and Collonel Sidney professeth boldly that he dies a Martyr that Old Cause in which he had from his Youth been trained up The Dissenters esteem him no less Now do I appeal to themselves if they do not think the Cause for which he Glories that he died a Martyr a Righteous Cause Nay and Gods Righteous Cause too If they do not think so why do they so zealously embrace and so far as they may without danger of the Laws encourage support and defend it by continuing so pertinaciously in their Separation the very Badge and distinguishing Character of those who have devoted themselves to it Most assuredly if they did not think so of it they would for ever abandon it And if they do think and believe that it is Gods Righteous Cause they will judge themselves under the most powerful Obligations in the World upon occasion offered to be assistant with their Persons or Purses to maintain it and even to fight the Lords Battels against the Mighty And were it possible to keep the Two Devils of Fear and Dissimulation from jogging their Elbows and pulling them by the Sleeves to make them conceal the depth of their Hearts I do strongly assure my self that they would boldly tell the World and proclaim it by the sound of Trumpet and beat of Drum That they esteem nothing they possess not their very Lives too precious if they may be instrumental in carrying on the Glorious Reformation of the Old Cause And here are the Dimensions of this late Conspiracy the depth and breadth of the Plot which Walcot mentions which is not one hairs breadth narrower or one inch shallower than the united Strength Power and Interest of the whole Faction of the Dissenters who would once again have adventured not only Bodkins and Thimbles Plate Money Horses and Arms but their Lives also to set up this Golden Calf of their Old Cause had not God been more Gracious and Merciful to them and the whole Nation than to suffer them by Success in this Wicked Enterprize to run headlong to our Ruine and their own Damnation Let it suffice That all Wise Men know that the strength of this detestable Conspiracy was built upon no other Foundation than the Hopes and Confidence which the Traytors had from some of the Principal of them of the Assistance the Vigorous Unanimous Assistance of the Dissenters and that all Good Honest and Loyal men believe it nay that they who seem most to dispute or doubt it are conscious to themselves of their own good wishes not only to the Principal Traytors but even to the Treason and since it is well known they have long ago abandoned all shame for such Imputations nothing but the disappointment of their hopes and expectations could be the Cause of that Universal damp consternation amazement and dejection which were so visibly painted in their Faces that one might know them by those Marks from other men as they walk't the Streets And though they are somthing recovered out of the trance of their Sorrows and have reassumed some part of their wonted courage and confidence yet even that courage betrays their guilt whilest they wholly imploy it to discredit all belief of the truth of this Conspiracy And it is almost impossible to give a more infallible Demonstration for the certainty of any thing in this World than for this and that they must of necessity be in some sort or other Guilty themselves who Ridicule Extenuate Palliate Applaud Justifie and use all the Arts imaginable not only to make their Party appear Innocent but to make the whole Plot an Artifice and a Contrivance and to arraign the Supreme Power and the Justice of the Nation as Guilty by the Condemnation and Execution of the Principal Traytors and Accomplices in the Treason And certainly they have no thoughts of abhorrence and detestation of such black and execrable Villanies nor any intentions to abandon them who do so warmly hugg and cherish the only Cause of this and so many other Treasons Plots and Conspiracies both against the late King and his present Majestie their wicked Principle of Separation which is the Mother of all those Seditions Insurrections and Rebellions which to their cost these Nations have so often felt For when Men have once separated themselves from the Ecclesiastical they do at the same instant cut the Cords and Ligaments of Obedience to the Civil Government they by usurping Soveraign Power to dispense with the Obligation of any one Law bid open defiance to the very Essence of all Laws and without the consent of King Lords and Commons undertake to Abrogate Repeal and make not only void but unlawful and unjust and intolerable such Acts of Parliament as were by the Common Consent of the King and the Three Estates of the Realm Enacted to retain the Subjects in their due Obedience and cannot without shocking the very Foundations of the Government be cancelled by any other Authority than that which at first gave them being So that they are in actual Rebellion even at the first step though not in actual Arms and open Hostility against the King the Laws and the