Selected quad for the lemma: peace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
peace_n	king_n	parliament_n	treaty_n	2,836	5	9.4232	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85396	Hybristodikai. The obstructours of justice. Or a defence of the honourable sentence passed upon the late King, by the High Court of Justice. Opposed chiefly to the serious and faithfull representation and vindication of some of the ministers of London. As also to, The humble addresse of Dr. Hamond, to His Excellencie and Councel of warre. Wherein the justice, and equitie of the said sentence is demonstratively asserted, as well upon clear texts of Scripture, as principles of reason, grounds of law, authorities, presidents, as well forreign, as domestique. Together with, a brief reply to Mr. John Geree's book, intituled, Might overcoming right: wherein the act of the Armie in garbling the Parliament, is further cleared. As also, some further reckonings between thesaid [sic] Dr. Hamond and the authour, made straight. / By John Goodwin.	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.; Glover, George, b. ca. 1618, engraver.	1649 (1649)	Wing G1170; Thomason E557_2; ESTC R12380	138,495	164

things which truth opposeth 2. He suppresseth some things which the right stating of the Question calleth upon him to expresse First he supposeth a discontent not onely in but of the Nation for the sad Condition of the King It is somewhat hard to be believed that a Nation should be so super-eminently Christian and pious as to be in sorrow or discontent that the greatest enemy which they ever had from whom they have suffered more miseries and extremitie than from any other hand whatsoever should be in such a condition wherein they need not fear more miserie or mischief from him And besides that sad Condition of the King of which M● Geree speaks was the prize for which the Nation for seven years together had run through fire and bloud and is it like that they should be in discontent for their successe in obtaining it The Discontent of the Nation was for the unsetled and dilatorie proceedings of their Trustees in Parliament as then the Constitution of the House was wherein they saw no ground of hope of any setlement either of the Government or distracted affairs of the Kingdom The reduction of the King to his Regal Interest and Throne was the desire of the Nation but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the proverb is and under the Notion of a lesser evil of the two I mean than their languishing in miserie and despair under such a Parliament from which they saw at least as they supposed certain ruin and destruction coming towards them like an armed man Secondly he supposeth that the Demands of the Parliament in the last Treatie with the King at Newport were the sum of all that had been formerly demanded in any other treaties or proposals or ●ad been held forth in their Declarations The noto●ious untruth whereof as many wise and good men then resented so may any man whosoever that hath leasure and opportunity to compare the one with the other clearly enough understand Thirdly he supposeth that the Parliament from the beginning thought the Concession and Confirmation of such Priviledges as they demanded of him in the said last Treaty conducible surely he means sufficient or else he speaks at a very low rate to render this people free and happy I must borrow some such Faith as M r. Geree it seems had to beleeve this also Certain I am that the Parliament it self much better able to judge of the conduciblenesse of these proposals to the ends mentioned then M r. Geree expresse a far different sence of them These Members say they in their Declaration of Jan. 12. 1648. speaking of those very men about whom the present contest is between M r. Geree and me did notwithstanding proceed to make such Propositions to the King at the Isle of wight for a safe and well grounded peace as if they had been granted and kept of which there was no probability would but have returned the people again to their former slavery forasmuch as by these Propositions neither this Parliament nor any succeeding one was put into a capacitie of ever being able to make any good Laws the King being still suffered to continue his Negative Vote so long opposed and so strongly voted and declared against by this Parliament c. So that these two supposals of M r. Geree last mentioned are stigmatically false Fourthly he supposeth that the Major part of the House of Commons were so far from being forced to it the said Treatie by Petitions that neither the impetuousnesse of Peti●ions from people nor fear of Souldiers Pistols could make them relinquish it Hear what the Parliament it self also speaketh in opposition unto this in their said Declaration pag. 9. We had long since by Gods assistance happily effected the Settlement of the Government had not a Malignant party amongst the Sea-men the like in the Counties of Essex Surrey Sussex and the Citie of London many of which have since been in actual arms against us by their PRESSING AND URGENT PETITIONING of the Parliament for a Personal Treaty with the King at London and to disband the Army thereby diverted and frustrated our earnest and hearty desires c. with much more to this purpose Fifthly M r. Geree supposeth in order still to the right stating of the Question that the Parliament men against whom I for whom he contendeth were satisfied in their Consciences that the Treaty with the King which they were now upon was the fairest justest and most probable way to promote and settle the peace and weal of a distressed Kingdom The Parliament as we lately heard judged the quite contrary as viz. 1. That there was no probability that the proposals in that Treaty made by the Parliament if granted would ever have been kept or observed either by himself or any of his party 2. That should they have been kept they would but have returned the people again to their former slavery 3. Concerning the defection of those Members of theirs whom