Were not Irish Rebels brought over into both Kingdomes as also Forces from forraigne parts Was not the warre in Ireland fomented and prolonged by his Majesty whereby the three Kingdomes were brought neere to utter ruine and destruction Were not these strong reasons heretofore why you should conceive that untill his Maty had given satisfaction and security there should be no treaty Have you not many times attempted to prevaile with the King by severall advices and petitions which were not onely without successe but that hath followed which no ill counsell hath in former times produced nor any age hath seen namely those severall Proclamations and Declarations against both Houses of Parliament whereby your actions have been declared treasonable and your persons traytors Did not the King set up his Standard against his Parliament whereby he did put the two Houses of Parliament and in them the whole Kingdom out of his protection Did he volūtarily take down his Standard Hath he recalled his said Proclamations and Declarations making you all that stuck to your traytors and rebels If not will you treate with him before he hath done it we are not insensible of your present distractions through the great defection and almost incredible revolting of severall parts of this kingdome some ships at Sea and especially of severall in the Citie of London and many great zealots in the kingdomes cause striking hands with Malignants in promoting their designes motions and petitions to the apparent prejudice of the Parliaments cause and the kingdomes interest most strangely and hypocritically pleading conscience of Covenant and yet breaking the expresse letter of the sixth Article of the Covenant wherein they have sworn not to suffer themselves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination perswasion or terror to be divided and with drawn from this blessed union and conjunction whether to make defection to the contrary part or to give themselves to a detestable indifferencie or newtrality in this cause which so much concerneth the glory of God the good of the Kingdomes and the honour of the King but have sworn that they shall all the dayes of their lives zealously and constantly continue therein against all oppositions and promote the same according to their power c. We observe likewise the most base abominable and horrible defection of some Scots that have invaded this kingdome to the everlasting staine of their nation and abhorring and hissing at them for a most detestable dishonorable and dissembling people by all the nations round about them to the perpetuall scandall of Religion and the profession thereof and the sottishnesse basenesse un Englishnesse of many of our English Nation who most stupidly suffer a most false and treacherous covetous and covenant-breaking people to bring their wives and children and driue out the English out of their houses and possessions as if these poore souls came out of meere piety and love to help up reformation by an army of prophane wretches commanded by known Cavaliers and Malignants and to settle the King in a sufficient posture to destroy the Parliament according to their Covenant and by his authority to establish Presbytery which his soule abhorres according to the covenant to maintain a firme peace between the two Nations by a bloody warre according to covenants and treaties c. We are not we say unmindfull of these distractions thus befalling you which we confesse may not onely put you to many straits and difficulties but provoke you to resolve that since the people will be deceived they should be deceived and since they would be enslaved after God by the Parliament and their forces had freed them from it they should be enslaved c. But give us leave humbly to reply First of all if the people for want of wisdome and conscience to themselves and posterity should resolve to enslave themselves since they cannot doe it but by your Concurrence will your wisedome and consciences suffer you to consent thereunto Is it their sinne so to doe and your vertue to help it on by your resolves Are not you the Fathers of the Kingdome and will you consent to the childrens madnesse and because they will destroy themselves in a peltish fit you will vote them a power to bring it about Put the Militia into their owne hands that they may effect their owne destruction Will they not destroy you as well as themselves and must they be enabled to doe all this by authority of Parliament Doe you not see that men are mad else would they doe as they doe spread their garments and palm-branches and cry hail to them that doe thirst for their blood and attempt with swords and staves to apprehend and crucifie them viz. the Parliament and Army that under God have been their Saviours And will you put the sword into mad mens hands that would destroy all but their enemies will not our neighbour-Nations that are lookers on say we are all madde Have not you beene fighting all this while for the Militia and having gotten it by Victory will you loose it againe by Vote Shall the Militia of the City or Counties be put into the hands of reall Malignants though some of the second Edition who are the most dangerous because degenerate and desperate If a froward people will bring their owne blood and the blood of the Kingdom upon themselves let themselves by themselves bring it about and let not our Parliament joyne with them