of a charge of high treason against the Lord Kimbolton one of the Members of the Lords House and against the said Mr Hollis Sir Ar. Haslerigg Mr Pym Mr Hampden and Mr Strode by Sir Will. Killigrew Sir Will. Flemen and others in the Innes of Court and else-where in the Kings name was a high breach of the priviledge of Parliament a great scandall to his Majestie and his government a seditious act manifestly tending to the subversion of the peace of the Kingdom and an injurie and dishonour to the said Members there being no legall charge or accusation against them Recollect now then good Christian Reader thy sad and serious thoughts and muster-up thy most exquisite meditations on this so ponderous and weightie a passage of Gods admirable providence and protection of his own parliamentarie-Worthies for so me thinks I may fitly call and count them and tell me whether God was not wonderfully seen here in the Mount of straits to turn it in a moment to a Mount of deliverance to his faithfull Servants yea and in them to the whole Kingdom whose weal or woe as we all are or ought to be most sensible was wrapt-up in them being the representative Bodie thereof And when thou hast fully and feelingly recogitated and ruminated on this exuberant parliamentarie-mercie tell me I pray thee whether thou and I and all true English-hearts have not most redundanâ— reason and copious occasion with blessed Moses a little before his death and dying mens words ought to make deep impression of credence in our hearts to confesse and acknowledge That there is none like unto the God of Jesurum who rideth upon the heavens in the help of his beloved-ones and in his excellencie on the skie The eternall God is their refuge and underneath them are his everlasting armes and he shall thrust their enemies before them And they shall know that it was thy hand O Lord and that thou onely hast done it and that though they have cursed yet thou hast blessed and that when they arose thou mad'st them asham'd but hast caused thy servants to rejoyce Yea and hast carried them on Eagles wings far and free from danger and hast brought and placed them neer to thy self Yea I say again now if ever those noble and renowned parliamentarie-Worthies found that of Solomon most true That the Name of the Lord is a strong towre the righteous run into it and are safe To conclude this therefore let the gratefull and gracious consideration of this so great a deliverance cause me and thee and them all whom it so neerly and peculiarly concerns to break-out with holy David that sacred and sugred Singer of Israel and to say O give thanks unto the Lord and call continually upon his Name Sing unto him O sing Psalms to his great Name and talk of all the wondrous works which he hath done and all the glorious judgements of his mouth Now after this so terrible affront and disturbant affright to the Parliament it pleased those pious and prudent Worthies of both Houses for a space to adjourn their sitting at Westminster and to turn Both-Houses into a grand Committee and for their greater safetie and assurance from Popish-plots and combinations to sit in the Citie of London in the Grocers-Hall Where by Gods mercie and most safe protection they were most cheerfully guarded every day by the train'd-Bands of the Citie and extraordinarie lovingly entertained and most respectively used according to the high merit of their worth and work and unto theirs and our high content and singular comfort In which interim of their sitting in London very many of the well-affected and faithfull Ministers of London unanimously petitioned the Parliament both for choice of an Assembly for setling Church-discipline and for the ordering of a Monethly fast throughout the whole Kingdom untill the distresses of Ireland and the distractions of England were by Gods mercie graciously quieted and composed Which petition of theirs in both those materiall branches thereof was most favourably entertained by the Parliament and received a desired answer the Assembly of Divines being now by vote in Parliament fully resolved on and all of them nominated for all the Counties throughout the Kingdom for their advise to the Parliament for setling and ordering the pure worship of our God and true Apostolicall discipline Wherein the Lord grant they may all be as meek-hearted gracious and faithfull as holy Moses was to do nothing therein no not in the least particular thereof especially in Gods worship but most punctually according to the pattern of the Apostles practise and precepts no question fully and sufficiently to be found in Gods Word The Monethly fast also was speedily put in practise all over the Kingdom which being as it were a spirituall Militia as a reverend and learned Divine of our Citie calls it most properly puts the Kingdom into a spirituall posture of a God-pleasing holy warfare if religiously kept both for sin and from sin that we may as it were even fight and contend with God by prayers and tears by sighs and groans as good Jacob was said thus to wrastle with God yea and may be prevailers with God for a blessing on our Land our King and Parliament Church and State and thus also at length may prevail with men even against all the enemies of our peace and prosperitie both domestick and forrein Domestick I mean our imbred sins base lusts and corruptions Forrein that is treacherous projectors and clandestine malignant emulatours of our happinesse both at home and abroad And are not here two parliamentarie-mercies more of most high concernment and such as give us strong and irrefragable assurance that God is with us and will be with