world nor receiving the least reward for all his faithfull publick services nor recompence for his manifold losses sufferings expences for the Publick to whom he hath ever been a faithfull unmercinarie Servant is in good hopes that the serious perusal of the premises will convince the Good Old Cause now cryed up to be a cheat of the Iesuites put upon the Army as Hugh Peters apprehends stiles it in his Letter the 10th of this May to a chief Officer of the Army and also wipe of all the Mis-reports Scandals Reproaches Censures yea acquit him from the heavy charge of Sedition Mutiny Treason against the Infant House and Republick cast upon him for his actions or discourses here related by those who are reallie guiltie of these Crimes in the highest degree by subverting our antient Kings Kingdomes Kingship Parliaments Peers Privileges Laws Liberties Properties Oaths by their Iesuitical plots and innovations and making a prey of all the publick wealth Lands Revenues of the Crown to enrich themselves and maintain a seditious Army utterly to devour the small Remainder of our publick and private wealth almost drained to the dregs and betray us into the hands of our forein Enemies when they have left us neither hearts hands wills mony nor means manfully to resist their invading power and reduced us to that slavery as rather to live under any forein Tyrannie than an oppressing Sword of their own domineering Hirelings As for the thing they stile Sedition it is but seorsum itio when a few confederated Innovators shall seperate themselves from the General body or Assembly of the Kingdom Chuch Parliament House whereof they are Members and act a part by themselves as a divided Republick Church Parliament House without and against the Generalitie and true lawfull Members and seperate them from their company And if this be truth as our Statutes Lawbooks Casuists Canonists and Historians accord we shall know in whose Hearts House Sedition truly dwells And if Aristotle Aquinas Angelus de Clavasio and sundâ—y others who write of Sedition may be credited He who disturbs the Rule or Government of any unlawfull Vsurper is no seditious Person because such a usurped Government or Power is not ordained for the commoâ— good whatever pretended but for the private advantage of the Usurper Therefore the disturbance of such a Vsurper hath not the reason of Sâ—dicion yea it is to be commended because it freeth the Generality of the People from a Tyrannical Power usurped over or forcibly imposed on them against their wills and it is the â—surping Tyrant only who truely is seditious as they all define in direct words And whether Mr. Prynne and other secluded Members and Lords being â—ive times their number or those who seclude them be seditious let the whole Kingdome resolve Mr. Prynne not knowing whether he shall have the like opportunity again shall for a Conclusion of this Narrative addresse himself and direct some things he intended to have spoken 1. To the Army-Officers and Souldiers Remember I beseech you in the bowels of Jesus Christ what your own Army-Chaplain Iohn Sedgewick in his Iustice upon the Armies Remonstrance from St. Albons Nov. 16. 1648. and Rebukes of that evil Spirit that leads them in their Counsels and Actions hath written to them therein and to the Lord Fairfax then General and the General Counsel of war in his Epistle Dedicatorie to them when they first espoused their present Good Old Cause His words are home and piercing Destruction you practise it is your work it is your end you cannot see beyond it and you are hastning to it it is the center to which you tend and therefore I cannot but shew it to you that you may stay your course before the pit shut her mouth upon you You are full of glorie in the great things you have done wonderfull thing a mighty presence of God But in sum what is it You have torn a poor sinfull Kingdom in pieces you have executed wrath upon your Brethren Friends and Countrymen you have laid desolate your Father the King the Parliament your Mother your own Country This is your glorie to be Executioners Assyria the Rod of mine Anger what a Crown is this Have you restored blessed healed comforted saved any No You have but plunged the Kindome and your selves into a Pit of Darknesse and Confusion You drive furiously over the King Parliament Laws Conscience Loyalty Privileges so as no human nor sacred thing can stand before you It is high time to withstand you for it is not men onlie that suffer from you but the Lord Your Sword goeth so deep that it pierceth through his Soul also You are gone is farre in dissolving the Foundations of Government that you are come to him who upholds the Pillars of the earth you reach to the head of Principalities and Powers to the Lord who is the Author and Upholder of all these things He is in these despised broken Ordinances of his and sensible of everie blow that is given to them You have digged through the wall of Flesh and men and through the partition wall that divided them from God and now you are in the bowels of the Lord these miserable broken Powers are now the Lord. Go on tear and rend you will at last look upon him whom you have pierced and mourn O that you would now do so in good earnest as you pretend only in your Declaration of May 6. 1659. and yet go on still in your former Trespasses for which God will wound your hairy Scalps O consider that Jesus Christ whose Servants ye pretend to be is both a King of Glory a King of Saints That the Gospel you professe is the Gospel of the Kingdom not Republick yea the Kingdom of God and of Heaven in Gospel-language That his Church whereof you pretend your sâ—lf Members is frequently styled a Kingdom never a Common-wealth or at least bnt once and that not in opposition or contradistinction to a Kingdom which is the first excellentest of all Common-wealths as Heathen Philosophers Polititians and Devines accord but as the verie same with it That the Saints themselves are styled the Children of the Kingdom not Republick Companions in the Kingdom of Christ even in this world yea a Kingdom of Priests a Royal Priesthood Nay Kings and Priests to God the Father and that by Christs own constitution Consider yet further that Heaven it self into which you expect at last to enter is ever stiled the Kingdom of Heaven an heavenlie and everlasting Kingdom a Kingdom which cannot be moved a Kingdom which shall have no end never a Common-wealth That in this Kingdom we read of nothing but Crowns Scepters Thrones Robes of Glory and Majesty and of reigning in it for ever and ever That Christ himself hath promised appointed and his Father given to all his Saints the
A true and perfect NARRATIVE OF What was acted spoken by Mr. Prynne other formerly and freshly secluded Members the Army-Officers and some now sitting in the Lobby House elsewhere the 7th and 9th of May last The grounds inducing Mr. Pr. to go into the House The Evidences Reasons by which he intended to demonstrate to them That their New-Common Wealth or Good Old Cause was originally projected by the Iesuites and other forein Popish Enemies erected by the Army Officers and those now convened as their seduced Instruments to destroy our Protestant Religion Church King Kingdoms Parliaments Laws Liberties with the visible effects thereof since its erection That the Old Parliament was absolutely dissolved by the Kings beheading notwithstanding 17 Car. c. 7. That the Commons sitting since 1648. and now neither are nor can be the House of Commons much lesse the Parliament within that Act. That our hereditary Monarchy is the divinest best happyest durablest of all other Governments and its speedy restitution the only means to prevent impendent ruine and restore our Pristine Peace Safety Honour Vnity Prosperity both in Church and State With some seasonable Applications to the Army the sitting secluded Members Lords and all Well wishers to the Publick By WILLIAM PRYNNE Esq a Bencher of Lincolns Inne Printed and published to rectifie the various Reports Censures of this Action to give publick satisfaction to all Members of the Old Parliament the whole English Nation especially those Vianders and free Burgesses of the Borough of Newport in Cornwall who without Mr. P. his Privity or liking unanimously elected him for their Burgesse Anno 1648. though soon after forcibly secluded secured and now twice re-secluded in like manner by the Army-Officers Of his sincere Endeavours to the uttermost of his power to preserve OUR RELIGION fundamental LAWS LIBERTIES GOVERNMENT the Essential Rights Privileges Freedom of Parliament and all we yet enjoy according to his Oaths Covenant Trust as a Parliament-Member against the utter Subverters of them by a NEW REPUBLICK meer armed force arbitrary will and tyrannical power through the apparent Plots Seductions of our professed forein Popish Adversaries and their Instruments here clearly detected in their native Colours fruits Psal. 3.6 I will not be afraid of ten Thousands of men who have set themselves against me round about Psal. 27.3 Though an Host should encamp against me my heart shall not fear though war should rise against me in this will I be confident London Printed for Edw. Thomas at the Adam and Eve in Little Britaine 1659. A true and full Narrative of what was done and spoken by and between Mr. Prynne other secluded Members Army Officers c. ON the 7th day of this instant May Mr. Prynne walking to Westminster Hall where he had not been six daies before meeting with some old secured and secluded Members of Parliament summoned by King Charles his Writ and Authority for these only ends expressed in all writs of Summons to the Lords and of Elections issued to Sheriffs of Counties for electing Knights Citizens and Burgesses of Parliament and in the Indentures themselves by which they were retorned Members To confer and treat of certain great and ardâ—ous affairs concerning the defence of the King Kingdom and Church of England and to do and consent to those things which shall happen to be therein ordained by Common counsel of the King Lords and Commons touching the aforesaid businesses which Parliament began at Westminster the third day of November 1640. They shewed him a Declaration of the Officers and Counsel of the Army made in such hast and confusion that they mistook the Month wherein they made it dating it April 6. instead of May 6. published by them that morning which Declaration the day before was presented to the Speaker of the said Parliament at the Rolls by divers Officers of the Army in the name of Col Fleetwood and the Counsel of Officers of the Army in presence of many Members of the said Parliament containing their earnest desire That those Members who continued to sit since the year 1648. untill the 20 th of April 1653. would return to the exercise and discharge of their trust expressed in the foresaid Writs and Indentures alone by those who impowred elected entrusted them as their Representativs without any other forged new trust whatsoever inconsistent with or repugnant to it Promising their readiness in their places as became them to yield their utmost Assistance to them to sit in safety for improving the present opportunity for setling and securing the peace and freedom of this Common-wealth praying for the presence and blessing of God upon their endeavours who after they had sate many years in performance of the trust reposed in them by the people and being in the prosecution of that Duty assembled in Parliament at Westminster upon the 20 th day of April 1653. were then interrupted and forced out of the House from that time untill this very day Of which force they seemed in this Declaration unfeinedly to repent by an actual restitution of the Members formerly forced thence much more then of that greater and more apparent force of whole Regiments of Horse and Foot drawn up to the house it self in a violent maner Dec. 6. 1648. where they seised secured Mr. Pr. with above forty and secluded forced away above 300 Members more of the Commons House only for the faithfull discharge of their Trusts and Duties therein according to their Oaths Protestations Vows Covenants Consciences wherin most think they first turned out of the way by wandring into other wayes from righteous equal paths which Members though they do not particularly invite to sit again yet they having proved no breach of trust against them do not in the least measure intimate that they would forcibly seclude them from sitting if that Parliament should be publickly voted still in being by vertue of the Statute of 17 Carolâ— c. 7. as they in their Counsel of the Army have actually resolved by their invitation of the Members thereof to sit again as Mr. P. those Members who shewed it to him conceived upon their perusal thereof Mr. P. being after informed that the Old Speaker and sundry Members of the long Parliament were then met in the painted Chamber to consult together in order to their meeting again in the House was moved to go thither to them which he refused because it was no place where the House of Commons ever used to meet or sit as an House but only as a Committe upon conferences with the Lords Soon after Mr. P. heard by some Members and others that the old Speaker and about forty Members more with the Mace carried before them were gon from the Lords House into the Ho. of Com. there sate as an House by vertue of the Stat. of 17 Car. c. 7. and their old Elections by the Kings Writs Vpon which there being then above 30 of the old secluded Members in
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
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
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
