AN ANSWER TO THE DECLARATION Of the Imaginary Parliament of the unknowne Common-wealth of England concerning the Affaires past betwixt Them of England and the High and Mighty Lords the States Generall of the United Provinces Wherein their Frivolous Reasons are cleerly refuted and their injust proceedings in the Treaty of the aforesaid Affaires as in all their Actions Manifestly discovered At Rotterdam by John Pieterson 1652. THe Authors of this Declaration are the same men who having acted that execrable parricide upon the King assumed the name of Parliament which they had abolished Their beginning and growth hath beene formerly published how a few lurking Sectaries being at first Members of Parliament and consorting in prodigious opinions in Religion and policy with the illiterate rabble became usefull to the prime projectors that under the maske of securing Religion and Lawes sought to gaine the power of the State into their hands being assisted in their votes in the Lower House and applauded abroad for their proceedings by this busy crew who got into places in the Army and at last gave law to their old Masters and having renounced faith and obedience to their King with more ease scorned the bonds of association to their guides consorts in the same impieties And it cannot seem strange to any that look on their Actions to reade their shamelesse Declarations nor that they should proceede with like injury to strangers as they have used to their King Companions and Countreymen They say the returns which the people of the Vnited Provinces made toward this Commonwealth will hardly be believed if their sufferings and deliverance and the principles and spirit that acted in them then be remembred and the help they had from this Nation with the expence of English blood and treasure The people of these Provinces have with gratitude acknowledged the assistance they received from the Crown of England and the affection and readines of the English Nation And it were a just reproach if they should make returnes for those benefits to the Usurpers of the regal power destroyers of the Monarchy and Oppressors of this Nation Can Nationall obligations be transferred to the Enemies of the Nation And because a Traiterous Army hath gotten power over the Nation shall the Friends and Allies of the Nation assist the Usurpers This will hardly be believed but easily that these Declarers have the impudence to pretend a right to all that which was due to the Crown that they have abjured Though their boasting of successes be a principle part in all their papers and so in this Yet it is not intended they say to be very particular in mentioning the State of the affairs of this Commonwealth as it stood when oppressed by a Tyrant they were necessitated to fly to Armes for defence of their Lives and Estates because in Parliament they did but assert and desire the setling of their just and Native liberties When over particulars are mentioned of the State of affaires in England in the time of the late King their Faithlesse and bloody proceedings must more cleerly be manifest And its proofe to all reasonable men of a resolved continuance in wicked undertakings that they call the King a Tyrant when not onely the mildnesse of his nature and Moderation of his privat and publique Actions but the Peace and Prosperity of the People was so universally knowne to strangers and when in all that peevish discontent or Traiterous malice could offer against him there was no one Act in its nature and substance Oppression but such only as were pretended might not be done by the King out of Parliament and no one of these was done by the King Regiâ manu with the Kingly power but left to the ordinary Ministers of Law and Justice to decide in point of right and execute accordingly but these men knowing how odious their Actions are seeke a cover from reproachfull appellations upon the King as if any could entertaine a prejudice by misnaming persons or Actions and if it were Tyranny for the King to do an Action out of Parliament which he was advised by the Judges of law he justly might how impudent are these men to reduce it For where is the Parliament Authority for their vast levies of mony Murder of the King and the imposing Lawes upon the people Can a few persons of the Lower House scarce the tenth part of the whole by violence totally abolish both Houses and doe all Acts that belonged to the whole And yet they perswade the world they are beleeved in such extravagant untruths There need nothing be more said how causelesly the Rebells of England tooke Armes against the King And if Rebells may pretend defence of their persons against Soveraigne power Malefactors will never want a justification when force is used to bring them to Justice And is it one of the just and native liberties of the English nation that the members of Parliament in the Lower House being five hundred forty of these may drive out the rest and doe what they please this is the present case But if we looke back is it the liberty of England to be without a King or to be subject to the power of one another have no recourse to their Prince for redresse Is it the liberty of England that a rabble of the City of London or an Army shall oppresse the Parliament and propound laws