very Constitution and Life of the Government which consists in the Power and Authority of making Laws and exacting Obedience to them Now this disobedience to the Laws and thereby disowning the Authority which made them naturally leads the transgressors to fear the Penalties of those Laws which they have violated and to dread the threatning edge of the Sword of Justice the Guardian of those Laws with which the Supreme Magistrate is by God intrusted to punish the Disobedient and preserve the Peace and Tranquillity of Human Society Now Fear is only so much the Elder Brother of Hatred as Esau was to Jacob that smooth Supplanter ever lays hold of the Heel of its hairy Brother and when men are once advanced to hate what they fear they do immediately proceed to wish desire and indeavour to put themselves out of the reach of danger from what they both fear and hate When these two Passions thus adopted into the Family of Religion have once taken full possession of Mens Minds it is not long before they Precipitate them into the Search of all Ways and Contrivances how to secure themselves which because they cannot immediately obtain they presently fall to accusing the Laws of Injustice and the Magistrates of Tyranny and Persecution that so their disobedience may find a Refuge under the shelter of their pretended Innocence for which they can have no other Foundation but the Charging the Laws themselves with want of Equity and Justice Nor is the Government only to be thus accused as unrighteous and despised as unjust and obedience to its Laws renounced as unlawful but their fear and hatred put them upon all the Out-side Acts of Hypocritical Piety and dissembled Sanctity that by them they may win both Pity and gain a Party and so intrench themselves in the Fortifications of Numbers hoping for
1646. Presbyt One may now with half an Eye see what you would be at You have got the Sword and you will Govern with it Your Insolencies are plain Evidences of your Intentions One of your Prophane Crew the last Sabbath gave up a Bill at Mr. Calamie's Church in these Words You are desired to remember in your Prayers the Sick and Weak Estate of those Priest-Ridden Slaves that went about to gather Hands to the Petition for Disbanding of Sir Thomas Fairfax's Army Real Persecution or the Foundation of a general Toleration displaid Collected out of the Libels of Sectaries against Presbyterian Ministers Printed Feb. 1. 1646. Indep Does that make you start Nay then you shall have more I 'le shew you the Nativity and Fortune of your Dear Friend Sir John Presbyter and his Son Sir Simon Synod 'T was e'en the Devil made the Urchin Sir John Presbyter a poor Abject Fugitive newly come out of Scotland but his Life is like neither to be good nor long he will be brought to some untimely End perhaps Hanging his Teeth and Nails must be pluck'd out and cut off by an Independent Barber that hereafter he may never Bite or Scratch more for these all hate a Tithe-devouring Priest as they hate the Devil And for your Synod it will soon be dissolved and the Devil chained up Reverend Assembly up arise and jogg For you have fairely fish'd and catch'd a Frogg Now you have sate four years pray can you tell A man the way that Christ went down to Hell In all this time what can a Wise Man think That you have done ought else but eat and drink Presbytery climb'd up to th' top of Fame Directory and all from Scotland came O monstrous Idleness alack and welly Our Learned Clergy mind nought but their Belly Real Persecution c. And to be short with you National Churches under the Gospel are of Anti-Christs setting up Your present Church is a true Whorish Mother and you are her Bastardly Children your Worship is of the Devil and Anti-Christs Invention Institution and Setting up and to convince you what you are to trust to precious Mr. Peters and some others met with Mr. Lilburn the other day at the Wind-mill Tavern where he moved to Petition the Parliament for the present Dissolving of your Assembly and sending them home to their Country Cures And you know what an influence that Godly Man hath upon the Army and Parliament Fresh discovery c. supra citat Presbyt Hugh Peter I know that Turncoat full well Look you here and you shall see him in his Canonical Habit and by his Scantling you may take a measure of your Party and what Credit or Faith is to be given to Men whose Consciences are made of Weathercock-Metal Here 's a Letter which Mr. Pryn avers he found in the late Arch-Bishop of Canterburie's Study written with Hugh's own Hand and thus indorsed by the Arch-Bishop viz. Mr. Hugh Peter's Submission before the Bishop of London Aug. 17. 