Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
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B08903
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A declaration to the subjects of England and Wales
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Charles I, King of England, 1600-1649.; England and Wales. Parliament.
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1642
(1642)
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Wing D800B; ESTC R176690
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4,619
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6
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A Declaration to the Subjects of ENGLAND and VVALES FOrasmuch as it appeares that in all places in pulpits discourses and otherwise the friends to the Popish party have and do daily indeavour to stir up a most ingratefull and unworthy disrespect unto the Parliament there are therefore these considerations presenting themselves to every mans view and for the most part evident in the Parliaments own Remonstrances and Declarations 1 That men would consider when it pleased God after many Petitions of the people to grant this Parliament what were the complaints of the whole Kingdome in matters both of Church and State and the miserable oppressions of mens consciences and properties 2 Consider what the Parliament hath done with great difficulties to accommodate the desires of the people in this behalf in suppressing the power of tyrants over mens consciences in taking away all scandalous and superstitious innovations in granting libetty to all Parishes to chuse Lecturers in opening the mouths of godly Ministers in taking away the Prelates Courts how some delinquents have been punished and others detected evill Ministers of Justice are partly removed Ship-money Coat and Conduct-moneys Patents almost for every thing to the daily draining and oppressing of the subject are all taken away and consider also whether any one thing hath been done by them which doth not in tuitu proprio look at the future peace and benefit of this Kingdome 3. Consider whether if this present Parliament should unhappily be discountenanced discouraged or dissolved which God forbid we should ever hrve the like or any or if by vertue of the act for the trienniall Parliament there should be another whether any man bearing good will to the Common-wealth being chosen would be encouraged thereunto and so either we should have none at all or if any such an one which instead of a remedy should be an in-let of all misery into th◠〈…〉 4 Consider how Kingdoms abroad in the world are governed without Parliaments where Voluntas Regis is lex populi the pleasure of the King is the rule of the Kingdome and the precipitancie of this Kingdom also before this Parliament into all oppression and miserie through the deceitfull suggestions and insinuations of wicked Counsell about his Majestie and whether we are not looked upon as the envie of other kingdomes by vertue of this onely inheritance of ours 5 Consider into what misery bloud and distraction we had plunged our selves two yeers since the two nations of England and Scotland imbruing themselves and weltring in one anothers bloud had not the wisdome of the Parliament then present consisting for the most part of the same Members as this doth denyed the levying of moneys for the maintaining of that war which should ever make us thankfull and mindfull of a Parliaments benefit 6 Consider that whereas the Protestant Profession and the Subjects liberty is pretended in all things what good intent either can or could there be to the one or to the other either in those former differences between us and our brethren the Scots or the present divisions in this kingdome when Papists and popish persons were then the chief Commanders for the most part in the English Armies and now Papists popish persons and Atheists whose continuall assertions are wounds and bloud and God damne me or heavens damne me if we be not revenged upon these Roundheads a nick-name questionlesse originally sprung up from some block-head having neither wit nor reason in it these are the main abettors provokers projectors and actors in these division whether these aim at the Protestant Religion whatever they call the Protestant profession except it be popery in all things supremacy only excepted the subiects liberty let the meanest capacity iudge 7 Consider what tampering there hath been these two or three years to raise up civill wars amongst us in the three Kingdoms First between us and the Scots next in Ireland and whether the same spirit that worketh so hot in Ireland had no factors in Scotland and amongst us in England let all them that have the right faculty of discerning iudge and whether they that indeavour to raise up civill wars in a kingdome can aim at the good of that kingdome let every man than hath not lost the use of reason determine 8 Consider what unheard of misery barbarous cruelty savage inhumanity is exercised upon the poor Protestants in Ireland by that bloudy popish party let those iudge and consider who either have or will read the Irish Remonstrance and observe how these distractions at home occasioned by the unhappy division and distance of His Maiesty from his Parliament incourage the rebels and hinder the Protestant Cause there whereas a happy concurrence between the King and Parliament might in an ordinary way through Gods blessing have subdued those wicked rebels long since 9 Confider what reproach scandall and scorn we shall bring upon our whole nation and posterity for ever if we should chuse a Parliament and because they wil not suffer us to be made slaves even for their faithfulnesse and love unto us when happily their own particular safety and personall preferment might be better advantaged if they should desert us for this we should rise against them and contend for an Iron yoake of perpetual bondage and misery and whether God may not in displeasure give us up hereunto who shall so lightly esteeme and so foolishly improve that oportunity which he hath put into our hands and if our posterity will not curse the time that it entred into our heart so to do 10. Consider how it can stand with our protestation to take up Arms against the whole Body of the Kingdome represented in the Parliament and the Lawes of the Land which we are all bound by oath to stand to to the utmost of our lives liberties and estates and wherein the honour and preservation both of King Kingdome doth consist and which of those do breake their oath either those that pretending the Kings prerogative take up Armes against the whole Kingdome represented in the Parliament or those that shall endeavour to suppresse such a malignant party The King himselfe having alwaies protested that for his part taking God to witnesse he desireth nothing more then the peace and prosperity of Religion and Kingdome 11. Consider whereas Lawes and Statutes are pretended as if the Parliament should do many things illegally even against the King with this suggestion that then its high time for the Subjects to look to their properties and liberties whether are to be believed what is law either that party that shall affirme this or that to be law and will nor appeare to maintain their assertious the King professing himselfe to be no Lawyer many of his affirmations being the misinformations of others or the makers of new and interpreters of the old Laws who have all the Judges and chiefest Lawyers in the Land to advise withall taking this with us that Salus populi est suprema