us if they be rightly and religiously managed and then we need not fear who is against us Yea then as the Prophet said They are moe that are with us than those that be for our enemies Yea even the Lords legions of chariots and horsemen of fire round about us to defend us and to consume them Whereby we may even alreadie triumph and exult with pious Paul and truly say Thanks be unto God who hath given us victory yea and made us more than conquerors through Christ in whom he hath freely loved us But to proceed In this time also of the Parliaments sitting in London by a grand-Committee of both Houses the stout-hearted and well-minded Ship-masters and Marriners to shew their love and loyaltie to the King and Parliament exhibited their Petition to the grand Committee and therewith also their votes and desires full of courage and candor to serve his Majestie and the Parliament to the utmost of their power which their readinesse and cheerfulnesse therein was most lovingly regarded both by the Lords and Commons and shortly after a fair and fit occasion was offered to make use of their love and service therein which they most really
by prisons or exile all these I say were by those our blessed Master-builders in Parliament by their unanimous suffrages not onely voted against as a superfluous and unprofitable burthen on Gods Church but thereby also a way was made plain and wide-doores were set open for a blessed restauration and replantation of most faithfull and painfull Pastours and laborious Lecturers chosen and set up with the peoples consent and good liking and not to have dumb-dogs or soul-robbers and theeves which came not in at the doore but through the windows of the Church violently obtruded on them whereby the Gospel begins to thrive and flourish again and Sions young-converts to be graciously growing up among us in the true judgement and knowledge of Christ Jesus whereas formerly the Prelates and Pontificians durst scoffe fleer and jeer familiarly at those faithfull and painfull Lecturers and most atheistically ask in derision What kind of creatures those Lecturers were and most impiously and audaciously even in the presence of the great God of heaven vow to worm them out â—re they had done with them But our good God gave these curst cows or rather wilde buls of Bashan short horns and though they had gone-on in a great measure and done much mischief therein yet they could not do the hurt which their hearts aymed at ever blessed and praised be our good God for it And now good Reader reflect thine eyes and review these rare mercies and tell me then was not Englands God herein also seen in the Mount of Mercies by this so strange an overture and alteration of things interposed between such eminent and imminent danger of utter losse of our bright and burning Candlesticks of the Gospel and fear of stinking snuffs of ignorance errour and atheisticall profanenesse to be set up in their places and little or no hope at least itâ— humane apprehension of help by lesse than such miracles of mercies as God himself hath in these our happie dayes wrought and poured-down upon us and such indeed as none but a God could procure for us O how sweetly and suddenly hath God turned our Captivitie into admirable freedom and libertie And who can consider these things without serious and deep admiration and who can call them to remembrance without heart-ravishing ioy and delight yea who can chuse but acknowledge in his most gratefull heart the great praises of the Lord and with holy David that harmonious chanter and musicall inchanter of Israel confesse Gods infinite free favour and love to England in thus encompassing and begirting us about with sweet songs of such deliverances But yet here 's not all for our blessed parliamentarie Worthies have also given us great hope by Gods goodnesse of timely purging also the two famous Fountains of our Kingdom Oxford and Cambridge from the much myre and mud of Romish innovations which setling there also hath made their streams stink of Poperie yea I say great hopes of happily healing the once most clear-sighted but now and of long time blear-eyes of our Nation grown mightie sore with Romish-rednesse by drinking in too much of the wine-lees of poysoning Popish fopperies in so much that Truths clear sighted Servants eyes began to be mightily offended by but looking on them and not without cause for as our Saviour himself saies If the eyes be evill the whole bodie will be full of darknesse and if the light that is in a kingdom and especially which is to give light to a whole kingdom be darknesse O how great is that darknesse and such truly began to be our Kingdoms condition but now we have I say great hopes by Gods gracious assistance that our Parliament will seasonably provide a soveraign Collyrium or eye-salve some well-distilled eye-bright of Reformation to purifie the sight of these two once most glorious lights in the whole Christian world Yea these our noble Nehemiahs and grave and gracious Ezra's have taken most pious pains to see Gods Sabbaths more sincerely sanctified than of late they have been and the profane soil of trauelling Carriers Taverns Ale-houses and Tobacco-shops and other loose and irreligious Shop-keepers who heretofore mightily polluted that day most sweetly swept away any cleansed A work of great concernment and high esteem for the glorie of the Lord than which I am certain a greater a better cannot be undertaken as being the very prop and promoter of all true Religion and without the entire and sincere sanctification whereof all true religion would quickly decay and be utterly lost