the Battel ended by a Friendly Treaty to prevent all accord between them and instead of bringing the King again to his Royal City Parliament Throne in peace and safety from the Isle of Wight not speak one word thereof but bring him only back again to a most disloyal illegal bloody execution not repent of but persevere in this unparallel'd treachery against his son even after your anoynted Absolom who engaged you in these unsaintly unsoldierly Un-English Treasons by the stroke of God himself is dead and his Son set aside by your selves through divine retaliation In few words can it ever be your honor glory as Saints to be the Instruments Executioners of Gods wrath and vengeance upon your own Native Kings Kingdoms Churches Countrie to oppresse consume and eat out all their publick private Wealth Revenues and burthen them with endlesse Taxes Excises to maintain your needlesse uselesse forces only to over-awe overturn them all yea our Parliaments Laws Liberties with your own new-modelled Governments and Governors too one after another till they all be brought to total and final desolation To do the works of Assyrians Babilonians Turks Gothes Vandals the Roddes of Gods anger his Battel-axes the staff of his indignation to shake destroy Churches Kingdoms Nations Persons and make them desolate yea worse than the worst of these who never shoke destroyed their own Kings Kingdoms Countries but their forein Enemies or Neighbours against whom God sent them in his wrath for their crying provocations to break them in pieces and tread them down like mire in the Strees If you repute this your glory and resolve to persist therein without speedy and sincere repentance of the mischiefs you have done consider and read over over and over again at your leasure the taunting proverb severe judgements divine and final reward menaced to inflicted by God himself by an irreversible decree and irresistable power upon the King of Babilon himself his royal Posterity the City of Babilon the whole Assyrian Host Nation Kingdom for shaking destroying breaking in pieces other Kings Kingdoms Nations and Gods own people too for their sinnes as you have served your own Kings Kingdoms Churches Parliaments Nations Laws Liberties against all Oaths and Obligations to the contrary recorded at large in sacred writ Isay 14.4 to 30. c. 31.8 9. Ier 50.1 to 46. ch 51. throughout And then sleep quietly in your Beds and blesse your selves in these your successefull Wickednesses if you can in respect of your present earthly prosperity or your Posterityes after you As for your eternal Estate in another World consider that dismal Text Psal. 92.6 7. A brutish man knoweth not neither doth a Fool understand this when as the wicked spring as the Grass and when all the workers of Iniquity do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever Ps. 9.16 17. It hath been your businesse of late years and now again after your seeming repentance for it in your new Declaration May 6. to shut our Kings Lords honestest faithfullest Members of the Commons House out of Parliament and forcibly to seclude them when they knocked for entrance yea to cast some of them into Hell and other Prisons for discharging their Trusts and Mr. Prynne beyond all others O take heed that when you shall come to knock at Heaven gates for entrance and cry Lord Lord open untâ— us you receive not that Answer recorded in the Gospel from Christ himself I tell you I know you not whence you are Depart from me all ye workers of Iniquity into the lowermost Hell and everlasting chains of Darknesse where there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth when you shall see Abraham Isaac yea the secluded Members in the Kingdom of God which no Murderers Rebellious Seditious Vnrighteous Covetous Persons Plunderers Traytors no Pernitious Destroyers Subverters of Kings Kingdoms Parliaments shall inherit and your selves shut out for ever You all pretend you are setting up Christs Kingdom and propagating his Gospel amongst us by your Arms Swords Pistols and Army Predicants But we read in the Gospel That the Souldiers armed with Swords Staves Spears were the only Officers and persons imployed to apprehend King Iesus himself and bring him to justice before Pilat The only men who stripped him of his own Garments put upon him a scarlet Robe then plotted and set a Crown of Thorns on his Head instead of a Crown of Gold put a Reed into his hand instead of a Scepter then mocked spit in his face reviled buffetted and bowed their Knees unto him in scorn saying Hayl King of the Iews and led him away to crucifie him After which they gave him Vinegar to drink mingled with gall instead of a Cordial crucified him then parted his Garments casting lots After this they set a watch upon his Sepulchre lest his Disciples should take him thence And when he was risen from the dead to smother the truth of his Resurrection The chief Priests taking counsel together gave large mony to the Souldiers saying Say ye his Disciples came by night and stole him away whiles we slept So they took the mony and did as they were taught and this their Lye is commonly reported among the Jews till this day These things truly the Souldiers did as the Evangelists record to their perpetual honor After which Herods men of war and Souldiers who likewise set Christ at naught mocked him then arrayed him in a gorgeous Robe and sent him to Pilate to condemn Lu. 23.11 stretched forth their hands to vex certain of the Church killed Iames the Apostle with the Sword apprehended Peter and put him in Prison where he was guarded day and night with four Quaternions of Souldiers to prevent an escape Acts 12.1 to 8 But that ever they did set up Christs Kingdom and propogate the Gospel by their Swords and Arms otherwise than this the Gospel it self is silent Yea God himself in precise terms resolves That men of war who have fought great Battels and spilt much Blood upon the earth though against his enemies shall not be at all honoured employed in building of his Temple Yea this is the expresse word of the Lord to Zerubbabel when Gods House was to be rebuilt and his Kingdom propagated not by ARMY so the Hebrew and Margin render it nor by Power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts is this work to be done Zec. 4.6 Our Saviour Christ is both the King and Prince of Peace his Gospel the Gospel of peace his Apostles and Ministers Ambassadors of peace and his Kingdom consists in Righteousness and peace Now nothing is more directly opposite destructive to inconsistent with this Peace to the King Prince Gospel Ambassadors and Kingdom of of peace as Armies Souldiers War Arms And therfore it is observable That when our Saviour sent out his Disciples to preach the Gospel and set up his Kingdom he did not make choyce of
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
a King and House of Lords are not only Seditious but destructive to the very Being of Parliaments and the Fundamental Government of the Kingdom by King Lords and Commons And is this then the way to peace or settlement If the Foundations be destroyed what can the righteous doe to save or settle us O therefore let not that brand of the Holy Ghosts owne imposing rest anie longer on you Ps. 82.5 They know not neither will they understand all the Foundations of the earth are out of course And although you say think you are Gods and are all the children of the most high in this pursute yet you shal die like men and fall like one of the Princes yea be buried in your own and your Republikes ruines again with greater infamie shame loss than you were on April 20. 1653. when you were shamefully turned out of House and power together by those who now recall you and yet will not take warning Mr. Prynne is in good hopes that all these undenyable unanswerable Scriptural considerations will fully convince and convert our Republican Conventicle and Army-Officers too from their Jesuitical destructive modle of A Common-wealth unto the love and restitution of our antient hereditary Kings Kingship as the only Divine Saint-like Gospel safe probable way to our future lasting peace and settlement which he intended to have propounded to them Finally if you are resolved notwithstanding the premises to Act as a Parliament without your secluded fellow Members King or House of Lords then follow the Presidents of all your Protestant Predecessors in these particulars 1. Take into your saddest considerations the great increase disguises of dangerous Iesuits and other Romish vipers now amongst us which A. B. a Jesuite in his Mutatus Polemo Or The Horrible Stratagems of the JESUITS lately practised in England during the Civil Wars and now discovered by him a RECLAIMED ROMANIST imployed before as a Workman of the Mission from his Holiness dedicated by him to your own President Bradshaw published by SPECIAL COMMAND of your New Republike London Printed for Rob. White 1650. thus relates to your selves and the world p. 3 4. That he could bring in to your COUNSEL-TABLE a horrible long Catalogue of more perniciously damnable Actors of JESUITICAL Devils in mens shapes yea in MINISTERS too crept in from forein Seminaries to undermine our Church and State then was in the yeer 1605. in that infernal Powder-plot That there was one Regiment or more of them under Sir Iohn Kempsfield a Commander of the Horse in the late Kings Armie who discerning the Kings inclination to close with the Scots and Presbyterians and expecting no advantage to their Cause by siding with him held their private Conventicles and Councels at Oxford wherein they resolved to desert and draw off all their own and all his other Forces from him and close with the prevailing Parliament partie which they accordingly effected That upon the Kings departing to the Scots Armie and surrender of Oxford the Jesuits Priests and Popish partie under him not only changed the habits of their minds but bodies also turning from upside Cavaliers and High Royalists and God-dammees holie Converts and Parliamenteers nothing but the Holy Covenant being heard in their mouthes For our bodies Proteus is lesse than a fiction to us He that ere while was a Commander in a ranting equipage is now slinking into a Coblers stall or Weavers loom or Tapsters Apron or Coachmans box or Beggars weed or Horsemans frock or Serving-mans liverie or Tailors shop or Pulpit-thumping Presbyters Gippo into what not It is not unknown what trade we drive beyond Sea when no Trade comes amisse to us To make this good our Governors the States of this Commonwealth if they will deign to hear me now their true Servant shall bee eftsoon able to cull out manie a sheep-clothed-wolffrom their stations stalls looms aprons weeds liveries shops yea and Buff coats what say you to Pulpits too Let not Engl. now like a bird ah me pursued by several fierce flying Falcons and too too near the intended hard gripes of their cruely sharp tallons either out of a dull or drowsie sottishness or a phantastical humour of contradiction suppose I speak what I know not if I should tell them I can and now being about to do it will but privately before Authoritie produce a Catalogue of Catholicks Fathers so we will be called of several Orders and others that are Natives gone into remote Counties who duly go to Church too and of an incredible number now living in this Commonwealth under several Notions whcih I my self can point at with a drie finger I tell thee in general there is scarce a Town or Citie but in few miles of it I can furnish the Reader to thy Amazement be it spoken with some who have lived in England 1 2 3 4 5 6 10 20 40 50 years I. B. of Ne. in Es. unknown unsuspected but taken for clean contrarie let them avoid me if they can They are his own words Page 26. to 37. he shews how Mons. Montril the French agent trepand the poor Cavaliers of the Kings partie in transporting them out of Scotland into France how they were there butchered by the French Such is their love to the Royal party of England what endeavours were used by Card Mazarine Father D. and le M. to seduce and corrupt Prince Charls in his Religion both before and after his Fathers death and what promises were made both by the French and Spaniard that all Catholick Princes should be invited and consulted with for an unanimous invasion of England if he would turn Catholick Page 32 33. hee hath this memorable passage During these Sollicitations news comes aloft upon the wings of the wind That the People and State of England had summoned his Father to an High Court of Judicature to bring him to a trial for all the innocent bloud he had spilt and the hideous devastations he had caused This was no little good News to the Cardinalitical party I mean the Iesuitical this Jesuit himself being then at the French and Princes Court in Paris For in my next I shall satisfie thee concerning their cunning workings how even those who pretend so much charitie to the Son did séek by all Machinations to expedite and accelerate this high piece of Iustice upon the Father And now say his Tutors to him If they proceed to death with your Father it will prove the better for you for it shall utterly alien the hearts affections of the people from them and you shall finde them to be more eagerlie violent for your reinvestment not considering the change of your Religion which by anie means shall not be known but to your good Catholick Subjects of England till such time as you have vested power enough into your own hands to protect it and your self in it But indeed the Lad had somewhat of his Fathers astutiousnesse in him and presently asked the
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
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
going up with him When he came at the House door to enter several Officers of the Army there placed one of them sitting in a chair told him That he must not enter and that they had special Order to keep him out of the House Wherupon he Protested against this their forcible double seclusion of him as an high contempt and breach of Privilege contrary to their own and the sitting Members Declaration published that day demanding in the name of all the Commons of England and those for whom he was elected free admission for himself and other Members they kept out by a visible force of horse and foot which was a worse and more real levying of warre against the Paâ—liament then the beheaded King or his party were guilty of whose imprisoning prosecution of MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT for opposing his unlawfull will after the Parliament and coming to the House only to demand the 5. impeached Members without offering force or secluding any Member but ABOVE ALL HIS LABOVRING THE ENGLISH ARMY TO BE ENGAGED AGAINST THE ENGLISH PARLIAMENT being a thing OF THAT STRANGE IMPIETY UNNATURALNES that nothing can answer it but his being a foreiner with his breach of Faith Oath Protestations in levying war against and offering force to the Parliament only at a distance without keeping out any by armed Gards being the principal unparale'ld Treasons for which the most of those now sitting in their very Declaration of 17 Marâ—ii 1648. expressing the grounds of their late proceedings against him and setling the pâ—esent GOVERNMENT in the way of a FREE STATE now cryed up as their GOOD OLD CAVSE appealed to all the Woâ—ld to judge whether they had not sufficient cause to bring the K. to Iustice and execute him as they did Of all which they were formerly now far more guilty in placing Gards of Horse foot at the Parliament Doors to keep out him other Members it being a force and levying of war upon the House it self and Members which would null all their Acts and Votes as the sitting Members in their Declaration Speaker in his Letter An. 1648. upon the London unarm'd Apprentices Tumults at the House Doors though they kept out none yea some now sitting in their Speeches in the last dissolved Assembly at VVestminster declared very lately After which some of the Officers said Pray talk no more with him whereto he replies he must talk a little more to them in their own Language That the Army-Officers and Counsel themselves had forcibly turned those now sitting out of Doors 20 April 1653. and thus branded them in their Declarations and other Papers he had then about him for their Dilatory proceedings in the House unlimited Arbitrary proceedings at Committees their wâ—oly perverâ—ing the end of Parliaments by becoming studious of parties private Interests neglecting the Publick so that no Door of Hope being opened for redress of their grievances nor any hope of easing the people in their burdens it was found at length by these their exorbitances That a standing Parliament was in it self the greatest grievance which appeared yet the more exceeding grievous in regard of a visible design carryed on by sowe among