A LETTER FROM General Ludlow TO Dr. Hollingworth Their Majesties Chaplain AT St. Botolph-Aldgate Defending his former Letter to Sir E. S. which compared the Tyranny of the first Four Years of King Charles the Martyr with the Tyranny of the Four Years of the late Abdicated King And vindicating the Parliament which began in Novemb. 1640. Occasioned by the Lies and Scandals of many bad Men of this Age. Veritas emerget Victrix I acknowledg it were better if we could have Job's Wish That this Day should perish that Darkness and the Shadow of Death should cover it that it should not see the dawning of the Day nor should the Light shine upon it It were better to strike it out of our Kalendar and to make our January determine at the 29th and add these remaining Days to February Dr. Burnet Bishop of Salisbury his Sermon at St. Laurence Church London January 30 1680. AMSTERDAM Printed Anno Dom. 1692. To all sincere Lovers of OLD ENGLAND Inhabiting in the Parish of St. Botolph-Aldgate London Dear Countrymen 'T Was a great Man's Saying That EVERY CLERGY-MAN is not qualified to sustain the Dignity of the Church's Jester That therefore before Men be admitted to so important an Employment it were fit that they underwent a severe Examination and that it might appear 1. Whether they have ANY SENSE for without that how can they pretend and yet they do to be Ingenuous Then Whether they have ANY MODESTY for without that they can only be SCURRILOUS and IMPUDENT Next Whether ANY TRUTH for true Jests are those that do the greatest Execution And lastly 'T were not amiss that they gave some Account too of their CHRISTIANITY For the World has always hitherto been so uncivil as to expect something of that from the CLERGY in the Design and Stile even of their lightest and most uncanonical Writings But With very little regard to these two dull Books have been lately obtruded upon the World by one and the same Author as I am assured The one under the Title of A DEFENCE of King Charles the First OCCASIONED by the Lies and Scandals of many bad Men of this Age By RICHARD HOLLINGWORTH D. D. THEIR MAJESTIES CHAPLAIN at St. Botolph-Aldgate The other called A VINDICATION of their Majesties Wisdom in the late nomination of some Reverend Persons to the vacant Arch-Bishopricks and Bishopricks OCCASIONED by the scandalous Reflections of unreasonable Men By A MINISTER of London Now This Author having sought these OCCASIONS to be troublesome and declaring a doughty Resolution that he will be further so rather than lose the Lechery of his Scribling and the vain Glory of his Pedantry 't is fit that such an arrogant Levite who seats himself in * Epistle Dedicatory to the Defence a Juncto with their Majesties to consult wisely how to preserve them from a People who mean them no Harm should be a little animadverted upon which task I undertook after I found that Persons of better Ability would not trouble themselves with such contemptible Pamphlets I had prepared and did purpose to have sent with this some Remarks upon the pretended Vindication of their Majesties Wisdom but finding that my Notes upon the Doctor 's Defence of King Charles the First are swell'd beyond the Bulk which I intended I have laid aside those Remarks till I have occasion to write again to this mighty Vindicator When I wrote to Sir E. S. this time twelve-Month I only discours'd of the King 's first Four Years and did intend if ever I wrote further upon that Subject to have proceeded regularly with the succeding Years of his Tyranny but having engaged my self to follow the Doctor in his Ramblings I could not at present pursue my Intention but may hereafter do it Having resolved to make this Address to you my honoured Countrymen I will take the liberty to observe two or three things which are omitted in my Letter to the Doctor He saith pag. 3. That great Numbers call this King a Tyrant and A PAPIST too though he so stronuously asserted and pleaded the Protestant Cause as it is professed by THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND That means THEIR PARTY Now that he highly favoured POPERY is most evident and to what I have already offered to evince the Truth of that Charge I do add these Instances I have told the Aldgate-Chaplain that this King by a Letter to the Pope saluted Antichrist with the Title of Most holy Father That Letter from the beginning to the end savours of Popery For 1. He professes therein that nothing could affect him so much as AN ALLIANCE with a Prince that had the same apprehensions of THE TRUE RELIGION with himself That was the KING of SPAIN A NOTABLE PROTESTANT 2. He calls Popery THE CATHOLICK APOSTOLICK Roman RELIGION all other NOVELTY and FACTION 3. He protests he did not esteem it a Matter of greater Honour to be descended from great Princes than to imitate them in the Zeal of their Piety who had often exposed their Estate and LIVES for THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS 4. He solemnly engaged to the Pope to spare nothing in the World and to suffer all manner of Discommodities even TO THE HAZARDING OF ESTATE AND LIFE for to settle a thing so pleasing to God as UNITY WITH ROME Behold what a good Sign of PROTESTANTISM here hangs at the King's Door Moreover when the Pope's Nuncio delivered a Letter to him from the Pope wherein PROTESTANTS are called MONSTERS of HERESIES and the King was invited to return the Possession of these most noble Isles to the