in that unnaturall act Secondly Had you not alwayes a party against you yea as great as strong as mal gnant as now appeares though they are more daring bold and visible were you not in a worse posture many a time since these warres began then even now you are in Petitions appear out of Surrey Kent Essex c. shewing their malignancy but notwithstanding all arts and tricks to get subscriptions Look upon their numbers and see whether you have not as great a cause to judge a better a more united and resolved party for you then against you As for the Seas is not God the God of the Seas as well as of the Land doth not he exercise his wonders for his people in the deepe as well as on the dry ground doth not hee as well hold the waters in the hollow of his fist as weigh the mountains in a ballance Did not he as well lead Israel through the Sea as through the Wildernesse Hath he not road his circuit round the confines of the Kingdome for you and can he not or will he not thinke you ride upon the proud waves of the Sea for you if you trust in him Is not the Sea his as well as the Land Or can you thinke that our God is the God of the Land and your enemies God the God of the Seas And that as our God hath had his day by Land so wil theirs have his day at Sea Is not the Sea sinfull as well as the Land and may not God be now a purging the
The Peoples ECCHO To the Parliaments DECLARATIONS Concerning a Personall Treaty with the KING Containing a Collection of some few passages out of severall Declarations and Expresses of the LORDS and COMMONS assembled in Parliament at Westminster concerning a Personall Treaty with the KING Together with an humble enforcement of the equity and justice of the said Expresses Humbly presented not only to the review of the Honourable Parliament but also to the serious consideration of the Lord Major Aldermen and Commons of LONDON in Common-Councell Assembled Isa 59.9 Judgement is farre from us neither doth Justice overtake us We wait for light but behold obscurity for brightnesse but we walke in darkenesse LONDON Printed by Matthew Simmons 1648. The Peoples Eccho to the Parliaments Declarations concerning a Personall Treaty with the KING Declaration of the Lords and Commons of the 4th of March 1647. in answer to the papers of the Scotch Commissioners page 20. WEE aske what reason have we to expect better satisfaction in the way of a Treaty then formerly wee had therein at Uxbridge or in a Personall Treaty at Oxford unlesse we be resolved before hand to treat away all that we have fought for and to be treated out of all that wee could not be fought out of or at least what can we expect of a Treaty but that under pretence of satisfying all Interests one Interest shall be set up against another to divide us And that thereby having laid no foundation of safety before-hand the King might set up His Interest above them all Ibid. If wee cannot have Peace but upon these termes viz. The will of the King and the advantage of the Crowne in the Kings esteeme Vpon these termes we needed not to have any Warre which had been much the more Christian resolution and would have saved the effusion of much blood whereof if we proceed upon such principles as those wee must needs draw the whole guilt upon our owne selves Decl. of the 4th of March 1647. pag. 24. If the way of reason and perswasion be the only equall faire and just way to obtaine a well grounded Peace c. we have gone in a very foule way hitherto which should have been taken into consideration before we had engaged our selves and the Kingdome in so much cost and blood which was not only spent unnecessarily but also very unlawfully if wee must goe no way but that of perswasion c. who doth not see that these Principles doe not only BRING VPON VS ALL THE BLOOD THAT HATH BEEN SHED IN THIS WAR but also plucketh up the foundation of any hope of ever setling a Peace with the King which shall be both just and sure seeing we cannot have it justly but upon his termes which no man that hath his eyes in his head can believe that they will be other then such as tend to the apparent destruction of the persons which have engaged and the losse of the ends for which both Kingdomes have engaged in this war Decl. of the 24th of March 1647. pag. 25. The bringing of the King to London for a Personall Treaty with the Parliament before the maine points in difference between them be setled assured is to no other purpose but to encrease that fond humour of confidence in misled and deceived people which prevaileth in them too much already before they have assurance which they and their posterity may after rue and repent when it is too late to help it Decl. of the 4. of March 1647. pag. 21. The Scotch Commissioners mistake their aime if they thinke the Kings presence with the Parliament necessarily implieth his presence at London which HE and THEYso much desire THAT HE MIGHT HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO CAJOLE THE CITIZENS c. His returne to his Parliament with the same affections and intentions that is to destroy and undermine his Parliament and to renew the warre against them is as great a reason for his absence from it as his absence formerly from it in order to destroy it and to begin a warre against them was then a reason for his presence Decl. of the 4. of March 1647. pag. 86. How BASE and DISHONOURABLE a thing would it have been for the houses of Parliament being in that condition they are to have treated under the Gallowes to have treated as Traytors their Cause being not justified nor the Declarations against them as Rebels recalled And how FOOLISH a thing would it have been being possessed of the sword according to their right not to secure it even from his owne claime to the contrary to themselves and posterity before they treated of any thing to the end that neither they nor their Posterity might be put to play another bloody game for the same thing The Parliaments Scots Commissioners answer to his Majesties Letters of the 26. 