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A56220 A true and perfect narrative of what was done, spoken by and between Mr. Prynne, the old and newly forcibly late secluded members, the army officers, and those now sitting, both in the Commons lobby, House, and elsewhere on Saturday and Monday last (the 7 and 9 of this instant May) with the true reasons, ends inducing Mr. Prynne ... thus earnestly to press for entry, to go and keep in the House as he did, and what proposals he intended there to make for publike peace, settlement, and preservation of the Parliaments privileges / put in writing and published by the said William Prynne ... to rectifie the various reports, censures of this action, and give publike satisfaction ... of his sincere endeavors to the uttermost of his power, to preserve our religion, laws, liberties, the essential rights, privileges, freedom of Parliament, and all we yet enjoy, according to his oaths, covenant, trust, as a Parliament member, against the utter subverters of them ... Prynne, William, 1600-1669. 1659 (1659) Wing P4113; ESTC R937 104,117 112

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Fortunes the Reformed Religion Worship Doctrine of the Churches the Rights and Privileges of the Parliaments the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland and the Kings Majesties Person Authority and Posterity in the defence and reformation of the true Religion and Liberties of these Kingdoms And with all faith fulnesse endeavour the discovery of all such as have been are or shall be Incendiaries Malignants or evil Instruments by hindring the Reformation of Religion dividing the King from his People or one of the Kingdoms from the other making any factions or parties among the People contrary to this League and Covenant that they may be brought to publick Tryal and receive condign punishment assisting defending each other in the maintenance and pursuit thereof without any division withdrawing defection or detestable indifferency or neutrality whatever For which end in a brotherly friendly christian yet stout and resolute manner demand publickly of the General Counsel of Army Officers and their Westminster Conventicle 1. By what lawfull Commission Authority or Warrant from God our Laws or the generality of the people of England whom they have voted the Supream Authority and whose Servants they pretend themselves they have formerly and now again forcibly secluded the whole House of Lords and Majority of the Commons House from sitting in our Parliamentary Counsels or the Old Parliament if yet in being and made themselves not only a Commons house but absolute Parliament without a King or them contrary to the very Letter scope of the Act of 17 Car. c. 7. by which they pretend to sit 2ly By what Authority they presume to turn our most antient glorious famous honourable first Christian Kingdom into an infant base ignoble contemptible Sectarian Free-State or Commonwealth and disinherit our hereditary Kings and their Posterity against all our Laws Statutes Declarations Remonstrances Oaths Vows Protestations Leagues Covenants Customs Prescription time out of minde Liturgies Collects Canons Articles Homilies Records Writs Writers and their own manifold obligations to the contrary for their inviolable defence support and preservation only in pursuit of the Jesuites Popes Spaniards and French-Cardinals forecited plots And who gave you this Authority The rather because the whole English-Nation and High Court of Parliament wherein the whole Body of the Realm is and every particular Member thereof either in person or representation by their own Free-elections are deemed to be present by the Laws of the Realm did by an expresse Act 1 Jacobi c. 1. worthy most serious consideration with all possible publick joy and acclamation from the bottom of their hearts recognize and acknowledg as being thereunto obliged both by the Laws of God and Man that the imperial Crown of this Realm with all the Kingdoms Dominions and Rights belonging to them immediately after the death of Queen Elizabeth did by inherent birth-right and lawfull and undoubted Succession descend come to King Iames as next and sole Heir of the Blood-Royal of this Realm And therunto by this publick Act of Parliament to remain to all Posterity they did humbly and faithfully submit and oblige themselves their Heirs and Posterity for ever untill the last drop of their bloods be spent as the First fruits of this of this High Court of Parliament and the whole Nations Loyalty and Faith to his Majesty and his Royal Posterjty for ever upon the bended knees of their hearts agnizing their most constant Faith Obedience and Loyalty to his Majesty and his Royal Posterity for ever After which the whole English Nation and all Parliaments Members of the Commons House ever since and particularly all Members of the Parliament of 16 Caroli continued by the Statute of 17 Car. c. 7. pretended to be still in being did by their respective Oaths of Allegiance Fealty Homage and Supremacy containing only such Duty as every true and well-affected Subject not only by his duty of Allegiance but also by the com-mandement of Almighty God ought to bear to his Majesty his Heirs and Successors as the Parliament and Statute of 7 Iac. c. 6. declares joyntly and severally oblige themselves 'To bear Faith and true Allegiance not only to his Majesty but his Heirs and Successors and him and them to defend to the uttermost of their power against all Attempts and conspiracies whatsoever which shall be made against his or their Persons their Crown and Dignity or any of them and to maintain all Iurisdictions Preheminences Authorityes justly belonging united or annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm Which all Members of the long Parl. those now sitting ratified not only by hundreds of printed Declarations Remonstrances Ordinances but likewise by a Religious Protestation Vow and Solemn National League and Covenant publickly sworn and subscribed with all their hands in the presence of God himself and by all the well-affected in these three Kingdoms but by all our ordinary publick Liturgies Collects Directory Articles Homilies Prayers before Sermons in all or most of their Families Closet-Prayers yea Graces before and after meat wherein they constantly prayed to God according to the practise of the Saints in the Old and new Testaments the Primitive Church of God and Heathen Nations of the Church Parliaments of England themselves in all Ages not only for the health life wealth safety prosperity preservation salvation of our Kings and their Realms but likewise of their Royal Issue and Posterity That there might not want a man of that Race to sway the Scepter of these Realm so long as the Sun and Moon shall endure or to the like effect And if they cannot sufficientlie satisfie your judgements consciences in this particular nor answer the precedent reasons in defence of our hereditary Kings Kingship against their Vtopian Republick Then take up the peremptory resolution of all the Elders and Tribes of Israel when oppressed by Samuels Sonnes Mis Government turning aside after filthy lucre and perverting Judgement 1 Sam 8. and say resolutely to them We will have no New Common-wealth nor Vnparliamentary Conventicle to rule over oppresse ruine us Nay But we will have a KING our own lawfull hereditary King to reign over us that We also may be like all other Nations yea like our selves and our Ancestors in all former Ages and that our King may judge us and go out before us and so put a speedy end to all our present future Changes Wars Troubles Fears Dangers Oppressions Taxes and restore us to our pristine Peace settlement unitie amitie securitie prosperitie felicitie upon the Propositions assented to by his beheaded Father in the Isle of Wight whose Concessions the Ho of Commons without division after 3. daies and one whole Nights debate 4 Dec. 1648. notwithstanding all the Armies menaces Resolved upon the Question to be a sufficient Ground for the House to proceed upon for the settlement of the Peace of the Kingdom upon better terms and greater advantages than ever they have yet enjoyed or can
sitting in Parliament and draught of an Agreement of the people for a secure and present peace framed prepared and presented to them to be established and subscribed by the people January 20. 1649. not onlie subscribed thereto but proposed That 150 Members at least be alwayes present in each sitting of the Representative at the passing of any Law or doing of any Act whereby the People are to be bound saving that the Number of sixty may make the House for Debate or Resolutions that are preparatory thereunto Therefore the 42 Members secretlie skipping into the House secluding the rest May 7 9 being not the 10th part of the Members of the old Parl. now surviving by all Nations Laws Consents can be no Parliament nor House of Commons within this Act nor pass anie thing to bind the Majoritie of the Members or people in anie kind whatsoever what ever anie imprudent illiterate shameless namelesse Scriblers or themselves against their own Reasons Consciences Iudgements principles resolutions pretend to the contrarie but dare not once affirm in good earnest It being a received Maxime in all Ages Populi minor pars Populum non obligit 6 ly It is a rule in our Lawbooks That all Statutes ought to be interpreted according to Reason and the true mind meaning intention of those that made them but it is most certain That it is against all reason and the true intents minds meaning of the Makers of this law to make a Parliament without a King or House of Lords or Majoritie of the Commons-House Or that all or anie of them when they made this Act did ever dream of such a Juncto as this now sitting Or to seclude themselves and resign up their own interests freedoms privileges right of sitting in Parliament with them to constitute them the onlie Parliament of England as everie line syllable throughout the Act demonstrates Therefore they neither are nor can be a Parliament within it neither can the Bedlam Turkish Bruitish unreasonable Argument of the longest Sword or Armie-logick nor the petitions addresses of any Crack-brain'd Sectaries and vulgar Rabble of inconsiderable illiterate people nor the presence of anie Lawyers sitting with or acting under them as a Parliament to their own and their Professions dishonour make them so in their own or any Wisemens or Judicious honest Lawyers Judgement whatsoever And therefore out of Conscience shame justice prudence and real