THE LOYALTY OF THE LAST Long Parliament OR A LETTER TO AN English Gentleman AT FLORENCE SHEWING That the late Parliaments Address'd against did not so much Intrench on the PREROGATIVE as that of XVIII YEARS Continuance of whom His Majesty said NEVER any KING was so happy in a House of Commons as I in this King's ANSWER 20 Febr. 1663. LONDON Printed for Francis Smith Senior 1681. THE LOYALTY OF THE LAST Long Parliament And their APPROVERS In a LETTER to an English Gentleman at Florence SIR I Received yours of Sept. 1. Stilo Novo wherein you are pleased to discover to me your Sentiments concerning the state of the Parties among us and the division of Minds about publick Affairs whence I readily perceive how obnoxious you that live in Popish Countries are to Mis-informations and False-conceptions of the state of your own Country For whilst you take your Measures either from publick Prints or private Letters written either by the Popish or Yorkian Party and such are all that are brought over and entertain'd by the Men of Intelligence where you are You are altogether as unable to give a right Judgment as he that determines a Cause having heard only one Party Hence it is you imagine that we here are now again divided in our Minds and Actings relating to Government just as we were forty years ago and that they are the same Men or those that succeed in the same Principles that are now prosecuting the same Ends even the alteration of Government both in Church and State and instead of Episcopacy and Monarchy to introduce Presbytery and Democracy Indeed it cannot be wonder'd that you who have liv'd so many years out of your own Country amongst strangers should harbour such conceits when even here where men have such plentiful means of true Information the Popish and Mercenary Agents working upon Prejudice in some Malice Envy and Revenge in others Jealousie in one sort and affectation of Prudence in another Prevail with many to forget Coleman's Letters Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's Murder and the Tryal of my Lord Stafford much more the dreadful Burning of London the the two Armies one of 73 the other of 78. The Declaration of Indulgence the Popish Designs of Clifford the Impeachment of Danby and the Popish Lords by divers Parliaments the many Sham-plots especially that discover'd by Dangerfield or the Meal-tub Plot the Subornation of Witnesses to take away the Life of the Duke of Buckingham and Dr. Oates by odious Accusations the Assassination of Justice Arnold and Attempts to corrupt Bedlow and others not to speak of the Tryal and Judgment given and executed upon Coleman and upon Godfrey's Murderers and upon the Jesuits and many other things which demonstratively prove the Plot of introducing Popery and Slavery into these Nations or in Coleman's own phrase Of utter subduing a pestilent Heresie c. And according to my Lord D. of Governing without a Parliament It cannot be wonder'd at I say that such as you should falsly conceive of the State of these Kingdoms But if you will have the patience to look a little back upon some few things that are past and compare them with things present you will easily perceive that it is not some factious men of Commonwealth Principles nor the Clamours of Non-conformists against Popery and Arbitrariness that forms the discontented and agrieved People among us but it is in truth the old and loyal Friends of the KING RELIGION and GOVERNMENT of England such as assisted His Majesty and his Royal Father in their Wars and Councels and the Successors and Adherents of such who constitute the Bulk of the substantial Men and Protestants in the Nation with whom the Dissenters joyn and fall in These are the men who for these nine or ten years last past have seen and set themselves against the Popish and Arbitrary Designs carried on by Cabal Councels and Parasites Indeed the Discovery of the horrid Popish Plot and Treasons did open the eyes of many who would not see these mischievous Designs till they had a Meridian Light That this is the Naked Truth will appear plainly to you if you consider with what earnest desire joy and applause His Majestry was restored to his Crown was ever any people so transported with Joy and Triumph as the people of England Insomuch that even those who where obnoxious to and suffered Capital Punishments afterwards were lull'd into a hope of Impunity by the universal Congratulation Then as soon as might be was the King 's Long Parliament call'd whilst the people was in this passion and they chose to be sure those especially whom they apprehended most grateful to the King and his Prerogative and most averse to the Principles and Practices of foregoing times This appear'd in all the Votes Addresses and Bills of that Parliament for many years wherein they set themselves with all their skill to assert the King's Power and Authority against Parliamentary Pretensions and had almost rais'd his Revenue to such a prodigious height that he should never need Supplies from his People They were so fully addicted to please the King that he Answ 20 Feâ— 1663. says Never any King was so happy in a House of Commons as He in this And surely he judg'd aright concerning them if the King's happiness consist in the Parliaments Concurrence with Cabinet Dictates Notwithstanding the Gentlemen of this House began after the dreadful Burning of London which to a Committee of their House was prov'd by many shrewd Evidences