denyes their Judicatory not being call'd by the Kings consent but for all this they judge him fit to be Excommunicated yet none would pronounce the Sentence against him till at last many of them being departed a young fellow named Andrew Hunter said that he was warned by the Spirit to pronounce the sentence and so ascending the chair read the same out of a Book This boyling humour of the Ministers troubled King James not a little which greatly augmented when they insolently refused to pray for the Queen his Mother then near herend though he had earnestly commanded them But the greatest of all was the execution in England how handsomly I know not though he greatly endeavoured to stop it But the King thinking to put an end to all tumults thought fit to reconcile the Nobility which at last he did Feasting them all at Haly-rud-house thence causing them to walk hand in hand two and two to the Market Cross at Edinburg where they sealed their Concord by drinking one to another The same peace he thought to have made with the Ministers but this not fadging all fell to nothing After this Huntley Bothwell Crawford Montross and Athol agitated by the Jesuits rebell but upon thier submission were pardoned Yet though the King was so easie to shew favour so was not the Presbytery who deprive the Bishop of Saint Andrews of all spiritual function for marrying the King's Cozen the Duke of Lenox his Sister to the Earl of Huntly though he did it by the King 's express Command yet was the King forced to dissemble his dislike of their insolency knowing their power and stubborness and having another thing in hand viz. his marriage with Ann the King of Denmark's Daughter whom to to fetch he presently took ship and married her in Upslo in Norway thence through part of Swedeland and Denmark he returned with her into Scotland where she was crowned though the accustomary unction was much opposed by the Ministry calling it a Jewish Rite abolished at Christs coming and introduced by the Pope After this Bothwell and some others conspire against the King endeavouring to seize upon his person at Haly-rood-house and Faulkland but without success and so was glad to fly into England The Presbyterie taking advantage against the King in these troubles Petition that the Acts made 1584. to restrain the insolencies of these hot heads should be abrogated which the King was constrained fearing lest they should also rebell against him upon a denyal in some sort to consent to Though the next year he assures them that he would not suffer the Priviledges of his Crown to be lessen'd nor Assemblies to meet without his Order but this they slightly answer by telling him that they will keep to the benefit allowed them the year before Nor shall they hold their tongue in the Pulpit upon just and necessary causes Such small esteem had they for their Soveraign though they would humble themselves to inferiour people in greater matters For when they had with the consent of the Council of Edinburgh made an Act that the Munday Market in that City should be alter'd to Tuesday The Shoomakers whom it most concerned gathered together before the Ministers doors threatning to chase them out of Town if they harp'd upon that string any more which was the reason of this Saying there Rascals and Sowters can obtain from the Ministers what the King could not in matters more reasonable Bothwell as aforesaid having fled to England for Treason returns again and being assisted with other Nobles and by the cunning of the Lady Atholl seizeth upon the King at Haly-rood-house where he constrains the King to pardon all and that several persons of quality should be turned from the King's service But the King getting to Sterling the Estates there decreed Bothwels actions to be Treasonable and the King not obliged to performance because forced whereupon Bothwell falling to open Rebellion is pronounced Rebell If the King's Authority could do this the Kirk thought they had as much power to excommunicate the Catholick Lords which the King the Lord offering themselves to Tryal endeavoured to stop telling them that they had nothing to do in such affairs but this denial so troubled and vext the Assembly that they order all of their fraternity to be in Arms For this insolency the King checking them they replyed That it was the Cause of God and in the defence thereof they could not be deficient Hereupon the King puts forth a Proclamation prohibiting all meetings yet for all this they kept on their Course so that the King was forced to yield Yet this procured him no peace though the birth of Prince Henry rejoyced him For Bothwell falls again into Rebellion assisted by Argile Arrol c. Nay the Presbyterie were so active in this Treason as to carry on his designs they give him the monies collected for the relief of their then distressed Brethren at Geneva By this means having got some forces together he fights the King's Party in which though he was not beaten yet shifts for himself dissolving his Souldiers Yet after this having joyned himself with some Catholick Lords to surprize the King again but being discovered flyes to open Rebellion and having with nine hundred men under the Command of Huntly beat Argile who had above 10000. upon Composition are pardoned but banished And Bothwell gets himself to France thence to Naples where he dyed miserably poor about the year 1624. The King for peace-sake and good policy had a mind to pardon and call home the banished Lords to which at last Mr. Robert Bruce the Minister consents provided that Huntly should not return but the King reasoning with him for Huntly too he imperiously answered I see Sir that your resolution is to take Huntly into favour which if you do I will oppose and you shall choose whether you will lose Huntly or Me for us both you cannot keep This is that Bruce whose popularity outvyed the King's who seeing one time what a multitude conducted him into Edinburgh said By my sale Bruce puts me down in his Attendants And this is he who had preached many years without Ordination nor would he be ordained which was the occasion of some disputes 1598. Yet for all this self-conceited pratler the Lords return which mads the Ministry who meet about it proclaim a Fast order inquiry to be made into their Favourites against whom they proceed with Censures and clamour as if the Kirk had been singing her Requiem The King troubled at these turbulent actions under his very nose by Proclamation dissolves them Whereupon they Petition him not to incroach upon the Limits of Christs Kingdom And these hubbubs were the more heightned by the Sermon of Mr. David Blake in which he ranted against the King Queen and Lords and call'd Queen Elizabeth an Atheist and a Woman of no Religion of which the English Ambassador complain'd and demanded satisfaction Upon
against peace 'T is the sword not disputes nor Treaties that must end this Controversie 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 I have sometimes feard alwaies praid that too much mercy and pitty in our State Physitians i. e. the Parliament might not retard the healing of this land Men who have deserted their trust falsified their Covenants how soon are they received into favour enjoy their Estates as if they were never enemies Oh! how are Neutralists and Malignants spared I have often thought that too much mercy towards Malignants hath made more Delinquents than ever justice hath punish'd mercy should not weigh down justice in God they are both equall why should it not be so in man Pitty to the bad hath proved cruelty to the good the sparing of Offenders hath made many worse few or none better To them that have shewd no mercy let judgment be shewd without mercy Guilt hath been contracted much innocent blood hath been spilt which must either be aveng'd on us or by us Oh there are many Malignant humours to be purged out of many of the Nobles and Gentry in this Kingdome before we can be healed The Lord heals a Land by cutting off these distemper'd members that endangers the health of the Land 'T was the Lord troubled Achan and cut him off because he troubled Israel O that in this our State-physitians i. e. the Parliament would resemble God to cut off those from the Land who have distemper'd it Melius est ut pereat unus quám unitas Men who lye under the guilt of much innocent blood are not meet persons to be at peace with till all the guilt of blood be expiated and avenged either by the sword of the Law or Law of the sword else a peace can never be safe nor just And then at the last tells you that the Parliaments cause and men are so good but the Malignants so abominably wicked that Heaven and Hell may almost as soon meet as these two make a peace I might also tell you how he hints upon the perfidiousnesse of Princes upon the deaths of King James and Prince Henry upon the losse of Rochell and the Irish Rebellion but I shall leave such false dirty slanders to be swallowed down by those Puritans who first spewed them forth yet did Ja Cranford think this houre of Rebellion very worth printing the better to perswade the people to embrace such wickednesse Which calls to my memory one expression then utter'd by Love That it was a very hurtful opinion that people must not defend themselves by force of Arms against their King What wickednesse this rebellious barrangue boaded I shall not say only desire you to observe that his Sacred Majesty was murther'd the same day four years that this blood-thirsty doctrine was vomited out by Love and the same day that Love dyed on was also honourd with the death of that bloody Tyrant Richard III. What do you think of another of these Champions viz. Mr. Samuel Rutherford No lesse man then Professor of Divinity at St. Andrews who thus yell'd out his malice against the Kings friends Bloody men who defend a cursed cause O enemies of the Gospel O Malignants and haters of the Lord and his Saints Malignants are but drawing blood of Christs heele in these bloody Warres He God suffereth Malignants to ride over his people that he may perfume the work of Hell in the enemies who are as it were skullions to purge the vessels of mercy and to humble them Malignants plow the Church and sow blood in the three Kingdomes The wicked of these Kingdomes malignants bloody-Irish rotten-hearted men such back-sliders and perjured Apostates as are in Scotland delivered to Satan and Excommunicated And after this speaking concerning the reasons of Gods judgments upon the Nation he thus delivers himself Others say Rebellion against the King is the cause but rather the not timous rising to help the Lord and his oppressed people against the mighty is the cause The defection of both Kingdomes to Altar-worship Imagery Idolatry Popish and Arminian doctrine c. And a little after this throws more dirt upon the King and his party than half his enemies had done before Yet was all this very pleasing to the Lords house then at Westminster who like true English Barons who should neither suffer their King nor their Peers to be abused the next day having consulted with their Pillows like themselves Order thanks to be given to Rutherfurd with desires also that he print his gudly geere I could also tell you how Samuel Anneley L. L. D. and Preacher at Cliffe in Kent very manfully perswaded the Parliament to do justice upon the King and not to treat with him any more yet highly extols and affirms the obligation of the Covenant so that some can cut off the Kings head by authority of the Covenant for which pretty salvo it may be the Commons ordered Mr. Boys to give the Dr. thanks where also they desire him to print this Queer come off I would also tell you of Mr. Matthew Barker formerly of James Garlick hithe London whence Mr. Freeman was wrongfully sequestred and plundred and his Curate Mr. Anthony turn'd out then of Mortlake in Surrey who earnestly in the pulpit perswaded the Parliament to continue in the wicked ways they had begun And that they do by all means execute justice And not to have any more Treaties and this man must have their thanks too from the mouth of Collonel Harvy I would also tell you how Mr. Tho. Brooks of Thomas Apostles whence Mr. Cooper was sequestred plundred and sent Prisoner to Leeds Castle in Kent furiously stirr'd up the Rumpers to do justice but because this was after the seclusion I shall neither speak of him or his being thankd by Sir John Bourchier The plain truth is should I give you a Bead-role of all the Treasonable rebellious and seditious expressions only utter'd from the Pulpit before the Parliament it self from the beginning of these warres till the Kings murther as I could soon do did I think it worth the while a Stranger might well suppose our English Pulpits not to be unlike that dreadful passage in Sir John Mandevile where so many Devills cunningly acted their parts to intise passengers to their perpetual ruine and well might he judge every Presbyterian black coat a Cataline whose only businesse is to promote Rebellion and Bloodshed yet was none of them ever checkt by but had the hearty thanks from the Parliament for so doing which shall stand as a perpetual in famy to the Presbyterians in the house whether secluded or a Rumper For had they any respect to his Majesty they would never have suffered him
