authority before consideration should be had thereupon in a Treaty might afterwards hazard the security it self 3. That these Bills did not onely contain the devesting himself of all Sovereignty and that without possibility of recovering it either to Himself or his Successors except by Repeal of them but also making his Concessions guilty of the greatest Pressures that could be upon his Subjects as in other particulars so by giving an arbitrary and unlimited Power to the two Houses for ever to raise and levy Forces for land or sea service of what persons without distinction of quality and to what numbers they should please and likewise for levying money for their Pay So that these their Proposals being thus destructive to Himself and his Successors he in that his Answer declared That neither the desire of being freed from that tedious and irksome condition of life he had so long suffered nor the apprehension of what might befall him in case they would not afford him a personal Treaty should make him change his resolution of not consenting to any Act till the whole Peace were concluded still earnestly pressing for a personal Treaty with them It being now visible enough that Independency grew up every day more and more the Brethren of Scotland became so sensible thereof that the Assembly of Divines of that Kirk wrote to those sitting at Westminster passionately desiring them to adhere unto the Covenant and constantly to endeavour the extirpation of Heresie and Schism in the Church of England And to second that came another Letter to the Members of both Houses sitting at Westminster from the Scotish-Commissioners wherein was inclosed a large Declaration in which are these Expressions There be some things which properly concern the Kingdom of England their Rights Laws and Liberties But there be other matters which in their own nature as being common to both or by Covenant or Treaty concern both Kingdoms wherein unless we should forget our duty to God to the King's Majesty to our native Kingdom and to this Nation our common Concernment and Interest cannot be denyed For as Scotland was invited and engaged in this War upon grounds and reasons of common Interest so we trust it will not be offensive that in making Peace we claim from the Houses an improvement of the very same principles and a performance of the Treaties they have made with us that the same measure of conjunction of Interest be given to us which was had of us and promised unto us wherein the very Law of Nations and the Rules of common Equity doth plead for us Yet in the application of this Rule we shall not stretch our selves beyond our lines the express condition of our Solemn League and Covenant the duty of our Allegeance and the Treaties and Declarations between the Kingdoms which are so many strong Obligations as all who have Honour or Conscience must acknowledge should be inviolably observed Having laid this as a most just and solid ground of our proceedings we shall speak of the best and most probable means to procure a good agreement with the King for setling Religion and a lasting peace and next to the Propositions which are to be the foundation of the peace and safety of both Kingdoms And it is still our opinion and judgment that the most equal fairest and just way to obtain a well-grounded Peace is by a personal Treaty with the King and that his Majesty for that end be invited to come to London with Honour Freedom and Safety And as it is far from our thoughts and intentions in expressing our differences upon the Propositions to provoke or give offence so we trust that our freedom in discharge of the trust committed to us proceeding from our Zeal to Religion Loyalty to the King and Love to Peace shall receive a candid interpretation from the honourable Houses and that they will in their Wisedoms not slight the desires of a Kingdom who in the time of England's greatest danger esteemed no hazard too hard for their assistance and are now seeking nothing but the performance of the mutual Obligations Declarations and Treaties between the two Kingdomes and to prevent the danger which may ensue upon the violation and breach of so solemn Engagements The Houses of Parliament have frequently professed that the cheif end of their wars was the Reformation and Establishment of Religion according to the Covenant and they have often promised and declared to the King and to all the world not without deep attestations of the name of God that no trouble or success should ever make them wrong or diminish the power of the Crown which were the chief motives and arguments that induced Scotland to engage with them in this war Let therefore that be given to God which is God's and to Caesar that which is Caesar's whereby it may be evident that you are not unmindfull of the solemn Vows you made to God in the time of distress for Reformation of Religion and it may also really appear that the advantages and power which success hath put into your hands hath not lessened your loyalty to the King And according to our many professions and near relations let us really and cordially cherish and strengthen the union between the two Kingdomes under His Majesty by all pledges of reciprocal kindness that so Religion and Righteousness may flourish and both Kingdomes languishing under the heavy pressures and calamities of an unnatural war may live in peace and plenty As we cannot agree to this way of sending those four Bills to His Majesty for his assent before any Treaty upon the rest of the Propositions so we are extremely unsatisfied with the matter of those new Propositions lately communicated unto us for the reasons expressed in our answer unto them which we do herewith deliver unto your Lordships to be presented to both Houses of Parliament And we do desire that they would take the whole business into their farther consideration and that there be a personal Treaty with His Majesty here at London upon such Propositions as shall be agreed upon with advice and consent of both Kingdomes according to the Treaty This in general was their Declaration but the particular desires which they exhibited were these viz. that the honourable Houses would establish the solemn League and Covenant and that His Majesty be desired to give his royal assent for confirming the same by Act of Parliament That the setling of Reformation and an uniformity in Religion in the Kingdomes of England and Ireland be inserted in the new Propositions And in particular that the Confession the Directory for worship form of Church-Government and Catechisme agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines be established That effectual course be taken by Act of Parliament for the suppressing of Blasphemy Heresy and Schisme and all scandalous Doctrines and practises as are contrary to the light of Nature or to the known principles of Christianity or the power of Godliness or which may
if it ever came to the question his party in the House being then too weak for the other that having first sent his Souldiers to shut up the Parliament doors and to signifie to the Members that he would meet them again in the Painted-Chamber he came thither accordingly and with a stern but troubled Countenance said that at his last being there he did acquaint them with the Rise of that Government which had so call'd him thither and with the Authority thereof as also that he then acknowledg'd they were a free Parliament And so you are quoth he whilst you own the Government and Authority which call'd you hither But discerning what they drove at which toucht him so near he farther plainly told them that he now came to magnifie his Office which before he had not been apt to do saying that if God would not bear it up let it sink Adding also that if a duty were incumbent on him to bear his own testimony unto it which in modesty he had till then forborn he was in some measure necessitated thereunto Then he went on and affirmed that he called not himself to that place but that his calling was from God and the people of these Nations and that his calling being such God and the people should take it from him else he would not part with it To manifest therefore that such was his Call he proceeded and said that being a Gentleman by birth he had been called to several imployments in the Nation First in Parliament then in the late Wars Which being ended by that great Victory at Worcester he said he did hope to have god leave for retiring to a private life and beg'd again and again to be dismissed of his charge calling God above as witness thereto but expressing that he could not therein obtain what his Soul long'd for And farther added that he pressed the Parliament as a Member to put a period to themselves again and again nay ten and twenty times over and said that he told them that the Nation loathed their sitting and that so far as he could discern that when they were dissolved there was no visible repining at it no not so much as the Barking of a Dog Affirming that they aim'd to have perpetuated their sitting to the Worlds end and that under their arbitrary power poor men were driven like flocks of sheep to confiscation of goods and estates Also that the seeming remedy which those Members then offered was to have had a succession of Parliaments always sitting whereby the Liberties Int'rests and Lives of the People should still have been judg'd by an arbitrary power Likewise that the remedy by so dissolving them as they had been was fitted to the disease And that thereupon he desiring to see if a few called together for some short space of time might not put the Nation into some way of certain settlement he therefore called those persons together out of the several parts of the Nation and this he did that he might have had an opportunity to lay down the Power which was then in his hands wherein he appealed to God as he said before persons who knew God and what Conscience was as also what it was to Lye before God A desire he said sinful enough he was afraid to be quit of that Power which God had most providentially put into his hands before he called for it again and before those honest ends of their fighting were attained and setled he being by Act of Parliament General of all the Forces in England Scotland and Ireland But that meeting not answering the hopes of it and they bringing him an Instrument of Resignation of that Authority so placed upon them whereof he professed he knew nothing before it was brought and tendred to him he was then exceedingly to seek what to do his Power then being as General of all the Forces in the three Nations as boundless as before At length therefore as he said divers Gentlemen consulting seriously together did frame that model of the then present Government he being not at all privy to their Councils and having so done told him that except he would undertake the same Blood and Confusion for lack of a settlement would break in upon them Yet nevertheless that notwithstanding this their offer he denyed it again and again till at length weighing that it did not put him into an higher capacity than he was in before being also bounded and limited as appeared by the Instrument he then accepted it instancing the publick formality of that his acceptance in the great Hall at Westminster and in the presence of the then Lord Mayor of London Aldermen c. and divers Persons of quality Adding that what he had then expressed was a Narrative discovering to them the series of Providence and Transaction which had led him into that condition Then he went on and said that he did not bear witness to himself being far from alluding to him that said so but that he had a cloud of witnesses instancing the Officers of the Armies in the three Nations as appeared by their respective Remonstrances and the consent of those persons that had somewhat to do in the World who had been instrumental by God to fight down the Enemies of God and his People in the three Nations Likewise that for farther witness he had the City of London manifested by their congratulatory Entertainment of him at Grocers-Hall upon Ashwednesday 1653. And of the Grand-Iuries from several Counties Also of the Iudges who received Commissions from him and all the Iustices of Peace in England Nay all the People in England he said were his Witnesses and many in Ireland and Scotland Moreover all the Shireeves and all that came in upon Processes Issued out by the Shireeves yea the return of Elections to the Clerk of the Crown by the Inhabitants of all the Counties Cities and Boroughs and lastly themselves as returned upon those Elections the Instrument of Government being distinctly read at all places of such Elections wherein was that special proviso viz. that the persons so chose should not have power to alter the Government as then setled in one single Person and a Parliament Farther adding that he was then in possession of the Government by a good right from God and Men and that he did not know why he might not ballance that providence as in the sight of God with any Hereditary-Int'rest as being less subject to those cracks and flaws they are commonly incident to and which had cost so much Blood He told them likewise what Liberty of Conscience they had by that Government and that all the Money of this Nation would not have tempted men to fight if they had not had hopes of Liberty better than from Episcopacy or Presbytery Concluding that considering that this Government was thus owned of God approved by men and testified to as afore hath been said that in relation to the good of these Nations and
preamble whereof beginneth thus for asmuch as the Prosperity and Safety of this Nation and the Dommions thereunto belonging very much dependeth under God upon the security and preservation of the person of his Highness c. In which Act several offences were adjudged Treason and certain Commissioners for England and Wales therein nominated for the Tryal of Offenders against the said Act. Which foundation being so laid it was by his Friends and Favourers then thought high time to discover what they would be at and accordingly moved that whereas this Nation had for thirteen hundred years at the least been governed by Kings and though some of them had offended the people yet that Title had never been abolished Also whereas the Government by the said Title was interwoven with the Laws and accommodated to the dispositions of the people that they should humbly Petition and Advise his Highness to take upon him the same Title Which motion took such effect that there was an Instrument soon drawn up by them called the Humble Petition and Advice whereby they besought his Highness so to do Whereunto that he might not seem to have any knowledg of what they were about much less any desire thereof but be still more and more sought to and importuned therein he answered with all shew of modesty that indeed those Arguments which they had used to him were persuasive but not compulsive and that the Title of Protector might be well accommodated to the Laws To which they replyed that the Title ought to be such as was suitable to the Laws and the Laws not be made suitable to the Title urging the Statutes of 9. Edw. IV. and 3. Henr. VII whereby it was provided that no one should suffer for bearing Arms on the behalf of him that was de facto King though he had no just right to the Crown Which Arguments were made use of to him meerly for shew the better to disguise his ambitious aim as though without such strong motives he could not have been won thereto But the plain truth is that after this business came thus in question the Sectaries of all sorts nay a great part of the Souldiery shewed a vehement dislike thereof being privately instigated by Lambert and some other of the Principal Officers who did themselves upon Cromwels death expect to have succeeded him in the Place of Protector it being Elective as is manifest from the Instrument of Government whereby that Tyrant was at first so Constituted whereas had he been advanced to the Title of King the case might have been otherwise So that this crafty Fox discerning no small peril to himself by such divisions as might thereby arise especially in the Army wherein lay his chief strength and support thought it the safest way to decline it and to stick still to that of Protector yet to have the Government setled in a kind of Monarchic manner And so in imitation of that which had formerly been Regal to have a House of Peers But against that also there were great and high oppositions so that though it was with much ado agreed that there should be another House yet it would not be allowed the Title of an House of Peers Whereupon the result was that an Act Intituled The Humble Petition and Advice should pass whereby they ordained what Stile the chief Magistrate should have idest Lord Protector of the Common-Wealth of England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereto belonging Likewise that Parliaments consisting of two Houses should be called once in three years with qualifications of such as should serve therein And that the number of such as should sit in the other House should be nominated by the Lord Protector and approved by the House of Commons Moreover that he should have power to nominate his Successor And that a Confession of Faith should be agreed on by his Highness and the Parliament according to the Rule and Warrant of the Scriptures Which Act being presented to him accordingly was assented to and passed But that Act being in some sort deficient about a month following they passed another relating thereto and called The Explanatory Petition and Advice Wherein inter alia is this Clause viz. Whereas in the Fourth Article Publick Ministers or Publick Preachers of the Gospel are disabled to the Elected to serve in Parliament it is hereby explained and declared to such Ministers and Preachers only as have maintenance for Preaching or are Pastors or Teachers of Congregations In which Act is also contained the Oaths of the Lord Protector and of his Privy-Council as also the Oaths of the Members of that Parliament Soon after which he was again in WestMinster-Hall standing under a Rich State solemnly invested into his Old Title of Lord Protector and into the Government thus new modelled Where in the presence of the Members of that Parliament Sir Thomas Widdrington their Speaker delivered unto him in the name of them all and as Representatives of all the people in the three Kingdoms a Purple Robe lyned with Ermine as also a Bible Sword and Scepter descanting upon each of them as significant in some respect All which being performed the Instrument of that new Modelled Government called The Humble Petition and Advice was publickly read Whereunto assenting he was then and there Proclaimed Protector of England Scotland and Ireland with sound of 〈◊〉 and afterwards in the City of London So likewise at Dublin in Ireland and Edenburgh in Scotland Which new devised Government so much resembling Monarchy though the Title did not sute thereto did so 〈◊〉 please the Anabaptists and Fifth-Monarchy men that they 〈◊〉 spired his ruin by a sudden Insurrection but their 〈◊〉 being timely discerned came at length to nothing 〈◊〉 reupon for prevention of farther mischief he committed to Prison several persons of no small note whose power with the Souldiery might otherwise have much endangered his safety Viz. Lawson one of his Admirals at Sea Harrison Rich Danvers and some other Colonels Nay Lambert himself being aware that his hopes of succeeding him were then by that new framed Government frustrated began to fall off from him and to incline to the Fanaticks Which so awakened the Protector that he took from him his Commission of Lieutenant General and gave it to Fleetwood who by the Marriage of his Daughter stood more nearly typed to his Interest And that he might the better allure those of the Army and some other which were no great friends to him to conform the more pliantly to this his new setled Dominion he tickled them with the specious Title of Lords by calling them to fit in the other House obliging also many other desperate and mean persons which were Officers of the Army with the like shadows of Honour The names of which persons so called were as followeth viz. Richard Cromwel his eldest Son Henry Cromwel his other Son then Lord Deputy of Ireland Nathaniel Fienes
