to the peace and settlement of the Kingdome is this That the King do give his Royall assent to such Act or Acts for the raising of moneys for the Parliament satisfying of the publique Debts and Damages of the Kingdome and other publique uses as shal hereafter be agreed on by both Houses of Parliament And if the King do not give his assent thereto then it being done by both Houses the same shall be as valid to all intents and purposes as if the Royall assent had been given thereunto To this Proposition the King hath condescended so as those Acts be passed within two years after the Treaty ended which the Houses have now voted to be satisfactory This Proposition secures all moneys lent upon the publike faith all arrears due to Officers souldiers yea all moneys advanced by any who have purchas'd Bishops lands for their losses by reversions after 99 years or any present rents to be reserved to the Crowne for the use of the Church with which those Members who have purchased such lands or advanced moneys upon them declare themselves most unsatisfied all those who have sustained publique losses Yea if the King denies his royall assent thereto it enables both Houses to make a valid Act of Parliament without the King in this case and in case of the Militia likewise which was never challenged by nor granted to both Houses in any Kings Reign before takes away the Kings Negative voice as to these particulars which those who conclude the Kings answers unsatisfatory have so much contended for yet now stand in their own light in not accepting of these Concessions as satisfactory and striking at the Negative voice The next Concession of the Kings for the settlement of the State is the taking away of the Court of Words and of all Wardships and Tenures in Capite or by Knights service which draw on Wardships Primer seisures liveries and such like incombrances to the intolerable vassalage and prejudice of the Nobility and Gentry of England and great landed persons and that only upon giving the King and his successors one hundred thousand pounds yearly for compensations being one principall part of his Royall Revenue This Concession is of so vast consequence to the Kingdome to enfranchise the Subjects from the Norman yoak of bondage as some stile VVardships and Tenures in Capite though others deem them more ancient then William the Conqueror that our Ancestors never enjoyed the like It exempts mens heits under age and their estates from being made a prey for hungry Courtiers or over-reaching Committees of them their estates It exempts them from being married to any against their free consents without any single or double forfeiture of the values of their marriages to which they were formerly liable from marriages to persons of small or no or broken fortunes and different dispositions which have ruined many families from many chargeable suits expences excessive fees gratuities to Escheators Feodaries all sorts of griping Officers in the Court of Wards and from vast expences and extraordinary vexation in finding and traversing Offices suing out Liveries c. and many suits and questions arising thereupon which have undone too many And it deprives the King of such an over-awing Prerogative over the persons and Eâ—tates of the Nobility and Gentry which usually fell into his custody after every Tenants decease as will very much weaken his interest in and their over much dependence on him and make them lesse subject to engage for or with him against the Parliaments or Kingdomes common interest The next Proposition relating to the Kingdomes safety and settlement not so immediately and directly as any of the former is that which concernes Delinquents in which alone as to the State the Kings answers are pretended unsatisfactory not in all but only in some particulars of no extraordinary concernment in my apprehension though so much insisted on by many as to vote all the Treaty unsatisfactory In opening the state of the Kings Answers to this proposition I shall doe these 3. things First I shall shew how far the King and you are both agreed 2dly In what particulars you really or seemingly differ 3dly I shall examine whether these differences herein be of any such moment as to induce the House to vote the answers to this and the other Propositions upon the whole Treaty unsatisfactory and so reject and lose whatever the King hath granted in the rest because he hath not satisfied our demands in this one and two others concerning the Church For the first both Houses by their Votes have thought this Proposition touching Delinquents so needless to beinfisted on in every punctilio for the publick settlement which will certainly more obstruct then promote it merey moderation being the nearest way to peace and union that you have reduced since the Treaty the persons excepted in the first qualification both from life composition from 37 to 7 only six of those are beyond the Seas quite out of your power the 7th aged scarce worth your Execution The King consents that they should be banished during the pleasure of both Houses which is a civill death banishment being next to death the severest punishment and to some men more grievous then present Execution But if that will not satisfie then he leaves them wholly to your justice to proceed against them if you please according to Law and promiseth not to interpose nor pardon any of them if legally condemned only he adds ex abundanti that he cannot in justice or honor assent to any Act to take away their lives by a meer Legislative Power ex post facto if they have done nothing that was formerly capital by the known Laws of the Land by which Hee leaves them to be tryed This Answer many Gentlemen who have spoken have coucluded very unsatisfactory and made many large descants on it because they did not rightly weigh nor understand it when as in truth it Answers the very Proposition in terminis as I shall clearly manifest to all who understand what Law is First it is apparent that one of the first quarrels and cause of taking up Arms on our parts was to bring Delinquents to condign punishent according to the Laws and Statutes of the Realm as you have declared to the Kingdom in many printed Declarations and in your Petitions to the King you alwayes desired him to leave Delinquents to the course of Iustice not to cut them off by a meer Legislative Power when as you could not doe it by any known Law Secondly you have professed to all the World and to the King and Delinquents themselves that you have taken up Armes to defend and preserve the Ancient fundamentall Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom and to oppose the introduction of any Arbitrary and Tyrannicall Power Yea your selves and the Army likewise have declared against all extraordinary proceedings and tryals in the Lords House to
so fully satisfactory and abundantly sufficient for our Weal and safety against all future Dangers and Encroachments on our Liberties that if we conjoyn them with those other acts the KING hath already consented to this Parliament We can neither desire nor expect any additions to make us more compleatly happy and secure then any people or Kingdome under Heaven The KING hath already by Acts of Parliament condemned and suppressed Ship-money his owne Monopoly of making Gunpowder and Saltpetre Fines for Knight-hood Impositions upon Merchants goods Tonnage and Poundage without grant by Parliament Coat and Conduct money Forrest bounds and Laws the grand grievances under which we groaned heretofore so as we need never feare their revivals nor any others of that nature Especially since we have the Nomination of all great Officers and Iudges the chiefe promoters of them Besides by Act of Parliament hee hath for ever suppressed the Bishops sitting and voting in Parliament a great disadvantage to him they commonly voting what he pleased and being wholly at his devotion together with the three Grand Oppressive Courts and shops of Tyranny Oppression and Injustice in the Kingdome the great Terrors of Mens Spirits the Invaders of their Rights Members Liberties the chiefe inlargers and maintainers of an unlimited prerogative and Authors of all our late illegall projects pressures the Starchamber the HIGH COMMISSION and COUNCELL TABLE the Kings chief Engines to scrue up his Prerogative to the highest and lay his Subjects lowest to which a fourth is since added in this Treaty the Court of Wards All which being totally abolished the KING hath now no Court nor instrument left that I can thinke of whereby to injure or oppresse his people as in former times The oppressions likewise and extortions of the stannary Courts and of Clerkes of the Market are rectified by acts this Session yea this Parliament by Act perpetuated without any power in the KING to adjourne and dissolve it till all concurre to dissolve it by an Act of Parliament and when this shall be so determined for our future security and redresse of all growing mischiefs which may endanger us there is a provision by another Law for a Triennall Parl. with power to summon it in case of the Kings refusall without him or his writ and authority for the Houses to sit for a convenient time sufficient to redresse all grievances punish all publike Offenders and settle usefull Lawes without dissolution or adjournment To which I may adde the Act of Oblivion Pacification and union with our Brethren of Scotland Upon granting of four of which Acts alone the House of Commons in their Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdome 15 December 1641 did with much thankefulnesse acknowledge that His Majesty had passed more good Bils at that time to the advantage of the Subjects then have been passed in many ages And if he shall now accumulate all the fore-mentioned Propositions turned into Acts to those already enacted with some few Laws more for the regulating of some grievances and corruptions in the Common Law the punishing and restraining of some publike mischiefs and crimes and punishment of Extortions which will be readily assented to there being no losse or prejudice to the Crowne in passing them We may through Gods blessing in all humane probability if our sins deprive us not of so great a felicity be the freest happiest securest most flourishing and best ordered Kingdom and People in the World and injoy such priviledges and immunities as our Ancestors never so much as once imagined much lesse aspired after And if we will not now rest satisfied and thankfully contented with all these large extraordinary Concessions and blesse God for this tender of them to our hands the present and all future ages will Chronicle us for the most unreasonable and ungratefull Creatures that ever sate within these wals or the world produced since the Creation Having now at large demonstrated I hope to every rationall and honest mans conviction the satisfactorinesse of the Kings Answers to all our Propositions relating to the safety and settlement of our State I shall in the next place proceed to those Propositions and Concessions which concerne the Peace Settlement and Security of our Church and Religion wherein there appears the greatest difficulty the most whereof I shall dispatch with greater brevity then the former There are three things especially which may endanger and disturb the Peace and settlement of our Church and Religion 1. Popery Popish corruptions and innovations introduced by Jesuites Papists and superstitious Clergy-men Popishly addicted 2. Prophanenesse 3 Prelacy and one chiefe thing to promote Religion and the Churches happiness the propagation of the Gospel by settling preaching Ministers throughout the Kingdom and establishing the publick Worship and Church-Government in such sort as is most agreeable to Gods word For all these there is sufficient ground in the Kings answers to our Propositions concerning them to vote them satisfactory as I humbly apprehend and hope to manifest For the first of these dangers to our Church and Religion there is as good security and provision granted us by the King as we did or could desire even in our own terms First he hath fully consented to pass an Act for the more effectuall disabling of Iesuites Papists and Popish Recusants from disturbing the State and deluding the Lawes and for the prescribing of a New Oath for the more speedy discovery and conviction of Recusants Secondly to an Act of Parliament for the Education of the children of Papists by Protestants in the Protestant Religion Thirdly to an Act for the due levying of the penalties against Recusants and disposing of them as both Houses shall appoint Fourthly to an Act whereby the practices of the Papists against the State may be prevented the Lawes against them duly executed and a stricter course taken to prevent the saying or hearing of Mass in the Court or any other part of the Kingdome whereby it is made Treason for any Priests to say Masse in the Court or Queenes owne Chappel and so no place left for the suying of Masse throughout the Kingdome no not in the Queens owne Chamber Fifthly to an Act for abolishing all Innovations Popish Superstitions Ceremonies Altars Rayles Crucifixes Images Pictures Copes Crosses Surplices Vestments bowings at the name of Iesus or towards the Altar c. out of the Church and to prevent the introduction of them for the future By all which Acts added to our former Lawes against Recusants I dare affirme we have now far better provision and security against Papists Iesuits Popish Recusants their Popish pictures Innovations Superstitions and Ceremonies both for our Churches and Religions safety and States too then any Protestant Church State or Kingdome whatsoever So as wee need not feare any future danger from Papists or Popery if we be carefull to see those Concessions duly put into execution when turned into Acts and our former Laws Secondly against the
which both Houses have since approved and made use of in severall Declarations and Remonstrance And therefore I may with greater confidence and better grounds adventure on this discovery of which most here present who are little acquainted with mysteries of State or Politicks ' and trouble not their heads with such inquiries after them as I have done are utterly ignorant and so apt to be deluded and easily over-reached the plainest open-hearted men being easiest to be over-witted by Jesuites and their Instruments especially when they transform themselves into Angels of Light or become new lights to broach new strange opinions or revive old errors under the notion of New-light as they have lately done to lead captive silly people To make out this discovery so cleerly evident that none can rationally deny but be sufficiently convinced of its truth I must minde you of these particulars of undoubted truth and certainty which this House and the House of Lords have joyntly and severally published and remonstrated to the whole Kingdom King and World in severall Declarations and Remonstrances and other printed papers 1. That the Iesuites and other Engineeres and Factors for Rome for the alreration of Religion the setting up of Popery and Tyranny in this Kingdom and subversion of the fundamentall Lawes and Government of it did long before the beginning of this Parliament compose and set up a corrupt malignant ill-affected party consisting of corrupt Bishops and Clergy-men some great Officers and Counsellours of State and others of trust and neernesse about the King his Children and Court to carry on these their designes who were acted by their subtill practises and that by this means those Iesuites and Romish Engineers had a very powerfull operation upon his Majesties Counsells and the most important Affaires and proceedings of his Government both in Church and State 2. That the most dangerous divisions preparations and Armies to make a War between England and Scotland were made and carried on by the practise and counsel of the Iesuites Papists and their Confederates 〈◊〉 Scottish Iesuites being sent from London into Scotland not foment the divisions there and a Generall Convention of all the principall Roman Catholicks in this Kingdom and of sundry Priests and Iesuites whereof Con the Popes Nuncio was President being held in London wherein great Sums of mony were granted towards the raising of the Army against the Scots Treasurers and Collectors appointed by them in every County and Popish Commanders sent for over and imployed in that Service as was apparently proved before a Committee and reported to this House soon after the beginning of this Parliament as your own Journal manifests And it furthers appears by one who was privy to that plot sent from Rome as an assistant to Con who out of conscience revealed all the secrets of it to Andreas ab Habernfeld Physitian to the Queen of Bohemia at the Hague under an Oath of secrecy and he to Sir William Boswel and the King the Originals whereof are in my custody and published by me at your appointment in my Romes Master-Piece that the â—end of he Scottish Wars was to engage the King to cast himself wholly on the Papists and their party the Puritans and Protestant party being averse to this War and inclining to the Scots who would not engage to assist him unlesse hee would condition with them to grant an universall toleration of Popery and free exercise of that Religion to the Papists if their party prevailed To which if he should shew himself unwilling or averse then they would presently dispatch him out of the way and poyson him with an Indian nut which they had prepared kept in Con's custody as they had poysoned his Father King Iames And the Prince being next Heir to the Crown educated neer his Mother accustomed to the Popish party and easie to be perverted in his Religion being but young and under age they would get him into their power educate him in their Religion and match him to a Papist so all their work accomplished Popery set up the Protestants and their Religion so 〈◊〉 extirpated both in England Scotland and Irelands In which dâ—scovery he further relates that there were under the command of Cardinal Barbarino the Popes Nephew protector of the English Catholicks and Con the Nuncio resident in London four severall Orders of Jasuites most active in these designs and wars disturbers of Christian kingdoms The first Ecclesiasticks whose office it is to take care of things promoting Religion The second polititians whose imployment it is by any meanes whatsoever to shake troube reforme and alter the state of Kingdoms and Republiks The third Seculars whose property it is to intrude themselves into offices places about Kings and Princes and to insinuate and thrust themselves into civill affaires bargains contracts and such like civill businesse The and fourth Spyes or Intilligencers men of inferior condition who submit and become houshold servants to Princes Barons Noblemen Great men Gentlemen Citizens and others of all protessions to discover their minds and make use of them to promâ—te their designes That these Jesuites usually met at one Captaine Reads a Scotch-man a Souldier and Lay Jesuit â—â—ing in Long Acre in the habits Gentlemenâ— Souldiers and Laymen and many of them followed the Camp as Souldiers in those intended Wars That there were neere as many of all these severall Sorts of Jesuits residing and lurking privily in and about London in September 1640. where were then above 50 Scottish Jesuiâ—sâ—as were in al Spain Frat. c Italy who have ever since been promoting the same designes and devisions among us all these Wars as that which followes will demonstrate 3 dly That the dissolving and breaking up al the Parliaments in this Kings Reigne in discontent proceeded from the councels and practises of the Jesuits and their Popish confederats to disaffect the King against them and prevent the calling of Parliaments for the future the principall obstacle to prevent and counter-worke all their designes to promote Popry and subvert our Religion laws and Government 4thly That the Jesuits Popish Priests Papists and their Confederats ever since this Parliament have by pollicy power endeavoured to dissolve and put an end to this present Parliament as the onely basis and support of our Religion and Libertie the onely Bulwarke betweene and Tyranny Popery and superstition ready to over-run the three Kingdomes the dissolution whereof would not onely deprive us and our posterities of the present but of the hopes and capacity of any future Parliament and that they have indefatigably used and left no means unattempted to dissolve this Parliament the continuance and close whereof with the King in a happy Peace settelment would frustrate all their hopes and Popish-designes as the Lords Commons both have most fully declared in their Remonstrance of Mâ—y 19. and 26. 1642. in their Declaration of March 23. 1643. in their propositions of