summoned to the effect aforesaid presume to take in hand to decline the judgement of his Highness his Heirs and Successors or their Council in the Premises under the pain of Treason To make this way of Appealing more plausible to the People they are very willing to make a separation betwixt the two words Sacred and Majesty sticking close to Calvin who calls it blasphemy to yield the King a Supremacy in the Church under God and Christ to which purpose thus the Zealot Henderson delivered himself to his Majesty Such an Headship as the Kings of England have claimed and such a Supremacy as the Houses of Parliament crave with Appeals from the Supream Ecclesiastical Judicature to them as set over the Church in the same line of subordination I do utterly disclaim upon such reasons as give my self satisfaction And to this purpose against the Kings Supremacy in Church affairs he ranted before the House of Lords the year before Yet when he was Moderator of the Assembly of Glasgow in one of his Speeches there he attributed very much to the Kings Power in Ecclesiastical Causes and Assemblies and at last affirm'd That the King was Universal Bishop over all his Kingdom A Copy of this Speech his Majesties Commissioner James then Marquess of Hamilton used means to obtain but could not get it presently because those expressions had offended the Covenanters yet at last a Copy was sent him but with all those Expressions left out which were spoak in favour of the Kings Power in Ecclesiastical businesses by which one may guess at their jugling Another of these Brethren is very furious against the giving these Titles to the King and must call it Blasphemy too But this man is not only against this but also against the attributing any such Epithets as Vertuous Pious or Religious to our Superiours as if he had borrowed his breeding from Buchanan who rants against those who give the Titles of Majesty Lordship Illustrious c. And these two also agree very well together in slaundering those who will not fight against their Kings since they say Dame Nature knows no such distinction And this is agreeable to our Long-Parliament-Worthies who gravely declared it a fit Foundation for all Tyranny and a most distructive Maxim or Principle for the King to avow That He oweth an account of his Actions to none but God alone And that the Houses of Parliament joynt or separate have no power either to make or declare any Law And this power over the King Henderson doth not only give to the Representatives but also to the People over both them and the King especially in Reforming and so by consequence must make them also judges too and then shall we have a mad world my Masters If the Prince or Supreme Magistrate be unwilling then may the Inferiour Magistrate and the People being before rightly inform'd in the grounds of Religion lawfully reform within their own sphere and if the light shine upon all or the major part they may after all other means assayed make a publick Reformation And a few lines after thus to the same purpose It is not to be deny'd but the prime Reforming Power is in Kings and Princes quibus deficientibus it comes to the Inferior Magistrate quibus deficientibus it descends to the body of the People And this you must suppose to be a pretty Rule to make the People believe that no Religion can be true but the Presbyterians and the Covenanters and so a necessity of Reforming to their Directory For if not how will they answer the common Quaere How came they then or how durst they alter the Church Government against his Majesties express command Well necessity or no necessity the English Presbyterians will swear that they have power to Reforme and in that the King signifyeth but a Cypher For Could not they null Episcopacy against the Kings command Could not they devide their Lands amongst themselves against the Kings command Could not they Ruine the Common-Prayer-Book against the Kings command Could not they call a Pye-bald Assembly against his command Could they not swear a wicked Covenant against his command Could they not set up the Directory against his command Could they not set up Classical Provincial and National Assemblies against his command Could they not Murther and begger an Archbishop and others of the Orthodox and Loyal Clergy against his command Could they not destroy Cathedrals against his command Could they not make Perjury lawful against his command Could they not commit Sacriledge against his command Could they not turn the Kings Loyal Subjects out of both the Universities against his command Could they not make Schismatical Presbyterian Ordinations against his command Could they not make what they pleased to be Idolatry and Superstition against his command Could they not make Treason a Rule of Christianity against his command Nay could they not do any thing but make a man a woman and a woman a man according to Pembrokes oath and judgement For those who vote Loyalty Treason and cloak Rebellion with high Commendations and Religion will fancy a Legal Power into themselves obliging them to oppose their Prince And puft on with this perswasion a Puritanical Committee of our long Parliament order this to be Printed and Dispers'd in behalf of their Associates They have only used that Legal Power which was in them for the punishment of Delinquents and for the prevention and restraint of the Power of Tyranny of all which they are the legal Judges and all the Subjects of this Kingdom are bound by the Laws to obey them herein And this Opinion might be the reason why Prinne and his Fellows were so angry against that Murther'd Archbishop Laud for not suffering such seditious expressions as these to be used to the people in their Sermons It is lawful for the Inferior and subordinate Magistrates to defend the Church and Common-wealth when the Supreme Magistrate degenerates and falleth into Tyranny or Idolatry for Kings are subject to their Common-wealths And that Subjects may lawfully take up Armes against their Kings command and in their Sermons revile the Kings Court with Pride Avarice Idleness Flattery Folly Wickedness and such like Yet had a man in London but hinted half so much against the Parliament he had been claw'd for it to the purpose But it is not the English Puritans alone that would thus trample upon their Kings Nay the Scots too will be as wicked as them or else they could not handsomely call one another Brethren And this is especially practised by their zealous Hinters who deny the King to have no more to do in or with their Assemblies than the meanest Cobler amongst them whilst they thus Impudently told his Majesties Commissioner That if the King himself were amongst them he should have but one voice and that not Negative neither nor more affirmative than any one Member of their Assembly had Nor
Casuists cannot be ignorant how they annihilate and jeast with sin by their sociable Doctrine of Probable Opinion of Directing the Intention and such like as you may see more at large in the Mystery of Jesuitism of which the last Edition with its Additionals will yield you more satisfaction With these things I should be very unwilling to charge them did I not know that the Agitators of these Political evasions from Sin were the chief Casuists amongst them and their Books printed and reprinted by the consent of their Superiours For those men are very much to blame who scandalize a General Religion with the fancies and extravagancies of some private Writers for by this means might Rebelling-Presbyterianism King-killing Independentism deluded Quakerism and other Heresies be thrown upon the famous Church of England and several absurdities upon the Romanists which cannot be found in the Tridentine Council How obsequious this Order is to their Superiours Commands may be seen in many stories related by Hasenmullerus and others Ignatius himself being willing to throw away his life rather than disobey an ignorant Physitian Nor had it been handsom in him to have been refractory who was the Author of this obedient Constitution and wrote a long Letter from Rome to those of his Order in Portugal to perswade them to it which is yet extant What other Articles they have I need not relate these three being a sufficient taste and the rest of their Order may be had either in Italian or Latin To give a true Character of the Jesuite at large would be too tedious since one of themselves viz. Alexander Haius hath performed it well enough in few words viz. Jesuita est omnis homo one as fit to act any thing as he is able to comply with every condition meerly Tales quales as themselves were pleas'd to term it more publickly at Paris They are generally a sort of people more skilful in the causes and motions of the Body Politick than the Philosopher in the Natural being Richelieu's for plotting as quick-sighted as Lynceus as restless as the Bird of Paradice as insinuating and flattering as Clisophus or Charisophus more cruel than the ill-natur'd Barbarian and like the old woman Ptolomais never in their own Trade but when stirring up mischief and the best Actors on the Political Stage fit to undertake and finish any wickedness for which they have formerly been reproachfully banish'd France Bohemia Hungaria Moravia Turky and Venice though since with much ado restored Several of them have suffered in China England Scotland and other places for their villainies nor hath Germany suffered them to go unpunished nor could they expect more favour from many in that Countrey since the misery of it And the loss of the Palatinate if you believe Sir Simond D'ewes had its source from their Brains And one of this Society who suffer'd at Strasburg confest that he was one of the thirty Jesuits who were imploy'd to be Agents for the Roman Cause in the late German Wars and that their Orders were to poyson and make away the chiefest Officers or others who opposed the Emperour as my Author assures us And Teimurases Prince of the Georgeans a people lying upon the Caspian Sea will have none of them in his Territories whence they were forced to fly for that notorious Imposture of theirs concerning the head of that Martyred Queen Ketaban a story so commonly known that I do not a little admire at de S. Lazare for passing by the fraud and jugling of the Jesuites with silence and untruths Mendoza hot-headed Gret-serus and others of the same Society are as parties bound to commend the Honesty and Religion of this Order But the Ingenious Thuanus Pasquier who affords you Pleadings and Reasons against them and others though Roman-Catholicks think it not fit to attribute any goodness to the Jesuite knowing that he is a Subject too dangerous to live in Liberty in any well setled State Spain excepted these two reciprocally maintaining each other more through politick ends than true love of Religion I am confident Great Brittain and Ireland have felt the force of their active brains as the Raign of Queeen Elizabeth and the dangerous beginning of King James can testifie Nor were they any more beneficial to King Charles doing what they could to foment our Dissentions as the Long Parliament could not deny As appears by their Articles against Father Philips one of which was this The damnable Doctrine which he and other Jesuites have taught to destroy and depose Kings hath been the cause of the Civil Warrs like to befal these Kingdoms if God in his mercy did not prevent it And his Seditiousness is somewhat apparent by his Letter sent to Mr. Mountague in France and produced to the House of Commons June 25 in which was this expression Can the wise Cardinal endure England and Scotland to unite and not be able to discern In the end it is like they will joyn together and turn head against France And how vigilant the Cardinal was to keep the two Nations from uniting is visible from the presence and great endeavours of Mr. Thomas Chamberlain a Scotch-man Chaplain and Almoner to Richelieu amongst the Scots who play'd likewise his Cards well in England before our late Rebellion with Order not to depart from Scotland till things succeeding as the Cardinal wish'd he might return into France with good news of a perfect dissention betwixt England and Scotland And to this may be added the Industry of the Cardinal's Secretary in the said Nation where he carryed himself so cunningly that he was taken into Consultation with the Heads of the Covenanters And what good counsel could spring from such a Fountain cannot be ignorant to any who either understood the experience or knew the political biass of the said Cardinal which might well move him to say concerning our late Troubles That 't was easie for one with half an eye to have foreseen them Whereby it seems strange to me that he would never imploy a Jesuite if we may credit Mr. Howell though it may be that he supposed them too much linked to the Interest of Spain to doe him or France any good Nor is the multitudes of them in England any small probability of their bad Intentions being unwilling to hazard their lives as here they do unless upon some grand Design Jarrigius one of their own Society affirmeth that fifty of them clad in several habits kept Council in London whence they deputed a General Agent to Rome And Oliver Cromwell profest that he could prove by witness that they had a Consistory and Council that rul'd all the affairs in England as he could prove by the Particular Instrument then in his power And how formerly they swarm'd in England Mr. Gee will at large inform you And King James could never forget the miseries he suffered whilst King of