but sent down the Earl of Stanford and Lord Willoughby of Parham with four of the House of Commons as a Committee to assist Sir Iohn Hotham there voting that his Majesties declaring Sir Iohn Hotham Traitor was an high breach of the Privilege of Parliament against the Liberty of the Subject and Laws of the Land And now that by their feigned Fears and Jealousies with other subtile devices they had sufficiently amused the people and possess'd themselves of the Royal Navy Forts Ports and Magazine and within a few days following set forth a Declaration signifying their purpose to put in execution their Ordinance for the Militia they answered that Message from his Majesty of the 24 th of April touching Hotham with sundry foul aspersions taxing him with hearkning to wicked Counsels which had practised to put the Kingdom into a combustion and again justifying Sir Iohn Hotham expressed their intentions to settle the Militia according to their Ordinance for suppressing the wicked and malignant Party desiring his Majesties return to be near his Parliament And as the Citizens of London out of their ambition to be a free State were the first and cheif Instruments to set forward this grand work so in this of the Militia they gave example to all other parts of the Kingdom executing the same in Finsbury-feilds with twelve thousand men in Arms ordered by Serjeant Major General Skyppon the members of both Houses being present to give countenance thereto who thereupon voted that having shew'd so much obedience to the Ordinance of Parliament concerning the Militia they had done it according to the Laws of the land and that they should have the assistance of both Houses of Parliament against any that might oppose or molest them therein CHAP. XI ABout this time therefore the King discerning no small danger to his person by reason of these hostile preparations and Actions having not any Guard but with a thin retinue residing at York and withall observing that in most parts of the Kingdom the schismatical Party under colour of putting themselves into a Posture of Defence had provided Arms as also trained and exercised themselves contrary to the Laws of the land sent his Summons to the Gentry of Yorkshire to attend him at York Where being met he shew'd them divers reasons why he conceiv'd it fit to have a Guard for his own Person desiring their assistance therein Whereupon most of them yeilding cheerful obedience he signified to them by his Letters that he should take it well if they would personally attend him in such sort followed and provided as they should think fit for his better safety But before the knowledg thereof could possibly come to them at Westminster having some private advertisement of what was intended they publish'd a Declaration in the name of both Houses of Parliament setting forth That it was against the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom that any of the Subjects thereof should be commanded to attend his Majesty at his pleasure excepting such as were bound thereto by special service And that if the Trained Bands or any other his Majesties Subject should upon any pretence be drawn together in a posture of war the Sherifs of such a County ought to raise the power thereof to suppress them And having forthwith voted that the Magazine of each respective Shire in the Realm of England and dominion of Wales should be presently put into the power of such Lord-Lieutenants of those Counties as the Parliament did confide in they publish'd a Declaration scandalizing his Majesties gracious Messages Answers and Declarations taxing him with breach of his word and promises as also with continued oppressions and violation of the Laws countenancing the Rebellion in Ireland and with intent to bring up his Northern-Army to awe the Parliament And having so done voted that the King seduced by wicked Counsel intended to make war against his Parliament who in all their Consultations and Actions had proposed no other end unto themselves but the care of his Kingdom and the performance of all duty and loyalty to his person Next that whensoever the King maketh war upon the Parliament it is a breach of the Trust reposed in him by his people contrary to his Oath and tending to the dissolution of this Government and that whosoever should serve or assist him in such wars were Traitors by the Fundamental Laws of this Realm the very same day sending down the Knights and Burgesses of Buckinghamshire by special Order to see their Ordinance for the Militia put in execution in that County And having proceeded thus far setting also forth another large Remonstrance in justification of all their practises in which they had this bold expression that now they had brought their work to such an height and degree of success that nothing seem'd to be left in their way able to hinder the full accomplishment of their desires unless God in his justice should send a grievous curse upon them within three days following they sent a Petition to the King in the name of both Houses which was delivered to him at York Wherein they boldly reproacht him with his many fair promises and pretences and desired him to disband his Guard it being a cause of great jealousie and danger to the whole Kingdom Otherwise they told him that they should employ their care and utmost power to secure the Parliament and to preserve the peace and quiet of the Realm And shortly after publish'd a third Remonstrance justifying their former Actions farther reproaching him in every thing and challenging the Obligations of his Oath upon that ungrammatical construction of quas vulgus digerit to pass all Bills which they should tender unto him About this time also removing the Magazine form Hull to the Tower of London The King therefore discerning what preparations they had made in every respect in order to the forming of a rebellious Army did by his Royal Proclamation bearing date the xxvijth of May expresly forbid all and every of his Subjects belonging to the Trained-Bands or Militia of this Kingdom to rise march muster or exercise by vertue of any Order or Ordinance of one or both Houses of Parliament without consent or warrant from himself upon pain of punishment according to the Laws And plainly discerning through these their subtile practices what advantages they made to themselves upon the smallest pretences as also by casting Scandals upon all his Actions he summon'd the Gentlemen and Free-holders of Yorkshire to come to Heyworth-Moore upon the third of Iune Where he declared unto them the reason of his reâ—siding at that time amongst them being driven away from Whiteâ—Hall by Tumults with his purpose to maintain the true Protestant Religion and Laws and that the Guard he there had for the safety of his Royal person consisting of the chief Gentry of that County and one Regiment of the Trained Bands could
Scotland much revived their drooping Spirits for winter being over they fram'd an Ordinance that Sir William Brereton in Cheshire should have authority to take Subscriptions for raising more forces in that County and soon after imposed a new Excise upon Allom Coperas Monmouth-caps Hats of all sorts Hops Saffron Starch all manner of Silks and Stuffs and on several other commodities made or growing in England not formerly charged And having by their many and great grievous Taxes thus largely provided for welcoming in the Scots those their dear Brethren advanced Southwards and with the Earl of Manchester laid siege to the City of York The loss of all the North being by this means thus in great peril and Prince Rupert coming with the chief of all His Majesties forces to the relief thereof he was encountred with the greatest strength that the English Rebels then had the joynt forces under the command of Ferdinando Lord Fairfax and the Earl of Manchester with the whole Scottish Army commanded by Leslley which drew off from their siege of York whereupon in a bloudy Battle fought at Marston-moore about four miles from that City though at first he utterly routed the Scots and the Earl of Manchester yet following the chase too far presuming the day his own through the onely conduct of Cromwell then Lieutenant General to Manchester with a fresh body of Horse the rest of the royal Army after a valiant and â—harp dispute being much over-powered was totally shattered and vanquisht So that he was constrain'd to quit the field and march Southwards with what Horse he had left exposing York hopeless of relief to the power of the Enemy which by reason thereof was delivered up to Cromwell within few days after But of this fatal Action the King then far remote knowing nothing at present His royal Heart incessantly minding the preservation of his people from further spoil by the wars sent to the Members at Westminster desiring as formerly that they would appoint such and so many persons as they should think fit sufficiently authorized by them to attend him upon safe-conduct given and there to conclude how all things in question might be fully setled Which gracious Message though not then regarded so much were they elated with that their success at Marston-moore yet after that grand defeat of their old General the Earl of Essex in Cornwal which hapned on the first of September next following His Majesty then reminding them of that his Message from Evesham they did vouchsafe within two months following to send him certain propositions but such as did still apparently manifest their confidence to carry on the work by power through the ayd of the Scots with whom they had entred into so firm a combination for assistance by their solemn League and Covenant For by these propositions amongst others they had the boldness to make these following Demands viz. that the King should swear to sign that Instrument called the solemn League and Covenant adding according to the example of His Royal Father of happy memory for so they had the face to say though Mr. Nye had exprest that it was such an Oath as for matter persons and other circumstances was never in any age before And not onely so but that an Act of Parliament might be passed for to injoyne the taking of it by all His Majesties Subjects within His three Kingdomes Next that a Bill should be passed for the utter abolishing of Episcopacy without which Goverment it is well known that no National Church ever was since the Apostles times And that their Ordinance for the calling and sitting of their Assembly of Divines should be confirm'd by Act of Parliament Also that an Act should be passed for confirming their Treaty for bringing in the Scots-Army into England and for establishing that their disloyal Declaration made by themselves and the Scots bearing date 30. Ian. 1643. whereby Prince Rupert and Prince Maurice His Majesties Nephews Iames Earl of Derby William Marquess of Newcastle Iohn Earl of Bristol with divers other of his Nobility the Archbishop of Canterbury and Bishop of Ely then their prisoners with a multitude of other worthy persons both of this Kingdome and of Scotland were excepted as to life and their estates doom'd to pay publick Debts Likewise that a great number more whose names are there exprest together with all those Loyal Members of Parliament which attended his Majesty at Oxford should be removed from His Majesties Councils and never to come within the Verge of the Court but by their permission Then that all Judges Serjeants Councellors Attorneys Doctors Advocates and Proctors in the Law-common or Civil who had adhered to the King should be made uncapable of any practice publick or private and all Clergy-men whatsoever who had also adhered to the King to be incapable of any preferment or imployment in the Church or Common-wealth Moreover that the Forces by Sea and Land for the Kingdomes of England and Scotland should be setled by Act of Parliament in Commissioners nominated by both their Houses of Parliament and that the education and marriage of the King's children as also the making Peace or War with any forreign Princes should be with the advice and consent or Parliament Furthermore that by Act of Parliament the Deputy or chief Governour of Ireland be nominated by both Houses of Parliament and in the Intervals of Parliament by Commissioners to continue during the pleasure of both Houses And that the Lord Chancellour Lord Keeper Lord Treasurer Commissioners of the great Seal or Treasury Lord Warden of the Cinque-ports Chancellour of the Exchequer and Dutchy Secretaries of State Judges of both Benches and Barons of the Exchequer for the Kingdomes of England and Ireland should be nominated by both Houses of Parliament to continue quamdiu se benè gesserint and in the Intervals of Parliament by the before-mention'd Commissioners The like for the Kingdome of Scotland adding the Justice-general and in such manner as the Estates in Parliament there should think fit Divers other Propositions also they then sent no less unreasonable than these which for brevities sake I omit So that in short the summe of all was no less than that His Majesty should condescend to the utter destruction and overthrow of the Religion by Law established in the Church of England which he had sworn to maintain and whereunto all the reverend Clergy of the Realm had likewise subscribed sacrifice the Lives and Estates of divers of his most faithful subjects to the avarice and ambition of these men subject all those loyal persons learned in the Laws Common and Civil to their malice Give up the power of the Sword totally into the hands of his greatest Enemies therewith not onely to oppress his good subjects at home but according to their own pleasure to molest and annoy his Friends and Allies abroad and prostitute the Education of his dear
confiding-friends in all parts of the Realm Who acted for them so vigourously as that from Launton a populous corporation in Somersetshire they had very great Thanks for the same So likewise from the Godly-party in Buckinghamshire who also made large promises to adhere to and stand by them in the farther prosecution thereof to the utmost of their abilities against all opposers desiring that they would proceed to a speedy setling of the civil Government in such a way as might best conduce to the freedome and happiness of this Nation and that they would put forth their power for promoting of Religion according to the word of God to give due encouragement to all Godly and able Ministers to cast out such as were scandalous and unfit for the work of the Ministry and to be tender of the Consciences of such whose conversations were as becometh the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For which the Petitioners had not onely thanks thereupon rendred unto them for their constant affections to the Parliament but an order was forthwith made that the Petition should be printed to the end that the world might take notice of the singular affections of the Petitioners and that they might be an example for other Counties of the Kingdome Which transactions here so awakened the Brethren of Scotland that seeing no good could be effected by words they resolv'd to dispute the business otherwise and therefore agreed of raysing an Army But the general Assembly of that Kirk endeavouring to oppose them therein the estates of Parliament there declared that the breaches of the Covenant and Treaties should be represented and reparations sought for the same Next that the War which they were to make with England should be for strengthning the Union betwixt the two Kingdomes and encouraging the Presbytereans and well affected there Moreover that they would declare His Majestie 's concessions concerning Religion not to be satisfactory And that whereas Religion had been and they trusted should be the principal end of all their undertakings so they would be carefull that the then present question to be stated should contain security and assurance to be had from His Majesty by his solemn Oath under his hand and Seal that he should for himself and for his successors give his royal assent to pass Acts of Parliament injoyning the League and Covenant establishing Presbytreal Government the Directory for Worship and Confession of Faith in all his Dominions and that he should never make opposition to any of these nor endeavour any change thereof As also that this security should be had from him before his restitution to the exercise of his royal power All this notwithstanding the Kirk was not one jot satisfied but earnestly urged that the Parliament should declare against His Majestie 's concessions positively without any condition and presently without delay they being as they exprest so prejudicial to the Cause and Covenant And when they discerned that Forces were levying throughout that Kingdome they so much feared that His Majesty and his good Subjects might receive any benefit thereby that they did put up a large Petition to the Parliament there wherein they earnestly desired the Lords as they would answer the contrary at the great day of Judgment that they would not proceed so as to give any encouragement unto the prelatical or malignant party in England nor be any grief to the Presbyterean Party nor to restore the King untill he had resolved the settlement of Presbytery and that what they intended on the King's behalf might be with subordination to those ends exprest in the Covenant Whereupon the Parliament there declared that they would be so far from joyning or associating with the popish prelatical or malignant-party if they should again rise in Arms either to oppose or obstruct all or any of the ends of the Covenant that on the contrary they would oppose and endeavour to suppress them as Enemies to the Cause and Covenant on the other side Likewise that in regard His Majestie 's late concessions and offers concerning Religion were not satisfactory and that the principal ends of all the undertakings of that Nation had been and they hoped should be to see Religion in the first place setled and that as they should endeavour the rescuing of His Majesty from those who malitiously carryed him away from Holdenby-House against his own will and the declared resolutions of both Kingdomes and did still detein him close prisoner to the end he might come with honour freedome and safety to some of his Houses in or about London where both Kingdomes might make their application to him for setling of Religion and a well grounded Peace So they did resolve not to put in His Majestie 's hands or in any other whatsoever such power whereby the ends of the Covenant or any one of them might be obstructed or opposed Religion or Presbyterean-Government endangered but on the contrary that before any Agreement should be made His Majesty should give assurance under his solemn Oath and under his Hand and Seal that he should for himself and his successors give his Royal assent and agreement to such Act or Acts of Parliament of both and either Kingdomes respectively for enjoyning the League and Covenant and fully establishing Presbyterean-Government Directory for Worship and Confession of Faith in all his Dominions and that he should never make opposition to any of these nor endeavour any thing thereof Moreover that if any war should be made as it should be on just and necessary grounds so did they resolve to give the trust and charge of their Armies and Committees to none but such as should be and were of known integrity and against whom there was no just cause of exception Also that the Parliament was willing to subscribe for the grounds of their undertaking an Oath wherein both in the framing of it and otherwise they were willing the Church should have interest as had been in the like case And that the resolutions of the Parliament thereupon might be the more effectual and in regard of the then present condition of affairs it was their opinion that the Kingdome of Scotland should be put in a Posture of Defence as it was in the year 1643. And like as they had drawn that Act of Posture which being allow'd in Parliament and sent to the Shires they thought it fit time to send their demands to the Parliament of England and that some descreet man should be sent with the same and a limited time appointed for his return with answer ¶ I shall not stand here to give instance of such particulars as further happened betwixt the Grandees at Westminster and the Scots upon this business for all those passages were to no other end than by thus fencing with each other to prevent any censure in their respective Actings and consequently to obtain the peoples assistance upon occasion For in short the state of the business stood thus the
