deceived and destroyed Nor can any mens malice be gratified further by my Letters than to see my constancie to my VVife the Lawes and Religion Bees will gather Honey where the Spider sucks Poison That I endeavour to avoid the pressures of my Enemies by all fair and just correspondencies no man can blame who loves me or the Common-wealth since my Subjects can hardly be happy if I be miserable or enjoy their peace and liberties while I am oppressed The world may see how soon mens designe like Absoloms is by enormous actions to widen differences and exasperate all sides to such distances as may make all reconciliation desperate Yet I thank God I can not only with patience bear this as other indignities but with Charity forgive them The integrity of my intentions is not jealous of any injury My expressions can doe them for although the confidence of privacy may admit greater freedome in writing such Letters which may be liable to envious exceptions yet the Innocency of my chief purposes cannot be so obtained or mis-interpreted by them as not to let all men see that I wish nothing more than an happy composure of differences with Justice and Honour not more to my own then my Peoples content who have any sparks of Love or Loyalty left in them who by those my Letters may be convinced that I can both mind and act my owne and My Kingdomes Affaires so as becomes a Prince which mine enemies have alwaies been very loath should be believed of me as if I were wholly confined to the Dictates and Directions of others whom they please to brand with the names of Evill Counsellours It 's probable some men will now look upon me as my owne Counsellour and having none else to quarrell with under that notion they will hereafter confine their anger to my selfe Although I know they are very unwilling I should enjoy the liberty of my own Thoughts or follow the light of my owne Conscience which they labour to bring into an absolute captivity to themselves not allowing me to think their Counsells to be other then good for me which have so long maintained a Warre against me The Victory they obtained that day when my Letters became their prize had been enough to have satiated the most ambitious thirst of popular glory among the Vulgar with whom prosperity gaines the greatest esteem and applause as adversity exposeth to their greatest slighting and dis-respect As if good fortuâ—e were alwaies the shadow of Vertue and Justice and did not oftner attend vitious and injurious actions as to this world But I see no secular advantages seem sufficient to that cause which began with Tumults and depends chiefly upon the reputation with the Vulgar They think no Victories so effectuall to their designes as those that most rout and waste my Credit with my People in whose hearts they seek by all meanes to smother and extinguish all sparks of Love Respect and Loyalty to me that they may never kindle againe so as to recover mine the Lawes and the Kingdomes Liberties which some men seek to overthrow The taking away of my Credit is but a necessary preparation to the taking away of my life and my Kingdomes First I must seem neither fit to live nor worthy to Reigne By exquisite methods of cunning and cruelty I must be compelled first to follow the Funeralls of my Honour and then be destroyed But I know Gods un-erring and impartiall justice can and will over-rule the most perverse wills and designes of men He is able and I hope will turn even the worst of mine enemies thoughts and actions to my good Nor doe I think that by the surprize of my Letters I have lost any more than so many Papers How much they have lost of that reputation for Civility and Humanity which ought to be pay'd to all men and most becomes such as pretend to Religion besides that of respect and Honour which they owe to their KING present and after-times will judge And I cannot think that their owne consciences are so stupid as not to inflict upon them some secret impressions of that shame and dishonour which attends all unworthy actions have they never so much of publique flattery and popular countenance I am sure they can never expect the divine approbation of such indecent actions if they doe but remember how God blest the modest respect and filâ—all tendernesse which Noahs Sons bare to their Father nor did his open infirmity justifie Chams impudency or exempt him from that curse of being Servant of Servants which curse must needs be on them who seek by dishonourable actions to please the Vulgar and confirme by ignoble acts their dependance upon the People Nor can their malicious intentions be ever either excusable or prosperous who thought by this meanes to expose me to the highest reproach and contempt of My People forgetting that duty of modest concealment which they owed to the Father of their Country in case they had disovered any reall uncomelinesse which I thank God they did not who can and I believe hath made me more respected in the hearts of many as he did David to whom they thought by publishing my private Letters to have rendred me as a vile Person not fit to be trusted or considered under any notion of Majesty But thou ô Lord whose wise and all-disposing providence ordereth the greatest contingences of humane affairs make me to see the constancy of thy mercies to me in the greatest advantages thou seemest to give the malice of my Enemies against me As thou didst blast the counsell of Achitophel â—urning it to Davids good and his own ruine so so canst thou defeat their designe who intended by publishing my private Letters nothing else but to under me more odious contemptible to my People I must first appeale to thy Omniscience who canst witnesse with my integrity how unjust and â—alse those scandalous misconstructions are which â—y Enemies endeavour by those Papers of mine to â—epresent to the world Make the evill they imagined and displeaâ—â—râ— they intended thereby against me so to 〈◊〉 on their owne heads that they may be ashamed and covered with their owne confusion as with a cloake Thou seest how mine Enemies use all means to cloud mine Honor to pervert my purposes and to slander the footsteps of thine Annointed But give me an heart content to be dishonoured for thy sake and thy Churches good Fix in me a purpose to honour thee and then I know thou wilt honour me either by restoring to me the injoyment of that Power and Majesty which thou hast suffered some men to seeke to deprive me of or by bestowing on me that crowne of Christian patience which knowes how to serve thee in honour or dishonour in good report or evill Thou O Lord art the fountain of goodnesse and honour thou art colathed with excellent Majesty make me to partake of thy excellency for wisdome justice and mercy and I shall not want
