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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62103	A vindication of King Charles: or, A loyal subjects duty Manifested in vindicating his soveraigne from those aspersions cast upon him by certaine persons, in a scandalous libel, entituled, The Kings cabinet opened: and published (as they say) by authority of Parliament. Whereunto is added, a true parallel betwixt the sufferings of our Saviour and our soveraign, in divers particulars, &c. By Edw: Symmons, a minister, not of the late confused new, but of the ancient, orderly, and true Church of England.	Symmons, Edward.; Symmons, Edward. True parallel betwixt the sufferings of our Saviour and our Soveraign, in divers particulars.	1648 (1648)	Wing S6350A; ESTC R204509	281,464	363

also noted the same that this was the course which Julian the Apostate took in his dayes He having a purpose as these have to ruine the profession of Christianity Used not the sword as Dioclesian did though these indeed to make the work more speedy doe act Dioclesian too but he took away the means of the Clergies subsistance knowing full well that if maintenance once failed the number of Preachers would not long continue The said Julian also would tell the Bishops and Pastors when he stripped them of all they had that in so doing He had a speciall care of their soules health because the Gospell commended Poverty unto them Such like flowts at the Doctrine of Christ doth often fall from lips of the Apostates of these days 5. By their pulling downe all Christian order and formes of publicke Worship and Service tending to decency and edification by casting down defiling and defaming the Houses of God turning many of them into Stables Slaughter-houses Prisons and Jakes they have made close-stooles of Fonts and Pulpits and done as bad to Communion Tables they have rent the holy Bible in pieces scorned at the Sacraments Baptized Horses robbed Churches of Sacramentall Utensils as Plate Linnen calling it Idolatrous and Superstitious because it had been only used in Christs service nay the poore innocent Bells because they have been the meanes of calling people together to Worship God and to adore the Saviour of the World must be pulled down and turned into Guns that they may be another while Instruments of destruction to the Members of Jesus this indeed as I read was the manner of the Turkes when they tooke Constantinople they melted the Bells into Ordnances In a word what ever evill or impiety the Enemies were wont to slander our Church withall these men have acted or suffered to be done by those whom they maintaine insomuch that now the Priests of Rome shall not speak only lyes as heretofore when they tell the people That in England they abolish Church Sacraments the meanes of Salvation they either raze or rob Churches wheresoever they come and make Stables of them that they will neither have Temples nor forme of Religion nor doe they serve God any way yea the English Nation is growne so barbarous that they are very Canniballs and devoure one another God knowes my Soul abhorres to thinke much more to name those things that are acted done amongst as nor should my pen be fouled with the mention of them were they not visible to so many eyes and did not necessity of defending impugned Truth and an abused Church restraine me But I would have all the Papists understand for to that end do I thus speak that we who are of the true Protestant Christian Religion do abhor and loath these practices as much as any and are persecuted to death by them that do them for our dislike of them 6. By their suppression and demolition of all Monuments of Christianity that there might be seen no more tokens of it in the Kingdome as if they intended that no man should be able hereafter to say this Land was once Christian The very festivall times when the Birth Death Resurrection Ascension of our Saviour is commemorated which next to the Preaching of Gods Word and Administration of the Sacraments have been the most speciall means to confirme mens faith in the History of Christ these they have inhibited and forbidden as if they hated his very remembrance Gods wisdome appointed the Feast of Passeover to be kept as an Ordinance for ever among the Jewes to minde them of their deliverance from Aegypt and to be a mean to assure their Children in after-after-Ages of the truth of that great mercy And the Church conceiving that our deliverance from sinne and Satan by the Birth Death Resurrection and Ascension of Christ to be as a great a deliverance as that other and to deserve as well to be remembred did also apprehend that way or mean to be the best to convey the notice of it to Posterity which Gods owne Wisdome devised and that was by celebrating Annuall Festivalls in memoriall thereof but these men it seemes have resolved to the contrary for they will not have the same kept any longer in remembrance Nay that miraculous Thorne at Glassenbury which was wont to celebrate the Festivall of Christs Nativity by putting forth its leaves and flowers was cut in pieces by these Militia men that it might no longer Preach unto men the Birth day of their Saviour But what doe I speake of dayes and times and teaching Trees the very Doctrine it selfe which Christ himselfe taught and practised viz. the Doctrine of Peace Patience and passive obedience unto Princes is reckoned obsolete and uselesse by these men it was publickly maintained by a certaine worthlesse Member at a great Committee in the Checquer Chamber that such Doctrines were out of date in these dayes and had been onely proper to former times when the Church was in a low Condition and under the Persecution of Heathen Emperours Nay these men would not that any true Christian Protestant should have leave to live to relate unto posterity the Doctrine of his Saviour as seemeth by their doings their thirst for Protestant Bloud appeareth to be such