former Declarations of the Parliament but what may be for the good of Scotland properly and as in its own constitution is one thing and what for England is another I doubt whether a peace grounded only on such things as are contained in the generall Treaty will serve for all the particulars we need have granted for our own Kingdome such a peace must be procured as will confirm our union with them and incourage our friends discountenance our enemies that may unite us at home and 〈◊〉 others abroad Now what way is most sutable to such an end is the question Let us take first into consideration the personall treaty which our Brethren are such sticklers for how like it is to produce such a peace First Consider the probable good that will come out of such a treaty in reference to this end The Parliament have sent Propositions which they have thought fit for the future good and security of the Kingdome without the granting which we can neither be happy nor hopefull they have altered some of them and qualified them more to the sense of the King rather then Kingdom that it might take better with him a long time he hath had to consider of them some he is willing to grant which are lesse materiall others he refuseth his consent to as being against his honour we are sure for our good the Parliament cannot but still insist on the substance of the Propositions they must be the matter of the treaty Now if his Majesty after so long time of consideration cannot consent to our demands how can we believe he will when he shall treat in person when the same things are urged and stuck unto for either the Parliament must treat only on what the King shall propound or else frame new Propositions of a different sense not so good for the Kingdome or else a personall treaty will be no more then a formallity or complement which yet may be hazzardous to us to speake truth the King can write plainer then speake and if we cannot have his hand and seale how can we expect his heart Secondly Neither is it honourable for the Parliament after so long waiting for his Majesties consent now to admit his person with freedom and honour to a personall treaty wherein they must be fain to retract all their former Propositions or have the same negative answer to the most materiall concernments of their priviledges and our liberty they have made too many sad retreats already to their own dishonour and the Kingdoms disadvantage It s our unhappinesse that his Majesty hath put himself in such a capacity as he is yet to be looked on under the notion of enmity and whereas the Scots urge the Parliaments own Declarations they must consider times and seasons can the Parliament in honour treat on equall tearms now as when the King had an Army to ballance their power It was the utmost the King desired to come to a personall treaty when he had his greatest strength and doubtlesse he knew his own ends then as now But it will be objected can any way be more honourable then to treat personally with the King I answer that is most Honourable to the Parliament which holds them to their first principles of justice and liberty and keeps up their resolutions for the good of the Kingdome and the personall treaty will not contribute much to this however if it be honourable touching Ceremony we must have it firme in regard of security which is the Third thing to be considered seriously How safe it may be though the Commissioners seem to make it out of Question they must give us leave to feare it especially when so many heart-burnings are already among us and fire balls ready for 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 up and down City and Countrey It is a sad condition we are brought in that what his Majesty thinkes honourable for his person is not safe for us How can we thinke to gaine any thing by a personall treaty or have security of any good by it seeing he refuseth to take the Covenant and here I wonder our Brethren can dispence with their Cause to trust the Kings person in such a Treaty when he refuseth and protesteth against the Covenant they highly charge the Parliament for that they left it out in the Propositions and yet our Brethren can willingly let it out of the personall Treaty The truth is they would gladly have his person with us for they know they can never have him further off them they 〈◊〉 go◠what they can of the Parliament how they would try what they can get from the King But how safe it may be for us in these unsetled times vvhen most are discontented and seeme to be taken vvith any thing vvhich is nevv and seems but to speak of peace though it be in its remote principles at never so great a distance from it How safe I say let our brethren judge We have vvarping enough already the presence of a fevv apprentises hath made us retract Ordinances hovv much more the presence of the King looking smilingly for his ovvn advantages vvhat if the King should come in person to Treat and He and the Parliament should not agree they standing to their just and reasonable demands in the Propositions and the King vvithdravv his consent vvhat vvill follovv in regard of hazard and danger he being brought so nigh us before he hath given any security to us of our Liberties we know Kings are strange creaturs can carry that in their countenance which they never had in their hearts and the influences painted rayes of Majesty on Subjects may work strange things which may be strange indeed unto us His Majestie hath had a great share in the ruine of the Kingdome