you doe it without asking or receiving their consents you engage both Kingdomes to make a just Warre against you to proclaime and to Crowne the Prince of Wales their King though you should lay him aside as being next heire apparent And no Ordinance you can now make will be any legal barre against him to the Crown of Eng. where he will find ten thousand persons for one who will joyn with Scotland and Ireland to set him upon his Fathers Throne as king of England and avenge his blood upon all who shall be aiding or assisting to its spillings or his dethroning And what then will become of you and your army when thus deserted by most opposed by all 3 kingdomes all the Kings Queens Princes Allies united forces where will you where will your St. Cromwell St. Ireton St. Pride Saint Peters that fast and loose carnall prophet and Arch Jesuited Incendiary in these present tumults with other Grand Saints of the Army who now force you the Generall Army and whole kingdome upon such dangerous councels as these by the Jesuites principles and practises then appeer to save either themselves or you or your posterities from exemplary justice without mercy or hopes of pardon Consider this then seriously if not as Christians yet as Polititians and selfe ended men and then repent and be wise in time Tenthly Remember that you have neither Law nor direct president for what you are going about Edward the 2d and Richard the 2d were forced by Mortimer and Henry the 4th to resign their Crowns in a formall manner the one to his Son the other to his conquering successor neither of them to the parliament then deposed by a subsequent sentence in Parliament as unfit to reign without any formall legall tryall or answer and that not in an empty Parliament under a force as now when most Members were forced away and secluded but in a full Parliament wherein the articles drawen up against them were never so much as read and their depositions made upon their own voluntary concessions only to confirme their precedent Resignations Besides neither of these Kings though very bad and Papists were ever condemned to loose their heads or lives but were to be well and honourably Treated And those proceedings were only by Popish parliaments in time of ignorance who had no such Oaths Vowes Covenants Protestations and other forementioned considerations to tye their hands as you and we all have now Yea this very Parl. hath solemnly particularly protected that they did never suffer these Presidents to enter into their thoughts and they should never be their practise what ever they suffered from the King or hiâ— and that for the honor of our Religion and the most zealous in it But that which is very observable Roger Mortimer the principle actor in deposing King Edward the 2. Crowning his Son Edward the 3. King in his stead as you must now Crown the Prince of Wales in his Fathers stead if you depose the King else you pursue not this president as you should do in the Parliament of E. 3. In which I find no record concerning this deposall was in a full Parliament within four years after with some other of his Confederates impeached condemned and executed as a Traytor and Enemy to the King and Kingdom by the Iudgement of the Lords and that by King Edward the third his owne assent without any legall hearing or tryall just as he had there deposed this King without it for murthering King Edward in Berkeley Castle after his deposall and Sir Thomas de Berkeley in whose Castle he was slain being indicted of Treason likewise for the same murther before the Lords in Parliament pleaded not guilty thereunto was tried at the Lords Bar in a legall manner by a Iury of 12 Knights there sworn and impannelled and by them acquitted upon ful evidence and tryal when as Sir Simon de Bereford was impeached condemned and executed by a judgement given against him by the Lords alone without any tryall for murthering this deposed King and Thomas de Gourney William Ocle adjudged Traytors by them for the same offence without any evidence appearing on record These Presidents then will be of very hard digestion and not parall'd to our times or the Kings case Who having upon the late Treaty granted us for the speedy settâ—ement and security of our bleeding Kingdoms Churches and Religion what ever we could in honor justice or reason desire and farre greater advantages and security then any of our ancestors or any Kingdom under heaven from the creation to this present demanded or enjoyed from any of their Princes as I dare make good to you and all the world and that which the Commons House after two whole dayes and one whole nights debate thought and voted a