M r. Geree presents as men acted onely by their Consciences in these their Applications to the King they declare thus pag. 7. of the said Declaration Yet here again we were encountered with unexpected difficulties by the APPARANT DEFECTION of some of our own Members who not regarding the glory of God NOR GOOD OF THE COMMON-WEALTH but being carried away WITH BASE AVARICE AND WICKED AMBITION these are M r. Gerees Conscientious men did labour the bringing in of the King again with all his faults without the least Repentance c. Sixthly M r. Geree upon the account a foresaid supposeth that the said Treaty was prosecuted till it was very near an happy Conclusion With what heifer did the man plough or with what oracle did he consult to prognosticate happinesse in such a Conclusion wherein had it taken place so many men of a far better inspiration than he to judge between the likelyhood and unlikelyhood of politicall events saw no probability of good unto the Nation but a plain ground laid for bringing the people back again into their Egyptian slavery Seventhly Mr. Geree supposeth and asserteth as before that the Army over and above those four Members and more which he saith pag. 3. they took into safe custody violently kept and frighted a Major part out of the house debarring them liberty of sitting and voting there But 1. whether Mr. Gerees Arithmetique be orthodox or no which counteth the Members taken into custody by the Army to be above fourty I shall content my self with doubting and not determine But 2. Whereas he addeth that they violently kept any more than these out of the house I suppose that had Mr. Geree been put upon the proof of this his proofs would have been much more modest than his Conclusion The far greater part of the Members sequestred by the Army were not detained or restrained by them from sitting again in the House but by their own voluntary refusal to submit unto such a Test which the Parliament then in being according

done by the Parliament which his constant Judgement was could not be done without sin If so he hath no part or fellowship in that blessednesse which the Apostle pronounceth over him that condemneth not himself in what ●● alloweth * Rom. 14 ●● Or did the wind of this mans Judgement blow to the same point of the compasse at which it stands both in the Representation and Vindication when a few pages after in the same Sermon he dogmatized thus Men who lie under the guilt of much innocent bloud are not meet persons to be at peace with till all the guilt of bloud be expiated and avenged either by the sword of the Law or by the Law of the sword else a Peace can neither be safe or just Though I do not find any great store of good sence in this period which seemes to suppose that a Peace can neither ●e safe or just with a person guilty of much innocent bloud untill he be dead yet the Authour clearly supposeth ● That the King lay under the guilt of much innocent bloud 2. that such guilt ought to be expiated and avenged by the sword either of the Magistrate or the Souldier His meaning cannot be that the guilt contracted by and which lay upon the King should be expiated or avenged upon the person of another man though this seemes to b● M● Gerees Divinitie * Might ove●●oming Right pa● ●● c. because the Peace now endeavoured by Treaty was to have been made and concluded chiefly with the King If then M r. Love be so infected with the dangerous Errour of ●uto-catacritisme I fear there are very many of his fellow-Subscribers in the same Condemnation with him For it is well known and commonly talked that the Sons of high Presbytery have still in matters of opinion relating to their Interest but one Judgement amongst them which serves them all and which they weather as Mariners do their sail● upon all occasions according to the shiftings of the wind The latter of the two home-Authours mentioned is M● William Sect. 70 Prynne who though no Divine by profession yet a Protestant yea and a Divine too both by competency of faculty and super-frequencie of ingagement since the sitting of this present Parliament hath written and published a large volume intituled The Soveraign power of Parliaments and Kingdoms wherein if the frontispiece be not too high for the edifice the Superiority of our own and m●st other forreign Parliaments States Kingdoms Magistrates Colle●tively con●idered over and above their lawfull Emperours Kings Princes is abundantly evinced confirmed by pr●gnant Re●sons Resolutions Precedents Histories Authorites of all sorts the contrary refelled And all Objections Calumnies of the King his Councel Royalists Mal●gnants Delinquents Papists against this present Parliaments proceedings pretended to be exceeding derogatorie to the Kings Supremacy and Subjects libertie satisfactorily answered refu●ed diss●pated in all particulars This book all circumstances considered as 1. the subject matter of it 2. the Author of it a man of ●minent learning and great Mecenas to the Pr●●byterian cause 3. the largenesse and comprehensive fulnesse of the discourse 4. the ti●e wherein it had been ●xtant and every where to ●e had when the Ministers subscribed their Representation and Vindication being four or five years at the least 5. the Grand and pressing occasion which of later times lay upon all conscientious men and more especially upon them themselves in regard of their solemn undertakings to Stigmatize as they have done the proceedings against the King to inquire into the argument for satisfaction all these circumstances I say with some others of like nature duly considered is it possible to imagine that the Ministers had not seen this book or at least known or heard of the judgement of the Authour therein about that great question concerning the power of Parliaments over Kings so largely there debated when they subscribed both the said Subscriptions If they had done either the one or the other how shall not their consciences sweat blood for affirming that it hath alwaies been the constant judgement and Doctrine