good Conscience in me which hath been fought against nor did they ever intend to bring mee to my Parliament till they had brought my mind to their obedience Should I grant what some men desire I should be such as they wish me not more a King and far lesse both Man and Christian What Tumults and Armies could not obtain neither shall Restraint which though it have as little of safety to a Prince yet it hath not more of danger The feare of men shall never be my snare nor shall the love of any liberty entangle my soule Better others betray me than my selfe and that the price of my liberty should be my Conscience the greatest injuries my Enemies seek to inflict upon me cannot be without my own consent While I can deny with Reason I shall defeat the greatest impressions of their malice who neither know how to use worthily what I have already granted nor what to require more of me but this That I would seem willing to help them to destroy my selfe and mine Although they should destroy me yet they shall have no cause to despise me Neither liberty nor life are so dear to me as the peace of my Conscience the Honour of my Crownes and the welfare of my People which my word may injure more than any Warre can doe while I gratifie a few to oppresse all The Lawes will by Gods blessing revive with the love and Loyalty of my Subjects if I bury them not by my Consent and cover them in that grave of dishonour and injustice which some mens violence hath digged for them If my Captivity or Death must be the price of their redemption I grudge not to pay it No condition can make a King miserable which carries not with it his Souls his Peoples and Posterities thraldome After-times may see what the blindnesse of this Age will not and God may at length shew my Subjects that I chuse rather to suffer for them than with them happily I might redeem my self to some shew of liberty if I would consent to enslave them I had rather hazard the ruine of one King than to confirm many Tyrants over them from whom I pray God deliver them what ever becomes of me whose solitude hath not left me alone For thou O God infinitely good and great art with me whose presence is better than life and whose service is perfect freedome Own me for thy servant and I shall never have cause to complain for want of that liberty which becomes a Man a Christian and a King Blesse me still with Reason as a Man with Religion as a Christian and with constancy in justice as a King Though thou sufferest me to be stript of all outward ornaments yet preserve me ever in those enjoyments wherein I may injoy thy self and which cannot be taken from me against my will Let no fire of affliction boile over my passion to any impatience or sordid fears There be many say of me There is no help for me doe thou lift up the light of thy countenance upon me and I shall neither want safety liberty nor majesty Give me that measure of patience and constancy which my condition now requires My strength is scattered my expectation from men defeated my Person restrained ô be not thou far from me lest my Enemies prevaile too much against me I am become a wonder and a scorne to many ô â—e thou my Helper and Defender Shew some token upon me for good that they â—hat hate me may be ashamed because thou Lord hast â—olpen and comforted me establish me with thy free Spirit that I may do and suffer thy will as thou â—ouldst have me Be mercifull to me ô Lord for my soule trusteth in thee yea and in the shadow of thy wings will â— make my refuge untill these calamities be overâ—â—st Arise to deliver me make no long tarrying ô â—y God Though thou killest me yet will I trust in thy mercy and my Saviours merit I know that my Redeemer liveth though thou leadest me through the vale and shadow of death yet shall I fear none ill 24. Vpon their denying His Majesty the Attendance of His Chaplaines VVHen Providence was pleased to deprive Me of all other Civill comforts and secular Attendants I thought the abscence of them all might best be supplied by the attendance of some of my Chaplains whom for their Function I reverence and for their Fidelity I have cause to love By their learning piety and prayers I hoped to be either better enabled to sustaine the want of all other enjoyments or better fitted for the recovery and use of them in Gods good time so reaping by their pious help a spirituall harvest of grace amidst the thornes and after the plowings of temporall crosses The truth is I never needed or desired more the service and assistance of men judiciously pious and soberly devout The solitude they have confined me unto adds the Wildernesse to my temptations for the company they obtrude upon me is more sad than any solitude can be If I had asked my Revenues my Power of the Militia or any one of my Kingdomes it had been no wonder to have been denied in those things where the evill policy of men forbids all just restitution lest they should confesse an injurious usurpation But to deny me the Ghostly comfort of my Chaplaines seemes a greater rigour and barbarity then is ever used by Christians to the meanest Prisoners and greatest Malefactors whom though the justice of the Law deprive of worldly comforts yet the mercy of Religion allows them the benefit of their Clergy as not aiming at once to destroy their Bodies and to damn their Soules But my Agony must not be relieved with the presence of any one good Angell for â—wich I account a Learned Godly and discreet Divine and such I would have all Mine to be They that envy my being a King are loath I â—â—ould be a Christian while they seek to deâ—rive me of all things else They are afraid I â—hould save my soule Other sense Charity it selfe can hardly pick out of those many harsh Repulses I received as to that request so often made for the attendance of some of my Chaplaines I have sometime thought the Unchristianâ—esse of those denialls might arise from a displeasure some men had to see me prefer my own Diuines before their Ministers whom though I â—uspect for that worth and piety which may be in them yet I cannot think them so proper for â—ny present Comforters or Physitians who have some of them at least had so great an influence â—n occasioning these calamities and inflicting these wounds upon me Nor are the soberest of them so apt for that devotionall compliance and juncture of hearts which I desire to bear in those holy Offices to be performed with me and for me since their judgements standing at a distance from me or in jealousie of me or in opposition against me their Spirits cannot so harmoniously accord with mine