solemn Fast. in St. Margarets Church at Westminster four of the most zealous Lords being present thereat and of the House of Commons at least Twenty where their Pulpit Buffoon Hugh Peters Preacht to them of bringing the Children of Israel out of Aegyptian Bondage whereunto he Parallel'd the State of this Kingdom And the better to shew how they should be brought out of this Bondage having put his hands before his eyesâ— and laid his head on the Cushion thence rasing it up again after a while he told them that he had a Revelation how to do it which was by Extirpating of Monarchy both here and in all other places In order whereunto they removed the King to Windsor-Castle where it was concluded on by his Guards that all State and Ceremony towards him should thenceforth be forborn and his attendants lessened At the same time also it was first moved in the House of Commons that they should proceed Capitally with the King Whereupon Oliver Cromwell stood up and said that if any man moved this upon design he should think him the greatest Traytor in the World but since Providence and Necessity had cast them upon it he should pray God to bless their Councils though he was not provided on the sudden to give them Council But no long after he was for being a great Pretender to Enthusiasms and Revelations he told them that as the was praying for a Blessing from God on his undertaking to restore the King to his pristine Majesty his Tongue cleaved to the roof of his mouth that he could not speak one word more which he took as a return of Prayer and that God had rejected him from being King And to others he did impudently assert that it was lawful to circumvent a wicked man with deceit and fraud Whereunto the very next day Mr. Thomas Scott brought in the Ordinance for Tryal of the King which was then read and recommitted three several times and the names of the Commissioners consisting of some Lords some of the House of Commons some Citizens of London and some Officers of the Army added thereto Which Ordinance being soon agreed on and sent up to the House of Lords by the Lord Grey of Groby was by them rejected Whereupon the Commons fell to voting again and declared That all Members of that House and others apointed by order of that House or Ordinances of both Houses of Parliament to act in any Ordinance wherein the Lords were joyned should be impowred and enjoyned to sit and act execute in the said several Committees of themselves notwithstanding the House of Pâ—â—rs should not joyn with them therein Some of then being so fierce against the Lords for this their refusal as that they moved for an Impeachment to be framed against them for thus favouring the grand Delinquent of England And that they might not fall short in imitation of their Parent the Presbyterian which first laid the Foundation of all this mischief they brought upon the Stage such another Prophetess as the Brethren of Scotland produced in order to the carrying on their Blessed work in An. 1638. whereof I have then taken notice viz. a Godly Woman out of Hereford shire the News-book of that Week calls her a Virgin who coming to the General and Council of War at White-hall said she had a Revelation from God whereby she was inâ—ited to encourage them to go on in their designs Of which they made no small advantage approving thereof as most seasonable at that time and accordingly proceeded First Voting that the people were under God the Original of all just power Secondly That the Commons of England in Parliament Assembled being chosen by and representing the people were the supream power of the Nation and Thirdly that what soever is enacted or declared for Law by the House of Commons Assembled in Parliament hath the force of Law In pursuance of which monstrous Votes they fram'd a bloody Ordinance whereby they constituted these Persons whose names I have here inserted or any Twenty or more of them to be Judges for the Hearing Trying and Judging of the Kings Sacred Majesty which were thereby also constituted and called an High Court of Iustice. ¶ Thomas Lord Fairfax General of the Army * Oliver Cromwel Lieutenant General Henry Ireton Commissary General Philip Skipton Major General * Colonel Valentine Walton * Colonel Thomas Harrison * Colonel Edward Whalley * Colonel Thomas Pride * Colonel Isaac Evre * Colonel Richard Ingoldsby * Sir Henry Mildmay Kt. Sir Thomas Honywood Kt. * Thomas Lord Grey of Groby Philip Lord Lisle * William Visc. Castlemaine aliter Lord Munson * Sir Iohn Danvers Kt. * Sir Thomas Maleverer Bar. * Sir Iohn Bourchier Kt. * Sir Iames Harrington Kt. Sir William Brereton Bar. * Robert Wallop Esq * William Heveningham Esq * Isaac Pennington Alderman Thomas Atkins Alderman * Colonel Rowland Wilson Sir Peter wentworth Knight of the Bath * Colonel Henry Martin * Colonel William Puresey Colonel Godfrey Boswell Iohn Trenchard Esq * Colonel Mathew Tomlinson * Iohn Blakeston Esq * Gilbert Millington Esq * Miles Corbet Esq * Sir William Constable Kt. * Colonel Edward Ludlow Colonel Iohn Lambert * Colonel Iohn Hutchenson Sir Arthur Haselrigg Bar. * Sir Michael Livescy Bar. Richard Soloway Esq Humphery Soloway Esq * Colonel Robert Tichburne * Colonel Owen Roe Colonel Robert Manwaring * Colonel Robert Lilburne * Colonel Adrian Scrope * Colonel Richard Deane * Colonel Iohn Okey Colonel Robert Overton Colonel Iohn Harrison Colonel Iohn Desborough * Colonel William Goffe Colonel Robert Duckenfeild * Cornelius Holand Esq * Iohn Carue Esq Sir William Armine Kt. * Colonel Iohn Iones * Miles Corbet Esq * Francis Allen Esq Thomas Lister Esq Benjamin Weston Esq * Peregrine Pelkam Esq Iohn Gourdon Esq Francis Thorpe Serjeant at Law Ihon Nutt Esq Thomas Chaloner Esq Colonel Algernon Sidney * Sir Hardres Waller Kt. * Colonel Iohn Barkstedeâ— Iohn Anlaby Esq * Colonel Iohn Mooreâ— Richard Darley Esq * William Say Esq * Iohn Alured Esq Iohn Fagge Esq Iames Nelthorpe Esq Sir William Roberts Kt. Colonel Francis Lascels Colonel Alexander Rigby * Henry Smith Esq Edmund Wilde Esq Iames Chaloner Esq Iosias Barnes Esq Dennis Bond Esq * Humphrey Edwards Esq * Gregory Clement Esq Iohn Fray Esq * Thomas Wogan Esq * Sir Gregory Norton Kt. * Iohn Bradshaw Serjeant at Law * Colonel Edward Harvey Iohn Dove Esq * Colonel Iohn Venn Iohn Fouke Alderman of London * Thomas Scott * Thomas Andrews Alderman * William Cauley Esq Abraham Burrell Esq * Colonel Anthony Stapeley Roger Gratwick Esq * Iohn Downes Esq * Colonel Thomas Harton * Colonel Thomas Hamond * Colonel Geotge Fenwick Robert Nicholas Serjeant at Law * Colonel Iohn Hewson Robert Reynolds Esq * Iohn Lisle Esq * Nicholas Love Esq * Vâ—cent Potter Sir Gilbert Pickering Kt. Iohn Weaver Esq Iohn Lenthall Esq Sir Edward Bayton Kt. Iohn Corbet Esq Thomas Blount
Esq Thomas Boone Esq * Augustine Garland Esq Augustine Skinner Esq * Iohn Dixwell Esq * Colonel George Fleetwood * Simon Maine Esq * Colonel Iames Temple * Colonel Peter Temple * Daniel Blagrave Esq Sir Petter Temple Bar. * Colonel Thomas Wayte Iohn Brown Esq Iohn Lawry Esq * Iohn Bradshaw Serjeant at Law named President Councillers-Assistants to this Court and to draw up the Charge against the King * Doctor Isaac Dorislaw * Mr. Williams Steele * Mr. Aske * Mr. Cooke Sollicitor * Serjeant Dandy Serjeant at Armes * Mr. Phelps Clerks to the Court * Mr. Broughton Messengers and Door-keepers Mr. Walford Mr. Radley Mr. Paine Mr. Powell Mr. Hull Mr. King the Cryer And that these their Sanguinary proceedings might carry the more shew of Authority upon the Third day following they sent their Serjeant at Armes with his Mace accompanyed by six Trumpets on Horse-back into Westminster-Hall great Guards of Souldiers waiting in the Palace-yards Where in the midst of the Hall after the Trumpets had sounded he made solemn Proclamation on Horse-back that if any man had ought to alledge against Charles Start they should repaire the day following at Two of the Clock After-noon into the Painted Chamber where the Committees to receive the same were to Sit. The like Proclamation he made at the Exchange and other places in London The same day also they Voted that Writs should no longer run in the King's Name and the making of a new Great Seal with the Armes of England and Ireland viz. the Cross and Harpe on the one side and this Circumscription viz. The Great Seal of England On the other side the Figure of the Parliament and the Circumscription In the first year of Freedom by Gods Blessing restored 1648. According to which Proclamation so made in Westminster-Hall the next day following those High Court of Justice-men sate formally in the Painted Chamber to receive Informations from such whom they had then prepared to come in for that purpose For which time for the space of Nine days the Grandees had frequent Meetings to frame and settle the special order and form for executing of that their accursed design And having in the Interim erected a Bloody Theater at the upper end of Westminster-Hall which they call'd The High Court of Iustice they removed His Majesty from Windâ—â—â—â— to St. Iames's near Westmiâ—ster and upon Saturday Ianuary the Twentieth made their entrance in State into Westminster-Hall Bradshaw the President having a Sword and Mace carryed before him and for his Guard Twenty Souldiers with Partizans under the Command of Colonel Fox the Tinker Where after this Prodigious Monster Bradshaw with the rest of that Bloody-pack in all to the number of Seventy two the rest then declining to shew their Faces in so Horrid an Enterprize though most of them afterwards avowed the same were set and that Hellish Act read whereby they were constituted the King's Judges His Majesty was brought to the Bar by Colonel Hacker Guarded with a Company of Halberdeers In whose passage it is not unworthy of note that Hugh Peters one of their wicked Preachers did set on divers of the Souldiers to cry out Iustice Iustice against him and that one of them did then Spit in the King's Face Which being done that insolent Bradshaw stood up and most impudently told the King calling him Charles Stuart that the Commons of England Assembled in Parliament being sensible of the great Calamities brought upon this Nation and of the Innocent Blood shed which was referred to him as the Author according to that duty which they did owe to God the Nation and themselves and according to that Power and Fundamental Trust reposed in them by the People had Constituted that High Court of Iustice before which he was then brought and that he was to hear his Charge upon which the Court would proceed Then Cook their Sollicitor went on and said that he did accuse Charles Stuart there present of High Treason and Misdemeanors and did in the Name of the Commons of England desire that the Charge might be read against him Whereupon they caused their most false and Infamous Charge to be read Which importing that he being admitted King of England and trusted with a limited Power for the good and benefit of the People had Trayterously and Maliciously levyed War against that present Parliament and the People therein represented and caused and procured many Thousands of the Free People of this Nation to be slain Concluding that he did therefore impeach him as a Tyrant Traytor Murtherer and a publick and implacable Enemy to the Common-wealth of England Praying that he might be put to answer the premisses and that such Proceedings Examinations Tryals Sentence and Iudgment might be thereupon had as should be agreeable to Iustice. I shall not stay here to give instance of the particular expressions then made by His Majesty unto those Blood-thirsty men Which were with the greatest Wisdom Gravity and Christian Courage imaginable considering that they already are by some Historians and others so exactly publisht to the World He absolutely denying and renouncing that their usurped Jurisdiction and Authority thus to convent him and stoutly refusing to submit to their power In which he most undauntedly persisted every time he was brought before them with incomparable magnanimity of Spirit On the Second day of their Sitting they held a Fast at White-Hall And on the Third day the Scots Commissioners delivered in certain Papers to them with a Declaration from the Parliament of Scotland importing a dislike of those their Proceedings against His Majesty but nothing regarded After which to the end that these Barbarous Regicides might the better consult touching the manner of his Execution and to perform it with the greater Ignominy they respited his Sentence of Death for Four or Five days But then having fully determined thereon upon Saturday the Twenty Seventh of Ianuary they caused Him to be brought before them again Where after a most insolent Speech made by the same Bradshaw the President His Sentence of Death was read there being then present no less than Seventy two of those His Bloody Murtherers called Judges who stood up and avowed the same the Names of which I have noted with an Asterism in the preceding Catalogue Which being done a Publick Declaration was appointed to be drawn against the Proclaiming of Prince Charles after the removal of his Father out of this Life denouncing it to be High Treason for any one so to do Likewise that no person upon Pain of Imprisonment and such other punishments as should be thought fit might speak or divulge any thing contrary to those their proceedings And upon the Morrow being Sunday some of the Grandees came and tendred to him a Paper Book with promise of Life and some shadow of Regality in case he would Subscribe it which contained many particulars destructive to the Religion establisht to the
to Moral Honesty but wholly guided by those whimsical Fantasies which were by their Ring-leaders called the Revelations and Inspirations of God's Holy Spirit it was referred to a Committee to consider of a way for the Raising of Pensions and allowances out of Deans and Chapters Lands to maintain certain Itinerant Preachers who were Authorized to go up and down and spread abroad their Antimonarchical Doctrine whereby the Rabble might be set up and comply with the Souldiery against the Nobility and Gentry Clergy Lawyers and all orderly Government But upon better consideration fearing that the Liberty might in time overwhelm them with confusion and give such a countenance to the Levellers of whose help they had made no small use for the King's Destruction as would bring upon them inevitable ruine Cromwel moved in their Parliament that the Presbyterian Government might be setled promising his endeavours thereto and that the secured and secluded Members might be again invited to return into the House They likewise imploy'd divers of their Preachers of which Mr. Marshal Mr. Nye Mr. Carrel Mr. Goodwyn and Hugh Peters were the chief to cajole others of their own Coat together with the Citizens and expulsed Members with certain Discourses and Proposals telling them that the Presbyterians did differ with the King in point of Civil Interest which was much more irreconcileable than the Interest of Church Government whatsoever shew was made to the contrary Also that it was the Presbyterians who first made War against the late King brought him low and prepared him to receive his deadly blow from the Independants and therefore that the King would look upon them as equally Guilty with the Independants and endeavour equally to cut them off their design being thereby to cast the Presbyterians into utter despair and so to bring them in point of self Preservation to joyn with their Interests for common defence And to carry on their work with the more shew of Sanctity they ordered that a strict Fast should be kept to humble themselves and implore God's Forgiveness for the Ingratitude of the People who did not sufficiently acknowledge with Thankfulness Gods Great Mercies upon this Land in Freeing them from Monarchy and bestowing Liberty upon them by changing Kingly Government into a Free State or Republick To sweeten likewise the affections of the Vulgar towards them they made most specious pretences of paying all the publick Debts and raising Three Hundred thousand Pounds for supplying the necessities of the Common-wealth as they term'd it without any charge or burthen to the people and to that end passed an Act for abolishing all Deans and Chapters and for sale of their Lands And the better to fortifie themselves and their Usurped Dominion they fram'd another Act whereby they declared certain particulars to be Treason viz. 1. If any man should maliciously affirm their present Government to be Tyrannical usurped or unlawful or that the Commons in Parliament were not the Supream Authority of the Nation or that should endeavour to alter that their Government 2. If any should affirm their Council of State or Parliament to be Tyrannical or unlawful or endeavour to Subvert them or stir up Sedition against them 3. For any Souldiers of their Army to contrive the death of the General or Lieutenant General or endeavour to Raise Mutinies in the Army or to Levy War against the Parliament or to joyn with any to Invade England or Ireland to Counterfeit their Great Seal or kill any Member of their Parliament or any Judge or Minister of Justice in their duty Soon after this they framed and passed another Act declaring England with all the Dominions and Territories thereto belonging to be a Free State and to be Governed by the Representatives of the People in Parliament without any King or House of Lords Which Act was Proclaimed in the City of London by Alderman Andrews then Lord Mayor Alderman Pennington Wollaston Fowkes Kenrick Byde Edmunds Pack Bateman Atkins Viner Avery Wilson Dethick Foote then attending him The Londoners being by that time brought unto so much Vassalage by these insolent Regicides as that in obedience to a Vote made by their servile Parliament they were constrain'd to invite that wicked Conclave to a Thanksgiving Dinner whereat all of them were to rejoyce together for bringing the Grand Delinquent to punishment that is to say for the Murther of the King for the greater honour of that day the Lord Mayor met the Speaker and the other Members of Parliament at Temple-Bar and there resigning the Sword to him received it again and carryed it before him to Christs Church Whence after a Canting Sermon he conducted them to Grocers-Hall and entertain'd them in the quality of a Free State the Cooks having every one of them an Oath to prepare for those Saints nothing but wholsome Food Being therefore thus seeming firmly setled in their Tyrannical Dominion they went on in passing sundry other Acts in their Pseudo-Parliament of which the Ruling Grandees had the chief benefit viz. 1. To encourage the Purchasers of Deans and Chapters Lands by the sale of them at Ten years Purchase in case of ready Money or doubling what was due to those as should so purchase 2. Another for the sale of the Goods and Personal Estate of the King Queen and Prince 3. A Third for sale of the Crown Lands with particular Instructions to sell them at Thirteen years purchase 4. Soon after this they passed another Act for Coyning of new Money with direction for the form of the stamp to be thereon 5. Another declaring what Offences should be thenceforth adjudged Treason viz. to express or publish their Government to be Tyrannical or that the Commons in Parliament were not the Supream Authority 6. And for the quicker riddance of Deans and Chapters Lands they added farther Power and Instructions to the Trustees for the sale of them 7. Next to reward their Bloody President Bradshaw who gave Judgment of Death upon the King they passed another Act for settling Two thousand pounds per annum upon him And that there might be a known mark of distinction betwixt themselves and others they passed an Act for the Subscribing an Engagement whereby every man should promise to be true and Faithful to the Government then established without a King or House of Lords or in case of refusal to have no benefit of the Laws But the Crown-lands so doom'd to be sold went but slowly off they therefore passed another Act to constitute a Committee to remove obstructions in the sale of them Nor was all this sufficient to satisfie their greedy appetites or was evident enough from the aim they had to devour all the Gleabe and Tithes throughout the whole Kingdom To which purpose they passed an Act whereby they nominated certain Commissioners to receive and dispose of all Rents Issues and profits of all Rectories
