more than My owne particular ends makes Me now at last desire that I having something to say that concerns both I desire before Sentence be given that I may be heard in the Painted Chamber before the Lords and Commons this delay cannot be prejudiciall to you whatsoever I say if that I say no reason those that heare Me must be Iudges I cannot be Iudge of that that I have if it be reason and really for the welfare of the Kingdome and the liberty of the Subject I am sure its very well worth the hearing therefore I doe conjure you as you love that which you pretend I hope its reall the Liberty of the Subject and peace of the Kingdome that you will grant Me this hearing before any Sentence passed but if I cannot get this liberty I doe protest that your faire shewes of Liberty and Peace are pure shewes and that you will not heare your King The President said This was a declining the Iurisdiction of the Court and a delay Yet the Court vvithdrevv for half an hovver advised upon it and sate againe Bradshaw said to the King That the Court had considered what He had moved and of their owne Authority the returne from the Court is this That they have been too much delayed by You already and they are Judges appointed by the highest Authority and Judges are no more to delay than they are to deny justice and notvvithstanding vvhat You have offered they are resolved to proceed to Sentence and to Judgement that is their unanimous resolution The King pressed againe againe that He might be heard by the Lords and Commons in the Painted Chamber with great earnestnesse and was as often denied by Bradshaw at last the King desired that this Motion of His might be entered Bradshaw began in a long Speech to declare the Grounds of the Sentence much aggravating the Kings offences and misapplying both Law and History to his present purpose When Bradshaw had done speaking the Clerk read the Sentence drawn up in Parchment to this effect 84. The Sentence against His Majesty THat whereas the Commons of England in Parliament had appointed them an high Court of Iustice for the Trial of Charls Stuart King of England before whom He had been three times Convented and at the first time a Charge of High Treason and other high crimes and misdemeanors was read in behalfe of the Kingdome of England c. * Here the Clerk read the aforesaid Charge Which Charge being read unto Him as aforesaid He the said Charls Stuart was required to give His Answer but He refused so to doe and so expressed the severall passages at His Tryall in refusing to Answer For all which Treasons and crimes this Court doth adjudge That He the said Charles Stuart as a Tyrant Traytour Murtherer and a publique Enemy shall be put to Death by severing of His Head from His Body After the Sentence read the President said This Sentence now read and published it is the Act Sentence Iudgement and resolution of the whole Court Here the whole Court stood up as assenting to what the President said King Will you heare Me a word Sir Bradshaw Sir You are not to be heard after the Sentence King No Sir Bradshaw No. Sir by your favour Sir Guard withdraw your Prisoner King I am not suffered to speak expect what Iustice other people will have These are the Names of such Persons as did actually sit as Judges upon the Tryall of His Majesty with the Councel and Attendants of the Court. Oliver Cromwel Lieu. Generall Com. Gen. Ireton Major Gen. Skippon Sir Hardresse Waller Colonel Thomas Harrison Col. Edward Whalley Col. Thomas Pride Col. Isaac Ewer Col. Rich Ingolsby Sir Henry Mildmay Thomas Lord Grey Philip Lord Lisle Will Lord Munson Sir John Danvers Sir Tho Maleverer Sir John Bowcher Sir James Harringtoâ— Sir William Brereton Will Hennigham Es Isaac Pennington Ald Thomas Atkins Ald Col. Rowland Wilson Sir Peter Wentworth Col. Henry Martyn Col. William Purefoy Col. Godfrey Bosvill Colonel John Berkstead Sir Will Cunstable Col. Edward Ludlow Col. Jo Hutchingson Col. Rob Titchburne Col. Owen Roe Col. Adriaen Scroop Col. John Oky Col. John Harrison Col. John Desborough Cornelius Holland Es Miles Corbet Esq Francis Allen Esq Peregrin Pelham Esq John Gourdon Esq Serj. Francis Thorp Tho Challoner Esq Col. John Moore John Aldred Esq Col. Francis Lassels Henry Smith Esq James Chaloner Esq Dennes Bond Esq Humph Edwards Esq Gregory Clement Esq John Fray Esq Tho Wogan Esq Sir Greg Norton Serj. John Bradshaw Col. Edm Harvey John Dove Esq Col. John Venn John Foulks Alder Thomas Scot. Tho Andrewes Ald William Cauwley Esq Col. Anthony Stapley John Liste Esq John Corbet Esq Thomas Elunt Esq Thomas Boone Esq Col. George Fleetwood Col. James Temple Sir Peter Temple Col. Thomas Wayte John Browne Esq Mr. Bradshaw nominated President Counsellours assistant to this Court and to dravv up the Charge against the KING are Doctor Dorislaus Master Aske Master Cooke Serjeant Dandy Serjeant at Armes Mr. Phileps Clerke to the Court. Messengers and Dore-keepers are Master VValford M. Radley M. 