29. of Decemb. 1645. Concerning the Personall Treaty desired by your Majestie there having beene so much innocent blood of your good Subjects shed in this warre BY YOUR MAJESTIES COMMANDS AND COMMISSIONS Irish Rebels brought over into both Kingdomes and endeavours to bring over more into both of them as also forces from Forreigne parts Your Majestie being in Armes in these parts the Prince in the head of an Armie in the West divers Townes made Garrisons and kept in hostility by your Majestie against the Parliament of England There being also forces in Scotland against that Parliament and Kingdome BY YOUR MAJESTIES COMMISSION The warre in Ireland FOMENTED AND PROLONGED BY YOUR MAJESTIE whereby the three Kingdomes are brought neer to utter ruine and destruction VVe conetive that untill satisfaction and security be first given to both your Kingdomes Your Majesties comming hither cannot be convenient nor by us assented unto Answer of the Lords Commons to His Majesties message of the 25. of Aug. 1642. The Lords Commons in Parl. assembled having received your Majesties Message of the 25. of August doe with much griefe resent the dangerous distracted state of this Kingdom which we have by all means endeavored to prevent both by our severall Advices and Petitions to your Majestie which have been not only without success but there hath followed that which no ill Councell in former times hath produced or ANY AGE HATH seen namely those severall Proclamations and Declarations against both the houses of Parliament whereby their actions are declared treasonable and their persons Traytors and thereupon Your Majestie hath set up your Standard against them whereby YOU HAVE PUT THE TWO HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT AND IN THEM THIS WHOLE KINGDOME OUT OF YOUR PROTECTION So that UNTILL your Majestie shall recall those Proclamations aad Declarations whereby the Earle of Essex and both Houses of Parliament and their Adherents and Assistants such as have obeyed and executed their Commands and Directions according to their duty are declared Traytors or otherwise Delinquents And untill the Standard set up in pursuance of the said Proclamations be
taken downe YOUR MAJESTIE HATH PUT US INTO SUCH A CONDITION that whilst we so remaine we cannot by the fundamentall priviledges of Parliament the publique trust reposed in us or with the generall good and safety of this Kingdome give your Majestie any other answer to this Message which was a denyall of a Treaty according to his Majesties Message untill as afoâ—esaid In the beginning of the Declaration o the 11. of Feb. 1647. Resolved upon the Question by the Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled That they doe declare that they will make no further addresses or applications to the King Resolved upon the Question by the Lords and Commons That no application or addresses be made to the King by any person whatsoever without the leave of both Houses Resolved upon the Question by the Lords and Commons That the person or persons that shall make breach of this Order shall incurre the penalties of HIGH TREASON Resolved upon the Question by the Lords and Common That they doe declare that they will receive no more any Message from the King and doe enjoyne that no person whatsoever doe presume to receive or bring any Message from the King to both or either of the Houses of Parliament or to any other Person Eccho No more addresses or applications to be made to the King no message to be brought from the King to both or either of the Houses of Parliament or to any other Persons What meanes then the common bleating of the common people of a Personall Treaty with the King Is it the uncertaine voyce of unsetled multitudes or the certaine Vote of our present Parliament If true as 't is reported how do our Councels ring changes whose hearing ears we humbly crave to hearken to the ECCHO of their own language Honoured Sirs we aske what reason have you to expect better satisfaction in the way of a Treaty then formerly you had therein at Uxbridge or in a Personall treaty at Oxford Can it enter into our hearts that THIS EVEN THIS PARLIAMENT whose Declarations Protestations Votes Orders Ordinances Vowes Covenants Promises have fil'd the eares of all Europe and the Christian-world with words of gallantry piety just liberty and freedome in the behalf of them that have betrusted them THIS PARLIAMENT whose severall Expresses and frequent promises to make us a happy free Nation raised up the people and be-spirited the Kingdome to stand by them in their hopefull endeavours to this end THIS PARLIAMENT in whose just Warre against an unjust enemy so many Widows and Fatherlesse have been made so many families undone so many houses Villages and Towns sack'd and burnt so many Hospitals fill'd with lame and