1627. Which shews what a profligate faithless Wretch that main Pillar of your Religion is Indep Come I know Mr. Peters must write Excellently let 's hear it otherwise I shall believe you abuse both him and me Presbyt Then thus it was penned Right Reverend Father in God and My very Good Lord Being required to make known to your Lordship my Judgment concerning some things propounded at my last being before your Lordship from which Propositions though I never dissented nor know any cause why I should be suspected Yet being ready and willing to obey your Lordship in all things especially in so just a demand as this I have consulted Antiquity and with our Modern Hooker and others and humbly desire your Lordship to accept the satisfaction following First For the Church of England in General I bless God I am a Member of it I was Baptized in it and am not only most assured it is a True Church but I am perswaded it is the most Glorious and Flourishing Church this day under the Sun which I desire to be truly thankful for and for the Faith Doctrine Articles of that Church and the Maintenance of them I hope the Lord will enable me to contend tanquam pro Aris Focis yea I trust to lay down my Life if I were thereunto called Secondly For the Governors and Government thereof viz. The Reverend Fathers the Arch-Bishops and Bishops I acknowledge their Office and Jurisdictions and cannot see but there would follow a fearful Ataxy without the present Government whereof I so approve that I have and do willingly submit to it and have and will press the same upon others Thirdly For the Ceremonies that are in use among us as I have already Subscribed so I shall diligently and daily Practise neither have I ever been accused for neglect therein where I have formerly exercised my Ministerial Function but to them do give my full approbation and allowance Fourthly For the Book of Common-Prayer the Liturgie of the Church and what is in them contained finding them agreeable to the Word of God I have used as other Ministers have done and am resolved so to do and have not been refractory in this particular at any time nor do intend to be God willing And to these I subscribe with my heart and hand humbly submitting them and my self to your Lordships pleasure Your Lordships in all Humble Service Hugh Peter Fresh Discovery c. supra citat Indep O! This was written in the Days of his Blindness but the Lord hath Inlightened him better now Presbyt Oh! What Illuminations spring from Perjury and the Power of the Sword Does he not tell you he had studied Antiquity and the Modern Writers too Does he not ex animo and from Deliberation of his Judgment tell you he was satisfied in every particular of the Prelatical Government And yet who has done more to destroy it Root and Branch Was he not a Professed Presbyterian till Independency got the Weather-Gage and then he tacks about too So that he must be either a most Notorious Liar and Hypocrite in this Letter to the Bishop or a most impious Wretch to go against the Dictates of his Conscience in overthrowing the most Glorious and Flourishing Church under the Sun and fighting against Her tanquam pro Aris Focis instead of laying down his Life for her and therefore e'en take him among you we shall know you better by the Company you keep than by any other Wayes Indep Well so let it be if he had not known you we had never had him but Experience hath made more than him Wise he is sufficiently acquainted with your Gorbellied Idol of Presbyterie and the Dissembly Doctors to have any thing more to do with them than to tell them That they would do the State better Service with their Canonical Girdles were the Knot tied in the Right place or if that be too severe to wish them to Adjourn to Bedlam where as the
Murdered him but also by not hindring and preventing the doing of it For it is a most certain Truth Qui non prohibet cum potest jubet For instance Two Thieves bind an honest Man and rob him one is for dispatching him out of the way that he may not ever be in a capacity to prosecute them the other pretends he does not so well approve of that last Extremity while they are in the contest the honest Mans Servant comes up and finding his Master in that condition puts himself in a posture to attempt his Rescue now he who was pretendedly against the Murder though he could well enough dispence with the Robbery if he had meant sincerely ought rather to have assisted the Loyal Servant in his Generous and Dutiful Design and it had then been easie to have delivered the despoiled Prisoner at least from the danger of Death but instead of this he joyns with his former Companion and assists him first to dispatch the Servant who indeavoured his Masters Deliverance and then sits him down while his Companion sends his Fetter'd Master to keep him Company Now do I appeal to God and Men whether both these men were not involved in equal guilt as well he who help'd to bind disarm and rob the Master and opposed the honest indeavour of his Servant to deliver him as he who actually imbrued his Hands in their innocent Blood The Case is exactly the same but under this more hainous aggravation that Royal Blood is much more valuable and Sacred than that which runs in Common veins The Zealous Presbyterian Saints began the late Rebellion and the Independents and other Schismaticks