he must be content to share in the misery and abate something of his honour to make up our losses we should joy in his Person if we had his heart without which the other will doe us litle good the Kings honour lies in granting the just desires of his Subjects in Parliament and if he looks to his honour abstractively we must to our safety We have little cause to put our necks under his Majesties feet and lye at his mercy Besides neither can His Majesty come alone without his traine I mean those Incendiaries which have been actors of this Designe against the Kingdom those he calls friends which the Parliament calls Delinquents And I wish as his Person hath been ingaged with them in a bloody War so his honour be not left with them It s doubted He hath wrapt up his interests too much with theirs and cannot honourably come himselfe without good quarter for them However he will have an eye to them as his Favorites and how safe we can thinke our selves when such shall be about His Majesty let our Brethren of Scotland judge That Peace can only be Happy which is suited to the first Principles and Answers the ends of this War which was
to preserve and settle Religion in power and purity by countenancing the professors of it and discountenancing the opposers by this Treaty the Bishops themselves might be likely to be accommodated and those outcasts brought in State And the second stated end was to bring Delinquents to justice an Act of Oblivion will not satisfie the just expectations and ingagements of the Kingdome and we shall still by it keepe the fuell of the same fire or worse within us they will not so forget us though we doe them but when they grow up with us will take their advantages to be quit with us if we do not justice on them God will on us Can wee expect by such a Treaty that the King will ever suffer them to be plucked from his bosome whose new Titles and Punctilioes of honour he will not suffer to be taken from their persons It is certain we cannot be safe as long as they get heart this generation will retain the seeds of this discontent Impunity will but incourage them to act more when they have oportunity yet still as much favour as can be shewn with the safety of the Kingdome must justice must be distributive and proportionable to the persons and faults In a word such a peace we must have as may not let the guilt of blood be upon us It can never enter into any serious heart that the issue of all this blood and the naturall product of all this stirres should be a slight and overly accommodation Doubtlesse God hath had his end as well as men theirs and that hath been working out and we ought to expect it with faith and patience not run our selves on uncertain rocks and skin over our sores when we may heale them but no more of the Personall Treaty the golden bait our Brethren have laid before us we shall have enough of it to our griefe if ever providence should permit such an overture only let me adde this I know not why if the Parliament have made war without the King nay against his consent they may not make peace without him especially seeing he refuseth to grant that which they judge essentiall to our happinesse we conclude with this That the sending honest and wary Propositions for his Majesty to grant is the best and safest way to procure a setled peace if he be obstinate it must be done without him there is no Medium the Kingdome cannot alwayes languish But our brethren will not only have a personall Treaty the best way to peace but adde the disbanding of the Army without which the grant of the former will not serve This Proposition they urge from the tendernesse of the sense they have of the taxes and burthens of this Kingdome in regard of free-quarter and Contributions for this thanks must still be returned but I wonder our Brethren lost their sense of Englands burthens in the North where besides free-quarter and plunderings they laid such a sesse that the fish in the sea could not scape their tax However I am glad they are come to their senses at last we hope they will be sensible to abate some things of their hundred thousands we owe them out of brotherly assistance the reflections on those gallant men of the Army I will not mention it s a sad thing that faithfulnesse should be the ground of suspition and the object of envy Whereas they say that they expected on the disbanding of their Army in Scotland we should disband ours It s a wonder with what face of reason they could urge that seeing that we have work to do which they have not they know the ends of keeping up their Army and we know ours the Parliament are not bound to give an account to the Commissioners why they keep up their Army and though they are pleased to say there is no use for them now they must know they go about to make use for them England was the first seat of War and most distempered and that will not settle us which will Scotlan we have conquered our enemies persons we had need have an Army to keep down their spirits What is the matter our brethren have such an eye at this Army Is it because they have been too faithfull Have done too much service which they would fain have the honour of It may be they have conquered those which our Brethren were in hopes to conquer and get the spoil of It may be the reasons are because the London Apprentices and Reformadoes may more handsomly come and beset the Houses of Parliament and make them Vâ—â—e in the old Militia and crâ—â— down Independents and such like tricks but I hope