maimed Souldiers such leadings into captivity prisons and dungeons such shedding of teares wringing of hands sorrowes miseries and tribulations of many kinds have been endured and that after all THIS THIS EVEN THIS PARLIAMENT should be resolved to treate away all that they have sought for and to be treated out of what they could not be fought out of We beseech you satisfie our judgment so lately instructed by your owne Declarations What can you NOW expect of a treaty especially as things stand but that under pretence of satisfying all Interests one Interest shall be set up against another to divide us and that thereby having laid no foundation of safety before-hand the King might set up his Interest above them all They are your owne words published on put pose as we conceive for our information Be not offended if we tell you your hands have found out their enterprize for your words have taken such hold upon our hearts that we cannot easily let them goe We beseech you what foundation of safety is laid Is there any thing yet concluded between his Majestie and Parliament securing the peace and sasety of the Kingdome as praevious to a Treaty If none shall you not have the way and termes of your peace cut out unto you And what can that be but the laying a foundation of utter slavery and vassalage to this poore Nation If you cannot have peace but upon such termes viz. the will of the King as doubtlesse you cannot if you must treat as Traytors and the Kings printed Expresses so branding you unrecalled beare with the Eccho of your owne language Vpon THESE termes you needed not have any Warres which had been much the more Christian resolution and would have saved the effusion of much blood whereof if we proceed upon such principles as these WEE MUST NEEDS DRAW THE WHOLE GUILT UPON OUR SELVES The weight of your lines doe depress our spirits and certain it is that they are the words of trueth and sobernesse And let that day be darknesse wherein even this Parliament shall draw the whole guilt of the blood shed in these Warres upon themselves Job 3.3 4. Let not God regard that day neither let the light shine upon it Let darknesse and the shadow of death staine it let a cloud dwell upon it Job 10.16 17. let the blacknesse of the day terrifie it How will these lines of yours be as Job saith Gods witnesses against you and make him increase his indignation upon you changes and warre will be upon you and hunt you even at a fierce Lyon Shall Englands Parliament that Parliament of Parliaments that eight yeares Parliament which profest more of God Reformation Religion then all Parliaments before them with whom God did more visibly appeare for whose defence safety and protection many a time did the Lord breake the heavens and come downe making mountaines plaines before them That Covenant-making Parliament that Sermon hearing Parliament that have charged the blood of the late Warres upon their adverse party draw the whole guilt thereof upon themselves even by their owne confession Can you suppose the way of reasons and perswasions by a Treaty the only faire and just way to a well-grounded Peace Surely then your selves being Judges you have gone in a very foule way hitherto which should have beene taken into consideration before you had engaged your selves and Kingdome in so much cost and blood as your owne words are which was not only spent unnecessarily but very unlawfully And you further adde who doth not see that these principles doe not only bring upon us all the blood that hath beene shedde in this Warre but also plucketh up the foundation of any hope of ever setling a Peace with the King that shall bee both just and sure seeing wee cannot have it justly but upon his viz the Kings termes which no man that hath his eyes in his head can beleeve that they will be other then such as tend to the apparent destruction of the persons which have engaged and losse of the ends for which both Kingdomes have engaged in this warre Can you beare your owne words and stand in the day of such a visitation Will you take such a course and way after eight yeares striving and struggling in fire and blood to
settle the Kingdome which shall pluck up the foundation of any hope of ever setling a peace with the King which shall be both just and sure Hath not God given you such wonderfull advantages by subduing your enemies under your feet to settle not onely a just but a sure peace and will you neglect the day of such grace Will you now at last take such a way to settle peace viz. by having it upon the Kings tearms which no man that hath his eye in his head can beleeve that they will be other then such as tend to the apparent destruction of the persons which have engaged and losse of the ends for which both Kingdomes have engaged in this warre Will not the blood that hath been already shed in these warres bring in judgement enough and wrath enough but that those of the well-affected party that doe yet remain alive must likewise apparently be destroyed for adhering unto you Have we spent our estates our trades our limbs our lives for you and must apparent destruction be our reward Is this your requitall of us Is this that just freedome which you promised Well if it must be so Fiat voluntas Domini The expence of our former treasure and blood is so far from being matter of repentance unto us that we resolve through the strength of our God to chuse rather