lex and whether both the Law of the Land and the good of the subject was not pretended in all the Patents granted as appeares in the severall Proclamations for the same purpose yea and in the high Commission and Star-chamber Courts and if it were so let the whole kingdome judge 12 Consider whether all the wholsome Laws benefits and liberties of the subject this day have not been the birth fruits of Parliaments and whether the Parliament hath not always been the Sanctuary and refuge for all that have been unjustly oppressed and abused and what remedy could be had by any other appeales whatsoever when through the corruption of evill Ministers of Justice the strength of a mans purse rather then the righteousnesse of his cause hath always been the bonum omen the certain promising token of good successe consider therefore whether by deserting the Parliament we do not go about to stop yea to dry up all the springs of our legall Priviledges having had such long and happy experiences of the benefits thereof and whether it ever entred into the hearts of any of our Predecessours excepting the Papists to do the least injury to Parliaments Whereas it is objected against the Parliament that under pretence of the danger of forraign and domestick enemies they take up arms against the King endeavour to destroy the lawes of the land and religion amongst us consider whether that these and greater then these aspersions were not cast upon the Scots no man durst affirm the contrary and yet when things came legally to be debated all proved otherwise and his Majesty himselfe did acknowledge the contrary And consider whether it is not now to be doubted that the same fire brands of combustion amongst us now be not those that were formerly between us and our neighbour Nation and whether they be not the same Designes of confusion of both Nations still altering the Method beginning in England now with hopes to end in Scotland whereas they formerly begun there with purposes to end here Lastly consider whether there be not a threefold ground of the proceedings against the Parliament according to the threefold condition of â—he chiefe actors in these divisions viz. 1. The Papists perceive that the Parliament making progresse according to their beginnings will take away their hopes of enjoying their Antichristian Religion amongst us therefore it stands upon them now to adventure upon any designe for now or never mbst the Pope up or down in this Kingdome and indeed if men could conceive it the quarrel is whether Michael or the Dragon Christ or the Pope should get safest footing in this Kingdome Let any seeing man looke backe and compare the time past with time present and let him give his judgement in this point whether Popery hath not been the mark they aymed at 2. For the depending Gentlemen these also know that if the Parliamenent proceed they shall not onely be exposed to the Justice of their former demerits but also loose the hopes of any future favour or practise being conscious to themselves of ever becoming honest men who from the beginning of their preferment have cashier'd out of their hearts the feare of God a good Conscience and the day of Judgement therefore they must either run beyond the Seas or bend their endeavours to roote up this Prrliament 3. The Cavaliers whose Lands estates are above in the Aire who make great Brags of their desperate attempts when their greatest danger of drowning hath been in an Ale-Tub yet they know that it is best fishing in troubled waters and that England is full of rich Booties and therefore they cannot forbeare their prey till oportunity serves their turne who are are all for the present as for the other world they have passed the dreadfull sentence of God damne me these three sorts are the leaders and provokers of a party against the Parliament As for those noblemen whose absence from the Parliament is an incouragement to this Malignant party if they come under the ranks of Popish and Dependant their practises is a pregnant testimony of what hath been said of those two sorts namely that their Designe is to root up the Parliament least the Parliament should root out them but if they be not under these ranks either their ingenuity is to labour to make a a pacification and to make up thh breach between his Maiesty and the Parliament or else their Nobility is mero titulo little Noble Blood runnes in their veines and Heathens may throw stones at them whose progenitors have been rendred famous by their Heroicke Acts for their Countries care From all these Considerations this may be well inferred being necessary for our present observation That if ever we would improve our selves for God the King the Kingdome lives lawes and liberties our selves and poore Posteritie if we would not see our yet flourishing Cities made ruinous heapes our peace and plenty turned into bloud and Famine our dearest Wives ravished before our faces our tender Childrens braines dash't against the stones our mutuall trading turned into violence and robbery our sweet enjoyments of all relations unto murders rapes cruelties upon them â—ll If wee have any love to the Gospell of Life that the Aâ—ke of God may not depart and misery come upon us Let every man in his station study peace and endeavour all meanes of pacification abhorring the very thoughts of ever taking up Arms against either King or Parliament but to the utmost of our powers setting our selves against the Incendiaries between them both that the Peace of God and the God of Peace may still rule in the mid'st of us that we render not our selves the mocking stock of Nations by doing that our selves which the politicke mallice neither of our Forraign nor Domesticke Enemies in all these fourescore yeares could effect whereby wee shall revive the power of our former oppressors and our ruin shall be unto after ages the everlasting shamefull monuments of our blindnesse and folly that wee should rise up like unnaturall Children and cut the throate of our owne Mother Nation That wee should love bondage rather then liberty all Nations Countries and People will sport at our misery if we shall thus betray our selves then shall our reeling and tottering Kâ—ngdome fall and none shall lend a hand to support it It now pants for breath travailing with the peace plenty security Religion Lawes Liberties and comforts thereof and therefore let every man that desireth a blessing on the King and Kingdome pray for the peace of Jerusalem FINIS