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
who from hence may observe that no rudenesse or insolency towards Him nor unjust aspersions of Him are able to divert Him from pursuing the means of their welfare His words are these His Majesties seventh Message CHARLS R. THe procuring Peace to these Kingdoms by Treaty is so much desired by His Majesty that no unjust aspersions whatsoever or any other discouragements shall make Him desist from doing His endevour therein untill He shall see it altogether impossible and therefore hath thought fitting so far only to make reply to that Paper or Answer which He hath received of the 13 of this instant Ian. as may take away those Objections which are made against His Majesties coming to Westminster expecting still an Answer to His Messages of the 15 and 17. which He hopes by this time have begotten better thoughts and resolutions in the Members of both Houses And first therefore Whereas in the said last Paper it is objected as an impediment to His Majesties personal Treaty that much innocent bloud hath been shed in this War by His Majesties Commissions c. He will not now dispute it being apparent to all the World by whom this bloud hath been spilt but rather presseth that there should be no more and to that end only He hath desired this personall Treaty as judging it the most immediate means to abolish so many horrid confusions in all His Kingdoms And it is no argument to say That there shall be no such personall Treaty because there have been Wars it being a strong inducement to have such a Treaty to put an end to the War Secondly that there should be no such personall Treaty because some of His Irish Subjects have repaired to His assistance in it seems an argument altogether as strange as the other as alwaies urging that there should be no Physick because the party is sick And in this particular it hath been often observed unto them that those whom they call Irish who have so expressed their Loyalty to their Soveraigne were indeed for the most part such English Protestants as had been formerly sent into Ireland by the two Houses impossibilitated to stay there any longer by the neglect of those that sent them thither who should there have better provided for them And for any Forrain forces it is too apparent that their Armies have swarmed with them when His Majesty hath had very few or none And whereas for a third impediment it is alleaged that the Prince is in the head of an Army in the West and that there are divers Garrisons stil kept in his Majesties obedience that there are Forces in Scotland it must be as much confessed as that as yet there is no peace and therefore it is desired that by such a personall Treaty all these impediments may be removed And it is not here amisse to put them in mind how long since His Majesty did presse a disbanding of all Forces on both sides the refusing whereof hath been the cause of this objection And whereas exception is taken that there is a time limited in the Proposition for His Majesties personall Treaty thereupon inferring that He should again return to Hostility His Majesty protesteth that He seeks this Treaty to avoid future Hostility and to procure a lasting peace and if He can meet with like inclinations to Peace in those He desires to Treat with He will bring such affections and resolutions in Himself as shal end all these unhappy bloudy differences As for those ingagements which His Majesty hath desired for His security whosoever shall call to mind the particular occasions that enforced His Majesty to leave His City of London and Westminster will judge His demand very reasonable and necessary for His safety But He no way conceiveth how the L. Major Aldermen Common-Councell and Militia of London were either subject or subordinate to that Authority which is alleaged as knowing neither Law nor practice for it and if the two Armies be He believes it is more then can be parallel'd by any former times in this Kingdom Nor can His Majesty understand how His Majesties seeking of a Personall Security can be any breach of Priviledge it being likely to be infringed by hindering His Majesty from coming freely to His two Houses As for the Objection that His Majesty omitted to mention the setling Religion and securing the Peace of His Native Kingdom His Majesty declares that He conceives that it was included in His former and hath been particularly mentioned in his latter Message of the 15 present But for their better satisfaction he again expresseth that it was and ever shal be both his meaning and endevour in this Treaty desired and it seems to him very clear that there is no way for a finall ending of such distractions as afflict this Kingdom but either by Treaty or Conquest the latter of which his Majesty hopes none will have the impudency or impiety to wish for and for the former if his Personall assistance in it be not the most likely way let any reasonable man judge when by that means not only all unnecessary delaies will be removed but even the greatest difficulties made easie And therefore he doth now again earnestly insist upon that proposition expecting to have a better answer upon mature consideration And can it be imagined that any Propositions will be so effectuall being formed before a personall Treaty as such as are framed and propounded upon a full debate on both sides Wherefore his Majesty who is most concerned in the good of his People and is most desirous to restore peace and happinesse to his three Kingdoms doth again instantly desire an Answer to his said former Messages to which he hath hitherto received none Given at our Court at Oxon the 24. of Jan. 1645. 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 FEw that ventured their lives to fetch home the King at the instigation of these men or that heard their Preachers pray so oft that God would incline His Majesties heart to come unto His Parliament would ever have believed that He should thus be put to plead for His own admittance amongst them who pretended to be so fond of His Company or to Answer such cavils against the same as He hath here done if they had not seen them objected under their own Hands nor would any have been perswaded had there not been somewhat extant to evidence the same that these men could after all this have affirmed that themselves had yeilded up not only their wills and Affections but also their reason and judgment for obtaining a good Accommodation with the King but now 't is manifest who they are that have abused gulled and deceived the world and who have been the only obstructers unto Peace and most perfect Enemies thereunto And yet 't is no mervaile that the wickednesse of these
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
