of his Conscience then I hope many other men doe in the same Cause For he was never thought to be of that superstitious sowrenesse which some men pretend to in matters of Religion which so darkens their judgment that they cannot see any thing of Sinne and Rebellion in those meanes they use with intents to reforme to their Models of what they call Religion who think all is gold of piety which doth but glister with a shew of Zeale and fervency Sir Iohn Hotham was I think a man of another temper and so most liable to those downright temptations of ambition which have no cloake or cheat of Religion to impose upon themselves or others That which makes me more pity him is that after he began to have some inclinations towards a repentance for his sinne and reparation of his duty to Me He should be so unhappy as to fall into the hands of their Justice and not My Mercy who could as willingly have forgiven him as he could have asked that favour of Me. For I think clemency a debt which we ought to pay to those that crave it when we have cause to believe they would not after abuse it since God himself suffer us not to pay any thing for his mercy but onely prayers and praises Poor Gentleman he is now become a noteable monument of unprosperous disloyalty teaching the world by so sad and unfortunate a spectacle that the rude carriage of a Subject towards his Soveraigne carries alwaies its own vengeance as an unseperable shadow with it and those oft prove the most fatall and implacable Executioners of it who were the first Imployers in the service After-times will dispute it whether Hotham were more infamous at Hull or at Tower-hill though 't is certain that no punishment so stains a mans Honour as wilfull preparations of unworthy actions which besides the conscience of the sinne brands with most indelible characters of infamy the name and memory to posterity who not engaged in the Factions of the times have the most impartiall reflections on the actions But thou O Lord who hast in so remarkable a way avenged thy Servant suffer me not to take any secret pleasure in it for his death hath satisfied the injury he did to me so let me not by it gratifie any passion in me lest I make thy vengeance to be mine and consider the affront against me more than the sin against thee Thou indeed without any desire or endeavour of mine hast made his mischief to returne on his owne head and his violent dealing to come down on his owne pate Thou hast pleaded my cause even before the sonnes of men and taken the matter into thine own hands that men may know it was thy work and see that thou Lord hast done it I do not I dare not say so let mine enemies perish O Lord yea Lord rather give them repentance pardon and impunity if it be thy blessed will Let not thy justice prevent the objects and opportunities of my mercy yea let them live and amend who have most offended me in so high a nature that I may have those to forgive who beare most proportion in their offences to those trespasses against thy majesty which I hope thy mercy hath forgiven me Lord lay not their sins who yet live to their charge for condemnation but to their consciences for amendment Let the lighting of this thunderbolt which hath been so severe a punishment to one be a terrour to all Discover to them their sinne who know not they have done amisse and scare theâ— from their sinne that sinne of malicious wickednesse That preventing thy judgments by their true repentance they may escape the strokes of â—â—â—ne eternall vengeance And doe thou O Lord establish the Throâ—e of thy servant in mercy and truth meeting â—â—â—â—â—gether let my Crowne ever flourish in rigâ—â—â—â—ousnesse and peace kissing each other Heare my prayer O Lord who hast taught us to pray for to doe good to and to love our enemies for thy sake who hast prevented us with offertures of thy love even when we were thine enemies and hast sent thy Sonne Iesus Christ to die for us when we were disposed to crucifie him 9. Vpon the listing and raising Armies against the KING I Find that I am at the same point and posture I was when they forced Me to leave White-hall what Tumults could not doe an Army must which is but Tumults lifted and enrolled to a better order but as bad an end My recesse hath given them confidence that I may be conquered And so I easily may as to any outward strength which God knowes is little or none at all But I have a Soule invincible through Gods grace enabling Me here I am sure to be Conquerour if God will give Me such a measure of Constancy as to feare him more than man and to love the inward peace of My Conscience before any outward tranquillity And must I be opposed with force because they have not reason wherewith to convince me O my Soule be of good courage they confesse their knowne weaknesse as to truth and Justice who chose rather to contend by Armies than by Arguments Is this the reward and thanks that I am to receive for those many Acts of Grace I have lately