â—â—atter not any rebellious Doctrine a thing very familiar with such as have had their breeding at Rome in Spaine or in any Schooles of the Jesuites Had they their education at home they would breath nothing but affection to the place of their nativity and the liberty which would be indulged them among their Parents and kindred without the least jealousie of suffering for any differences in opinions would nourish respect in them towards their King and all other their Superiours whereas rigour doth but harden them the more and imbolden them to redeeme themselves at any rate from that irkesome necessity which is commonly imposed on them to beleeve otherwise then they will and perhaps too then they can Let me but adde a word of the Liberties they talke of and for which they make so much noyse in the world I am not altogether ignorant what they be as having seene a great part of the Lawes and Customes of that Kingdome Certainely those gentlemen may with much credit charge their King with the violation of them who have themselves so insolently trampled upon whatsoever hath the face either of Publique or private right I shall attend an opportunity to give you a distinct information of their basenesse in this particular For the present I shall onely assure you thus much in generall that their complaints are most groundlesse as flowing from the same spirit by whose instigation they have slandered the religion and piety of their Prince Did he ever during that peaceable part of his reigne over them endeavour to stretch his prerogâ—tive or to protect any of his Creatures that encroached I will not say upon the Lawes of the Realme but even upon the propriety of the meanest Subject Was there ever in any Kings Reigne knowne fewer escheats except those from Recusants or fewer proscriptions and banishments fewer executions lesse disorder and violence lesse repining fewer impositions in a word fewer Innovations And therefore it concerned them to fancy as they have done a thousand illegall and tyrannicall actions in that Prince that so they might more easily delude the People and in the issue engage them as in their owne defence to a resolution of making head against him either wholly to devest him of all rule or to reigne a while in his stead or at least to have a constant share with him in the government That blinde unruly Beast is never more servilely tame then when abused with lyes ever repining and ready to mutine at any extraordinary imposition though never so reasonable and advantagious You may lead it whither you please with a specious pretence so willing at this time to sacrifice it selfe to the ambition of some factious spirits intoxicated by their oaths and protestations that they aime at nothing but the good of the People In like manner have the Pesantry of France sometimes inconsiderately engaged themselves in the service of a King of Navarrâ— a Duke of Normandy and another of Burgogne who having in effect no other designe then to advance their owne greatnesse would notwithstanding have nothing more in their mouthes then the publique liberty of which to speake truth they were the most pernicious if not the onely enemies Just so it is here now They that have undertaken the protection of Priviledge possessing their abettours and Disciples with the hopes of securing their liberties thinke of nothing lesse then the interests of others and that very thing which they pretend to appeare in the feild for hath beene more violated and infringed by them then ever it was by all the Kings of England And yet they have so varnisht over their actions that by this trick they have got the estates the lives the hearts nay and the consciences to boot of the People here wholly into their owne disposall It may be those unfortunate Wretches will be one day sensible of the Imposture and perceive at last how they have approved and engaged themselves to what will be their destruction if they repent not For those that flatter them with the hopes of liberty will either get the upper hand and so 〈◊〉 them their vassals or else plunge them into a condition farre more intolerable then the most irksome slavery were it not for that Anabaptisticall venime which hath intermixed it selfe with the naturall propension of this people to Libertinisme there might be some hopes of remedy But there have been the like disorders here to fore in this Kingdom And a man would thinke that the soules of the Earle of Leicester and the Duke of Gloucester had by a kind of transmigration possessed the ring-leaders of this present Rebellion But the former were so much the more excusable in that they made not Religion the screene to their Ambition which sooner put on end to those troubles That you may the better remember the cheife circumstances of that History give me leave to acquaint you how in the reigne of King Henry the third there was a Parliament held at Oxford which Posterity justly branded with an infamous name calling it The mad Parliament except me but the generall superstition of those times and it will mervailously resemble that at Westminster At which time the Lords and Commons fore'd