Objection For if the King never dies Then by their own confession and our Lawes we are still a Kingdom not a Republike yea Charles Steward as heir to his beheaded Father was and is still de Iure de facto the lawfull King of England and supreme Lord and Governour of our Church Kingdom there being no Interregnum ever since his Fathers death and then what becomes of all their absurd illegal Knacks against his Regality and Kingship it self of which they are forced now to pray in ayd to make themselvs a Parliamen of their Mock-Parliament without King and House of Lords of their perfidious treacherous Engagements against both and Supreme Authority of the Nation which they have tyrannically usurped 2ly Though the King in genere or rather Kingship it self never dies yet the King in Individuo may and doth oft times die and if the successive deaths of all our Kings since we were a kingdom be not a sufficient proof thereof the very Objectors and Iohn Bradshawes beheading the late King and putting him to such a shamefull publike death as no Pagan nor Christian lawfull King of England ever formerly suffered by perfidious perjurious treacherous Subjects since it was an Island against our Laws and Votes of Parliament in the Highest Court of Injustice created by them for that end is a sufficient evidence that the King of England dieth as well as other men as they all must likewise doe in Gods due time unless they will make the World believe to expiate their Treason that they did not kill the King in cutting off his head but that he is still alive because some others as is reported did reunite and sow it to his bodie when severed from it by them But of this enough since M. P. presumes they will henceforth rather renounce their Parliaments being than bottom its present existence upon this bloudy foundation and their exploded Kingship The 2d Objection is from the words of the Statute of 17 Caroli c. 7. which declareth enacteth That this present Parliament now assembled shall not be dissolved unless it be by Act of Parliament In the Negative Ergo It shall not be dissolved by the Kings death being no Act of Parliament nor any Act of Parliament yet made for its dissolution Whereunto Mr. Prynne answers 1. That the sole end scope of this Act was not to provide against the dissolution of the Parliament by the Kings natural or violent untimely death not then thought of he being in perfect health likely to live many years by the course of nature and to survive all the ends for which this Act was made but to raise credit for the Parliament to provide monies by this Act to prevent the untimely dissolution proroguing adjourning of this Parliament by the Kings own regal power He having prorogued dissolved all former Parliaments during his Reign in discontent by his Regal power not death against the Lords and Commons wills 2ly This is intituled An Act to prevent Inconveniences which may happen by the untimely adjourning proroguing or dissolving of this present Parliament and the Prologue Body of the Act provide joyntly and severally against all three to wit the untimely proroguing or adjourning as well as dissolving of this Parliament But no Parliament ever was is or possibly can be untimely prorogued or adjourned by the Kings death but only by his actual Regal will and power Therfore the dissolving of it intended by this Act must be only an untimely dissolution by his actual will Commission writ and regal power alone by which his former Parliaments were prorogued dissolved against the Lords and Commons assents not by his death whether natural or violent being against his will and no part of his Regal Supremacy but only of his human frailty 3ly The Inconveniences the Commons feared would ensue by the untimely dissolution of this Parliament and endeavoured to prevent by this Act are thus expressed in the Prologue Where as great sums of mony must of necessity be suddainly advanced and provided for relief of his Majesties Army people of the Nothern parts of this Realm and to prevent the imminent danger this Kingdome is in and for supplying of other his Majesties present and urgent occasions which cannot be so timely effected as is requisite without credit for raysing the said mony which credit cannot be obtained untiil such Obstacles he first removed as are occasioned by Fears Iealousies Apprehensions of divers of his Majesties Subjects that this present Parliament may be adjourned prorogued or dissolved 1. before Iustice shall be executed upon Delinquents 2ly publike grievances redressed 3ly a firm peace between the two Nations of England and Scotland concluded 4ly and before sufficient provision be made for the repayment of the said monies so to be raysed all which the Commons in this present Parliament assembled having duly considered do therefore humbly beseech your most excellent Majesty that it may be declared and enacted And be it therefore declared and enacted by the King our Soveraign Lord with the assent of the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by authority of the same That this present Parliament now assembled shall not be dissolved unless it be by Act of Parliament to be passed for that purpose c. By which it is undenyable 1. That the Commons when they petitioned for the King when he declared enacted the Lords and Commons when they assented to this Act did never think of or intend to provide against a dissolution of this Parliament by the Kings untimely death nor of a future dissolving it by an Act of Parliament by his Successors or others after his decease but on the contrary presupposed the continuance of his life and of this Parliament thereby till all the inconveniences they recite were prevented and a new Act passed by him and them jointly to dissolve this Parliament when these Inconveniences were prevented and things effected Which is irrefragable 1. Because they declare in Terminis The speedy advancing and providing of monies for the relief of his Majesties Armies and people of the Northern parts not their subsequent Armies and the supply of his Maiesties present and urgent occasions not their own and the Fears Jealousies and Apprehensions of divers his Maiesties Loyal Subiects c. o be the only ground of their humbly beseeching his Maiesty for this Act. All which presuppose his life being preservation and the Commons great care of complying with him as their Soveraign Lord without the least thought of his untimely death since happening or secluding the King or his Poûeritie out of this and all future Parliaments by colour of this Act as those now fitting have done point-blanck against it 2ly The Fears Jealousies and Apprehensions they had occasioning this Act were only these That this Parliament might be adjourned prorogued dissolved 1. Before Justice shall be duly executed upon Delinquents then in being and complained of as Strafford Canterbâ—ry
Quodlibets printed 1602 and William Clerk a Secular Priest in his Answer to Father Parsons Libel 1604. p. 75. c. then best acquainted with the Iesuites designs against England of all others did in precise terms publish to the English Nation in these their printed Books a That Father Parsons the English Iesuite the most active professed enemie to our English Kingship Kings Realm Church Religion his Confederate Iesuitical Society did so long since give out and prophesied That they have it by Revelation and special command from God that their order and Society was miraculously instituted for this end to work a dismal change amongst us wherein all Laws Customes and Orders must be altered and all things turned upside down and that they being the only men who have the name Title and authority of Iesus by them it is that this marvelous change and alteration shall be wrought in such sort as from the beginning of the world was the like never heard of before to this present That this Iesuite Father Parsons in his Book Of the Reformation of all the States of England as he prescribes a Reformation of the Prince Court Counsellors Noblemen Bishops Prelates Pastors Universities Lawyers and Laws in all which he will have strange Metamorphoses so he will have the Court of Parliament it self brought to better order to effect all these dismal changes That the way whereby he they intended to bring about all these changes was to bring all England into an uprore for common Souldiers to examine their Soveraigns what Titles they hold by and by infusing this their Iesuitical principle into the Souldiers and people That every Pecope or Tartarian multitudâ— getting once the title and stile of a publick State or Helvetian Common wealth may alter change innovate the Course Inheritance and Succession of the Crown and Lands under them to make the Island a Iaponian Island of Iesuites and infeoff themselves by hook or crook in the whole imperial dominion of Great Britain putting all the whole Blood-Royal of England to the Formidon as but Heirs general in one Predicament For their better accomplishment whereof this William Watson subjoyns his own opinion in these words I verilie think that all the Puritans and Anabaptists will joyn with the Iesuites to effect these changes at length how far soever they seem to be and yet are in external profession of Religion there being at least half an hundred principles and odde Tricks concerning Government Authority Tyranny Popularity Conspiracy c. wherein they jump as just together as if both were made of one mould But when they shall thus joyn together he predicts That the Iesuites having more singular fine wits amongst them