as if they desired that all of that Profession in the world had but one Head that so they might cut it off at one blow for they have shed already more of it within these foure yeares then ever was shed in Great Brittaine since the world began and that for no other cause that we yet know for they never durst come to dispute it with us then for holding to the Doctrine of Christs Gospell because we will not contrary to that lift up our hands with them against our Soveraigne By these particulars and many others which I might alleadge it is evident what ever they pretend to the contrary that their endeavours are to destroy the Christian Protestant Religion Our Saviour doth warrant us to judge of men by their fruits wherefore t is no marvaile if the Reader being a true Protestant Christian be not well affected to that cause of Liberty and Religion which the two Parliaments of England and Scotland do seeme to maintaine SECT VIII 1. Of the feigned Combination against the Parliament 2. Our judgement of the Papists and of their assisting the King 3. Our abhorment of the Cruelties of the Irish and how they are out-gone by the English Rebells 4. Our Opinion of the Court Faction of what flock we are 5. How the Libellers call themselves the more beleeving sort of people BUt the Reason insinuated by our Subtile Brethren why men should be affected to that their cause is taken from the Consideration of the Persons against whom as they say t is maintained viz. against a combination of all the Papists of Europe almost especially the bloudy Tigres of Ireland and some of the Prelaticall and Court Faction in England That

thought to be done out of zeal against sin and out of pure love to our Countrey we shall be looked upon as impartiall men that will wink at sin in no man no not in the King himself we will persecute and destroy him though he be our Common Parent rather then suffer sin to abide and domineere in him yea we shall be apprehended by the vulgar to be Gods speciall favourites elected and appointed by him on purpose to punish the King and to pull him from his Throne that so Christ in us the Saiuts may be set up and rule in his stead And what ever the King suffers at our hands shall be interpreted by the helpe of our Preachers men fitted for our turns to be Gods just judgement upon him for those very crimes which we lay to his Charge as Perfidiousnesse and Breach of speciall Vowes made to us his Protestant Subjects of England and Scotland for so we call our selves and under that guize we goe covered No doubt I say but the Consciences of those I mentioned have spoken to this purpose within themselves or else they would confess together with us that there is nothing in those Annotations upon the Kings Letters but what is most uncomly and misbeseeming Christian subjects And truly it is no difficult matter for men resolved and ingaged by all they care for bodily safety and worldly reputation to deprave the most innocent writing and to pick out matter thence to defame the Author Julian the Apostate these mens elder Brother having a deep hatred against Christ did imploy his maliciously-fine braine against the Sacred Bible and took great paines to cull out thence all shews of errour or places seemingly contrary to each other which he would formalize to his own purpose all ambiguous expressions which he would wrest and pervert to the most sinister construction and all obscure places which by a further entangling he would make more dark and cloudy and thus for a season with some men he disgraced Christ and his Holy Religion Now hence we gather that if one man alone was able by the helpe of Satan to do thus against the Sacred writings of God himselfe It is no marvail if many of the same rank and spirit laying their heads together shall with the like assistance doe thus against the writings of the King who is but a man for as we doe not make our King infallible like as they do the Parliament so we will not put His writings into the same skale of perfection wherein they weigh their Votes But this we will say and from their Malice against him do firmly beleeve that he is a lesser sinner then other men are for the more like in degree their spightfulness against him is to that of the Pharisees against Christ the more like unto Christ in innocency and Holiness is our Soveraigne the object of it That Hatred which is most deep and deadly in such men as these are is alwayes the most unjust And further too this we affirm concerning our Soveraigne that of all the Kings His Predecessours that swayed the English Scepter as he hath done we beleeve him to be the least sinfull and we may conclude it from the pride and fatnesse of these his people who Jessurun-like have kicked up their Heeles against him had he not been so good so milde so gentle towards them they had not been so malipert so proud so injurious towards him had he been a wanton Edward the fourth and borrowed a pace the rich Citizens monies and repayed them againe by lying with their wives or had he been a boysterous Henry the eighth and chopt off his Subjects heads in lust and anger doubtless he had found much better respect and fairness both of Carriage and Language from the men and women of this Nation London had not shut up their Gates thus long against him had he deserved less love they would have shewn more feare and Reverence to him No man was ever so perfect Christ alone excepted but at some times have been guilty of some obliquities which should they all that were committed through his whole life be mustered up and presented in one view and continuation together would make him appeare most strangely sinful whereas if his life were displayed in that tenour onely as led he would haply be an object of admiration for ●anctity and perfection These men and their faction have set nothing of the King to the worlds view since their unhappy meeting but his oversights and blemishes which they have narrowly