any others whatsoever to the scandall of Religion under paine of severe condemnation Therefore no pretences of honest intentions for publike good can justifie or extenuate your present irregular and most scandalous actions which offend all sorts of conscientious morall and carnall men and the worst of Turkâ— and beathens will condemn 4. Your pretended honest intentions for publike good are nothing ilse but the most Treasonable destructive designes and irreligious Projects against all publike good peace and settlement that ever entred into the Hearts of Christians expressed at large in your Remonsteance and Declaration of Nov. 20. 30. to which you referre as the disposing and murthering the King c. theâ—evils and wickednesse whereof I have here and elsewhere demonstrated at large and to justifie your horrid force on us by such detestable intentions is the very hight of wickednesse and atheisme which highly aggravates not extenuates your violence and crimes 5. If intentions or preâ—entions of publique good may be pleaded to justifie this force of yours the gunpowder Traytors Jermin Percy the Apprentices Challoner Jack Cade Jack Straw all Rebells and Cavaliers who all pleaded their honest intentions of publike good yea every Idolater under Heaven who worshippeth any Idoll or Devill with a religious and pious intention as the true and onely God and those bloody persecutors John 16. 2. who thought they did God service in killing the Apostles and Saints of CHRIST shall by this new Army Divinity justifie their Idolatrie and persecution to be no sinne nor crime at all For shame then let not such an absurd irreligious and wicked excuse and justification as thisâ— be ever henceforth named nor owned among Saints which very Pagans would blush to â—vow The second and chief excuse and justification is an extraordinary necessity for publike good leading them thereunto This they endeavour to manifest by sundry particulars which as they are apparently false and scandalous is themselves over tedious to reâ—uâ—e and waved by them in their â—ixt head of necessity reducing all the grounds of our seisure sequestration from the House to our vote of Decemb. 5. So it is but a meere false pretence and no justification at all if true But to take away this pleâ— of necessity altogether it stands but upon these two generall feet First that the Members secured and secluded were a corrupt Majority of the House Secondly That if they had not thus secured and secluded them they would have proceeded to the settlement of a speedy peace with the King in pursuance of this their Vote Ergo the Army were extraordinarily necessitated to secure and seclude them This is the Logick of the whole answer all surmises concerning forepast miscariages in the House and packing of New Elections in which themselves and their owne party are most peccant few of their Elections being due or faire and divers of them voted voyd as Mr. Fryes Blagraves and others who now sit and vote and all miscariages concerning Irel. which are false specified only without verity or proof against any of us relating nothing at all to our present seclusion of which they confesse the vote of Decemb. 5. to be the onely impulsive cause The plaine English of the first ground of their Necessity is this The Majority of the House of Commons which in all debates is and alwayes hath been the house over-voted the Minority or lesser part Ergo there is a necessity that the Army should sâ—â—lude them that so the smaller Number might sit alone without them and vote what they please as now they doe and null and repeal what ever the Major part had voted repugnant to the Armies designes This new Utopian necessity never heard of nor pretended in the world till now ought to be eternally exploded as the horriddest distructive Monster to Government and States ever yet produced in the world as I shall cleare by these particulars FIRST It utterly subverts the undoubted rights priviledges and constitutions of all Parliaments or Councells whatsoever from the beginning of the world till now whether civill military or Ecclesiastical wherein the Majority of voices upon the question ever carries the Vote and is still reputed the act of the whole Councell or Parliamentâ— adly It overthrowes the legall forme and proceedings in all popular Elections of Knights Citizens Burgesses Mayors Bayliffs Coroners Verderers Wardens of Companies Common-Councell-men all others ever carried determined by the plurality of voices of those who have right to elect 3dly It overturnes their New Bable to wit the Agreement of the people and new Representative in which themselves resolve the Majority of the Electors ought to chuse their new Representatives and the Votes of the Major part of them who meet ought to bind all the rest and not the minor part to seclude or sway the rest 4thly It will soon dissolve their new erected strange generall Councell of the Officers of the Army where all matters are yet concluded by plurality of voices where if the major part should vote against the Kings trayterous beheading or the agreement of the people the Levellers being the lesser part upon this pretended nâ—oessity that they are a corrupt Majority may forthwith forcibly soize on secure them and make themselves the only General Councell though the fewest and act what they please when the others are secluded 5ly It subverts all rules of Judicature Justice in al Courts of Justice where there are more Judges Justices then one where the majority of voices as likewise at Commitees over-rule the minority who upon the pretence of necessity and being a corrupt majority may be kept forcibly from or pulled off the Bench by any persons who suspect they will encline or give judgement against them in any cause depending before them 6ly It lays a foundation for all the Tyranny villany oppression that can be imagined which the Levellers begin in some places to pursue the Army too For example The King say they if he monarchy continue will in time grow too strong for the people Ergo there is a necessity we should pul down monarchy him now have no more Kings to rule over us The house of Lords will be too potent for the Commons have a negative voice to cross what they shall Vote Ergo we are now necessitated whiles we have power in our hands to pull downe the house of Lords and lay their honour in the Dust. The City of London was too powerfull rich and wealthy for the Countrey and us heretofore and kept down Sectaries from publick Offices Ergo whiles we have the power in our hands we must break down all their out workes divide lay aside all their Militia empty their bagges pull downe their pride throw out their old Officers put in new ones of our own faction take away their Liberties and freedome of Elections contrary to their Charters sundry Acts of Parliament dispense with Common-councel-mens Oathes and so
officers and Councell of this Army and their two â—ore-named Chaplains had they been called to that Confederacy at they are to this would have justified not onely the contriving but the effecting of it with their plea of extraordinary necessity for the publique good there being no difference between the Armies proceedings and theirs but that they would have blonn up the King Lords and Parliament with Gunpowder and the Army hath now pulled and battered them downe with Gunpowder and armes violence and what they did onely attempt modestly and covertly in a Vault for which they were condemned and executed as Traytors though they had no Engagements on them to protect the Parliament the Army hath done impudently in attempting and affecting it in the open view of all the World against their trusts duties covenants And whereas some of them repented and were sorry for it these Saints doe not onely not repent of it but persevere in and justifie this Treason in print Therefore those very powder-Traytors shall condemn them as being more modest and lesse sinfull then they who have so many obligations and Vowes upon them not to doe it but detest it 2. This plea of necessity for publick good is the very Iustification and Foundation of the Jesuites treacherous practises to murther stab poyson all Christian Kings and Princes whom they deem hereticall or obstructive to their designes to equivocate lie dissemble subvert whole Kingdoms blow up Parliaments and act any kinde of villanies If you interrogate them why they doe it or what arguments they use to engage others in that service they will inform you That necessity of publike good and honest intentions to promote the Catholike cause and Popes authority are the onely grounds and warrant for such irregular and extraordinary proceedings And for the Generall Councell of the Officers to take up this very Iesuites plea as the only argument to justifie their laste Iesuiticall force and powder-plot upon the Houses is an infallible argument unto me that they are swayed and steered by Iesuites in all their late Councels and proceedings 3. This plea of necessity if admitted will be a perpetuall president from the Armies practice and rebellion to justifie and encourage all kinde of factious and discontented people in all suture ages be they Papists Malignants Neuters Jack Cades vâ—lgar Rable or Royalists and Cavaliers when ever they have sufficient power in their hands to seize upon or secure and exclude any Members in all succeeding Parliaments who vote not what they please as a corrupt Majority who have betrayed their Trusts since an Army of Saints specially raised waged by both Houses to defend and protect them from any violence and engaged by a solemne League and covenant to preserve them from it have publickly justified it upon these grounds to the Members now sitting and to all the world and their Chaplain John Goodwin in his Right Might well he should have then said ill met vindicates THE EQVITY REGVLARNES of the ARMIES PROCEEDINGS against us VPONVNDENIABLE PRINCIPLES as â—e stiles them as well of REASON AS RELIGION ô monstrous Divinity worthy to be burnt by the hands of the Hangman which will totally subvert the priviledges freedom honor and power of Parliaments in all times to come if not vindicated by some exemplary Act of justice and a professed law and declaration against such insolencies as in the five Members cases And so much the rather because the Members now sitting under the Armies force on Thursday the 11. of Ianuary 1648. passed this stupendious Vote destructive to the priviledges freedom honor safety and being of the present and all future Parliaments and most injurious and scandalous to the secured and secluded Members prejudged and condemned both by them and the Army without ever being heard or any proofs or witnesses produced to make good any general or particular charge against all or any of them which vote we must totally disclaim and publiquely protest against as the most dishonorable that ever passed within the Houses Walls being repugnant to the Protestation of both Houses the solemn League and Covenant and many Declarations of the House inviolably to maintain the Rights Priviledges and freedom of Parliament and the highest breach of Priviledge ever offered by Members to their fellow-Members since there were Parliaments in the world The Vote is this That THE HOUSE DOTH APPROVE OF THE SUBSTANCE OF THE ANSWER of the Generall Councell of Officers of the Army to the demand of this House touching the SECURING and SECLUDING SOME to wit above 200 besides those frighted thence being half as many more MEMBERS THEREOF And appointing a Committee of 24 whereof most are new elected Members and Mr. Fry whose election is voted void or any five of them to consider what is fit further to be done upon the said answer of the Generall Councell of the Officers of the Army and present the same TO THIS HOUSE and the Committee to meet this afternoon in the Exchequer Chamber The injustice of this vote beside the breach of Priviledge will appear by these particulars First in justifying the most horrid and treasonable force of these Officers of the Army that ever was offered to any Parliament or Members in any age contrary to the expresse Statute of 7 E. 1. which the Houses heretofore so deeply resented that they oft declared against it in case of the King who did only come and demand but five Members but feixed neither of them and Impeached Jermin and Piercy of High Treason only for tampering to bring up the Northern Army And executed Chaloner and Tomkins for Traytors for conspiring to force the Houses and seize some Members under a pretext to bring them to justice Yea the Parliament in 4 E. 3. n. 1. among other charges condemned and executed Roger Mortimer as a Traytor and Enemy to the King and Kingdom for offering violence to some few Members of Parliament sitting at Salisbury and forcing others thence And the Parliament of 21 R. 2. cap. 12. condemned the Earls of Arundel and Warwick and Duke of Gloucester as Traytors for forcing the King and Parliament by a power of armed men arrayed in warlike manner to consent to Bile against their wils to adjudg some of the Kings liege people therein much more them if the King himself as now to death and to forfeit their Lands and Goods in the Parliament of 11 R. 2. Tea the Parliament of 1. H. 4. â— 21. 22. articled against Richard the second that he held the Parliament of 21. R. 2. Viris armatis sagittariis immensis and kept an extraordinary Guard of armed men brought out of Cheshire who forced abused and took free-quarter on the people the better to over-aw the Parliament and take away the lives of some Noble-men And the Parliament of 31 H. 6. cap. 1. adjudged and declared Jack Cade to be a most horrible odious and errant false TRAYTOR for forcing the King and
of Peace who in his own due time iâ— despite of all the Devills in hell and Iesuites Forces or Armies upon Earth will create peace for and settle it amongst us to our own hearts content The speedy accomplishment whereof as it alwayes hath been so it ever shall be the constant prayer and endeavour of Thine and his Countryes wel-wisher and the Armies Captive William Prynne From the sign of the Kings-head Iune 22. 1648. Mr. PRYNNES LETTER To The Borough of NEWPORT in Cornwall for which he serves in PARLIAMENT GENTLEMEN BEING freely and unanimously elected by you without my privity or seeking to serve as one of your Purgesies in this Parliament I have since my entrance into the Commons House the 7 th of Nevem last endeavoured to the best of my skill and judgment faithfully to discharge that trust and duty you reposed in me according to my Conscience to put a speedy and happy period to our unnaturall long-lasting bloody Wars and settle a firm well-grounded peace upon such terms of honor freedome safety and advantage as no Subjects under Heaven ever yet enjoyed from the Creation till this present What my indefatigable endeavours were herein in drawing up all the Bils upon the Kings Concessions in thellate Treaty is wel known to most of the Members then sitting and what I delivered in the House upon the Debate of the Kings Answers to our Propesitions upon the whole Treaty with a sincere and publique spirit aiming at nothing but yours and the whole Kingdoms felicity and prosperity not any private interest of mine own I have sent you here in print being falsly charged by a new erected Generall Councell of Officers of the Army who have traiterously usurped to themselves the supream Authority of the Kingdom and against the known Priviledges of Parlia the Liberty of the Subjects and the Law of the Land forcibly seised on my self and divers other eminent Members going to the House to discharge our duties on the 6 th and 7 th of Decemb. last in pursuance of the Treaty and secluded me and them from sitting there ever since to yours and the whole kingdoms prejudice among other secured Members in the gross for an Apostate from the publike trust which you reposed in me only for this SPEECH and the VOTE of the whole House for the settlement of the kingdomâ— peace made in pursuance of it they having no particular matter â—else to charge me with had they any just power to impeach or seclude-me which they have not but this alone How perfidiously and injuriously they have dealt with and how scandalously they have traduced and libelled against me and the other restrained Members in print upon this occasion only you may read in the Epistle to the Reader though mine and the other Members innocency be so perspicuous that they confesse they have yet no particular matters of impeachment against us after above 7 weeks imprisonment but promise shortly to produce some if they can whereas their owne Treasonable Rebellions violences perjuries and crimes written with Sun-beams in their very forcheads are visible to all the world and need no witnesses to prove their guilt their late unparallel'd exorbitances and proceedings both against the King Parliament Lords Members City and Country being known and apparent unto all I shall therefore appeal from these usurpers who have no more Authority to question or restrain me for any reall or pretended breach of my Trust as a Member were I guilty of it then the meanest servant hath to call his Master to account for mis-governing his family or to shut him out of doores unto you alone who elected me and are best able to know and judge of your owne Trust desiring your speedy resolution of this question Whether in that herein spoken or voted by me I have any wayes violated the trust or faith which you and every of you reposed in me For which Speech and Vote though I am judicially accountable only to the Commons House which knowes the true grounds upon which I went and can only truly judge of what was there spoken and voted none being fit to judge any thing but those who know and hear it too the majority of which House concurred with me in the vote without any division yet I hold my selfe in some sort ministerially accompâ—able unto you for whom I serve as the properest Iudges without the House doores of what I spake or voted in your behalfe From whom I shall humbly request so much right and justice upon the perusall of the inclosed Speech and papers which I desire may be read openly before all my Electors at your next publique meeting as to testifie to the world under your hands and seais which you set to the returne of my Election your own judgments and opinions whether I have betraid or broken the Trust you reposed in me or not by what I spake or voted in this debate and what sense you have of the Armies forcible secluding and imprisoning me your Burgesse from the House among other Members above seven weeks space together contrary to mine and your undoubted Priviledge how far you conceive your selves obliged by ought that hath been or shall be concluded or voted in the House during the Armies force upon it and your Burgesses and most other Members violent seclusion thence against all Law and President and what reparations you expect for this high Injustice to your selves and me With what else you-think fit to determine touching the premises And if you deeme it necessary to returne your results herein to me with all convenient speed who shall make the best advantage thereof for yours mine own and the kingdoms benefit whose peace by Gods blessing had beene fully settled to your hearts content before this time had not the Enemies of Peace who gain their livings by the Warres interrupted our proceedings by imprisoning and sâ—â—luding the greatest part of the Members and particularly From the Kings Head in the Strand Ian. 26. 1648. Your most affectionate Friend and faithfull Servant and Burgesse WILLIAM PRYNNE To his honoured Friends the Vianders and free Burgesses of the Borough of Newport in Cornwall these present The substance of a Speech made in the House of Commons by William Prynne of Lincolns Inne Esquire on Munday the 4th of Decemb. 1648. touching the Kings Answers to the Propositions of both Houses upon the whole Treaty whether they were satisfactory or not satisfactory Mr. Speaker BEing called to be a Member of this House without my privity or seeking and against my judgment having formerly refused many places freely tendered to me by the unanimous election without one dissenting voice of that Borough for which I serve and by a divine providence entring within these doors in this great conjuncture of the highest publique affairs that ever came within these wals wherein the very life or death the weal or ruine of this Kingdom if not of Scotland and Ireland too consist in our Ay or No upon
