them whisperingly threatned also his sudden destruction and to act the Assassinates part upon His Sacred Person Whereupon for the safety of His life He was forced to retire speedily and privately from that place in the night season when the weather was wet cold stormy tempestuous at which time He left this insuing Declaration behinde Him on the Table which speaks aboundantly His great wisdome and strong affections towards the Peace and Happinesse of all His People not excepting His very Enemies notwithstanding His Barbarous and Hard usage at their Hands His Majesties eighteenth Message His Majesties most Gracious Declaration left by Him on His Table at Hampton Court Novemb. 11. 1647. CHARLS R. LIberty being that which in all times hath been but especially now is the common theame and desire of all men common Reason shews that Kings lesse then any should endure captivity And yet I call God and the world to witnesse with what patience I have endured a tedious restraint which so long as I had any hopes that this sort of my suffering might conduce to the peace of my Kingdoms or the hindring of more effusion of bloud I did willingly undergoe but now finding by too certain proofs that this my continued patience would not onely turn to my personall ruine but likewise be of much more prejudice then furtherance to the publique good I thought I was bound as well by Naturall as Politicall obligations to seek my safety by retiring my self for some time from the publick view both of my friends and enemies And I appeal to all indifferent men to judge if I have not just cause to free my selfe from the hands of those who change their Principles with their condition and who are not ashamed openly to intend the destruction of the Nobility taking away their Negative Voice and with whom the Levellers doctrine is rather countenanced then punished And as for their intentions to my Person their changing and putting more strict Guards upon me with the discharging most of all those Servants of mine who formerly they willingly admitted to wait upon me does sufficiently declare Nor would I have this my retirement mis-interpreted for I shall earnestly and uncessantly endeavour the setling of a safe and well-grounded Peace where ever I am or shall be and that as much as may be without the effusion of more Christian blood for which how many times have I desired prest to be heard and yet no ear given to me And can any reasonable man think that according to the ordinary course of affaires there can be a setled Peace without it Or that God will blesse those who refuse to hear their own King Surely no. Nay I must farther adde that besides what concernes my selfe unlesse all other chief interests have not onely a hearing but likewise just satisfaction given unto them to wit the Presbyterians Independents Army those who have adhered to me and even the Scots I say there cannot I speak not of Miracles it being in my opinion a sinfull presumption in such cases to expect or trust to them be a safe or lasting Peace Now as I cannot deny but that my personall security is the urgent cause of this my retirement so I take God to witnesse that the publike Peace is no lesse before my eyes and I can finde no better way to expresse
sorrow like unto his sorrow for such a cause Were there ever wrongs like unto these that are done unto our King because He will not consent to the utter undoing of us his people Assuredly never was people more wretched and accursed then we shall be and that meritoriously both of God and Men if we suffer this and doe not stand up and appeare for His deliverance For what are these men that thus tyrannize over our Soveraign and over us are they not his vassals and our fellowes nay our servâ—nts entrusted by us to manifest and present the tenders of our duty and reverence unto him and doth it not concerne us therefore to bring them to correction as the case now stands with the King for these their grosse enormities will not their impieties and exorbitancies else be laid to our charge Nay doe they not in their impudencie act all their wickednesses in our names would they not have their late defamatory Libell to be understood as the expression of our senses Doe they not call it The Declaration of the Commons scil of England as if we at least gave allowance to it or set them a work to make it When as God and our consciences doe beare us witnesse we loathe it with our very soules as the most horrid heap of the most shamelesse lies blasphemies and slanders that ever was spued up against Majesty and Innocencie by men or devils since the first Creation Nay have they not since their publication of it tempted and provoked many of the ignorant of us in divers Countries to set our Hands to Papers coyned by themselves of Gratulations to themselves for venting the same and for making those their wicked Votes against our Soveraigne the Lords Anointed Doe they not hereby plainly endeavour Satan-like to involve our soules in their owne guilt and to plunge them for ever in the same pit of damnation with themselves As if it were not enough that they have already wasted us all in our estates and wounded the consciences of too many of us by ingaging us through their false pretences of Religion Liberty and Previlege of Parliament to associate with them in this unnaturall War unlesse they doe this also And have they not menaced others of us because we refused to approve of this their late most abominable wickednesse and went about rather to move for His Majesties Liberty and restoration Have they not threatned to plunder and sequester us of all we have yet remaining if we proceeded to make any motions or requests to that purpose as if they had a spight and malice at Almighty God himselfe for opening our eyes at length and bringing us out of that darknesse wherein they had shut us and hoped alwayes to keep us and for his touching our hearts with remorse and sorrow for our former complyance with them as if also we must never dare to speak more but onely such words as they shall suggest and put into our mouthes nor to set our hands unto any thing but what they forsooth shall frame and dictate to us And is this the Freedome of the Subject so much cryed