sufficient ground for them to proceed with the King to the speedy seâ—ling of the Kingdoms peace now you or the army after such large concessions contrary to the votes of both houses when full and free can in honor justice reason discretion or conscience proceed to depose or decapitate the King as a violater of his faith a Traitor c. Without making your selves more perjured treacherous and greater Traytors in all kinds then he incurring the same judgement execution as you shall passe inflict upon him I leave to your saddest consultations to advise of I have thus freely faithfully and plainly discharged my mind and conscience to you without fear or flattery for the Kings Kingdomes Parliaments protestant Religions I am certaine Irelands almost irrecoverably lost your own and the Armies weale and safety too if God in mercy please to give you heads or hearts to make timely use of it and not suffer your selves to be Jesuit-ridden any longer Consider you have most of you Estates all of you Heads or lives and soules to save or loose both here and hereafter If this and all the precedent considerations will not prevaile with you to take you off from your present desperate Councels and proceedings for your own the Kingdoms Churches Religions Irelands Parliaments your owne posterities and the Armies safety too Ride on triumphantly still in Ignatius Loyola his fiery chariot like so many young Phaitons till you fall and perish It is sufficient for me hower you digest this present friendly Memento to you and I can truly say liberavi animam meam what ever becomes of you or me Who doe here solemnely protest to all the world against these your proceedings as altogether nul void unparliamentary illegall unchristian if not perfidious and Treasonable in these respects I shall close up all with that Golden sentance of God himselfe and the wisest of men King Solomon which is twice repeated verbatim that it might be the better remembred and considered by you and all others in such Exigences of publique affaires as we are now fallen into Prov. 22.3 27 12. A prudent man
your acting herein the Popes and Iesuits designes 3dly That your selves among other Members have in above one hundred Remonstrances Declarations Petitions Ordinances and printed papers published in the name and by the authority of one or both Houses of Parliament professed both to the King himselfe Kingdome World and forraign States that you never intended the least hurt injury or violence to the Kings Person Crown Dignity or Posterity but intended to him and his Royall Posterity more honour happinesse Glory and Greatnesse then ever was yet enjoyed by any of his Royall Predecessours That you will ever make good to the uttermost with your lives and fortunes the faith and allegiance which in truth and sinceritie you have alwayes horne to his Majesty that you have proposed no other ends to your selves but the performance of all duty and loyalty to his Majesties Person That all Contributions and loanes upon the publike faith should be imployed only to maintain the Proteâ—â—ant Religion the Kings authority his Person his Royall Dignity the Lawes of the land Peace of the Kingdome and priviledges of Parliament and not to be imployed against his Majesties person or authority That the Armies and forces raised by the Houses were raised for the safety and defence of the Kings Person and of both Houses of Parliament c. That his Majestes Personall safety honour and greatnesse are much dearer to you then your owne lives and fortunes which you do most heartily dedicate and shall most willingly imploy for the maintenance and support thereof That the Parliament will ever have a care to prevent any danger which his Majesty may justly apprehend to his person That both Houses are resolved to expose their lives and fortunes for the defence and maintenance of the true Religion The Kings person honour and State the power and priviledges of Parliament That notwithstanding his Majesties proclamations against the General and Army as Traytors yet to witnesse their constant and unshaken Loyalty to his Maiesty both houses do solemny declare That upon his disbanding his forces return harkning to the advise of his Great Councel They will really endeavour to make both him his as much beloved at Home feared abroad as any Pr. that ever swayed this Septer which is their firm and constant Resolution from which they wil not be diverted for any private or self respects whatsoever That they will faithfully endeavour to secure his Maiesties Person Crown from all dangers inculcating the apparent danger to his Royal Person among his popish Malignants Armies ill Councelors upon