the question now debating I shall with the greater boldness crave liberty to discharge my conscience towards God and duty to my dying country which now lies at stake and so much the rather because for ought I know it may be the last time I shall have freedome to speak my minde within this House That I may in this great debate more sincerely speak my very heart and soul without any prejudice I shall humbly crave leave briefly to remove two seeming prejudices which may perchance in some members opinions inervate the strength of those reasons I shal humbly represent unto you to make good my conclusion touching the satisfactorinesse of the Kings answers to the Houses Propositions The first is that wherewith some Members have upon another occasion the last week and now again tacitely aspersed me That I am a Royal Favorite alluding to the title of one of my books out of which some have collected an abstract in nature of a charge against the King and this day published it in my name and am now turned an Apostate to the Kings party and interest To which I shall return this short answer I hope without any vain-glory or boasting being thus provoked thereunto That I have opposed and written against the King and his Prelates Arbitrary power illegal proccedings more then any man That I have suffered from the King and Prelates for this my opposition more then any man That if the King and Prelates be ever restored to their pristine Arbitrary power and illegall prerogative I must expect to suffer from them as much if not more then any man That all the Royal favour I ever yet received from his Majesty or his Partie was the cutting off both my ears two several times one after another in a most barbarous manner the setting me upon three severall pillories at Westminster and in Cheapside in a disgraceful manner each time for two houres space together stigmatizing on both cheeks the burning of my licenced books before my face by the hand of the hangman the imposing of two fines upon me of 50001.2 peece expulsion out of the Innes of Court and University of Oxford and degradation in both the losse of my calling almost nine yeares space the seisure of my Bookes and Estate above eight years imprisonment in several prisons at least 4 of these years spent in close imprisoment and exile in CARNARV AN in Northwales and in the lsle of IERSEY where I was debarred the use of pen inke paper and all books almost but the Bible with the least accesse of any friend without any allowance of diet for my support And all this for my good service to the State in opposing Popery and Regall Tyranny for all which sufferings and losses I never yet received one farthing recompence from the King or any other though I have waited above 8 years at your doors for justice and reparations and neglecting my own private calling and affairs imployed most of my time studies and expended many hundred pounds out of my purse since my inlargement to maintain your cause against the King his Popish and Prelaticall party For all which cost and labour I never yet demanded nor received one farthing from the Houses nor the least office or preferment whatsoever though they have bestowed divers places of honour upon persons of less or no desert nor did I ever yet receive so much as your publike thanks for any publike service â—on you which every preacher usually receives for every Sermon preached before you most others have received for the meanest services though I have brought you off with honor in the cases of Cant. and Macg. when you were at a loss in both cleared the justness of your cause when it was at the lowest ebb to most reformed Churches abroad who received such satisfaction fro my books that they translated them into several languages ingaged many thousands for you at home by my writings who were formely dubious unsatisfied Now if any Member or old Courtier whatsoever shal envy my happiness for being such a royal or State favorite as this I wish he may receive no other badges of Royall favour from his Majesty nor greater reward or honor from the Houses then I have done and then I beleeve he will no more causlesly asperse or suspect me for being now a Royal favourite or Apostate from the publike cause True it is which it behoves me now to touch that about 4 years since I published a Book entituled The Royal Popish Favorite wherein as likewise in my Hidden works of Darknesse brought to publique light published a year after it I did with no little labour and expence discover to the world the severall plots and proceedings of the Iesuites Papists and their forraign and domesticke confederates to introduce and set up Popery throughout England Scotland and Ireland and how farre they had inveagled the K. not only to connive at but to countenance and assist them in a great measure more fully evidently then any else had done And those worthy Members of this House who drew up that Declaration whereupon they voted No more Addresses to the King plowed but with my heyfer borrowing all or most of their real materials from my writings A convincing evidence that I am yet no more a Royal favourite then themselves Yet this I must adde withall to take off that aspersion of being an Apostate from my first principles that I never published those Books as I then professed in them and now again protest to scandalize or defame the King or alienate the peoples affections from him much lesse to depose or lay him quite aside though I am clear of opinion that Kings are accountable for their Actions to their Parliaments and whole kingdoms and in case of absolute necessity where Religion Laws Liberties and their kingdoms will else be inevitably destroyed by their Tyrannicall and flagitious practises be deposed by them if there be no speciall oaths nor obligations upon their consciences to the contrary which is our present case much less did I it out of any malice or revenge for the injustice I received from him in the executions done upon my person and estate which I have long since cordially forgiven and do now again forgive him from my soul beseeching God to forgive him likewise but meerly to discover his former errours in this kinde unto himselfe that he might seriously repent of them for the present and more carefully avoid and detest them for time to come and that the Parliament and whole kingdom might more clearly discern the great danger our Religion was in before we publikely discerned it and the several wayes and stratagems by which Popery got such head and growth among us that they might thereby the better prevent the like plots and dangers for the future by wholesom Laws and edicts as I have more largely declared in the books themselves This grand prejudice against me being
being more then was ever thought of or desired in the Treaty of Peace in February and March 1642. The second Proposition fully granted by the King for the setling and securing of the State and Religion too against the Kings armed power is the setling of the whole Militia by Sea and Land and Navy of England Ireland and the Isles and Dominions thereunto belonging by Act of Parliament in the hands and disposall of both Houses and such as they shall appoint for the space of twenty years with power to raise moneys for all forces raised by them for Land or Sea service during that space or time which forces are authorised to suppresse all forces raised or to be raised in or any forraigne forces which shall invade the Realms of Engl. Ireland or the Dominions and Isles thereunto belonging without Authority and consent of the Lords and Commons in Parliament And it further provides that after the expiration of the said 20. years neither the King his heirs and successors nor any person or persons by colour or pretence of any Commission power Deputation or Authority to be derived from the King his Heirs or Successors or any of them shall raise array train imploy or dispose of any of the forces by Sea or Land of the Kingdomes of England and Ireland the Dominion of Wales Isles of Gâ—ernsep and Iersey or of Barwick upon Tweed nor execute any power or authority touching the same invested in the two Houses during the space of twenty years nor do any thing or Act concerning the execution thereof without the consent of the Lords and Commons first had and obtained And that after the expiration of the said twenty years in all cases wherein the Lords and Commons shall declare the safety of the Kingdome to be concerned and shall thereupon paffe any Bill for the raising arming training and disposing of the forces by Sea and Land of the Kingdomes Dominions Isles and places aforesaid or concerning the leavying of moneys for the same if the King his Heirs and successors shall not give the Royall assent thereto within such time as both Houses should think conveent that then such Bil or Bills after Declaration made by the Lords Commons in that behalf shall have the force and strength of an Act or Acts of Parliament and be as valid to all intents and purposes as if the Royal assent had been given thereunto After which it disables any Sheriffe Justice of the Peace Majors or other Officers of Justice to leavy conduct and imploy any forces whatsoever by colour or pretence of any Commission of Array or extraordinary command from the King His Heirs or Successors without consent of both Houses And concludes That if any persons to the numberâ— of 30 shall be gathered together in warlike manner or otherwise and not forthwith disband themselves being thereunto required by the Lords and Commons or command from them or any other specially authorized by them that then such person or persons not so disbanding shall be guilty and incur the pains of High Treason any Commission under the great Seal or other Warrant to the contrary notwithstanding and be uncapable of any pardon from His Majesty His Heirs and Successors and their estates disposed of as the Lords and Commons shall think fit To all this new grand principle security of our present and future peace and settlement the King hath given his full and free consent in terminis And what greater security then this wee can imagine or demand against the Kings armed power and sword of War transcends my capacity to imagin Therefore if we have not lost our brains and consciences too we cannot but vote and conclude it satisfactory and restabundantly contented with yea exceeding thankful for it And that upon all these ensuing considerations First both Houses in their Treaty with the King in February and March 1642. demanded only the Militia of England not of Ireland yet so as they did leave the Nomination and disposing of the chiefe Commanders Officers and Governors of the Militia Forts and Navy of the Kingdome to the King provided only they might be such persons of honor and trust as both Houses might confide in and likewise promise restitution of all Moneys Forts Garrisons Arms and Ammunition of the Kings which they had seized upon or to give him present satisfaction for the same which being granted and performed they professed it should bee their hopefull endeavour that His Majesty and His people might enjoy the blessing of Peace c. and be derived to Him and to His Royall Posterity and the future Generations in this Kingdome for ever Whereas in this Treaty the King denudeth himselfe of the Militia of England and Ireland too and of the Nomination and approbation of all Officers Commanders Governors of the Militia or forces by Sea or Land and leaves all the Forts Navy and Magazines only to the Houses disposall without any compensation for his Magazines or Armes formerly seized by them And if far lesse was deemed sufficient for our settlement and security then much more will all this be thought so now Secondly Because the King hath wholly stript Himself His Heirs and Successors for ever of all that power and interest which His Predecessors alwaies enjoyned in the Militia forces forts Navy not only of England but Ireland Wales Iersey Garnsey and Berwick too so as He and they can neitherâ— raise nor arm one man nor introduce any forraign forces into any of them by vertue of any Commission Deputation or authority without consent of both Houses of Parliament and hath vested the sole power and disposition of the Militia Forts and Navy of all these in both Houses in such ample manner that they shall never part with it to any King of England unlesse they please themselves So as the King and His Heirs have no military power or authority at all left to injure or oppresse the meanest Subject much lesse the whole Kingdome or Houses of Parliament had they wills to doe it and the Houses having all the Militia by Land and Sea not only of England but even of Ireland Wales Garnsey Iersey and Berwick to assist and secure them in case He or His Heirs should attempt to raise any domestick or introduce any forraign force against them is so grand so firm a security in all probability for insuring and preserving of our Peace Religion Lawes Liberties Lives and Estates against regall force and tyranny that none of our Ancestors ever demanded or enjoyed the like nor no other Kingdome whatsoever since the Creation for ought that I can find in Histories or Republicks who have perused most now extant to do you service and such a selfe-denying condâ—sconsion in the King to His People in this particular as no age can president In the 17 year of King Iohn the Barons having by force of Armes compelled him to confirm the great Charter at Runningmead near Windsor thought this their greatest
security that 25 of the eminentest Barons should be made Conservators of the Magna Char. and that all the rest of the Barons and people should take an Oath to be aiding and assisting to them in their preservation thereof and that the King should surrender into their hands his four principall Castles that so it he infringed his Charter they might compell him to observe it This was the highest Militia and security of that kind our Ancestors ever demanded or enjoyed which is nothing comparable unto that now granted us by the King who rested satisfied therewith 3. Because the King and his successors are hereby not only totally disabled to raise any forces to oppresse the people or disturb their peace and settlement but all persons discouraged from aiding or assisting them by any Commission or authority whatsoever under pain of high Treason and losse both of life and estate at the pleasure of both Houses without any benefit of pardon from the KING disabled for to grant it So great a discouragement for any persons of fortune or quality to appear for the King or his party in the Field for time to come that in all humane probability none ever will or dare to appear in arms hereafter for the King against the Parliament being sure to forfeit all without any hopes of pardon And if this Act had been passed as a Law before our Wars I dare presume not any one English Lord or Gentleman durst once to have appeared in the Field for the King and wee had never felt the miseries of a civill War Fourthly Because the Militia of Ireland Ierâ—y Guernsey and Wales as well as England is wholly transferred from the King to the Houses so as we need fear no danger thence and the Militia of Scotland being in their Parliaments disposall if wee hold a Brotherly correspondency with them I know no other enemies we need to fear for the Navy being in the Houses power wee need not fear any forraigne invasion that can hurt us if we can agree at home All which considered I dare assert we have now the greatest security of any people under Heaven against all armed regall force and power the King having given up all his Military power into the Houses actuall possission and resigned his Sword and Armes into their hands And if we refuse to accept it now he so freely resignes it we may fight till doomesday but never win nor hope for the like security or advantage yea the present age and all posterity will curse and abhor us for not embracing and resting satisfied with such unparalleld security But is this all the security the King hath granted us in this Treaty No verily there is yet much more behind which hath not yet been opened The Kings of England have alwaies held two swords in their hands which when ill managed have hurt destroyed their Subjects The first is the sword of Mars in times of War which is already sheathed and resigned into the Houses hands by the precedent concessions so as it can never wound them more The other is the sword of Iustice in times of Peace and this likewise the King hath wholly given up into the Houses power for twenty years as he hath the Militia so that it can never hurt them nor any English man or other Subject hereafter at least for twenty years This sword was formerly intrusted by the King in the Judges and great Officers handsâ— had they been so couragious so upright as they should the King could never have wounded or ruined the meanest of his Subjects with this Sword Shipmoney Kinghâ—hood with other Grievances Monoplies neither would nor could have been imposed on the people by the Kings Prerogative or power had the Judges according to Law and duty declared them illegall The Kingdome can do no injustice to any it his Judges be so just and stout as to do justice Whereupon this House impeached only the Judges not blamed the King for the project of Shipmony to which their opinions in Mr. Hampdens Case gave life vigor Now the King in this Treaty hath for twenty yeeres at least granted to both Houses the nomination and appointment of all the Great Officers Civill or Military and of all the Judges and Barons of his Courts and Exchequers within England and Ireland to continue in their places only quom diu bene se gesserint So as these great Officers Judges having now no dependence at all upon the King who can neither place nor displace any of them but wholly upon the Houses of Parliament and such as they shall appoint to nominate them in the Intervals of Parliament if the Houses have a care to make good Officers and Judges in all Courts at first and to displease and punish them as they may and ought to do when they degenerate or misdemean themselves the King with all his legall power now left him can neither injure nor oppresse the poorest Subject in body goods or Estate nor protect the greatest malefactor from justice And what more can we desire to expect for the security of our lives liberties or estates than this Besides as theâ— King hath intrusted you with the Sword and Courts of Justice and Revenue so hath he with his Conscience and Courts of Equity too You have the nomination of the Lord Chancellours Lord Keepers and Commissioners of his great Seals of England and Ireland of the Chancellours of the Exchequer and Dutchy and Masters of the Rolls as well in Ireland as England who are the Dispensers of his Equity Conscience to his Subjects the Issuers of al his Commissions Writs Patents and keepers of all his publique Records If this be not enough you have the disposall of his purse and Treasure too The nomination of the Lord Treasurers both of England and Ireland of the Chancellours and Barons of the Exchequers in both and of the Vice-Treasurer and Treasurer of Wars in Ireland Would you have yet more You have the nomination of the Lord Deputy and chief Governour of Ireland and of all the Presidents of the severall Provinces of that Kingdome for twenty years and of all other forenamed great Officers Judges and Treasurers there a great strength and reall addition to the Militia of that Kingdome which can never doe us harm if we accept of these concessions which invest us in such power there as no Parl. of England ever yet expected nor laid claim to What is there yet remaining for your safety Perchance you will suspect the King may have many secret designs and intercourses with forraign enemies and States and grand Malignants at home to undo all which we shall never discover without some further provisions then yet we have made Truly no you have a remedy already provided and granted for this The nomination and appointing of the Lord Warden of the Cinque-ports the principall gates to let in or keep out Forraign Enemies or Spies and of the Secretaries of State who will be