being associated with them in that Traiterous Combination or the Solemn League and Covenant they joyntly and unanimously prosecuted the War and by murdering of such of his Loyal Subjects as out of Duty and Conscience came to his assistance having subdued his Forces they got his Person into their Power The Independents having in the mean time gotten the Ascendant of Power over the Presbyterians were absolutely for assuring their Usurpation by the King's death on the other side the Presbyterians more out of detestation of the Independents who now began to deride their Discipline and have their Blew-Cap-Reformation as they termed it in the utmost contempt and hatred than out of true Loyalty and Duty to the King were for shackling of His Majesty with Parliament Fetters and so to let him live hoping under the protection of his Authority and Name to re-establish their own Power and subdue the Independents And for this purpose was all the noise of a Personal Treaty with the King during his Confinement at Cairsbrook Castle in the Isle of Wight in which if they had meant honourably and sincerely they might have had such Conditions as would have brought sufficient advantage and reputation both to their Cause and Interest But so stiff were they in their Demands and so cautious to put strong and lasting Fetters upon His Majesty that the whole Treaty came to nothing In the mean time the Royalists seeing the gasping condition of the King and Monarchy and that nothing but the most abject Vassallage was to be expected from those Men who were resolved to make their King a Royal Slave they summoned their scattered Force to make one Vigorous Attempt for his deliverance Now had the Presbyterians joyned in that generous Design in all humane probability the King had been rescued from his Captivity among the Independents by which means they might have obtained honourable Conditions of Oblivion Security and Accommodation for the Present and Reputation for the Future But so far were they from this that mortally hating the Loyal Party they contributed all that lay in their power to assist the Independent Army under Fairfax or indeed Cromwel for the other was but a Cypher utterly to ruine and subdue the slender Remains of Loyalty which had taken Arms in Kent and Essex which when it was accomplished by the surrender of Colchester and the Execution of the Noble Capel Lisle and Lucas the Independents fell presently upon their Bloody Project of cutting off the King and subverting the Monarchy which they also effected the Presbyterians all this while sitting still and looking on Whereas had they ever heartily opposed such a detestable Wickedness their Party was then so considerable that with the Addition of the Loyal Interest which was not so dead but that upon the least hope it would have revived and joyned them they might have given such a shock to the Independent Faction that they would difficultly if ever have been able to accomplish or execute their Execrable Design against the Life of the King but so far were they from this that there was not the least Attempt to oppose the Traytors or prevent the Treason Nay had the Rabble of the City and Suburbs which were much at the Devotion of the Presbyterian Interest had but half so much Zeal to hurry down to Westminster to oppose the Murder of the King as they had before times to oppose him and cry up Priviledge of Parliament in the beginning of the Tumults it is very disputable whether Cromwel with all his black Myrmidons would have had the Courage to strike the Fatal Stroke But the Presbyterians are only Couragious in Rebellion but perfect Cowards in the Cause of Loyalty But to these little palliating shifts to which the Presbyterians and Independents have been reduced to varnish and guild over their Infamous Actions they have now very lately found out another and that is to vindicate themselves by charging the whole Contrivance and Execution of this hellish Murder of the late King upon the Papists And though nothing in the World is more ridiculous or remote from the truth in most demonstrable Matter of Fact yet it is incredible how much the belief of this senseless Fiction and Romance has gained upon this new Generation of the Vulgar Proselytes of the Dissenters And I speak it of my own knowledge that in Discourse with divers of them when I have made use of this Argument of the Wickedness and Infamy of the most Eminent Patrons of their Religion who as Mr. Baxter confesses of himself when he tells us I have been in the heat of my Zeal so forward to Changes and Ways of Blood that I fear God will not let me have a hand in the Building of his Church Hypocrisie unveil'd R. Baxter 's Letters to Dr. Hill pag. 11. must needs be ill men and worse Guides to Heaven and have from their guilt of the Kings Blood indeavoured to reclaim them from following the Witchcraft of such dangerous Principles and to bring them home to the Communion of the Loyal and Primitively obedient Church of England I have been amazed to hear with what confidence they have vindicated their Leaders and Party from the least share or imputation of the guilt of that Horrid Murder and averred with as much confidence that the late King was murdered by the