that reason perswading and inviting him to desert them and close with his Parliament protesting that the Parliament hath been is ever wil be more ready then they to secure and uphold the â—uthority Prerogative and Honor of the King and preserve the safety of his Royal Person which they have oft times testified by many humble Petitions and Declarations to Him the World and Kingdome with many other such like expressions Which whether your present Actings and Counsels do not directly oppose contradict and give the lye unto to your eternall infamy and breach of publique faith as much as in you lies let both Houses the world and all men judge as they will doe in due season 4thly Consider That when the King and his party did taxe the Houses for insinuating That if they should make the highest presidents of other Parliaments their pattern there would be no cause to complain of want of modesty or duty in them That is they may depose the King when they wil and are not to be blamed for so doing and that the army raised by the Parliament was to murther and depose the King Both houses by two solemne Declarations did most professedly declare and protest against it as the falsest and most malicious accusation that could be imagined that the thoughts of it never entred nor should enter into their loyal hearts That as God is witnesse of their thoughts so shall their actions witnesse to all the world that to the honor of our Religion of those who are most zealous in it they shal suffer far more for from their Soveraign then they hoped God would ever permit the malice of his wicked Councellors to put them to since the happinesse of the Kingdome doth so mainly depend upon hiâ— Majesty and the Royall Authority of that root That they hoped the contrivers of these false and scandalous reports or any that professed the name of a Christian could not have so little charity as to raise such a scandall especially when they must needs know the Protestation made by the Members of both houses whereby they promise in the presence of Almighty God to defend and preserve his Maiesties Person The Promise and Protestation made by the Members of both houses upon the Nomination of the Lord of Essex to be Generall and to live and die with him wherein is expressed That this Army was raised for defence of the Kings Person Their often earnest and most humble addresses to His Majesty to leave that desperate and dangerous Army wherewith he is now encompassed raised and upheld to the hazard of his own and the Kingdomes ruine and to come in Person to his Parliament where he should be sure to remain in honour and safety and their humble petition directed to be presented to him by the hands of the Earl of Essex before any blow given to remove his Royal person from the Army a request inconsistent with any purpose to offer the least violence to his person which hath and ever shall be dear unto them Now put it to your soules and consciences whether yours and the Armies present Councels and actions doe not really justifie the Kings and his parties former suggestions and give the lye to these Declarations of both Houses who certainly when ever restored to a condition of freedome and liberty of meeting together againe will crave publike reparations and justice against you if you violate both their Honour faith and engagements to the King Kingdome and forraign States against these their Declarations and Protestations too 5thly Remember that the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament Octob. 2â— 1642. did in the presence of Almighty God which is the strongest obligation that any Christian and the most solemne publik faith that any state as a Parliament can give for the satisfaction of their own consciences and discharge of that great trust that lyes upon them make this Protestation and Declaration to all this Kingdome and Nat on and to the whole world That no private passion or respect No evil intention to his Maiesties person no designe to preiudice his iust honour and Authority engaged them to raise forces or take up Armes That if he would return to his Parliament in peace and by their counsels and advice compose the distempers and confusions abounding in his Kingdomes They would receive him with all Honour yeeld
