with an Army it must needs bee that an Ingaging against them cannot be carried on to a Conquest but through a Sea of Bloud and a generall devastation whereas an union betwixt them and his Majesty contracted upon moderate just and equitable grounds in relation to his Majesties Interests and due Rights and the People's Birthright will bee a meanes not only to prevent the afore-said Mischeife but so quell the Presbyterian Party in England that they shall not bee able to countenance any Scotish designes And so if the Scots do attempt an Invasion upon any Pretence whatsoever the Warr will bee brought home to their owne dores Fifthly seeing there is a necessity of some form it is probable the Complyance will extend so far as to let us have Bishops again And there is so much the more hope in regard the Independents have not yet absolutely agreed to the settling of any one particular way of Church-Government the execution of all Ordinances hitherto in relation to Presbyterie being permitted merely out of policie to pacifie that Faction for a time and not out of any respect to the Government it selfe which they looke upon as far more destructive to liberty and which brings in ten thousand such Inconveniences and Pressures as are not incident in a well-regulated Episcopacy Sixthly if it bee objected that there is little hope of the Independents yielding to Bishops seeing they have been as deeply ingaged in the sale of their Lands as ever Presbyters were it must bee considered that what they have done in this kind of Robbery was only as their elder Brethren the Presbyters gave them example in order to their Designe for alteration of Government which now being forced to quit as anon I shall prove by invincible necessity some other waies may and must bee taken for the satisfaction of the souldiery than by the Goods of the Church And then likewise it will bee no hard matter to make our purchasing Cormorants to vomit up all their sweet Sacrilegious Morsels Lastly though most of the Royall Party are rendred wholly averse to a Close with the Independent Party as Persons not to bee dealt with by reason of their grosse Juglings with his Majesty yet give me leave to say that as their Ambition avarice and over-weening confidence were the causes of their declining those faire Proposals and Pretences of their first Ingagement supposing that then they had an Oportunity to doe what they pleased so now being deceived in their expectations and having found by experience that they are not able to go through with their Designe and it being cleare also as I shall manifest that they have no hope of Safety or continuance in this Kingdom but by a Cordiall Close with his Majesty wee have little or no Cause to feare a second Baffle upon sophisticall Pretences in time to come especially if his Majestie 's wisdom bee laid in the Balance with their Necessity And so for these Reasons I conceive we may boldly affirm that as the royall Party ought by no meanes to admit of an Ingagement with or for Presbyterte though set on foot with the fairest Pretences so their true Interest at present is to seek and imbrace a timely discreet Complyance with that Party Paramount of this Kingdom which they call Independent II. Reasons drawn from the Interest of the ruling Independent Party WHen first his Majesty became a Prisoner to the Independent Party the Kingdom as well as himselfe was filled with great hope of such a mutuall Complyance betwixt him and them as might usher in the long-desired settlement of this distracted Nation Our expectations in this particular were exceedingly heightned by the many specious Declarations Representations and Proposalls sent abroad from the Army which promised much in relation to the just Rights of his Majesty and his Royall Posterity and the true satisfaction of all Interests as well as their owne together with many glorious pretences of moderation toward those of the Royall Party and the easing of all burthens which lay upon the Subject These were indeed most rich and glorious pretences And without controversie this way of Complyance was at that time their true Ineterest and had they prosecuted it according to their Proposalls they had laid a stable foundation of their owne and the Kingdoms future happinesse But they forsaking the true paths which led to Peace immediately fell a wandring from these Principles in such an erroneous course that as the wiser sort of men fore-saw so themselves now begin to feare and feele the fatall consequences of their wretched dissimulation which is like to bring no lesse sorrow upon the Ring-leaders of that Faction than it hath done already upon their Fellow-Subjects and their Soveraigne The Reasons which induced them to deale so perfidiously with his Majesty were no doubt as I mentioned before Ambition and Avarice as hath since appeared by their seizing all places of profit in the hands of themselves and their Kindred and Creatures And also by their grosse and palpable designings for a change of Monarchicall Government Upon a Change for certain they were all resolved but what new form to introduce in the place of it was unknowne and is as yet at this day even to the principall among themselves For as the Cause at first was split into the two Factions of Presbyterian and Independent so this of Independency is sub-divided into that Party which is commonly called Independent and the other Party most rightly called Levellers The Grandees of that Party commonly called Independent are some