PRINCE OF THE APOSTLES He expressed himself in these words I KISS HIS HOLINESS FEET for the Favour and Honour he doth me so much the more esteemed by how much the less deserved of me HITHERTO And HIS HOLINES SHALL SEE WHAT I DO HEREAFTER So that his Holiness shall not repent him of what he hath done He was as good as his word here passed to the Pope as all the World afterwards saw Tho that most horrid IRISH REBELLION broke out the 23d of October 1641. the Lords and Commons who complained that it was framed and cherish'd in England could not obtain a Proclamation to declare those blcody Miscreants Traitors till January ensuing and then the following Warrant went to the King's Printer from his Secretary of State IT is his Majesty's Pleasure that you forthwith print in very good Paper and send unto me for his Majesty's Service forty Copies of the Proclamation inclosed leaving convenient space for his Majesty to sign above and to affix the Privy Signet underneath And HIS MAJESTY'S EXPRESS COMMAND IS THAT YOU PRINT NOT ABOVE THE SAID NUMBER OF FORTY COPIES and forbear to make any further Publication of them till his Pleasure be further signified for which this shall be your Warrant Whitehall January 2 164â— Edw. Nicholas See here what special care was taken that a few only should come to the knowledg of this Proclamation which was at that time more
Whitehall being under apprehensions of Affronts design'd to be offer'd to his Person if not something worse The Story of these pretended Tumults and Riots dear Doctor is so intermixt with another relating to the greatest Violation of the Privileges of Parliament that ever was committed that 't is most necessary to talk of both together About the beginning of January 1641 the King sought nothing more than to begin a Quarrel and to support himself therein he employed Emissaries to cajole the young Gentlemen of the Inns of Courts to make offer of their Service to him as a Guard of Defence and divers of them to ingratiate themselves repaired to the Court and were highly caressed by the King and Queen He at the same time ordered Canoneers and other Assistants into the Tower and removed the Lieutenant thereof He fortified White-hall with Men and Munition in an unusual manner And about the same time Colonel Lunsford and others gathered Troops of Horse at Kingston upon Thames where the Magazine of Arms for that part of the County of Surrey lay Matters on his part being thus prepared upon the third of January not only against the Priviledg of Parliament but the common Liberty of every Subject he commanded the Chambers Studies and Trunks of the Lord Mandeville a Member of the House of Lords Grandfather to the present Noble Earl of Manchester who inherits as well the Vertnes as Honours of that great Patriot and of Denzel Holles Esq since known by the name of the great Lord Holles Sir Arthur Hasterig Mr. J. Pym Mr. John Hambden Grandfather to that highly deserving Gentleman who at this day bears his Name and in whom his Vertues do live and flourish and Mr. William Strode Members of Parliament * These were all Gentlemen of great Esteem and Reputation in the House Two of them Mr. Holles and Mr. Strode having before suffered many Years of sharp and harsh Imprisonment from the King after the Dissolution of the Parliament in the fourth Year of his Reign for Matters done in Parliament contrary to the Priviledges of that high Court to be sealed up Upon the next day the King came with about 300 Souldiers Papists and others to the House of Commons armed with Swords Pistols and other Weapons and there demanded the said five Members to be delivered to him upon a pretended Charge of High-Treason His Followers at the same time thrusting away the Door-keepers and Attendants of the House held up their Swords and some their Pistols ready cock'd saying I am a good Marks-man I can hit right I warrant you Others of them said A Pox take the House of Commons a Pox of God confound them and violently assaulted and by Force disarmed some of the Servants of the Members and said WHEN COMES THE WORD and afterwards declared that questionless if the Word had been given they should have fallen upon the House of Commons and HAVE CUT ALL THEIR THROATS which Doings the Commons declared were A TRAITEROUS DESIGN against the King and Parliament and that they could not sit any longer without a sufficient * They petitioned the King to allow them a Guard to be commanded by the Lord Chamberlain of his Houshould but could not obtain it Guard wherein they might confide wherefore they adjourned to the Tuesday following having appinted a Committee to sit in the mean time at Guildhall London to consider of all things that might concern the Good and Safety of the Kingdom and the Relief of Ireland And I am to tell you Doctor that the great Lord Falkland was the fourth Person named to this great Committee The Commons further declared That they were so far from protecting any of their Members that should in a due manner be prosecuted according to the Laws of the Kingdom and the Rights and Priviledges of Parliament for Treason or any other Misdemeanours that none should be more ready and willing than themselves to bring them to a speedy and due Trial. And upon the 15th of January they ordered the Attonrny-General who had preferred the Articles of Treason against the Members to bring in his Proof and make them good if he could Whereupon the King sent a