the manner of Addresse which is now made unto Him Unlesse his two Houses intend that his Majesty shall allow of a Great Seal made without his Authority before there be any consideration had thereupon in a Treaty Which as it may hereafter hazard the security it self so for the present it seems very unreasonable to his Majesty And though his Majesty is willing to believe that the intention of very many in both Houses in sending these Bils before a Treaty was only to obtain a trust from Him and not to take any advantage by passing them to force other things from Him which are either against His Conscience or Honour Yet his Majesty believes it clear to all understandings that these Bils contain as they are now penned not only the devesting Himself of all Soveraignty and that without possibility of recovering it either to Him or his Successours except by repeal of those Bils but also the making his Concessions guilty of the greatest pressures that can be made upon the Subject as in other particulars so by giving an Arbitrary and Vnlimited power to the two Houses for ever to raise and levie Forces for Land or Sea service of what persons without distinction or quality and to what numbers they please And likewise for the payment of them to levy what Monies in such sort and by such waies and means and consequently upon the Estates of whatsoever Persons they shall think fit appoint Which is utterly inconsistent with the Liberty Property of the Subject and his Majesties trust in protecting them So that if the Major part of both Houses shall think it necessary to put the rest of the Propositions into Bils His Majesty leaves all the world to judge how unsafe it would be for Him to consent thereunto And if not what a strange condition after the passing of these four Bils his Majesty and all his Subjects would be cast into And here his Majesty thinks it not unfit to wish his two Houses to consider well the manner of their proceeding That when his Majesty desires a Personall Treaty with them for the setling of a Peace they in answer propose the very subject matter of the most essentiall part thereof to be first granted A thing which will be hardly credible to Posterity Wherefore his Majesty declares That neither the desire of being freed from this tedious and irksome condition of life his Majesty hath so long suffered nor the apprehension of what may befall him in case his two Houses shal not afford him a Personal Treaty shall make him change his resolution of not consenting to any Act till the whole Peace be concluded Yet then he intends not only to give just and reasonable satisfaction in the particulars presented to him but also to make good all other Concessions mentioned in his Message of the 16. of Novemb. last Which he thought would have produced better effects then what he finds in the Bils and Propositions now presented unto him And yet his Majesty cannot give over but now again earnestly presseth for a Personal Treaty so passionately is he affected with the advantages which Peace wil bring to his Majesty and all his Subjects of which he will not at all despair there being no other visible way to obtain a wel-grounded Peace However his Majesty is very much at ease within himself for having fulfilled the offices both of a Christian and of a King and will patiently wait the good pleasure of Almighty God to incline the hearts of his two Houses to consider their King and to compassionate their fellow Subjects miseries Given at Carisbrook-Castle in the Isle of Wight Decemb. 28. 1647. For the Speaker of the Lords House pro tempore to be communicated to the Lords and Commons in the Parliament of England at Westminster and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland HIs Majesties Afflictions have been much increased by manifesting His care as an equall Father that satisfaction might be given to all ingaged interests therefore Presbyterians Independents Army Scots and all whoever they be that acknowledge a part in them and remain yet unsatisfied have reason as Christians as Subjects as men for meer gratitude sake were there no other reason to endeavour the vindication of those wrongs at least which His Majesty hath suffered since He stood forth as their Common Advocate To prevent their Audience upon the Kings motion were these Bills devised and sent in this sort unto His Majesty And for His not consenting so far to their damage and to the undoing of all the rest of His Subjects as these Bils required was His Majesty cast into a more hard and miserable Condition by some degrees then ever before having all His Servants on the sodain by violence thrust out from Him not so much as one of His Divines allowed unto Him Himself confined to two or three Roomes within the walls of a loathed Prison assaulted frequently He is with evil language and tormented with the spightfull behaviours of the Enemy permitted to see or speak to none but rude Souldiers who are set to watch Him and whom He hath hourly cause to look upon as Assassinates appointed for to murder Him His friends are not suffered to write unto Him nor His Children to send the remembrance of their duties yet His Trunks and Pockets are often searched for Letters with the highest insolency and rudenesse that can be shewn And all this with much more of like nature then can be expressed is come upon Him as it seemeth for moving in the behalf of all ingaged interests and therefore most truly did His Majesty in the Beginning of this Message say for He hath felt it since that He found the complying with all ingaged interests in these great distempers none of the least difficulties He met withall since the time of His Afflictions and therefore also as was said before were there no other cause they are all bound to ingage for Him till they have set Him free from His present Thraldome And indeed the Scotch Commissioners for their parts began well in their protesting in the name of their whole Kingdome against those unreasonable Bils at the same time that they were by the English Commissioners presented to His Majesty as being prejudiciall to Religioâ— to the Crown to the union and interest of both Nations and directly different from their former mutuall proceedings and ingagements now His Majesty for taking notice of this which was uttered in His presence and in the name of a whole Kingdome is extreamly quarrelled at and because He did not signe the said Bils notwithstanding the said protest He is immediately made close Prisoner and sensible of more then barbarous usage the Method of which is in part expressed in the following Declaration which twenty daies after His close confinement was written by His Majesties own hand and some twenty daies aftâ—r that by the speciall order and providence of him who is the preserver of Princes brought to light
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
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