they are become Masters Usurpers of the name of the Army of the name of the Parliament under which Visors they have levelled destroyed all the Authority of this Nation for the Parliament indeed in truth is no Parliament but a Representative Glasse of the Coūcell of Warre and the Councell of Warre but a Representative of Cromwell Ireton and Harrison and these are the All in All of the Nation which under the guises and names of Parliament Army Generall Councell High Court and Councell of State play all the strange pranks that are played And further p. 13. The conclave of Officers have sucked in the venome of all former corrupt Courts and Interests the High Commission Starre-Chamber the House of Lords the King and his privy Councell are all alive in that Court called The Generall Councell of the Army 1. The King stood upon it That He was accountable to none but God The House by Vote 5. Dec. 16. 8 voted the King's Concessions a ground c. And the Army secured expelled 250. Members for using liberty to vote according to their consciences and over-ruled those fevv they left sitting to unvote in a thin House vvhat vvas voted in a full House this is more than to usurp a Negative Voice over them returne to sect 18. 23. 28. that He was above the Parliament and People and to whom will these men be accountable to none on earth and are they not above the Parliament they have even a Negative Voice thereover formerly the Commons could passe nothing without the House of Lords and now they dare passe nothing without the concurrence of the conclave of Officers we were formerly ruled by King Lords and Commons now by a Generall Court Martiall and House of Commons what is the difference the Lords were not Members both of the House of Peers and of the House of Commons but the Officers our martiall Lords are Members both in the House or Councell of Officers and in the House of Commons we have not the change of a Kingdome to a Common-wealth we are onely under the old cheat A transmutation of Names but with the addition of new Tyrannies for casting out one uncleane Spirit they have brought with them in his stead seven other uncleane Spirits more wicked than the former and they have entered in and dwell there and the last state of this Common-wealth is worse than the first Lastly they set downe some illegall proceedings and Examinations before the Councell of Warre exceeding the High Commission and Starre-Chamber 127. The Authors censure of the Levellers These three Books shew the late endeavours of the Agitators and that party which the Grandees politickly mis-call to cast an odium upon them Levellers they are the truest Assertors of humane liberty and the most constant and faithfull to their Principles party of any in the Army though they have many redundancies and superfluous Opinions fit to be pruned off by conversing with discreet honest Men or rather by a discreet just publique Authority which I am confident is feasible since their principles concenter in the publique not in their owne private Interest and Opinions and are no otherwaies changable than conduceth with the emergent occasions of the Commō-wealth yet they are but like the water-boughs of a healthy fruit Tree rather troublesom than dangerous whereas the designes of their Antagonists like rocks under water or poyson in well-cooked meat destroy before they are discovered 128. The Authors censure of His Majesties Posthumus vvorke entituled The Pourtraicture of His Sacred Majesty in His Solitudes and Sufferings About this time arose a Phoenix out of His Majesties Ashes that most excellent Issue of His Brayne entituled THE POURTRAICTURE OF HIS SACRED MAIESTY IN HIS SOLITUDES AND SUFFERINGS A Book full fraught with wisdome Divine and Humane shewing Him to be more than Conquerour of His Enemies in His rare Christian patience and charity the very reading of it aggravateth our losse of so Gracious and excellent a Prince that had learned the whole method of humane perfection in the schoole of adversity Herod and his Iewes never persecuted Christ in his swadling-clouts with more industrious malice then the Antimonarchicall Independent Faction this Book in the Presses Shops that should bring it forth into the world knowing that as the remembrance of Heaven strikes a horror into us of Hell So the contemplation of his virtues will teach us to abhorre their vices March 8. 1648. 129. The forme of VVrits for Elections changed The Commons assented to a new Forme of a Writ for election of Knights and Burgesses for the Parliament But three dayes before it was reported to the House from the Councell of State what number of Horse Foot they thought sit to be kept up for the service of England and Ireland 103. A nevv establishment for the Army reported to the House from our nevv Masters the Councell of State and the Monthly charge which estimated comes to 160000 l. per mensem You see we are likely to finde these our new Lords such gracious Masters to us that as the second part of Englands new Chaines saith We shal have Taxes though we have neither Trade nor Bread In the Earle of Essex time when the Warre was at the highest the Monthly Tax came but to 54000 l. a Month yet had we then seven or eight Brigades besides his Army and Garrisons but that the Faction of Saints may carry on the worke of a thorow Reformation in our purses as well as they have done in the Church Common-wealth they first raised the Tax to 60000 l. a Month for England besides 20000 l. a Month pretended for Ireland but I believe little of it slips through their sanctified fingers to go thiter And now to shew they can use double dealing against the Ungodly they would double the summ from 80000 l. to 160000 l. a Month this is to breake our hearts with popetry and make them take what impressions of slavery they please to set upon them this Conventicle of State will engrosse all the Coyne Treasure of the Land into their owne hands then subdue us therewith make us like slavish Aegyptians sell our Selves and our Lands for Bread or money to buy Bread when that inseparable companion of a long warre Famine approacheth which their barbarous and illegall Sequestrations unstocking mens Farmes and laying them wast will inevitably bring upon us they have more hope to subdue and lessen the number of their Opposites by famine and want than by the Sword in order to which they have destroyded the Trade of the City undone multitudes of Trades-men who being disabled to pay their Taxes the Army cause all their Arreares to be leavied upon the City by a new Tax upon the rest of the Inhabitants the Ourlandlords and when Cromwell was told this would undoe the City He answered It was no matter the more were undone the more would
after his Royall assent might have made themselves Masters of all the other Propositions vvithout his Consent so that this Treaty vvas but a flourish to dazle the eyes of the vvorld His Majesty therefore denied the 4. said Bills and thereby preserved the legall Interests of King Parliament People yet the Faction presently tooke a pretence and occasion thereupon to lay aside the King Ibidem sect 65 66 68 69 70 71 72 74 75. And my said Animadvers p. 10. And the 2 part of Englands new Ch by passing 4. Votes for no more Addresses to him and a Declaration against him vvhich vvere not passed vvithout many threats and more shevv of force then stood vvith the nature of a free Parliament the Army lying neere the Tovvne to back their Party the designe having been layd before hand betvveen Sir Henry Vane Iunior Sir Iohn â—velyn of VVilts Nath â—â—â—nnes Solicitor Saint Iohns and a select Committee of the Army I told you before the People had been throughly instructed formerly by the Army and their Agitators 2. part of England's new Ch discovered p. 4 5. That there could be no peace nor happinesse in England vvithout restoring the King to his just Rights and Prerogatives c. notvvithstanding vvhich the People novv found their hopes that vvay deluded by the Army and their Party vvho had cast off the King upon private discontents the true grounds vvhereof did not appeare and had obstructed all vvayes to Peace and Accommodation and made them dangerous and destructive to such as travailed peaceably in them vvitnesse the sad example of the Surrey-men Kent Essex and all to perpetuate their great Places of povver and profit The minds of the People therefore troubled vvith apprehension that our old Lavves and laudable forme of Government should be subverted and nevv obtruded by the povver of the Svvord sutable to the lusts and Intrests of these ambitious covetous Men and finding besides evident symptomes of a nevv VVarre approaching to consume that small Remainder vvhich the last VVarres had left grevv so impatient of vvhat they feared for the future and felt at present insupportable Taxes Free-quarter insolency of Souldiers Martiall Lavv Arbitrary Government by Committees and by Ordinances of Parliament changed and executed at the vvill and pleasure of the Grandees in stead of our setled and vvell approved Lavves that despaire thrust them head long into Armes in VVales Kent Essex Pontefract c and at the same time a cloud arising in Ireland a storme povvred in from Scotland and the Prince threatning a tempest from Sea these concurrences looked so black upon the Independent Grandees that they gave vvay to a second mock-Treaty in the Isle of VVight 2 Treaty in the Isle of VVight vvhich vvas the fruit of their covvardise and subtilty as appeares by Sergeant Nickolas a Creature of theirs vvho upon Saturday Octob. 28. 1648. moved in the House That the Lord Goring might be proceeded against as a new Delinquent out of mercy because he had Cudgelled them into a Treaty though novv they attribute all to the Kings corrupt Party in the tvvo Houses the Army likevvise kept a mock-fast or day of Humiliatîon at VVindsor to acknovvledge their sinnes and implore Gods mercy for their former disobedience to the Parliament in not Disbanding and their insolent Rebellion in Marching up in a Hostile and Triumphant posture against the Parliament and City August 6. 1647. promising more obedience hereafter and to acquiesce in the judgement of the Parliament and Declared Decl. Iune 14. 1647. That it was proper for them to act in their owne sphere as Souldiers and leave State affairs to the Parliament but this vvas done but to recover the good opinion of the people and City and to keep them from stirring and to stay the moderate Party of the tvvo Houses from Declaring the Army Enemies recalling and Voting their Commissions and established Pay voyde vvhich they might have done vvith ruine to the Army and their Party in that Conjuncture of Affaires and vvith safety to themselves and applause of all honest men of England that had taken part vvith the Parliament from the beginning had not some Grandees of the rigid Presbyterian party both vvithin and vvithout the Houses some cursed thing some Achans vvedge in their bosomes vvhich suggested Their sinnes vvere greater than could be forgiven and therefore they durst not cast dovvne the partition vvall betvveen them and the King this Army though it leane so hard upon them it is ready to overvvhelme them VVarre is necessary for some men of every Faction vvhose crying sinnes peace vvill lay open and naked to the scorne derision and detestation of the vvorld Hovv vvel these sanctimonious Svvord-players of the Army have observed the Duties Undertakings of their said Humiliation let the vvorld judge Have they not returned againe vvith the Dogge to the Vomit have they not cousened God and their ovvne Soules Sure they fasted from sinne then that they might sinne vvith the more greedy appetite novv and asked God forgivenesse of the old score that they might sinne againe upon a nevv score Thus you see the 2. Treaties in the Isle of VVight vvere begotten by feare and that Idol of the Independents to vvhich they offer up all their knaveries necessity They vvere Cocatrice Eggs layd by their Grandees vvhen they had been Crovv-trodden by Armies from abroad Tumults at home See my 1. part sect 65 66 105 106 107. and the Conclusions there Sect. 16 17 18 upon vvhich they sate abrood onely to hatch Scandals and nevv quarrels against the King Anarchy and confusion to the State and Tyranny and oppression of the People to set up the Olygarchy of the Saints or Councel of State the Kingdome of the Brambles vvhich since doth scratch the vvool from off the skin the skin from off the flesh the flesh from off the bones I. have been compelled to use some introductory Repetitions in this part of my discourse that I may give you the vvhole mystery of the 2. Treaties vvith the King in the Isle of VVight vvith the causes efficient and finall of them under one vievv lest some one link of the chaine escaping your observation it become a Chaine of errors to you My first part of the History of Independency ends vvith that vvhich vvas but an unlucky preface to a Treaty vvith the King 3. Hamilton overthrovvne See my 1. part sect 136. namely Cromwel's menacing Letters to the Speaker of the House of Commons dated August 20. 1648. Relating his easie purchase of a great Victory over Duke Hamilton and Lieut. Gen. Bayly vvherein he relates the number of the Scotish Forces farre differing from the former Report of Lieut. Col. Osborne a Scotish Gentleman made in the House of Commons Iuly 20. Sect. 110 111. vvhere of I have spocten in my first part vvho to take avvay the terror of them estimated Hamiltons and Langdales conjoyned Forces to be but 10000.
and fundamentall Government of the Kingdome be elected chosen or put into the Office of the Lord Major of the City of London Sheriffe Alderman Deputy of a VVard or Common-Councel-man of the said City or shall have any voice in the election of any such Officers for the space of one vvhole yeare and be uncapable of any of the said Places yet novv these petty Fellovves keepe the vvhole City in avve 39. Yet this Agreement since inserted into the Remonstrance of the Army owned by the Generall and Councell of VVarre and Nov. 20. 1648. obtruded upon the House These multiplied Votes and Ordinance laid this Agreement of the People asleep untill the beginning of November 1648. vvhen to hinder the peace of this Kingdome and reliefe of Ireland the Iesuits and Agitators prosecuted it againe in the Army and inserted it againe verbatim in the Remonstrance of the Army Novemb 20. 1648. to breake off the Treaty with the King bring him to capitall punishment and cast the odium of all upon the Parliament And the Generall and his Councell of Officers though they had formerly shot a Souldier to death for prosecuting it unanimously approved it at Saint Albons November 16. 1648. and obtruded it upon the House the 20. Novemb. and vvhen they found the House so resolute in the Treaty as to proceed they first seized the Person of the King and carried Him to Hurst-Castle as aforesaid and vvhen the House at last closed up the Treaty vvith this Vote That the Kings Answers to the Propositions of both Houses were a ground for the Houses to proceed upon towards a setlement 40. VVhy they purged the House They seized upon 41. Members of Parliament secured them and villanously treated them secluded above 160. and frighted avvay at least 40. or 50. more leaving onely their ovvne Somerset-house Iunto of 40. or 50. thriving Members sitting to Vnvote in a thin House under a force vvhat had been voted in a full and free House To vote dovvne the Kingly Office and House of Peers to vote the Supreme Authority to be in the People and in the House of Commons as their Representative clean contrary to their three last recited Votes To bring the King to capitall punishment before a nevv invented illegall mixed Court consisting of engaged Persons erected for that purpose that hath neither foundation by prescription nor Lavv and to erect a Councell or Committee of States out of their number in the nature of Lords States Generall or Hogen Mogens vvith an unknovvn and therefore unlimited Authority to continue in being after the dissolution of this Parliament So farevvel Kings Lords and Commons Religion Lavves and Liberties and all Votes Declarations Remonstrances Protestation and Covenant made heretofore only to gull the People and carry on their designe About 19. 41. Diverse Lords doe homage to the Generall and wave their honours Decemb. divers Lords vvent to doe homage to the Generall to expresse their good affections to him and their concurrence vvith him for the common good and their readinesse to vvave their priviledges and Titles if they shall be found burdensome to the liberty of the People and had a gracious nod for their paines About this time the Lords Commons passed an Ordinance for electing Common-Councel-men and Officers in London for the yeare following to this effect 42. An Ordinance to curb the City in electing Officers That no Person that hath been imprisoned or sequestred rightfully or vvrongfully or hath assisted the King against the Parliament in the first or second VVarre or hath been aiding or assisting in bringing the Scots Army to invade this Kingdome or did subscribe or abett the treasonable Engagement 1647. or that did ayde assist or abett the late Tumult vvithin the Cities of London and VVestminster or the Counties of Kent Essex Middlesex or Surrey shall he elected chosen or put into the Office or Place of Lord Mayor of London Alderman Aldermans Deputy Common Councel-man or into any office or place of trust vvithin the City for the yeare ensuing or be capable to give his voice for chusing any Person to any the Offices aforesaid And that if any Persons comprehended under the aforesaid exceptions being chosen shall presume to sit in the Court of Aldermen Common-Councell or execute any of the aforesaid Offices he shall forfeit 200. And all such Elections to be null and void the Lord Mayor to take order that this Ordinance be read at all Elections and punctually observed and also to afford the liberty of the Pole it being required by any of the Electors present But this Ordinance not giving full satisfaction to the Zealots Skippon stood up Skippon moveth for an Addition to the said Ordinance and looking as demurely as if he meant to say Grace he told the House That the late Ordinance was not sufficient to keep Malignants out of Office in London for Mr. Speaker said he It is not enough to exclude Delinquents or the Abettors of the late Insurrections c. for there are a more dangerous sort of men amongst them They which promoted the Treaty and endeavoured to have the King brought to London except these be made incapable of Authority it will be a great discouragement to the Godly party of the City So an additionall Ordinance to this end vvas ordered to be brougth in you see to endeavour peace and setlement is accounted by these Saints militant a sufficient crime to forfeit a mans Brith-right 43. The Members subscribe Iohn Gourdons Protestation sect 29. I formerly told you of Iohn Gourdons motion That all Members might subscribe a Protestation against the Votes for a Treaty with the King in the Isle of VVight and especially against the Vote 5. Decemb. 1648. vvhich declareth That His Majesties Answers to the Propositions of both Houses were a ground for the two Houses to proceed to a setlement and untill such dissent or disapprovall to forbeare the House This vvas done in obedience to the demands of the Army in their Remonstrance presented 20. Sect. 23. Novemb. 1648. And although it be so clearly against the Orders and Priviledges of Parliament that divers Members formerly and some this Parliament have been suspended the House and committed to the Tovver for offering it because it tends to breed factions and divisions in the House and Tumults vvithout dores yet every request from an Armed man is a Command and must be obeyed The List of the Names of these nevv Protestants follovveth and it is hoped they vvill in time give better Reasons then the power of the Swoâ—d for it 20. December 1648. subscribed The Lord Lâ—ste Col. Boswell Io Gourdon Lord Gray Peregrine Pelham Col. Iones Col. Temple Col. Ven Sir Tho Malevourer Sir Thomas VVrotâ—e Sir Io Bourcher Col. Peter Temple Humphry E wards vvho vvaited on the King to the House vvhen he demanded the 5 Members and his Election is adjudged void by a Committee Mr Tho Challoner Sir Gregory Norton
to his Officers to know what they had against him Who it seemes act all things without his privity and steere all the Armies present counsels and designes according to their absolute wills The publique Declaration and Protestation of William Pryn of Lincolnes Iune Esquire Against his present Restraint and the present destructive Councels and Iesuiticall proceedings of the Generall Officers and Army I William Pryn a Member of the House of Commons and Free-man of England who have formerly suffer'd 8. years Imprisonment four of them close three in exile three Pillories the losse of my Eares Calling Estate for the vindicating of the Subjects just Rights and Liberties against the arbitrary tyranny and injustice of King and Prelats and defence of the Protestant Religion here established spent most of my strength and studies in asserting the Peoples just freedome and the power and priviledges of Parliament against all Opposers and never received one farthing by way of damages gift or recompence or the smallest benefit or preferment whatsoever for all my sufferings and publick services Doe here solemely declare before the most just and righteous God of Heaven and Earth the Searcher of all hearts the whole Kingdome English Nation and the World that having according to the best of my skill and judgment faithfully discharged my trust and duty in the Commons House upon reall grounds of Religion Conscience Iustice Law prudence and right reason for the speedy and effectuall setlement of the peace and safety of our three distracted bleeding dying Kingdomes on Monday Dec. 4. I was on Wednesday morning following the 6 of this instant going to the House to discharge my duty on the Parliament staires next the Commons dore forcibly seized upon by Col. Pride Sir Hardresse Waller and other Officers of the Army who had then beset the House with strong Guards and whole Reg of Horse and Foot haled violently thence into the Queens Court notwithstanding my Protestation of breach of priviledge both as a Member and a Freeman by a meere usurped tyrannicall power without any lawfull Authority or cause assigned and there forcibly detained Prisoner with other Members there restained by them notwithstanding the Houses double demand of my present enlargement to attend its service by the Sergeant and that night contrary to faith and promise carried Prisoner to Hell and there shut up all night with 40. other Members without any lodging or other accommodations contrary to the known Priviledges of Parl. the fundamentall Laws of the Realm and liberty of the Subject which both Houses the 3. Kingdoms the Generall with all Officers and Soldiers of the Army are by soleme Covenant and duty obliged inviolably to maintaine Since which I have without any lawfull power or authority been removed and kept Prisoner in severall places put to great expences debarred the liberty of my Person calling and denied that hereditary freedome which belongs to me of right both as a Free-man a Member an eminent sufferer for the publike a Christian by these who have not the least shadow of authority or justice to restraine me and never yet objected the least cause for this my unjust restraint I do therefore hereby publickly protest against all these their proceedings as the highest usurpation of an arbitrary and tyrannicall power the greatest breach of faith trust Covenant priviledges of Parliam and most dangerous encroachment on the Subjects liberties and Law of the Land ever practised in this Kingdome by any King or Tyrant especially by pretended Saints who hold forth nothing but justice righteousnesse liberty of conscience and publick freedome in all their Remonstrances whiles they are triumphantly trampling them all under their armed iron feet And doe further hereby appeal to and summon them before all the Tribunals and powers in heaven and earth for exemplary justice against them who cry out so much for it against others lesse tyrannicall oppressive unjust and fedifragus to God and men than themselves And doe moreover remonstrate that all their present exorbitant actings against the King Parl. present Government their new modled Representative are nothing else but the designs projects of Iesuits Popish Priests and Recusants who bear chief sway in their Councels to destroy and subvert our Religion Lawes Liberties Government Magistracy Ministry the present and all future Parl. the King his Posterity and our 3. Kingdomes yea the Generall Officers and Army themselves and that with speedy and inevitable certainty to betray them all to our forraigne Popish Enemies and give a just occasion to the Prince and Duke now in the Papists power to alter their Religion and engage them and all forraigne Princes and Estates to exert all their power to suppresse and extirpate the Protestant Religion and Professors of it through all the world which these unchristian scandalous treacherous rebellious tyrannicall Iesuiticall disloyall bloudy present Counsels and exorbitances of this Army of Saints so much pretending to piety and justice have so deeply wounded scandalized and rendred detestable to all pious carnall morall men of all conditions All which I am and shall alwaies be ready to make good before God Angels Men and our whole three Kingdomes in a free and full Parliament upon all just occasions and seale the truth of it with the last drop of my dearest bloud In witnesse whereof I have hereunto subscribed my Name at the Signe of the Kings-head in the Strand Decemb. 26. 1648. William Pryn. 51. The Councell of War forbid all state and ceremony to the King From Dec. 25. to 1. Ianuary Num. 283. 27. Decemb. The Councell of Warre who manage the businesse in relation to the King saith the Diurnall ordered That all state and ceremony should be forborne to the King and his Attendants lessened to mortifie him by degrees and worke Him to their desires 52. Cromwels Sp. in the Ho when it was first propounded to trie the King When it was first moved in the House of Commons to proceed capitally against the King Cromwell stood up and told them That if any man moved this upon designe he should thinke him the greatest Traytour in the world but since providence and necessity had cast them upon it he should pray God to blesse their Councels though he were not provided on the sudaine to give them counsel this blessing of his proved a curse to the King 53. The Ordinance for electing Com Councel men confirmed 28. Decemb. was brought into and read in the House an Ordinance explaining the former Ordinance for electing Common-Councel-men which confirmed the former Ordinance It was referred back againe to the said Committee to consider of taking away the illegall as they please to miscall them Oathes of Allegiance Supremacy and other Oathes usually administred to Officers Free-men c. of the City The 28. Decemb. Tho Scot brought in the Ordinance for Triall of the King it was read and recommitted three severall times 54. The Ordinance for Triall of His Majesty passed
most infamous perfid ous and dishonourable Nation under Heaven both to the present and all succeeding Ages which must needs make the Contrivers and Abetters thereof the most detestable Traytors and publique Enemies to their King and native Country that ever this Realme brought forth in any Age. Repent therefore of these your treasons and amend your lives if you expect the least hope of pardon from God or Man and expiate all your former high misdemeanors by engaging all your power and endeavours to settle all things in Church and State according to your primitive engagements instead of accumulating one sin and Treason to another which will prove your certaine ruine in conclusion 110. Six propositions of undoubted verity Another Paper not your safety About the same time and it is thought from the same Author came forth a Paper bearing the Title of ⧠Six Propositions of undoubted verity fit to be considered in our present exigency by all loyall Subjects and conscientious Christians Every act of Parliament relateth to the first day of the same Parliam but it cannot be that any Act passed in the Reigne of King Charles the second should relate to the first day of this Parliament which happened in the sixteenth yeare of Charles the First ergo this Parliament is determined by the death of King Charles the first 1. THat this Parliament is ipso facto Dissolved by the King's death He being the Head Beginning and End of the Parliament called onely by his Writ to Confer with Him as His Parliament and Councell about urgent affaires concerning Him and His Kingdome and so was it resolved in 1. Hen. 4. Rot. Parl. n. 1. 14 H. 4. Coke 4. Instit p. 46. 4 C. 4. f. 44. b. 2. That immediately upon this Parliaments dissolution by the Kings death all Commissions granted by the King or by one or both Houses to the Generall or Officers of the Army the Commissioners of the Great Seale of England Iudges of the Kings Courts Iustices of Peace Sheriffs Excise-men Customers and the like with all Committees and Ordinances of one or both Houses made this Parliament did actually determine expire and become meerly void in Law to all intents and purposes and cannot be Continued as good and valid by any Power whatsoever 3. That instantly after the Kings decease the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme of England and of the Kingdoms Dominions and Rights thereunto belonging was by inherent Birth-right and Lawfull undoubted succession and descent actually vested in the most Jllustrious Charles Prince of VVales being next lineall Heire of the bloud Royall to his Father King CHARLES and that He is actuall KING thereof before any Ceremony of Coronation as is resolved in full Parliament by the Statute of 1. Iacobi ch 1. and by all the Iudges of England since Coke 7. Report f. 10 11. in Calvins Case Whose Royall Person and Title to the Crowne all loyall Subjects are bound by their Oaths of Supremacy Allegiance and Solemne League and Covenant with their Estates Lives and last drop of their bloods to maintaine against all Opposers 4. That all Peers of the Realme Mayors Sheriffs chief Officers of Cities and Corporations in this Kingdome are obliged by their Places and Allegiance without any delayes or excuses to declare and proclaime Prince Charles to be rightfull King of England and of all Kingdomes and Rights thereunto belonging notwithstanding any illegall prohibitions or menaces to the contrary by any usurped Power whatsoever under paine of being guilty of High Treason and forfeiting their City and Corporation Charters in case of supine neglect or refusall thereof through faire terror or any sinister respect 5. That till King Charles be setled in his Throne or give other Order the present Government of the Kingdome is legally vested onely in the Lords and Peers of the Realme being by Inheritance Custome and Law in such case the Kings and Kingdoms great Councell to whose lawfull Commands all other Subjects ought to yeeld ready Obedience 6. That every professed actuall endeavour by force or otherwise to alter the fundamentall Monarchicall Government Laws and legall Style and proceedings of this Realm and to introduce any new Government or Arbitrary proceedings contrary thereunto is no lesse than High Treason and so declared resolved by the last Parliamt in the Cases of Strafford and Canterbury the losse of whose Heads yet fresh in memory should deterre all others from pursuing their pernitious courses and out-stripping them therein they being as great potent and as farre out of the reach of danger and justice in humane probability as any of our present Grandees 111. A New Stamp for Coyne That no Act of Rebellion and Treason might be unattempted by this Conventicle no part of the Regalities of the King or Peoples Liberties unviolated they considered of a New Stamp to be given to all Coyne for the future of this Nation 112. Instructions for the Councel of State 13. Febr. They considered of Instructions and Power to be given by way of Commission to the said Committee or Councel of State 1. For the Government of the two Nations of England Ireland appointing a Committee to bring in the Names of these Hogens Mogens and to perfect their Instructions for 1 Ordering the Militia 2 Governing the People they were wont to be Governed by knowne Lawes not by Arbitrary Instructions and by one King not by forty Tyrants most of them base Mechanicks whose education never taught them to aspire to more knowledge than the Office of a Constable 3 Setling of Trade most of them have driven a rich Trade in the worke of Reformation for themselves 4 Execution of Lawes this was wont to be done by legall sworne Iudges Iuries and Officers 113. Powers given to the Councel of State 14. Febr. The Committee reported to the House the Names of the Committee of State or Lords States Generall Also the Power they were to have viz 1. Power to command and settle the Militia of England and Ireland 2. Power to set forth Ships and such a considerable Navy as they should think fit 3. Power to appoint Magazines and Stores for the Kingdoms of England and Ireland and dispose of them from time to time for the service of both Nations as they shal think fit 4. Power to sit and execute the severall powers given for the space of one whole yeare with many other powers not yet revealed and daily increased besides what improvements of Power they are able to make hereafter having the Militia of an Army that formidable Hob-goblin at their Command They have two Seales appointed a Great Seale and a Signet Patents for Sheriffs and Commissions for Justices and Oathes for both were reformed according to the Godly cut VVhen the Committee of State vvas nominated in the House 114. An expurgatory Oath put upon the Councell of State scrupled by some of the Members and moderated by Cromvvell in opposition of the Levellers divers
clap Swords to their sides and come into the Army you see Souldiery is intended to be the chief Trade 131. An Act for Abolishing the Kingly Office c. March 17. 1648. The empty House of commons in farther prosecution of their said Designe and to please their Masters of the Army passed printed and published in the forme style of a Statute this Paper following entituled An Act for the Abolishing the Kingly Office in England Ireland and the Dominions thereto belonging WHereas Charles Stuart late King of England Ireland and the Territories and Dominions thereunto belonging hath by Authority derived from Parliament Since by the lavv the Crovvne cures all defects hovv can the King's bloud be attainted been and is hereby declared to be justly condemned adjudged to die and put to death for many treasons murthers and other hainous offences committed by him by which Judgement he stood and is hereby declared to be attainted of High Treason whereby his Issue and Posterity and all others pretending Title under him are become uncapable of the said Crowns or of being King or Queen of the said Kingdome or Dominions or either or any if them Bee it therefore Enacted and Ordained and it is Enacted VVe have svvorn saith Allegiance to K Charls the First His lavvfull Heyres Succ ssors and our Vovv is recorded in Heaven from vvhich no povver on earth can absolve us See the Oathes of Allegiance Obedience and Supremacy The Statute of Recognition 1. Iac. But the Commons are novv so Supreme as in imitation of the Pope to bring this Clause in practise Licet de jure non possumus tamen pro plenitudine potestatis nostrae volumus c. Ordained and Declared by this present Parliament and by Authority thereof That all the People of England and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging of what degree or condition soever are discharged of all Fealty Homage and Allegiance which is or shall be pretended to be due unto any of the Issue and Posterity of the said late King or any claiming under him and that Charles Stuart eldest Sonne and James called Duke of Yorke second Sonne and all other the Issue and Posterity of him the said late King and all and every person and persons pretending Title from by or under him All our Lavves cut off by the non obstante of an eyght part of the House of Commons sitting under a force After almost 1000. years experience it novv found to be dangerous The English vvere never one half-quarter so much ens aved since VVilliam the Conquerour subdued them as they have been since Oliver the Brevver subjugated them are and be disabled to hold or enjoy the said Crown of England and Ireland and other the Dominions thereunto belonging or any of them or to have the Name Title Stile or Dignity of King or Queen of England and Ireland Prince of Wales or any of them or to have and enjoy the power and Dominion of the said Kingdoms and Dominions or any of them or the Honors Manors Lands Tenements Possessions and Hereditaments belonging or appertaining to the said Crowne of England and Ireland and other the Dominions aforesaid or to any of them or to the Principality of Wales Dutchy of Lancaster or Cornwall or any or either of them Any Law Statute Ordinance Vsage or Custome to the contrary hereof in any wise notwithstanding And whereas it is and hath been found by experience that the Office of a King in this Nation and Ireland and to have the power thereof in any single Person is unnecessary burthensome and dangerous to the liberty safety and publique interest of the people and that for the most part use hath been made of the Regall power and prerogative to oppresse impoverish and enslave the Subject and that usually and naturally any one person in such power makes it his interest to incroach upon the just freedome and liberty of the People and to promote the setting up of their owne Will and power above the Lawes that so they might enslave these Kingdoms to their owne Lust * * But in a Councell of State of forty Tyrants sitting under the protectioÌ„ and avve of Oliver Be it therefore Enacted and Ordained by this present Parliament and by Authority of the same That the Office of a King in this Nation shall not henceforth reside in or be exercised by any one single Person and that no one person whatsoever shall or may have or hold the Office Stile Dignity Power or Authority of King of the said Kingdoms and Dominions or any of them or of the Prince of Wales Any Law Statute Vsage or Custome to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding And it is hereby Enacted That if any person or persons shall endeavour to attempt by force of Armes or otherwise or be ayding assisting comforting or abbetting unto any person or persons that shall by any waies or meanes whatsoever endeavour or attempt the reviving or setting up againe of any pretended Right of the said Charles eldest Sonne to the said late King James called Duke of Yorke or of any other the Issue and Posterity of the said late King or of any person or persons claiming under him or them to the said Regall Office Stile Dignity or Authority or to be Prince of Wales or the promoting of any one person whatsoever to the Name Stile Dignity Power Prerogative or Authority of King of England and Ireland High Treason is what these Legislative Thieves list to make it an Arbitrary or me notvvithstanding the Stâ—t 25 Ed 3. for limiting ascertaining of Treasons for security of the People Tiberius and Neâ—o's daies are falleÌ„ upon us of vvhich Tacitus lugeni crimen debitiae c mplementum omnium accusationem lasa majestat and Dominions aforesaid or any of them That then every such offence shall be deemed and adjudged High Treason the Offenders therein their Counsellors Procurers Ayders and Abettors being convicted of the said Offence or any of them shall be deemed adjudged Traytors against the Parliament and People of England and shall suffer lose and forfeit and have such like the same paines forfeitures judgements and execution as is used in case of High Treason And whereas by the abolition of the Kingly Office provided for in this Act a most happy way is made for this Nation if God see it good to returne to its just and antient right of being Governed by its owne Representatives or Nationall meetings in Councell * * VVhen vvas England governed by their ovvne Representative or had any other regliment then Kings But vvhat the Legislative Conventicle declares vve must believe though contrary to our knovvledge They vvill lead our faith and reason in a string or have our necks in a halter A period to this Parliament and leave the Supreme povver in the Councell of State a designe long since aâ—tempted See 1 and 2 part of