searched for throughout his whole life and reigne nay they have made use of the ●ins and corruptions of those Monopolizing Lords and Gentlemen who are now right deare unto themselves and sit amongst them to make the King distastful to his people they have bedawbed him with others crimes for want of somewhat more proper and what have they to their utmost done thereby but purposed for an object of scorn and abhorring Him whom God by endowment with Principall and choise graces hath marked out for a ' Pattern of Honour and imitation to all Princes and men We dare challenge malice her selfe to open her mouth so wide as she can and for her better Advantage let her borrow the tongues and pens of these men to vent her worst of all and then let her speak out and tell the world what personall Crimes she can Charge the King withall Nay must she not needs confess if she say any thing that He hath been an example of meekness Temperance Charity Patience Mercy and Justice to all his Nobles and to all his people Had some of these great ones now with them been in these Vertues conformable unto him they had not haply been in that high esteem wherein they are at this present amongst them Nay because the Libellers in their height of impudency doe speake of the King as if he were not according to his profession a defender of the true Faith a tender Father of his Country and sincerely affected to the good of his Protestant Subjects in England and Scotland we doe appeale to all the world to Name an Age since England was a Nation wherein the Church and Faith of Christ flourished in such high lustre and glory wherein the Subjects of this Kingdome of all ranks and degrees did more abound in wealth and riches and wherein those of the true Protestant Religion which is the Religion of truth and peace of Humility and obedience were more countenanced and favoured then they have been in his dayes was there ever so much Splendour Bravery and Abundance in the City So much Plate and Money in the Country so many Pleasant Houses and Stately Buildings in all places throughout the Land Was there ever so much Feasting and plenty of food among all sorts of people so many good Garments and cloathes worne by men and women of all degrees so large Portions and dowryes given with Children in marriage were ever the Protestant Subjects

meeknesse we can scarce discerne by their writings wherein we see nothing wanting save modesty truth and sincerity but these being the naturall fruits of the Spirit of meeknesse we should have judged the Authors of this Book quite Empty of that Spirit had not themselves informed us otherwise And yet too by Christs own warrant we may be suspicious of those that beare testimony of themselves A shadow of meeknesse I grant they may have but the Spirit is another thing When Satan loboured with our first Parents to the same end as these doe with us he had a shadow of meeknesse and love in his expressions but not the Spirit so those Wolves that were prophesied to come in these last dayes are foretold to have sheepes cloathing that is shadows and pretences of meeknesse they should bleate so lamb-like that the very Elect themselves should scarce be able to discerne them but yet they should be quite void of the spirit of meeknesse and verily we suspect these our subtile Brethren to be of that number nay they tell us that in the spirit of meeknesse they Still speak This word Still makes us bethink our selves how they have spoke already and to look back to their former language and dealings with us and we find that we have been reviled railed upon reproached both in Print and Pulpit sub tecto sub dio by the names and titles of Malignants Papists Devils and Dogs we have been imprisoned plundred and violently divested of all we had for our Conscience and Allegeance fake we have had our deare Wives our tender Infants our gray-haired Parents turn'd out of doores and exposed to beggery for our sakes our selves being formerly banished and separated from them for Gods sake because we will not be reclaimed from the Gospel of Jesus Christ that Doctrine of Obedience which all our dayes hath been taught us in the Church of England we have been hunted up and down the Kingdome like wilde beasts by these meek men and such as they have set upon us to spill our bloud we have had some of us the trials of cruel mockings and scornings yea of scourgings some of us have been roasted at the fire have had our Hands and Feet burnt off in a far more cruel manner then Bishop Bonner served Tomkins or Edmond Tirrell Rose Allen according as it is mentioned in the book of Martyrs we have been tempted to take their cursed Oathes and Covenants and we have thousands of us been slain with the Sword we have been forced to wander up and down through woods and mountains shall I say in sheep-skins and goat-skins Nay some of us without any cloathes at all being stripped stark naked by these our modest Country-men as those of our Nation and Religion were in Ireland by the Barbarous and mercilesse Rebells there and constrained thus to shift for our lives being destitute afflicted tormented Thus hath that spirit of meeknesse which rules in these our subtile and suspected Brethren discovered it self unto us and say they In the Spirit of meeknesse we still speak but from this their spirit of meeknesse Good Lord deliver us They proceed and say For those that wilfully deviate and make it their Profession to oppose the truth we think it below us to revile them with opprobrious Language remembring the Apostle Jude and that example which he gives us in his Epistle The Apostle Jude in his Epistle speaks of certain persons whom he calls filthy dreamers because doubtlesse they forsaking the rule of Gods Word talked and dreamed of new lights and Revelations which also they followed these dreamers he sayes despised Dominions and spake evill of Dignities viz. of such persons to whom in regard of their Authority