men bewitched and as I may say besotted with an incapacity or hardnesse of heart not to be convinced by any force of reason or arguments though providence it selfe visibly shews it out unto you that not only Gods special hand is in this great change of affairs but that he hath yet some greater worke depending on this which in his own good time he will bring to passe in throwing down that proud papall Monarchy and utterly to confound that man of sin who sits in the temple exaulting himselfe above God Sir Here may you be pleased to take in your more serious consideration by whom Kings reigne and cease to reigne and soberly to observe for what sins almighty God usually striks down the prowd Septers of Kings and binds their Nobles in chains of Iron and you may without presumption say and find it most true throughout all the sacred Scriptures that where Idolatry Injustice Oppression and Bloodshed have had predominance there Gods wrath hath inseparably attended the Authors and favorers and most severely punished those sins above all others and what in these sins have been either permitted acted or connived at by the late King howsoever faced out and denyed by himselfe and most of your party and his cause shamefully defended yet I suppose you cannot but acknowledge that they have not only been winked at but backt and authorised cnm privilegio And here give me leave to tell you that I have stood amazed at the impudence of your royal bookmen I shall only instance amongst ma ny in a sew as Judge Jenkins his Lex Terrae and other of his jugling fragments the Regall Apologie the Reliquiae Sacrae Carolinae but especially in that grand imposture of the Kings Pourtracture in all which that they should give the plain lye to truth conceale and smother the true intent of the lawes of the Land and contradict the Kings own Letters and expresses written with his own hand augments the admiration and much the more that they should with such acerbity exclaime against the ripping up of the faults of the dead when they themselves give the occasion in their frequent invective Pamphlets against the Parliament and in their justifications of a Prince whose inclinations lead him to the fulfilling of his own will though to the apparent losse of his Crowne and his dearest friends so violently were his inclinations driven on to the accomplishing of his designs when as neither the junctoes of France Spaine Denmarke the States of Holland or scarce any Prince Christian though most of them of his nearest allyes and solicited by all the artifices that man could invent would owne owne him when they understood the wayes and enterprises he most wilfully undertook and all of them upon due examination as unnecessarily undertaken and needlesly pursued with as much violence and craft as if they had some necessary dependence on his own salvation and the safety of his people when as God knowes they were most destructive the mishapen and illegitimat births of his own willful inclinations Now it would not be much impertinent to the subject you have sent me if I should tell you that I find not any one Nation in the world that hath had any great reason to be overmuch inamored with their Kings sure I am neither of us both how different soever in our principles have had any great cause given us to dote on our last considered as he raigned in blood and oppression and handled the matter both with his friends and foes whether forraigne or domestick witnesse those needlesse Warres he ingaged himselfe against Spayn and France in the entrance of his reigne afterwards with the Scots but espetially with this Parliament and the subjects of three Kingdoms not only to the beggering of them but the ruine of himselfe and his posterity and yet is this most willfull and bloudy Prince the only King which your party have so much admired defended and believed living and dead adored and esteemed for a Saint and a Martyr Sir You are a Gentleman well verst in History I shall therefore take the boldnesse to advise you to take the right demensions of all the Kings you have read of either in the sacred scriptures or prophane observe well all their actings and I dare be bold to say that you shall very rarely find any of them which have strictly tyed themselves to the duty of their office or to have executed their powers otherwise than to the extream detriment of their Subjects take them wheresoever they have been admitted either by the suffrage of the people as that hath been the best means to keep them within the bounds of moderation or permitted by the absurdity of succession whether wisemen or fools whether Children or of mature years or assuming their Soveraignties by the power of their Swords and doubtlesse you shall find few of them which have been over-mindfull of the good and welfare of their people neither to have had any due retrospect to the right ends of Government and that salus populi the safety and good of their Subjects for which all Kings had their powers originally ordained and given them from God never for their own private interests which most of the Kings of the World have evermore studied to advance and generally per fas et nefas right or wrong indeavoured to inforce as in this point we have all of us had a late and a lamentable experience where take this in the way that without all dispute all Kingly power and that despoticall domination of