For a Conclusion In answer to the witness of God upon our solemn Appeal you say you have not so learned Christ to hang the equity of your Cause upon events We could wish that blindness had not been upon your Eyes to all those marvellous Dispensations which God hath wrought lately in England But did not you solemnly Appeal and Pray Did not we do so too And ought not we and you to think with fear and trembling of the Hand of the Great God in this Mighty and strange appearance of his but can slightly call it an event Were not both your and our expectations renewed from time to time whilst we waited on God to see which way he would manifest himself upon our Appeales And shall we after all these our Prayers Fastings Teares Expectations and solemn Appeales call these bare Events The Lord pitty you Surely we fear because it hath been a merciful and gracious deliverance to us I beseech you in the Bowels of Christ search after the mind of the Lord in it towards you and we shall help you by our Prayers that you may find it For yet if we know our Hearts at all our Bowels do in Christ yearne after the Godly in Scotland It is not unworthy of Observation likewise that as this signal dissaster to the Presbyterians did very much raise the Spirits of the Independant Grandees so did it incite them to give all possible encouragement to the rest of that Party and to all other Sectaries of whose help upon occasion they might stand in need They therefore first passed an Act Intituled An Act for the relief of Religious and peaceable People from the rigour of former Acts of Parliament in matter of Religion amongst which those of primo and 35 o Eliz. which concern the Subjects obedient repairing to Church were repealed And shortly after that another Act whereby they directed all proceedings at Law scil Writs Pleadings Patents Books of Reports and other Law Books to be in English Next they imposed a Tax of an hundred and twenty Thousand Pounds a Month for the support of their Army and not long after passed an Act declaring that their new Great Seal Engraven with a Cross and an Harp with this Circumscription The Seal of the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England should be the Seal of the Parliament of that Common-wealth and be only used by order of Parliament and that it should be Treason to counterfeit the same Most certain it is that the late wonderful defeat which the Scots received at Dunbar by the English then commanded by Cromwel did not a little startle the whole Godly Party in that Nation For whereas before though it was through the advantage they made of the King's Name whom they had got thither as hath been already observed that they rais'd their Army 't is very well known that His Majesty was not permitted to have any hand in the conduct thereof no not so much as to be Personally in that part of the Realm in which it was lest his presence should have had any influence thereon in reference to his own just Rights so much did their own guilt of Disloyalty terrifie them But the case was now altered For soon after this great overthrow they sent to His Majesty earnestly desiring his presence with them and to Court him with the fairer assurance of their fidelity appointed a certain day for his Coronation which was accordingly perform'd with great Solemnity So that then standing clear with his best Subjects of that Kingdom he began to form an Army upon his own and their Interest Yet not without the assistance and Joynt-help of the Kirk-Party there which in humane reason might have been thought to his advantage In the Head whereof he entred England at Carlisle upon the Seventh of August and marcht to Worcester without any great opposition But whether there was any thing of Treachery in them that then over-perswaded His majesty to make stay there against his own judgment or whether Almighty God would not give his Blessing to the aid of those who had formerly been so false and perfidious to His Royal Father and himself is hard to say Sure we are that so great was the confluence from most parts of England to Cromwell's assistance the Presbyterians then joyning with him and divers of their Preachers Marching with him in a Military way that after a most sharp dispute at and near that City being over-powered with strength and numbers his Army was totally routed and destroy'd himself and some few others being necessitated to escape by flight It may seem strange I presume to some that I should here touch the Presbyterians so near the Quick there being some of opinion that though the most rigid of that Sect were at that time forward against the King yet that His Majesty had many Well-wishers of them in this his adventure But if I be herein censured I desire to know what this expression used by those Thirty six Presbyterian and Independant Ministers which joyn'd together in a Petition for respiting the Execution of Mr. Love one of their own coat of whom I have already given some touch doth mean viz. that in putting him to death the hopes and expectations of the Common Enemy against compliance with whom he had made open protestation at his Tryal will be heightened And that the forbearance of so putting him to death would manifest to the World that you id est the Parliament do put a difference betwixt those who offend from Principles of Enmity against God and his People and others who transgress through the mistakes of an erroneous conscience in the midst of great and various changes Again I would gladly know what construction is to be made of those words Printed in one of the News-books of that year viz. The Presbyterians in Lancashire and parts adjacent have not only declaimed against the late defection in Norfolk but declared against the Conjunction and Proceedings of Iockey and their young King with Middleton Ogilby and the rest of the Royal Party and are resolved to adhere to the present Government and to walk close and stedfast in the ways of Truth and Holiness ¶ Here it will not be impertinent I hope to make a little pause and contemplate the infinite goodness and mercy of God in so wonderful a preservation of the King our present Sovereign after this fatal ruine of his Army at Worcester Who though pursued and sought for with all the art and skill that these Bloody Regicides and their whole Party could devise was through the signal fidelity of some few persons of whom certain Narratives of the particular passages therein which are already made publick do make honourable mention so well secured from their fury and with such admirable contrivance and skill conducted that he Landed safely upon the Fifteenth of October following at New-Haven in France And as so strange and little less than
day of March instant be presented chosen or appointed to any Benefice formerly called Benefice with Cure of Souls or to Preach any publick setled Lecture in England or Wales shall before he be admitted c. be Iudged and Approved by the Persons hereafter named to be a Person for the Grace of God in him his Holy and unblameable Conversation as also for his knowledge and utterance able and fit to Preach the Gospel viz. Francis Rous Esq Dr. Thomas Goodwyn Dr. Iohn Owen Mr. Thankful Owen Dr. Arrowsmith Dr. Tuckney Dr. Horton Mr. Joseph Caryll Mr. Philip Nye Mr. William Carter Mr. Sidrak Simpson Mr. William Greenhill Mr. William Strong Mr. Thomas Manton Mr. Samuel Slater Mr. William Couper Mr. Stephen Marshall Mr. Iohn Tombes Mr. Walter Cradok Mr. Samuel Faircloath Mr. Hugh Peters Mr. Peter Sterrey Mr. Samuel Bamford Mr. Thomas Valentine of Chaford Mr. Henry Iesse Mr. Obediah Sedgwick Mr. Nicholas Lockyer Mr. Daniel Dike Mr. Iames Russel Mr. Nathaniel Campfield Robert Tichburne Alderman of London Mark Hildesley Thomas Wood. John Sadler William Goff Thomas St. Nicholas William Packer Edward Crescet Esq or any five or more of them Having now ended this year 1653. as to the Principal Transsactions at Home I must look back a little and take notice of our farther Military contests with the Dutch wherein I find that on the second of Iune upon another sharp Fight in Yarmouth rode they much worsted those Hogen-mogens so likewife on the last day of Iuly wherein Van Trump their famous Admiral was slain But both parties at length growing weary of this chargeable and destructive War before the end of this year a Peace was concluded betwixt them though not ratified till April ensuing Which Peace with the Dutch and the slavish condition whereunto this Monster Cromwell had brought the People of these Nations made him not only much Idolized here by all his Party but somewhat feared abroad For certain it is that most of the Princes of Europe made application to him amongst which the French King was the first his Embassador making this Speech to him in the Banquetting-house at White-Hall Your most serene Highness hath received already some principal assurances of the King my Master and of his desire to establish a perfect Correspondency between his Dominions and England His Majesty gives unto your Highness this day some publick Demonstration of the same and sending his Excellency for his Service in the quality of Embassador to your Highness doth plainly shew that the esteem which his Majesty makes of your Highness and the Interest of his People have more power in his Councils than many Considerations that would be of great concernment to a Prince less affected with the one and the other This proceeding grounded upon such sound principles and so different from that which is only guided by Ambition renders the Friendship of the King my Master as much considerable for its firmness as for the Utility it may produce and for that reason it is such eminent esteem and sought after by all the greatest Princes and Powers of the Earth But his Majesty doth Communicate none to any with so much Ioy and Chearfulness as unto those whose vertuous deeds and extraordinary Merits render them more eminently Famous than the greatness of their Dominions His Majesty doth acknowledge all these advantages wholly to reside in your Highness and that Divine Providence after so many Troubles and Calamities could not deal more favourably with these three Nations nor cause them to forget their past Misery with more content and satisfaction than by submitting them to so just a Government And whereas it is not enough for the compleating of their happiness to make them enjoy Peace at Home since it depends no less on a good correspondency with Neighbour-Nations abroad the King my Master doth not doubt but to find also the same disposition in your Highness which his Majesty doth express in those Letters which his Excellencie hath Order to present unto your Highness After so many Dispositions exprest by his Majesty and your Highness towards the accommodation of the two Nations there is cause to believe that their wishes will be soon Accomplisht As for me I have none greater than to be able to serve the King my Master with the good liking and satisfaction of your Highness and that the happiness I have to tender unto your Highness the first assurances of his Majesties esteem may give me occasion to deserve by my respects the honour of your Gracious Affection Being therefore thus puft up he soon after passed an Act of Grace and Pardon to all Persons of the Scottish Nation excepting Iames late Duke Hamilton William late Duke Hamilton Iohn Earl of Crawford-Lindsey Iames Earl of Calender and many more therein specially named As also another Act for making Scotland one Common-wealth with England Whereby it was likewise Ordained that thirty Persons of that Nation should serve in Parliament here for Scotland And that the People of that Nation should be discharged of their Allegiance to any Issue of the late King Also that Kingship and Parliamentary-Authority should be there abolished and the Arms of Scotland viz. St. Andrew's Cross should thenceforth be borne with the Arms of this Common-wealth All which being done he removed his Lodgings which were before at the Cockpit into those of the late King in his Royal Pallace at White-Hall About this time it was that Colonel Venables having been imploy'd by Cromwell to attempt some of the chief Plantations made by the Spanyard in the West-Indies Landing his Men in Hispaniola and expecting with little trouble to have taken S. Domingo he received a shameful defeat But the next Month he had better success in those Forreign parts For the Spaniards in Iamaco timorously flying before them when they Landed there an easie acquisition was made by the English of that large Island which hath since proved a very prosperous and beneficial Plantation But to return Cromwell by this time being grown very great to make himself the more formidable to all his late Majesties good Subjects then called Royalists by establishing his Dominion upon more Innocent blood having by the wicked practises of his Emissaries trayn'd in some Persons purpose of endeavouring their own and the Peoples freedome from his Tyrannous Power he caused another bloody Theater to be erected in Westminster-Hall calling it an high-Court of Iustice where Mr. Iohn Gerard and Mr. Wowell two Gentlemen of great Loyalty received Sentence of Death and were accordingly Sacrificed as a peace-Offering to this Moloch For the better maintenance likewise and encouragement of Preaching-Ministers and for uniting and severing of Parishes he made another Act which begins thus Whereas many Parishes in this Nation are without the constant and Powerful Preaching of the Gospel through want of competent maintenance c. Also another for Souldiers which had serv'd the Common-wealth in
the same subject which under colour of a desire to search after his death for some Writings in his Study were by certain Clergy-men who stood disaffected to the Discipline of the Church unhappily lurch'd away they did at length gain those very Books into their hands and not long after the beginning of this late unparallel'd Rebellion for the better accomplishing their long studyed ends most shamefully corrupted them in sundry places omitting divers passages which were unsutable to their purposes and instead thereof inserting what they thought might give countenance to their present evil practises amongst which was this in terminis that though the King were singulis major yet he was universis minor and having so done caus'd them to be publish'd in Print By which fallacy divers well meaning people were miserably captivated and drawn to their Party And at length were not ashamed in that Treaty which they had with his Majesty in the Isle of Wight to vouch the authority of this venerable man in derogation of his Supremacy and to place the Soveraign power in the People that great Antimonarchist William late Vicount Say and Sele being the person who boldly urged it Whereunto the good King answered that though those three Books were not allowed to be Mr. Hookers yet he would admit them so to be and consent to what his Lordship endeavoured to prove out of them in case he would assent to the judgment of Mr. Hooker declared in the other five Books which were unquestionably His. But as to these their indirect dealings in thus corrupting the works of that excellent man whose memory for his profound learning singular piety and most exemplary life will be ever precious to succeeding ages and his necessary vindication therein I shall for more full satisfaction to my Reader refer him to that seasonable Historical discourse lately compiled and published with great judgment and integrity by that much deserving person Mr. Isaac Walton containing a perfect Narrative of the life and death of this right worthy person Of which I hold it necessary that special notice should be taken by reason that since the happy Restauration of our present Soveraign K. Charles II. Dr. Gawden then Bishop of Exeter upon the reprinting those five genuine Books of Mr. Hooker together with the other pretended three taking upon him to write a Preface to the whole and therein to give an account of Mr. Hooker's life hath not only with great confidence used divers Arguments to satisfie the world that those three Books were penn'd by Mr. Hooker notwithstanding those poysonous assertions against the Regal power which are to be found therein but much misreported him in the Narrative of his life representing him to have been a single man with many other gross mistakes as whoso compares it with Mr. Walton's History of him may easily see Moreover well knowing that the City of London in respect of its Riches and Populousness must be the principal stage for this Tragic-Action there was no small care taken for fitting all places of Authority therein especially the Common-Council with such active men as might advance this blessed work Wherein having made a fair and succesful progress but discerning that the Sword must at length be made use of they then began to frequent the Artillery-yard and to be diligent Practisers of military Discipline in which they grew in a short time so great Proficients that most of the cheif Officers in that School were men of that stamp and got into their hands the best and choicest Arms. And that they might make the more secure progress in this their long studyed design they laid the Scene at first in Scotland the Subjects of that Realm being most tainted with Presbytery so that in case this their contrivance should speed there they might the more boldly adventure upon the like here The first thing therefore that was made use of towards their Master-piece in Scotland was an exception or rather cavil by divers eminent persons in that Kingdom at his Majesties Revocation of such things as had been passed away in prejudice of that Crown especially by some of his Progenitors in their minorities though not without example This being advised by those that were then his Majesties Privy-Councellers and Officers of State in that Realm whose late Actions have sufficiently manifested what effect they desired it should produce did accordingly occasion much repining by divers principal persons who thereupon infused into his Subjects a distaste of his Government And though the King was pleased to wave his interest therein and to remit as well the Equity as rigour of the Laws in that point the Male-contents would not be satisfyed but still endeavoured to work a disaffection in the people thereto And whereas his Majesty out of his pious care of the Clergy who had been much opprest by the Laity that pay'd Tythes being pleased to grant out Commissions in their behalf had so good issue therein as that both Parties were abundantly satisfyed the maintenance of the Clergy being thereby improv'd and the Laity freed from a dangerous dependance upon Subjects yet the Nobility and Lay-Patrons fretting privately for being rob'd as they conceiv'd of the dependance of the Clergy and Laity bent their envy against the Bishops under pretence that they were the principal causers thereof To quiet therefore these discontents in the year 1633 his Majesty made a progress into Scotland and was there crowned having not been personally there till then since the death of his Royal Father at which time he also held a Parliament in that Realm wherein great suggestions were made of fears that dangerous Innovations in Religion would be attempted as also instead of acceptance of an Act for Ratification of all other Acts concerning the Religion professed and established it was dissented to by divers of the after-chiefest Covenanters And no sooner was he returned back into England but that infinite Libels were disperst abroad to impoyson the People with his Majesties proceedings at that Parliament Of which Libellers amongst others the Lord Balmerino was found guilty by his Peers and accordingly should have receiv'd sentence of death for it nevertheless through his Majesties goodness was not only pardoned but enlarg'd and afterwards became an eminent Covenanter Which Insolency of the Scots did not a little animate and encourage the Puritan-faction here who loudly declaimed against the Discipline of the Church as it then by Law stood establish'd and to beget a greater contempt thereof in the generality of the people represented it to be superstitious and like to usher in Popery dispersing many scandalous seditious and libellous Pamphlets to that purpose infusing likewise into them strange apprehensions that their Liberty and Property were in no little danger and the better to give colour to their pretended fears of these approaching Evils they took ready hold of this following occasion The Soveraignty of the Brittish-Seas by antient right justly appertaining to the Crown
