the guilty Members by their interest in the House obstruct the questioning of those that had acted in those Tumults knowing it to be their own case concernment in point of impunity aswell as conducing to their faction and interest and did not both your parties labour as for life to uphold what was past and done in those tumults yea and that very Vote in the Lords House concerning the Militia Jan. 31. when that insolent and minatory Petition of the poore people in and about London was after a more insolent and minatory maner by M. Hollis inforced upon that House I should now or hereafter while the Parliament sits draw Par. 38. off the Army from about the City without exemplary justice upon some would not the same or more dangerous tumults and violence probably returne upon the Parliament especially when they shall have before their eyes the incouragement of that impunity and protection which they have hitherto found from within the Parliament it selfe in the past practises afore mentioned And is exemplary Justice to be now first done in this Husb. 531. 537. 561. kinde did not his Majesty require it of you and them againe and againe many yeares since And probably may not the late force and violence fall upon the Parliament for want of exemplary Justice formerly and by reason of that incouragement of impunity and protection which they evermore found within the Parliament it selfe And I wish you had beene as carefull in preserving the freedome of Parliament heretofore as you seeme to be at present or that you had not beene as industrous in violating it then as you seeme to be studious in preserving it now But that was done for the promoting and this for the advancing of your cause and party See par 29. and so this be done whether with or without the freedome of Parliament whether by the preservation or violation of it it matters not But what hopes of justice or a timely dispatch can wee Par. 39. have whilest such a prevailing party of men interessed and concerned in the same things shall in the House of Commons continue to be judges thereof or at least be ready to avow and justifie the offendors therein And for the same reason was not the King without hope of justice against those that were the authors and abettors of the former tumultuous practices and proceedings We appeale to all men whether it be just or tollerable that Par. 40. any priviledge of Parliament should centrary to the Law of Nature make any man judge in his owne cause and concernment And yet have not you and they meerely by the priviledge of Parliament contrary to the Law of Nature made your selves Judges in all Causes from the beginning betweene the King the two Houses of Parliament and your selves And we doe protest and declare that if any of those Members Par. 41. who during the absence of the Speakers and the rest of the Members of both Houses forced away by the tumultuous violence aforesaid did sit in the pretended Houses then continuing at Westminster and Vote for the raising a new Warre or for the Kings comming forthwith to London shall hereafter intrude themselves to fit in Parliamenc we cannot any longer suffer the same And O that you had the like resentment of the former force and violence done upon the Members of both Houses of Parliament And that you had the like indignation and resolution against those that drove them away from Westminster and afterwards continued to sit and Vote there for raysing an Army and imbroyling the Kingdome in a most unnaturall and bloody Warre And observe whilest you bring to condigne punishment the chiefe Authors and Abettors of the late Tumults how divine Justice punisheth the authors and abettors of the first Tumults viz. M. Hollis M. Glyn M. Long c. And you who have followed the conduct of Divine providence in some of your undertakings and from thence onely seeme to warrant them why will you not follow that Divine conduct in this also Which as it is in it selfe warrantable so it cannot but be commendable in you as tending meerely to the execution of Justice and not to the advancing and promoting of a Party and Faction nor is the hand of God seene more in punishing of these Offenders then it is in the composing of your Remonstrance which doth set forth the first Tumults to the life in every circumstance and so you have a second cal from God himselfe as you prosecure the late Tumults so to undertake the prosecution of the former so lively represented by your selves to your selves and to the whole World But we shall do that right to the Speakers and Members of Pat. 42. both Houses who were driven away to us and to our selves with them as to take some speedy and effectuall course whereby to restraine them from being their owne and our Iudges in those things wherein they have made themselves Partyes and so to make way that both they and others that are guilty of and Partyes to the aforesaid Treasonable and destructive practices and proceedings against the freedome of Parliament and peace of the Kingdome may bee brought to