that King to consent to the nominating of certaine persons amongst them whom they stiled Commissioners and Gâ—â—rdiâ—â—s of the Peace Whereupon under pretence of that extraordinary power and by vertue not onely of an Ordinance of the two Houses but of a compleate Act of Parliament they rose up in Armes against their Prince and molested him with a long and bloudy Warre like this After the various successe of which insolent attempt and the severall innovations which distracted the Kingdome the review of the whole businesse was committed to a free Parliament in which the Authors and Promoters of that warre were condemned of High Treason and all the Rebels Estates by a solemne Act confiscate But the extent of the crime abated of the punishment lest otherwise the greatest part of England should have beene made a desolation And certainly were there any hopes of a free Parliament now the traiâ—â—â—ous attempt of those who make up that shadow of a Parliament would be proceeded against with all rigour and the example of that at Oxford be renewed seeing they have dared to renew the criâ—â— And were the punishment proportion'd to the offence these men should be used with more severity then the other they have so 〈◊〉 out-done them For their attempt was onely against their owne Prince but the designe of these against all the Princes in the World They were contented to be Rebeâ—â— themselves but these must have all the Protestants in Christendome to be so likewise They medlâ—â— not with Religion nor thought to disquiet the Church these hâ—â—â— violated Religion and torne the Church in peeces They offered 〈◊〉 violence to any of the three States in Parliament suppressing onely the votes of some particular persons which crossed their designe These have outed the
Elizabeth and certainly those Princes had more to feare for the Rights of their Crowne which they rescued from the Romish Subjection then the People at this day can possibly have for their liberties and Priviledges Their Religion then bound them to what in all probability was very prejudiciall to the Rights of their Kings nothing doth now obligâ— them to the least disadvantage of the People Then they swore obedience to the Bishop of Rome now they do it to none but to God himselfe Then the discipline of the Church had well-nigh suffered a totall subversion and England after the example of Poland might have conceived that the Nobility alone without Bishops were intrusted with the Reformation of the Church and that there was no more need of Prelates for Counsellors of State that is to sit in Parliament Notwithstanding neither did that Example nor these considerations prove prejudiciall to the Bishops The Fundamentall law of the Realme by which they are established together with the necessity of maintaininâ— them and besides that sundry the most eminent amongst them had couragiously sacrificed their lives in behalfe of Christianity oâ—â—poysed all other considerations whatsoever And the law which first seated them in Parliament expects them there still now especially when God 〈◊〉 leased to make use of Publicke votes for the government of the Church they are of more importance then eveâ— They are in England as in our Assemblies of State or as the Clergy in our highest Courts of Justice Which of our Kings who are absolute Monarchs without sharing their Power either with People or Parliaments as they do in other places which of them I say did ever entertaine a thought of debarring the Bishops this Priviledge We finde indeed in a certaine old Constitution that one of our Kings out of a zealous and pious intent making it seemes a conscience of diverting them from the service of God discharged theâ— all except the Abbat of Saint Denys from assisting at Parliamenâ—â— and hearing criminall cases but we finde not that this Ordinanâ—â— was ever put in execution but on the contrary that the weighâ—ieâ— employments of those times were wholly devolved upon Church-men whose abilities and honesty won them such a generall repuâ—â— that the custome then was for Princes to select among others two Bishops for the cheife of their retinue to be the 〈◊〉 of the Court and withall to see that justice were exactly and due 〈◊〉 administred They had likewise two Masters of Requests continually attending on them one of which was alwayes â— Clergy-mâ—â— who gave present Justice And we finde in a certaine Constitutioâ— of one of our Philips that of five appointed to give answer 〈◊〉 such Petitions as were presented in Parliaments two were to be Lay-men and three Clerkes But what neede we go farther then England to warrant the equity of this custome debarre the Bishops their right of sitting in Parliament and what respect will a proud licentious People afford the Clergy you may assure your selfe none at all Let them use what meanes they can to make them their Synods or Councells of any esteeme with them they will conforme no further to them then they please themselves Indeed to disvote Bishops in such Assemblies is to bereave them of all Authority and to open a gap for any wilde Chrochers in point of Religion to enter in that Kingdome 