back into England and that he could not concur with them but that he had power to grant them a new Assembly which he could not conceive to be free if they should bring in every man to have a voice whom they had a mind to And accordingly went again into England Where having acquainted the King with what had hapned he returned Howbeit before he came back the Covenanters contrary to promise had elected Commissioners for the Assembly Upon which his Return he delivered to his Majesties Council at Haly-Rood-House Letters concerning the Confession of faith of the date at Edenborough Ian. 28. 1580 and signed by King Iames. But the Covenanters hereupon gave out to the people that the News brought by the Marquess did tend to the utter subversion of their Religion and Liberties also that there was a new Covenant to be set on foot by the King to destroy theirs and that if now they resisted not all was lost that they had already done Nevertheless the Marquess caused his Majesties Declaration and Confession of Faith ut supra to be publish'd at the Market-Cross in Edenborough and at the same time not only a Proclamation for indicting a General Assembly at Glasgow the one and twentieth of November ensuing but an Act of the Lords of the Council requiring all his Majesties Subjects to subscribe the said Confession of Faith and Band annexed Which Declaration contain'd a grant for redress of all the particular Grievances desired in their Supplications Remonstrances Protestations Declarations c. and besides all this their own Confession of Faith the ground as they pretended of their Covenant renewed and established But the principal Covenanters having possess'd the People with a prejudicate opinion of this gratious Declaration before they heard it as destructive to the Laws and Liberties of that Church and Kingdom erected a large Scaffold near the Cross where the same was to be published at which divers Earls Lords Gentlemen and others with their Swords in their Hands and Hats on their Heads stood jeering and laughing during the time of the same Declaration and it being ended with Insolent and Rebellious behaviour assisted one Archibald Iohnston in the publishing a most wicked and treasonable Protestation wherein they invoked God's holy name as a witness to many notorious falshoods attributing Infallibility to their Rebellious Covenant affirming that it was approved from Heaven with rare and undeniable instances And the next Sunday after all the Pulpits rang with bitter invectives and Declamations against his Majesties Declaration branding it with the depth and policy of Satan Nevertheless this Declaration and Confession of Faith so sent by his Majesty was very well received in all places except such whereunto the Covenanters from their Tables had prepared their Emissaries to disswade the acknowledgment of it witness the Letter sent to the Marquess dated 24 Sept. from the Provost Bayliffs and Council of Glasgow and the Ministers there And the Assembly at Glasgow being thus indicted they cunningly contrived that the Commissioners should be elected of the most rigidand fanatic spirits that were the Principal Covenanters perswading the People that the King intended no performance of what he promised in his last Proclamation no not the Assembly it self but to gain time until he were ready for their ruine sending likewise for all their party to flock to Edenborough as if then there had been greater danger than ever increasing also their Guards about the Castle their Preachers publishing in the Pulpits that whosoever subscribed his Majesties Confession and Covenant were perjur'd Villains Moreover they caused a most false odious and scandalous Libel to be drawn up against the Archbishops and Bishops and exhibiting it to the Presbytery of Edenborough procured it to be publicly read in the Pulpits Whereupon the Archbishops and Bishops were cited by the Presbytery of Edenborough to appear before the General Assembly to be holden at Glasgow 21 Nov. following And the more to infatuate the giddy-headed multitude they set up such another Impostor as the Holy Maid* of Kent in King Henry the Eighth's time was viz. one Michelson's daughter said to have been long distracted by Fits and then pretended to be inspired with Divination who was cryed up for raving against the Bishops in her mad Fits Rollock one of their fiercest Presbyters giving out that God spake through her her expressions being that it was revealed unto her from God that their Covenant was approved from Heaven And soon after this they indicted an Assembly by their own authority upon the one and twentieth of November following But upon knowledg that the Lord Marquess his Majesties Commissioner was resolv'd to hold the Assembly at the time and place appointed by the King's Proclamation they altered their purpose and sent out Papers for a General meeting at Edenborough upon the twelfth of November and to stay there till they were to go to Glasgow on Saturday the seventeenth of that month Which meeting according to the King's Proclamation being very great after his Majesties Commission read the Marquess exhorted them to a peaceable and moderate carriage giving some touch of the disorders that had passed Whereunto answer being made by a Nobleman a Lay Elder that they had given his Grace satisfaction for all their proceedings they went on to the choice of a Moderator without the approbation and consent of his Majesties Commissioner appointing for that purpose Mr. Alexander Henderson the most rigid Covenanter Against whom when the Marquess protested such was their heady and exorbitant carriage that by the hands of Doctor Hamilton they presented to the Marquess a a Declinator and Protestation against his proceedings in the name of the Bishops Nay so formidable they soon after grew as that the University of Aberdene having been threatned with the loss of their lives for writing against the Covenant durst not send any of their Professors to that Assembly And on the eight and twentieth of October a calumnious Libel against the Bishops was read in all the Churches of Edenborough one Gibson in the Assembly thundring out a verbal Protestation that they would pursue their Libel against the Bishops so long as they had lives and fortunes Which Assembly was form'd of Ministers Commissioners to it chosen by Lay Elders the Lay Elders themselves being likewise present in it 〈◊〉 course so much distasted by several parts of the Kinâ—â—â—â— that they thereupon made Protestations against 〈◊〉 proceedings divers of which were read at the instance of his Majesties Commissioner but the Lord Lowdon hindred the reading of that from Glasgow And as their Elections were wholy undue so were their Actions in the Assembly all being carried by faction and clancular contrivances as appeared by their own Private Papers of Instructions some whereof were discovered by the Marquess neither was any freedom of debate therein but what tended to the advancement of their evil
whose endeavours were to kindle that combustion in England which they had in so great a measure effected in Ireland and which nothing could do as they said but the granting that Petition Which Petition together with an Ordinance of both Houses setting forth a most dangerous and desperate design upon the House of Commons and many discoveries importing fears of rebellious Insurrections by Papists and other ill affected persons in this Kingdom they then exhibited Whose answer thereunto being that for the City of London and other Corporations which by any antient Charters had power of ordering the Militia he conceiv'd it unfit to alter their government but that he could not consent to the indefinite time propounded for this Posture Whereupon they forthwith voted this Answer to be a flat denial and that his Majesties advisers thereto were Enemies to the State and mischeivous Projectors against the defence of the Kingdom Also that this denial was of such dangerous consequence that it would hazard the peace and safety of all his Kingdoms unless some speedy remedy were applyed by the Parliament And immediately dispatch'd another Petition to his Majesty then at Theobalds wherein they protested that if he did not speedily pass his assent to the satisfaction of their desires they should be inforced by authority of both Houses to dispose thereof and that they did accordingly so resolve to do Farther voting that the Kingdom should be forthwith put into a Posture of defence by Authority of both Houses that the Navy should be speedily rigg'd and a Declaration of their just Fears and Jealousies speedily drawn up with the grounds of their former votes for putting the Kingdom into a Posture by authority of both Houses to clear the Parliament of all mistrusts And to carry out all this under colour of the Peoples desires New Petitions were brought from several Counties viz. one from Staffordsh pretending such dread of the Papists rising there that every man was constrain'd to stand upon his Guard not daring to go to Church unarm'd Others from Worcestersh Berksh Norfolk Norwich Lynne Royston Salop all of them earnestly desiring this Posture of Defence And the very next day the Ordinance for ordering the Militia of the Kingdom by authority of both Houses sent to his Majesty 22 Febr. was assented to by the Lords and thereupon new Lieutenants were assign'd throughout all England and Wales And having in a grand Committee at Merchant-Taylers Hall contrived the Declaration mention'd in their Votes of March the second wherein they made a very great noise of a design to alter Religion in this Kingdom and that the wars with Scotland and Ireland were framed to that end they presented the same to his Majesty at Newmarket within few days after voting the King's Commissions of Lieutenancies in the several Counties illegal as also that there was an urgent and inevitable Necessity for putting his Majesties Subjects into a Posture of Defence and that the Ordinances of both Houses for the Militia being obliging to the People ought to be obeyed by the Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom And lastly that the Earl of Warwick should be appointed Vice-Admiral of his Majesties Ships And having now by these their exorbitant courses together with the Tumults so much endangered his Majesties Royal person that he was forced for safety of himself and the Prince to retire into the North they voted that they would go on with their former Votes concerning the Militia Also that when the Lords and Commons in Parliament should declare what the Laws of the Land be to Question it was a high breach of the Privilege of Parliament After this within few days they sent a Petition to York which was there presented to his Majesty by the Lord Willoughby of Parham and others wherein they alledged that his Majesties denial to their petition for disposing the Militia was a great hinderance to their other proceedings and justified the Tumults at Westminster by taxing his Majesty with denial of such a Guard to them as they might confide in aspersing his Government for many continued Acts of violation of Laws c. And to keep the people still awake by allarming them with new dangers they caused Letters to be read in the House which were said to come from Amsterdam intimating intelligence from Denmark of a great Army ready prepared there to be transported for England and to land at Hull upon some dangerous enterprize The like Letter pretended to come from Newmarket then produced and another from France Whereupon having receiv'd a Petition from the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common-Council of London in which great Thanks was given to the House for ordering the Militia of the City as they had done with their resolutions therein signified to obey the same As also another from the Cinque-Ports desiring that those places might be strongly guarded and fortified and the Kingdom put into a Posture they ordered that every of his Majesties Forts and Castles should be presently fortified with an Hundred men of the Trained Bands next adjoining to them and ten pieces of Ordinance to each place Also that no Forces should be admitted into Hull without the consent of the Lords and Commons and that Instructions should be sent thither for the farther fortifying of that place Likewise upon another pretended discovery made by one Mr. Cartwright and the Speaker of the House of Commons that they were advertised by Letters from France of an Army preparing there to come for England or Ireland the Lords sent a message to the Commons to let them know that they had designed the Earl of Warwick Vice-Admiral of the Fleet. Whereupon both Houses joyn'd in a Message to the King to inform him of the grounds and reasons of their sending out that Earl as Vice-Admiral without his Majesties consent The King therefore discerning that they had got the Royal Navy into their hands thought it high time to make sure of his Magazine which had been laid up at Hull about two years before part for the service of Ireland and the rest for the security of the North and accordingly rode from York thither for the disposal thereof But when he came to the Gates of that Town Sir Iohn Hotham a member of the House of Commons being a confiding man with the factious party there and by their contrivance got privately thither with Souldiers refused him entrance affirming that in so doing he had the authority of Parliament to bear him out For which insolent act he was declared traiterous by his Majesty and by a special Message so signifyed to both Houses with demand of Justice against him according to the Laws But instead thereof they forthwith not only publish'd a bold Declaration with Votes and order of assistance in the name of both Houses of Parliament justifying Hotham therein
each differing from other in divers material points but all centring in opposition to Presbyterie which strange opinions no less absurd than various were so inconsistent with the zealous Disciplinarians who termed them Heretical and Blasphemous that they spared for no pains in endeavouring to suppress them As to the Tenets and practices of these Independent Libertines let this one instance serve for a Tast one Mr. Gregory of Colonel Rich his Regiment preaching at a Widows house near Northampton told his Auditors that he thought he was obliged to unfold the Scripture as it was revealed to him Likewise that he hoped to see the Shop-windows open on the Lord's day Also that the Psalms were no Scripture and that the Parson of that Parish was a Minister of Antichrist But notwithstanding this apparent danger to the Disciplinarians from this blessed brood of their own hatching some confidence they yet had of putting a stop to their farther growth to that end therefore as to their former notable pranks they frequently did by a special Ordinance they caused a day to be set a part for humbling themselves and seeking of God as they term'd it by fasting and prayer the preamble whereof I have thought fit here to insert We the Lords and Commons assembled in the Parliament of England having entred into a solemn Covenant to endeavour sincerely really and constantly the Reformation of Religion in Doctrine Discipline and Worship and the extirpation of Popery Superstition Heresie Schism Prophaneness and whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godlyness And having found the presence of God wonderfully assisting us in this Cause especially since our Engagement in pursuance of the said Covenant have thought fit lest we partake in other mens sins and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues to set forth this our deep sense of the great dishonour of God and perillous Condition that this Kingdome is in through the abominable Blasphemies and damnable Heresies vented and spread abroad therein tending to the subversion of the Faith contempt of the Ministry and Ordinance of Iesus Christ. And as we are resolved to imploy and improve the utmost of our power that nothing be said or done against the Truth but for the Truth So we desire that both our selves and the whole Kingdome may be deeply humbled before the Lord for that great reproach and contempt which hath been cast upon his name and saving Truths and for that swift destruction which we may justly fear will fall upon the immortal Souls of such who are or may be drawn away by giving heed to seducing Spirits In the hearty and tender compassion whereof we the said Lords and Commons do order and ordain that Wednesday being the tenth day of March next be set apart for a day of publick Humiliation c. And to back this their Godly Exercise forasmuch as their solemn League and Covenant had effected such great matters otherwise the House of Peers soon after voted an Ordinance to be brought in for disabling every person whatsoever from bearing any office Civil or Military that should refuse to take the Covenant But that which they deemed above all not onely to get a hand over this many-headed-Monster Independencie but to establish to themselves a lasting dominion over the persons and Estates of all other people was to gain the King's person into their power concerning whom they had been trucking with the Scots for the space of six months at the least his Majestie being all that while at Newcastle upon Tine and their Army quartered in the Adjacent Counties not without some Heart-burnings towards those their dear Brethren for keeping him so long and continuing their Army in this Realm at so vast a charge and intollerable a burthen to those Northern parts having had no use thereof at all after the render of Newark Nor did this deteiner pass without some quick disputes betwixt them the Grandees here affirming and insisting stiffly upon it that the Kingdome of Scotland had no right of joynt exercise of interest in disposing the person of the King in the Kingdome of England urging likewise that forasmuch as he had deserted his Parliament and People entred into and continued in a bloudy and dangerous war against them had not granted those Propositions which by both Kingdomes were sent unto him as a means of a safe and well-grounded peace he was not therefore at present in a condition to exercise the duties of his place or be left to go or reside where and when himself pleased Farther objecting that the Commissioners of Scotland at a conference with theirs had declared that it would be prejudicial to both Kingdomes for the King to go into Scotland But after much dispute the Scots in brief told them that their Army by the Oath of Allegiance their Committee of Estates by their Commission and their Officers by their Military Oath ought to defend the King from harms and prejudices Often affirming that the King came to their Army for shelter and defence Adding that it was the Law and common practise of all Nations not to deliver the meanest subject fled to them though for the greatest crimes and that if the meanest were not to be delivered how would the world abroad condemn them for so base and dishonourable an act the King having cast himself into their hands They likewise said if it be considered that the Scottish Army was invited and called into this Kingdome by both Houses of Parliament in a Treaty for prosecuting the ends of a solemn League and Covenant whereof one Article is to preserve and defend his Majestie 's person there can remain no doubt concerning this exercise of that Right and Interest in this Kingdome And therefore said it seemed very strange that when upon invitation they were come into England as for other ends so to defend his Majestie 's person their being in England should be made use of as an Argument why they should deliver up the person of the King to be disposed of as both Houses should think fit Whereunto the English Commissioners replyed that the Scotch-Army came in hither as Auxiliaries under pay and therefore they ought not to capitulate herein at all And that whereas the Scots did so much urge their Obligation by the Covenant to preserve and defend the King's person and Authority they told them that they left out the principal Clause which was relative viz. in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdomes without which the other part ought never to be mention'd But the plain truth is that all this fencing with Arguments came at last to a meer Money-business For whereas the Grandees at Westminster by stipulation with the Scots for their Expedition into England had promised to pay them after the rate of thirty thousand pounds per mensem so long as they should have occasion to make use of their