condigne punishment and that at the judgement of a free Parliament And O that you would make way that those who were guilty of and Parties to the first Treasonable and destructive practices and proceedings against the freedome of Parliament and peace of the Kingdome may bee brought to condigne punishment by the due course of Law which is the onely true and proper Judge in this Case And which your selves also intimate in the foregoing Parallell next but one And whereas you speake of the judgement of a Free Parliament for my part I think we have not had a Free Parliament for almost these six yeares last past nor have at this day not onely in regard of the aforesaid Practices and Proceedings but also in regard of your Military and Minatory Protestation and Declaration in the preceding Paralell And in my observation within these seaven years last past we have had four Parliaments such as they are 1. The Kings Parliament assembled by his Majestyes Writ Nov. 3. 1640. and enjoying freedome of Vote till Dec. 1641. 2. The Cityes Parliament made by their tumults and governed by their Propositions and Petitions from Dec. 1641. to Dec. 1643. 3. The Scots Parliament made and governed by their League and Covenant from Dec. 1643. to June 1647. all which time the Presbyterians had the predominancy And of this constitution also was that which you call the Apprentices Parliament 4. Sir Thomas Fairfax Parliament lastly made and governed by his Army their Addresses Declarations Proposals wherein the Independents predominate and which may be called the Agitators Parliament Now of all these the first onely was a Legall Parliament and all the others were Factious Assemblies onely conspiring against the Government of the Church and State and in this conspiracy the
is nothing left that can probably make any considerable resistance Yet they demand the change of the Militia of the City of London after it had beene established by Ordinance of Parliament and desire it to be put into other hands And although his Maiesty offred to grant Commissions to those that they had nominated to be Lords Lievtenants of the severall Counties for calling together Husb. 73. 91. training exercising and conducting the Militia or Trained See par 28. Bands of the Kingdome to resist invasions from abroad and to suppresse Rebellions and insurrections at home and so to defend and secure the Kingdome then pretended by them to be in danger yet the two Houses of Parliament were not content therewith Nor will the chiefe Authors and Promoters of the designe now in Husb. 1â—2 hand submit any longer to the Ancient forme of Government and administration in this kinde but aiming See par 17. rather to put the two Houses into a posture of inresistable power then the Kingdome into posture of sure defence they require for them in effect the whole power both in the disposition and in the execution of the Militia See the Ord. for setling the Militia Husb. 88. of the Kingdome And whatsoever they pretended this their demand of the Militia was not to oppose any present insurrection rebellion or invasion but to set up their affected and See par 18. 22. 32. intended Domination And their alteration of the settled order of the Militia was not for the better securing See par 7. of the Kingdome but for their better entring upon the Government first in the Militia and afterward in other See the 19. Propositions Husb. 307. Witnesse their protection of Sir Jo. Hotham in the businesse of Hull Husb. 152. 162 particulars by the power and meanes of the Militia And so have they to this day executed the Militia accordingly not to the suppressing of any insurrections rebellions or invasions attempted and made against the King and the Lawes of the Land and the established government of the Kingdome for which at first it was ordained and instituted But to the setling and establishing of a pretended Soveraignty in the two Houses of Parliament and to the inforcing subjection to them and obedience to their Votes and Ordinanecs and submission to their usurped Dominion and to the suppressing of all opposition Witnesse the Hothams Mr. Carew eleven Members See par 17. whether at home or from abroad attempted and made against them their designe their State and government And for these reasons at first they desired the Militia and endeavoured from time to time to possesse themselves of it and resolved not to give over till by some meanes or other they had attained it and rew modelled it and the Government and the Kingdome by See the Propositions aforesayd it And having experience how formerly the Army have ever Par. 5. insisted upon any thing they once demanded c. And have wee not had the like experience of the City formerly And therefore being thus awakened by the unexpected and Far. 6. undeserved interposition of the Army in the Militia of the City c. As his Majesty was awakened by your interposition in Husb. 61. 