him all true obedience subjection and faithfully endeavour to defend his Person Estate from all danger and to the uttermost of their power establish him in all the blessings of a glorious and happy Reign And that they had no intention or desire to hurt or iniure his Maiesty either in his Person or iust power Which they seconded by many subsequent Declarations Since which both Houses and the three Kindomes of England Scotland and Ireland have entred into A solemn League and Covenant For the Honor and happinesse of the Kings Majesty and his posterity among other ends therein specified That they shall sincerely really and constantly endeavour with their estates and lives to preserve and defend the Kings maiesties person and authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms that the world may beare witnesse with their consciences of their Loyalty and that they have no thoughts nor intention to diminish his maiesties iust power and greatnesse That they will with all faithfulnesse endeavour to discover all evill Instruments and Incendiaries dividing the King from his people that they may be brought to publike tryall and receive condigne punishment And shall never suffer themselves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination perswasion or terrour to be withdrawne from this blessed union c. which so much concerneth the glory of God the good of the Kingdomes and the honor of the King but shall all the dayes of their lives zealously and constantly continue therein against all opposition And conclude This Covenant we make in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of all hearts with a true intention to observe the same as we shall answer at the great day when the secrets of all hearts shal be disclosed This Covenant you have all taken your selves some of you often and * imposed it on all three Kingdomes And will it not stare in your faces your consciences and engage God himselfe and all three Kingdoms as one man against you if you should proceed to depose the King destroy his person or disinherit his posterity yea bring certaine ruine upon you and yours as the greatest Covenant-breakers and most perjured Creatures under Heaven O think and think most seriously upon it before you proceed to further perjuries In 24. E 3. William Thrope cheife Iustice of the Kings Bench for taking 80 l. bribes of severall persons was by speciall Commission indited convicted and condemned to be hanged and to forfeit all his Lands Tenements Goods and chattels to the King because thereby Sacramentum Domini Regis quod ergo populum habuit custodiendum fregit maliciose falso rebelliter quantum in ipse fuit which Judgement was affirmed to be just and reasonable in full Parliament where it was openly read by the Kings command as is evident by 25. E 3. Rot. Parl. nul 10. If then this chief Justice for breaking his Oath to the King and his people as a Iudge only in taking two or three small bribes deserved to be hanged and to forfeit all his Lands Goods and Life by the judgement of full Parliament then what will such Members deserve to suffer who shall violate not only their Oaths of Allegiance and Supreamicy to the King and his heires but likewise the several Protestations solemn League Covenant and the multiplied publique faith engagements declarations Remonstrances promises of both houses of Parliament made to God the King the whole Kingdomes people of England Scotland and Ireland the States of the united Provinces and all the world an that maliciously falsely and Rebelliously as much as in them lies and their own private Faith Oaths Vowes and Covenants involved in them in deposing and executing the King disinheriting the Prince violating the priviledges usurping the power of the parliament to themselves when most of the other Members are violently secluded by the army to the subversion of the freedom liberties of all Parliaments this being one article against King Rich. the 2d in 1. H 4. Rot. Parl. 25 66 70. when he was deposed That in the Parliament held at Salop intended to oppresse his people he did subtilly procure and cause to be granted by consent of all the States in the kingdom which you have not that the power of the Parliament should remaine with certain persons * Lords and Commons to determine certaine Petitions then delivered but not dispatched after the Parl. ended by colour whereof the said deputed persons proceeded by the Kings pleasure and wil to other things generally concerning the said Parliament to the great derogation of the State and priviledges of the Parliament and the great inconveniences pernicious example of the whole Realme and to gain some colour and authority to their doings the King caused the Parliament Rolls to be altered and deleated according to his Vote contrary to the effect of the foresaid Confession as you have presumed to nul repeale and unvote divers Votes Orders and Ordinances of both Houses made in pursuance of the foresaid oathes protestations the solemn League Covenant Remonstrances Declarations of both houses the treaty