them to have perpetuated the Power in their own hands it being utterly impossible in that corrupt estate even in the judgement of moderate men that they who made gain the main of their business should become instruments of our long desired establishment Therefore it became an Act no less pious than necessary for the Army now to interpose upon the same equitable ground as heretofore in the like cases of extremity no ordinary medium being left to provide for the Main in a way irregular and extraordinary by their most necessary and timely dissolution Yet notwithstanding all these brands they have publickly layd upon them which they and others never yet wiped of by any publick Answer as the formerly secluded Members had refuted those base aspersions and calumnies the Army had falsely cast on them they had now invited those very Members to return and fit again without secluding any of them and engaged to yield them their best protection as the Assertors of the Good Old Cause who had a special presence of God with them and were signally blessed in the work yea as the only Instruments for setling and securing the peace and freedom of this Common-wealth Therefore they had far greater reason to invite call in him the other first secluded Members than thus forcibly to exclude and ascribe and give to them alone the Supreame Authority of the Nation which they have engrossed to themselves without the peoples Vote or Election in whoÌ„ alone they have formerly voted it A presage of their subsequent Free-State proceedings when once setled in their Government and a strange contradiction Wherefore they should much more invite him and others they formerly and now afresh have forcibly secluded against whom they had not the least Exceptions to settle us again in peace and freedome which they had done when they sate had they not secluded them After which one of the Army Officers told Mr. Prynne he had deserted the Good Old Cause To which he replyed That the true Good Cause for which they were first raised was only to defend the Kings person Kingdom Parliament all its Members Privileges and secure them against all force and violence whatsoever which cause they had not only deserted but betrayed and fought against contrary to all former Engagements to which cause he adhered and defired entrance to maintain it To which he answered That indeed was once their Good Old Cause but now it was not so for since they had pursued another Cause Mr. P. replyed that then they were real Back-sliders therein and their Cause neither old nor good but bad new and destructive to the former old one In conclusion Mr. P. pressed them to shew their order forbis seclusion tell him their names They answered they would not shew it nor tell their names He then told them That certainly their Good Old Cause was in their own Iudgements Consciences very bad since they durst not own it by name They answered That Mr. Annesly the last day when they refused to tell their names as they do now had inquired out some of them from whom be might learn them In conclusion when he could not prevayl he told them they declared themselves and those now siting arrant Cowards and their magnified Good Old Cause to be very bad since they were afraid of one single person without Arms when as they were a whole Army of armed men and bad above 40 voyces to his one yet were afraid to admit him in for fear he alone should blow them all up with the breath of his mouth and goodness of his cause And so departing he met Mr. Prydeaux in the Lobby and desired him to acquaint those within that he was forcibly kept out of the House by the Souldiers who beset the passages
to keep out what Members they pleased Then returning again into the Hall a secluded Member he there met pressing him to know what passed in the Lobby he related the sum of what was done and said which divers pressed about him to hear and some common Souldiers among others who when he had ended his Relation said he was an honest Gentleman and had spoken nothing but truth and reason After which meeting with Colonel Oky in the Hall who came over to transport him from Iersy into England they had some discourse touching his forcible seclusion and the great scandal and ill consequences of it which divers pressing to hear Mr. P. went out of the Hall to avoid Company and meeting with the Member who drew up the Letter to the Speaker perused and signed the fair Copy and so departed to Lincolns Inne without any Company This being an Exact Narration of the truth substance of what passed between Mr. P. the Army-Officers and those now fitting on the 7th and 9th of this instant May both in the Lobby House and elsewhere Mr. Prynne being since necessitated to publish it to prevent and rectifie the various misreports thereof He shall now relate as a Corollary thereunto the true and only reasons then inducing him after earnest Prayer to God for direction and protection in this Grand Affair to press the admission of himself and other Members into the House to correct the manifold contradictory censures of what he then did and spoke Some have been staggared and amazed at it as if he were now turned an Apostate from his former principles acting both against his Judgement and Conscience to cry up and make himself a Member of that old Parliament which he publickly printed to be dissolved above ten years since by the Kings death Others have censured it for a rash foolish and desperate attempt A third sort condemn it as a seditious tumultuous if not treasonable Action prejudicial to the publick peace and settlement deserving severe exemplary punishments A fourth Classis doome it as a scandalous Act dishonorable destructive to our Religion A fifth sort cry it up as a most necessary heroick national zealous Action deserving everlasting honor prayse thanks from the whole English Nation and a necessary incumbent duty as a Member of the old Parliament though legally dissolved being pretentionally now revived against Law Truth by those very Army Officers who six years past ipso facto dissolved and declared it to be dissolved yea have held many new Mock-Parliaments of their own modelling since all proving abortive by forcible ruptures as the long Parliament did It is not in Mr. Prynnes power to reconcile or controll these contradictory censures neither was he ever yet so foolish or vain-glorious as to be any wayes moved with the censures opinions or applauses of other men nor so ambitious covetous as to pursue any private interest of honor profit revenge c. under the notion of publick Liberty Justice Reformation as many have done nor so Sycophantical as to connive at others destructive exorbitances guilded over with specious Titles this being his constant rule to keep a good Conscience in all things both towards God and man Acts 24.16 to discharge his publick trust duty towards God and his Native Country though with the probable hazard of his life liberty estate friends what else may be precious to other men to trust God alone with the success reward of his endeavors to let others censure him as they please to fear no Mortal or power whatsoever in the discharge of his duty who can but kill the Body Mat. 10.23 nor yet do that but by Gods permission being utterly unable to touch the Soul but to fear him alone who can cast both Soul and Body into Hell The only ground end motive inducing Mr. Prynne thus earnestly and timely to get into the House was no wayes to countenance any unparliamentary Conventicle or proceedings whatsoever nor to own those then sitting to be the old true Commons House of Parliament whereof he was formerly a Member as now constituted much less to be the Parliament it self then sitting but to discharge the trust to which he was once â—nvoluntarily called without his privity or solicitation by an unanimous election a little before the last Treaty with the King having refused many Burgesships freely tendred to him with importunity both before his election at Newport and since being never ambitious of any publick preferments which he might have easily obtained had he but modestly demanded or signified his willingness to accept them After his election against his will and inclination he came not into the House till the Treaty was almost concluded and that at the request of divers eminent Members only with a sincere desire to do that cordial service for preservation of the King Kingdom Church Parliament Laws Liberties of England and prevention of those manifold Plots of forein Popish Adversaries Priests Jesuites Sectaries seduced Members Army-Officers and Agitators utterly to subvert them which other Members overmuch or totally neglected coldly opposed or were totally ignorant of What good service he did in the House during that little space he continued in it is fitter for others then himself to relate How fully he then discovered to them the true original Plotters fomenters of that Good Old Cause now so much cryed up and revived how strenuously he oppugned how truly he predicted the dangerous conseqnences of it since experimentally verified beyond contradiction his printed Speech Decemb. 4. 1648. can attest and his Memento whiles he was a prisoner For this Speech good service of his in discovering oppugning the New Gunpower-Treason then plotted and ripened to perfection to blow up the King Parliament Lords Laws Liberties Religion at once violently prosecuted by the force Remonstrance and disobedient practises of the rebellious Army Officers and Souldiers he was on the 6th of December 1648. forcibly seised on at the Lobby-Door as he was going to discharge his trust and caried away thence by Col. Pride and others How unhumanly unchristianly Mr. Prynne seised with other Members at the House door Decemb. 6. was used by the Army-Officers who lodged him them in hell on the bare boards all that cold night almost starved him and them with hunger and cold at Whitehall the next day imprisoned him many weeks in the Strand and after seised kept him by a new Free-state warrant a strict close Prisoner in three remote Castles nigh three years for his Speech in the House against their most detestable Treasons and Jesuitical proceedings against the King Parliament Privileges and Members of it is elsewhere at large related This being all he gained by being a Member and for asserting that true Good Old Cause against the new Imposture now cryed up afresh to turn our antient Kingdom into a New Republick and our Parliament of King Lords and Commons into a select unparliamentary juncto or forty or fifty Members of the old
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
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
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
motives of it were a vast sum of mony from the Dutch put into his private purse as some report or a desire to ecclipse the Honour power of the Prince of Orange their chief Protector and his Family to banish the late Kings Royal posterity and Adherents out of the Netherlands and leave them no subsistance nor being there amongst Protestants of our and their Religion to force them to seek new Quarters amongst Iesuites Papists and cast themselves wholy on their Charity on purpose to pervert them in their Religion and destroy both their Souls Bodies at once which is visible and irreâ—ragable they being all actually exiled thence by special Articles upon the peace with the Dutch What Protestant can think upon it but with horror as the highest Act of Impiety cruelty barbarisme injustice uncharitablenesse and malice ever yet recorded of any professors of Christianity in the Protestant Religion 2ly His quarrelling with the King of Spain in hopes to gain his Indian Mines and sending such a Fleet with so many thousand English Protestants and Souldiers thither upon the bare project of Gage a Iesuited professed Papist and Spainiolized Priest who had lived there sundry years under the Spanish King as a Priest all whose family and relations have been desperate popish enemies to our Religion King Kingdoms with the disasterous successe and fruits thereof to the expence of such vast sums of our own Treasure the loss of so manie thousand protestant Souldiers Mariners and undoing endangering of our other American plantations if rightly weighed was in truth rather a Spanish and Iesuitish plot to ruine us and our religion than to advance them as Mr. Prynne at first reputed them predicting the ill event before it happened 3ly His closing with France and the French-Cardinal Mazarine upon the breach with Spain of purpose to banish poor distressed K. Charles whom he drove out his 3 Protestant Kingdoms banished out of Holland deprived of all charitable supplies or hopes of relief from either for his necessarie subsistance and banish his Brother the Duke of York who had a command great repute in the French Army with all their Dependents out of France too that he might the more securely establish himself and his posterity in their hereditarie Kingly power dominions and leave them no place to hide their heads in the effect and chief end of that peace and that in pursuit of Cardinal Richelieus forementioned Instructions to ruine our Monarchy Kingdoms and work his infernal designs against us was such an inhumane unchristian policy as verie ill accords with our Saviours expresse precepts Mat. 5.44 c. Lu. 6.27 c. Rom. 12.20 21. But I say unto you love your Enemies Therefore if thy Enemie hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with goodnesse And a President hardlie paralleld Alaâ— how shall the memorable Heroick charity generosity pietie justice of our Norman Conqueror King William censured by this new Conqueror and his Army Saints as the worst of Tyrants in sundry Pamphlets and of his Sons William Rufus and Henry 1. towards Edgar Atheling Heir to the English Crown after the death of Edward the Confessor when hee took it from him by the Sword under pretext of King Edwards last Will and being next Heir to him in blood not as a Conquerour by war Who though after his Oath of Homage Fealty and Subjection to William twice set up as Heir to the Crown by the English Nobility in opposition to him twice routed by him in the Field driven into Scotland and quite left destitute of forces friends and supplyes to gain the Crown yet upon his repair to him in Normandy without any precedent Articles for his securitie Anno 1069. he not only pardoned his former insurrections but gave him a large gratuity entertained and lodged him in his own Court divers years allowing him a pound of Silver for his honourable maintenance everie day a great sum in that Age After which when he desired to go into Apulia to the holie wars Anno 1089. he furnished him with many Ships and 200 Souldiers whence he returning after the losse of Robert his chief Commander and best men though the Emperours of Greece and Germany whom he visited in his recesse thence honourably received and profered to entertain and maintain him in their Courts according to the greatnesse of his birth all his life time yet he contemning to their proffers out of a desire to enjoy his native Country returned into England where he was courteously entertained by William the Conqueror as before till his death After which Edgar fiding with Robert Duke of Normandy his eldest Son against William Rufus the younger he thereupon Anno 1091. deprived him of all the honours conferred on him by Robert and banished him out of Normandy into Scotland But afterwards upon the accord between the 2 Brothers touching the Crown and peace with Scotland he was reconciled to King Rufus and returned into England where he lived securely without the least restraint and was in so great favour with Rufus that in the year 1097. he sent him as General into Scotland with an Army to restore his Nephew Edgar Son of Malcomb who maried Edgars Sister to the Crown which his Uncle Dufnald had invaded after Malcombs death to expell Dufnald and make Edgar King Which having effected he returning again into England lived there quietly without the least danger or restraint all Rufus his reign and some years under King Henry the first betaking himself in his old Age to a retired private Country life and dyed in peace as our Historians then living record Oh that there were the like Charitie Ingenuity Christianitie Piety in the Saints of this Iron Age against whom these 3. first Norman Kings shall rise up and condemn in the day of judgment when Christ himself will pronounce this heavy sentence against them for all their pretended Saint ship Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels for I was an hungred and you gave me no meat I was thirsty and you gave me no drink no not out of my large hereditarie Revenues of three Kingdoms you have forcibly invaded against your Oaths I was a Stranger and you took me not in no not into my own Protestant Realm Court out of which you thrust me by violence neither would you permit those of Holland and France where I was a Stranger to take me in but inforced them to banish and cast me out after their former entertainment of me as a stranger I was naked but ye cloathed me not but stripped me and mine stark naked out of our Inheritances Wardrobes and all we had sick and in prison into which you cast both me and mine and you visited me not yea made it High Treason for any to do it or so much as to pray for me in this my distressed condition