of Protestant Divines that Kings ought not to suffer from the sword of justice for any perpetrations or crimes whatsoever For unlesse this be their meaning in their stingling and aspersive language wherein they professe that they disclaim detest abhor the wicked and bloudy Tenets and Practises of J●suits and the murthering of Kings by any though under the most specious and colourable pretences they do but baffle their simple Reader speaking nothing at all to the businesse in issue For who or which of those to whom they addresse in the Representation do not with as much clearnesse and simplicity of spirit as themselves disclaim detest and abhor the wicked and bloudy Tenets and Practises of J●suits and the murthering of Kings though under the most specious and colourable pretences if Representation pag. 11. they mean nothing more than what they say in these expressions and I wonder upon what account men pretending to such proximity unto the Heavens in sanctity and integrity as they should assume that to themselves as somewhat emphatically excellent and singular which is nothing but what is found in all men without exception unlesse it be that congregation of the first-born of Satan the Jesuites and their Proselytes But as commonly it fareth with trades-men that are much behind-hand with the world and declining in their estates they buy dear and sel cheap and make all bargains to losse and disadvantage till they fail and sink right down so these men having overthrown their estates in honour and repute with men by stretching themselves beyond their line and over-dealing both their wisdom and their worth are now from time to time after a ●ort necessitated to disadvantagious tran●actions and such which will I fear in short time lay all their grandure and high looks in the dust Whereas some pretend an irregularity in the Sentence passed Sect. 71 upon the King through a defect of President or example I answer this is the lightes● and loosest of all pleas that are commonly made in the case For 1. An example is no Rule God made Rules before that men yea or himself made examples Nor doth he necessarily break a rule who acts or works without a pattern or example Bezal●●l and A●olia● wrought curious work for the tabernacle and yet had no patterns of what they wrought before them When Moses smote ●he Egyptian who wronged the Israelite that he died he had no precedent action of like nature to warrant or justifie his action yet was it neverthelesse justifiable Nor did J●●ojada the Priest who caused Athalia● to be slai● act under the Protection of any Parallel Instances of this kind are without number 2. As in descents of families it is a thing frequent and Sect. 72 commendable for those who succeed in the inheritance to adde to the demesnes with honourable industrie and thrift and to transmit the

doth more deeply pierce or wound the conscience under the guilt of sin than the rememberance of those great and many ingagements which God hath laid upon the sinner to abstain from all iniquity as there is nothing more sovereign or efficacious to preserve men from the perpetrating of sin under tentation than such a consideration or rememberance Gen. 39. 9 2. Sam. 12 7 8 9. Mat. 18 32 33. c. But I hasten Enough I presume with advantage hath before this been Sect. 83 argued to wash off the colour of this plea The proceedings against the King are not justifiable because he had no reasonable ground or means whereby to conceive or judge that his life could lawfully be taken from him for those crimes for which he was sentenced To omit severall other things which have received a just debate sufficient to reconcile this pretence with the sentence awarded against the King that the Law of God against Murtherers and unjust shedders of bloud so oft repeated in the Scriptures so fully explained and vindicated in this Discourse gave light in abundance unto the King whereby to see and understand that for those very crimes and bloudy perpetrations of which he was arreigned his life was obnoxious to the hand of humane Justice or rather of Divine Justice executable by the hands of men So that if he were ignorant of his liablenesse unto death for the misdemeanours committed by him it was Ignorantia Juris non facti which as Aristotle saith excuseth no man Besides the frequent cases and examples of Justice executed upon Kings by their Subjects obvious as well in the Records of Scriptures as in the Histories of many Nations a first-fruit whereof hath been presented in this Treatise were abundantly sufficient to give the light of this information unto him that if he sinned against the bloud of his people it would render him ipso facto a child of death Besides had he not defaced that writing which was written by the finger of God himself in the tables of his own heart here might he have read it in characters legible enough that he that unjustly takes away the life of another makes a present forfeiture unto Justice of his own Nor was the taking of the Protestation or National Covenant Sect. 84 by the Parliament and Kingdom after the Kings ingagement in bloud any sna●e upon him in this kind as ministering any sufficient ground unto him to conceive or judge that Kings might destroy the lives of their Subjects as they pleased without being countable unto the Justice of their Laws for the same It is contrary to all principles of reason or common sence to think that either the Parliament or Kingdom should do any such act which in the direct and native tendencie of it should either flatter or incourage the King in wayes so out●agiously destructive to their lives Liberties Estates as those were wherein he was now driving furiously when the Protestation and solemn Covenant were taken by them But such an Act as this do they pretend to be done by them who affirm that by their taking the Protestation and Covenant for the Preservation of the Kings Person after he had lift up his hand unto bloud they ministered a sufficient ground unto him to conceive either that for what he had