up Is this the Liberty which the people of England have so fought for Is this our so flourishing state of happinesse which was promised by our blessed Reformers Serò sapiunt phryges fooles may grow wise at length and so from henceforth shall we for ever following them any farther or being guided by them any more who by their glorious professions and protestations have seduced us already so far from the wayes of God We cannot but call to mind the proceedings of this Palliament or of this Thing which so calls it selfe being in very deed but a corrupt faction in it How at first they framed a Protestation Generall for the matter of it good we still confesse and acknowledge but the deep subtilty and intrige of it was not then apparent to us But now we consider how they did without the Kings sanction and ratification little lesse then impose it upon the whole Kingdome whereby they slily crept into a kind of unexampled authority no way belonging to them which they cunningly masked under the specious pretences of pious respects to the Protestant Religion Loyall regards to His Majesties Person and Dignity and of their serious care of the Priviledges of Parliament Properties and Liberties of the Subject no one of which as we now see by their actions was ever in their thoughts to preserve for their whole endeavours have since been and stil are to destroy and suppresse all these but hereby at first they catch'd us in their net and carryed us downe the streame with them And having thus surprised us Jealousies and Fears presently began to surprise them which also the whole Kingdome must be sensible of as if all the things to be defended by the Protestation were in some eminent danger of sodaine destruction to prevent which a Petition is framed in all haste by themselves and sent downe into all Countries to be subscribed there and sent back as the unanimous desire of the whole Kingdome that Bishops and Popish Lords who must be apprehended the conjoynt and deadly enemies to all good things contained in the Protestation might be put out of Parliament that the Kingdome might be put into a posture of defence or war against them and their Complices and the better to colour and credit the businesse we must desire in the same Petition to have a monethly fast Authorized And we well remember there was care taken at that very time lest this mistery of Iniquity that was in working should be discovered to us that the Learned Seers or watchmen of God who were most likely to to make it known should be exposed to scorne and contempt under the name of Prelaticall Scandalous and Malignant Clergie that so their Testimonies might be of no esteeme with us and a generation of men full of ignorance covetousnesse or discontents were countenanced and advanced over us as fitly instrumentall and subservient to the designe on foot which now we finde was only to ruine our King and us The Consequents of this Petition appeared soon after to be these 1. An alteration or change of military Officers the Train-Bands being committed into the hands onely of such as were called Confiding men 2. The appointment of a Guard to defend our worthies of Parliament as they were entitled And 3. An exposall of the Kings Person and Government to all possible danger and disgrace And that 1. By a most scandalous Remonstrance wherein the sins of themselves and others who had been His ill Officers were all layed to His Charge 2. By setting the Tumultuous People upon Him to drive Him from Westminster And then 3. By raising an Army to fetch Him back again as was pretended though in very deed we finde now it was to destroy Him rather We remember how they told us then that the King was amongst them in His politick Capacity whereby they had
full power to act even as if He had been personally there but if He were suffered to be absent He would doubtlesse in His naturall Capacity be very mischievous to the Kingdome having such ill Councellours about Him as they said He had and such damned Cavaliers who as their preachers taught us to beleeve for good Doctrine were as bad as devills and whose very shape and faces the Lord in his judgement had already so altered that they did not now look like men as formerly but like strange horrid monsters So that God having set a visible mark of His vengeance upon them as He did on Cain our duty was and we were bound in Conscience to pursue them as Reprobates and as men cursed of God unlesse our selves would runne the hazard of that bitter Curse which was layed upon the Inhabitants of Meroz because they did not help the Lord against the Mighty After this manner they seduced us and led us too many of us to think ill of the King and of those that were Conscientious and faithfull unto Him Having thus consorted themselves with His Majesty in the Empire by their incroaching on His Authority and thus gulled us by this device of His Politick and naturall Capacity as if being arm'd or Authorized by the one we might destroy him in the other Which distinction we now understand since the returne of Reason to us to be but a meer vaporous Fancy a grosse Bull a very absurd Juggle invented by state Empericks to cheat silly people into disorder and disobedience And we are confident if we shall now goe about to pay them the interest of this their distinction and make it good upon themselves as indeed we ought to endeavour for in such a case onely it may goe for currant themselves would be directly of our opinion Should we but tell them that we consider of them two wayes in a Politick and in a Naturall capacity As they are in the first we honour and worship them we love them and regard them as they are members of the Body Politick Representative but by their favours in their naturall Capacity as they are men we intend to order and handle them as Rebels Traytors parricides fratricides thieves and murderers use to be dealt withall even according to Law and Justice and the due desert of their owne merits let them aske their own hearts whether in such a case and at such a time they will readily approve of it But hereby as we were saying they began to raise Forces in the name of King and Parliament and under that stile or rather Contradiction Commissions are