Christianitie have they anie left they must needs disclaim themselves to be a Parliament and no longer abuse the Nation or others under their disguise All with Mr. Prynne if admitted would viva Voce have pressed home upon them but being forcibly secluded by their Gards because unable to answer or contradict his Law or Reason he now tenders to their view and the Judgement Resolution of the whole English Nation to whom he appeals with this publick Protestation That if they will freely call in all the surviving Members of the Lords and Commons House sitting till December 1648. without secluding anie by force or new unparliamentarie Impositions or seclusive Engagements which they have no power to impose If they upon a free and full debate shall resolve the old parliament to be still in being and not actually dissolved by the Kings beheading notwithstanding his premised Reasons to the contrarie He will then submit his private Iudgement to their Majority of Voyces in this as well as in all other Parliamentary debates and contribute his best assistance and advice as a Fellow-Member to heal the manifold breaches prevent the approaching ruines of our indangered Church Realms Parliaments Laws Liberties Peace and establish them upon better foundations than those now sitting to promote their own and the Armies interests rather than the peoples or Nations are ever likely to lay Who if they can prove themselves a true and lawfull English Parliament within this Act without either King or House of Lords or this their clandestine forcible entry into and seclusion of their Fellow-Members out of the House and Actings in it to be lawfull equitable righteous honorable parliamentarie Christian and such as well becomes either Saints Members or true good Englishmen by anie Records Parliament Rolls Acts Presidents of like kind in former Ages Law-books Customes Common or Civil-law Scripture Divinitie Reason Ethicks Policks except Machiavils and the sole Argument of the longest Sword the most bruitish unjust unchristian Turkish of all others Mr. Prynne will then publicklie declare them to be that in truth which as yet he neither can nor dares to acknowledge them to be so much as in appellation either as a Member of the Old Parliament a Covenanter a Protester a Lawyer a Scholar a Man an Englishman or a Christian And hopes that upon the perusal hereof they will as much disown themselves to be the Parliament within this Act or anie lawfull Parliament of England even in their Judgments consciences much more in actings for the premised Reasons as he or anie other secluded Members do not out of anie spirit of contradiction but Conscience and common dutie to themselves and their native Country That which principallie elevated yea inflamed Mr. Prynnes zeal both now and heretofore with all his might to oppose all late publick Innovations changes of our antient Government Parliaments Laws was this sad and serious consideration which he shall with all earnest importunitie intreat advise all Army-Officers Souldiers sitting or secluded Members of the Lords or Commons House with all well-affected persons to the safetie settlement of our Religion Church State throughout our three Nations most seriouslie to lay to heart and engrave upon their Spirits not to read it as they do News-broks only to talk of them for a day or two but as they read the evidences of their Inheritances whereby they hold all their earthlie yea heavenly possessions that they may remember act according to it all their lives That William Watson a secular Priest of Rome in his Dialogue between a Secular Priest and a Lay Gentleman printed at Rhemes 1601. in his Quodlibets printed 1602. and William Clerk a Secular Priest in his Answer to Father Parsons Libel 1604. p. 75. c. then best acquainted with the Iesuites designs against England of all others did in precise terms publish to the English Nation in these their printed Books a That Father Parsons the English Jesuite the most active professed enemie to our English Kingship Kings Realm Church Religion his Consederate Iesuitical Society did so long since give out and prophesied That they have it by Revelation and special command from God that their order and Society was miraculously instituted for this end to work a dismal change amongst us wherein all Laws Customes and Orders must be altered and all things turned upside down and that they being the only men who have the name Title and authority of Jesus by them it is that this marvelous change and alteration shall be wrought in such sort as
Staves to apprehend him he said unto him Mat. 26.52 Put up thy Sword again in to its place for they that take the Sword shall perish with the Sword Nay the state of the Gospel is so inconsistent with Souldiers Arms VVar That upon the sincere profession of it God requires the Professors thereof to beat their Swords into Plowshares and their Spears into Pruning-hooks Nation shall not lift up Sword against Nation Neither shall they learn VVar any more but to live in peace with all men and keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Isay 2.4 Mich. 4.3 Luke 2.14 1 Cor. 7.15 c. 14.53 Gal. 5.22 2 Cor. 13.11 Eph. 4 3. Col. 3.15 2 Thes 3.16 Heb. 12.14 Never was the Kingdom Gospel Church of Jesus Christ promoted advanced in any Age or place by war Swordmen but many Churches have been utterly destroyed extirpated depraved corrupted none ever edified planted enlarged much lesse reformed by them Our present Armie-Saints and new Military-Apostles by their fighting praying preaching fasting instead of promoting the Gospel Protestant Religion and Church of England have almost totally subverted them by broaching countenancing protecting all sorts of Heresies Blasphemies Sects Schisms Errors Opinions Religions setting up new Conventicles of Sectaries Seducers in all places opposing slighting traducing the very Church Doctrine Ministry of England the very Function Ordination of Ministers by decrying detaining their Tithes and former maintenance as litigious Jewish Antichristian by swallowing up all the Lands Revenues of Bishops Deans Chapters Arch-Deacons and a great part of our Ministers maintenance by sequestrations and monthly Contributions to maintain their Army Evangelists now ready to swallow up the remainder that is left and continuing in a body for that purpose by the very Jesuites instigation who not only professedly teach in their publick University at Madrid the Art of War by Land and Sea the making of Guns Gunpowder fireworks all manner of Military Engines of which they read Lectures as most agreeable to the Name Profession of their Martial Father Ignatius as Alphonsus Vargas a Spanish Priest records but boast That the General of the Jesuites can bring into the Field more Souldiers of his own order in a shorter time than any Christian King whatsoever and likewise expresly affirm That their Gopsel and Religion is to be propagated set up the Heretiques and Evangelical Sectaries who resist them refuted extirpated abolished with Fire Armies Sword and War in England elsewhere as Jacobus Cruciger Rector of the Jesuites at Lansperg in his explication of the Rules of their Order Parlus Windeck De extirpandis Heresibus Antid 10 11. p. 404 412 480. Thuanus Hist l. 65. p. 238. l. 66. p. 299. Franciscus Verona Apol. pro Johanne Castle par 5. c. 13. Hospinian Hist Jesuitica l. 4. p. 212 213 214. Hasenmullerus Hist Jesuit c. 1. Spec. Jesuiticum p. 61. unanimously attest O then discern at last whose Gospel Kingdom you are now propagating by your Army Arms and Westminster Conventicle not Jesus Christs but the very Jesuites his greatest Underminers Many of you especially Millinaries and Fifth Monarchy-men pretend that Jesus Christ is now comming to reign personally on Earth a thousand years and that you shall all reign together as Joynt-Kings with or Vece-royes under him But the setting up of a New Republick and Aristocracy is wholly inconsistent with this Kingdom and Monarchy of Christ you now expect which suites only with a Temporal King and Kingdom How this Opinion will accord with Christs own description of it John 18.16 My Kingdom is not of this World or Pauls Rom. 14.17 The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink nor yet Arms and Armies but Righteousness● and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost which Souldiers Armies usually destroy not produce or propagate let those who maintain it consider When Mr. Prynne was kept close Prisoner in Pendennis Castle by John Bradshaws and our New Republicans illegal warrant in July 1651. some four dayes after his imprisoment there divers Officers and Souldiers of the Garrison who had long debated every day for sundry Months befo●e their present expected personal reign of Christ on Earth repaired to him to know his Opinion conce●ning it as he was taking fresh Ai● in the Bowling-Alley standing in a ring about him Upon which he fi●st demanded their Opinions of it when they had all fully utte●ed their Conceits in the Affirmative with much considence M. Pryn briefly answered That now they had beheaded one of our Kings and almost conquered another and o●r 3. Kingdoms they tho●ght talked of nothing but being all Kings themselves and of reigning person●lly on Earth cheek by joll with Christ himself as his Fellow-Kings no Earthly King being fit to be a Companion for such transcendent s●blinated Saints as they thought themselves But they were all most grosly mistaken for that very Text of Rev. 20.4 5. which he read out of one of their Bibles whereon they principally g●ounded thei● Opinions and Reign was pointblank against them And I saw the Souls OF THEM THAT WERE BEHEADED not of them who took off their own Christian Protestant Kings and Nobles Heads for the Witnesse of Jesus and the word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast nor his Image neither had received his mark upon their foreheads nor in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years is it not added on the Earth and Chap. 22.5 rather proves their reign to be in the New Jerusalem in Heaven But the rest of the dead who were not thus beheaded lived not again much lesse then reigned with Christ till the thousand years were past By which it is most apparent That if Christ shall reign personally on Earth for a thousand years as they all conceived and that this time was now at hand yet not one of them should or possibly could reign with him if this Text be Vmpire For the words are most positive that none else shall thus reign with Jesus Christ a thousand years but only the souls of those who were beheaded for the testimony of Iesus Christ c. It being expresly averred in the affirmative then in the Negative But the rest of the Dead lived not till the thousand years were past Upon which account the late King and other Protestants whose Heads they had cut off and those Godly Christians they had slain murdered in the Wars and perchance himself and others who had lost their Ears Liberties Estates and were shut up close Prisoners for the Testimony of Iesus Christ and had not worshipped but opposed the Beast of Rome his Image Superstitions innovations Proceedings against the late King Parliament Religion nor received the mark of the Beast in their Foreheads or hands might peradventure reign with Christ a thousand years But as for themselves and other Army Saints who made it their businesse and reputed it their honour Saintship to cut off the Heads of their own Christian
Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance as unlawfull Oaths which themselves took and ought to take before they sate or could sit as Members in the Commons House by the Statutes of 5 El. c. 2. 7 Iac. c. 6. which Oaths were specially made by the great wisedom care and piety of our Protestant Parliaments purposely to detect the persons and prevent the plots conspiracies Assasinations Treasons Vsurpations and new Gun-powder plots of the Romish Jesuites popish Priests Papists and their Instruments against the Lives Crowns Prerogatives of our Protestant Kings Princes their Royal posterity Realms Parliaments our protestant Church and Religion as the Statutes of 1 Eliz. c. 1. 5 Eliz. c. 1. 3 Jac. c. 4. 7 Iac. c. 6. and other Acts with King Iames his Apology for the Oath of Allegiance and sundry learned Treatises in defence of these Oaths declare at large Which Oaths were refused opposed only by the most Iesuited and desperate Papists at home and abroad but approved by the moderatest and loyallest Priests and Lay-Papists who writ in justification of them and repealed to their greatest joy and advantage by our Jesuitized zealous Republicans 3ly They discharged absolved themselves and all other Members Subjects Officers who had taken these Oaths as most had frequently done from the future Observation of them and of their Solemn Protestation Vow League National Covenant made in pursuance of them contrary to this expresse Clause in the Oath of Allegiance I do believe and in Conscience am resolved That neither the Pope nor any Person whatsoever hath Power to absolve me of this Oath or any part thereof which I acknowledge by good and full Authority to be lawfully administred to me and do renounce all Pardons and Dispensations to the contrary And all these things I do plainly and sincerely acknowledge and swear according to the expresse words by me spoken and plain and common sense of the said words without any equivocation or mental reservation And I do make this recognition and acknowledgement Heartily Willingly and Truly upon the Faith of a Christian Yet these faithlesse Republicans who took this Oath as Members and several times else upon other occasions thus atheistically like so many absolute Popes against all Laws of Nations Nature absolved themselves and all others from it and set it with the Oath of Supremacy Covenant Protestation quite aside like old Almanacks out of date 4ly Not content herewith they imposed a new Engagement diametrically contrary to these Oaths the Protestation Vow Solemn League and Covenant which every one must subscribe with his hand To be true and faithfull to their New Common-wealth as established by them without a King or House of Lords putting all English Freemen whatsoever into a New-praemunire upon a bare suggestion only before proof or conviction and disabling them to sue in any Court of their Republick or to receive or enjoy any degree office augmentation or preferment whatsoever Spiritual Ecclesiastical Civil or Military or sit as Members then and now again unless they would publickly subscribe it Which Engagement thousands of our Godly protestant Ministers Gentry Freemen refusing to subscribe were thereupon barred of their Actions Executions Iudgements to recover their just Debts Rights Inheritances Goods Offices denyed their degrees of Learning ejected out of their Benefices Headships Fellowships Vice-Chancelorships Augmentations Offices Freeholds Callings against all rules of Law Conscience Iustice Equity Religion the Fundamental Laws and Liberties of the Land their Native Birth-Rights after all their Contests Wats Contributions Prayers Fasts endeavours for their defence And all by these Free-State-Men A Tyranny Treachery Perjury Apostacy transcending any since the Creation yet most eagerly pursued by them all their Reign to the utter ruine of many consciencious honest Protestants and great rejoycing of all Iesuites and Popish Enemies both at home and abroad 5ly The very first Act of Iustice they did by the first Commission of the peace they passed under their New Republican Great Seal for Middlesex at the first Sessions held under them at Hix-hall Febr. 1628. was the enlarging of a dangerous Jesuits and another old seducing Papist formerly imprisoned in the New prison the only Acts done in this first Session as th●se present then informed Mr. Prynne with much regret Which was seconded with the subsequent enlargement of other Jesuites Priests Papists elsewhere imprisoned whereas on the contrary they shut up Sir William Waller Sir Will. Lewes Sir John Clotworthy Major General Brown Comissary Coply Mr. Prynne Mr. Clement Walker close prisoners in sundry remote Castles divers years together without any cause expressed and Mr. Gewen with other Members several Monthes and sundry Godly Ministers Protestants of all sorts throughout the Land as well Paliamenteers as former Cavaliers yea beheaded Mr. Love an eminent Protestant Minister and other Protestants but not one Papist in their illegal High-Courts of Justice erected by them against all our Laws whiles these Romish Locusts were thus enlarged unprosecuted and had free liberty to wander up and down our three Nations and act what they pleased to work our Kingdoms Churches and Religions ruine 6ly The first who publikely owned them for a Common-wealth congratulated this their glorious change atchievement and entred into a League with them was the most Catholick K. of Spain the Popes Jesuites chief Patron and Propagator of their Catholick Faith and designs whose interests they prosecuted during all their Republican domination 7ly They entted into a bloodie invasive war against their Brethren of Scotland onlie for owning their rightfull Soveraign King CHARLES after his Fathers beheading according to their Laws Oathes Duties and Solemn League and Covenant invaded their Country without any provocaion slew many thousands of them with furie and cruelty in the Field starved destroyed hundreds of them taken prisoners by them and sold others of them into forein plantations for Slaves imprisoned sequestred banished most of their zealous Godly Protestant Ministers Nobles Gentry took all their Cities Castles Forts Amunition Arms conquered inthralled their whole Kingdom put them under intollerable Taxes Tributes and Iron-yokes of armed Governors Garrisons still continued amongst them to our cost destroyed their presbyterial and civil Government and for an everlasting Monument of this their barbarous unbrotherly kindnesse and gratitude towards them for their former assistances not only kept Solemn publick Thanksgiving-Dayes throughout their Republicke for their Slaughters of and Victories over them but hanged up all their Ensigns in Westminster Hall and transported all their Records close prisoners to the Tower of London where they yet continue 8ly They instigated the Dutch to set aside the Prince of Orange his Family and put them out of the superiour Commands places of Trust they formerly merited and enjoyed out of malice to the beheaded Kings Progeny mutined the States against each other and then entted into a most costly bloody dangerous unchristian War with those our old Protestant Friends and Allyes continuing all
their Regency to the losse of many thousands of gallant Protestants lives the ruine of sundry Familyes the great weakning impoverishing of both Nations the scandal detriment of the Protestant Religion the griefs of all forein Protestant Churches the great joy and advantage of both our professed Popish Adversaries and King of Spain especially who long since designed both our ruines by these very practises prescribed to him by campanella in direct words as those who please may read at large in his Book De Monarchia Hispanica c. 25. 27. 9ly They freely permitted if not encouraged all their Republican Government Diurnallists in their News-Books and those scurrilous grosse Impostors Lilly Culpepper and other Prognosticators in their Almanacks besides sundry other Scriblers insufferably to revile and rayle against our Oxthodox Godly Protestant Ministers especially Presbyterians to prophecy their downfull extirpation execution banishment the utter ruine of them their Tithes Glebes Presbytery to incense both Souldiers and people to disown their Ministry detain their Tithes revile abuse their persons as being worse than any Priests Jesuites and greater Enemies Traytors to their Republick than they who readily complyed with it as a Child of their own begetting Xly. They permitted many thousands of Popish Primers and other Books to be freely imported and above thirty thousand Popish and Atheistical pamphlets of all sor●s against our Church Religion Ministers to be printed and vended in England without controll as the London-Stationers moved out of Conscience declared and published to them in their Beacon fired 1652. and Sciatilla which Book was presently answered by the Beacon quenched subscribed by Colonel Pride the new Faux and other Army-Officers though writ by a Jesuite as Mr. Prynne was credibly informed and presented to those then sitting at Westminster erecting them against the Stationers and their Beacon fired as a New Gunpowder-plot to blow up the Army Parliament and New Common wealth though a true honest harmlesse pious timely Discovery of the Papists and Jesuites designs to blow up our Religion Church Ministry Amongst other popish Books then printed Mr. Prynne met with one as far as Pendennis Castle in Folio inittuled The Holy Court written by Edmund Causin a Iesuite translated into English by Jesuites dedicated to our Queen Mary and the Dutchesse of Buckingham printed in London by William Bentley 1650. and sold by John Williams