that great hunter Nimrod which was first by him usurped by force and from him as the first pattern of Royalty dispersed throughout most parts of the World yet we find not in all the Scriptures any vestigia or authentick proof that the succeeding Kings of the Nations came to their powers by any immediate institution from God but only permissive though it is most true that when such powers were in being and how usurpatiously soever obtained yet submission hath been by God himself enjoyned to those which lived under them untill for their injustice and extreme Tyranny God in his justice determined to transferre their powers to others as you may transparently see he hath done in our late change since then other powers than Kingly are now with us in being you and I both which live under them are bound in conscience to submit and obey them for all powers are of God And let me remember you for its worth your observation that the Israelites for a long time had no Kingly Government but in Egypt in the Wildernesse and after in the Land of Canaan for many hundred years together were no other than Ambulans Respublica a walking Common-wealth and onely governed by Judges and the Princes of their respective Tribes never by the absolute power of any one man Moses himself having his assistants even the Princes of the People untill through their own wantonnesse and contempt of that Government
such as here he promiseth the Queen should be both to his honour and advantage and he renders the reason viz. That he was then left free to himselfe to doe as he listed and as his inclinations should prompt him as being quit of those base and mutinous motions of his mungrell Parliament at Oxford where you may observe how well Parliaments suited with the nature of this King for this at Oxford which was of his own designe and calling of set purpose to annihilate the legall Parliament at Westminster was as himself stiles it a base mutinous and mungrel Parliament and he might with good reason so accompt of it for they were indeed a sort of perfidious Fugitives false to themselves and their Countreyes and the King no doubt in his own thoughts esteemed them no other for such as would be fals to themselves the King was not to seek to make his own judgement what they would be to him on the turn of any tyde of advantage but that at Westminster he calls a Rebell Parliament though of his own first Summons The truth was none would or could please him neither any councell but such as futed to his own will and pleasure It s true and it is confest that after he had lost all and was a prisoner he seemed more inclinable to embrace peace and to that end sent his frequent Messages to the Parliament but evermore with the old scruples of his Conscience and Honour persisting to his last as being fed with hopes of the generall rising 1647. and the comming in of the Scots under Hamilton to wind himself up again to that power whither his restlesse ambition to be more absolute than he ought to have been lead him to the precipice of his own ruine and it is more than probable that during the last Treaty in the Isle of Wight and the expectation of the successe of that rising to his rescue he had a perfidious hand therein for it cannot be imagined that such an association of English Scots and Welch would ever in one conjuncture of time adventure to rise without either his Privity or Commission howsoever it is manifestly known that both the English and Welch had for their undertaking the Princes Commission under hand and seale neither is it likely that the Prince himself during a Treaty so neer a period to an attonement would either authorize that rising or to have approached at that very time with his Fleet so near the Thames mouth without either his Fathers Commission or approbation the perfidie shewed therein I am more than confident utterly lost him and was a principall canse that the Parliament could not in reason or with safety of themselves and the King dom readmit or trust such a Prince with the government of whose Reformation they could not but despair Observations upon the Reliquiae Sacrae Carolinae IT is worth his pains who desires to berightly informed of the truth of al passages and transactions between the late King and the Parliament his mysterious motions pretences and carriages both during all the warres and since his death how matters have been managed by his partakers especially by those which first published his Pourtraicture and him who hath taken such pains in collecting so many of his papers printing exposing and dispersing them throughout all parts of the Kingdom purposely both to deceive the people and malitiously to work upon the facility of their affections in commiseration of him and casting an odium on the Parliament The artifice which this Impostor uses is worth consideration as he hath garnished the approaches to his collections with the Kings picture in some places standing in others kneeling and as it were ejaculating his prayers to God and those drest with sundry devices and motto's and all this to invite the eye if not the understanding of the silly beholder to a beleef that he died an innocent Martyr a Prince who suffered for his restlesse endeavor to desend the Protestant Religion the Laws and Libertyes of his Subjects as he would intimate by his hudling of the Kings many specious and fraudulent overtures for peace