and Eminency they owed their highest duty and Reverence and the Example which the Apostle gives to whom he resembles these men is of the Devill himselfe who disputing with Michael the Arch-Angell a supreame Servant of God maintaining the truth against him did assault him with railing accusations now these our subtile and suspected Brethren tell us that they remember the Apostle Jude and the Example he gives them indeed we perceive they do remember it very well they are full as good as their word in this particular nor could any men remember it better then they do or shew a more absolute conformity unto it for they dreame of new Lights they despise Dominions they speak evill of Dignities their chief contestation is with the supreamest of Gods Servants in this Kingdome whom for his defending the truth they do assault and revile with most opprobrious language and we do verily beleeve too their spirits are so high that according to their own saying they think it below themselves to speak altogether so evilly of any as of Dignities to offer so much despight to any as to their betters under whose Dominion they ought to subject themselves for they remember what the Apostle Jude sayes and the example which he gives them in his Epistle Besides if they should rail with opprobrious language upon those who wilfully deviate and make it their profession to oppose the truth they should revile themselves and give ill language one to another for if practice may speak profession and what men be they are the most wilfull deviatours from the known truth and the greatest opposers of it that ever sprung from the bottomless pit in this last Age and so they should shew themselves not only forgetfull of the Apostle Jude and the example which he gives them but also of themselves and of that Oath and Covenant which they have taken to hold one with another and to assist each other in this their wilfull deviation against the truth and against their Soveraigne for though they have broken their Oath of Allegeance so often taken to defend his life and Honour who is the defender of the truth yet they are resolved not to break that other which they have taken since not to lay down Armes of which their tongues and pens are a speciall part till they have had their will of the King and satisfied their lusts upon him perhaps indeed afterwards they may be at leisure to break their Oath of Association too and may come to be so humbled by one another that they may not think it so below themselves as it seemes yet they do to revile with opprobrious language those that wilfully Deviate and have made it their profession to oppose the truth But truely we their simple Brethren are of opinion that if these high-thoughted men did not at this present think it below them to shame themselves to upbraid their own hearts with their own wayes to charge their own doings upon their own Consciences but would suffer that sepulcher in their own bosoms to open that the steame thereof might ascend into their own nostrils to the loathing of themselves they should do more becommingly and what in the end would be found more Comfortable But concerning

to discover Hypocrites that men might beware of them They are these 1. If the King can be gotten to settle the Militia in their hands all the Injustice and unlawfulnesse of the war on their side will be thereby cancelled and whatsoever they have done against him and his subjects will be Authorized as found and good their crafty seizing upon it at first and their violent use thereof since to the destruction of so many will go for worthy deeds and the King will be judged to have been much to blame in making any opposition against them and for his calling them Rebells His own Act will be the eating of those his own words and speake them to have been His most humble dutifull and obedient subjects all the while they fought against him yea and all they did in that kinde to have been done out of pure love to His Good and Glory and for the benefit of Church and Common-wealth And then too if withall the King shall but confer some new Titles of Honour upon their Chieftaines as when time was he did upon Lesley for this they expect and intend to demand too then they shall appeare White all over and who will dare to say to the contrary and full as good subjects almost as their Brethren the Scots That is one Reason 2. If they can get the King to settle in their Hands that depositum of Power and Authority which God hath intrusted in His they shall bring him as they desire into their own condition and make him such a one to God as themselves have been and are to him whereby Gods displeasure may be so far kindled against him that he may permit them having all the power in their hands to bring their endeavours fully to passe in destroying Him and His posterity and then the world shall be taught to beleeve that Heaven hath punished him for such His sin and confirmed with its blessing all their sayings and doings against him that God was of their minde all the while as now by the success is most apparent Honesta quaedam scelera successus facit saies Seneca the highest Villanies if succesfull shall be accounted vertues and these men care not to obtain truths but opinions warrant 3. They desire the Militia may be settled in their hands quia omnis in ferro salus est their whole safety consists therein it is the Nurse of their wealth and the sole Anchor of their security for O si pateant pectora virûm quantos intus sublimis agit fortuna metus what great feares have these mens High fortunes created in their Bosomes could we but view their insides They dare neither trust the King nor yet the Countrey that trusted them for should the strength be in any hands but their own they might be called to an account for all their doings the Law might be in force again and Justice suffered to shew her face Treason should sit no longer in the seat of Religion Truth might appear