94 the Militia of the Kingdome which is the only safeguard and security of his Person and Crowne Wee could not in honour doe lesse than wee have done to Par. 7. preserve our interest in so great a part of our Government Nor could the King in honour doe lesse then he did to preserve his interest in so great a part of his government as is the Militia of the Kingdome which indeed is nothing else but the power of the sword which God hath put into his hands for the discharge of his Kingly Office in protecting and governing his people But if this vindication of our Right in the Militia of this Par. 8. City shall be thought by the Army to be a just cause to cast themselves upon extraordinary courses let God the Kingdome and the whole world be Iudges betweene them and us And let God the Kingdonme and the whole world be Judges betweene his Majesty and your Party whether the vindication of his Right in the Militia of the Kingdome were a just cause to cast them upon those extraordinary courses that they have taken Neither can wee see why the Army should take notice of Par 9. our Petition and ingagement it being only intended to the Common Hall but never presented even as the Petition of their Souldiery was to their Generall which being taken notice of by the Parliament as it was in agitation was then so deepely resented by the Souldiery Neither can wee see why the Parliament did take notice Husb. 563. of Captaine Leggs Petition heretofore prepared and intended only Wee declare unto the whole Kingdome the bottome of our hearts and affections as in relation to his Majesty whom wee Par. 10. have alwaies and shall ever acknowledge to be our true and only Soveraigne although his Royall Person hath been divided from us Being driven away first by tumult and afterward kept away by force of Armes and so not suffered either to stay with you in sasety or returne to you with security Wee have with much longing attended what the Army Par. 11. would propound concerning his Majesty in particular according to the great expectation which they have raised in the people from that which they have hinted in their Declaration or representation and other Papers of their intentions towards his Majesty But hitherto the time hath been spent and nothing done but to get the whole power of the Kingdome and City into their hands And did not the two Houses at the beginning in their Declarations pretend as much for the King only to get the power of the Kingdome into their hands Wee therefore doe in the presence of Almighty God professe that there is nothing in the world that wee more desire Par. 12. then that his Majesty may be put and left free in such honorable condition and capacity as his Person may appeare to be at liberty to receive and treate upon such Propositions as shall be presented unto him For our consciences tells us that whilst his Royall Person is invironed by an Army and remaines under the power thereof wee cannot expect that either his Majesties Princely heart can give that free assent unto those things which shall be propounded unto him as is requisite or if he doe wee cannot hope with good reason that wee and our Posterity shall without alteration enjoy them And why is not the King as free to these intents and purposes under the power of the Army as when he was at Newcastle or Holmby or would have been had he been sent to Warwick Castle Wee cannot omit also to declare unto the Kingdome how Par. 13. wee have sadly observed since the eleaven accused Members withdrew themselves that
the Army hath daily grown upon the Parliament Just as the City grew upon it after they had driven away the King and his Party by tumults And wee shall particularly insist upon the readmission of the eleaven Members lately driven out of the House of Commons Par. 14. by the violent pursuit of the Army And why not for the readmission of the Members of both Houses pursued and driven away by tumults formerly We should expresse our selves farther to vindicate this Par. 15 City before the Kingdome from the aspersions that have been cast upon us to have beene the first promoters and contrivers of this unnaturall Warre And did not your money and plate brought in upon Husb. 339. See par 26. the Propositions rayse the first Army June 10 1642 And did not that Army consist principally of Apprentices and others living in and about the City of London But God is our witnesse how desirous we have beene at all Par. 16. times and still are of a safe and well grounded peace Witnesse your Petition in August 1643. The story is this The House of Peeres resolved on Propositions of See Par. 30. peace to be sent to his Majesty and they sent them to the House of Commons where they were carried by 29 voices heereupon a Petition was framed By Alderman Pennington and others and presented to the House of Commons and the Petitioners censure the Propositions as destructive of Religion Lawes and Liberties and the Petition is attended by a great multitude of meane Persons who menaced and reproached the Members of both Houses And so the Propositions formerly received were rejected and all thoughts of Peace layd aside And thus wee have heerein truely stated the matter of Par. 17. difference if it can be called any between us and the Army to wit this alone that wee could not submit the Militia of the City to be altered at the pleasure of an Army And this also was the matter of difference betwixt the King and the two Houses to wit that his Majesty could not submit the Militia of the Kingdome which is See Par 4 inherent in the Crowne to be altred at the pleasure of a Party of Lords and Commons abiding at Westminster after that a Bill in the House of Commons and severall motions to the Lords for that alteration had beene rejected when there was a full and free Convention of Parliament A Parallell of divers passages in the Armies Remonstrance of August 18. 