Consequence and good Law Treason to warr against him I shall now shew that the Parliament and not himself was the first beginners of these late Confusions the true rise of which I must fetch higher than the Presbyterian Party will give me thanks for And as a leading Card to this Discovery we must observe that a rebellious itching humour of incroaching upon and railing against lawful Authority was the main foundation of our miseries the source of which frantick temper I must draw from Geneva whose Disciples are commonly carryed on with more violence than the furirious Rhosne upon which the City boasts her situation In this City John Calvin confirmed his Presbyterian-Discipline in the same year that Ignatius Loyola the first Founder of the Jesuites was chosen their first General in a solemn manner viz. 1541. And just a hundred years after 1641. was the famous and reverend Church of England over-run and clowded by the Calvinistical Proselytes And as these two Orders of Presbytery and Jesuitism took their rise together so have they gone hand in hand through a blind zeal not only to derogate from but extirpate all Civil Authority not conducible to their Interests And as Calvin's Presbytery at first was begot by Rebellion and Treason they expelling from Geneva their lawful Prince and Magistrate So have their Children following the foot-steps of their Parents as what is in the bone will never out of the flesh made it their business to terrifie the World with this truth that as Schism so Sedition and they are inseparable And in this they have been no way hindred by their Lord and Master John Calvin whose inconsiderate zeal in some things was such that it was so farr from sparing any that it would throw its fury at Kings and Queens Witness his irreverent expression thrown against Queen Mary calling of her Proserpine telling us that she outstrips all the Devils in Hell And in this way of Rhetorick do other of his dear sons follow him as John Knox calls the same Queen wicked Jezabel and Devil and her Rule the monstriferous Empire of a wicked Woman And another Brother viz. Anthony Gilby calls her a Monster and one wanting no will to wickedness And yet this Lady whom they so much abuse and vilifie was as our Authentick Chronicles assure us a Woman truly pious merciful and of most chast and modest behaviour and every way to be prais'd if you consider not her Errour in Religion A charracter so glorious that I fear few of our Disciplinarians dare pretend to But their only railing against Princes doth not shew half their malice for they have found out fine wayes not only to dethrone but murther their Kings by their not only approving of such wickedness but perswading thereto And this power Calvin acknowledgeth to lye in the Parliament consisting of the Three Estates in each Kingdom telling them that they are perfidious and betrayers of their Trust if they do not restrain the Enormities of Kings And with him agrees one of our English Non-conformists Dudlie Fenner and allows the King to be taken away either by Peace or Warr. And what a stiff Enemy he was to our English Church you may imagine by the Education of his two Scholars Tho. Cartwright and Walter Trevers And Robert Rollock one of the Scottish Brethren confirms this way of King-killing under the notion of Tyrants But How furiously doth John Knox his Countrey-man incite the people to Rebellion telling them that Reformation of Religion belongs as well to the Commonalty as Kings and other Magistrates And that the common people may demand of their Kings true Preachers and that others i. e. in his sense Bishops may be expell'd But if the Rulers will not then they may provide themselves which they may defend and maintain against all that shall oppose them And that they may with-hold the fruits and profits from their false Bishops and Clergy And he tells them that their Princes Rulers and Bishops are criminal of Idolatry and Innocent Bloud and Tyranny And that no person whatsoever is exempted from punishment if he can be manifestly convicted to have provoked or led the people to Idolatry And that the punishment of Idolatry Blasphemy and such like doth appertain to the people as well as others And all these incitements are because the Queen was a Roman-Catholick of which he tells the Lords that if they grant Priviledge or Liberty they shall assuredly drink the Cup of Gods Vengeance and shall be reputed before his presence Companions of Thieves and maintainers of Murtherers And that he might make them more willingly throw off all Obedience he perswades them that It is not Birth nor Propinquity of Bloud that makes a King Lawful and plainly tells them that the Rule of a Woman is unlawful And these brave Doctrines he got printed at Geneva 1558. July 14. from whence he sends them into Brittain to move the people into Rebellion From the same place doth Beza afterwards write to Knox then in Scotland to perswade him to extirpate Episcopacy though the being of it might cause Peace and Unity And of this mind was his Patron John Calvin who profest that he could not Exercise the Office of a Minister unless the Presbyterian Government was confirmed and setled in Geneva From this City did Beza write into England to perswade them from all Formalities and Ceremonies used in our Church and from this place sprang all our Troubles about Non-conformity All this which hath been said as the Opinion of private men was publickly concluded on as Orthodox in Scotland if you will give credit to one of their chief Patrons Buchanan one who hath done an irreparable mischief to Princes by his villainous and wretched Book De Jure Regni apud Scotos a poysonous Well from whence the Long-Parliament and our late Common-wealths-men have drawn most of their Pleas and Arguments And is no small demonstration of the Authours Impudence to dedicate it to King James too good a Master for such a wretched Servant Nor was these things any way denyed in the same Nation of late dayes when 1638. August 27. it was ordered That the ablest man in each Parish should be provided to dispute of the King's Power in calling Assemblies and what they meant by this is no hard matter to discern considering that not only they had the moneth before maintained the power of Convocating to lye in themselves but also the same year had actively derided at the King's Authority and the next year bid him Battle And how little many of their Presbyters have since mended their manners may appear by that impudent piece of Non-sense Malice and Treason spoken by one of their Grandees Mr. Robert Duglas at our King's Coronation in Scotland and by him call'd a Sermon but how unbefitting that name as we now take the word to signifie is appropriated let any that dare call
will defend me Difficile est Satyram non scribere nam quis iniquae Tam patiens Urbis tam ferreus ut teneat se We must be angry Who can choose but frown When Traytors thrive by a Rebellious Town If my fault be only speaking tartly the then Dr. Reynolds will assure this to be no such crime by telling them that there is sometimes a Necessity of sharp Rebukes and Mr. Hickman in this will stifly plead mine Innocency when he tells the World in these words that c If at any time I seem to depart from that meekness of spirit which is required in a Minister I shall desire that it may be considered not only what is fit for me to speak but what is meet for them to hear If I were to mention their fact who took the Reliques of Peter Martyr ' s Wife's carkase out of the Grave and after buried them in a Dunghill would you not allow me to call it Unchristian and Inhumane c. And in another place either himself or his Friends have bestirr'd themselves notably to plead the necessity and justness of my keenness by declaring to all people that If any where I have used more sharpness then is pleasing to men I shall only say that their hard grateing hath sharpned my style and made it more keen and piercing than I could have allowed my self to use towards a good-natured Adversary 'T is almost morally impossible for him who contends with a fiery and furious Antagonist sometimes not to be a little over-heated But yet I am very willing to lye under the lash of their severest Titles provided they will be so Ingenious as to distribute Justice with an equal hand If they look upon me as an hot-headed Rayler for calling them Rebels and Traytors and what can be more true I wonder how they can quit John Calvin from the same