the Iewes Petition The last damnable Designe of Cromwel and Ireton and their junto or Caball intended to be carried on in their Generall Councell of the Army and by journey-men in the House of Commons vvhen they have engaged them desperately in sinne past all hope of retreat by murdering the King MAjor VVhite a Member of the Army long since at Putney fortetold That shortly there vvould be no other povver in England but the povver of tee Svvord and VVil Sedgvvick in his Booke called justice upon the Armies Remonstrance saith The Principle of this Army is To breake the Powers of the Earth to pieces and Iohn Lilburne in his Plea for Common Right pag. 6. saith The Army by these extraordinary proceedings have overturned all the visible Supreme Authority of this Nation that is they have and vvill by seizing upon the Members of Par dissolving it and setting up a nevv invented Representative and bring the King to capitall punishment and dis-inheriting His Posterity subvert the Monachicall Government and Parliaments of this Kingdome the Lavves and Liberties of the People and so by bringing all to Anarchy and confusion put the vvhole Government of the Land under the Arbitrary povver of the Svvord In order to vvhich they have and vvill overturne the Government of the City of London by a Lord Mayor and Aldermen and Governerne it by Commissioners and a schismaticall Common Councell of Anabaptists illegally chosen and deprive them of their Charter of Incorporation and Franchises and this shall be a leading case to all the Corporations of England Their next designe is to Plunder and Dis-arme the City of London and all the Country round about thereby to disable them to rise vvhen the Army removes but not to the use of the Souldiers although they greediâ—y expect the first VVeek in February the time appointed from vvhom they vvill reedeeme the Plunder at an easie rate and so sell it in bulk to the Ievves vvhom they have lately admitted to set up their banks and magazins of Trade amongst us contrary to an Act of Parliament for their banishment and these shall be their Merchants to buy off for ready money to maintaine such VVarres as their violent proceedings will inevitably bring upon them not onely all Sequestred and Plundred goods but also the very Bodies of Men VVomen and Children whole Families taken Prisoners for sale of whom these Iewish Merchants shall keep a constant traffique with the Turks Moores and other Mahometans the Barbadus and other English Plantations being already cloyed with VVelch Scottish Colchester and other Prisoners imposed by way of sale upon the Adventurers and this is the meaning of Hugh Peters threat to the London Ministers That if another VVarre followed they will spare neither Man VVoman nor Child For the better carrying on of which Designe the said Caball or Iunto keep a strict correspondency with Ovven Roe Oneale the bloudy Popish Antimonarchicall Rebell in Ireland and the Popes Nuntio there The Antimonarchicall Marquesse of Argyle in Scotland the Parisian Norman and Picarde Rebels in France and the Rebel King of Portugall If danger be not held so close to your eyes that you cannot discerne it looke about you English But this Kingdome is not to be saved by Men that will saue themselves Nothing but a Private hand and a Publique spirit can redeeme it 63. Master Pryns second Letter to the Generall The 3. Ian. 1648. Master Pryn sent a Letter to the Generall demanding vvhat kind of Prisoner and vvhose he vvas as follovveth * To the Honourable Thomas Lord Fairfax Generall of the present Army these present My Lord IT is novv a full Months space since I vvith other Members of the Commons House have been forcibly apprehended and kept Prisoner by some of your Officers and Marshall against the Priviledges of Parliament the Liberty of the Subject the Lavves and Statutes of the Realme and all rules of justice conscience and right reason vvithout the least shadovv of Authority or any cause at all yet made knovvne to me of vvhich vvere there any neither God nor man ever yet made your Lordship or your Officers Iudges I therefore desire to knovv from your Lordship vvhat kind of Prisoner I am and vvhose If a Prisoner of peace neither your Lordship nor your Officers are any Iustices of peace or Civill Magistrates in this place to restraine me for any civil crime vvere I guilty of it much lesse vvithout proof or hearing in case I vvere no Member but being neither guilty nor accused of any such crime and a Member too no Magistrate can nor ought to imprison me upon any pretext at least vvithout the Houses licence first obtained If a Prisonner of VVarre vvhich I cannot probably be being never in Arms and apprehended neer the Commons House dore going peaceably and unarmed thither to discharge my duty then you and your Officers thereby acknovvledge That you have levied VVarre against the Parliament and its Members and vvhat capitall offence this is and vvhat a punishment it deserves I need not informe your Lordship or your Councell vvho have for this very crime condemned and shot some to death as Traytours and