Message that HE NOW FOUND CAUSE wholly to dosist from proceeding against them and had commanded his Attourny-General to proceed no further therein nor to produce nor discover any Proof concerning the matter Also BOTH HOUSES petitioned the King for the speedy proceeding against the accused Members IN A LEGAL WAY whereby they might be brought to condign Punishment if guilty or discharged from so heavy an Accusation if innocent The King giving an evasive Answer to this Petition the Lords and Commons apply to him again by a second Petition praying that the Parliament might be informed before Friday then next ensuing what Proof there is against them that they may be called to a Legal Trial. A Petition of about two thousand Freeholders of Backinghamshirs was presented to the King setting forth that Mr. Hambden Knight of their Shire a Gentleman in high Esteem with them and the whole Kingdom was accused of Treason that they believed it to be the Malice which his Zeal to his Majesty's Service and the State had contracted in the Enemies to the King the Church and the Common-wealth had occasioned this foul Accusation and they prayed that he and the other Members might enjoy the Priviledg of Parliament The City of London also petitioned that the Lord Mandeville and the five Members might not be restrained of Liberty or proceeded against otherwise than according to the Priviledges of Parliament To which Petition the King answered that AS HE ONCE CONCEIVED he had ground enough to accuse them so now his Majesty finds as good Cause wholly to desert any Prosecution of them Do you hear this DOCTOR If you ever had till now you would not surely have assumed the Confidence to have said as you do Pa. 11 12. That nothing less would satisfy the Parliament than that he must be obliged AS IT WERE and IN EFFECT to beg the Members Pardon for wronging them with what he thought and COVLD BY GOOD EVIDENCE PROVE MATTER OF TRVTH Now I do AS IT WERE think that you ought not only IN EFFECT but in earnest to humble your self to the Descendents of these honourable and never to be forgotten PATRIOTS for the horrid Slander which you here lay on their great Names and Families For tho the King gave up the Cause saying that HE FOUND GOOD REASON wholly to desist from proceeding against them and at another time that he found GOOD CAVSE wholly to desert any Prosecution of them Yet you forsooth must keep up the wicked Clamour and falsly inform this Generation that his Majesty GOOD MAN had pregnant Evidence to prove them guilty of Treason But to put you to shame if possible 't is what you threatned me with Reverend Sir I shall add a few words more upon this occasion The Lords and Commons told the King
Monarch might invade the just Rights of the People nor the People incroach upon the Rights of his Crown and Dignity Having said this you intimate that he told them something upon their presenting Petitions to him at Theobalds and New-market Then it seems that they called upon him likewise and 't is fit my Country-men should know for what seeing you do maliciously withhold it Upon the 1st of March 1641 BOTH HOUSES CALLED UPON HIS MAJESTY by their Petition presented at Theobalds That for the dispatch of the great Affairs of the Kingdom the Safety of his Person the Protection and Comfort of his Subjects he would be pleased to continue his Abode near the Parliament and not to withdraw himself to any the remoter Parts which if he should do must needs be a cause of great Danger and Distraction And they prayed him to accept this humble Counsel as the Effect of that Duty and Allegiance which they owed unto him and which would not suffer them to admit of any Thoughts Intentions or Endeavours but such as were necessary and advantagious for his Majesties Greatness and Honour and the Safety and Prosperity of the Kingdom Expressions surely that do not in the least savour of that Sedition and Rebellion with which at this time by you Doctor and many other WICKED Clergy-men the Memory of this great Parliament is charged The King being deaf to the importunate Supplication of the Lords and Commons for his Return They again called upon him more earnestly sending after him a Declaration to Newmarket by the Earles of Pembroke and Holland and a Committee of the Commons wherein they laid before him the Causes of their own Fears and Jealousies in these Particulars 1. That the design of altering Religion had been potently carried on by those in greatest Authority about him the Queen's Agent at Rome the Pope's Nuncio here are not only Evidences of this Design but have been great Actors in it 2. That the War with Scotland was procured to make way for this Intent and chiefly fomented by the Papists and other Popishly affected whereof we have many Evidences 3. That the Rebellion in Ireland was framed and contrived here in England and that the English Papists should have risen about the same time we have several Testimonies c. The Irish Rebels affirm that they do nothing but by Authority from the King they call themselves the Queen's Army The Booty which they take from the English they mark with the Queen's mark and it is proved that their purpose was to come to England after they had done in Ireland 4. The labouring to infuse into your Majesty's Subjects an evil Opinion of the Parliament and other Symptoms of a Disposition of raising Arms and dividing your People by a Civil War in which Combustion Ireland must