above-board and Peace be restored unto the Nation and Order might come again into fashion Yea had the King His power again He might call a Parliament a true Parliament a free Parliament which is a thing that they quake to think on for then like a Company of poore Hope-losts they should stand below and look up to that place of Honour where erst they sat and have so much abused and who in their condition can indure this Nemo Hercule nemo No mervail therefore if they desire to hold fast the Militia in their own hands 4. Should they part with it they should not onely degrade themselves of their present Honour and disarme themselves of safety but of their wealth and riches too for all is now at their Command the Lands Estates the goods and Fortunes of all their Country-men which the Militia of the Kingdome hath invested them with a right in and possession must be maintainted by the same meanes as obtained But should the Militia return into the Hands of the right owner Honest men would enjoy their own as before and they who are now so Gay would remaine stark Naked like Jack-daw in the fable when every bird had re-assumed her own feathers And then further too their pleasures would also cease that sweetnesse they feel in shedding of bloud would be no more which very want would be as bad as death unto them their Natures are now so accustomed unto it In a word as Amos speakes they have gotten them Hornes by their own strength or sleight and the Hornes are the defence of the Head the Militia are these Hornes and should they part with that they fear they should not keep their Heads long after and therefore great reason they have rather to desire the settlement of it for ever in their own Hands But with their favour what reason hath the King to trust them that will not trust Him them with His weapons upon that experience He hath had of their love and kindnesse Who will not trust Him with His own Can it be imagined that they will imploy them otherwise then they have done considering what their delights are Nay may it not be expected that they will make Him the Author of all their Evill which from thenceforth they shall doe when by His consent the power is once settled in their goods Hands Surely they that used His name to the raising of so many men against Himself to the killing of so many of His Subjects when He openly opposed them will not scruple to doe all their mischeif under His Name and Authority when they have so faire a pretence for it Nay should the King doe in this as they would have Him may not the Just and Holy God account Him a partaker with them in Evill His Majesty by His own pious confession hath smarted under the Hand of God for His consenting though doubtlesse against His will to the shedding of Straffords innocent Bloud and should He againe after His Humiliation for that by a new consent make Himself guilty of many more Blouds the continued Anger of the Almighty might be too heavy a burden for Him to beare No doubt but they are and will be the more importunate for His consent now because they see His heart hath smot Him for His consent then for how ever it was blattered much at the beginning by those of their faction against forcing of tender Consciences yet verily we beleeve there were never men that delighted more in offering violence to the Soules and Consciences of the righteous then themselves do wherefore should His Majesty yeild to them in this particular it would be in singultum cordis a corrasive to His Heart for ever and therein a glory unto them and also it would argue too great a distrust in Gods defence of Him and be a mean to delay Gods punishment from falling upon the heads of these lofty Rebells And besides all this His Majesty hereby shall give way to the settling

intelligence with the Cardinall Mazarine Though I will not swear saies he that Lenthall says true yet I am sure 't is fit for thee to know Pap. 1. Here was another Clandestine businesse And further he doth consult with her about supplies of Men Monies and Powder for defence of his life against them of Westminster Pap. 3. and gives her direction for the conveyance of it in some other Papers a businesse Clandestine and shrewd too And in Paper 6. he assures her in private that Hertogen the Irish Agent was an arrant Knave a particular which might concerne the men of Westminster and touch them more close then perhaps every body will yet beleeve Besides in most of these Letters we shall finde the King and his Queen comforting and supporting each other under their heavy burdens with mutuall intimation of perfect love and patheticall expressions of conjugall affection All which are notable proceedings indeed against them at Westminster and great obstructions to their endevours which are to breake the Hearts of both and sinke them to their graves presently And thus we see the nature and danger of the first particular in the Charge concerning Clandestine proceedings which are so evident that we can say nothing against it The 2. followes the proof whereof is more and obscure and that is condemning all that are in any degree Protestants in Oxford by which they would have it beleeved that the King is so great an Enemy to Protestant Religion that his very friends at Oxford who have forsaken all they had for his sake are hated by him for their Religion sake so many of them as are Protestants in any degree But how this is manifest in these his Papers we are to seek for though these men have forehead enough to affirme it yet their fortune is not good enough to prove it Indeed we find the King in his Letters to Ormond Paper 16. and in his Directions to his Commissioners at Uxbridge taking great care and giving strict Charge for the preservation of his Protestant Subjects in Ireland but in no place can we see so much as a sillable tending to the condemnation of Protestant Religion But these men cannot leave their old trade of Taxing the King with their own Conditions