and manie learned men on their side whereas the Puritans and Anabaptisâ—s have none but grossum Caputs the Iesuites manie Gentiles Nobles and some Princes to side with them the Puritans but few of the first rare to have anie of the second and none of the last on their side By consequence if matters come to hammering between the Iesuites and Puritans the latter are sure to be ridden like Fools and come to wrack He superaddes to this That Father Parsons and his Companie have laid a plot as most consonant and fitting for their other Designments That the Common law of the Realm of England must be forsooth utterly abolished or else bear no greater sway in the Realm than the Civil law doth And the chief Reason is for that the State of the Crown and Kingdome by the Common laws is so strongly setled as whilst they continue the Iesuites see nor how they can work their wills Secondly the said good Father hath set down a Course how every man may shake off all Authority at their pleasures as if he would become a new Anabaptist or Iohn of Leydon to draw all the World into a Mutiny Rebellion and Combustion And the Stratagem is how the common People and Souldiers must be inveigled and seduced to conceit to themselves such a Liberty or Prerogative as that it may be lawfull for them when they think fit to place and displace Kings and Princes as men do their Tenants at will Hirelings or ordinary Servants Which Anabaptistical and abominable Doctrine proceeding from a turbulent Tribe of trayterous Puritans and other Hereticks this treacherous Iesuite would now foist into the Chatholick Church as a ground of his corrupt Divinitie Mr. Prynne having some year since diligently observed all these passages with sundrie others of this nature in those Secular Priest-books and comparing them with Campanella de Monarchia Hyspanica c. 25. 27. Cardinal Richlieues Instructions forecited having likewise read in the Iesuites own printed Books That they had no lesse than 931 Colleges and Seminaries of Iesuites erected in several parts of the World within the space of 120 years and no fewer than 15 Colleges and Seminaries in Provincia Anglicana in the English Province in the year 1640. wherein they had 267. Socii Societatis Fellows of their own Societie besides Novices and 4 Colleges more of English Iesuites beyond the Seas and no less than eight Colleges of Irish and several Residenciaries of Scotish Iesuites in Ireland Scotland and other places And being assured by the publick Speeches of Oliver Cromwell himself first to an Assemblie of Divines and others at Whitehall 1653. and after to his new modelled Parliament at Westminster September 4. 1654. published in print p. 16 17. That he knew verie well that Emissaries of the Iesuites never came over in such swarms as they have done since our late wars and changes were on foot and that divers Gentlemen can bear Witness with him That they have a Consistory and Counsel that rules all the Affairs of the things of England and had fixed in England in the Circuit of most Cathedrals of which he was able to produce the particular Instrument an Episcopal power with Archdeacons and other persons to pervert and seduce the people And being most certainlie informed That the Arch-Iesuite Sir Toby Mathew though banished by both Houses Sir Kenelme Digby a Jesuited papist whose Father had a chief hand in the old Gunpowder Treason and was himself particularlie imployed to Rome by the Queen to procure men and monies from the Pope against the Parliament where he expected to receive a Cardinals Cap Sir Iohn Winter a person excepted from pardon Mr. Walter Mountague two notorious Jesuited Papists who conspired with the Popes Nuncio and College of Jesuites in Longacre to destroy the King and alter the Government of the Kingdome if he refused to turn Roman Catholick and repeal all Laws against Romish Priests Iesuites Papists and for that very end raised the first Scotish wars and which is most observable that Orelly the Popes own Nuncio in Ireland who promoted the late horrid Irish Rebellion and massacre of the Protestants sate President in the General Counsel of the Popish Rebels there for
entred into an Oath and Covenant That the Kings Son should reign as the Lord hath said of the House of David Upon which they presently brought out the Kings Son Crowned and anointed him their King and said God save the King Which Athaliah the Vsurper hearing run out to the people and cryed Treason treason upon which Iehojadah the Priest commanded the Captains of the Host presently to seize upon her and cary her out of the Temple and slay all that should follow her whereupon they laid hands on her and carried her forth and slew her After which Iehojadah made a Covenant between the King and the people that they should be the Lords people and all the Captains Governors Nobles and people of the Land brought down the Kings Son from the House of the Lord to the Kings House and set the King upon the Throne of the kingdom And all the people of the Land rejoyced and the City was quiet after that they had slain Athaliah with the Sword 2 Kings 11.4 c. 2 Chron. 23. This Ioash being afterwards slain by the conspiracy of his Servants against him Amaziah his Son reigned in his stead by hereditarie Succession who when he was established in the kingdoÌ„ slew his Servants that had slain the King his Father but not their Children according to the Law of Moses After this Ammon the Son of Manasses succeeding his father worshipping his Idols following his Sinnes and trespassing more and more without humbling himself his Servants conspired against him and slew him in his own House But the People of the Land slew all that had conspired against King Ammon and made Josiah his Son King in his stead not disinherited him for his Fathers and Grand-Fathers crying Sinnes as the only means ordained by God for their safety peace and settlement Which sacred Presidents of Gods own registring and his peculiar peoples making in obedience to his Commands for our imitation in like cases are a more real sacred means to our present peace safety establishment than any the Army-Saints Sectaries Iesuites and Westminster Conclave can prescribe and the Parliament Statute of 27 Eliz. c. 1. have declared enacted it to be legal as well as scriptural 11ly When God himself promised restitution from Captivity and resettlement re-establishment to his people he doth it by promising the restitution of their lawfull hereditary King and kingdom to them and the re-uniting of their kingdoms formerly divided by rebellion against and revolt from the House of David and hereditary Royal line into one Mich. 2 13. c. 48. Their King shall pass before them and the Lord on the head of them even the first Dominion the Kingdom shall come to the Daughter of Jerusalem Zech. 9.9 c. Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Zion behold thy King cometh unto thee be is just and having Salvation c. and his Dominion shall be from Sea to Sea and to the end of the Earth Isaiah 32.1 2. Behold a King shall reign in Righteousnesse and Princes shall rule in Iudgement And he shall be as a hiding place from the wind and a Covert from the Tempest as Rivers of Water in a dry place as the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land Ezech. 37.22 24. And I will make them one Nation in the Land upon the Mountain of Israel and one King shall be King to them all and they shall be no more two Nations neither shall they be divided into two Kingdoms any more And David my Servant shall be KING over them they shall all have one Shepheard over them they shall also walk in my Judgements and keep my Statutes and do them And they shall dwell in the Land that I have given to Iacob my Servant even they and their Children and their Childrens Children FOR EVER and my Servant David shall be their Prince for ever Which is likewise repeated and amplyfied Ezech. 39.23 24. Zeph. 3.13 14. Jer. 23.4 5. c. 33.14 15 16. Which Texts though mistically meant of our King and Saviour Jesus Christ hereditary Son of David according to the flesh sitting upon his Fathers Throne and ruling for ever over his mystical Kingdom and Church as is evident by comparing them with Isay 9. 6 7 8. Dan. 7.27 Lu. 1.32 33. yet since King David Solomon and other pious Kings of Israel and their hereditary kingdom were types of our Spiritual King Iesus and of his everlasting spiritual kingdom And Christ Jesus under the very Title Name Notion of an hereditary King alone not of an Optimacy Oligarchy Popularity Democracy or elective King is thus prophesied to be a Saviour Redeemer Restorer Establisher Preserver Defender of his captivated oppressed inthralled dissipated divided unreformed Subjects Kingdom Church People and his perpetual preseâ—â— with and reign over them is made the only ground of the restauration unity felicity prosperity safety perpetuity of his kingdom and people as David Solomon and other good Kings of Israel were to their Subjects during their successive Reigns and seeing Christs mistical Church and Saints are alwaies thus stiled his Kingdom a Kingdom but never a Free-State or Common-wealth at least but once Eph. 2.12 the only Text throughout the whole Bible where this word is mentioned in any kind and that not in opposition or contradistinction to a Kingdom but as the very same thing with it as our Kingdom in some Statutes in stiled a Common-wealth as being the excellentest honourablest durablest freest happiest of all other forms of Republick under which general name it is comprised It thence infallibly follows that an hereditary Kingship kingdome is the best happiest durablest securest honourablest desireablest of all other Governments whatsoever being the verie Government of Jesus Christ himself who according to the flesh was born King of the Iews and sits upon the Throne of David his Father Mat. 2.2 Lu. 1.32 33. and was not chosen King by his Saints like an Elective King but elected them to be his Subjects as he expreslie resolves Iohn 15.16 1 Pet. 1 2.9 Rev. 17.14 And that the restitution of this our antient Kingly Government not of a new Jesuitical Spanish Outlandish Republick is the true and only way to our restauration redemption peace settlement safetie and future prosperity as the Parliament and most excellent preamble of the Statute of 25 H. 8. c. 22. worthy perusal resolves Wherin after many long intestine civil wars for the Title succession of the Crown and Soveraigntie of our Realm The Nobles and Commons assembled in Parliament calling to mind That the unity peace and wealth of this Realm and the Succession and Inheritance of the Subjects in the same most specially and principally above all worldly things let our Republicans and Westminster Juncto observe it well consisteth and resteth in the certainty and surety of the procreation and posterity of the Kings Highness in whose most Royal person at this present time is no manner of doubt nor question as the Statutes of 1 Iac. c. 1