Long-Parliament I. Whether or no if the King and two Estates can extirpate the third then the King Lords Spiritual and Temporal cannot turn out the Commons as well as the King Lords Temporal and Commons exclude the Bishops II. Whether or no when the King and two Estates have turn'd out the third the King with another Estate cannot also turn out the second And lastly when only the King and one Estate remains the King as Supream cannot seclude that also III. And if these things will bear a good Consequence Whether the Presbyterians whose chiefest confidence was in the Long-Parliament but esecially the Commons have not brought their Hoggs to a fair Market But these People did not only overthrow Episcopacy but struck also at the root of Monarchy it self by their pleadings against the King's Supremacy making themselves not only equal to but above him And this not only when assembled in Parliament but when they are so far from having any Authority there there being no such thing then sitting that they are separately so many private Subjects obliged only to follow their own occasions for in this capacity I suppose they make themselves when they alledge for a Rule Rex est major singules minor Vniversis considering they place this in their Remonstrance as distinct from Parliaments But how weak this Position is let Parliaments themselves be our Judges And I do not love to reason against Authentick Records When God tells us expresly that Whoredom is a grievous sin 't was blasphemy in John de Casa to write in the vindication of Sodomy When Ignatius Irenaeus and other ancient and authentick Authors assure us that Presbytery was subordinate to Episcopacy in the first Century 't is folly in our late Schismaticks to dream of or introduce a Parity When Parliaments acknowledge themselves Subjects to his Majesty for any to conclude thence their Supremacy are in my judgement no less guilty of ignorance than that simpleton of Athens who fancied all the ships and other things to be his when he had no more interest in them then I have relation to the Crown of Castile The Lords and Commons tell us plainly what little signs they have of Superiority in these words Where by divers sundry old authentick Histories and Chronicles it is manifestly declared and exprest that this Realm of England is an Empire and so hath been accepted in the World governed by one Supream Head and King having the Dignity and Royal Estate of the Imperial Crown of the same unto whom a Body Politick compact of all sorts and degrees of people and divided in tearms and by names of Spiritualty and Temporally been bounden and ought to bear next to God a natural and humble obedience c. And in many other Statutes do they acknowledge themselves the King 's most humble faithful and obedient Subjects But more especially in those two of Supremacy and Allegiance in which they acknowledge the King the Supream under God both of Civil and Ecclesiastical affairs and so swear Allegiance to him each Parliament-man before he sit taking both the Oaths as all other Subjects do Whereby they clearly renounce not only Priority but Parity by which all their Cavils bring nothing upon themselves but Perjury Against this Supremacy of our Kings though it be under God and Christ John Calvin rants in his usual hot-spurr'd zeal calling them Blasphemers and Fools who durst first presume to give such a title to a King And in obedience to this Supream Head of Geneva and Presbytery doth his dear Subject and Disciple Anthony Gilby and others of that Fraternity shoot their Wild-fire against the same Statutes of England by which they shew their Schism and Madness more than Christian Prudence Besides all this our Laws make it Treason to compass or imagin the death of the King Queen or his eldest Son to leavy Warr against the King or any way adhere to or assist his Enemies But for any to commit Treason against the Parliament especially for those who have the King on their side I see little reason because I have express Law to the contrary which tells us that any one who shall attend upon the King in his Wars and for his Defence shall in no ways be convict or attaint of High Treason ne of other offences for that cause by Act of Parliament or otherwayes by any process of Law whereby he or any of them shall loose or forfeit Life Lands Tenements Rents Possessions Hereditaments Goods Chattels or any other things but to be for that deed and service utterly discharged of any vexation trouble or loss And if any Act or Acts or other process of the Law here after thereupon for the same happen to be made contrary to this Ordinance that then that Act or Acts or other process of the Law whatsoever they shall be stand and be utterly void How this Act hath been since violated Compounders Sequestrators and Decimators will best inform you And what a pitiful ridiculous and extorted Comment the Noddles of the Long-Parliament made upon this Act may be seen in their Declarations by which you may view both their ignorance and their malice These are Presidents enough to satisfie any man in the Parliaments subjection to the King it being in his power to constitute them not they him in him being the only Authority to call and dissolve them not any such being in themselves He can pardon Malefactors not they without his consent The death of the King dissolves the Parliament though their breaking up reflects nothing upon him He can call them where he pleaseth but they not remove his Court They Petition him by way of Subjects not he them The King of England can do no wrong and never dyeth being alwayes of full age the breath of the former being no sooner expired but the next Heir is de facto King without the Ceremony of Proclamation or Coronation And whether a Parliament can do no wrong or no I leave to many men now in England to judge The Kings power hath been such that he hath call'd a Parliament with what limitations he pleas'd as King Henry the fourth's Parliament at Coventry in which no Lawyer was to sit And whether too many Lawyers in a Parliament doth more good or bad hath been oft discours'd of in late times And 't is the King hath the power of the Sword not the Parliament as their own Laws tell us for in the year 1271. Octob. 30. We find this Statute To us i. e. the King it belongeth and our part is through our Royal Seignory straitly to defend i. e. to prohibit or stop force of Armour and all other force against our Peace at all times when it shall please us and to punish them who shall do contrary according to the Laws and Usages of our Realm And hereunto they are bound to aid us as their Soveraign Lord at all seasons when need shall be And the meaning
from this Swashbuckler These and many other innovating and cross grain'd actions you may find storied down by their almost-own Fuller for so may I well take the boldnesse to call him since they could never desire a more complyable Historian And therefore these may carry the more probability with the Reader let his education be either sound or rotten KING JAMES succeeding upon the death of Queen Elizabeth the Non-conformists thought to gain ground apace having to deal with a Prince as they thought bred up in their own way and a stranger not only to England but as they hoped to her government also 'T is true He had been nurst up in the Presbyterian way in Scotland but their insolencies and incroachments to get all the power into their own hands as a stiff Presbyterian under the fained name of Wilson doth confesse gave him so much experience as not only to allow of no alteration or that very small in the Church of England but also publickly to testifie his happinesse in ruling over and amongst people so sweetly united in such a Church-government whereas in Scotland He was a a King without State without Honour without Order where beardlesse boyes would brave him to his face As himself did word it Yet to satisfie their clamours He gave them a conference at Hampior-Court where their Objections seemed so trivial that Self will and an erronious Conscience was thought to be more predominant then Reason Upon which the King put forth a Proclamation for Uniformity to which all the Ministers in England and they are above nine thousand submitted except forty nine such a noise will a few disturbers cause in any society when tolerated Nor need this seem strange to those who know that in the first year of Queen Elizabeth the number of our Clergy-men who refused the Oath of Supremacy did not amount to 200. though they had all not only been bred up in the Romish Religion but also for some few years before had violently asserted the Pope's authority in England And we now see those who have been the Chief-tains of the Non-conformists to turn tail and acknowledge Episcopal government the which I hope they do more for Conscience then Covetousnesse Yet for all this though King Law and all things else were against the Disciplinarian Interest they grow resolute and as one saith starkmaa and send to their Brethren in Scotland informing them of all which had hapned and that they in Scotland must expect to conform too and then God wot would follow the utter destruction of Sion Upon which some of them take an Alarum and meet at Aberdeen in spight of the King and his Authority intending to declare against and root out all the foot-steps and memory of Episcopacy for which some of them afterwards were forced to acknowledge their fault And Andrew Melvil for writing Libels against our English Church he then being at London was called before the Council where behaving himself insolently and like a mad man he was committed to the Tower By these actions our Non-conformists easily perceived that they could gain nothing but their own shame and destruction whilst they acted only as private men whereupon they resolve under-hand to blow up the Parliaments against Prerogative to which purpose by their industry they never wanted a good party in the House who carried themselves so resolutely and cunningly that for the future Westminster only rung with the clamours of Grievancies liberty of Subject and Priviledge of Parliament A Parliament never sitting but some Member or other throwing dirt in his Majesties face and this conscionably done by freedom of speech never or very seldom satisfying the King in what he conveniently required for when his pleasure for any reasonable thing was any time made known to them then they grumble and reply that God must be served before man and then for a moneth or two nothing is done in the House but the uttering of long-winded speeches against Arminianism and Popery And this to as little purpose as Cardinal Rapacciolus his prayer that the Devils fins and transgressions might be forgiven him that so he might receive some comfort and be of good cheer For any thing or reason besides bitter Invectives is as difficult to be found amongst them as Coach horses at Venice or a Gondola in Themes as is obvious to any who have seen the Speeches in the two last Kings raigns 'T is true all were not carryed on with the same Spirit for the House was still composed of two different tempers Like Orense a Town in Gallaecia of Spain one side of which in Winter is covered with Snow and num'd by the fury of frozen blasts whilest the other side doth not only want these white Robes but is favoured with a continual warmth arising from the adjacent medicinal hot Baths yet the more wicked party obliged by being so to be more industrious will commonly gain advantages whilst the good People trusting in their honesty act altogether too supinely I shall not now trace the Extravagancies of private men but shew you some of their hot-headed prancks in Parliament because they have now made that the Stage on which they intended to act for the future and in this I shall study brevity and pass by many notorious insolencies In the first Parliament of King James which was drawn out into several Sessions one of the Members bid the rest take heed lest they gave too much to the King lest they endanger their own throats cutting when they went home Others bob'd his Majesty in his teeth for rewarding some of his own Countreymen affirming that their silver and gold abounded at Edenburgh And one Piggot after he had spoken disgracefully of the Scots added withall That it would never be well with England till a Sicilian Vesper was made of the Scotish Nation as if he had not known what Countrey-man the King was Words of such high nature that Queen Elizabeth would have shewn her Prerogative But having now to deal with a King whom they thought might have been trampled upon here as well as beyond the Tweed they left nothing unturn'd whereby they might strengthen their own Faction And this spirit of Contradiction and Contention ruling amongst them is pointed at by one of their own Brethren though clad in more favourable words these bickerings and the Members unrestless humour forced the King to dissolve the Parliament having sat long enough in all Conscience to do any good if they intended any Afterwards another Parliament being call'd and consisting of the same Temperature was presently dissolved In the next Parliament the King desires some Moneys having not had any assistance from his People for several years so that he was constrained to lessen his Houshold This necessary request the Parliament hears but never intend to grant And the better to lay it aside they first begin with the spacious and specious subject of Complaints and with a high hand