when the houses were full not under the Armies force or violence And if their proceedings the whole Parliament of 21. R were declared null and void and the King worthy to be deposed for such proceedings then let Serjeant Thorp and other Lawyers now acting with you consider and informe you what punishment you deserve for such breach of faith priviledge of Parliament usurpation of a monopoly of parliamentary power to your selves now whiles under the Armies force and most Members forced thence in which case you ought not to sit vote or conclude any thing but only to adjourn till the force removed all Members may freely meet in full Parl. as is clear by that memorable Record of 6 E. 3. Par. apud Ebor n. 1.2 Dor. claus 6. E. 3. m. 4.6 E. 3. apud West parl 2. n. 1.13.3 parl 2. n. 4.15 E. n 5.17 E. 3. n 2.6.18 E. 3. n. 1.2.5 2â— E 3. n. 5.21 E. 3. n. 4.22 E 3. n. 1.25 E. 3. n. 1.29 E. 3. n. 4.36 E. 3. n. 1.37 E. 3. n. 1.42 E. 3. n. 1.50 E 3. n. 1.51 E. 3. n. 3.1 R. 2. n. 1.3 R. 2. n. 1.4 R 2 n 1. R. 2. n. 1 4. R. 2. n. 1.5 R 2. parl 1. n. 1. parl 2 n 1.6 R. 2 parl 1. n. 1. parl 2. n. 18. H. 4. n. 28.30.54 9. H. 4. n. 1.13 H. 4 n. 1. and many more rolls where the Par. when any considerable number of the Members of either house were absent was constantly adjourned refused to sit or do any thing though not under any force till the houses were full much more then when under the Armies sword it being against Magna Charta as the Barons declared in Parl Anno Dom. 1257 in the reign of K. H. the third for a few Members to
sit when the rest are absent 6thly Consider that though many of the Kings of Iudah and Israel were extraordinary sinfull and Idelatrous bloody and tyrannicall great oppressours of their people yea shedders of Priests of Prophets and other good mens innocent blood not only in the wars but in peace yet there is not one president in the old Testament of any one King ever juditially impeached arraigned deposed or put to death by the Congregation Shanhedrin or Parliaments of Iudah or Israel That those who slew any of them in a tumultuous or treacherous manner were for the most part slaine themselves either in a tumult or else put to death by their Children who succeeded to the Crown or people of the Land that the Israelites after their revolt from Rehoboham had never any one good King or good day almost among them but were over-run with Idolatry prophanenesse tyranny invaded by enemies involved in perpetuall Wars Civill or Forraign and at last all destroyed and carried away Captives into Babylon as the Books of Kings and Chronicles will informe you That the rule in the Old Testament is not to take any wicked Kings from their Thrones and behead them but Take away the wicked from before the King and his Throne shall be established in righteousnesse And the rule in the New Testament To be subject to Kings and the Higher Powers and to submit unto them even for Conscience and the Lords sake and to make Prayers Supplications and Intercessions for them that under them we may lead a peacable and quiet life in all Godlinesse and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour not to depose or shed their bloud for which there is no precept And is not this plaine way of God the safest for you and the Army to follow yea the only short cut to Peace and settlement Ruminate upon it and then be wise both for your soules good and the Kingdomes too 7thly Consider that you now meet and sit under the armed force and violence of a mutinous Army who have leavyed Warre against the houses to dissolve them imprison'd many of your Members forcibly secluded more and driven away almost all from the Houses That til the removal of this horrid force reassembling of all your scattered Members with freedome and safety in the Houses al you Vote Act Order or Ordaine by the Armies owne Doctrine in their Remonstrance of August 18 and the Declaration and Ordinance of both Houses made at the Armies instance August 20 1647. is nul and void even at and from the time it was voted acted ordered ordained and so declared by your selves even by this unrepealed Ordinance and by former Parliaments to as 21. R. 2. c 12.1 H 4 c 3.31 H 6 c 1 39 H 6 c 1. And however you may take upon you the name and power of the Houses of Parliament and unvote vote order and ordaine what you please yet take it for an infallible Truth that none of the secluded and absent Members none of the Counties Cities and Burroughs for which they serve not those for whom you serve and represent nor yet the Kingdomes of England Scoâ—land and Ireland who have as great or greater shares and interest in the person of the King as their lawfull