they are more serious and therefore I recall my words it is that the Parliament may be disbanded more handsomly and be made the next burthen to the Kingdom and the Scots may have a new Covenant with the King to be his Loyall Subjects If the Army become a burthen the Kingdome may thank them and their Party who could not carry it so fairely and wisely as to disband them Honourably at first The violence and rashnesse of those men gave them ground enough of distaste then and still ground of jealousie let peace be setled they will soon disband Its reason that if they have fought for peace they should not disband untill they see tearms agreed on and things put in a hopefull way of security for the Kingdom and themselves they have made many proposals for the good of the Kingdome and if they have failed in circumstances we may well overlook that now they are freed of their popular Counsell we may well be free from Jealousies of them If in any thing they have miscarried it s because some of them have been at court as well as the Scots Commissioners but I have said too much on these things more then will please I am sure I wish they would give lesse occasion to the Parliament and English men to make Anti-Declarations There only remaines to add what we are to indeavour particularly for the stablishing of a well grounded Peace I know wiser men have it in hand I wish they may in their hearts also I only offer something to inform the people what they must stick to if they will finde the way to peace The first thing must be the settlement of Religion in the power and purity of it and in this our Brethrens order of giving it the preeminence is to be commended but I hope by Religion they do not only mean the Presbyterian Government Ministers must be sent out to preach the Gospel and inform poor souls in the things of Christ this will be a good foundation of our happinesse The second thing mainly to be eyed is the preservation of the Union of the two Kingdoms by all the lawfull wayes we can according to the true intent and proper sense of the Covenant the strengthening of such a mutuall correspondence between us will increase our happinesse yet care must be taken
First the King must be lookt unto and got away either into London or Scotland and so it was endeavoured in the mean while unknown unto the Army as the Generall profest in his Letter to the Speaker by the particular Act of Cornet Ioyce one of no great head for to lay any deep designe who was sent out with a party of horse towards Oxford but would needs go visit his Majesty the King was voluntarily brought to the Army which though it was strange to them and they were startled at it yet they thought they might make an advantage of him as well as others at least to keep him from being in a Faction against them But that designe is not yet broken all this while Reformadoes Apprentises and others are secretly listed great sums of money paid to the old Officers of Essex and Wallers and Masseyes Army and things grew so high as a great company of them beset the House of Commons kept them in till nine of the clock at night with threatning words make them recall their Ordinances vote in the King which made the Speakers of both Houses with many of the honest Members fly to the Army for safety These men are still in the City stirring up the Militia and Common counsell framing a new Army and those seeds which were formerly sown by the Scots and them come up into blades and Pikes they stand in a Posture of War to defend themselves and oppose the Army which never intended to come nigh them unlesse provoked the Army hearing of these doings march towards the City and when they came to Windsor accidentally met with the Speakers and the rest of the fled Members after congratulation and mutuall expresses of love and joy to see one another the Army Rendevouz at Hunslow heath and resolve to march to the City who prevented them with termes sutable to peace out of what principle we will not dispute the Members were brought to the House in peace the Army marches through the City in peace and now things seemed to be hopefull but though the eleven Members were gone yet the Spirit was not gone with them though the City durst not oppose the Army they will starve them and make them odious and a burthen to the Kingdome therefore they will lend no money delay their contributions not pay their Arreares that the Army is looked on as our misery the Countries undone and all businesse retarded above by the remainder of that party that while we look for peace behold threatnings of another War and we are now brought to such a passe that he is a wise man that knowes what to propose first The King is gone from us to the Isle of Wight and there he takes time to weigh his designes upon us Propositions are gone to him diâ—â—â—â—ed by some and protested against by the Scots coldly and cunningly answered by himselfe Thus have we handsomly made way for our own misery we know not our own strength and therefore must divide and with David number the people Some men have plaid their own games and now leave us to pay stakes divisions are growne so high among our selves that our common enemy growes high in their hopes and expect a turn wherein they may be a third party and have one cast more for to recover their compositions When shall we learn to be wise But I crave pardon I have made this digression but it s to shew you the way you are come to this misery which if God prevent not will make us the spectacle of the