upon this last change have call'd those irrational who questioned the jus divinum of Episcopacy And how many of our Presbyterians have declared their perpetual adhearing to their Covenant against our present Church-government yet since the Change have taken contrary preferments with a pretty distinction that they onely swore against the wickedness accidentally happening to such forms These Non-conformists have been originally the main enemies as far as sword would go against the late King and This present yet now that he is restored none courts the rising Sun-more then they and that with thwacking Rodomantado's of their activity for his Restauration and what danger and jeopardy they have incurr'd for his cause which puts me in mind of the first Reformation in Scotland When the Scriptures were allowed to be read in English then those who had ever scarce read ten sentences of it would chop their acquaintances on the cheek with it and say This hath lain under my beds feet these ten years Others would glory O! how oft have I been in danger for this book How secretly have I stoln from my wife at midnight to read upon it All which was done meerly to curry favour the Governour being then held one of the most servent Protestants in Europe And how far this story quadrates with our Presbyterian temper may be seen by the sequel discourse I have seen some men in the Rump's time when condemn'd to death for Felony by the then Judges earnestly plead their former siding with and activity for the Parliament thinking thereby to gain so much favour from the Judge who had been formerly brothers in one and the same iniquity as the procurement of a Reprieve if not a pardon But now the plea is so much alter'd that the same Faction pretends to hold forth some small favours to the present King as a badge to denote the bearers so stuft with Loyalty as to be capable of the greatest trust When the Father was alive then they fought against him to make him more glorious And now that the Son 's restored they onely sent the Earl of Warwick to pelt him beyond seas to learn humility because Affliction and Presbytery are the best Tutors to that vertue For rather then He or his Father should suffer any real damage or hurt they would do just nothing Which calâ—s to my remembrance the flatterer Afranius who swore to Caligula then sick that he would willingly dye so the Emperour might recover who upon Caligula's restoration to health was by command slain that he might not be for sworn Whether Afranius meant really or no I know not but this I am confident of That our Presbyterians take little care of any oaths tending to the safety and peace of King and Country and therefore take what liberty they please to protest knowing his Majesties mercy is such that he had rather give them time to repent for their former wickedness and perjury then put a period to their beings by the mode of Trussing as they had done formerly to many of his most faithful Subjects Americus Vespacian the Florentine had the confidence to denominate the best Continent of the West-Indies by his name though if he had not had the benefit of Colono or Colombo of Genua his observations he might as soon it's probable have found out Nigra Rupis or the certain Station of Ophir as have seen that other world And if the ever to be honour'd Duke of Albermarle had not contrived and as I may say of himself wrought out the happy Restauration of his Majesty The Brethren alas would as soon have found out the ten tribes as of themselves endeavoured the King's return unless upon Tyrannical Conditions So that if Virgil took it ill that Bathyllus had robb'd him of the honour but of one Distick the Duke of Albermarle hath no reason to favour those people who would pluck from him the greatest glory that in possibility could be thrown upon a Subject If the Presbyterians did any thing advance his Majesties Restauration it must either be by Chance or Industry As for the first they cannot expect any thanks since this event proceeded not from resolution but rather contrary to their desire or at least expectation The Ape little thought by putting on his Master's Cap to cure him of a Pluresy and he who wrote to the Lord Monteagle did not think thereby to discover the Gun-powder plot The Surgion had no intention to destroy Charles II. King of Navarre by burning the thread too carelesly and what resolutions the Presbyterians had to restore our Charles II I must yet plead ignorance till better informed but I am confident they would never willingly have this way pleasured King Charles the first And that they ever so much troubled their thoughts with the King as to make his Restauration a part of their business is hitherto as far from my discovery as the true situation of the old Towns in Ptolemy or the Northern bounders of America I hear not of any of their actions in England when his Majesty was beyond seas before his agreement with the Scots I hear of none of their designs here to assist the King or their own Brethren for him in Scotland I know of no assistance that they afforded or brought to the King when he marched for Worcester but have heard of some who have then opposed him with all their might Nor am I informed of their activeness in any of the many Plots against Oliver and if in none of these things they have been stirring their Grand Plea of Loyalty must fall to the ground unless they did his Majesty good service by being obedient and faithfull subjects to the Rump and Oliver sworn enemies to the King and in this case their plea cannot be so ingenious as that of the immortal Poet John Cleaveland I remember Antonio de Torquemeda tells a story of some men and their horses that were carried to Granada in Spain by the advantage of one Cloak though they thought they had onely been getting their dinners not thinking of such a journey And if the Presbytery did any service for the King it was I suppose after this manner when they never dreamed of it Nay I do not so much as hear the whispering of any relief till the other day of monies or such like conveniencies that they assisted the King with or any of his distressed followers Major General Massey and Captain Titus excepted and that but a poor pittance too some 400l between them not for any design but a supply of personal necessities And the reason of this beggerly liberality was not so much because they were sufferers for the King as that the former had done good services for the Presbyterian Parliament as Master Love himself doth more then hint besides this we will not forget the huge summe of 40l to Coll. Bampfield and his man Yet as a pretty token of their Loyalty they keep a great deal of clutter concerning the
for the distruction of our Church But if 8000 Fiends could no way endamage seven poor Fryers I hope nor they nor Presbytery will ever be able to do any mischief to the Church of England Yet as a descant upon the Objection of those who plead their activity in Sir George Booth's businesse I shall propose one Query Whether if the Presbyterians had supposed that our present King would have been so opposite to their Interests as his glorious Father was They would any way have bestirr'd themselves for his Restauration Here I would not be understood of those who at the beginning of these troubles had the misfortune to be of that Faction yet since turn'd to the true Church with an acknowledgment of their former errours and this through conscience not preferment the once-flourishing Church being then in a persecution But I intend those whose frantick zeal yet binds them up to Schism as well as those who are stuft with Presbytery in Sr. George's rising and since of whom I believe repentance is not yet impossible because I read that the Devill himself hath humbly acknowledged and confessed his offences But to the Query if they would not have endeavour'd his restorement being so qualified then must they needs have a large stock of confidence to demand thanks where none is due but rather an halter for their assistance in the businesse But if they did desire the King again and so qualyfied then must they either declare that they have been wicked Villains and Traytors against the late King or that this present King was help'd in by them more through their goodness to him than his own desert For my part I am apt to give credit to the negative really thinking that if they had had as bad thoughts of this King as of his Father who yet was better than the best of his enemies they would have made it their businesse to have kept him out though under favour 't is as much Treason to depose a Tyrant as a good King And I am drawn to be of this perswasion by these following Motives That they looked upon his Fathers non-complyance with their peevish humours as a monstrous wickednesse is a truth not hitherto denyed Wherefore else should Mr. Love pray that God would redeem him i. e. Charles II. from the iniquity of his Fathers house And not half an houre before his own death to be so farre out of Charity with the oppressed and Martyr'd King as to bluster out For my part I have opposed the Tyranny of a King And with this Love great in the eyes of the Presbyterians doth the grand Patron of that Sect in Scotland Mr. Robert Dowglas agree who had the impudence pardon that low expression for language cannot reach the wickednesse of his pretended Sermon to tell the King to his face several times of the sins of his Father and Family Of which I shall give you some taste and that in his own words It is earnestly wished that our Kings heart may be tender and be truly humbled before the Lord for the sins of his Fathers house And for the many evils that are upon that Family Again Our late King did build much mischief to Religion all the days of his Life And again Sir there is too much iniquity upon the throne of your predecessors who framed mischief by a Law such Laws as have been destructive to Religion and grievous to the Lords people And again I may say freely that a chief cause of the judgment upon the Kings house hath been the Grand-fathers breach of Covenant with God and the Fathers following his steps in opposing the work of God and the Kirk within this Realm And since he holds the King to be so wicked what must be done with him himself doth intimate in these following words This may serve to justifie the proceedings of this Kingdome against the late King who in an hostile way set himself to overthrow Religion Parliament Laws and Liberties If Elisha call'd judgment from Heaven upon little Children for calling of him bald-head What punishment do these Boute-feus deserve for throwing such false and wicked slanders and reproaches upon a just and good King If the Romans according to their custome broak the legs of the wicked accuser of Apollonius because he could not prove his words what tortures do those merit who so falsly revile their innocent Ruler And if Nerva would have servants slain as ungrateful wretches who presumed to accuse their Masters What death would he inflict upon those who had the impudence thus to vilifie their Soveraign But it was not Dowglas alone who thought the late Rebellion against the King to be lawful and commendable but others of them and those the chief too nor indeed do I remember that any Presbyterian denyed it Amongst its chief assertors thus doth Love declare himself I did it is true oppose in my place and calling the forces of the late King and were he alive again and should I live longer the cause being as then it was I should oppose him longer And of the same Rebellious humour is the much talked of Baxter who several times professeth that if he had not been on the Parliaments party he had been guilty of High Treason against the Higher power which his hasty zeal took to be the Parliament But I shall leave him to the meditation of the Rebels plea which if he do but seriously consider I am confident he may have a sight of his sins against which conversion I believe the Brethren pray daily And of this opinion concerning the lawfulnesse of the Warre was old Hall of Kings-Norton canting and recanting Jenkins of London mad-pated Crofton railing Vicars with the rest of the covenanting Diegoes It being one Article in their League and Creed that all Malignants that divided the King from his people c. contrary to the League and Covenant be brought to publick Tryal and receive condigne punishment and by whom this is meant needs no Oedipus to unriddle So that if the King offer to protect these eye-sores of theirs they think themselves obliged by their Oath to take Armes to punish the Kings best subjects according to their pretty oath And yet must these mens actions be held ever for the best as if they had taken infallibility from the Papall Chair Which puts me in mind of a Quaker who not long since through ignorance led a friend of mine above 4 miles out of his way going to Oxford and when he perceived his error greatly cryed up the good providence of God which had brought them that way because as he said for ought he knew they might have been rob'd had they gone the right road And how many of the Puritans have hug'd themselves because they have been in a wrong way against King and Church may appear by many of their Thanks-giving Sermons and speeches And whether these men can be call'd good