Chap. 3. Ver. 7. and Chap. 33. Ver. 7 8. And you are to give timely and serious warning to the Superior Magistrates Esa Chap. 58. Ver. 1. Cry aloud spare not lift up your voices like Trumpets to Advise Preach Petition to purpose our most Noble and Honorable Parliamentary Worthies to put in serious zealous and speedy Execution this God-pleasing Wrath-appeasing Work of Severity and exactly punishing all Grand Offenders and Arch-Adversaries of God and the Kingdom whosoever they be Then he reminds them that Justice was done on the Earl of Strafford by the City of London's means who about two years since with an Unanimous and Zealous consent Assembled gravely and advisedly together and in a sober and substantial manner by their most humble Petition craving and crying out for Justice against that pernicious Traytor and Cruel Crafty Enemy of the State the Earl of Strafford accordingly obtained the thing desired And now he comes to intitle God to this Bloody Divinity and as if he had adored some of the inhumane Idols of the Pagans to bespeak Hecatombs of Humane Sacrifices to honor and serve him with Say saith he What Honor and Dignity hath been done to God for all the late Victories Much by the Parliament but whatever hath been all is too little and therefore some Extraordinary and Eminent Work tending to the High Honour of the Lord our most glorious wonder-working God nothing like destroying those Achans and Agags whether Great by Place or Noble by Birth But then again his almost smothered Conscience gets a little breath to cross his sanguinary Divinity with an Objection whilest he stops her Cries with an impertinent and shuffling Answer Obj. But what saith he Nothing but Blood and Cruelty Make the Parliament a Parliament of Blood May not Mercy be as Honourable as thus fiercely shedding Blood Answ I or rather Gods Word saith Who art thou that darest call that Act Bloody which God himself calls Justice and Judgment and wherein God is so delighted Secondly I say not all but as the Prophet Jeremy Chap. 15. Ver. 2. Thus saith the Lord such as are for Death to Death and such as are for the Sword to the Sword and such as are for the Famine to the Famine and such as are for the Captivity to the Captivity So that you see the tender Mercies of a Presbyterian are Cruelty and the Merciful Schismatick is not altogether for Hanging Drawing and Quartering no good Man he is only for Sword Famine and Captivity for some of them and I dare say had the abused Text had Plague Fire and Water in it the Compassionate Creature would graciously have condescended to spare the Malignants from Death to have Committed them to those other lingring Punishments But here 's no Quarter to be given not one grain of Mercy to be found in his Heart no Pardon to be had or hoped and in the Battel of Presbyterian Vengeance none are like to escape But now he comes to wind up his Bloody Bottoms and concludes That this Advice is given in singleness and sincerity of heart for that he may say with David What have I done is there not a Cause Here is the very Heart the Soul the Conscience of a True Protestant Schismatick and indeed the very Spirit of Separation laid naked and open to the view of all Mankind Here 's a Window into the very Bosome of the Faction where one may see Revenge and Cruelty Malice and Murder Hatred of Monarchy and Contempt of Kings and ten thousand other Impieties lodged in every corner of his breast How would these Cruel People now like the Lex Talionis Adonibezek's Law not only to have their Toes and Thumbs cut off but according to their own Divinity since they are most manifestly Guilty of what they falsly accuse the Loyal Party to be Condemned to all the Severites which they have so uncompassionately allotted to others But they are out of that danger our Religion teaches us a far different Temper and would they give the Government any tolerable assurance that it were possible for them to be peaceable and forbear pulling the Penalties of the Laws made for its security upon their own Heads they might grow old and go in quiet to their own if they would let others hope to do so to their Graves I will add but one Instance more and that shall be of Mr. Love whose unpeaceful Zeal was one great occasion of the breaking off the Vxbridge Treaty by which means so many thousands of poor Souls were sent in the succeeding Wars to Untimely and Bloody Deaths Men saith he who lye under the Guilt of much Innocent Blood are not meet persons to be at Peace with till all the Guilt of the Blood be expiated and avenged either by the Sword of the Law or the Law of the Sword 'T is the Sword not Disputes and Treaties that must end this Controversie just point blanck contrary to the Text which is exactly according to the Presbyterian