〈◊〉 M. Pâ—vvell Mr. Hull and M. King Cryer 85. Observations upon the Tryall of His Majesty This is a Relation of his Majesties Tryall by a mixed Court of Justice erected by 50. or 60. Confederate Members of the House of Commons sitting under the power of the Army after all the rest of the Members above 250. had been violently secured secluded frighted away And in order to this designe against the King the House of Peers voted downe and yet the House of Commons when intire is no Court of Judicature nor can give an Oath Had indifferent men been permitted to take Notes you had had a more perfect narrative yet as it is truth shines forth to the confusion of this bloudy cheating tyrannicall faction could they have wrought the King to have submitted to the Jurisdiction of this Arbitrary Court His example should have been urged as an irrefragable Precedent against the lives and liberties of the whole Kingdome and urged to be of as great Authority as if He had established that Court by Act of Parliament So that the King is to be looked on as a Civill Martyr dying for the Liberty of the People And although they have failed of this device yet they will have some other Arbitrary bloudy Inquisition to cut off the lives without Law of such as they desire to remove without which this Tyrannous Kingdome of the Saints or Brambles cannot subsist And therefore on Thursday 2. Februarij Cromwell and Ireton and their Canniball Counsell of Officers projected to get an Act passed by their House of Commons where all their Requests are Commands to enable the said Councell to hang all such as they shall adjudge Disturbers of the Army 1. Part of Englands lyberty in Chaines sub fine And the Hunting of the Foxes c although no Members of the Army they must
the Parliament well hoping that the restraint and imprisonment of His Person after it had pleased God to deliver Him into their hands would have quieted the distempers of the Kingdome did forbeare to proceed judicially against Him but found by sad experience that such their remissnesse served onely to encourage Him and His Complices in the continuance of their evill practices and in raising new Commotions Rebellions and Invasions For prevention of the like and greater inconveniences and to the end no chief Officer or Magistrate may hereafter presume Trayterously and malitiously to imagine or contrive the enslaving or destroying of the English Nation and to expect impunity Be it enacted and ordained by the Commons in this present Parliament assembled and it is hereby enacted and ordained that Thomas 〈◊〉 Fairfax Generall Oliver Cromwel Lieu. Generall Com. Gen. Ireton Major Gen. Skippon Sir Hardresse Waller Col. Valentine Walton Col. Thomas Harrison Col. Edward Whalley Col. Thomas Pride Col. Isaac Ewer Col. Rich Ingolsby Sir Henry Mildmay Sir Tho Honywood Thomas Lord Grey Philip. Lord Lisle Will Lord Munson Sir Iohn Danvers Sir Tho Maleverer Sir Iohn Bowcher Sir Iames Harrington Sir William Brereton Robert Wallop Esquire Will Henningham Es Isaac Pennington Alderman Thomas Atkins Ald Col. Rowland Wilson Sir Peter Wentworth Col. Henry Martyn Col. William Pureâ—oy Col. Godfrey Bosvill Iohn Trencherd Esq Col. Harbottle Morley Col. Iohn Berckslead Col. Mat. Tomblinson Iohn Blackston Esq Gilb Millington Esq Sir Will Cunstable Col. Edward Ludlow Col. Iohn Lambert Col. Io. Hutchingson Sir Arth Hazlerigge Sir Michael Lavesley Rich Saloway Esq Humph Saloway Esq Col. Rob Titchburne Col. Owen Roe Col. Rob Manwaring Col. Robert Lilburne Col. Adrian Scroope Col. Richard Deane Col. Iohn Okey Col. Robert Overton Col. Iohn Harrison Col. Ioh Desborough Col. William Goffe Col. Rob Dukenfield Cornelius Holland Es Iohn Carne Esq Sir Will Armine Iohn Iones Esq Miles Corbet Esq Francis Allen Esq Thomas Lister Esq Ben Weston Esq Iohn Gourdon Esq Serj. Francis Thorp Iohn Nut Esq Tho Challoner Esq Col. Algern Sidney Iohn Anlaby Esq Col. Iohn Moore Richard Darley Esq William Saye Esq Iohn Aldred Esq Iohn Fagge Esq Iames Nelthrop Eq. Sir Will Roberts Col. Francis Lassels Col. Alex Rixby Henry Smith Esq Edmond Wilde Esq Iames Chaloner Esq Iosias Barnes Esq Dennis Bond Esq Hump Edwards Esq Greg. Clement Esq Iohn Fray Esq Tho VVogan Esq Sir Greg Norton Serj. Iohn Bradsaw Col. Edm Harvey Iohn Dove Esq Col. Iohn Venn Iohn Foulks Alder Thomas Scot Alder Tho. Andrewes Ald VVilliam Cawley Esq Abraham Burrell Esq Col. Anthony Stapley Roger Gratwicke Esq Iohn Downes Esq Col. Thomas Horton Col. Tho. Hammond Col. George Fenwicke Serj. Robert Nichols Robert Reynolds Esq Iohn Lisle Esq Nicholas Love Esq Vincent Potter Sir Gilbert Pickering Iohn VVeaver Esq Iohn Lenthall Esq Sir Edward Baynton Iohn Corbet Esq Thomas Blunt Esq Thomas Boone Esq Augustin Garland Es Augustin Skinner Es Iohn Dickswell Esq Col. George Fleetwood Simon Maine Esq Col. Iames Temple Col. Peter Temple Daniel Blagrave Esq Sir Peter Temple Col. Thomas Wayte Iohn Browne Esq Iohn Lowrey Esq Mr. Bradshaw nominated President Counsellors assistant to this Court to draw up the Charge against the KING are Doctor Dorislow Master Steele Master Aske Master Cooke Serjeant Dandy Serjeant at Armes Mr. Philips Clerk to the Court. Messengers