to be done by contrivance of the Papists to make Addresses against the Papists to repress their Insolencies But in the Year 1672 after the Plotters had procur'd the Exchequer to be shut up and the Properties of many Thousands of the People in it and that the Tripple League which cost the people so great Sums of Money in favour of it was dissolv'd and a War against Holland in Conjunction with France was commenc'd and the penal Laws against Papists and Dissenters dispenc'd with by Declaration the Commons in Parliament saw clearly which way they were driving and therefore as soon as they were permitted to sit Addrest the King against that Declaration of Indulgence informing Him That penal Statutes in matters Ecclesiastical cannot be suspended but by Act of Parliament And though â—â—br 4. â—672 His Majesty tell them in answer That they question His Power in Ecclesiasticks which he finds not done in the Reign of any of his Ancestors Yet they reply That his Majesty hath been very much misinformed since no such Power was ever claim'd or exercis'd by any of his Predecessors In fine His Majesty was induced to cancel that Declaration and declare it should be no President for the future Hereupon I would gladly ask our Boasters of Loyalty and Exclaimers against the late Parliaments excepting open and secret Papists for whose Interest this Indulgence was procur'd whether they approv'd of what the King did or of what the Parliament did in this
stand upon his justification and put himself upon his Tryal but pleads his Majesties pardon thereby implicitely confessing his guilt And that is of the highest nature that can be no less then subverting the antient and well established Form of Government in this Kingdom and introducing an Arbitrary and Tyranical way of Government But that which is more to my purpose is the consideration of the persons that exhibit this charge I have told you already who they were such a House of Commons so Loyal so oblig'd in Interest and Affections to Prerogative so abominating all Principles and pretences against it or that may seek to intrench upon it as never can a better on that account be expected in England now if this House find such horrid Crimes in Court-councellors And if the three Parliaments we have had since have but proceeded in the same Methods which this Parliament took and led them into then the inference from these Premises are very Obvious as 1. That the Court is in the Opinion of the Kings best Subjects and Friends liable to be abus'd by not only ill and hurtfull but by treasonous and destructive Councels 2. That which is the thing I under took to shew you not only the best the wisest the loyalest but the Body of the Nation is of this mind and will ever be so as there is great reason to conclude 3 That they who would perswade His Majesty and the People that the actions of the late Parliament which are but the same or of the very same Nature with those of this Long Parliament are irrugelar factious seditious injurious to the Kings Prerogative and the Government do in plain consequence find fault with the constitution of the Government and legislative Power of England by King Lords and Commons and desire and endeavour the subverting of it That the Body of the People the loyalest and most substantial part of the Nation is thus minded and will in reason alwaies be so appears from the Nature of the Long Parliament and the continuance of it and the Successors of it For that Parliament continued about 18 years and we have had three since in these 3 years and all agreeing in the same Councels in opposition to Court Councels and actings Now if the People can never be expected in any circumstances to be better inclin'd to chuse a Prerogative Parliament than they were at the choice of that and that the Parliaments since have been of the same temper and judgment and this for 21 years 3 lives of single persons how can it be imagin'd we should ever have a more Prerogative Parliament And then my third Inference follows that they who Inveigh against these Parliaments do in true construction inveigh against the constitution of Parliaments in England and desires the Subversion of the Government For if all the Individuals be naught the Species must needs be naught which subsists in these Individuals If all Parliaments that have been these threescore years have been in these mens Opinion seditious and injurious to the Kings Rights and are ever like to be so surely there ought to be a Reformation for injury ought not to be done to the Kings Rights and there remains no way to remedy this but the alteration of the antient English constitution and either to throw off Parliaments wholly or to reduce them to the present State of the French Parliaments that they may not dare to oppose or not to affirm and ratifie every of the Kings Edicts or according to the Scoth Oracle Duke Lauderdale That the Kings Edicts are not only equal to Laws but ought to be obeyed in the first place Now I hope Sir you cannot imagine that the Body of the People can be weary of their Old English Government or that any but such as I spoke of at first persons obxnoious to the Justice of Parliaments their Friends and Favourers Deputies the envious and revengeful Papists or indifferent to any Religion or those that hate all that are not of their minds or whose Interest it is to desire a French Government together with some dull Spirits that think it the only way to peace and