Lands to maintaine supernumerary Itinerant Ministers who should be Authorized to go up and downe compassing the earth and adulterate other Mens Pulpits and Congregations and put affronts and raise factions and scandals upon such orthodox and conscientious Ministers in order to their Sequestration as cannot frame their Doctrine to the damnable practises and Anarchicall principles of the times These wandering Apostles are to preach Antimonarchicall seditious doctrine to the people sutable to that they call the present Government to raise the raskall multitude and schismaticall rabble against all men of best quality in the Kingdome to draw them into Associations and Combinations with one another in every County and with the Army against all Lords Gentry Ministers Lawyers rich and peaceable men and all that are Lovers of the old Lawes and Government for the better rooting of them out that themselves alone may inhabite the earth and establish their new tyranny or Kingdome of the Saints upon the ruines of our antient Monarchy These men like Balaam shall blesse and curse for hire and vent State-news State-doctrine and poyson the people with such changeable and various principles as from time to time shall be dictated to them by those Pseudo-polititians as now sit at the Helme they shall cousen the people with pretended illuminations Revelations and Inspirations and powre out all the Vials of Gods wrath amongst them Cromwell and Ireton and their Faction 149. A fraudulent Reconciliation and uniting of Interests attempted with a Mock-fast for that purpose having formerly deluded all the Interests and Parties of this Kingdome were arrived to that highth of impudence as to endeavour to cheat them all over againe they had by murdering the King abolishing the House of Lords putting an execrable force upon the farre major part of the House of Commons making themselves and their Party a tyrannicall Councell of State to usurp the Supreme power and Government See a Paper called Arguments against all Accommodation between the City of London and the engaged Grandees of the Parl and Army And A seasonable Caution to the City of London printed at the latter end of Relation Observations Hist Pol. c. endeavouring a toleration of all Religions attempting to take away Tythes mocking and then tyrannizing over that part of the Army they please to miscall Levellers distracted and discontented all Parties within the Kingdom and stirred up all the Princes of Christendome to defend the common interest of Kings now controverted in England This cloud threatned to poure downe a new Warre upon them to provide a remedy therefore for this soare Cromwell moved in the House of Commons That the Presbyterian Government might be setled promising his endeuours thereto but whether he meant a Classicall or Congregationall Presbytery which differs little or nothing from Independency he did not declare and here lyeth the fallacy he likewise moved that the secured and secluded Members might againe be invited into the House they sent their Agents both Lay-men and Ministers amongst whom Mr. Marshall Nye Carrell Goodwin and Hugh Peters were chief to cajole and decoy the Ministers Citizens and the expulsed Members with discourses and propositions they told them The Presbyterians had differed from the King in point of civill Interest which was more irreconcilable than that interest of Church-Government whatsoever shew was made to the contrary They will not endure to heare of the KING 's exemplary patience and Christian charity to all nor of His precepts and strict injunctions to His Sonne of clemency and abstinency from revenge contained in His last Booke The Pourtraicture of His Majesty These things will both apologize for our young King and condemne our bloudy vindicative Saints That the Presbyterians as well as the Independents made Warre against the late King brought Him low and prepared Him to receive his late deadly Blow from the Independents and therefore the King would looke upon both Parties as equally guilty and was deeply engaged in point of interest to cut off both Parties Endevouring by these discourses to put the Presbyterians into despaire their own and Iudas's sinne and then to work upon that base and cowardly principle of self-preservation and invite them to joyne with them in point of civill Interest and common Defence But their kindness was but like that of a malitious Man who having plague-soars upon him embraceth his Friend rather to infect than cherish him they know that by sitting voting acting and complying with them whose actions the Laws of God and the Land have damned and anathematized with the highest condemnation they should contract the guilt of all their forepassed crimes and treasons in the meane time the Presbyterians should sit and act but as a suspected Party and should be baffled and turned out again when the danger is past the Independents keeping in their owne hands all the power profits and preferments of the Land and using the Presbyterian party but as Gibeonites Hewers of wood and Drawers of water under them they invited them therefore to share with them in their sinnes shames and punishments but would keep Achans Wedge and the Babylonish Carment the profit of their crimes to themselves And as if it were not sufficient to cousen Man without mocking God the House of Commons Ordered a strict Fast to be kept upon Thursday 19 April 1649. as a day of Humiliation to implore Gods forgivenesse for the ingratitude of the people who did not sufficiently acknowledge with thankefulnesse Gods great mercies upon this Land in freeing them from Monarchy and bestowing liberty upon them by changing Kingly Government into a Free-State or Republique The Faction knew that to partake with them in these prayers was to partake of their sinnes God deliver us from those deceitfull lips whose prayers are snares whose kisses prove curses and whose devotion leads to damnation Neuer was Fast injoyned with more severity nor neglected with more contempt and horror men shunning it like the sinnes of Rebellion and Witchcraft Besides their consciences told them that they never suffered the thousandth part of the oppressions they now groane under About this time it was debated to send Supplies for Ireland 150. The jugling designe of sending part of the Army for Ireland the predominant Grandees were desirous to purge the Army as they had done the House and send the Levellers Assertors of Liberty thether the Levellers were desirous to keep their ground here and send the more mercinary enslaving and enslaved part of the Army the better to colour the designe Cromwell undertooke to be Conductor of this expedition and light them the way into Ireland with his illuminated Nose having taken order before hand that his precious selfe should be recalled time enough to keep up his party in England from sinking by his longer absence and the better to accommodate the businesse Lots were severall times cast what Regiments should goe but the Lots not falling out to the minds of the Generall Councell of
knowne Lawes of the Land which is onely due to the King His lawfull Heires Successours thereto we are sworne nor are the particular Powers Authorities granted by this Parliament to the said Keepers of the Liberties of England Councell of State yet any where authentically published made knowne to us by any avowed Act unlesse we shall account their Licenced New books to be such and therefore they may usurp what powers they please So that these men who involved us in a miserable Warre against the late Murdered KING pretending He would enstave us they would set us free have brought us so farre below the condition of the basest Slaves that they abuse us like brute Beasts and having deprived us of our Religion Lawes and Liberties and drawne from us our money and bloud they now deny us the use of reason and common sense belonging to us as Men Governe us by arbitrary irrationall Votes with which they baite Traps to catch us woe be to that People whose Rulers set snares to catch them and are amari venatores contra dominum Men-hunters against God nay to move any Person to stirre up the People against their Authority is hereby declared Treason marke the ambiguity of these words like the Devils Oracles which he that hath Power and the Sword in his hands will interpret as he please If the Keepers of the Liberties of England or Councell of State shal extend too farre or abuse their Authority never so much contrary to the Lawes of the Land Reason Justice or the Lawes of God as hath been lately done in the Case of Lilburne Walwyn c. no Lawyer no Friend shall dare to performe that Christian duty of giving councell or help to the oppressed here Fathers and Children Husbands Wives Brothers all relations must forsake nay betray one another lest these Tyrants interpret these duties to be A moving of them to stirre up the People against their Authority 3. All endeavours to withdraw any Souldier or Officer from their obedience to their superior Officer or from the present Government as aforesaid By which words it is Treason First if any mans Child or Servant be inticed into this Army the Father or Master endeavour to withdraw him from so plundering and roguing a kind of life back to his profession Secondly if any Commander or Officer shall command his Souldiers to violate wrong or rob any man for the party so aymed at or some wel-meaning Friend to set before the said Soldiers the sinne and shame of such actions and disswade them from obeying such unlawfull commands 4. If any man shall presume to counterfeit their conterfeit Great Seale it is declared Treason I wonder it is not Treason to counterfeit their counterfeit Coyne Behold here new minted Treasons current in no time nor place but this afflicted Age and Nation Edw. 3. anno 25. regni ch 2. passed an excellent Act to secure the People by reducing Treasons to a certainty as our new Legislative Tyrants labour to ensnare the People by making Treasons uncertaine and arbitrary Sic volo sic jubeo it shall be Treason because they vvill call and Vote it so what they please to call Treason shall be Treason though our knowne Lawes call it otherwise we have long held our Estates Liberties must now hold our Lives at the will of those Grand Seigniours one Vote of 40. or 50. factious Commons Servants Members of the Army vacates all our Lawes Liberties Properties and destroies our Lives Behold here a short view of that Act which hath no Additions by any Act subsequent See stat 1. Mariae c. 10. Whereas diverse opinions have been before this time in what cases Treason shall be said and in what not The King at the request of the Lords and Commons See 1 H. 4. c. 10. â—1 H. 7. c. 1. Declares 1. That to compasse or imagine the Death of the KING how much more to act it Queen or their eldest Son and Heyre 2. To violate the KING'S Companion eldest Daughter unmarried or the Wife of the KING' 's eldest Son and Heyre 3. To leavie Warre against the KING or adhere to His Enemies in his Realm and thereof be proveably attainted of open deed by people of their condition 4. To counterfeit the KING' 's Great or Prive Seale 5. Or His Money 6 To stay the KING'S Chancellour Treasurer Iustices of one Bench or other Iustices in Oyre Iustices in Assize and all other Iustices assigned to heare and determine being in their Places doing their Offices If any other case supposed Treason which is not above specified So the 4 Lords ought to have been Tried not by a new shambles of justice doth happen before any Iustices the Iustices shall tarry without any going to Iudgment of the Treason till the Cause be shewed and declared before the KING and His Parliament not before the House of Commons onely or before both Houses without the KING whether it ought to be adjuged Treason You see how few in number these Treasons specified are and that they must be attainted of open deed by their Peeres our words were free under Monarchy though not free under our Free-State so were they under the Romans Tacitus An. 1. sub finem speaking of Treasons facta arguebantur dicta impune erant These horrible tyrannies considered and being destitute of all other lesse desperate reliefe I doe here solemnly declare and protest before that God that hath made me a Man and not a Beast a Free-man and not a Slave that if any man whatsoever that taketh upon him the Reverend name and Title of a Iudge or Iustice shall give Sentence of Death upon any Friend of mine upon this or any other illegall Act of this piece of a House of Commons I will and lawfully may the enslaving scar-crow doctrine of all time serving State-flattering Priests and Ministers notwithstanding follow the exemples of Sampson Iudith Iaell and Ehud and by Ponyard Pistoll Poyson or any other meanes whatsoever secret or open prosecute to the Death the said Iudge and Iustice and all their principall Abettors and I doe hereby invite and exhort all generous free-borne English-men to the like resolutions and to enter into Leagues defensive and offensive and sacramentall associations seven or eight in a company or as many as can well confide in one another to defend and revenge mutually one anothers Persons Lives Limbs and Liberties as aforesaid against this and all other illegall and tyrannous Usurpations 162. A motion to enlarge Sr Will Waller c. And the Generals Answer intimating the securing of the Members to be done by confederacy with the Army-party in the House About this time or a little before the Generall was moved to enlarge Sir William Waller and the other Members illegally kept Prisoners in Windsor He answered they were no longer his but the Parliaments Prisoners It should seem the Brute hath made a private deed of
Warre against our lawfull Soveraigne under pretence of defending our Lawes and Liberties and the Priviledges of Parliament which themselves onely with a concurring faction in the House have now openly and in the face of the Sunne pulled up by the roots and now they stop our mouths and silence our just complaints with horrid Sect. 162. illegall and bloudy Acts Declaring words and deeds against their usurpations and tyranny to be High Treason nothing is now Treason but what the remaining faction of the House of Commons please to call so To murder the King breake the Parliament by hostile force put downe the House of Lords erect extrajudiciall High Courts of Iustice to murder Men without Triall by Peers or Iury or any legall proceeding to subvert the fundamentall Government by Monarchy and dispossesse the right Heyre of the Crowne and to usurp His supreme Authority in a factious fagge end of the House of Commons to put the Kingly Government into a packed Iunto of forty Tyrants called A Councell of State to exercise Martiall Law in times of peace and upon Persons no Members of the Army to raise what unnecessary illegall Taxes they please and share them and the Crowne Lands and Revenues amongst themselves leaving the Souldiers unpaid to live upon Free-quarter whilst they abuse the People with pretended Orders against Free quarter to alter the Styles of Commissions Patents Processe and all Legall proceedings and introduce a foraigne Iurisdiction to Counterfeit the Great Seale and Coyne of the Kingdome and to keep up Armies of Rebels to make good these and other tyrannies and Treasons is High Treason by the knowne Lawes but now by the Votes of the Conventicle of Commons it is High Treason to speake against these Crimes Good God! how long will thy patience suffer these Fooles to say in their hearts there is no God and yet professe thee with their mouthes to breake all Oathes Covenants and Protestations made in thy name to cloake and promote their Designes with dayes of impious fasting and thanksgiving how often have thy Thunderbolts rived senslesse Trees and torne brute Beasts that serve thee according to their creation yet thou passest over these men who contemn thee contrary to their knowledge and professions Scatter the People that delight in warre Turne the Councells of the wise into folly let the crafty be taken in their owne net and now at last let the Oppressed tast of thy mercies and the Oppressor of thy justice throw thy rod into the fire and let it no longer be a bundle bound together in thy right hand They appeale to thee as Author of their prosperous sinnes become Lord Author of their just punishments bestow upon them the reward of Hypocrites and teach them to know the difference between the saving strength of Magistrates and the destroying violence of Hang-men But what am I that argue against thy long-suffering whereof my selfe stand in need and seek to ripen thy vengeance before thy time shall the Pot aske the Potter what he doth I beheld the prosperity of the wicked and my feet had almost slipped Lord amend all in thy good time and teach us heartily to pray Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven 170. The Act for Abolishing Monarchy proclaimed in London May. 30. 1649. The aforesaid trayterous Act for abolishing Kingly Government and converting England into a Free-State consisting of forty Tyrants and many millions of Slaves was proclaimed in London by the newly intruded illegall Lord Major Andrewes accompanied with 14 Aldermen of the same pack the People in great abundance crying out Away with it away with it GOD save King CHARLES the Second and bitterly reviling and cursing it and them untill some Troops of Horse ready prepared in secret were sent to disperse beat and wound them and yet the Tryall of the King and the subverting of our well-formed Monarchy under which we lived so happily heretofore with all other Acts of the like high nature was done in the name of the People of England although I dare say at least five hundred to one if they were free from the terror of an Army would disavow these horrid Acts so little are the People pleased with these doings notwithstanding the new Title the Conventicle of Commons have gulled them withall Voting the People of England to be The Supreme Power and the Commons representing them in Parliament the Supreme Authority of the Nation under them This was purposely so contrived to engage the whole City and make them as desperately and impardonably guilty as themselves and certainly if this Tumult of the People amounting to a publique disclaimour of the Act had not happened the whole City had been guilty by way of connivance as well as these Aldermen and the illegall Common Councell newly packed by the remaining Faction of Commons contrary to the Cities Charters to carry on these and such like Designes and entangle the whole City in their Crimes and Punishments * The Names of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London that personally proclaimed the Act for abolishing Kingly Government Alderman Andrewes Lord Mayor Alderman Pennington Ald. Wollaston Ald. Foulkes Ald. Kenrick Ald. Byde Ald. Edmonds Ald. Pack Alderman Bateman Ald. Atkins Ald. Viner Ald. Avery Ald. Wilson Ald. Dethick Ald. Foot The Pharasiticall House of Commons voted an Act 171. A Thanks-giving Dinner in the City for the Generall c. 1. Iune for a day of Thanks-giuing to set off K. Olivers Victory over the Levellers with the more lustre and to sing Hosanna to him for bringing the grand Delinquent to punishment The wise Lord Mayor and his Brethren in imitation invited the Parliament Councell of State the Generall and his Officers to a Thanks-giving Dinner upon that day The Commons appointed a Committee under pretence of drawing more money from Adventurers for Relief of Ireland to engage the City farther to them Cromwell had the Chaire in that Committee the device was that the Common Councell should invite the Parliament Councell of State and Officers of the Army to Dinner and feast them as a Free-State and then move the Supplies for Ireland But if the Levellers had prevailed the thanks-giving whit-broth and custard had beene bestowed upon those free-spirited Blades whom Oliver raised into a mutiny with one hand and by advantage of his Spies cast downe with another for the glory of his owne Name and that he might have an occasion to purge the Army as he had done the Parliament of all free-borne humours 172. The Councell of State sit in pomp at Wihte hall White-hall is now become the Palace of a Hydra of Tyrants instead of one King where our Hogens Mogens or Councell of State sit in as much state and splendour with their Roomes as richly hanged I wish they were so too and furnished if you will believe their licenced News-books as any Lords States in Europe yet many of these Mushromes of Majesty were but Mechanicks
Goldsmiths Brewers Weavers Clothyers Brewers-Clerks c. whom scornfull Fortune in a spitefull merriment brought upon the Stage and promoted to act the parts of Kings to shew that Men are but her Tennis-balls and when she is weary with laughing at their disguises will turne them into the Tyring Roome out of their borrowed cases and shew us that our Lyons are but her Asses The Kings poore Creditors and Servants may gape long enough like Camelions to see the aforesaid Ordinance executed for sale of the King 's Goods to pay their Debts they poore Soules are left to starve while these Saints Trimphant revell in their Masters Goods and Houses 173. A generall survey to be taken of the whole Kingdome that every mans Estate reall personal may be taxed Orders about this time were sent forth into London and the Counties adjacent for certaine Committees to enquire upon Oath and certifie the improved value and revenue of every mans Estate reall and personall wherein good progresse hath been made already the like is to go forth throughout the Kingdome That our 40 mechanick Kings now sitting in White-hall and the self-created supreme Authority of the Natlon may take an exact survey in imitation of William the Conquerours Booke of Survey called Doomes-day remaining in the Exchequer of their new conquered Kingdome and know what they are like to get by their villanies and how to load us with Taxes and Free-quarter and what the value of their Estates are when they have compleated their Design of Sequestring the Presbyterians as they have done the Royalists The faction in the House are this beginning of Iune 174. An Act enabling Committees to give Oaths 1649. sitting abrood upon an Act to enable Committees to give Oathes in some cases and yet the House of Commons never had nor pretended to have power to give Oaths themselves though every Court of Pypowders hath because the House of Commons is no Court of Iudicature but onely the Grand Inquest of the Kingdome to present to the King the grievances the necessities of the People by way of humble Petition as appears by our Law-Books and Statutes and therefore the Commons can grant no more then they have themselves But now the remaining faction of the House have voted themselves to be the supreme Authority of the Nation and have a Sword to maintaine it they and we must be what they please yet I must affirme that to take illegall Oathes is neither justifiable before God nor Man and no lesse than damnable But it may be that by accustoming the People to take these new-imposed illegall Oathes they hope to make them the more easily swallow their intended new Oath of Allegiance to their new State and their owne Damnation together hereafter All the Scrivenors about the Towne are commanded by the Supreme thing to produce their Shop-books 175. Scrivenors commanded to shew Shop-books that notice may be taken who are guilty of having money in their purses that the fattest and fullest may be culled out and sequestred for Delinquents now that their almighty Saints-ships have occasion to use it for defence of their Free-State if they would but search one anothers private pockets they would find money enough The like attempt onely in the Kings time was cried out upon as a high peece of tyranny but nothing can be tyranny under a Free-State The Supreme Authority being so full a Representative-glasse of the People that it takes our very substance into it self and leaves us onely the shadow whilst we wander up and downe like our owne Ghosts who having lived under the Monarchy of Good KING CHARLES are now dead and descended like shades into the Kingdome of Pluto The 7. Iune 1649. the thanks-giving spoken of § 172. was solemnized in the City the Lord Mayor meeting the Speaker 176. The aforesaid Tanksgiving solemnized resigned to him as formerly was used to thc King the Sword of State as had been ordered by the House the day before and received it againe from him and then the Mayor conducted them all to Christ-Church where the Commons Councell of State Generall and his Officers together with the Mayor Aldermen and Common Councell c. mocked God with their Devotions where Master Tho Goodwin and M. Owen preached out of the Politicks to them from thence they were conducted to a great Dinner at Grocers hall and entertained in the quality of a free-Free-State no man being admitted without delivering his Ticket They were all strongly guarded with Souldiers and every Cooke had an Oath given to be true to them which shewed they had more of fear and guilt than confidence and innocency within them Great Presents of Plate given to his Excellency Fairfax and to his Super-excellency Cromwell and to others fit to be chronicled in Stowes and Hollingsheads Volumes amongst other solemn Fooleries let it not be omitted that Hugh Peters many other Saints were too full of the Creature anglice Drunk 177. A necessary advertisement to all honest Presbyterians See K. Charles the First his Book The portraicture of His Majesty in His solitudes and sufferings Some over-hastily expect the King should satisfie the Presbyterians by His Declaration but the heigth of the Independents malice their guilty fears are such as may endanger the drawing on a Massacre upon them by such a course I am to give a necessary advertisement to all men that though the young KING shewes much respect and a desire of reconcilement according to his dead Fathers never dying preceps to all moderate men and Presbyterians that make Addresses to Him yet it is complained of by some who look not into the underminning practises of our new Statists that some few of His Counsellors and Followers are as violent against the more moderate and honest Presbyterians as against the Independents who murdered His Father but these zealous Royalists are either some passionate light-brain'd men of little discretion and lesse power with Him or else some false-hearted Pensioners to our new State and such as have under-hand an Indemnity for their owne Estates in England who stand like Scar-crowes about His Majesty to fright away such as returne to their Loyalty and tender their due Allegiance to Him thereby to weaken the hands of His Majesty and cut off the hopes of this Nation from depending upon Him who as our undoubted Soveraigne both by the Lawes of God and the Land and Gods Vice-gerent in His three Kingdomes onely can and will if we forsake not him and our selves free and protect us from the many headed miserable arbitrary tyranny we now starve and bleed under and restore unto us againe our Religion Lawes and Liberties our Wives Children and Estates Trading Husbandry peace and plenty now held in more than Aegyptian bondage under our cruell See a Booke entituled His Majestices Gracious Messages for Peace and Master Pryn's Speech 5. Dec. 1648. in the House And the secured Members Reply to the Councell of
Supreme Authority they have conferred as much upon the Councell of State as their ambitions ayme at they good Boyes shall have leave to breake up Schoole and go into the Countrey to see their Friends and visit their Foes that is all such as have full purses to be squeezed Thus you see the method of Divine vengeance observes a Degradation 1. Downe went the King and His Authority lapsed into the two Houses 2. Downe went the Peers House and all Authority fell downe into the Commons House 3. Downe goes the House of Commons and the Supreme Authority translates it selfe into a Councell of State And if my conjecture faile me not 4. Downe will go the Councell of State and all Authority be grasped into the iron hands of Campson Gaurus and his Mamaluchy his Councell of Warre when they shall think fit to Act bare-faced without using a packt pecce of a Parliament or Councell of State as a screen or vizard to cozen and befoole the people In order to which Government by the Sword 188. Cromwell voted for Ireland with ful power Civill and Military Cromwell is voted to go into Ireland with his owne confiding Officers and Army with all power Civill and Military for 3 yeares what doth this import lesse than that he is to be K. of Ireland there to practise the first rudiments of Kings-craft and when he hath inured those Semi-barbarians to a Military Government he shall returne with his Ianisaries and subdue the English to the like obedience In the meane time his proporty Fairfax shall be under the observation of the Councell af State here and be beleaguered both in his owne house and Army with Olivers Creatures and in this dishonourable fickle condition he shall have the vaine honour to keep Olivers Regalia the Crowne sitting upon one side like a Fooles Cap upon his Head untill he returne and shall then be called to account for all odious unfortunate accidents that shall happen for it is not for the Majesty of Oliver to beare the blame although they fall out by Cromwell's owne oversights or Gods anger upon him thus Cromwell's shadow being removed himselfe may take substantiall and actuall possession of the Throne which he already enjoyes in all things but the Title And then let all true Saints and Subjects crie out with me God save K. Oliver and his brewing Vessels The Iunto of Tituler Supremists at Westminster especially so many as have not packt themselves into the Councell of State are very unwilling to quit their long-held Dominion 189. 13 Bills injoyned to be passed by the Commons before Adjournment and submit to their owne Bastard brood The Lords States at White-hall but there is no remedy Oliver is resolved to unyoke his Cattle and turne them to grasse he knowes they may unvote all they have voted at his command if during his absence in Ireland or Scotland rather a new emergent power should overawe them the present feare being alwaies most terrible to Cowards But the Councell of State hath set them their taske which they must speedily performe before they Adjourne consisting of 13. Poynts 1. That all Acts concerning the Loans of Moneys Excise Sequestrations Goldsmiths-hall Haberdashers-hall Assesments for England and Ireland be passed These reprobate Saints will sooner forget their God then their Mammon money You see they meane to perpetuate our burdens as well as their owne Army and domineer over us with an arbitrary military tyranny for ever 2. That an Act be passed for setling the Militia of the Nation This amounts to a new invented Commission of Array lawfull for usurping Saints though not for a lawfull King by vertue of which the scum and dregs of the people base enough to associate with the Army shall be Armed and all men of quality fortunes unlesse such as owe their fortunes to their crimes dis-armed 3. Against exporting Wooll and Fullers Earth Unlesse it be for the benefit of the Saints 4. To prohibite exportation of Gold and Silver The Saints have exported all our Gold already and most of our Silver and will never give over the Trade themselves though they prohibite others But Gold and Silver are drawne out of Mines Royall and belong to the Saints by their prerogative 5. An Act to be passed for punishment of Revolted Sea men and Mariners None against trayterous tyrannous thievish Saints 6. An Act for relief of wel-affected Tenants against Malignant Land-lords who having compounded for their Estates rack their Tenants Rents or turne them out of dores This is a device First to make worke for such Members as not being of the Councell of State would become as contemptible as they are hatefull being devested of all power to play the Tyrants after Adjournment And secondly to stirre up all the Tenants of England especially Schismaticks to combine with them against their Land-lords and deprive them of the legall use of their Estates and the benefit of their Compositions for to what purpose shall Gentlemen compound for their Estates when they must let and set them at the discretion of domineering Committees or Commissioners conspiring with the high Shoos to oppresse make a prey of enslave and unspirit all the Nobility and Gentry of England here aymed at under the generall Title of Malignants oh persidious Tyrants keep your money Gentlemen or turne it into iron and gun-powder 7. An Act to suppresse Malignant Pamphlets aspersing the present proceedings of the Parliament Councell of State and the Army and prevent Printing as much as may be This is to set Truth in the pillory whilst her counterfsit impudent lying and slandering sits in state in Parliament Councell of State and Councell of Officers and rides trimphantly Coached into the City to Thanksgiving Devotions and Dinners 8. That the Pulpits being as scandalous as the Presse against their proceeding they enjoyne that a more strict course be taken to stop the mouthes of the Preachers hereafter 1 King 18.17 You see how Ahab-like these Subverters of Church and Common-wealth accuse our Prophets for troubling our Israel being their owne sinne and seek occasion to bring a spirituall as well as a corporall famine upon the Land cutting off the staffe of bread as well from our soules as bodies by stopping the mouthes of Gods Messengers But I hope they will remember the duty they owe to the honour of him that sent them upon his Embassage to his people and fearing God more than Man every Man crie out to his owne soule and conscience with S. Paul 1 Cor. 9.16 Vae mihi si non praedicavero Woe be to me if I doe not Preach 9. That an Act be passed that that clause of the Stat. 23 Eliz. 25 Eliz. 1 Iac. against Sectaries sbould be repealed that none may be questioned thereby in the vacancy of Parl. What is this but to pray in ayde of Turks Jewes Anabaptists of Munster nay the Devill himselfe to joyne with them as they have already joyned with Owen Roe
Losses and Arreares referred to the consideration of a Committee If the Committee-would know what Harry hath lost they must examine his Barber-Surgeon Rowland Wilsons Arreares and Losses and the L. Gray's Charges and Arreares to be considered and reported you see charity begins at home and the Members exercise it for the most part in their owne House 194. The Councell of State authorized to grant Letters of Marque Iune 25. An Act passed to enable the Councell of State with absolute power to grant speciall and particular Letters of Marque or Reprisall in the name of the Keepers of the Liberties of England by Authority of Parliament what is this but to empower the Councell of State to make warre at Sea with all Princes and States at their discretion they have alredy so farre decayed all the Trade of this Nation that ere long Traffique will be totally destroyed whereby our Sea men with their Ships will be necessitated for want of employment to Revolt to the PRINCE to prevent which inconvenience they will find worke for them by granting so many particular Letters of Marque to all such as shall but pretend themselves wronged by Foraigne Nations as will amount to a Generall practice and profession of Pyracy and turn England into a second Argires whereby all Princes and States will be provoked to make a Pyraticall Warre upon England as against a Den of Thieves and Robbers Common Enemies to Traffique and humane Society as the Romans did under the Conduct of Pompey against the Cilician and other Asiatique Pyrats Captaine Younge hath blowne up with Gun powder a Ship of the Princes called the Antilope 195. Capt. Yongeu's blowing up the Antilope in Helversluce with a Caution lying at Anchor in Helversluce under protection of the States of Holland whereby the Chamber of Holland and the honour of their inland Sea is ravished from them By this and by some former actions of the like insolency as the firing upon their Ships and killing their men for not striking Sayle to them you may see what good Neighbourhood the Dutch are like to have of their younger brother State when they are once setled and confirmed in their yet infant Government even the very same which the Carthaginians found after the new erected Common-wealth of Rome grew up to maturity which proved so dangerous a Competitor in point of power profit and honour as buried the more antient Free-State of Carthage in its Ruines Free-states especially Aristocracies are very quarrelsome with their Neighbours and never want many of their Patrician most potent Families ambitious to encrease their owne power and glory by Wars and therefore seek occasions of quarrell with their Neighbours such was the whole Family of the Barchines at Carthage the Scipios Fabii Camilli Grassi Pompeii Caesares and many more at Rome Thus was Greece torne in pieces by its Free-states The Commons have bestowed St. Crosses Hospitall upon Cooke for acting the part of an Attorny Generall against the late KING It is fit every Iudas should have his reward 196. More Gifts to the Godly the New Park in Surry bestowed upon the City in reward of their Thanksgiving Dinner that the new-packed Court of Aldermen and Common-Councell may not want venyson to fill their Wives Bellies nor they Browe Antlers to hang their Hatts on 197. Order 9. Iune 1649. referring all secured and secluded Members to be examined before a Commitee The 9. Iune the Commons about 46 in number had passed an Order concerning their secured secluded and absented Members and referred all such as had not already entred their dissent to the Vote 5. Decemb. 1648. to a Committee to give such satisfaction to them as the House should approve of before the 30. of Iune instant or else the House would take order for New Elections This was to bring the said Members 300 in number at least to the winnowing that they might admit such as were for their turne to recrute their thin House and expell the rest few repaired to them and of those very few were chosen the Speakers Sonne Sir Iohn Treavor who hath a Monopoly of 1500 l. per annum out of New-Castle Coles for which he was many Months kept out of the House and at last admitted onely to comply with the Faction and his said Monopoly continued Sir Henry Haymonde two Sons of the Earl of Pembroke were received This was thought very unreasonable that so many Gentlemen either kept out or driven away by force should by a farre lesse number sitting and acting under the same force be sent to attend a Committee to stand with their Hatts off to Holland Scott c. and be examined and expelled for giving their Votes Yea or No in the House according to their Consciences This was to subvert the Liberty of all Parliaments for the future and to make this House which calls it selfe a Parliament a meere packed Iunto to carry on forelaid Designes Besides to expect they should approve all that the sitting Party in the House had done in the absence of these non-sitting Members who neither heard the Debate nor Reasons whereupon they grounded their Votes against the KING and House of Peeres nor for the abolishing Monarchy and turning it into a free-Free-state erecting a Councell of State for that purpose voting the Supreme Authority to be in themselves and many other matters of the like high nature which have no place in the Lawes of England was such an imposition as neither agreed with the knowne Parliament Priviledges Liberty of Conscience so loudly professed by these sanctified Members which sit nor with humane reason and sense And at last to sit under those Armed Guards that put a force upon them the 6. Decemb. before promised as little of safety unlesse they would renounce their owne Consciences and Act the wills of their Ianisaries and their Party and would render them contemptible to all the world especially to those men who put this insolency upon them I formerly told you how unwilling the Members were to adjourne and resign their more than Kingly Power to the Councell of State 198. Articles of Impeachment against the Speaker wherefore Cromwell finding he could not obtaine that of them by a Vote projected another way to work his Designe not the old way of a violent purge by securing and secluding the Members with his Myrmidons Note that Oliver before he left the Town erected a Committee of Officers of the Army to prosecute and bring to punishment grand Delinquents This is a new kind of Stat-Chamber of military Nobles held like a Rod over the Mock Parliament Councell of State and the Generall in case they shall oppose Olivers Designes that is already infamous and would savour too grosly of the Power of the Sword and would shew Oliver to be rather a Quack-salving Doctor of Physick than a Doctor of the Civill Law He caused the Councell of Officers therefore to frame certaine Articles of Impeachment against Mr.