yea I say a Nation-upholding Christian dutie of richest valuation as having more precious promises annexed to it than any other I know of in the whole book of God and which hath more ennobled our Realm and made our Kingdom more illustrious God alone who hath so graciously upheld it among us have all the praise and glorie of it and we onely the comfort than all our reformed Neighbours about us yea such a blessed and holy duty as hath caused more mercies to fall yea flow upon our English-Nation than ever did on any people of the Christian world Yet our most iniurious Prelates together with their profane Pontificks have most shamelesly striven to viciate and defile this our Sabbaths precious honour the main readie and road-way to have brought the curse of God upon us and utterly to have ruinated our whole Kingdom by whose means it began in King James his dayes to receive a deep died stain by that most wicked and accursed book of tolerating vain sports and profane recreations forsooth on the Lords day which since hath been avowed and advanced more highly by them than at the first but now since in our present Soveraignes time more pertinaciously pressed and perniciously enforced on Gods dear Saints and servants in the ministerie than formerly it had been whose tender-consciences could not endure it and who being in their most just zeal for the Lords high honour therein and sincere love to true Religion transported above all fears and frowns were most egregiously abused vexed and punished for refusing to admit and read the said wicked-book in their Churches untill it most graciously pleased our good God by the blessed Parliament to prevent the most mischievous growth of this unexpressible abomination of our so holy Fathers of the Church together with the rotten rable of Pontifick-Arminians Romes Minions indeed by a particular Order from the House of Commons in Parliament for the more strict sanctification of that day which I have hereunto annexed The Order of the House of Commons for the due sanctication of the Sabbath or Lords day April 10 th 1641. IT is this day ordered by the House of Commons that the Aldermen and Citizens that serve for the Citie of London shall intimate to the Lord Maior from this Hou e that the Statutes for the due observing of the Sabbath be put in execution And it is further ordered that the like
of those Egyptian croaking Froggs the Filthy Capuchin-Fryers and Priests who lay lurking there too long like so many muzled Wolves and Tygers all these or the most of them banished and transported over-Sea from us And the Queen-Mother of France the more to free our hearts from feares and discontents happily also transported beyond Sea from us About which time also to settle our hearts with yet more solid comfort and the more firmly to consolidate our future hoped happines it pleased the Lord to put into the hearts of our most noble Parliamentary Patriots to unite and knit all the three Kingdomes of England Scotland and Ireland in-a most firme League and Conjunction of perpetuall love and amitie and of mutuall defence against all malignant Adversaries either domestick or forrein and to confirm all this by a particular act of Parliament ratified by a full consent of the King and both Houses together with an act of absolute oblivion of all exceptions and differences whatsoever formerly intervening twixt Prince and people Upon which both Armies of English and Scottish Souldiers were shortly after most happily peaceably dismissed and disbanded to the high hononr of our wonder-working God and the unexpressible joy and comfort of both Nations thus most lovingly and sweetly shaking hands of true friendship at their peaceable departure And for the farther confirmation of this our happines and due retribution of praise and glory to the Lord our God the authour of it there was an Ordinance of Parliament for a day of publick and solemn thankesgiving for this peace so happily concluded between England and Scotland which for the glorie of God and honour of our King and Worthies in Parliament I have thought fit here to insert verbatîm as it was published An Ordinance of Parliament for a day of publick thanksgiving for the peace concluded between England and Scotland VVHereas it hath pleased almightie God to give a happie close to the treatie of peace between the two Nations of England and Scotland by his wise providence defeating the evill hopes of the subtill adversaries of both Kingdomes for which great mercy it was by the Kings most excellent Majestie the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament enacted that there should be a publick thanksgiving in all the Parish-Churches of his Majesties Dominions It is now ordered and declared by the Lords and Commons in Parliament that the time for the celebration of that publick thanks to almightie God for so great and publick a blessing shall be on tuesday the 7 th of Sept. by prayers reading and preaching of the Word in all Churches and Chappels of this Kingdome whereof we require a carefull and due observance that we may joyne in giving thanks as we partake of the blessing with our brethren of Scotland who have designed the same day for that dutie According to the act of this present Parliament for confirmation of the Treatie of Pacification between the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland whereas it was desired by the Commissioners of Scotland that the loyaltie and faithfulness of his Majesties Subjects might be made known at the time of the publick thanksgiving in all places and particularly in all Parish-Churches of his Majesties Dominions Which