CARDINAL the same question as his Father once did the King of Spaine when he was almost easilie intreated to have turned to the Faith Catholick How shall I said he ever expect to be King of England if once the English should understand I have turned Catholick To which they easilie gave a satisfactorie resolution telling him That as the case now stood he must never look to be admitted but by fire and sword the main force of Armes must make way for him neither could he in the least atchieve that or put it in execution without the ayde of Catholike Princes which they will never be brought to act in without a firm assurance of your real and faithfull conuersion What impressions the News of his Fathers decollatioÌ„ made upon him what use the Cardinal and Iesuits made of it to induce him and others to Poperie and what endeavors were used by the Iesuits to make up a peace between the Spanish and French to invade England and make it their prey if he would turn Papist under pretext of restoring him to his Crown you may read in this Iesuit p. 33 34 35 36. and in Militiere his Victorie of Truth dedicated to King Charles after his Fathers death to pervert him in his Religion as the only means of his restitution These Passages of this Iesuit who stiles himself p. 39. The faithful Servant of the Common-wealth of England dedicated to President Bradshaw himself and printed by his SPECIAL COMMAND and our Republican Governours now sitting Ann. 1650. when Mr. Prynne was committed close Prisoner by them without hearing or accusation will justifie the truth of all his former Discoveries That your beheading the King and degrading our Kingdom into a New Free-State was the verie French Cardinals Spaniards Popes and Iesuits plot to ruin both our Protestant Kings Kingdom Church Religion even by your own confessions and that it gave unto them strong arguments to perswade the Kings posteritie and partie for ever to abominate our Religion as manie of them have done upon this very account though the King himself and his Brothers yet continue constant through Gods mercie against all provocations to their eternal honour but your perpetual infamie who have put them upon such direfull Temptations 2. Before you engage in any other Business peruse all former Acts and Petitions of our Protestant Parliaments since 1 Eliz. to this present against Iesuits Seminarieâ—Priests Papists Poperie the manifold mischiefs dangers accrewing by their increase toleration and suspension of our Lawes against them the causes of their growth amongst us and remedies to prevent the same Then put them all with the Oath of Abjuration and 5. Bills against them assented to by the late King in the last Treatie into immediate impartial vigorous execution 3. Imploy faithfull knowing stout active persons with sufficient power and encouragements to discover detect apprehend them under what ever disguise and shelter they now secure themselves Especially take diligent care to ferret these Romish Vermin and Troublers of our Israel out of all your Armies Garrisons Camps and all Sectarian separate Congregations the Boroughs wherein now they lurk securely by putting them all to the Test of the Oaths of Abjuration Supremacie and Allegiance 4. Permit no Seminarie Priests Friers Romish Emissaries of any Nation but especially no Iesuits of any their 4. ranks to remain in our Realms or Dominions it being impossible to enjoy any peace settlement in Church or State or to expect anie dutifull obedience quiet in or from the Armie whiles these firebrands of Sedition Treason remain within our coasts upon which account they have been by sundrie Proclamations of Queen Elizabeth King Iames and King Charles not only banished out of England Scotland Ireland and all their Dominions but likewise out of France Germanie Poland Bohemia Austria Moravia Transilvania Hungarie Venice and other Popish Kingdomes States as well as out of the Netherlands Denmark Sweden and Protestants Territories as the Authors of all their Wars Troubles Tumults Insurrections Rebellions Treasons Regicides and the publike Pests of Church and State 5. Put no arms into Anabaptists or Quakers hands formerly decrying them as unlawful lest London become another Munster and England another Germanie in few moneths space 6. Since Christ Iesus who is truth it self hath laid down these 3. Gospel-maxims of infallible veritie Mat 7.15 to 21. Lu. 6.43 c. That Ravenous wolves in sheeeps clothing as well as trees are and shall be known by their fruits John 8.44 You are of your Father the Devil for his works ye doe Rom. 6.16 That to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey If all the premises infallibly convince your Consciences Judgements as they will and must do That all the forementioned fruits you have produced since December 4. 1648. are the proper fruits of Iesuits and Romish wolves in sheeps clothing yea the very worst sowrest of all their Fruits and Powder Treasons That the workes you have done in murdring our Protestant King destroying our Parliaments Kingdoms Government Laws secluding your fellow-Members and Lords House by force erecting your New Republike and Parliamentarie Conventicle c. are the Works of the Iesuites and Devil That you have yielded up your selves as obedient servants unto them in everie of these against your own former Oaths Protestations Vows Covenants Declarations Commissions Principles Professions Judgments rightly informed consciences the Votes Obsecrations Disswasions of your Fellow Members and most indeared Protestant Friends Ministers Relations the Indentures Desires of those Counties Burroughs you represent And that the very Principles by which you have acted since Dec. 1648 and now again are the very Jesuits principles as you may read at leisure in Iohannis Mariana De Rege Regum Institutione l. 1. c. 6. Creswels Philopater Franciscus Verona Constantini Apologia pro Johanne Castellio et Jesuitis Iesuitae Reinaldi liber De Iusta Reipublicae Christianae in Reges Impios et Haereticos authoritate c. published under the name of William Rosse in Ludovicus Lucius Historia Jesuitica l. 2. c. 3. Hospinian Hist. Jesuitica l. 3. 4. Speculum Jesuiticum printed 1644. wherein you may truly view your Iesuitical Physiognomies heads perrewigs instead of your old genuine Protestant complexions brains notions hair And if the present fresh Addresses Petitions of Anabaptists Quakers Sectaries from Southwark Warminster Hertfordshire Kent and other places to the Army-Officers and your selves with their late listings in the Army affronts to Ministers in their Churches ejection of some of them to intrude themselves alreadie budding forth sufficiently discover whose Servants you are and whose drudgerie you must execute O then immediately abjure rescinde and null them all with highest indignation and persist no longer in any such destructive waies counsels projects under any pretext consideration interest or perswasions whatsoever But rather remember Mr. Oliver Saint-Iohns words now sitting amongst you in his Argument at Law