notwithstanding Gods own Evangelical precepts to the contrary 1 Tim. 2.1 3. 1 Pet. 2.17 Acts 10.5 12. 2 Cor. 1.9 10 11 2 Thes. 3.1 2. Rom. 15.30 31 32. If the most righteous and charitable Saints shall scarcely be saved in this great day O where shall these ungodly unrighteous uncharitable and transcendently malicious Sinners not Saints appear O that they would sadlie consider it and repent thereof as the onlie means to avoid this fatal doom of Christ at the last day This truth they cannot dare not deny with their Tongues but they contradict it by their lives ' Non contradicunt lingua sed vita Moneo rapit doceo rapit praecipio rapit arguo rapit Quomodo non contradixit Si ergo in ignem aeternum ibit cui dicturus est Christus nudus fui non vestisti me quem locum in igne aeterno habebit cui dicturus est vestitus fui spoliasti me Hic fortasse ut evadas hanc vocem mutata consuetudine cogitas spoliare Paganum vestire Christianum Ad hoc respondebit tibi Christus immo respondet tibi nunc per servum qualemcunque Ministrum suum Etiam hic parce damnis meis Cum enim qui Christianus es spolias Paganum impedis fieri Christianum Etiam hic fortasse respondebis Ideo spolio Paganum ut per hanc asperam salubrem Disciplinam faciam Christianum Audirem crederem si quod abstulisti Pagano redderes Christiano c. O that our Harpyes and Beasts of prey who have obliterated the tenth Commandement out of all their Decalogues as the Papistâ— have done the second would lay it close to heart being Saint Augustines 21. Sermon to them as well as Mr. Prynnes The rather because the night before O. Cromwell Pro. died Mr. Prynne then being at Swainswick near Bath having never dreamed of him before dreamt he was dangerously sick at Bath and that he then sent a special Messenger to him importunatly desiring he would presently repair to Bath for he was very sick and desired much to speak with him Whereupon though he never saw him since 1647. he presently went to Bath where finding him lying on his bed he told Mr. P. he was very sick and had sent for him to tell him what he should do in this condition Mr. Prynne thereupon forthwith answered That he could give him nâ— better nor other Counsel than that of Saint Augustine asserted by all Divines as an undoubted truth Non Remittetur peccatum nist restituatur ablatum That there was no remission of Sin without full restitution of Rapine Therefore he must forthwith restore the banished King to his Crown and Kingdoms of which he bad most unjustly deprived him the Parliaments to its just rights freedomes and privileges which he had utterly subverted and the people to their fundamental Laws Liberties Properties of which he had most unjustly and perfideously defrauded them more than any man against his Oaths trust duty under pretext of defending them repent of all the blood he had shed and mischief he had done then there was hope of mercy and pardon for him both from God and Men otherwise there was none at all for ought he knew At which he standing mute as much amazed without any Reply Mr. Pr. thereupon departed without more words and the next morning told this dream to his Sister and sundry others telling them he was confident he should hear some strange news of Cromwell very speedily since he never dreamed of him before and within three daies after he heard of his death about 12. hours after his dream O that all other Usurpers of others Estates Offices Lands places by bloud and rapine would sadly consider of it and make real restitution of them before they die then would our peace be soon restored without war or bloudshed and their souls saved which else in all probability will be damned without real restitution when possible to be made 4. His relieving interceding for the massacred persecuted Protestant Albigenses in Piedmont charitable Collections for them and others was a Christian work worthy applause But his giving just provocation to Popish Princes abroad by the Jesuites instigation to extirpate their Religion as a very Seminary of Treason Sedition Rebellion and to massacre eradicate them as a Company of Traytors Antimonarchists Regicides Hypocrites Rebels and Seditious persons from his own and his Confederates Antimoâ—archical principles practises Treasons Rebellions of this kinde both against their King Parliament Monarchy their confederated Brethren of Scotland and their King as being all of one Religion perswasion his accommodating the King of Spain with whole Regiments of bloudie Irish Papists who had embrewed their hands in so much Protestant bloud in Ireland and were the chief Instruments in murdering these poor Protestants his negligence in examining the misimployment of this and other Collections under him for distressed foreign Protestants the greatest part of which are yet in the Collectors hands or diverted otherwise Was in truth but first to kill wound plunder and then relieve them when too late 5. His Confederacy with the King of Sweden to invade the Kingdom of Poland and usurp that Crown by force without right or colourable Title upon pretext to advance the Protestant cause relieve the Protestant Churches propagat the Gospel there had some specious shew of zeal to Religion But to doe apparent evil that good might come of it to ingage in such a war to propagat the Gospel of peace which ended in the total extirpation of all the Protestants and their Churches in Poland whence they are now totally extirpated as himself related in his Briefs papers for their over-late relief and produced a new bloudie warr wherein he also sided with him against the King of Denmark a Protestant King the Marquess of Brandenburgh the Dutch and other our Protestant allies sadly divided against each other in late bloudy battles by Land Sea to the endangering of all the Protestant Churches throughout the world and engaging them all in a New Warre and our three Nations in all probability against our Protestant Brethren now the Popish Kings are reconciled and ready to destroy us all being broken in pieces amongst our selves impoverished butchered by one another rather like savage beasts than men or Christians and that in direct pursuance of Campanellaes Richelieus and other Iesuited Plots who expresly write That the Catholicks are to use all arts and means to divide the Protestants Lutherans Calvinists and Sectaries one from and against each other by various arts and means and all occasions laid hold of for that purpose that they may with more ease oppress destroy them all and that they ought not to neglect the opportunity to accomplish their utter extirpation when their monies are exhausted their forces weakned and they divided by their intestine wars The best means being thus to destroy them by themselves till they like the
Kite in the Fable shall devour the Frog and Mouse together during their combats with each other Was such a Machiavilian Policy to advance the Protestant cause as Mazarine and the Iesuites suggested to him on purpose to effect their ruine as all Wise men and his own Creatures now over-late discern and Bedlam Hugh Peters in his Letter to a Great Army-Officer the 10th of this instant May. 6. His endeavour to bring in the Iews with their Synagogues and Iewish Ceremonies under a pretended hopes of their long-desired Conversion but real intended expectation to finger Two hundred thousand pounds of their gold at present and all the rest in future when transplanted to set up their Antichristian Judaism in direct contradiction to our Saviour Iesus Christ and at the very self-same time by his printed Declaration 24 Novemb. 1655. and private Instructions to his New Basha's or Major Generals to eject silence at one blow without conviction hearing or the least legal proceeding many hundreds of Ministers Schoolmasters Scholars of the late Kings party though learned orthodox godly pious peaceable formerly indemnified and admitted to exercise their functions and prohibit them any more to preach marry administer the Sacrament pray teach School in any publike place or private meeting of any other persons than those of their own family or in any Gentlemens houses as Chaplains or Tutors to their Children under pain of 3 Moneths imprisonment for the first 6 moneths for the 2d and perpetual banishment for the 3d Offence And to punish them as Rogues and Vagrants if they wandred abroad to begg their bread on purpose to starve both them their wives families or enforce them to flie into forein Popish Realms being excluded out of the Netherlands and there turn Papists to preserve their lives when all Priests Jesuites Sectaries whatsoever and Jewes themselves had so much Liberty under him Was such a transcendent Barbarism Impiety and High way to extirpate our Religion as pious learned Archbishop Vsher told him when he mediated for their libertie and could not prevail as he told Mr. Prynne and others with tears which brake his heart soon after as the Pope and Iesuites themselves could not have invented the like and exceeded all forein persecutions against Protestant Ministers in Piemont Bohemia and Silesia by Popish Princes being of a different Religion but he a pretended Protestant Zealot 7. His Extending not only his Toleration but real Protection to all Sects whatsoever except POPERY and PRELACY and passing the late Bill 1657. put on by the Presbyterians against Papists might savour of some disgust against those of the Romish Religion But his extraordinary intimacy with Cardinal Mazarine Sir Kenelm Digby a most dangerous Jesuited Papist lodged by him in Whitehall a chief Instrument of the union between him and Mazarine and sundry other Papists Jesuites Popish Priests His suspending all penal Lawes Executions against Popish Priests Jesuits though sometimes taken in their pontificalibus at Masse and soon after released His protections under hand and seal to sundry of them particularly to Maurice Conry Provincial of the Franciscans in England Their coming over in greater swarms of later times than ever heretofore without restraint as himself printed as well as declared in his publike Speeches His endevours to stop the late Bill against Papists the very morning he was to pass it by his Whitehall Instruments who moved its suspension for a time as not suiting with present Forein correspondencies against whom it was carried by 88. Votes That it should be carried up with the rest then passed With the Copy of his Letter to Card Mazarine in many good hands affirmed to bee real not counterfeit excusing his passing this Bill as carried on by a violent Presbyterian party much against his will yet it should not hurt them though passed c. which accordingly fell out The large expressions made to those of Dunkirk in his name by their Gov Lockert to protect them in the full and free exercise of their Romish Religion as amply as ever the King of Spain did with other particulars of that nature And his great incouraging of all sorts of Sects headed acted by disguised Iesuits Priests Friers as M. P. hath elswhere fully evidenced Are demonstrations beyond all exceptions what an Advancer he was of the true Prostestant cause and Religion 8. His undermining subverting all our Fundamental Lawes Liberties Properties and Parliaments too in the highest degree by his own and his Army-Officers Councils new printed Folio Ordinances Instruments Taxes Excises High Courts of Injustice Major Generals Commissions Instructions Proceedings by committing sundry persons Close prisoners some of them to forein Islands without any cause expressed legal trial or conviction divers moneths years by warrants under his own or his Councils hands His stopping returns of Habeas Corpora when granted or removing the Prisoners to new remote prisons His seiâ—ing securing the persons horses arms of thousands and banishing them from London time after time upon meer forged Plots Fears His disbenching his own Judges for not complying with his illegal will His oft stiling MAGNA CHARTA MAGNA FARTA with highest indignation Committing 3. Lawyers to the Tower at once as Traytors for daring to argue an Habeas Corpus against his illegal Commitment and Whitehall Ordinance for Excise in Conyes case a president not to be paralleld his prohibiting all Lawyers Sollicitors Iudges and Courts of Iustice whatsoever under him to plead act or admit any proceedings or legal trial at Law against his illegal Ordinances and absolute commands under pain of his highest indignation His defrauding most Patrons of their livings and lapsing them by his own Ordinances Instruments into his own hands refusing their honestest ablest Clerks without any cause assigned and denying them the benefit of Quare Impedits after judgement given upon them by his own Judges All these are clear demonstrations to Mr. P. beyond contradiction That our Infant Commonwealth both in its birth growth progress under its old Guardians and New Protector was but the Iesuits Popes Spaniards Mazarines and our Popish Enemies new Creature and Instrument to ruine our Protestant Church Religion King kingdoms Laws Liberties The very name of Magna Charta it self for which our ancestors heretofore spent so much bloud and treasure in reality and we of late only in pretence being so execrable to our New Free-States men that in September 1650. it was expunged out of a Petition M. P. drew for Mr. Luttrel to save Dunster Castle the habitation of him and his ancestors from being pulled down over his head before hearing or Notice by an Order issued for that purpose and put in execution to Iohn Bradshaw and their Free-State Council at Whitehall by their Attorney Prideaux order because it would distast them and a Great Fart was more savory to Olivers red nose than it all in pursuance of the Jesuits old Plot as you have heard out of Watsons Quodlibets This M. P. shall a