Epithet who call'd those who could not agree to his will Profane Impudent Brasen-faced Impostours Fools wicked Forgeries Perfidious Uncharitable Peevish Hang-man Plague void of Grace Knaves Serpents Devils Filthy Dog c. If they censure me as-an impudent and sawcy Fellow for calling them Hypocrites I hope they will give the same Title to John Knox the Father of the Scotch Presbytery and a great assistant to these in England This man had so got the knack of villifying that his Tongue could be no Slander Passing by those of Inferior Rank take some of his Complements to Queen Mary calling her several times a wicked Woman tells her that she was not sober merciful but cruel and wicked Mischievous false dissembling unconstant proud and a Breaker of Promises an open Traitoress to the Imperial Crown of England Nor is this all but he calls her Reign The Monstriferous Empire of a wicked Woman the yoke of the Devil her most Tyrannical Iniquity that most unhappy and wicked Womans Authority that reigneth in Gods wrath an usurped Government c. and calls his own Queen Regents actions Idolatry Avarice and Cruelty If they think me malepert for calling them Schismaticks they cannot handsomely quit Marshal Calamy Young Newcomen and Spurstow of the same guilt for terming the Reverend Bishop Hall false and confident self-confounding-man and of a confident boldness and that his Book is full of falsities and contradictions For ranting against Episcopacy as an Iron and Insupportable yoke unjust Opposition uttering words bordering upon Blasphemy A Stirrup for Antichrist to get into the Saddle Corrupt Prelates that they discountenance discourage oppose blaspheme Preaching that they are Rotten Members Sons of Belial And then thunders out strange things of their Intolerable Oppressions and Tyrannies Drunkennsss Profaness Superstition Popishness of the English Clergie and then talks of their Cruelty Tyranny scandalous Sins hateful Enormities and that the Bishops do encrease Popery Superstition and Profaneness And to make their malice compleat would gladly bear the people in hand that it hath been the Bishops great design to hinder all farther Reformation to bring in Popery and Libertinism to keep out and beat down the Preaching of the Word to silence the faithful Preachers to oppose and persecute the most zealous Professors and to turn all Religion into a pompeous outside and to tread down the Power of Godliness If they think me uncivil for hinting at their Perjury they cannot but be as angry with their Brethren in Scotland the Committee of Estates for calling that Famous Loyal and Religious Marquess of Montross several times Excommunicate Traytor Viperous brood of Satan declared Traytor whom the Church hath delivered into the hands of the Devil and the Nation doth generally detest and abhorr Impudent braggard lyer and malicious man perfidious Traytor a Child of the Devil Dissembling Hypocrite of a mean and desperate Fortune vain man miserable miscreant malicious man and accuseth him of wickedness base treacherous practises Rebellion and Treason and then fairly concludes that he is a person justly excluded from civil Society for his Treasonable Practises and Excommunicated from the Church for his abominable Transgressions And this way of Presbyterian slandring is bravely imitated by their gude Kirk who call the same noble General That Excommunicated and forfeited Traytor That wretched man that Monster of men that excommunicate wretch unnatural Man that perfidious and proud Atheist and then also concludes their Charity that he is delivered into the hands of the Devill If they have a bad opinion of me for giving them now and then some names which they think are attributed by way of Reproach they can have no better thoughts of Mr. Hickman for scornfully calling the learned Dr. Pierce a wanton wit uncharitable one that tumbles out his ugly Tropes and rowls himself in his railing Eloquence a deplorable Dilemmatist a doughty Disputant accuseth him of Malice Railing Impudence and Nonsense That his Book is full of bitter girds and scurrilous gibes and that himself foams out of his own shame and waxeth worse and worse The same party calls Mr Hobs a Prodigious Writer and Commune Dei hominum que Odium And terms the learned and ingenious Author of Tilenus Junior an Aethiopian scribler poor fellow and accuseth him of Impudence Nor is this all but throws his venom upon the late Supporter of Learning the Reverend Arch-bishop Laud by affirming that the flourishing of him was the decaying and languishing of Church and State Nor could either body well recover but by spewing out such evill instruments as he and Buckingham So that it seems in his opinion there was a necessity of murthering them both The same Gentleman can also tell you who sufficiently abused and vilified the Learned Dr. Heylin and Mr. Pierce and at last threw his malice to the purpose upon the poor sequestrated Episcopal Divines telling the World that a greater part of them were unsavory salt fit only to be cast upon the Dunghill And if reports be true he can also tell you who not long since call'd the Bishops Schismaticks and threw great reproaches upon that
himself loyal and rational be judge And truly what itching ears for Innovation and against Regal Authority some of the forraign Presbyters have is something palpable from the Letter of Gisbertus Voetius wherein he doth not only commend Prynne's Soveraign Power of Parliaments but saith that it ought to be translated into Latin and French for the benefit of the Reformed Divines and Politicians And Prynne himself tells us that it is translated into several Languages And what Pleas they may suck out of such Books against Monarchy cannot be ignorant to those who have seen what mischief the counterfeit Name of Junius Brutus a fit name for such a murtherous mind though the true Authour is supposed to be Beza and that printed in divers Languages hath laid open to those who are willing to perpetrate wickedness And how consentaneous to the Doctrines laid down in these Pamphlets their actions have been their often Rebellions in France but more especially in the dayes of Lewis the 13 th will shew us whom though he had pardoned several times yet would they never keep Articles but upon every advantage fly to their Arms again looking upon Regal Authority only as a Bug-bear to afright Children hoping in time by dwindling it to nothing to raise themselves to Superiority And how many men by these false Positions may be drawn to Schism and Rebellion is manifest from this one Example In King James his time one Knight a young Divine Preach'd at St. Peters in Oxford and in his Sermon maintain'd the Presbyterian Doctrines above specified for which being call'd in question he laid the fault upon some late Divines in forraign Churches who had misguided him in that point especially on David Paraeus who had asserted these Doctrines upon which his Comment on the Romans was publickly and solemnly burnt at Oxford 1622. June 6 th Cambridge and St. Paul's Cross in London The famous University of Oxford in a full Convocation concluding 25. June 1622. That such assertions were contrary to Scripture Councils Fathers the Faith and Profession of the Primitive Church and Monarchy it self and therefore condemned them as false wicked and seditious And did also affirm That according to the Scriptures it is not lawful for Subjects upon any terms to resist their King or Prince no not to take up Arms against him either for Religion or any other account whatsoever And for more sureness they did also Decree that every one before he took a Degree should swear to this The Opinion delivered in the sentence of these two famous Universities I shall value more than of an Assembly or Classis made up of all the Presbyterians in the World The consideration of these Disciplinarian Maximes I believe did make our ingenious Satyrist cry out Our Zeal-drunk-Presbyters cry down All Law of Kings and God but what 's their own If you desire to see any more of their wild and extravagant Principles you may consult Archbishop Bancroft's Industrious Book a piece that I am sorry is so scarse as it is and that for want of Re-printing while Calvert's shop dayly labours with the multitude of Fanatick Pamphlets and such Books as Smectymnuus must be printed and printed again and that with the addition of a long Preface by a great Time-serving Divine CHAP. VII The Rebellious Actions of the Presbyterians