and dore-keepers are Master VValford Master Radley Master Paine Master Powel Master Hull And Mr. King Crier shall be and are hereby appointed Commissioners and Iudges for the hearing Trying and Iudging of the said Charles Stuart and the said Commissioners or any 20. or more of them shal be and are hereby Authorized and Constituted an High Court of Iustice to meet at such convenient times and place as by the said Commissioners or the major part or 20. or more of them under their hande and seales shall be appointed and notified by publick Proclamation in the great Hall or Palace-yard of VVestminster and to adjourne from time to time and from place to place as the said High Court or the major part thereof meeting shall hold fit and to take order for the charging of Him the said Charles Stuart with the Crimes above mentioned and for the receiving His Personall Answer thereunto These wise men of Gotham could not tell whether VVitnesses upon oath were necessary upon Trials of life and death But I confesse that upon the defensive part upon Indictments VVitnesses upon oath were not to be heard against the King much more Accusers of the King and for examination of VVitnesses upon oath if need be coneerning the same and thereupon or in default of such Answer to proceed to finall Sentence according to justice and the merit of the Cause to be executed speedily and impartially And the said Court is hereby Authorized and required to chuse and appoint all such Officers Attendants and other circumstances as they or the major part of them shall in any sort judge necessary or usefull for the orderly and good managing of the premises and Thomas Lord Fairfax * * The Generall is no Officer of justice All welaffected Persons tag and rag invited to assist in a Tumultuary way to destroy the King if need had been that is all Antimonarchists the Generall with all Officers of justice and other wel-affected Persons are hereby authorized and required to be aiding and assisting unto the said Commissioners in the due execution of the trust hereby committed unto them provided that this Ordinance and the Authority hereby granted doe continue for the space of one Month from the Date of the making hereof and no longer 60. A new Great Seale to be made But at last they stumbled at a rub not foreseen they could not use the old Great Seale against Him because it vvas the Kings Great Seale no more could they use any of our Lavves Courts or Iudges against Him because they are all the Kings the Sculpture upon it is Carolus Dei Gratia neither vvould the Grace of God square vvith their proceedings they must therefore make a nevv Great Seale but that vvas long a making and their fingers vvere in the fire they therefore proceeded vvithout any Commission under Seale onely upon the said Ordinance and every Commissioner set his ovvne hand and seale to the publique instruments of their proceedings vvhat need ceremonies vvhen men are resolved upon the substance 61. The Iews petition the Councell of VVar to have the Stat of their banishment repealed About this time the Hebrevv Ievves presented a Petition to the uncircumcised Ievves of the Councell of VVarre That the Statute of Banishment against them may be repealed and they readmitted to a Synagogue and Trade amongst us They offer for their re-admission S. Pauls Church and the Library at Oxford 500000 l. but 700000 l. is demanded Hugh Peters and Harry Martyn solicite the businesse Vpon this occasion vvas published this Paper ensuing 62. A Paper published upon occasion of
Anarchia Anglicana OR THE HISTORY OF INDEPENDENCY THE SECOND PART BEING A continuation of Relations and Observations Historicall and Politique upon this present PARLIAMENT Begun Anno 16. CAROLI PRIMI By THEODORUS VERAX PSALM 8.8 Virum sanguinum dolosum abominabitur Dominus Printed in the Yeare M. DC.XL.IX In the 103. Page in the Catalogue of those Persons who did actually sit upon the Tryall of King CHARLES the First These following Names are omitted who ought to have been inserted William Say Esquire Col. Math. Thomlinson John Blackston Gilb. Millington Abraham Barrell Col. Jo Downes Master Norton L. Gen. Tho Hammond Nich Love Vincent Potter Augustine Garland Sir Miles Lyvesey Jo Dixwel Simon Mayne Daniel Blagrave Col. Robert Lylborne Col. Rich. Deane Col. Huson L. Col. W. Goffe Master Carewe Jo. Ioanes TO THE READER READER having spoken to thee in the First Part I might have forborne thee in this Second did I not feare to seem guilty of the sullennesse malignity of these times The subject-matter of my Booke is à Combination or Fraction of Pseudo-Politians and Pseudo-Theologitians Hereticks and Schismaticks both in Divinity and Policy who having Sacrificed to their Francies Lusts Ambition and Avarice both their God and Religion their King and Countrey our Lawes Liberties Properties all duties Divine and Humane are growne so farre in love with their prosperous Sinnes as to entitle God himselfe to be Father and Author of them from whose written Word revealed will held forth to us in the Scriptures