issued Souldiers are levied and Taxes of divers sorts and unheard-of names imposed upon us the Kings Subjects to fight against and oppresse our King as we now perceive and to take His Regall power directly from Him for they are not ashamed now to publish in plain English before all the world that this Warre was undertaken to wrest the Militia and Legislative power from the King and His Posterity In the 64. pag. of their late Declaration against the Scots or concerning the Papers of the Scots Commissioners their words to this purpose are these The Kingdome of Scotland say they ingaged wiâ—h us in this war upon these Principles viz. for to have the Legislative power and the exercise of the Militia without and against the Kings consent If the Kingdome of Scotland did engage with them on these terms and for these ends as they now tell us yet we are confident that the people of England were better instructed then to do so for they had not so learned Christ who commands to give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and not to take them away from Him We were here told of no other causes of the war then to maintain Protestant Religion established in this Church to defend the Kings Person Honour and Estate and to free Him from ill Counsellours and to preserve the Priviledges of Parliament the Laws of the Land and Liberties of the Subject and to bring Delinquents to punishment all which we were assured and that from the Pulpit too as well as from the Parliament and the Presse were lawfull causes for a War though now we see how we were abused in that also for Christian verity gives warrant to none of them unlesse withall we have the call and allowance of the Supream Authority Yea and besides how many times did these Declarers protest before all the world that it was not in their thoughts to loosen the reines of Government or to diminish any of the Kings rights no we professe said they in the sight of Almighty God which is the strongest obligation of a Christian c. that no ill Affection to His Majesties Person no designe to the prejudice of His just Honour and Authority ingaged us to raise Forces and to take up Armes And again We professe from our very hearts and souls our Loyalty and Obedience to His Crown our readinesse and resolution to defend His Person and support His estate with our lives and fortunes to the uttermost of our powers And again oftentimes God deal so by them as they intended to make Him terrible to His Enemies abroad and glorious among His friends at home c. And yet now they tell the world after all this that they ingaged at the very first in this War to have the Legislative power and the exercise of the Militia without and against the Kings consent and they say the Scots ingaged with them herein which we scarce believe for we know the Scots are too politick and wise a Nation then not to foresee their own damage if the Legislative power and the Militia of this Kingdome should be wrested out of the hands of the King their Country-man and Soveraign and put solely into the hands of those who have no such relations or Affections to them And beside the Scots Commissioners had said as these their opposers do alleage in the same page that they were obliged by their Covenant Allegiance and Duty of Subjects not to diminish but to support the Kings just Power and Greatnesse and therefore we have reason to believe they did not intend the Contrary at the beginning and the rather because these men say they did whom we never yet found true in any thing Indeed in Answer to that of the Scots Commissioners they affirm though without proof or reason that the King Contrary to His Oath had diminished the just Priviledges of Parliament and Liberties of the Subjects and how say they can He that breaks down the hedge complain of incroachment upon His severall so that the Kings pretended incroachment on them is now become a warrant for them to incroach really upon Him and to take away all His Kingly power from Him only because by their own sole testimony He had made a diminution of somewhat that belonged to them This is good Parliament Divinity as the world goes in these daies fetched sure out of
the Turks Alchoran or else from among the Savage Heathens in New England for no Protestant no true Christian nor no Parliament before this did ever allow or connive at it much lesse urge or alleage it to warrant themselves in the practice of it But we cannot passe by without observation how they prove their fore-mentioned Charge against the Scots in the same page Some of these very Commissioners say they were amongst the forwardest to ingage the Kingdoms in a joynt War upon the Principles fore-named viz. to exercise the Legislative power and Militia without and against the Kings consent also in Oaths and Covenants to be imposed on both Kingdoms in Taxes to raise Mony upon them taking away the Book of Common Prayer and establishing the Directory instead thereof and in divers other things wherein the highest exercise of the Legislative power doth consist These be their Arguments whereby they speak themselves to be as bad Logitians as they are Christians Their doings since they began are alleaged as Reasons to prove why they began and their unjust Actions in their progresse are made the grounds and warrants of and for their ungodly undertaking But did any of those Oaths and Covenants which were imposed on both or either of the Kingdoms mention the cause of the war or of peoples ingagement to be for to take the Legislative power and the Militia totally from the King and to have it exercised without and against His consent if any such matters had been expressed we are very confident they would have had but few either English or Scots joyning in Covenant with them or lending their Assistance But in pag. 66. of the same Declaration they would fain suggest that though there be no Reason yet there is some likelyhood of Reasonablenesse in this their injustice and wrongfull dealings in taking the Legislative Power and Militia from the King for they argue thus It is much more likely say they that a King should be mistaken then the Great Councell of the Kingdom and that a King should stop that which is for the good of the whole