already done in that way he was not obnoxious either to the Law of God nor to the Laws of the Land inflicting death but especially to conceive that what progresse or advance soever he should make in the same way yet they meant never to question him but to make the ●hoicest threasure of his life though he should make the ●●se●● dong●e of all theirs But the substance of this plea was formerly weighed in the balance and found too light when we clearly proved that there was no ingagement made by any man in taking either the Vow Prot●station or Covenant for the Preservation of the Kings life or Person but onely conditionall that none of those conditions for there were more than one upon which the takers of any of the three became actually ingaged o● bound to the said Preservation were performed by the King And the truth is that all that was ministered by way of occasion or ground unto the King by those Acts of the Parliament and Kingdom lately mentioned was for him to judge and conceive 1. that they both affectionately desired his honour life and happinesse 2. That in case they could not procure or obtain them in conjunction with the liberties peace and safety of the Kingdom that they meant to provide for these whatsoever became of the other To draw towards a Conclusion of the present debate if Sect. 85 the righteousnesse of the Sentence passed upon the King be not impleadeable by the office of a King vested in him much lesse is it impeacheable by his innocencie Doubtlesse never was there any person under heaven sentenced with death upon more equitable or just grounds in respect of guilt and demerit As for Ner● Maximinus and other Heathen Tyrants though the letter of their guilt might possible be as deep or deeper than his yet the spirit of it was but light and shallow in comparison They wanted the light of that knowledge without which though men may be monstrously wicked yet are they not capable of admission into the Congregation of the first-born of sinners The King abounded with this light at least comparatively wrought in the face of it works of darknesse horrid works of darknesse Oh how great was the darknesse of such works Some rise up early to commend and praise him for his parts of knowledge wisdom understanding c. but do these men know that speaking these things they put him to the greater rebuke and justifie his Judges who condemned him so much the more That servant saith the great and righteous Judge of all the earth which knew his Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be ●eaten with many stroaks * Luk. 12. 47. Knowledge and ●●derstanding are the great inh●●nsers of sin and cause the fo●●ace of hell to be h●● s●ven times hotter than ordinary But for the criminal demerits of the King which make the righteousnesse of the Sentence against him like unto the light at noon-day I shall not mention th●● in words of mine own l●st I be charged with undue aggravations but shall present them in such ●●●ms wherein his best and most cordiall Friends at least in appearance and such who took hold of shield and buckler for his Defence in the time of his greatest danger have before me represented them unto the world M r. Prynne who in zeal to the Kings cause attempted to Sect. 86 shake Heaven and Earth and who because he could not with Joshua cause the Sun to stand still in the midst of heaven untill he had acted his part in favour of him procured in stead thereof the turning of a naturall night into an

constituent is above the constituted If we regard the derived and executive power in Parliamentarie Acts they make but a totall and compleat Soveraign power yet so as the Soveraign power of the Parliament being habituall and underived a prime and fountain power for I doe not here separate people and Parliament is perfect without the King for all Parliamentarie Acts as is clear in that the Parliament make Kings * I●●● p 37● It were easy to make the pile of such quotations as these from this Author far greater and to shew how frequently he stiles the King one while the Servant otherwhile the vassal of the Common-wealth So that our London Presbyters in their most audacious shamelesse and seditious vociferations and out cries against the Parliament as having no Authoritie or right of power to proceed as they did against the King and upon this effeminate account desperately charging the most exemplary Act of Justice and for which the world round about them yea even Kings and Princes themselves may have cause to blesse them in sentencing him unto death with the odious and horrid imputation of Murther do as well defie their own great Oracle of Presbyterie as the Parliament withall acknowledge men of greatest learning worth and parts in the Order of Presbyterie to be tainted with errours of as soul and hatefull a nature and import as any that are lightly to be found amongst those whom they honour with the ancient badge of Christianitie and call Sectaries M r Prynne another authour of their own supreme glorie Sect. 10 of their Interest in the Law as the former in Divinitie doth not onely acknowledge but voluminously and abundantly demonstrates if the frontispice flattereth not the bodie of his building the superioritie of our own and most other forreign Parliaments States Kingdoms Magistrates collectively considered over and above their lawfull Emperours Kings and Princes by pregnant Reasons Resolutions Precedents Histories Authorities of all sorts c. Our London Pulpittiers who abuse their credulous and malignantish Auditories by teaching for Doctrine this tradition of their own that the Parliament had no more right to deal by the King as they have done than a thief by the high way to take their purse should have acquitted themselves like men and deserved in part that Interest and Authoritie in the consciences of men which they expect and claim as their due if they had substantially answered the two Books now mentioned composed by Jachin and Boaz. * 〈…〉 the two great Pillars of their own porch before they had suffered themselves