as the onely North Pole and Cynosure of our Actions where they find no warrant for their doing the appeale to the secret will and Providence of God to which they most Turkishly and Heathenishly ascribe all their enormities only because they succeed and from that abysse of Gods Providence draw secondary Principles of Necessity and Honest intentions to build the Babel of their confused Designes and Actions upon not considering that wicked Men performe the secret will of God to their Damnation as good Men doe the known will of thir Father to their Salvation If a Man lie sick to death and his Sonne wish him dead this is sinne in the Sonne although his desire concurre with the secret will of God because the Sonne ought to desire the perservation of his Fathers life whereto the will of God revealed in his word obligeth him and vivendum secundum Praecepta non secundùm Decreta Dei The secret will and providence of God can be no rule and law of our actions because we know it not nor can search into it without presumption We must not therefore altum sapere thinke our selves too wise and well gifted to tie our selves to the Scripture of God lust after Revelations and Inspirations exspecting God should raine Bread from Heaven for us Manna Exod. 16.4 but be wise unto sobriety But prosperum scelus virtus vocatur Thus casting off the written word of God unlesse where by an enforced interpretation they can squeeze Atheisme and Blasphemy out of it as they doe sometimes rack Treason Murder and Nonsense out of our Lawes and Parliament-priviledges conducible to their ends they insensibly cast off God himselfe and make themselves both the supreme cause and finall end the Alpha and Omega of all their doings whilst they use the Hidden unsearchable Providence of God but as a Disguise and Visard to Maske under like Caelius the Atheist in Martial Prosperity is become a snare to them and a Topick place out of which they draw Arguments to satisfie themselves there is no God no Religion but a prudentiall one to foole the People with Nullos esse Deos inane Coelum Affirmat Caelius probatque Quòd se videt dum negat haec beatum But O wretched unholied men What are they that thus commit Burghlary in the Sanctum Sanctorum of Gods Providence That presume not onely to prie into but to thrust their hands polluted with blood and rapine into Gods mysterious Arke Thus much for the subject matter For the manner of my writing I confess as to the style it is not aequabile scribendi Genus all of one weaving and contexture It is a History writ with a Satirique style and veyne Nam quis iniqui Tam patiens orbis tam ferreus ut teneat se It is a virtue to hate and prosecute vice The Scripture tells us there is a perfect hatred a Holy Anger And our Chaucer tells us The words must be of kynne unto the deeds otherwise how can they be expressive enough I detest vitiae pulcherrimè mangonizata vice trik'd up in virtues rayment and prostituted under her modest dresse to stirre up Adulteres quicquid agunt homines nostri est farrago libelli A huge Gallymaufry an Oglio of all villanies I here set before thee it cannot be all of one dressing and seasoning it must be a mixture a Hogo of all Relishes like Manna in the Wilderness it must be applicable to all Palates wherefore according to the variety of every present subject-matter vel ridenti rideo vel flenti fleo I become all things to all Men I assimilate my affections and humors to every Mans humor as well as to the present Theme that I may take every Man by the right hand and lead him out of this Vr of the Chaldeans this Land of Aegypt this House of Bondage in judgment and conscience though not in person and estate which must onely be the mighty handy-work of that God who is able to divide the Red Sea and give us a safe march through it upon drie Land Which that he would vouchsafe to doe let us all joyne our hearty prayers and that we may instrumentally serve him in it let us all joyne our heads hearts and hands together since God neglects faint-hearted and cowardly prayers Let us not lie in the Ditch and crie God help us But let us help God to help us and keep cor unum viam unam in the doing of it The Ordinance passed 20. Aug. 1647. To null and voyd all Acts c. passed under the force of the Apprentices 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 Iuly 26. untill the 6. of this present August 1647. to be null and void WHereas there was a visible horrid insolent and actuall force upon the Houses of Parliament on Monday 26. Iuly last whereupon 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 nor returne to sit in safety before Friday the 6. August It is therefore Declared by the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled that the Ordinance of Monday 26. Iuly for the Repealing and making void of the Ordinance of the 23. of the said Iuly for setling of the Militia of the City of London being gained by force and violence