Nations But what is become all this while of our Brethren of Scotland that they have been out of the transaction You will have enough of them anon The truth is they have not been idle all this while in the City And not unknowne how they have endeavoured to bring Edinbrough to London and Hallyrudehouse to White-hall they love us so well that they vvould not only be one with us in Covenant but Priviledge and would gladly have the name of great Britain comprehend us all And because our divisions were not wide enough out of their superabundant love to us they cast in bones betvveen us and publickly reflect on our strength the high Court of Parliament and the Army to strengthen the great animosities that is in the most against them that we may have a second need of them to be Umpires But now before I am aware I am faln into the bosome of the Scots Declaration a Declaration of the Scots indeed and of other men too by vvhich I hope all true hearted English men will take a copy of their countenance towards us Yet I shall not meddle much with the contents of it the Parliament no doubt will so fully doe Justice in it Only in the generall I shall take leave to animadvert something We may better speak plaine English then they I take notice of a grand Designe driven on against the Parliament and Army by those who wait for our ruine and of which this Declaration is but a Manifesto to the world Viz. to make the Parliament low in the eyes of the people and render them distastefull that so the King may have the fairer way to his old power so likevvise to render the Army so intollerable a burthen as that the Kingdome cannot subsist under them and to carry on this the more secretly the Covenant and Religion are made the veiles Two things I cannot but take notice of as generall in that Declaration First their so often zealous if not superstitious mentioning of the Covenant more then tvventy times in one leafe as if all Religion were vvâ—â—pâ— up in that that it were not only the compendium but the exact forme of all divinity And as if they would make the world beleive that they preferre the Covenant before all their own Interests and Designes whereas I feare they and too many more have made it but a State trick to deceive poore ignorant devout soules It s a great question whether they think so highly of the Covenant of Grace I confesse vve have no reason to repent of taking the Covenant we tooke it honestly and sincerely little thinking the use which vvould be made of it to insnare us to the Scots designes I would only desire our Brethren to recollect themselves how they kept Covenant vvith our Commissioners in the North and then they will have little heart to charge it on us in the South I could name the particulars but that I am loth to disturb the honourable Commissioners in their Religion Secondly I cannot but take notice as all men else should of the tendernesse of our Brethren and the deep refenting of the affaires of England and that in so neer and intimate a way that they neglect their owne chiefly insisting purely and nakedly on these things which concerne our Kingdome and fcarce mentioning their own This is brotherly love indeed But lest we should be suspitious they fairely salve a mistake with this that they would
artifice of some master builders in the black Art As many an ignorant disputer granting this and that is by an ingenious Sophister brought before he is aware into a confuting absurdity Let us cast our eyes back but since the end of this War with the Royall partie and we shall finde some steps wherein the secret contrivers of our ruine have walkt When the King saw he could hold out no longer in Arms he betakes himself to his shifts leaves Oxford to a confiding party and betakes himself to the Scots Army as his sanctuary a plot agreed on to mutuall advantage the King gives in Newark at the desire of the Scots is carried to Newcastle and by this time Oxford is likewise surrendred and the War ended but things end not so we want an enemy in the field one must be made at home Factions are raised discontents fomented against the Army under the name of Independents c. Some principles infused into the City of designs against them they are set on to go to the Parliament w th Petitions Remonstrances for the setling Presbyterian Government the Ministers made to stir up the people against such such men under such names as they know would incense sufficiently some of our English great men who knew not how to be high enough joyn Counsels with the Scots under pretence of maintaining the Covenant and setting up Presbyteriall Government and that the City might be made sure the Scots are sent to Court them with Letters from the Ecclesiasticks and Civils to congratulate their faithfulnesse to this Cause to stir them up to the diligent prosecution of the Covenant things grow to some height as such fire will not want fewell and are ripe for action they get Ordinances for pressing all men to take the Covenant anew that none shall be imployed in any office in Church or State but he which will take the Covenant and that over again and submit to the Presbyteriall Government and all this with an eye to the Army whom they knew how to insnare and as things were thus laid so they were not negligent in the execution the City of London must first begin as a patern to the rest cast out their old Militia get power to choose a new fit for the design and because the Common Counsel is to order the Civill Affaires as the other the Military