dissipated House of Commons elected impowred only by the Army not People to act what they prescribe to extirpate King Lords Monarchy Magistracy Ministry Laws Liberties Properties and reduce them all under Jesuitisme at first and our forein Enemies Vassallage in conclusion Mr. Prynne then being most clearly convinced thereof by what he formerly published as a Member in his Speech and Memento and since in his Epistle to a New Discovery of Free State tyranny his Ius Patronatus his historical and legal Vindication of the fundamental Laws Liberties Rights Properties of all English Freemen A new Discovery of Romish Emissaries his Quakers unmasked and in his Republicans Good Old Cause truly and fully anatomised wherin he infallibly demonstrates their converting of our late English Monarchy into a new Common-wealth or elective Protectorship to be the antient projected moddles of Father Parsons and other Jesuites and Tho. Campanella the Italian Frier specially recommended by them to the pursuite of the King of Spain who prosecuted it all he could to promote his universal Monarchy and so much rejoyced at it that he was the first foreign King who presently sent an extraordinary Ambassador to congratulate the accomplishment applaud the constitution of enter into a League of Friendship with it whose flattering panygerick in his Great Catholique Kings name in prayse thereof and what an honour it was to them that he was the first forein Prince that owned them for a Common wealth made the Commons House so intoxicated that they gratified him in all his requests and pursued all his designs only to ruine us and the Netherlands layd down by Campanella De Monarchia Hispanica c. 25 27. by furnishing him with many thousands of Irish forces quarrelling with the Hollanders maintaining above three years bloody wars with them with infinite losse and expence to both Nations taking the French Kings Fleet provisions merely designed for the reliefe of Dunkirk whereby he presently regained it to our prejudice And on the other hand Cardinall Richlieu of France the great Incendiary of Christendome and fomenter of all our Domestick wars in his life the French King and Mazarine by his instructions in writing after his death vigorously pursued this very design His instructions to this purpose recorded by Conte de Galeazzo Gualdo Priorato an excellent Italian Historian are very memorable who relates That Cardinal Richelieu Anno 1642. after he had involved the King Parliament and Ireland in a bloody Civil war being near his death delivered these politick instructions for the King his Master to pursue for carrying on his designs in relation to England with successe That above all other things he should endeavour to keep the Government of Great Britain divided and dis-united by ayding the weaker party that the other might not make it self too powerfull By causing the three Kingdomes of England Scotland and Ireland to be divided either by nominating other Kings elective of another family accomplished by erecting an elective Protector or by moulding them into a Common-wealth as our Republicans have formerly and now done again Yet with this caution That when they are reduced into a Common-wealth so to order the matter That it may not be united into one but divided How punctually Cardinal Mazarine prosecuted these instructions ever since and accomplished them at last the Letters taken in the Lord Digbyes Cabinet printed by the Parliaments order 1646. and O. Cromwels late intimate correspondency with Mazarine discover And how much the Iesuites and Catholicks in France in November 1648. approved applauded the turning of our hereditary Monarchy which they irreconcilably hated envyed as well as the late King and turning the Old Parliament into a new Republican Representative and that all their hopes to effect it were in the Army to whom they wished all prosperity therein you may read in a Letter sent from thence by the Armies Agent to a fitting Republican Member soon after published by Mr. Prynne who got the original Mr. Prynne knowing all this and clearly discovering a fresh combination between the Sectaries Republican Anabaptistical Iesuitical levelling party to pursue their designs afresh and accomplish what they formerly attempted in the short Mock-Parliament of their own election creation Anno 1653. and what was then passionately recommended to them by Iohn Canne the Anabaptist in his Voyce from the Temple dedicated to them as their Generation work which God and all his people then expected and required from them even to extirpate the Church Ministry of England Advowsons Glebes Tithes and demolish all Parish Churches as Antichristian to extirpate the Law root and branch under pretext of reforming and new-moulding it to sell all Corporation and College lands and set up a popular Anarchy or tyrannical Oligarchy among us under the disguise of the Old Dissolved Parliament sitting from 1648. till April 20. 1653. after six years violent ejection of them with highest scorn and reproach yet now invited by them to sit again to effect these Romish designs to our utter Confusion but secluding all those who were like to obstruct or defeat them Upon this consideration Mr. Prynne as a secluded Member of the old Parliamemt wherein he detected oppugned all these Treasonable Designs heretofore and since its dissolution by the Kings beheading held it his bounden duty to prevent defeat them now and nip them in the bud whereupon so soon as those now sitting entred the House he assayed to go into it with as many old secluded Members as he could there being 80 of them in London For although his judgement be that this Parliament is quite dissolved by the Kings beheading as he oft declared in print yet since the Army Officers and those now sitting with sundry others pretend it still in being and under that pretext alone have acted all their publick Tragedies and Innovations he conceived himself bound in Conscience upon their Concessions to endeavour to prevent these mischiefs and do all Publick good he might with better warrant and reason than most Ministers Lawyers Justices Magistrates Members of late Parliaments as they style them have prayed for complyed with acted in under those late Governors Governments mock Parliaments as he is confident some now sitting among them in this new Convention believe it dissolved and yet go in only to prevent and allay those mischiefs which others violently pursue which their own Consciences and our laws resolve them without scruple to be utterly illegal whereas this old Parliament whereof he was a Member was most legallie summoned and convened beyond dispute and hath the colour of a legal Act of Parliament for its continuance which those since have wanted of which Act the greatest part of those now sitting taking advantage notwithstanding their new Instruments Declarations Petitions Advises Addresses and Sessions in other new Parliaments since and it being a great dispute now among most secluded Members whether that Parliament was not yet alive though
favente Domino From all which particular clauses in the very writs of summons it is undeniable that the Parliament of 16 Caroli was ipso facto dissolved by the Kings death 1. Because this Parliament was summoned particularly by King Charles in his natural as well as politick capacity not in his politick alone nor yet by or for him his heirs successors who ceased to be both Charles and a King of this Realm by his death 2ly The Counsel by whose advice it was summoned was his not his heirs and successors Counsel 3ly The Parliament convened his Parliament alone not his heirs or successors both of them ceasing to be his Counsel or Parliament by his decease 4ly The subject matter for which it was summoned Divers urgent and arduous businesses concerning Us not our heirs or successors and the defence of Our not their Realm of England who was no more Us and the kingdom no more his kingdom so soon as he lost his life 5ly The end of summoning this Parliament was only this for the King himself to have a conference and Treaty with the Prelates and Nobles and for them to be personally present with Us not our heirs or successors to give Us their Counsel c. not our heirs and successors All frustrate made impossible and absolutely ceasing by his death because when once dead they can neither parlie conferr nor treat with the King himself nor the King with them nor be personally present with Him for that purpose unlesse they will averr that a meer dead headlesse King can really confer treat parly consult advise with his living Prelats Lords Parliament and they with him be Parliamentally present with each other in the Lords House neither of which they dare admit into it for fear the King if living and Lords too should afright them out of it as the Kings ghost yea the memorial of it though dead might justly do 6ly The mandatory part being in the Kings name alone to summon them to treat with and give their Counsel unto Us concerning the foresaid businesses relating to Us and the defence of Our Realm Our Businesses aforesaid not our heirs and successors He and his businesses all ending when he expires the Parliament must of necessity determine 7ly The Parliament ceasing to be the Common counsel of the King and his kingdom and nothing possible to be ordained BY US the King not his heirs and successors Prelates Nobles in Parliament without his concurrent Vote or when he is dead unless a dead King can give counsel make Ordinances give his royal assent to Bills when deceased It must inevitably follow that all the Authority causes grounds ends for which the Members of this Parliament were all summoned to treat consult and give their advice to the King himself determining and becoming impossible to be performed by his death the Parliament must of necessity expire and be dissolved even as the natural body ceaseth to be and remain a living man when the Head is quite cut off If then those now sitting who cut off the Kings Head the Head of the Parliament and thereby destroyed that temporary body politick will have their Conventicle revived by this Act they must set on his head again raise him alive out of his Grave and bring him back into the House to impeach condemn decapitate them in this true High Court of Justice for this their beheading him in their Court of Highest Injustice Which Mr. Prynne presumes they dare not doe least his revived Ghost should scare them thence or justly retaliate their transcendent Treachery 4ly If any man by his will deed the King by his Commissions the Parliament by a special Act or Order shall authorize impower any 3. persons joyntly to