in Pauls Church-yard as the Title page attests having the Iesuits Badge and S. J. Societatis Jesu in Capitals printed in its front In which Folio Book consisting of divers Tomes Tom. 1. p. 30 to 38.63 64 68 74 75. Tom. 2. p. 168. Tom. 3.425 to 430.461 462. Tom. 5.173 174.304 to 319. and other pages The Popes Supremacy prayer to Saints and Angels Purgatory Masse Transubstantiation and all other points of grossest popery were not only maintaine● assered but our very Protestant Religion branded for Heresy our late Queen Elizabeth our Ministers and all other Professors of it reviled censured for damnable Heretiques as Mr. Prynne then observed 11ly Themselves in divers of their printed Declarations Knacks and their Instruments in sundry Books as John Goodwin Markham Needham Melton and others justified maintained the very highest worst treasonablest execrablest of all Popish and Jesuitical Unchristian tenents practises Treasons as the murdering of Christian Protestant Kings under the notion of Tyrants the blowing up of Parliaments the subverting of Kingdoms the altering of all setled Laws Governments the forcible usurpation of others Crowns Honors Officers Estates without Right or Title by force murder treachery the breach of dispensation with absolution from all sacred Oaths Leagues Covenants Promises Contracts rebellion against all lawfull Superiours and the open Violation of the 5 6 8 9 10. moral Commands of God himself under the pretences of publick Justice Necessity Self-preservation Reformation Religion publick good safety advancement of the Gospel and Kingdom of Iesus Christ repayed with their own ejection 12ly They closed in an offensive and defensive League with Owen Ro Oneal and the popish Irish bloody Rebels against Marquesse Ormond Inchequin and the Protestant party there who had been the Parliaments chief Generals and Officers against the Rebels in opposition to Monarchy and when to couler the odium of it Col Monke was questioned in the House for making this League with them as done without their privity and one of them moved That he might be committed for it to the Tower that famous Saint Henry Martin stood up and reto●ted T●at he desired the Tower might be rather committed unto him for t●is good service What high places of trust by Sea and Land he hath been advanced to since for this service is very well known whereas Marquesse O●mond the Lord Inchequin and other Protestants in Ireland who faithfully served the Parliament against the Irish Rebels and bare the brunt of the first wars against them were yet the very first persons excepted in their printed Catalogues and News-Books from all manner of pardon or composition either for their Lives or Estates and are quite stript of all their Lands in Ireland out of odium unto Monarchy the Kings posterity And all this to advance the Protestant Religion and Christs Kingdom by and under their New Jesuitical Republick the quite contrary way These 12. particulars like so many true good honest sworn Grandlury-men impanelled by Mr. Prynne out of mere zeal to his native Countryes Church Religions preservation will give in a true impartial verdict whose proper child our New Commonwealth whose Instruments the Guardians of it but Goalers of all our liberties under it have been and now are again and whose works they do He shall subjoyn a few sad Observations of like nature during their Infant Republicks second wardship under their late Protector to promote the Protestant Cause and Religion 1. His making peace with the Hollander after he had dismounted the Republican Grandees to set up himself in their places was in it self a Christian pious prudent and commendable Act beneficial to both Nations But if the principle motives of it were a vast sum of mony from the Dutch put into his private purse as some report or a desire to ecclipse the Honour power of the Prince of Orange their chief Protector and his Family to banish the late Kings Royal posterity and Adherents out of the Netherlands and leave them no subsistance nor being there amongst Protestants of our and their Religion to force them to seek new Quarters amongst Iesuites Papists and cast themselves wholy on their Charity on purpose to pervert them in their Religion and destroy both their Souls Bodies at once which is visible and irre●ragable they being all actually exiled thence by special Articles upon the peace with the Dutch What Protestant can think upon it but with horror as the highest Act of Impiety cruelty barbarisme injustice uncharitablenesse and malice ever yet recorded of any professors of Christianity in the Protestant Religion 2ly His quarrelling
spoliasti me Hic fortasse ut evadas hanc vocem mutata consuetudine cogitas spoliare Paganum vestire Christianum Ad hoc respondebit tibi Christus immo respondet tibi nunc per servum qualemcunque Ministrum suum Etiam hic parce damnis meis Cum enim qui Christianus es spolias Paganum impedis fieri Christianum Etiam hic fortasse respondebis Ideo spolio Paganum ut per hanc asperam salubrem Disciplinam faciam Christianum Audirem crederem si quod abstulisti Pagano redderes Christiano c. O that our Harpyes and Beasts of prey who have obliterated the tenth Commandement out of all their Decalogues as the Papists have done the second would lay it close to heart being Saint Augustines 21. Sermon to them as well as Mr. Prynnes The rather because the night before O. Cromwell Pro. died Mr. Prynne then being at Swainswick near Bath having never dreamed of him before dreamt he was dangerously sick at Bath and that he then sent a special Messenger to him importunatly desiring he would presently repair to Bath for he was very sick and desired much to speak with him Whereupon though he never saw him since 1647. he presently went to Bath where finding him lying on his bed he told Mr. P. he was very sick and had sent for him to tell him what he should do in this condition Mr. Prynne thereupon forthwith answered That he could give him us better nor other Counsel than that of Saint Augustine asserted by all Divines as an undoubted truth Non Remittetur peccatum nist restitnatur ablatum That there was no remission of Sin without full restitution of Rapine Therefore he must forthwith restore the banished King to his Crown and Kingdoms of which he had most unjustly deprived him the Parliaments to its just rights freedomes and privileges which he had utterly subverted and the people to their fundamental Laws Liberties Properties of which he had most unjustly and perfideously defrauded them more than any man against his Oaths trust duty under pretext of defending them repent of all the blood he had shed and mischief he had done then there was hope of mercy and pardon for him both from God and Men otherwise there was none at all for ought he knew At he standing mute as much amazed without any Reply Mr. Pr· thereupon departed without more words and the next morning told this dream to his Sister and sundry others telling them he was confident he should hear some strange news of Cromwell very speedily since he never dreamed of him before and within three daies after he heard of his death about 12. hours after his dream O that all other Usurpers of others Estates Offices Lands places by bloud and rapine would sadly consider of it and make real restitution of them before they die then would our peace be soon restored without war or bloudshed and their souls saved which else in all probability will be damned without real restitution when possible to be made 4. His relieving interceding for the massacred persecuted Protestant Albigenses in Piedmont charitable Collections for them and others was a Christian work worthy applause But his giving just provocation to Popish Princes abroad by the Jesuites instigation to extirpate their Religion as a very Seminary of Treason Sedition Rebellion and to massacre eradicate them as a Company of Traytors Antimonarchists Regicides Hypocrites Rebels and Seditious persons from his own and his Confederates Antimonarchical principles practises Treasons Rebellions of this kinde both against their King Parliament Monarchy their confederated Brethren of Scotland and their K●ng as being all of one Religion perswasion his accommodating the King of Spain with whole Regiments of bloudie Irish Papists who had embrewed their hands in so much Protestant bloud in Ireland and were the chief Instruments in murdering these poor Protestants his negligence in examining the misimployment of this and other Collections under him for distressed foreign Protestants the greatest part of which are yet in the Collectors hands or diverted otherwise Was in truth but first to kill wound plunder and then relieve them when too late 5. His Confederacy with the King of Sweden to invade the Kingdom of Poland and usurp that Crown by force without right or colourable Title upon pretext to advance the Protestant cause relieve the Protestant Churches propagat the Gospel there had some specious shew of zeal to Religion But to doe apparent evil that good might come of it to ingage in such a war to propagat the Gospel of peace which ended in the total extirpation of all the Protestants and their Churches in Poland whence they are now totally extirpated as himself related in his Briefs papers for their over-late relief and produced a new bloudie warr wherein he also sided with him against the King of Denmark a Protestant King the Marquess of Brandenburgh the Dutch and other our Protestant allies sadly divided against each other in late bloudy battles by Land Sea to the endangering of all the Protestant Churches throughout the world and engaging them all in a New Warre and our three N●tions in all probability against our Protestant Brethren now the Popish Kings are reconciled and ready to destroy us all being broken in pieces amongst our selves impoverished butchered by one another rather like savage beasts than men or Christians and that in direct pursuance of Campanellius Richelieus and other Jesuited Plots who expresly write That the Catholicks are to use all arts and means to divide the Protestants Lutherans Calvinists and Sectaries one from and against each other by various arts and means and all occasions laid hold of for that purpose that they may with more ease oppress destroy them all and that they ought not to neglect the opportunity to accomplish their utter extirpation when their monies are exhausted their forces weakned and they divided by their intestine wars The best means being thus to destroy them by themselves till they like the Kite in the Fable shall devour the Frog and Mouse together during their combats with each other Was such a Machiavilian Policy to advance the Protestant cause as Mazarine and the Jesuites suggested to him on purpose to effect their ruine as all Wise men and his own Creatures now over-late discern and Bedlam Hugh Peters in his Letter to a Great Army-Officer the 10th of this instant May. 6. His endeavour to bring in the Jews with their Synagogues and Jewish Ceremonies under a pretended hopes of their long-desired Conversion but ●eal intended expectation to finger Two hundred thousand pounds of their gold at present and all the rest in future when transplanted to set up their Antichristian Judaism in direct contradiction to our Saviour Jesus Christ and at the very self-same time by his printed Declaration 24 Novemb. 1655. and private Instructions to his New Basha's or Major Generals to eject silence at one blow