request was graciously condescended unto by his Majestie and confirmed by the said Act. It is now ordered and commanded by both Houses of Parliament that the same be effectually done in all Parish-Churches throughout this Kingdome upon tuesday the 7 th day of Sept. next coming at the time of the publick thanksgiving by the severall and respective Ministers of each Parish-Church or by their Curates who are heerby required to reade this present Order in the Church And was not the Lord most gloriously heer seen in the Mount of admirable mercie and deliverance to England and Scotland after such a marveilous manner as never any Nation could produce the like parallell of gracious providence And may we not therefore with holy David Israels sweet singer confess we have found the Lord according to his word a sure defence for the oppressed even a refuge in time of trouble And therefore they that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that have seriously sought thee Yea he that is our God is the God of salvation and unto this God and mightie Lord belong the issues from death Heer also ere I have done with this mercie let me desire the Reader to take notice of the admirable wisdome and justice of God in thus clearing the innocencie and integritie of his children O what bitter aspersions did the Prelates Arminians and malignant partie cast on our brethren of Scotland at the first nothing but traytors and rebells could be heard out of their slanderous mouths But now see I say how Gods wisdome and justice ordered it that even those tongues that had so taunted them yea and in their pulpits too should now be forced even in the face of their Congregations to give themselves the lye That of Job being heerin most clearly ratified that The poore hath hope and iniquitie stoppeth her mouth and that also of the holy Prophet David which is full to our purpose That the King and all good men shall exceedingly rejoyce and glorie in God but the mouth of them that speake lyes shall be stopped And now also let me tell thee courteous Reader to make these mercies yet more glorious to the praise of our God that in the interim that those two Armies lay so together in the North the pestilent Spirits of the Malignant partie lay not still but were most maliciously working by their agents and instruments the Popish Lords and pernicious Prelates being also maine sticklers in all these mischievous designes to disaffect and discontent his Majesties Armie by scandalous and most false accusations and imputations on the Parliament thus to engage it for the maintenance of their most wicked designes of keeping-up the Bishops in their votes Lordly honours and functions and by force to compell the Parliament to order limit and dispose their parliamentarie proceedings in such a manner as might best concurre with the intentions of their dangerous and potent faction Now this plot of bringing the English Armie from the North Southward to London against the Parliament for the causes aforesaid having been particularly enquired into and examined both by that noble and vertuous Gentleman M r Fynes and Sir Philip Stapleton with others they made report thereof to the House of Commons about June 17. 1641. That they found that for the advancing of the said plott the Earl of Strafford had attempted his escape out of the Tower and to effect it the better had promised that worthy Gentleman Sir William Belfore then Leifetenant of the Towre 20000 li. and to marry his Sonne to his Daughter and to make it one of the greatest Matches in the Kingdome but Sir Williams loyaltie was
such as not to be corrupted by such base bribes That Captain Billingslâ—y was invited by Sir John Suckling a suckling indeed in honestie but not in treacherie to have employment in this pernicious project and that one Captain Chidley brought down many instructions to the Armie That Colonell Goring should have been Leivetenant-generall of the said Armie and that the Prince and the Lord of Newcastle were to meet them in Nottinghamshire with a thousand Horse all which Propositions came from M r Jermine and were dispersed and made known by Serjeant Major Wallis and Captain Chidley The said Wallis having confessed also that the French would assist them in this their Design and that our holy or rather hollow-hearted Clergie of England whereof the reverend forsooth Bishops were the ringleaders would at their own charge set forth and maintain a thousand horse farr more than ever they yet proffered by a thousand to assist against the barbarous and bloudy Popish Rebells of Ireland To the addition of their everlasting shame and ignominie be it spoken Finally that an intercepted Letter of M r Jermines to M r Mountague imported that they expected the Earl of Straford with them in the North but blessed be the Lord their wicked hope was frustrated as aforesaid and that for the better completing of these their most accursed designes Jermine much endeavoured to get Portsmouth into their hands as one M r Bland confessed but could not compass it These and such like plotted designes for the ends afore-mentioned being farther discovered and witnessed by severall depositions of diverse examinates as the Reader may more fully see in the late Remonstrance of Ireland published by authoritie of the Parliament But when this mischeivous assigne and attempt of theirs thus to bring on that Armie against the Parliament and Citie of London which they well knew was all along a main and strong fast friend to the Parliament had been by Gods great mercie timely discovered and thereby utterly frustrated and prevented they presently undertook