Kingdome then that the whole Kingdome represented in Parliament should desire what should be for their own hurt And 't is much more likely that a King should make use of one of His Kingdoms to oppresse another that He might make Himself absolute over all if He hath the Militia and Power in His hand then that He should with the same hinder one Kingdome to wrong another or all the Subjects of a Kingdome to wrong themselves We do very well remember that many of us the Common people of England were befooled with these their likelyhoods at the beginning for they used these very expressions then unto us but we can now answer them from our own experience better then we could at that time do and we say 't is much more certain that a King hath been is and will be much more tender of the bloud of His Subjects much more indulgent of the wealth of His people much more carefull to maintain and preserve them in their Rights and to keep them from oppressing one another then those are or have been who now call themselves the Great Councell of the Kingdome We are sure there are more of a Parents bowels in Him for we have felt them then there is of Brotherly affection in them towards us which we have had some feeling of too though to our grief and sorrow And therefore we can and must conclude that the Subjects are far more happy every way and free from being oppressed by one another under the fatherly Government of a King then under the tyranous usurpation of fellow-subjects for we now remember that God hath promised in express words to guide the King so that his lips shall not transgresse in Iudgment but we find no such promise made to a Parliament that resolves to act without and against their Kings consent we know that Scripture saith the Kings heart is in Gods hand and from thence we now believe it was that His Government was so just and gentle but the Actions and behaviours of these men hath fully perswaded us that their Hearts be in the Devils hand whereby it hath come to passe that their purposes and their practices have been so bloudy so mischievous and so destructive And yet these men supposing as it seems that we are all as bruit Beasts in respect of themselves having no understanding at all but must submit still to be held in with their Bits and Bridles do declare that the Militia is the foundation of security to them and to their posterity as if we were all bound to believe and had reason for it that their blessed selves and their precious posterity were rather to be secured and preserved thereby then the King and His and in page 70. they argue as Rabsaketh did from their successe that God favoured their unrighteous doings and was even such another as themselves directly of their opinion the dispute say they concerning the Militia hath been long and sadly debated both in black and red letters but God himself hath now given the verdict on our side And in the very same place they tell all us English-men as if the Militia had never yet been in His Majesties hand or we had quite forgotten our freedome happinesse and prosperity under Kingly Government that our Magna Charta our Courts of Iustice our High Court of Parliament it self our Lives Liberties and Estates that we are not all at the will of one man that the King cannot make Laws nor raise Monies without consent of Parliament and that all Offenders may be punished in Courts of Iustice all this say they signifies nothing at all to us if the Militia by Sea and Land be in the King alone we are all absolute slaves and by so much in a worse Condition because we think our selves at Liberty All this of theirs doth but shew us what opinion they have of us for our giving so much credit to them heretofore But truly we shall deserve to be their absolute slaves for ever as they would have us and to be branded to all posterity for absolute fools too and for the rankest Cowards that ever were if this their Language were there nothing else should not fill us up with high disdain against them and make us resolve never to desist till we have made them know both themselves and us better And to awaken our spirits more yet let us hear what they say further in the same place to our conceived simplicities How ridiculous say they are those Laws which may be violated by force and by force not be defended who hath violated our Laws by force but themselves and who hath been the defender of them but the King whose Laws they are And what a mock Authority say they is that of Courts of Iustice and of the High Court of Parliament it self if it be not accompanied with the power of the sword when by
the power of the sword it shall be opposed affronted resisted their summons scorned their Messengers kicked about the streets their Votes and Iudgments derided A mock-Authority indeed that is and a mock-Parliament too that disclaims Him from whom it self derives its being and to whom God and the Law hath committed the power of the Sword We have had heretofore many Parliaments but never read or heard of any while they kept their integrity and adhered to their maker that conven'd them together who were ever opposed affronted resisted or had any of their summons scorned their Messengers kicked about the streets or their Votes and Iudgements derided therefore all this is but copia verborum some flowers of Rebellious Rhetorick whereby they thinke to keep silly fools such as they take us still to be in that vile Captivity unto themselves wherein they formerly had and led us Yea and pag. 73. of that their so bonny Declaration they tell us to the everlasting comfort both of us and of our purses that t is necessary that their Armies be kept still on foot even so long as themselves and their posterities shall fit which they make account shall be but in perpetuum from Generation to Generation till the worlds end their words are these for the Parliaments consulting freely and acting securely it will be necessary as we have ever done since the war to keep up forces which were they all disbanded as the Scotch Commissioners desire we should not long consult freely and act securely They mean sure in cutting our throats in banishing imprisoning and hanging our persons in sequestring our estates in oppressing