in Scotland till the Death of King James HOw agreeable the practise of the Brethren have been to these Treasonable Notions afore specified shall here in brief be laid down by their tumultuous Carriages in Scotland Whither these Principles kindled with a fiery zeal enough to eat up whole Kingdoms were carryed and the furiousness of them greatly augmented at the return of John Knox that great Incendiary of the Nation and Kirk of Scotland as a learned Doctor calls him from Geneva 1559. A man that still had the misfortune to carry Warr and Confusion along with him as if like Hippocrates's Twins he and they were inseparable witness the Combustions he made at Franckfort amongst the poor English Protestants fled thither for Religion where he was not undeservedly accused of High-Treason against the Emperor by comparing him in print to Nero and calling of him Enemy to Christ c. For which crimes he was forced to sculk away to Geneva thence to Deep in France and after that to Scotland whence after few weeks stay he fled back to Geneva but not setling there he returns to Deep again from which place he wrote divers Letters to the Scots to stirr them up to Rebellion and having by that means wrought some confidence among them returned to Scotland again By these Principles distill'd amongst them by this wandering Brother and the deadly Feuds of old betwixt the Nobility the Nation became miserably distracted The Kings and Queens thinking it hard measure to have their undoubted Rule and Soveraignty pluck'd from them by such inferiour Instruments and Vassals And on the other side the Congregators for so they then call'd themselves back'd on by several Hot-spurs scorned to yield subjection to any but themselves so that the disturbed Kingdom appeared to be governed by two distinct Authorities like Caesar and Pompey one party disdaining an Equal whilst the other denyed a Supream The Presbyters so farr extolling their own Priviledges as Christs Embassadours that many thought there was no Antichrist but Kings and such Civil Authority which cogitations nurst in them such a small esteem of their Rulers or Laws that they did not only think that to be their right which was most agreeable to their own humours but also that they might gain such things to themselves by the Sword As if Subjects need any more Priviledge then the course of Law At the beginning of the Reformation in Scotland the Queen-Regent favourably because contrary to her Religion allowed them the Bible in their own Language But they not content with this use their wonted Master-peice of Reviling upon which she was constrained to send for some of their Preachers to appear before her who accordingly came but with such a multitude of favourites and attendants that through fear of her own Person she was obliged to order by Proclamation all to depart who came unsent for a thing alwayes usual in the best of Governments yet was this so offensive to the Brethren that they throng in Tumults into her Privy-chamber and there threaten her with their weapons an act quite contrary to the Apostles and Primitive Christians so that she was constrained to pleasure them Afterwards she allows them liberty to use their Prayers and Service in the Vulgar Tongue provided they kept no Publick Assemblies in Edenbourgh or Leith for avoiding Tumults And in their Petition to her for the obtaining these favours they acknowledge that the Redress of all Enormities both Ecclesiastical and Civil did orderly belong to her But this acknowledging of her Authority lasted not long for when presently afterwards they demanded more liberty with a
restrain'd the punishment of their disorders against her Person and Authority the more liberty they took to offend To this Knox impudently answers That his patience in suffering abominations made him not guilty of any fault and if his tongue took liberty in Pulpit she might take it as she pleas'd since in the Pulpit he had no Superiour but God and that his gifts made him equal to any of her Peers And as for her weeping he said He could better sustain her tears than the trouble of his Cause or to betray the Common-wealth Nor durst the Queen question him for his sawcy replyes knowing the strength of his Faction which being uot unhid to Knox made him more Insolent as afterwards publickly to affirm That For her sins the Land must lament and that it was absolute Rebellion in her not to turn Protestant and compared her to Simon Magus thinking it impossible that her sins could be forgiven her Nor did others of his Fraternity hold their peace And having got thus sure footing nothing would satisfie them but to have all for which purpose at a General Assembly at Edenburgh they draw up a Petition of several Heads the first of which was That the Queen her self with all her Family should not only forsake Mass and Popish Idolatry but that all none excepted should be punished who transgrest this Article To this she answered being then at St. Johnstons That as she freely gave every one Liberty of Conscience so she hoped that her Subjects would not press her to do against her Conscience and that she did not only think that there was no impiety in the Mass but that her Religion was true and grounded upon the Word of God But this gave them no full satisfaction Henry Stewart Lord Darnley being now marryed to the Queen July 1565. and proclaimed King the Knoxian Lords fly to their Arms and so doth the King also but before his march hears Knox preach at Edenburgh at St. Giles Kirk where he rail'd against the present Government reflectively saying That for the sins of the People God gives them Boyes the King was about 21. years old and Women to rule over them After which the King marcheth against the Lords who fly into England yet through Intercession all was reconciled Not long after this the Queen was brought to Bed in Edenburgh Castle betwixt 9. 10. at night July 19. of a Son which was afterwards Christned at Sterling and call'd James who became at last the happy Uniter of the two Crowns At the latter end of the same year John Knox intending to visit his sons at Cambridge moved the Assembly to write to the English Bishops in favour of the Non-conformists then buzzing in England The which they do but in their wonted language railing against the Surplice Square-Caps Tippets and calling them Badges and Garments of Idolatry Romish Raggs vain Trifles telling them as if the serious Bishops need take advice from such Hair-brains That they may boldly oppose all such Authority which dare command such things brave language and anew way of begging to get curtesies by Some few weeks after this the King was most barbarously murder'd 9 th February but by whom and how because History will not tell us the truth at large I think it not convenient to relate by peice-meal Then was the Queen whether willing or constrained is nothing to me marryed to Bothwell against whom the Lords raise an Army and forced him to fly into Denmark where he was imprisoned and they also seize on the forsaken Queen whom they secure in the Island of Lochlevin where by threats and fear they forced her to resign tears trickling down her face abundantly her Interest in the Crown to her young Son few days above a year old who was Crowned few days after at Sterling July 29. And if you will believe a late Historian Knox and other Ministers were not satisfied with this Resignation of hers but would have her also deprived of life nor is this Treasonable cruelty contradictory to his fore-mentioned Principles Now could the Knoxians desire nothing more having their King young in his Cradle and so capable of what impression they pleas'd and their Queen in close Prison so that they appeared Lords and Masters Yet she presently escapes out of Prison gets some Forces fights Murray the Regent but being beat fled into England where Queen Elizabeth imprisoned her till she was to the astonishment of many beheaded 1586. after 18. years close Imprisonment The next year the Regent Murray was slain at Lithgow by one Hamilton And then Lenox the Kings Grand-father obtained that dignity against whom the Lord Hamilton in behalf of the Queen raiseth a Warr in which Lenox was slain at Sterling Then was the Earl of Marre chosen who not long after dyed of a Feavour After whom the Earl of Morton succeeded as Regent after which the Queens Party by degrees lost all Authority In this year did John Knox dye at Edenburgh Novemb. 