without conviction hearing or the least legal proceeding many hundreds of Ministers Schoolmasters Scholars of the late Kings party though learned orthodox godly pious peaceable formerly indemnified and admitted to exercise their functions and prohibit them any more to preach marry administer the Sacrament pray teach School in any publike place or private meeting of any other persons than those of their own family or in any Gentlemens houses as Chaplains or Tutors to their Children under pain of 3 Moneths imprisonment for the first 6 moneths for the 2d and perpetual banishment for the 3d Offence And to punish them as Rogues and Vagrants if they wandred abroad to begg their bread on purpose to starve both them their wives families or enforce them to flie into forein Popish Realms being excluded out of the Netherlands and there turn Papists to preserve their lives when all Priests Jesuites Sectaries whatsoever and Jewes themselves had so much Liberty under him Was such a transcendent Barbarism Impiety and High way to extirpate our Religion as pious learned Archbishop Vsher told him when he mediated for their libertie and could not prevail as he told Mr. Prynne and others with tears which brake his heart soon after as the Pope and Jesuites themselves could not have invented the like and exceeded all forein persecutions against Protestant Ministers in Piemont Bohemia and Silesia by Popish Princes being of a different Religion but be a pretended Protestant Zealot 7. His Extending not only his Toleration but real Protection to all Sects whatsoever except POPERY and PRELACY and passing the late Bill 1657. put on by the Presbyterians against Papists might savour of some disgust against those of the Romish Religion But his extraordinary intimacy with Cardinal Mazarine Sir Kenelm Digby a most dangerous Jesuited Papist lodged by him in Whitehall a chief Instrument of the union between him and Mazarine and sundry other Papists Jesuites Popish Priests His suspending all penal Lawes Executions against Popish Priests Jesuits though sometimes taken in their pontificalibus at Masse and soon after released His protections under hand and seal to sundry of them particularly to Maurice Coury Provincial of the Franciscans in England Their coming over in greater swarms of later times than ever heretofore without restraint as himself printed as well as declared in his publike Speeches His endevours to stop the late Bill against Papists the very morning he was to pass it by his Whitehall Instruments who moved its suspension for a time as not suiting with present Forein correspondencies against whom it was carried by 88. Votes That it should be carried up with the rest then passed With the Copy of his Letter to Card Mazarine in many good hands affirmed to bee real not counterfeit excusing his passing this Bill as carried on by a violent Presbyterian party much against his with yet it should not hurt them though passed c. which accordingly fell out The large expressions made to those of Dunkirkin his name by their Gov Lockert to protect them in the full and free exercise of their Romish Religion as amply as ever the King of Spain did with other particulars of that nature And his great incouraging of all sorts of Sects headed acted by disguised Jesuits Priests Friers as M. P. hath elswhere fully evidenced Are demonstrations beyond all exceptions what an Advancer he was of the true Protestant cause and Religion 8. His undermining subverting all our Fundamental Lawes Liberties Properties and Parliaments too in the highest degree by his own and his Army-Officers Councils new printed Folio Ordinances Instruments Taxes Excises High Courts of Injustice Major Generals Commissions Instructions Proceedings by committing sundry persons Close prisoners some of them to forein Islands without any cause expressed legal trial or conviction dive●s moneths years by warrants under his own or his Councils hands His stopping returns of Habeas Corpora when granted or removing the Prisoners to new remote prisons His seising securing the persons horses arms of thousands and banishing them from London time after time upon meer forged Plots Fears His disbenching his own Judges for not complying with his illegal will His oft stiling MAGNA CHARTA MAGNA FARTA with highest indignation Committing 3. Lawyers to the Tower at once as Traytors for daring to argue an Habeas Corpus against his illegal Commitment and Whitehall Ordinance for Excise in Conyes case a president not to be paralleld his prohibiting all Lawyers Sollicitors Judges and Courts of Justice whatsoever under him to plead act or admit any proceedings or legal trial at Law against his illegal Ordinances and absolute commands under pain of his highest indignation His defrauding most Patrons of their livings and lapsing them by his own Ordinances Instruments into his own hands refusing their honestest ablest Clerks without any cause assigned and denying them the benefit of Quare Impedits after judgement given upon them by his own Judges All these are clear demonstrations to Mr. P. beyond contradiction That our Infant Commonwealth both in its birth growth progress under its old Guardians and New Protector was but the Jesuits Popes Spaniards Mazarines and our Popish Enemies new Creature and Instrument to ruine our Protestant Church Religion King kingdoms Laws Liberties The very name of Magna Charta it self for which our ancestors heretofore spent so much bloud and treasure in reality and we of late only in pretence being so exec●able to our New Free-States men that in September 1650. it was expunged out of a Petition M. P. drew for Mr. Luttrel to ●ave Dunster Castle the habitation of him and his ancestors from being pulled down over his head before hearing or Notice by an Order issued for that purpose and put in execution to John Bradshaw and their Free-State Council at Whitehall by their Attorney Prideaux order because it would distast them and a Great Fart was more savory to Olivers red nose than it all in pursuance of the Jesuits old Plot as you have heard out of Watsons Quodlibets This M.P. shall a little infist on because of a present design against our Laws now eagerly pursued The late Parliament in above one hundred Declarations Ordinances Orders Votes made this their principal Charge against the Kings Jesuitical Counsellors and the Popish Forces raised by him against the Parliament that they endeauoured the subversion and extirpation of our antient fundamental Laws Government and that one of the chiefest causes of their taking up arms and raising Armies against them was for the necessary defence and preservation of these antient Good old Laws and Liberties the Inheritance and Birthright of every English Freeman whereby not only his Majesties Regal Authority but the Peoples security of Lives Lands Livings Privileges Liberty both in general and particular are preserved and maintained and by the abolishing innovating or alteration of which it is impossible but that present confusion will fall upon the whole State and Frame of this Kingdom as the
Kings Nobles Brethren to destroy Kingdoms Parliaments their Privileges secure imprison close imprison their Members worshipping the very beast and his Image and visibly receiving his mark in their Foreheads hands by these their Jesuitical practises keeping up an Army and Iron-Sword still drawn amongst us to the great oppressing undoing of their Native Country of purpose to keep off the wooden Crosse of Iesus Christ which he expresly enjoyned them with self-denying Spirits to take up daily and follow him and that other Crosse their own Consciences tell them these perfideous treacherous practises of theirs justly demerit they could have no ground at all from this or anie other Text to reign with Christ in his Heavenly or earthly Kingdom out of which these their seditious unrighteous and bloody practises did eternally exclude them as the 10 14 15. verses of this very Chapter Rev. 22.11 15. 1 Cor. 6.8 9 10. Gal. 5.20 21. resolve Therefore if ever they desired or expected thus to reign with Christ they must all presently repent of these their former Exorbitances put off their Swords from their sides take up Christs daily crosse lay down their own heads upon the Block and then willingly chearfully lose them not for their 7 reasons and Rebellions but for the Testimony of Iesus Christ and the word of God and opposition of their former treasonable Plots of the Beast of Rome then they might expect to reign with him otherwise they had no hopes by the resolution of this Text and that parallel'd place 2 Tim. 2.11.12 which excellently explains it If we be dead with Christ we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him If we deny him by refusing to suffer with or for him he will also deny us With which words these formerly confident Swordmen were so non plassed that they had not one word to reply and gave over all future discourses of this subject ever since being as unwilling to lose their Souldiers pay or Heads for the testimony of Christ as the young man in the Gos●el was To sell all he had and give it the poor to gain eternal life and Treasures in Heaven Lastly consider That as it is the highest glory excellency of God himself the greatest comfort felicity security of his Church Saints that he is the living God stedfast for ever Dan. 6.26 That he is the Lord and changeth not Mal. 3.6 That with him is no variablenesse or shadow of change James 1.17 That he is the same immutable God for ever from everlasting to everlasting That his Counsels thoughts of heart purposes truth faithfulnesse commands loving-kindnesse Covenant stand fast firm unalterable to all generations for ever and ever Psal 3 11. Psalm 90.1 2. Psalm 100.5 Psal ●02 16 17 Lam. 5.19 Hebr. 8.13 Psal 110.4 So it is the most transcendent Honour Dignity Glory of God the Fathers and Jesus Christs Kingship Kingdom and the chief consolation exultation Beatitude of their Subjects and chosen Saints That the Lord is and fitteth King for ever That he is an everlasting King which reigns and shall reign for ever and ever that his Kingdom Dominion Throne are all everlasting established and enduring for evermore for ever and ever throughout all Generations that they cannot be moved and shall have no end Psalm 10.16 Psal 29.10 Psal 9● 8 Psal 45.6 Psal 145.13 Psal 146.10 Isay 19.7 Dan. 4.3.34 c. 7.14 27. Jer. 10.10 Mar. 4.7 Lu. 1.32 33. 