Divinity Wherefore turn your Plow-shares into Swords and your Pruning-hooks into Spears to fight the Lords Battels to avenge the Blood of Saints which hath been spilt it must be avenged either by us or upon us Loves Sermon at Uxbridge Treaty 1644. And so it happened Providence it seems taking him at his Word and some part of that Innocent Blood which was shed by his incitement being by those of his own Party according to his Oraculous tho' otherwise intended Prediction avenged upon himself which because it fell out by a very uncommon accident and known to very few Providence seeming to interpose between him and a Pardon which was intended for him and to shew us that vir sanguinum non dimidiabit dies suos Blood-thirsty Men shall not live out half their Days I think it will not here be impertinent to my Design or unprofitable either to the present or future Times to make publick the Relation of it which I had from the Mouth of a very Loyal Worthy and Credible Person which was thus That the Independents after the Murder of the King having made themselves absolute Conquerors and Masters of the Sword and thereby snatched the Lawrels of Victory from the Presbyterian Brows who had together with them born the heat and burthen of the Day and sweat so hard in the Common Cause and that they had now every where crushed their fair hopes of Erecting their rigorous Discipline in the Establishment of a National Church-Government according to the Geneva and Scottish Model so that the Sneaking Presbyterians were even forced to content themselves with a bare Toleration being every hour affronted by the Huffing Independents and every moment menaced with Ruine by taking away the burthen of Tithes the maintenance of their Cause and Ministers they began to consult which way to retrieve themselves from those desperate Events which seemed like black Clouds to hang over their Heads ready to discharge themselves and all their Storms and Thunder upon them And seeing
before the said Lodging-Chamber be for the King's Dining-Room and that a Guard consisting of Thirty Officers and other choice Men do always attend the King who are to attend him at his Lodging above Stairs and that Two of the said Thirty do always attend in his Bed-Chamber That Place for a Court of Guard for 200 Foot-Soldiers be built in Sir Robert Cotton 's Garden near the Water-side That Ten Companies of Foot be constantly upon the Guards for securing Sir Robert Cotton's House and those Companies to be Quartered in the Court of Requests the Painted Chamber and other necessary Places thereabouts That the Passage that cometh out of the Old Palace into Westminster-Hall be made up at the Entrance of the said Passage next the said Guard That the top of the Stairs at the Court of Wards Door have a cross Barr made to it That the King be brought out of Sir Robert Cotton's House to his Tryal the lower way into Westminster-Hall and so brought to the Barr in the Face of the Court attended by the above-said Guard above Stairs That Two Rayls of about forty foot distance from the Place where this Court shall Sit in Westminster-Hall be made cross the said Hall for the effectual and substantial doing whereof this Court do refer it to the care of the Committee appointed to consider of the manner of bringing the King to Tryal who are likewise to take care for raising the Floor in such part of the Hall as they shall think fit for placing of the Guards and that a Rayl or Rayls from the Court down to the Hall-Gate be made in such manner as they shall think fit on the Common-Pleas side to keep the People from the Soldiers That there be â—â—ards set upon the Leads and other places that have Windows to look into the Hall That the General be desired from time to time to send and appoint convenient Guards of Horse for the convenient Sitting of the Court. That Twenty Officers or other Gentlemen do attend upon the Lord President from time to time to and from this Court through Westminster-Hall That the Officers of the Ordnance do send unto this Court 200 Halberts or Partizans lying within the Tower of London for the Arming of the Guards that are to attend this Court That at the time of the Tryal of the King the Commissioners do before their Sitting in the Court meet in the Exchequer-Chamber and do from thence come up the Hall into the Court. That all Back-doors from the House called Hell be stopt up during the Kings Tryal That Lodgings be prepared for the Lord President at Sir Abraham Williams 's House in the New Palace-Yard during the Sitting of this Court and that all Provisions and Necessaries be provided for his Lordship That Sir Henry Mildmay Mr. Holland and Mr. Edwards do take care for providing all Provisions and Necessaries for the King during his Tryal That Sir Henry Mildmay Mr. Holland and Mr. Edwards do likewise take care for all Necessaries for the Lord President Ordered That the Committee for considering of the manner of bringing the King to Tryal do consider what Habits the Officers of this Court shall have who are to advise with some Heralds at Arms therein and concerning the Ordering of the said Officers That a Sword be carried before the Lord President at the Tryal of the King That John Humphreys Esq do bear the Sword before the Lord President That a Mace or Maces together with a Sword be likewise carried before the Lord President This Court doth Adjourn it self to Three of the Clock in the Afternoon Jan. 17. 