to be so deeply baptized into Shimer's spirit as to bring the railing accusation of Murther against the Parliament for their just and regular proceedings against the King Howsoever etenim fas est ab hoste doceri by what the two late named Authours have upon irrefragable premisses concluded it fully appears that the people or their Representative are superiour in power or authoritie unto the King and consequently that this Maxime Par in parem non habet potestatem suffered not by the Kings suffering under the Parliament Besides Reason it self gives the superioritie of power to the Sect. 11 people or Parliament and not to the King For 1. as the Apostle argues the preheminencie of the man above the woman from this consideration that Adam was first formed then Eve * 1 Ti● 2 ●● so may we inferre the like prerogative of the people over the King The people were first in being the King takes his turn after them is not till they have been 2 The same Apostle concludes the same preheminence of the man over the woman from hence also that the man is not of the woman but the woman of the man * 1 C●r ●● 8 The same foundation is as pregnant to bear the superiority of the people above the King The people are not of sprang not from Kings but Kings of and from the people 3 The same Apostle yet again derives the prementioned priviledge upon the man from this spring The man was not created for the woman but the woman for the man * 1 C●● 11 9. In like manner it being evident that the people were not made for Kings but Kings for the people it follows merrily upon the same wheel that the people have the precedency in honour before the King 4 The servant is not saith our Saviour greater that his Lord * John 13 1● but on the contrary the Lord then his servant Now the King bears the Relation of a politicall Servant or vassal to that State Kingdom and people over which he is set to Govern as appeareth by those three essentiall characters of servitude inseparably attending his office 1. Regulation or appointment of work 2. Wages in consideration of his work duly and faithfully performed 3. And lastly an obnoxiousnesse to a laying aside by the people when they see it meet The King hath his work of Governing appointed or set out unto him by the people in those Laws which they constitute and make for their own Government and his by their Representatives or Trustees in Parliament Secondly he receiveth such allowance or proportion in wages in consideration of his work in governing as the people or State whom he serveth herein judge meet and reasonable to conferre upon him For this cause saith Paul meaning for their work and faithfulnesse in governing pay ye tribute also viz. unto Kings or rulers as ye pay wages unto servants onely you pay it under another name the nature of this royall service being more Honourable than common services are and the exigency of it for your good requiring greater respects in terms and otherwise then inferiour services doe The Crown is but the Kingdoms or peoples livery Thirdly and lastly the Servant saith our Saviour abideth not in the house for ever 1. necessarily or upon any such terms but that his Master is free notwithstanding any Law of God or of nature to put him out of his house when ●e seeth cause yea though the cause be not very materiall or weighty but the Son abideth for ever * 〈…〉 In like manner the people I mean collectively taken have no Law of nature or of God upon them which prohibiteth them from laying aside a King or Kingly Government from amongst them when they have a reasonable cause for it Such a cause as this they have I mean that which is just and reasonable and competent for so doing when either they find by experience that Government by Kings hath been a nuysance to the peace or liberties of the people ●…nd apprehend by reason that if continued it is like still so to be o● find that the charge of maintaining such a Government hath been and if con●inued is like to be for the future o●e-barth●n'om to the State conceiving upon good g●●und withall that another form of Government will accommodate the Interest of the State upon equall or better terms with lesse

I took this Oath to take it in his sence upon such te●ms much le●●● having taken it that I stand bound so to keep it Suppose th● sence of those who made the solemn League and Coven●nt of which M r. Geree speaks was that the clause concerning the Preservation and defence of the Kings Person and Authority was to be preferred in a case of a competition before that which concerns the Liberties of the Kingdoms or the bringing of Inc●ndiaries and Delinqu●●ts ●● c●ndign● pun●●●●ent or ag●●● that these words subjoyned in the former of these two cl●uses ●● the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdom do not import a condition to be performed on the Kings part to bring the ta●●●● of the Covenant under the obligation thereof for ●he 〈◊〉 and def●●●● of ●●● Person c. but have some other ●●y●●icall ●eanin● ●●…r the Covenant-●●kers them●elves but no wayes co●●o●●ing with the plain and direct importance of the words my conscience doth not teach me that I stood bound either to take or keep the Covenant according to either of these sences whether intended or not intended by the makers But there neither was nor is any place for such a dispute as this nor yet for that question which M r. Geree in this place puts upon me in asmuch as the Parliament when they injoyned the taking of the Covenant expresly gave libertie of Interpretation within compasse I suppose of a regular construction of the words to those that were willing to take it So that M r. Geree doth but beat the air from place to place and seldom or never lights upon his adversary unlesse it be with opprobrious and unmanlike terms In which respect I judge it not an ingagement worthy the Readers pains to follow him in his answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but shall hasten towards a conclusion by the way of his Arguments whereby he seeks to argue the Parliament men