by O Neales help which plainly proves that the Treaty and Conjunction was not onely between Monke O Neale but between O Neale the Parliament or Councel of State and that the said Propositions so altered by Monke are confirmed by the Parliament or Councel of State and doe still serve for a foundation for O Neale to assist the Parliament upon who have turned out O Neale at the Fore-dore to gull the People and taken him in againe at the Back-dore 206. Cromwell's Soldiers desert him ad Milford-haven and upon his complaint his House of Commons vote their Debentures void Many of K. Olivers Officers and Souldiers abhorring the said Association with O Neale deserted him at Milford-haven as I have related came to London whither they were pursued at the heeles by a Letter from his Mushrome Majestie directed to his Vice-Royes at Westminster willing his Parliament that since to encourage the Souldiers to undertake the Irish expedition onely their Accounts had been Audited and Debentures granted for their Arreares they should recall and null their said Debentures In obedience to which Command a thing like an Act of Parliament is drawne up and order taken that the Commissioners that attend Cromwell into Ireland should certifie the Names of them all to the Parliament that they may be punished in purse for not prostituting their Consciences and shedding more innocent blood with an implicite faith and blind obedience to K. Olivers unquestionable commands in maintenance of usurpation and lawlesse tyranny The rest of the Army may see by this precedent they may as well hope to recover a damned Soule out of Hell as their Arreares out of this bottomlesse Gulph the New State notwithstanding all their faire promises Orders weather-cock Acts and Debentures which are all written in wastpaper and as changeable as Tickets Securities for the Publique Faith It being their constant resolution and best policy to feed them from time to time with vaine hopes a little spending-mony for which they are never the better now a bit of mony and then a bob of Martiall Law alwaies to promise never to pay their Arreares thereby to keep them together from Disbanding and going to their owne homes and callings whilst the Councell of Officers who onely are accounted the rational part of the Army receive duely their full pay and whatsoever else they can sharke from the private Souldiers who are looked upon but as the Brutish part of the Army in whom it is become a capitall Crime to question whether their Superiors deale justly with them or no as it proved to Lockyer The Common Souldiers as well as the Common People paying for the Ryot of their Colonels superior Officiers who Lord it in their guilt Coaches rich Apparell costly Feastings though some of them led Dray-horses wore Leather-pelts were never able to name their owne Fathers or Mothers I and for the Lands they purchase too yet the Officers have one device more to keep the Souldiers together which is They make them believe they are so generally hated they cannot with safety Disband and goe home whereas it is the Superiours onely that are looked upon with hatred as the Authors of Tyranny and Oppression The Private Souldier being esteemed but their Instruments and such as in their kind way are Sufferers under the hand of oppression as well as other men many Souldiers have been purged out of the Army others have voluntarily quitted the Army and returned to their callings without being endangered or injured after their retirement which shewes this objection is but a Scarcrow 207. A League Defensive Offensive concluded betweene O Neale Sir Charles Coote Governour of Connaught for the Parliament See the last Section save one For the cleare manifestation of the Association betweene O Neale and the Parliament there are lately come to the Councell of State two Letters out of Connaught from Sir Charls Coote one Dated the 14. the other the 15. of August 1649. informing them with how much zeale to the Parliaments interest Own O Neale had freely raised the Siege of London-Derry Upon which Letters and the Votes and proceedings of Col. Pride's Parliament thereupon I shall commend to my Readers observation these following particulars 1. The 15. August Letters informe that O Neale freely offered his assistance to Coote professing much affection to the Parliament of England and an earnest-desire to maintaine their Interest c. which is his owne interest you may remember that this bloody Rebell O Neale heretofore when the Parliament was not halfe so corrupt as now stiled it Monstrosum Parliamentum the Parliament of Monsters but now that he sees them act his way and concurre with him to destroy Monarchy and Protestancy he stiles them The Honourable Parliament aids and affects them 2. The 14. August Sir Charles Coote informes that he hath found O Neale and his Army very punctuall and faithfull in all their Promises and Engagements and he makes no doubt but they will continue so unto the end c. The reason is because they ayme all at one end interest Subversion of Monarchy Protestancy goe one way to effect it by a Conjunction of Forces and Councels 3. The 15. August that O Neale in his Expresse to Coote enclosed some Letters he had received from Monke and amongst the rest a Copie of a Letter from Monke in Answer to a Letter of the Lord Inchiquine charging Monke with joyning with O Neale and his Party wherein Monke insinuated as if O Neal's submission to use the the Parliament Power were already accepted by them c. Monke needed non insinuate it but might have spoken it plainly as he hath done to sundry of his Friends in England who reprehended him for joyning with O Neale to whom he Answered that be had the Authority of his Superiours to warrant his doings therein But this was before he went to Milford-haven to Cromwell who then taught him the art of Cromwellizing to carry on their designe 4. The 15. August Why did they crie out opon King Charls I. upon a surmise that He used the help of the more innocent Irish Papists being His own Subjects under his Allegiance Protection but we find the Godly are above all Laws Coote's Letter to justifie his doings delivers a piece of Doctrine to the Councell of State the Use whereof they were very perfect in before viZ. Calling to minde that it is no new thing for the most wise God to make use of wicked Instruments to bring about a good Designe for the advancement of his glory c. This Casuist in Buffe had forgotten That we must not doe evill that good may come thereof and that both the just and the unjust the righteous and the unrighteous man being al of Gods Creation and making he hath the same prerogative over them all jure creations that a Potter hath over his Pots he may use them and doe with them what seemeth
jugling trick to make them acknovvledge the Lord Fairfax Authority and become voluntary Prisoners upon their ovvne engagement and vvas therefore refused The next morning being Thursday the Imprisoned Members had vvarning given them to meet the Generall and his Councell of VVarre at VVhite-hall vvhither they vvere Guarded in Coaches tyred out vvith vvatching and fasting But the mechanick Councel took so much state upon them that after six or seven hovvers attendance untill darke night and no admittance nor application to them they vvere led avvay from thence on foot vvith Guards of Musketiers like Thieves and Rogues and thorovv the kennels like Col. Prides Dray-horses to the Swan and Kings-head tvvo Innes in the Strand and there distributed under severall Centinels The Souldiers making a stand vvith them sometimes halfe an hovver together in the snovv and raine untill they had put their Guards into a marching posture and reviling them See the 2. part of Englands Chaines discovered and the Hunting of the Foxes c. that they were the men that had cousened the State of their money and kept back their Pay Vpon vvhich scandalous provocation some of them Ansvvered That it was the Committee of the Army and their owne Officers that had cousened them vvhich some of the Foot-Souldiers then acknovvledged Besides the 41. Imprisoned Members the Officers standing severall daies vvith Lists of Names in their hands at the Parliament dore have turned back from the House and denied entrance unto above 160. other Members besides 40. or 50. Members vvho voluntarily vvithdrevv to avoid their violence all vvhom they knovv to be Losers by the VVarre and therefore desirous of a safe and vvel-grounded peace so that they have made vvarre against the majority of the House that is against the vvhole House for major pars obtinet rationem totius by all our Lavves and Customes The major part of the House is virtually the whole House vvhich is Treason by their ovvne Declarations and Remonstrance farre higher than that vvhereof they accuse the King and for vvhich they demand Iustice against Him and the remaining faction of 40. or 50. engaged Members vvho novv passe unpresidented Acts of Parliament of the House of Commons as they call them vvithout the Lords ought not to sit Act nor take upon them the stile of a House under so visible actuall and horrid a force both by the Lavves of the Land and their ovvne Ordinance passed August 20. 1647. To null and void all Orders Votes and Acts passed under the Tumult of Apprentices from Iuly 26. to the 6. August following and yet the said Tumult ended the said Iuly 26. vvhen it begun See the said Ordinance herevvith printed The Army vvho novv acknovvledge no povver but that of the Svvord as Major VVhite long since foretold at Putney and vvhose principle it is To break the Powers of the Earth to pieces as VVilliam Sedgewicke in his Iustice upon the Army Remonstrance saith And who as Ioh Lilburne in his Plea for Common Right p. 6. saith have by these extraordinary proceedings overturned all the visible supreme Authority of this Nation now suffer onely their owne Party of 40. or 50. Members to sit and doe journey worke under them who are Enemies to peace and have got well by fishing in troubled waters and hope to get better so that hardly a seventh or eighth part of the Counties Cities and Burroughs that ought to have Members sitting have any body to represent them and therefore hovv they shall be bound by the Votes and Acts of this fagge end this Rump of a Parliament vvith corrupt Maggots in it I doe not see Friday Decemb. 8. a Message from the Generall vvas brought to Sir Robert Harlow that he might go home to his house giving his engagement not to oppose the actings and proceedings of this present Parliament and Army The like vvas offered to divers others you see hereby vvhat the offence of these Imprisoned Members is onely a feare that they will defend the fundamentall Government the Religion Lawes and Liberties of the Land the Kings Person and Authority and the being of Parliaments against the Tyrannicall and Treasonable practices of the Army and their House of Commons The small remnant of the House of Commons sent sundry times to the Generall to knovv why he Imprisoned their Members 24. Reasons proving that the remaining faction or Iunto sitting under the force of the Army were consenting to the securing secluding their Members sect 134 135. and humbly to beseech him to set them at liberty if he had nothing against them But all this vvas but prevarication and false shevves for 1. Their base and conditionall vvay of demanding their Liberty if he had nothing against them implies an acknovvledgement of the Generalls jurisdiction and conusance over them and an invitation of him to accuse them 2. Their sitting and acting under so brutish a force before their Members righted or the honour of the House vindicated is a deserting and yeilding up of their Membres honour 3. Their Voting an approbation of the matter of the Generall Officers scandalous and jugling Ansvver to their said Demands concerning the secured and secluded Membres as aftervvards they did vvithout hearing vvhat the said Members could say for themselves is cleerly a forejudging and betraying them 4. Their late Votes That no man shall peruse their Iournall Booke of Orders c. without speciall leave is purposely done to barre the said Membres vvho cannot make any perfect Ansvver in confutation of the Scandals cast upon them by the Generall Councels printed Libell against them vvithout having recourse to the said Booke to see vvhat Votes passed for Ireland for the 200000 l. and other matters To say nothing hovv unusuall and unjust it is to keep the Records of the House from the vievv and knovvledge of any man and yet to expect their obedience to them 5. Their exceeding strict and severe prohibiting the printing any Books not Licenced and imploying Souldiers to Search all Printing Houses dayly is done in ordre to barre the said accused Members from publishing an Ansvver in their justification 6 Their Summoning Mr. Pryn by ordre to appeare at the Commons Barre knovving him to be still a Prisoner to the Army shevves that the Army and they serve each others turnes against them 7. And Lastly the Declaration of the present House of Commons dated Iaen 15. 1648. is nothing but an eccho of the said Ansvver of the Generall Councell against the said secured and secluded Members They that are so vvickedly industrious to destroy these Gentlemens credits doe this as a preparative to destroy their Persons and seize upon their Estates for the maintenance of a nevv VVarre vvhich they foresee their violent courses vvill bring upon them and for the farther inriching of themselves and establishing their Tyranny vvhich they miscall The Liberty of the People This violent purge vvrought so strongly upon the House and brought it to that vveaknesse that ever since
up illegall High Courts of Iustice their usurping the Supreme Authority their making Treason an Arbitrary crime their erecting a Councell of State or Hogens mogens forty Tyrants in lieu of one King their altering the style of VVrits and legall proceedings c. Sentence given before any person accused or heard to speake for himselfe Oh the brutish understanding of men whose sinnes and feares have intoxicated their wits The said Lords and Commons doe thereupon judge and declare the said printed Paper to be false scandalous and seditious and tending to destroy the visible and fundamentall Governement of this Kingdome And doe therefore order and ordaine the said printed Paper to be suppressed and that all Persons whatsoever that have had any hand in or given consent unto the contriving framing printing or publishing thereof shall be adjudged and hereby are adjudged uncapable to beare any Office or have any place of trust or authority in this Kingdome or to sit as Members of either House of Parliament And doe further order and ordaine That every Member of either House respectively now absent upon his first comming to sit in that House whereof he is a Member for the manifestation of his innocency shall disavow and disclaime his having had any hand in or given consent unto the contriving framing printing or publishing of the said Paper or the matter therein contained The 12. and 13. 28. The Conventicle of Commons repeat ex tempore in a thin House under a force the Votes deliberately passed in a full and free House Decemb. the Commons that they might purge their Iournall Books of all State-heresies as vvell as their House of all State-Hereticks voted this Index expurgatorius vvhich in their ovvne canting language I here present to you 1. Resolved c. That the Vote of this House Ian. 3. 1647. for revoking the Order Sept. 9. 1647. for suspending Commissary Lionell Copley from being a Member of this House is of dangerous consequence and tending to the destruction of the justice and peace of the Kingdome and is hereby repealed The like for the rest of the impeached Members mutatis mutandis 2. Resolved c. That the Vote of the House Iune 30. 1648. whereby this House did concurre with the Lords for opening of a way to the Treaty with His Majesty for a safe and wel-grounded peace That the Votes Ian. 3. 1647. forbidding all Addresses to be made to or from the King be taken off was highly dishonourable to the proceedings of Parliament and apparently destructive to the good of the Kingdome sure they meant the kingdome of the Saints They likevvise by foure severall Votes revived the said 4. Votes Ian. 3. 1647. for no Addresses in terminis 3. Resolved c. That the Vote Iuly 28. 1648. That a Treaty be had in the Isle of VVight with the King in Person by a Committee appointed by both Houses upon the Propositions presented to him at Hampton-Court was highly dishonourable and apparently destructive to the good of the Kingdome Good Boyes they can say their Lessons vvell The House adjourned and apace too vvhen the Army vvhips them on they vvill shortly have a jubile of play-daies for their paines 40. or 50. Nevv lights snuffed by the Councell of VVarre can better discover vvhat is dishonourable and apparently destructive to their ovvn Kingdome then 340. or 244. could doe at other times If you aske vvhat Debates they had they could have none being novv freed from the contradiction of Sinners being all Birds of a feather taught the same tune by the same Masters and singing in the same cage 29. A Protest to be entered against the Votes That the Kings Grants vvere a ground for a Setlement a Touch-stone of I. Gourdons See the Order Dec. 5. 1648. Yet the unanimous recalling those Votes vvas not thought by those that thinke one thing and say another a sufficient Test all vvere confidently for them that voted vvith them vvherefore godly Iohn Gourdon a Fellovv that spits venome as naturally as a Toad moved That a Protestation might suddenly be drawne up and every Member to set his hand to it in detestation of those repealed Votes A Committee vvas appointed accordingly The 14. Decemb. the said nevv-found Shiboleth vvas brought in by Gourdon vvhich caused divers that vvere not yet mad enough for Bedlam to forbeare the House or rather Conventicle 30. The Militia of the Counties nevv setled in Independent hands Decemb. 14. They repealed the Ordinance lately passed after mature debate for setling the County Militias of the Kingdome because there vvere some Presbyterians in it not vvelaffected to the Army and in that nevv sense Malignants And ordered that a new Ordinance with a List of new names of Saints militant sounding like a Ievvish pedigree be brought in for through the indiscretion of the Presbyterians the Independents have had the custody of our Purses a long time and novv must keep our Svvords too and then Stand and deliver vvill be the only Lavv of the Land About this time Major Generall Browne one of the Sheriffs of London vvas fetched out of the City by a Party of Horse 31. Sheriff Brovvne carried away out of the City Prisoner to S. Iames's and carried before the mechanique Councell of VVarre at VVhite-hall although a Member of Parliament and consequently one of their Masters vvhere he told them he knevv they had nothing to charge him withall but his honest endeavours to preserve His Majesty and His Posterity together with the Parliament City and Kingdome with the Lawes and Government thereof from being rooted up by them and that he feared them not Col. Hewson the one-eyed Cobler vvas so savvcy as to tell him He was too peremptory at last they committed him Prisoner to S. Iames's And that he might not vvant company 32. Sir Will. Waller c. removed S. Iames's they sent a VVarrant to Capt. Lawrence Marshal Generall to remove Sir VVill VValler Sir Iohn Clotworthy Major Gen Massey and Commissary Generall Copley from the Kings head to him The Marshall shevving them the VVarrant 33. They protest against the Generals Authority they Protested against the Authority and offered the Protest to the Marshall in vvriting desiring him to shevv it to the Generall vvhich he refusing to receive Sir VVill VValler desired all the company to vvitnesse vvhat Protestation they did make in behalfe of themselves and all the Free-borne people of England against the violent and illegall encroachments of the Generall and Councell of VVarre against the Lavves and Liberties and read it aloud as follovveth A Declaration of the taking avvay of Sir Will Waller Sir Iohn Clotworthy Major Gen Massey and Colonel Copley Members of the House of Commons from the Kings-head in the Strand to S. Iames's Together vvith their Protestation read at their removall VVith a Copy of the L. Generals Order for the same Tuesday Decemb. 12. 1648. Marshall Lavvrence came and acquainted Sir VVilliam VValler Sir Iohn
who gave a man 20 l. to wait on the King in his place as Pensioner when He demanded the 5. Members Michael Oldsworth Augustine Garland Sir Io. Danvers Mr. Dove Mr. Henry Smith Mr. Frye whose Election is voted void Mr. Searle Nich Love Iohn Lysle Col. Rigby Cornelius Holland Col. Ludlow Greg Clement Col. Purefoy Col. Stapeley Mr. Dunch Mr. Cawley Col. Downes Io Carey Iohn Blackiston Tho Scot. Decemb. 22. Col. Hutchinson Sir Hen Myldmay Sir Iames Harrington Decemb 25. Col. Edward Harvey Alderman Pennington Alderman Atkins Dan Blagrave voted out of the House Col. Moore Col. Millington Mr. Prideaux Roger Hill the little Lawyer Dennis Bond Col. Harrington Master Hodges Mr. Valentine Sixteene of the imprisoned Members were about this time sent for by the Generall when they came out came Ireton 44. Sixteen imprisoned Members discharged without engagement and finding Mr. Pryn amongst them he chid the Martiall for bringing him and commanded him to be taken away but Mr. Pryn refusing to depart Ireton commanded him to be thrust out by head and shoulders whereupon Mr. Pryn openly protested That the Army endeavoured uttterly to subvert the fundamentall Lawes of the Land and Priviledge of Parliament That they had no power over him nor any Member of Parliament That their late force acted upon them and their proceedings was illegall and trayterous That all men were bound to bring them to condigne punishment as Rebels and Traytours to their God their King Countrey and Parliament So Mr. Pryn was removed by the Marshall and Ireton went in once more to consult the Oracle at last came out again to the Gent telling them It was the Generalls pleasure they should be all released attempting nothing against the actings of this present Parliament and Army but said the insolent Fellow let that be at your perill so the Gentlemen expressing that they would give no engagement were released without any The 22. Decemb both Iuntoes of foure Lords 45. A mock Fast kept by the two Houses and H. Peters comick Sermon and twenty Commons kept a mock Fast at Saint Margarets Westminster where Hugh Peters the Pulpit-Buffon acted a Sermon before them the subject of his Sermon was Moses leading the Israelites out of Aegypt which he applied to the Leaders of this Army whose designe is to lead the people out of Aegyptian bondage But how must this be done that is not yet revealed unto me quoth Hugh and then covering his eyes with his hands and laying downe his head on the cushion untill the People falling into a laughter awakened him He started up and cried out Now I have it by Revelation now I shall tell you This Army must root up Monarchy not onely here but in France and other Kingdomes round about this is to bring you out of Aegypt this Army is that corner stone cut out of the Mountaine which must dash the powers of the earth to pieces But it is objected The way we walke in is without president what thinke you of the Virgin Mary was there ever any president before that a Woman should conceive a Child without the company of a Man this is an Age to make examples and presidents in 46. The Councell of Wat vote a Toleration of all Religions Decemb. 25. The Councell of Warre voted a Toleration of all Religions you see they vote like States men as well as their Parliament About this time a Committee of Common-Councel-men came complainning to the House of Skippons additionall Ordinance 47. The Common Councell petition against Skippons additionall Ordinance in vaine That none should Elect or be Elected or execute the Place of Lord Mayor Alderman Aldermans Deputy Common-Councell-man c. that had signed the Petition for a Personall Treaty c. because they found the City generally ingaged in the said Petition so that they could not find Men enough to Elect or be Elected Wherefore it was referred to a Committee to thinke of a remedy worse than the disease as it proved afterwards You see the petitioning for a Personall Treaty was so universall and publique that it could not be carried on by any private designe in Conventicles and corners as are all the bloudy Petitions for justice justice against capitall Delinquents and the most High which being penned and solicited by the Army or sectary Committee-men and subscribed and prosecuted by some few beggerly Schismaticks without Cloakes in the Names of whole Counties whom they had the impudence to belie were entertained in state and they and that wel-affected County though they abhorred the villany thanked for their paines * 48. Somerset shire encouraged by the House to associate all the welaffected i.e. all the Anarchists and Cheaters 25. Decemb. The House voted a Letter to be sent by way of encouragement to the County of Somerset to go on with setling their association with the welaffected and forces of the Counties adjacent this is to associate Arme all the Schismaticks Committee-men guilty and desperate Persons Antimonarchists and Anarchists against all the peaceable and honest men of the Kingdome 26. Decemb. Mr. Pryn sent a Letter to the Generall 49. Mr. Pryns Letter to the Generall demanding his liberty demanding his liberty and seconded it with a Declaration as followeth Mr. Pryn's Demand of his Liberty to the Generall Decemb 26. 1648. with his Answer thereto And his Declaration and Protestation thereupon For the Honourable Lord Fairfex Generall of the present Army THese are to acquaint your Lordship 50. Mr. Pryns Declaration seconding his said Letter That I being a Member of the Commons House of Parliament a Free-man of England a great Sufferer for and an Assertor of the Subjects Liberties against all Regall and Prelaticall tyranny and no way subject to your owne your Councell of Warres or Officers military power or jurisdiction going to the House to discharge my duty on the 6. of this instant December was on the staires next the Commons House dore forcibly kept back from entring the House seized on and carried away thence without any pretext of Lawfull Authority thereto assigned by Colonel Pride and other Officers and Souldiers of the Army under your Command And notwithstanding the Houses demand of my enlargement both by their Sergeant and otherwise ever since unjustly detained under your Marshals custodie and tossed from place to place contrary to the knowne Priviledges of Parliament the Liberty of the Subject and fundamentall Lawes of the Land which your are engaged to maintaine against all violation And therefore doe hereby demand from your Lordship my present enlargement and just liberty with your Answer hereunto From the Kings-head in the Strand Decemb. 26. 1648. William Pryn. This was delivered to the Generals owne hands at his House in Queen-street about three of the clock the same day it beares date by Doctor Bastwijcke Who returned this Answer by him upon the reading thereof THat he knew not but Mr. Pryn was already released and that he would send
all Orders p. 8. 13. 41. 43. 44. 49. 51. 61 64. â—6 9â— 623. 69â— 879. Appendix pag. 15. they Declare in the presence of God to defend the Kings Person and Estate and that their Armies under Essex and Fairfax were raised for that purpose inter alia 5. By the Nationall Covenant they vowed to defend the Kings Person and Authority in preservation of true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome and that they will all the daies of their lives continue in this Covenant against all opposition 6. You monopolize the Supreme power into your owne hands robbing both King Lords the rest of your fellow Members thereof whom you are content should be violently shut out by your Army who have leavied Warre against the Parliament to dissolve it till the removall of which force and restoring your Members with freedome and safety you ought not to sit or Act by your Armies owne doctrine in their Remonstrance Aug. 18. by the Declaration and Ordinance of both Houses Aug. 20. 1647. Also 15. E. 3. n 5. 17. E. 3. n. 2. 6. 18. E. 3. n. 1. 2. 5. c. â— R. 2. n. 1. 2. R. 2. n 1 3. R. 2. n. 1. 4 R. 2. n. 1. 5. R. 2. Parl 1. n. 1. Parl. 2. n. 1. 8 H. 4. n. 28. Sec. 21. R. 2. c. 12. 1. H. 4. c. 3. 31. H. 6. c. 1. 39 H. 6. c. 1. See the memorable Record 6. E. 3. Parl. apud Ebor. n. 1 2. dorso clauso 6 E. 3. m. 4. 6 E. 3. apud Westm ' Parl. 2. n. 1 13. E. 3. Parl. 2. n. 4. many more Rolls where Parliaments when any considerable number of Members of either House were absent refused to sit though under no force till the Houses were full 7. You have neither Law nor president for what you doe Edw. 2. Rich. 2. were forced by Mortimer and H. 4. to resigne their Crowns in a formall way one to his Sonne the other to his conquering Successor neither of them to the Parliament and at last Deposed by a subsequent Sentence of Parliament as unfit to Reigne without any formall Triall * 72. The Armies party in the H approve the matter of the Co of Officers accusatory Ans against the secured Memb vvithout hearing them See Mr. Io Grereâ—s Ans to that silly Sophister Io Goodvvin called Might overcomming right Ian. 11. 1648. The House read the Answer of the Generall Counsell of the Army concerning the secured secluded Members and as I have formerly said without hearing what the said Members could say for themselves approved the matter of it whereupon the secured and secluded Members 20. Ian. 1648. with much adoe got printed their Vindication against the Aspersions cast upon them in The humble Answer of the Generall Counsell of the Officers of the Army concerning the securing secluding of the said Members The summe whereof is as followeth By the Preamble of this Answer by the Proposals of the 6. Decemb. and the late Declaration and Remonstrance therein cited 73. The sec secl Mem. Defence aginst the scandalous An of the C of VV it appeares this designe to breake the House by force hath been long since plotted and contrived with action The Generall Councell of the Army in their said Answer say Is a course in it selfe irregular and not justifiable but by honest intentions and extraordinary necessity the weaknesse of which Answer we must examine but first must state the case between us They are an Army raised by Ordinance of Parliament of 15. Febr. 1644. for defence of King and Parliament the true Protestant Religion the Lawes and Liberties of the Kingdome and to be from time to time subject to such Orders and directions as they shall receive from both Houses of Parliament and to this end they stand Commissioned by them and receive pay from them to this day And besides this trust thus lying upon them they are under the obligation of a solemne Covenant sworn to God That they will in their place and callings with sincerity reality and constancy with their estates and lives preserve the Rights and Priviledges of the Parliament and the Liberties of the Kingdome and defend the Kings Person and Authority in defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome they being under the said trusts and Oath march up to Westminster contrary to order in a hostile way forcibly secured secluded drove away many of the Members the Question is Whether this Action be Iustifiable upon pretence of Honest intentions and Necessity Their good intentions cannot be known but by their expressions and actions and they referre us to their Proposals Declarations and Remonstrances where we find their desires are 1. To take away the Kings life 2. To take away the lives of the Prince and the Duke of Yorke at least to dis-inherit both them and all the Kings Children 3. To put a period to this Parliament 4. To set up a new Representative of their owne which takes away all Parliaments 5. To have an Elective King if any These are their Honest intentioÌ„s for publique good which must come in to justice their waging warre against their Masters this Parliament To name them is to confute them as being apparently against the Lawes of God and the Land under which they live which they are engaged to maintaine we shall produce no other Witnesses to prove this but themselves On the 15. of Novemb. 1647. The Agreement of the People which is lower in demands than these which they call Honest intentions for publique good was condemned by the Army The promoting it in the Army judged mutinous and capitall Col Rainsborough and Major Scot complained of in the House for appearing in it and the Paper it self adjudged by the House destructive to Government and the being of Parliaments The second pretence or Principle is Extraordinary Necessity for the same end To this we say 1. The Army made the same plea of necessity in their Remonstrance Iune 23. 1647. upon quite contrary grounds to what they expresse now both to justifie the same violent proceedings against the Parliament then when the King was seized upon by a Party of the Army without Order from the House the Army advanced against the Parliament They say in their Letter to the House Iuly 8. 1647. There have been several Officers of the Army upon severall occasions sent to his Majesty the first to present to Him a Copy of the Representations and after that same others to tender Him a Copy of the Remonstrance upon both which the Officers sent were appointed to cleer the Sence and intentions of any thing in either Turne back to sect 2 and see my Aniadvers upon the Army 20. Nov 1648. p. 4 5 6 7. Paper whereupon His Majesty might make any Question There the Army Treated with the King yet now they offer violence to the Parliament for Treating with the King Then in their Remonstrance 25. Iune