privie to all his Maj. secrets and transactions of publick concernment receive all letters of intelligence directed to him and most commonly return all Answers to them There is now but one thing more wanting to make this security compleat and firm the Kings Great Seals of England and Ireland the greatest Regall Assurance confirmation he can give you and of these you have both the custody and disposal having the nomination appointment both of the L. Chancellors L. Keepers and Commissioners of the Great Seal in England and Ireland To summe up all these Grants together Some Parliaments in former times have had the nomination of the Lord Chancellor some of the Lord Treasurer some of the great Iusticiar or some few Judges of England only But never any Parliament of England claimed or enjoyed the nomination and appointment of any the Great Officers Barons Iudges or Treasurers places in Ireland nor yet of the L. Warden of the Cinque-Ports Chancellors of the Exchequer and Dutcby Secretaries of State Master of the Rolls or Barâ—ns of the Exchequer of England yet all these the King for peace sake hath parted with to us and shall we be yet so froward and peevish as not to be satisfied with all those Offices We have a long time mocked and abused the world with a self-denying Ordinance disabling any Member to retain or receive any Civill or Military Office by grant from the Houses whiles he continces a Member though there is scarce one day or week at least doth passe but we are still bestowing some place or Office upon Members for which we are weekly censured and reviled in printed Pamphlets and become odious to the Kingdome But here is a self-denying Act and Ordinance in good earnest in the King in parting with so many Offices of which He and his Predecessors have had the sole disposall for some Ages without interruption to the Houses shal we not yet rest satisfied If not what will the whole Kingdome what will all forraign Kingdoms and Nations report of us but that we are so foolish so unreasonable that nothing can or will content us because we are resolved not to be content with any thing that the King shall grant us be it never so advantagious for our present or future safety and settlement But seeing we have the disposall of all these Officers in England and Ireland both Military and Civill of his Sword of War and Peace his Justice his Conscience his Purse his Treasury his Papers his publick Records his Cabinet his Great Seal more then ever we at first expected or desired I must really for my owne part professe my selfe abundantly satisfied with these Concessions and so must every one who hath so much judgement as to understand the latitude consequences of them for the whole Kingdomes and dying Irelands safety settlement especially at this season when they are so neer their ruin To this I shall adde another grant of great concernment for the Peace and safety of this Nation which the King hath fully consented to in this Treaty and I presume no Member of this House will rest unsatisfied therewith when he fully understands it Both Houses of Parliament upon the Lord Keeper Littlâ—tons deserting of the House and conveying away the Great Seal were pleased for the better distribution of Justice and transaction of the great Affairs of the Realm to appoint a new Great Seal to be made The Ordinance for its approbation and use sticking long in the Lords House who were somewhat doubtfull in point of Law I thereupon compiled and published a Treatise intituled The opening of the Great Seal of England which fully satisfied them and opened the doors to let it out for publick use though some who have had the custody of it as Mr. Speaker knowes have but ill requited Me for this my pains good service Many Grants Commissions Presentations Writs Processe Proceedings and other things have passed under this Great Seal and some Patens for Offices and Bishops Lands to Members of this House who differ in opinion from me and yet would be glad to have their Patents confirmed by an Act of Parliament The King in this Treaty hath not only consented to ratifie all the Grants c. that have passed under this new Seal by Act of Parliament and to enact them to be as effectuall to all intents purposes as if they had passed under any other Great Seal of England heretofore used but to continue it to be used hereafter for the Great Seal of England and hath likewise so farre disclaimed his old Great Seal from the day it was carried from the Parliament that he is content to make and declare all Grants Commissions Presentations Writs Processe Proceedings and other things whatsoever passed under or by any Authority of any other Great Seal since the 22 of May 1642. To be invalid and of no effect to all intents and purposes except one grant to Mr. Justice Racon to bee Judge of the Kings Bench and some other Writs Processe and Commissions mentioned in that proposition And he hath further yeelded That all Grants of Offices Lands Tenements or hereditaments made or passed under the great Seale of Ireland unto any person persons or body politick since the Cessation in Ireland the 15 Septemb. 1642. shall be null and void with all Honours and Titles conferred on any person or persons in that Realme since that Cessation By this Concession the Houses of Parliament and their adherents have gained these extra ordinary advantages most of them not to be paralleld in any Age of King from Adom till this present First an acknowledgement of both Houses Authority to make and use a new great Seal of England without the King in cases of extraordinary necessity Secondly a power in the Houses to null and voide the Kings usuall Great Seal upon the making of their New and conveying the old Seal from the Houses without their consent Thirdly a ratification of all Judiciall and Ministeriall Acts Writs Processe presentations Grants Decrees Commissions and other things which have passed under the New Seal since its making till this present which tends much to the qulet and settlement of many mens Estates to the confirmation and justification of all legall proceedings in all Courts of Justice and at all Assises and Sesstons of Peace held by vertue of Commissions under this Seal and of Justices appointed by it whose authority and proceedings might else hereafter prove disputable and bee drawn into Question and to the fight constitution of the Parliament it selfe many Members of this House being elected and some Members and Assistants of the Lords House being called thither by VVrits under this New Seal Fourthly an absolute disavowing and repeall of all Commissions whatsoever or other things passed under the old Great Seal against the Parliament or its proceedings and an exposing of all those of the Kings Party who have acted any thing by any Commission or Authority under the
growth and danger of Prophanenesse His Majesty hath condescended to an Act of Parliament as large as can be drawne against all Prophanations whatsoever of the Lords day with severe punishment for the prophaners of it in any kinde and against all such who shall write or preach against its morality and due observation And likewise to an Act to be framed and agreed upon by both Houses of Parliament for the reforming and regulating both Vniversities and of the Colledges of Westminster Winchester and Eaton the seminaries of Learning and Education of youth to serve and rule in our Church and State By which two Grants if duly executed all impiety and prophanenesse which can endanger our Church and Religion will easily be suppressed for the present and prevented for the future Thirdly Against the danger and revivall of Episcopacy and the appendances thereunto belonging the King hath clearly condescended to these particulars in terminis First to an Act for the abolition of all Archbishops Chancellors Commissaries Deanes and Sub-Deans Deans ard Chapters Arch-deacons Canons Prebendaries c. and all other Episcopall Cathedrall or Collegiate Officers both in England Wales and Ireland and to the disposall of all their Lands and Possessions for such uses as the Houses shall thinke meet So as there is no feare at all of their resurrection to disturb our Church All the question and difference now between the King and Houses is onely concerning the Office and power of Bishops and their Lands and Possessions in which two I finde most Members declare themselves to be unsatisfied especially those who have purchased Bishops Lands who are very zealous in that point for their own Interests For the clearing of these two scruples I shall examine and debate these two particulars First how far the K. hath consented to the Houses Propositions for the abolishing of the office jurisdiction of Bishops in the Church Secondly how far He hath condescended to the sale and disposal of their Lands and Possessions And whether his Concessions in both these be not sufficiently satisfactory in the sense I have stated the question in the beginning of my debate of it For the first of these It is clear that the King in his two last Papers hath abolished and extirpated that Episcopacy and Prelacy which we intended and have so earnestly contested against and contends now for no other but an Apostolicall Bishop which is but the same in all things with an ordinary Minister or Presbyter which Bishop being Apostolicall and of divine Institution we neither may nor can nor ever intended to abolish by our Covenant To make this evident to all mens consciences 1 The King hath yeelded to take away all the power and jurisdiction whatsoever exercised by our Bishops in point of censure or discipline in his former answer and contends for nothing now but their power of Ordination only and that not solely vested in the Bishop but in him and other Presbyters jointly yet so as the Bishop should have a negative Voice in Ordinations But the Houses voting this unsatisfactory because that the Bishops for three years during the continuance of the Presbyterian government should have the chief power of Ordination after those three years the sole power there being no others vested or intrusted with that power after the three years expired so as Bishops might by this means creep in and get up againe by degrees as high as ever Thereupon the King in his finall Answer hereunto though not fully satisfied in point of conscience but that the power of Ordination is principally vested onely in Bishops by Divine Authority hath yet for our satisfaction thus far condescended to us First that for three years next ensuing during the Presbyteriall Government no Bishops shall at all exercise this power of Ordination in the Church Secondly That if he can be satisfied in point of Conscience within that time upon conference with Divines That this power of Ordination so far as to have a Negative voice in it belongs not only unto Apostolical Bishops by a divine Right then he wil fully consent to the utter abolition even of this power of Ordination in the Bishops Thirdly That after the three yeares are expired if the King can neither satisfie his Houses in point of conscience nor they him upon debate That this power of Ordination belongs Iure Divino to Bishops that yet the exercise of that power shall be totally suspended in them till He and both Houses shall agree upon a Government and by Act of Parliament settle a Form of Ordination So as if both Houses never consent that Bishops shall hereafter have a hand or negative voice in Ordination this power of Bishops is perpetuaily suspended and as to the exercise of it perpetually abolished even by this Concession so as it can never be revived again without both Houses concurring assents And by this means Episcopacy is totally extirpated root and branch according to the Covenant which hath been so much pressed in this debate though the words of it have been somewhat mistaken that we therein absolutely covenant to extirpate Episcopacy when as the words are only That we shall endeavour the extirpation of Prelacy that is of Archbishops and Bishops c. And that certainly we have done and in a great measure accomplished so far as to satisfie both the words and intention of the Covenant though a concurrent power of Ordination be left in Bishops which yet is now totally suspended For as we covenant in the same clause to endeavour to root out Popery Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophanenesse and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godlinesse in the extirpation of which I am certain we have not proceeded by an hundred degrees so farre as we have actually done in the extirpation of Episcopacy there being no Proposition at all in the Treaty for the extirpation of Heresie Schisme and Errors as there is of Episcopacy and yet the Gentlemen who are so zealous for the Covenant perswade themselves they and we have not violated it in these particulars therefore much less in the point of Prelacy and Bishops since we have left them nothing at all but a meer power of Ordination actually suspended from any future execution but by both Houses assents Fourthly the King by abolishing Archbishops and Deans and Chapters hath also therein actually abolished all Bishops too for the future except those who are already made For by the Laws and custome of the Realm No Bishop can be consecrated but by an Archbishop or some deputation from him in case of sicknesse nor any Bishop made or consecrated unlesse he be first elected by the Dean and Chapter upon a Conge deslier issued out to them to choose one Now there being no Deanes and Chapters left to elect nor Archbishop to consecrate any Bishop for the future there can be no Bishop at all hereafter made in England or Ireland and so the Bishop
recompence I have formerly mentioned and keep up an Army to maintaine their Purchases rather then yeeld to any reason I shall humbly move that not the whole Kingdome but themselves may defray the Armies Taxes and Quarters and then I am certaine they will have a dearer bargaine then what the King or I have proposed for their satisfaction And the better to perswade them to embrace this compensation I have onely this more to offer both to them and you That if you break off with the King upon this point or close with the Army they are most certaine to lose all for a bare Ordinance of both Houses in no legall Title nor good security aganst King or Bishops without the Kings concurrence and Royall assent unto it and valid no longer then maintained by the Sword the worst and most hazardous Title of all others which will quickly cost the Purchasers and Kingdome treble the value of all the Bishops Revenues and if they close with the Army to break the Treaty they tell them in direct termes in print in The Case of the Army truly stated presented to the Generall by the Agitators of the Army at Hampstead October 15. 1647. pag. 16. That whereas the times were wholly corrupt when persons were appointed to make sale of Bishops Lands and whereas Parliament-men Committee-men and Kinâ—folks were the onely buyers and much is sold and yet it 's presended that little or no money is received And whereas Lords Parliament-men and some other rich men have vast summes of Arrears allowed them in their Purchase and all their moneys lent to the State paid them while others are left in necessity to whom the State is much indebted and so present Money that might be for the equall advantage of all is not brought into the publike Treasury by those sales It s therefore to bea insisted on that the sale of Bishops Lands bee reviewed and that they may be sold to their worth and for present Moneys for the publike use and that the sale of all such be recalled as have not been sold to their worth or for present money This particular among others they professe they have entred into a solemne engagement to prosecute and are now marched up to London accordingly to pursue it as their late Remonstrance and Declaration intimates and themselves professe by word of mouth which I desire the Members who have purchased Bishops Lands who are generally most unsatisfied with the Kings answers especially in this particular seriously to consider and then to make their Election Whether they will now close with the Kings Concessions and what I have here propounded for satisfaction of their Reversions after 99. years and present Rents they may chance to part with and so secure their purchases for this terme by Act of Parliament and have full compensation for what they part with either in ready money or Deans and Chapters Lands and Rents and so be no losers but great gainers by the bargaine or else break with the King to please the Army and so be certaine to lose all between them not onely once but twice over for the Agitators in the Army tell them plainely That all their Purchases shall be reviewed and if they have purchased them to an under rate or not for ready Money which not one of them hath done but by Tickets of their owne or bought at very low values of others which 't is like they will also examine that then their sales shall be absolutely recalled and sold to others at full values for ready money and so all is lost in good earnest or else they must re-purchase them for ready moneys at higher values without any assurance from the King by Act of Parliament and so lose them againe the second time if ever He or his Prelaticall party should prevaile and yet be enforced to answer and restore all the meane Profits they have taken to boot A very hard chapter and bargain to digest if they advisedly consider it which by accepting the Kings offer is most certainly prevented Who perchance in shore time upon second thoughts and conference with learned men for the satisfaction of his conscience in the point of sacriledge if he should consent to the totall alienation of these Lands from the Church may come up fully to our desires and part with the very inheritance to the purchasers as amply aâ— they have purchased it rather then leave his owne and the Kingdomes interest wholly unsettled And for my part I make little question that had the Prelates and Clergy-men with the King at the Isle of Wight dealt candidly and cleerly with him in this particular of the sale of Bishops Lands that might have easily satisfied his conscience in this very thing as well as in others from these grounds and matters of fact which I shall but point at to satisfie others who perchance are scrupulous herein even in point of conscience as well as the King First the King in his last Paper 〈◊〉 in expresse terms protesseth That he hath abalished all but the Apostolicall Bishops invested with a Negative Vayâ—e or Power in point of Ordination And if so then I am certain he hath likewise abolished all Bishops Palaces Lordships Revenues Rents and Possessions it being most certaine that neither the Apoâ—ls themselves not any Apostolicall Bishops of their Ordination in their dayes or for above 300. yeers after had any Lands or Possessions annexed to their Apostleships or Bishopricks but lived meerely upon the aâ—ms and voluntary contributions of the people as Christ himselfe Paul and the other Apostles did as all Historiant accord If then his Majesty will retain none but Apostolicall Bishops he must necessarily take away their temporall Lands and possessions annexed to then Bishopricks to make them such if he hath not already done is by his finall Answer to this proposition as I conceive he hath Secondly it is generally agreed by Historians that Constantine the great our owne Country-man borne and first Crowned Emperour at York to the eternall honour of our Island he being the first Christian Emperour and greatest advancer of the Christian Religion and destroyer of Paganism was the first who endowed the Church and Bishops with any temporall Possessions about 350. yeers after Christ though his pretended donation to the Pope be but a meere fable as Doctor Crakenthorp and others have manifested at large Now Ioannes Parisiensis Nauclerus Polychronicon our English Apostle Iohn Wickliffe our noble Martyr the Lord Cobham Iohn Frith a Martyr learned Bishop Iewell and others out of them record That when Constantine endowed the Church and Bishops with temporall Lands and possessions the voice of an Angel was heard in the Ayre crying out Hodie venenum insunditur in Ecclesiam this day is poyson powred into the whele Church of God And from that time say they because of the great Riches the Church had she was made the more secular and had