disturbed in their way by the Army together with their Parliamentary proceedings into so much worth and honour as to render that act of the Army not onely indefensible but demeritorious also in the Highest Through tendernesse or fear as his own words pag. 14. Sect. 1● seem to import of exceeding in matters so clear that no man but himself personally and partakingly considered can see either reason or truth in them he abridgeth himself of the liberty of levying any more than onely 4 arguments in order thereunto two of which notwithstanding are like Pharaohs two dreams for matter of import onely one but for matter of truth none at all yet such as they are being the two formest of the retinue let us give them the preheminence in point of examination The former of the two advanceth in this form Those that keep to their Principles Professions and Declarations made when they are confest to be sober in their right wits and true to trust must needs be judged to be so still The Parliament men who indeavour the setling of the King and Kingdom upon his large Concessions keep to their Principles Declarations and Professions Ergo. The second presenteth it self in these words Those that proceed in a way to which they stand ingaged by divers solemn and Religio●● bands they are sober in their wits and true to trust The oppressed Members proceeded in a way to which they stood ingaged by many solemn and Religious bands Ergo. I shall not take any advantage from the severall pe●cancies Sect. 17 in point of form which are apparant more than enough in the former of these arguments to say that M r. Geree was not his crafts-master in making syllogismes because it may be it was onely the extraordinary intensnesse of his mind upon the matter that occasioned a mindlesnesse in him of the form I shall cope with him about the matter of his argument And here I cannot but take notice by the way how fain he would steal an hypothesis or ground to make his weak argument stand with some seemingnesse of strength He would have it quietly and without the lea●● noyse of a proof supposed that the Kings Concessions at Newport were very large large enough to settle the peace and safety of an un●etled distracted and half destroyed Kingdom nay of three Kingdoms upon For in his loud pleading the bad cause of his Assumption he doth not so much as whisper the least word for the credit of this supposition But it may be that M● Prynne and he had compared notes together the sence of the said M r. Prynne concerning these Concessions being this that they were the largest the safest and beneficiallest ever yet granted by any King to his Subjects since the Creation * M● Prynne Epist 〈…〉 h●● S●●●ch of Nov ● 〈◊〉 with I know not how many Rhetoricall that I say not ecstaticall encomiastiques heaped upon their heads besides † P●● 〈…〉 Spe●ch It may be M r. Geree believed half of what M r. Prynne a●firmed and this was sufficient for his purpose But the best is we have the Reason of one Kingdom and the Religion of another to balance the confidence of these two mens imaginations about the largenesse of the said Concessions First the Parliament of England which is the Reason of Engl●nd declares that the Propositions themselves which were made to the King at the Isle of Weight were such as if they had been granted and kept of which they say there was no probability yet would but have returned the people again to their former slavery of which assertion they give a very sufficient account in the words following for asmuch say they as by these propositions neither this Parliament nor any succeeding one was put into a capacity of ever being able to make any good Lawes the King being still suffered to continue his negative vote so long opposed c. * 〈◊〉 of ●●● 15. 〈◊〉 If the Propositions themselves had they been granted head and tail from first to last and kept as liberally as granted amounted to no more than to the re-enslaving of the Kingdom what may we think those partiall and cautionary concessions of them by the King as large as his two Champions would make them were like to have profitted the Kingdom Unlesse the old adage should administer some hope to us in this kind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The half sometimes is more than is the whole Thus then we see that the Reason of England makes but coals and that upon a very demonstrative account of those Concessions of the King of which M r. Geree with his Royall Assistant M● Prynne makes such treasure These men crie up adore the largenesse of them whereas the other who have calculated the dimensions of them with far more exactnesse and skill complain of the narrownesse and sca●tinesse of them as comprehending neither the abolishing of the Kings negative vote and thereby no competent or tolerable provision for the liberty of the people nor yet

the Religion that they professe and after the pattern of the wisest and best Professours of it they are sober c. The Parliament men in according with the King upon his Concessions walk suteable to the Religion they professe and follow the patterns of the wisest and best Professours of it Ergò But here also M r. Geree assumes that which was not lawfull for him to do For the Parliament men he speaks of did not in according with the King upon his Concessions walk as he pretends either in the one respect or the other For 1. It is no wayes suteable to the Religion which these men professe either to walk in manifest opposition to the Laws of God or to recede from especially to tur● head upon such religious Ingagements which they might very well have discharged without any touch or tincture of sin Nor 2. did they in their said accord with the King follow the Patterns of the wisest and best Professours of their Religion For amongst the wis●st and best Professours of this Religion obedience to the Laws of God is both taught and practiced and so likewise is the observance of Religious ingagements when it may be exhibited without sin M r. Gerees proof of his Proposition from Junius Brutus