2 Pet. 1.11 Rev. 11.15 Hebr. 12.28 Lam. 5.19 So also it is the praise honour glory of all Nations Churches People Kingdoms Governments and every particular person both as a man Christian Counsellour or publick Minister of State to be constant stedfast fixed resolute immoveble and unchangeable in their Oath Religion Worship Faith Principle● Co●nsels resolution● con●●●● when true ju●● honest upright ●incere commendable and in their Kingly publick Government evidenced by its Antiquitie the experiences of many successive generations to be beneficial safe ju●t profitable honorable for the gegeneralitie of the people and firmlie established by Laws Oaths Covenants prescription with all other civil and sacred ratifications as is most apparent by Josh 24.15 16. to 28. P●al 15 4.1 Chron. 28.7 8 9. Prov. 24.21 Psal 57.7 P●al 46.1 2 3. Ps 27.1 3. Jer. 2.11 Rom. 8.35 36 ●6 37 38 39. 1 Cor. 15.58 cap. 7.37 Heb. 6.18 19. Col. 2.5 6 7. 2 Thess 2.17 c. 3.3 Eph. 6.13 14. Col. 1.23 Acts 20.24 c. 21.13 14. Rom. 13 1 2 3. 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15. Tit. 3.1 2 Chron. 13.5 6. c. 11.13 14 15 16 17. c. 23.1 2 3 4 c. c. 26.1 c. 33.24 25. 2. Sam. 7.13 20 29. 1 Chron. 17.13 14 22. to 28. c. 22.10.2 Chron. 9.8 c. 21.7 Ez. 37.45 Prov. 29.14 worthy special observation But it is the sinne shame reproach infamy dishonor r●in of any Nation Church peopl● kingdom State Counsel person to be addicted to changes unstable variable unconstant fickle mutable t●ss●d to and fro backward and forward upward and downward this way and that way like children fools reeds Vanes weathercocks empty clouds wandring stars the restless sea and its waves t●ssed and turned about with every wind and storme like wild asses dromedaries traversing their wayes or whorish women gadding about to change their lovers wayes and doting upon every Novelty or New lover they meet with as Gen. 49.4 Ps 78.8 9 10. to 40. Ezech. 16.25 to 60. Jer. 2.11 to 37. Pro. 7.11.12 Jam. 1.6.8 Hab. 1.14 15. Pro. 24.21 22. I●ay 24.5 Ps 106.20 Mat. 11.7 Rom. 1.23.25 Acts 28.6 2 Pet. 2.1 2 14. to 22. c. 3.17 2 Tim. 3.6 7. Eph. 4.14 Jude 6 12 13 16 24. resolve Why then are you alwayes ringing the changes in our Churche● Kingdoms Parliaments Government Religion modelling unmodelling chopping changing altering building them up and pulling them down again from day to day against all Oathes Vowes Covenants Laws Establishments Policy Prudence Justice Safety Settlement by which you become the highest transgr●ss●rs Gal. 2.18 Is this to shew your selves Saints men of God or prudent Senators or Statesmen No no but to be that generation of spoylers and treacherous men no more to be believed trusted by any though you speak fair words may swear and vow who have spoiled and dealt very treacherously with your brethren and the House of your Fathers who raised entrusted you for their defence and preservation against whom God denounceth a Woe and answerable retaliation in conclusion to be spoiled and dealt treacherously with your selves as some of you your new Protector and those now sitting have been already dealt with and others who made them treacherous Is 33.1 Jer. 12.1 2 6. c. 3.4 Yea such Neighbors brethren as will utterly supplant deceive slander their very nearest dearest relations whose habitation is in the midst of Deceit whom God himself commands us to take heed of and not to trust for they are all an assembly of treacherous double-minded men unstable in all their wayes
empty clouds carried about with a tempest raging waves of the sea which cannot rest foaming out their own shame casting out mire and dirt wandring stars to whom are reserved the Hackness of darkn●ss ●or ever as three Prophets and 3 Apostles resolve in express terms Isay 57.20 21. Jer. 9.2 3 4 5 6. Mich. 7.5 6. Jam. 1.6 7.2 Pet. 2.17 Jude 12 13. O therefore now at last repent repent with greatest grief shame horror of this you Treachery Inconstancy and harden not your hearts as in the day of temptation and provocation Decemb. 6. 1648. May 7. 1659. when you erred in your hearts wandred out of the way of G●d peace truth justice righteousn●ss hon●sty piety duty into such J●s●itical paths wherein there is nothing but wasting and destruction as God resolves all men find by 11 years sad experiment else he will swear in his wrath you shall never enter into his rest If these Evangelical Scriptural Expost●lations will not perswade you to sound a present retreat sue out a Bill of divorce from your false Good Old Cause for our future publike safety peace settlement M. P. shall then intreat you to believe your own Declarations In your last May 6. 1659. you truly declare to the world That the only wise God in the course of his providence hath disappointed all your endeavours and rendered all your means to obviate the dangers and settle these Nations in peace and prosperity VTTERLY INEFFECTVAL Will you know the true reason of it It is because ever since you have interrupted and forcibly dissoved the Treaty of Peace between the late King and his Parliament Decemb. 6. 1648. you have walked in such crooked counsels pathes of iniquity bloud violence Treason destruction as whosoever goeth therein shall NOT KNOW PEACE and have neither known nor pursued the true way of Peace as God himself resolves you if you dare credit him Isay 59.2 to 16. which you may do well to study If you will not believe God nor Mr. Prynne herein pray then believe your own selves whiles in your right senses before the good spirit of God departed from you and now pursue that only way to our peace and settlement you then at least 4. times successively prescribed In your humble Remonstrance from his Excellency and THE ARMY under his command presented to the Commissioners at St. Albans 25 June 1647. p. 12. these are your own printed words We doe f●rther clearly confess We do not see how there can be any peace to the Kingdom from or lasting without a due consideration of and provision for the Righ●s Quiet and Immunity of His Majesties Royal Family and late partakers And herein we thinke that tender and equitable dealing as supposing their case had been ●●rs and a Spirit of Common love and Iustice diff●sing it self to the good and preservation of all will make up the most Glorious Conquest over their hear●s i● God in mercy see it good to make them and the whole people of the Land lasting friends The like words expressions to the same effect you use in your Representation of the Army 14 June 1647. in your Generals Letter to both Houses of Parliament 6 July 1647. Declaring it the General sense of all or most of the Officers of the Army to avoid all Harshness and afford all kind usage to his Majesties person Family and late Party as the most honourable prudent and Christian way and the most hopefull course to take away the present and future seeds of Warr amongst us to posterity and to procure a lasting Peace and a Government in this distracted Nation And in your Proposals 1 A●g 1647. for The settlement of a firm peace you have the like expressions again as Mr. Prynne in his Speech in Parliament Dec. 4. 1648. p. 79 80 81 82. evidenced to the House of Commons perswading them to pursue this only way of Peace and not your quite contradictory Remonstr 20 Nov. 1648. when debauched by the Jesuits the only way to unsetlement tumults warres desolation as experience hath now sufficiently demonstrated O therefore now at last embrace pursue this true and only way to safety peace settlement by your own quadruple Resolutions and then we shall soon have peace quietness safety and assurance for ever Mr. Prynne having thus discharged his Conscience towards the Army-Officers and Swordmen the Primum mobile of all our late present motions and commotions wheeling about all the rest he shall in the second place addresse himself to their subordinate selected Westminster Conventicle now fitting under their force and lure to act vote what they prescribe them forcibly separating their old fellow Members from their company and himself above all others who hath lost suffred spoken written acted more from time to time for God Religion Laws Liberties Properties Parliaments and their privileges against all Jesuitical underminers than all of thē put together notwithstanding all discouragements ingrate requitals from them and others He shall only desire them in relation to the old and newly secluded Members to answer than one expost●larie Text Mal. 2.9 Have we not all one Father Hath not one God created us yea one Mother Church Countrey engendred nourished entrusted us all alike Why then doe ye deal treachero●sly every man against his brother by prophaning the Covenant of our Fathers As for your New erected revived Republike you so much dote on Wherin ye have reigned as Kings without yea against us and we would to God ye did reign that we also might reign with you He shall desire you for your own our Churches Religions sake safetie honour to consider its Papal Jesuitical Antichristian Spanish French originals and its sad effects to their advantage and the ruine of our Religion alreadie discovered which you cannot gain say To weigh his former expostulations with the Army-Officers Soldiers and these few Scriptural to omit manie other Political Historical considerations beyond all refutation and more to be valued than all Politicks of carnal heads or hearts to enamor you again with hereditarie Kings and Kingship which you have so rashly brutishly persidiously abjured out of meer self-ends and interests having not the least syllable in Scripture to justifie either the forcible bloudie manner of erecting new modelling your Illegitimate Commonwealth or your adopting it in the place of our old Kingdom and Kingship First of all consider that as Jesus Christ himself is a King by birth and inheritance Mat. 2.2 Lu. 1.32 33. So it is also his supremest royallest Title Attribute in the very Gospel that hee is King Lord of Kings Lord of Lords the Prince of the Kings of the Earth and the head of all Principalities and Powers Now the abolishing of Kings kingship Princes Lords divests Jesus Christ himself of these his most royal Titles and Soveraigntie Because he is thus stiled only in relation to earthly Kings Princes Lords who rule and reign over Kingdoms Nations by for through under him