'T is in a word to suppresse the Bishops themselves to throw downe the Pillars of the Church and so to render the conservation of Christian Purity impossible Perhaps Sir you may thinke I speake in this more then comes to my share being one who professe to have no portion in the corruptions of Rome and so much to abhorre the Superstition of embracing such things as some upon divers pretences either out of ignorance or malice have introduced into the world to the great prejudice and disquiet thereof and in derogation to the just liberty of Conscience But if you please to reflect a little upon that prodigious clashing of opinions which at this day divides England into so many severall sects you will certainely conclude with me that in case this Order be once abolished neither innocence of manners nor integrity of doctrine can any longer enjoy a place in that Church The reason 〈◊〉 obvious if it be but considered how since the discontinuing of Episcopall Power in that Kingdome those that owe obedience and should be accountable for their doctrines to the Bishops do now live in such a horrible fashion as I have allready inform'd you that we may safely beleeve the most of them are the spawne of such as were once disgorged out of the mouth of Hell and dispersed in the Church to stifle Christianity in her Cradle rather then the successors of those that have beene the constant assertors of truth and opposers of falshood Witnesse the severall impieties and heresies both ancient and moderne where with they empoyson the soules of that People who in the common confusion listen to them blindely swallowing downe under pretence of Reformation all sorts of fancies and doctrines indifferently The most absurd dreames of the old Chiliasts the most pernicious ertours of Origen the most infamous libertinisme of the Anabaptists and the most execrable impieties of the Sociâ—ians doe usually take up the greatest part of their Sermons the rest being designed either for inflaming the Auditours with the coales of sedition and setting both parties at an irreconcileable distance or else to embase all manners to the lowest degree of corruption Yet in this generall depravation God hath reserv'd for himselfe some well disposed persons and indued them with courage to enquire into their actions and to brand the crimes of the Age. They have stoutly express'd their dislike of what hath beene constantly delivered by many hundred Preachers in that Kingdome I will not present you with an exact list of all they have published Judge with your selfe if there be any impiety those men will make scruple of many of whom out of an extreame unheard of impudence have had the boldnesse to defame in the open pulpit some of the other sex whom they could not tempt to lewdnesse in their private Houses I am very credibly informed that their names were presented to the Parliament but could never heare oâ— any punishment so much as intended them this in my opinion was the 〈◊〉 crying sinne then that of the Ghostly Father who seduced a 〈◊〉 in time of confession There is in this an unparallel'd kind of scandall and such as you will find farre to surpasse the greatest crimâ—â— which have ever beene charged upon any Hereticke in the World Such disorders were not to be heard of till 〈◊〉 Bishops were outed of their Jurisdiction and ill Church discipline robbed of it's force and vertue notwithstanding the naturall irregularity of that People Three yeares Anarchy and Independance in the Church have plunged that State into more confusion then all the Civill Waâ—â— thâ— case prosperity and long
of the Church or State have no portion amongst the faithfull nor the Saints of God and for this very reason I cannot be perswaded they have any favourers or Abettours amongst us or that any to whom God hath given the least graine of understanding or honesty will not condemne their designe and all their proceedings and having once advised them to quit such courses will not utterly detest them if they persevere You will say now that though they have put downe Episcopacy and undermined the power of the Nobility yet they are not any way disaffected to Royalty Can any man beleive this after so many thousand seditious Propositions which they daily publish both in Presse and Pulpit peruse them I beseech you for my sake though I know you cannot doe it without horrour and ever and anon turning your eyes from them so full of venime are they against all the Princes in the world so contrary to the doctrine and practice of Christians and so injuriuos to the name and profession of all true and sincere Protestants such are these Though the King be greater then any one of his Subjects in particular yet he is farre lesse then the body collective of all his Subjects The King is for the people and not the people for the King and by consequent the people are of more worth and value then he in as much as the meanes are alwaies subordinate to that end to which they are directed and from whence they derive their worth The power and authority of any usuâ—â—ing Tyrant is as much from God as that of lawfull Kings The Power of Princes those