people insomuch that the Brethren of the contrary way after all their art industry and perswasion have found by experience that it is impossible to force any other upon them therefore without all controversie a Bishop mortified and pruned of his superfluities moderated in the jurisdiction of his Court and the compulsive power and assisted by the Clergy of his Diocesse will in the end appear to be the most excellent Governour Sixtly if any Presbyter object that he hath sworn to the extirpation of Bishops he may do well to consider the unlawfulnesse of such an Oath it having never been enjoyned by any lawfull authority but expresly without it and against it and moreover to the destruction of that which is lawfull viz. the government of the Church confirmed by the Lawes of the Land which appears also by the undoubted testimony of ancient Records and later Histories to have been continued with an universell uninterrupted unquestioned succession in all the Churches of God and in all Kingdoms that have been called Christian throughout the whole world for fifteen hundred yeers together without any considerable opposition made against it and which if it be not of divine right hath a fairer pretension and may lay a juster title and claim to a divine institution then any other form of Government can do and therefore it having been worthily of such esteem in all Times and Places and established by Law certainly an Oath binding to extirpate it without Law and against Law is utterly unlawfull and so rather to be repented of then stubbornly maintained Seventhly by standing out for a Presbytery they give the more hopes and encouragement to the Independent party to persist in a way of obstinacy against his Majesty and oppression of the Subject because it will be a means to hinder a cordiall joynt engaging betwixt the Presbyters and the Royall party and enflame the old enmity to the destruction of each other whilest Independents gather strength and opportunity to triumph in the ruines of their division whereas by a speedy compliance with his Majesties interest they may quell the pride of Independency and either fetch them down to a composition with his Majesty or in case they continue perverse be surely enabled to expell them out of the Kingdom Lastly by a sincere absolute close with his Majesty upon rationall grounds they do no more then what the prevailing party among their Brethren the Scots pretend to engage for and truly if their intents be otherwise they will finde but cold entertainment in England therefore if the Presbyters of England would but acquit themselves like reasonable men the work of restoring his Majesty might be done without the Scots and all those miseries and inconveniences be avoyded which must certainly follow the admission of a forreign Army which besides the pressures that they must bring upon the exhausted Northen parts will expect a large retribution of Treasure for a reward of their engaging and perhaps not depart in quiet but upon such Termes as may be exceedingly prejudiciall and dishonourable to the English Nation From hence I once again infer the true interest of the Presbyters is to counter-work the Independents in their interest which they now drive against his Majesty and to this end to quicken themselves to a joynt engaging with the royall party as the onely means to beat down the ambition of the ruling Grandees of the Independent party to prevent the miseries of a long-languishing War with the in conveniences of a Scottish incursion and also to procure the speedy settlement of the King in his just Rights and the Kingdoms in firm peace and tranquility IIII. Reasons drawn from the interest of the City of London This great and populous City is the epitome of the Kingdom whereof as it is a member it hath the same common interest with the whole yet being more excellent then any other part by reason of the dependance of the rest upon it as being the principall Fountain of Traffick and also by reason of its abundance of Wealth the grand Priviledges of their Charter and the multitude of their Revenues and Inhabitants they have much the greater share in the common interest of the Nation which is Peace and Prosperity The speciall interest of this City is a free trade as well within as without the Kingdom The onely enemy thereto is a civill warre which destroyes commerce betwixt man and man whereof the Citizens have had sad experience these tumultuous times by the decay of Trading the like hath not been many hundred yeers So that the only way to recover againe is to endeavour after a happy Peace and seeing there is no possibility of attaining it but by an establishment of his Majestie I shall present them with a few Considerations First they may doe well to remember how they were cheated heretofore with religious pretences into an Ingagement against his Majesty and how that the whole Kingdome must owe its ruine and desolation to their warlike preparations and Contributions Therfore as it hath been their unhappinesse to have the first hand in driving away the King and un-setling the Kingdom so let them account it their honor to be active and industrious in bringing him back again and to settle him in peace on the throne of the Kingdome Secondly in effecting this they ought to have respect onely to the Royall Interest without the mixture of any factious ingaging whatsoever under pretence of Covenant c. lest while they seem to act in the behalfe of his Majesty they unawares drive on the design again of some