to let this apparent destruction triumph over us and even hurry us into the pit of silence rest peace in confident expectation of a most advantagious resurrection then to turn head upon our just principles and strike hands with a revolting and apostatizing generation but must not onely the PERSONS that have engaged but the ENDS also for which they have engaged in joyning with you be apparently destroyed Is not the blood of men sufficient to provoke God and bring wrath but must the life even of truth it selfe viz. the Kingdomes cause and ends of our engagement assist herein We are not absolutely against a treaty your wisdoms judging it meet as the case stands in whom we acquiesce but that you should resolve to treat before those things necessarily praevious to a treaty be coÌ„cluded upoÌ„ we would gladly see a reason for it that we might be satisfied with it For though we hold our selves bound in conscience to satisfie our selves with vour iudgment in things disoutable and controversall troversall yet in things obvious and plain we expect to have better ' satisfaction then the vote of the Houses especially themselves having so sully informed us about the absolute necessity of those things We are not ignorant but that you may lawfully vote and revoke and re vote again order un order and re order ordaine repeale and re ordaine the same things over over all conducing in your best apprehensions to the coÌ„mon safety yea that Religion reason peace justice safety and faithfulnesse to your trust may require you so to doe because it is the end viz. Common safety not the means viz. Your Votes Orders Ordinances c. must prostrate and command you yea and as the case may stand wee may be bound in conscience to acquiesce therein but when you have praepossessed our reasons judgements not by bare Votes Orders and Ordinances but by strong and vigorous reasons debates arguments against such and such things not only affirmed but argued to our full conviction as bringing upon you the blood that hath been shed in these Wars yea as plucking up the foundation of any hopes of ever setling a peace with the King which shall be both just and sure yea tending to the apparent destruction of the Persons which have engaged and losse of the ends for which both Kingdomes have engaged in this Warre Blame us not if we cannot rest satisfied in your doing such things which in your owne judgments are so conducing you may happily perswade and argue downe your reasons which have seized upon us but you cannot order and vote them downe we can prostrate our opinion but not our reason to your determination Neither doe we take upon us to judge what is meet to be done for publique good having chosen you to judge for us but we rather rest in your judgements enforc'd by arguments then evidenced by meer votes there we have your reason here your will we cannot presume you would have us content our selves with your meere will and pleasure though to the apparent destruction of the wel affected of the Nation contrary to all principles of reason and equity You that have told us that a Kingdome must not be ruined at the meer will of the King have taught us to inferre that neither should it be sacrificed to the meer pleasure of the Parliament if it be not even salus regis much leffe then can it be volunâ—as Parliament but salus populi that is suprema lex Surely that God that did never appoint the lives liberties and estates of millions to be at the meer will and pleasure of the King did never ordaine likewise that these should be at the meere will and pleasure contrary to expresse judgment and reason of the Parliament It is very possible that your Honours have very good reasons and that to satisfaction for what you doe touching your resolution of a personall Treaty with the King before satisfaction and security given if so we humbly crave to see them and we have done But if not we beseech you consider How base DISHONORABLE a thing it would be for the Houses of Parliament being in that condition they are to treat under the Gallowes to treat as traytors their cause being not justified nor their Declarations against them as rebels recalled and how FOOLISH a thing would it have been being possessed of the Sword according to their right not to secure it from the Kings claim to the contrary to themselves and posterity before they treated of any thing to the end that neither they nor their posterity might be put to play another nother bloody game for the same thing Will you doe things sentenced by your selves for base and dishonorable Have you wrested the Sword from him and them that would have forced you to the Gallowes and after all this will you be treated to the Gallowes Have you not judged it a FOOLISH thing that having possession of the Sword according to your right not to secure it to your selves and posterity before you treat Or must your selves and posterity either resolve for ever hereafter to let the Sword be alwayes held over your neckes to keep you under or else to play another bloody game for the same thing You could not be cudgel'd into a treaty and will you be caiol'd and chanted into a treaty before security and satisfaction given We beseech you inform us for our judgements lye freely open'd to receive any impressions of reason from you hath there not been so much innocent blood of his Majesties good subjects shed in this war by his Commands and Commissions