these Tnmults and securing not only Our freedom in Parliament but Our very Persons in the streets I thought My self not bound by My presence to provoke them to higher boldnesse and contempts I hoped by My withdrawing to give time both for the Ebbing of their tumultuous fury and others regaining som degrees of modesty and sober sense Some may interpret it as an effect of Pusillanimity in any man for popular terrours to desert his publique station But I think it a hardinesse beyond true valour for a wise man to set him self against the breaking in of a Sea which to resist at present threatens imminent danger but to withdraw gives it space to spend its fury and gaines a fitter time to repaire the breach Certainly a Gallant man had rather sight to great disadvantages for number and place in the sield in an orderly way then skuffle with an undisciplined rabble Some suspected and affirmed that I meditated a Warre when I went from Whitehall only to redeem My Person and Conscience from violence God knowes I did not then thinke of a Warre Nor will any prudent man conceive that â— would by so many former and some after-acts have so much weakned my self if I had purposed to engage in a War which to decline by all means I denyed My self in so many particulars T is evident I had then no Army to flie unto foâ— protection or vindication Who can blame Me or any other for withdrawing our selves from the daily baitings oâ— the Tumults not knowing whether their furâ— and discontent might not fly so high as to worry and tear those in peices whom as yet they buâ— played with in their Pawes God who is Mâ— sole Judge is My Witnes in Heaven that I never had any thoughts of going from My Housâ— at Whitehall if I could have had but any reasonable fair Quarter I was resolved to bear much and did so but I did not think My self bound tâ— prostitute the Majesty of my place and Person the safety of My Wife and Children to those who are prone to insult most when they havâ— objects and opportunity most capable of theâ— rudenesse and petulancy But this businesse of the Tumults whereof some have given already an account to God others yet living know themselves desperately guilty Time and the guilt of many hath so smothered up and buried that I think it best to leave it as it is Onely I beleive the just Avenger of al disorders will in time make those men and that City see their sin in the glasse of their punishment 'T is more then an even-lay that they may one day see themselves punished by that way they offended Had this Parliament as it was in its first Election and constitution sate full and free the Members of both houses being left to their freedom of Voting as in all reason honour and Religion they should have bin I doubt not but things would have bin so carried as would have given no lesse content to all good men then they wished or expected For I was resolved to hear reason in all things to consent to it so far as I could comprehend it but as Swine are to Gardens and orderly Plantations so are Tumults to Parliaments and Plebeian concourses to publick Councels turning all into disorders and sordid confusions I am prone sometimes to think that had I called this Parliament to any other place in England as I might opportunly enough have don the sad consequences in all likelyhood with Gods blessing might have been prevented A Parliament would have bin welcom in any place no place afforded such confluence of various and vitious humours as that where it was unhappily convened But we must leave all to God who orders our disorders and magnifies his wisdom most when our follies and miseries are most discovered But thou O Lord art My refuge and defence to thee J may safely flie who rulest the raging of the Sea and the madnesse of the People The flouds O Lord the flouds are come in upon me and are readie to overwhelme me J look upon My sinnes and the sinnes of My people which are the tumults of our soules against thee O Lord as the iust cause of these popular inundations which thou permittest to overbeare all the banks of loyaltie modestie Lawes Justice and Religion But thou that gatheredst the waters into one place and madest the dry land to appeare and after did'â— asswage the floud which drowned the world by thâ— word of thy power Rebuke those beasts of thâ— People and deliver Me from the rudeness and strivingâ— of the multitude Restore we beseech thee unto us the freedomes oâ— our Councells and Parliaments make us unpassiâ—naâ—ly to see the light of reason and Religion anâ— wiâ—h all order and gravitie to follow it as it becomâ— Men and Christians so shall we praise thy name who art the God of Order and Councell What man cannot or will not repress thy â—mnipâ—tent Justice can and will O Lord give them that are yet living a timely sâ—â—ce and sorrow for their great siâ—ne whom thou knowest guiltie of raising or not suppressing those disorders Let shame here and not suffering hereafter be their punishment Set bounds to our passions by Reason to our errour by Truth to our seditions by lawes duly executed and to our schisms by Charitie that we may bâ— as thy Jerusalem a Citie at unitie in it selfe This grant O My God in thy good time for Iesus Christs sake Amen 5Vpon his Maiesties passing the bill for Trieniall Parliaments and after setling this during the pleasure of the two houses THat the world might be fully confirmed in My purposes at first to contribute what in Justice Reason Honour and Conscience I could to the happy successe of this Parliament which had in me no other designe but the generall Good of My Kingdoms I willingly passed the Bill for Trieniall Parliaments which as gentle and seasonablâ— Physick might if well applyed prevent any distempers from getting any head or prevailing especially if the remedy proved not a desease beyond all remedy I conceived this Parliament would sind work with convenient Recesses for the first 3. yeares But I did not imagine that some Men would thereby have occasioned more work then they found to do by undoing so much as they found well don to their hands Such is some mens activity that they will needs make worke rather then want it chuse to be doing amisse rather then doe nothing When that first Act seemed too scanty to satisfy some mens fears and compasse publick affairs I was perswaded to grant that BILL of Sitting during the pleasure of the Houses which amounted in some mens sense to as much as the perpetuating of this Parliament By this Act of highest confidence I hoped for ever to shut out and lock the door upon all present jealousies and future mistakes I confesse I did not thereby intend to shut My selfe out of doores as some men have now requited Me.