particular Faction instead of the Publick Good and so leave open a Gap still to Division Thirdly in case that the Scots come into this Kingdome againe the Citizens ought to see very narrowly to the Principles of their ingageing ere they condescend to supply or countenance them secretly or openly If they come in with the old cheat of Reformation Covenant and Presbytery it will be the wisdome of the Citie to consider that this will be but a new On-set to the first designe of Scotish incroaching upon English Interest and the maintaining of a Faction to serve the ends of Scotland and the ambition of a few Scotified English whose Aymes have been and are to share Dominion with the Scots to the dishonour and prejudice of the Nation and the ruine of Monarchy the alteration of Church-government how speciously soever set forth being but a businesse subordinate to the private ends of particular Grandees among the Laity and obscure Rabbies of the Clergy Fourthly they may be pleased to observe that the Game plaid hitherto betwixt the two Factions of Presbytery and Independency hath been onely which of them should be our Riders and it s to be supposed now that all the strugling of the Presbyterians against the present ruling Grandees is not by dismounting of them to free us but onely to get themselves againe into the Saddle that they may domineer over King and Kingdome
to repaire himselfe than assist others The French are his Invaders the Portugalls Revolters and the Neapolitans Rebells The French are busie in maintaining what they have gotten and seeking after more But if they were at leisure little might be expected from them unlesse it were to foment our differences and as they first helped to unsettle us so still to keep us from setling that England which is the ballancing power of Europe and her King Arbiter orbis Christiani the Arbitrator in all differences of Christendome being broken by her owne strength at home might have none to spend abroad to hinder that prodigious design wherein the late successes of the French have heightned them to become Rivalls and Competitors with the Spaniard for an Vniversall Monarchy Denmark hath enough to do in repairing those ruines which were brought on them by the late Swedish Incursions The Hollanders esteem it a safe way to conform themselves ever to the prevailing party in England seeing they have a great part of their livelyhood by Indulgence from the English Nation Moreover though at first they esteemed the Match of the Prince of Orange with the eldest daughter of England as a matter of much honour yet now they look upon it as a businesse that in time may prove of ill consequence fearing so great an alliance might dispose the Prince to aspire and establish a greater Interest of his own than is meet for a Member of a Republike if Monarchy were at its height againe in England And further many among the Dutch supposing that the Grandees here aime at the same forme of Government with themselves doe flatter themselves in conceit that such a neighbourhood would be willing to admit of a nearer friendship and complication of Interests than can be hoped for from a Monarchy though there be farre more reason to suspect the contrary So that wee see how little his Majesty may expect from any of his Neighbors And truly it is no small part of our happinesse in the midst of these distractions that we have had and are like to have so little of their Company The hopes then of his Majesties restitution being wholly founded upon the affections of his People and bounded within his owne Dominions let us take a view of each within their station The Scots seem to bee divided among themselves some pretend absolutely for his Majesty others only upon condition of signing the Covenant c. In Ireland a Cessation will open a way for supplies out of that Kingdome In Wales they are in arms already for his Majesty and all the Royall Party in England wait but for an Oportunity in the same way to free themselves from their present vassalage under the power of the Independent party in the Houses wherein likewise the Presbyterian party are as much concerned as any seeing the other of Brethren are become their bitter enemies and would shew them as little courtesie as others were it not to stop the mouthes of their leading men at home and in hope to work upon the prime Presbyters in Scotland What the Refult of the Scotish resolutions will be is yet not certainly knowne If the pretending royall party there carry an Ingagement simply for the King no doubt but the Royallists here joyning with them they may finish the work by subduing both the Factions But if they bring in a mixt Ingagement for the King and the Covenant which we have great cause to fear I conceive the Royallists ought not to joyne with them but to expect and indeavour a Close with the Independent party who will be forced for their owne safety to wave their high-flowne Resolutions and bethink themselves of a Complyance with his Majesty which ought rather to be sought after and imbraced as lesse dangerous to the royall Prerogative than a close with the Presbyterian Touching the probabilitv and conveniency of a Complyance betwixt his Majesty and the Independent party in case the Scots ingage for Presbyterie I shall endeavour to fortifie my opinion by undeniable Reasons But first give me leave to manifest the great danger of closing with the Presbyterian Party though accompanied with never so many specious pretences That a Scotish Ingaging for the Covenant resolved