of the superior Officers of the Army and Members of either House the greatest part of whom are visible in the State-Committee at Derby-house And though when his Majesty was first imprisoned they then pretended and would still seem to be one in designe with the Levellers yet time hath manifested their aim to be at an Aristocraticall Form of Government and in plaine terms to declare themselves and their select Confederates FREE STATES The other Party called Levellers consist onely of some Colonells and Commanders of Inferiour Rank in the Army with whom are joyned some few Members of the Commons House and a confused Rabble of Sectaries in the Army City and Suburbs and some parts of the Country Their aime is at a Democraticall form of Government investing the power wholly in the people So that this wild Faction ex professo are enemies alike both to Monarchy and Optimacy and will be governed neither by Kings nor States Hence it was that as soon as his Majesty was juggled away into the Isle of Wight the superior Officers in order to their State-designe saw there was a necessity of crushing the Levellers Party after that they had served their ends upon them by drawing them into an ingaging upon the same pretended common Principles with themselves And therefore their first work was with all speed to dissipate the Councell of the Army contrary to their first ingagement and surprize them with a new ingagement
and then what comfort will the City or others reap by all their paines and expences Therefore it concerns the Citizens to looke well before they leape and not to be deluded any longer with the stale pretences of a glorious Reformation the end whereof is nothing else but oppression and confusion both of King and People Fiftly the Citizens may doe well to consider what little benefit they are like to gaine unto themselves in lieu of all that mischiefe that they will bring upon King and Kingdome if the Presbyterian Faction shall prevaile againe It may be it will somewhat tickle them for a time to be revenged on the Independent party and 't is like they shall have their Members out of the Tower and be put into the repossession of that and their Militia so long as they imploy all to the behoofe and benefit of the Faction But if the Presbyter-Citizens shall after a little time upon the discovery of the Inconveniences brought upon the whole Kingdom by the standing out against his Majesty in point of Presbytery begin once to grow discontented and weary of their new Masters they may surely expect to be served the same measure that is now meted unto them by the Rulers of Independency it being a Rule with all Vsurpers no longer to countenance any that they have drawne into their Party then they are willing to run on with them in Designe but if once they begin to flag to bury all their former merits in oblivion also to reckon them as enemies and use them accordingly Sixthly if they shall discover themselves so farre as to ingage againe for Presbytery let the Designe be attended with never so many pretences of loyalty towards the King and his Posterity yet it being cleer notwithstanding that such an Ingagement would be destructive to the Royall Interest his Majesty and the Royall party can looke upon them no otherwise then as absolutely disloyall and resolved to continue their Rebellious courses And then if it shall so happen as probably it may that there be a Complyance betwixt the Royall and Independent Party the Doore will be in a manner bolted against any accommodation betwixt them and his Majestie and then by the union of those two Powers before named the Pillars of their Faction both Scottish and English being shâ—ken and driven out of the KINGDOME They will remaine wholly at his MAJESTIES mercy touching the forfeiture of their Charter and Priviledges c. and give him opportunity to bethinke himselfe of such wayes and meanes to quell their Pride and such meanes as may secure himself and his Successors from the rage of all turbulent and seditious humours in time to come Seventhly the Citizens ought to bestir themselves with such alacrity and give such testimonies of their loyalty as may serve to abate the career of our Independent Grandees who will otherwise never be brought down to a compliance with his Majesty and to this end it will be their wisdom to pretend high toward an engaging any way rather then endure them at this passe any longer but still notwithstanding to reserve within themselves a cordiall tender respect to the true interest of his Majesty Moreover if the case shall so stand that an agreement be concluded betwixt his Majesty and the Independents which certainly will be happiest for this Nation if it can possibly be effected then the Citizens ought not to let their spleens boil with the remembrance injuries received from this Faction nor flatter themselves with imaginary benefits which they suppose they might enjoy by advancing the other but lay aside all emulation and respect of faction on the one side or the other and be ready to applaud any course which his Majesty shall judge most convenient for the composing of these unhappy differences Lastly since the restoring and selling of his Majesty is the onely way of true peace then in case the Independents should continue obstinate to the last against any agreement it concerns all the honest and wise men of London to be wary upon what terms they admit of a Scottish engagement and not to be drawn in as they were formerly but rather to observe the