needs be lost and this Kingdom miserably wasted and consumed if not wholly ruined and destroyed 5. That your Majesty sent away the Lord Digby by your own Warrant beyond the Sea after a Vote had passed in the House of Commons declaring that he had appeared in a Warlike manner at Kingston upon Thames to the Terror of your Majesty's good Subjects that he being so got beyond Sea he vented his traiterous Conceptions That your Majesty should declare your self and retire to a place of Strength and intimated some Service which he might do in those Parts whereby in probability he intended the procuring of some Foreign Force to strengthen your Majesty in that Condition into which he would have brought you which malicious Counsel we have great Cause to doubt made too deep an Impression in your Majesty CONSIDERING THE COURSE YOU ARE PLEASED TO TAKE OF ABSENTING YOUR SELF FROM YOUR PARLIAMENT and carrying the Prince with you which seems to express a purpose in your Majesty to keep your self in a readiness for the acting of it 6. The manifold Advertisements which we have had from Rome Venice Paris and other parts that they still expect that your Majesty has some great Design in hand for the altering of Religion the breaking the Neck of your Parliament and that you will yet find means to compass that Design That the Pope's Nuncio hath sollicited the Kings of France and Spain to lend your Majesty 4000 Men apiece to help to maintain your Royalty against the Parliament These are some of the grounds of our Fears and Jealousies which made us so earnestly to implore your Royal Authority and Protection for our Defence and Security in all the ways of Humility and Submission which being denied by your Majesty We do with Sorrow apply our selves to the use of that * The Militia Power which by the Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom resides in us yet still resolving to keep our selves within the Bounds of Faithfulness and Allegiance to your Sacred Person and your Crown And as to the Fears and Jealousies which his Majesty seemed to have entertained of them The Lords and Commons thus answered We have according to your Majesty's Desires laid our Hands upon our Hearts we have ask'd our selves in the strictest Examination of our Consciences we have search'd our Affections our Thoughts considered our Actions and can find none that can give your Majesty and just occasion to absent your self from Whitehall and the Parliament but that you may with more Honour and Safety continue there than in any other place Your Majesty lays a general Charge upon us if you will be graciously pleased to let us know the Particulars we shall give a clear and satisfactory Answer But what hope can we have of ever giving your Majesty Satisfaction when those Particulars which you have been made believe were true yet being produced and made known to us appeared to be false and your Majesty notwithstanding will neither punish nor produce the Authors but go on to contract new Jealousies and Fears upon general and uncertain grounds affording us no means or possibility of particular Answer to the clearing of our selves WE BESEECH YOUR MAJESTY TO CONSIDER IN WHAT STATE YOU ARE how easy and fair a way you have to Happiness Honour and Greatness Plenty and Security if you will join with the Parliament in the Defence of the Religion and publick Good of the Kingdom THIS IS ALL WE EXPECT FROM YOU and for this we return to you our Lives Fortunes and utmost Eadeavours to support your Majesty your just Soveraignty and Power over us but IT IS NOT WORDS THAT CAN SECURE US in these our humble Desires We cannot but too well and sorrowfully remember what GRACIOUS MESSAGES we had from you this Summer when WITH YOUR PRIVITY the bringing up the Army was in Agitation We cannot but with the like Affections recal to our Minds how not two days before your own coming to the Commons House you sent a GRACIOUS MESSAGE that you would always have care of their Priviledges as of your own Prerogative of the Safety of their Persons as of your own Children that which we expect which will give
Confidence were begot betwixt your Majesty and your Parliament whose grave and loyal Counsels are we humbly conceive the visible way under God to put a speedy end to the Troubles of Ireland and establish your Throne in Righteousness We most humbly supplicate that we may represent our Vnfitness to become Judges betwixt your Majesty and Parliament in any thing or dispute the Authority of either which we humbly conceive do fortify each other We shall be ready to maintain your Majesty's just Rights the Priviledges and Power of Parliaments and the lawful Liberties of the Subjects I have now shown you Doctor that the King wanted not Invitations to return and live in Honour and Safety at London The Parliament importunately press'd it the Gentlemen and Freeholders of Yorkshire humbly supplicated it But nothing is more certain than that instead of hoping to cool the Heats at London by retiring to York 't was his sole purpose and intention to put that Country and the whole Kingdom into a Flame as he quickly did and pursuant to that Design having rejected with Scorn the Petitions I have mentioned he persisted in his former way of raising Forces and made Proclamation requiring all Gentlemen and others of that County to attend him in Arms. The Lords and Commons wisely foreseeing the impending Mischief and observing the Clouds to gather so fast and threaten a Storm they as wisely endeavoured to prevent it and therefore passed a Vote May 20 1642 That it appears the King seduced by wicked Counsel intends to make War against the Parliament who in all their Consultations and Actions have proposed no other end unto themselves but the Care of his Kingdom and the performance of all Duty and Loyalty to his Person 2. That whensoever the King maketh War upon the Parliament it is a Breach of the Trust reposed in him by his People contrary to his Oath and tending to the Dissolution of the Government 3. That whosoever shall serve or assist him in such War are Traitors by the Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom and have been so adjudged by two Acts of Parliament and ought to suffer as Traitors 11 Rich. 2. 