and attempted another design of the same damnable nature with this addition to it namely to make the Scottish Armie neutrall and so to sit still and let them alone whilst the English Armie which they had laboured to corrupt and invenome against the Parliament and Citie of London by false and slanderous suggestions should execute their malice to the subversion of our Religion and the dissolution of our long happie government Thus I say did they plott and continually practise to disturb our peace and to destroy all the Kings Dominions And for that cause had employed most industriously their Emissares and agents in them all for the promoting of these their devillish designes But by Gods infinite mercie and the vigilancie of such as were honest and well-affected to religion to peace and the prosperity of the Parliament they were all I say still timely discovered and defeated before they could be ripe enough for execution among us in England and Scotland Onely in Ireland which was farther-off and full of Papists Jesuites and Priests they had time to mould and prepare their wicked work and had brought it to much pernicious perfection For not long after the most bold and bloodie rebellion in Ireland brake-out there which had it not been timely revealed and prevented by Gods great mercie and good providence in the preservation of the Castle of Dublin but the very Eave before it should have been taken by the rebels the whole Kingdom had been fully possessed by them the government of it totally subverted the true Religion had been quite extirpated and rooted out and all the Protestants whom the conscience of their dutie to God their King and countrey would not have permitted to joyn with them had been utterly destroyed as in a most lamentable manner very many thousands of them poore souls have alreadie been as is most fully and fearfully to be seen to the terrour and amazement of all Christian hearts that read the same both in that Treatise entituled Irelands-Tears and the Irish-Remonstrance And indeed they have therby kindled such a fire there and blown it into such an over-spreading flame as nothing but Gods extraordinarie blessing upon the wisdom and endeavours of this State will be able to quench it And certainly had not God in his great mercie to our Land and Nation discovered and confounded their first designe for the grand-plot of all on England and Scotland we all in England had certainly been the prologue to this wofull tragedie in Ireland and had by this time and before them been the most deplorable spectacle of lamentation and wo ruine and confusion to all Europe that ever the Sun beheld And therefore here me thinks we may most fitly take up that of holy David with a little inversion of the words to our selves If the Lord had not been on our side now may England say and that most justly if the Lord had not been on our side when men rose up against us Then had they swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us Then the waters had overwhelmed us the proud waves and raging billows had gone over our souls But blessed O for ever blessed be God that hath not given us over as a prey to their devouring teeth Now about this time it pleased the Lord to permit the malignant partie so far to prevail with the King and among them the Lord Cottington a Popish Lord and strongly suspected to be one of the prime projecting heads of that faction that Sir William Belfore a worthy and noble gentleman then Lieftenant of the Tower of London was displaced from that office of so great trust and the said Lord Cottington made Constable of the Tower who presently kept a great pudder in the Tower placing and displacing things therein planting Ordâ—nance on the wals thereof with their mouths toward the Citie entertaining Souldiers to guard and keep it of very ill-condition and suspected for Poperie all these to the great terrour and amazement of the vigilant Citizens of London who had still extraordinarie jealous eyes on him and all his actions and carriages and thereupon complain'd and petitioned the Parliament against him and his demeanour in the Tower and the Parliament moved the King most instantly about it who on their long and urgent importunitie at last so far prevailed with his Majestie that he put the Lord Cottington from being Constable of the Tower and chose-in one Collonel Lunsford to be Leiftenant thereof a man of an ill name and condition of life and whom I my self knew a prisoner in Newgate not very long before for a great abuse offered by him to Sir Thomas Pelham now a worthie Knight of Sussex and at which time of his imprisonment there it was generally and credibly reported that upon an abuse done by him also to one of the Officers of Newgate who had been his very
much countenanced and encouraged by the Earl of Bristow and judge Mallet and for which they were both sent prisoners to the Tower of London which Petition being on the 29 th of April 1642. brought to the Parliament by some of the prime malignant-ones the rest of that rout being some certain thousands remained at Blackheath for an answer but were fain to depart with a flea in their cares they received most foul but most just disgraces at their entrance into the Citie the gate at the Bridge-foot was shut against them they themselves were disarmed their weapons being there taken from them two of their prime leaders having exhibited their Petition in Parliament were committed to safe custodie till fit opportunitie of further examination of this their high contempt and arrogancie But immediately after the truly religious honest and well-affected partie of the said