falling off again as hath already been observed He became so strangely elated that nothing then to be done could give satisfaction to his ambitious and unlimited desires But here I shall also observe that notwithstanding the strong factions into which these men were then divided had begot a perfect hatred of each to other as the many printed pamphlets then spread abroad do sufficiently shew Nevertheless for the utter eradicating of the Religion by Law establish'd in the Church of England which themselves had at first 3. May 1641. solemnly protested to maintain about this time they all agree'd together in framing an Ordinance for the establishing of Presbytery containing a particular form and order of Church-government in their congregational Classical Provincial and National Assemblies In which the Lay Elders constituted at that time in all the Parishes throughout the City of London are expresly nominated with direction for the setling of all others throughout England and Wales and limitation of their powers unto the sharp and rigorous penalties whereof all conscientious and orthodox Protestants of the Church of England were to be subject but the Independent brood consisting of all sorts of Schismaticks and Sectaries under the notion of Godly-men and tender conscienced to be at liberty ¶ And now to proceed As I have already taken notice that a personal Treaty with the King was voted by the Members at Westminster I shall here observe that all things being prepared for the same it began at Newport in the Isle of Wight upon the 18th of September the chief persons permitted to attend his Majesty there being these the Duke of Richmond the Marquess of Hertford the Earl of Lindsey and Earl of Southampton Gentlemen of his Bedchamber the Bishops of London and Salisbury Dr. Sheldon Dr. Hamond Dr. Oldsworth Dr. Sanderson Dr. Turner and Dr. Heywood Chaplains Sir Thomas Gardner Sir Orlando Bridgman Sir Robert Holburne Mr. Gessrey Palmer Mr. Thomas Cooke and Mr. Iohn Vaughan Lawyers The Members at Westminster imploying these the Earls of Northumberland Salisbury Middlesex the Viscount Say the Lord Wenman Denzil Holles and William Pierpont Esquires Sir Henry Vane junior Sir Harbotle Grymston Mr. Samuel Brown Sir Iohn Potts Mr. Crew Serjeant Glyn and Mr. Bulkley These other Divines for the King being afterwards added viz. Dr. Iames Vsher Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland and Dr. Ferne And for the Parliament Mr. Stephen Marshal Mr. Richard Vines Mr. Lazarus Seaman and Mr. Ioseph Caryll But withall as it is now most evident to the world that there was never any real purpose on the part of the Grandees at Westminster that the Treaty formerly at Uxbridge should take any good effect so was there less expectation here the King being then their prisoner and all his forces come to nothing for though they then gave way to this Treaty they were at that very time contriving and framing the formality of his absolute destruction of which the symptoms were visible enough during the whole continuance of that Treaty by sundry Petitions to the Members at Westminster all declaming bitterly against it Which Petitions as 't is well known were first fram'd by the Grandees themselves and then sent amongst the people to be subscribed according to their usual practice In most whereof it was desired that all Delinquents without exception might be brought to condigne punishment one whereof concluding thus from Psalm 149. ver 6 7 8 and 9. Let the high prayses of God be in the mouths of his Saints and a twofold Sword in their Hands to execute vengeance upon the Heathen and punishment upon the people to bind their Kings with chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron to execute upon them the Iudgments written This Honour have all his Saints Besides it is farther to be observ'd that after the destruction of this Scottish-Army at Preston and the reducing of Colchester Cromwell went into Scotland where he not onely laid the plot with the Marquess of Argyle for the destruction of the King and extirpation of Monarchy but by his help in the contrivance of that unparalel'd murther agree'd in the formalities conducing thereto ¶ And now as to this Treaty in the Isle of Wight 't is sufficiently known that it was on His Majestie 's part totally and singly managed by himself against all those subtile persons above-mentioned the Houses at Westminster not permitting him to have any assistant therein either Divines or others Also that it was perform'd by him with so much judgment gravity meekness and curtesie as not onely much astonisht but made converts of some that had been his greatest Enemies and were then his Antagonists there Wherein to manifest his earnest desires for the peace of those distracted Realms he was contented to devest himself totally in effect of his own Regal power for life and to trust those insatiable men with the exercise thereof as is apparently to be seen by the particular Articles then assented to by him viz. 1. As to the Militia he consented thereto as 't was required by their Proposition 2. For Episcopacy though he could not consent to the utter abolishing thereof yet he offered that it might be regulated and reduced to the primative usage and so setled and continued in the Church And in order thereto that it might be enacted that the Bishops should not act without the Council and assistance of the Presbyters in the exercises of Ordination and Iurisdiction and therefore desired the consent of the Houses in the one that he might the more freely give his assent unto the other Offering to lessen the extent or multiply the number of the Diocesses as should be agreed upon by both Houses 3. As to Bishops lands that he could not consent to the alienation of them but offred what he had done before for satisfaction of the Purchasers and Contracters which was for the enjoyment of them for a certain time being therein seconded by the opinion of many Divines who differ in other things that the alienation of them would be no less than Sacriledge 4. That he would confirm their Ordinance for the calling and sitting of the Assembly of Divines 5. That he would confirm the form of Church-government presented to him with the Directory and repeal those Statutes which enjoyn'd the use of Common Prayer and all this for three years provided that a consultation should be had between the Assembly of Divines and twenty of His Majestie 's nomination added to them in the mean time for the farther setling of the Church at the end of those three years and that Himself and His might have the use of the Comâ—â—prayer But for the new Articles of Religion His Majesty haveing not had time sufficient as yet for consideration of so weighty matters as concern Faith and Doctrine desired that that part of the Proposition might for the present be omitted 6. That he would confirm the Ordinance for â—wordsâ— better observation of the Lord's day provided that
â—wordsâ— this Ordinance and others likewise presented to hiâ— alterations should be made of some expressions in them which did reflect on former establisht Laws it being therefore necessary that they should be penned in other termes 7. That he would pass an Act for prevention of saying Mass in Court or other places provided onely that his Queen might have free exercise of her Religion for her self and her ordinary servants according to the Articles of Marriage made between the two Crowns France and England 8. Lastly that for the Covenant he could not in Conscience take it himself nor impose it upon others therefore hoped that it should not be insisted on in regard the imposing thereof could not tend to peace a great part even of the Parliaments-party being utterly persuaded against it And further because all the ends of the Covenant would be obtained if an agreement were made in the rest of the Propositions These were the chief referring the rest untill his coming to Westminster where he might personally advise with his two Houses and deliver his opinion with the reasons thereof which done he would leave the whole matter of those remayning Propositions to the determination of his two Houses But as His Majesty had formerly well observed the humours of these impious men to be restless ever altering and changing their Principles with their success So did he then find the greatest and most wofull experiment thereof For having by the defeat of D. Hamilton's Army the reducing of Colchester and subduing the Welch in Pembrokeshire cleared all opposition which any could make against them they then did openly manifest to the world that nothing should suffice but the absolute destruction of the King and utter extirpation of Monarchy Towards the accomplishing of which execrable designe a prodigious Remonstrance was contrived by Cromwel and his son Ireton with some other venemous-minded officers in the Army then at St. Albans and presented to the House of Commons by Colonel Evre and seaven other Officers of the Army whereby they fiercely declaymed against any peace at all with the King and likewise against his Restauration demanding that he should by a Tryal be brought to Iustice. So likewise against those Members of Parliament as had been impeached the year before and all others that sate when the Speaker and Members fled to the Army that they might be excluded the House Requiring that the Souldiers arrears should be paid out of the King 's and Dean and Chapters lands Moreover that a certain terme should be prefixed to that present Long-Parliament as also a more equal number of persons as Representatives of the People to be thenceforth elected in whom the supreme power should thereafter reside In which Remonstrance it is not unworthy observation that they said whereas it might be objected that by the Covenant they were obliged to the preservation of His Majestie 's person and authority it was with this restriction viz. in the preservation of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome So that considering Religion and the publick Interest were to be understood the principal and supream matters engaged for and of the King's person and authority as inferiour and subordinate thereto As also whereas the preservation of his person and authority was not consistent with the preservation of Religion and the publick Interest they were therefore by the Covenant obliged against it And the better to illustrate this they instanced the practice of the Parliament all along the late wars which not onely opposed his Majesty and his authority but really endeavoured to kill and destroy both his person and authority by Bullets and otherwise in order to the preservation of Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome Which Remonstrance was soon after presented to the House of Commons and tendred to the consideration of the whole Kingdome But three days after they Treaty having continued fourty days whereunto they limited it ended And here it is not improper to take notice that as they had frequently used to procure Petitions from sundry places to countenance the carrying on of any notable design which they had in hand So now having publisht this wicked Remonstrance they obteined Congratulations from those called the Well-affected in several parts to the end that others might be the more danted from any opposition thereto CHAP. XXX THIS business of the Treaty being therefore thus over I come now to the last Act of this afflicted King's life A Scene indeed of much sorrow and which cannot well be represented without great lamentation and the deepest expressions of sadness wherein I shall be as brief as well may be pointing chiefly at the times of the most notable passages therein but leaving the larger Narrative thereof to such of our Historians as have already or shall hereafter set forth the Life and Sufferings of this incomparable Prince As an Introduction whereunto it may be sit enough to observe that though the Parliament had been garbled as before is shewed whereby the Remnant of the Presbyterians was totally disheartened Yet did the Invasion from Scotland and Risings in other Parts about that time put so much Life and Courage into the drooping Spirits of that Party as that having with no little difficulty carryed the Vote for a Treaty they strugled to their utmost for such an issue thereof that the King might be at some better Liberty than he was at that time and the Administration of his Authority in the Two Houses as formerly And then though the Army stood not right to them at present the Majority of Votes might some time or other so alter the case as that the sweetness of Dominion might return to them again To second therefore what they had so vigorously begun discerning that the Army in pursuance of their late Remonstrance were on their March towards London they Voted a Letter to the General forbidding his nearer approach Which Vote so irritated the Souldiary that immediately they publisht a sharp Declaration therein accusing the Parliament with Breach of Trust Inconstancy and Indiscretion saying that they would appeal from them to the People threatning forthwith to advance up to Westminster and there to do what God should enable them and accordingly came up to the corner of Hide-park Where upon it was put to the Question in the House whether that approach of the Army were not prejudicial to the Freedom of Parliament But into such a terror were the Presbyterian Members then 〈◊〉 that they durst not hold up their Heads to give their Votes therein Nevertheless within two days following they took better heart and set on foot a debate touching the satisfactoriness of His Majesties Answer to the Propositions in the late Treaty And though the same day the General entred Westminster with Four Regiments of Foot and Six of Horse taking up his Head Quarters at White-hall and that soon after the King was seized on in his Bed-chamber and carryed to Hurst-Castle
Vicaridges Donatives and all other Ecclesiastical livings and of all Impropriations and Gleabe-lands then under Sequestration out of which to allow an yearly maintenance for such as should be approved of for the work of the Ministry this act being called An Act for the better propagating and Preaching the Gospel in Wales For it was to extend no farther at present their Resolutions being to go on as they found their success in this Hereupon all the Church-doors in that part of the Realm being soon shut up they imploy'd three or four most Impudent Schismatical Knaves viz. Ienkin Iones Vavasor Powel and David Gam to range about in those Parts as Itinerants there to Preach to the People when where and what they pleased in order to the more firm establishment of their own Tyrannical Dominion The next work was to make sale of the Fee-farm-Rents of the Crown to which end they passed an act Also for the farther enslaving and terrifying of the People they passed another for the establishing an High Court of Iustice by which act Commissioners were named to hear and determine of all Crimes and Offences contrary to the Articles therein contained And having built Three Famous new Pinnaces the better to spread forth and perpetuate the Memorial of some of their Grandees upon the lanching of them which the States went to see they named one of them the Faithful Speaker another the succesful Fairfax and the Third the Bold President and soon after for the surer obliterating of Monarchy they Voted that the Kings Armes in all places should be pull'd down and defaced CHAP. XXXIV ABOUT this time the Scots in whose power it once was to have restored the late King to his Royal Throne had they been really sensible of that whereof in their many Declarations they so boasted seeing the Clouds thicken apace from England which threatned the like Slavery to them as their Presbyterian Brethren here did then suffer under the power of the Independant Saints resolving to adventure an after-Game for the recovery of their power dispatcht the Lord Libertoun into the Netherlands unto the young King Charles the Second by the colour of whose Title they knew full well that an Army might easily be Raised But withall making advantage of his then distressed condition instigated and animated by the Presbyterians here they required that he should take the Covenant and likewise submit to their Directory and Catechism promising that in so doing they would admit him to the Throne of that Realm endeavour the recovery of his Rights and assist him in bringing the Murtherers of his Father to condign punishment Towards the accomplishment of which work the Presbyterians here were also by compact to have acted as opportunity might best serve Unto which dishonourable terms he being over-perswaded by some greater Polititians than St. Paul who prohibited the doing Evil that Good might come thereof against his own judgment was drawn to assent and to adventure His Royal Person into Scotland for carrying on that work Whereupon the Scots having by the help of their Preachers soon Rais'd a powerful Host and for that reason called the Kirk-Army as a preamble to that Slavery which they intended to the King welcom'd him thither with that most inhumane and infamous Murther of the best of His Subjects I mean the most Loyal and truly noble Marquess of Montross whom the unhappy event of War had made their Prisoner The danger of which Army so Rais'd in Scotland being discerned here it was Voted at Westminster that General Fairfax should forthwith March into that Kingdom and quell the Brethren But he being either toucht in conscience with the solemn League and Covenant which had formerly so firmly knit these Brethren in iniquity together or rather over-awed by some of the Godly Party here declined that Service laying down his Commission Whereupon that Superlative Saint Cromwel being constituted General having taken off the Heads of Mr. Love one of the fiercest of the Presbyterian Pulpit-men and Gybons another active man for the Cause the more to strike a terror into the rest of the Presbyterians here Marcht into Scotland with no less than sixteen thousand Horse and Foot Where notwithstanding he had at first some hopeful effects of his Expedition he became at length reduced to such desperate extremities that he would gladly have retreated for the preservation of himself In this seeming lost condition therefore when those proud Presbyterians of that Realm had in conceit swallow'd him up Almighty God made him the apparent and signal scourge of that disloyal and most perfidious people by the utter overthrow of their great and powerful Army at Dunbar their word then being for Kirk and Covenant As Trophies of which wonderful Victory the colours then taken were soon after hung up in Westminster-Hall It will not I think be amiss before I proceed farther to observe fome particulars which passed by Letters betwixt General Cromwel and the Governour of Edenborough-Castle within a few days after this great Victory at Dunbar the Governour objecting First that the English had not adhered to their first Principles nor had been true to the ends of the Covenant And Secondly that men of Civil imployments had usurped the calling and imployment of the Ministry to the scandal of the Reformed Kirks To the first of these objections therefore Cromwel demands of them whether their bearing witness to themselves of their adhering to their first Principles and ingenuity in presecuting the ends of the Covenant justifies them so to have done because they themselves say so Adding that they must have patience to have the truth of their Doctrines and Sayings tryed by the Touch-stone of the word of God and that there be a Liberty and duty of Tryal there is also a Liberty of Iudgment for them that may and ought to trye Which if so then they must give others leave to say and think that they can appeal to equal Iudges who they are that have been the truest fulfillers of the most real and equitable ends of the Covenant But if those Gentlemen quoth Oliver who do assume to themselves to be the infallible Expositors of the Covenant as they do too much to their Auditories of the Scriptures account a different sense and Iudgment from their own to be a breach of the Covenant and Heresie no marvel quoth he that they judge of others so authoritatively and severely but we quoth he have not so learned Christ. And to the second answered thus Are you troubled that Christ is Preached Is Preaching so inclusive in your Function Doth it scandalize the Reformed Kirks and Scotland in particular Is it against the Covenant Away with the Covenant if it be so I thought the Covenant and these could have been willing that any should speak good of the name of Christ If not 't is no Covenant of God's approving nor the Kirk you mention so much the Spouse of Christ.