Heaven and Earth can witnesse that never was there in England greater enemies to Protestant Religion then themselves have been never was there so much Protestant Bloud spilt in this Nation since the beginning of the world as hath been by their meanes within these foure years Never was London so full of Prisons never the Prisons so full of Protestant Divines Protestant Nobles Gentry and Christians of all sorts as they have been since these good men kept Court at Westminster Besides how they have Countenanced and brought into the Church all kinde of Sects and Heresies to the ruine of Protestantisme which the King for the Honour and Health thereof was alwayes carefull to suppresse and keep out How have they maintained and preached Doctrines of Devills scil of strife murder of Brethren Rebellion against Princes oppression of neighbours and practised the same which are all directly opposite to the Religion of the Protestants How have they abolished the Book of Common-Prayer established by Parliament to be the Protestants publick forme of Worshiping and serving God in this Kingdome Had the King done but any one of these things or were he not himselfe a most constant and zealous Professour of Protestant Religion in his daily practice these men might happily have had some Colour for this their confident Charge against him and so to have created suspitions of him But seeing all things are so cleare contrary we learne onely thus much from this particular on their charge that they are men whose hearts are not overspiced with honesty They passe not what they say nor with what face so they say no truth The third particular which they load their King withall is Tolleration of Idolatry to Papists which they speak as if Idolatry sub eo nomine were already allowed and set up by the Kings Authority in contempt of God and true Religion and so doubtlesse they would have it apprehended Reasonable men will yeild that there is a difference betwixt Idolatry and the Penalty thereof the penalty may be suspended altered or taken away for the time and yet the sinne it selfe not tollerated or allowed These doubty Champions will not yeild that their Parlia have granted a tolleration to Adultery though they have abrogated the penal Lawes against that sin and so taken away the meanes to punish it Nor can they prove that the King hath promised any more to Papists then the Parliament hath already granted to fornicatours In their after-notes where they make repetition of this matter they referre the Reader to Paper the 8. for their ground of it In which we finde the King relating to His Queen how the English Rebells had transmitted the Commands of Ireland from the Crowne of England to the Scots an expression worthy by the way to be observed by all Englishmen that regard the honour of their Nation considering that the King Himself is a Scot and that the men of Westminster intend if they cannot kill Him to thrust Him and His Children as some of their Hang-bies have whispered to His Ancient Inheritance in Scotland when they have made use of His People of that Nation to help to destroy His Kingly Power here not one Scot of them all shall have any footing or any more to doe in this Kingdome I say considering this every true Englishman hath cause most highly to reverence the King for His Justice unto and His care of the dignity of the English Crown But to proceed the King tells His Queen that by that Act that base and ignoble act He found Reformation of the Church not to be as they pretended the end of this Rebellion and concludes it would be no piety but presumption rather in Himselfe not to use all lawfull meanes to maintaine His righteous Cause And as one mean to that purpose not thought of before He gives His Queen leave to promise in His Name that all penall Lawes in England against Roman Catholicks shall be taken away as soone sayes He as God shall inable me to doe it upon this Conditiion so as by their meanes I may have so powerfull assistance as may deserve so great a favour and inable me to doe it Now how truly from these words that accusation is collected let the Readers Judge Here they see is no absolute grant or tolleration of Idolatry as they pretend but only a conditionary promise of withdrawing the penall Statutes against the Papists His Subjects if by their meanes He may be delivered from this bloudy raging and malicious persecution of the Puritans and settled in His power and throne again And well may the Papists expect as much favour from the King for such a service as Adulterers have had already from the Parliament gratis Nor perhaps

of the maine Pillars of this rank faction where in like sort were present some of their Chaplaines and amongst them there was one Scholler who I think truly was an honest man at that present and verily I beleeve doth stil so continue he being like that Disciple which was known to the High Priest well acquainted with the Company and therefore might speak more freely to them and amongst them then another man could be suffered to doe and indeed so did He moved them to this purpose while they were at Supper or sitting at Table Gentlemen you have begun a Civill Warre in this Kingdome and you are come bere into the Country to draw us further to your assistance by requiring us to Associate with you You shall doe well to declare what it is that you doe bottome your Warre upon and what is the cause of this your undertaking that Seeing your Grounds to be lawfull and good we may with the better Conscience concur with you for though we take you to be wise and honest men yet it doth not become us to yeild you our blind obedience in a matter of so High concernment as this is Say therefore I pray for what cause doe you wage this Warre Is it for Religion Can you complaine of any restraint in that Are not the Temples open Have we not Liberty to Preach and professe the whole Truth of God Is true Religion so freely exercised in any Nation under