or to make or declare High Treason to be no Treason or any Act to be Treason which in it selfe or by the Law of the Land is no Treason or to dispose of any Offices or Places of Iudicature or impose any penalties Oaths or Taxes on the Subjects of this Realme And therefore we doe here in the presence of Almighty God Angels and Men from our hearts disclaime abhorre and protest against all Acts Votes Orders or Ordinances of the said Members of the Commons House lately made and published for setting up any new Court of Iustice to trie condemne or execute the King or any Peers or Subject of this Realme which for any Person or Persons to sit in or act as a Iudge or Commissioner to the condemning or taking away the lifte of the King or any Peere or other Subject VVe declare to be High Treason and wilfull Murther to Dis-inherit the Prince of Wales of the Crowne of England or against proclaiming him King after his Royall Fathers late most impious trayterous and barbarous murther or to alter the Monarchicall Government Lawes Great Seale Iudicatories and auncient formes of VVrits and Legall processe and proceedings or to keep up or make good any Commissions Iudges or Officers made voyd by the Kings bloody execution or to continue any old or raise any new forces or Armies or to impose any new Taxes Payments Oathes or forfeitures on the Subjects or to take away any of their Lives Liberties or Estates against the Fundamentall Lawes of the Realme or to make any new Iudges Iustices or Officers or set aside the House of Peers farre antienter than the Commons House and particularly this insolent and frantique Vote of theirs Feb. 6. That the House of Peers in Parliament is uselesse and dangerous and ought to be abolished and that an Act be brought in for that purpose to be not onely void null and illegall in themselves by the Lawes and Statutes of this Realme but likewise treasonable detestable tyrannicall and destructive to the Priviledges Rights and being of Parliaments the just Prerogatives and Personall safety of the Kings of England the fundamentall Government and Lawes of the Realme the Lives Liberties Properties and Estates of the People and the most transcendent tyranny and usurpation over the King Kingdome Parliament Peers Commons and Freemen of England ever practised or attempted in any Age tending onely to dishonour enslave and destroy this antient flourishing Kingdome and set up Anarchy and confusion in all places All which exorbitant and trayterous Vsurpations We and all free-borne English-men are by all obligations bound to oppose to the uttermost with our lives and fortunes lest We should be accessary to our owne and our posterities slavery and ruine for preventing whereof VVe have lately spent so much bloud and treasury against the Malignant Party whose treasons and insolences they farre exceed * 100. The Kingly Office voted downe After almost 1000 years it is now discovered by these New Lights to be inconvenient to be in one hand therefore it must be in the Councel of State forty Tyrants for one King That is the Army and their Party The 7. Febru the Commons debated about the Kingly Office and passed this Vote Resolved c. By the Commons of England assembled in Parliament that it hath been found by experience and this House doth declare that the Office of a King in this Nation and to have the power thereof in any single Person is unnecessary burdensome and dangerous to the liberty safety and publique interest of the People of this Nation and therefore ought to be abolished 101. A Committee to bring in a list of Names for a Councell of State and that an Act be brought in for that purpose A Committee was named to bring in a List of Names not exceeding 40 to be a Committee of State by Act of the House of Commons This is to pull downe one King to whom we owe Allegiance and set up forty Tyrants to whom we owe no Allegiance Instructions were given by the Commons for drawing new Commissions for the Judges 102. New commissions for the Iudges whereof six hold six quit their Places according to the new Antimonarchicall stile and way the new Great Seale being now ready a Committee of the House met the Iudges about it whereof six agreed to hold upon a provision to be made by Act of the House of Commons that the fundamentall Lawes be not abolished This very provision so made by Act of the Commons beside all their former Votes against Monarchy Peerage altering the stile of Writs coynage of Money c. is it self an abolition of the fundamentall Laws This is but a Fig-leafe to cover their shame Those that held were of the Kings bench Mr. Iustice Rolles and Iudge Ierman of the Common Pleas Mr. Iustice St. Iohn and Iudge Phesant of the Exchequer Chief Baron VVylde and Baron Yates those which quitted their Places and kept their consciences were Iustice Bacon Iustice Browne 103. Cyrencester Election But the Clerke of the Crowne certified that between the Committee of Elections and himselfe they could not find the Indentures of returne the House therefore Ordered That they should sit doe de service so they are Burgesses not returned but ordered to sit Sir Tho Beddinfeilde Iustice Cressewell Baron Treaver and Baron Atkins 8. Febr. The Election of the Generall and Col Rich at Cyrencester which never durst see the light before after about 3 yeares lying dormant and no account made of it is on a sudden reported to the House approved of and the Clerke of the Crowne for whom they have not invented a new name yet ordered to mend the returne of the Writ at the Barre * 104. A Declaration That they wil keep the fundamentall Lawes lives why did they erect the High Court of Justice doe still cont nue Martiall Law liberties why doe they presse Seamen then properties why doe they leavie illegal Taxes by Souldiers continue illegal Sequestratiōs They likewise passed a Declaration to this purpose that they are fully resolved to maintaine and shall and will uphold preserve and keep the fundamentall Lawes of this Nation for and concerning the preservation of the lives liberties and properties of the People with all things incident thereunto with the Alterations concerning Kings and House of Lords already resolved in this present Parliament Monday February 12. 105. The Iudges Circutes appointed the Benches filled up and their Oaths altered The Commons appointed the Circuits for those Iudges that held and passed an Act for Compleating the Iudges of the severall Courts filling up the roomes of those that held not with some alterations in their former Commissions and a new Oath to be given them to sweare well and truly to serve the Common-wealth in the Office of a Iustice of the Upper Bench which all our Lawes call the Kings Bench or Common Pleas according to the best of their skill and
Gentlemen of the best quality vvere named vvhom they could not omit because they had sate vvith them and concurred in all their great debates although they had more confidence in those petty Fellovves vvho had or vvould sell their soules for gain to make themselves Gentlemen to debarre the said Gentlemen of quality therefore and make them forbeare they invented an expurgatory Oath or Shibeleth to be taken by every Member before his initiation vvhereby they should Declare That they approved of vvhat the House of Commons and their High Court of Iustice had done against the KING and of their abolishing of Kingly Government and of the House of Peers and that the Legislative and Supreme power was wholly in the House of Commons 22. Febr Cromwell Chair-man of that Committee of State reported to the Commons That according to the order of that House 19 of the said Members had subscribed to that forme of the Oath as it was originally penned but 22. of them scrupled it whereof all the Lords were part not but that they confessed except one The Commons of England to be the Supreme power of the Nation or that they would not live and die with them in what they shall doe for the future but could not confirme what they had done in relation to the King and Lords so it vvas referred to a Committee to consider of an expedient Cromwell having made use of the Levellers Assertors of publique Liberty to purge the House of Commons 115. Cromvvels usurped povver VVhen the House of Commons opposed Cromvvells and … on s designs they cried up the Liberty of the People and decried the Authority of Parliament untill they had made use of the Levellers to purge the House of Commons and make it subservient to their ends and abolish the House of Lords and then they cried up the Supreme Authority of their House of Commons and decried the Liberty of the People and the Levellers who upheld it So Charles the 5. first made use of the Popes Authority to subdue the Protestants of Germany and then used an Army of Protestants to subdue and imprison the Pope and abolish the Lords House doth novv endeavour to cast dovvne the Levellers once more finding himselfe raised to so great an height that he cannot endure to thinke of a levelling equality he oversvvaies the Councell of VVarre over-avves the House of Commons and is Chair-man and Ring-leader of the Councell of State so that he hath engrossed all the povver of England into his ovvne hands and is become the Triple King or Lord Paramount over all the Tyrants of England in opposition therefore to the Levelling party and for the upholding his ovvne more Lordly Interest he procured an expedient to Alter and Reforme the said Oath vvhich at last passed in this forme follovving February the 22. 1648. 116. The forme of the said reformed Oath I A.B. being nominated a Member of the Councell of State by this present Parliament doe testifie that I doe adhere to this present Parliament in the maintenance and defence of the publique liberty and freedome of this Nation as it is now Declared by this Parliament by whose Authority I am constituted a Member of the said Councell and in the maintenance and defence of their resolutions concerning the setling of the Government of this Nation for the future in way of a Republique without King or House of Peers and I doe promise in the sight of God that through his Grace I will be faithfull in performance of the trust committed to me as aforesaid and therein faithfully pursue the Instructions given to the said Councell by this present Parliament Here you see a curtaine drawn between the eys of the people the clandestine machinations and actings of this Councell and not reveale or disclose any thing in whole or in part directly or indirectly that shall be debated or resolved upon in the Councell without the command or direction of the Parliament or without the order or allowance of the major part of the Councell or of the major part of them that shall be present at such Debates or Resolutions In confirmation of the premises I have hereto subscribed my Name 117. The C of VVar debate to massacre the Kings party See Will Sedgvvicks Iustice upon the Armies Remonstrance About this time it vvas debated at the Councell of VVarre to Massacre and put to the Sword all the KING's Party The Question put vvas carried in the Negative but by tvvo Voices You see vvhat Furies pursue these sinfull VVretches and vvhat dangerous rocks they dash upon in order to that base and covvardly principle of Self-preservation 118. Schismaticall Petitions for 2. or 3. principall Gentlemen in each Country to be brought to justice The Army hath in every County of England packs of schismaticall Beagles vvhom they hollovv on to hunt in full crie by Petitions to the House after the bloud of such vvhom they design for slaughter Many Petitions have been lately presented That two or three principall Gentlemen of the KING's Party by name in each County might be sacrificed to Iustice whereby the Land might be freed from bloud-guiltinesse Divers Merchants have contracted to send forth severall Ships for the next Summers Fleet at their ovvne charge 119. Marchants arming Ships for this Summers Fleet. The prodigious High Court of Iustice vvas revived in order to the Triall of the Earle of Holland the Earle of Cambridge the Earl of Norwich the Lord Capel and Sir Iohn Owens 120. The High Court of Iustice revived the Commissioners vvere changed that they may engage as many men in arbitrary illegall tyranny and bloud-shed as they can Hamilton vvas exceedingly importuned by Cromwell vvho tooke a journey to VVindsor purposely to name such Members of Parliament and Citizens as had any hand in calling him in 121. The History of Hamiltons imprisonment and death See digitus Dei upon Duke Hamilton this he either could not or vvould not doe he had in order to his ovvn ambition first exasperated the Independent party against the KING and aftervvards sought their ruine by engaging for the KING and he doubted that to undertake so odious an office as to play the Devils part and be an Accuser of his Brethren vvould but set a glosse upon the Independents intended severity against him Being brought to St. Iames's in order to his Tryall Cromwell hoping to traine him to a confession caused all his Creatures to carry a favourable countenance to him Bradshaw smoothed him up vvith soft language at the Barre the Lord Gray of Grooby Col VVayte and Hugh Peters gave him hopes that they vvould not much obstruct his pretended Plea of Quarter from Lambert upon Articles Peters avouched Quarter so given by Lambert notvvithstanding Colonel VVayte vvhen he made Report to the House of Commons hovv he took him affirmed He yeilded at discretion and Lambert was not then neer him after this Peters gives Hamilton a Visit
vvho gives Peters thanks and mony to boot for his late favour done him in Court Quaere VVhat an accusation extorted for feare of death and hope of life is vvorth Hamilton confessed at his death he had been much pressed yet had named no man Argyle and knovving him to be an Instrument of Cromwells imployed him as his Solicitor to the Members of the House and Army Peters prayes for Hamilton openly as his Lord Patron stil feeding him vvith hopes If he would Impeach their Opposites yet still he vvaved this offering them 100000 l. for his life and often inculcating vvhat services he vvould do them in Scotland for vvhich purpose he offered to joyn Interests vvith Argyle and be a Servant to their Party Messengers vvere posted into Scotland to knovv Argyles pleasure But he had been over-reached formerly by Hamilton he vvas resolved to admit no Competitor vvhich vvould have eclipsed his greatnesse and have made him not the sole Patron of Scotish Independency Besides the Kirke so farre hated Hamilton that they preached off his Head in Scotland before it vvas cut off in England the High Court of Iustice lingered long in expectation of an Answer at last such a one came as decried all reconciliation vvith Hamilton vvhereupon the scene vvas altered presently Bradshaw handled him roughly at the Bar Mar. 6. Those vvhich smiled on him before frovvned novv being asked vvhâ—â— he could say he pleaded Quarter and vouched Peters Testimony vvho vvith a brazen face renounced his former Testimony VVhen Hamilton was upon the Scaffold divers Officers of the Army and Hugh Peters conversed familiarly with him to the last and Messengers passed to and fro saying He novv remembred no such matter but that the Army scorned to give quarter to h m or any of his Nation vvhereupon he vvas condemned to the Block vvhich Sentence vvas executed upon him March 9. yet they fed Hamilton vvith vaine hopes to the last gasp for feare he should give glory to God and throw shame and infamy upon themselves by a Christian confession of his Argyles and their mutuall vilanies besides such a Discovery vvould have made Argyle lesse serviceable to them in Scotland vvhose next designe is to cajole the Kirke by seeming an Enemy to the Sectaries of England and pretending to serve the Presbyterian Interest Thus I conclude the Tragedy of Duke Hamilton 122 The Death of the L d Capel In opposition to vvhom I vvill briefly relate the Tragedy of the noble Lord Capel a Gentleman of great courage and integrity He had made an adventurous escape out of the Tower but vvas re-taken by the treachery of a limping VVater-man if I knevv his Name I vvould bestovv a blot of Inke upon him He pleaded for himselfe Articles of Surrender vvhich vvere reall in him though not in Hamilton that divers that vvere in Colchester and in his condition had been admitted to Compound and desired to be referred to Martiall Lavv vvhich being denied He moved he might not be debarred of Additionall defence if he must be judged by the Common Lavv then he demanded the full benefit of that Declaration of the Commons 19 Feb. 1648. vvhich Enacteth Declareth That though King and Lords be laid aside yet all other the fundamentall Lavves shall be in force concerning the lives liberties and properties of the Subject and recommended to them Magna Charta The Petition of Right 3 Caroli and the Act made H. 7. for indempuity of all such as adhered to the present King in possessione also the exception in the Act of Attainder of Strafford and Canterbury vvhich saies Their Cases shall not be used as a precedent against any man He desired to see his jury and that they might see him and so might be Tryed by his Peers saying He did believe no precedent could be given of any Subject Tried but by Bill of Attainder in Parliament or by a Iury. But all vvas but to charme a deafe Adder He vvas a gallant Gentleman and they durst not let him live The KING's Library at St. 123. The Kings Library at Saint Iames's given to Hugh Peters Iames's vvas given I heare to that ignorant Stage player Hugh Peters 26. Febr. Iohn Lylborne delivered to the Commons by the name of the Supreme Authority of England A Petition in the name of many thousand wel-affected vvith a Booke annexed entituled 124. L.C. Lylburnes Petition to the House with Englands nevv Chaines annexed See the Hunting the Foxes c. pag. 8. Englands new Chains discovered The most materiall points thereof are that they find fault vvith The Agreement of the People presented to the House by Lieut. Gen Hammond from the Officers of the Army because 1. They like not there should be any intervalls betvveen the end of this Representative novv sitting and the beginning of the next whereby during the said Intervall the Supreme povver vvill be lest in the nevv erected Councell of State a Constitution of a nevv and unexperienced nature vvhich may designe to perpetuate their povver and keep off Parliaments and Representatives for ever 2. They conceive no lesse danger in that it is provided that Parliaments for the future are to continue but 6 months and the Councell of State 18 Months in vvhich time having Command of all the Forces by Sea and Land they vvill have great opportunities to make themselves absolute and unaccountable 3. They are not satisfied vvith that Clause in the said Agreement That the Representative shall extend to the erecting and abolishing Courts of Iustice since the alteration of the usuall vvay of Tryalls by 12 svvorne Men of the Neighbourhood may be included therein as hath lately been done by erecting a new High Court of Iustice criminall under a President and Commissioners or Tryers picked and chosen in an unusuall vvay all liberty of exceptions against them being over-ruled 4. They are not satisfied vvith that Clause in the Agreement That the Representative have the Highest small Iudgement since their Authority is onely to make Generall Lawes Rules and Directions for Courts and Persons assigned by Law to execute them unto which the Representatives themselves are to be subject it being a great partiality and vexation to the People that the Law-makers should be Law-executors 5. They find fault with the Excise calling it The great obstructor of all Trade farre surmounting Ship-money and all Patents Projects and Monopolies before this Parliament 6. The Act for Pressing of Sea-men 7. The Generall and Officers obstructing the Presse 8. The Chauncery and Courts of Iustice not regulated Hunting the Foxes p. 8. sajes it vvas Iretons invention 9. They complaine That a Councell of State is hastily chosen as Guardians of the Peoples liberties with a vast and exorbitant power 1. To command order and dispose of all Forces by Sea and Land and all Magazines of Store in England and Ireland 2. To dispose all Publique Treasure 3. To command any Person whatsoever before them to give Oath
for discovery of Truth 4. To Imprison any that shall disobey their Commands and such as they shall Iudge contumacious vvhat novv is become of Magna Charta and the Liberties of the People That no Mans Person shall be Attached or Imprisoned or Dissersed of his Free-hold or Free-customes but by Lawfull Iudgement of his Equalls This Councell of State hath got all Povver into their hands a project long laboured and novv their next motion vvill be pretending ease to the People to Dissolve this Parliament 10. The Petitioners complaine that in order to settle their Tyranny the Councell of Officers insisted upon it That a motion should be made to the House of Commons to enable them to put to death by Martiall Lavv all such as they shall judge by Petitions or othervvise to disturbe the present proceedings vvhether Members of the Army or not And vvhen it vvas urged That the Civill Magistrate should doe it it vvas ansvvered * The saying of Col. Hevvson the one-eyed Cobler See Hunting the Foxes p. 10. They could hang tvventy ere the Magistrate could hang one The prayer of their Petition is 1. That the Self-denying Ordinance be observed 2. That they would consider hovv dangerous it is to continue the Highest Military Commands so long in the same Persons especially acting so long distinct and of themselves as those novv in being have done and in such extraordinary vvaies vvhereunto they have accustomed themselves vvhich vvas the originall of most Tyrannies 3. That they would appoint a Committee of Parliament-men to hear and determine all controversies between Officers and Officers officers and Souldiers To mitigate the rigour of Martiall Law and to provide it be not executed upon any not members of the Army 4. That they will open the Presses 5. That they will dissolve this Councell of State threatning so manifest Tyranny 6. That they will severely punish all such as acting upon any Order Ordinance or Act of Parliament shall exceed the power conferred on them After this 125. A second part of Englands Nevv Chains came forth a second part of Englands new Chaines discovered setting forth the hypocrisie and perfidiousnesse of the Councell of the Army and the Grandees in cheating all Interests King Parliament People Souldiers City Agitators Levellers c. vvhich tells you That the Grandees walke by no principles of honesty or Conscience but as meer Polititians are governed altogether by occasion as they see a possibility of making progresse to their Designes vvhich course of theirs they ever termed A waiting upon Providence that under colour of Religion they might deceive the more securely It tells you their intent is to Garrison all great Tovvns to break the spirits of the People vvith oppression and poverty It farther Declares that these Grandees judge themselves loose vvhen other men are bound all Obligations are to them Transitory and Ceremoniall and that every thing is good and just as it conduceth to their Interests That the Grandees never intended an Agreement of the People but onely to amuse that party vvhilst they hastily set up a Councell of State to establish their tyranny that to prepare the vvay to this they broke the House of Commons tooke avvay the House of Lords removed the King by an extrajudiciall vvay of proceedings and erected such a Court of Iustice as had no place in the English Government That the remainder of the House of Commons is become a meer channell through vvhich is conveyed all the Decrees and Determinations of a private Councell of some fevv Officers All these and the Votes That the Supreme Power is in the People and the Supreme Authority in the Commons their Representative vvere onely in order to their Interests of will and power That they place their security in the divisions of the People That if the present House of Commons should never so little crosse the ambition of these Grandees they vvould shevv no more modesty to them than they have done to the excluded Members See the Hunting of the Foxes c. p. 6 7 8. And so it concludes vvith a Protestation against their breaking the Faith of the Army vvith all Parties their dissolving the Councell of Agitators and usurping a povver of giving forth the sense of the Army against the Parliament and People against their shooting to death â—he Souldier at VVare Returne to sect 2. 5. and their cruelties exercised upon other Persons to the debasing of their Spirits and thereby nevv-moulding the Army to their Designes against their playing fast and loose vvith the King and His Party till they had brought a nevv and dangerous VVarre upon this Nation They also protest against their dissembled Repentances against their late extraordinary proceedings in Bringing the Army upon the City to the ruine of Trade their breaking the House of Commons in pieces vvithout Charging the Members particularly and then judging and taking avvay mens lives in an extraordinary vvay as done for no other end but to make vvay for their ovvne absolute Domination They also protest against the Election and establishment of those High Courts of Iustice as unjust in themselves and of dangerous precedent in time to come as likevvise against the Councell of State and putting some of themselves therein contrary to their ovvne Agreement They also protest against all other the like Meetings of those officers that on Thursday 2. Feb. Voted for so bloody a Lavv as to hang vvhom they should judge disturbed the Army as having no povver either by such Councels to give the sense of the Army or to judge any Person not of the Army or to doe any thing in reference to the Common-vvealth 126. The Hunting of the Foxes from Tryplo and Nevvmarket by 5 small Beagles p. 8. About this time also became publique a pretty Book entituled The Hunting of the Foxes from New-market and Triploe to White-hall by 5 small Beagles vvhich tells you That the Grandee-Officers of the Army to keep the Souldiers quiet did formalize about an Agreement of the People vvhilst they carried on their platforme of absolute tyranny long since hatched by Ireton by erecting a Councell of State no sooner vvas this monster borne but it devoured half the Parliament of England now it is adorning it self with Regall magnificence and majesty of courtly Attendants and like the 30 Tyrants of Athens to head it self over the People this is and yet this is not our new intended King there is a King to succeed this is but his Viceroy O Cromwell whither art thou aspiring the word is already given out amongst their Officers That this Nation must have one prime Magistrate or Ruler over them and that the Generall hath power to make a Law to bind all the Commons of England This was most daringly and desperately avowed at White-hall and to this temper these Court Officers are now a moulding He that runs may read fore-see a new Regality thus by their Machivilian pretences wicked practises
Englands Nevv Chaines and the Hunting of the Foxes No obedience is due by Lavv to them vvhich takes no notice of this forme of Government from time to time chosen and entrusted for that purpose by the People It is therefore Resolved and Declared by the Commons assembled in Parliament that they will put a period to the sitting of this present Parliament dissolve the same so soon as may possibly stand with the safety of the people that hath betrusted them and with what is absolutely necessary for the preserving and upholding the Government now setled in the way of a Common-wealth and that they will carefully provide for the certain chusing meeting and sitting of the next and future Representatives with such other circumstances of freedom in choice and equality in distribution of Members to be elected thereunto as shall most conduce to the lasting freedome and good of this Common-wealth And it is hereby further Enacted and Declared notwithstanding any thing contained in this Act no person or persons of what condition and quality soever within the Common-wealth of England and Ireland Dominion of Wales the Islands of Guernsey and Jersey Towne of Berwick upon Tweed shall be discharged from the obedience and subjection which he and they owe to the Government of this Nation as it is now Declared but all and every of them shall in all things render and performe the same as of right is due unto the Supreme Authority hereby declared to reside in this and the successive Representatives of the People of this Nation and in them onely About the same time they passed another Act for Abolishing the House of Peers to this purpose 112. An Act for Abolishing the House of Peers More Nevv lights nevv di coveries made by forty or fifty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grosse fiery Meteors remaining in the H of Commons THe Commons of England assembled in Parliament finding by too long experience that the House of Lords is uselesse and dangerous to the People of England to be continued have thought sit to Ordaine and Enact and be it Ordained and Enacted by this present Parliament and by the Authority of the same That from henceforth the House of Lords in Parliament shall be and is hereby wholly abolished and taken away and that the Lords shall not from henceforth meet or sit in the said House called the Lords House or in any other House or place whatsoever as a House of Lords nor shall sit vote advise adjudge or determine of any matter or thing whatsoever as a House of Lords in Parliament Neverthelesse it his hereby Declared That neither such Lords as have demeaned themselves with honour courage Fidelity to the Common-wealth nor their Posterities who shall so continue shall be excluded from the publique Councels of the Nation but shall be admitted thereunto and have their free Vote in Parliament if they shall be thereunto Elected as other Persons of interest elected and qualified thereunto ought to have And be it farther Ordained and Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that no Peere of this Land not being Elected qualified and sitting in parliament as aforesaid shall claime have or make use of any Priviledge of Parliament either in relation to his person quality or estate any Lawes Vsage or Custome to the contrary notwithstanding * * 133. A Declaration of the Commons to shevv the Reasons of their said proceedings The State is Free but the People Slaves as a Galley is free but the Rovvers Slaves 1 part 72. 73. See these Books A full Ansvver to an infamous Pamphlet entituled A Decl of the Commons of England The Charge against the King dis harged The Royall and Royalists Plea King Charles vindicated c. And His Maj last Book or Pourtraicture His Maj Gracious Messages for Peace And to lessen the amazement of the People the same day they passed and Ordered to be printed a Booke called A Declaration of the Parliament of England expressing the grounds of their late proceedings and of setling the present Government in the way of a Free-State when they formerly passed the 4. Votes for no more Addresses to our late King they seconded it with a Declaration to shew the Reasons of those Votes wherein they set forth no new matter but what they had formerly in parcels objected against Him and yet they have since that time made Addresses to him both taken caused others to take the Oaths of Allegiance Supremacy the Protestation Covenant to defend His Person and Authority c. And in this Declaration there is no new objection of moment but what is conteined in the former Declarations against Him and as I looked upon the first Declaration as a Prologue so I looke upon this last as the Epilogue to His Majesties Tragedy The whole matter of charge in both of them hath been sufficiently Answered in severall Books and either confuted or justified to which I refer the Reader whom I will only trouble with some few short ObservatioÌ„s of my owne upon it p. 5. The Parliament in imitation of their Masters the Councell of Officers pretend a necessity to change the fundamentall Government into a free-Free-State to prevent Tyranny Injustice and War c. I doubt rather to promote them It affirmeth pag. 15 16. That Offices of Inheritance are forfeited by Breach of Trust a condition annexed to every Office and seems to imply as much of the Kingly Office but this Pen-man had forgot that by the Lavv the Crowne takes away all defects and the King being Supreme Head and Governour over all Persons and in all Causes it vvere absurd to make Him accountable to any Authority for in such case that Authority vvould be Supreme to Him and so erect tvvo Supremes one jarring and interferring vvith the other vvhich in Lavv and Policy is as absurd as to suppose tvvo Almighties or Infinities in Divinity vvhich cannot be for that one Infinity vvould terminate another Impossibile esse plura Infinite See Greg Tholosâ—nus l. pol. 1. Keckerin Sistema pol. l. 1. Contzenii l politic 1. à cap. 17. ad c. 25 and many good Authors quoted by him Moecenalis orationem ad Augustum apud Dionem Cassium quoniam alterum esset in altero sinitum saith Cusanus pag. 16. The Declarers play the Orators in behalf of the felicity of Government by Free-States rather than by Kings and Princes This is a spacious field to vvalk in I vvill onely cite some learned Authors living in Republiques of a contrary opinion and send my Readers to them for their Arguments It applauds the prosperity and good Government of the Switz vvhich I think vvas never commended before a grosse-vvitted People living in a confused vvay of Government vvhere virtue and industry find no revvard the Rich become a daily pray to the Poore and their popular Tribunes vvho uphold their credits by calumniating the vvealthy and confiscating or sequestring their Estates the best vvealth of this Nation is Pensions