27. one that as I am apt to believe all things considered gained more esteem amongst the people by the reverence of his long-beard reaching down to his middle than any real wisdom or discretion that could be appropriated to him And now comes Andrew Melvil burning from Geneva against Bishops denying the lawfulness of their Function labouring for the absolute Presbyterial Discipline according to the Geneva mode which rais'd some Tempests in the Church insomuch that some of the Presbytery forbad Mr. Patrick Adamson lately by the Regent presented and by the Chapter chosen to the See of St. Andrews to Exercise any part of his Jurisdiction till he had acknowledged and satisfied them After this Argyle and Athol not affecting the Regent go to the young King at Sterling complaining against Morton and desiring him to take the Rule upon himself And so the King doth at 12. years old and thus the Regency fell The young King being brought up in the Reformed way confirms the Religion in Parliament but not their Discipline he affecting the Episcopal Government and ever since he was ten years old as himself confesseth disliked the Presbyterian way And truly Experience gave him good reason for it But to make all sure a Negative Oath by way of a Confession of Faith wherein all the Romish Ceremonies and Doctrines were abjured was drawn up by Mr. John Craig and this the King himself took and this he reflected upon in the Conference at Hampton-Court Having thus tyed his Conscience as they thought his Body must be secured too and so at Ruthen they seize upon him and that with so much inhumanity and irreverence that he burst forth into tears for which he got nothing but this Answer from the Master of Glammis It is no matter for his tears better that Barns should weep then Bearded-men Upon this the Earl of Arran going to know the Kings condition was secured and his Brother sore
wounded And none being suffered to speak with the King but whom they pleas'd he cryed out to some Noble-men whom the Duke of Lenox had sent to see him that he was a Captive and desired his good Subjects to release him But this his Jaylors forced him presently to recant by setting forth a Proclamation in his Name that all things were done according to his own desire Then is the King carryed to Edenburgh where the Estates and Assemblies of Ministers justifie this bold action singing in triumph as they went up the High-street the 124. Psalm Now Israel may say c. Whilst the King lay under this constraint from France came two Embassadours Monsieur la Motte and Menevel to get the King releas'd and a Treaty betwixt the two Crowns Against these the Ministers declaim in their Sermons most bitterly but especially against La Motte who being Knight of the Order du Sainct Esprit an Order constituted at Paris by Henry the third King of France and Poland 1579. did wear according to the custom of his Order the Badge of a White-Cross upon his shoulder This they call the Badge of Antichrist and him the Embassadour of a bloudy Murtherer brave language to those who knew the Authority of such Persons and whom they represented These dayly out-cryes and perceiving nothing to be done moved the Embassadours to depart But the King being willing to dismiss them with some content desired the Magistrates of Edenburgh to Feast them before their parting for he for his part was not suffered to do any thing the which they did the next next Munday But the Ministry to shew their rebellious Authority and Devillish crossness proclaim a Fast to be kept upon the next Munday the day appointed for the Embassadours Entertainment at this Fast the Ministers thundred out against the Magistrates and other Noble-men that waited upon the Embassadours by the Kings directions Nor was this all but they pursued the Magistrates with the Censures of the Church and could scarce be stay'd from Excommunicating them for not observing the Fast they proclaimed The King not liking his Restraint and perceiving how Imperious his Subjects grew whilst he was under hatches consults an Escape which was performed by the means of Col. Stewart Captain of the Guard upon which those who would not now submit to his Majesty were proclaimed Traytors he also declaring that however his Proclamation came forth yet it was extorted from him by violence and therefore of no validity But for all this the Ministers in their Pulpits vindicate the late Imprisoning of the King for which Andrew Melvil was charged to enter his person at Blackness but he instead of obedience fled to Barwick which proceedings against Melvil caused great grumblings amongst the Brethren who affirmed that neither King nor Council can censure men for words in Pulpit but their own Associates the Presbytery only The next year the Earl of Gowry with whom joyned some of the Ministers run into open Rebellion but the Earl being taken was beheaded and the Ministers fled for it The Nation being thus rent into distractions by a company of babling malepert Boute-feus the Parliament hoped by giving Caesar his due and gagging his Enemies mouths all things would then tend to Peace and Settlement For which purpose they confirm his Majesties Authority over all Persons and in all Causes And that to decline the Kings Judgement and the Councils in any thing should be High-Treason and that any thing whatsoever not approved of by the King and the Three Estates should be null And that no person whatsoever should either privately or publickly either in Sermon Declamation or Discourse utter any false untrue or slanderous speeches to the reproach dishonour hurt or prejudice of the King or any of his Parents or Progenitors or his Council nor meddle with the affairs of the King or State These good and honests Acts made the Presbyters Horn-madd who like our bordering Moss-Troopers are never content but when doing mischief to others They protest against these wholsom Statutes many of them fly away into England scorning to live in such subjection and Libels and Pamphlets fly plentifully against the King and Court And by Letter protest those Acts to be against the Word of God and therefore if they submit to them they should then be Traytors to God reviling Bishops whom they call Gross Libertines Belly-gods and Infamous and such like charitable stuff as this This turbulent spirit flowing amongst them made many of them be imprisoned and others suspended from their Livings But this lasted not long for the next year the Scales turned the banished Lords being come again into Scotland they joyn Forces and march to Sterling where they seize upon the Kings Person again whom they constrain by Proclamation to pardon them all Now did the Court put on a new face the old Officers are turn'd out and others put in This imboldens the Ministers who fled to return again but much of their intended malice was stopt by a Parliament who order that none shall reproach his Majesties Person State or Government This incensed the Ministry so much as to stir up one Watson in his Sermon to rail to the Kings face of his evil Government for which he was imprisoned at Blackness This mans mouth being thus stopt another of that gang call'd James Gibson in his Sermon at Edenburgh affirmed the King to be the Persecutour of the Church and calls him to his face Jeroboam pronouncing this Curse against him That He should dye childless and be the last of his Race For this because before the Council he maintained the same again he was committed yet afterwards 1587. upon better advice he acknowledged his fault and was ordered publickly to do the same in his next Sermon the which he promised to do yet did not whereupon being charged for breaking his promise he stubbornly answered That out of infirmity and weakness he had confess'd a fault but now his Conscience told him that his words were innocent The Chancellour perceiving the mans inconstancy put it to the Assembly whether Gibson had done well or no where though many were ready to vindicate him yet at last a majority found him slanderous and offensive but he not appearing in the afternoon to receive his censute after much bandying to and fro he was only suspended during the pleasure of the Assembly and this lasted but to the next August when without ever acquainting the King he was by his Brethren quitted the which Countenancing of such Seditious Actions did so incense his Majesty that Gibson was forced to fly into England where he was entertained by the hot-brain'd Non-conformists The Presbytery to shew themselves more formidable call a Synod at St. Andrews where they accuse the Bishop of the same place for having had a hand in the late Acts against the unruliness of the Brethren as Melvil accused him The Bishop appeals to the King and three Estates and