especially which by inheritance are such flowes from the people and consequently is more deeply rooted and eminently seated in them then it is in the Person of the Prince because Quod efficit tale est magis tale I am forced to make use of their owne barbarous tearmes that I may the better expresse the barbarousnesse of their conceptions As Kings receive their power from the people so they may be divested of it by them either in the body collective of all or in the body representative in Parliament or by the major part of either In case the King shall falsifie the Oath he takes at his Coronation the people are thereupon discharged aâ—d freed from their alleagiance to him Positions so much the more absurd because the Lawes of that Land have provided to the contrary and that all the world have acknowledged it as a maxime that the King of England never dyes that without all distinction of time as well before as after his Coronation he receives all such homages and services as are due to the Crowne that he is not King upon condition as if by violation thereof he should fall from his Right to the Kingdome but upon bare promises the non performance of which is enough to denominate him unjust but not to depose him They proceed No sonne may with more equity binde the hand of his distracted father no marriner more justly remove a Pilot from the Sterne who would wracke the ship either out of ignorance or malice then Subjects may by force of armes dethrone their Prince if he shall once apparently hearken to any counsels pernicious to the State and that the Commonâ—wealth either by his weakenesse or negligence be in danger of ruine Saint Paul doth not command but barely exhort aâ—ery soule to be subject to the higher powers This was but a prudentiall counsell of one that was to rule a People at such a time as they had neither strength nor meanes to doe otherwise and that to thinke the contrary were to put such a yoake upon the conscience as he never dreamed of By the higher powers Saint Paul speakes of we are not to understand the Person of a King but his charge and office as it is represented in his Courts and in the Parliament insomuch that the Subjects of England according to this doctrine may beare armes against CHARLES STEVVART residing at Oxford and yet still observe that alleagiance which is due to the King in his Parliament at Lond. Which is as much of a true body to make an idle phantasme of a King a Chimera as some have done of Christ himselfe transubstantiating him from a true man to an imaginary senselesse and absurd I know not what The Authors of these pernicious opinions might learne a little more wisedome were they but capable of weighing as they ought the rules of that State which informe us that every treason respects either mediately or immediately the person of the King There can none of them be ignorant how that before these fatall distractions all the Judges were of opinion and have so determined the case that the Subjects of England are clearely and absolutely bound to obey their Prince even in his naturall capacity that is the person of CHARLES STEVVART and not onely in his politique capacity as he is I know not what imaginary and Platonicke King Besides they need not be informed how this very doctrine which the Parliamenteers at this day publish to the world and upon which they ground all their severall acts of violence is both in the Magna Charta and those acts concerning the banisHment of Hugh Spencer condemned in full Parliament and rejected as a principle of Treason fraud and Rebellion They proceed yet further and tell us That the Parliament may in case of necessity ordaine lawes for peace and warre in spight of the Prince which shall equally oblige every member of the State And in case the King refuse to confirme them the same Parliament is to be the sole arbitratour and judge of that necessity and of the time how long it ought or can continue That the King is bound to ratifie all presented to him by the Parliament notwithstanding all the objections which either his Counsell or his owne reason and Conscience shall suggest unto Him That the Civill Government ought alwaies to give place to the Ecclesiasticall Were it so that the government of the Church here were partly Democraticall as the Brownists would have it or partly Aristocraticall and partly Democraticall as it is amongst the Presbyterians it is easy to inferre what would become of the Civill Magistrate These are the holy maximes and pious Doctrines of those that pretend to purity of life and talke of restoring the Lawes and Ordinances framed by our first Reformers to that vigour and Authority which the Tyrants of the Conscience and enemies of all secular power have wrested from them I am sure neither Christ nor Moses nor Paul nor Peter taught them any such lesson but Mariaâ—â— Bellarmine Bourchier Brutus Buchanan and the rest of those Hellish finebrands employed by the Devill to disturbe that Order which the Eternall providence of Heaven had set up in the World Let me hereunto adde that notable demonstration of their Affection towards their Queene They have expressely prohibited all prayers both publique and private for Her Conversion A