It will not be charged upon the remaining party or to have been within their power to prevent it or repaire it to this I reply that it is doubted the remaining party being the Army party contrived it in their Iunto at Somerset-house for p. 23. it is acknovvledged they called and appointed the Army for their Guard vvhich vvas not openly done by a full House it must be therefore secretly done by a party See many Reasons for this conjecture before § 24. Farther they say That the safety of the Kingdome ought to be preferred before priviledge of Parliament and that if their House had declined their duty viz by not Acting they had resigned up all to ruine and confusion from vvhence should this ruine and confusion come but from their ovvne Army vvhich they perpetuate to eate up the Kingdome and continue their ovvne power and profit and I vvonder they did not use the same moderation after that childish Tumult of Apprentices but Declared all Acts c. passed from 26 Iuly vvhich day the Tumult began and ended to the 6. August null and void And endeavoured to make the very sitting of the Members and the Citizens obeying to the said Orders though no Iudges of the force Treasonable they deny they sit novv under a force the Army being their best friends called by them for their safety Indeed it is generally thought the Army and this remnant of the House of Commons are as good Friends and Brethren as Simeon and Levi Pilate Herod vvere and vvere called to secure the Members purge the House yet if the remaining party should Vote contrary to the Dictates of the Councell of VVar Quaere 2 Part of Englands New Chaines and the Hunting the Foxes c. VVhether they vvill not be used as uncivilly as the secured Members nay vvorse by being called to account for cousening the State p. 24. They say There is a cleer consistency of our Lawes with the present Government of a Republique I desire to knovv vvho by our Lavv can call or hold a Parliament but the KING vvho is Principium Caput Finis Parlamenti vvho is the fountaine of Iustice Honour Peace vvhen vve have no King vvho is Conservator of the Lavves and Protector of the People vvhere is the Supreme Authority to Vote it in their ovvne case to be in a Representative of 50 or 60 Commons vvithout legall proofs or precedents is to lead Mens reason captive as vvell as their Persons and Estates to impose an implicite faith upon Man not to use discourse and reason against their Votes is to take Man out of Man to deny him his definition Animal rationale to vvhom doth the Subject ovve Allegiance and vvhere is the Majesty of England vvhen there is no King for all Treason is Crimen laesae majestatis contra debitam ligeanciam Therefore vvhere by the knovvn Lavvs no Allegiance is there is no Treason Lastly if our present Lavvs be so consistent vvith the Republique I desire to knovv vvhy they did not Trie the 4 Lords legally at the Common Lavv by their Peeres and Sir Iohn Owen by a Iury of 12 Men of the Neighbourhood according to Magna Charta and other good Lavvs but vvere faine to put a Legislative Trick upon them and erect such a Court for the Triall of them as vvas never heard of in England before nor hath no place in our Government They conclude p. 26. That as they have not intermedled with the assaires and Government of other States so they hope none will intermeddle with them This assertion is as true as the rest it being vvell knovvne that for about 3 years last pass'd they have boasted That they have many Agents in France vvho under colour of Merchandise vent Antimonarchicall Anarchicall Tenents and sovv seeds of Popular Liberty amongst the poore Peasants and Hugonots of France vvhich they brag prospered vvell there their very declared principles and doctrine of ther Pulpilts and Army are That they must break the Powers of the Earth in pieces Monarchy must dovvn all the vvorld over first in England then this Army must put over and manumit the Peasants of France the Boors of Germany c. And divers of this Party have reported that they have supplied the Revolters of France with money their Licenced Nevvs-books are full of this Doctrine and of many invectives against the Tyranny of the French King 134. Harry Martin's Iudgement of the King and Kingly Government Such vvere their proceedings against the King or rather against Kingly Government vvhich vvas cut off by the same Axe that murthered the King and vvas indeed first in their intention though last in execution as appeareth by Harry Martin's Speech in the House upon the Debate VVhether a King or no King That if they must have a King he had rather have had the last than any Gentleman in England he found no fault in His Person but in His Office 135. The Councell of Officers endeavour to joyn Interests with the Papists in England Ireland The KING had offended the Papists in the last Treaty by granting so much to the Parliament for their suppression The Independents perceiving it and vvilling to joyne vvith any Interest to make good their Designe It vvas proposed at the Councell of Officers That the Papists should raise and pay about 10000. Additionall Forces for this Army in recompence whereof all penall Lawes concerning them should be repealed all Taxes and Contributions taken off and they to have the protection of this Parliament and Army Vnder the same notion they endeavoured to joyne Interests vvith Owen Roe Oneale Ovven Roe Oneale that commanded the bloudy Party of massacring Irish vvith vvhich they had formerly taxed the King they supplied him vvith Ammunition and admitted O Realy The Popes Nuntio the Popes Irish Nuntio to a Treaty here in England Sir Iohn VVynter vvas taken into imployment and the Arrears of his Rents gathered for him by Souldiers to the regret of the Countrey Sir Kenelme Digby had a Passe to come into England and came as vvas foretold by a Letter from an Independent Ag nt for the Army from Paris to an Independent Member of the House of Commons a Creature of the Army bearing Date 28. Nov. 1648. and printed at the latter end of The True and full Relation of the Officers Armies forcible seizing of divers eminent Members c. VValter Moungue let forth upon Bayle vvhat becomes of this Negotiation and vvhether those that have played fast and loose vvith all Interests in the Kingdome have not done the like vvith the Papists I cannot yet learne This VVinter 136. Scarcity of Coals how ocasioned and why Coales as vvell as other things had been at excessive rates in the City vvhereby many poor perished vvith cold and hunger vvhat the reason thereof vvas besides unreasonable Taxes Excise and Souldiers quartering in and neer the City vvas diversly disputed most Men imputed the blame to
Sir Arthur Haslerigge Governour of New Castle vvho vvithout any publique Authority presumed to lay on a Tax of 4 s. a Chaldron upon the Coales there vvhich is estimated to amount to 50000 l. a yeare vvhat use that Money vvas put to vvas as variously vvhispered as likevvise vvhat designe they had in bringing so pinching a vvant upon the City some said it vvas to enforce the poorer sort into Tumults and then to charge the vvealthier sort vvith the crime and ensnare them others said it vvas to cast an odium upon the PRINCE as if His Ships had kept in the Colliers The 23. March 1648. The Commons Ordered 137. The Lo Mayor ordered to proclaim in person the Act for Abolishing the Kingly Office and punished for neglect That the Lord Mayor of London in Person be required to publish and proclaime in the City the aforesaid Act for dissolving Kingly Government and to give an account thereof to the House The Mayor refusing this service vvas by the Commons called to the Barre fined 2000 l. committed Prisoner to the Tovver and outed of his Mayoralty and Alderman Andrewes a Man after their ovvne heart chosen by a fevv Schismaticks in his Place Ordered by the Commons upon a report from the Councell of State that Commissioners be appointed to make Sale of the Kings 138. The Kings Queens and Princes personall Estate ordered to be sold Queens and Princes Personall Estate upon Inventory and Apprisall for satisfaction of all just Debts due to well-affected Persons viz Men of their Faction in this Nation before the beginning of these VVarres But first 30000 l. to be taken out of it for the use of this Summers Fleet and that it be reserved back to the 40 Hogen Mogens or Councell of State to consider what they think sit to be sold and what they thinko sit to keep and reserve for the use and furniture of them and their Attendants Observe that by that time this gulph is stopped the vvhole remainder to be sold for payment of Debts aforesaid may be vvritten vvith a Cypher 139. Crown Lands shar'd amongst the Godly I heare the House hath given away the KING's House Parks and Honour of Eltham to Sergeant Bradshaw their quondam President Greenwich to Bolstrode VVhitlocke The Lyons Skin is novv dividing amongst the Party Thus have they killed and taken possion and the King's Revenue hath proved as ominous to Him as Naboth's Vineyard vvas to his Master 140. Another Report for an establishment for the Army Diurnall Mar 30 31 1649. This day another Report vvas made to the House from the Committee of the Army of the particular summes to be Monthly leavied in each County to make up the vvhole summe of 90000 l. Monthly fot the Armies of England and Ireland besides 20000 l. per mens out of Fee-farme Rents 28 March 1649. The Commons in pursuit of the advice given them by Monsieur Paw 141. An Order that no Preacher meddle with State affairs and according to the example cited by him of the Low Countrios Ordered That no Minister in his Pulpit should meddle with any State affairs had this been observed from the beginning these Pulpit Incendiaries had never kindled a VVar betvveen the King and Parliament 142. The 5. Lights of Walton About the beginning of Lent last Master Faucett Minister of VValton upon the Thames in Surrey preached in his Parish Church after dinner vvhen he came dovvne out of his Pulpit it vvas tvvylight and into the Church came six Souldiers one of them vvith a Lanthorne in his hand and a Candle burning in it in the other hand the had foure Candles not lighted He vvith the Lanthorne called to the Parishoners to stay a little for he had a Message to them from God and offered to go up into the Pulpit but the Parishioners vvould not let him then he vvould have delivered his errand in the Church but there they vvould not heare him so he vvent forth into the Church-yard the people follovving him vvhere he related to them That he had a Vision and received a command from God to deliver his will unto them which he was to deliver and they to receive upon paine of damnation It consisted of 5 Lights 1. That the Sabbath was abolished as unnecessary Iewish and meerly ceremoniall And here quoth he I should put out my first Light but the wind is so high I cannot light it 2. Tythes are abolished as Iewish and ceremoniall a great burden to the Saints of God and a discouragement of industry and tillage And here I should put out my second light c. as aforesaid vvich vvas the burden of his song 3. Ministers are abolished as Antichristian and of no longer use now Christ himselfe descends into the hearts of his Saints and his Spirt enlighteneth them with Revelations and Inspirations And here I should have put out my third Light c. 4. Magistrates are abolished as uselesse now that Christ himself is in purity of Spirit come amongst us and hath erected the Kingdom of the Saints upon earth besides they are Tyrants and Oppressors of the Liberty of the Saints and tie them to Lawes and Ordinances meer humane inventions And here I should have put c. 5. Then putting his hand into his pocket and pulling out a little Bible he shewed it open to the People saying Here is a Booke you have in great veneration consisting of two parts the Old and New Testament I must tell you it is abolished It containeth beggarly rudiments milke for Babes But now Christ is in Glory amongst us and imparts a fuller measure of his Spirit to his Saints then this can afford and therefore I am commanded to burne it before your faces so taking the Candle out of his Lanthorne he set fire of the leaves And then putting out the Candle cryed And here my fift Light is extinguished Upon a Report from the Councell of State 143. The Earle of Warwicke's Commission recalled and 3 Admirals appointed the Commons Voted void the Earle of Warwick's Commission for Admirall and appointed three Commissioners to have and execute the Admirals Place with 3 l. a day a piece a Commission for Martiall Law and Land Souldiers aborad to keep under the Seamen The three Admirals are Col. Edw Popham Col. Rob Blake and Col. Deane Sunday after Easter-day 144. Cormvvell turned Preacher six Preachers militant at White-hall tried the patience of their Hearers one calling up another successively at last the Spirit of the Lord called up Oliver Cromwell who standing a good while with lifted up eyes as it were in a trance and his neck a little inclining to one side as if he had expected Mahomet's Dove to descend and murmure in his eare and sending forth abundantly the groanes of the Spirit spent an hower in prayer and an hower and an halfe in a Sermon In his prayer he desired God to take off from him the Government of this mighty People
of England as being too heavy for his shoulders to beare An audations ambitious and hypocriticall imitation of Moses It is now reported of him that he pretendeth to Inspirations and that when any great or weighty matter is propounded he usually retireth for a quarter or halfe an hower and then returneth and delivereth out the Oracles of the Spirit surely the Spirit of Iohn of Leyden will be doubled upon this Man 145. The last Retreat of the faction by H. Martius report About this time the Palsgrave tooke his leave of the Parliament being much courted and complemented by them and his 8000 l. per annum with all Arreares confirmed to him since his departure Harry Martyn in a jolly humour was heard to say If the worst hapned and that they should not be able to stand their ground in England yet the Palsgrave would afford them a place of retreat in the Palatinate the seeds of these Anarchicall Anabaptisticall humours upon the reducing of Munster spread themselves in England and now have a mind to returne into Germany to kindle a fire there 146. Io. Lilburne's third Booke called The Picture of the Councell of State About this time Iohn Lilburne and his Company set forth a Book called The Picture of the Councell of State c. wherein they set forth the illegall and violent proceedings of the said Councell against them in seizing upon them with armed Bands of Souldiers and interrogating them against themselves c. where they have these words The Faction of a trayterous Party of Officers of the Army hath twice rebelled against the Parliament and broke them in pieces and by force of Armes culled out whom they pleased and imprisoned divers of them and layed nothing to their charge and have left onely in a manner a few men besides 11 of themselves viz the Generall Cromwell Ireton Harrison Fleetwood Rich Ingolsby Haslerigge Constable Fennicke Walton and Allen Treasurer of their owne Faction behind them that will like Spaniel-dogs serve their lusts and wills yea some of the chiefest of them viz Ireton Harrison c. yea Mr. Holland himself styled them a Mock-Parliament a Mock power at Windsor yea it is yet their expressions at London And if this be true that they are a Mock-power and a Mock-Parliament then Quaere Wether in Law or Iustice especially considering they have fallen from all their many glorius promises and have not done any one action that tends to the universall good of the people can those Gentlemen sitting at West-minster in the House called the House of Commons be any other than a factious company of Men trayterously combined together with Cromwell Ireton and Harrison to subdue the Lawes Liberties and Freedomes of England for no one of them protests against the rest and to set up an absolute and perfect tyranny of the Sword will and pleasure and absolutely intend the destroying the Trade of the Nation and the absolute impoverishing the people thereof to fit them to be their Vassals Slaves And againe the three forementioned Men viz Cromwell Ireton and Harrison the Generall being but their stalking horse and a cypher and their trayterous faction having by their wills and Swords got all the Swords of England under their command and the disposing of all the great Places in England by Sea and Land and also the pretended Law-making power and the pretended Law-executing power by making among themselves contrary to the Lawes and Liberties of England all Iudges Iustices of Peace Sheriffs Bayliffs Committee-men c. to execute their wills and tyranny walking by no limits or bounds but their owne wills and pleasures and trayterously assume unto themselves a power to leavy upon the people what money they please and dispose of it as they please yea even to buy knives to cut the peoples throats that pay the money to them and to give no account for it till Doomes-day in the afternoone they having already in their wills and power to dispose of the Kings Queens Princes Dukes and the rest of the Childrens Revenue Deanes and Chapters Land Bishops Lands Sequestred Delinquents Lands Sequestred Papists Lands Compositions of all sorts amounting to Millions of money besides Excise and Customes yet this is not enough although if rightly husbanded it would constantly pay above one hundred thousand men and furnish an answerable Navy thereunto But the people must now after their Trades are lost and their Estates spent to procure their Liberties and Freedomes be cessed about 100000 l. a Month Master Boone a Member of the House lately a Tapster hath 6000 l. given him Sir Arth Haslerig 3 great Manours Bishops-Aukland Ever-wood and another Col. Backster the pitifull Thimble and Bodkin Gold-smith bought as much Bishops Lands as cost 10000 l. at two or three years purchase and hath already raised his money that so they may be able like so many Cheaters and State-thieves to give six eight ten twelve fourteen sixten thousand pounds a piece over again to one another as they have done already to divers of themselves to buy the Common-wealths Lands one of another contrary to the duty of Trustees who by Law nor equity can neither give nor sell to one another at two or three yeares purchase the true and valuable rate considered as they have already done and to give 4 or 5000 l. per annum over againe to King Cromwell as they have done already out of the Earle of Worcesters Estate c. besides about 4 or 5 l. a day he hath by his Places of Lieut. Generall and Colonel of Horse in the Army although he were at the beginning of this Parliament but a poor Man yea little better than a Beggar to what he is now as well as others of his Neighbours 147. A Petition in behalfe of Io Lylburne and his company 2. April 1649. A Petition subscribed by divers Persons in behalf of Iohn Lylburne and his company was presented to the Commons wherein amongst other things are contained these three just demands 1. That no man be censured condemned or molested but for the breach of some Law first made and published to the People whereby is avoided that uncertainty and howerly hazard that otherwise every man is subject to both in respect of his Estate Liberty and Life 2. That every crime have not onely its penalty annexed but together therewith the manner and methode of proceedings ascertained 3. That the execution of Lawes be referred to ordinary Magistrates and Officers by Law deputed thereto and that the Military power be not used but where the Civil is so resisted as that of its one strength it is deficient to enforce obedience 148. Itinerant Ministers an invention to undermine our Orthodox setled Ministers and infect the people with Schismes and Anarchicall principles sutable to the many-headed tyranny of the Grandees April 12. 1649. It was referred to a Committee to consider of a way how to raise Pensions and Allowances out of Deanes and Chapter
Officers they cast Lots againe and againe untill fortune agreed with their desires This being discovered a printed Paper was scattered about the streets 26. April 1649. as followeth ALL worthy Officers and Souldiers who are yet mindfull that you engaged not as a meer mercinary Army hyred to serve the Arbitrary ends of a Councell of State but tooke up Armes in Iudgment and Conscience in behalf of your own and the peoples just Rights and Liberties you may see plainly by the proceedings of Col. Hewson with his Regiment that the designe of your grand Officers is to reduce the Army to a meer mercinary and servile temper that shall obey all their commands without so much as asking a question for Conscience sake Intending by this blind obedience in you to make you he whatsoever they shall find requisite to establish their owne absolute power over the Common-wealth yea though it be to cut off your best friends or perpetuate this their owne Parliament and Councell of State things so evidently destructive to your owne and the peoples just Rights and Liberties as nothing can be more And for compassing whereof you know they have long since dissolved the Agitators and erected a Councell amongst themselves by which they have moulded the Parliament and a Councell of State to their owne wills both which are to be as ascreen between the People and your Grandees to make the world believe they doe nothing but by order of Parliament and Councell of State when they order all things themselves and indeed are confederated together to defend and protect each others in their defrauding and enslaving the Common-wealth This they have long aymed at but cannot possibly effect it untill they reduce the Army to a servile and base temper which they have been laboring to bring to passe a long time as by picking quarrels with most Officers and Souldiers that have manifested any sence of Common Right and so vexing them and wearying them out of Troops and Companie And you know they have been more than once disbanding twenty of a Troup upon pretence of easing the publique charge all their mischief being ever done after either fasting and prayer or upon some very specious pretence but the care and resolution of the honest Officers and Souldiers ever preuented this But now the businesse for Ireland it seems must doe the deed that being a service that must be preferred before the setling of the Liberties and Freedomes of this Nation and all that are not for this service must be esteemed no better than Enemies and Traytors and therefore an Ahab-like Fast goeth before the Lots are cast and Col. Hewson falls to worke and disbands all those Souldiers and Officers that refused to engage for the service of Ireland before the Liberties of England which we never trod under foot be restored to the people The end of this being to be a leading case to all other Regiments both Horse and Foot not that they certainly intend for Ireland but by such meanes to be rid of all such as are apt to desire to be satisfied in their Consciences of the justice of the Cause before they engage in the killing and slaying of men any more or before they see some fruits answerable to the bloud that hath been spilt And being rid of this kind of Officers and Souldiers then to fill the Regiments as this Hewson doth with such ignorant needy or servile men as these miserable times through losse of Trade have begotten And this being done then to make more strict enquiry after this sort of people in the Army and all other places suppresse Meetings and if that will not doe then to disarme all from whom they suspect the least repining or opposition And therefore all those Officers and Souldiers and all people in all places are concerned in a very high nature even as much as the freedome of the Nation is worth yea as they tender the good of their VVives Children Families and Posterity to venture their lives and all they have to make opposition against this the greatest mischiefe that ever was attempted the greatest Treason that ever was committed against the liberties of the people and not to stand any longer in a miz-maze between hope and feare for if this designe take place your great Officers and their Confederates in Parliament and Councell of State will be as so many Kings Princes and Lords and your selves and all the people their Slaves and Vassals Therefore keep every man his place and post and stirre not but immediately chuse you a Councell of Agitators once more to judge of these things without which we shall never see a new Parliament or ever be quit of these intolerable burdens oppressions and cruelties by which the People are like to be beggered and destroyed About this time Master Robert Lockier and five or six other Troupers of Captaine Savages Troup vvere condemned for a supposed mutinys in behalf of vvhom Lieut. C. Iohn Lilburne vvrit this Letter follovving to the Generall dated 27. April 1649. 151. M. Lockier condemned by a Councell of VVarre with his honourable death and buriall and Lilburnes Letter to the Generall May it please your Excellency WE have not yet forgot your Solemne Engagement of Iune 5. 1647. vvhereby the Armies Continuance as an Army vvas in no vvise by the vvill of the State but by their ovvne mutuall Agreement And if their standing vvere removed from one Foundation to another as is undeniable then vvith the same they removed from one Authority to another and the Ligaments and Bonds of the First vvere all Dissolved and gave place to the Second and under and from the head of their first Station viz By the VVill of the State the Army derived their Government by Martiall Lavv vvhich in Iudgment and Reason could be no longer binding then the Authority vvhich gave being there to vvas binding to the Army For the deniall of the Authority is an Abrogation and Nulment of all Acts Orders or Ordinances by that Authority as to them And upon this account your Excellency vvith the Army long proceeded upon the Constitution of a nevv Councell and Government contrary to all Martiall Lavv and Discipline by vvhom onely the Army Engaged to be Ordered in their prosecution of the ends to vvit Their severall Rights both as Souldiers and Commoners for vvhich they associated Declaring Agreeing and Promising each other not to Disband Divide or suffer themselves to be Disbanded or Divided vvithout satisfaction and security in relation to their Grievances and Desires in behalf of themselves and the Common-vvealth as should be agreed unto by their Councel of Agitators And by vertue and under Colour of this Establishment all the Extraordinary Actions by your Excellency your Officers and the Army have past Your refusall to Disband disputing the Orders of Parliament Impeachment and Ejection of Eleven Members your First and Second March up to London your late violent Exclusion of the Major part of Members out of
him by Coronet Ioyce vvho hath vvith much faithfulnesse resisted the like allurements and so foule a Copie of Inconstancy by Reynolds The Commons have ordered 153. The designe of making Members of Parliament liable to Arrests That upon Complaint made to any Iudge of the three Benches the Iudges shall send a Letter of Summons to such Member of their House as shall be complained of to give an appearance and submit to legall proceedingâ— otherwise his person to be liable to Arrests But our present Iudges are Creatures to the House of Commons and knovv beforehand vvhat Members are Babes of Grace in favour and must be priviledged and vvho are out of favour and must not be priviledged they have an Index tells them vvhen to grant and vvhen to deny Sinners must not be partakers of the same Lavves with Saints This is a VVhip and a Bell to drive such dogged Members out of the Hall as vvill not hunt in pack vvith the Grandees in pursuit of their designe and are quick-sented enough to smell out their knavery if they come too neer their dore It is thought the tyrannicall Hocas Pocasses had an ayme hereby to lash Harry Martyn off from the Levellers and make him come in to them 154. VVomen Petition the House for L Col. Lilburne and his Company About this time some thousands of vvelaffected VVomen of London VVestminster Southwarke and the Hamlets stormed the House of Commons vvith tvvo Petitions in behalf of Io Lilburne and his Company They complaine of the Councell of States violent and illegall proceedings against them in seizing them in the night by Souldiers of Lockiers being shot to death by Martiall Law of their Arbitrary Government Second part of Englands New Chaines discovered Taxes Excise Monopolies c. That there was a Designe to fetch Lilburne and his Fellowe Prisoners out of the Tower at midnigbt to VVhite-hall and there murder them That the House by Declaring the Abettors of the Booke laid to those Prisoners charge Traytors have layd a snare for people when as hardly any discourse can be touching the affaires of the present times but falls within the compasse of that Booke so that all liberty of discourse is there by utterly taken away then which there can be no greater slavery They received not so good Ansvvers to these Petitions as they vvere vvont to receive vvhen they had Money Plate Rings Bodkins and Thymbles to sacrifice to these Legislative Idols they vvere bid Goe home and wash their Dishes to vvhich some replied They had neither Dishes nor Meat left Note that the Commons have returned ansvver to some Petitioners 155. Observations upon the Commons Answer to those that petitioned for Lilburne c. that Lilburne shall be Legally Tried by Laws preceding the fact and yet by their Order 11. April 1649. it is Ordered That the Attourney Generall be required to take speedy course for prosecution of Lieu. Col. Io Lilburne c. in the Vpper Bench this Terme upon the Declaration of this House touching the Booke entituled The second part of Englands new Chaines discovered if this Order be not a Lavv and preceding the fact too then our supreme Saints have told a Legislative Lie In the latter end of the said Ansvver they are angry the Petitioners should discover so much of their basenesse That Cromwell Ireton rides them and therefore contrary to all mens knovvledge and their ovvne Consciences they terme those Intimations seditious Suggestions and Ordered that Cromwell and Ireton should dravv up a Declaration to prevent the people from being mis-led by Sovvers of sedition Humiliter servivunt aut superbe dominantur such are the degenerous Spirits of under-Tyrants vvho are Asses to their Superiors and Lyons to their Inferiors Cromwell and Ireton that have subverted all civill Authority Murdered the KING possessed themselves of vvhat they please and enslaved the Kingdome vvith a Military tyranny must dravv up a Declaration according to their fancy for their ovvne vindication and the Commons must Father the Bastard and set the stamp of their Authority and priviledge upon it lest any man should confute it and beat back the Authors lies into their throats But this is no nevv invention for formerly vvhen the Councell of Officers set forth their Ansvver to the House of Commons Demands concerning their secured Members Ireton penned this scandalous Answer of the said Officers Cromwell and Ireton caused their Iourney-men of that Conventicle to Vote That the House did approve the matter of the said Answer thereby ovvning all the grosse lies therein contained to deterre the imprisoned Members from replying to it and so by a tacite confession to acknovvledge themselves guilty About this time appeared out of the East a Nevv Light in our Horizon 156. The Turkish Alchoran taught to speak English the Alchoran of Mahomet Predecessor to Cromwell and of Sergius forerunner of Hugh Peters naturalized and turned English Novv the Ievves Professed Enemies to Christ vvhich Mahomet is not are accepted off it is believed that their Thalmude and Caball vvill shortly be made English too that this Island may be rendered a compleat Pantheon a Temple and Oracle for all Gods and all Religions our light-headed innovating People being like Reeds as apt to be shaken by and bend unto every vvind every breath of pretended Inspiration as the antient Arabians vvere May 1. 1649. 157. New-declared Treasons to defend tyranny and usurpation and ensnare the People The frighted Conventicle of Commons considered of an Act forsooth to fortifie themselves and their usurpations vvith a Scar-crovv of nevv-declared Treasons to the purpose follovving 1 If anyman shall malitiously this is a vvord of qualification a back-dore to let out such as they shall thinke fit Affirme the present Government to be tyrannicall usurped or unlawfull or that the Commons in Parliament are not the supreme Authority of the Nation or endeavour to alter the present Government 2. If any affirme the Councell of State or Parliament to be Tyrannicall or unlawfull or endeavour to subvert them or stirre up sedition against them For Souldiers of the Army to contrive the death of the Generall or Lieutenant Generall or endeavour to raise mutinies in the Army Quaere whether Cromvvell be Lieutenant Generall or no or to leavy VVarre against the Parliament to joyne with any to invade England or Ireland counterfeit the Great Seale kill any Member of Parliament or Iudge or Minister of Iustice in their duty All these severall cases to be Declared Treason You see the terrors of Caine pursue these guilty Covvards This Fools Boit is chiefly aymed at the honest Levellers this Iunto of Commons have made themselves legall Traytors already and vvould novv make all the Kingdome legislative Traytors but I hope none of those that arrogate the Reverend Title of Iudges of the Law although against Lavv vvill be so lavvlesse as to give Sentence of Death upon any such illegall Act of the House