and make it their prey if he would turn Papist under pretext of restoring him to his Crown you may read in this Jesuit p. 33 34 35 36. and in Militiere his Victorie of Truth dedicated to King Charles after his Fathers death to pervert him in his Religion as the only means of his restitution These Passages of this Jesuit who stiles himself p. 39. The faithful Servant of the Common-wealth of England ● dedicated to President Bradshaw himself and printed by his SPECIAL COMMAND and our Republican Governours now sitting Ann. 1650. when Mr. Prynne was committed close Prisoner by them without hearing or accusation will justifie the truth of all his former Discoveries That your beheading the King and degrading our Kingdom into a New Free-State was the verie French Cardinals Spaniards Popes and Jesuits plot to ruin both our Protestant Kings Kingdom Church Religion even by your own confessions and that it gave unto them strong arguments to perswade the Kings posteritie and partie for ever to abominate our Religion as manie of them have done upon this very account though the King himself and his Brothers yet continue constant through Gods mercie against all provocations to their eternal honour but your perpetual infamie who have put them upon such direfull Temptations 2. Before you engage in any other Business peruse all former Acts and Petitions of our Protestant Parliaments since 1 Eliz. to this present against Jesuits Seminarie Priests Papists Poperie the manifold mischiefs dangers accrewing by their increase toleration and s●spe●sion of our Lawes against them the causes of their growth amongst us and remedies to prevent the same Then put them all with the Oath of Abjuration and 5. Bills against them assented to by the late King in the last Treatie into immediate impartial vigorous execution 3. Imploy faithfull knowing stout active persons with sufficient power and encouragements to discover detect apprehend them under what ever disguise and shelter they now secure themselves Especially take diligent care to ferret these Romish Vermin and Troublers of our Israel out of all your Armies Garrisons Camps and all Sectarian separate Congregations the Boroughs wherein now they lurk securely by putting them all to the Test of the Oaths of Abjuration Supremacie and Allegiance 4. Permit no Seminarie Priests Friers Romish Emissaries of any Nation but especially no Jesuits of any their 4. ranks to remain in our Realms or Dominions it being impossible to enjoy any peace settlement in Church or State or to expect anie dutifull obedience quiet in or from the Armie whiles these firebrands of Sedition Treason remain within our coasts upon which account they have been by sundrie Proclamations of Queen Elizabeth King James and King Charles not only banished out of England Scotland Ireland and all their Dominions but likewise out of France Germanie Poland Bohemia Austria M●ravia Transilvania Hungarie Venice and other Popish Kingdomes States as well as out of the Netherlands Denmark Sweden and Protestants Territories as the Authors of all their Wars Troubles Tumults Insurrections Rebellions Treasons Regicides and the publike P●sts of Church and State 5. Put no arms into Anabaptists or Quakers hands formerly decrying them as unlawful lest London become another Munster and England another Germanie in few moneths space 6. Since Christ Jesus who is truth it self hath laid down these 3. Gospel-maxims of infallible veritie Mat 7.15 to 21. Lu. 6.43 c. That Ravencus wolves in sheeeps clothing as well as trees are and shall be known by their fruits John 8.44 You are of your Father the Devil for his works ye doe Rom. 6.16 That to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey If all the premises infallibly convince your Consciences Judgements as they will and must do That all the forementioned fruits you have produced since December 4. 1648. are the proper fruits of Jesuits and Romish wolves in sheeps clothing yea the very worst sowrest of all their Fruits and Powder Treasons That the workes you have done in murdring our Protestant King destroying our Parliaments Kingdoms Government Laws secluding your fellow-M●mbers and Lords House by force erecting your New Republike and Parliamentarie Conventicle c. are the Works of the Jesuites and Devil That you have yielded up your selves as obedient servants unto them in everie of these against your own former Oaths Protestations Vows Covenants Declarations Commissions Principles Professions Judgments rightly informed consciences the Votes Obsecrations Disswasions of your Fellow Members and most indeared Protestant Friends Ministers Relations the Indentures Desires of those Counties Burroughs you represent And that the very Principles by which you have acted since Dec. 1648 and now again a●e the very Jesuits principles as you may read at leisure in Johannis Mariana De Rege Regum Institutione l. 1. c. 6. Creswels Philopater Franciscus Verona Constantini Apologia pro Johanne Castellio et Jesuitis Jesuitae Reinaldi liber De Iusta Reipublicae Christianae in Reges Impios et Haereticos authoritate c. published under the name of William Rosse in Ludovicus Lucius Historia Jesuitica l. 2. c. 3. Hospinian Hist Jesuitica l. 3. 4. Speculum Jesuiticum printed 1644. wherein you may truly view your Jesuitical Physiognomies heads perrewigs instead of your old genuine Protestant complexions brains notions hair And if the present fresh Address●s Petitions of Anabaptists Quakers Sectaries from Southwark Warminster Hertfordshire Kent and other places to the Army-Officers and your selves with their late listings in the Army affronts to Ministers in their Churches ejection of some of them to intrude themselves alreadie budding forth sufficiently discover whose Servants you are and whose drudgerie you must execute O then immediately abjure rescinde and null them all with highest indignation and persist no longer in any such destructive waies counsels projects under any pretext consideration interest or perswasions whatsoever But rather remember Mr. Oliver Saint-Johns words now sitting amongst you in his Argument at Law against the Earl of Strafford printed by the Commons house special Order p. 64. In this I shall not labour to prove That the endeavouring By Words Counsels and Actions to subvert the fundamental Lawes and Government of the Kingdom is Treason by the Common Law If there be any Common Law Treasons left nothing Treason if this he not to make a Kingdom no Kingdom And then consider Sir Edward Cooks memorable Observation published by the Commons Order 3 Instit c. 2. p. 35 36. It appeareth in the holy Scripture That TRAYTORS never prospered what good soever they pretended but were most severely and exemplarily punished in conclusion which he proves by the examples of Corah Dathan and Abiram Num. 16.31 32. c. 27.3 Athaliah 2 Kings 1.1.16 Bigthan and Teresh Esth 2.21.23 c. 6.2 Absolom 2 Sam. 18.9.14 Abiathar 1 King 2.26 27. Shimei 2 Sam. 6.5 6. 1 Kings 2.8.46 Zimri 1 Kings 16 9.18 Theudas Acts 5.36 37. and Judas Iscariot
the Traytor of Traytors Acts 1.18 Mat. 27.5 Peruse over all our Books Records Histories and you shall finde a principle in Law a rule in Reason and a trial in experience That Treason doth ever produce fatal and final destruction to the Offender and never attaineth to the desired end two incidents inseparable thereunto And therefore let all men abandon it as the most poisonous Bait of the Devil of Hell and follow the precept in holy scripture Fear God honor the King and have no company with the Seditious Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum So he Now because M.P. finds some Grandees of his own Profession sitting in the House to countenance and make up this Vnparliamentary Juncto he shall desire them in the first place seriously to consider how much they have formerly and now again dishonoured themselves and the whole profession of the Law in sitting in complying with acting under such illegal Anti-Parliamentary Conventicles Powers Changes Changers yea crying them up for legal English Parliaments Powers obeying executing all their illegal new Knacks Orders Ordinances as Acts of Parliament in civil criminal real or personal Causes against all Records Law-books presidents of former Ages their own Judgments Oaths Science Consciences to the intollerable scandal of their Robe the injurie abuse of the whole Nation the prejudice of all their lawfull Superiours and the Publick the encouragement of usurping Traytors Tyrants Oppressors in their waies of wickedness the ill example of most others and their own just reproach 2ly To observe How God in his retaliating Justice hath recompensed this their wilfull prevarication upon their own heads by turning many of them out of their respective places of Judicature honor profit the ground of this their sinfull complyance with infamy dishonour reproach even by the very Persons with whom they unworthily complyed and those especially in present power who had neither been an House of Commons much lesse a mock Parliament without their presence and complyance 3ly That the base unworthy unchristian complyance of the Lawyers and Clergy of England with our late trayterous Innovators Usurpers out of base fear sordid covetousnesse ambition self-saving or self-seeking to the prejudice ruine of King Kingdom Parliament Lords Law hath brought an universal odium upon them with those with whom they most complyed as well as others the Army Officers and present Juncto under a pretext of Reforma●ion designing both their ruines through the Jesuites Politicks who now bear greatest sway having turned many of them with scorn and contempt out of their former places of Judicature beyond their expectations and reviled both their persons and professions to their faces as a Generation of sordid Temporizers and useless faithless persons not fit to be entrusted any more but discarded out of their new lawlesse Republick which hates both Law and Gospel as warranted by neither and repugnant unto both 4ly That the only way now to regain their lost Honour and preserve both our Laws Liberties Religion establish future peace settlement and prevent impendent ruine is to endeavour to restore our antient hereditary just legal Kingship Kings Governors Government with all their necessary invaded Prerogatives Lands Revenues Rights Jurisdictions and inviolably to preserve them with their lives and estates against all conspiracies of Popes Jesuits and foreign enemies to subvert and undermine them in any kind as the several memorable Parliaments and Statutes of 29 H. 6. c. 1. 