the Office vvil be so unvvorthy of any vvise man that I do by these presents freely give my voice to the Lord Fairfax and so unfit for any honest Gentleman that I doe hereby give my voice to Cromvvell the perfidious Brevver catch vvho catch can let them agree amongst themselves I care not vvhich of the tvvo shal be set up for the nevv States Scar-crovv This Remonstrance vvas about a VVeek after seconded vvith a most insolent threatning Declaration composed altogether to terror it vvas occasioned as follovveth About the latter end of November the Parliament vvas informed the Army vvas upon their march to London vvhereupon not vvithout great opposition by the Armies Party in the House and vvith great caution it should be mannerly phrased for feare of angring his insolency a Letter vvas Voted to be sent the Generall forbidding his neerer approach In comtempt vvhere of the Army immediatly printed the said Declaration accusing the Parliament of Breach of Trust Lightnesse Inconstancy Indiscretion saying They would appeale from them to the People that is still themselves you see they hold one and the same Rod over King and Parliament and threatning to advance presently to VVestminster to doe what God should enable them unto The same night they came to Hyde Parke corner and kept Guards there Hereupon it vvas put to the Question That the Armies approach was prejudiciall to the freedome of Parliament but through the covvardice of some vvhose hearts novv began to melt and the impudent restlesse bavvling of those cheating Saints that comply vvith the Army to keep themselves from giving Accounts it passed in the Negative 19. The Kings Concessions debated and young S. Hen Vanes insolency Decemb. 2. The Kings Ansvver vvas debated and as a prologue to it young Sir Henry Vane a VVhelpe of the old Curre spake thus Mr. Speaker By this Debate we shall know who are our Friends and who are our Foes or to speake more plainly VVe shall discover who are the Kings Party in the House and who the Peoples To vvhich vvas Ansvvered That since this Gentleman was so bold to deale thus by way of prevention in a threatning manner and had fore-judged and divided the House into two parts I hope it is as lawfull for me who am no Grandee nor no Gainer by our troubles to put you in mind of another Division of the House Sir you will find some desirous of peace and they are Losers by the VVarre Others are against peace and those are Gainers by the VVarre My humble motion is that the Gainers may contribute to the Losers that we may all stand upon equall feet for till then the Ballance of the Common-wealth will never stand right towards a Setlement True jests bite sore He and his Syre oppose peace lest the Kings Revenue being restored they should lose a good Trade there the old Dogge is Chair-man of that Committee the young one is a principall Publican or Treasurer they get constantly above 6000 l. per annum betvveen them besides private cheats by paying halfe Debts and taking Acquittances for the vvhole and then discounting for the vvhole buying in old sleeping Pensions for trifles that have not been payed in many yeares and paying themselves all Arreares Cornelius Holland is Servant to them both and hath gotten as much vvealth as makes him savvcy enough to hire VVilliam Lilly and other Pamphletiers to derive his Pedigree from Iohn Holland Duke of Exeter although it be knovvne he vvas originally a Link-boy but he is novv one of the Nevv Lights an illuminated Brother Master Pryn moved the debate of the Kings Ansvver might be laid aside untill it vvas a free Parliament not environed by the Army but said M. Rich Norton Take heed what you say against the Army for they are resolved to have a free Parliament to Debate the Kings Answer if we refuse This day the Generall tooke possession of VVhite Hall for his Quarters 20. The Generall Garrisons White-hall the Mevves upon his owne head as if he meant to keep out the King in defiance of the Treaty he brought to Tovvne vvith him foure Foot Regiments and six Regiments of Horse part vvhereof quartered at VVhite-Hall the rest in Torke House and other great Houses the Horse turned the Reformado Horse Guards that attended the Houses and lodged in the Mewes by their order out of their Quarters vvithout applying themselves to the Houses Vpon Monday Decemb. 4. 21. The House inform'd that the King was surprized by rhe Army and carried Prisoner to Hurst Castle Nevvs came to the House that by severall Orders from the Generall His Majesty was seized in His Bed-chamber and hurried away Prisoner to Hurst Castle a Block-house out of the Isle of VVight standing about a mile and halfe in the Sea upon a Beache full of mud and stinking oaze upon low tydes having no fresh water within two or three miles of it bitter cold and of a foggy and pestilent ayre so noysome that the Guards thereof are not able to endure it long without shifting their Quarter This vvas a torment beyond Pistoll and Poyson many spake against the insolency of this fact as being committed against the life of the King and against the honour and publique faith of the Parliament vvho had Voted He should Treat in Honour Freedome and Safety in Newport in