plundering and taking from us our goods and fortunes in destroying our Religion peace and order for nothing else do we know they have consulted about or acted since they first raised their Forces or begun their war we have had Parliaments before now that have behaved themselves a great deale better then these Declarers have done that have consulted better and acted better every way and yet never thought it necessary either to raise or keep up Forces for their owne guard or safety No for they were fenc'd with Innocency and Noblenesse of Spirit with their owne uprightnesse and their Countries Love which together with the Guard of God and his Angels was their Protection they desired no other Militia then Faith and a good Conscience to secure them For why they had never bath'd themselves in their Countries bloud nor foul'd their hands with oppression nor any way deserved the odium of their Nation But these men shew what they have merited by their fears and discover that as they raised Forces at first to subdue the King so they intend now to keep them up to subdue the Kingdome and to keep those in low slavery whose help they have had against Him and so they will pay their servants for as such onely they account those whom they have imployed or made use of a la mode du diable in that manner as Satan rewards those that work for him And now the world sees at last who began the war at first and hears from them who know best what was the true cause thereof even to wrest the Legislative power and the Militia out of the Kings hands and to excercise the same without and against His consent How true their former clamours have been that the King first tooke up Armes against the Parliament and that the Parliament was only on the defensive part let the very seduced part of men now judge His sacred Majesty in his great wisdome saw this to be their end at first and told the world of it but could not be heard or beleeved so loud a noise was made to the contrary themselves in the 68. pag. of that their Declaration tell the Scotch Commissioners who had said it was contrary to their judgements and Oath of Allegeance to divest the Crown the King and His Posterity of the right and power of the Militia that they fortifie their opinion with the very same Arguments and almost in the very same words as the King did at the beginning of this war in His Declarations whereby they acknowleged that His Majesty even then had spoken to that purpose It is hoped therefore that all men doe now apprehend who they are that all this while have been the Deceivers Againe the world also hath now seen how far and wherein His Majesty hath been averse to peace since the beginning of the war He would not hitherto be either forced or perswaded to resigne up wholly and for ever unto them that which from the very first they resolved to have from Him the Legislative power and the Militia of the Kingdome to be exercised without and against Himself to the perpetual enslavement and thraldome of all us His poor Subjects whom God hath committed to his trust to protect and defend And therefore if it were lawfull for Subjects upon any occasion to imprison their King yet what great cause or substantiall reason these have had to do so or to use their Soveraigne as they have done to resolve to make no more addresses or applications to Him let the world judge And from these many gracious Messages of His Majesty for peace thus slighted contemned and despised by them let their little modesty and candour or rather their great shamelesnesse and impudency be observed in their making the foundation of their impious Votes to be His aversenesse unto peace and in beginning their Declaration against Him in that manner as they have done viz. in these words How fruitlesse our former Addresses have been to the King is so well known to the world that it may be expected we shall now declare why we made the last or so many before rather then why we are resolved to make no more We cannot acknowledge any great confidence that our words could have been more perswasive with Him then Sighs and groanes the Tears and crying Blood an heavy crie the Blood of Fathers Brothers and Children at onse the Blood of many hundred thousand Free-borne Subjects in Three great Kingdomes which cruelty it self could not but pity to destroy We must not be so unthankefull to God as to forget we were never forced to any Treaty and yet we have no lesse then seven times made such Applications to the King and tendred such Propositions that might occasion the world to judge we have not onely yeelded up our wils and Affections but our Reason also and judgement for obtaining any true Peace or Accommodation But it never yet pleased the King to accept of any Tender fit for us to make nor yet to offer any fit for us to receive Be judges in this case O all ye people of the World now you have read and seen what offers and tenders the King hath made what reason these men had thus to ' peale Him thinke you not they are men of credit worthy to be trusted another time fit to be beleeved in all they say
particulars so many evident prognosticks of their ruine and may they not be taken too as so many invitations from God to rouze up our selves against them and as so many intimations of His concurrence with us in such endeavours nay and 't is to be noted too when the Almighty for our encouragement and hope did begin thus to worke it was at such a time as these usurpers were at their greatest height when they cryed out with open mouth who is Lord over us ours is the power and we will prevaile When they had resolved to make no more Addresses to the King but to do as themselves pleased without Him and against Him Then then did our God awake as one out of sleepe then did he set himselfe against these men to confound them in their wayes and to expose them to this publike contempt and scorne of all And 't is Gods course if he once begins not to leave off till he hath made an end too Root and branch in a short time the spirit saies it branch and rush in one day Indeed the Lord hath been fitting them for their shame a great while He hath left them to themselves because they regarded not to know God or to please him He hath given them