that must be Moddled into the same image all that were thought but to be of the other partie or favorers of them cast out All this while the King is at Newcastle indeavoring to ingage the Scots Army for him and how far he prevailed I could tell you but that we had such a peaceable parting at last While the King was ingaging for him the party in England had another eye on that Army as the Army of the Covenant and to have kept them to Ballance this Army which lay in their way but things were not yet ripe they were too great a power to be conquered by force especially having been just then raised with the glory of so great a Conquest and the countryes crying out of their burthens under all the severall Armies which were insupportable counsels are joyned and agreed to the march of the Scots Army and delivery up of the King on the little consideration of 400000 l. The King shall still be kept as a reserve to make advantage of at last But now the Scots are gone and that feare over what they could nor doe by force they will do by guile the Army is still the eye-sore that darkned the glory and Splendor of some great ones who had formerly been in Command and had done Service but had not the happinesse of being totall Conquerors nothing lesse is indeavoured then to breake this Army many ways they essayed but the maine was under pretence of relieving Ireland a designe not only faire but so honest in it selfe that all men cryed it up but how is this to be carryed on who but Waller and Massey men who had an inveterate hatred against this Army they thinking themselves too much clouded by them are sent downe to treat with the Army about it and propose questions and conditions to the Souldiers to be under their Command the one as Generall the other as Lieutenant generall The reflexion of this carriage in the thoughts of the Souldiery cannot but make them look about them that some designe was on foot against them by their and the Kingdoms enemies especially seeing the Parliament should wave them who had but even now done them such faithfull service and not so much as thinke them fit to be further imployed in any Service especially to command their owne Souldiers they resent the businesse observe the Designe and are strangely united to give a Negative Answer that none of them would stirre without their owne Commanders But with either the Generall or Lieutenant Gen Crumwel would all march at the Parliaments pleasure yet seeing this will not doe some other way must be taken Mony for Arreares is offered to those which will leave the Army on which some fell off but no considerable number as they sought to divide they unite yet when this would not doe but they saw they were not so meal mouthd as the rest they must be disbanded as unnecessary and a burthen to the Kingdome and that without their Arreares and in parts without those requisites which belonged to their honour and security thus would they have the first fruits of this Conquest begin in the dishonourable disbanding of the Conquerours But the Souldiers grew acquainted with these designes and get heart resolve to stand on their guard and to knit them the more choose Agitators out of every Regiment for the better ordering and communicating of things to each other draw up Petitions to the Parliament which by the strenuous negotiation and power of those first designers against them was censured as Treasonable and the Authors as Traytors which could not but incense when they saw favours and services so soon forgotten yet all this which was laid for division is the advantage for their union and they randevouz with much unanimity and courage and were at last owned by the Generall and the rest of the Commanders who for a while were shy because of the newnesse and hazard of the businesse Things being thus in the Army and in that posture they bethink what may be of concernment to them before they are disbanded expecting to have no more afterwards then they could make sure at first they therefore propose to the Parliament what belonged to them as Souldiers And having this advantage seeing they fought for the good of the Kingdome make an Essay by Propositions to the Parliament for the setling of the Kingdome also drew up charges against eleven of those Members who were the chief Actors in the design upon which they at their owne desires had leave given by the Parliament to withdraw but things thus acting new Counsels are set on foot
have the Militia in the hands of the King and the Parliament and Kingdom lye again at his Majesties feet for a generall pardon for so they shall soone if once he get that power And now since I am falne on this it will not be much out of the way to spend a word or two in distinguishing how farre Scotland is to meddle in the concernments of England by the Treaty Let this be laid as a foundation that let the union be never so nigh it doth not necessarily imply a communication of properties there are intire and proper incommunicable Priviledges which are reserved to both As between man and wife which is the nighest conjunction there are titles and honours which are proper to each person which both have the benefit of but not the particular propriety in The union between England and Scotland can be only in those things which are of common concernment to both which belongs to the very being and well being of the union they are notwithstanding two Kingdomes and have distinct Lawes and Priviledges peculiar to each and which neither may meddle in Novv let it