many antient Noble Protestant Families Knights Gentlemen and others both in England Ireland Scotland and of the Royal Protestant Family since our late Warrs Changes of Government Parliaments and extirpation of all our Fundamental Laws Liberties Properties by the Iesuits and their Instruments O let our whole Nation and Republican Members too once shamefully ejected by those now calling them in consider consider consider this over and over and lay it close to heart least closing with the Iesuites now again in this New Convention as they assuredly did in the Old since December 1648. till April 1653. they incurr that sad fate of u King Henry the 4th of France who after the execution of some and banishment of all Iesuites out of France upon Iohn Castles one of their disciples stabbing him in the cheek with an intent to murder him and afterwards recalling favouring flattering them by building a stately College for them entertaining one of them for his Confessor and bequeathing his very heart unto them to be interred with them after his death together with a very large Legacy of Plate and Lands yet they soon after procured their desperat Assassinate and Disciple Ravilliac to stabb him to the heart in the open street in Paris An. 1610. A Just reward for his neglect contempt of his Parliaments timely admonitions in sundry Remonstrances presented to him never to trust or recall them more and the notable Epigram against the Iesuits tendred to him by a true Philopater Anno 1603. wherein there is this memorable passage in relation to their subversion of all antient Fundamental Laws Cuinam Hominum ignotum est Iesuitas nocte dieque Nil meditari aliud quam qua ratione modove Prisca Statuta queant Patriasque evertere Leges Inque locum Antiquis totum in contraria Nobis Iura dare sanctos privata ad commoda Ritus Flâ—ctere nulli unquam quod post mutare licebit c. M. Prynne considering all these particulars and knowing that this sodain re-assembly of the old eiected Republican Members now sitting originally proceeded from the Jesuits projection sollicitation and Anabaptistical Sectarian party formerly combining with them in all their proceedings against the late King at whose execution the Queens own Confâ—ssor was present in a Soldiers habit flourishing his sword when his head was off as well as other Iesuits Popish Priests overjoyed with that spectacle the secluded Members the House of Lords and transformation of our Kingdom into a Commonwealth to accomplish their remaining designs left unfinished proâ—ected in terminis by Father Parsons and the Jesuites and violently pursued in the short Mock-Parliament nominated at Whitehall by the Army-Officers themselves 1653. viz To eradicate the National Church Ministers Ministry of England Advowsons Tithes Glebes with Parochial Churches Chapels as Antichristian and leave not one stone of them upon another Which Iohn Canne the new-voted Diurnall-man in his Voice from the Temple then dedicated to them particularly excited them to with all speed and earnestness as their Generation-work expected required of them by God and all the Saints of the Land To sell all the Crown Colleges Vniversities and Corporations lands yet remaining to support and pay the Iesuited Army kept up so long on purpose to ruine eat us out M. Prynne thereupon held it his bounden duty both as a Mâ—mber Lawyer Englishman and former Patriot of his Countries Liberties against all Iesuitical Vnderminers of them and our Protestant Religion truly fully to discover the same to the whole English Nation Army and those now sitting and to press it home upon their Consciences by this his Narrative whether they will hearkeâ— to believe obey it or not since he was forcibly secluded from doing it by Speech having sufficient warrant encouragement and protection for it as he apprehends from God himself Ezech. 2.4 5 6. and Jer. 1.18 19. For they are hard of face and stiff hearted Therefore Son of man I do send thee unto them and thou shalt say unto them thus saith the Lord. And they whether they will hear or whether they will forbear for they are a rebellious House yet shall know that there hath been a Prophet among them And thou Son of man be not afraid of them neither be afraid of their words though briers and thorns be with thee and thou doest dwell among Scorpions Be not afraid of their Faces nor be dismayed at their Looks though they be a Rebellious House And thou shalt speak my words unto them whether they will hear or whether they will forbear But thou Son of man hear what I say unto thee and O that all the seduced Army Republican Members and their confederates would now hear and obey it too Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious House For behold I have made thee this day a defenced City and an iron pillar and brazen walls against the whole Land against the Princes thereof and the Priests thereof and against all the people of the Land engaged against thee and thy true Good Old Cause And they shall fight against thee by sundry scurrillous Pasquils Petitions Slanders Reproaches and armed secluding Guards but they shall not prevail against thee For I am with thee saith the Lord as well now as in all former Engagements Trials for this Good cause to deliver thée The assurance whereof hath made him so resolute as singly by himself to encounter an whole armed Host and House at once and throuh Gods blessing to rout them in a manner by his bare presence and their Good Old Cause in a great measure by his single Opposition The sole praise whereof he desires to render wholly and solely to the Lord of Hosts and God of the Spirits of all Flesh and not in any kind or part to himself a meer worm and not a man an earthen Vessel yea one of the weak base despised things of the world and a thing that am not whom yet God can and may make use of to confound the things that are mighty and to bring to nought things that are that no Flesh shall glory in his presence and that the excellency of the power might be of God and not of him who hâ—th promised that One of his faithfull people shall chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight in a true Good Old Cause and Quarrel for the Lord their God he it is that fighteth for them as he hath promised What then might all the secluded Members and old Lords House do and all the well affected Orthodox Protestants in our three Nations had they but hearts wisedoms courage to joyn their Counsels and endeavours together according to their Solemn League and Covenant to vindicate their true Old Cause and Parliamentary privileges against all inconsiderable Oppugners and Subverters of them Mr. Prynne having neither Wife nor Child to provide for not much to care for and never yet desiring any New Office Advancement or Employment in this present
Kingdome of Heaven Upon which account they are now stiled Heirs of the Kingdom and shall hereafter inherit possesse this Kingdom receive the Crowns wear the Royal Robes sit upon the Thrones provided for them in it How then have the Enchanters of Rome Spain France so far infatuated your understandings blinded your Judgements intoxecated your Brains perverted your Wills corrupted your Affections seared your Consciences engaged your unrulie Passions as notwithstanding all this to make you Bedlam madde against all Kings Kingship Kingdoms Crowns Scepters Thrones Principaliteâ— and Kingly power as to a abhor and engage against both the things themselves and their verie names yea to extirpate them root and branch against his expresse Evangelical precepts word and practise of all his Saints in either Testament to dote upon such a strange Vtopian Common-wealth and new Freestate the verie names whereof much lesse the things you find not once in Scripture in your sense and never yet read of in the militant or triumphant Church of Christ. Let Mr. Prynne a little expostulate the case with you not as a Lawyer but as a Christian. Do you indeed believe the Scripture to be the very will and word of the Great King the Soveraign Lord and Iudge of all the Earth and of Jesus Christ the King of Kings the Lord of Lords and King of Saints which you are bound in Conscience under pain of eternal damnation to believe and obey If not proclaim it as loâ—d to the world with your Voyces as you do by your Sworde Actions and then all will know you in your Native colours to be no Saints but real Atheists and all reasonings with you will be in vain But having better perswasions of you That you believe the Scripture to be the only rule of your Consciences Iudgements Lives both as Souldiers and Christians Then answer clearlie to these interrogations The Lord of Hosts himself most peremptorilie and preciselie commands you To fear God honour the King 1 Pet. 2.17 Rom. 13.7 Yea to fear the Lord and the King coupling both these together as unseperable and not to meddle with those who are given to change Prov. 24.21 How can how dare you then dishonour vilifie reproach destroy both your natural Kings and Kingship too without the least fear at all of God or the King and change them into a New Republican Conventicle He commands you to subject your selves to the King as Supream both by the Ordinance of God and man and that for the Lords sake and avoiding scandal to Religion 1 Pet. 2.12 13. To be subject to the Higher Powers and amongst them more especiallie to Kings and Principalities and that not only for fear of wrath but for Conscience sake for these Reasons clearlie expressed Because they are of God and ordained by God Because they are the Ministers of God for your good Because they are Gods Avengers to punish you if you disobey resist or do evil Because they who resist them resist the Ordinance of God and shall receive to themselves damnation Rom. 13.1 to 8. Tit. 3.1 2. VVith what face heart confidence conscience then can or dare you not onlie not submit subject your selves to but exalt yonâ— selves above against your lawfull Soveraign Kings and Higher powers so far as not onlie to reâ—ist but destroy their Persons Powers Kingships Principalities themselves though Gods own Ordinance and that out of pretended Zeal and Conscience too and hope to receive a Crown on Earth or in Heaven for it when as God himself denounceth Damnation to you for your verie unwarrantable resistance of them alone and much more for their destruction God requires you to make Prayers Supplications Intercessions and giving of thanks first of all FOR KINGS that YOU may live a peaceable and quiet life under them in all Godliness and honestie for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour To make prayers to the God of Heaven FOR THE LIFE OF THE KING AND OF THE KINGS SONS Ezra 6.12 13. To prâ—y with all the primitive Church and Saints of God Psal. 72.1 Give the King thy Judgement O God and thy Righteousness unto the Kings Son How can how darâ— you then not onlie neglect these Duties but prohibit condemn punish them as no lesse than High Treason in others and not onlie fight but curse revile pray against the King and the Kings Sons too and take away their lives livelihoods instead of praying for them reputing it both your godlynesse honesty yea a Duty acceptable and well pleasing unto God Hear Heavens and tremble O Earth at this great impietie God commands you Eccles. 8.2 To keep the Kings Commandement and that in regard of the Oath of God And dare you against all your Oaths of Fealty Homage Supremacy Allegiance Protestation League Covenant printed Declarations and your own Propositions 1 August 1647. That the Kings Person and Royal issue may be restored to a condition of safety honor and freedom in this Nation without diminution of their personal Rights both abjure eradicate King Kingship and the Royal Posterity that you may no more keep nor obey anie of their Superior Commands and prefer the Commands of anie undutifull Army-Officers raised onlie to defend the King and Parliament from all force and violences before both their Ordinances Proclamations Commissions Votes to both their ruines God injoyns you not to Curse the King no not in your thoughts not to revile or speak evil of the Ruler of your People Eccles. 10.20 Exod. 22.28 Acts 23.5 Tit. 3 2. And can you like those wicked Idolators Isay 8.21 Curse your King and your God and look upward and like those unjust carnal bruitish Beasts made to be destroyed and reserved to the day of Iudgement to be punished despise Dominion speak evil of Dignities Kings Kingship 2 Pet. 2.9 to 14. Jude 8 9 10. for which the â—ospel it self denounceth Woe unto you perishing in the gain-saying of Core Jude 11. that you shall utterly perish in your own Corruption and receive the reward of unrighteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.12 13. Christ himself more than once enjoyns you in the â—ospel To render to Caesar the things that are Caesars to wit all his Dues Tributes Custom Fear Honor Mat. 22.17 21. Mar. 12.16 17. Lu. 20.22 24 25. Rom. 13.7 how can or dare you then wrongfully forciblie take away and detain from your rightfull King Caesar not onlie all these his Dues and Crown-lands too but his verie Crown life to boot instead of making restitution of them to his Son when he came to demand the fruits of his Fathers Vineyard do and say with those wicked Husbandmen in the Gospel Mat. 21.38 39. Lu. 20.14 this is the Heir come let us kill him and the Inheritance shall be ours and cast him out of the Vineyard O remember the sad doom which Christ himself and all his Auditors have denounced against you for it