sell lands give livery and seisin execute any Commission as Iudges Iustices Commissioners Auditors or Committees of Parliament if any one of them die both the survivors joyntly or severally can doe nothing because their authority trust was joynt not several and joyntly nor seperately to be exercised If there be not 40 Commoners in the House they cannot sit or acts as an House nor dispatch the least affair no more can any Committee of either House unless their Number be sufficient to make up a Committee as the orders and custom of Parliament appoint Therfore the Parliament of England being a Corporation compacted joyntly of the King Lords and Commons House and three estates The death of the King necessarily dissolves the Parliament notwithstanding this Act which did not alter the Parliaments Old constitution but establish it The Kings personal absence from his Parliament heretofore and of late was reputed very prejudicial to it and his calling away some Lords Great Offiâ—ers and other Members from it a high way to its present dissolution in his life Therefore it must much more be dissolved by his death and the Lords and Commons forcible seclusion both before and since it by the Army and sitting Members they having Vocem locum in quolibet Parliamento Angliae as our Law-books Statutes and their Patents resolve 5ly The principal end of calling Parliaments is to enact new and necessary Laws and alter repeal such as are ill or inconvenient as the Prologues of our printed Statutes our writs of Summons Law-books attest and all accord But no new Act of Parliament can be made nor no former Acts altered repealed but by the Kings royal assent who hath a Negative voice to deny as well as Affirmative to assent to them as well as the Lords and Commons as all our Parliaments Iudges Law-books Parliament Records Treatises of Parliaments the printed Statutes in each Kings reign more particularly the Statutes of 33 H. 8. c. 21. 1 Jac. c. 1. in the close resolve Yea both Houses acknowledged it in all contests with the late King our Kings Coronation Oaths and all our antient Saxon Kings Lawes attest it Therefore his death must needs dissolve the Parliament notwithstanding this Act because it could make no Act for its dissolution nor declare alter repeal any other Law without his royal assent There are but 2. Objections made by any sitting or secluded Members against these Reasons that his death should not dissolve the Parliament The 1. is this which the Republicans themselves formerly and now insist on That the King doth never die in judgement of Law and that there is no Interregnum because the Crown immediately descends to his right heir who by Law is forthwith King de jure and de facto before his actual Proclamation or Coronation as the Statute of 1 Iacobi ch 1. Cooks 7 Rep. f. 10 11. Calvins case and other Books resolve To which Mr. Prynne Answers 1. That this argument is but an Axe to chop off their own heads and supremacy as they did the Kings and the Objectors now sitting must either renounce their sitting acting Knacks Declaration against the late King Kingship and the House of Lords or quite disclaim the
the Ship-mony Iudges and others not new Delinquents since not then dreamed of 2ly Before publick Grievances redressed those then complained of not others arising afterwards 3ly Before a firm peace between the two Nations of England and Scotland concluded by reason of the former not subsequent breaches between them and the King 4ly Before sufficient provision to be made for the repayment of the said monies to be raised not for the Parliaments subsequent Armyes and occasions but for his Maiesties Army and people in the North the preventing the then imminent danger of this Kingdom not of our new Common-wealth or dangers since arising and for supply of other his Maiesties present not future and urgent occasions But none of these four particulars could be accomplished by the Lords or Commons alone after his Majesties death but by the King alone or by his concurrence with them whiles living Yea they were all actually accomplished in his life time long before his death The first by the Executions of Strafford and Canterbury the impeachments censures of the Shipmony-Judges and other Delinquents both in Scotland Ireland The 2d by the Acts abolishing Shipmony the taking of tonnage poundage and other Taxes without Act of Parliament the Acts for the preventing of Inconveniences happening by the long intermissions of Parliament For regulating of the Privy-Counsel taking away the Court of Star-Chamber and High-Commission against divers Incroachments and oppressions in the Stannary court For the certainty of Forests and their meets and bounds for the better ordering and regulating the Office of the Clerk of the Market for reformation of false Weights and Measures for preventtng vexatious proceedings touching the order of Knightship for the abbreviation of Michaelmas Term and for the free importation of Gunpowder and Salt-peter from forein parts and making of them in England By all these good Acts passed freely by the King soon after or before this Act he fully redressed all Grievances then complained of or intended within this Law The 3d. by the Act of Confirmation of the Treaty of pacification between the two kingdomes of England and Scotland The 4th by the several Acts passed for the Relief of his Majesties army And the Northern parts of this kingdom For the better raising and levying of Mariners and others for the present guarding of the Sea and necessary defence of the Realm not Republike For the Subsidies of Tonnage and poundage granted to the King for the speedy provision of money for disbanding the Armies and setling the peace of the two kingdoms of England and Scotland For securing such monies as are due to the Inhabitants of the Northern Counties where his Majesties Army have been billetted And for securing by publike faith the remainder of the friendly assistance and relief promised to our Brethren of Scotland all passed and published by the King himself Anno 16 17 Caroli 1640. 1641. at least 7. years before his beheading It is most certain that all these ends of making this Law as the Prologue thereof and the word THEREFORE in the Commons prayer infallibly declare were fully accomplished by the King in his life so long before his untimely death Therfore none of theÌ„ now remaining to be performed all acted â—ince their accomplishment by those now sitting being diametrically contrary to this Act these ends and occasions of it this Parliament must of necessity be beheaded expired with the King and cannot survive his death 4ly The words That this present Parliament assembled shall not be dissolved unlesse it be by Act of Parliament to be passed for that purpose nor shall at any time or times during the continuance thereof twice recited in the subsequent clauses be prorogued or adjourned unlesse it be by Act of Parliament to be passed for that purpose can be intended of no other but that present Parliament which passed this Act which consisted of The Kings Maiesty our Soveraign Lord by whom this and all other Acts passed or to be passed was declared and enacted and this intended Act likewise not of his heir or successor after his death and of the Lords and Commons House then in being not any new House of Lords or Commons succeeding after their deaths then sitting Therefore when the King was cut off by an untimely death and thereby an impossibility accruing to dissolve it by an Act of Parliament within the words or intent of this Act it must of necessity be dissolved by his beheading Impossibilities making Acts of Parliament to perform them meerly void as our Lawe makes Impossible conditions 5ly This Act and those who made it must have and had a retrospect to the Writs whereby it and they were summoned and the ends things therein expressed But they all determined and became Impossible after the Kings beheading Therefore the Parliament must be destroyed with him since cessante causa cessat effectus cessante primativo cessat derivativum as all our Lawyers Law-books and natural reason resolve 6ly The last Clause of this Act Thaâ— every thing and things whatsoever done or to be done to wit by the King or any other for the Adjournment proroguing or dissolving of this present Parliament contrary to this Act shall be utterly void and of none effect do clearly explain the meaning of this Act to be this That it extends only to things done or to be done by the Kings will and power as to his Commissions Proclamations Writs Warrants Precepts to adjourn prorogue or dissolve this Parliament as he had done others heretofore here declared to be utterly null and void not to his death wherein he was only passive being forcible against his will and the Parliaments too which death no Parliament can make null and void in respect of the Act it self so as to restore him to life though the whole Parliament and our three Kingdomes may and ought to null it in respect of the illegal manner of his Execution not to be paralel'd in any Age. 7ly The Commons themselves in their Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdom 15 Decemb. 1641. Declared That the abrupt dissolution of this Parliament is prevented by another this Bill by which it is provided it shall not be dissolved adjourned without the consent of both Houses Yea the Lords Commons in their Declaration of May 19. 1642. declare That excellent Bill for the continuance of this Parliament was so necessary that without it we could not have raised so great sums of monies for his Majesties service and Common wealth as we have done and without which the ruine and destruction of the Kingdome must needs have followed as since of the Kingdom and Parliaments too by pretext thereof And we are resolved the Gracious favour of his Majesty expressed in that Bill and the advantage and security which thereby we have from being dissolved by him shall not encourage us to do any thing which otherwise had not been fit to have done Which whether