up to a reprobate sense as a punishment for their sin not to take notice of his hand going out against them threatning ruine and extirpation of them yea he hath blinded their eyes hardned their hearts to forsake their owne mercy He infatuated their spirits to loose those oportunities so frequently offered and to despise the profers of peace so often tendred whereby they might have been secured Now as pride goes before destruction so folly we know precedes a fall Undoubtedly the Lords purpose is to make them the astonishment of the world for confusion and misery as they have made themselves the amazement of the world for wickedness and impiety He will bring upon them all the blood which they have shed all the guilt thereof and so of all the blasphemies which they have vented he shall make them vomit up again all the wealth of others which they have swallowed according to their substance shall the restitution be for shall not the Iudge of all the earth when he takes the matter into his owne hand doe righteously never a persecutor or opressor never an Apostle or false Traytor never a Parliament Sheba or Pulpit Shimei of them all but shall meet with his due demerit from him who hath pronounced of them or of such as they be that they shall lie downe in sorrow And thus you see what hopes there be of your speedy deliverance O ye miserably oppressed English if you will now arise as one man and shew your selves you see how God is already gone out against your enemies How his Iustice is ingaged for you and doth march before to invite you to follow after And if you looke but on the other side you may see his mercy as manifestly appearing for your further incouragement How hath that gracious Prince whose servants you are not slaine but Conquered his thousand his ten thousand yea his hundred thousand of hearts and men and that not with sword or speare or any instrument of war but by they sole strength of Gods mighty spirit animating his soul in his great Afflictions and carrying him on high above the waters How hath He like the glorious Sun by the bright lusture of His Graces broake through all those black clouds of calumny and slander whereby these enemies of Majesty have laboured to obscure Him How hath He by his wisdome meekenesse patience and constant tenders of mercy to His greatest enemies recovered yea and overcome as Christ himself did the minds and affections of His people How hath His miseries for their sakes turned the streames of their love towards Him surely this is the Lords doing the victory is welnigh already won for us by Gods sole strength in the Person of our Soveraigne How doth their black mouth'd Balaams who for the wages of iniquity have spit out so much venome against His â—ajesty whom they never had more knowledge of then was brought unto them by His deadly enemies How do they now even gnash their teeth and gnaw their tongues for sorrow to here how His vertues are admired and His graces reverenc'd to feele how His splendour hath darkned them by causing their vilenesse to appear in dissipating the slanders and dissolving the filth which with so much paines and pulpit sweat they had laboured to bespatter him with seven years together And now are not these most evident markes of Gods favour to the King and that His mercies are also ingaged on His side as well as His Iustice and will be on yours if you are for Him 'T is true God hath seem'd to sleep long to the cause of His Annointed that the incredible and high wickednesse of the enemy might be known and the invisible or inward excellencies of the King seen but both these ends being now accomplished the time is fully come of Gods arising which will be the indoubted cause of His enemies scattering What therefore doth now remaine for you to do O English people but to make haste in the first place to fetch back your King to His Throne and Dignity in despight of those that keep Him Prisoner See see how the Ancient Britaines move already nay see how the Scots do promise to appear Have not you cause to thinke that they intend to plead with you as Iudah did with Israel for the Honour of the worke because the King is neer of kin to them but have not you ten parts in Him and so more right in this David now then they and reason to be as early in view unto this service assuredly though we gave the Scots leave to be the first in departing from duty yet we should all blush not to be at least as forward as they in returning to it nay we should all like good Christians and penitent men contend in love both with them and one another who shall be the formost And then let us all as one man conjoyne in this to require of our false Stewards a present account of their stewardships let 's resolve upon it that they shall no longer be stewards for us because they have made such waste of our goods and of what ever else was dear unto us and if they refuse to come to an account at such our call let 's force them to it full sore shall we sin against God and the whole Kingdome if we still permit them in their places we can doe no wrong in bringing them to a Legall triall which is the thing we must aime at if they have as they say defended the Law no doubt but the Law will defend them but if they have broaken or laboured to destroy that which they pretended to maintaine and were intrusted by us so to doe 't is but just and right that they by it