were so farre for liberty of subject and Conscience that they hoped by their hands that God would fulfill the desires of him who prayd to Almighty God in the Kirk of St. Andro That He would carry through the good cause against all his Enemies especially against Kings Devils and Parliaments Are not these precious souls to promote the Holy League or to put forward the cause of Muntzer or John a Leyden Well if you will have any more of this Caledonian doctrine Then what do you think Was not he a dapper Covenanter that could thus twit his late Majesty We must not lose you and the Kingdome by preferring your Fancies and groundlesse affections before sound reason you should complain to the heart that the head is much distempered The Lyon must be cured of the Kings Evill Is not this a pretty reflection fitting to prompt a Rumper to do what he will against a King But if this be not enough Bradshaw may pick a small vindication from the Covenanters who thus assure Kings that The people may be well enough without them for there was NONE TILL Cains days Happy souls that have the sole power of understanding Scripture and History Nor is their knowledge stinted here only but they can as if they had a strange spirit of Divination even know the hearts of their betters for thus one of their Grandees R. B. from the Pulpit could assure his Beloved that the Lord hath forsaken our King and given him over to be led by the Bishops the blind brood of Anti-Christ who are hot Beagles hunting for the blood of Gods Saints Is not this fit stuff from the jaws of an hot-headed Covenanter I can tell you also that when his Majesty sufficiently provoked by these furious Rebells went himself to reduce them to obedience one of these Tub-Pratlers told his Hearers that they of the Holy Covenant were like Israel at the Red sea and Pharaoh and his host comming upon them And another H. R. was as forward as any of them when he compared the King to a Wicked Italian who delighted to kill men both in soul and body And was not the King highly beholden to these his gude Subjects And had no the reason to thank Mr. Cant. for his good opinion of and wishes for him when in his Sermon at Glascow he could dapperly pray to God To take away the Kings Idolatry But words are but winde and therefore deeds must do the feat for obtaining of which they think themselves obliged to vindicate any manner of murder or bloodshed Thus one of their Zealots highly applauding John Feltons stabbing the Duke of Buckingham God hath chalked out the way unto you God offer'd himself to guide you by the hand in giving this first blow will you not follow home The sprinkling of the blood of the Wolfe if we can follow the Lord in it may prove a means to save us c. But because the life of a Subject is too small a recompence for their Revenge the pouring out of Sacred Royall bloud would not be amisse as appears by the words of a Covenanting Brother Tell the Head it 's sick presse the people to Arms to strike the BASILIKE VEIN since nothing but THAT will cure the pleurisie of your Estate And is not this a good way to plead for Zion Is it not an hard case that none but these blood-shot eyes can discern the Pattern in the Mount Would not a man think King Charles the I by these Characters to be a stranger Monster than ever Aldrovandus heard of And can any man think that these Kirkers spoke like subjects when they publickly declared that We deserve and expect a proper word to their betters Approbation and Thanks from his Majesty And all this only for Rebellion according to Mr. Andrew Ramsey Minister of Edenburgh his Doctrine viz. That it was Gods will that the primitive Church should confirm the Truth by suffering and that now the truth being confirm'd It 's his will that we defend the Truth by Action in Resisting TYRANTS And what was meant by this word Tyrants the Time when the word was spoke doth sufficiently demonstrate And so little respect have these Brethren to the Supream Powers that a great Grandee well known in England if you say but Thomas Cartwright did thus proudly give his judgement concerning this Question Whether the King himself might be Excommunicated That Excommunication should not be exercised upon Kings I utterly mislike And how exactly these Disciplinarians Quadrate with the Jesuites in Politicks the learned Mr. Corbet under the Name of Lysimachus Nicanor hath Ingeniously discover'd which Book so handsomly exposed the Zealots that the Author being after murthered by the Irish Robert Bayly that Scavinger of Presbytery betwixt snarling and rejoycing could not refrain from crying out O the judgement of God! The Aethiopians paint the Devil white and look upon our Europians as not beautiful because not of their black and obscure Complexion And our dark-souled Puritans censure all Vertue and Loyalty as abominable because contrary to their Principles which perswades them to espouse such Maxims as these I. That it is lawful for Subjects to make a Covenant and Combination without the King and to enter into a Band of mutual defence against their King and all persons whatsoever II. After a Law is made and confirmed yet if the Subjects or rather as appears by practise if onely a part of them protest against such established Law or Laws Then that doth void all obedience to those Laws and the Protestors are discharged from any obligation to live under them although the Protestations and the validity of them be not discussed before the competent Judges of them III. A number of men being the greater part of the Kingdome because they are the greater may do any thing what they themselves do conceive to be conducible to the glory of God and the good of the Church notwithstanding of any Laws standing in force to the contrary And that these especially met in a Representative Assembly may not onely without the Authority of the King but against the express Commandement of the King and his Council and Judges declaration of it to be against the Laws of the Land sit act and determine of things concerning the Church and State as if there were neither King Council or Judges in the Land and several other such like dangerous positions as these whereby they ruin and destroy Kingdomes Which can never be upon a sure foundation as long as such Bonte-feu's are tolerated Schism being the chief overthrower of Nations Upon these Principles our English Presbyterians rebell'd against their Soveraign and upon the same account their Neighbours did in Scotland and then trudg'd forwards to the assistance of their Southern associates declaring the necessity of such a Rebellion Unless we will either Betray our Religion Liberties and Laws and all that we and ours do possess
Army and all this forsooth against the Cause of God the souls of his true Saints the peace of the Directory and the happiness of the Elect the true children of Grace the poor people gaping all the while really believing no Devils to be in the World but Cavaliers not a word proceeding from the lying Throats of these Pulpiteers but fill'd the soft-brain'd Auditors with more indignation against the King and his Cause than our Women are against Popery at the sight of a flaming Picture in the Book of Martyrs All their prittle-prattle was to shew the goodness of their Cause and I wish some of the Presbyterian Churches beyond-Seas were not too much complying in this the abominable wickedness of the Kings Party and to perswade their friends never to make peace with such Malignants Of which I shall afford you two or three Instances Mr. Herbert Palmer of Ashwell in Hertfordshire made a long-winded tittle-tattle stuft with Rebellion and Sedition before the House of Commons at the latter end of which he finds out a pretty device to have all the Cavaliers throats cut and all this to be justified by Inspiration from God Almighty I humbly entreat you to ask Gods Consent first whether he will spare such or such or pardon them and if he will not you must not Probably this Politician was very well acquainted with the subtle Robber of old time who made the Countrey-Parson pray for Riches and upon that account took all his Gold from him Or it may be Oliver used this Art to murder his Majesty for we are told that he said he pray'd to know Gods mind in that case and he took the Answer Affirmatively Thus our Red-Coats of Wallingford-House after they had concluded upon any mischief would for a blind to the People appoint a Day of Humiliation to enquire of God what should be done though they were before resolved that all the Prayers in the World should not alter their fore-going Determination Whence it came to be a vulgar and true Observation That whensoever those Saints had a Fast they were then broaching some mischief or other To be short the greatest wickedness in the World may be perpetrated by this Rule of Palmer's and so Religion prove but a piece of Policy yet was it very fitting for the Parliaments actions which I suppose was the cause that they ordered Sir Oliver Luke to give him thanks for his Seditious Preachment and to desire him to print it the better to infect the People Another of these Bawlers seldom thought of a Bishop or the Kings Party but with Indignation and this must be Mr. Thomas Coleman formerly of Blyton in Lincolnshire but since by the Schismaticks was put into St. Peters Cornhill London from which they had not only wickedly Sequestred Dr. Fairfax but Plunder'd and Imprison'd him in Ely-House and in the Ships and turn'd his Wife and Children out of doors But to return to Coleman who in one of his Sermons thus rants against the Church of England and violently perswades the Parliament to execute severe justice upon her Children Our Cathedrals in great part of late become the Nest of Idle Drones and the roosting place of Superstitious Formallists Our Formallists and Government in the whole Hierarchy is become a fretting Gangrene a spreading Leprosie an unsupportable Tyranny Up with it up with it to the bottom Root and Branch Hip and Thigh Destroy these Amalekites and let their place be no more found Throw away the Rubs out with the Lords Enemies and the Lands Vex the Midianites abolish the Amalekites or else they will vex you with their wiles as they have done heretofore Let Popery find no favour because it is Treasonable Prelacy as little because it is Tyrannical This was rare stuff for the Blades at Westminster and pleas'd admirable well and therefore they strait order Sir Edward Aiscough and Sir John Wray to give the Zealot hearty thanks for his good directions and to desire him by all means to print it which accordingly he did and in requital of thanks Dedicates his fury to their Worships where he fals to his old Trade again very pretily by his Art of Rhetorick calling the Kings Army Partakers with Atheists Infidels Papists c. That it hath Popish Masses superstitious Worships cold Forms in the Service of God That it is stored with Popish Priests That it Persecutes Godly Ministers painful Preachers That it doth harbour all our drunken debauched Clergy our Idle Non-Preaching dumb Ministry our Ambitious Tyrannical Prelacy and the sinck and dregs of the Times the receptacle of the filth of the present and former Ages our spiritual-Courts-men This mans rayling pleas'd the Commons so well that they could think no man fitter to prate when their wicked League and Covenant was taken than He which accordingly he did to the purpose tickling their filthy Ears with the same strains of malice Impudently affirming That none but an Atheist Papist Oppressour Rebel or the guilty desperate Cavaliers and light and empty men can refuse the Covenant and so concludes with a reflection upon the Kings Party as Idolaters And for this stuff Colonel Long must be Ordered to give him thanks from the House Another of these Parliamentary Furies Mr. Arth. Salwey of Severnstoak in Worcestershire thus desires them to destroy the Kings friends Follow God I beseech you in the speedy and impartial Execution of Justice The hearts of your true Friends are grieved that so many Delinquents are in Prison and yet but very few of them brought to their Tryal When Elijah had done execution upon Baals Priests there was rain enough 1 King 18. 40 41. Who knows how soon the Lord may bless us with an holy Peace and blessed Reformation if Justice were more fully executed And this man must have thanks sent him too from the Parliament by Mr. Rouse Another of their Thumpers viz. Mr. George Walker of St. John Evangelists London thus stirs up execution against Malignants Cut them down with the Sword of Justice Root them out and consume them as with fire that no root may spring again let their mischief fall upon their own Heads that the land may be eas'd which hath a long time and doth still groan under them as an heavy curse And was not this a fit Sermon to be preacht just the day before the Treaty at Uxbridge and then to be printed too by the Presbyterian Authority Could these men desire peace that thus countenanced men to rail against their betters with whom they were to Treat But this is short of Mr. Love's malice let one of their witts sing out his Commendations as he pleaseth he at the very day of the Treaty must needs thunder it at the place it self perswading the people by all means not to treat with the Royalists as I have in part before insisted on but besides that which I told you then he could thus also animate his friends