to the Parliament and avoyding of future bloodshed In all the Catalogue of his one and twenty Messages of the Kings besides additionalls he is pleased not so much as to insert one of the Parliaments Answers in rejoynder to any of the Kings Messages onely taking in so many of his Majesties which he conceived might serve his turn to clear the Kings innocency and leaving out such of the Parliaments most materiall Missives to which the King omitted to give any answer at all as for instance let him produce what reply the King made to the Parliaments charge for Ruperts intercepting of the Clothes Provisions horses and other necessaries sent by the Parliament in the way to Chester for the releef of the relicts of the poor Protestants in Ireland true it is that long after an answer was such as it was made though not by him mentioned viz. that those provisions might have been better guarded a proper answer if you please to take notice of it when its mostevident that the Kings forces not only took them with his expresse command but drew over the principall Commanders and Soldiers before sent by the Parliament to his own assistance against the Parliament now that you may see how the active part of the war was carried on by the King take into your serious considerations his Message of the 15 of April 1642. from Huntington wherein he earnestly desires That the Parliament will use all possible industry in expediting the businesse of Ireland in which they shall finde so cheerfull a concurrence by his Majesty that no inconvenience shall happen to that service by his absence he having all that passion for the reducing of that Kingdome which he hath expressed in his former Messages being unable to manifest more affection to it than he hath endeavonred to do by those Messages having likewise done all such acts as he hath been moved unto by his Parliment therefore if the misfortunes and calamities of his poor Protestant Subjects there shall grow upon them though his Majesty shall be deeply concerned in and sensible of their sufferings he shall wash his hands before all the world from the least imputation of slacknesse in that most necessary and pious work Observation A very pious work indeed as himself ordered it if you please to examine it to the bottome then make your own judgement whether it was not the Kings reach to gull the Parliament by pressing them to expedite the sending of Forces to the relief of his poor Subjects of Ireland and with such words of pity and expressions of his remorse how deeply he was concerned therein and how sensible of their sufferings and calamities which might grow upon them and just Pilate-like to wash his hands before all the world from the least imputation of slacknesse in him when 't is manifest his meaning was both to make
use of any such forces as the Parliament should send over against them and consequently to dis-enable them the more in levyes here for their own defence against him and his preparations as it evidently appeared within 3. moneths after by the said seizure of the Horses cloaths and provisions sent by Chester as also by his remanding over the Regiments sent before into Ireland to make use of them as it is visibly known he did against the Parliament But I pray extend your patience and look farther into this darke worke of the Kings take a short viewe of his next Message from Nottingham where he erected his Standard it bears date the 25. of August 1642. Next to this his Message of the 5th of Sept. 1642. with another of the 11th of September following in pursuance of the former peruse them all and you shal evidently see such notable juglings and Matchivilian dissemblings as would amaze any Christian eye to behold them compared with his actions his Pourtraicture and his own letters taken at Naseby I shall present them all in their order verbatim and first that of the 25 of August 1642. viz. We have with unspeakable griefe ef heart long beheld the distraction of this our Kingdome our very soul is full of anguish untill we may finde some remedy to prevent the miseries which are ready to overwhelm this Nation by a Civil War and although all our indeavours tending to the composing of those unhappy differences betwixt us and our two Houses of Parliament though pursued by us with all zeale and sincerity have been hitherto without the successe we hoped for yet such is our constant earnest care to preserve the publicke peace that we shall not be discouraged to use any expedient which by the blessing of the God of Mercy may lay a happy foundation of peace and happinesse to all our good subjects To this end observing that many mistakes have arisen by the Messages Petitions and Answers betwixt us and our two Houses of Parliament which happily may be prevented by some other way of treaty wherein the matter in difference may be more clearly understood more freely transacted we have thought fit to propound to you that some fit persons may be by you enabled to treat with the like number to be authorized by us in such a manner and freedom of debate as may best tend to that happy conclusion which all good men desire the peace of the Kingdom wherein as we promise in the word of a King all safety and incouragement to such as shall be sent unto us if you shall chuse the place where we are for the Treaty which we wholly leave to you presuming on the like care of the safety of