passeth by on the other side and scarce looks so much ●s towards it The passage he cites speaks not of Princes that h●ve murthered their Subjects and are like being admitted to terms of peace to murther them s●ill nor of Subjects who have ingaged themselves by many Religious bands unto such things which are utterly inconsistent with such an admission of their Prince to peace as he speaks of And I beleeve that neither Juni●● Brut●● nor any other Protestant Authour can parallell the case between the late King of England and his Subjects no not in such circumstances which are of greatest moment and weight to fram a resolutio● upon Therefore M r. Geree hath not yet recovered hi● friends out of that politicall phrensie in respect whereof the Act of the Army in restraining them is justifiable His fourth and last Argument managed in their De●ence i● Sect. 22 this Those whose work a●d trust is to provide for the Honour safety peace and prosperity of a Nation who proceed in the most probable way to promote the honour safety peace and prosperity of that Nation they are sober in their wits true to trust But such was the work and trust of the restrained Members they took the most probable way to promote all these Ergo. I answer by denying yea and more than denying the Minor The restrained Members in their closure with the King upon the terms so oft mentioned were so far from proceeding in the m●st probable way to promote the ●onour safety c. that the course they steered herein was highly menacing the honour ●afety and peace of the Kingdom yea according to the most pregnant symptomes of a probability likely to have fild the land with all the bitter and dismall fruits of enraged Tyranny For 1. The King was an old and known Practitioner in pretences and shifts to evade any obligation whatsoever lying upon him whether by promise compact or oath in order to the promotion of his tyrannicall ends yea though he were in never so clear and absolute a capacity for ingagement when he did ingage himself in any of these kinds I shall not need to instance particulars he never pawnd but he forfeited fides quoties facta toties fracta Hi● wont was in his greatest injoyment of freedom and power to spread promises as snares in the way of his people to take and to destroy them Now t●e by-past actions of men as I say and prove more at large in my Right and might well met * P●g 19. ●0 c. especially practised in an uniform tenour for any considerable space of time are propheticall of what their future ●ctions are like to be Neither doth M r. Geree tender so much as a first-fruits of the least or lightest probability that the King had he been re-advanced unto his power upon his Concessions would not upon the first opportunity have taken and cast them behind his back as he had from time to time served his promises formerly In respect of this known ●edifragous disposition and G●nius of the King the Parliament plainly say concerning his Concessions that there wa● no pr●bability that they would be kept * D●●l●● o● J●n 15. ●●●● pag. 10. Nay 2. there was so much the 〈◊〉 ●●obability that the Sect. 23 King for standing by these Concessions would have receded from his former practise of promise-breaking by how much the more plausible a pretext he had for ●●● de●●rting them above what he was ever accommodated with before for the violation of any other promise made by him All his former i●gagements were taken up by him whilst his person was infulnesse of ●onour liberty and power whereas these Concessions were drawn from him upon an advantage taken from his low condition being now in a kind of durance and under the power of the Parliament In which respect whatsoever he should grant or ●ield unto upon such terms would seem ra●●●r e●torted and wr●ng f●om him by the iron hand of neces●ity and fear than be looked upon as the genuine and free ●cts of his will and con●equently a recesse from them m●st needs have been very easie of digestion unto him who had so familia●ly accustomed himself to eat words of a far worse and mo●e di●ficult concoction Upon this ground the Parliament it self looks no otherwise upon those Concessions of his which M● Ge●ee and M● Prynn● so much magni●ie than as words intended by him onely for his accommodation not obligation Neither can we believe say they that any agreement we could have made with the King in the Isle of Wight in the condition he was then in would ever have been ob●erved either by him●elf or his pa●ty For ●etting aside the bare name of Honour Safety and Freedom which the Treaty did pretend unto neither the King or any of his did ever hold him in any other condition than that of a Prisoner * 〈…〉 And having clearly proved this from expressions of his own both in a message sent by him to both Houses Oct. 2. 1648. in letters to a prime Magistrate in this Citie as also from the Prince his Declaration made at Goree they subjoyn thus And since inforced Oaths are in many mens judgements not necessary to be kept what assurance could we have that He who had so often failed of his promise made to us when he was free and at his own disposall would make that good to us when he came to be re-established in His Royall power which he had oblieged himself to doe when he was in durance and a Prisoner Yea M r. Geree himself seems to intimate a degree at least of unreasonablenesse in the terms put upon the King by the Parliament in the said Treaty