the Isle of VVight and had accepted His Royall VVord not to withdravv out of the Island during the Treaty nor in 20. daies after vvhich vvere not yet expired and novv to have the Houses debates results fore-stalled and the Treaty made frustrate by such an act of violence and prevention committed upon the Person of the King vvas a presumptuous and rebellious act It vvas moved therefore that it might be Declared That his Majesty vvas removed out of the Isle of VVight by his Excellencies VVarrant vvithout the consent or privity of the House But those Members that Idolize that Bell and the Dragon the Army and are but Priests fatting themselves upon the Sacrifices of that Image insisted upon it to have tvvo vvords amended in the Question 1. The vvord Declare vvould be construed to be a Declaring against the Generall and Army 2. The vvord Consent to be left out lest it argued a disagreement in opinion and practice betvveen the Army and the House as if the House dissented from it And certainly those Gentlemen that stood upon these niceties could not say it vvas done vvith their consent for it vvas hatched in the Iunto so it vvas barely voted To be done vvithout privity of the House neverthelesse 22. The Debate upon the Kings Answers resumed The same day they resolved to resume their last Saturdaies debate upon the Kings Ansvvers to the Propositions of both Houses The first Question debated vvas VVhether they were satisfactory or no The Army Party argued They were not satisfactory because the King had not granted all their Propositions in Terminis To this vvas Ansvvered That
the Iewes Petition The last damnable Designe of Cromwel and Ireton and their junto or Caball intended to be carried on in their Generall Councell of the Army and by journey-men in the House of Commons vvhen they have engaged them desperately in sinne past all hope of retreat by murdering the King MAjor VVhite a Member of the Army long since at Putney fortetold That shortly there vvould be no other povver in England but the povver of tee Svvord and VVil Sedgvvick in his Booke called justice upon the Armies Remonstrance saith The Principle of this Army is To breake the Powers of the Earth to pieces and Iohn Lilburne in his Plea for Common Right pag. 6. saith The Army by these extraordinary proceedings have overturned all the visible Supreme Authority of this Nation that is they have and vvill by seizing upon the Members of Par dissolving it and setting up a nevv invented Representative and bring the King to capitall punishment and dis-inheriting His Posterity subvert the Monachicall Government and Parliaments of this Kingdome the Lavves and Liberties of the People and so by bringing all to Anarchy and confusion put the vvhole Government of the Land under the Arbitrary povver of the Svvord In order to vvhich they have and vvill overturne the Government of the City of London by a Lord Mayor and Aldermen and Governerne it by Commissioners and a schismaticall Common Councell of Anabaptists illegally chosen and deprive them of their Charter of Incorporation and Franchises and this shall be a leading case to all the Corporations of England Their next designe is to Plunder and Dis-arme the City of London and all the Country round about thereby to disable them to rise vvhen the Army removes but not to the use of the Souldiers although they greediâ—y expect the first VVeek in February the time appointed from vvhom they vvill reedeeme the Plunder at an easie rate and so sell it in bulk to the Ievves vvhom they have lately admitted to set up their banks and magazins of Trade amongst us contrary to an Act of Parliament for their banishment and these shall be their Merchants to buy off for ready money to maintaine such VVarres as their violent proceedings will inevitably bring upon them not onely all Sequestred and Plundred goods but also the very Bodies of Men VVomen and Children whole Families taken Prisoners for sale of whom these Iewish Merchants shall keep a constant traffique with the Turks Moores and other Mahometans the Barbadus and other English Plantations being already cloyed with VVelch Scottish Colchester and other Prisoners imposed by way of sale upon the Adventurers and this is the meaning of Hugh Peters threat to the London Ministers That if another VVarre followed they will spare neither Man VVoman nor Child For the better carrying on of which Designe the said Caball or Iunto keep a strict correspondency with Ovven Roe Oneale the bloudy Popish Antimonarchicall Rebell in Ireland and the Popes Nuntio there The Antimonarchicall Marquesse of Argyle in Scotland the Parisian Norman and Picarde Rebels in France and the Rebel King of Portugall If danger be not held so close to your eyes that you cannot discerne it looke about you English But this Kingdome is not to be saved by Men that will saue themselves Nothing but a Private hand and a Publique spirit can redeeme it 63. Master Pryns second Letter to the Generall The 3. Ian. 1648. Master Pryn sent a Letter to the Generall demanding vvhat kind of Prisoner and