passed and for those many Indignities I have endured Is there no way left to make Me a glorious KING but by My sufferings It is a hard and disputable choice for a King that loves his People and desires their love either to kill his owne Subjects or to be killed by them Are the hazards and miseries of Civil War in the bowels of My most flourishing Kingdome the fruits I must now reap after 17 years living and reigning among them with such a measuâ—e of Justice Peace Plenty and Religion as all Nations about either admired or envied notwithstanding some miscarriages in Government which might escape rather through ill counsell of some men driving on their private ends or the peevishnesse of others envying the publique should be managed without them or the hidden and insuperable necessities of State then any propensity I hope of my self either to injuriousness or oppression Whose innocent bloud during My Reigne have I shed to satisfie My lust anger or covetousnesse what Widowes or Orphans tears can witnesse against me the just cry of which must now be avenged with My owne bloud For the hazards of Warre are equall nor doth the Cannon know any respect of Persons In vaine is My Person excepted by a Parenthesis of words when so many hands are armed against Me with Swords God knowes how much I have studied to see what Ground of Justice is alledged for this Warre against Me that so I might by giving just satisfaction either prevent or soone end so unnaturall a motion which to many men seemes rather the productions of a surfeit of peace and wantonnesse of mindes or of private discontents Ambition and Faction which easily find or make causes of
able by his being with Me abundantly to compensate to Me as he did to Iob what ever honour power or liberty the Caldeans the Sabeans or the Devill himself can deprive Me of Although they take from me all defence of Armes and Militia all refuge by land of Forts and Castles all flight by Sea in my Ships and Navy yea though they study to rob me of the Hearts of my Subjects the greatest Treasure and best ammunition of a King yet cannot they deprive me of my own innocency or Gods mercy nor obstruct my way to Heaven Therefore O my God to thee I flie for help if thou wilt be on my side I shall have more with me then can be against me There is none in Heaven or in Earth that I desire in comparison of thee In the losse of all be thou more than all to me Make hast to succour me thou that never failest them that put their trust in thee Thou seest I have no power to oppose them that come against me who are encouraged to fight under the pretence of fighting for me But my eyes are toward thee Thou needest no help nor shall I if I may have thine If not to conquer yet at least to suffer If thou delightest not in my safety and prosperity behold here I am willing to be reduced to what thou wilt have me whose Iudgments oft begin with thy owne Children I am content to be nothing that thou mayst be all Thou hast taught me That no King can be saved by the multitude of an Host but yet thou canst save me by the multitude of thy mercies who art the Lord of Hosts and the Father of mercies Help me O Lord who am sore distressed on every side yet be thou on my side and I shall not feare what man can doe unto mee I will give thy Iustice the glory of my distresse O let thy mercy have the glory of my deliverance from them that persecute my Soule By my sinnes have I fought against thee and robbed thâ—e of thy glory who am thy subject and justly mayst thou by my owne Subjects strip me of my strength and eclypse my glory But shew thy self O my hope and onely refuge Let not mine enemies say There is no help for him in his God Hold up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not Keep me as the apple of thine eye hide me under the shadow of thy wings Shew thy marveilous loving kindnesse O thou that savest by thy right hand them that put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them From the wicked that oppresse me from my deadly enemies that compasse me about Shew me the path of life In thy presence is fulnesse of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore 11. Vpon the 19. Propositions first sent to the KING and more afterwards ALthough there be many things they demand yet if these be all I am glad to see at what price they set My owne safety and My Peoples peace which I cannot think I buy at too deare a rate save onely the parting with My Conscience Honour If nothing else will satisfie I must chuse rather to be as miserable and inglorious as My enemies can make or wish me Some things here propounded to Me have been offered by Me Others are easily granted The rest I think ought not to be obtruded upon Me with the point of the Sword nor urged with the injuries of a War when I have already declared that I cannot yeild to them without violating My Conscience 't is strange there can be no method of peace but by making warre upon My soule Here are many things