several years to carry on that Rebellion came all over into England walked openly in the Streets and VVestminster Hall when the King was brought to his Tryal and executed by their and other Iesuites instigation and our Old Kingdom metamorphosed into a new Common-wealth That Owen Ro Oneal and all the Irish Rebels under him by Orellies perswasion entred into an offensive and defensive League with the New-Republicans against Marquesse Ormond the Lord Inchequin and Protestant party in Ireland who declared for Monarchy the Kings Title against their Republick And being withall assured by sundry persons of credit That there were many Iesuites under the habit of Souldiers listed in the Army and others of them under the disguise of Physicians Apothecaries Travellers Captains Merchants Factors Tradesmen Anabaptists Ranters Seekers Quakers and other Sectaries dispersed throughout all places to carry on and accomplish thoâ—â— dismal changes so long since predicted Projected by Father Parsons and the Iesuites Yea being further assured by an eminent Divine and others more than once from the mouth of a Noble English Lord returning from Rome about 4 years since That the Provincial of the English Jesuites when he went to see their College in Rome assured him they had then above fifteen hundred of their Society of Iesuites in England able to work in several Professions and Trades which they had there taken upon them the better to support and secure themselves from being discovered and infuse their Principles into the vulgar People That the Great Anabaptist styled The Administrator of Hexam near Newcastle in the North since removed to Colchester was lately a Papist if not a Priest or Iesuite that Ramsey the Scotish Iesuite was purposely sent ouer into England by the Pope Iesuites An. 1653. under the notion of a Iew to infuse new Notions into the Anabaptists side with them who therupon addressed himself to Paul Hobson the Anabaptist a Grand Army-preacher and this Administrators Congregation where he made a publick profession That he was a Iew by birth but was now thorowly converted to the Christian Religion by their instruction with a publick Confession of his Faith which they printed whereupon he was publickly dipped by this Administrator at Hexam and received as a Member into their Anabaptistical Church who much gloried in it till within few weeks after he was by the Maior and Ministers of Newcastle clearly discovered to be a grosse Impostor yea a Scotish Iesuite and sent up by them to London where after some restraint he was enlarged without any punishment and not long since twice boldly entred into the University Schools at Cambridge desiring conference with Mr. Smith the Hebrew Lecturer there with whom he discoursed in Hebrew professing himself to be Soul and Body for the Catholick Church of Rome That Eleazer Ben-Isaiah and his Brother Ioseph 2. Grand Jesuitical Impostors at the self-same time under the Notion of converted Iews were dipped by the Anabaptists maintaining Dipping not Sprinkling to be the only Baptisme of Iesus Christ and the Anabaptists to be the only strong and glorious Christians in their printed Book dedicated unto our new Republican Parliament Counsel of State 1653. Which Mr. Pr. soon after his inlargement froÌ„ Pendennys Castle meeting with discovered them to be gross Impostors one of them a Trooper in P. Ruports Army who after a Collection made for him as a Converted Iew at Dursty in Glostershire by Mr. Woodward on the Lords day drank sive jugges of Bear with sundry pipes of Tobacco whereby to digest his Lords day Supper and disgorge his Sermons then locking his Chamber Door in the Inne he ran to the Maid he had sent to warm his Bed and attempted to ravish her wherupon the crying out the Boy of the House being about 11 a block at night endevouring to raise the Neighbors he therupon fled from thence since which Mr. Prynne heard no more tydings of him And having â—ince that most clearly discovered to the whole Nation in his Books intituled The Quakers Vnmasked and New Discovery of Romish Emissaries printed 1655. and 1656. That the Franciscan Freers and Iesuites were the first Erectors of our new Sect of Quakers Ignatius Loyola the Jesuites Founder being first a Souldier then a Quaker next a Speaker last of all a professed Iesuit as his Disciples now are first Iesuites then Quakers Speakers Souldiers before or after That Maurice Conry an Irish Franciscan late Provincial of the English Franciscan Fryers having 15 extraordinary faculties granted him to exercise here in England as to absolve all Hereticks in England of what Nation soever to admit men into his Order To dispence with Oaths with saying Canonical Hours the Ceremonies of the Mass for keeping Heritical Books and other particulars which might discover any of them to be Freers or Papists to authorize print what Books he allowed concealing both the Name of the Author Printer place Non obstante Consilio Tridentino came over into England under the disguise of a Spanish Captain having sundry Pasports from the King of Spains Officers in the Low Countries to raise men for his service in England and Ireland where he continued during the Regency of our Republicans After which in the year 1653. he procured a pass and protection to all Officers by Sea and Land under Ol. Cromwels own hand and Seal to pass and repass about his occaâ—ions to and from Ireland all which were taken about him in Bristol 20 November 1655. and the very Originals under Seal brought to Mr. Prynne who published some of them in print yet after near two years imprisonment at Bristol upon a Habeas Corpus brought by Conry he was turned over Prisoner to Newgate to be tryed as a Popish Priest and let go thence by direction as was conceived before the Sessions and never enquired after since Mr. Prynne discovering all this and much more and being most fully assured that all the Rebellions in the Army since 1646. against the King Parliament Members and all the late Changes Revolutions of our Government ever â—ince proceeded originally from the Jesuites and Romish Agents powerfull influences upon the seduced Army-Offieers Souldiers Sectaries and Republican Members And long since taking special notice that during the Armies Republicans proceedings against the King in hammering out their new Common-wealth all the most eminent zealous religious Members of the Commons House most opposite to Jesuites Papists Popery were totally secluded secured by the Army and their Votes Protestations Advices with the Addresses Disswasions of all the Godly Ministers of London and other parts yea VVilliam Sedgwicks their own Chaplains totally rejected with highest contempt and the Counsels of the most desperate Jesuites and popish Agents flocking to London from all forein parts and walking freely in the Streets whiles the Members were under strictest restraints vigorously pursued So all their subsequent Actions demonstrated to him and all considerate Protestants whose Creature their New Republick
them under intollerable Taxes Tributes and Iron-yokes of armed Governors Garrisons still continued amongst them to our cost destroyed their presbyterial and civil Government and for an everlasting Monument of this their barbarous unbrotherly kindnesse and gratitude towards them for their former assistances not only kept Solemn publick Thanksgiving-Dayes throughout their Republicke for their Slaughters of and Victories over them but hanged up all their Ensigns in Westminster Hall and transported all their Records close prisoners to the Tower of London where they yet continue 8ly They instigated the Dutch to set aside the Prince of Orange his Family and put them out of the superiour Commands places of Trust they formerly merited and enjoyed out of malice to the beheaded Kings Progeny mutined the States against each other and then entred into a most costly bloody dangerous unchristian War with those our old Protestant Friends and Allyes continuing all their Regency to the losse of many thousands of gallant Protestants lives the ruine of sundry Familyes the great weakning impoverishing of both Nations the scandal detriment of the Protestant Religion the griefs of all forein Protestant Churches the great joy and advantage of both our prosessed Popish Adversaries and King of Spain especially who long since designed both our ruines by these very practises prescribed to him by Campanella in direct words as those who please may read at large in his Book De Monarchia Hispanica c. 25. 27. 