stead of setling a safe and well grounded Peace upon their new-fangled foundations of liberty and safety but indeed of slavery and ruine To begin with the first branch of the first of these assertions That our closing with the King upon these Concessions is the only way to settle a firm and lasting Peace between the King the Parliament and his three Kingdoms Not to insist upon this generall that Treaties in all Ages have been the usuall and only way to conclude and settle Peace and Unity between Kings and their People and all dissenting Kingdomes States Persons and therefore this Treaty now is the only way to our prâ—sent Peace and settlement I shall pitch only upon particulars First that your selves in this House and the Lords in their House have severally and joyntly voted and resolved over and over heretofore and published to all the world from time to time in sundry Declarations Remonstrances and other printed Papers since the Kings departure from the Houses and the late Warres That it hath been is and alwayes shall be their cordiall desire and sincere unwearied endeavour to settle a speedy firm and well grounded Peace between His Majesty his People and three Kingdomes and that this hath been the only end they have aymed at in all their Warres and Treaties with the King That the Kings presence with and Residence neer his Parliament is of so great necessity and importance towards the removall of our Distractions Feares Iealousies the happy beginning of contentment betweene the KING and His People and the settlement and preservation of the Peace and Safety of the Kingdome and KINGS Person That they thought they had not discharged their duties untill they had declared and backed it with some Reasons That those persons who advised His MAIESTY to absent Himselfe from His Parliament are an Obstruction and Enemies to the Peace of this Kingdome and justly suspected to be favourers to the Rebellion in Ireland That the sending of Propositions and a Treaty with the KING and a good close with Him and His Commissioners thereupon is the only way to settle a firme safe and lasting Peace And this is the only way and meanes you have hitherto pursued to obtaine such a Peace and settlement Secondly the Parliament of Scotland and their Commissioners here imployed have voted and resolved this the onely way and meanes to such a Peace and Settlement both for this kingdom and their own too and have joyned with us in all former Treaties and promoted this Thirdly the generality of the People and all the wisest and most cordiall to the Publique Interest both of the Parliament and kingdome have approved and desired a Treaty and close with the KING as the onely meanes of Peace and settlement as is evident by their frequent and multiplyed Petitions to both Houses Fourthly the KING himselfe and all his party when tyred out with the miseries of War have desired and embraced a Treaty as the only means to close our bleeding wounds and make a firme Vnion betweene the King Parliament and three Kingdoms Fifthly the Generall Officers and Councell of the Army themselves when in their right senses and not intoxicated with selfe-conceit and Iesuiticall Principles have Publikely declared that compliance by a Treaty with the KING and restitution of Him to a condition of Honour Freedome and Safety was the only way to a lasting Peace and settlement yea the Grandees of the Army were so over forward to comply treat and close with Him upon termes more dishonourable and lesse safe then these we are now a closing with him in this Treaty that when they falsly impeached the eleven Members the last Summer in the House of Commons for holding secret intelligence and correspondence only with Him without consent of the House themselves at that very instant without and against consent of the Houses were secretly treating and complying with him upon proposals framed by themselves and perswade the King to reject the Houses Proposition sent to his Maj. to Hampton Court to treat upon those they had tendred to him privately without the Houses privity as more advantagious to him and his party then the Parliaments declaring to all the world that they were as cordiall to the King as desirous to bring him up to London to restore him to a condition of honor freedom and saftey and more favourable to Delinquents in mitigating their fines and punishments then the Houses All which they are not ashamed to acknowledge in their last Remonstrance Novemb. 20. p. 43. 44. yet with this detâ—stable brand upon themselves That their compliances with him were but negative Secondly what we declared of Moderation was but Hypotheticall with carefull caution and saving for the â—publique interest according to OUR THEN UNDERSTANDING OF IT c. Yet however in that degree of compliance admitted in that kinde we find matter of acknowledgment before the Lord concerning OUR ERROR FRAILTY UNBELIEF and CARNAL COUNCELS THEREIN and we blesse him that preserved us from worse If their compliance and Treaty with the King c. was but Hypotheticall as I fear this very Remonstrance and their acting since all are or at least wise Iesuiticall I hope our Treaty shall be reall and not in their power to make it Hypocritical as they have attempted by endeavouring to force us by this Remostrance and their subsequent advance to London to break it off to render us odious to our King and kingdomes God and all good men and translate the Odium of it from themselves to us And because themselves may discover their owne Apostasie from their former principles which they would falsly father upon us and how justifiable and advantagious to the kingdom our closing with the King upon these Propositions are before all the world be pleased to take notice of these following passages in their own Letters Declarations and Remonstrances made upon mature advice a year before this Treaty In the humble Remonstrance from his Excellency and the Army under his command presented to the Commissioners at St. Albans Iune 23. 1647 p. 12. they print Whereas there has been scandalous informations presented to the Houses industriously published in print importing as if his Majesty were kept as prisoner amongst us barbarously and uncivilly used We cannot but declare that the same and all other suggestions of that sort are most false scandalous absolutely contrary not only to our declared desires but also to our principls which are most clearly for a generall Right and just freedom to all And therefore upon this occasion we cannot but declare particularly that we desire the same for the King and others of his party so far as can consist with common right and freedom and with the security of the same for the future And we do further clearly confesse we do not see how there can be any peace to the kingdom firm or lasting without a due consideration of and provision for the
and us to the general content and safety of all honest men and so end the old and begin the new year with peace Whereas if we now break off and let go all the King hath granted I see no end of our Wars and miseries nor any probable means of peace and settlement in many years at least if ever in this or the succeeding Generation And the speediest remedy in this case especially considering the kingdom is so far exhausted that we know neither how to pay our publike debts our Fleet or Army their present Arrears much lesse their future must needs bee the best and be preferred before all others that will require more time and expence and be more hazardous and contingent in the event Thirdly As it is the speediest so the best and legallest safest and certainest way of all others First there is no danger nor hazard at all in it nor any expence of mony or effusion of bloud 't is but accept and then confirm by Acts and Oaths and the work is presently done If we think of settlement in any other way we must fight again and that will be both costly hazardous and when all is done we must Treat again perchance upon worse terms else there will be no peace nor settlement Secondly This is the way we have ever formerly pitched upon the way all parties have consented to and approved but those alone who desire neither peace nor settlement Therefore best safest and durablest Thirdly It is the legallest certainest because a peace and settlement by Acts of Parliament the highest security to English men under heaven to which King Lord Commons in them the whole kingdom consent wil all acquiesce in what is done without question or future dispute What peace soever is settled otherwise either by a bare Order or Ordinance of the Houses or by the Sword power alone will neither be sure safe nor lasting no longer then maintained by the Sword every man will be sure to question and unsettle all again upon the least advantage given The highest security that England ever had was Magna Charta and the Charter of the Forrest these were gained by the Sword but not held by it That which hath kept perpetuated these since their making was those Acts of Parliament which confirmed them These are only security for what ever we enjoy which will survive all other we can think of Nullum violentum est diuturnum Whereas priviledges kept and held by publike Acts will last for ever and be entailed to us and our posterities with peace and happiness attending them This was the way of settling peace between Kings and Subjects heretofore in Henry the 3. Edward the 2. Richard the 2. Henry the 6. Raigns and an Act of Pacification and Oblivion was the only safe and usuall way the Parliaments both of England and Scotland lately fixed on to settle a firm and lasting peace between both Nations kingdoms All other settlements will be but like an ulâ—â—r skinned over which will soone break out again with greater pain and danger then before 2dly For the new way proposed by the Army for a firm peace settlement it is certainly the most desperate dishonourable dangerous and destructive that can possibly be imagined and such as we can neither in honour justice conscience nor prudence imbrace To examine it a little by parts The first way to peace and settlement propounded by them is presently to break off the Treaty and that contrary to our publike faith to the King and kingdom yea to our own votes before the Treaty was fully ended this is the drift of their whole Remonstrance Which as it will totally if not finally deprive us of the fruit benefit of all the K. Concessions in the Treaty all which are by mutuall agreement no wayes obligatory to either party in any particular unless all be agreed being all that we can possibly think of for our safety and advantage and more then any Nation under heaven yet injoied so it wil inevitably cast us upon present wayes of new distractions confusions and civill wars now we are quite exhausted and end at last in our absolute destruction instead of a wel-grounded peace and those blessings we may forth with enjoy for the very accepting without further charge or trouble But if God beyond our hopes should after any new embroylments give us peace yet it must be upon a new Treaty and that perchance upon far worse terms then now are offered Therefore it must needs be dangerous to reject a safe way to follow a hazardous or destructive one The next thing proposed by them for a speedy peace and settlement is the bringing of the King to speedy justice for all his treasons and bloodshed in the late wars and then to depose and execute him as the greatest capitall malefactor in the kingdomâ— This certainly is a very dangerous aund unlikely way to peace and settlement First of all The smiting of the Shepheard is the way to scatter not unite the sheep The slaying of the King or Generall in the field scatters and dissolves the Army not secures them To cut off an aking head is the next way to destroy not cure a diseased body such kind of State policy may destroy or disturb but never settle us in perfect peace The Prince his next heir the Queen the Duke of York all his Children and Allies both at home and abroad will certainly meditate revenge and all Kings in Christendom will assist them even for their own interest and safety lest it should become a president for themselves And will this then secure or be a likely way to peace or settlement 2. The greatest part of the Members in both Houses the Lords Gentlemen and all sorts of people throughout the kingdome the whole kingdomes of Scotland and Ireland who have as great an interest in the Kings person being their lawfull King as we have and are obliged by Allegiance and Covenant to protect his person and Crown from violence will unanimously as one man oppose and protest against it and by force of Arms endeavour to bring those to execution who shall presume to advise or attempt to depose or destroy the King in any kinde contrary to their Allegiance and solemne Covenant Yea all Protestant Realms Churches States in forraign parts will abhorre both the fact and adjudge it contrary to their principles and Religion and that which may irritate Popish Kings and Princes to take up arms to ruine them lest they should fall into the like Jesuiticall practice And can this be a safe or speedy way to peace and settlement especially when we know not what Government shall succeed upon it and can expect nothing but bloody consequences from such a bloody Jesuiticall advice Thirdly I never read of any peace or settlement in any kingdom where King-killing was practised or approved When the Roman Armies began once to kill their Emperours and cut off their
heads they were scarce ever free from civill warres One Army set up one Emperour another Army another the Senate a third who alwayes warred till they had cut off one anothers heads Most of those Emperours had very short reigns few of them above a year or two and some of them scarce two months but most of them untimely deaths In Sclavonia and Norway where they had a Law that he that slew a Tyrant King should suceed him in the Throne They had almost every year a new King perpetuall wars and discords and not one of all their Kings for above one hundred years together ever came to a natural death but was murthered as a Tyrant and succeeded by a worse and greater tyrant as Saxo grammaticus and Nubrigensis testifie And in the sacred story it selfe it is very observable that after the ten Tribes revolted from Rehoboam though by Gods Iustice and approbation for Solomons sinnes they had never any peace or settlement but perpetuall Wars with one Kingdome or another or between themselves Their Kings or most of them were all Tyrants and Idolaters and by the just hand of God for the most part tumultuously slaine and murthered one of and by another who succeeded them he that murthered his Predecessor being usually slain by his Successor or his Predecessors Sons Servants or by the People of the Land in a tumltuous way In the 2 Kings 15. We read in that one Chapter of no lesse then 4 of those Kings slain one by another and as for the people under these Kings they had never any rest peace settlement or freedome but lived under the greatest misery and oppression that ever any Subjects under Heaven did as the sacred History records This King-killing certainly can be then no probable way at all to peace safety settlement freedome but the Jesuits pollicy to deprive us eternally of all these and of God and Religion to boot as it did the ten Tribes heretofore Fourthly this way to peace and settlement is directly contrary to all the former Engagements Oaths and severall Petitions Declarations Remonstrances Protestations and professions of both Houses of Parliament to the King Kingdomeâ— people wherein were have alwaies protested and held forth unto them both before and since the Wars That we will preserve and protect the Kings person from danger support his Royall estate with honour and plenty at home with power and reputation abroad and by our loyall affections actions and advice lay a sure and lasting foundation of the greatnesse and prosperity of his Majesty and his Royall posterity in future times That we are still resolved to keep our selves within we bounds of faithfulnesse and allegiance to His sacred Person and Crown That we will with our lives fortunes estates and with the last drop of our blood endeavour to support His Majesty and his just Soveraignty and power over usâ— and to prevent all dangers to His Majesties Person That wee tooke up armes as well for Defence of His Majesty to protectâ— His Person as the Kingdome and Parliament without any intent to burt or injure His Majesties person or power professing in the presence of Almighty God That we would receive Him with all honour yeeld him all due obedience and subjection and faithfully endeavour to secure His person and estate from all danger and to uttermost of our power to procure and establish to Him and His People all the blessings of a glorious and happy reign which both Houses severall times profest and remonstrated to the world That the allegation that the Army raised by the Parliament was TO MURDER and DEPOSE THE KING was such a scandall as any that professed the name of a Christian could not have so little charity as to raise it especially when they must needs know the Protestation taken by every Member of both Houses whereby they promise in the presence of Almighty God to defend His Majesties person and all their addresses and Petitions to him expressing the contrary That they never suffered it to enter into their thoughts to depose the KING abhorring the very thought of it much more the intent That they never suffered the word DEPOSING the King to goe out of their mouthes nor the thing to enter into their thoughts That they rest assured both God and Man will abominate that monstrous and most injurious Charge layed upon the Representative Body of this whole Kingdome by the Malignant party against the KINGâ— as designing not onely the ruine of His MAIESTIES person but of MONARCHY it selfe The Authors of which malicious horrid scandall they professe to make the Instances of their Exemplary Iustice so soon as they shall be discovered Now for Us after all these multiplyed reiterated Protestations Promises Engagements Declarations Remonstrances to all the World from the beginning of the differences and wars till now to think or talk of deposing and destroying of the King and altering the Government as the only safe and speedy way to peace and settlement as the Army-Remonstrants prescribe would be such a most detestable breach of Publike Faith such a most perfidious treacherous unrighteous and wicked act as not only God Angels and good men but the very worst of Turks and Devils would abhor and therefore it s a miracle to me that these precious Saints should thus impudently before all the World propose to the House and force you to pursue it to staine your reputation and make you exerable to God and Men. Fifthly the very Oath of Allegiance which every one of us hath taken upon our first admission to be Members engageth us in positive terms Not to offer any violence or hurt-to His MAIESTIES Royall Person State or Government to beare faith and true Allegiance to His MAIESTY His Heirs and Successors and Him and Them to defend to the uttermost of our power against all Conspiracies and attempts whatsoever which shall be made against His or Their PERSONS CROWNE or DIGNITY And from our hearts to abhorre detest and abjure as impious and hereticall this Jesuiticall and Popish Doctrine That Princes excommunicated or deprived by the Pope as it seems the KINGS is now for extirpating Episcopacy Popery Mass and Prelacy out of His Dominions by His present Concessions without any possibility or hopes of replanting may be deposed or murthered by their Subjects or any other whatsoever Which Jesuiticall contrivance and practise as our whole State and Parliament in the Statutes of 3â— Iaâ— cap. 1â— 4 5 35. Eliz. cap. 1. and other Acts resolve is the only way to unsettle ruine and subvert not to settle and establish the Peace and government of our Realme And both Houses since this Parliament have by a Solemne Protestation first and by a Solemne League and Covenant since with Hands listed up to the most High God engaged both themselves and the three kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland by a most sacred and serious vow and protestation purposely made and prescribed by them For the