Soveraign and are engaged by Oaths Covenant and all the forecited premises to protect his person and Crown with their lives and estates against all violence danger with Queen Children and Allies in forraigne parts of what Religion soever will never own you in your present condition and constitutâ—on to be a Parliament but rather a Conventicle or Iuncto nor any thing you vote order or ordain to be vailed And therefore what ever you vote Order or Ordaine concerning the Treaty the deposing or executing the King the Disinheriting or Banishing the Prince dissolving the present Parliament setting up a new confused Representative or new forme of State Goverment only to please the Officers and Army or rather those Jesuits and popish Priests who have overreached instigated them forcibly to prosecute these their treasonable designes and accomplish this their long expected desire work you must do only as private men not as a Parliament and if so what lesser offence then High Treason against the King Parliament and kingdom your present actings and proceedings will prove in the conclusion if you persevere and persist in them I leave to a free Parliament the learned Judges and all Lawyers now sitting and voting among you to consider and resolve Which the Officers and Councell of the Army considering would cast the Odium and danger of all upon you the better to exempt and acquit themselves if after reckonings should come as probably they may and certainely will in Gods due time if you and they repent not give over and crave pardon ere it be over late 8ly Remember That no protestant Kingdome or State ever yet defiled their hands or stained the purity and honour of their Reformed Religion with the deposition or blood of any of their Kings or Princes much lesse of a protestant King oâ— Prince of a temperate and sober life as the King is who never immediately imbrued his owne hands in any one mans blood in any tyranical or bloody way before or since the wars for ought I can heare but only in a Military And for a Reforming protestant Parl. pretending the most of any to piety religion to stain their profession or honour by the deposition or defile their hands with the blood of a protestant King or for an army of Saints to do it or they to please a Saint-seeming Army and that against so many fore-mentioned oathes protestations declarations Remonstrances Solemn League and covenants one after another to the contrary would be such an unparall'd scandall to the protestant Religion all professors of it who have upbraided the Iesuits and papists with this perfidious treasonable practise of which they have been deeply guilty themselves innocent both in our owne 3 kingdoms and the whole Christian world as would give the greatest occasion advantage and encouragement to the Jesuites papists and all licentious persons to joyne their hands heads purses to suppresse and extirpate it and all the professors of it both at home and abroad that ever yet they had and make Parliaments for ever hereafter execrable and detestable both to Kings and people 9ly Consider that Scotland Ireland are joynt tenants at least wise tenants in Common with us in the King as their lawfull Soveraigne and King as well as ours and that the Scots delivered and left his person to our Commissioners at Newcastle upon this expresse condition That no violence should be offered to his Person c. according to the Covenant How then you can un-un-king or depose him as to them or take away his life upon pretext of justice without their concurrent assents is worthy your saddest thoughts If
A BREIFE MEMENTO To the present VNPARLIAMENTARY IVNTO Touching their present intentions and Proceedings to Depose and Exeute CHARLES STEWART their lawfull KING By William Prynne Esquire a Member of the House of Commons and PRISONER under the Armyes Tyrany who it seemes have leavyed Warre against the Houses of Parliament their quondam Masters whose Members they now forcibly take and detaine Captives during their lawlesse Pleasures Proverb 24. 