Heaven as here Is not the King himselfe a Protestant ● Hath he not granted you a power to devise for its continuance and a promise of his concurrence with you to establish and settle it as strongly as you please What can you hope to get more by Warre concerning this thing then you may have nay then is offered to you in a way of Peace Wherefore declare I beseech you whether it be for Religion that you fight and if so what Particular in Religion it is that you would have us joyne with you to maintaine and defend One of the Members that thought himselfe the best speaker undertooke to Answer the Schollar for the Chaplaines poor soules were posed they sat stil and said nothing though some of them had been as far as Edge Hill And at length did after some shuffling fairly confesse being thus urged that in very deed it was not Religion they fought for the Doctor asks Why do you then pretend it to be so unto the people His answer was we shall never else win the people to us Well but what is it then replyed the Doctor Is it the Abolition of Episcopacy that you so contest about You know God hath sufficiently manifested his approbation of this Government by his so abundant blessing of this Church and Nation under it none in the world hath thrived better nor so well under any as ours hath done under this you know also that the King hath given you leave to punish or to see punished in a regular way all persons that have miscarried themselves in the execution of that Government without exception of any He hath given you power to see that all abuses in Discipline be removed yea and what ever is liable to exception in our Canons and Lyturgie to be altered for the ease and satisfaction of tender Consciences yea He hath yeilded to you for prevention of injustice afterward the taking away the High Commission and hath left it to you to purge all Ecclesiasticall Courts beside and as a pledge of Assurance against all growing Corruptions he hath enacted a Trienniall Parliament for the calling of ill officers and faulty Church Governours to an examination every three yeares before your selves Now do you think that notwithstanding all these particular Considerations that the Abolition of Episcopacy is a thing of that grand necessity as to imbroile this whole Nation and Kingdome in its own Bloud The Member being convinced also by these Reasons of this particular answered Truely it was not but as the former so this pretence also was to be used to winne and hold the people Why then sayes the Doctor will you tell us what is the cause why you fight The Wiseman answered to bring Delinquents to punishment and so for ought I know the disputation ended for this is all that I heard of it But I would have any of them all to name six Delinquents if they can that were so declared to be when they raised their first Forces some 3. or 4. persons perhaps fled the Kingdome but must the whole Nation bleed for that reason 'T is true indeed they fell afterward to make Delinquents apace and all that would not renounce the Doctrine of Christs Gospell which is a Doctrin of Loyalty and obedience and which they had alwayes been instructed in all that would not abjure their Oath of Allegeance break that Protestation lately imposed by these very men which was to maintaine defend the Kings Person Honour and Estate are looked upon as Delinquents and persecuted as such with fire and sword yea divers of the Members of both Houses who had to speak in these mens owne phrase so much Conscience and goodnesse in them as not to desert their trust in Parliament to their King and Country by giving up themselves to their wills are all become Delinquents too upon the suddaine and to bring all these to punish nent that Justice of Parliament may passe unto them are these Warres said to be undertaken and pursued and when they have by their Votes put all them to death whom they have done wrong unto perhaps they will sit still and be quiet but not before Well fare the good King yet He named six notorious Delinquents whereas these men never named any and when he saw he could not have the Justice of Law against them rather then make any further disturbance he declined their prosecution indeed he is blamed for his so doing by these men as was noted before but O that they had had the grace to have been guilty of such an errour And thus much by way of digression in the case of Delinquency I now return to their Story They tell us that the Answer returned to the foresaid Propositions was That if these things were granted the King should remain but the out-side but the picture but the sign of a King which very Answer they say was the Trumpet of War and the sound of defiance scil in their ears who had a great lust to quarrel now they had got weapons but their misery was the King stil crosses them for He would not permit it to be so owned Stil say they He saies He intends not to fix any disloyal design upon both or either House of Parliament He is rather most confident of the Loyalty good Affections and integrity of that great Bodies good intentions but the malignity of the design He saies hath proceeded from the subtile informations mischievous practices and evil Counsels of ambitious turbulent Spirits not without a