Honour and Happinesse of the King and his Posterity and the true publike Liberty safety and peace of the three Kingdoms as the Title and Preface declare sincerely really and constantly to endeavour with their estates and lives TO PRESERVE AND DEFEND THE KINGS MAJESTIES PERSON AND AUTHORITY in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome which he hath now fully and actually performed by his Concessions in this Treaty That the World may beare witnesse with our Consciences OF OUR LOYALTY and that WE HAVE NO THOUGHTS OR INTENTIONS TO DIMINISH HIS MAJESTIES JUST POWER AND GREATNESSE And shall also with all faithfullnesse endeavour the discovery of all such as shall be Incendiaries or evill instruments by DIVIDING THE KING FROM HIS PEOPLE That they may be brought to speedy tryall and receive condign punishment And shall not suffer themselves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination or terrour to be withdrawne or make defection from this Covenant but shall all the dayes of their lives really and constantly continue therein against all opposition and promote the same against all lets and impediments whatsoever And this Covenant we all made in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of all Hearts WITH A REALL INTENTION TO PERFORME THE SAME as we shall answer at that great day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed Now how we who are Members of this House or any who are subjects of our three kingdomes or Officers and Souldiers in the Army who have taken this Oath of Allegiance Protestation League or Covenant or any of them as some of them have done all or two of them at least sundry times over can without the highest perjury to God Treachery to the King perfidiousnesse to the kingdome Infamy to the World Scandall to the Protestant Religion and eternall dishonour to the Parliament and themselves Atheistically break through or elude all those most Sacred and Religious tyes upon our souls by a speedy publique dethroning and decolling of the KING and dis-inheriting his Posterity as the Army Remostrants advise and â—that in the open view of the World and that Al-seeing God to whom we have thus appealed and sworne by that Iesuiticall equivocations or distinstions of which the Armies Remonstrance is full or professions of our damnable hypocâ—isie in the breaking of them transcends my understanding And for those who stile themselves SAINTS and charge this as one of the Highest Crimes against the King His frequent breach of Oathes and Promises to transcend him Iesuites in this very sin is such a monster of impiety as I conceive could never have entred into the hearts of Infidells or the worst of Men or Divells And to act this under a pretext to preserve and settle the Peace of the Kingdom is such a solecisme as militates point-blank against the very words and scope both of this Oath Protestation League and Covenant which crosseth not the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance but more strongly engageth all men to preserve and defend the Kings Person and Authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome as the Assembly of Divines and both Houses affirm in their Exhortation to take the Covenant which prescribes this as the only meanes of securing and preserving peace in all the three Kingdomes to preserve the Person and Honor of the King his Crown and Dignity from any such violence and invasion as is now suggested by the Army which all three of them engage us and all three Kingdoms with our lives and fortunes really and constantly to oppose against all lets and impediments c. and to bring those to condigne punishment as Incendiaries and evill Instruments who suggest it So as if the Army will proceed in this Jesuiticall destructive way of Treason and ruine Wee and all three Kingdoms are solemnly engaged with our estates and lives unanimously to oppose and bring them to Justice And is this then the way to publike peace and settlement to raise another new War to murther one another in this new Quarrell wherein the Army and their adherents must be the sole Malignants and enemies we must fight with c No verily but the high-way to the Kingdoms Armies ruine whose Commissions wee are obliged to revoke whose Contributions wee must in conscience withdraw and whose power wee must with our own lives resist unlesse we will be perjured and guilty of breach of Covenant in the highest degree if they persist in these anti-Covenant Demands 7. Both Houses having held a Personall Treaty with the King so lately and he having granted us in that Treaty whatsoever we have or can demand for the safety and preservation of our Religion Laws and Liberties and both Houses engaged themselves by Vote in answer to the Kings Propositions to restore him to a condition of Freedome Honour and Safety according to the Lawes of the Realm which was the Armies own proposals in his behalfe in August 1647. Wee can neither in honesty honour justice nor conscience were hee ten thousand times worse then the Army would render him depose and bring him to execution It being against all the rules of Justice and honour between two professed enemies who had no relations one to another much more between King and Subjects in a civil War and a thing without president in any ages To this the Army Remonstrance answers That this would be thought an unreasonable and unbeseeming demand in a personall Treaty between persons standing both free and in equall ballance of power but not when one party is wholly subdued captivated imprisoned and in the others power But this certainly is a difference spun with a Jesuiticall thred For to treat with any King in our power or out of it on articles of Peace upon these terms That if he consent to them We will restore him to his Throne with Honor Freedom Safety and when he hath yeelded us our Demands then to depose and out off his head is the highest breach of Faith Truth Honor and Justice that can be imagined and those who dare justifie such perfidious and unchristian dealing deserve rather the stile of Turks and equivocating Iesuites then pious Saints 8. There is no president in Scripture that the Generall Assembly or Sanhedâ—in of the Jews or Isrealites did ever judicially imprison depose or execute any one of the Kings of Iudah or Israel though many of them were the grossest Idolaters and wickedest Princes under heaven who shed much innocent blood and oppressed the people sundry waies We know that David himselfe committed adultery with Vriah his wife a faithfull Servant and Souldier whiles he was with his Generall Ioab in the field and then afterward caused him to be treacheroâ—sly slain Yet neither the Assembly of the Elders nor Ioab and the Army under him did impeach or crave Justice against him for these sins though hee lived impeniently in them And when hee numbred the people afterwards
for which sin seventy thousand of his Subjects lost their lives yet was hee not arraigned nor deposed for it and God who is Soveraignly just though David was the principall malefactor in this case iâ— not the sole and thereupon when hee saw the Angell that smote the people cryed out Lo I have sinned and done wickedly but these Sheep what have they done Let thy hand bee against mee and my Fathers house Yet God spared him and his houshold though the principalls and punished the people only with death for this sin of his After him Solomon his son a man eminent for wisdome and piety at first apostatized to most grosse Idolatry of all sorts to please his idolatrous Wives and became a great oppressor of his people making their burthens very heavy yet his Subjects or Souldiers did neither impeach nor depose him for it and though he were the principall offendor yet God spared him for Davids sake in not taking the ten Tribes from him for these sins during his life though he rent them from his son Rhehoboam who was at most but accessory for his Fathers sins not his True it is some of the Idolatrous Kings of Israel by the just avenging hand of God were slain by private conspiracies and popular tumults in an illegall way but not deposed nor arraigned by their Sanhedrins or Generall Congregations and those who slew them were sometimes stain by others who aspired to the Crown or by the people of the Land or by their children who succeeded them and came to untimely tragicall ends 9. Though there be some Presidents of Popish States and Parliaments deposing their Popish Kings and Emperors at home and in forraign parts in an extraordinary way by power of an armed party Yet there is no president of any one Protestant Kingdom or State that did ever yet judicially depose or bring to execution any of their Kings and Princes though never so bad whether Protestants or Papists and the Protestants in France though some of their Kings when they had invested them in their Thrones became Apostates to Popery and persecuters of their people albeit they resisted them by force of arms in the field to preserve their lives did never once attempt to pull them from their Thrones or bring their persons unto Justice And I hope our Protestant Parliament will never make the first president in this kind nor stain their Honor or Religion with the blood of a Protestant King against so many Oathes Protestations Covenants Declarations and Remonstrances made and published by them to the contrary 10. For the presidents of Edward the Second and Richard the Second in times of Popery they were rather forcible resignations by power of an Army then judiciall deprivations neither of them being ever legally arraigned and brought to tryall in Parliament And Mortimer who had the chief hand in deposing King Edward the Second in the Parliament of 1 E. 3. was in the Parliament of 4 E. 3. impeached condemned and executed as a Traitor and guilty of high Treason for murthering Edward the second after he was deposed at Berkley-castle and Sir Simon Bereford together with Thomas Gurney and William Ocle were adjudged Traitors for assisting him therein one of them executed and great rewards promised to the apprehenders of the other two And as for Richard the second though he was deposed after Henry the Fourth was crowned by pretence in Parliament yet this deposition after his resignation only not before it and without any formall tryall or arraignment or any capitall judgement of death against him for which I find no president in any Parliament of England Scotland France nor yet in Denmark it self though an elective Kingdome who though they justly deposed Christiern the second for his most abominable Tyrannies and Cruelties yet they never adjudged or pâ—t him to death but only restrained him as a prisoner I shall only add this that though the elective Kingdoms of Hungary Bohemia Poland Denmark and Sweden have in their Parliaments and Diets deposed sundry of their Kings for their wickednesses and tyranny yet they never judicially condemned any one of them to death though Papists And for a Protestant Parliament to please an Army only acted by Jesuites in this particular to render both Parliament Army and our Religion too for ever execrable throughout the world and set all mens pens and hands against them to their ruine to begin such a bloody president as this upon a most false pretext of setling peace contrary to the express command of God himself who commands Christians To pray for Kings and all in authority that they may live a quiet and peaceable life under them in all godlinesse and honesty not to depose or cut of their heads as the only way to peace and settlement will not only be scandalous but monstrous The next thing they propose for a present peace and settlement it the executing of the Prince if hee come not over upon summons at a short day and give not satisfaction to the Houses or else to declare him and the Duke of York if they appear not upon summons to bee uncapable of any Trust or Government in this Kingdom or any Dominions thereunto belonging and thence to stand exiled for ever as Enemies and Traitors to die without mercy if ever taken or found therein A Jesuiticall inevitable way to civill Wars and ruine For the King being deposed and cut off the Prince no doubt is next heir to the Crown both by the common Law and the statute of 1. Iacobi cap. 1. to which I doubt a Vote or Ordinance of both Houses only will be no such legall barre in any Lawyers or Wisemans Judgement but that hee will claim his right and the generallity of the Kingdome at least ten thousand to one proclaim and embrace him for their lawfull King and assist him with their lives and fortunes both to regain and retain his right being bound by their Oath of Supremacy and Allegiance and their Solemn League and Covenant so to do And must not this of necessity beget a present lasting War in stead of a speedy setled peace undoubtedly it will But consider further that the Prince is not only Heir apparent to the Crown of England but of Scotland and Ireland too and though we reject yet undoubtedly Scotland and Ireland will readily imbrace him as their lawfull King notwithstanding any Votes of ours and will both unanimously assist him with their lives and fortunes to recover his right to the Crown of England and those two Kingdoms falling off wholly from us and proclaiming Warre against us and joining with that potent party here which certainly will appear in his behalfe out of a naturall inclination to the right undoubted Heir or hopes of favour and preferment since Plures solem orientem quam occidentem adorantur and with all his friends and allies Forces from abroad whether this wil not be an unavoidable occasion not only of a present war but of
certain destructions and desolation to this poor Kingdome and more especially to the Army and their adherents in this desperate advice who must stand or fall upon their own bottome without the least aid or contribution from any other I desire them and all others who have either eyes or brains in their heads most seriously to consider But that which makes me most of all detest this desperate advice is this That it is the only way that can be thought upon to accomplish the Popes and Jesuites designs to set up Popery and subvert the Protestant Religion and professors of it in all our three Kingdoms and in all forraign Realms beyond the Seas For if this reforming Parliament which hath pretended so much to the extirpation of Popery shall so far play the Popes and Jesuites the undoubted contrivers of this Armys New-model of our peace and settlement as to depose and behead the King his father and forever disinherit him of the Crown bring him as a Traitor to die without mercy if he come hither It wil so far provoke and exasperate him the Duke being both young and of generous spirits not throughly grounded in our Religion and under the Queens tuition and in the power of this popish party abroad who will aggravate these high affronts and injuries put upon them to the utmost and on whose protection they will be in this case necessitated to cast themselves that there is great fear and probability they will immediately renounce such a bloody and detestable Religion as shall insâ—igate us to such horrid actions and Councels and abominate all the professors of it so as totally to abandon them and turn Roman Catholicks in good earnest and then match themselves to great potent popish Alliances and by their purses forces and assistance and of the Popes and all his Catholick sonnes in Forraigne parts for the advancement of the Catholick cause and of the popish Malignants and discontented parties in England Scotland and Ireland which will questionlesse receive and assist the Prince as their Soveraign Lord and King invade our poore impoverished divided and distressed kingdom with such a power as in all humane probability would speedily over-runne and destroy this mutinous Army and the Houses too put them with their adherents to the Sword without mercy or quarter and disinherit them and their heirs for ever to revenge their Fathers blood and their dis-inherison of the Crown c. And then Popery and Prelacy will both return with greater authority power approbation then ever over-spread our whole three kingdoms and extirpate our Religion the professors of it as the most anti-Monarchical treacherous and perfidious bloody Miscreants under heaven excite all other forraign States and kingdoms to do the like to prevent the springing up of a new generation of treacherous King-killing State-subverting Agitators and Hypocritical perfidious Army-Saints and engage all Protestant kingdoms Churches and States for their own security and vindication to disclaim and declare against us This questionlesse will be the sad inevitable issue of this Jesuiticall advice if ever the Houses or Army shall put it into actuall execution and not speedily prevent it it being long since fore-plotted by the Jesuites as I shall prove anon at the beginning of the late Warre against the Scots But if the Prince and Duke be set aside I would gladly learn of these Statists who and what King they would set up Not any of the Kings posterity certainly since they dis-inherit two at a blow and the blood being corrupted by the Kings and their attainders no other heir can inherit it by descent it must escheat to the Houses or Armies disposal and become no kingdom at all but an Elective one if any And is this the next way to peace and settlement If so I have certainly lost my reason and senses too No it will be a seminary of lasting Wars of which few elective Kingdoms are long free every new election producing commonly a new Warre where there is no pretence of an hereditary succession much more where a right heir is forcibly and unjustly dis-inherited I shall give you but one instance though I could name you divers and that is a memorable one at home in our owne kingdom King Henry the first having one onely daughter Maud to reserve the Crown unto her after his death caused her to be crowned and made all the Prelates and Nobles swear to receive her as their Queen and Princesse after his decease But she marrying afterwards to the Emperour and being out of the Realme when King Henry died The Archbishop of Canterbury with the rest of the Prelates and Nobles contrary to their Oath and agreement elected Stephen Earle of Bloyes for their King and put by Maud the right heir Stephen taking an Oath to grant and confirm those Laws and Liberties for the kingdoms peace and settlement as they propounded to him before his Coronation A very likely means to settle Peace and prosperity as they imagined But was the event answerable No verily this cursed perjury and pollicy brought all the chiefe contrivers of it to great calamity and miserable ends and engendred a bloody civill Warre in the bowels of this kingdom which continued no lesse then seventeene years together with interchangeable successes till the whole kingdom was laid waste and desolate most Houses Towns and Villages burned to the ground their Gardens and Orchards quite destroyed their monies and estates exhausted and plundered their Cattle and flocks consumed and eaten up their Fields over grown with weeds in stead of Corne most of the people devoured by the Sword Famine and Pestilence and eleven hundred Castles Holds and Garrisons erected which were no other but dens of Theeves and Plunderers This was the peace and settlement this policy produced At last both Parties weary of the Wars out of pure necessity came to a Personall Treaty and in conclusion made this agreement That Stephen having no issue of his body should enjoy the Crowne during his life and Henry son and heir to Maud and next heir also to Stephen should succeed him after his death and in some sort officiate with him in the kingdoms Govenment during his life And so these long lasting Warres concluded after which there were at least eleven hundred Castles demolished by order of Parliament crected during these wars to the Countreys utter undoing But if we dis-inherit the Prince and Duke for ought I discern if they suddainly recover not their possession of the Crown of England after one seven years of Warre already elapsed we may have seventeen years more and seventeen after that again and be reduced to a more miserable condition then our Ancestors were in King Stephens dayes And that upon these two grounds First the contest then was onely between two Competitors for this one kingdom who had no other kingdoms of their own to side with them But the Prince and Duke being successively heirs as well to