21 22. My Son Feare thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with those who are given to Change for their calamity shall RISE SVDDENLY and who knoweth the ruine of them both Gal. 1.10 If I yet pleased men I should not be the Servant of Christ LONDON Printed Anno Dom. 1649. Die Veneris 20. Aug. 1647. An Ordinance for declaring all Votes Orders and Ordinances passed in one or both houses since the force on both Houses July 26. until the sixth of this present August 1647. to be nul and void VVHereas there was a visible horrid insolent and actual force upon the Houses of Parliament on Munday the 26 of July last where upon the Speakers and many Members of both Houses of Parliament were forced to absent themselves from the service of the Parliament and whereas those Members of the House could not returne to sit in safety before Fryday the sixth of August It is therefore declared by the Lords and Commons in Parliament Assembled that the Ordinance of Munday the said 26 Iuly for the repealing making voyd of the Ordinance of the 23 of the said Iuly for the setling of the Militia of the City of London being gained by force and violence And all Votes Orders Ordinances passed in either or both Houses of Parliament since the said Ordinance of the 26 of Iuly to the said sixt of August are nul and void and were so at the making thereof and are hereby declared so to be the Parliament being under a force and not free Provided alwayes and be it ordained that no person or persons shall be impeached or punished for his or their actions by or upon or according to the aforesaid Votes Orders or Ordinances unlesse he or they shall be found guilty of contriving acting or abetting the aforesaid visible and actual force or being present at or knowing of the said force did afterwards act upon the Votes so forced or were guilty of entring into or promoting the late Ingagement for bringing the King to the City upon the tearmes and conditions expressed in his Majesties Letter of the 12. of May last Iohn Brown Cler. Parliamentorum A breif Memento to the present Vnparliamentary Iunto touching their present intentions and proceedings to depose and Execute CHARLES STEVVARD their lawfull King of ENGLAND c. GENTLEMEN IT is the observation of King Solomon Prov 25.11 That a word spoken in due season is like Apples of Gold in pictures of silver And seeing I and above two hundred Members more being forcibly secluded from you by the Officers of the Armies unparaleld violence upon our Persons and the House cannot speak my mind freely to you in or as the House of Commons I held it my duty freely to write my thoughts unto you only as private Persons under the force consulting in a House without your Fellow-Members advice or concurrence about the speedy deposing and executing of KING CHARLES your lawfull Soveraigne to please the Generall Officers and Grand Councel of the Army who have unjustly usurped to them the supream Authority both of King and Parliament or rather the Iesuits and Popish Priests among or neare them by whose Councels they and you are now wholly swayed and whose trayterous designes you really execute in most of your late Votes and Actings I have only a few words and considerations to impart unto you Dictum sapienti sat est First I shall minde you that by the Common Law of the Realme the Statute of 25 E. 3. and all other Acts concerning Treason it is no lesse then High Treason for any Man by overt act to compasse or imagine the deposition or death of the King or of his eldest Son and Heire though it be never executed much more if actually accomplished That many have been arraigned condemned executed for such intended Treasons in former ages as the Earle of Arundell and others by judgement in Parliament 21. R. 2. Plac Coronae N. 4.6.7 and the Gunpouder Traytors 3. Jacobi to omit others whose Examples should be others admonitions the Heads and Quarters of some of them yet hanging on the Houses where you now meet and sit 2dly That in the Oath of Allegiance which you have all taken immediately before your admission into the House as Members You doe truly and sincerely acknowledge professe testifie and declare in your consciences before God and the World That our Soveraigne Lord King Charles Is lawfull and rightfull King of this Realme and of all other his Majesties Dominions and Countries And that the Pope neither of himselfe nor by any authority of the Church or See of Rome or by any Other meanes Nor any other hath any power or authority to Depose the King or to dispose of any of his Majesties Kingdomes or Dominions or to discharge any of his Subiects of his Allegiance and Obedience to his Maiesty or to give leave to any of them to offer any violence to His Maiesties Person State or Government And that notwithstanding any sentence or Declaration of Deprivation made by the Pope c. or any absolution of the said Subjects from their obedience you will beare true allegiance to His Majestie His heires and successors and him and them wil defend to the uttermost of your power Against all attempts and conspiracies whatsoever which shall be made against his or their Persons their Crowne and dignity by reason or colour of any such sentence or Declaration or otherwise And do thereby further swear that you do from your harts