will they allow the Civil Authority to have any thing to do with them or any of their Kirk-actions as I have formerly shew'd in their continual practise and for an assurance take one of their Declared Maxims As the Assembly cannot make Civill Laws nor repeal them nor impede the Parliament from making or repealing Civil Laws No more can the Parliament make Ecclesiastical Laws Originally nor repeal or hinder the Lawful Assemblies to repeal the same For albeit Acts of the Assembly are and may be ratifyed in Parliament that is only that the Civil Sanction may concur with the Ecclesiastical Constitution But will not stop the Assembly to recal their Own Act which being annull'd by them the Civil Ratification falls ex Consequenti For to maintain that the Kirk may not repeal her own Acts ratified once in Parliament is so derogatory to Christs Prerogative and Ordinance to the Liberty of the Kirk and Freedom of the Assembly to the nature and reason of all Ecclesiastical jurisdiction as we have more largely declared in the Protestation 22 September last that we believe few or none will be of that Opinion Nor will they allow the King to Dissolve any of their Juntos with which Impudent humour King Charles I. was sufficiently troubled For having by Proclamation Dissolved their Assembly at Glasgow 1638 They publickly deny his Authority for so doing declaring that It was most unlawful in it self and prejudicial to those Priviledges which Christ in his word hath left to his Church to dissolve or break up the Assembly of this Church or to stop and stay their Proceedings in Constitution of Acts for the welfare of the Church or execution of Discipline against Offenders and so to make it appear that Religion and Church Government should depend absolutely upon the pleasure of the Prince And after this they very solemnly protest against the departure of the Kings Commissioner 'till their humours be satisfyed a sufficient sign of their Presumption to be so malepert with one that represented the Kings Person and Authority but they go on in their boldnesse We again and again do by these presents cite and summon them and every one of them to compeer before this present General Assembly to answer to the premises and to give in their Reasons Defences and Answers against the Complaints given in or to be given against them and to hear Probation sed and Sentence pronounced against them and conform to our former Citations and according to Justice with certification of affairs Like as by these presents we summon and cite all those of his Majesties Council or any other who have procured consented subscribed or ratified this present Proclamation to be responsable to his Majesty and Three Estates of Parliament for their Counsels given them in this Matter so highly importing his Majesty and the whole Realm conform to the 12 Act King James IV. Parliament II. and protest for remedy of Law against them and every one of them Having thus begun to thunder they fall to work though they had no power to act being Dissolved by the Kings Command yet to it they fall in a furious Zeal not stopping at any thing which was once propounded so that in one hour they declar'd six General Assemblies to be null and void In another hour they condemn'd not confuted Armianism In another hour they deprived the Archbishop of St. Andrews and two other Bishops viz. Galloway and Brechen as at other times of that Kirk-Rump all the rest of the Bishops In another hour they declared Episcopal Government to be inconsistent with the Laws of that Church and Kingdom and so abolished it And thus in all haste without fear or wit in a very few dayes they had made almost an hundred Acts sometimes three or four at one time and sometimes more to the utter discredit of their Brethren of our English Assembly who sat hum-druming several years and after all expectations brought forth nothing worth a Mouse But the one was shackled and the other at liberty the one was over-rul'd and aw'd by a Parliamentary Nod but the other would neither be govern'd by God nor Man Though no question had that at London been their own Masters they would have been as hasty as their Brethren An English Covenanter being as good wildfire as any Kirker in Scotland But by this you may guess how deliberate our Northern Seers are how rationall they are that without Archimedes his Engine can skrew up a Government in a moment like those in the Arsenal in Venice who in less than two hours time can make and lanch a compleat Gally But enough of their denying the Kings Authority over them in their Assemblies I shall only give you one of their private Instructions by them carefully sent to some Ministers in every Presbytery in whom they put most special trust Private Instructions Aug. 27. 1638. That the ablest man in every Presbytery be provided to dispute De Potestate Supremi Magistratûs in Ecclesiasticis praesertim in Convocandis Conciliis de Senioribus de Episcopatu de Juramento de Liturgia corruptelis ejusdem How the Saints held these Questions need not be ask'd nor how partially they would go about them for I cannot well say study them When people once dispute Authority practice assures us that they are resolv'd for the Negative and when such questions as these are on purpose propos'd by a byass'd Zealot the Intention is only to confirm people in Opposition The Brethren long before this had found the benefit of such Discourses which made them now trudge in the same way For their seditious Predecessors in the University of St. Andrews insteed of Divinity had thrust up these Politick Questions Whether the Election or Succession of Kings were the better form of Government How farr the Royal Power extended Whether Kings might be censured for abusing the same and depos'd by the Estates of the Kingdom But besides those who expresly deny and fight against the Kings Supremacy his Majesty hath other Enemies to his Authority which are as dangerous amongst the People as any other And these are those who commend his Enemies and so approve their Actions not but that a wicked man in some things might be highly commended for other qualities Thus of one hand I find the great Gustavus Adolphus highly applauded but that he was a Protestant and on the other our Queen Elizabeth's Sister Queen Mary as greatly commended but that she was a Roman-Catholick yet for either of these simply aspersions are not to be cast upon Magistrates or others more inferiour However this hits not our case but the magnifying of those who are really wicked which Epithet let them take offence that will I shall freely bestow upon our Long-Parliament as being the Kings greatest Enemies the only cause of his ruine and the murtherers of many innocent Loyal Gentlemen By these Commendations the People are made to believe that
to acquaint the Committee of both Kingd at London that a course might be taken by the joint advice of both Kingdomes for attaining the just ends exprest in the Solemn League and Covenant And to the same purpose but with abundance of railing against the King the year before did the General Assembly of the Scotish Kirk Mr. Robert Dowglass being Moderator expresse themselves to his Majesty And in this humour of conditional and malepert capitulating Subjects they continue nay even when people might perceive the Army bent against Monarchy or at least the Royal Family of the Stuarts For thus they endeavour to make people believe that the King cannot be truly King indeed unlesse he humbly give satisfaction to his covenanting people We leave it to be pondered by your Lordships whether they that obstruct and hinder the requiring of satisfaction and security from his Majesty in point of Religion before his Restitution to the exercise of his Royal Power do not upon the matter and consequence obstruct and hinder his Majesties deliverance and restitution whereof such security and assurance had from his Majesty might be a powerful and effectual means And a little after more fully declare themselves thus This Restitution of his Majesty to the exercise of his Royall Power before security had from Him for setling Religion your Lordships know by our eight desires and otherwaies is conceived by us to be inconsistent with the safety and security of Religion the bringing of his Majesty to some of his houses in or neer London before satisfaction and security had from him in point of Religion and in such other things as are necessary for the safety of the Kingdomes could not as we conceive but be an exceeding great discouragement and offence to the Presbyterianins England who will conceive that the Remedy is worse then the disease seeing your Lordships are obliged by the third Article of the Covenant to defend his Majesties person and authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdomes We conceive your Lordships should not demand from nor presse upon the Kingdome of England his Majesties Restitution with freedome and honour and safety except with that qualification in the Covenant and with a subordination to Religion and the Liberties of the Kingdomes And if all these things should come to passe then the Kirkers cry out that all is undone and so they leave it to judgment Whether his Majesty shall not be restored to his honour before Jesus Christ be restored to his honour and set upon his Throne of Government in his Church Whether his Majesty shall not be in a condition of liberty before the Ordinances of Christ have a free course And is this to endeavour the setling of Religion before all worldly interests Or rather to make it come after the Kings interest And If his Majesty may be restored with honour freedome and safety before such satisfaction had from Him we fear it shall lye as a great scandal upon this Kingdome And a little after they plainly subject his Majesty to their wills in the interpretation of the Covenant Whatsoever we owe to the King in civill matters distinct from the cause of Religion sure all these other duties are with a subordination to the glory of God and the good of Religion And we are very confident that it was and will be farre from the thoughts of the General Assembly under colour of his Majesties Honour to concurre with him or any in his Name in a cause which is hurtful and prejudicial to the good of Religion and to the other ends of the Solemn League and Covenant Yet this way of diffience and standing off with their Soveraign Mr. Robert Beyley wonders that any body should call a Fault As if these men have the priviledg to secure the person of the King when they please and then deny him either Authority or Liberty till he ask them forgiveness and give them satisfaction for his thinking much to be made a slave to their fancies Upon such like expressions as these a Parliamentarian makes this observation If the Scots Commissioners did plainly affirm to the Committees of both Houses at the Conference that they could not admit of the Kings presence in Scotland because of the divisions and troubles of that Kingdome which he might make such use of as to raise forces both against them and us What could this imply but that notwithstanding his person might be in safety in Scotland yet Scotland could not be in safety whilst his person was there And if they positively affirm it on their part may not we make a question of it on ours Thus both parties catch at what pretences they can to exclude the King from both his Kingdomes As they did with the Father so did they continue to act villany with the Son concerning which I shall give you the words of that great Mattyr of Loyalty the Noble and Valiant Marquesse of Montross And so little are these Godly and Religious men toucht with any sense of what mischieves they have already done That they begin afresh with his Majesty Our now Gracious Soveraign upon the same score where they left with his Father of ever blessed memory They declare him indeed to be their King but with such conditions and provisoes as robb him of all Right and Power For while they pretend to give him a little which he must accept as from them they spoil him of all that Power and Authority which the Law of God of Nature and of the Land hath invested him with by so long continued descent from his famous Predecessors They press him to join with those who by a Sacrilegious Covenant have confederated all his dominions in Rebellion and laid all Royall Power in the Dust Which in effect were nothing better then that he himself should asperse with Insamy the sacred memory of his ever Glorious Father that he should with his own hands destroy himself and ruine all such who have still been Loyall to him in his three Kingdoms These are the men who first entring England sollicited those of their faction to rise in that desperate Rebellion as a Prologue to the ensuing Tragedie which they meant to act These are they who were the chief and main Instruments of all the Battails Slaughters and Bloody occasions within that of their own Kingdome These are they who sold their Soveraign to a bloody and infamous Death yea these are they who still digg in his Grave and who are more pernitiously hatching the Destruction of his present Majesty by the same bare old antiquated Treacheries then ever they did that of his most excellent and most innocent Father Except he would subscribe to their fancies they would not allow him to be their King nor come amongst them which is confess'd by the Estates of Scotland themselves Scotland is desirous to imbrace him upon grant of their just desires and are most