on as it seems will be clearly destructive to Monarchicall Interest I shall prove in severall particulars First because they aim thereby at the introduction of Presbyterie and the over-turning of Episcopacy the maine pillar of Monarchy as it hath ever been esteemed in this Nation And therefore it was that all the Kings of England from time to time have so willingly sworne to grant and to preserve unto the Bishops and to the Churches commited to their Charge all Canonicall privileges and due Law and Justice and to protect and defend them c. And King JAMES who had long experience of the sad effects of the alteration of that Government in the Church of Scotland was so fully convinced of the neare relation betwixt Episcopacie and Monarchy that hee left this for a sure Aphorism to his Posterity No BISHOP No KING For it having been of so long continuance here and deeply rooted in the Lawes of this Kingdom it must needs be that a change in the one will work an alteration in the other Secondly The Truth hereof was so well knowne to the Master-builders of this Reformation whose Aime appears now to have been ab origine how contrary soever their Pretences were for an alteration of the civill government that they first began their work with pulling downe of Episcopacie that in the ruines thereof they might lay the foundation of their new designe Thirdly It is very apparent of what ill consequence the extirpation of Episcopacie will be to his Majesty seeing it is a meanes to clip the Crowne of a very considerable part of its Revenues which by the Lawes of the Land are annexed thereunto as the collation of Bishopricks and Deaneries the first fruits and profits of their Lands and Revenues during their vacancies the first fruits and yearly Tenths out of all Ecclesiasticall Promotions and sundry other privileges profits and emoluments arising out of the State Ecclesiasticall Fourthly to ingage for Presbytery is to indeavour the introducing of a Democraticall form of Government which is directly incompatible with a Monarchy and as it cannot stand with the power of our government so it withstands the Honour of our Governer debasing the Majesty of Monarchy into a popular parity without respect of his most sacred Person Fifthly by ingaging for Presbyterie they labor to erect a power in the State Ecclesiasticall distinct from that of the Civill for it is a Maxim among all Presbyters and we find it pleaded for at large in the Confession of Faith agreed upon by the Assembly at Westminster which as yet the Houses have been more wise than to confirme that there ought to be a power in the Church distinct from that of the Civill which Tenet of distinction must bee the same in effect
with that of the Church of Rome's supremacy seeing those which now plead for a power without the Civill will not bee long before they arrive to such a height of presumption as to act above it or against it in pursuance of their own designes It will be a hard matter to keep such a Governmeut within its limits in any Common-wealth and therefore with much difficulty will it submit to bee governed by a free Monarchy especially a Democracie of this new Nature which makes the same Persons civill Subjects and ecclesiasticall Superiors Sixthly it is not like that Presbyterie should prove the Mother of Peace considering that shee was born the Daughter of sedition and hath ever since been nursed up by Tumults and Rebellion For Geneva was the Land of her Nativity where M. Calvin was her Father and no doubt considering the state of those Affairs conditions of men among whom hee was conversant it was a commendable invention and very necessary for bridling the tumultuous Humors in a free City And so far we may beleeve hee intended it yeelding to a popular Parity and not as an universall perpetuall form of government for all reformed Churches Seventhly it is observable that this ill weed hath growne in none but popular gardens in some parts of France and Germany till some seditious Planters and Waterers caused it to spring up among the Thistles of Scotland And of what sad consequence it hath proved to Monarchicall government in that Kingdom let the world judge For the Foundation of it was laid in the ruine of our King's Grandmother and the superstructure continued to the perpetuall discontent and vexation of his Father till hee was most happily possessed of the Crown of England Nor could hee have been secure here but that by his great wisedom hee staved it off And now at length the Faction having with great subtilty gotten footing in this Kingdom wee see at this day how faire a stroke it hath given toward the ruine of his Son our most gracious Soveraigne and his whole Posterity For though he languish now under the power of the other Faction yet the first designe of war was laid in and by Presbyterie and his Majesty suffered Restraint first under the Presbyterian power whose audacious carriage toward his Person in hope to tire him out of his noble principles taught others so much impudence as to endeavour to serve their ends upon him by a close imprisonment Eightly seeing His Majesty is resolved to keep so close to his Principles as is well knowne unto all the world that he will never yeeld to the extirpation of Bishops what then may we expect from a Presbyteriall Ingagement but that when they have made use of the King's Name to quell the Independent Faction as the Independent did to quell them they will upon his Majesties refusall of their demands which he hath ever declared