those we shall imploy if you shall name another place So we assure you and all our good Subjects that to the best of our understanding nothing shall therein be wanting on our part which may advance the true Protestant Religion opPose Popery and Superstition secure the Law of the Land upon which is built as well our just Prerogative as the propriety and liberty of the Subject confirme all just power and Privileges of Parliament and render us and our people truly happy by a good understanding betwixt us and our two Houses of Parliament Bring with you as firm resolutions to doe your duty and let our People joyn with us in our prayers to Almighty God for his blessing upon this worke If this Proposition shall be rejected by you we have done our duty so amply that God will absolve us from the guilt of that blood which must be spilt and whatsoever opinion other men may have of our power we assure you nothing but our Christian and pious care to prevent the effusion of blood hath begotten this motion our provision of men money and armes being such as may secure us from further violence til it please GOD to open the eyes of our People Not to trouble you with further search I shall present you that Message of the 5th of September 1642. in pursuance of the former together with that of the 11th of the same Moneth tending all to the same purpose though the Observations on them you shall finde handled separatim and left to your more mature consideration We will not repeat what meanes we have used to prevent the dangerous and distracted estate of the Kingdome nor how these means have been interpreted because being desirous to avoid effusion of Blood we aere willing to decline all memory if former bitternesse that might make our offer of a Treaty readly accepted We did never declare nor ever intended to declare both our Houses of Parliament Traytors or set up our Standard against them and much lesse to put them and this Kingdome out of our protection wee utterly professe against it before God and the World and farther to remove all possible scruples which may hinder the Treaty so much desired of us we hereby promise so that a day be appointed by you for the unvoting of your Declarations against all persons as Traytors or otherwayes for assisting of us we shall with all chearfulnesse upon the same day recall our Proclamations and Declarations and take down our Standard in which Treaty we shall be ready to grant any thing that shall be really for the good of our Subjects conjuring you to consider the bleeding condition of Ireland and the dangerous condition of England in as high a degree as by these our offers we have declared our self to do and assuring you that our chief desire in this world is to beget a good understanding and mutuall confidence betwixt us and our two Houses of Parliament Sebtemb 5. 1642. Who have taken most ways used most endeavours and made most reall expressions to prevent the present distractions and dangers let all the world judge as well by former passages as our two last Messages which have been so fruitlesse that though wee have descended to desire and presse it not so much as a Treaty can be obtained unles we would denude our self of all force to defend us from a visible strength marching against us and admit those persons accompted Traytors to us who according to their duty their Oathes of Allegeance and the Law have appeared in defence of us their King and liege Lord whom we are bound in Conscience and Honour to preserve though we disclaimed all our Proclamations and Declarations and erecting of our Standard as against our Parliament all we have left in our power is to expresse the deep sense we have of the publick misery of this Kingdom in which is involved that of our distressed Protestants of Ireland and to apply our self to our necessary defence wherein we wholly rely on the providence of God the Justice of our cause and the Affection of our good people so far we are from putting them out of our protection when you shal desire a Treaty of us wee shall piously remember whose blood is to be spilt
in this Quarrel and cheerfully embrace it and as no other reasons induced us to leave our City of London but that with honour and safety we could not stay there nor to raise any force but for the necessary defence of our Person and the Law against Levies in opposition to both so we shall suddenly return to the one and disband the other as soon as those causes shall be removed the God of Heaven direct you and in mercy divert those judgements which hang over the Nation and deale so with us and our posterity as we desire the preservation and advancement of the true Pretestant Religion the Law and the Liberty of the Subject the just rights of Parliament and the peace of the Kingdom Sept. 11. 