motions and directions of the royall party and conform themselves wholly that way as being the safest honestest and most honourable because free from faction and by-ends and which hath for its sole end the restitution of his Majesty and his royall Posterity the preservation of the Church and the establishment of true Religion Peace and Liberty throughout his Majestes Realms and Dominions V. Reasons drawn from the Interest of Scotland The People of England being fully satisfied that the design for alteration of Church-government under pretence of Reformation was first set on foot by the English and Scottish Grandees meerly for ambitious worldly ends and respects and the Scots having had sufficient experience of the stoutnesse of our English stomacks that they will by no means digest the Presbyteriall government and since it is look't on by all knowing men as absolutely inconsistent with and destructive of Monarchy without doubt it concernes the Scots to bethinke themselves of some other way wherby to settle an Interest and Inter-course with this Nation than by introducing a Presbytery where it is so extreamly distasted by the generality of the People That there is no way for the Scots to settle a beneficiall and lasting Interest here but by an absolute and sincere Close with the Royall Interest I shall manifest by severall Reasons First if they come in and declare in a mixed manner for the King and the Covenant they give the world to understand that they come but to Act the old Cheat over again seeing the Covenant though there be words in it mentioning the Honour and happinesse of the King and his Posterity would prove in effect the destruction of both For if it works not an absolute change of Government in the State as well as the Church yet it is cleer that it will regulate it into a posture farre beneath the dignity and condition of a Monarchy Therefore upon such Termes they will lose that assistance which otherwise they might have from the Royall Party in England Secondly by so declaring they will draw the Curtaine now placed betwixt them and us and give a perfect discovery of their Intentions and we shall conclude that their ayme is no wise at the good of his Majestie but onely to serve their owne corrupt Interests And we shall beleeve they bring in an Army for no other end but to back their Party of Presbytery in the House and the City so to crush the opposite Faction of Independencie and then by removing the King to one of his Houses reduce him and the Affaires of the Kingdome in Statu quo prius as when he was at Holdenby where he shall languish in the condition of a Prisoner as long as he lives or at least as long as they reigne it being resolved on before hand that he
to repaire himselfe than assist others The French are his Invaders the Portugalls Revolters and the Neapolitans Rebells The French are busie in maintaining what they have gotten and seeking after more But if they were at leisure little might be expected from them unlesse it were to foment our differences and as they first helped to unsettle us so still to keep us from setling that England which is the ballancing power of Europe and her King Arbiter orbis Christiani the Arbitrator in all differences of Christendome being broken by her owne strength at home might have none to spend abroad to hinder that prodigious design wherein the late successes of the French have heightned them to become Rivalls and Competitors with the Spaniard for an Vniversall Monarchy Denmark hath enough to do in repairing those ruines which were brought on them by the late Swedish Incursions The Hollanders esteem it a safe way to conform themselves ever to the prevailing party in England seeing they have a great part of their livelyhood by Indulgence from the English Nation Moreover though at first they esteemed the Match of the Prince of Orange with the eldest daughter of England as a matter of much honour yet now they look upon it as a businesse that in time may prove of ill consequence fearing so great an alliance might dispose the Prince to aspire and establish a greater Interest of his own than is meet for a Member of a Republike if Monarchy were at its height againe in England And further many among the Dutch supposing that the Grandees here aime at the same forme of Government with themselves doe flatter themselves in conceit that such a neighbourhood would be willing to admit of a nearer friendship and complication of Interests than can be hoped for from a Monarchy though there be farre more reason to suspect the contrary So that wee see how little his Majesty may expect from any of his Neighbors And truly it is no small part of our happinesse in the midst of these distractions that we have had and are like to have so little of their Company The hopes then of his Majesties restitution being wholly founded upon the affections of his People and bounded within his owne Dominions let us take a view of each within their station The Scots seem to bee divided among themselves some pretend absolutely for his Majesty others only upon condition of signing the Covenant c. In Ireland a Cessation will open a way for supplies out of that Kingdome In Wales they are in arms already for his Majesty and all the Royall Party in England wait but for an Oportunity in the same way to free themselves from their present vassalage under the power of the Independent party in the Houses wherein likewise the Presbyterian party are as much concerned as any seeing the other of