or no as to spirit them with zeal and courage to attempt the shaking of the whole Nation for his sake to batter ruine and destroy both Parliament and Army and whatsoever should be found standing up against him what would his presence upon the Throne withall the raies of Majestie spread about him have been but as life from the dead unto them Or is it reasonable to conceive that He that had so many hands reached out unto him whilest he was dismounted and in no capacity of rewarding them to help him up into his Throne would having been once seated in the Throne where fields and vineyards and Captain-ships over hundreds and over thousands doe abound have wanted hands to have supported and maintained him in it upon what terms soever Was there ever a generation of husband-men heard of that were zealous in sowing and luke-warm in reaping 3. Suppose the nation or the far greater part of men in it Sect. 30 would have been ready to rise up against all such whom they had judged either Counsellours or A●●ou●s in any such breach of Faith on the Kings part as M r. Geree speaks of in respect of the generality of the people I mean in case the K●ng contrary to his concessions should have fallen foul upon men no way●s obnoxious to the hatred of the people for Religion yet it is an extreme weak Supposall to think that the Generality of the Nation would have acquitted themselves with such supererogating zeal in the behalf of such men whom they inwardly hate and look upon as the enemies and disturbers of their peace and the worst members in all their body Now these are the men men that are truly conscientious and that cannot swallow the morsels of the Common iniquity of the times and profanesse of the places where they live whom the King looked upon and that not without cause as the first-born of those who opposed him in his late insufferable encrochments upon the liberties and comforts of his people and consequently are the men either onely or chiefly with whose misery and ruine he was in travail yea and questionlesse might within a few dayes after his return to his Throne have found a time for an easie deliverance 4. And lastly concerning the being of the Militia in the Sect. 31 Parliaments hand it is of every whit as empty a consideration in reference to M r. Gerees purpose as the former First because the King and the Parliament as now the constitution of it was reduced and wrought about at least in respect of the Members sequestred who we know had a potent influence upon the house were no more two but one The Members we speak of had in works renounced fealty to the weal of their old Lords and Masters the people and were turned homagers to the Interest of the Crown So that in point of benefit or safety to the Common-wealth it was much of one and the same consideration whether the Militia were to be put into the Parliaments hand or the Kings If it were in the Parliaments hand one day it was very like to have been in the Kings the next But 2. suppose the Parliament in their united strength should have kept close to the interest of the people and managed it in due distinction from that of the King there is scarce an hairs breadth of probability but that the King having recovered the advantage of his Throne would in a very few dayes have made himself as absolute a Lord of the Militia a● ever he had been heretofore It was generally esteemed half a miracle when time was that S r. John H●tham should make such a dem●●●e as he did about rendering up the Town of H●ll unto the King upon his demand and yet we know he was caj●ld afterwards with the inchantments of Majestie and Majestique proffers Where should the Parliament have found men through the Kingdom in whose hands the Militia might have been ●o much as probably secured to them from between the Kings smiles and frowns Parliaments themselves who have the b●st foo●ing of all others to keep their standing yet how pro●e and ready have they been from time to time to ●ick ●●● dust at the fe●t of Kings Many saith Solomon will intreat the favour of the Prince and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts Prov 19 ● Besides it is but too well known of how weak a Constitution the trained bands in the respective Counties generally were and ready to arm with the King though against themselves and their own peace Moreover as we reasoned lately if the King whilest yet he was sitting upon the dung-hill ●ound Men and Arms enough for he wanted no numbers of either to lift him up into his Throne though both a Parliament and Potent Army with all their Interest and power forb●d the Elevation questionlesse had he been advanced and once warm in his Throne accommodations in both kinds would have flowed in much more abundantly unto him He that had no want of Friends in adversity was it like prosperity should impoverish him So that as well one as the other of M● Ger●●s conceits first that the King though ●● had been able yet would not have let out his spirit in a way of revenge ●econdly though ●e had been willing yet ●e would not have been ●ble are both ●●●●ably frivolous and importune There is no reason worthy a con●idering man but ●o think tha● he would have ●ound both will enough in himself and power enough in others to have ave●ged himself on the Nation those especially wh●m ●● looked upon as his greatest Opposers had he regained the opportunity and advantage of his Throne And thus I suppose the premisses considered we have Sect. 32 b●ought ●orth this Conclusion into a● clear and perfect a light as any the Sun shineth at noon-day that there was a very great and formideable Necessity lying upon the Army to li●●●● both ●●●rt ●●d h●●d to that great w●●● of 〈…〉 Parliament into a capacity of shewing mercie to the Nation by freeing them from the sad incumberance of such Members who●e counsels and proceedings in the House obstructed them in that good work and threatened apparant miserie to the land Yet for a Conclusion give me leave to light up a candle or two whereby to see the Sun I mean to give a furth●r account of the primogeniture of that Necessity which a● far a● th● credit o● Authority of any thing whatsoever known by the Name of a Necessi●y extendeth justifieth the Army in that commendable and yet withall so much condemned an action First besides the declared and known intentions and resolutions of the Members ●equestered to bring in the King upon his own terms or Conc●ssions the Army I understand had steady inteligenc● that the said Members or at least the Grandees the active and leading men amongst them had resolved the very next morning after the rub they met with to have Voted the disbanding of the