abhor detest and abiure as impious and Hereticall that damnable doctrine and position that Princes which be excommunicated or deprived by the Pope may be deposed or murdered by their Subiects or any other whatsoever And that you doe belive and in conscience are resolved that neither the Pope nor any person whatsoever hath power to absolve you of this Oath or any part thereof and that all these things you did plainly and sincerely acknowledge and sweare according to these expresse words and their plain and common sence without any equivocation or mentall evasion or secrèt reservation whatsoever And that you did make this Rècognition acknowledgement heartily willingly truly upon thè true faith òf a Christian Now whether your present actings intentions against the King be not diametrically repugnant to this solemn Oath which most of you have taken sithence these wars some of you since the Treaty when sworn Sejeants at Law c. let God and the world before whom you sware and your own consciences in which you then swore determine
foreseeth the evil and hideth himselfe but the simple passe on and are punished And with that which is paralel to it Prov. 14.14 15 16. The simple beleeveth every word but the prudent man looketh well to his goings A wise man feareth and departeth from evil but the fool rageth and is confident and shall be filled with his own wayes which is thus interpreted Prov. 1.18.38.32 33 They lye in wait for their owne blood they lurk privily for their owne lives whose feet run to evil and who make hast to shed others blood For the turning away of the simple shall slay them and the prosperity of fooles shall destroy them But who so hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evill From the Kings head in the Strand Jan. 1. 1648. Your affectionate freind and servant as farre as you appeare to be Gods your Soveraigns the Kingdomes the Parliaments Religions theirs who have intrusted you or your owne true freinds WILLIAM PRYNNE Prov. 28.23 He that rebuketh a man afterward shall finde more favour then he that flattereth him with his lips A POSTCRIPT I Am confident that if the Members now meeting at Westminster will but perswade the Generall and his Protestant Officers immediatly to render the Oath of Supremacy and Allegiance the solemn League and Covenant and the New Oath of Abjuration for the better discovery and speedyer conviction of Iesuits Popish Priests and Papists consented to by the King in the late Treaty to all the Officers Agitators and Souldiers in the Army they will presently discover an whole Conclave of Iesuits popish Priests and Iesuited Papists amongst them who have instigated them to disobey and force both Houses imprison their Members to impeach try execute the King dissolve the present Parliament subvert the present Government and constitution of Parliaments betray Ireland to the Rebels and bring new present confusion the practises designes and studies of none but Iesuits and Papists which all true Protestants cannot but abhor FINIS * And yet never a Member forcibly imprisoned or secluded the House as above 200. are now by the Army * Cook 3 Institut 1. Stamfords Pleaâ— of the Crown l. 1. c. 1. â— Note * Exact Collections p. 6.19.59.66.6.83.102.103.118.123.125.141.142 143.173.180 195.219.259.281.307.380.312.360.376.457 c. * A Collection c. 18.13 41 43 44 49.51 61.64.96.181.182.310.321.424.425.496.599.623.696.806.807.879 Appendix p. 15. * Exact Collection p. 298.695.696.657.658.991 Which they oft profest both of the Army under the Earl of Essex Sir Thom. Fairfax to Collection of all Orders c. 8.13.41.43.44.49.51.61.64.96.99.623.696.879 Appendix pa. 15. Exact Collection p. 663.664 666.687.686.907.911 * A Collection c. p. 327.359 399.404.416.420.10.428.806.887.818.878.879.889 * Those who depose or divide his Head from his shoulders must be most guilty of this dividing A Collection c. p. 420. c. * 2 Tim. 3.3 4. * Rot. Pet. An. 24. E. 3 m. 2. in dors Rot. Pat. n. 25. E. 3. par 1. m. 17. Cookes 3. Instit p 141.223 21. R. 2. c 16. * L. 1. H. 4 c. 3. * As the House did in the case of the five Members Exact collection p. 35.10.36 * Matthew Paris p. 882.885.818 Dan. p. 172. * 2 Kings 14.6 c. 15.30 c. 21.10.14.25.24 Prov. 25.5 * Rom. 13 1.2 c. Tit. 3.1.2 1 Pet. 3.13 14 17.1 Tim. 2.1.2.3 * See their protestation Dec. 11. 1648. * See A Collection c. p. 9.3.2.21.2.22 2.25.2.53 * Walsingham Hist Aug. p. 107.108.109 Polichron 1. c. 44. Se. Speed Holinshed Grafton in Ed. 2. Rich. 2. Henry the 4th * 1. H. 4. Rot. Parl. n. 1. to 60. where the whole proceedings are at large related * Exact Col p 695 699. * 4. E 3. rot par n. 1. to 7. * 4. E 3. n 16. 4 E 3. n 35.