whole Body of the Clergy chased away divers of the Peeres despoiled others of their Estates and Authority sparing none but such as will be then Fellow-traitours In breife the former indeed advanc'd their Rebellion under a pretence oâ— maintaining the publique Liberties but they expos'd not all the Kings that were to succeed to the madnesse and cruelty of the People as these men doe I know you have often seene divers of their Positions but I have reserv'd one to this 〈◊〉 which is worse then all the rest They maintaine That Subjects may in â—â—â—suancâ— of their Liberty take 〈◊〉 Armes and employ all their strength against any that shall endeavour is reduce them to slavery That there is no yoake of which they may not lawfully rid themselves whosoever imposed it whether some Conquerour or their owne naturall Prince That nature it selfe dictates unto the whole world the recovery of it's lost liberty notwithstanding any former contracts or any lawes to which they have sworue obedience or even the expresse approbation of some preceding ages That whosoever shall have power enough and not employ it to that end men should be so farre from startling at their back rardnesse that on the contrary they are to hold them for no other then Rebels against that nature which commands them to dispense in this case with all former obligations whatsoever Sir were not this ground enough for all the Magistrates in the Universe to arme against such Pests as these You will now rest fully satisfied that 't is not Religion they fight for and that by the conservation of those Priviledges they talke of they intend nothing but the ruine and destruction of such as are in Authority over them What else can we expect from such maximes They who complaine so much of abusing Monarchy have infringed all the rights of it themselves There was a Parliament in Scotland held in despight of the King and the Acts of it are daily put in execution contrary to his expresse commands which is utterly to abolish all Regall Power and to annihilate the Fundamentall Lawes of the State This Parliament in England was indeed conveencd by his Authority but they bound his hands from dissolving it when he ought and would have done No sooner were the Members met but he was chased from London and they upon this possesse themselves of the Houses Forts Castles Ports Navy and Ammunition of their Prince They put the Earle of Strafford to Death upon pretences of their owne devising that so they might have some colour for the designe against the person of their Soveraigne They have forced his consent to an Act which infringeth all the prerogatives of the Crowne They will needs have the disposall and ordering of his family murther his friends and trusty Ministers and so hinder all from being such They will clip his Revenues as they please not suffer him to dispose of vacant offices They will not allow him any power in Church-affaires bereave him of his Bishops that so they may render him uncapable of discerning all factious contrivances under colour of Religion and consequently of all meanes to prevent the execution of them At this very present they are consulting how to deprive him of his Wardships which you know is one of the fairest Flowers of the Crowne of England and the most proper character of Soveraignty I have almost spent my selfe in limning you the designes and practices of these men but I hope you will not be weary in perusing and weighing them I have besides many things of great consequence to tell you which I reserve for some better opportunity when I may have more leisure and liberty then is allowed me at this present In the interim let me earnestly request you to make what use you can of the truth of this Relation in behalfe of Reason and Justice In God's name employ your utmost endeavours to blast those false pretences of Zeale and Religion that none of ours be carried away with them I beleive it was to that end you desired this Letter from me which I have dispatched towards you in persuance of your commands and withall to satisfy my Conscience I will say nothing what is like to be the successe of our Ambassadour here You may easily guesse by this Relation The Hâ—llâ—â—â—â—rs have as weake hopes as we and I 'me confident both of theâ— desire to testify unto the world their love and inclination to Peace although some accuse them of an aversonesse from it and that all their designes tend to the nourishing of this Warre But certainly they desire to see and end of it were it but for this reason that the King of England might engage himselfe in the interests of Germany and employ his strength there in behalfe of all the oppressed Princes those especially which are more neare unto him I will discourse with you more at large upon this when I shall have the opportunity to give you an account of those other passages mentioned in your Letter In this and all things else you shall reade the constant desire I have to assure you that I am unfeinedly From London Jan. 22. 1644. Sir Your most humble and most affectionate Servant FINIS