actions of Master Love and a few of his associates as if this were sufficient to afford scraps of Loyalty to every particular Member of that Faction But to this may be answered First that if the story were as absolute Royal as man could imagine yet will it onely demonstrate that there were some three or four and twenty Presbyterians which were active for the good of his Majesty no more stirring in it as Master Love himself doth confess being utterly unknown to the rest of their party professing upon the Scaffold that the saying the contrary is onely a politick Engine to make the Presbyterian party odious so that the actions of these men are nothing to the vindication of the rest Besides compleat Loyalty they looked upon as odious But secondly the compleat honour of the story may upon very good grounds in the main be questioned For though they did sometimes meet at Master Love's house yet their Consultations were rather for the misery then benefit of King Church or Kingdome The main of their contrivances being to send to some about his Majesty advising them by all means to use their interests to Provoke Him i. e. the King to agree with the Scots and to take the Covenant as also to advise the Scots Commissioners that in their agreement with their King they should have a special respect to the Interest of Religion and Terms of the Covenant and to this purpose they must tumble out their prayers and send into Scotland to know whether they did maintain Religion and Covenant Interest So that the Scots were not onely guilty of their after Covenanting Tyranny with their betters but the English Brethren also by their thus thrusting on the design Hitherto we see all the Loyalty and affection by these men shew'd to their Soveraign was meerly conditionally and that upon a Covenant-account little beneficial to the King or his Party as may appear by the acknowledgement of one of their Patrons viz. Mr. Love I do retain as vehement a detestation of Malignancy whether in England or in Scotland as ever I did and shall in my place and calling oppose such a Design and Interest with as much zeal and faithfulness as ever Nor was his rancour towards the Kings best friends staid here but even upon the Scaffold just before his death as if thereby he intended to proclaim them odious to Posterity he thus endeavours to charm his Auditours I dye with my judgement set against Malignity I do hate both name and thing I shall retain as vehement a detestation of a Malignant Interest as ever I did And what he meant by a Malignant himself shall declare though 't is well enough understood I do not count the godly party our Covenanting Brethren in Scotland I do not count them a Malignant Party But who then he presently thus tells you My judgement then was and still is for bringing Malignants who did seduce him i. e. King Charles the first and draw him from the Parliament to condign punishment And the best friends his Majesty had beyond-Sea with him he calls desperate Malignants and bad Council so that I believe little honour can be attributed to this Conventicle for what they did However if through civility though not any share of merit we should grant that this little meeting was of a greater consequence for the benefit of the King than it either was or could be imagined though Mr. Love doth protest in the presence of God the searcher of all hearts that he knoweth no Plot or Design against the present Government i. e. Rump nor is he privy in the least to any preparations for or intendments towards any intestine Insurrections or forraign Invasions or to any Correspondencies now held with any in or of the Scottish Nation or any other whatsoever Though I say some credit were given to this Design yet will it not advance the reputation of the contrivers considering their after-submission to the Rump calling them the Supream Authority the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England c. Mr. Love professing That he is unfaignedly sorry for his so acting and promiseth never to plot contrive or design any thing to the hurt of this present Government Rump and that he is sorrowful for his high crimes and offences against the Parliament in his late and great miscarriages and desires them to pass by these sundry and great offences and at last thus fairly concludes That I shall devote the remainder of my dayes to the glory of God and good of his people the peace and safety of this Common-wealth against all the Malignant Enemies and opposers thereof Nor did he alone recant but also Jenkins Case and others of the same Club. Here we see a Company of Penitents hanging down their heads as if upon a Scottish-stool of Repentance acknowledging their Iniquity and sins for talking of the King with a great deal of remorse and sorrow faithfully promising for the future to live obedient subjects to their Rumpships and al this to procure the favour and love of those Usurping and King-killing Tyrants Yet when Love saw that all his whining and puleing would not work his Pardon but that they were resolved to let him bloud Then forsooth he thought it best to put a good face upon the business and so being on the Scaffold and perceiving no hopes of life he plucks up his courage and for the credit of himself and Brethren he begins to â—ant dapperly against the Rump affirming for all his former repentance That for the things I am condemn'd neither God nor mine own Conscience condemn me and I would not be look'd upon as a man owning this present Government I dye with my judgement against it and at last calls himself a Martyr Though he had a little before acknowledged himself guilty of the sentence of death justly passed on him And affirmed that he was insnared into the business and that through unadvisedness and weakness yet this complyance he boldly denyeth upon the Scaffold I am accused to be an Apostate to be a Turn-coat to be this to be that to be any thing but what I am but a long Sword a bloudy Scaffold hath not made me in the least to alter my Principles The truth of which I must leave to the Reader only telling him that the Margaiates in America scorn to submit to their Enemies because they know that it will not save their lives though probably if repentance would be an advantage they might be as ready as others If Mr. Love dyed a Martyr it was as unwillingly as ever man did it being the Rumps resolution for example sake not his constancy that brought him to the Block In plain English the man was of a hasty and violent spirit which seldom hath a rational or sound foundation and by many is accused to be the breaker up of the Uxbridge-Treaty by his ranting
mad-caps of the Long-Parliament declared the legality and necessity of the Warr against their King Nor how they they voted all his Loyal Subjects Traytors because obedient to him these things be as well known as their Prosperity they driving all before them being thrust on with a mischief as if they had the command of Dame Fortune as Ericus Ventosi Pilei King of Sweadland had of the Windes by the turning of his Cap. And whatsoever they did their white-eyed Pulpiteers vindicated and whined it out to their affected people with abundance of Ha's Oh's and O's to be agreeable to Gods Secret Will for alas every puny of these Saints understood his Revealed too well to be Catechized in such things How pitifully these Schismatical Cushion-Thumpers abused the simple multitude into Rebellion you may in part perceive by one instance out of their own Historian After the Battel of Edge-Hill the Earl of Essex with several of his Regiments went to London Novemb. 