to oblige the whol Kingdom Is it the liberty of England to exclude the King from making of laws or governing the Militia But they that are not ashamed to act yet seeme loath to speak the things they doe The seizing the Kings forts and navy raising force against him and both Houses of Parliament punishing Judges for doing their duty and delivering their opinions in open Courts against sedition licencing all lewd sectaries and disturbers of Government are only asserting and desire of setling just and native liberties Thus they call their murders Justice their robberies Reparation of Wrongs And their persecution of the King from one end of the Kingdome to the other the defence of their lives and Estates It s well seene that those men are the God of Gods anger upon the three Kingdoms but they vainly flatter themselvs to think that any beleeve it a blessing of God as they assume it or that these wonders in so many signal battells or that series of providence was either in favour to them or their cause and such presumptuous pretences declare of what spirit men are that they take up the language of Senacharib who came not without God against Jerusalem and of the Turk that attributes all his successes against the Christians to the power of his false Prophet And those men that in their writings against the King used the name of the whole Kingdom on their part and the small strength of the King now tells us of an handfull of men that were faithfull to the cause even so faithfull that they first brake allegeance to
and practice hath been a great scandall to the Protestant Religion wherof they pretend to be Their professed opinions are destructive to humane society disclaiming all subjection to Civil Governors or Ecclesiasticall Synods further then their private opinions concur with them and maintaine not onely the reproaches of Rulers but violence against them if in their judgement they deserve punishment to death and this those men would have to be the true Protestant Religion and their affection to the Protestant Religion is seene in their cruelty to the Protestants of England Next they observed in some of the Governors and people of those Countries an affection to this cause and expressed by them in their free contribution for the poore Protestants in Ireland It is far from a probability that any affected their cause because they contributed to the poore Protestants of Ireland Themselves well know that very many contributed to the poore Protestants of Ireland that hated the Rebellion that occasioned it if any man hated the Irish Rebellion he must from the same grounds have detestation of a greater and more guilty which followed in England And the suffering Protestants in England are more in number and for quality more eminent then those in Ireland and that of England hath had more barbarous effects and is more incapable of excuse that of Ireland pretending difference of Nation and Religion this of England pretending the same Religion as they were of the same Nation And it s too well knowne both at home abroad how many those in England have robbed of their Estates that not only contributed to the reliefe of the poor Protestants of Ireland but hazarded their lives in that cause And such as in the beginning of the troubles in England extended compassion to the poor Protestants of Ireland discerned not the mercilesse disposition of those men that then governed affaires in England who never did one Act in order to their relief but made use of their sufferings to reproach the King And by hypocriticall motions of other men to Charity sought an opinion of Zeal to themselves and means to carry on the war in England against the King And those great summes that were given to the reliefe of Ireland they converted to the maintenance of their own Rebellion in England and as many in these Provinces find the error they were in touching the integrity of the Reformers in England So their Actions for the reliefe of the poor Protestents in Ireland will not prove that they hated Rebellion lesse in those that professe the Protestant Religion then the Popish They joyned they say with their Resident a worthy person Dr. Dorislaus who was barbarously and openly murthered at the Hague the place of residence of the States General of whose assassination the world will judge as of an Action most abhorred against all Rules of nationall intercourse and humanity and how little was done to attach the murtherers must here be remembred The quality of Dr. Dorislaus is chiefly known by their imployment of him in forming their proceedings against their King to a stile of law and this negotiation they mention which latter they might out of foresight knowing how odious the man was to the world abroad have forborne and have sent one not so deeply died in that bloud for what care soever-states take to restrain and punish outward Actions they cannot take away the universall indignation of a people against unnaturall and barbarous villanies But Dorislaus was killed in an house suddenly which though in the place of residence of the States Generall those complainers cannot pretend it in the power of the States Generall to have prevented and they cannot intend the breach of all Rules of intercourse or humanity in that Act by the