in these Texts Luke 19.27 then tremble at it If all these Precepts will not affect nor reform you Consider That it hath been the general constant importunate desire of all Nations and Gods own People too wherin God himself hath gratified them to set up Kings to judge rule them and fight their battels Deut. 17.14 15. 1 Sam. 8.5.19 20 22. Ier. 25.18 to 27. For all the people unanimouslie to rejoyce and expresse their gladnesse contentment satisfaction delight triumph at their Kings solemn inaugurations with Trumpets Feasts Shouts Acclamations to eccho out this unanimous publick Ovation again and again God save the King Let the King live O King live for ever and to use the self-same expressions in all their private and publick Addresses 1 Sam. 11.24 2 Sam. 16.16 1 Kings 1.25.34 39. 2 Kings 11.12 2 Chron. 23 11. Ezra 6.10 Psal. 72.10 15. Dan. 2.4 c. 3.9 c. 6.6.21 Mat. 21.5.9 And will you be Antipodes to all other Nations yea to Gods own people in all Ages and cry out still with united shouts O do not save but destroy crucifie behead extirpate King and Kingship too away with them away with them from the earth let them never live but die die and that for evermore What madnesse what frenzie is this When the wicked Iews cryed out to Pilate against our Saviour Iesus Christ who was born King of the Iews Mat. 2.2 away with him away with him crucifie him crucifie him Pilate himself used this Argument to represse their furie Behold your King shall I crucifie your King At which they were so non-plussed that their Chief Priests had no other Answer but this to evade it We have no King but Caesar If thou let this Man go thou art not Caesars Friend whosoever maketh himself a King speaketh against Caesar upon which he delivered him over to them to be crucified And when Pilate put this Title on his Crosse Iesus of Nazareth King of the IEWS the Chief Priests were angry at it and said to Pilate write not King of the Iews but that he said I am King of the Iews being all convinced that it was a most barbarous shamefull inhuman worse that Jewish act for any Sâ—bjects or people to crucifie their lawfull King though in a way of Publick Justice whence the Apostle thus reasons 1 Cor. 2.8 That had the Princes of this world and Iews themselves known or believed Christ to be their King they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory And shall you not prove then far more transcendently impious treacherous than the worst of Iews of Mortals not only in your former crucifying beheading your undoubted known lawfull hereditary King which they abhorred to do but his Kingly Office and Posteritie too if you cry still away with them away with them wittingly willfully uncessantly their bloud be on us and our Children after us And will not the wrath of God come upon you and yours to the uttermost for this your high provocation as it did upon these Iews if you doe not speedily repent of it 1 Thess. 2.15 16. It was the loyalty piety of David a Man after Gods own heart a gallanter Commander Souldier Conquerour than the best and greatest of you when he was persecuted in the Field by his Soveraigne King Saul and his Armie hunted as a Partridge from place to place to take away his life and had several opportunities to destroy him without danger put into his hands and was twice importuned by his rude Souldiers to slay him or permit them to doe it that he rebuked this evil spirit and counsel in them and gave them this Answer The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my Master that I should stretch forth my Hand against the Lords Anointed seeing he is the anointed of the Lord destroy him not FOR WHO CAN stretch forth his hand against the Lords anointed AND BE INNOCENT And when the Amalekite brought tydings to him of Sauls death telling him that he had slain him by Sauls own command and presented him with his Crown and bracelets expecting a great reward from him for those good tydings being formerly anointed by God to succeed him He gave him no other answer nor reward but this How wa st thou not afraid to stretch forth thy hand to destroy the Lords anointed Thy bloud bee upon thy head for thy mouth hath testified against thee saying I HAVE SLAIN THE LORDS ANOINTED And he called one of the young men and said Go near and fall upon him And he smote him that hee died And David and all the men that were with him rent their clothes and lamented with a most pathetical lamentation over Saul recorded for ever in sacred writ 2 Sam 1.12 to the end The like reward he gave to the murderers of Ishbosheth his competitor 2 Sam. 4.10 11 12. And can you then conceit you were guided by the holy Spirit of God which dwelt in David Or that you deserve the Title of men after Gods own heart of Saints of honorable pious Commanders Soldiers for speaking declaring acting against your K. diametrically contrary to him in all these particulars and glorying in it as your highest praise valour Saint-ship His tender heart smote him to the quick for cutting off only the skirt of King Sauls garment privily when he refused to offer the least violence to his person as his Soldiers counselled him because he had cut off Saul skirt and will not your Adamantine hearts harder than the nether Milstone yet smite you with the least compunction for cutting off KING CHARLES HIS HEAD publickly and parting not only his Garments amongst you as the Souldiers did our Saviours when they crucified him but his Crown and Kingdoms too After David succeded Saul in his Throne his Captains Souldiers People were so carefull to preserve his life from the least appearance of danger That when he would have gone out to Battel against his rebellious Son Absolom who usurped the Crown They answered him Thou shalt not go forth for if we flye away or half of us dye they will not set their hearts on us but now thou art as ten thousand of us yea they swore to him at another time Thou shalt no more go out with us to Battel least thou quench the light of Israel 2 Sam. 21.17 And when Absolom was slain All the People were at strife through all the Tribes of Israel saying Absolom whom we anointed over us is dead in Battel Now therefore why speak ye not a word of bringing the King back Whereupon they earnestly contended who should be the first that should bring back the King to reinthrone him 2 Sam. 19.9 10 14 15 41 42 43. And can you then not only professedly go out to Battel against the King himself Parliament too against all Parliament-Votes Ordinances Declarations Commissions by which you were raised for their mutual defence but destroy and slay them both in cold blood after
Captainâ— of thousands or hundreds nor yet of Souldiers or Armed men but of mean Fisher-men and others altogether averse from war commanding them in expresse terms to take neither Gold Silver nor Brasse in their purses nor scrip nor two coats nor yet Staves much lesse Sword Pikes Horses Pistols nor any thing else belonging to a Souldier no offensive or defensive Arms at the most but a single walking staffe like Travellers to help support them Yea Christ expresly resolves That his Ministers are and must be no Fighters no Strikers nor Strives much lesse than professed Warriers Iohn 18.36 1 Tim. 3.3 2 Tim. 2.24 They have no Sword but that of the Spirit and their Mouth the word of God and fight with it only against mens Sins Lusts not Persons Eph. 6.17 Heb. 4.12 Rev. 19.15 21. Yea when Peter once did but draw his Sword to defend King Jesus against the Souldiers who came with Swords and Staves to apprehend him he said unto him Mat. 26.52 Put up thy Sword again into its place for they that take the sword shall perish with the sword Nay the state of the Gospel is so inconsistent with Souldiers Arms War That upon the sincere profession of it God requires the Professors thereof to beat their Swords into Plowshares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks Nation shall not lift up Sword against Nation Neither shall they learn VVar any more but to live in peace with all men and keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Isay. 4. Mich. 4.3 Luke 2.14 1 Cor. 7.15 c. 14.53 Gal. 5.22 2 Cor. 13.11 Eph. 4.3 Col. 3.15 2 Thes. 3.16 Heb. 12.14 Never was the Kingdom Gospel Church of Jesus Christ promoted advanced in any Age or place by war Swordmen but many Churches have been utterly destroyed extirpated depraved corrupted none ever edified planted enlarged much lesse reformed by them Our present Armie-Saints and new Military-Apostles by their fighting praying preaching fasting instead of promoting the Gospel Protestant Religion and Church of England have almost totally subverted them by broaching countenancing protecting all sorts of Heresies Blasphemies Sects Schisms Errors Opinions Religions setting up new Conventicles of Sectaries Seducers in all places opposing slighting traducing the very Church Doctrine Ministry of England the very Function Ordination of Ministers by decrying detaining their Tithes and former maintenance as litigious Jewish Antichristian by swallowing up all the Lands Revenues of Bishops Deans Chapters Arch-Deacons and a great part of our Ministers maintenance by sequestrations and monthly Contributions to maintain their Army Evangelists now ready to swallow up the remainder that is left and continuing in a body for that purpose by the very Jesuites instigation who not only professedly teach in their publick University at Madrid the Art of War by Land and Sea the making of Guns Gunpowder fireworks all manner of Military Engines of which they read Lectures as most agreeable to the Name Profession of their Martial Father Ignatius as Alphonsus Vargas a Spanish Priest records but boast That the General of the Iesuites can bring into the Field more Souldiers of his own order in a shorter time than any Christian King whatsoever and likewise expresly affirm That their Gopsel and Religion is to be propagated set up the Heretiques and Evangelical Sectaries who resist them refuted extirpated abolished with Fire Armies Sword and War in England elsewhere as Iacobus Cruciger Rector of the Iesuites at Lansperg in his explication of the Rules of their Order Paulus Windeck De extirpandis Heresibus Antid 10 11. p. 404 412 480. Thuanus Hist. l. 65. p. 238. l. 66. p. 299. Franciscus Verona Apol. pro Iohanne Castle par 5. c. 13. Hospinian Hist. Jesuitica l. 4. p. 212 213 214. Hasenmullerus Hist. Jesuit c. 1. Spec. Jesuiticum p. 61. unanimously attest O then discern at last whose Gospel Kingdom you are now propagating by your Army Arms and Westminster Conventicle not Iesus Christs but the very Jesuites his greatest Underminers Many of you especially Millinaries and Fifth Monarchy-men pretend that Jesus Christ is now comming to reign personally on Earth a thousand years and that you shall all reign together as joynt-Ioynt-Kings with or Vice-royes under him But the setting up of a New Republick and Aristocracy is wholly inconsistent with this Kingdom and Monarchy of Christ you now expect which suites only with a Temporal King and Kingdom How this Opinion will accord with Christs own description of it John 18. 16. My Kingdom is not of this World or Pauls Rom. 14.17 The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink nor yet Arms and Armies but Righteousnesse and Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost which Souldiers Armies usually destroy not produce or propagate let those who maintain it consider When Mr. Prynne was kept close Prisoner in Pendennis Castle by Iohn Bradshaws and our New Republicans illegal warrant in July 1651. some four dayes after his imprisonment there divers Officers and Souldiers of the Garrison who had long debated every day for sundry Months before their present expected personal reign of Christ on Earth repaired to him to know his Opinion concerning it as he was taking fresh Air in the Bowling-Alley standing in a ring about him Upon which he first demanded their Opinions of it when they had all fully uttered their Conceits in the Affirmative with much confidence M. Pryn briefly answered That now they had beheaded one of our Kings and almost conquered another and our 3. Kingdoms they thought talked of nothing but being all Kings themselves and of reigning personally on Earth cheek by joll with Christ himself as his Fellow-Kings no Earthly King being fit to be a Companion for such transcendent sublimated Saints as they thought themselves But they were all most grosly mistaken for that very Text of Rev. 20.4 5. which he read out of one of their Bibles whereon they principally grounded their Opinions and Reign was pointblank against them And I saw the Souls OF THEM THAT WERE BEHEADED not of them who took off their own Christian Protestant Kings and Nobles Heads for the Witnesse of Iesus and the word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast nor his Image neither had received his mark upon their foreheads nor in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years is it not added on the Earth and Chap. 22.5 rather proves their reign to be in the New Ierusalem in Heaven But the rest of the dead who were not thus beheaded lived not again much lesse then reigned with Christ till the thousand years were past By which it is most apparent That if Christ shall reign personally on Earth for a thousand years as they all conceived and that this time was now at hand yet not one of them should or possibly could reign with him if this Text be Vmpire For the words are most positive that none else shall thus reign with Iesus Chrisâ— a thousand years but
only the souls of those who were beheaded for the testimony of Iesus Christ c. It bâ—ing expresly averred in the affirmative then in the Negative But the rest of the Dead lived not till the thousand years were past Upon which account the late King and other Protestants whose Heads they had cut off and those Godly Christians they had slain murdered in the Wars and perchance himself and others who had lost their Ears Liberties Estates and were shut up close Prisoners for the Testimony of Iesus Christ and had not worshipped but opposed the Beast of Rome his Image Superstitions innovations Proceedings against the late King Parliament Religion nor received the mark of the Beast in their Foreheads or hands might peradventure reign with Christ a thousand years But as for themselves and other Army Saints who made it their businesse and reputed it their honour Saintship to cut off the Heads of their own Christian Kings Nobles Brethren to destroy Kingdoms Parliaments their Privileges secure imprison close imprison their Members worshipping the very beast and his Image and visibly receiving his mark in their Foreheads hands by these their Jesuitical practises keeping up an Army and Iron-Sword still drawn amongst us to the great oppressing undoing of their Native Country of purpose to keep off the wooden Crosse of Iesus Christ which he expresly enjoyned them with self-denying Spirits to take up daily and follow him and that other Crosse their own Consciences tell them these perfideous treacherous practises of theirs justly demerit they could have no ground at all from this or anie other Text to reign with Christ in his Heavenly or earthly Kingdom out of which these their seditious unrighteous and bloody practises did eternally exclude them as the 10 14 15. verses of this very Chapter Rev. 22.11 15. 