1642. The Sabbath-day after their arrival to London the Godly and well-affected Ministers throughout the City preached and prais'd the Lord publickly for their so joyful and safe return home to their Parents Masters and Friends Exhorting those young Souldiers of Christs Army-Royal still to retain and be forward and ready to show their Courage and Zeal to the defence of Gods Cause and their Countreys Well-fare Shewing them the Plots of their Adversaries to have Introduced Popery and Tyranny into the Kingdom and assuring them that this Warr on their parts was waged and managed by Papists An Army of Papists being raising by the Kings Command contrary to his Vows and Protestations and deep Asseverations to the contrary And were not these sweet-souls to preach Peace and Repentance Just as some forraign Priests by hearing Confession instead of a rebuke perswade the simple women to act the same sin over again with themselves Nay so farr had our rebellious Thunderers proceeded as to make the People believe that those who sided with the King were in a manner past hopes of any happiness in the World to come concerning which I shall tell you a Story upon the credit of honest Jack Taylor One Francis Beal dwelling in the Axe-Yard in Kings-street Westminster with his Wife were throrow-paced for the Parliamentary-Cause yet had a Son who like an honest Subject faithfully served the King in the Wars which so troubled his zealous Mother that she caus'd a Bill to be written to have him pray'd for in the Church which Bill was delivered in Martins Church near Chearing-Cross to the well-known Mr. Case the Lecturer there on Thursdays the form of the Bill was as followeth These are to desire you to take into your Christian Considerations the grief and sorrow of one Mistris Beal of Westminster whose son Francis Beal is faln away from Grace and serves the King in his Wars Wherefore she most humbly beseecheth the Prayers of this Congregation that He may Return and be Converted Is not this abominable Hypocrisie as bad as the poor ignorant Irish who when they went a stealing pray'd to God for good Fortune and if accordingly they got a good Booty used to render God thanks for his assisting their Villany and so lookt upon it as the gift of God Oh what will men not dare if thus they dare Be impudent to Heaven and play with Prayer Play with that Fear with that Religious awe Which keeps men free and yet is mans great Law What can they but the worst of Atheists be Who while they word it ' gainst Impietie Affront the Throne of God with their false deeds Alas this wonder in the Atheist breeds Are these the men that would the Age reform That down with Superstition cry and swarm This painted Glass that Sculpture to deface But worship Pride and Avarice in the place Religion they bawl out yet know not what Religion is unless it be to prate Meekness they preach but study to Controul Money they 'd have when they cry out the Soul And angry will not have Our Father said ' Cause it prays not enough for dayly bread They meet in private and cry Persecution When Faction is their end and State-confusion These are the men that plague and over-run Like Goths and Vandals all Religion Vain foolish People how are you deceived How many several sorts have you received Of things call'd Truths upon your backs laid on Like Saddles for themselves to ride upon They ridd amain and Hell and Satan drove While every Priest for his own profit strove They close with God seem to obey his Laws They cry aloud for him and for his Cause But while they do their strict Injunctions preach Deny in actions what their words do teach O what will men not dare if thus they dare Be Impudent with Heaven and play with Prayer Besides the many wicked Declarations of the Juncto of the Lords and Commons and the seditious Pulpit-Talkativeness of their puny Muffti's many Pamphlets were sent abroad to incite the people to Rebellion and this by Authority too a sight of which I suppose their zealous Journey-man Sam. Gellibrand would not deny a friend Nay they were gon so farr as to think the Rebellion so laudable and necessary that they perswaded the people that it was not lawful to suffer patiently and with-draw themselves from its calamities contrary to the express command of our Saviour who bids us fly from City to City rather than resist to which purpose one of their Beloved Mr. S. T. put forth a small Treatise in which he tells the World That when a Parliamentary-State is ingaged for the repressing of Injuries and maintenance of publick Liberties and mens Estates this calls in all private thoughts of escape to contribute them to the publick defence and then furiously exasperates them against the King and his Loyal Subjects by infusing into them strange things of the dangerous distemper spread over all our Body the discord in our own Bowels an Abominable Army Idolatrous Ensignes the Romish Banner And therefore Things stand now in such posture that God requires our deep Engagement and that we should banish all thoughts of declining In this great hazard that Liberty Laws and Religion run to leave our ground were to leave Popery Mastery of the Field And at last concludes What comfort can this be if we run away from a good Cause as if we were afraid to own or afraid to assist it and unwilling to suffer and be lost with it And who must be the promoter of Printing this Seditious Pamphlet but Mr. Edm. Calamy the famous hinter of Aldermanbury London But it was not only Printing which they made use of to vindicate Rebellion but also and that a main one too Pulpit-prating for I dare not call such babling Preaching where nothing was yell'd out but Persecution Persecution O the cruelty and knavery of the King O the Idolatry of the Queen O the wickedness of the Malignant Antichristian
doth call Antichristian Popish or Arminian though two to one that neither the Prater nor Hearer understand what really those words signifie Yet the Nation is come to that pass that the ignorant zeal of our Furies hath made the later drown the noyse of the other two That if the word Arminian be but named How do the poor people startle and bogle themselves into a sweat looking as distractedly as if they had been rid with the Night-mare a name that gets a man more envy than the title of Turk or Infidel the people in part knowing what these signifie but for the Arminian their ignorance of what he is puts them into such a fright that they think themselves never secure till they get the destruction of these strange creatures for they do not know what things they are Not unlike those simple people of Munding in Schwaben who having by chance found a Crab which none of them had ever seen before by toling the Bell as if their Enemies had been upon them they all hurryed together and did seriously consult what sort of Animal it should be its creeping backwards putting a terrour into them all At last they enquired of a poor fellow amongst them because for his livelyhood he had been farther from home than any of them who said it must be a Stag or Pigeon but this not satisfying and they not knowing how to be resolved lest it should do them some mischief standing a good way off they for the safety of themselves and Town very valiantly shot this Monster and lest any of themselves or Cattle should be poysoned or venom'd by it they very carefully fortifi'd it about with a strong fence Thus ignorance musters up all the jealousies and fears that can be and when these are once a Cock-Horse they can never want stuff to kindle up their hatred I need not trouble the Reader by telling him how Mr. John Corbet the other day partly whisper'd out the lawfulness of the Warr. Nor how another of the Brethren a great servant and adorer of the Murtherous Bradshaw told the people that it was those with the King that began the Warr and not the Presbyterians nor how the same man threatens the probability of another Rebellion unless the Saints have liberty of Conventicling allowed them Nor need I trouble you by relating the wicked humour of Baxter who protests that if the Warr were to begin again he would take the Parliaments part his reason is because If I should do otherwise I should be guilty of Treason or Disloyalty against the Soveraign Power of the Land for I knew not how to resist and disobey them without violation of the command of God Rom. 13. Let every soul be subject to the Higher Powers c. and without encurring the danger of the Condemnation there threatned to Resisters Nor is it needful to repeat to you how the whole body of the Presbyterian secluded Members vindicated not long since the Rebellion by their Authority Since all these particulars are to small purpose I never yet hearing through all mine enquiry as I can remember of any one Presbyterian but held forth the lawfulness of the late Rebellion Thus we find the Puritans more raging than fat Vrsula in Bartholomew-Fair and certainly Bedlam will be full of Mad-Boys when the Master thereof is Rampant We may well expect extravagant Principles from these Disciplinarians when those who are held most moderate and the chief