excommunicated that took not the Covenant and then any man might lawfully kill him who would put himself to so much trouble as to do it But we need not trouble our selves much by a recital of their words since their actions all along in that Kingdom were furiously hurryed on against Episcopacy or the Toleration of any thing that did thwart their Covenant And after this manner have we in England proceeded the Brethren thinking it impossible for any thing to thrive unless Episcopacy be pluck'd up root and branch of which take the words of Crofton I 'le stand by it It i. e. Episcopacy must be extirpated if King and Kingdom or Peace and Glory must be preserved from Gods angry extirpation It it not unknown to any that is conversant in their Writings and Sermons How for many years together they thundred before their Parliament the ruine of Episcopal Government pronouncing sad woes and judgements if any such things were tolerated which highly stir'd up the people of both Houses to act so fiercely against all Law and Reason for the maintenance of their wicked Covenant and Presbytery allowing no more mercy to the Orthodox Clergy than a Jew who sometimes might breathe amongst them but not do any thing in satisfaction of their Consciences These men being then Supream being against neutrality in Religion as well as Warr concerning which thus their Chieftains of both Kingdoms declare We give now publick warning to such Persons to rest no longer upon their Neutrality or to please themselves with the naughty and slothful pretext of Indifferency But that they address themselves speedily to take the Covenant and joyn with all their power in the defence of this Cause against the common Enemy and by their zeal and forwardness hereafter to make up what hath been wanting through their luke-warmness This they shall finde to be their greatest wisdom and safety Otherwise we do declare them to be publick Enemies to the Religion and Countrey and that they are to be censured and punished as profess'd Adversaries and Malignants Nor had they only the Solemn League but another Covenant as full of Treason and Wickedness as ever was invented by Satan and the refusers of this and none could take it but such wretches as themselves they Ordered to be dealt withall as Conspirators and Enemies and their Estates disposed of accordingly And besides this their Lords and Commons put forth another Oath stuft with non-sense for the preservation of themselves and their City with the power granted to seize upon the persons of all such as refused the said Oath Thus had these Puritans several gins laid to ruine the Orthodox and Loyal Subjects I might here tell of their giving Sir William Brereton and his Cheshire Associates Authority to turn out all the Ministers and School-Masters of that County who were for the King I might tell how they order'd every man upon his peril to submit to the destruction of Fonts Surplisses Organs painted Glass-windows c. I can also tell you how their Lords and Commons Ordain'd That if any Person or Persons shall use or caus'd to be used the Common-Prayer-Book That then every such person so offending therein shall for the first offence forfeit and pay the sum of five pounds For the second offence the sum of ten pound and for the third offence shall suffer one whole years Imprisonment without Bail or Main-prize And it is further Ordain'd That every Minister which shall not hence-forth pursue and observe the Directory for publick Worship according to the true intent and meaning thereof in all Exercises of the Publick Worship of God shall for every time that he shall so offend lose and forfeit the sum of forty shillings And that what person soever shall with intent to bring the said Directory into contempt and neglect or to raise opposition against it Preach Write Print or cause to be written or printed any thing in the derogation or depraving of the said Book or any thing therein contain'd or any part thereof shall lose and forfeit for every such offence such a sum of Money as shall at the time of his Conviction be thought fit to be imposed upon him by those before whom he shall have his Tryal provided that it be not less than five pounds nor exceeding the sum of fifty pounds I could also tell you how they turn'd out the learned and loyal Clergy and put into their places a company of Rebellious Schismatical Tub-thumpers such people being most advantagious for their turns and how they Order'd that if any of the Loyal Clergy endeavour'd to get their own again they should with all their friends and assisters be Imprisoned whereby many of them were forced to beg for their livings And many such like actions as these might be shewn whereby their malice appear'd visibly against the Episcopal Party and against the Toleration of any thing but their Rebellious Covenant and Schismatical Presbytery One of them tells us that This very Toleration hath been the principal cause of all our late Innovations Dislocations and Conflagrations And That no Orthodox sincere Christian can or dare cordially Ingage or bid God speed to the proceedings of Supream Power so long as they intend to allow a General Toleration of Errors and false Opinions How many Petitions were there yearly put up in behalf of the Covenant and that nothing should be allow'd but according to that League endeavouring what in them lay to raze out the very thoughts of Episcopacy And yet these men are now angry that they have not publick allowance for their sins If the Episcopal Clergy desire that they may have priviledge of Conscience according to the Laws of the Land Baxter blesseth himself and wonders they can have the confidence to ask such a favour and tells them that this denyal is so farr from being a Persecution that it is rather done for their greatest honour and accommodation For if you of the Episcopal Clergy should have liberty it would be the greatest blow that ever was given to your Government and the reason is because You would have a small Clergy and none of the best and the People in most Parishes that are most ignorant drunken profane unruly For the cause of their love to Episcopacy is because it was a shadow if not a shelter to the profane heretofore so that a Prelatical Church would in the common account be near kin to an Alehouse or Tavern to say no worse where some honest men may be and yet it is taken for the note of an honest sober man to be as little in them as may be 'T was the fashion of Andreas Ordogna that famous Painter of Florence to paint all his Enemies in Hell And what less malice Baxter and his Associates have against the Episcopal Clergy may in part be seen by their actions and railing and what reason they have now besides their Impudence to expect and demand a
Kings Oath and other mens Oaths must submit to the Laws of the Land I know no reason but the Covenant should too being expresly against them So that either the Covenant must null the Laws or the Laws the Covenant If the first then farewell Poulton since the swearing of Presbytery can make those Statutes useless if the latter then adieu Covenant and Presbytery not forgetting the League and since that the names of the Parliament-men subscribers in Parchment a great sign of the Loyalty and good Religion of the present Commons who in this have excell'd all other Parliaments for many Generations past let others commend themselves for me that were burnt by the hands of the Hangman in London by Authority of Parliament a Supream Power to that which made and forced it But that you may see the folly of some Oaths and how the Swearers are sometimes even necessitated to smooth them over with a gentle Interpretation and a slender performance I shall tell you one story Bretislaus or Bisetislaus Son to Udalricus Duke of Bohemia fell in love meerly by report for as then he had not seen her with Jutha Daughter to the Emperour Otho II call'd Ruffo To obtain her he goeth under the shew of Religion to Ratisbone or Regenspurg where she was in a Monastery and after some contrivances gets her on Horseback and gallops away with her to his Father and by her own consent marryed her The Emperour enraged at this raiseth an Army and solemnly swears a mischief to Bohemia and never to return with his Army till he had placed his Throne in the midst of that Countrey Against him Bretislaus and his Father raise Forces the Son also swearing to carry fire into the middle of Germany and that so near the Imperial Court that Caesar himself should be constrain'd to shut his eyes for the greatness of the light and splendour of those flames The Armies drawing near together and preparing for battel The Lady Gutta grieved that so much blood should be shed for her sake tearing her hair and face exposed her self to all danger by running betwixt the two Armies and over-whelm'd with sorrow having found out the Emperour earnestly pleads in behalf of her husband the strength of Love the Child within her c. With which Caesar was so moved to compassion that with tears he told her of his willingness to Peace but that his Oath obliged him to the contrary She told him that her husband had sworn too but that he should consider the vanity of that Religion which alloweth of and giveth place to wickedness since Oaths should not strengthen the foundation of sin and mischief Well Peace is made they having found out as they thought a way to keep them both from Perjury the Emperour going to Boleslau then held to be the middle of Bohemia where a Throne being made with a few stones he sits him down as Conquerour And Bizetislaus for so some also call him to save his Oath went into Germany and the Emperour being by set fire to a few Cottages and spoil'd two or three little Fields for which damages he presently satisfied paying the value The Brethren think they have got another salvo for their honesty when they would make people have a good opinion of the Covenant because several of the Royalists took it and in this accusation Crofton is impudent to a Wonder especially to his Betters But is it any honour to the Independent Engagement against King c. nay the Covenant too because some great Presbyterians took it The truth is the Presbyterians by the fortune of Warr becoming Masters seiz'd upon the Revenues of those who had been faithful to his Majesty not suffering many of them to Compound but upon abominable terms for their Estates unless they would take the Covenant to boot which shews the implacable malice of the Puritans who in this like the Italian made it their business to destroy the soul too And this may serve to shew what small reason they have to demand Toleration of those whose Consciences they formerly so wickedly forced Which horrid act will remain as a mark of Ignominy upon this Faction to Eternity And in behalf of the Royalist I shall afford you another Story which will apply it self Emuanuel King of Portugal with-held from a Bishop his Revenues The Bishop complains to the Pope who sends a Legat either to perswade the King to Restitution or Excommunicate him and upon the Kings refusal the latter was denounced and so the Legat departs towards Rome again The King enraged at this Sentence mounted on Horse-back to follow the Legat and having over-taken him drew out his Sword threatning to kill him unless he would absolve him which was done and the King return'd to his Court The Legat being got to Rome and told the Story of his Journey The Pope was very angry and sharply checkt him for absolving the King to whom the Legat reply'd Most holy Father had you been in danger of your life as I was you would have given the King absolution double and treble No People rails more against the Pope and a Jesuite than a Puritan and yet in their destructive Principles of Government none agrees more with them Tell them but of the Pope's Excommunicating of Kings and disingaging their Subjects from any more obedience to them and you shall hear nothing but roaring against Antichrist and Babylon and stories of the Whore Beast Horns and enough to fright Children out of their Wits Yet if you tell them that they are guilty of the same by dispensing with the Peoples Oaths to their Kings and Bishops then will they call it the Cause of God the Interest of Jesus Christ and a good sign that they are the true Saints of God and the sureness of their Election thus though seeming mortal Enemies are they united to destroy the Civil Power If the latter Oath especially when wickedly and villainously impos'd cannot take away the Obligation of the former and that agreeable to the cause as the Reverend and Learned Patron of the Church saith whose single testimony is of more worth than the opinion of a whole Assembly of Covenanters I cannot conceive how a company of Noddles being but a piece of a Parliament pratling at Westminster and in active Rebellion against their King can quit honest men for Knaves can ease themselves from their Oaths and Subscriptions to Kingly and Episcopal Obedience by an after-Imposition of a contradictory and wicked Oath But it may be they may suppose that if Hortensius shed tears for the death of a Lamprey If Macarius Abbot of Alexandria penitentially tormented himself in Bryars and Thorns six Moneths or seven years for the death of a Flea If the Aetolians and Arcadians Warr'd together for a wild Boar If the Carthaginians and the People of Piraca for a Sea-Rovers ship If the Scots and Picts for a few Dogs If Charles Duke of Burgondy