Brethren are become their bitter enemies and would shew them as little courtesie as others were it not to stop the mouthes of their leading men at home and in hope to work upon the prime Presbyters in Scotland What the Refult of the Scotish resolutions will be is yet not certainly knowne If the pretending royall party there carry an Ingagement simply for the King no doubt but the Royallists here joyning with them they may finish the work by subduing both the Factions But if they bring in a mixt Ingagement for the King and the Covenant which we have great cause to fear I conceive the Royallists ought not to joyne with them but to expect and indeavour a Close with the Independent party who will be forced for their owne safety to wave their high-flowne Resolutions and bethink themselves of a Complyance with his Majesty which ought rather to be sought after and imbraced as lesse dangerous to the royall Prerogative than a close with the Presbyterian Touching the probabilitv and conveniency of a Complyance betwixt his Majesty and the Independent party in case the Scots ingage for Presbyterie I shall endeavour to fortifie my opinion by undeniable Reasons But first give me leave to manifest the great danger of closing with the Presbyterian Party though accompanied with never so many specious pretences That a Scotish Ingaging for the Covenant resolved on as it seems will be clearly destructive to Monarchicall Interest I shall prove in severall particulars First because they aim thereby at the introduction of Presbyterie and the over-turning of Episcopacy the maine pillar of Monarchy as it hath ever been esteemed in this Nation And therefore it was that all the Kings of England from time to time have so willingly sworne to grant and to preserve unto the Bishops and to the Churches commited to their Charge all Canonicall privileges and due Law and Justice and to protect and defend them c. And King JAMES who had long experience of the sad effects of the alteration of that Government in the Church of Scotland was so fully convinced of the neare relation betwixt Episcopacie and Monarchy that hee left this for a sure Aphorism to his Posterity No BISHOP No KING For it having been of so long continuance here and deeply rooted in the Lawes of this Kingdom it must needs be that a change in the one will work an alteration in the other Secondly The Truth hereof was so well knowne to the Master-builders of this Reformation whose Aime appears now to have been ab origine how contrary soever their Pretences were for an alteration of the civill government that they first began their work with pulling downe of Episcopacie that in the ruines thereof they might lay the foundation of their new designe Thirdly It is very apparent of what ill consequence the extirpation of Episcopacie will be to his Majesty seeing it is a meanes to clip the Crowne of a very considerable part of its Revenues which by the Lawes of the Land are annexed thereunto as the collation of Bishopricks and Deaneries the first fruits and profits of their Lands and Revenues during their vacancies the first fruits and yearly Tenths out of all Ecclesiasticall Promotions and sundry other privileges profits and emoluments arising out of the State Ecclesiasticall Fourthly to ingage for Presbytery is to indeavour the introducing of a Democraticall form of Government which is directly incompatible with a Monarchy and as it cannot stand with the power of our government so it withstands the Honour of our Governer debasing the Majesty of Monarchy into a popular parity without respect of his most sacred Person Fifthly by ingaging for Presbyterie they labor to erect a power in the State Ecclesiasticall distinct from that of the Civill for it is a Maxim among all Presbyters and we find it pleaded for at large in the Confession of Faith agreed upon by the Assembly at Westminster which as yet the Houses have been more wise than to confirme that there ought to be a power in the Church distinct from that of the Civill which Tenet of distinction must bee the same in effect
new Diana in hope to bring better advantage thereby unto themselves then they could hope to attain under the government of Bishops and in processe of time their Doctrines being brought into reputation by the addition of an artificiall and counterfeit piety they stole away the hearts of many well-meaning people throughout the Kingdom whom they poysoned with disaffection to the present Government So here was the rise of the old Presbyters which passed heretofore under the names of Non conformists or Puritans Manifold were the Bickerings which they had with the Bishops during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James yet the Faction was then kept under hatches by great care and policy as it was likewise all the former part of the reign of our gracious Sovereign CHARLES though the humours began to work more strongly then ever insomuch that having gained a party in every Parliament which presumed to insist upon very high particulars of Government both in Church and State and question such Officers of both as stood in the way of their designe his Majesty was necessitated by reason of those audacious and factious proceedings to a frequent dissolution of Parliaments which though they publikely exclaimed against yet inwardly they were glad enough of it working advantage thereby to scandalize his Majesty in the opinion of the people as one utterly disaffected to Parliaments and that intended to govern