9ly They freely permitted if not encouraged all their Republican Government Diurnallists in their News-Books and those scurrilous grosse Impostors Lilly Culpepper and other Prognosticators in their Almanacks besides sundry other Scriblers insufferably to revile and rayle against our Oxthodox Godly Protestant Ministers especially Presbyterians to prophecy their downfull extirpation execution banishment the utter ruine of them their Tithes Glebes Presbytery to incense both Souldiers and people to disown their Ministry detain their Tithes revile abuse their persons as being worse than any Priests Iesuites and greater Enemies Traytors to their Republick than they who readily complyed with it as a Child of their own begetting Xly. They permitted many thousands of Popish Primers and other Books to be freely imported and above thirty thousand Popish and Atheistical pamphlets of all sorts against our Church Religion Ministers to be printed and vended in England without controll as the London-Stationers moved out of Conscience declared and published to them in their Beacon fired 1652. and Scintilla which Book was presently answered by the Beacon quenched subscribed by Colonel Pride the new Faux and other Army-Officers though writ by a Iesuite as Mr. Prynne was credibly informed and presented to those then sitting at Westminster erecting them against the Stationers and their Beacon fired as a New Gunpowder-plot to blow up the Army Parliament and New Common wealth though a true honest harmlesse pious timely Discovery of the Papists and Iesuites designs to blow up our Religion Church Ministry Amongst other popish Books then printed Mr. Prynne met with one as far as Pendennis Castle in Folio inittuled The Holy Court written by Edmund Causin a Iesuite translated into English by Iesuites dedicated to our Queen Mary and the Dutchesse of Buckingham printed in London by William Bentley 1650. and sold by Iohn Williams in Pauls Church-yard as the Title page attests having the Iesuits Badge and S. I. Societatis Iesu in Capitals printed in its front In which Folio Book consisting of divers Tomes Tom. 1. p. 30 to 38.63 64 68 74 75. Tom. 2. p. 168. Tom. 3.425 to 430 461 462. Tom 5.173 174.304 to 319. and other pages The Popes Supremacy prayer to Saints and Angels Purgatory Masse Transubstantiation and all other points of grossest popery were not only maintained assered but our very Protestant Religion branded for Heresy our late Queen Elizabeth our Ministers and all other Professors of it reviled censured for damnable Heretiques as Mr. Prynne then observed 11ly Themselves in divers of their printed Declarations Knacks and their Instruments in sundry Books as Iohn Goodwin Markham Needham Melton and others justified maintained the very highest worst treasonablest execrablest of all Popish and Jesuitical Unchristian tenents practiseâ— Treasons as the murdering of Christian Protestant Kings under the notion of Tyrants the blowing up of Parliaments the subverting of Kingdoms the altering of all setled Laws Governments the forcible usurpation of others Crowns Honors Officers Estates without Right or Title by force murder treachery the breach of dispensation with absolution from all sacred Oaths Leagues Covenants Promises Contraâ—â—s rebellion against all lawfull Superiours and the open Violation of the 5 6 8 9 10. moral Commands of God himself under the pretences of publick Iustice Necessity Self-preservation Reformation Religion publick good safety advancement of the Gospel and Kingdom of Iesus Christ repayed with their own ejection 12ly They closed in an offensive and defensive League with Owen Ro Oncal and the popish Irish bloody Rebels against Marquesse Ormond Inchequin and the Protestant party there who had been the Parliaments chief Generals and Officers against the Rebels in opposition to Monarchy and when to couler the odium of it Col. Monke was questioned in the House for making this League with them as done without their privity and one of them moved That he might be committed for it to the Tower that famous Saint Henry Martin stood up and retorted That he desired the Tower might be rather committed unto him for this good service What high places of trust by Sea and Land he hath been advanced to since for this service is very well known whereas Marquesse Ormond the Lord Inchequin and other Protestants in Ireland who faithfully served the Parliament against the Irish Rebels and bare the brunt of the first wars against them were yet the very first persons excepted in their printed Catalogues and News-Books from all manner of pardon or composition either for their Lives or Estates and are quite stript of all their Lands in Ireland out of odium unto Monarchy the Kings posterity And all this to advance the Protestant Religion and Christs Kingdom by and under their New Jesuitical Republick the quite contrary way These 12. particulars like so many true good honest sworn Grand-Iury-men impanelled by Mr. Prynne out of mere zeal to his native Countryes Church Religions preservation will give in a true impartial verdict whose proper child our New Commonwealth whose Instruments the Guardians of it but Goalors of all our liberties under it have been and now are again and whose works they do He shall subjoyn a few sad Observations of like nature during their Infant Republicks second wardship under their late Protector to promote the Protestant Cause and Religion 1. His making peace with the Hollander after he had dismounted the Republican Grandees to set up himself in their places was in it self a Christian pious prudent and commendable Act beneficial to both Nations But if the principle
against the Earl of Strafford printed by the Commons house special Order p. 64. In this I shall not labour to prove That the endeavouring By Words Counsels and Actions to subvert the fundamental Lawes and Government of the Kingdom is Treason by the Common Law If there be any Common Law Treasons left nothing Treason if this be not to make a Kingdom no Kingdom And then consider Sir Edward Cooks memorable Observation published by the Commons Order 3 Instit. c. 2. p. 35 36. It appeareth in the holy Scripture That TRAYTORS never prospered what good soever they pretended but were most severely and exemplarily punished in conclusion which he proves by the examples of Corah Dathan and Abiram Num. 16.31 32. c. 27. 3. Athaliah 2 Kings 1.1.16 Bigthan and Teresh Esth. 2.21.23 c. 6.2 Absolom 2 Sam. 18.9.14 Abiathar 1 King 2.26 27. Shimei 2 Sam. 6.5 6. 1 Kings 2.8.46 Zimri 1 Kings 16 9.18 Theudas Acts 5.36 37. and Iudas Iscariot the Traytor of Traytors Acts 1.18 Mat. 27.5 Peruse over all our Books Records Hisâ—ories and you shall finde a principle in Law a rule in Reason and a trial in experience That Treason doth ever produce fatal and final destruction to the Offender and never attaineth to the desired end two incidents inseparable thereunto And therefore let all men abandon it as the most poisonous Bait of the Devil of Hell and follow the precept in holy scripture Fear God honor the King and have no company with the Seditious Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum So he Now because Mâ— P. finds some Grandees of his own Profession sitting in the House to countenance and make up this Vnparliamentary Iuncto he shall desire them in the first place seriously to consider how much they have formerly and now again dishonoured themselves and the whole profession of the Law in sitting in complying with acting under such illegal Anti-Parliamentary Conventicles Powers Changes Changers yea crying them up for legal English Parliaments Powers obeying executing all their illegal new Knacks Orders Ordinances as Acts of Parliament in civil criminal real or personal Causes against all Records Law-books Presidents of former Ages their own Judgments Oaths Science Consciences to the intollerable scandal of their Robe the injurie abuse of the whole Nation the prejudice of all their lawfull Superiours and the Publick the encouragement of usurping Traytors Tyrants Oppressors in their waies of wickedness the ill example of most others and their own just reproach 2ly To observe How God in his retaliating Justice hath recompensed this their wilfull prevarication upon their own heads by turning many of them out of their respective places of Judicature honor profit the ground of this their sinfull complyance with infamy dishonour reproach even by the very Persons with whom they unworthily complyed and those especially in present power who had neither been an House of Commons much lesse a mock Parliament without their presence and complyance 3ly That the base unworthy unchristian complyance of the Lawyers and Clergy of England with our late trayterous Innovators Usurpers out of base fear sordid covetousnesse ambition self-saving or self-seeking to the prejudice ruine of King Kingdom Parliament Lords Law hath brought an universal odium upon them with those with whom they most complyed as well as others the Army Officers and present Iuncto under a pretext of Reformation designing both their ruines through the Jesuites Politicks who now bear greatest sway having turned many of them with scorn and contempt out of their former places of Judicature beyond their expectations and reviled both their persons and professions to their faces as a Generation of sordid Temporizers and useless faithless persons not fit to be entrusted any more but discarded out of their new lawlesse Republick which hates both Law and Gospel as warranted by neither and repugnant unto both 4ly That the only way now to regain their lost Honour and preserve both our Laws Liberties Religion establish future peace settlement and prevent impendent ruine is to endeavour to restore our antient hereditary just legal Kingship Kings Governors Government with all their necessary invaded Prerogatives Lands Revenues Rights Jurisdictions and inviolably to preserve them with their lives and estates against all conspiracies of Popes Jesuits and foreign enemies to subvert and undermine them in any kind as the several memorable Parliaments and Statutes of 29 H. 6. c. 1.31 H. 6. c. 1.39 H. 6. c. 1.25 H. 8. c. 22.2 E. 6. c. 26.7 E. 6. c. 12. 