1 Cor. 6.8 9 10. Gal. 5.20 21. resolve Therefore if ever they desired or expected thus to reign with Christ they must all presently repent of these their former Exorbitances put off their Swords from their sides take up Christs daily crosse lay down their own heads upon the Block and then willingly chearfully lose them not for their Treasons and Rebellions but for the Testimony of Iesus Christ and the word of God and opposition of their former treasonable Plots of the Beast of Rome then they might expect to reign with him otherwise they had no hopes by the resolution of this Text and that parallel'd place 2 Tim. 2.11.12 which excellently explains it If we be dead with Christ we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him If we deny by him by refusing to suffer with or for him he will also deny us With which words these formerly confident Swordmen were so non-plussed that they had not one word to reply and gave over all future discourses of this subject ever since being as unwilling to lose their Souldiers pay or Heads for the testimony of Christ as the young man in the Gospel was To sell all he had and give it the poor to gain eternal life and Treasures in Heaven Lastly consider That as it is the highest glory excellency of God himself the greatest comfort felicity security of his Church Saints that he is the living God stedfast for ever Dan. 6.26 That he is the Lord and changeth not Mal. 3.6 That with him is no variablenesse or shadow of change James 1.17 That he is the same immutable God for ever from everlasting to everlasting That his Counsels thoughts of heart purposes truth faithfulnesse commands loving-kindnesse Covenant stand fast firm unalterable to all generations for ever and ever Psal. 33 11. Psalm 90.1 2. Psalm 100.5 Psal. 02.16 17. Lam. 5.19 Hebr. 8.13 Psal. 110.4 So it is the most transcendent Honour Dignity Glory of God the Fathers and Jesus Christs Kingship Kingdom and the chief consolation exultation Beatitude of their Subjects and chosen Saints That the Lord is and fitteth King for ever That he is an everlasting King which reigns and shall reign for ever and ever that his Kingdom Dominion Throne are all everlasting established and enduring for evermore for ever and ever throughout all Generations that they cannot be moved and shall have no end Psalm 10.16 Psal. 29.10 Psal. 92.8 Psal. 45.6 Psal. 145.13 Psal. 146.10 Isay. 9.7 Dan. 4.3 34. c. 7.14 27. Jer. 10.10 Mar. 4.7 Lu. 1.32 33.2 Pet. 1.11 Rev. 11.15 Hebr. 12.28 Lam. 5.19 So also it is the praise honour glory of all Nations Churches People Kingdoms Governments aud every particular person both as a man Christian Counsellour or publick Minister of State to be constant stedfast fixed resolute immoveble and unchangeable in their Oaths Religion Worship Faith Principles Counsels resolutions courses when true just honest upright sincere commendable and in their Kingly publick Government evidenced by its Antiquitie the experiences of many successive generations to be beneficial safe just profitable honorable for the gegeneralitie of the people and firmlie established by Laws Oaths Covenants prescription with all other civil and sacred ratifications as is most apparent by Josh. 24.15 16. to 28. Psal. 15 4.1 Chron. 28.7 8 9. Prov. 24.21 Psal. 57.7 Psal. 46.1 2 3. Ps. 27.1 3. Jer. 2.11 Rom. 8.35 36 36 37 38 39. 1 Cor. 15.58 cap. 7.37 Heb. 6.18 19. Col. 2.5 6 7. 2 Thess. 2.17 c. 3.3 Eph. 6.13 14. Col. 1.23 Acts 20.24 c. 21.13 14. Rom. 13 1 2 3. 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15. Tit. 3.1 2 Chron. 13.5 6. c. 11.13 14 15 16 17. c. 23.1 2 3 4 c. c. 26.1 c. 33.24 25. 2. Sam. 7.13 20 29. 1 Chron. 17.13 14 22. to 28. c. 22.10 2 Chron. 9.8 c. 21.7 Ez. 37.45 Prov. 29.14 worthy special observation But it is the sinne shame reproach infamy dishonor ruin of any Nation Church people kingdom State Counsel person to be addicted to changes unstable variable unconstant fickle mutable tossed to and fro backward and forward upward and downward this way and that way like children fools reeds Vanes weathercocks empty clouds wandring stars the restless sea and its waves tossed and turned about with every wind and storme like wild asses dromedaries traversing their wayes or whorish women gadding about to change their lovers wayes and doting upon every Novelty or New lover they meet with as Gen. 49.4 Ps. 78.8 9 10. to 40. Ezech. 16.25 to 60. Jer. 2.11 to 37. Pro. 7.11.12 Jam. 1.6.8 Hab. 1.14 15. Pro. 24. 21 22. Isay 24.5 Ps. 106.20 Mat. 11.7 Rom. 1.23.25 Acts 28.6 2 Pet. 2.1 2 14. to 22. c. 3.17 2 Tim. 3.6 7. Eph. 4.14 Jude 6 12 13 16 24. resolve Why then are yon alwayes ringing the changes in our Churches Kingdoms Parliaments Government Religion modelling unmodelling chopping changing altering building them up and pulling them down again from day to day against all Oathes Vowes Covenants Laws Establishments Policy Prudence Justice Safety Settlement by which you become the highest transgressors Gal. 2.18 Is this to shew your selves Saints men
you again with hereditarie Kings and Kingship which you have so rashly brutishly perfidiously abjured out of meer self-ends and interests having not the least syllable in Scripture to justifie either the forcible bloudie manner of erecting new modelling your Illegitimate Commonwealth or your adopting it in the place of our old Kingdom and Kingship First of all consider that as Jesus Christ himself is a King by birth and inheritance Mat. 2.2 Lu. 1.32 33. So it is also his supremest royallest Title Attribute in the very Gospel that hee is King Lord of Kings Lord of Lords the Prince of the Kings of the Earth and the head of all Principalities and Powers Now the abolishing of Kings kingship Princes Lords divests Jesus Christ himself of these his most royal Titles and Soveraigntie Because he is thus stiled only in relation to earthly Kings Princes Lords who rule and reign over Kingdoms Nations by for through under him as his Ministers Officers Viceroyes Deputies and are appointed commissioned accountable to judged removed by him alone as subordinate Kings were by the Emperors Kings of Babylon Assyria Parthia and our Edgar who were stiled King of Kings because Kings were Subjects to them held their Crowns by from and under them and did homage to them as their Subjects as you may read at large in Mr. Seldens Titles of Honour part 1. ch 3. sect 2. and Dan 2.21 37 38.47 c. 17.25 many of these Kings losing this Title of King of Kings when their subordinate Kings and kingdomes revolted ceased or escheated into their own hands In relation to these Titles of Christ it is expresly prophecied Ps. 72.10.11 The KINGS of Tarshish and OF THE ISLES shall bring presents principally intended verified of this our Island of Great Britain which had the first Christian King we read of in all the world Lucius the first Christian Queen Helena the first and most glorious Christian Emperor Consiantine the Great the first Christian King who opposed abolished the Popes Supremacie Henrie the 8. the first Protestant King who by publike Acts of Parliament abolished both the Pope and Poperie and established the reformed Protestant Religion the first Protestant Queen who did the like to wit King Edward the 6. and Queen Elizabeth and more devout pious Kings Queens martyred for religion canonized for SAINTS and reputed such in the Churches of Christ and Kalendars of Saints than anie other Kingdom or Countrie in the world how great or populous soever as our own and forein Histories record to our immortal Honor. It then follows the Kings of Sheba Seba shall offer gifts yea ALL KINGS shall fall down before him in way of adoration by their president and leading example all Nations under them shall serve him How can how dare you then abolish Kings Kingship Lords especially in our Island without committing the highest Treason not only against our Kings and Lords but the Lord Jesus Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Since REGNUM ANGLIAE EST REGNUM DEI IPSE SIBI REGES PROVIDEBIT as our Historians inform us And can you resist his power with all your armed forces are you stronger than he when he shall enter into judgment with you for depriving him of these Titles 2ly Consider It is Gods special promise covenant made to Abraham the Father of the Faithfull Gen 17.6 I will make thee exceeding fruitful I will make Nations of thee Kings shall come out of thee And his extraordinarie blessing on Sara v 16. I will bless her she shall be a Mother of Nations Kings of People shall be of her 3ly It was Iudah his blessing Prerogative Gen. 49.8.10 Thy Fathers children shall bow down before thee The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor a Law-giver from between his feet until Shiloh come 4ly When Balaam prophecied of the happiness prosperity of Israel he useth these as the highest expressions thereof Num. 23.21 c. 24.7 The shout of a KING is among them and his KING shall be higher than Agag and his Kingdoms shall be exalted 5ly It is recorded by the Spirit of God 2 Sam 5.12 David perceived that the Lord had established him King over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israels sake And when God after he made him King over them had promised by the mouth of the Prophet Nathan 2 Sam 7.10 Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them as before time under their Iudges How did God effect this promise but by establishing an hereditarie kingdom amongst them in David during his life whom he caused to rest from all his Enemies round about And when thy dayes be fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy Fathers I will set up thy seed after thee which shall proceed out of thy bowels and will establish his Kingdom And thine House and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee and thy Throne shall be established for ever Ver 11 12 16. How much holy David was transported yea ravished with this News from heaven and with what enlargement of Spirit he blessed God for and prayed for the accomplishment of it as the greatest blessing and confirmation of his people Israel by God himself v 23 24 and the highest honor blessing to his own house you may read to the end of the Chapter Thus again amplified by him in his Speech to his Princes to his Captains of thousands of hundreds Officers and other mighty men 1 Chron 28.4 to 10. The Lord God of Israel chose me before all the house of my Father to be King over Israel for ever and he hath chosen Iudah to be Ruler of the house of Iudah the house of my Father and among the sons of my Father he liked me to make me King over all Israel and of all my sons he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the Throne of the Kingdom of the Lord over Israel And he said unto me I will be his Father Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever if he be constant to doe my commandements and my judgements as at this day Now therefore in the sight of all Israel the congregation of the Lord and in she audience of our God keep and seek for all the commandements of the Lord your God that you may possess this good Land and leave it for an Inheritance for your children after you for ever An hereditarie Kingdom being the chiefest means and blessing under God to preserve the inheritances not only of the Princes Nobles and mightie men but even of Colonels Captaines and Souldiers themselves in Gods and Davids computation who lost all they had by forsaking their lawful Hereditarie Kings and were carried into captivitie 6ly The accomplishment of this Promise to David his seed was reputed an
extraordinarie blessing to the Israelites not only by King David Solomon God himself the people of Ierusalem and the whole Land as you may read in the 1 of Kings 1.36 37 38 39 40 45 46 47 48. c. 2.4.12 c. 3.6 to 15. c. 8.20 25 26 27. worthy perusal but even by foreign Kings and Queens Witness that memorable Letter of Hiram King of Tyre to Solomon 2 Chron. 2.11 12. Because the Lord hath loved his people he hath made thee King over them Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that hath made heaven and earth who hath given to David the King a wise son endued with prudence and understanding that might build an House for the Lord and an house for his kingdom And that speech of the Queen of Sheba to him 1 Kings 10.9 2 Chron 9.8 Blessed be the Lord thy God which delighteth in thee to set thee on his Throne to be King for the Lord thy God Because the Lord thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee King over them to do Iustice and Iudgement And the Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel and bestowed such royal Majestie Honor and such riches on him and his people too as had not been bestowed on anie King or people before him 1 Chron 29.25 28 30. 2 Chron 1.9 to the end Chap. 9.9 to 30. Neh. 13.26 7ly God himself records by King Solomon Prov. 20.8.26 A King that sitteth in the Throne of Iudgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes and bringeth the wheel over the wicked Prov 29.4.14 The King by Iudgement stablishe◠the Land Yea the King that faithfully judgeth the Land his throne shall be established for ever And he resolves definitively against all Opponents Eccles. 10.17 Blessed art thou o Land when thy King is the son of Nobles 8ly God himself doth specially promise the Succession and Continuance of Hereditarie Kings and Princes as a blessing reward to his people for their obedience to his Commandements and chief means of their perpetual continuance in houour peace and prosperity Jer. 17.24 25 26. c. 22.4 And it shall come to passe if ye diligently hearken unto me saith the Lord to hallow the Sabbath day and do no work thereon then shall there enter into the Gates of this City mark it Kings and Princes sitting upon the Throne of David riding in Chariots on Horses they and their Princes the men of Iudah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and this City shall remain and flourish for ever 9ly It is very remarkable that though divers of the hereditarie Kings of Davids posterity were verie wicked and idolatrous yet God himself though King of Kings who setteth up Kings and pulleth them down and disposeth of the Kingdoms of the earth to whom soever he pleaseth by reason of his Oath and Covenant made to David would neither remove nor disinherit them thongh he did very sorely afflict and punish them for their iniquities Ps. 89 3 4 20. to 38. 2 Sam. 7.11 to 18. 1 King 11 12 13 39. Of this we have a memorable Scripture-Presidents 1 King 15.3 4 5 Ahijam King of Iudah walked in all the sins of his Father which he had done before him and his heart was not perfect before the Lord his God as the heart of David his Father Nevertheless for Davids sake did the Lord give him a lamp in Jerusalem to set up his Son after him and to establish Ierusalem Because David did that which was right in the sight of the Lord So 2 Chron. 21.5 6 7. Jehoram reigned 8 years in Jerusalem and he walked in the way of the Kings of Israel like as did the House of Ahab for he had taken the Daughter of Ahab to wife and he wrought that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. Howbeit the Lord would not destroy the House of David because of the Covenant he had made with David and as he promised to give a light to him and to his Sons for ever Which Texts compared with Psal. 131.11 12 13 14. infablibly ratifie these thtee conclusions 1. That as Gods Covenant and Oath made to David and his Royal Posteritie did not determine by Davids death but extended to all his Posterity after him so our Oaths of Fealty Supremacy Allegiance and Solemn League and Covenant made to the late King his Heirs Successors in precise terms determined not by his death but remain to his Royal Posterity and are perpetually to be performed to them uuder pain of highest perjury guilt punishment as is most apparent if compared with Gen. 50.25 Exod. 13.19 Josh. 24.32 Josh. 9.15 18 19 20 21. 1 Sam. 20 16 17 23 42 c. 24.21 22 2 Sam. 9.1 3 c. c. 21.1 to 10. 2ly That the Sinnes and wickednesses of Davids posteritie did not cause God himself to break his Oath and Covenant with them or jndicially to deprive or disinherit them of their Crowns and Kingdom contrary to his Oath and Covenant which he held inviolable and immutable Ps. 89.3 4.34 Psal. 132 11 12. Heb. 6.17 18. Much lesse then may we or any other Subjects who are but men infringe our Oaths Covenants to our sacred hereditarie Kings and their posteritie for their sinnes or wickednesse nor disinherit thē of their Crowns Scepters Lives Realm Ps. 15.4 Ec. 8.2 3ly That a hereditarie succession of Kings in the Royal Line though many of them be wicked is yet a special means ordained by God for the establishment peace perpetuity of their kingdoms and people which else would be unsetled distracted consumed destroyed by civil wars distractions and Usurpers of the Crown destroying murdering one another as the kindom of Israel was after the revolt of the ten Tribes from the house of David whose hereditarie kingdom continued at least 134 years after the total destruction captivity of the Kingdom of Israel whose revolt from the House of David produced nought else but a Succession of very wicked idolatrous Kings and Usurpers endlesse wars miseries publick Idolatry Apostacie from God all sorts of Sins rapines and perpetual Captivity as the books of Kings and Chronicles resolve especially 2 Kings ch 17. In which revolt and rebellion it is observable that all the Priests and Levites and all the Godly men throughout the revolting Tribes of Israel who set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel left their possessions and went to Ierusalem and strengthened the kingdom of Rhehoboam the Son of Solomon against the Vsurper Ieroboam as the Scripture records for their honour 2 Chron. 11.13 14 15 16. 10ly Upon this verie reason God himself records that when Athaliah had slain all the seed Royal but Ioash and usurped the Royal Throne for six years space Ioash being but an Infant Iehojadah the High Priest hid him from this Usurper till he was seven years old and then entring into a Covenant with the Captains of Hundreds Rulers and Levites they all assembled at Ierusalem