amongst them cannot hold from prating Treason People are apt to go beyond their Commission but when such Chief-tains amongst them as Baxter whose zeal cannot be perswaded from Preaching Sedition to say no worse word even since the happy restauration of his Majesty with a Club of Presbyterian-secluded Members and others of that Faction can declare write and Vote the late Rebellion against the King to be lawful others of that perswasion may think it no breach of Conscience to take the other step and justifie the securing of his Person and when a King is once imprisoned by his unruly Subjects 't is time for him to prepare himself for a journey to the other World Doubtful Oracles are alwayes interpreted to the desires of the Interested Faction That dubious Letter Edwardum occidere nolite timere bonum est To kill Edward do not fear is a good thing was so well understood by Sir Thomas Gurney and Sir John Maltravers that the horrid Murther of Edward II. was its result Our Puritans well understand their Teachers when they mince Loyalty and though they carry nothing else away with them they are sure to keep that close and at last put it into practise When from the Pulpit Authority is tainted with abominable wickedness and Texts of Scripture wrested to prove the necessity of destroying Tyrants and Idolaters The ignorantly zealous Auditors may think they do God and the Cause good service by doing what they can to bring such a Malefactor to the block and will at all times be ready to Warragainst the Son against whose good Father they have been thus instigated to take Arms and thus at last their bewitching sin of Treason will dwindle to a Commendation amongst these Zealots But well-fare Mr. Baxter that hath found out two pretty Salvo's for his former wickedness First That he is pardoned by the Act of Indempnity And is not he a very thankful man that in requital of the Kings mercy hath since that preach'd seditiously but he and the rest of his fraternity are resolv'd to confirm the character given them by the Emperour Ferdinand and King James as afore related Secondly That now the Parliament had declared where the Soveraign Power was he should acknowledge it and submit to it As if the Soveraign Power did not lye in the King before this Parliament and yet the Gentleman could be very well perswaded to Richard's Supremacy But a man that is altogether ignorant of our Laws is the fittest to make the Nation a Common-wealth and yet none is so blind as him that will not see nor none so wicked as him whose Interest alwayes prompts him to take the staff by the wrong end The best excuse that I know for them is Their being drunk with Zeal created in them a strange spirit of Prejudice which fancy'd the Nation to be in such a distracted condition that all things were running to distruction And these good souls thinking to free themselves and the Kingdom from such miseries busled into a body to expel those evils which their debauch'd fury thought might give ease to the Nation and quietness to themselves Like those guzling Companions upon the Texel's side in Amsterdam who tippled so long looking out of a Casement that really thinking they were at Sea in a Tempest to lighten their Ship began to throw Tables and Stools with other luggage out of the windows thinking they were in danger of Shipwrack But if these men have the liberty to create jealousies and fears
to acquaint the Committee of both Kingd at London that a course might be taken by the joint advice of both Kingdomes for attaining the just ends exprest in the Solemn League and Covenant And to the same purpose but with abundance of railing against the King the year before did the General Assembly of the Scotish Kirk Mr. Robert Dowglass being Moderator expresse themselves to his Majesty And in this humour of conditional and malepert capitulating Subjects they continue nay even when people might perceive the Army bent against Monarchy or at least the Royal Family of the Stuarts For thus they endeavour to make people believe that the King cannot be truly King indeed unlesse he humbly give satisfaction to his covenanting people We leave it to be pondered by your Lordships whether they that obstruct and hinder the requiring of satisfaction and security from his Majesty in point of Religion before his Restitution to the exercise of his Royal Power do not upon the matter and consequence obstruct and hinder his Majesties deliverance and restitution whereof such security and assurance had from his Majesty might be a powerful and effectual means And a little after more fully declare themselves thus This Restitution of his Majesty to the exercise of his Royall Power before security had from Him for setling Religion your Lordships know by our eight desires and otherwaies is conceived by us to be inconsistent with the safety and security of Religion the bringing of his Majesty to some of his houses in or neer London before satisfaction and security had from him in point of Religion and in such other things as are necessary for the safety of the Kingdomes could not as we conceive but be an exceeding great discouragement and offence to the Presbyterianins England who will conceive that the Remedy is worse then the disease seeing your Lordships are obliged by the third Article of the Covenant to defend his Majesties person and authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdomes We conceive your Lordships should not demand from nor presse upon the Kingdome of England his Majesties Restitution with freedome and honour and safety except with that qualification in the Covenant and with a subordination to Religion and the Liberties of the Kingdomes And if all these things should come to passe then the Kirkers cry out that all is undone and so they leave it to judgment Whether his Majesty shall not be restored to his honour before Jesus Christ be restored to his honour and set upon his Throne of Government in his Church Whether his Majesty shall not be in a condition of liberty before the Ordinances of Christ have a free course And is this to endeavour the setling of Religion before all worldly interests Or rather to make it come after the Kings interest And If his Majesty may be restored with honour freedome and safety before such satisfaction had from Him we fear it shall lye as a great scandal upon this Kingdome And a little after they plainly subject his Majesty to their wills in the interpretation of the Covenant Whatsoever we owe to the King in civill matters distinct from the cause of Religion sure all these other duties are with a subordination to the glory of God and the good of Religion And we are very confident that it was and will be farre from the thoughts of the General Assembly under colour of his Majesties Honour to concurre with him or any in his Name in a cause which is hurtful and prejudicial to the good of Religion and to the other ends of the Solemn League and Covenant Yet this way of diffience and standing off with their Soveraign Mr. Robert Beyley wonders that any body should call a Fault As if these men have the priviledg to secure the person of the King when they please and then deny him either Authority or Liberty till he ask them forgiveness and give them satisfaction for his thinking much to be made a slave to their fancies Upon such like expressions as these a Parliamentarian makes this observation If the Scots Commissioners did plainly affirm to the Committees of both Houses at the Conference that they could not admit of the Kings presence in Scotland because of the divisions and troubles of that Kingdome which he might make such use of as to raise forces both against them and us What could this imply but that notwithstanding his person might be in safety in Scotland yet Scotland could not be in safety whilst his person was there And if they positively affirm it on their part may not we make a question of it on ours Thus both parties catch at what pretences they can to exclude the King from both his Kingdomes As they did with the Father so did they continue to act villany with the Son concerning which I shall give you the words of that great Mattyr of Loyalty the Noble and Valiant Marquesse of Montross And so little are these Godly and Religious men toucht with any sense of what mischieves they have already done That they begin afresh with his Majesty Our now Gracious Soveraign upon the same score where they left with his Father of ever blessed memory They