of Commons nay this very Act denounceth slavery and bondage to the Nation and therefore is an Act of the highest tyranny and a snare 158. The Levellers Randezvous in Oxford-shire May 6. 1649. The honest Levellers of the Army for that is the Nick-name vvhich Cromwell falsly and unchristianly hath christned them vvithall Enemies to Arbitrary Government tyranny and oppression vvhether they find it in the Government of one or many vvhether in a Councel of Officers a Councel of State or a fag end of a House of Commons vvhether it vayle it selfe vvith the Title of a Supreme Authority or a Legislative povver drevv together to a Randezvouz about Banbury in Oxfordshire to the number of 4000 or 5000. others resorting to them dayly from other parts This gave an Alarme to our Grandees fearing the dovvnfall of their domination Cromwell not knovving vvhat Party to dravv out against them that vvould be stedfast to him shunned the danger and put his property the Generall upon it to oppose the Randezvouz and looking as vvan as the guilles of a sick Turkey-cock marched forth himselfe VVestvvard to intercept such as drevv to the Randezvouz In the meane time the said Levellers printed and published this ensuing Paper entituled Englands Standard advanced or A Declaration from Mr. VVill Thompson and the oppressed People of this Nation now under his conduct in Oxford-shire Dated at their Randezvouz May 6. 1649. WHereas it is notorious to the whole world that neither the Faith of the Parliament nor yet the Faith of the Army formerly made to the People of this Nation in behalf of their Common Right Freedome and Safety hath been at all observed or made good but both absolutely declined and broken and the People onely served with bare words and faire promising Papers and left utterly destitute of all helpe or delivery And that this hath principally been by the prevalency and treachery of some eminent Persons now domineering over the People is most evident The Solemne Engagement of the Army at New-market and Triploe-heaths by them destroyed the Councell of Agitators dissolved the blood of War shed in time of Peace Petitioners for Common Freedome suppressed by force of Arms and Petitioners abused and terrified the lawfull Triall by 12 sworn Men of the Neighbourhood subverted and denied bloody and tyrannicall Courts called an high Court of Justice and a Councell of State erected the power of the Sword advanced and set in the Seat of the Magistrates the Civill Lawes stopt and subverted and the Military introduced even to the hostile seizure imprisonment tryall sentence and execution of death upon divers of the Free People of this Nation leaving no visible Authority devolving all into a factious Juncto and Councell of State usurping and assuming the name stamp and Authority of Parliament to oppresse torment and vex the People whereby all the lives liberties and estates are all subdued to the Wills of those Men no Law no Justice no Right or Freedome no case of Grievances no removall of unjust barbarous Taxes no regard to the cries and groanes of the poore to be had while utter beggery and famine like a mighty torrent hath broke in upon us and already seized upon severall parts of the Nation Wherefore through an inavoidable necessity no other meanes left under Heaven we are enforced to betake our selves to the Law of Nature to defend and preserve our selves and Native Rights and therefore are resolved as one Man even to the hazard and expence of our lives and fortunes to indeavour the redemption of the Magistracy of England from under the force of the Sword to vindicate the Petition of Right to set the unjustly imprisoned free to relieve the poore and settle this Common-wealth upon the grounds of Common Right Freedome and Safety Be it therefore known to all the free People of England and to the whole world that chusing rather to die for Freedome than live as Slaves We are gathered and associated together upon the bare accompt of English-men with our Swords in our hands to redeem our selves and the Land of our Nativity from slavery and oppression to avenge the blood of War shed in the time of Peace to have justice for the blood of M. Arnold Schot to death at Ware and for the blood of M. Robert Lockyer and divers others who of late by Martiall Law were murthered at London And upon this our Engagement in behalf of the Common-wealth We doe solemnly agree and protest That we will faithfully laying all self respects aside endeavour the actuall reliefe setlement of this distressed Nation And that all the world may know particularly what wee intend and wherein particularly to center and acquiesce for ever not to recede or exceed the least punctilio We do declare from the integrity of our hearts that by the help might of God we will endeavour the absolute setlement of this distracted Nation upon that forme and Method by way of an Agreement of the People tendered as a Peace-offering by Lieut. Colonel John Lilburne Mr. Will Walwyn Mr. Thomas Prince Mr. Rich Overton bearing date May 1. 1649. the which we have annexed to this our Declaration as the Standard of our Engagement thereby owning every part and particular of the Premises of the Agreement promising and resolving to the utmost hazard of our Lives and Abilities to pursue the speedy and full Accomplishment thereof and to our power to protect and defend all such as shall Assent or Adhere thereunto And particularly for the Preservation Deliverance of L. Col. John Lilburne M. Will Walwyn Mr. Thomas Prince Mr. Richard Overton Captaine Bray and Mr. William Sawyer from their barbarous and illegall Imprisonments And wee Declare That if a haire of their heads perish in the hands of those Tyrants that restraine them That if God shall enable us we will avenge it seventy times seven fold upon the heads of the Tyrants themselves and their Creatures And that till such time as by Gods Assistance we have procured to this Nation the Declared purpose of this our Engagement we will not Divide nor Disband nor suffer our selves to be Divided or Disbanded resolving with sobernesse and civility to behave our selves to the Country to wrong nor abuse any man to protect all to our power from violence and oppression in all places where we come resolving to stop the payment of all Taxes or Sessements whatsoever as of Excise Tythes and the Tax of Ninety thousand pounds per mensem And having once obtained a New Representative according to the said Agreement upon such Terms and Limitations therein expressed We shall then freely lay down our Armes and returne to our severall Habitations and Callings And concernings the equity necessity justice of our undertaking We appeale to the judgement of the oppressed betwixt their Destroyers and Vs Whether by the law of God of Nature and Nations it be not equally justifiable in us to engage for the Safety and Deliverance of
this Nation as it was with the Netherlanders and other People for theirs and that upon the same Principles that the Army engaged at New-market and Triploe-heaths both Parliament and Army declaring That it is no resistance of Magistracy to side with just Principles Law of Nature and Nations And that the Souldiery may Lawfully hold the hands of that Generall who will turn his Cannon against his Army on purpose to destroy them The Sea-men the hands of that Pilot who wilfully runs his Ship upon a Rock And therefore the condition of this Commom-wealth considered we cannot see how it can be otherwise esteemed in us And upon that account we Declare that we doe owne and are resolved to owne all such Persons either of the Army or Countries that have already or shall hereafter rise up and stand for the Liberties of England according to the said Agreement of the People And in particular We doe owne avow the late proceedings in Colonel Scroops Col. Harrisons and Major General Skippons Regiments declared in their Resolutions published in print As One Man Resolving to live and die with them in their our just and mutuall defence And we doe implore and invite all such as have any sense of the Bonds and Miseries upon the People any Bowels of Compassion in them any Piety Justice Honour or Courage in their Brests any Affections to the Freedomes of England any love to his Neighbour or Native Country to rise up and come in to help a distressed miserable Nation to breake the Bands of Cruelty Tyranny and Oppression and set the People Free In which Servise Trusting to the undoubted goodnesse of a just and righteous Cause We shall faithfully discharge the utmost of our Endeavours Not sparing the venture of all hardships and hazards whatsoever and leave the Successe to God Signed by me WILLIAM THOMPSON at our Randezvouz in Oxford-shire neer Banbury in behalf of my Self and the Rest Engaged with me May 6. 1649. For a New Parliament By the Agreement of the People About this time Doctor Dorislaus a Civill Lawyer 159. Doct Dorislaus stabbed to death in Holland sometimes Judge Advocate to the Earle of Essex and Lord Fairfax and lately one of the Councell in the High Court of Justice against the KING and the 4. Lords was sent from the Parliament Agent into Holland where about 18. Scots-men repayring to his Lodging 6. of them went up the stayres to his Chamber whilst 12. of them made good the stayre-foot they stabb'd him to death and escaped About the 14. day of May 1649. 160. Hasleriggs barbarous motion to murder ix Royalists of the best quality in revenge of Dorislaus Report was made from the Councell of State to the House of the examination of 3. Servāts of Doctor Dorislaus concerning the Death of their Master what allowances were fit to be given to his Children out of the Kings Revenue thereby to lay an aspertion upon the King as if He having had an influence upon that Fact His Estate must make the recompence notwithstanding Scotish men did the deed in revenge of Hamiltons death Dorislaus had been a poor Schoolmaster in the Low Countries formerly from whence he was translated to read the Histori Lecture at Oxford where he decried Monarchy in his first Lecture was complained of and forgiven by the benignity of the King Then he became Judge Advocate in the Kings Army in his expedition against the Scots afterwards he had the like imployment under the Earle of Essex and lastly under Sir Tho Fairfax a great Gainer by his employments but withall a great Antimonarchist a Saint in Cromwells Rubrick therefore had a magnetique virtue both living and dead to draw money to him in abundance Upon occasion of this Debate Haslerigge moved That 6 Gentlemen of the best quality Royalists might be put to Death as a revenge for Dorislaus and to deterre men from the like attempts hereafter That you may the better see of what Spirit Haslerigge is knowne That some Northerne Counties having petitioned the Commons for reliefe against the miserable famine raging there Haslerigge opposed their request saying That want of food would best defend these Counties from Scotish Invasions What man that had any sense of Christianity Courage Honesty or Justice would have been the Authour of so barbarous and unjust a motion That 6. Gentlemen no way conscious nor privie to the fact should be offered up a sacrifice to revenge malice nay to guilty feares and base cowardize to keep off the like attempts from Haslerigge and his Party I wish this Gentleman would read the Alchoran or new Independent Bible of the new Translation and from thence gather precepts of more Humanity Justice Honesty and Courage since he hath Read the Old New Testament of Moses and Christ to so little purpose Yet the House 18. May passed a Declaration That if more Acts of the like nature happened hereafter it should be retaliated upon such Gentlemen of the Kings Party as had not yet Compounded But this is but a devise to fright them to Compound unlesse it be a forerunner to a Massacre heretofore taken into consideration at a Councell of Warre See § 161. An Act declaring more nevv Treasons About this time came forth that prodigious Act declaring 4. new Treasons with many cōplicated Treasons in their bellies the like never heard of before in our Law nor in any Kingdome or Republike of Christendō Because I have formerly spokē of it the Act it self printed publisht dreadfully notorious throughout the whole Kingdō I wil refer you to the printed Copie only one clause formerly debated was omitted in the Act viz. That to kill the Generall Lieu. Gen any Members of this present Parl or Councel of State to be declared Treason this would have discovered their guilty cowardize so much they were ashamed of it besides it was thought fit to make the People take a new Oath of Allegiance to the new State First I wil only give you some few Observations thereupon This Act declares to be Treason unto death and confiscation of Lands all Deeds Plots Words 1. Against this present fagge end of a Parliament against their never-before heard-of Supreme Authority and Government for when was this Kingdome ever governed by a Parliament or by any power constituted by them 2. All endeavours to subvert the Keepers of the Liberties of England and Councell of State constituted and to be from time to time constituted by Authority of Parliament who are to be under the said Representatives in Parliament if they please not otherwise for the Sword and the Purse is trusted in the power of the Councell of State yet the Keepers of the Liberties of England and the Councell of State of England to be hereafter constituted by Parliament are Individua vaga ayrie notions not yet named nor known when they are known we owe them no Allegiance without which no Treason by the
gift of them to his Journy-men of the House The Generalls Warrant seized and Imprisoned them and notwithstandinge the Councell of Officers declared in print that they were preparing a Charge against them yet the Knaves lied like Saints they were then so farre from having matter to accuse them of that they have ever since hunted after a Charge against them and endevoured to suborne Witnesses but after 24 Weeks restraint whereas by the Law no Man ought to be comitted without an accusation they have found nothing against them This turning over of these Prisoners to their House of Commons proves what I formerly asserted § 24. That the violence of the Army in securing and secluding the Members was by consent of their Somerset house Iunto now sitting in the House of Commons 163. The Generall sends forth Warrants to all Iustices of the Peace to attach those Levellers that he had routed The honest Leveliers most of them Country-men endeavouring to draw to a Randezvouz about 600. or 700. of them marched from Banbury to Burford in Oxford-shire where lying securely because they were upon Treaty with the Enemy their Quarters were beaten up and about 180 of them taken Prisoners which their Enemies according to their usuall custome to gaine reputation by lying reported to be so many Hundreds And the Generall as if they had been all routed sent forth his Warrants to all Justices of the Peace in the adjacent Counties requiring them to apprehend and secure all such of them as shall be found I desire to know by what Authority the Generall takes upon him to command Justices of the Peace who are not under his Power and what tame Animals these Justices are that will submit to his commands and whether he thinks the Civil Magistrate to be obnoxious to the Power of the Sword the Councell of Officers See the Vote and Act for abolishing the Kingly office 164. and his single selfe the Supreme Magistrate or Tyrant Paramount notwithstanding the Vote of his Journey-men Commons That no single Man should be trusted with the Supreme Power The Levellers having possessed themselves of Northampton the Generall it is said thought fit to take hold of the Hornes of the Altar The Generall sends to the City for additionall Forces and wrote to his Vassals of the City to send their Trained Bands to his reliefe that he might the better domineer over them and continue their slavery hereafter But if the Citizens have no more wit I wish their Hornes may be as visible in their foreheads as the Nose in Olivers face To cozen the honest Levellers 165. The Commons colourably debate to dissolve this Parl and settle a succeeding Representative the Commons in order to the ending this present Parliament are debating how to pack a succeeding Representative as wicked as themselves and of the same leaven whose Election shall not be free but bounded with such Orders of limitation and restriction as shall shut out all men from electing or being elected as are not precisely of the same principles and practises and as deep engaged in their tyrannicall trayterous cheating bloody designes as themselves guilty Committee-men and Accountants to the State shall be the next Representative and for the better lengthening of the businesse that they may see what successe in the meane time the Levellers will have they wire-draw it through a Committee and referre it to be debated by a Committee of the whole House And at last if they must dissolve having packed themselves into a Councell of State they will usurp the Supreme Authority there to prepare the way to which designe they have passed another Act May 19. That the People shall be Governed as a Free state by Representatives and by such as they shall constitute and then consider what kind of Representatives we are likely to have Great care is taken that the State or rather our States-mens private pockets might not be prejudiced by Iudgements 166. A Debate how to defeat Iudgments Extents c. upon Delinquents Lands sect Extents c. lying upon Delinquents Estates you see notwithstanding their declaratory Vote That in things concerning the Lives Liberties and Properties of the People they would maintaine the known Lawes of the Land yet this Vote as well as all others hath a condition implied that it doe no waies hinder the Gaines of our godly Grandees otherwise they would not consider how to defeat Creditors of their legall assurances Iohn Lilburne being ordered a close Prisoner in the Tower by the Commons without Pen Inke or Paper 167. Iohn Lilburnes starving imprisonment in the Tower which was tyranny under King Charles but not under K. Oliver a Petition was presented to the Commons by many wel-affected that Iohn might have the allowance usually and legally due to Prisoners in the like case for his support The allowance is 4 l. a Weeke as I conceive which was rejected insomuch that Iohn was kept 3 whole daies with one halfe meales meat this is to condemne men unheard to be murdered by famine in their private slaughter-houses when they cannot or dare not murder them in their pretended Courts of Iudicature or publique shambles yet afterwards when the drawing together of the Levellers and discontents of New-castle affrighted the Commons they voted him the short allowance of 20 s. a Week Thus you see nothing but feares and dangers can kindle the least spark of goodnesse and compassion in their woolvish breasts wherefore Lord I beseech thee heap feares and terrors upon their guilty pates till with Iudas Iscariot they crie out We have sinned in that we have betrayed innocent bloud 168. Why Ireton layd down his Commission Cromwell being to march against the Levellers left Ireton behind him like a hobby daring of larks to over-awe the Conventicle at Westminster and see they chaunt no tune but of their setting the better to keep himself in a neutrall reconciling posture Ireton layd downe his Commission which he can take up againe at pleasure whereby he puts off all addresses to him from the levelling party for the present This poore Fellow now keepeth his golden Coach which cost 200 l. and 4. gallant Horses The world is well altered with such petty Companions and hereby the Souldiers may see what becomes of their Arreares There hath been a seeming falling out between Cromwell and Ireton 169. Hugh Peters visits I. Lilburne in the Tower and the sum of their Conference Iohn Lilburne being a close Prisoner in the Tower as hath been said Hugh Peters Chaplaine in Ordinary to two great Potentates Lucifer and Oliver came about dinner time May 25. 1649. to visit him and though admittance be denied to other men yet to him the Gates slew open as sure as Saint Peter keeps the keyes of Heaven Hugh Peters keeps the keyes of our Hell and out Grandees Consciences and openeth and shutteth at pleasure he is Confessor to Tyburne and hath a great power over
damned Spirits or rather over such Spirits as not submitting basely to the tyranny of our State-Mountebanks Witnesse his tampering with Hamilton c. incurre their condemnation in this world by Gods permission in order to their salvation in the next world the tyranny of these Usurpers implying at once their cruelties over our bodies and Gods mercy to our soules Hughs first salute was That he came meerly to give John a visite without any designe his guilty Conscience prompting him to a voluntary Apology Iohn answered I know you well enough you are one of the setting Dogs of the great Men of the Army with faire and plausible pretences to insinuate into Men when they have done them wrong and to worke out their designes when they are in a strait and cover over the blots that they have made Then Iohn complained of the †Compare this Act of the Kings With the violent act of those Traytors and Tyrants Fiarfax his Councell of Warre in imprisoning and secluding above 200. Members at once without cause shewne leaving only 40. or 50. of their cheating Faction in the House to carry on their bloody Anarchicall designes some of which secured Members with barbarous usage were almost brought to death and their murder since attempted by Soldiers illegall and violent seizing upon him by Souldiers and carrying him before that new erected thing called A Councell of State who committed him without any Accusor accusation Prosecutor or Witnesse or any due processe of Law and yet when the King impeached the 5 Members and preferred a Charge of High Treason against them Recorded 1. part Booke of Decl. p. 35. and onely failed in a single punctilio of due processe of Law they cryed out it was an invasion of the Peoples Liberties so that foure or five Recantations from Him Recorded in their owne Declarations would not serve His turne Peters halfe out of countenance if so prostituted a Villaine that practises impudence amongst common Whores and whose Pulpit is more shamefull than another mans Pillory can be out of countenance takes up one of Coke's Institutions and professed Lilburne was meerly gulled in reading or trusting to those Books for there were no Lawes in England Iohn answered he did believe him for that bis great Masters Cromwell Fairfax c. had destroyed them all Nay quoth Hugb there never was any in England with that Iohn shewed him the Petition of Right asking him whether that were a Law which Peters had the impudence to deny asking what Law was Iohn replied * The Law is now taken away and all things in confusion by turning our Monarchy without our consent into a Free-State of Slaves govened by Tyrants out of the Parliaments owne Declarations Tbe Law is that which puts a difference betwixt good and evill just and unjust If you take away the Law all things will fall into confusion every man will become a law unto himselfe which in the depraved condition of humane nature must needs produce great enormities lust will become a law envie a law Covetousnesse and ambition will become lawes and what dictates what decisions such lawes will produce may easily be discerned Tbis Master Peters is a Definition of Law by the Parliament in the daies of their primitive purity before they had corrupted themselves with the Common-wealths money And elsewhere the Law is called The safeguard the custody of all private Interests your honors lives liberties and estates are all in the keeping of the Law without this every man hath a like Right to any thing It is the best birth-right the Subject hath it is a miserable servitude or bondage where the Law is uncertaine or unknowne To this the Comick Priest replied I tell you for all this there is no Law in this Nation but the Sword â—nd what it gives This doctrine of Devils that it is lawfull to submit to any present power that is strongest is broached in a Pamphlet by old Rowse the illiterate Iew of Eaton-Colledge And by Iohn Goodwin the sophistical Divine which is fully confuted in A Religious Demurrer concerning submission to the present power an excellent piece neither was there any Law or Government in the world but what the Sword gave To this the honest Lieutenant Colonel answered Master Peters You are one of the Guides of the Army used by the chief Leaders to trumpet their Principles and Tenents and if your reasoning be good then if six Theeves meet three or foure honest men and rob them that act is righteous because they are the stronger Party And if any power he a just power that is uppermost I wonder how the Army and Parliament can acquit themselves of being Rebels and Traytors before God and Man in resisting and fighting against a just power in the KING who was a power up and visible fenced about with abundance of Lawes so reputed in the common acceptation of all Men by the expresse letter of which all those that fought against Him are ipso facto Traytors And if it were not for preservation of our Lawes and Liberties why did the Parliament fight against Him a present power in being and if there be now no Lawes in England nor never was then you and your great Masters Cromwell Fairfax and the Parliament are a pack of Bloody Rogues and Villaines to set the People to murder one another in fighting for preservation of their Lawes in which their Liberties were included which was the principall declared Cause of the Warre from the beginning to the end I thought quoth the Lieutenant Colonel I had been safe when I made the knowne Lawes the rules of my Actions which you have all sworne and declared to Defend and make as the standard and Touchstone between you and the People * The Lawes are now no protection to us nor the rule of our actions but the arbitrary wills and lusts of the Grandees I but replied Hugh I will shew that your safety lies not therein their minds may change and then where are you I but quoth the Lieutenant Colonel I cannot take notice of what is in their minds to obey that but the constant Dâ—claration of their minds never contradicted in any of their Declarations as That they will maintaine the Petition of Right and Lawes of the Land c. This was the substance of their discourse saving that Iohn pinched upon his great Masters large fingering of the Common-wealths Money calling it Theft and State-Robbery and saying That Cromwell and Ireton pissed both in one quill though they seem sometime to go one against another yet it is but that they may the more easily carry on their main design To enslave the People Reader I was the more willing to present the summe of this Debate to thee that by comparing their doctrine and principles with their dayly practises thou mayest perfectly see to what condition of slavery these beggarly upstart Tyrants and Traytors have reduced us by cheating us into a
see the Saints can find Money to give Gifts though not to pay Debts although the Publique Faith lie at pawne for them A Committee is appointed to consider how to preferre Mr. Tho Goodwin and Mr. Owen to be Heads of Colledges in Oxford as a Reward for asserting the late proceedings of Parliament upon the aforesaid Thanksgiving-day It is not fit such men should serve God for nothing in the times of S. Peter and S. Paul Godlinesse was great Gaine but in the daies of our moderne Saints Gaine is great Godlinesse The thing that miscalls it selfe a Parliament 180. The Excise enlarged upon Salt hath set an Excise of Id. the Gallon upon all forraigne Salt imported which is in effect upon all the Salt we use our home-made Salt being inconsiderable you see our Cups our Spits our powdring Tubs our washing Bowles our Kettles our Hats Dublets Breeches Stockings Shoos nothing we use eate drink or weare is free from being devoured by these sanctified Locusts of the Free-State who complained of the King for that petty inconsiderable Tax of Ship-money which His Majesty spent in maintaining Guards of Ships upon our Seas so much to the Honour of our Nation that the King of Spaine trusted all those vast summes of Bullion he sent to the Low Countries to be Coyned in our Mint and above a third part yearly to be layd out here in English Cloth and Commodities which with the residue of the Spanish Treasure was afterwards wafted over into Flaunders in English Bottomes for which they were liberally payed whereby every mans Estate was increased 10 l. in the hundred England infinitely abounded with Coyne and Plate as appeares by those many vast summes that have been constantly extorted from the People since the beginning of these Warres more I dare say than all our Kings since the Conquest excluding William the Conquerour and Henry the Eighth euer raised upon the People and by those many vast summes our seeming Saints have sent into Banks beyond Sea and buried in their private Coffers Reader let me admonish thee 181. A Vindication of the Levellers in some things and a farther designe to garble and enslave the Army That the Levellers for so they are mis-called onely for endeavouring to Levell the exorbitant usurpations of the Councell of Officers and Councel of State are much abused by some Books lately printed and published in their names much differing from their declared Principles Tenets and Practices but forged in Cromwells and Iretons shops to cast an odium upon them These State-wolves by such forgeries endeavour to make the Sheep forsake and betray the Dogs that faithfully guard them that they may with more security fleece them slay them and eate them hereafter Ireton Haslerig and Postmaster-Attorney Prideaux by themselves and their Bloud-hounds Spies and Intelligencers have been very diligent to draw dry-foot aftet M. Lilborne Walwine c. and suborne witnesses against them but not having yet quite extinguished all sparks of truth and honesty unlesse it be in their owne breasts failed of their purposes Yet they goe on to purge the Army as they have done the Parliament and Conventicle of State of all free-borne humours in order to their destruction that the Army may consist of meere mercenary bruitish spirits such as will so far neglect the duties of men and Christians as to execute all their tyrannous bloudy illegall Commands with a blind obedience and implicite faith without asking a question for Conscience sake the better to enslave both the Kingdome and Common-Souldiers In farther prosecution of this Designe they have projected to levy seven new Regiments which by way of Gullery they call Presbyterian Regiments and shall be raised by Presbyterian Commanders but those Commanders shall onely be imployed to countenance the work for a time and then for pretended offences be purged out of the Army if not out of this world by the Councel of Officers and more confiding men put in their roomes and then shall these new Officers and Regiments be used as Catch-poles and Hang-men contrary to the honour of Souldiers to persecute and execute such Members of the Army as retaine any sense or memory of their old Engagements and Principles * 182. The pretended Parliaments Councell of state and officers confederated with O-Neale See An After-game at Irish c. 1649. and the Propositions printed at Cork and reprinted at London From Iune 6. 1649. Iune 8. 1649. I formerly told you of an underhand combination between the domineering Independent party here and Owen Roe Oneale which is now openly declared and avowed by their owne licenced News-books Owen Roe and Colonel Monke are joyned saith the Modest Narrative our Party have permitted 300. of Oneals own Regiment to Quarter in our parts amongst the Creats within two miles of Dundalke saith the Scout Owen Roe and Berne are come towards Col. Iones Moderate Intelligencer from Iune 7. to 14. 1649. num 221. and Col. Monks Quarters he is so faire as to pay Contribution his Quarters are to the Scots side of Dublyn to preuent their giving ayde to Ormond in his attempt upon Dublyn who can blame necessity nor doe our Grandees now deny this Confederacy with the bloudy Popish massacring Rebels although they had the impudence to make the only supposition thereof one of the principall Charges against the late King and to raise a great out-crie against the Marquesse of Ormond and Lord Inchiquine for their conjunction with Preston yet they joyned but to prevent the Cromwelists who offered to associtate with him upon conditions much more prejuditiall to the Protestant Religion and English Interests han Ormond hath given them They have offered this Oneale all the Lands in Vlster forfeited by his Grandfather Tyrone Shane Oneale and others attainted thereby destroying the British Planters there and this is the reason they imploy so few old Irish Commanders into those parts lest the Oneals should doubt they came to recover their owne Lands againe But our Atheisticall Saints account themselves loose when other men are bound nothing but a Halter can hold them all obligations to men See the Councell of Warres Answer concerning the secured and secluded Members from 6. Iune to 13. num 3. all duties and Vowes to God they break upon pretended necessity and honest intentions Their Metropolitan Nuntio Iudas Haclet tells you Their Party will not joyne with the bloudy Irish untill they are brought to such a pinch as to say Flectere si nequeo superos Acheronta movebo If God will not be Authour and Patron of their Designes the Devil shall you see these Independents hang between God and the Devill Michael and the Dragon not resolved which part to take Be it known unto all men by these presencs 183. Parker the Observator that Harry Parker the Observator is returned from Hamborough and highly preferred to be Brewers Clerke alias Secretary to Cromwell to whose Designes he hath prostituted his pen. There is lately