States though they display the fact with such colours They need not be told that the Rules of intercourse and humanity allow no protection to common robbers and enemies of humane society And those men that think the world so ready to make the Judgement they like of this fact upon Dorislaus see not the Judgement themselves given of their own assassination and therein the Crime of Dorislaus in the murder of the King was not every man as much a Magistrate to execute Dorislaus as they their King And the Messengers of common destroyers cannot be accounted publique Ministers but by whom they are acknowledged for such But if such as did the fact were unknown to the States General how could they attach them or if they were gone out of their Territories though they were often called on And why this must be here remembred as a nationall Injury is not visible to any but to shew the resolution of these Governours to quarrel with the United Provinces there having never bin a deniall of Justice and legall proceedings The States they say sent the Lords Borele Renzwo and Joachimi Ambassadours in the time of the late troubles pretending all good offices which proved a correspondence with the Enemy and a means of assisting them against those to whom they were sent this with reproaches by them cast upon the Parliament was the work of these Embassadours It was a friendly and worthy Action of the States of these Provinces to seek the composing of the troubles in England and to interpose their Councel and mediation in a work so becomming their Alliance And it was no more then Justice to the King to correspond with him and these men of Westminster must be remembred that at this time they had not declared the King an Enemy but they fought against evil Councellours and they took up Arms for King and Parliament their party was not impudent enough then to avow the Titles they have since taken up They well know these Embassadours were sent to the King and though thye interceded with them that called themselves Parliament it was in that manner as Embassadours addresse themselves to treat with the Ministers of Princes to whom they are sent And these Embassadours then found what was doubtfull to many before that the men then in hostility under the name of Parliament had abused the world with a pretence of necessity to take Armes for defence of Religion and lawes seeking only power to themselues and an alteration of Religion and law and that they had obstinately refused all the gracious offers of the King and his desires of peace and these Embassadours were bound in honour and fidelity to deal uprightly in their negotiation to declare where the binderances of peace lay And if the actions of the then pretended Parliament were reproachfull to themselves they cannot blame the Embassad ours for a faithfull report of them this was very far from making them lyable by the practice of nations to punishment or reproof and it stood not with the affairs of the then Rebels in England to offer incivility to those Embassadours though they wanted not an inclination to it those Embassadours need not be carefull to answer for such an
Action wherein they had cleere reason and the warrant of their superiours to whom the complainers discovered the iniquity of their cause by so unjust an exception They come now to the solemn Embassy they sent the States which they say was in a time when there was much less cause to apply to the States for any need the Parliament had of their assistance for that England was wholly in their power most of the Towns Cities in Ireland the affairs of Scotland not unprosperous But whoever took notice of the affairs then knew very well they had neede of the forbearance of the United Provinces from engaging against them which had they then acted it s probably they had prevented the progress of their victories and rendred them liable to their demerits And what the men of Westminster did in that Embassy was in order to their own affairs not out of any priciples of affection to the Protystant Interest or common good They endeavoured to draw the United Provinces into their own guilt by the league they propounded so as these Provinces must have supported their usurpation and have drawn on them the infamy of Murdering the King and all the former Actions whereby that usurpation was effected Though Princes and States for the peace of their people sometimes enter into leagues for comerce with such who by wicked attempts have obteined the power of States yet neither Religion nor civill Justice permit defence of unjust power And when those Embassadours discerned that the United Provinces could not be drawn into a scandalous league then they deserted the prosecution And these tenders which their Embassadours were impowered to make that would have demonstrated the affection of these in England to the good People of the United Provinces the same as to themselves sufficiently demonstrate their affection to the people of these Provinces to be only for themselves And the Priviledges they tendred to them were to divide them from their own State to a dependance on a forreign kindness and was of the same stamp with this hypocriticall profession to the good people of these Provinces these good people being in their sense such as