1648. Post Meridiem Three Proclamations The Court is cleared of Strangers and they sit private The Charge against the King is presented by the Councel and Ordered to be re-committed to the Committee appointed for Advice with the Councel concerning the Charge against the King who are to contract the same and fit it for the Courts proceeding thereupon according to the Act of Parliament in that behalf And the same Committee are likewise to take care for the King 's coming to Westminster to Tryal at such time as to them shall seem meet and Lieutenant Gen. Cromwell is added to the said Committee and the Councel are to attend this Court with the said Charge to morrow at Two of the Clock in the Afternoon and thereupon Ordered That the Committee for Considering of the manner of bringing the King to Tryal do meet to Morrow Morning at Eight of the Clock in the Exchequer-Chamber The Court Adjourned it self till the Morrow at Two of the Clock in the Afternoon to the same Place Jovis 18 Jan. 1648. Three Proclamations made Commissioners Present John Bradshaw Serjeant at Law Lord President of this Court Oliver Cromwell Edward Whalley Tho. Lord Grey of Groby Sir John Danvers Sir Thomas Maleverer Bar. Sir Hardress Waller John Berkstead John Blackistone Sir William Constable John Hutchinson Robert Tichbourne Cornelius Holland John Moore Richard Deane John Okey Thomas Hammond John Carew William L. Mounson John Huson Thomas Pride William Cawley Henry Smith Peter Temple Thomas Wogan George Fleetwood Francis Lassels Adrian Scroope Peregrine Pelham John Fry Sir Gregory Norton Humphrey Edwards John Venn William Purefoy Simon Meyne John Browne Herbert Morley Here the Court sit private Col. Tichbourne one of the Commissioners of this Court informeth the Court that he was with Mr. Steel Attorney of this Court and found him in his Bed very sick and by reason thereof not like to attend yet the Service of this Court according to former Order and desired him the said Colonel to signifie that he the said Mr. Steel no way declineth the Service of the said Court out of any disaffection to it but professeth himself to be so clear in the Business that if it should please God to restore him he should manifest his good Affection to the said Cause and that it is an addition to his Affliction that he cannot attend this Court to do that Service that they have expected from him and as he desires to perform The Court Adjourned it self till to morrow Two of the Clock in the Afternoon Veneris 19 Jan. 1648. Three Proclamations The Court called openly The Commissioners Present John Bradshaw Serjeant at Law Lord President Henry Ireton Sir Hardress Waller Knight Thomas Harrison Edward Whalley Isaac Ewers William Lord Mounson Sir John Danvers Sir Thomas Maleverer Bar. Sir John Bourchier Kt. William Heveningham William Purefoy John Barkstead John Blackistone Gilbert Millington John Hutchinson Sir Michael Livesey Bar. Robert Tichbourne Owen Roe Robert Lilbourne Adrian Scroope Richard Deane John Huson Cornelius Holland John Jones Peregr Pelham Thomas Challoner Algernon Sydney William Say Francis Lassells Henry Smith Humphrey Edwards John Fry Sir Gregory Norton Bar. John Dove Thomas Scot. William Cawley Thomas Horton John Lisle Nicholas Love Vincent Potter John Dixwell Simon Meyne Peter Temple John Brown John Okey William Goffe John Carew Here the Court sate private Col.
will clear me of it I will not I am in Charity God forbid that I should lay it on the Two Houses of Parliament there is no necessity of either I hope they are free of this Guilt For I do believe that ill Instruments between them and me have been the chief Cause of all this Bloodshed So that by way of speaking as I find my self clear of this I hope and pray God that they may too Yet for all this God forbid that I should be so ill a Christian as not to say that God's Judgments are just upon me many times he does pay Justice by an unjust Sentence that is ordinary I will only say this That an unjust Sentence that I suffered to take effect is punished now by an unjust Sentence upon me That is So far I have said to shew you that I am an Innocent Man Now for to shew you that I am a good Christian I hope there is a good Man that will bear me witness that I have forgiven all the World and even those in particular that have been the chief causers of my Death Who they are God knows I do not desire to know I pray God forgive them But this is not all my Charity must go further I wish that they may repent for indeed they have committed a great Sin in that Particular I