hands in the work of the Lord were desired by many of their Brethren Ministers of the Gospel in Leicestershire to tender that their humble Representation in their and their own names with desire that it might be communicated to the House the Heads whereof were as followeth 1. That they did acknowledg it as the product of Divine Love and Goodness towards the Nation that notwithstanding the many changes of Persons and Government a Godly and Preaching-Ministry had been and still was countenanced protected and maintained by the Parliament and that the Lord had been pleased after so many years interruption to restore them again to their places for the accomplishing of all those just and good things which they formerly prosecuted in order to an happy settlement 2. That as in duty bound they desired with all thankfulness to own the Parliament under God as eminent Instruments thereof looking upon their Piety and Zeal for God therein not only as a strong obligation upon their Spirits to a more faithful and chearful discharge of their duties as Ministers but also to adhere to them 3. That they were the more encouraged thereto when they reflected upon the late Votes for encouragement and maintenance of a Preaching-Ministry and also for the vindication of their just Rights as men and Christians 4. That they doubted not but the same Divine Hand which had begun to lay the foundation of a Righteous settlement of Peace and Truth in this Nation continually blasting the counter-designs of the Common Adversaries would in due time rear the top corner-stone to the comfort of all that did with well to Sion 5. That they could not but with shame and bleeding of heart bewail that Cloud of darkness which had lately overspread divers of their old professed friends who at first deeply engaged with them yet through that mystery of Iniquity which did still work in the Nation had been misled and caused to stumble not only to the hazard of their own Lives and Liberties but to an involving this poor Island in confusion and blood yet the Ruin thereof if God had not stept in for its relief by blessing the Parliaments Counsels and prospering the endeavours of a faithful Army against the enraged malice of the old Common Enemy and the dissatisfactions of such as engaged with them to hinder the designed work of easing their Loads and of settling their Foundations in Peace Truth and Righteousness 6. That they took themselves bound in duty to let the Parliament know that through mercy their souls had not entred into the secret of the late Insurrectors but that they did profess an utter detestation thereof and that the Lord helping them they would not cease crying mightily to him that he would still pour out upon the Parliament a Spirit of Wisdom and of the fear of the Lord to carry them on in their work against all discouragements and oppositions whatsoever the names of the Subscribers being these Iohn Yaxley Minister of the Gospel at Kibworth Samuel Blakesley at Langton William Sheffeild at Ibstoke Maurice Bohem at Halloughton William Grace at Reavesby Richard Muston at Langton Matthew Clarke at Harborow Iosiah Whiston at Norton Benjamin Southwood at Kymcote Samuel Shaw at Long-Whatton Thomas Lawrey at Harborow Henry Pearce at Claybroke George Wright at Congeston Y. Dixey at Margarets in Leicester Samuel Smith at Glooreston George Greene at Thedingworth William Wilson at Foxton Iohn Bennet at Winwick Thomas Smith at Castle-Dunnington William Barton at Martins in Leicester Nicholas Kestyn at Gumley Iohn St. Nicolas at Lutterworth Thomas Langdel at Bowdon Magna Richard Drayton at Shangton Thomas Leadbeter at Hinkley William Cotton at Broughton Henry Watts at Swepston Ambrose Bent at Ashby-Folvile Iohn Shuttlewood at Ravenston Emanuel Bourne at Waltham Christopher Wright at Eastwell Thomas Ienkings at New Kilworth Iohn Pitts at Burbage Iohn Hulls at Stanton-Wivile Paul Bulgay William Black at Suddington Robert Reding at Segrave Samuel Oldershaw at Cole-Orton Which Representation being read they were all called into the House again the Speaker telling them that upon due consideration thereof they found in it a Gospel-Spirit of Meekness Sincerity and Holiness and that they had also considered the Seasonableness of it and that it expressed not only on outward Letter but an inward Spirit c. and so gave them the Thanks of the House Soon after this the House appointed a Committee to prepare somthing in order to the setling of a Government for the better support whereof they Established the laying a Tax of one hundred thousand pounds by the month besides Excise and Customs and the Sequestered Estates of new Delinquents And that such persons as had been assessed to find Horse and Arms by virtue of the Act of Parliament for setling the Militia and had not brought in their Horse and Arms nor paid in lieu thereof the sum of money appointed by the said Act that every such person and persons should under the penalty in that Act mentioned pay after the rate of Ten pounds for an Horse and Arms for such number of Horses and Arms respectively as they had been charged to find And that such person and persons as had been assessed to find Arms for a Foot-Souldier and had not sent in the same or mony in lieu thereof should under the penalty in that Act mentioned pay respectively for every such Foot-Arms such sum of money as the Commissioners should appoint not exceeding twenty five shillings for every such Foot-Arms So that it is plain that mony was it they only aimed at though Horse and Arms were the pretence But amidst these their devices for inriching themselves Lamberts ambition began to be suspected which was no less than to set up himself through the interest he then had with the Souldiery as his old friend Oliver had formerly done Wherefore for prevention of this danger they resolved to trust him no longer with any Command in the Army but cunningly to withdraw him that he might be severed from the Souldiers and to that end sent a seeming courteous invitation to allure him back to London of which he accepted with as fair a shew of Thanks But this stratagem of the Rumpers succeeded not for soon after ensued a Remonstrance from the Army directed thus To the Supream Authority of these Nations the Parliament of the Common-Wealth of England the humble Petition and Proposals of the Officers under the Command of the Right Honourable the Lord Lambert in the late Northern Expedition Which Remonstrance did so much tend to the advantage of the Souldiery and asserting their unlimited power as that the Rumpers forthwith declared that to have any more General Officers in the Army than were already setled by Parliament was needless chargeable and dangerous to the Common-Wealth Thus and in this manner began the first rise of those differences and distractions which at last so happily shattered these grand Hypocrites into pieces But the Army-Officers having not sufficiently ripened
next following landed at Dover Whence attended by most of the Loyal Nobility and Gentry of this Realm he came to London upon the 29th of that Month being the Anniversary of his Birth where with stately Arches of Triumph costly Pageants Bells various sorts of excellent Musick Bonefires and joy inexpressible he was received and proceeded in State through that great City to his Royal Palace at White-Hall the chief and happy Instrument of this His Majesties most miraculous Restauration without blood-shed being the above-mentioned Colonel George Monke a Devonshire Gentleman of an Antient and Worthy Family lineally descended from King Edward the IV by the Lady Frances Daughter and Coheir to Arthur Plantagenet Vicount Lisle his Natural Son Who having put himself in Arms for the King at the Commencement of this grand defection and so continuing till by a second Invasion of the Scots the Rebels prevailed in sundry parts by taking divers Garrisons and many of His Majesties Loyal Subjects Prisoners amongst which it was his hap to be one he thought it better to gain his Liberty by receiving entertainment in their Army until he could discern a proper opportunity to do His Majesty service than by so suffering Which at last with no less Prudence than Courage he most faithfully performed as hath been observed and for which he hath since that time been deservedly remunerated not only with several great and honourable Titles viz. Baron Monke of Powtheridge Earl of Torington Duke of Albemarle and Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter as also made Captain General of all his Forces Horse and Foot throughout his whole Dominions but with ample Possessions for the better support of those high Dignities A SHORT VIEVV OF THE LATE TROUBLES IN ENGLAND CHAP. XLIII HAving now finished this Narrative with as much brevity as I well could do whereby it hath been fully made evident by what Artifices this seeming-Godly Generation did at first get power into their cruel hands that is to say their many specious Declarations and solemn promises for the Defence of the Protestant Religion the Laws of the Land the Liberties of the Subject and Priviledges of Parliament I shall now crave leave to make some short Observations thereon and give most ample instances of their contrary Actings in every of these even in those very times in which their Dagon of Presbytery was visibly Triumphant And first as to the Protestant Religion After they had under pretence of great danger by a Jesuitical-party of destroying the Protestant Religion fram'd a protestation for preserving the same as it was exprest in the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England Which protestation the farther to satisfy the People of their own integrity was solemnly taken by all the Members and Ordered to be Printed and sent down into the several Counties within few days after they made an Explanation thereof viz. That by the true reformed Protestant Religion was meant so far as it was opposite to Popery and that the said words were not to be extended to the maintenance of any Form Discipline or Government nor of any Rules or Ceremonies of the said Church of England And having given themselves such Latitude by that their After-explanation viz. not to desend the Protestant Religion as it stood establisht by Law and was exprest in the XXXIX Articles but as it was repugnant to Popery and taught perhaps by all Brownists Anabaptists Familists and other Sectaries which made way for all that brood to joyn with them They then Ordered that no Minister should take any Oath at his Induction but what should be warranted by Scripture And soon after fell into debate for the Extirpation of Episcopacie Then Ordered that no Service should be Read nor Psalm sung in going pâ—ocession Next Voted that the Government of the Church of England by Archbishops Bishops c. had been found by long experience to be a great impediment to the perfect reformation and growth of Religion and very prejudical to the civil Government of this Kingdom As also that Archiepiscopal and Episcopal Iurisdiction should be exercised by themselves And brought in a Bill for abolishing the Cross in Baptism Surpliss Bowing at the name of Iesus standing up at the Gospel c. Nevertheless to set up Lectures Likewise that whosoever should refuse to take the Protestation should be held unfit to bear Office in the Church or Common-Wealth conceiving it to be a true testimony for that was their expression to distinguish the Ephramites from the Gileadites And within four days after Voted Thirteen Bishops Delinquents with desire that they might be impeached as Authors of Sedition for having a hand in the later Canons What private Conferences they had about this time in order to the Extirpation of Episcopacy whereby for want of Government in the Church they might the sooner bring all to confusion take their own Testimony At an assembly of about an hundred Priests at Mr. Calamie's a London Priest about a Petition against the Bishops it being insisted on that Heresies would farther spread if Bishops were put down the Priests thereupon sent for Mr. Green and Mr. Spenser of the seperate Congregations to desire them for a time they would suspend their open meetings and be more private in their practise in regard that their publique meeting was an obstacle to the suppression of the Bishops but afterwards they might have free libertie of their practise The words were uttered by Mr. Calamine who was afterwards to violent against their toleration And to hasten this universal Confusion they appointed the pulling down of Rayles about Communion Tables and the removing of such Tables giving liberty by a special Order to the Inhabitants any where throughout the Kingdom to erect Lectures whereby Mechanicks and Illiterate-men were set up to the infinite scandal of Religion and increase of Schisme And when the House of Lords discerning these licentious and irreverent courses made a publique Order injoying the due observation of the Book of Common Prayer in all Churches without alteration the House of Commons by means of the prevalent Partie therein in opposition thereto and extenuation thereof declared that but Eleven of the Lords assented to that Order and that Nine refused ordering that their Declaration therein should be dispersed and Read throughout all the Churches in England It can hardly be imagined what strange effects these their practises in the House of Commons did in a short time produce one of their own partie then acknowledging in Print That all Government and Discipline of the Church was lay'd in her Grave and all the putredinous Vermine of bold Schismaticks and frantick Sectaries glory in her Ashes making the fall thereof their own rising to mount the Pulpits c. And another of them crying out in these words Alas your poor Church is oppressed and who layeth hand to help the
Members of the Church of England were Children of wrath Fourthly that at the day of Iudgment Christ would give up all power to his Father and would himself become a Subject And such as did not Pray and Preach after this fashion were cavill'd withall expell'd or committed to Prison as one was by Isaac Pennington sent to Newgate for singing a Malignant Psalm Another committed to that Prison which they made of the Lord Peter's House in Aldersgate Street because says his Mittimus he daily Read most Malignant Chapters But to proceed with some other particulars of their Prayers and Sermons Mr. Evans Preacher of St. Clements without Temple-Barr expostulated thus with God O Lord when wilt thou take a Chair and sit amongst the House of Peers And when O God when I say wilt thou Vote amongst the Honourable Commons thine own Commons who are so zealous for thine Honour And in his Sermon before the Earl of Essex then their General on the Fast-day he thus exhorted the People Beloved can you forget the Souldiers I say the Souldiers who have spent their blood for Christ as Christ did for them even their own precious blood in God's cause at Newbery And Mr. Colman in his Exhortation-Sermon to the Army for taking the Covenant told them That the Covenant was the Parliament's Sword and Buckler For when said he the Cavaliers shall see you come Armed with a Covenant they will run run run from the presence of the Lord of Hosts In the behalf of which Covenant Mr. Nye in a set Speech told the People that as God did swear for the Salvation of Men and of Kingdoms So Kingdoms must now swear for the preservation and salvation of Kingdoms to establish a Saviour Iesus Christ in England For this it was that one of the Lord Say 's Tenants a Lay-Preacher at Brouton near Banbury cryed out in his Prayer we know O Lord that Abraham made a Covenant and Moses and David made a Covenant and our Saviour made a Covenant but thy Parliaments Covenant is the greatest of all Covenants This it was that ushered in the Scots for whose Invasions these their Preachers so much laboured Mr. Bond at the Savoy telling them in the Pulpit that they ought to contribute and Pray and to do all that they were able to bring in their Brethren of Scotland for the setling of God's cause I say quoth he this is God's cause and if our God had any cause this is it And if this be not God's cause then God is no God for me but the Devil is got up into Heaven Another Preacht that Christmas day was a superstitious day and would if observed bring in Idolatrous Worship Whereupon the People were commanded to open their Shops that day One Isaac Massy a Lecturer at Uppingham in Rutland when he was to administer the Communion at Easter Anno 1644. and had Consecrated the Wine after his fashion smote himself on the Breast and said to the People As I am a faithful sinner Neighbours this is my Morning's draught and turning himself round to them said here 's to you all and so drank up the whole Cup full Which celebration of the Communion in this manner puts me in mind of Mr. Redman about that time Minister of Casâ—te-Dannington in Leicester shire who to thwaâ—t the Order ther in prescribed by the Laws administred it to his Parishioners in the After-noon and instead of Wine made use of Ale Mr. Corbet also a Lecturer in Gloucester told his Auditory that nothing had so much deceived the World as the name of King which he said was the ground of all mischiefs to the Church of Christ. And Mr. Vines Collonel Purefoy's Chaplain said in his Prayer at St. Clements without Temple-Bar O Lord thou hast given us never a Victory this long while for all our frequent Fasting What dost thou mean O Lord to fling us in the Ditch and there leave us And Lorkyn a seditious Lecturer at Greenwich in his Prayer expressing great wonder that God used to bless his People by Kings and Princes concluded with these words O Lord if thou wilt not bless us with a King bless us without one By which Teachers we may ghess at the Flocks for instance At Great Allhallows in Thames-street when the Parishioners were in the Chancel receiving the holy Sacrament an herd of new Brethren came into the Church and brought along with them Bief Mutton and other Provision for Dinner and when the Clarke desired them to be gone they told him that the Church was a frce for them to eat in as others and refus'd to depart saying they would stay till the Communion and their own Dinner was ended In a Thanksgiving-Sermon Preacht before the Members of Parliament 2. Apr. Anno 1646. by Ioseph Carril one of their Assembly of Divines upon this Text Iudges Cap. 10. Vers. 11 12. Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians He told his Auditory Here is nothing but the bare name of Deliverances and seven in number so many have you received from me saith the Lord. As if we should write now the Battel of Kineton one the Battel of Newbery two the Battel of Chereton-down three at Marston-More four at Navesby five at Langport fix at Torington seven and the Disbanding of the late Army in the West which may go for many Victories Mr. Cradock Vicar of Nun-Eaton in Warwickshire used this expression in his Prayer O Lord do not thou stand a Newter but take one side that we may see which it is that is thy cause And at a Fast kept by both Houses of Parliament at St. Margarets Westminster Hugh Peters Preaching of bringing the Children out of Egyptian Bondage to which he parallell'd the state of this Kingdom to shew how they should be brought out of this Bondage he put his hands before his Eyes and laid down his Head for a space on the Cusheon and then pretended a Revelation that it must be by extirpating of Monarchy hear and in all other places And now to close up all let us here some of Mr. Feake's expressions Preaching at Black-Friers in Anno 1653. when our late great Masters were at Wars with the Dutch But you 'l say the Dutch will recruit again and the Princes of the World will assist them for my part I do not see one Prince or State that offers to help them but if they should all joyn and lay their Crowns and Scepters together it is that Christ may cut off their Heads at a blow and get himself the more Honour All the Angels in heaven cannot make peace between Christ and the World If the Devil the Turk and the People should think to compound with Christ and say Thou Christ thou shalt have so many Kingdoms and let us enjoy the rest quietly Christ will never do it he will have all or none he will either kill or be kill'd Again I profess Saints we must go lay our heads
g 15. July Ib. p. 120. h Ib. p. 130 i 28. July Perf. Diurnal p. 3003. k Hist. of Indep p. 123. l 3. Aug. Ib. p. 126. m Ib. p. 128. n Ib. p. 124. ☜ o Ib. p. 135. p P 17. Aug. q 29. Aug. Scob. coll p. 165. Treaty in the Isle of Wight r Perfect Diurnal Pâ— 2164. †Moderate Intelligencer n. 16. t 16. Nov. Declaration of the Army at St. Albans ☜ v 120. Nov. x 27. Nov. y Hist. of Indep part 2. z p. 25. 26. a 30. Nov. b 2. Dec. c Ib. p. 29. 4. Dec. The King taken from the Isle of Wight and sent to Hurst-castle d 6. Dec. Ib. 1. 29. e Ib. p. 31. f 7. Dec. g 8. Dec. h Ib. p. 37. 38. ☞ i Ib. p. 48 49. The King removed from Hurst-Castle to Winchester k 21. Dec. l 22. Dec. Thence to Farnham m Ib. p. 49. 50. Thence to Windsor o 23. Dec. p 27. Dec. p Ib. p. 44. q Ibid. * Life of K. Charles by Dr. Perenchief p. 153. r 28. Dec. Hist. of Indep part 2. p. 55. s Ibid. p. 56. * 29. Dec. t The daughter of one Michelson u 4. Ian. Ib. p. 56. * 6. Ian. Ib. p. 57. y 9. Iar. z 10. Ian. The K. removed from Windâ—â—r to St. Iames's a 19. Ian. b 20. Ian. c Hist. of Indep Part. 1. p. 87. d Ib e 21. Ian. f 22. Ian. g 27. Ian. h Ib. p. 108. i 28. Ian. Ib. p. 109. k 30. Ian. Ib. p. 110. The King Murthered ☞ His Corps removed from White-Hall to St. Iames's I. Feb. Thence to Windsor 7. Feb. There Buried 9. Feb. Whether the Presbyterians or Independants were the chief Actors Murthering the King The opinion herein of the Learned Salmasius l Salamâ—â—â—s deâ—ensio regia pro Carolo primo c. 10. p. 343 m Ib. p. 353 Ib. p. 468. * In April or May 1648. Vide Sanderson's Hist. of K. Charles p. 1071. Scots entred England with a third Army 13. Iuly 1648. o 30. Ian. Hist. of Indep part 2. p. 113. p 1. Febr. Ib. p. 115. q 3. Febr. r 5. Febr. s 6. Febr. t Ib. p. 115. Et Perf. Diurnal p. 1250. House of Peers abolished u 5. Febr. x Moderate Intelligencer p. 315. y The Armies weekly Intelligencer p. 33 34. z Febr. 16. 18. Febr. 2. Hist. of Indep p. 2. p. 131. a 17. Martii Scob. Coll. p. 7. b Ibid p. 8. c 16. Apr. An. 1649. d Hist. of Indep p. 2. p. 152. e Ib. p. 153. f 7. April Scob. Coll. p. 8. g 12. April Ib. p. 156. h Ib. p. 157. i Ib. p. 158. ☞ k 19. April Ibid. l 30. April Scob. Coll. p. 16. Act for sale of Deans and Chapters Lands m 1. May. Hist. of Indep p. 2. p. 167. n 19. May. Scob. Coll p. 30. o 30. May. Hist. of Indep part 2. p. 184. 185. p 7. Iunii Ib. p. 187. q 25. Iunii Scob. Coll. p. 45. r 4. Iulii Ib. p. 46. s 16. Iulii Ib. p. 51. t 17. Iulii Ib. p. 64. u 17. Iulii Ib. p. 65. x 31. Iulii Ib. p. 68. y 15. Aug. z 2. Ian. Scob. Coll. p. 101. Act for the Engagement a 18. Febr. Ibid. b 22. Febr. Ib. p. 104 c 11. Martii Ib. p. 106. An. 1650. d 26. Martii Scob. Coll. p. 111. e 15. Apr. f 3. Maii. g Hist. of Indep part 2. p. 14. 15. h 6. Iunii General Fairfax layeth down his Commission i 26. Iunii Oliver Cromwel made General of the Army k Battail of Dunbar 3. Sept. l 21. Sept. m Perf. Diurnall p. 476. c. n 27. Sept. o 22. Nov. Scob. Coll. p. 148. p 29. Nov. Ib. p. 149. q 22. Ian. Ib. 151. r 1 Ian. s Hist. of Indep p. 4. p. 20. t 7. Aug. u 22. Aug. x Ib. p. 22. y 3. Sept. a 4. Febr. Scob. Coll. p. 178. b 24. Febr. Ib. p. 179. An. 1652. a 19. Iunii Heath 's Chr. p. 322. b 16. Aug. Ibid. p. 323. c 28. Octâ—â— Ib. p. 327. d 29. Nov. Ib. p. 329 330. e 18. Febr. Ib. p. 335. f 2. Martii Ib. p. 336. g 29. Sept. Scob. Coll. p. 209. An. 1653. Cromwel turns the Parliament called the Rump out of Doors d 4. Iulâ—â— e 5. Aug. f 24. Aug. Scob. Coll. p. 236. g 4. Nov. Ib. p. 268. h 21. Nov. Ib. p. 272. i 12. Dec. Cromwel made Lord Protector The Instrument of Government †〈…〉 * 19. Ian. a Scob. coll p. 277. Act against the Engagement The Protectors Riding to Grocers-Hall in State b 20. Martij Scob. coll p. 279. 2. Iunij Heath's hist. p. 344. 345. b 31. Iuly Ibid. p. 346. et 347 c Ib. p. 357. An. 1654. 28. Martij d 12. Apr. Scob. coll p. 288. e Ib. p. 293. Act for making Scotland one Common-wealth with England f 18. Apr. Cromwell first seated himself at Whitchall * 25. Apr. Heath's hist. p. 370. et 371. †Ib. p. 371. et 372. g 6. Iuly h 2 Sept. Scob. col p. 353. i Ib. p. 357. k Ib. p. 366. l 3. Sept. A Parliament called The manner of his proceeding to Parliament †Praise-God Bearbone and his Fellows The Reâ—â—gnition subscribed m 22. Ian. The Parliament dissolved * At Exeter 18. April †15. Octob. Major Generals An. 1656. * 20. Sept. * 20. Sept. †17. Ianu. * 19. Ianu. †10. Iuly * 17. Sept. Cromwels second Parliament called * Scob. Cell p. 571. †Ib. p. 372. * Alderman Pack a great Excise-Commissioner the first that moved it 21. Feb. The humble Petition and A Advice * 8. May. †19. May. * 25. May. Scob. Col p. 378. â— â— Cromâ—el a second time Constituted Protector †I. Iuly * 9. Iuly †15. Iuly An. 1658. * 20. Ianu. The Parliament Dissolved 4. Feb. Another High-Court of Justice * 2. 8. Iun. Dunkirk having been besieged by the English and French and given up to the French upon Articles was put into the hands of the English 25. Iune * Sept. 3. * Nov. 23. * Stows Survey of Lond. p. 494. col 1. * Hist of Indep Part. 4. p. 32. Rich. Cromwels Parliament 7. Ian. * Ibid. p. 36. An. 1659. * Ibid. * April 7. †April 8. * April 18. History of Indep part 4. p. 37. †Ib. p. 38. * April 22. * Ib. p. 39. †Sir Arthur Haselrigg * 25. April The Protector set aside and the Rump of the Long Parliament restored †5. May. * 7. May. †6. May. * 7. May. †Ibid. p. 40. * Ib. p. 41. The names of the Rumpers * Ib. p. 41. The Secluded Members * 9. May. †Ib. p. 42. * 29. May. Ib. p. 43. †Ib. p. 45. * Ib. Iune †Ib. p. 49. * Ib. p. 50. †Iuly * 2. Iuly †Ib. p. 53. * I. August †Ib. p. 55. * 19.
contented to have received the Service and Assistance of any of our good Subjects who had Loyalty enough whatsoever their Religion is to bring them to our succour All Men know the great number of Papists which serve in their Army Commanders and others the great industry they have used to corrupt the loyalty and affection of all our Subjects of that Religion the private promises and undertakings they have made to them that if they would assist them against us all the Laws made in their prejudice should be repealed Yet neither the weakness of our own condition nor the other Arts used against us could prevail with us to invite those of that Religion to come to our succour or to recal our Proclamation which forbad them so to do and we are confident tho we know of some few whose eminent Abilities in Command and Conduct and moderate and unfactious dispositions hath moved us in this great necessity to imploy them in this service that a far greater number of that Religion is in the Army of the Rebeh than in our own and we do assure our good Subjects tho as we shall always remember the particular Services which particular Men have or shall in this exigent of ours perform to us with that grace and bounty which becomes a just Prince Yet we shall be so far from ever giving the least countenance or encouragement to that Religion that we shall always use our utmost endeavour to suppress it by the execution of those good and wholsome Laws already in force agaâ—â—st Papists and concurring in such farther remedies as the Care and Wisdom of us and both Houses of Parliament shall think most necessary for the advancement of God's Service But I proceed to the practise of their Preachers one of these Boutefeus to encourage his Auditors to bring in liberally upon the Propositions for Money Horse and Plate upon his administration of the Sacrament began thus All you that have contributed to the Parliament come and take this Sacrament to your comfort Another brought in a guard of Souldiers with their Arms into Lambeâ—h-Church in the time of Divine Service tore the Book of Common-Prayer in pieces pull'd the Surpliss from the Ministers back and scoffing at the good People who were at their Devotions said make an end of your pottage the Souldiers following him to the Communion-Table with Tobacco-Pipes in their Mouths and committing divers out-rages to the great terror of the Congregation Mr. Simeon Ashe Minister at St. Maries in Aldâ—rntanbury London in his Sermon Preacht before the House of Commons March 30. Anno 1642. that being one of their solemn Fast-days after large invectives against the Governours of the Church Ceremonies and the Divine Service by Law establisht charg'd the whole Ministry of the Church of England with being blind Seers Dumb Dogs which could not bark idle drones misguiding Guides Schismatical and Heretical Men and scandalous Adding and I humbly commend this to your consideration whether the Prelatical-party hath not been the Root of all or at least of almost all these oppressions and for my part I cannot expect a complete Deliverance from these and â—â—ther like oppressions but by the extirpation of that frame Right Honourable you have done much yea very much for our ease already We are sensible that many heavy Burthens are taken off our backs which crushed us grivously heretofore and for that relief which we have received we bless God we honour you and I now heartily intreat and encourage the prefecting of that you have so worthily begun When Sidn is set up in beauty adorn'd and set up with her watch Tower and Officers then God will be known in our Palaces for refuge And that they might have some colour of Authority for their sedicious Doctrine there came out a Paper in Print signed by Isaac Pennington their new Lord Mayor who first entred upon his Office with a set speech against the Book of Common-Prayer for a direction to the Ministers in and about the City of London both what to Pray and what to Preach in these words You are required to commend to God in your Prayers the Lord General the whole Army imploy'd in the Parliaments service and the design undertaken by them as also in your Sermons effectually to stir up the People to appear in Person and to joyn with the Army to stand up for our Religion and Liberties as is desired and expected by the Army and the Committee for the Militia in this City According to which direction one of them likened the King to Rehoboam in forsaking his old Council and then inferred It was but Iustice that the two Houses should proceed to a new Choice Another on their Fast-day at Southampton used these words in his Prayer Oh Lord thine Honour is now at stake for now O Lord Antichrist hath drawn his Sword against thy Christ and if our Euemes prevail thou wilt lose thine Honour And Mr. Crosse a zealous Lecturer told his Auditory in the Pulpit at St. Mildreds in the Poultry that if God did not finish the good work which he had begun in the Reformation of the Church he would shew himself to be the God of confusion and such a one as by cunning Stratagems had contrived the destruction of his own Children Which Blasphemous expression was but few days before Sir William Waller's defeat at Roundway-down And now whilst I mention this overthrow I cannot omit the notice of a passage somewhat remarkable which was that the day of that great and absolute defeat the Rebels in Gloucesler held one of their solemn counterfait Thanksgivings for a feigned Victory which they pretended to abuse the People that Sir William Waller had at Landsdowne upon the fifth day of the same Month. Another of their Lectures in Southampton pray'd thus Bless the King O Lord mollify his hard heart that delighteth in blood Open his Eyes that he may see that the blood of the Saints is dear in thy sight He is fallen from faith in thee and become an enemy to thy Church Is it not He that hath sinned and done evil indeed but as for these sheep what have they done Let thme hand we pray thee O Lord our God be on him and on his Father's House but not on thy People that they should be plagued And another blasphemous fellow in his Prayer there on their Fast-day said thus O God O God many are the hands lift up against us but there is one God it is thou they self O Father who doest us more mischief then they all And for Preaching observe the Doctrine of one Kendal sometime a Coach-man but afterwards Paeacher at Hamsted in Hartfordshire upon the 1 Cor. 6â—9 know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God First that by Kingdom of God in this place was meant the Kingdom of Christ upon Earth Secondly that England was no true Church Thirdly that all the