1 Eliz. c. 3.4.20 5 Eliz. c. 1.29.30 1 Eliz. c. 1.2 23.24 18 Eliz. c. 21.22 23 Eliz. c. 1.13.14 27 Eliz. c. 1.2.28.21 29 Eliz. c. 7 8. 31 Eliz. c. 14 15. 35 Eliz. c. 2.12 13.39 Eliz. c. 26 27. 43 Eliz c. 17 18. 1 Jac. c. 1. 3 Jac. c. 1 2 4 5 25 26. 7 Jac. 6 22 23. 21 Jac. c. 32 33. 3 Car. c. 5 6. in their respective preambles and bodies worthy our most serious review in the Statutes at large resolve being more to be credited pursued than all the rash Jesuitical suggestions votes and inconsiderable resolutions of any unparliamentarie Conventicle or upstart Pseudo-Polititians advancing themselves to the helm of our new Republick by colour of the Statute of 17 Car. 7. Which Bill by the Commons House resolution in their Remonstrance of 15 Dec. 1641. seems to be some restraint of the Regal power in dissolving of Parliaments not to take it out of the Crown but to suspend the execution of it for the time and occasion only which was so necessary for the Kings own security and the Publick peace that without it they could not have undertaken any of those great things but must have left both the Armies to disorder and confusion and the whole Kingdome to blood and rapine Therefore the Parliament must needs determine by the Kings death as he hath infalliby evidenced beyond contradiction In the last place Mr. Prynne shall most importunately beseech all the antient Nobility secluded Members well-affected Gentry Clergy Commonalty of the English Nation which had never so many effeminate false heads and hearts as now many Jesuite Priest Monk lurking under the disguise of womanish Perewigges brought into fashion by them as they now tender their own private or the publick safety weal settlement and preservation of our endangered Church Religion Kingdom Parliament Laws Privileges Properties and prevention of their impendent ruine First of all seriously to consider lament cast off reform their own late present monstrous sottish stupidity sleepinesse self saving self-seeking Spirits and most unworthy un-manly un English unchristian pusillanimity cowardize fear of a few contemptible Mercinary mortal men who shall shortly dye and become as dung upon the earth and their grosse breach of all publick Oaths Protestations Leagues Covenants in not opposing resisting them manfully in their several places and callings Which hath been the principal cause of all the publick Changes Innovations Oppressions Grievances
Exorbitances Insolencies they have hitherto suffered by their own armed hirelings and are the saddest symptomes of our approaching imminent desolation if not speedily repented redressed ere it be over late 2ly To pursue these Gospel advises 1 Cor. 16.13 Watch ye stand fast in the Faith quit ye like men be strong Gal. 5.1 Phil. 1.27 28. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free and be not intangled again with the yoke of Bondage in one Spirit striving together with one mind for the Faith of the Gospel the fundamental Laws Liberties Government Privileges of the Nation And in nothing terrified by your Adversaries which will be to them an evident token of perdition but to you of salvation and that of God 3ly Do you all now publickly resolutely constantly unanimously according to the tenor of the Solemn League and Covenant claim assert vindicate and endeavour to preserve with your Lives and Fortunes the Reformed Religion Worship Doctrine of the Churches the Rights and Privileges of the Parliaments the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland and the Kings Majesties Person Authority and Posterity in the defence and reformation of the true Religion and Liberties of these Kingdoms And with all faithfulnesse endeavour the discovery of all such as have been are or shall be Incendiaries Malignants or evil Instruments by hindring the Reformation of Religion dividing the King from his People or one of the Kingdoms from the other making any factions or parties among the People contrary to this League and Covenant that they may be brought to publick Tryal and receive condign punishment assisting defending each other in the maintenance and pursuit thereof without any division withdrawing defection or detestable indifferency or neutrality whatever For which end in a brotherly friendly christian yet stout and resolute manner demand publickly of the General Counsel of Army Officers and their Westminster Conventicle 1. By what lawfull Commission Authority or Warrant from God our Laws or the generality of the people of England whom they have voted the Supream Authority and whose Servants they pretend themselves they have formerly and now again forcibly secluded the whole House of Lords and Majority of the Commons House from sitting in our Parliamentary Counsels or the Old Parliament if yet in being and made themselves not only a Commons house but absolute Parliament without a King or them contrary to the very Letter scope of the Act of 17 Car. c. 7. by which they pretend to sit 2ly By what Authority they presume to turn our most antient glorious famous honourable first Christian Kingdom into an infant base ignoble contemptible Sectarian Free-State or Commonwealth and disinherit our hereditary Kings and their Posterity against all our Laws Statutes Declarations Remonstrances Oaths Vows Protestations Leagues Covenants Customs Prescription time out of minde Liturgies Collects Canons Articles Homiliâ—s Records Writs Writers and their own manifold obligations to the contrary for their inviolable defenâ—e support and preservation only in pursuit of the Jesuites Popes Spaniards and French-Cardinals forecited plots And who gave you this Authority The rather because the whole English-Nation and High Court of Parliament wherein the whole Body of the Realm is and every particular Member thereof either in person or representation by their own Free-elections are deemed to be present by the Laws of the Realm did by an expresse Act 1 Iacobi c. 1. worthy most serious consideration with all possible publick joy and acclamation from the bottom of their heart recognize and acknowledg as being thereunto obliged both by the Laws of God and Man that the imperial Crown of this Realm with all the Kingdoms Dominions and Rights belonging to them immediately after the death of Queen Elizabeth did by inherent birth-right and lawfull and undoubted Succession descend come to King Iames as next and sols Heir of the Blood Royal of this Realm And therunto by this publick Act oâ— Parliament to remain to all Posterity they did humbly and faithfully submit and oblige themselves their Heirs and Posterity for ever untill the last drop of their bloods be spent as the First fruits of this High Court of Parliament and the whole Nations Loyalty and Faith to his Majesty and his Royal Posterity for ever upon the bended knees of their hearts agnizing their most constant Faith Obedience and Loyalty to his Majesty and his Royal Posterity for ever After which the whole English Nation and all Parliaments Members of the Commons House ever since and particularly all Members of the Parliament of 16 Caroli continued by the Statute of 17 Car. c. 7. pretended to be still in being did by their respective Oaths of Allegiance Fealty Homage and Supremacy containing only such Duty as every true and well-affected Subject not only by his duty of Allegiance but also by the comâ—â—mandement of Almighty God ought to bear to his Majesty his Heirs and Successors as the Parliament and Statute of 7 Iac. c. 6. declares joyntly and severally oblige themselves To bear Faith and true Allegiance not only to his Majesty but his Heirs and Successors and him and them to defend to the uttermost of their power against all Attempts and conspiracies whatsoever which shall be made against his or their Persons their Crown and Dignity or any of them and to maintain all Iurisdictions Preheminences Authorityes justly belonging united or annexed to the Imperial Crowu of this Realm Which all Members of the long Parl. those now sitting ratified not only by hundreds of printed Declarations Remonstrances Ordinances but likewise by a Religious Protestation Vow and Solemn National League and Covenant publickly sworn and subscribed with all their hands in the presence of God himself and by all the well-affected in these three Kingdoms but by all our ordinary publick Liturgies Collects Directory Articles Homilies Prayers before Sermons in all or most of their Families Closet-Prayers yea Graces before and after meaâ— wherein they constantly prayed to God according to the practise of the Saints in the Old and new Testaments the Primitive Church of God and Heathen Nations of the Church Parliaments of England themselves in all Ageâ— not only for the health life wealth safety prosperity preservation salvation of our Kings and their Realms but likewise of their Royal Issue and Posterity That there might not want a man of that Race to sway the Scepter of these Realm so long as the Sun and Moon shall endure or to the like effect And if they cannot sufficientlie satisfie your judgements consciences in this particular nor answer the precedent reasons in defence of our hereditary Kings Kingship against their Vtopian Republick Then take up the peremptory resolution of all the Elders and Tribes of Israel when oppressed by Samuels Sonnes Mis-Government turning aside after filthy lucre and perverting Iudgement 1 Sam. 8. and say resolutely to them We will have no New Common-wealth nor Vnparliamentary Conventicle to rule