them though we believe it would be wisdome in them to beware that their Jubilation at the prevailing of the English Rebels doth not work a jealousie and suspition against themselves in the hearts of their own Princes our prayers are and shall be that God would not lay their inhumanities against us to their charges we know the Lord was sore displeased at the Heathen for their unkindnesse to his people in their affliction and we believe he cannot be well pleased to see Christians so conditioned O sayes God to Edom Thou shouldst not have looked with pleasures on the day of thy Brother in the day that he became a stranger neither shouldst thou have rejoyced over the Children of Judah in the day of their destruction neither shouldst thou have spoken proudly in the day of distresse That speech of God to Moab is worthy the observation of all that are at ease when other Nations are in trouble Take Councell and be well advised let mine out-casts dwell with thee Moab make thy shaddow as the night in the midst of the noone-day be thou a Covert to them from the face of the spoyler hide them and bewray not him that wandereth But Moab cast these words behind her and was so farre from comforting the distressed Israelites that she derived at them in their banishment and skipt for joy to see them miserable and therefore within three years after Moabs own self was in as wofull and deplorable a condition which as appears by the two Prophets was layd upon her for a punishment of that her unkindnesse Had she afforded shelter she had not her self at least so soon been put to seek it Deus fratribus nostris Ecclesiae Gallicanae praesertim avertat omen But probably these sinnes of our Brethren of other Churches will in a great measure be imputed partly to the malice of our enemies for impoysoning their mindes by their Lyes and Pamphlets and partly to our negligence if it may be so called who have not been as equally active in giving them the true information of things in their own Language from the beginning Wherefore I wish that now at length all those who love the Truth and are acquainted with our English Affaires and have a skill in forraign Languages would consider seriously of this particular and as they are Christians not permit those for whom Christ dyed thus to perish in their Errours for want of knowledge Thou shalt in any wise saith the Lord rebuke thy brother when faulty or mis-led and not suffer sinne upon him yea I would desire all Loyall Englishmen to whom God hath given the tongue and pen of the Learned that they would imploy their Talents at this time this way in the vindicating of Truth and the King and so manifest their bowels of compassion towards their dear and native Countrey for undoubtedly so long as our Soveraignes name lies thus imprisoned under obloquy we his people and the whole Nation shall lie burthened under misery never since the birth of that grand scandalous Remonstrance which as an usher made way to all the reproachfull Libells and Sermons that have been vented since did this Kingdome enjoy one day of felicity The Prince's Honour is the Subjects glory and so ought to be esteemed 't is that Majesty that beame of Divinity which God hath stampt upon Him and commanded us to maintaine and reverence in Him t is to be regarded by us above ten thousands of us yea certainly he that preferres not the advancement and illustration of it before his own pofits and safety and all he hath deserves not the name of the Kings friend of a Loyall Subject nor of a good Christian. Many think and say that writing will doe no good enough is writ already for people are given up to beleeve lies they are willingly deceived and even hardened against the knowledge of the truth Perhaps all are not but were they so how came they into this condition was it not by those untruths which have bin Published and Preached to them Surely by defaming the King these mischiefes have been raised this Rebellion against him hath been woven up is it not therefore the more probable that the same may be unreaven againe by a full Vindication of the Kings name and a frequent ditection of these evill workers What is not effected at first may be done at last and by others which is not by some In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening hold not thy hand thou knowest not whether may prosper this or that if we persevere with meeknesse to enforme the contrary-minded God may at length give light and repentance to them This hath been wont to be Gods way both of converting the ignorant and confounding the obstinate and the truth is we have nothing else now left us but tongues to pray for our King and pens to write for him but the Apostle tells us that when we are weakest in our selves or to outward appearance then are we strongest scil in regard of the neernesse of Gods blessing his power is most apparent at such a time he chuseth the weakest to confound the mightiest poore Luthers tongue and pen when things were in a low condition did Christ and his Gospell more service against the Pope then all the swords that have been drawn against him or his Religion have done ever since Doubtlesse there be thousands of honest and Religious soules that in the simplicity of their spirits are hooked into this black Rebellion by the craft of others to whom if the wickednesse of the scope aymes and actions of their leaders were well layed open and proved they would hate them with a perfect hatred and rather lose all they have lent them then proceed one foot further in their way with them Nay who knowes but the greater part of their Souldiers and men of warre in many of whom to speak truth the sparks of Ancient English valour are apparent if they were at length but well informed might quickly turne the points of their swords the right way and so redeeme their lost glory without all question discourses of this nature will be meanes to rouze up and awaken those truly generous and noble Spirits that have been alway loyall and are still alive to consider more feelingly yet of the condition of their King of their Country and of the Royall Progeny those sweet and heart-conquering Princes who are all now either in banishment or in bondage and thereupon to enterpize in their behalfe some such high and worthy Acts as may eternize their owne names and convey them with an honourable mention to Posterity Or however were we certaine of it as we are not that these of this Age on the one side who received not the Truth or retained not the love thereof when they had it are given up to such strong delusions that they cannot be recovered out of Satans snare and those on the other side were