most self-punishing sin the Ingratitude of those who having eaten of our bread and being enriched with Our bounty have Scornfully lift up themselves against Vs and those of Our owne Houshold are become Our Enemies I pray God lay not their sin to their charge who think to satisfie all obligations to duty by their Corban of Religion and can lesse endure to see then to sin against their benefactours as well as their Soveraignes But even that policy of my Enemies is so far veniall as it was necessary to their designes by scandalous Articles and all irreverent demeanour to seek to drive her out of my Kingdomes lest by the influence of Her example eminent for love as a Wife and Loyalty as a Subject Shee should have converted to or retained in their love and Loyalty all those whom they had a purpose to pervert The lesse I may be blest with Her company the more I wil retire to God and my owne Heart whence no malice can banish Her My Enemies may envy but they can never deprive me of the enjoyment of her virtues while I enjoy my self Thou O Lord whose Iustice at present sees fit to scatter us let thy mercy in thy due time re unite us on earth if it be thy will however bring us both at last to thy heavenly Kingdome Preserve us from the hands of our despitefull and deadly Enemies and prepare us by our sufferings for thy presence Though we differ in some things as to Religion which is My greatest temporall infelicity yet Lord give and accept the sincerity of our affections which desire to seek to find to embrace every truth of thine Let both our Hearts agree in the love of thy selfe and Christ crucified for us Teach us both what thou wouldst have us to know in order to thy glory our publique relations and our soules eternall good and make us carefull to doe what good we know Let neither ignorance of what is necessary to be known nor unbelief or disobedience to what we know be our misery or our wilfull default Let not this great scandall of those my Subiects which professe the same Religion with me be any hindrance to her love of any Truth thou wouldst have her to learne nor any hardning of her in any errour thou wouldst have cleared to her Let mine and other mens constancy be an Antidote against the poyson of their example Let the Truth of that Religion I professe be represented to her Iudgement with all the beauties of Humility Loyalty Charity and Peaceablenesse which are the proper fruits ornaments of it Not in the odious disguises of levity Schisme Heresie Novelty Cruelty and Disloyalty which some mens practises have lately put upon it Let her see thy sacred and saving Truths as Thine that she may believe love and obey them as Thine cleared from all rust and drosse of humane mixtures That in the glasse of thy Truth shee may see thee in those mercies which thou hast offered to us in thy Son Iesus Christ our only Saviour serve thee in all thâ—se Holy duties which most agree with his Holy Doctrine and most imitable example The experience we have of the vanity and uncertainty of all humane glory and greatnesse in our scattering and eclypses let it make us both so much the more ambitious to be invested in those durable honours and perfections which are only to be found in thy selfe and obtained through Jesus Christ 8. Vpon His Maiesties repulse at Hull and the fates of the Hothams MY repulse at Hull seemed at the first view an act of so rude disloyalty that My greatest Enemies had scarce confidence enough to abett or owne it It was the first overt Essay to be made how patiently I could beare the Losse of My Kingdomes God knowes it affected me more with shame and sorrow for others then with anger for My â—elfe nor did the affront done to Me trouble Me so much as their sinne which admitted no colour or excuse I was resolved how to beare this and much more with patience But I foresaw they could hardly conteine themselves within the compasse of this one unworthy act who had effrontery enough to commit or countenance it This was but the hand of that cloud which was soone after to overspread the whole Kingdom and cast all into disorder and darknesse For 't is among the wicked Maximes of bold and disloyall Undertakers that bad actions must alwaies be seconded with worse and rather not be begun then not carried on for they think the retreat more dangerous then the assault hate repentance more then perseverance in a fault This gave me to see clearly through all the pious disguises and soft palliations of some men whose words were somtime smoother then oyl but now I saw they would prove very Swords Against which I having as yet no defence but that of a good conscience thought it my best pollicy with patience to bear what I could not remedy And in this I thank God I had the better of HOTHAM that no disdain or emotion of passion transported me by the indignitie of his carriage to do or say any thing unbeseeming my selfe or unsutable to that temper which in greatest injuries I think best becoms a Christian as coming nearest to the great example of Christ And indeed I desire alwayes more to remember I am a Christian than a King for what the Majesty of one might justly abhor the charity of the other is wiling to bear what the height of a King tempteth to revenge the humility of a Christian teacheth to forgive Keeping in compasse all those impotent passions whose excesse injures a man more then his greatest Enemies can for these give their malice a full impression on our soules which otherwaies cannot reach very farre nor do us much hurt I cannot but observe how God not long after so pleaded and avenged My cause in the eye of the world that the most wilfully blind cannot avoid the displeasure to see it and with some remorse and fear to own it as a notable stroke and prediction of divine vengeance For Sir Iohn Hotham unreproached unthreatned uncursed by any language or secret imprecation of Mine only blasted with the conscience of his own wickednesse and falling from one inconstancy to another not long after paies his owne and his eldest Sons heads as forfeitures of their disloyalty to those men from whom surely he might have expected another reward then thus to divide their heads from their bodies whose hearts with them were divided from their KING Nor is it strange that they who imployed them at first in so high a service and so successefull to them should not find mercy enough to forgive Him who had so much premerited of them For Apostacy unto Loyalty some men account the most unpardonable sinne Nor did a solitary vengeance serve the turne the cutting off one head in a Family is not enough to expiate the affront don to the head of the