1642. Observations on the former three Messages of the Kings In these three Messages we have as specious and pious expressions in shew as possibly can be expected from a King that meant really as he writ and said as he thought But on a due consideration of all passages and the subject matter in them contained and as the case then stood betwixt him and the Parliament with as much subtilty craft and cunning as can well be devised by the subtilest Disciple of Machavill I shall take the liberty to comment and prove the assertion out of the first of these Messages of the 25 of August 1642. and so in order to the rest as they visibly shew out unto any rationall man their purport without drawing other Conclusions than necessarily arise out of the expressions themselves compared with the Kings other Declarations his actions and his own private Letters First he tels the Parliament With what unspeakeable griefe of heart he beheld the distractions of the Kingdom untill he could find out a remedy to prevent the miseries which were ready to hang over the whole Nation by a civill Warre Where I pray tell me who first gave the occasion who raised those distractions or made the first preparations to a civill warre other than himselfe Next he speaks of differences betwixt him and the Parliament which he confesseth to have arisen through mistakes of the Messages Petitions and Answers betwixt him and his two Houses of Parliament which he would have prevented by a Treaty wherein the matters in difference might be more clearly understood and more freely transacted And could there have been a more fitter place to debate them with honour and freedome than in the Parliament whither with welcome he might have come without the least danger to his person and whither he was so often and humbly invited to come on no other conditions but to make him great and glorious and leaving Delinquents which he protected against Law and Reason to the discretion of the great Judicature of the Nation which would have been both a safe a profitable and a short course for him to have yeelded unto and saved him the labour of a dishonourable descending out of his dyning room to dispute those differences with the States of the Kingdome in the Kitchin and without so many impertinencies ambages and subterfuges wherewith he solaces himself seemingly moving for authorizing of fit persons on both sides to debate the matter with freedome a very fine way indeed and about the wood when he might have sate still in peace and quietnesse and left the obliquities of the Church and State to those to whom they properly belong'd to be disputed regulated and set straight whilst himself without such an unnecessary and un-Kingly engagement might have taken his pleasure in hunting the Buck rather than to have needlesly all that Summer traversed his ground through so many Counties in hunting after men to kill the best and most faithfull of his Subjects could he have had the grace to have seen it of his whole Kingdome But then he comes to an other overture that if on securing of such Treators as himselfe should chuse and the like safety by him given to such as the Parliament shall design for a Treaty then there shall be nothing wanting on his part to the advance of the true Protestant Religion the Lawes the Liberty of the Subject and just Priviges of Parliament as to Religion can any man beleeve that knew how hee was principled that he would have yeelded to other than that formall and prelaticall Protestantisme which he had vowed to uphold As to the Laws should they have beene other than should still have lain under his negative power As to the Libertyes of the Subject what should they have been more than the Militia his Sword then drawn against them would permit as he pleased to like or dislike As to the Privileges of Parliaments which he takes care to confine with his Epithite Just in the promse he makes what should they have been but as they might suite to the best advantage of the Crown and his unlimitable Prerogative then he concludes that if that Proposition be rejected he appeals to God and the World that he had don his duty which would absolve him from the guilt of that blood which he sayes must be spilt and I beleeve him for it seems he meant then to spill blood as he did afterwards more than befitted a Christian King rather than to have mist of the accomplishment of any of his resolutions having ingraved on his Sword aut Caesar aut nullus Caesar or no body to one of which he attain'd his close seems to me both monitory and minitory for he gives the Parliament to understand how he was provided and what they were to trust to in telling them aforehand That whatsover opinion other men have of our power our provision of men money and arm are such as may secure us from further violence till it shall please God to open the eyes of our people a very brave invitation to peace with the Sword in his hand to inforce it as he pleased to have it and with an Army of 6000 Horse and 11000 Foot as elsewhere he sayes he had ready to chastise the Rebels But look over to his Chapter upon seizing of the Forts Castles Navy and the Militia there he disclaimes to have had any other arms than those of the Primitive Christians prayers and tears against their Persecutors where he is pleased in a strange contradiction to make that an Argument of his not raising the first War against the Parliament though as it is well known at Edgehill he came with 20000 well armed men into the field with a full resolution to beat the Parliament to fitters how you will peece these contradictions together I leave as a task to you it being beyond my power to reconcile such distant Asseverations Now to his Message of the 5th of Sept. in pursuance of the former he sayes That he never did or ever intended to declare both our Houses of Parliament Traytors or to set up our Standard against them and yet at that instant had proclaimed my Lord of Essex the Earl of Stamford and all their Adherents