required of Me but I see nothing offer'd to Me by the way of gratefull exchange of Honour or any requitall for those favours I have or can yet grant them This Honour they doe Mee to put Mee on the giving part which is more princely and divine They cannot aske more than I can give may I but reserve to My self the Incommunicable Jewell of my Conscience and not be forced to part with that whose losse nothing can repaire or requite Some things which they are pleased to propround seeme unreasonable to me and while I have any Mastery of my Reason how can they think I can consent to them Who know they are such as are inconsistent with being either a King or a good Christian. My yeilding so much as I have already makes some men confident I will deny nothing The love I have of my Peoples peace hath indeed great influence upon me but the love of Truth and inward peace hath more Should I grant some things they require I should not so much weaken my outward state of a King as wound that inward quiet of my Conscience which ought to be is and ever shall be by Gods grace dearer to me then my Kingdomes Some things which a King might approve yet in Honour and Policy are at some time to be denied to some men lest he should seeme not to dare to deny any thing and give too much incouragement to unreasonable demands or importunities But to bind my self to a generall and implicite consent to what ever they shall desire or propound for such is one of their Propositions were such a latitude of blind obedience as never was expected from any Free-man nor fit to be required of any man much lesse of a King by His own Subjects any of whom he may possibly exceed as much in wisdome as He doth in place and power This were as if Sampson should have consented not only to binde his own hands and cut off his haire but to put out his own eyes that the Philistins might with the more safety mock and abuse him which they chose rather to doe then quite to destroy him when he was become so tame an object and fit occasion for their sport and scorne Certainly to exclude all power of deniall seemes an arrogancy least of all becomming those who pretend to make their addresses in an humble and loyall way of petitioning who by that sufficiently confesse their owne inferiority which obligeth them to rest if not satisfied yet quieted with such an answer as the will and reason of their Superiour thinkes fit to give who is acknowledged to have a freedome and power of Reason to Consent or Dissent else it were very foolish and absurd to ask what another having not liberty to deny neither hath power to grant But if this be My Right belonging to Me in Reason as a Man and in Honour as a Soveraign King as undoubtedly it doth how can it be other then extream injury to confine my Reason to a necessity of granting all they have a mind to ask whose minds may be as differing from Mine both in Reason Honour as their aims may be and their qualities are which last God the Laws have sufficiently distinguishâ— making me their Soveraign and them my Subjects whose Propositions may soon prove
violent and most illegall stripping all the Bishops and many other Church-men of all their due Authority and Revenues even to the selling away and utter alienation of those Church-lands from any Ecclesiasticall uses So great a power hath the stream of times and the prevalency of parties over some mens judgements of whose so sudden and so totall change little reason can be given besides the Scots Army comming into England But the folly of these men will at last punish it self and the Desertors of Episcopacy will appeare the greatest Enemies to and Betrayers of their owne interest for Presbytery is never so considerable or effectuall as when it is joyned to and crowned with Episcopacy All Ministers wil find as great a difference in poâ—nt of thriving between the favour of the People and of Princes as plants doe between being watered by hand or by the sweet and liberall dews of Heaven The tenuity and contempt of Clegy-men will soone let them see what a poore carcasse they are when parted from the influence of that Head to whose Supremacy they have been sworne A little moderation might have prevented great mischiefs I am firme to Primitive Episcopacy not to have it extirpated if I can hinder it Discretion without passion might easily reforme whatever the rust of times or indulgence of Laws or corruption of manners have brought upon it It being a grosse vulgar errour to impute to or revenge upon the Function the faults of times or persons which seditious and popular principle and practise all wise men abhorre For those secular additaments and ornaments of Authority Civill Honour and Estate which My Predecessours and Christian Princes in all Countries have annexed to Bishops and Church-men I look upon them but as just rewards of their learning and piety who are fit to be in any degree of Church-Government also enablements to works of Charity Hospitality meet strengthenings