further in the sequele of their Declaration sith their modesty and truth is such in the first page of it Assuredly you cannot that conclude but this of theirs is the most groundlesse shamelesse malicious and impudent slander that ever was printed by such an Authority as is pretended against such a Person And a Lye pardon that Scotch word so grosse and so thick that like the darkenesse of Aegypt it may be felt O consider well of it you the Subjects of this Kingdome and rouze up your selves at length in the behalf of your Soveraign and of your selves remember the Honour and dignity of your forefathers the wisdome and valour that made them so famous and so feared O where where is the Auncient Gallantry of this Noble Nation where is that life courage that was wont to kindle and flame in English-men when they saw themselves esteemed simple and contemned as base and vile what is it all dead and buried in snow and cold Ashes shall it be thought that no sparks of it are yet remaining in your natures will you suffer servants alwaies to rule over you to inslave and inthrall both you and your King awake for shame or else for ever worthy to be despised and look about you bethink at length what you have to do Was ever Nation so gull'd as you have been so orereach'd by Cheaters did ever any who caried in their breasts the spirits of men delight to be so abused by their fellows to be made fools used like Asses and so accounted and will you affect it shall they who triumph over you think you alwaies Children without understanding surely had they not believed you as full of weaknesse still as themselves are of wickednesse they would not with that boldnesse have imagined to flam you off with so base a Narrative against your Soveraigne as if thereby they had given a satisfactory reason to your simplicities for all those wrongs which they have done Him And what do they aime at hereby but to make Him most odious and contemptible who of all men living deserves the greatest Reverence Love and Honour and why do they this but to the end that they might have some colour to destroy Him And will you Crucifie your King saies Pilate to the people of the Iews as if he had said what an unheard-of vilany will that be How doth the Curse cleave to that Nation for that act unto this very day so may it not be said to you O people of England will you murder your King will you suffer your most pious and gracious King after all these unspeakable abuses which He hath already indured for your sakes at the hands of your Servants or Representatives as they call themselves to be destroyed by them if you play the Iewes you shall be payed like Jewes you and your Posterity shall grone under the Curse of God and man for ever qui non vetat peccare cum potest jubet not to prevent a mischief when you may is directly to command it to be done As Absolom by going in to his Fathers Concubines on the house-top declared in the sight of all Israel that He meant the breach should be irreconcielable betwixt his Father and him so have these men by this their Declaration spoken loudly to all the world that their intentions are that the difference shall never be made up betwixt their Soveraign and themselves but indeed herein we may observe that their impudence doth far exceed Absoloms for while he was on the house-top committing his wickednesse he did not accuse the King his Father of the same sin or lay heavily to his charge that very evill which himself was then in acting as these men have done for they in their Declaration do burden their Soveraigne with their own faults they tax Him of those very things which themselves have committed and that not only heretofore when they were His ill Officers and Servants but even now are acting at this very instant time before our faces and upon our selves while they are exclaiming upon His Majesty And when should the King make Himself liable to all this blame and odium which they cast upon Him was it since they promised to make Him so glorious Themselves do not affirm this but as they pretend a great while before how comes it then to passe that in their present judgments He who was formerly deemed fit to be made the most glorious Prince in Christendome and promised so to be if He would but comply with them in those things that should be for His owne Honour and the Kingdomes good is now in their present judgments being still the same become worthy of so much hatred as is here manifested and not fit to have any more Addresses made unto Him bad are the memories of these men the change of their condition hath made them quite forget their former principles and professions what credit think you can be given henceforth unto them what confidence can be put in any of their promises is it not likely they will fail you who ere you be that trust them as they have done their Soveraigne nay have they not failed you enough already do you look they will ever repay that Mony with eight in the hundred interest which they took up of you in Publike Faiths name what speciall respect do you observe the City London and the adjoyning Associate Counties do now find from them for all that wealth countenance and assistance which hath been afforded to them doe not they like their owne father Satan exact most still from those whom they have found most compliable and most yeilding Nay more then this do they not now discover a manifest adherence to the schismaticall Army which they intitle the faithful Army against the City the Associate Counties the whole Kingdome and Scotland too as well as against the King have not some of the unsavory Aldermen Members of the Commons House gone senting up down of late and soliciting men to ingage themselves to live and die with the Parliament and the Army and against whom but King and Kingdome who it seems are now looked upon as one again and conjoyned though it be in the notion of Common Enemies by these good Counsellours these faithfull Representatives that broke the friendly union And what doth this new Ingagement speak unto you but that their intentions are to rule from henceforth by the Sword without all Law save that of war to keep you under You may remember at first 't was King and Parliament they cried up then Parliament and Kingdome but now at length 't is come to be the Parliament and the Army so that you see how unsetled they are how God hath made them like to a wheel in continuall motion and therefore no confidence is to be put in them They promise now that they will setle the Kingdome without the King who unsetled it but themselves and for what cause did they so but that themselves