demanded speedy justice and execution for it upon the King himselfe I have but one thing more to trouble your Lordship vvith and that is to demand vvhose Prisoner I am having yet seen no VVarrant nor Order from your selfe or your Officers for my restraint though I have oft demanded it of your Marshall If your Lordships Prisoner there appearing yet no legall Authority cause or VVarrant for my restraint I must then crave so much justice from your Lordship being but a Subject and not yet paramount all Lavves to order your Attourney to give an Appearance for you in the Kings bench the first returne of the next Tearme to an action of false Imprisonment for this my unjust restraint vvhich I intend by Gods assistance effectually to prosecute If your Officers Prisoner onely and not yours vvhich I conceive vvho yet abuse your name and authority herein though it be a rule in Lavv Divinity too Qui non prohibet malum quod potest jubet yet I shall be so just as to set the saddle upon the right horse and commence my action onely against such of your Officers vvho have been most active in my Imprisonment for damage and reparations vvhich if there be any justice remaining under Heaven I doubt not but I shall recover in Gods due time in this publique cause vvhich so highly concernes the honour fredome and Priviledges of Parliament and Subjects Liberties for defence and maintenance vvhereof as I have hitherto spent my strength adventured my life body liberty and estate so shall I novv againe engage them all and all the friends and interests I have in heaven and earth rather then they shall suffer the least diminution prejudice or eclipse by my stupid patience under this unjust captivity though I can as vvillingly forgive and put up private injuries
clap Swords to their sides and come into the Army you see Souldiery is intended to be the chief Trade 131. An Act for Abolishing the Kingly Office c. March 17. 1648. The empty House of commons in farther prosecution of their said Designe and to please their Masters of the Army passed printed and published in the forme style of a Statute this Paper following entituled An Act for the Abolishing the Kingly Office in England Ireland and the Dominions thereto belonging WHereas Charles Stuart late King of England Ireland and the Territories and Dominions thereunto belonging hath by Authority derived from Parliament Since by the lavv the Crovvne cures all defects hovv can the King's bloud be attainted been and is hereby declared to be justly condemned adjudged to die and put to death for many treasons murthers and other hainous offences committed by him by which Judgement he stood and is hereby declared to be attainted of High Treason whereby his Issue and Posterity and all others pretending Title under him are become uncapable of the said Crowns or of being King or Queen of the said Kingdome or Dominions or either or any if them Bee it therefore Enacted and Ordained and it is Enacted VVe have svvorn saith Allegiance to K Charls the First His lavvfull Heyres Succ ssors and our Vovv is recorded in Heaven from vvhich no povver on earth can absolve us See the Oathes of Allegiance Obedience and Supremacy The Statute of Recognition 1. Iac. But the Commons are novv so Supreme as in imitation of the Pope to bring this Clause in practise Licet de jure non possumus tamen pro plenitudine potestatis nostrae volumus c. Ordained and Declared by this present Parliament and by Authority thereof That all the People of England and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging of what degree or condition soever are discharged of all Fealty Homage and Allegiance which is or shall be pretended to be due unto any of the Issue and Posterity of the said late King or any claiming under him and that Charles Stuart eldest Sonne and James called Duke of Yorke second Sonne and all other the Issue and Posterity of him the said late King and all and every person and persons pretending Title from by or under him All our Lavves cut off by the non obstante of an eyght part of the House of Commons sitting under a force After almost 1000. years experience it novv found to be dangerous The English vvere never one half-quarter so much ens aved since VVilliam the Conquerour subdued them as they have been since Oliver the Brevver subjugated them are and be disabled to hold or enjoy the said Crown of England and Ireland and other the Dominions thereunto belonging or any of them or to have the Name Title Stile or Dignity of King or Queen of England and Ireland Prince of Wales or any of them or to have and enjoy the power and Dominion of the said Kingdoms and Dominions or any of them or the Honors Manors Lands Tenements Possessions and Hereditaments belonging or appertaining to the said Crowne of England and Ireland and other the Dominions aforesaid or to any of them or to the Principality of Wales Dutchy of Lancaster or Cornwall or any or either of them Any Law Statute Ordinance Vsage or Custome to the contrary hereof in any wise notwithstanding And whereas it is and hath been found by experience that the