1 Hen. 4. But I must hear you Pag. 10. Sir upon this Point of the first beginning of the unnatural and bloody War you suggest that he was forced to raise an Army which was after the Parliament had voted a Necessity of a War with him Will you never leave your L Doctor The Parliament did not vote a necessity of a War They indeed voted as I told you but now That it appeared that the King intended to make War against them and it was near two Months afterwards viz. the 12th of July 1642 that the Lords and Commons finding his Majesty to persist in that Intention voted that an Army should be forthwith raised for the Safety of the King's Person Defence of both Houses of Parliament and preserving of the true Religion the Laws Liberty and the Peace of the Kingdom That the Earl of Essex should be General and that they will live and die with him in this Cause and that the Earl of Bedford should be General of the Horse Nevertheless they resolved that a Petition should be presented to his Majesty by the Earl of Holland Sir John Holland and Sir Philip Stapleton to move the King to a good Accord with his Parliament to prevent a Civil War which was to the effect following Although We your Majesty's most humble and faithful Subjects the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament have been very unhappy in many former Petitions to your Majesty and with much Sorrow do perceive that your Majesty incensed by many false Calumnies and Slanders doth continue to raise Forces against us and to make great Preparations for War both in the Kingdom and from beyond the Seas yet such is our earnest desire of discharging our Duty to your Majesty and the Kingdom to preserve the Peace thereof and to prevent the Miseries of Civil War That notwithstanding we hold our selves bound to use all the Means and Power which by the Laws and Constitutions of this Kingdom we are trusted with for Defence and Protection thereof and of the Subjects from Force and Violence We do in this our humble and loyal Petition prostrate our selves at your Majesty's Feet beseeching that you will forbear and remove all Preparations and Actions of War That you will come nearer to your Parliament and hearken to their faithful Advice and humble Petitions which shall only tend to the Defence and Advancement of Religion your own Royal Honour and Safety the preservation of our Laws and Liberties And we have been and ever shall be careful to prevent and punish all Tumults and seditious Actings Speeches and Writings which may give your Majesty just cause of Distaste or apprehension of Danger And we for our Parts shall be ready to lay down all those Preparations which we have been forced to make for our Defence And for the Town of Hull and the Ordinance concerning the Militia as we have in both these Particulars only sought the preservation of the Peace of the Kingdom and the Defence of the Parliament from Force and Violence so we shall most willingly leave the Town of Hull in the state it was before Sir John Hotham drew any Forces into it delivering your Majesty's Magazine into the Tower of London We shall be ready to settle the Militia by a Bill in such a way as shall be honourable and safe for your Majesty most agreeable to the Duty of Parliament and effectual for the Good of the Kingdom that the Strength thereof be not employed against it self and that which ought to be for our Security applied to our Destruction And that the Parliament and those who profess and desire still to preserve the Protestant Religion both in this Realm and in Ireland may not be left naked and indefensible to the mischievous Designs and cruel Attempts of those who are the profess'd and confederate Enemies thereof in your Majesty's Dominions and other Neighbour Nations To which if your Majesty's Courses and Counsels shall from henceforth concur We doubt not but we shall quickly make it appear to the World by the most eminent Effects of Love and Duty That your Majesty's personal Safety your Royal Honour and Greatness are much dearer to us than our own Lives and Fortunes which we do most heartily dedicate and shall most willingly imploy for the support and maintenance thereof And now Sir I appeal to you and to all the World Whether these Men talk'd here as though they were resolved to make War and engross all into their own Hands let what would become of the King as a certain Aldgate Doctor of Divinity falsly accuses the Lords and Commons Thanks be to God Sir John Holland as well as Sir John Prattle is yet alive in Norfolk in perfect Health and Understanding and is ready to give the same account I have here given you to any Man that asks