commonweal The eldest son must be involved in the punishment as he was infected with the sinne of the Father against the Father of his country root branch God cuts off in one day These observations are obvious to every fancy God knows I was so far from rejoycing in the Hotham's ruine though it were such as were able to give the greatest thirst for revenge a ful draught being executed by them who first imployed him against Me that I so far pitied him as I thought he at first acted more against the light of his Conscience then I hope many other men do in the same cause For he was never thought to be of that superstitious sowrnesse which some men pretend to in matters of Religion which so darkens their judgment that they cannot see any thing of Sin and Rebellion in those means they use with intents to refrom to their Models what they call Religion who think all is Gold of piety which doth but glister with a shew of Zeale fervency Sir John Hotham was I think a man of another temper and so most liable to those downright temptations of ambition which have no cloak or cheat of religion to impose upon themselves or others That which makes me more pity him is that after he begun to have some inclinations towards a repentance for his sinne and reparations of his duty to Me He should be so unhappy as to fall into the hands of their Justice and not my Mercy who could as willingly have forgiven him as he could have asked that favour of Me. For I think clemency a debt which wee ought to pay to those that crave it when wee have cause to beleive they would not after abuse it since God himself suffers us not to pay any thing for his mercy but only prayers and praises Poor Gentleman he is now become a noteable monument of unprosperous disloyalty teaching the world by so sad and unfortunate a spectacle that the rude carriage of a Subject towards his Soveraigne carries alwayes its own vengeance as an unseparable shadow with it and those oft prove the most fatall and implacable Executioners of it who were the first imployers in the service After-times will dispute it whether Hotham were more infamous at Hull or at Tower-hill though 't is certain that no punishment so stains a mans Honour as wilfull perpetrations of unworthy actions which besides the conscience of the sin brands with most indelible characters of infamy the name memory to posterity who not engaged in the Factions of the times have the most impartiall reflections on the actions But thou O Lord who hast in so remarkable a way avenged thy servant suffer me not to take any secret pleasure in it for as his death hath satisfyed the iniury he did to me so let me not by it gratifie any passion in me lest I make thy vengeance to be mine consider the affront against me more then the sinne against thee Thou indeed without any desire or endeavour of mine hast made his mischief to return on his own head and his violent dealing to come down on his own pate Thou hast pleaded my cause even before the sons of men and taken the matter into thine own hands that men may know it was thy work and see that thou Lord hast done it I do not I dare not say so let mine enemies perish O Lord yea Lord rather give them repentance pardon and impunity if it be thy blessed will Let not thy iustice prevent the obiects and opportunities of my mercy yea let them live and amend who have most offended me in so high a nature that I may have those to forgive who beare most proportion in their offences to those trespasses against thy Maiesty which I hope thy mercy hath forgiven me Lord lay not their sins who yet live to their charge for condemnation but to their consciences for amendment Let the lightning of this Thunderbolt which hath been so severe a punishment to one be a torrour to all Discover to them their sinne who know not they have done amisse and scare them from their sinne that sin of malicious wickednesse That preventing thy Iudgements by their true repentance they may escape the strokes of thine eternall vengeance And do thou O Lord establish the Throne of thy servant in mercy and truth meeting together let my Crown ever flourish in righteousnesse and peace kissing each other Heare my prayer O Lord who hast taught us to pray for to do good to and to love our Enemies for thy sake who hast prevented us with offertures of thy love even when we were thine Enemies and hast sent thy Son Iesus Christ to die for us when we were disposed to crucifie him 9. Vpon the listing and raising Armies against the King I Finde that I am at the same point and posture I was when they forced Me to leave White-Hall what Tumults could not doe an Army must which is but Tumults listed and enrolled too a better order but as bad an end My recesse hath given them confidence that I may be conquered And so I easily may as to any outward strength which God knowes is little or none at all But I have a Soule invincible through Gods grace enabling Me here I am sure to be Conqueror if God will give Me such a measure of Constancy as to feare him more then man and to love the inward peace of My Conscience before any outward tranquility And must I be opposed with force because they have not reason wherewith to convince Me O My Soule be of good courage they confesse their knowne weaknesse as to truth and Justice who choose rather to contend by Armies then by Arguments Is this the reward and thanks that I am to receive for those many Acts of Grace I have lately passed and for those many Indignities I have endured Is there no way left to make Me a glorious KING but by My sufferings It is a hard and disputable choice for a King that loves his People and desires their love either to kill his own Subjects or to be killed by them Are the hazards and miseries of Civill War in the bowels of My most flourishing Kingdome the fruits I must now reap after 17. years living and reigning among them with such a measure of Justice Peace Plenty and Religion as all Nations about either admired or envied notwithstanding some miscarriages in Government which might escape rather through ill counsell of some men driving on their private ends or the peevishnes of others envying the publike should be managed without them or the hidden and insuperable necessities of State then any propensity I hope of my selfe either to injuriousnes or oppression Whose innocent bloud during My Reign have I shed to satisfie My lust anger or covetousnes what Widdowes or Orphans tears can witnesse against me the just cry of which must now be avenged with My own bloud For the hazards of War are equall nor doth the