Office of a King in this Nation and Ireland and to have the power thereof in any single Person is unnecessary burthensome and dangerous to the liberty safety and publique interest of the people and that for the most part use hath been made of the Regall power and prerogative to oppresse impoverish and enslave the Subject and that usually and naturally any one person in such power makes it his interest to incroach upon the just freedome and liberty of the People and to promote the setting up of their owne Will and power above the Lawes that so they might enslave these Kingdoms to their owne Lust * * But in a Councell of State of forty Tyrants sitting under the protectioÌ„ and avve of Oliver Be it therefore Enacted and Ordained by this present Parliament and by Authority of the same That the Office of a King in this Nation shall not henceforth reside in or be exercised by any one single Person and that no one person whatsoever shall or may have or hold the Office Stile Dignity Power or Authority of King of the said Kingdoms and Dominions or any of them or of the Prince of Wales Any Law Statute Vsage or Custome to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding And it is hereby Enacted That if any person or persons shall endeavour to attempt by force of Armes or otherwise or be ayding assisting comforting or abbetting unto any person or persons that shall by any waies or meanes whatsoever endeavour or attempt the reviving or setting up againe of any pretended Right of the said Charles eldest Sonne to the said late King James called Duke of Yorke or of any other the Issue and Posterity of the said late King or of any person or persons claiming under him or them to the said Regall Office Stile Dignity or Authority or to be Prince of Wales or the promoting of any one person whatsoever to the Name Stile Dignity Power Prerogative or Authority of King of England and Ireland High Treason is what these Legislative Thieves list to make it an Arbitrary or me notvvithstanding the Stâ—t 25 Ed 3. for limiting ascertaining of Treasons for security of the People Tiberius and Neâ—o's daies are falleÌ„ upon us of vvhich Tacitus lugeni crimen debitiae c mplementum omnium accusationem lasa majestat and Dominions aforesaid or any of them That then every such offence shall be deemed and adjudged High Treason the Offenders therein their Counsellors Procurers Ayders and Abettors being convicted of the said Offence or any of them shall be deemed adjudged Traytors against the Parliament and People of England and shall suffer lose and forfeit and have such like the same paines forfeitures judgements and execution as is used in case of High Treason And whereas by the abolition of the Kingly Office provided for in this Act a most happy way is made for this Nation if God see it good to returne to its just and antient right of being Governed by its owne Representatives or Nationall meetings in Councell * * VVhen vvas England governed by their ovvne Representative or had any other regliment then Kings But vvhat the Legislative Conventicle declares vve must believe though contrary to our knovvledge They vvill lead our faith and reason in a string or have our necks in a halter A period to this Parliament and leave the Supreme povver in the Councell of State a designe long since aâ—tempted See 1 and 2 part of
vvhen the publique is not concerned as any man All vvhich I thought meet to informe your Lordship of vvhom I am heartily sorry to see so much dishonoured abused and misled by rash ill-advised Officers and dangerous destructive and I dare say jesuiticall councels to the Parliaments dissipation the Kingdomes prejudice Irelands losse most good mens and Ministers grief your best Friends astonishment your Enemies and the Papists triumph our Religions scandall and your ovvne dishonour vvhich I beseech you as an English-man a Christian a Professor of piety and Religion a Souldier a Generall to lay sadly to your heart as the earnest request of From my Prison at the Sign of the Kings-head in the Strand 3 Ianu 1648. Your Lordships faithfull Friend and Monitor VVilliam Pryn. * An additionall Postscript WE read Luke 3.14 that vvhen the Souldiers demanded of Iohn Baptist saying and what shall we doe he said unto them Doe violence to no man or put no man in feares neither accuse any falsly and be content with your allowance not imprison depose or murther Kings pull dovvne Parliaments imprison violently shut out and drive avvay Parliament-men and then lay all false accusations and scandals upon them to colour your violence subvert Kingdomes alter States breake all bonds of Lavves Oaths Covenants Obligations Engagements to God and Men usurp all civill military and Ecclesiasticall povver and the Kings Royall Palaces into your ovvne hands as supreme Lords and Kings raise vvhat nevv forces and leavie vvhat nevv Taxes you please take up vvhat Free-quarters and Houses seize and plunder vvhat publick Treasuries monies you please without Commission or Authority obey niether God nor Man neither Parliament nor Magistrate and be content with nothing