31 H. 6. c. 1. 39 H. 6. c. 1. 25 H. 8. c. 22. 2 E. 6. c. 26. 7 E. 6. c. 12. 1 Eliz. c. 3.4.20 5 Eliz. c. 1.29.30 13 Eliz. c. 1.2 23 24 18 Eliz. c. 21.22 23 Eliz. c. 1.13.14 27 Eliz. c. 1 2.28.21 29 Eliz. c. 7 8. 31 Eliz. c. 14 15. 35 Eliz. c. 2.12 13. 39 Eliz. c. 26 27. 43 Eliz c. 17 18. 1 Jac. c. 1. 3 Jac. c. 1 2 4 5 25 26. 7 Jac. 6 22 23. 21 Jac. c. 32 33. 3 Car. c. 5 6. in their respective preambles and bodies worthy our most serious review in the Statutes at large resolve being more to be credited pursued than all the rash Jesuitical suggestions votes and inconsiderable resolutions of any unparliamentarie Conventicle or upstart Pseudo-Polititians advancing themselves to the helm of our new Republick by colour of the Statute of 17 Car. 7. Which Bill by the Commons House resolution in their Remonstrances of 15 Dec. 1641. seems to be some restraint of the Regal power in dissolving of Parliaments not to take it out of the Crown but to suspend the execution of it for the time and occasion only which was so necessary for the Kings own security and the Publick peace that without it they could not have undertaken any of those great things but must have left both the Armies to disorder and confusion and the whole Kingdome to blood and rapine Therefore the Parliament must needs determine by the Kings death as he hath infalliby evidenced beyond contradiction In the last place Mr. Prynne shall most importunately beseech all the antient Nobility secluded Members well-affected Gentry Clergy Commonalty of the English Nation which had never so many effeminate false heads and hearts as now many Jesuite Priest Monk lurking under the disguise of womanish Perewigges brought into fashion by them as they now tender their own private or the publick safety weal settlement and preservation of our endangered Church Religion Kingdom Parliament Laws Privileges Properties and prevention of their impendent ruine First of all seriously to consider lament cast off reform their own late present monstrous sottish stupidity sleepinesse self saving self-seeking Spirits and most unworthy un-manly un English unchristian pusillanimity cowardize fear of a few contemptible Mercinary mortal men who shall shortly dye and become as dung upon the earth and their grosse breach of all publick Oaths Protestations Leagues Covenants in not opposing resisting them manfully in their several places and callings Which hath been the principal cause of all the publick Changes Innovatons Oppressions Grievances Exorbitances Insolencies they have hitherto suffered by their own armed hirelings and are the saddest symptomes of our approaching imminent desolation if not speedily repented redressed redressed ere it be over late 2ly To pursue these Gospel advises 1 Cor. 16.13 Watch ye stand fast in the Faith quit ye like men be strong Gal. 5.1 Phil. 1.27 28. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free and be not intangled again with the yoke of Bondage in one Spirit striving together with one mind for the Faith of the Gospel the fundamental Laws Liberties Government Privileges of the Nation And in nothing terrified by your Adversaries which will be to them an evident token of perdition but to you of salvation and that of God 3ly Do you all now publickly resolutely constantly unanimously according to the tenor of the Solemn League and Covenant claim assert vindicate and endeavour to preserve with your Lives and
possiibly expect from any New Free-State or other New Armie Government or Governours whatsoever The old Parliaments Statutes of 25 H. 8. c. 22. 26 H. 8. c. 3. 1 Eliz. c. 5. the most impartial Judges in this case long since resolving that it is and of very right and duty ought to be the natural inclination of all good people like most faithfull loving and obedient Subjects sincerely and willingly to desire and provide for the supportation maintenance and defence of the Person Crown Royal estate and succession of their dread Soveraign King upon and in whom all their worldly Ioy and wealth and the surely of them all next under God doth principally depend as we have experimentally found by all the miseries Oppressions sustained under our late New forms of Governments and Governors whose little fingers have been heavier than our Kings whole loyns and the counsels proceedings of our young raw Statesmen more pernicious exorbitant than the old ones under our Kings Which should engage all to return to their old Kingly Government 4ly If they will not upon anie terms be serued up to such a degree of Christian or old English Resolution as thus to expostulate with their servants hirelings and fellow Members after so manie high and bloudie contestations with their lawfull Soveraign in Parliaments and the field when their Laws lives liberties Church Religion Kingdom and all earthly comforts were less endangered than now in their own judgements Mr. Prynne shall then intreat them only to take so much courage as over-timerous King Jehoshaphat and his cowardly people did when three confederated forein Nations came up to invade and destroy their kingdom and to act as they did then First let them appoint a publike Fast throughout the Kingdom Citie Countrie and use the self-same praier as they used O our God wilt thou not judge them for we have no might against this great companie no nor that little Conventicle inconsiderable handful of Armie-men Sectaries now combined against us but our eies are unto thee Annexing t● it this praier of David Ps 140. Deliver us O Lord from the evil man preserve us from the violent men which imagin mischief in their heart continually are they gathered together for war Grant not O Lord the desire of the wicked Further not their wicked devices lest they exalt themselves Let the mischief of their own lips cover them let them be cast into deepe pits that they rise not up again Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth Let evil hunt the men of violence to their overthrow Then pursue the Prophets advice from God unto them Hearken ye all Judah and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem thus saith the Lord God Be not afraid nor dismaid by reason of this great multitude much less of this small Conventicle for the battle is not yours but Gods To morrow go out against them ye shall not need to fight in this battle only set your selves in array against them and stand still keep your ground fear not submir not to their power usurpations impositions in any kind and the Lord will be with you Whereupon they rose early in the morning and went out against them with their Priests before them singing praises and Psalms of thanksgiving to God And when they began to sing and praise the Lord set ambushes against the children of Ammon Moab and Mount-Seir which were come against Judah and they smote one another For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against them of Mount Seir utterly to slay and destroy them and when they had made an end of them every one helped to destroy another And when Judah looked upon the multiude behold they were dead bodies fallen to the earth and none escaped Whereupon Jehoshaphat and his people gathered up their spoiles for 3. daies space together they were so great and on the 4 th day they blessed the Lord and returned with joy to Jerusalem without the losse of anie one mans life or one stroke struck by them because the Lord fought against the enemies of Israel Imitate but their example herein go out only couragiously against these Invaders of your Countries Rights Liberties Privileges without fear or dispondencie Own not their incroached Parliamentarie power Acts Impositions Edicts Taxes Excises in anie kind Keep fast your purse-strings and part with no farther pay to your Armie-Saints till they obediently submit to your commands as their Masters and acknowledge themselves to be your mercinarie Servants not your soveraign new Lords Masters Then without any more fighting bloudshed danger to your persons or estates you shall soon behold hold the Mungrel multitude of Anabaptists Quakers Sectaries Republicans Vanists Cromwellists Jesuits Papists now combined against you divided against each other as you see they are pretty well and every of them will help to destroy one another as they begin to doe and their Westminster new-convened Vn-Parliamentarie Conventicle thrust out of doors by themselves again with greater scorn infamie derision damage to them than heretofore as Obad. 10.15 Ezech. 35.15 Deut. 32.35 36.41 42. Ps 7.15 16. Ps 9.15 Ps 140.11 Prov. 12.2 3 c. 24.21 22. Mich. 3 9· to 13. Hab. 2.12 13. Rev. 13.10 c. 17.6 c. 16.4 5 6. Mat. 7. 2. Judg. 1.6 7. may assure both you and them compared with Gods late wonderfull providences of this kind upon all sorts of Innovators So as you may sing They are brought down and fallen but we are risen and stand upright But if you neglect or refuse to follow this advice beware lest through your unworthie cowardize and negligence in this kinde you become not a speedy prey to these ravening wolves now likely to transform London into another Munster and England into a second G●rmanie as in the year 1534. Mr. Prynne having thus fully faithfully sincerely discharged his dutie and satisfied his own conscience is resolved to lie down quietly to take his rest and hope for the salvation of his God concluding with the words of St. Paul in a like case 2 Tim. 4.6 7 8.16 17 18. I am now ready to be offred and the time of my departure is at hand I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which God the righteous Judge shall give me at that day At my first answer no man stood by me but all men forsook me I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge Notwithstanding the Lord stood by me and strengthned me that by me the preaching might be fully known and that all the Gentiles might hear and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lyon And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me to his heavenly KINGDOM to whom bee glorie for ever and ever Amen Isay 8.9 to 16. Associate your selves O ye people and ye shall be broken in pieces gird yourselves and ye shall be broken in pieces take counsel