an account of every evill anâ— idle word in private at thy tribunall Lord maâ— me carefull of those solemne Declarations of mâ— minde which are like to have the greatest influent upon the Publique either for woe or weale The lesse others consider what they aske make 〈◊〉 the more solicitous what I answer Though Mine owne and My Peoples pressurâ— are grievous and peace would be very pleasing yet Lord never suffer Me to avoid the one or purchase the other with the least expense or wasteâ— My Conscience whereof thou O Lord oneâ— art deservedly more Master then My selfe 12 Vpon the Rebellion and troubles in Ireland THe Commotions in Ireland were so sudden and so violent that it was hard at first either to discerne the rise or apply a remedy to that precipitant rebellion Indeed that Sea of bloud which hath there bin cruelly barbarously shed is enough to drown any man in eternall both infamy and misery whom God shall find the malicious Author or Instigator of its effusion It fell out as a most unhappy advantage to some mens malice against me that when they had impudence enough to lay any thing to my charge this bloudy opportunity should be offered them with which I must be aspersed Although there was nothing which could be more abhorred to me being so full of sin against God disloyalty to my selfe and destructive to my Subjects Some men took it very ill not to be believed when they affirmed that what the Irish Rebells did was done with my privitie at least if not by my Commission But these knew too well â—hat it is no newes for some of my Subjects to â—ight not only without my Commission but against my Command and Person too yet all the while to pretend they fight by my Authoriâ—y and for my safety I would to God the Irish had nothing to a ledge for their imitation against those who blame must neede be the greater by how muâ— Protestant Principles are more against all Râ—bellion against Princes then those of Papiâ— Nor wil the goodnes of mens intentions excâ— the scandall contagion of their Examples But who ever fail of their Duty toward me must bear the blame this Honour my Enemiâ— have always don me to think moderate injuriâ— not proportionate to me nor competent trialâ— either of my patience under them or my pardâ— of them Therefore with exquisite malice they haâ— mixed the gall vinegar of falsity contemâ— with the cup of My Afflicton Charging Me 〈◊〉 only with untruths but such as wherein I haâ— the greatest share of losse dishonour by whâ— is committed whereby in all Policy Reasoâ— and religion having least cause to give the leâ— consent and most grounds of utter detestation might be represented by them to the world 〈◊〉 more inhumane barbarous Like some Câ— clopick monster whom nothing will serve to 〈◊〉 and drink but the flesh and bloud of my owâ— Subjects in whose common welfare my inâ—rest lies as much as som mens doth in their peâ—turbations who think they cannot do well 〈◊〉 in evill times nor so cunningly as in laying 〈◊〉 odium of those sad events on others where wâ— themselves are most pleas'd whereof they haâ— bin not the least occasion And certainly t is thought by many wife men that the preposterous rigour and unreasonable severity which some men carried before them in England was not the least incentive that kindled and blew up into those horrid flames the sparks of discontent which wanted not pre-disposed fewell for Rebellion in Ireland where despaire being added to their former discontents and the fears of utter extirpation to their wonted oppressions it was easie to provoke to an open Rebellion a people prone enough to break out to all exorbitant violence both by some Principles of their Religion and the naturall desires of liberty both to exempt themselves from their present restraints and to prevent those after rigours wherewith they saw themselves apparently threatned by the covetous zeal and uncharitable fury of some men who think it a great argument of the Truth of their Religion to endure no other but their own God knowes as I can with Truth wash my hands in Innocency as to any guilt in that rebellion so I might wash them in my Tears as to the sad apprehensions I had to see it spread so farre and make such waste And this in a time when distractions and jealousies here in Eugland made most men rather intent to their owne safety or designes they were driving then to the reliefe of those who were every day inhumanely butchered in IRELAND Whose â—eares and bloud might if nothing else have quenched or at least for a time repressed aâ— smothered those sparks of Civill dissentions 〈◊〉 Jealousies which in England some men moâ— industriously scattered I would to God no man had been lesse affectâ— with Irelands sad estate than my self I offerâ— to go my self in Person upon that expedition But some men were either afraid I should haâ— any one Kingdome quieted or loath they weâ— to shoot at any mark here lesse then my selfâ— or that any shonld have the glory of my destrâ—ction but themselves Had my many offers bâ— accepted I am confident neither the ruine hâ— bin so great nor the calamity so long nor tâ— remedy so desperate So that next to the sin of those who began thâ— Rebellion theirs must needs be who either hiâ—dred the speedy suppressing of it by domestiâ— dissentions or diverted the Aides or exasperâ—ted the Rebells to the most desperate resoluâ—ons and actions by threatning al extremities nâ— only to the known heads chief incendiaryâ— but even to the whole community of that Naâ—on Resolving to destroy Root and Branch Meâ— Women and Children without any regard 〈◊〉 those usuall pleas for mercy which Couquâ—rours not wholly barbarous are wont to heaâ— from their owne breasts in behalfe of thosâ— whose oppressive fears rather then their mâ— lice engaged them or whose imbecility fâ— Sex and Age was such as they could neithâ— lift up a hand against them nor distinguish between their right hand their left Which preposterous and I think un-evangelical Zeale is too like that of the rebuked Disciples who would go no lower in their revenge then to call for fire from Heaven upon whole Cityes for the repulse or neglect of a few or like that of Iacobs sons which the Father both blamed and cursed chusing rather to use all extremityes which might drive men to desperate obstinacy then to apply moderate remedies such as might punish some with exemplary justice yet disarm others with tenders of mercy upon their submission our protection of them from the fury of those who would soon drown them if they refused to swim down the popular stream with them But some kind of Zeal counts all merciful moderation luke-warmnesse and had rather be cruell then counted cold is not seldome more greedy to kill the Bear for his skin then for any harm