quietness yield up all to Court-councels of what kind so ever such as these are the Party the Faction the Clamorers against the late Parliaments and in them against all English Parliaments whatsoever Here Sir I that to have concluded having in my Opinion said enough to shew that the present Lovers of Parliament Councels are both the greatest part or body of the Kingdom which appears from their choice of Representatives for the Commons in Parliament do best speak the Voice of the people and also the most loyal and true Lovers of His Majesty and the English Government but I crave your leave to add some more things that occur to my mind in reference to this matter And you may remember if at least you were then in England that in the Year 75. there was a great Contest between the Lords House and the House of Commons about Priviledges insomuch that the Lords enter'd into a Debate and put the Question Whether they should Petition His Majesty to dissolve that Parliament and call a new one which had been carried in the Affirmative if they had decided it by the greater number of Lords then present at the Debate but they but they call'd in the Aid of Voices by Proxy and so concluded it Negatively thereupon the affirming Lords make Protestation against it and give their Reasons which Reasons and many other Objections against the continuance of that Parliament were answered in a Pamphlet intituled A Packet of Advices to the Men of Shaftsbury which tho' it was written by a mercenary Pen yet there 's no doubt that I ever heard of it's being written at the Instigation of the then Lord Treasurer and contains as high praises of that Parliament as can be given I 'le instance but in one or two passages pa. 15. A Parliament saith that Author which hath had the honour to re-settle the Crown and Kingdom after it had by a wonderful hand of God been but newly rescu'd out of the ruines of a late Rebellion a Parliament that hath done perhaps more for the preservation of this well-temper'd Monarchy than many other of the best Parliaments put together ever did before and I may boldly say because it can be prov'd by Instances of Fact that they have done more towards the containing of Monarchy Power in its just bounds than any Parliament ever did that may be counted to have been the most popular and publick hearted And p. 56. the generality of this House of Commons are known to be men of the best Quality and of Estates and of the best Vnderstanding they understand what the true Interest of the Crown is and as they have ever been so they still are right and firm to it and the Government This was the Earl of D. judgment of this House in those days but when they came to
Affair If of the Declaration then they had the Presbyterians and Dissenters in Generall on their sides owning the Prerogative by taking Licences for exerciseing Worship and Religion contrary to Law if they did not approve of the Declaration but of the Address then let them acknowledge that at this turn the Dissenters were more Loyall as they call it and greater Adorers of Prerogative then themselves and that it is not the King's Prerogative which these love but their own Malignity and the Prerogative for the sake of that so that if the King should use his Prerogative contrary to their minds they would be as much against it as now they are for it Judge they as they will concerning it it 's a plain Case that the Parliament which sprang out of the most Ardent Affection that ever was in a People towards their Prince and out of the greatest Detestation of Republican Principles yet resolv'd that the King was deceiv'd by his Cabal Councillors in a matter which in the direct consequence of it tended to the interrupting the free course of the Laws and altering the Legislative Power And since the discovery of Coleman's Letters I think there 's none doubts but that Indulgence was the effect of Popish Councils and the Papists were the Persons who designed the greatest advantage to their cause by it If any Favour was intended for Dissenters by it it 's strange that His Majesty should not pass a Bill for Nulling of the Rigorous Act of the thirty five of Queen Elizabeth when it had already past both Houses of Parliament In the same Session of Parliament it was that the Parliament pass'd a Bill for imposing a Test against Popery upon all that should bear any Office Civil or Military in the Kingdom which the Duke of York submitting to had his Commission of High Admiral vacated but his Advice and Influence still vigorous By this means also my Lord Clifford was discover'd to be Popish and quitted his High Office of Lord Treasurer and great Minister of State Was it not high time for those in Parliament that had any love to their Religion and Government to look about ' em Or was it sawcily done for the Parliament to concern themselves with the King's Councellors and find fault with their managment Nay they proceeded so far in the next Session as to Address against the consummation of the Marriage between his Royal Highness and the Dutches of Modena which was already done by Proxy because she was a Papist And after they had receiv'd one Answer from his Majesty in this matter The Commons in Parliament proceed to give their reasons against it praying him to relieve his Subjects from those fears and apprehensions which at present they lie under from the Progress made in that Treaty That for another Age at the least this Kingdom will be under continual Apprehensions of the GROWTH of POPERY And the danger of the Octo. 31. 