2. resolve there was none at all in King Iames or King Charles did thereupon by this special Act and a strict Oath declare aad establish the surety title or succession of the Grown of England in him and his Heirs for ever upon which dependeth all our joy and wealth as they more at large expresse 13ly God himself in direct terms declares that it is a matter and badge of honour and prosperity for any Nation to be advanced from a Commonwealth or Principality into a Kingdom Ezech. 15.13 14. Thou didst prosper into a Kingdom And thy renown went forth among the Heathen for thy beauty for it was perfect through my comelynesse which I put upou thee saith the Lord which compared with Rom. 13.1 Let every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers for there is no Power but of God the Powers that are are ordained of God Col. 1.16 For by him are all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible or invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities all were created by him and for him Tit. 3.1 Put them in mind to be subject to Principalityes and Powers to obey Magistrates 1 Pet. 2. 13 17. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake whether to the King as Supream Fear God Honour the King are infallible demonstrations That as kingdomes and Kings are of Divine institution and planting so they are reputed instituted by God and Jesus Christ as the most prosperous happyest divinest honourablest supreamest of all other forms of Government and Governors whatsoever created by and for Iesus Christ and have been the very Governments and Governors alone in and by which he hath precisely promised declared that he will most advance his own Spiritual Kingdom Church and Glory as is undenyable by Ps. 68.29.31.32 Ps. 102.22 2 Kings 19.19 Isay. 37.20 Rev. 11.15 Psal. 2.10 11. Psal. 68.29 Psal. 72 10 11. Psal. 102. 15. Psal. 138.4 Ps. 144.10 Ps. 148.11 Ps. 149.8 Isay 49.7 13. c. 52.15 c. 60.3 10 11 16. c. 62.2 Rev. 21 24. the expresse lively Images of Christs own Spi-Spiritual Kingdom Kingship on whose Throne alone they sit as his Vicegerents 2 Chron. 9.8 Col. 1.16 and therefore are stiled Kings Kingdoms not Optimacies or Republicks yea not only Kings but Gods and Gods Anointed as well as Christ himself Exod. 22.8 Iosh. 22 22. Ps. 82 1 6. Iohn 10.34 1 Cor. 8.5 2 Sam. 12.3 5. c. 22 52. Psal. 20.6 Isay 45.1 Lam. 4.20 1 Sam. 16.6 c. 24.6 10 c. 26.9 11 1 23 2 Sam. 19.21 14ly God himself in sundry Scriptures positively declares and denounceth the plucking up or rooting out of a Kingdom and making it no Kingdom or a base or viler Kingdom than it was before and the leaving of an antient Kingdom without a King or hereditary Successor or Heir to sway the Scepter to be a most severe sad grievous Iudgement and Punishment on them for their crying hainous offences and Sinnes against him yea an immediate concomitant or Forerunner of their utter desoiation a matter of present and future lamentation not of a mercy blessing or cause of rejoycing as our seduced Bedlam-Republicans Army-Saints and Pseudo-Politicians repute it as all these Texts infallibly resolve Judg. 17.6 c. c. 18.1 c. c. 17.1 c. c. 21.25 Hos. 3.4 c. 10.3.7.15 a notable Scripture Is. 9.2 11 12. c. 7.16 Amos 1.8.10.13 14 15. c. 2 2.5 c. Mich. 4.9.10 Jer. 17.25.27 c. 22.5 to 30. c. 25.8 to 38. Ezech. 19.14 15. a signal Text c. 17.12 13 14. c. 29.14 15. Lam. 1.6 c. 2.6.9 c. 4.20 c. 5.16 Hab. 1.10.14 15. Nah. 3.17 18 19. Hag. 2.22 Ezech. 21.26 27. Against which Scriptures worthie your particular perusal no one Text can be produced to prove it a blessing benefit honor to any kingdom or Nation whatsoever 15ly As for your new magnified Common-wealth and Aristocracie preferred by you before our Kings and Monarchie 1. Consider that of Prov. 28.2 For the Transgression of a Land many are the Princes or Governors thereof but by a man of understanding and knowledge the State thereof shall be prolonged And compare it with Hosea 10.3 For now they shall say We have no King because we feared not the Lord what then should a King do to us Lam 5.16.8 The Crown of our head to wit our King c. 4.20 is fallen wo unto us that we have sinned Servants have ruled over us there is none that delivereth us out of their hand And then you must needs confess that your subversion of our Kingly Government by one single person to set up a Polarchie and New Republike under many Servants Governors is in Gods own his Churches peoples account an heavie judgement vassallage bondage on them for their transgressions sinnes and a matter of great lamentation woe Ezech. 19.12 13 14. not a blessing ease libertie means of their happiness or establishment 2. Consider that you cannot derive the Pattern of your New Commonwealth from the Scripture Gospel Church or presidents of God and Jesus Christ but only from the Old Heathen bloudie Romans after their Regifugium who were alwaies altering their Government from one new form to another continuing not long in anie one condition till setled in an Emperor and Empire and at last in a Regal Roman Pontiff in which state it hath continued almost 1700. years and the new Jesuitical models of Parsons Campanella Richelieu Mazarine Spain France recommended to you from Antichristian Rome to work our ruine Or at leastwise from the old seditious Graecians and Athenians who are thus branded in Historians Omnino ad commutandos Reipublicae Status erant versatiles et omnium propensissimi ad vicissitudines as you and the Army-Officers now are which proved their utter ruine and caused endless wars and tumults between themselves till they were subdued enslaved by the Macedonians Persians Romans and other foreign Kings as you may read at leisure in Thucidides Diodorus Siculus Xenophon Plutarch Arrianâ—â— Iustin Bp. Vshers Annales Veteris Testamenti whence Heniochus an antient Greek Comaedian compares Aristocracie and Popularitie unto two scolding Women who coming amongst the Greek Cities put all things into tumult and disorder making them bedlam mad against each other to their utter desolation Tum geminae ad illas accesserunt Mulieres Quae cuncta conturbarunt Optimatitas Est nomen alteri alteri Popularitas Quarum incitatu pridem externatae furunt And have they not produced the self-same Madness Furie and sad effects among the Armie yea and our 3. kingdoms How then can you or anie wise men but only TOM OF BEDLAMS be anie longer in love with either of them and preferr them before Kings and Kingship when as your selves as well as other Members declared resolved in two Declarations of 12 April 1646. of 17 Decemb. and in the Votes of Novemb 9. 23. 1647. That the Agreement of the People for a Representative and Republike without
over oppresse ruine us Nay But we will have a KING our own lawfull hereditary King to reign over us that We also may be like all other Nations yea like our selves and our Ancestors in all former Ages and that our King may judge us and go out before us and so put a speedy end to all our present future Changes Wars Troubles Fears Dangers Oppressions Taxes and restore us to our pristine Peace settlement unitie amitie securitie prosperitie felicitie upon the Propositions assented to by his beheaded Father in the Isle of Wight whose Concessions the Ho of Commons without division after 3. daies and one whole Nights debate 4 Dec. 1648. notwithstanding all the Armies menaces Resolved upon the Question to be a sufficient Ground for the House to proceed upon for the settlement of the Peace of the Kingdom upon better terms and greater advantages than ever they have yet enjoyed or can possiibly expect from any New Free-State or other New Armie Government or Governours whatsoever The old Parliaments Statutes of 25 H. 8. c. 22.26 H. 8. c. 3. 1 Eliz. c. 5. the most impartial Judges in this case long since resolving that it is and of very right and duty ought to be the natural inclination of all good people like most faithfull loving and obedient Subjects sincerely and willingly to defire and provide for the supportation maintenance and defence of the Person Crown Royal estate and succession of their dread Soveraign King upon and in whom all their worldly Ioy and wealth and the surety of them all next under God doth principally depend as we have experimentally found by all the miseries Oppressions sustained under our late New forms of Governments and Governors whose little fingers have been heavier than our Kings whole loyns and the cousels proceedings of our young raw Statesmen more pernicious exorbitant than the old ones under our Kings Which should engage all to return to their old Kingly Government 4ly If they will not upon anie terms be serued up to such a degree of Christian or old English Resolution as thus to expostulate with their servants hirelings and fellow Members after so manie high and bloudie contestations with their lawfull Soveraign in Parliaments and the field when their Laws lives liberties Church Religion Kingdom and all earthly comforts were less endangered than now in their own judgements Mr. Prynne shall then intreat them only to take so much courage as over-timerous King Iehoshaphat and his cowardly people did when three confederated forein Nations came up to invade and destroy their kingdom and to act as they did then First let them appoint a publike Fast throughout the Kingdom Citie Countrie and use the self-same praier as they used O our God will thou not judge them for we have no might against this great companie no nor that little Conventicle inconsiderable handful of Armie-men Sectaries now combined against us but our eies are unto thee Annexing to it this praier of David Ps. 140. Deliver us O Lord from the evil man preserve us from the violent men which imagin mischief in their heart continually are they gathered together for war Grant not O Lord the desire of the wicked Further not their wicked devices lest they exalt themselves Let the mischief of their own lips cover them let them be cast into deepe pits that they rise not up again Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth Let evil hunt the men of violence to their overthrow Then pursue the Prophets advice from God unto them Hearken ye all Iudah and ye inhabitants of Ierusalem thus saith the Lord God Be not afraid nor dismaid by reason of this great multitude much less of this small Conventicle for the battle is not yours but Gods To morrow go out against them ye shall not néed to fight in this battle only set your selves in array against them and stand still keep your ground fear not submi◠not to their power usurpations impositions in any kind and the Lord will be with you Whereupon they rose early in the morning and went out against them with their Priests before them singing praises and Psalms of thanksgiving to God And when they began to sing and praise the Lord set ambushes against the children of Ammon Moab and Mount-Seir which were come against Judah and they smote one another For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against them of Mount Seir utterly to slay and destroy them and when they had made an end of them every one helped to destroy another And when Iudah looked upon the multiude behold they were dead bodies fallen to the earth and none escaped Whereupon Jehoshaphat and his people gathered up their spoiles for 3. daies space together they were so great and on the 4 th day they blessed the Lord and returned with joy to Jerusalem without the losse of anie one mans life or one stroke struck by them because the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel Imitate but their example herein go out only couragiously against these Invaders of your Countries Rights Liberties Privileges without fear or dispondencie Own not their incroached Parliamentarie power Acts Imposition Edicts Taxes Excises in anie kind Keep fast your purse-strings and part with no farther pay to your Armie-Saints till they obediently submit to your commands as their Masters and acknowledge themselves to be your mercinarie Servants not your soveraign new Lords Masters Then without any more fighting bloudshed danger to your persons or estates you shall soon behold the Mungrel multitude of Anabaptists Quakers Sectaries Republicans Vanists Cromwellists Iesuits Papists now combined against you divided against each other as you see they are pretty well and every of them will help to destroy one another as they begin to doe and their Westminster new-convened Vn-Parliamentarie Conventicle thrust out of doors by themselves again with greater scorn infamie derision damage to them than heretofore as Obad. 10.15 Ezech. 35.15 Deut. 32.35 36.41 42. Ps. 7.15 16. Ps. 9.15 Ps. 140.11 Prov. 12.2 3 c. 24.21 22. Mich. 3.9 to 13. Hab. 2.12 13. Rev. 13.10 c. 17.6 c. 16.4 5 6. Mat. 7.2 Judg. 1.6 7. may assure both you and them compared with Gods late wonderfull providences of this kind upon all sorts of Innovators So as you may sing They are brought down and fallen but we are risen and stand upright But if you neglect or refuse to follow this advice beware lest through your unworthie cowardize and negligence in this kinde you become not a speedy prey to these ravening wolves now likely to transform London into another Munster and England into a second Germanie as in the year 1534. Mr. Prynne having thus fully faithfully sincerely discharged his dutie and satisfied his own conscience is resolved to lie down quietly to take his rest and hope for the salvation of his God concluding with the words of St. Paul in a like case 2 Tim. 4.6 7 8.16 17 18.