County of Kent unanimously also united themselves in an honest and loyall Petition therein utterly disavowing and protesting against that other seditious and scandalous one who were all together with their Petition most courteously and lovingly entertained and dismissed with great thanks from the Parliament for that their so honest and peaceable demeanour And was not the Lord Jehovah seen here in the Mount of Mercie in thus both timely discovering and discountenancing these very dangerous designes of theirs as much as in them â—ay for the present extremly to blend and disgrace the just fair and faithfull proceedings of the Parliament and though they most secretly and subtilly carried and contrived their designes therein yet the Lord graciously caused them to be stifled in their birth So that we may most fitly take up that of the Apostle Paul who speaking of the perillous times that should come in the last dayes after a recitall of a ragged-regiment of malignant and ill-affected persons brings in Jannes and Jambres two audacious and arrogant companions who obstinately and proudly withstood Moses reviling and speaking evill of the truth men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith But they shall not proceed saies the Apostle for their folly shall be manifested to all men As t is now with ours blessed be the Lord our most wise God for it and all their malice and mischief is fallen still upon their own hoads Wherefore we may nay we must with holy David most gratefully acknowledge Not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy Name be all the glory given for thy mercie and for thy truths sake Who hast not suffered the heathen or wicked to say where is now their God But our God is in heaven and hath done whatsoever he pleased Now after these things the King having prest the Parliament with divers Messages in his unhappie departure and distance from it as by and by shall be more fully and particularly set forth and thereby constrained our prudent Worthies in Parliament to clear their integritie to his Majestie and the whole Kingdom yea and to the whole world also if occasion were offered they sent to his Majestie and afterward set forth in print divers Declarations Remonstrances and Messages from both Houses of Parliament all of them written and penn'd with such prudence piâ—tiâ— and humilitie toward his Majestie as most apparently evidenced their great and godly care for the preservation of his Honour and the Kingdoms welfare to the great and unexpressible comfort and content of all Gods people especially in the most sweet continued symphonie and harmonious concurrence of Both Houses which now began to be more and more strongly increased notwithstanding the great and even mountanâ—â—â— obstructions and terrible distractions of the times mightily molesting and retarding their most important and weightie affairs ouâ— most prudent and pious Peers still shewing themselves as was toucht before more forward if possiâ—ly it might be in all good motions than the House of Commons A mercie which things and times considered we are not able sufficiently to prize and praise the Lord for it being that blessing of the Kingdom which was so long and so earnestly desired by the universall confluence of the Petitions of the whole Kingdom yea that great blessing I say which the Apostle Paul so heartily and vehemently desires among his beloved Corinthians That they might all speak the same thing and that there might be no division among them but that they may be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement Yea that rare blessing which the Prophet David cannot set out sufficiently without a note of admiration in the excellencies of it when he said Behold how good and joyfull a thing it is brethren to dwell together in unity Yea sayes he t is like the precious oyntment upon Aarons head distilling thence to his beard and running down to the skirts of his garment Such a prâ—â—ioâ—â— oyntment may I truly say is this unity and concord in these two honourable Houses of Parliament poured on the head of our Soveraign distilling thence on the comely beard of his Kingdom this renowned Parliament and sweetly streaming thence down to the skirts or garments of the Land the people and inhabitants thereof And now see I pray the blessed effects of this happy union and precious complacencie between the King and Both Houses of Parliament at this time For about the 9 th of April the Lords and Commons in Parliament resolved to set upon the reformation of the Liturgie and government of the Church wherby Gods worship and service should be more purely performed than formerly it had been and discipline more piously administred And for this purpose they passed Votes in Both Houses and most prudently pitched upon certain eminent godly grave and learned Divines out of every Shire and Corporation of the Kingdom who should meet together at a time appointed to discusse and consult among themselves what should be most apostâ—licall orthodox and neerest to the truth of Gods word and so to advise the Parliament for the setling of the same as by their order printed and published by their authority may and doth more fully appear which here I have thought fit to insert and mention to thee The Order of the Lords and Commons touching the Liturgy and Church Discipline Apr. 9. 1642. THe Lords and Commons do declare that they intend a due and necessary reformation of the government and Liturgy of the Church and to take away nothing in the one or other but what shall be evill and justly off nsive or at the least unnecessarie and burthensome And for the better effecting thereof speedily to have consultation with gâ—â—ly and learned Divines And because this will never of it self obtain the end sought therein they will therefore use their utmost endeavour to establish learned and preaching Ministers with a good and sufficient maintenance throughout the whole Kingdom wherein many dark corners are miserably destitute of the means of salvation and many poore Ministers want