altogether by an arbitrary power This and other Scandals were treasured up against the time wherein they hoped to have occasion to use them but having often tryed their own single strength to be too weak to shake the Government then the Grandees of the 〈◊〉 not knowing otherwise to repair their broken fortunes began to have recourse unto the Scots a people as needy as themselves and who it was presumed would be glad to entertain any occasion to mend their Fortunes and establish an Interest in this Nation Besides their hope was the greater to thrive among the Scots because they were a people that had been discountenanced and discontented by the Bishops and had embraced the same form of Government that was aimed at by themselves and therefore could not but be willing to contribute their best assistance toward the settlement of it in England Therefore the motion was no sooner made from hence but it found joyfull entertainment in Scotland and Counsels were mutually imparted by the grand Presbyters on both sides and in fine it was agreed that Reformation should be the stalking-horse to the whole Design The aime of the Scots therein was the gaining of Treasure and an union of interest with England The aime of the English Presbyters was the quelling of their Oppsites at Court and supplanting them in their Offices the destruction of Episcopacy and with it of Monarchy and the enriching of themselves with the Wealth of the Kingdom the Revenues of the Crown and the Goods of the Church all which become a prey unto that monster of Presbytery till it was wrested out of their jawes by the new brethren of the Independent party By which brief draught of Discourse it appears that as a great part of the Commons of England have been drawn in upon religious pretences to the faction of Presbytery to serve worldly ends so now that the hypocrisie and dissimulation of those proceedings is manifest unto the world without doubt the true interest of all honest-meaning Presbyters in England is the very same with that of the Nation in generall to seek peace and ensue it to quit all considerations of siding or faction to open their eyes and see how they have been deceived to loath the vanity and prevent the misery of all engagements in and for Presbytery to endeavour simply the restoring of his Majesty and to joyn with any for that end but with none that are contrary and also to content themselves with a regulated Episcopacy for these following Reasons First seeing it is most true that there can be no settlement in this Kingdom but by a compliance with the royall interest it is altogether impossible to expect peace if a design be still cherished for the establishing Presbytery because of that absolute antipathy or incompossibility betwixt Monarchicall and Presbyteriall Government as I have manifested before God and Belial light and darknesse may as soon agree together and therefore it must not be expected that his Majesty should yeeld up his Honour Conscience and Crown in sacrifice to so pernicious a rivall in his Prerogative Secondly if there be a fresh engaging for Presbytery to crush Independency what more hope of peace have we when this prevailing party shall be down and the other up again are we not where we were before shall not his Majesty remain as lyable as ever to the old vexatious Popositions and have not the Presbyters of the Kirk told us plainly beforehand that they are resolved he shall sign all their desires before his resolution to the exercise of his Regall power what then may we expect from Presbytery after all the miseries and desolations of a second War but that his Majesty shall remain in durance as he did at Holdenby or does now in the Island without all hope of remedy to himself or end of those intolerable oppressions lying upon this afflicted Kingdom Thirdly it being cleer that the design of a Presbytery hath been carried on meerly for the private ends of particular men what madnesse is it for men that pretend wisdom Religion and godlinesse to hazard themselves and their Estates to draw on the guilt of innocent blood by embroyling their fellow subjects and infringe their Obligations to their Soveraign by prostituting their consciences purses and endeavours to serve the ambition of a few whose practises when they are invested with power will be as they ever have been to make them share with others in the common calamity at present and intaile slavery upon their Posterity for ever Fourthly Presbytery wheresoever it settles is destructive of liberty by reason of that popish trick taken up by the Presbyterian in drawing all secular affaires within the compasse of their spirituall jurisdiction and this they do by means of that awe wherein they hold the consciences of the Magistrate and People the one being lyable as well as the other by excommunications and suspensions to be exploded as scandalous sinners when they please to pronounce them such as appears by that large extent of their Authority in judging of scandalous sins which reaches almost to every action of humane life so that all the rest of the Kingdom besides their favourites from the King to the Beggar must stoop like asses to be ridden by a few ambitious Priests and Lay-ignoramuses Fiftly a regulated Episcopacy must be the onely government for this Nation in regard it is most suitable to the constitution of the Monarchy and the Lawes of the Land whereto through continuance of time it hath a very neer relation and also to the humours and good liking of the