vvhose he vvas as follovveth * To the Honourable Thomas Lord Fairfax Generall of the present Army these present My Lord IT is novv a full Months space since I vvith other Members of the Commons House have been forcibly apprehended and kept Prisoner by some of your Officers and Marshall against the Priviledges of Parliament the Liberty of the Subject the Lavves and Statutes of the Realme and all rules of justice conscience and right reason vvithout the least shadovv of Authority or any cause at all yet made knovvne to me of vvhich vvere there any neither God nor man ever yet made your Lordship or your Officers Iudges I therefore desire to knovv from your Lordship vvhat kind of Prisoner I am and vvhose If a Prisoner of peace neither your Lordship nor your Officers are any Iustices of peace or Civill Magistrates in this place to restraine me for any civil crime vvere I guilty of it much lesse vvithout proof or hearing in case I vvere no Member but being neither guilty nor accused of any such crime and a Member too no Magistrate can nor ought to imprison me upon any pretext at least vvithout the Houses licence first obtained If a Prisonner of VVarre vvhich I cannot probably be being never in Arms and apprehended neer the Commons House dore going peaceably and unarmed thither to discharge my duty then you and your Officers thereby acknovvledge That you have levied VVarre against the Parliament and its Members and vvhat capitall offence this is and vvhat a punishment it deserves I need not informe your Lordship or your Councell vvho have for this very crime condemned and shot some to death as Traytours and demanded speedy justice and execution for it upon the King himselfe I have but one thing more to trouble your Lordship vvith and that is to demand vvhose Prisoner I am having yet seen no VVarrant nor Order from your selfe or your Officers for my restraint though I have oft demanded it of your Marshall If your Lordships Prisoner there appearing yet no legall Authority cause or VVarrant for my restraint I must then crave so much justice from your Lordship being but a Subject and not yet paramount all Lavves to order your Attourney to give an Appearance for you in the Kings bench the first returne of the next Tearme to an action of false Imprisonment for this my unjust restraint vvhich I intend by Gods assistance effectually to prosecute If your Officers Prisoner onely and not yours vvhich I conceive vvho yet abuse your name and authority herein though it be a rule in Lavv Divinity too Qui non prohibet malum quod potest jubet yet I shall be so just as to set the saddle upon the right horse and commence my action onely against such of your Officers vvho have been most active in my Imprisonment for damage and reparations vvhich if there be any justice remaining under Heaven I doubt not but I shall recover in Gods due time in this publique cause vvhich so highly concernes the honour fredome and Priviledges of Parliament and Subjects Liberties for defence and maintenance vvhereof as I have hitherto spent my strength adventured my life body liberty and estate so shall I novv againe engage them all and all the friends and interests I have in heaven and earth rather then they shall suffer the least diminution prejudice or eclipse by my stupid patience under this unjust captivity though I can as vvillingly forgive and put up private injuries
damned Spirits or rather over such Spirits as not submitting basely to the tyranny of our State-Mountebanks Witnesse his tampering with Hamilton c. incurre their condemnation in this world by Gods permission in order to their salvation in the next world the tyranny of these Usurpers implying at once their cruelties over our bodies and Gods mercy to our soules Hughs first salute was That he came meerly to give John a visite without any designe his guilty Conscience prompting him to a voluntary Apology Iohn answered I know you well enough you are one of the setting Dogs of the great Men of the Army with faire and plausible pretences to insinuate into Men when they have done them wrong and to worke out their designes when they are in a strait and cover over the blots that they have made Then Iohn complained of the †Compare this Act of the Kings With the violent act of those Traytors and Tyrants Fiarfax his Councell of Warre in imprisoning and secluding above 200. Members at once without cause shewne leaving only 40. or 50. of their cheating Faction in the House to carry on their bloody Anarchicall designes some of which secured Members with barbarous usage were almost brought to death and their murder since attempted by Soldiers illegall and violent seizing upon him by Souldiers and carrying him before that new erected thing called A Councell of State who committed him without any Accusor accusation Prosecutor or Witnesse or any due processe of Law and yet when the King impeached the 5 Members and preferred a Charge of High Treason against them Recorded 1. part Booke of Decl. p. 35. and onely failed in a single punctilio of due processe of Law they