Feb. 1. 1742. and May 11. 1642. and oft since That to effect this they have first standered and traduced this Parliaments proceedings both to the King and people to render them odious to both 2. Endeavoured to bring up the Northern Army to over-awe and force the Houses to act according to their dictates and interests or else for to dissolve and destroy them 3. Perswaded the King to impeach the Lord Kimbolion the five Members then to come personally with a strong armed guard to demand seiz upon their persons which was first plotted in France 4. Raised up a Rebellion of all the Papists in Ireland to destroy the Protestants there and dissolve the Parlia here against whom they have publikely declared and sent over forces to the King to assist him in this war to suppresse the Parliament by forse of armes 5. Perswaded the King many Lords Commons to desert his Houses of Parl. to dissolve destroy the Parliament and then to raise war against them in wâ—â— the Jesuits â— Papists at home and abroad have bin most active deepest engaged both in purse person they being the principle contrivers abettors somenters of this war to subvert our Religion Liber c. set up Popery tyranny 9. Plotted the seizing and apprehendig of some eminent leading Members by a confederacy and commission here in London for which Tomkins and others were executed as the Lords and Commons in their Declaration of October 22. 1642. and March 23. 1643. and humble deâ—â—â—es Feb. 1. 1642. with other Declarations since remonstrate 7. That these Jesuits and their party have obstructed diverted prevented the reliefe and supply of the Protestants in Ireland with men and mony to betroy us into the powr of the Irish Rebelâ—s and extirpate the Protestants and their Religion there All these are remonstrated cleared to al the world by near one hundred of your owne Declarations every mans reall experience All wâ—â— the army in their late proceedings have punctually persued exceeded therefore certainly are acted by the selse same counsels principles contrarily it is as evident by your own Declarations That this army all your other forces were purposely raised engaged both by Commission Oath Covenant their own solâ—mn Protestations Remonstrances To defend the Kings person in the maintenance of our Religion Lawes and Liberties to maintain the ancient Government of this Kongdome by King Lords and Commons The Right and Priviledge and Members of Parliament against all force and violence to them and the Fundamentall lawes of the Realme and to exterpate as much as in them lay all Popery idolatry error superstition schisme and what ever is contrary to sound Doctrine This ingagement they really performed in the field till all the Kings Popish and Prelaticall party in armes were utterly routed broken in peeces their garrisons reduced to the Parliament till which time the Prists Iesuits Papists joyn'd all the focre and power they could raise with the Kings forces against the houses this Army to conquer distroy them But their hopes designes being wholy frustrated by the Kings totall defeat these Jesuits their Engineers who transforme themselves into all shapes and leave no means unattempted to compasse their ends then faced about from the Kings party and secretly insinuated themselves into the Parliaments Army to mutiny and deboyst them against the Parliament and engage them to put a speedy period and dessolution to it To this end they attempt to hinder and disswade them from disbanding and going over to releive distressed Ireland according to the Houses votes and to ingage them against the houses in March Aprill and May was twelvemoneth till which time the Army had ever shewed themselves most dutifull and obedient to the Houses commands But then to divert and hinder all reliefe of the Protestaant party in Ireland then broughtlow and ready to be swallowed up when we had no need at all of above seaven or eight thousand standing forces in England where there was no visible enemy might have spared ten thousand men for Ireland who would soon have quelled the Robles Papists there These Iesuits and their popish instruments at that very instant which is very observable of porpose to preserve their party in Ireland and destroy the protestants there not only diswaded those of the Army who were ingaged and drawne off for Ireland from going thither but discouraged and inforced them to desert that service yea hindred other forces from going over for their reliefe perswading the Army that this dividing of them was but a plot of Mr. Hillis other Members to distroy them then by somenting this jealousie raising up a new order Councell of Agitators of the Army some whereof were verily suspected if not knowne to be Jesuits they caused the Army at a generall randezvous to enter into a solemeâ— engagement not to disband but to march up to London to force the the houses to alter null repeale divers Votes and ordinances they had passed published divers scandalous Declarations and Papers against their proceedings to disingage and draw off the City and Countrey from their defence impeached no lesse then eleven of their MEMBERS at once when as the KING impeached onely five demanded their present suspention from the House before any legall charge or evidence else they would march up to the Houses doores pul them out by violence as the King would have done After which they fall to seclude drive away more Members by a New ex officio proceeding enforcing them now at last to accuse themselves and draw up their owne cases in Aug. 1647 drive away most of the house by their open force high Menaces Then they set up severall Counsells of Sate in the Army and waving their demands as Soulders formerly insisted on fell to new modle the State contrary to their former ingagements to set up a New modle of Governement to put a speedy and limited time for the period of this Parliament a new more equall election of Members representatives beginning ending of Parliaments for the future receive Petitions order all matters of Church State without the Parliament who must onely ratifie and confirme their Votes fell to treat with and tender proposalls of their owne to the King without the houses privity Besids to pick a quarrell with the City of London who had first raised and were so cordiall to the Army Parliament and make a irreconcileable breach betweene the City Houses to destroy them both by degrees they caused the houses on a suddain upon a Letter from the Generall in one afternoone without having the City or giveing them the least notice of it to recall the New Ordinance for settling their Militia wherewith they being justly offended thereupon on Iuly 26. 1647. the Lord Mayor Aldermen Common-Councel
observable ushered it in with this Iesuiticall preface and these disloyall popish demands That the Capitall and grand Author of our troubles the person of the King by whse commission commands or procurement and in whose behalfe and for whose interest onely of will and power all our warres and troubles have been with all the miseries attending them may be speedily brought to Iustice for the Treason blood and mischiefe he is therein guilty of That a timely and peremptory day may beset for the Prince of Wales and Duke of York to come in and render themselves or else immediatly made uncapable of any Government or trust in this Kingdome or the Dominions thereof or of any right within the same and thenceforth to stand exiled for ever as Enemies and Traytors and to dye without mercy if ever hereafter found therein or if they render themselves then to be proceeded against for their Capitall Deliâ—quency in justice or remitted upon satisfaction given But however the land and revenue of the Crowne to be presently sequestred c. Then followes this Agreement of the People for setting some reasonable and certain period to this Parliament to be assigned as short as may be with safety to the Kingdome and publike interest thereof and for feeling the new Representative c. And because it was twice voted down in November 1648. by the house it is twice repeated and insisted on in this long-winded Iemonstrance page 14 15 16. and page 65 66 67. so much are they in love with the Iesuits Dalila that so it might now be twice confirmed and setled by the house in approving this Remonstrance Now compare this third gunpowder plot with the two former in November last to blow up King Prince Duke Lords Commons this present and all future Parliaments at one attempt to destroy the King and Parliament disinherit his royall posterity unpeer all the Lords levell them with the dust to root up them all Parliaments root and branch at once against all our Oathes our Covenats our Remonstrances our Declarations our Lawos our Protestant Religion all here devoted to ruine together as the onely safe and speedy way to settell peace and safety in Church and State to omit the horrid equivocations dispensations with oathes Covenants and Ieuiticall distinctions in that Remonstrance they are such clear visible Characters of a Jesuites pensill hand and head in this Remonstrance so abounding with their bloody disloyall Tenents parctises of killing and deposing Christian Kings who wil not do homage to their Roman Pontif blowing up Protestant Stats Kingdoms Parliaments so abhorent to al Protestant Principals Professions practises who never yet embrued their hands in nor stained their religioÌ„ with the blood of any King or actual deposition of any Protestant or Popish Pr. who was their lawful King or disinheriting of his lawful heirs or puling downe a Protestant Reforming Parliament that none but Jesuits and Jesuited Papists could possibly invent or spur on the Generall Officers and Army so violently and madly to prosecute them as they do by a subsequent high Declaration discovering a very Jesuitical spirit in the pen-man distinguishing the Memb. of the house dissenting from them in these Treasonable practises into a treasonable brach of trust usurping to themselves a power ro judge censure and exclude them and make those Members who shall confedrate with them herein though never so few materially a Parliment though formerly and essentially no Parliament at all and mooving them to depart the house and joyn with them in these Jesuiticall designes Which they have since agravated and backed by their disobedyent march to Westminster and London against our commands by force and open violence to over-awe us by our votes in Parliament to put all their treasonable Romish demands in present execution to justifie these very traiterous doctrines and practises of theirs which our Parliaments have in direct terms in sundry Acts condemned and every one of us solemnly abjured in the oath of allegiance w ch he must take immediatly before his sitting in the house without taking wherof he neither is nor can be enabled to sit as a Member I shall further offer this to your consideration that as soon as ever this Agreement of the people was suppressed in Novem. 1647. and the king perswaded to reject the propositions tendred him by both Houses by some officers in the army of purpose to treat on their proposals The agitators Jesuits in the army opposed these Proposals and threating to offer some violence to the Kings person caused him secretly to withdraw himself from Hampton Court into the Isle of Wight where they shut him up close prisoner without the Houses privity which done they caused their confederates when most of the Members were sent into the Country to disband the supernumeâ—aries to passe a vote in the Commons house to make no more addresses to the King not to set him aside as they then professed to many dissenting members but only to induce the K. to seck first to them without which protestation they had never caried this vote which passed most of the Membrs departing the 2. ensuing Votes were set on foot passed at an unseasonable hour gotten by surprize The very next morning there came a Declaration from Sir Thomas Fairfax and the Gen Councell of the Army Ian. 11. 1647. signifying their resolutions to adhere to the Houses for settling and securing the parliament and kingdom without the King and against him or any other that shall hereafter pertake with him But the Lgrds sticking at these Votes there was a regement or two of foot sent from the Army to garrison White hall and a regiment of horse bilited in the Mues to fright and force the Lords to a Concurrence And some few dayes after a Book written by Dolman alyas Parsons the Jesuite against King Iames his Title to the Crown and concerning the lawfulnesse of Subjects Parliaments deposing chastising of their Kings for their misgouernment the good prosperous secceesse that God commonly hath given to the same printed out of Dolmans own printed Copy verbatim except the word Parliament added to it now and then was published to the world with this Title Severall Speeches delivered at a conference concerning the power of Parliaments to procéed against their King for misgovernment which Book with this false new title published at this season intemated to the world that this discourse of a lesuite for which he was condemned of high treason was nothing else but speeches mad by some Members of the Commons house at a conference with the Lords The highest dishonour affront ever put upon a protestant Parliament to have the book and doctrine of a lesuit thus falsly fathered on them of which though I may self and others complained there was nothing done to vindicate the houses from this grosse imputation And about the same time there was another book
intituled Royal tyranny discovered Discovering the tiranny of the Kings of England from William the invader and robber Tyrant alias the Conqueror to this present King Charles who is plainly proved to be worse and more tyrannicall then any of his predecessors and deserves a more severe punishment from the hands of this present Parliament then either of the dethroned Kings Ed. 2 or Rich. 2. had from former Parliaments which they are bound by duty and Oath without equivocation or collution to inflict upon him he being the greatest delinquent in the three kingdoms and the head of the rest so the title In the Table there are these passages amongst others Charles Steward guilty of this treason p. 92 93 94 95 97. C. R Charls Rex Ought to be executed p. 57. where the houses are not only pressed to depose and execute him but his execution in their neglect foretold that in An exemplary manner in dispite of all his protectors and defendors Which Iesuitical books and counsels published at that instant discovered clearly to my apprehension their votes for laying the King then aside the deposing executing of him to be then intended only interrupted by the Scots invasion the last summers commotion occasioned by those votes of Non addresses and the forceing on of them then now by the army with the violence they use to be no other but a very plot and project of the Iesuits to ruine and distroy the King and us I shall only add to this what I manifested but now that it was the Iesuits plot when they engaged and assisted the King in his warre against the Scots to dash the protestants in both nations in peeces one against another so be masters of both kingdoms extirpate our religion in both and that if the King consented not to grant them a generall free exercise of their religion throughout all his realms Dominions or did but sticke at it that then they would presently poyson dispatch him possesse themselves of the Prince next heire to the Crowne then by flattery or menaces draw him to their Religion match him to a Papist and then all three Kingdomes would soon turn Papists and all Protestants be murthered or burnt for Heretiques Now these Papists and Iesuits understanding that the King beyond contrary to their expectatioÌ„ bath granted all or most of our Propositions in the Isle of Wight and fully condescended to five New bills for the extirpation of Masse Popery and Popish innovations out of his Dominions and putting all Lawes in execution against them and for a speedier discovery and conviction of them then formerly and that their good friends and Confederats our Arch-Bishops Bishops Deans and Chapters and other branches of the hierarchy are tobe wholly routted out both in England and Ireland so as they are never likely to have any more footing in them againe after all their late warres charges hazards plots and designes to set up their Catholique Religion party are so inraged with the King so inexorably incensed against him both at home abroad as I am credibly informed that now they are mad against him thirst for nothing but his blood which they think they cannot advantagiously effectually accomplish but by engaging the Army to dessolve the Treaty force the Parliament in case they vote his answers satisfactory and then by themselvs are a confederate party in the House to depose cut off his head Which done the Prince being now beyond Seas in their power destitute of his hopes of succession to this Crown banished and declared a Traitor and to dye without mercy if he returne hither to lose his head as well as his father upon such high affronts put upon his Father himself that by a Protestant Parliament Army of Saints will be so inraged against all professors of our religion that he will probably professe himself a Roman Catholique and his brother too match with a Catholique Princes then ingage all the Papists in forraign parts England Scotland and Ireland to unite their forces purses councels by way of revenge to cut all the Protestants throats in all three Kingdomes who have adhered to the Parliament and hew the Army it selfe in peeces when they have thus accomplished their designes which will render them and the Parliament execrable and infamous to all posterity and then farewell all Parliaments and our Protestant religion for ever not onely here but throughout all Christendome where the Popish Princes will presently massacre the Protestants lest they should fill to the like perfidious practises This I am most confident is their designe by what I have met with in their papers and in the Jesuit Conâ—zens politiques and others who have chalked out a way by degrees insensibly to crue Popery into any Protestant Church by those very steps which our Prelates followed who were directed by them and to alter and subvert any Protestant State and Kingdom by this new modelling of them into such a popular Anarchy as is now suggested and presented in the Armies Remonstrance This I am assured will be the unavoydable desperate and deplorable issue if we comply with them and the Army in it unlesse God in his infinite mercy shal hold off their hands and turn their hearts from prosecuting their present designes I shall onely adde one thing more and so conclude That many of the Agitators and Armies papers especially Putney projects and some late Declarations savour of a Iesuites stile or spirit That I have been credibly informed that not onely Gifford a Jesuite was one of the Generals own Life-gard and a very active man in the Army but one Thomas Budds alias Peto the last Popish Priest condemned at Newgate was a Trooper in this Army and by influence of some great Officers in it obtained a Reprieve instead of an Execution That the Papists beyond Seas wish very well to the Army iu whom now is their chiefest hopes and that the Iesuits Cels and Colleges in forraign parts are of late very empty that many Popish Priests and Iesuits are now in England not saying Masse crying up the Pope and Popish Tenents as heretofore that were to grosse and they easily discovered but using all manner of mechanick Trades preaching in private corners as Sectaries Anabaptists Seekers broachers of new Light or as gifted brethren that many of them are turned Troopers Agitators if not some of them Officers in the Army or at leastwise have so insinuated themselves into the leading Officers there who are much taken with their parts their new Designs Tenents to alter unsettle States that they have as powerfull an influence now upon the Armies Couâ—cels Officers as formerly they had upon the King and his Councels and have now thus deeply ingaged them beyond all expectation to accomplish these Iesuiticall designes of theirs to depose and destry the Kingâ— dissolve this Parliament subvert our Magistracy Ministry Religion Lawes