would be seduced against their Country by their attempts such being their dealing with Scots pretending rather private enmity against some persons then Dominion over all which was so apparently their Design as it will be the shame of any that shall hereafter pretend ignorance of it They say the Embassy was rendred of no effect because the Embassadours were unheartily and dilatorily dealt with But the true reason was that these Masters had instructed their Embassadours to make no agreement without the absolute submission of these Provinces to them If their Embassadours were unsafe in their persons it was not by any neglect of the States of the United Provinces who placed a sufficient guard about them punished such as offered indignities to them and if their Embassadours concealed it they dealt unfaithfully with their superiours and unjustly with them they were sent to And when it appeared the States of the United Provinces would not partake in the guilt of that blood and usurpation with these Masters in England the Embassadours were recalled home That the States Generall sent not an Embassy till after the defeat at Worcester is true and the willingness and affectection with which it was received doth testifie for the English part they stood fixed to their former Principles which were to serve themselves of the power and Interest of the vinced Provinces for to prepare for the Embassadours entertainment they had made an Act as they call it that no commodities should be brought into England by any forraign vessels but such as were of the growth of that Country to which such vessell belonged which tooke away that traffique and intercourse which was in all ages continued betweene the nations and had no other scope but to interrupt the trade of these Provinces And as this Act testâ—fies what principles they went in to destroy the trade and navall strength of the United Provinces so they being the same they had in their former proceedings and sending their Embassy they vainly pretend affection to Religion Liberty or amity with this Country while they expresse a malicious Design to enslave or destroy it from their first Treaty with them They finde fault that in the Treaty the States Ambassadours evaded possitive demands in things not of hardest resolution with allegations of want of power though their Commission shewed no such restraint The age of these mens rule in England may be read in these frivolous objections Though Embassadors have an absolut commission are they not tyed to instructions And are there not particular laws customes in States that limit Embassadours and yet not expressed in their Commission But whence comes the Allegation of want of power to be an evasion And because the Provincial States must be assembled before answers could be had it gave small grounds of any real intendment of a firm peace and amity It was a firm ground of aversion to peace in those of England that they were positive in such demands as must enforce the meeting of the Provinciall States to give a resolution Upon the comming of the Embassadours of the States General into England it s well knowne what licence was taken by mean people to abuse them And to let them know what they must trust to a Treatise is composed published of the business of Amboina which had rested for so many years and till then unmentioned by those affectionate seekers of amity with the United Provinces Herein they provoke the people to assume an hatred of these Provinces to seek revenge for an Act so long passed If they had intended amity or thought a strict Alliance with these Provinces necessary why would they renew the memory of old differences or fix an aversion in the people to those with whom they treated for peace This might have bin a proper work after a treaty broken but to make such a narration the Prologue to a Treaty is a sure ground that no peace was intended but such as force and terrour could extort And that such propsitions must be granted to obtein it as a conquered people only must submit to and they must needs give way to the exercise of the peoples licence and hatred that used the means to work it in them And this designe of the Rulers being known it was soon prosecuted their ordinary Agents the Preachers and composers of Gazetts and Almanacks published it to the world and from thence came these predictions of their South sayers of the destruction of Holland And these discuourses of their Politiques of subjecting such powers as might be prejudiciall to the new Babell they had raised in England and therefore the United Provinces being able to do them harm they must have these Countries in such a Chaine as may draw them that way onely where those new Rulers shall move and like formes of