to be against his conscience and honor returne againe to their old vomiâ— and either keep his Majesty in the same condition he now is or worse till they can settle themselves and their pernicious Presbytery past all hope of remedy And then perhaps he shall be called out of prison to be manacled in his Throne as his Father was in Scotland who could never act but when they pleased to let him and then onely according to their Directory of Kirk and State From hence I conceive we may positively and plainely affirme that the Issue of a Presbyterian Ingagement though usher'd in with never so many specious pretences for his Majesty will be utterly destructive to the Royall Interest of this Kingdom And therefore if the Scots come in upon such termes the Royall Party ought not to ingage with them nor to countenance them but to expect and indeavour a Complyance with the Independent as I shall further illustrate by reason First though some may object that it cannot stand with his Majesties Honor to comply with those that have already abused his inclination in that particular yet if they duly consider what urgencie lies at present upon his Majesty and how little hope there is of any better way of restitution they may conceive it far more politique to obey necessity than stand upon nice Punctillo's of honor which I must confesse a Prince in prosperity ought to have regard unto ad conservandam Majestatem Imperii but if once he be trampled under the feet of fortune ceremonious respects must be laid aside to Court the first Oportunity which reason shall point out for a deliverance Secondly if it be objected that the Independent party have a designe for alteration of government I answer so I believe the Presbyters have too onely here is all the difference betwixt them that the Independents would not have a King so much as in Name the Scots Presbyters would have no more but the Name of a King The one aimes downright at an Aristocraticall forme of Government the other pretends to maintain Monarchicall Government yet actually destroyes the very Principles of Monarchy And as for the Independent it is cleare by their imprisoning of the King their declaring against him and to settle the Kingdom without him that they have had and still may continue a designe to change the Kingly Government and in plaine termes declare themselves Free Sates if by any meanes they can allay the Scots But there being little hopes of that we may guesse how unable they are to maintaine their Station having over-strained the sinews of the City and the heart-strings of the Country and so it is probable they will scarce be so hardy as to venture to stand upon their single leggs against the streame of a generall dis-affection at home and an invasion by their opposite Faction from abroad but may when there is no hope of carrying on their designe any longer that way retreat with moderation toward His Majesty Thirdly seeing it is dangerous in case the Scots come in for Presbytery that the Royall party should ingage with them it is all the reason in the world they should with speed indeavour an Agreement with the Independent For if Presbytery receive a foile from the Independents then they will undoubtedly be heightned with confidence to prosecute their designe against Monarchy and perhaps in time attaine so much power as to establish themselves And on the other side if Independency receive a foile from the Presbyters then Presbyteriall Government will usurp over Monarchy both which inconveniencies will be prevented by a timely close with the Independent For there is no other way to re-establish his Majesty unlesse we suppose his Party able to carry it by force of Armes against both the Factions which if it were possible cannot be effected without length of time extreme difficulty and the sad consequences of a Second War Fourthly an Agreement with the Independent is the only way to hinder a Second war For They being Possessed of all or most of the places of strength in this Kingdom and back't besides
shall not be restored to the exercise of regall Power till he have signed their Desires and Propositions which his Majestie hath so often declared to be against his Honour and Conscience And then what may the Presbyters expect but that the inraged People having been so often deluded and tyred in expectation of a Settlement will take the first opportunity to rise all as one Man to banish them and their Faction out of England and upon their ruines restore both Prince and People to their former Liberty Thirdly it seemes not to be the Resolution of the Covenant-Abettors onely in Scotland but it is declared by that Party which pretends highest for his Majestie in Scotland and delivered in by them in their Answer to the Desires of the Kirke That they resolve â—oâ— to put into his Majesties hands or any other such power whereby the Ends of the Covenant may be obstructed but that his Majesty shall before any Ingagement give assurance under Hand and Seale for himselfe and Successors to agree to certain Acts injoyning the Covenant Presbbyterian Government c. and never to endeavour the change thereof Which resolution of theirs gives us cause to suspect that all the Bickerings heretofore between them and the Kirke were but meer ventilations acted on purpose to make the world beleeve some high Designe on foot there in the behalfe of his Majestie and to feed the Royall Party with hopes of great matters from Scotland that being held in suspence they might remaine the lesse active and give