of their Authority in point of respect and observance which in peacefull times is hardly payed to any Governours by the measure of their vertues so much as by that of their Estates Poverty and meannesse exposing them and their Authority to the contempt of licentious minds and manners which persecuting Times much restrained I would have such men Bishops as are most worthy of those incouragements and best able to use them if at any time My judgment of men failed My good intention made My errour veniall And some Bishops I am sure I had whose learning gravity and piety no men of any worth or forehead can deny But of all men I would have Church-men especially the Governours to be redeemed from that vulgar neglect which besides an innate principle of vitious opposition which is in all men against those that seem to reprove or restraine them will necessarily follow both the Presbyterian parity which makes all Ministers equall and the Independent inferiority which sets their Pastors below the People This for My judgment touching Episcopacy wherein God knows I doe not gratifie any designe or passion with the least perverting of Truth And now I appeale to God above and all the Christian world whether it be just for Subjects or pious for Christians by violence and infinite indignities with servile restraints to seek to force Me their KING and Soveraigne as some men have endeavoured to doe against all these grounds of My Judgment to consent to their weak and divided novelties The greatest Pretender of them desires not more than I doe That the Church should be governed as Christ hath appointed in true Reason and in Scripture of which I could never see any probable shew for any other waies who either content themselves with the examples of some Churches in their infancy solitude when one Presbyter might serve one Congregation in a City or Countrey or else they deny these most evident Truths That the Apostles were Bishops over those Presbyters they ordained as well as over the Churches they planted and that Government being necessary for the Churches wel-being when multiplied and sociated must also necessarily descend from the Apostles to others after the example of that power and superiority they had above others which could not end with their persons since the use and ends of such Government still continue It is most sure that the purest Primitive and best Churches flourished under Episcopacy and may so still if ignorance superstition avarice revenge and other disorderly and disloyall passions had not so blowne up some mens minds against it that what they want of Reasons or Primitive Patterns they supply with violence and oppression wherein some mens zeale for Bishops Lands Houses and Revenues hath set them on worke to eate up Episcopacy which however other men esteem to Me is no lesse sin than Sacriledge or a robbery of GOD the giver of all we have of that portion which devout mindes have thankfully given againe to him in giving it to his Church and Prophets through whose hands he graciously accepts even a cup of cold water as a libation offered to himselfe Furthermore as to My particular engagement above other men by an Oath agreeable to My judgement I am solemnly obliged to preserve that Government and the Rights of the Church Were I convinced of the unlawfullnesse of the Function as Antichristian which some men boldly but weakly calumniate I could soone with Judgment break that Oath which erroneously was taken by Me. But being daily by the best disquisition of truth more confirmed in the Reason and Religion of that to which I am Sworn How can any man that wisheth not My damnation perswade Me at once to so notorious and combined sins of Sacriledge and Perjury besides the many personall Injustices I must doe to many worthy men who are as legally invested in their Estates as any who seek to deprive them and they have by no Law been convicted of those crimes which might forfeit their Estates and Lively-hoods I have oft wondred how men pretending to tendernesse of Conscience and Reformation can at once tell Me that My Coronation Oath binds Me to Consent to whatsoever they shall propound to Me which they urge with such violence though contrary to all that Rationall and Religious freedome which every man ought to preserve of which they seem so tender in their own Votes yet at the same time these men will needs perswade Me That I must and ought to dispence with and roundly break that part of My Oath which binds Me agreeable to the best light of Reason and Religion I have to maintain the Government and legall Rights of the Church 'T is strange My lot should be valid in that part which both My self and all men in their own case esteem injurious unreasonable as being against the very naturall and essentiall liberty of our soules yet it should be invalid and to be broken in another clause wherein I think My selfe justly obliged both to God and Man Yet upon this Rack chiefly have I been held so long by