notice to the Embassadours then in Treaty The Narrative is of one side onely giving no answer to contrary attestations and though it be evident to all reasonable men that the fact was accident all and undesignet by Tromp yet this Narrative is all the reason they will give for a present hostility neither could any prosecution be looked for before the case were fully examined where friendship was so confidenly professed Neither had their forbearance been laying downe of themselves at the feete of any But the speedy feirce pursuit shewes not a sudden passion but a long premeditated Counsell for the oppression of the United Provinces and destroying their trade and strength by sea and yet so shamelesse are they to call this proceeding their owne defence and if they had done contrary it had been against the trust reposed in them few men thinke the Actions of these Declarers agreeable to any rules whereby nations or single persons are governed and breach of trust is of no regard with them for there was not any trust reposed in them by King or people but what they have most perfidiously broken that trust which was reposed in them as subjects whereto they were bound by Religion Law and nature they have falsified to their King and Countrey They were called by the Kings writ and by law incapable of any place in Parliament till they had taken the oaths of Allegeance and Supremacy They were trusted to petition the King and offer their Councell they destroy the King insteede of petitioning make laws and change the Government in despight of the trust they pretend to regard If we examine their Doctrines they maintaiâ—â—â— themselves not bound to oaths longer then they think fit If we look upon their proceedings they have acted accordingly breaking all oaths and promises the trust whereon depends humane society asserting falshood and abjuring truths There are numerous Testimonies of all these in the Declarations and Treaties with the King that they would make him a glorious King that it never entred into their thought to depose him that if they should charge the King with any evill Action it were contrary to the law and the Testimony of their owne Conscience That providing for the prosperity of his Majesty who protest in the presence of all seeing Deity to be the end of all our Counsells That they have nothing in their thoughts more precious next to the honour and immediate service of God then their just and faithfull performance of their duty to his Majesty This being compared with their actions who can repose trust in them Besides they are not trusted by the Kingdom and those few of them that were depuzed by particular places were not trusted to rule but they now tiranize and trample on such as at first trusted them and comparing their Actions towards the united Provinces and their words we may Judge they are not changed in their principles for they say by those proceedings it will be more then evident with what affection and constancy the Parliament have laboured for the friend sh of he United Provinces how carefully they avoided all differences and occasions of a warre between the nations though all such overtures of amity and neerest alliance having been rejected In the beginning of the wicked Rebellion in England not only the common people at home but strangers were much mistaken of the condition and intention of those that made themselves a party against the King maâ—y perswading themselves that the prevalent party in Parliament had the same sincerity in their purposes which they professed in their speeches and papers But such as were then deceived see the discovery of their eâ—rour and that those pretences of Religion Law and Loyalty were only snares whereby they were seduced to their owne ruine And though the fiâ—st losse lighted on the King and his Loyall subjects the whole Kingdome hath selt the scourge of that credulity And while some were misled and others rested secure as unconcerned not foreseeing the consequents of popular contests with Soveraignty the whole are brought under the Tyrannicall power of a few contemptible persons And such as with dry eyes beheld the sufferings of the King and his party finde the same fince at their owne doores And such as acted under the name of Parliament against the King are now oppressed under the same pretence which themselves used they perswading men they were the Parliament though the King and the greatest part of the Lords and a great number of the Commons were forced away and the remaining party overawed by the City Tumults and Army now groane under this new power that call themselves a Parliament though the King be murdered the Lords house shut up the greatest part of the Commons imprisoned and expelled And onely a few persons sit as a Lower House without any colour of Law The neglect of opposition to growing evills is often too late repented and such as doubted not what hath hapned in England may now see that wickednesse puts no bounds to it selfe It must be resistance from without not the inward inclination that must restraine it And where men have successe and an opinion of strength they rest not at a stay especially new gained powers and the Example of thâ—se persons is no lesse dangerous then their power Princes and States are cheifely concerned in suppressing such pernicious Monsters whose opinions and Designes are the subversion of Rulers and draw with them the misery of the people who must fall into confusion and slavery If their designe take upon the United Provinces it may be easily conjectured what their attempts will be next And affection to an oppressed King and Ally amity to the English nation security to Religion and commerce call for a conjunction of the hearts and hands of all Christian Kings and States against those common Enemyes of mankind FINIS