come forth a Booke of Iohn Meltons a Libertine that thinketh his Wife a Manacle 184. Meltons Booke The tenure of Kings and Magistrates c. and his very Garters to be Shackles and Fetters to him one that after the Independent fashion will be tied by no obligation to God or Man wherein he undertaketh to prove That it is lawfull for any that have power to call to account Depose and put to Death wicked Kings and Tyrants after due conviction if the ordinary Magistrate neglect it I hope then it is lawful to put to death wicked Cromwells Councels of State corrupt Factions in Parliament for I know no prerogative that usurpation can bestow upon them He likewise asserteth That those who of late so much blame Deposing are the men that did it themselves meaning the Presbyterians I shall invite some man of more leisure and abilities than my selfe to Answer these two Paradoxes But shall first give him these cautions 1. That for the Polemick part he turne all his Arguments into Syllogismes and then he will find them to be all Fallacies the froth of wit and fancy not the Dictates of true and solid Reason 2. That for the Historicall or narative part he would throughly examine them and he will find few of them consonant to the plumbline of truth 3. That he would consider that from the beginning of this Parliament there were three Parties or Factions in it 1. The Royalists 2. The Presbyterians 3. The Independents For though they were not then notorious by that name yet the Persons confederated were then extant and active being a complication of all Antimonarchicall Anarchicall heresies and schismes Anabaptists Brownists Barrowists Adamites Familists Libertines of all sorts the true Heyres and Successors of Iohn of Leyden and Knipperdalling in all their principles and practises united under the generall Title of Independent and these were originally the men that by their close insinuations solicitations and actings began and carried on the Warre against the KING with an intent from the beginning to pull down Monarchy and set up Anarchy See the Mystery of the 2. Iunto's Presbyterian and Independent notwithstanding the many Declarations Remonstrances abortive Treaties Protestations and Covenants to the contrary which were Obligations from time to time extorted from them by the Presbyterians although not strong enough to hold such subtile Sampsons whose strengths to break such Wythes lay not in their Bushes of Hair but in the Ambushes of their Hearts wherein there alwaies lay hid some evasion equivocation or mentall reservation which like a back-dore gave them leave to make an escape In the beginning almost of this Parl. the Independents that is the Schismaticks in the Parliament insisted openly upon it to have the Papists in Ireland rooted out and their Lands sold to Adventurers and passing an Act to that purpose necéssitated the Irish Papists to massacre the English Protestants which was purposely done by the Independents that both Papists and Protestants might destroy one another there that they might the better subvert Protestancy in England which is now in hand And though it be true that the first Generall the Earle of Essex was a Presbyterian yet he was acted by Independents as the L. Say and others of the like stamp and had a clause in his Commission to forbeare the KING'S Person which clause upon the Independents new Modelling the Army under Fairfax was omitted at their especiall instance Monday 18. Iune 185. L. C. Lilburnes Booke The Legall fundamentall Liberties of the People c. 1649. came forth that most usefull Booke of Iohn Lilburnes called The Legall fundamentall Liberties of the People of England Revived c. wherein he excellently well sets forth the new usurped tyranny of that Hydra of Nimrods now subverting our Lawes Liberties and Property consuming us with illegall Taxes Excise Free quarter Monopolies and sharing Land Money Goods and Offices amongst themselves perpetuating an Army to enslave us and overthrow the fundamentall Government of this Nation in order to which they have complyed with and cheated all Interests broken all their Obligations to God and Man violated all the Lawes of this Land their owne Protestations Covenants the Oathes of Allegiance Supremacy which themselves caused the People to take and their owne Votes Declarations c. The illegality of their late erected High Court of Iustice and their unjust proceedings therein the tyranny and usurpation of the Councell of State and Officers of the Army And proveth that Col Prides new purged new packed House is neither a House of Commons nor Parliament their usurped Supreme Authority to be a meer nullity or fiction and especially That this Parlioment is cleerly dissolved and ended which he proveth by the Death of the King and by many other solid Arguments and therefore all their Actings to be void and null with many other considerable passages where he ingeniously confesseth that being the Kings Prisoner at Oxford with many other of the Parliament Party the King did strictly observe the Lawes of the Land in His proceedings against them which this Parliament doth not doe in any their most legall proceedings for all their pretended Engagements Declarations Votes Protestations and Covenants to maintaine and defend the Lawes and Liberties of the People Ergo the King really the Faction in Parliament but pretendedly fought for our Lawes and Liberties The Faction are now contriving to seize all the Tythes of the Kingdome into their owne hands 186. Tythes to be Sequestred for the State yet they are the Ministers Free-hold and to make all the Ministers their stipendary Lecturers that they may preach and teach onely such Doctrine to the people as may bring them under a blind and slavish obedience to our forty Tyrants of the new Councell of State presuming that all our Ministers carry their Consciences in their purses because the Independents doe so Looke to your waies Christian Brethren you are likely hereafter to have Oracles of State obtruded upon you instead of the Oracles of God If the Ministers will not parret forth the new States Do trine to you they shall be starved out of their Pulpits 187. An Adjournment of this pretended Parliament considered of The thing called a Parliament is now likely to have so generall a purge as will leave neither life nor soule dung nor guts in the belly of it K. Oliver unwilling to go for Ireland and leave them sitting who may unvote all he hath compelled them to vote hath commanded his Iourney-men to think of an Adjournment for some good time that they may take the ayre and grow wholsome againe and then without some dire mischance they never meet more but this Supreme thing hath learned to use so much modesty to their Superiors as to referre it to the Hogens Mogens or Councell of State to consider what Votes and Acts they shall passe beforehand for establishing their Highnesses in their new Dominion And when out of their usurped
Oneale and his bloudy massacring Irish Papists against the Protestant Religion which was part of the designe of the schismatical Party in Parliament in waging war against the King from the beginning See § 184. the Marginall Notes there This impious Liberty of Conscience to destroy the Protestant Religion is all the liberty we are like to enjoy under the kingdome of these bloudy cheating Saints in all things else we are meer and absolute Slaves 10. That an Act for a Generall Pardon be passed to all Persons except such as are particularly named therein and declaring no Pardon to any that shall for the future raise Warre in this Nation against the present Authority thereof This is a project 1. To pardon themselves and their Party for their transcendent villinies and to stop the mouthes of the Countrey from complaining of them after their Adjournment and this shall be effectually done 2. To befoole silly weak spirited People with general words of a Pardon which shall be made ineffectuall by many exceptions and limitations 3. This is principally intended to fright men from attempting any thing against the usurped Supremacy and Tyranny of the Councell of State and therefore all Pardons to such Attemptors are before-hand declared against This with them as a sinne against the Holy Ghost unpardonable to deny their Supreme arbitrary Authority 11. That the Act for reliefe of poore Prisoners for Debt may be passed Though I can with as much Charity as any Man wish a reliefe to them yet I like not that Charity should be made a cloak to ambitious Knavery and all the Creditors of the Kingdome be made liable to the vexation of a covetous Committee who under colour of Charity shall raise up all the indebted Men of the Kingdom against all the monied Men if they will not sacrifice their purses to the Ech-Gods of the new State and be bountifull to the Committee which is the full scope of this Proposition 12. That the Souldiers may be secured their Arreares out of the late Kings Lands This is to tie all the Souldiery by the purse-strings which is Saints Tenure to make good that horrid trayterous Murther 13. That an Act be passed for Probate of Wills Granting Administrations and Investing of Ministers presented These lunatique Saints should have thought upon a new way to be set up before they throw downe the old one and not have left men in an uncertainty how to dispose of their Estates and a Iustititum a vacancy of Iustice upon the Kingdom you see what Mountebanks our new State-Iuglers are The good Boyes began to learne these Lessons upon Monday 25. Iune 190. Things undertaken by the Councell of State during the Recesse The Councell of State likewise reported to their said Free-Shoole of Commons severall things which they in order to their future greatnesse would put into a way during the Recesse against the Houses next meeting when two Sundaies come together 1. That Commissioners be appointed in every County to make an estimate of all Tythes to the end they may be taken away for the future and some other provision designed for Ministers This is a Whip and a Bell to lash Ministers to Preach State-Divinity 2. That the Councell of State consider of setling future Parliaments and the constant time of their calling sitting and ending after this Parliament shall thinke fit to dissolve themselves If they are not dissolved already which is the constant opinion of many great learned Lawyers wel-affected to the Parl. they will never be dissolved without the help of a Hangman But I would gladly know by what Authority a Pack of forty Knaves calling themselves a Councell of State and usurping Regall power shall take upon them to abolish our antient forme of Parliaments contrary to the fundamentall Lawes of the Land their own Declarations Protestations and Covenants and to pack and shuffle new Parliaments to dispose of our Religion Lawes Liberties Lives and Estates against the consent of the farre major part of the people 3. That they shall consider of an Act for regulating Proceedings in Law and prevent tediousnesse of Suites There are too many Lawyers in the Councell of State to doe any thing effectuall that way but it may be they will consider how to make the Lawes of the Land more sutable to an Olygarchicall tyranny and lesse agreeing with Monarchy 4. That they will consider what Lawes are fit to be repealed That is all Lawes enjoyning uniformity in Gods Worship all Monarchicall Lawes and all Lawes allowing more civill Liberty and Priviledges to the People and to severall Degrees of men than squares with the Designes of our new upstart State So many men have been cheated with Publique Faith 191. Deane and Chapters Lands purchased by the Godly Irish Adventures and Bishops Lands that the Market is spoyled for sale of Deane and Chapters Lands wherefore the Saints being the onely monied men left in the Kingdome have now agreed to buy them themselves considering that since they hold their Heads and all that they have in Capite of their Lords Paramount the Councell of Officers they may as well buy dog-cheap and hold Bishops Lands by the same Tenure For which purpose they have their Broakers abroad to buy in Souldiers and Officers Debentures for Arreares at 5 s. and 6 s. in the pound though they are allowed the whole summs of the Debentures in the Purchase which doubling in ready money they purchase upon such easie particulars as brings it downe from ten yeares purchase to two or three years purchase They are not seen in the businesse themselves but buy them in other mens names and to the secret use of their Wives and Children The Lord Munson Humphry Edwards and Sir Greg Norton who hath sold his owne Land to purchase now upon this Title and many other Saints have lately trod this obscure path 192. Souldiers insolencies remedilesse Great complaints are made by the Countrey of the Souldiers insolency amongst many other things in putting their Horses into mowing Grasse The Generall hath ordered the next Officer in chief to cause double damages to be given by the Soldier and if the said Officer neglect he is to answer it at a Councell of Warre at the Head Quarters This remedy is worse than the disease and as meer a gullery as the Act for taking off Free-quarter The chief Officer will laugh at the Complainant the Head Quarters are farre off and the Councell of Warre will tyre him with delaies and expose him to more injuries of the angry Souldiers The Officers will not nor dare not keep a strict discipline 193. The Earle of Denbigh and Henry Martin referred to Committees The Earl of Denbigh referred to the Committee of the Revenue to consider the Arreares of his Ambassie in Italy and of his 1000 Marks per ann pension bestowed upon him by the late King If his deserts had been better his Reward had been worse and worse paid Also Henry Martius
Minstred to me and doe renounce all Pardons and Dispensations to the contrary 11. To dispence with our Protestation and Covenant so Zealously enjoyned by both Houses on all sorts of People 12. To dispose of the Forts Ships Forces Offices and places of Honour Power Trust or Profit to whom they please to their own Party 13. To Displace and Remove whom they please from their Offices Trusts Pensions Callings and Franchises at their pleasures without any Legall cause or Tryall 14. To make what New Acts Lawes and Reverse what Old ones they think meet to ensnare and inthrall our Consciences Estates Liberties and Lives 15. To create new monstrous Treasons never heard of before and to declare Reall Treasons against the King Kingdome and Parliament to be no Treasons and Loyalty Allegeance due obedience to our known Lawes and a Conscientious observing our Oathes of Allegance and Supremacy and the Covenant to be no lesse then High Treason for which they may take away our Lives and confiscate our Estates to their new Exchequer Thereby at once repealing Magna Charta c. 29. 5 Edw 3. c. 6. 25 Edw. 3. c. 4. 28 Edw. 3. c. 3. 37 Edw. 3. c. 18. 42 Edw. 3. c. 3. 25. Edw. 3. c. 2. 11 Rich. 2. c. 4. 1 Hen. 4. c. 10. 2 Hen. 4. Rot. Parl. 11. n. 60. 1 Edw. 6. c. 12. 1. M. c. 1. The Petition of Right 3 Car. So much commended this Parliament and laying all our Lawes Liberties Estates and Lives waste after they have drawne so much Bloud and Treasure from us in defence of them 16. To raise and keep up what forces by Land and Sea they please and impose what Taxes they please and renew increase and perpetuate them to support their more then Regall or Parliamentary power 17. To pack and shuffle themselves into a Councell of Lords This 17. is added by the Abridger States Generall without any provinciall States 40. Hogens Mogens with Supream Regall and Arbitrary power in absence of Parliaments which are Abolished by these Usurpations as well as Monarchy 4. The principall ends proposed in the pretend Act for imposing this 90000 l. a moneths Tax oblige all men not to pay it viz. The keeping up this Army under the Lord Fairfax 1. Because this Army by Rebelling against their Masters the Parliament and waging Warre upon them and by conspiring with their owe party of the sitting Commons have occasioned all the Mischiefs last mentioned to the ruine of King Parliament and Kingdome Religion Lawes Liberty and Property and daily threaten an utter dissolution both in their Deeds and Words Both Officers and Souldiers Boasting That the whole Kingdome and all we have is theirs by Conquests Tbat we are but their Conquered Slaves and Vassals and they Lords of the Kingdome That our Lives are at their Mercy and Courtesie That when they have gotten all we have from us by Taxes and Free-quarter they will seize our Lands and turne Vs and our Families out of Dores That there is no Law in England but the Sword as Hugh Peters the Rebels Apostle saith The present power must be obeyed saith parasiticall Iohn Goodwin that is the power of the Sword still More hath been raised by Taxes these last eight years then in all the Kings Raignes since the Conquest and no account given 2. No Tax ought to be imposed but upon necessity for good of the People 25 Edw. 1. chap. 6 Cookes 2. Instit pag. 528. But the keeping up this Army is the Bane of the People 1. Because they are already exhausted with Warre Plunder Taxes Free-quarter c. 2. Because the Souldiers have decayed Trade and brought a Dearth upon the Land 3. This Tax of 90000 l. a Moneth destroyed Trade by Forestalling and Engrossing most of the Money now left in the Kingdome 4. There is no Enemy in the Kingdome visible nor no fear of any if we will believe our Grandees 5. When the King had two Armies in the Field and many Garrisons this whole Army consisted but of 22000. Men and had an Established pay but of 45000 l. a Moneth See Ordinances 15. Feb. 1644. and 6. Aprill 1646. Exact Collect. pag. 599. 876. But when the Army by confederacy with their Party in the House took the boldnesse to encrease their number without Order 60000 l. a Moneth was thought abundantly sufficient to pay the Army and take off Free-quarter and why this Tax should now be raised to 90000 l. a Moneth when sundry Regiments of it are Assigned for Ireland and yet Free-quarter continued is a mystery of Iniquity which fills the Saints Pockets with Money and all the World with Wonder 6. The Counties Militia so much contended for with the King would better defend the Kingdome from Forraign Invasions then a Mercinary Army Therefore there is neither necessity nor publique utility in keeping up this Army or raising Taxes to maintaine them or pay their pretended Arreares The Free-quarter they have taken in kind and leavyed in Money will treble their Arreeres and make them much indebted to the Country Thus farre and much farther Master Pryn whose whole Booke at large I commend to all mens serious perusall The Marquesse of Ormonds happy atchievements in Ireland beginning to look formidably 204. Cromwell sets sayle for Ireland had cooled the hcat of K. Olivers courage though not of his Liver insomuch that he and his intimate Friends began to project how without losse of reputation to take him off from so desperate an Engagement as at that time that seemed to be unnecessary delaies were used in Shipping his Men. Hasterigge and his Party reported great terrours from Scotland Oliver and his Bloud-hounds of the Faction made a shift to smell out a silly Plot in Dorset-shire for surprisall of Weymouth and Portland for the KING now laughed at and exploded by their owne New-books And the tender-conscienced Brethren were prompted to apprehend their owne dangers and put into a Petitioning posture That such a Worthy of Israel such a chosen Instrument of Gods mercy might not in a time of danger leave the Land of his Nativity the Habitation of the Saints to seeke foraigne adventures in a Heathen Land Whilst these preparations were making to withdraw Olivers stake he appeared not openly in them but making more shew of the Lyons skin than the Foxes had written to Col. Iones how heartlesse his Souldiers were and that unlesse Iones did by some successfull Sally lessen their terrour he should not be able to get them on Ship-board This was like the Monkey to rake Chesse-nuts out of the fire with the Catts foot to take a presage of his owne successe at Col. Iones hazard Iones makes an attempt with better luck than he expected though not with half so good successe as was reported Saturday 12. August when the newes first came to Towne the Lyon is not so terrible as he is painted it is a peculiar priviledge of the Saints to lie without sinne or at least without
imputation of sinne for the good Cause either in Re or in mode Rei in the matter or manner in the thing or the extent thereof yet this successe was enough to invite Cromwell over to pursue the Victory and partake of the spoyles if not to usurp the whole Honour of the Atchievement to himselfe by his accustomed speciall prerogative So upon the 16 or 17. of August K. Nol set sayle towards his new Principality carrying contrary to the custome of the Sea his Lanthorne in his Proawe not in his Poope where we will leave him for the present to his adventures 205. The Association between Oneale and C. Monke See the Paper at large I have formerly hinted to you the Agreement made between Colonel Monke in behalfe of the Parliament of England and Owen Roe Oneale the massacring Irish Rebell I have now occasion to speake more at large of it and examine the truth of a Paper called The true state of the Transactions of Col. George Monke with Owen Roe Oneale as it was reported to the Parliament by the Councell of State c. Printed by Edward Husbands 15. August 1649. The said Agreement made between the Antimonarchicall Independent Party in Ireland and the massacring Antimonarchicall Popish Party under Owen Roe Oneale being a meer conspiracy to root out Monarchy and Protestancy first in Ireland and then in England and a second crucifying of Christ in his members between two Thieves the Schismatique and the Papist was so generally abhorred by the English Souldiery that many there tooke occasion to forsake the English Parliament and many here disbanded rather than they would accompany Cromwell in so wicked an expedition Wherefore Cromwell writ Letters to his Creatures of the Councell of State by Monke himself complainig how much the miscarriage of that Agreement had retarded his said Voyage desiring them for satisfaction of the Souldiery and People to Treat with Monke to take the whole businesse upon himselfe and to cleer the Councell of State the Parliament and Cromwell himselfe from having any hand at all in it which upon Tearmes of safety and advantage he said he already found him inclinable to doe The better to carry on the scene this Agreement was with much heat of zeale complained of in the Apocryphall House of Commons by a Brother who had his cue beforehand and by the Iuncto was referred to the Councel of State as was forelaid where their High and Mightinesses after some private conference with Monke to accommodate the businesse voted their dislike of it Scot having studied the Politiques in a Brewers Tally is become a great Statesman in our new Babel See the said Paper The true state c. Bradshaw reprehending Monke in jest therefore And at last they Ordered That the whole businesse with Monks Reasons for his justification should be reported by Thomas Scot to the House of Commons which was accordingly done Upon Friday 10. August Monke was called in to the Barre where amongst other things the Speaker asked him What Persons he meant in his Letter to the L. Lieutenant of Ireland wherein he saith He made the Agreement with Oneale with the advice of some others Monke answered that he did it upon his owne score without advice of any other Person onely having discourse with Col. Iones Iones told him if he could keep Owen Roe and Ormond from joyning it would be a good service This Answer such as it is was taken for Satisfactory in so Comick an Interlude The next demand was Whether he had any advice or Directions from the Parliament Councell of State Lord Lieutenant of Ireland or any other Person here to do the same which he did expresly deny saying he did it upon his owne score Hereupon the House voted as followeth Resolved c. That this House doth utterly disapprove of the proceedings of Col. Monke in the Treaty and Cessation as they please to call it made between him and Owen Roe Oneale and that this House doth detest the thoughts of any closing with any Party of Popish Rebels there who have had their hands in shedding English blood Neverthelesse the House being satisfied that what the said Col. Monke did therein was in his apprehension necessary for the preservation of the Parliament of Englands Interest That the House is content the further consideration thereof as to him be laid aside and shall not at any time hereafter be called in question So exit Monke and the Play was done wherein take notice of these following Observations 1. The Armies Doctrine See the Answer of the Councel of Officers to the Parliaments Demand concerning their secured Members And their Answer thereto and use of apprehended necessity and good intentions to justifie evill actions approved of by this example of the Parliament as they will be called 2. This Agreement though it were at least twelve Weeks agoe publiquely knowne in England and divulged in their owne Licenced Newes-bookes was never scrupled untill now That 1. the said Agreement was expired 2. That Oneale was so beaten by the Lord Inchiquine that he is as their owne Newes-books say inconsiderable and must suddenly joyne with the Marquesse of Ormond or be destroyed 3. That these Votes call this * Let me not seem over-bold in maintaining a different opinion since Parliaments are no more infallible than Popes and all humane opinions are equall unlesse Reason make the difference I hope we have not lost our Reason with our Lawes and Liberties nor the exercise and use of it Agreement but a Treaty and Cessation of Armes which I affirme to be a League Defensive and Offensive against Ormond Inchiquine and all that doe and shall uphold Monarchy if not Protestancy too for these Reasons 1. Article second saith Tbat upon all occasions both Parties be ready with their Forces to assist one another untill a more absolute Agreement be made and condiscended unto by the Parliament of England This is beyond a Cessation 2. Article third saith That the Creaghts of Ulster residing within the Quarters of Col. Monke shall pay Contribution to Generall Owen Oneale This is a Concession of a great latitude farre beyond the authority of any subordinate Commander or Generall and against the Lawes and Liberties of the Land to grant Taxes It should seem by this that Oneale and his Army were become Mercenaries taken into pay by Monke 3. Article fourth saith That if Generall Owen Oneale shall happen to fight against the Forces under the Command of the Marquesse of Ormond the Lord Inchiquine or any other Enemies of the Parliament of England and thereby spend his Ammunition if he be neer unto my Quarters and be distressed for want of Ammunition I shall then furnish him This was actually performed when my Lord Inchiquine Besieged Dundalke I make the same interpretation of this Article that I have made of the third 4. The fifth Article alloweth to Oneale the use of any Harbours within Col. Monkes liberty which likewise is too much
the least disadvantage by it c. From whom had Monke this Assurance unlesse from those Men by whose Authority and Directions private or publique he presumed to Treat with that Enemy he was Commissioned to fight with and whose Names he doth conceale That it yeilding to Monks amendments would rather prove a meanes to beget an encrease of their the Parliaments good opinion of Owen Roe O Neale and his Party c. It should seem then the Parliament had entertained a good opinion of O Neale and his Party before hand for every thing must have a being before it can have an encrease of being In case you approve of them the amended Articles I desire you to send them to me Signed and Sealed by you that I may present them to the Parliament of England to obtain their favourable Answer in returne of them c. You see all Monke did was in reference to the Parliaments ratification and therefore reason tells us the Parliament was originally privie to the Treaty It is not likely Monke should Treat upon his owne head and abruptly send the result of the Treaty to be confirmed by the Parliament without any warning foregoing to prepare them 2. Observations upon the Propositions amended See the said Paper printed at Cork especially Monkes Letter O Neale sent his Letter and Propositions to Monke Dated 25. April 1649. Monke answered his Letter and corrected O Neales Propositions the day after being the 26. April And the last mentioned Propositions of Gen Owen O Neale the Lords Gentry and Commons of the Confederate Catholiques of Vlster c. as well as the first mentioned Articles for 3. Months Cessation c. beare Date 8. May. 1649. which I conceive to be the Date given them when they were ratified by the Parliament or Councell of State See the said Paper The true state of the Transactions c. Then followes A second Copie of Owen Roe Oneales Propositions as they were Corrected by Col. Monke Paper printed at Corke and sent to Oneale to be subscribed And then sent by Monke to the PARLIAMENT to be granted as followeth verbatim 1. INprimis That such as shall joyne with Generall O Neale in the Service of the Parliament of England in this Kingdome may have Liberty of Conscience for themselves and their Issue 2. The said Generall O Neale desireth an Act of Oblivion be passed to extend to all and every of his Party for all things done since the beginning of the Yeare 1641. 3. They desire that generall O Neale be provided for a competent Command in the Army befitting his worth place and quality 4. They desire that they may enjoy all those Lands that were in their possession at the beginning of this Warre for themselves and Heyres during their fidelity to the Interest of England 5. That all incapacity inhability distrust hitherto by Act of State or otherwise against the said Party be taken off 6. That on both sides all Iealousies hate and aversion be laid aside unity love and amity renewed and practised between both Parties 7. That Gen. O Neale may be restored and put in possession of his Ancestors Estate or some other Estate equivalent to it in regard of his merit and the good Service that he shall performe in the Parliament of Englands Service in the preservation of their Interest in this Kingdome 8. That the Army belonging to the Gen. O Neale and his Party be provided for in all poynts as the rest of the Army shall be 9. That the said Party be provided with and possessed of a convenient Sea-port in the Province of Vlster See the Date in The true state of Transactions c. It seems to be 8. May 1649. And I doe upon receiving a Confirmation of those Desires undertake and promise in the behalf of my selfe and the Whole Party under my Command faithfully and firmly to adhere to the Parliament of Englands Service in this Kingdome and to maintaine their Interest hereafter with the hazard of our Lives Estates against all Opposers whatsoever Given under my Hand and Seale In the said Paper printed at Corke is also contained A Letter from a Gentleman in Dundalke dated 20. May 1649. which take here verbatim that you may see what opinion Men there upon the place had of that businesse at Corke in Munster To my Worthy Friend SIR YOu may wonder my Obligations being so great towards you that my returnes of acknowledgment should be so seldome as they have been but you must know there is no defect in my desires to be at your eares often 't is onely the preservation of my Liberty and Safety in these parts that makes me forberare the frequency of such intercourses I am confident these Letters this Messenger and the inclosed Papers which I here send you containing a true Copie of the Propositions and Letters of Agreement between Owen Roe O Neale and Col. George Monke will be able to give you some accompt of the passages in these parts and will make you assured that I doe not forget the respects I owe unto you I must confesse to you that as you ever conceived I never could imagine that the Parliament proceedings would have advanced to so high a degree of rage and wickednesse as I see they are now come to and are resolved to act by but being amazed at the KING'S Murther and seeing the Gangrene doth so cruelly spread I will impart to you my resolution That I am resolved to get into your parts with the first conveniency and adhere to you there whose actions are more conducing to the preservation of our Religion Law and Common Interest than any where else that I can find But that this my so sudden resolution may not be conceived the fruit of some vaine feare miscarriage in my self or light desires to abandon my former principles I shall give you a right understanding of all the motions and passages of my soule since I was acquainted with this late Treaty between Col. Monke and Owen Roe O Neale that thereby you may judge of the ground of these my Designes and distasts and my resolutions taken thereupon And before I consider the particulars of the Treaty the thing it selfe is so odious unto me that if they could have made the best bragaine to be imagined for the English Safety the manner of it would have appeared to me very unsavory For although it cannot be denied that almost the whole Irish Party in regard of their Confederacies and Combinations have not been innocent in all particulars of that vast Ocean of English Blood that hath been shed yet it is most cleer that the Plotters and Contrivers of this Treason and the unnaturall and butcherly Executioners thereof are that Party principally which are now Headed by Owen O Neale for although many of the pale with others of Conaught Leinster and Munster entertained the Design when they saw it was so far spread and the English so much weakned in