honour liberty power credit safety or estate those other comforts of dearest relations which are as the life of our lives Though as a KING I think My selfe to live in nothing temporall so much as in the love and good-will of My People for which as I have suffered many deaths so I hope I am not in that point as yet wholly dead notwithstanding My Enemies have used all the poyson of falsity and violence of hostility to destroy first the love and Loyalty which is in My Subjects and then all that content of life in Me which from these I chiefly enjoyed Indeed they have left Me but little of life and only the husk and shell as it were which their further malice and cruelty can take from Me having bereaved Me of all those worldly comforts for which life it selfe seems desirable to men But O My Soule think not that life too long or tedious wherein God gives thee any opportunities if not to doe yet to suffer with such Christian patience and magnanimity in a good Cause a sare the greatest honour of our lives and the best improvement of our deaths I know that in point of true Christian valour it argues pusillanimity to desire to die out of wearinesse of life and a want of that heroick greatnesse of spirit which becomes a Christian in the patient and generous sustaining those afflictions which as shaddows necessarily attend us while we are in this body and which are lessened or enlarged as the Sun of our prosperity moves higher or lower whose totall absence is best recompensed with the dew of Heaven The assaults of affliction may be terrible like Sampson's Lyon but they yeeld much sweetnesse to those that dare to encounter and overcome them who know how to overlive the witherings of their Gourds without discontent or peevishnesse while they may yet converse with God That I must dye as a man is certain that I may dye a King by the hands of My own Subjects a violent sodain barbarous death in the strength of my years in the midst of My Kingdoms My Friends and loving Subjects being helples Spectators My Enemies insolent Revilers and Triumphers over me living dying dead is so probable in humane reason that God hath taught me not to hope otherwise as to mans cruelty however I despair not of Gods infinite marcy I know my life is the object of the Devils wicked mens malice but yet under Gods sole custody and disposall Whom I do not think to flatter for longer life by seeming prepared to dye but I humbly desire to depend upon him and to submit to his will both in Life and death in what order soever he is pleased to lay them out to me I confesse it is not easie for me to contend with those many horrors of death wherewith God suffers me to be tempted which are equally horrid either in the suddennesse of a barbarous Assasination or in those greater formalities whereby my Enemies being more solemnly cruell will it may be seek to add as those did who Crucified Christ the mockery of Justice to the cruelty of malice That I may be destroyed as with greater pomp and artifice so with les pitty it wil be but a necessary pollicy to make my death appeare as an act of Justice don by Subjects upon their Soveraigne who know that no Law of God or Man invests them with any power of Judicature without me much lesse against me and who being sworn and bound by all that is sacred before God and Man to endeavour my preservation must pretend Justice to cover their perjury It is indeed a sad fate for any man to have his Enemies to be Accusers Parties and Judges but most desperate when this is acted by the insolence of Subjects against their Soveraigne wherein those who have had the chiefest hand and are most guilty of contriving the publike Troubles must by shedding my blood seem to wash their owne hands of that innocent bloud whereof they are now most evidently guilty before God and Man and I beleive in their own Consciences too while they carried on unreasonable Demands First by Tumults after by Armies Nothing makes meane spirits more towardly-cruel in managing their usurped power against their lawfull Superiours than this the Guilt of their uniust Usurpation notwithstanding those specious and popular pretensions of Justice against Delinquents applyed only to disguize at first the monstrousnesse of their designs who despaired indeed of possessing the power and profits of the Vineyeard till the heire whose right it is be cast out and slaine With them my greatest fault must be that I would not either destroy My selfe with the Church and State by my Word or not suffer them to do it unresisted by the Sword whose covetous ambition no Concessions of Mine could ever yet either satisfie or abate Nor is likely they will ever think that Kingdome of brambles which some men seek to erect at once weak sharp and fruitlesse either to God or Man is like to thriue till watred with the Royal bloud of those whose right the Kingdom is Wel Gods will be don I doubt not but my Innocency will find him both my protectour and my Advocate who is my only Iudge whom I owne as King of Kings not onely for the eminency of his power and Majesty above them but also for that singular care and protection which he hath over them who knows them to be exposed to as many dangers being the greatest Patrons of Law Justice Order Religion on earth as there be either men or Devills which love confusion Nor will he suffer those Men long to prossper in their Babel who build it with the bones and cement it with the bloud of their Kings I am confident they will find Avengers of my death amongst themselves the injuries I have susteined from them shall be first punished by them who agreed in nothing so much as in opposing Me. Their impatience to bear the loud cry of My bloud shall make them thinke no way better to expiate it than by shedd ing theirs who with them most thirsted after Mine The sad confusions following my destruction are already presaged and confirmed to Me by those I have lived to see since My troubles in which God alone who only could hath many wayes pleaded my cause not suffering them to go unpuin shed whose confederacy in sin was their only security who have cause to fear that God wil both further divide and by mutual vengeance afterwards destroy them My greatest conquest of Death is from the power and love of Christ who hath swallow'd up death in the Victory of his Resurrection and the glory of his Ascention My next comfort is that he gives me not onely the honour to imitate his example in suffering for righteousnesse sake though obscured by the foulest charges of Tyranny and injustice but also that charity which is the noblest revenge upon and victory over My Destroyers By which I thank God