the Scots a more plausible and easie Ingresse into England Fourthly such a Resolution if it once come to a publique Declaration will make men apt to beleeve that under his Majesties name those royall Pretenders doe Act some particular Interests likewise rather then that of his Majestie and the Publique And further seeing Hamilton is the Chiefe among them it cannot be judged very improbable that He who is a convicted Person for aspiring to the Crown of Scotland and who was so bold in the dayes of his Majesties prosperity as to attempt it and to that end the better to compasse his Designe had a hand in widening the distance betwixt his Majestie and the two Houses and also in imbroyling the two Kingdomes should take opportunity now in his Majesties lowest condition and the present Division to weave in his owne ambitious Interest in hope to bring his Affaires unto perfection I cannot accuse him but if the Priestly Faction and his doe close with each other upon Covenant considerations it is a shrewd suspition The agreement betwixt them in plaine Termes is this That if HAMILTON serve the Presbyterian Designe in England the Presbyters of both Kingdomes shall in requitall connive at his doings or assist him in his designe upon the Crowne of Scotland and so his Majestie shall become a Sacrifice to the Covetousnesse and Pride of his malicious Adversaries Fifthly by an immediate and absolute Ingagement for his Majestie such jealousies as these will be quite taken away and the hearts of the English so inclined and obliged to the Scots that they will hezard both Lives and Estates in their assistance and be willing by way of re-tribution not onely to dis-burse toward the satisfaction of their Arreares but yeeld also that his Majestie shall gratifie them with such other Rewards and speciall Indulgences of Grace and Favour in this Kingdome as may tend highly to the Honour and Advantage of their Nation even farre beyond what they may gaine by advancing their Presbyterian Interest seeing it will be a long time ere the Kingdome can that way be stated by reason of the contrary working humours which will be ready to breake out ever and anon into new Insurrections whereby the faction will be so continually busied at an excessive charge and the People so impoverished that they will not be more unwilling then unable to raise such vast sums as are necessary for their satisfaction at most not the tithe of that proportion which they may receive suddenly from the hands of the King and with the love of the Kingdom Sixtly let not the Scots flatter themselves with a conceit of seeling their Presbytery amongst us whether we will or no for though they may do much by the strength of their faction yet both English and Scots of that gang may consider that the English are a valiant and generous people impatient of the yoke and though they may be beaten down for a time yet if the Kingdom were divided into twenty parts seeing I am confident at least nineteen of them are against Presbytery it cannot be in reason imagined that a few voting Punies relying meerly upon Scottish Arms should be able to trample down the spirits of this our magnanimous Nation for ever but rather that when they have smarted again under Presbyterian-tyranny for a time they may recollect themselves with so much courage and successe as will enable them to drive away the Scots and their faction and confine the last seene of war within the limits of Scotland where it had its Originall Seventhly though they may relie much upon a Party in the City yet the Citizens eyes being well opened to see that they have been made but stalking-horses to other mens private ends and been gul'd out of so many millions onely to purchase slavery unto themselves dishonour unto their City and destruction to their Trades which cannot be recovered again but by a setled peace the Scots may guesse how little countenance or assistance they are like to obtain at their hands except they so declare for his Majesty as that they may receive assurance of his speedy restitution without which they are generally convinced there can be no hope of Peace unto the Nation Lastly if it should so happen that the Scots play false with his Majesty and drive both him and the Independent party to extremity it is probable they may unite upon reasonable considerations and mutuall compliance betwixt both their interests and then that Party being fortified by an addition of the Royall which wheresoever it fides brings in the affections of the whole Kingdom it is very possible the Scots may not onely be defeated in the hopes of that large Dominion and those golden mountains which they promised unto themselves here by an establishment of Presbytery but also be forced to pack home again without so much as one superstitious crosse to requite them for the pains they have taken in the work of Reformation and perhaps draw revenge upon themselves for all those affronts and injuries done unto his Majesty and the people of England and renew the old antipathy with perpetuall enmity betwixt the Nations From all which give me leave to sum up this Conclusion in a word that the Scots have no way to restore an Interest again in this Nation but by waving the corrupt interest of Presbytery and engaging absolutely for the Royall Interest of his Majesty as the onely means conducing to the weal and benefit of both Kingdoms Seneca in Thyeste Nemo confidat nimiùm secundis Nemo desperet meliorum lapsis Miscet haec illis prohibetque Clotho Stare fortunam FINIS