Tower The Lord Cottington made Constable of the Tower Cottington displaced Col. Lunsford made Leiftenant of the Tower Lunsford also displaced Sir Iohn Byron made Leiftenant of the Tower Petitioned against A Plague-sore plasture sent in a letter unto Mr. Pim. Dan 3. Camillus a renowned Romane Captain Plutarch in his Lives Mr. Pims most undaunted spirit against the plasture Mr. Pims due praise An objection answered The Citizens of London petition both Houses of Parliament The Citizens most grave substantiall delivery of their Petition The gracious answer to their Petition The Apprentises of London do likewise petition The Porters of London also do petition the Parliament The Apprentises of London go again to the Parliament for an answer to their Petition Are greatly affronted The Bishops the cause of the quarrell Citizens abused at Whitehall by Courtiers there 1641. A great disturbance and hubbub at Westm Abbey the next day The Bishops are frighted from the Parliament by apprentises by land water The most remarkableevent of that affront to the Bishops The Bishops just fears and jealousies of theirdownfall The Bishops do petition the King Peers touching their grievances The Bishops Petition and Protestation to the King and Peers Twelve Bishops impeached of high treason and imprisoned in the Tower Quod nequit ingenium Dâ—us fecit Job 41. 34. Mark this note well Craft and crueltie Laodicean securitie Iudges 5. O how far short came all our best Bishops of noble Q. Hester in her zeal and courage for God and his Saints 1 Cor. 16 22. Here is the pith of the note which In desire thee to mark The great impenitencie of our Prelates * Bp. Hall a most fierce but fruitlesse stickler for Diocesan Episcopacie in a book of his lately printed and published in his own defence 2 Kin. 9. 22. Bp Halls Peace of Rome Two Scottish Bishops renounced their Bishopricks as an Antichristian function * In his defence of Episcopacie Ezra 6. 11 12. * O how much more precious are the living temples of the holy-Ghost which our Prelates have been so far from building up that the worst of them have laboured to pull down and destroy the very best of them have lazily and carelesly suffered to be destroyed The great designe of Ian. 4. 1641. exactly described A Serjeant at Arms sent from the King to apprehend the five Gentlemen accused of high treason The King himself went to the Parliament with 500 attendants Papists others The Souldiers demeanour about the Parliament-door The Souldiers most audacious and accursed speeches The Parliament attendants and Servants about the doore disarmed by force The King placed himself in the Speaker of the Parliaments chair The plot blessedly crost by the absence of the gentlemen The King departed out of the Parliament The main intention of this great grievous designe A Proclamation published at Westm against those Parliament-Worthies Voted to be a scandalous illegall paper Those worthy gentlemen justified by the Parliament A brief congratulatory for Gods mercie in this their so great a deliverance Deut. 33. 26 27. Psal 109. 27 28. Exod. 19. 4. Psal 105. 1 2 â— The Parliament adjourned and turn'd into a Grand-Committee at London in the Grocers Hall The Ministers of London petition the Parliament for an Assembly and a monethly Fast An assembly of Ministers resolved on in Parliament A monethly Fast proclaimed all over the Kingdom Rom. 8. 31. 2 King 6. 16 17. 1 Cor. 15. 57. Ship-masters and Sea-men petition the Parliament and proffer their service to it on all occasions Tuesday Ian 11. 1641. Our Parliament-Worthies most bravely attended to Westm by land And by water A brief description of the brave carriage of the Souldiers and Sea men by land and water Terror to the malignant partie But joy and comfort to the godly The legality of the acts aforesaid by land water Buckinghamshire men came riding into the City to petition the Parliament Essex Hartford and other Counties come to London in great multitudes to petition the Parliament God on the Mount Ier. 32. 39. The Bishops are quite voted out of the Parliament for voice and place The House of Lords make the Bill against the Bishops most full of comfort to us all Matth. 20. 26. Note this Bishops who had no heart nor voice for Christ have now no voice nor place for themselves in Parliament 2 Chron 21. 20 Note this also Non-subscription silenced many godly Ministers now their subscription hath imprisoned and almost unbishoped our proud Prelates Prov. 5. 22. God in the Mount Isa 51 7 8 9 11. The Kingdom put into a posture of defence Sir Iohn Byron Leiftenant of the Tower displaced Sir Iohn Conniers made Leiftenant by the Parliament A fair and famous project of subscription for relieving of Ireland moved and promoved in Parliament A general collection ordered also to be over the Kingdom for the distressed English inhabitants in Ireland The most liberall collection for Ireland at Aldermanbury in London A gracious answer from the Kings Majestie touching the Liturgie and Church-government Zaâ—h 2. 