this Blake is summon'd before the Council which so incensed Andrew Melvill that he labour'd to make it a Publick Cause and did so much That they declare it would be ill to question Ministers and boldly told King James who asked them if they had seen the Conditions of Huntly's Pardon That both he and the rest should either satisfie the Church in every point or be pursued with all extremity so as they should have no reason to complain of the over-sight of Papists And as for Blake they gave him a Declinator affirming it was the Cause of God whereunto it concerned them to stand at all hazzard and this Declinator was sent to all the Presbyteries in the Kingdom who were desired not only to subscribe it but to commend the Cause in their private and publick Prayers to God by which means they fancyed themselves so strong that they deny the King to have power to judge a man for speaking in Pulpit and that the King in what he had already done had so wronged Christs Kingdom that the death of many men could not be so grievous to them And therefore they ordain a Fast for averting the Judgements then threatning the Kirk This action so vext his Majesty that he forbad all Convocatings and Meetings but they little cared for him or his Orders for Mr. Walter Balcanquall did not only forthwith rail against the Court naming several of the chief Courtiers but desired all the well-affected to meet in the Little Church to assist the Ministry who did accordingly and Petition the King in behalf of the Kirk But the King asking them who they were that durst convene against his Proclamation was worshipfully replyed by the Lord Lindesey That they durst do no more then so and that they would not suffer Religion to be over-thrown Multitudes unmannerly thronging into the room the King departed and they went to the little Church again where Lindesey told them No course but one let us stay together that are here and promise to take one part and advertise our friends and the favourers of Religion to come unto us for it shall be either theirs or ours Upon which great clamours shoutings and lifting up of hands followed some crying to Arms others to bring out Haman for whilst the Lords were with the King being sent as above-said from the Little-Church Mr. Cranstone read to the People that story others cryed out The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon and so great were the Peoples fury rais'd on a sodain That if the Provost by fair words and others by threats had not tamed them they had done some violence These actions of the Kirkers makes the King leave the Town go to Linlithgow whereupon they resolve for Warr the Ministers agitating them Amongst the rest one John Welsh in his Sermon rail'd pitifully against the King saying He was possest with a Devil and compared him to a Madd-man and affirmed That Subjects might lawfully rise and take the Sword out of his hand In this fiery zeal they write a Letter to the Lord Hamilton desiring him to be their General telling him in it That the People animated by the Word and Motion of Gods Spirit had gone to Arms. But all came to nothing Hamilton refusing such rebellious honour carryeth the Letter to the King who orders the guilty Ministers to be apprehended who escape by flying into England and the Magistrates of Edenburgh are pardoned The overthrow of this one business strengthened the Kings Authority mightily which was also confirmed by the Assembly at Perth now better known by the name of St. John's Town The Ministry being now pretty quiet Ruthen Earl of Gowry conspired to kill the King but to his own ruin His Majesty for this Preservation orders that Thanks should solemnly be render'd to God but in this he found the Presbyters cross-grain'd denying to do any such thing for such a deliverance whereupon they were silenced yet afterwards shewing their willingness were restored In this year was King James his third son his second viz. Robert dying young Charles born afterwards King of England The next year was kept an Assembly at Burnt-Island whither Mr. John Davidson wrote a rayling Letter checking them for their cowardise in not opposing the ungodly telling them that the King was not sound and that Warr was more commendable than a wicked Peace But the graver sort rather pittyed and smiled at the mans madd zeal then troubled themselves to vex at him And now Queen Elizabeth dying King James the undoubted next Heir to the English Crown is at London Proclaimed accordingly whither he went to receive his Crown having thus happily united the two Kingdoms And here I shall leave off from prosecuting the Presbyterian Story in Scotland any further though I might tell you of their calling against the Kings consent an Assembly at Aberdeen to rant against Episcopal Government nor would they dissolve at the Kings command till they were proclaimed Traytors and yet did some of them scorn to acknowledge their Error and were by some of their Brethren vindicated to King James face in England the next year And many more instances of their Waspish humour in denying the Kings Authority might be shewn out of their own Historians who abound in such examples but if Symmetry will tell us the stature of the man by the proportion of his foot these may serve so much at this time to satisfie that I fear they will rather nauseate And really those who thought it a hard case that Mr. Blake should be punished for affirming in a Sermon 1596. That all Kings were the Devils Barns that the Kings heart was treacherous and that the Devil was in the Court and the guiders of it That the Queen of England was an Atheist and a wicked Woman That the Nobility and Lords were miscreants bribers degenerated godless dissemblers and Enemies to the Church That the Council were Holliglasses Cormorants and men of no Religion And in his Prayer for Queen Anne he said We must pray for her for the fashion but we have no cause she will never do us good Nor did he word it only but also rais'd Arms both Horse and Foot against the Kings consent These men I say who thought it unjust to have him questioned for such rebellious actions may also for ought I know think it strange with Buchanan that our Laws do not provide ample and honourable rewards for those who can boldly murder their Prince And yet must this Buchanan and Knox be cryed up as valiant noble bold and publick-spirited men and this present world scorned because we have no such fire-brands And whether this title is rashly thrown upon them let any ingenious man judge not only by their fore-mentioned tenets and actions against their Kings but by the answerable nurturing up of their Disciples who at the University of St. Andrews instead of Divinity Lectures had these Political or rather a ruine to
mad-caps of the Long-Parliament declared the legality and necessity of the Warr against their King Nor how they they voted all his Loyal Subjects Traytors because obedient to him these things be as well known as their Prosperity they driving all before them being thrust on with a mischief as if they had the command of Dame Fortune as Ericus Ventosi Pilei King of Sweadland had of the Windes by the turning of his Cap. And whatsoever they did their white-eyed Pulpiteers vindicated and whined it out to their affected people with abundance of Ha's Oh's and O's to be agreeable to Gods Secret Will for alas every puny of these Saints understood his Revealed too well to be Catechized in such things How pitifully these Schismatical Cushion-Thumpers abused the simple multitude into Rebellion you may in part perceive by one instance out of their own Historian After the Battel of Edge-Hill the Earl of Essex with several of his Regiments went to London Novemb. 1642. The Sabbath-day after their arrival to London the Godly and well-affected Ministers throughout the City preached and prais'd the Lord publickly for their so joyful and safe return home to their Parents Masters and Friends Exhorting those young Souldiers of Christs Army-Royal still to retain and be forward and ready to show their Courage and Zeal to the defence of Gods Cause and their Countreys Well-fare Shewing them the Plots of their Adversaries to have Introduced Popery and Tyranny into the Kingdom and assuring them that this Warr on their parts was waged and managed by Papists An Army of Papists being raising by the Kings Command contrary to his Vows and Protestations and deep Asseverations to the contrary And were not these sweet-souls to preach Peace and Repentance Just as some forraign Priests by hearing Confession instead of a rebuke perswade the simple women to act the same sin over again with themselves Nay so farr had our rebellious Thunderers proceeded as to make the People believe that those who sided with the King were in a manner past hopes of any happiness in the World to come concerning which I shall tell you a Story upon the credit of honest Jack Taylor One Francis Beal dwelling in the Axe-Yard in Kings-street Westminster with his Wife were throrow-paced for the Parliamentary-Cause yet had a Son who like an honest Subject faithfully served the King in the Wars which so troubled his zealous Mother that she caus'd a Bill to be written to have him pray'd for in the Church which Bill was delivered in Martins Church near Chearing-Cross to the well-known Mr. Case the Lecturer there on Thursdays the form of the Bill was as followeth These are to desire you to take into your Christian Considerations the grief and sorrow of one Mistris Beal of Westminster whose son Francis Beal is faln away from Grace and serves the King in his Wars Wherefore she most humbly beseecheth the Prayers of this Congregation that He may Return and be Converted Is not this abominable Hypocrisie as bad as the poor ignorant Irish who when they went a stealing pray'd to God for good Fortune and if accordingly they got a good Booty used to render God thanks for his assisting their Villany and so lookt upon it as the gift of God Oh what will men not dare if thus they dare Be impudent to Heaven and play with Prayer Play with that Fear with that Religious awe Which keeps men free and yet is mans great Law What can they but the worst of Atheists be Who while they word it ' gainst Impietie Affront the Throne of God with their false deeds Alas this wonder in the Atheist breeds Are these the men that would the Age reform That down with Superstition cry and swarm This painted Glass that Sculpture to deface But worship Pride and Avarice in the place Religion they bawl out yet know not what Religion is unless it be to prate Meekness they preach but study to Controul Money they 'd have when they cry out the Soul And angry will not have Our Father said ' Cause it prays not enough for dayly bread They meet in private and cry Persecution When Faction is their end and State-confusion These are the men that plague and over-run Like Goths and Vandals all Religion Vain foolish People how are you deceived How many several sorts have you received Of things call'd Truths upon your backs laid on Like Saddles for themselves to ride upon They ridd amain and Hell and Satan drove While every Priest for his own profit strove They close with God seem to obey his Laws They cry aloud for him and for his Cause But while they do their strict Injunctions preach Deny in actions what their words do teach O what will men not dare if thus they dare Be Impudent with Heaven and play with Prayer Besides the many wicked Declarations of the Juncto of the Lords and Commons and the seditious Pulpit-Talkativeness of their puny Muffti's many Pamphlets were sent abroad to incite the people to Rebellion and this by Authority too a sight of which I suppose their zealous Journey-man Sam. Gellibrand would not deny a friend Nay they were gon so farr as to think the Rebellion so laudable and necessary that they perswaded the people that it was not lawful to suffer patiently and with-draw themselves from its calamities contrary to the express command of our Saviour who bids us fly from City to City rather than resist to which purpose one of their Beloved Mr. S. T. put forth a small Treatise in which he tells the World That when a Parliamentary-State is ingaged for the repressing of Injuries and maintenance of publick Liberties and mens Estates this calls in all private thoughts of escape to contribute them to the publick defence and then furiously exasperates them against the King and his Loyal Subjects by infusing into them strange things of the dangerous distemper spread over all our Body the discord in our own Bowels an Abominable Army Idolatrous Ensignes the Romish Banner And therefore Things stand now in such posture that God requires our deep Engagement and that we should banish all thoughts of declining In this great hazard that Liberty Laws and Religion run to leave our ground were to leave Popery Mastery of the Field And at last concludes What comfort can this be if we run away from a good Cause as if we were afraid to own or afraid to assist it and unwilling to suffer and be lost with it And who must be the promoter of Printing this Seditious Pamphlet but Mr. Edm. Calamy the famous hinter of Aldermanbury London But it was not only Printing which they made use of to vindicate Rebellion but also and that a main one too Pulpit-prating for I dare not call such babling Preaching where nothing was yell'd out but Persecution Persecution O the cruelty and knavery of the King O the Idolatry of the Queen O the wickedness of the Malignant Antichristian