pray God with St. Stephen that this be not laid to their Charge Nay not only so but that they may take the right way to the Peace of the Kingdom For my Charity commands me not only to forgive particular men but my Charity commands me to endeavour to the last gasp the Peace of the Kingdom So Sirs I do wish with all my Soul and I do hope there is some here will carry it further that they may endeavour the Peace of the Kingdom Now Sirs I must shew you both how you are out of the way and will put you in a way First You are out of the way For certainly all the way you ever have had yet as I could find by any thing is in the way of Conquest Certainly this is an ill way for Conquest Sir in my opinion is never just except there be a good just Cause either for matter of wrong or just Title and then if you go beyond it the first Quarrel that you have to it that makes it unjust at the end that was just at the first But if it be only matter of Conquest then it is a great Robbery as a Pyrate said to Alexander the Great That he was the great Robber he was but a petty Robber And so Sir I do think the way that you are in is much out of the way Now Sir for to put you in the way believe it you will never do right nor God will never prosper you until you give God his Due the King his Due that is My Successors and the People their Due I am as much for Them as any of you You must give God his Due by Regulating rightly his Church according to his Scripture which is now out of Order For to set you in a way particularly now I cannot but only this a National Synod freely Called freely Debating among themselves must settle this when that every Opinion is freely and clearly heard For the King indeed I will not Then turning to a Gentleman that touched the Axe he said Hurt not the Axe that may hurt me For the King The Laws of the Land will clearly instruct you for that therefore because it concerns my own Particular I only give you a Touch of it For the People And truly I desire their Liberty and Freedom as much as any body whomsoever but I must tell you that their Liberty and Freedom consists in having of Government those Laws by which their Life and their Goods may be most their own It is not for having share in Government Sir that is nothing pertaining to them a Subject and a Sovereign are clear different things And therefore until they do that I mean that you do put the People in that Liberty as I say certainly they will never enjoy themselves Sirs it was for this that now I am come here If I would have given way to an Arbitrary way for to have all Laws changed according to the power of the Sword I needed not to have come here and therefore I tell you and I pray God it be not laid to your Charge that I am the MARTYR of the People In troth Sirs I shall not hold you much longer for I will only say this to you That in truth I could have desired some little time longer because that I would have put this that I have said in little more order and a little better digested than I have done and therefore I hope you will excuse me I have delivered my Conscience I pray God that you do take those courses that are best for the good of the Kingdom and your own Salvation Then the Bishop said Though it be very well known what your Majesties Affections are to the Protestant Religion yet it may be expected that You should say somewhat for the Worlds satisfaction in that Particular Whereupon the King replied I thank you very heartily My Lord for that I had almost forgotten it In troth Sirs My Conscience in Religion I think is very well known to all the World and therefore I declare before you all That I die a Christian according to the Profession of the Church of England as I found it left me by my Father and this honest man I think will witness it Then turning to the Officers He said Sirs Excuse me for this same I have a good Cause and I have a gracious God I will say no more Then to Col. Hacker he said Take care that they do not put me to pain And Sir this and it please you But a Gentleman coming near the Axe the King said Take heed of the Axe pray take heed of the Axe And to the Executioner he said I shall say but very short Prayers and when I thrust out my hands Then he called to the Bishop for his Cap and having put it on asked the Executioner Does my Hair trouble you Who desired him to put it all under his Cap which as he was doing by the help of the Bishop and the Executioner he turned to the Bishop and said I have a good Cause and a gracious God on my side The Bishop said There is but one Stage more which though turbulent and troublesome yet it is a very short one you may consider it will soon carry you a very great way it will carry you from Earth to Heaven and there you shall find to your great Joy the Prize you hasten to a Crown of Glory The King adjoyns I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible Crown where no disturbance can be no disturbance in the world Bishop You are exchanged from a Temporal to an Eternal Crown A good