cryed out it was an invasion of the Peoples Liberties so that foure or five Recantations from Him Recorded in their owne Declarations would not serve His turne Peters halfe out of countenance if so prostituted a Villaine that practises impudence amongst common Whores and whose Pulpit is more shamefull than another mans Pillory can be out of countenance takes up one of Coke's Institutions and professed Lilburne was meerly gulled in reading or trusting to those Books for there were no Lawes in England Iohn answered he did believe him for that bis great Masters Cromwell Fairfax c. had destroyed them all Nay quoth Hugb there never was any in England with that Iohn shewed him the Petition of Right asking him whether that were a Law which Peters had the impudence to deny asking what Law was Iohn replied * The Law is now taken away and all things in confusion by turning our Monarchy without our consent into a Free-State of Slaves govened by Tyrants out of the Parliaments owne Declarations Tbe Law is that which puts a difference betwixt good and evill just and unjust If you take away the Law all things will fall into confusion every man will become a law unto himselfe which in the depraved condition of humane nature must needs produce great enormities lust will become a law envie a law Covetousnesse and ambition will become lawes and what dictates what decisions such lawes will produce may easily be discerned Tbis Master Peters is a Definition of Law by the Parliament in the daies of their primitive purity before they had corrupted themselves with the Common-wealths money And elsewhere the Law is called The safeguard the custody of all private Interests your honors lives liberties and estates are all in the keeping of the Law without this every man hath a like Right to any thing It is the best birth-right the Subject hath it is a miserable servitude or bondage where the Law is uncertaine or unknowne To this the Comick Priest replied I tell you for all this there is no Law in this Nation but the Sword â—nd what it gives This doctrine of Devils that it is lawfull to submit to any present power that is strongest is broached in a Pamphlet by old Rowse the illiterate Iew of Eaton-Colledge And by Iohn Goodwin the sophistical Divine which is fully confuted in A Religious Demurrer concerning submission to the present power an excellent piece neither was there any Law or Government in the world but what the Sword gave To this the honest Lieutenant Colonel answered Master Peters You are one of the Guides of the Army used by the chief Leaders to trumpet their Principles and Tenents and if your reasoning be good then if six Theeves meet three or foure honest men and rob them that act is righteous because they are the stronger Party And if any power he a just power that is uppermost I wonder how the Army and Parliament can acquit themselves of being Rebels and Traytors before God and Man in resisting and fighting against a just power in the KING who was a power up and visible fenced about with abundance of Lawes so reputed in the common acceptation of all Men by the expresse letter of which all those that fought against Him are ipso facto Traytors And if it were not for preservation of our Lawes and Liberties why did the Parliament fight against Him a present power in being and if there be now no Lawes in England nor never was then you and your great Masters Cromwell Fairfax and the Parliament are a pack of Bloody Rogues and Villaines to set the People to murder one another in fighting for preservation of their Lawes in which their Liberties were included which was the principall declared Cause of the Warre from the beginning to the end I thought quoth the Lieutenant Colonel I had been safe when I made the knowne Lawes the rules of my Actions which you have all sworne and declared to Defend and make as the standard and Touchstone between you and the People * The Lawes are now no protection to us nor the rule of our actions but the arbitrary wills and lusts of the Grandees I but replied Hugh I will shew that your safety lies not therein their minds may change and then where are you I but quoth the Lieutenant Colonel I cannot take notice of what is in their minds to obey that but the constant Dâ—claration of their minds never contradicted in any of their Declarations as That they will maintaine the Petition of Right and Lawes of the Land c. This was the substance of their discourse saving that Iohn pinched upon his great Masters large fingering of the Common-wealths Money calling it Theft and State-Robbery and saying That Cromwell and Ireton pissed both in one quill though they seem sometime to go one against another yet it is but that they may the more easily carry on their main design To enslave the People Reader I was the more willing to present the summe of this Debate to thee that by comparing their doctrine and principles with their dayly practises thou mayest perfectly see to what condition of slavery these beggarly upstart Tyrants and Traytors have reduced us by cheating us into a