1673. Protestant Religion Here we see that the language of fears and apprehensions of the Growth of Popery and danger of Protestantism is as well the language of the King 's happiest Parliament that ever was as of the unhappiest Parliament of Forty One Three days after this they Address to his Majesty for a General Fast and that upon these Grounds viz. Being passionately sensible of the Calamitous condition of this Kingdom not only by reason of the War which was then mannaged against the Dutch wherein it is at present involved but many other intestine differences and divisions amongst us which are chiefly occasioned by the undermining contrivances of Popish Recusants whose numbers and insolencies are greatly of late increased and whose restless practises threaten a Subversion both of Church and State What is the difference now between this Seventy Three Parliament and that of Forty One Feb. 7. Following they shew there resentment of the Black-heath Army and resolve That the continuing of any standing forces in this Nation other than the Militia is a great grievance and vexation to the People What This Loyal Parliament talk of grievances and vexation to the People in the King's management of his Prerogative This House of Commons as well as some that have been since take upon them to pray the King to remove some of his Great Councellors from his Presence and their Publick Imployments But their Address against Duke Lauderdale Feb. 23. 75. is very remarkable both for the matter and language of it for thus they say Though we have great cause to rest assured of the continuance of your Majesties Gracious Disposition towards us yet we find upon a serious examination of the State of this Kingdom that there is a great jealousie arisen from some State-proceedings in the Hearts of your Subjects That some Persons in great imployment under your Majesty have fomented designs contrary to the Interest of your Majesty and People intending to deprive us of our antient Rights and Liberties that thereby they might the more easily introduce the Popish Religion and an ARBITRARY Form of GOVERNMENT to the Ruine and Destruction of the whole Kingdom Here 's a Charge with a Witness all the worst of Forty one Forms of Declaiming against the Government This is the Generall Charge let 's hear the Particular The said Duke of Lauderdale did Publickly affirm in the Presence of your Majesty sitting in Council And before divers of your Majesties Subjects then attending that your Majesties Edicts ought to be obeyed for your Majesties Edicts are equal with Laws and ought to be observed in the first place Thereby justifying the said Declaration of 15 March 71. and the proceedings thereupon and declaring his Inclinations to Arbitrary Councels in terrour of your Majesties good Subjects They conclude thus We do therefore in all humility implore your Sacred Majesty That for the ease of the hearts of your people who are possest with extream grief and sorrow to see your Majesty thus ABVSED and the Kingdom endangered That your Majesty would graciously be pleased to remove the said Duke of Lauderdale from all his Imployments c. Is not this Writing after the 41 Copy Is not this striking at His Majesty and the Government through his Ministers sides What! that House of Commons tell His Majesty he is abused and the Kingdom endanger'd which was chosen and nourish'd and indulg'd for 18 years together to be an ensample to all succeeding Parliaments But to proceed in His Majesties Answer to their Address of the 20 or 26th of May 77. advising him to enter into a League Offensive and Defensive with the States against France He tells them How highly he was offended at that great invasion of his Prerogative And in His Majesties Answer to their Address of Jan. 31 he reminds them of it But says He you take no notice of it but on the contrary add to your former ill Conduct new Invasions equally offensive to His Majesties Authority as contrary to His and He thinks most other mens judgments
Unhappy House of Commons now how ever happy heretofore thus to interfere with His Maiesties Authority and Judgment too This sharp Answer and Reproof bears date 4th of Febr. 77. but in March following the Parliament having prepar'd a Poll-Bill for furnishing His Majesty with money for entring into an actual War against the French King His Majesty past that Bill March 20. Thus with great vigour and animosity to the universal joy of the whole Nation Drums were beat up and all preparations made for the War and a bitter Book intituled Christianissimus christianandus published by Allowance against the French but the Conspiritors at Court intended no such thing for the then Lord Treasurer's Letter to Mr. Montague then Ambassador in the French Court bares date 5 daies after viz. Mar. 25. wherein he gives him directions for proposing Conditions of Peace between the King and ours with the Confederates and such as for which says he the King expects to have six Millions of Livers yearly for three years because he adds it will be two or three years before he can hope to find his Parliament in humour to give him supplies after the having made any Peace with France This I take notice of to let you see Sir how different Sentiments and Designs that Prerogative Parliament and the great Ministers had in the transacting of State-matters But before this Letter was discover'd