but alter and subvert all things These are Saint Peters new Doctrines and Revelations to our Officers and Souldiers now those Jesuits who lurk amongst them not Iohn the Baptist whose Canonicall advice is now rejected as Apocryphall even among the Army Saints who preferre every ignis fatuus though from Doway or Rome it selfe before this burning and shining old light and are guided onely by a new minted law of pretended providence or necessity of their owne forging and not by the revealed will law of God the sacred light whereof their present works of darknesse dare not approach lest they should be reproved condemned by them But some 43. Actions of false imprisonment by the imprisoned 150. Actions of the Case by the secluded Members brought against these domineering lawlesse Officers Grandees of the Army wherein good Damages will be recovered some 12. Indictm of High Treason against them for laying violent hands upon the Kings Person the Members and leavying Warre against the Parliament will teach them more obedience humility modesty than either Iohn Baptist Saint Paul Saint Peter or Saint Peters will doe and be like Gideon thornes and briars of discipline to these men of Succoth with whom no faire meanes will prevaile who might have learned so much law and justice from an Heathen Souldier and Governour Festus Acts 25.27 It seemeth unto me unreasonable to send much more to commit a Prisoner and not withall to signifie the crimes layd against him and come short of that ingenuity of the heathenish chief Captaine who seized upon Paul thereby to appease the Tumult at Hierusalem Acts 22.27 29. who as soone as ever Paul told him he was a Roman Free-borne then straight way they departed from him who should have examined him and the chiefe Captaine also was affraid after he knew that he was a Roman and because he had bound him And should not false imprisoning of a Parliament-man Free-born English-man be as formidable to our chiefe Captaines being a Christian I say sworne and vowed to defend the Houses Priviledges and Members Persons as the Imprisonment of a Roman was to this chiefe Captaine they as ingenious and just as he who shall rise up in judgement against them and condemn them at the last I shall close up all with this observation That as the most glorious Angels in Heaven when they fell through pride and ambition as most conceive became the very foulest Devils in Hell so the most resplendent seeming hypocriticall Saints when they fall through the like sinnes and have power in their hands become the most incarnate Devils and Monsters of treachery and tyranny upon earth exceeding Turkes and Pagans therein of which we have now sad experience in our Army-Saints who every day aggravate and yet justifie their impieties exorbitances 2 Chron. 28.11 Now heare me therefore and deliver the Captives again which ye have taken Captives of your Brethren for the fierce wrath of God is upon you Will Pryn. 64. Another forg'd Letter endeavoured to be fastned upon Sheriff Brovvne The Saints having nothing to say against Major Gen Browne unlesse they should accuse him for being true to King Parliament City Kingdome to all the first declared Principles of this Parliament fell to their old trick to fasten another counterfeit Letter upon him wherefore a Man coming to S. Iames's where he was then imprisoned desired in the hearing of all present to speake with him in private Major G. Browne told him He was not for private conference bade him speake openly then the Fellow presented a Letter to him saying It was from the Prince but Maj G. Browne remembring the like trick put upon him before called for the Guard to apprehend him when presently the Messenger threw te Letters into the fire and the Marshall catching them out halve burnt affirmeth He saw Charles Prince written upon them Sanctified eyes may see through the spectacles of their owne fantasie what they please to accomplish their Designe therefore they have a new principle or light which as the 7. May be added to the aforesaid 6. that though they have no proofs nor evidence against a man yet if in their cōsciences they think him guilty they may condemne him upon the testimony of their owne consciences this is to condemn by Revelation such whose bloud they desire to sucke This supposed Messenger from the Prince was seized by the Guard but no proceedings against him heard of which argues it was but a snare set to catch the Major About this time to second this device a Man gallantly clothed and mounted comes to the Beare in the Strand 65. Another more generall forgery to endanger vvhom the Faction please It vvill be proved that divers VVitnesses have beē practised tampered vvith against Mr. Brovvne and others gives the Hostler a Peece bids him have a care of his Horse then goes into the City the plot being forelayd was taken there with Letters subscribed with the Princes name to divers Citizens Members against whom they want matter of accusation I heare no more of this matter yet this is a device dormant to be awakened hereafter if any shall oppose the present actings of the