I can both forgive them pray for them that God would not impute My bloud to them further then to convince them what need they have of Christs bloud to wash their soules from the guilt of shedding Mine At present the will of My Enemies seems to be their only rule their power the measure and their successe the Exactor of what they please to call Justice while they flatter themselves with the fancy of their owne safety by my danger and the security of their lives and designes by My Death forgetting that as the greatest temptations to sinne are wrapped up in seeming prosperities so the severest vengeance of God are then most accomplished when men are suffered to compleat their wicked purposes I blesse God I pray not so much that this bitter cup of a violent death may passe from Me as that of his warth may passe from all those whose hands by deserting Me are sprinkled or by acting and consenting to My death are embrued with My bloud The will of God hath confined and concluded Mine I shall have the pleasure of dying without any pleasure of desired vengeance This I think becomes a Christian toward his Enemies and a King toward his subjects They cannot deprive Me of more than I am content to lose when God sees fit by their hands to take it from me whose mercy I believe will more then infinitely recompence what ever by mans injustice he is pleased to deprive me of The glory attending my death will farre surpasse all I could enjoy or conceive in life I shall not want the heavy and envyed Crownes of this world when my God hath mercifully Crowned and Consummated his graces with Glory and exchanged the shadows of my earthly Kingdomes among men for the substance of that Heavenly Kingdom with himselfe For the censures of the world I know the sharpe and necessary tyranny of my Destroyers will sufficiently confute the calumnies of tyranny against me I am perswaded I am happy in the judicious love of the ablest and best of my Subjects who doe not onely pity and pray for me but would be content even to dye with me or for me These know how to excuse my failings as a man and yet to retaine and pay their duty to me as their King there being no religious necessity binding any Subjects by pretending to punish infinitely to exceede the faults and errours of their Princes especially there where more then sufficient satisfaction hath been made to the publike the enjoyment of which private ambitions have hitherto frustrated Others I beleive of softer tempers and lesse advantaged by my ruine doe already feel sharp convictions and some remorse in their consciences where they cannot but see the proportions of their evill dealings against me in the measure of Gods retaliations upon them who cannot hope long to enjoy their owne thumbs and toes having under pretence of paring others nails bin so cruell as to cut off their chiefest strength The punishment of the more insolent and obstinat may be like that of Korah and his complices at once mutining against both Prince and Priest in such a method of divine justice as is not ordinary the earth of the lowest and meanest people opening upon them and swallowing them up in a just disdain of their ill-gotten and worse-used Authority upon whose support and strength they cheifly depended for their building and establishing their designes against me the Church and State My chiefest comfort in death consists in My peace which I trust is made with God before whose exact tribunall I shal not fear to appear as to the Cause so long disputed by the sword between me and my causlesse Enemies where I doubt not but his righteous judgment wll conâ—ute their fallacy who from worldly successe â—rather like Sophisters than sound Christians â—raw those popular conclusions for Gods apâ—robation of their actions whose wise proviâ—ence we know oft permits many events which â—s revealed word the only clear safe and fixed rule of good actions good consciences in no sort approves I am confident the Justice of My Cause and clearnesse of my conscience before God and toward my people wil carry me as much above them in Gods decision as their successes have lifted them above me in the vulgar opinion who consider not that many times those undertakings of men are lifted up to heaven in the prosperity and applause of the world whose rise is from Hell as to the injuriousnesse and oppression of the designe The prosperous winds which oft fill the sayles of Pyrates doth not justifie their piracy and rapine I look upon it with infinite more content and quiet of Soule to have been worsted in my enforced contestation for and Vindication of the Laws of the Land the freedome and honour of Parliaments the rights of My Crown the just liberty of My Subjects and the true Christian Religion in its Doctrine Government and due encouragements then if I had with the greatest advantages of successe overborn them all as some men have now evidently done whatever designes they at first pretended The prayers and patience of my Freinds and loving Subjects will contribute much to the sweetning of this bitter cup which I doubt not but I shall more cheerefuly take and drink as from Gods hand if it must be so than they can give it me whose hands are unjustly and barbarously lifted up against me And as to the last event I may seeme to owe more to my Enemies than my Freinds while those will put a period to the finnes and sorrows attending this miserable life wherewith these desire I might still contend I shall be more then Conquerour through Christ enabling me for whome I have hitherto suffered as he is the Authour of Truth Order and Peace for all which I have beene forced to contend against Errour Faction and confusion If I must suffer a violent death with my Saviour it is but mortality crowned with martyrdome where the debt of death which I owe for sinne to nature shall be raised as a gift of faith and patience offered to God Which I humbly beseech him mercifully to accept and although Death be the wages of my owne sinne as from God and the effect of other sinnes as men both against God and me yet as I hope my owne sinnes are so remitted that they shall be no ingredients to imbitter the cup of my death so I desire God to pardon their sinnes who are most guilty of my destruction The Trophees of my charity will be more glorious and durable over them than their ill-managed victories over me Though their sin be prosperous yet they had need to be penitent that they may be pardoned Both which I pray God they may obtaine that my temporall Death unjustly inflicted by them may not be revenged by Gods just inflicting eternall death upon them for I look upon the temporall destruction of the greatest King as far lesse deprecable than the eternall damnation of the meanest