the Commons in their Address of May 10 78. did deeply resent the Councils the King took in these Affairs ' For they tell his Majesty that the refusing of their advice given the 26 of May before and reiterated the 31 of January ensuing and dismissing the Parliament in May last was the accasion of these ill Consequences which have since succeeded both at home and abroad All which have arisen from those misrepresentations say they of our proceedingss which have been suggested to your Majesty by some particular persons in a Clandestine way without the Participation and Advice as we conceive of your Council-board as though we had invaded upon your Majesties Prerogative of making Peace and War Whereas we did only c. upon which Grounds your Majesty was induced to give us such Answers to those two Addresses rejecting our advice as thereby your Majesties good Subjects have been infinitely discouraged and the State of your Majesties Affairs reduced to a most deplorable condition We do therefore most humbly desire that for the good and safety of this Kingdom and the satisfaction of your Subjects your Majesty would Graciously be pleased to remove those Councellors c These things were done and said by this Parliament even before the discovery of the horrid Popish Plot and Treasons For how vigorously they acted after that discovery in the Prosecution of Coleman the Jesuits and Godfrey's Murderers in the Impeachment of the Popish Lords and Danby for High Treason in throwing out the Popish Lords from sitting in the Lords House and other matters for which they were subjected to an Honourable Death or Dissolution I shall not need to mention because they are fresh in every ones memory One thing of an elder date I will call to mind wherein the temper of that House against Popish and Arbitrary designs does notably appear it was their rejecting of two Bills past in the House of Lords and sent down to the Commons The one was tituled An Act for the more effectual Conviction and Prosecution of Popish Recusants which they rejected with great contempt for being ready to put the question for throwing it out it was mov'd they should stop a while to see if any Member of their House had the face to speak for it It appearing so evidently to them that this Bill tended directly contrary to its Title The other Bill was to be An Act for further securing of the Protestant Religion by Educating the Children of the Royal Family therein and for the providing for the continuance of a Protestant Clergy In this Bill there was a Test to be presented to every future King and Queen of this Realm against Popery A fine Project which clearly implied that any King or Queen in future may be a Papist and then the security of the Protestant Religion c. was to lye in this Paper-Statute Maugre all the Wit Policy Craft Power secret and open violence of all Jesuits and Papists with the Crown of England on their sides But the Commons rejecting this did not only shew disaffection to Popish Cabal Councils but also their judgment in seeing into the malice of those contrivancies that had already over reach'd the House of Peers with the Bishops in it and that in the great concern of Religion their proper Province But because the Impeachment of the Earl of Danby is a full discovery of the sence of that House touching Court Councils and Actions give me leave to mind you of it more particularly The first Article saith That he hath Trayterously encroacht to himself Royal Power by treating in matters of Peace and War with Forraign Ministers c. against the Express Declaration of His Majesty and His Parliament c. For when the King at the instance of the Parliament had made provision for War had raised an Army and money for that end Then did he treat of peace with the French Ministers and with the French King by the English Ambassador as aforesaid The second Article That he hath Trayterously endeavoured to subvert the antient and well establisht Form of Government in this Kingdom and instead thereof to introduce an Arbitrary and Tyrannical way of Government and the better to effect this His purpose he did design the raising of an Army upon pretence of a War against the French King and to continue the same as a standing Army within this Kingdom And mis-imployed the money given for the disbanding of that Army to the continuance of it 3. Article That he Traiterously intending to hinder the Meetings of Parliaments and to deprive His Majesty of their Council and thereby to alter the constitution of the Government did negotiate a Peace for the French King for the doing whereof he endeavoured to procure a great summ of money of him for the carrying on his Trayterous designs 4. Article That he is Popishly affected and hath Trayterously concealed the late horrid Popish Plot and hath supprest the Evidence and reproachfully discountenanc'd the Kings Witnesses c. 5. Article That he hath wasted the Kings Treasure by issuing out of His Majesties Exchequer for unnecessary Pensions and secret services to the value of 231602. l. within two years c. 6. Article That he hath by indirect means procured from His Majesty to himself divers considerable Gifts and Grants of Inheritance of the antient Revenue of the Crown even contrary to Acts of Parliament Here we have a great Favorite and mighty Minister of State accused for High Treason in respect of great Transactions of Government for a long time together And the accused person thought not fit to