declare him indeed to be their King but with such conditions and provisoes as robb him of all Right and Power For while they pretend to give him a little which he must accept as from them they spoil him of all that Power and Authority which the Law of God of Nature and of the Land hath invested him with by so long continued descent from his famous Predecessors They press him to join with those who by a Sacrilegious Covenant have confederated all his dominions in Rebellion and laid all Royall Power in the Dust Which in effect were nothing better then that he himself should asperse with Insamy the sacred memory of his ever Glorious Father that he should with his own hands destroy himself and ruine all such who have still been Loyall to him in his three Kingdoms These are the men who first entring England sollicited those of their faction to rise in that desperate Rebellion as a Prologue to the ensuing Tragedie which they meant to act These are they who were the chief and main Instruments of all the Battails Slaughters and Bloody occasions within that of their own Kingdome These are they who sold their Soveraign to a bloody and infamous Death yea these are they who still digg in his Grave and who are more pernitiously hatching the Destruction of his present Majesty by the same bare old antiquated Treacheries then ever they did that of his most excellent and most innocent Father Except he would subscribe to their fancies they would not allow him to be their King nor come amongst them which is confess'd by the Estates of Scotland themselves Scotland is desirous to imbrace him upon grant of their just desires and are most
party I could also tell you how Mr. White once a great Brother in Authority scandalized those who adhered to the King in the late Wars And what wicked Epithets another Brother threw upon the Book of Common-Prayer and severall others as Prynne Vicars Leyton and others mentioned in this Book But that it would be too tedious both for my self and Reader Should I tell you of the abominable railing scolding and brawling of Barlee Bagshaw and Baxter three noted B's you would bless your self to see these people who pretend to all Sanctity and Holiness to have so much of the Devil in their mouths Thus have I stopt their rage against me by making them more angry And if this do not satisfie them I shall treble it the next time yet might all this have been spared if they would as patiently permit others to tell them the Truth as they will impatiently throw Lyes and Scandals upon their betters But these People do not love to be touch'd on their sores though it be to cure them They say 't is one way to find a Thief to note who blusheth at the discourse of stealing but these men are farr from that sign of Grace Tell them but of the sins belonging to their Religion as Treason Schism Perjury c. they will presently fly in your face though take no great notice of other Peccadiglio's like the Baker in the Play who took all names and reproaches without any offence but being once by chance call'd Mealstealer was so inraged that he would have spoiled all their sport unless they had left off such close Reflections And thus much in part to pay them home with their own Coyn. As for the Author whilst a School-Boy he was too much sway'd to Presbytery and delighting in the Stories of our Times had none to peruse but May Vicars Ricraft and such like partial Relators By which means believing with the Ignorant all things in Print to be true was perswaded to incline to the wrong side But a little before his going to the University lighting by chance upon Dr. Bate's Judicious Book Elenchus Motuum he found the Laws and true Government to be opposite to his former Readings and therein the knavery and jugling of their Opposers strange things which he had never heard of before Which with some other assistance so farr prevail'd with him that in a short time he threw off Father Schism and ever since like little Loyal John in the Epitaph For the King Church and Bloud-Royal He went as true as any Sun-Dial As for the Learned in History neither Preface nor Book was intended for them And as for those who are not somewhat studied this way though they are not able of themselves to search out the Truth yet are they not obliged to believe all in Print If they finde something in these Papers not agreeable to the Canting Tales of every zealous Brother let them not censure mine as false because the other pretends himself to be a Saint These People though they make a great deal of noyse being commonly the most ignorant and partial in Humane Story To say no more If we believe every thing in Mr. Clarke's Story-Books we shall with him make wicked men Saints Rebels good Subjects and Schismaticks the best Church-men which all should desire to be really perform'd who wish the Honour of his Majesty Peace of the Church Prosperity and Happiness of the Nation St. George's day 1662. The Contents of the Chapters BOOK I. CHAP. I. Nothing so wicked but some will undertake and vindicate Pag. 1. CHAP. II. The Life of Ignatius Loyola the first founder of the Jesuits Pag. 6. CHAP. III. Some Observations of the Jesuits Political Constitution Temper and Actions especially relating to our late Troubles Pag. 10. CHAP. IV. The helps and assistance which the Calvinist Presbyterian and Jesuite afford one another for the ruine and alteration of Kingdomes with their Plots to destroy the Government and Tranquillity of England Pag. 15. CHAP. V. The Originall of the Commons in Parliament That the Clergy is one of the three Estates and the King supream above all Pag. 30. CHAP. VI. The Priviledges of Parliament and that in some Cases they are null and voyd Pag. 38. CHAP. VII The beginning of the Presbyterians with the wicked Principles of the Ring-leaders of that factious Sect. Pag. 42. CHAP. VIII The Rebellious Actions of the Presbyterians in Scotland till the death of King James Pag. 45. CHAP. IX The illegal malepert and impious plots and designs of our Schismatical Presbyterians in England in the Raigns of Q. Elizabeth King James and K. Charles till the beginning of the Wicked Long Parliament Pag. 59. BOOK II. CHAP. I. THe mischievous and impudent contrivances and innovations of the wicked Long Parliament 1. Their false slaunders thrown upon the Court and Church 2. Their affection to and siding with the chief of the Schismatical Incendiaries 3. The impudence and seditiousnesse of the Lecturers thrust amongst the simple people by the power and cunning of the Parliament 4. Their designs to alter the frame of the Civil Government 5. Their plots to overthrow Episcopacy Divine service and the Orthodox Clergy 6. Their stirring up the people to Tumults whereby they frighted the King and Queen from London 7. The small esteem which the Commons had of the King and Nobility whereby it is plain that it was not the King but the Parliament which occasioned and began the Warrs Pag. 73. CHAP. II. The Abominable Hypocrisie and jugling of the Parliament and Army till the horrid murder of his Majesty Pag. 106. CHAP. III. The inconstancy villany and monstrous Tyranny of the wicked Army till the happy Restauration of the King Pag. 119. CHAP. IV. The grand perjury of the Parliament and Army Pag. 130. CHAP. V. The wicked Sacriledge of the Parliament and Army Pag. 133. CHAP. VI. That some through ignorance and acredulous disposition prompting them to embrace their specious pretences might be charmed to side with the Parliament though really designed no dammage either to the Kings person or Authority Pag. 141. BOOK III. Â THat the Presbyterians were not willingly and actively instrumental for the uncapitulated Restauration of his Majesty Pag. 149 CHAP. II. The wickednesse of our Presbyterians in throwing Aspersions upon his Majesty and instigating the People to Rebellion by assuring them in the Lawfulnesse of Subjects fighting against their Kings Pag. 171. CHAP. III. The small or rather no Authority that the Presbyterians allow the King to have over them Pag. 197. CHAP. IV. THat the Presbyterians are but Conditional Subjects no longer obedient to their King or acknowledging Him then he serves their turns and is subservient to their fancies Pag. 207. CHAP. V. I. The wicked Reproaches the Presbyterians cast upon the present Episcopal Church 2. What small reason they have to desire Toleration from the King and Episcopal Party since they deny the same to them with their scandals upon the Church as Popish