might reigne over us and will they lay down their Rule Authority and Power surely no and yet this they must be forced to do before the Kingdome will ere be setled But how will they settle this Kingdom without the King even as they have setled Ireland they would never be quiet as you all know till the management of the war there which themselves also as is now believed had an hand in raising might be wholly in their hands with exclusion of His Majesty whom God hath appointed and too many of you the people in the simplicity of your spirits were for them against your Soveraign and desired that the Parliament without the King might take order for that Businesse and now you understand too plainly how well they have ordered the same these two last years in speciall while they had nothing else to mind and have kept so many lazy Officers and Souldiers to burden and oppresse you O how do the poor neglected and straved Soldiery in that lost Kingdom as well as the ruinated Protestants there pour forth now their deserved execrations and curses against these deceitfull and false-hearted men How are they now brought to beleeve and forced to confesse that none is nor was so tenderly affected towards them as the King and that Gods blessing will not concur with any endeavours there till they be managed againe by Him whom God hath intrusted O remember Ireland remember Ireland Happy may you be yet once againe in this Kingdom if the miseries which have been felt in that since these new Masters tooke upon them to be the sole disposers of affaires there may make you wary O take heed therefore in due time you do not beleeve them when they say they will settle the Peace of this Kingdom without the King Againe they promised to set up Iesus Christ in the Throne of his Kingdome but they meant themselves onely in the Throne of this for do you not see how they have gone about it and how far they have advanc'd their worke in 7. years Have they not imprisoned turned out of Gods Vineyard the most faithfull and painfull Labourers forbidden them to preach in that name or to publish that truth which this Church professeth and themselves protested to maintaine How many Congregations at this present want Pastors in this famous City and how many thousand Parishes are destitute in the Countries of right teaching now for what cause is all this why are Gods Prophets thus knocked off from their imployments wherefore are they inhibited the doing of their duties is it for any thing else then because they inveigh against that wickednesse which God abhorreth are they not for this sole reason said to be enemies to the Parliament to preach against that why do they not say in plaine termes the Parliament cannot sin or that sin and that are all one and must not be reproved or else having nothing else to lay to their charge why do not they suffer Gods Messengers to declare their Ambassage or if they will not so let them at least discover themselves as openly in this at they have done in other particulars for though they said as first they tooke up Armes to remove ill Councellors and to bring Delinquents to punishment yet now they can speake out and say it was to wrest the Legislative power and Militia out of His Majesties Hand and though they promised at first to make the King MOST GLORIOUS yet now they blush not to proclaime we will not have this man to reigne over us we will make no more addresses to Him we will exercise Authority without Him and against Him So though they promised at first to set up Christ in His Throne let them now tell us in plaine English also that they meane to thrust Him and all that truely professe Him according to the right Doctrine of the Gospel out of this Land for this is the very language of all their Actions Againe they pretended great Emnity unto Popish Doctrines and Tenents and Episcopacy was pull'd down out of zeale against Popery as if that had been a friend unto it With what clamours did they represent unto the people Secretary Windebanks intercourse with Iesuites and Popish Priests and the Bishops Chaplaines licencing of Books supposed to be Popish and yet these very men have permitted Mabbot the allowed Broaker of all these venemous scriblings to Authorize the Printing a booke of Parsons the Iesuite full of the most Popish and Treasonable positions that were ever vented for very good Doctrine nay more then this have they not contributed 30. l. toward the charge of Printing the same when after its publication it was told them by some that the said booke had been condemned by Parliament in the 35. of Queen Elizabeth and that the Printer thereof was Hang'd drawne and quarter'd for the same that it was then enacted that whosoever should have it in their house should be guilty of high Treason when all this was related to some of the Committee of Examinations did they not stop their eares at it did they not slight those that thus spake unto them their owne Consciences know all this to be true and that we are able to prove it before the World yet these be the men forsooth that hate Popery This Popish Booke which we speake of was at first published Anno 1524. under the name of Dolman and intituled a conference about the succession of the Crowne it consists of two parts whereof the first conteines a discourse of a Civill Lawyer How and in what manner propinquity of blood is to be preferred it is divided into 9. Chapters all which this blessed Reforming Parliament hath now published under the Title of Severall speeches delivered at a conference concerning the power of Parliaments to proceed against their King for misgovernment they were all Answered as they are in the Iesuites booke by Sir Iohn Haward Doctor of the Civill Law in the year 1603. and Dedicated to King Iames which Answer is common in Booksellers shops to be still sold. Now there is no difference betwixt this book published by this Parliament and that of the Iesuite condemned by that other An. 35. Eliz. but onely this when the Iesuite mentions the Apostles He addes the word Saint to their names S. Iohn S. Iames S. Peter which the Author of this new Edition leaves out and saies plaine Iohn Iames and Peter and perhaps in some places the word Parliament is put instead of the word Pope or people nay the variation is so little that it speakes the publisher a very weake man and those that set him on work none of the wisest in imploying so simple an Animall in a businesse of so great concernment we shall instance but in one passage Old Dolman or Parsons had said in the year 1594. that many were then living in England who had seen the severall Coronations of King Edw. the 6. Queen Mary and Queen Eliz. and could witnesse