1647. When the adverse Forces and Garrisons within this Par. 18. Kingdome were dissipated and reduced we found immediatly the crosse working of a strong and prevalent party in the Parliament and Kingdome who being men of corrupt and private ends and interests made use of their power to drive on designes to set up a party and faction in the Parliament and Kingdome and by the advantage of a perpetuall Parliament to domineere over and inslave the Kingdome to posterity And did not his Majesty immediatly after the Parliament assembled finde the crosse working of the same party And did not he Declare them to bee men of corrupt and private ends and to make use of their power to drive on designes to overthrow Monarchy and to set up their Party and to domineere over us and to inslave us to posterity And did not his Majesty impeach them accordingly And did not you of the Independent way joyne with them in their Designes And are not some of your Party joyned also in the Articles of impeachment And at this day is there not emulation betweene them and you for Preheminence and contention for the Rule and Government To which ends as before this Parliament the ignominious Par. 1â— names of Puritan and Non conformists were made use of so they have vsed the odious name of Brownists Anabaptists Independents c. And for compassing of your ends did not you and they make use of the odious and ignominious names of Malignants ill affected enemies to the State c. to blast those men who stood for the Laws of the Land the right of the Crowne the Legall Liberty of the Subject and the just Priviledges of Parliament In pursuance of their designes they endevoured and prevailed Par. 20. to put out of all places of power or publique trust the most sober and conscientious men and closing with a very powerfull party in the City of London they first endeavoured and prevayled to new modell the Common Councell and forme it to their owne Party And did not you and they doe the same from the beginning Husb. 537. By their continuall violent and pressing importunity at the Par. 21. Parliament doores they wrung from the Parliament an Ordinance for altering the Militia of the City which hath speciall influence upon the City and Kingdome Parliament itselfe And did not the like violence and importunity at first extore the altering the Militia of the Kingdome They cause the Militia of London to bee put into the hands Par. 22. of men given up and engaged to the private interest and designes of a factious party They designed and went about to put the Kingdome to the expence and trouble of raysing and forming a new force under pretence as for the service of Ireland but indeed to serve their owne ends and purposes aforesayd in England And did nor you and they so from the beginning Husb. 537. Their endevour was not only to put the Army off without Par. 23. the honour and satisfaction due to it for the service it had done but to disband it on such tearmes as to subject and expose them and their party unto oppression and undoing And I wish that your not disbanding tend onely to your owne preservation and not to others oppressions and undoing Before our disbanding we desired also the setling of the peace Par. 24. of the Kingdome and the securing the common rights and liberties therof which we were called out to defend vindicate And are not those common rights and liberties found in Magna Charta and in the Petition of Right And doe you defend and vindicate them And is not Peace the tranquility of Order Politicall peace the tranquility of Politicall Order and of Monarchicall in a Monarchy And doe you endeavour to settle the peace of the Kingdome accordingly We hold most just equall and necessary the positive suspension Par. 25. of those impeached Members from sitting in the Houses as Iudges in their owne cause and from their power in Committees whereby they had advantage to raise war against us But you held the contrary in the case of the Members impeached by his Majesty And finding the impeached Members continue in and about Par. 26. London very active and busie to raise war and make disturbances in the Kingdome and that the Committee of the Militia there did comply with them therein c. And were not the five Members equally active and busie and was