without reasons to back them being no wayes satisfactory to any man 20 December 1648. Col. Bosvill Lord Gray Peregrine Pelham Col. Jones Col. Temple Col. Ven Sir Tho. Malivory Sir John Bouchier Col. Peter Temple Humphry Edwards whose elect is void Mr. Tho. Challoner Sir Gregory Norton Michael Oldesworth Augustin Garland Sir Iohn Danvers Mr. Dove Mr. Hen. Smith Mr. Fry whose election is long since voted void Mr. Serle Nicholas Love Iohn Lisle Col. Rigby Cornelius Holland Col. Ludlow Gregory Clement Col. Puretoy Col. Stapely Mr. Dunch Mr. Cawley Col. Downes John Carey John Blackstone Thomas Scot December 21 Col. Hutchinson Sir Henry Mildmay Sir Jam. Harrington 25 Decemb. Col. Edward Harvey Alderman Pennington Alderman Atkin Dan. Blagrave voted out of the house Colonel Moor Gilbert Millington In a Letter from Paris writ by an Independent Agent there to an Independent Member of the House of Commons a great friend of the Armies dated Paris Nov. 28. 1648 there is this passage I am fallen into the acquaintance of three or four Catholicks of great ingenuity and in their way of much Religion undoubtedly it is an errour to look at all Papists through the same prospective for they are more to be differenced then English Protestants can be I finde their opinion of and dependance upon the Pope little or nothing what we imagined it to be and better principled To make Members of a free Common-wealth then the most English Their opposition to the King is not to be reconciled Their hopes now are upon the Army to whom they wish all prosperity as to the setling of a Representative being extremely distasted with Regal hereditary Power through the world This Letter compared with the close of the fore going Speech the Armies late force upon both Houses and their Members to dissolve them their imprisoning and removing the King to bring him to tryall their voting at their generall Councel of War at White-hall the 23 of December last carryed by two voyces That all Papists should have free liberty and toleration of conscience and all Sequestrations and forfeitures as Papists only taken off Their earnest prosecution of the new Jesuiticall Representative to divide the whole kingdom into bloudy feuds and factions to destroy one another and make way for the common forraign Popish Enemies to invade and conquer us in our present low condition without any opposition and lose Ireland past all recovery their casting of the eminent imprisoned Members into hell it self in highest contempt and scorn their setting up a new Parliament of State and a Convocation too at White-hall as the supreme Councel to vote settle and determine all affairs of Church and State and new mould the whole Government of this Kingdom with the Petition of Robert de Luke to the General within these few dayes for him and his fellow-Messengers authorized by the State to apprehend Priests and Jesuits for his Warrant to apprehend the Jesuits and Priests in his Army and Quarters without any Officers disturbance where they have discovered many of them since their march to London their present complyance with Sir Iohn Winter the archest Jesuited Papist a person excepted in the Propositions and using him and Sir Toby Matthews that pragmaticall Jesuite to draw Owen Roh Oneal and the bloody Popish Rebels in Ireland to joyn with them against Monarchy and the Princes Title with their late extraordinary favours to Priests and Papists of which they boast the repealing of the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegeance made principally against the Pope Papists and their Jesuiticall Usurpations Innovations and Antimonarchicall practices of excommunicating deposing dis-inheriting and murthering our Protestant Princes and their manifold Treasons Conspiracies and attempts upon their Persons Crowns and Kingdoms Their late illegal and treasonable murthering and beheading of the King and the late Petition of the Army that all imprisoned for their conscience or Religion may be released extending unto Popish Priests and Jesuits and purposely intended for their benefit there being none else but such restrained and but few of them And their present actings are a cleer evidence to every rational mans conscience that all the Armies present councels designes force and proceedings against the King Prince Parliament Members and their new pretended Representative are but the Jesuits and Roman Catholicks Brats Impostures and undermining Projects to accomplish their own ends and that they have already got the greatest sway in all their consultations and proceedings of purpose to work our speedy ruine if the Officers and Army will neither timely discern nor repent of it and be no longer spurred on and ridden with a full career by these Jesuiticall Furies who fear a discovery ere they have completed their work and therefore make such post haste to accomplish it by the Armies present distempers uncapable yet of better councel or timely informations to recall them from their own approaching speedy ruine their ears being so deafned and their brains so intoxicated with their Jesuiticall Enchantments which all the Kingdom and world will now clearly discover and I hope the Officers and Army will do so too by this discovery of them and thereupon repent of all their violence and late proceedings at which the Papists at ROME and in forraign parts do much rejoyce and triumph I shall close up all with these words of both Houses of Parliament in their Ordinance of the 1 of April 1643 That nothing but RUINE AND DESOLATION CAN BE EXPECTED unlesse God in mercy prevent it and incline his Majesties heart to the faithfull advice of his great Councel of Parliament as now he hath done in this Treaty which hath ever been and is under God the chief support of his royall Dignity and the security of all we have or can enjoy FINIS a Iohn Goodwin Right and might well met The Moderate A word to M. William Prynne a Libellous empty New-nothing b The humble Answer of the Generall Councell of Officers of the Army c. Ian. 3. 1648. h Rev. 2. 10. i A Collection c. pag. 224 425 599 623 694â— 705 227 267 300 380 464 537 686 Appendix p. 4. 23. Exact Collection p. 35. to 42. k Exact Collection p. 18 200 c. A Collection p. 705. l Exact Collection p. 35. to 40. 48 to 57 215 to 232 c m A collection p. 201 c. n The Generalls Letters from Bedford Iuly 30 1 647. and his and the Armies Remonâ—â—rance August 18. â—c 4. o See Exact câ—llect â—ons And a Collâ—â—câ—ctiâ—on of al orders c. passim And the At 〈◊〉 p The humble Answer c. Ian. 3 1648. p. 2. q The humole Answer p. 9. r 2 Per. 2. 11. Iude. 9. s Luke 6 22. t Psal. 37. 6. u I Per 1. 17. Rev. 20. 13. x Heba 4.13 Y The humble answer p. 2. z 1 Sam. 6 14. 15. 19. 20. a 1 Sam. 15. 13. 14. c. c. 13. 68 to 15. b 1 Chron. 13 9. 10. c Matth 6. 7. c.
fine or imprison without any indictment or legall tryall by Jury or Verdict according to Magna Charta and the common-Common-Law Therefore your bringing Delinquents to punishment for Life and Estates which in the first branch of this Proposition must be intended only of a just and Legall TRYALL as your selves have alwayes professed not by a new Law in the post And if so then the King in case you will not rest satisfied with the seven excepted persons banishment is content to leave them to your Justice even for Life and Estate according to the known Laws of the Realm and will no wayes interrupt your proceedings therein nor pardon them Therefore in this he fully consents to the Proposition But it hath been objected First that the King denyes to yeeld them up to Justice or to have any hand in their prosecution and therefore his Answer is unsatisfactory Secondly That this expression That he caâ— neither in Iustice nor honour consent to any Act for to take away their Lives or Estates is as high a justification of them and his own cause as possible and contradictory to the first Proposition and declares the Kings heart to be still in the same and unchanged To which I Answer First both these are so grosse mistakes and inconsequences that I wonder how any intelligent man can insist upon them For first the King in positives terms if you will not accept of their banishment yeelds them up to a Legall tryall in which himself must be the Prosecutor the Indictment being in his name the prosecution at his suit by his Counsell at Law and the Witnesses produced on his behalf as all men know who understands what belongs to a Legall tryall Therefore to infer from the Kings Answer that he disclaims all prosecution of them is direct contradiction and falsehood Secondly the Kings very condesconsion to their banishment and forfeiture of their Estates for adhering to his Cause and putting them upon their legall tryall is an express disavowing of his own cause as just and an acknowledgment of its badnesse and illegality and if the Parliament should yeeld up those who have acted for and adhered to them to banishment confiscation of Estate and legall tryall for their lives I am certain the Objectors themselves would protest that therein they had betrayed their righteous Cause and deserted their best affected friends Thirdly Expressum facit cessare tacitum the King having in direct terms justified your Cause and War as just in the first Proposition acknowledged those persons exempted in this and treated for under the very name notion of Delinquents to be such in this very Proposition and consented to their banishment and losse of Estate cannot without apparcht absundity be averred to justifie them and their Cause in this his Answer which yeelds them up to the strictest legall Justice as Delinquents 5ly Those words of the King so much excepted against that he can neither in honour nor justice consent to any act to take away their lives who have acted any thing by his command used and intended by him only in relation to his regall consent to a new Law to condemn them ex post facto where there was no Law before are so farre from any exception that for my part I should have held him neither just nor honourable had he omitted this expression For can it be just or honourable for a King to engage men in his service by special Commission or Command when there is no known Law to make their obedience criminall and yet afterwards to give his Royal consent to a subsequent Law to take away their lives forfeit their estates for obeying his own Royall commands Suppose we were now in the Kings condition and he in ours and he should press you to consent to a new Law to make all those who have acted for you and by your Commission in this war Traytors and to lose their lives and estates for it when there was no former Law to punish them would you not all give the self same answer as he doth that you could neither in honor nor justice nor yet in point of conscience consent to such a Law and would not your selves and all other protest you had neither justice nor honesty in you should you be so base and persidious as to condescend unto it to betray all those you had engaged and to give them such a requitall for their services Would any person ever after honor serve or trust you should you do it or could you or any other honor trust or serve the K. in any dubious imployment after this if he should thus unworthily ex post facto betray his own party now This answer therefore of his clearly discovers to us that there is yet so much justice and honor in him as by no fear or danger to consent to such an unjust and unworthy Act as by a new Law to cut off the heads of those himself engaged in his service when there was no Law extant then to do it makes it more satisfactory unto me then otherwise and shews he doth not dissemble but is reall in his answers and I shall sooner trust and beleeve him now then if he had consented to such an unworthy act 6ly This answer is both just and honorable because if the King should assent to a new Act to forfeit their lives and Estates he should condemne them rashly and unjustly without hearing their defence or evidence And for the King to condemn any for Traytors by a Bil without hearing the cause or evidence against them or to make men Traytors by a law subsequent to their offences is neither just nor honorable in every just mans judgment and of very dangerous president as Sir Edw. Cook informs us the Lord Cromwell the inventer of such Acts of Attainder being the first that lost his head by this new invention All which considered there is no rationall man but must conclude the Kings Answer unto this branch touching Delinquents to be fully satisfactory even to your own demands as well in words as substance notwithstanding the Objections against it But admit the answer as bad as any have made it shall we therefore conclude it so unsatisfactory as to break off the Treaty upon it and involve the Kingdom in another War of which no man can know the end or issue God forbid we should ever be so unadvised The persons whose lives you desire for a Sacrifice to publick Justice are but seven in number fix of them out of your power in forraign parts where a new war will not reach them the 7th an aged man who may chance to dye before judgment or execution pass against him you have all their whole estates at your disposal already and their persons too by way of banishment during both Houses pleasure And will you adventure another seven years war and the losse perchance of seventy thousand mens lives and as many millions of Treasure to the ruine
Liberties Government and establish their Vtopian New modale of confusion in lieu of Parliaments and regall power thereby to accomplish that now which all their Popish conspiracies armies and confederates from the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reign could never yet effect by all their treachery policy power and how farre they have proceeded and engaged the Army and Officers unwillingly in it out of honest intentions we all now sadly behold to our great amazement even in this instant of time when Ireland is in such eminent danger of being utterly lost to â—eep off all Supplies from thence I beseech you Mr. Speaker let us all lay this speedily to our hearts and goe about to prevent it ere it be too late If we Vote the Kings Answer now unsatisfactory and so breake off the Treaty with him our onely means of peace and settlement we have all our hopes and all these large concessions which the King hath granted both for our present and future security our Monarchy Magistracy Ministry Parliaments Laws Liberties Kingdoms and that which is dearest to us our Religion also endangered yea lost at once and such a certain foundation laid to carry on all these Iesuiticall designes I have here discovered and that by authority of this House as will staine the honor of this most glorious and renowned Parliam to all Posterity and put a dishonorable speedy period to this and all future Parliam for ever But if we Vote it so far satisfactory as I have stated it and humbly conceive proved it substantially to every rationall mans understanding conscience as that we may lay present hold upon it and proceed therein without delay to turn all the Kings ConcessioÌ„s into Bils which I have for the most part already drawn and get the Kings Royall assent unto them I doubt not but by Gods blessing on our endeavours we may before this Month be ended settle such a firme and well grounded Peace between the King all his People and kingdom upon such honorable safe and advantagious terms for the Publick interest such strong securities as no State or Kingdome ever yet enjoyed the like since the Creation And therefore Mr. Speaker upon this long and tedious debate for which I must humbly begge pardon of the House being a businesse of such infinite concernment to our present weale or ruine I must and doe conclude That the Kings Answers to the Propositions of both Houses are so farre Satisfactory at the least as that this House may upon safe and firme grounds and great advantages forthwith accept of and immediately proceed upon them to the speedy settlement of the Peace of the Kingdome and are bound both in honour prudence justice and Conscience so to doe to preserve themselves our three Kingdomes and the Army too from perpetuall bloody wars and inevitable impendent desolation and confusion FINIS AN APPENDIX For the Kingdoms better satisfaction of some occurrences since this SPEECH THis Speech uttered with much pathetique seriousnesse and heard with great attention gave such a generall satisfaction to the House that many Members formerly of a contrary opinion professed they were both convinced and converted others who were dubious in the point of satisfaction that they were now fully confirmed most of different opinion put to a stand and the Majority of the House declared both by their cheerfull Countenances and Speeches the Speaker going into the withdrawing Room to refresh himself so soon as the Speech was ended that they were abundantly satisfied by what had been thus spoken After which the Speaker resuming the Chair this Speech was Seconded by many able Gentlemen and the debate continuing Saturday and all Munday and Munday night till about nine of the Clock on Tuesday morning and 244 Members staying quite out to the end though the House doores were not shut up a thing never seen or known before in Parliament the question was at last put and notwithstanding the Generals and whole Armies march to Westminster and Menaces against the Members in case they Voted for the Treaty and did not utterly eject it as unsatisfactory carryed in the affirmative by 140 Voyces with the four Tellers against 104 that the question should be put and then without any division of the House it was Resolved on the question That the Answers of the King to the Propositions of both Houses are a ground for the House to proceed upon for the settlement of the Peace of the Kingdom And to give the General Officers and Soldiers satisfaction and keep a fair correspondency between the house and them they so far condescended as likewise further to vote at the same time That Mr. Peirpoint Sir John Evelyn of Wilts Mr. Solicitor Col. Birch M. Ashurst Sir Thomas Witherington and Mr. Maynard are appointed to repair to the head-quarters this afternoon to confer with the Lord General and his Officers to keep a Right understanding and a good correspondency between the House and the General and the Army Which done the House who sat up all the day and night before adjourned until Wensday morning At which time the General and Officers of the Army highly displeased with the vote and those Members who assented to it sent two or three whole Regiments of Foot and Horse to Westminster set a strong guard at the Houses doors in the lobby stairs and at every passage leading towards the house admitting none but Parliament men themselves to enter into Westminster-Hall or the back stairs leading to the Court of Requests and excluding their servants who attended them Col. Pride Col. Hewson and Sir Hardress Waller seized upon divers Members of the Commons house some at the House doors other in the Lobby others on the stairs near the House without any warrant or reason alleadged but their sword and power as they were going to sit and discharge their duties Among others Col. Pride seized upon Mr. Prynne going up the stairs next the house and told him Mr. Prynne you must not go into the House but must go along with me M. Prynne returned this answer That he was a Member of the House and was going into it to discharge his duty from which no man should or ought to hinder him whether he would go and he should not keep him back and thereupon thrust up a step or two more Whereupon Pride thrusting him down before and Sir Hardress Waller and others laying hands on and pulling him down forcibly behind to the Court of Requests great door Mr. Prynne thereupon demanded by what Authority and Commission and for what cause they did thus violently seize on and pull him from the house to which Pride and Waller shewing him their armed Souldiers standing round about him with swords muskets and matches lighted told him that there was their Commission to which Mr. Pryme answered that they were no legal commission nor cause for them to seize upon him being a Member and openly protested that it was an high breach of the Priviledges of