be seriously vveighed that to presse our union too farre even to an introaching on the properties of one another is to make our union uncomfortable and to lay a foundation for a breach Now vvhat concernes us in particular and doth not touch on the Interests of the Kingdome of Scotland must be left to the Parliament to determine as vvhat concerns them to their Parliament That which concerns us are especially our Lawes the Priviledges of Parliaments the Militia and these are so ours as that you may turne Scotland into England and make an Identity between us before they can meddle with them and doubtlesse the Parliament cannot choose but resent it highly that any Commissioners either of Scotch or of any Kingdome in the world shall take upon them to declare and protest against the sending those things in Propositions vvhich is their birth right and undoubted Priviledge and which they can have no competitors in without the highest breach of their trust And the Commissioners might as well have protested against any Ordinance made by the Parliament for Excise or against their making a new great Seale as against any of these foure Propositions vvhich are solely the concernments of England and have not so much as the least aspect on the Interest of Scotland nor influence upon the Treaty between the Kingdomes And as to that clause in the Treaty vvhich saith that we shall not make either peace or warre without each others advise and consent It must be still meant in these things wherein our mutuall Interests are contained for else we have covenanted our selves into a faire condition that the Scots negative voyce though in those things which essentially concerne our own Kingdome may hinder our happinesse as they please so that we must be beholding unto them for their consent in that vvhich God and nature hath invested us withall How much should vve have been overseen to deny his Majesty a negative voyce knowing the hazard of it and give it to the Scots You see how our exigencies have brought us into inconveniences vve have of our indulgence and brotherly respect made them privie to all our Counsels and Priviledges and they now claime an Interest in them I doubt that if this Parliament be dissolved our Brethren will challenge the right of calling the next that vve shall neither have Law nor Priviledge without their consent The last year they claimed a Right to the disposing of the Kings person in England and novv they claime a Right to dispose of the Parliament and their transactions though purely in matters of our own Kingdome They begin fair if the progresse be sutable vve shall have neither Law nor Liberty but what the Scots Commssioners shall vote for us But that by the by though they make it the great scope of their Declaration We have now seen our misery how vve lye at the brink of great dangers some would divide us into more parties then all the wise men among us know how to make up and what advantage men are taking daily to make the Breaches wider while others lie at the catch to disadvantage us Let us now see vvhat may doe us good if we be not past cure we have been long time in warre its time for us novv to think of a peace and I know that is in the expectation of all men Peace is a sweet word especially after war yet we had it a long time and could not prize it we have been long unacquainted with it and now have lost the way to it we all agree on the thing if we could on the termes Indeed to some the name of peace is as an unpleasant sound there be fish that cannot live but in troubled waters others love peace but have too common apprehensions of it I love peace and I hate it I love it as I find it wrapt up in the armes of truth I hate it as it s in iniquity and on base termes let others take it I shall not envie them I would men loved truth as I love peace I love that peace which may requite the bloud which hath been shed to purchase it such a peace as may keep God and the Gospel with us any other will be but a foundation of a future warre It s better suffer a little to settle a good peace It s better suffer a little longer then get a peace that will end in greater warre We know what vvill be the worst to stand to such conditions as may produce a solid peace but we knovv not vvhat will be the end of an unsound peace Divers as they have desired so have assaied to bring forth peace the wayes and means with the ends they act are not so consonant wee will a little consider what is proposed in such a transaction The Parliament and the Scots are the great Agitators of this work but with different principles and ends as we shall see anon the Parliament stick to the way of Propositions only those for security turned into bils the Scots urge a personall treaty and therefore have followed it hard that no other way may be thought on yea have protested against the Parliaments way of Addresse though they so far condescend as to bring down the number of Bils to four and to treat the rest Let us consider soberly which way is most likely to effect the end In generall I much question whether the Queen of Hearts and the King of Clubs will make a good match especially when the Queen of Diamonds is competiâ—resse But especially this must be taken in what the nature of that peace is we are to indeavor That peace which must make us happy must be a safe honourable and well grounded Peace The Question is whether in a personall treaty according to the Scots indeavor such a peace may be established they urge much for it and quote