best to his most holy will and it is therefore good holy just because he willeth it His Divine pleasure being the rule and standard of goodnesse holinesse justice Mistake me not I doe not meane his bare providence or permissive will which no man can take notice of and Traytors Tyrants Thieves and Reprobate Saints execute and boast of to their owne assured damnation Therefore Gods employing wicked Instruments can be no president for our Alchimy Saints to doe the like unlesse Cromwells * Councell of Officiers of State and Parliament three Iuntoes and faction will usurp Gods prerogative as they have done the Kings 5. The 15. August the Letter saith that Coote called a Councell of Warre who resolved It was better to accept of the assistance of those who proclaimed themselves Friends to us and the Interest we fight for c. Here you see O Neale's bloody Party those Parliament Champions united and friendly conspiring to uphold one Common Interest which can be nothing but the downfall of Monarchy and Protestancy 6. The 15. August the Letter further saith that we Coote and his Councell of Warre added to the Articles this wary Proviso not to use their assistance longer then the approbation of the State of England should go a long with us therein c. It should seem by this warinesse that for the time they had used their help which was ever since the 22. of May last the approbation of the said State as they call it hath gone along therewith And for the time they meane to use their assistance hereafter it is left indefinite no longer then the approbation of the State shall goe along with us therein which may happily be untill Domes-day notwithstanding the Order Dated the 24. August 1649. voting That their Vote of the 10. August in the Case of Col. Monke be communicated to Sir Ch Coote as the Resolution of the House c. For who knowes whether the Copies of that Vote may miscarry or be stayed by the way either accidentally or purposely 7. The 14. August the Letter saith See Monke's Letter of Answer to Oneale Dated 26. April 1649. from Dondalke contained in the last foregoing Section but one See the said Paper entituled The Propositions of Owen Roe O Neale sent to C. Monk c. printed at Corke 1649. O Neale was pleased to communicate to him certaine Proposalls which he saith were long since transmitted into England to the Parliament by C. Monke and though for his owne part and the prime Officers with him these are privie to the secret carriage of the businesse and therefore may well be satisfied with what is done already they do not doubt but the Proposalls are already yeilded to by the State yet in regard their Army and Party in all other parts of the Kingdome these are ignorant of the juggle and causes thereof cannot be satisfied therewith untill the Parliament be pleased to declare themselves more publiquely therein it should seem they have done it privately already for satisfaction of O Neale and his said prime Officers he hath therefore desired me humbly to intreat your Lordships to declare your Resolution therein with as much speed as may be Here you see O Neale and his prime Officers who know the juggle satisfied already with a private confirmation of the Articles But to satisfie the rest of his Army and Party to whom this mystery is not yet revealed a publique Declaration thereof is desired that they may Vnanimously and cheerfully endeavour the preservation of the Parliaments Interest The Articles of Agreement between O Neale and Coote conclude clearly a League or Warre Offensive and Defensive against the Enemies of both or either untill a more absolute Agreement be made and condiscended unto by the Parliament of England This more absolute Agreement is now in agitation and private Directions sent to Coote how to behave himselfe in the Transaction thereof See the 1. Vote die veneris 24. August 1649. See the Relation of the Transactions between Sir Charles Coote and Own Roe O Neale printed by Order 28. Aug. 1649. The Votes upon these Letters and Articles were two Upon part in the first Vote I have observed something already in the 6. branch of this Section viz. that their Votes of the 10. Aug. in Case of Col. Monke be communicated to Coote and a Direction for him how to behave himselfe in the Transaction between him and Own Roe O Neale this Transaction is called in the Articles ut supra a more absolute Agreement These Letters Articles and Votes being Apologetically published for satisfaction of the Souldiery and People it had been fit to have communicated the said Directions also to their Trustors and Soveraigne Lords the People that they might have seen faire play above board and not to have sent clandestine Directions to Coote in so suspitious a busines how to behave himself in the Transaction with O Neale which implies the said Transaction shal be continued and may be compleated the rather for that their second Vote saith The House is well satisfied of the diligence faithfulnesse and integrity of Sir Charles Coote in preserving the Garrison of London Derry now it was preserved by his said Conjunction with O Neale who raised the Siege About this time came forth a Booke called 208. The Levellors vindicated or The Case of the twelve Troops c. The Levellors vindicated or The Case of the 12. Troops which by Treachery in a Treaty were lately surprized at Burford Subscribed by Six Officers in the name of many more Wherein p. 2. they say That under colour of the Armies solemne Engagement at New-market and Triplo-heath Iune 5. 1647. and many other their Declarations Promises and Protestations in pursuance thereof which Engagement they affirme against their Preaching Coronet Denne was never retracted by any Generall Councell of the Army nor upon any Petition of the Souldiers nor their Agitators ever by them recalled or dismissed The whole fabrik of this Common-wealth is fallen into the grossest and vilest Tyranny that ever English-men groaned under all their Laws Rights Lives Liberties and Proporties wholly subdued to the boundlesse wills of some deceitfull Persons having devolved the whole Magistracy of England into their Martiall Domination c. Pag. 7. They say That the Souldiers Paper-Debentures are good for nothing but to sell to Parliament-men for 3. or 4. in the pound which they are forced to sell them for to keep them from starving because they will not pay one penny Arreares to such as they put out of the Army any other waies that so they may rob the Souldiers of their Seven yeares Servìce and make themselves and their Adherents Purchasers of the Kings Lands for little or nothing and for ought appeares the Money they buy these Debentures with is the Money the Nation can have no Account of That they have dealt as basely with other Soldiers who never resisted their Commands 1. They turned them off with
Councell of State 3. Parliament and left her in a Military posture with a Sword to strike but no scales to weigh withall Our licenced News-Books like Ill-Boading-Birds fore-told and fore-judged Morrice's death a Month before He died resolutely Observe the thing aimed at in this new forme of Endictment of High Treason for leavying warre against the King and Parliament is first that the word King may hold in the Edictment which otherwise would be found to have errour in it and though the word for Leavying Warre against the Parliament be a vaine surplusage signifying nothing yet at last by help of their owne Iudges new-made presidents to leavy warre against the Parliament shall stand alone be the onely Significator and take up the whole roome in the Edictment and thrust the word King out of dores and then Treason shall be as frequent as Malignancy is now Morrice had moved he might be Tryed like a Soldier by a Councell of Warre alleaging the inconvenience of such a president if the Kings Party should retaliate it which would not be granted yet Col. Bethel writ to the Generall and his Councell of Warre desiring he might be reprieved but Col. Pride opposed it urging That it would not stand with the justice of the Army you see now who is the fountaine of Iustice nor the safety of the Common-wealth to let such Enemies live the Parliament having adjudged him worthy of death without hearing and given instructions to the Iudges accordingly O serviceable Iudges so the Generall was overborne by this Dray-man This fellow sitteth frequently at the Sessions-house in the Old Bayly where the weight of his Slings turneth the scale of Iustice which way he pleaseth Col. Prides's Dray-horses 210. Capt. Plunkett and the Marquesse of Ormonds Brother voted to be Tryed the Commons in Parliament assembled not yet satisfied with Blood because they are out of danger of bleeding themselves have Voted that Capt. Plunkett and the Marquesse of of Ormond's Brother Prisoners in Ireland shall be brought to Tryall If the King's Party in imitation of their Cruelty shall put to death the Prisoners they have taken the Parliament will save their Arreares for their owne privy purse These two cases are examples of the greatest danger and the highest contempt of Souldiers that ever were set on foot in any Age or Nation 29. August 1649. came forth a Booke called 211. An Our crie of the young Men and Apprentises London concurring with those fasly called Levellors An outcrie of the young Men and Apprentises of London Or An Inquisition after the lost fundamentall Lawes and Liberties of England truly Pathetically setting forth the slavery misery danger of the Common Souldiery People of this Nation and the causes thereof well worth the reading About this time came forth an Act for sooth for the speedy raising and leavying money upon the Excite 212. Excise that is as the Act telleth you upon all and every Commodities Merchandizes Manufactures as well imported or exported as made or growing and put to sale or consumed c. That is to lay impositions upon all we eate drinke weare or use as well in private houses as victualling houses ware-houses cellars shops c. as well what the Souldier devoures in Free-quarter upon us as otherwise under unheard-of penalties both pecuniary and personall to be paid and leavied with rigor And to make every mans house lie open to be searched by every prowling Rascall as often as he or they please 213. Foraigne Plantations The Traytors Tyrants and Thieves the Commons in Colonel Prides Parliament assembled are now againe frighted into a consideration of Foraigne Plantations And passing Acts That they shall all be subject to the new Babel or State of England for which purpose they are very busie to undermine devide and subject the old and first Planters that if need be these reprobate Saints may come in upon their labors the better to accommodate themselves there In the Act for sale of the Kings Queens and Princes personall Estate they have given leave to their Agents the Commissioners to transport beyond sea that is to say to their owne Plantations under pretence of sale the rarest and choicest of the Kings Gods they heap up abundance of wealth by Excise Taxes Goldsmiths-hall Haberdashers-hall Sequestrations cousening the Souldiers c. That they may transport the whole wealth of the Land with them and leave England naked disarmed and oppressed with famine and disabled to pursue them for revenge or recovery of their losses 214. More Guifts to the Faction The said Commons are never wearied with exercising their bounty amongst their owne Faction out of the publique purse about 1300 l. to Col. Fielder to Scobell their Clerke heretofore a poore under-Clerke in the Chauncery who writ for 2d. a sheet besides an employment he hath already in the sale of publique Lands worth 1000 l. a yeare a Pension of 500 l. a yeare and a Noble Fee for every Copie of an Order taken forth toties quoties although most of their Orders containe not above three or four lines an extortion farre surmounting the Starre Chamber or Councell Table of which themselves so much complained the Diurnall tells you Numb 319. from Monday Sept. 3. to Monday Sept. 10. an Act was read for satisfying the sufferings of two Members who have been in the late Warre damnified many thousands these I conceive to be Sir Tho Iervys and Mr. Robert Wallope this satisfaction must be made out of the publique purse which must be filled by Taxes againe out of their private purses who have lost as well as they without satisfaction or hopes of satisfaction notwithstanding many Votes that all should be satisfied O Cromwell hath reduced the Officers in Col. Jones his Regiment and other Dublin Regiments 215. O Cromwell reduceth Iones own Regiment and other Regiments in Dublin Let Sir C. Coote and his Regiment in London-derry expect the like notwithstanding their valour fidelity shewne in raising the Siege of Dublin you see he will trust none but his owne immediate Creatures this Faction casts out all other men as Quicksilver spues out all other mettals Gold excepted so that by this and many other examples they may see that all their faithfull services and bloodshed are poured into the bottomlesse tub of oblivion as their Arreares are cast into the bottomlesse bagge of the Publique faith Sunday 9. Sept. 1649. 216. A violent irruption of the Parl Ianisaries upon the Protestants at Church in St. Peters Pauls-wharfe Sunday morne 9. Sept. 1649. At the Church of Saint Peters Pauls-wharfe Master Williams reading Morning Service out of the Booke of Common-prayer and having prayed for the KING as in that Liturgy established by Act of Parliament he is enjoyned Six Souldiers from Saint Pauls Church where they quarter came with Swords and Pistols cocked into the Church commanding him to come downe out of the Pulpit which Williams immediately did
went quietly with them into the Vestry when presently a party of Horse from Saint Pauls rode into the said Church with Swords drawne and Pistols spanned crying out Knock the Rogues on the Head shoot them kill them and presently shot at randome at the crowd of unarmed Men Women and Children shot an old Woman into the head wounded grievously above forty more whereof many are likely to die frighted Women with Child and rifled and plundred away their cloaks hats and other spoiles of the Aegyptians and carried away the Minister to White-hall Prisoner You see these Hereticks Schismaticks and Atheists that crie so loudly upon Liberty of Conscience for their owne Blasphemies will allow no Liberty of Conscience to Protestants notwithstanding their Doctrine and form of Service is antient allowed and commanded by known Lawes and approved of by all the Reformed Churches of Christendome This strongly argues a Designe in the three Kinghdomes to root out Protestancy as well as Monarchy carried on by a conjunction of Councels and Forces between that triumvirate of Rebells O Neale O Cromwell and as many wise men thinke Argyle who would not otherwise keep the Scots from complying with the KING upon modest and moderate termes such as shall leave him in the condition of a Governing King able to protect His People from injuries at home and abroad without which He is but magni nominis umbra the shadow and May-game of a King Observe This Mutiny was not begun by Levellors this provocation was put upon the City when an artificiall Mutiny was raised at Oxford and against the Great Horse-race appointed to be at Brackley the 11. September to draw both City and Country to joyne with the Mutineers and then the Souldiers should have made their peace by themselves and have left the rest to the mercy of the State to raise more money upon them for O Cromwells expedition in Ireland who hath writ for more recruits of Men and Money Those bloody Saints that accompanied O Cromwell into Ireland to make that Kingdome as miserable slavish as they have made this doe now poure forth the blood of their owne bowels in great abundance 217. O Cromwell's Men sick in Ireland Gods vengeance having visited most of them with the Bloody flux whereof many die But this is a secret that must not be knowne to the Ungodly and therefore O Cromwell and his Councell of Warre at Dublin have made an Order Declaring That if any Person residing within the Garrison of Dublin whether Inhabitants or Soldiers shall upon pretence of writing to their Freinds signifie the Transactions of the Army between O Neale and O Cromwell it may be or their Engagements with the Enemy so as to setforth their Successe or Losse untill first the Generall or Councell of Warre have signified falsified the same to his Parliament of England they shall incurre the breach of the Article against Spies and be accordingly punished with Death c. Here you see O Cromwell in the first Yeare nay in the first Month of his reigne sets up a military tyranny in Ireland to which all People as wel not Souldiers as Souldiers must submit their lives fortunes the writing of news to their Friends in England whereby their Lies Forgeries may chance to be cōtradicted shall be construed to be a Breach of the Article against Spies not because Reason Truth or the Customes of Warre calls it so but because the Sword puts this construction upon it Take notice Ireland that this is the first yeare of thy Bondage if they prevaile And take notice England that O Cromwell and his Councell and Party are resolved to Lie without controule if they prevaile not their Letters speake him to be 15000. strong before Tredah which hath Articled to yeild That the next he will vouchsafe is Dundalke and that Ormond flies from the face of this Josua and Lying Prophets are sent over to gull the People into a beliefe But the truth is he is not able to draw together above 4000. or 5000. men unlesse his Confederate O Neale joyne with him And Ormond hath wit enough to know that sickenesse and famine in that wasted Country are sufficient to deale with O Cromwell without his running the hazard of an engagement with such desperate forlorne Wretches 218. Vnreasonable Fees extorded by Birckhead by Dures of Imprisonment with the connivance of the Commons Col. Bromfield Hooker Cox and Baynes Citizens who the last yeare were committed upon suspition of High Treason to which every offence against this new Babel-state is now wrested notwithstanding the Stat. 25. Edw. 3. for limitation of Treasons as in an infectious season all diseases turne to the plague and were then discharged for want of matter to make good the charge are now againe imprisoned in the first yeare of Englands Liberty at the request of Birkhead Sergeant at Armes to the Commons untill they pay such unreasonable Fees as he pleases to exact from them This had been great Extortion and Tyranny in the KING's time when this Nation enjoyed so much freedome as to call a Spade a Spade an Extortioner an Extortioner a Tyrant a Tyrant And reason good for if such Fees be legally due Birkhead hath Legall meanes to recover them if not Legally due it is Extortion in him to demand them in so violent a way and Tyranny in his Masters the Commons to maintaine him in it Sir Henry Mildmay lately comming to the Tower 219. Sir Har. Mildmay's Politicke Observations Chaste Conversation and first initation at Court and perceiving the Countesse of Carlisles window had some prospect to Col. Lylbornes grates out of his parasitical diligence told the Lieutenant of the Tower That notwithstanding the distance was such as they could not communicate by speech yet they might signifie their intentions by signes upon their fingers to the prejudice of the tender infant State and accompanying this admonition with some grave and politick Nods hasted away to the Councell of State and being both out of breath and sense unloaded himself of his Observations there and was seconded by Tho Scot the Demolisher of old Palaces and Deflowrer of young Maydenheads before they are ripe who much aggravated the danger and applauded the Observator Sure Sir Henry hath not yet forgot the bawdy Language of the hand and fingers since he first in Court began to be Ambassadour of Love Procuror Pimp or Pandor to the Duke of Buckingham and laboured to betray the honour of a faire Lady his nearest Ally to his Lust had not she been as Virtuous as he is Vitious if it be possible for any Woman to be so and did actually betray others to him I can tell you that very lately Sir Harry pretending himselfe taken with the Wind-collick got an opportunity to insinuate himselfe into a Citizens house in Cheapside and tempted his Wife but had a shamefull repulse but more of this I will not speake lest his Wife beat
him and give an ill example to other Women to the prejudice of our other New States-men their New erected Sodomes and Spintries at the Mulbury-garden at Saint Jame's 220. Felons fetched out of New-gate to informe against Merchants for not paying Customes Master Gybs Master of a Ship having caused three Fellowes to be committed to New-gate upon Felony for Robbing him These Fellowes sent to Col. Harvey That if he would procure their Liberty they would discover to him severall Merchants who had lately stolne Customes Whereupon Harvey sends for those Rogues out of New-gate heares their Accusation approves it prosecutes the Merchants upon the Information of those Villaines discharges them of their Imprisonment by his own power and recommends them to Col. Deane to be employed in the Navie And one Master Lovell a Silk-man in Saint Lawrence-lane is committed to the Gate-house Prisoner because he refuseth to Sweare how many Bayles of Silke he hath come over if the First yeare of our Liberty make such presidents what Monsters will the Sixt and Seventh yeare produce All Princes begin with moderation the Elders gave good Counsell to Rehoboam Serve the People one day and they will serve thee for ever hereafter Nero had a commendable Quinquennium but our Novice Statists are Tyrants ab incunabilis Oppressors with shells upon their heads from the Nest before they are fledged what will they be hereafter 221. Sommer-hill given to Bradshaw A sop for Cerberus Sommer-hill a pleasant Seat worth 1000 l. a yeare belonging to the Earle of Saint Albans is given by the Iunto to their Bloud-hound Bradshaw so he hath warned the Countesse of Leicester who formerly had it in possession to raise a Debt of 3000 l. pretended due to her from the said Earle which she hath already raised fower-fold to quit the possession against our Lady-day next THE END An Exhortatory Conclusion to the English Nation TO conclude the series of Affaires and Action on both Parties especially of late rightly compared Compare the Date of the K. Commissions with those of the Parliament and their Declarations on both sides it appeareth by the sequell That KING CHARLES the First from the beginning took up Defensive Armes to maintaine Religion Lawes Liberties and the Antient fundamentall being of Parliaments and this Kingdome and that there alwaies was and now especially is a predominant Faction in Parliament notwithstanding their frequent Declarations Remonstrances Petitions Protestations Covenant and votes to the contrary conspiring with a Party especially of Commissioned Officers of the Army without the Houses to Change the Fundamentall Lawes and Government of the Church and Common-wealth to usurp into a few hands the Supreme Authority to enslave the People with an Oligarchicall Military and Arbitrary Government to raise what illegall Taxes they please to establish their tyranny and enrich themselves and their Party to oppresse consume and devoure all Men of a judgement contrary to their Interest to Murder them by new-declared arbitrary Treasons contrary to the Stat. 25. Edw. 3. for ascertaining Treasons to Disfranchise them of their Birth-rights and make them Adscriptios Glebae Villaines Regardante to their owne Lands which the Nobility Gentry and Yeomanry plough sowe and reap whilst Brewers Draymen Coblers eate drinke and play upon the sweat of their labours and are the Usufructuaries of their Estates All which they have lately brought to passe wherefore let all true English-men as becomes good Christians good Patriots and gallant Men claime their Birth-rights and with one voice crie out 1. We will not Change our Antient setled and well approved Lawes to which we are sworne 2. We will not Change our Antient and well-tempered Monarchy to which we are Sworne 3. We will not Change our old Religion for New Lights and inventions 4. We will not subject our selves to an eight part of one Estate or House of Parliament sitting under a force and having expelled two hundred and fifty of their Fellowes more Righteous then themselves by force and usurping to themselves the Supreme Authority 5. We will not be subjected to a new Supreme Authority usurped by forty ambitious covetous Tyrants arrogating to themselves to be a Councell of State and designed to supply the roome of Parliaments under what name or title soever they shall maske themselves 6. We will not submit our selves to a Military Government or Councell of Officers See the Stat of Recognition 1. Iac. and the Oathes of Allegiance Obedence and Supremacy 7. We must and will have A KING and The KING whom the Lawes of God and this Land have Designed to us we being by the Oathes of Allegiance Obedience and Supremacy sworne to beare faith and true Allegiance to KING CHARLES the First his lawfull Heyres and Successors Hic telum infigam moriarque in vulnere POSTSCRIPT REader at the latter end of my First part of The History of Independency I have presented to thy consideration some Generall Conclusions arising out of the Premises the same Conclusions doe as naturally arise out of the Premises of this Second part of the History and doe as aptly serve to illustrate this Second as that First part wherefore to that First part I send thee for opening thy understanding When our old Lawes run againe into their Antient Channell and the Sword of Murder is sheathed and the Sword of Justice drawne the Author engageth to publish his Name Apologie and shew what he hath done and suffered for the Parliament and Kingdome THE END
onely two months pay 2. They have taken away three parts of their Arreares for Free-quater without satisfaction to the Country And at last force them to sell their Debentures at the aforesaid rates that those Souldiers that are continued in Armes shall fare no better when they have served their turnes with them Pag. 10 they say Their engagements against the King was not out of any Personall enmity but simply against his Oppressions and Tyranny on the People but the use and advantage on all the successe God hath been pleased to give us is perverted to that end That by His removall the Ruling Sword men might intrude into His Throne set up a Martiall Monarchy more cruell arbitrary and tyrannicall than England ever tasted of that under the notion of a Free-State when as the People had no share at all in the constitution thereof but by the treachery and falsnesse of the Lieutenant Generall Cromwell and his Son-in-Law Ireton with their Faction was inforced and obtruded by meer Conquest on the People And a little after now rather then to be thus vassallized thus trampled and trod under soot by such as over our backs have stepped into the Chaire of this hatefull Kingship over us in despight of the consent choice and allowance of the Free-People of this Land the true fountaine and originall of all just Power as their owne Votes against Kingly Government confesse we will chuse subjection to the PRINCE chusing rather ten thousand times to be His Slaves than theirs c. Pag. 11. They Vote and Declare The People the Supreme Power the Originall of all just Authority pretend the promotion of the Agreement of the People stile this The first yeare of Englands Freedome entitle the Government A Free State and yet none more bloody violent and perverse Enemies thereto for not under paines of death and confiscation of Lands and Goods may any man challenge or promote those Rights of the Nation so lately pretended by themselves Nothing but their boundlesse lawlesse wills their naked Swords Armies Armes is now Law in England c. 16. August 1649. Col. 209. Col Morrice Governour of Pontefract for the King Endicted at the Assizes at York condemned and executed Morrcie who kept Pontefract-Castle for the KING was Endicted before Iudge Thorpe and Pulleston at Yorke Assizes upon the Stat. 25. Edw. 3. for leavying Warre against the late King and Parliament The Colonel challenged one Brooke Fore-man of the Iury for being his professed Enemy but the Court knowing Brooke to be the principall Verbe the Key of their worke answered Morrice He spake too late Brooke was sworne already Brooke being asked the Question Whether he were sworne or no replied He had not yet kissed the Booke The Court answered It was no matter that was but a Ceremony alleaging he was recorded Sworne there was no speaking against a Record Sure they made great haste to record him sworne before he could kisse the Booke so Brooke was kept in upon this cavill by whose obstinacy Morrice was condemned I cannot wonder that legall Formes Ceremonies are laid by although justice cannot subsist without those Legalities to ascertaine her proceedings which otherwaies would be left at large to the discretion of the Iudge when I see our knowne Lawes Magna Charta the Petition of Right 3. Carol. and the rest with the fundamentall Government of this Nation pulled up by the roots to carry on their Designes of enslaving the People to their lusts notwithstanding the Parliaments Declarations Remonstrances Protestations Covenants Oathes to the contrary and their late Vote in the Act for Abolishing Kingly Government That in all things concerning the Lives Liberties Properties and Estates of the People they would observe the knowne Lawes of the Land But to returne to our Relation Then Morrice challenged 16. more of the Iury whereat Pulleston was so pettish that he bade Morrice keep his compasse or else he would give him such a blow as should strike off his head Untill Morrice cited the Stat. 14 Hen 7. fol. 19. whereby he might challenge 35. men without shewing cause Here you see the Iudges which ought to be of Councell with the Prisoner in matter of Law endeavouring to out-face and blind the Prisoner with ignorance of the Law being a Martiall Man Then he desired a Copie of his Endictment that he might know what to answer saying he might plead Speciall as well as Generall which the Court denied him Next because there was point of Law in it he desired to have Councell citing the Stat. 1. Hen 7. fol. 23. which was likewise denied him yet I am deceived if Rolfe had not Councell allowed him being endicted at Winchester for an endeavour to Murder KING CHARLES the First and had many other favours denyed to Morrice Then Col. Morrice for his discharge produced the PRINCE'S Commission as Generalissimo to the KING his Father The Iudges answered The Prince was but a Subject as Morrice was and if He were present must be tried as he was and rejected the Commission without reading Morrice told them the Prince had His Authority from the King in whose name all Iudges Officers did then Act. The Court Answered the power was not in the King but the Kingdome Observe they endicted him for Leavying Warre against the King and Parliament The word Parliament was a surplusage for which no Indictment could lie no Allegiance no Treason and we owe Allegiance to the King alone whosoever Leavyeth Warre in England in the intendment of the Law is said to Leavy Warre against the King onely although he ayme not at His Person but at some other Person And if he that Leavyeth Warre against the King His Crowne Dignity be a Traitour how much more must they be Traitours that have actually Murdered the King and Dis-inherited and proscribed his lawfull and undoubted Heire and as much as in them lies have subverted the Monarchicall Government of the Land and consequently all Monarchicall Lawes whereof the Stat. of Treasons for Leavying Warre against the Kings Majesty is one and therefore Morrice under a Free-State ought not to be condemned or tried upon any Monarchicall Law So Morrice was found guilty by a Iury for that purpose And an illegall president begun to cut off whom the Faction pleaseth under a pretence forme of Law without help of a Councell of Warre or a private Slaughter-house or a Midnight-Coach guarded with Souldiers to Tyborne These Usurpers have got the old tyrannicall trick To rule the People by the Lawes but first to over-rule the Lawes by their Lawyers and therefore Vt rei innocentes pereant fiunt nocentes judices that true men may goe to the gallowes Thieves must sit on the bench but silent Leges inter arma and now silet Iustitia inter Leges silet Ius inter Iudices the mungrell hypocriticall three-headed conquest we live under hath dispoiled justice of her ballance Three-headed consisting of 1. Councell of Warre 2.