5. The malignant partie still plotting first in London A seditious Petition framed and presented to the Parliament against the Militia of the City other things of dangerous consequence One Mr. Binion a mainstickler in the foresaid seditious Petition A counter-petition exhibited by the honest Citizens against it The malignant Petition censured Mr. Binions censure The Kentish malignant Petition Sir Edw. Deering Sir Edw. Deerings book of his Speeches printed Himself and his book censured The Authors opinion of him and his book The Arch-Prelates conference with Fisher a Iesuite A Replie to the said Conference Wittie but irreligious scoffing at pietie and godlinesse in Sir Eds. book The seditious petition of Kent was much countenanced by the Earl of Bristow and judge Mallet The Petition brought to the Parliament Their usage in the delivery of their petition The Honest partie of Kent petition against the malignant partie God in the Mount â— Tim. 3. 8 9. Psal 115. 1 2. 3. The King having unhappily left his Parliament sends Messages to them The Parliaments wisdom and moderation in their answers to them The sweet unanimity of both Houses notwithstanding their great discouragements 1 Cor. 1. 10. Concordiâ reâ— parvae cresâ—unt Discerdiâ magnae dilaâ—untuâ— Psal 133. 1 â— Concord â— sweet oyntment to a Kingdom The Liturgie and Church government voted to be reformed God on the Mount Acts 19. 28. Isa 46. 11 12 13. The King by his ill-affected Counsellors grows into discontent with his Parliament The King departs from London The King takes the Prince along with him The King comes into the North. Hull attempteâ— to be taken for the King But preventeâ— by Sir John Hotham The K came to Hull and required it to be delivered up to him On refusall thereof was declared to be a traitor Propositions made to the Gentrie of York Swords drawâ— Divide impera A false and foolish distinction
beholding the evident sun-shine of the truth in the subsequent and most luculent demonstrations thereof in this Kingdom of England after a speciall manner which God hath graciously made the very Land-mark of all his rich mercies to the everlasting glory of his great Name and free grace unto us a most sinfull and undeserving Nation as we have been and that in the midst of such means and miracles of mercies which he hath conferred on us and wrought for us above all our neighbour Nations round about us Now herein my purpose is omitting many former mercies to our Land of high concernment and most worthy of everlasting and indelible thankfull remembrance as the shaking off of the Antichristian shackles and yoke of Poperie begun in the dayes of King Henry the eighth and his most blessed Son King Edward the sixth but especially in the happie halcyon-dayes of Queen Elizabeths reign of ever most blessed memorie Since whose most blessed dayes and times we have enjoyed the Gospel of peace and peace of the Gospel almost these hundred yeers and now are not onely Protestants but most blessedly begin to be reformed Protestants notwithstanding the many most nefarious and treacherous plots against her sacred person happily defeated the falsly so termed Invincible Spanish Armado in 1588 and the most exorbitant and hell-hatch't Powder-plot by those Romish traytors Garnet a grand-Jesuite and his twelve impious apostles in the yeer 1605 by heavens vigilant eye of providence timely prevented together with many private and pernicious conjurations or conspiracies not so much by force as by fraud clandestinely machinated and by Gods mercie fruitlesly attempted enough to fill up voluminous Treatises and infâ—â—itâ—ly to magnifie Gods endlesse praises all which I say here to omit my purpose and main intention is as I fore promised by the blessed assistance of Gods gracious Spirit to manifest and declare to all who vouchsafe the patient and impartiall perusall hereof all the memorable and wonder-striking Parliamentary mercies effected for and afforded unto this our English Nation mauger the malice of Hell and Rome Papists and profane Atheists Satans active and able agents with inthe space of lesse than two yeers last past 1641 and 1642. And for the better and more exact setting forth of the most illustrious lustre and glorious beautie of these incomparable parliamentarie-pledges of Gods undoubted love and free favour toward us my intention is first to shew my Reader the cloudy-Mountain of Straits into which the Lord had in his wisdom and justice brought us or rather suffered us to be drawn and driven into for our sins and transgressions and then the sweet and serene-Mountain of Mercies wherein God was most gloriously seen of his meer mercie for our most timely and happie deliverance I mean I say to let the godly Reader see the deep distresse and danger whereinto we were plunged by the nefarious and multifarious plots and projects of Jesuiticall-Priests and perfidious Prelates for I may most justly couple and link them together like Simeon and Levi brothers in iniquitie of these our late and worst times and other most disloyall atheisticallagents in these desperate designes all of them faithlesse factors for the See of Rome all of them complotting and contriving to reduce us to the accursed Romish religion yea all of them combining and confederating to work and weave our three famous and flourishing Kingdoms England Scotland and Irelands fatall and finall ruiâ—e and downfall This being done I shall endeavour by Gods assistance most punctually to promulgate and most exactly to record to posterity those even myriades of remarkable mercies conferred on us to strange amazement and deep admiration of all truly pious and faithfull Christians That thus contraries being set together in an exact Antithesis or opposition they may both appear the more apparently to the eyes and understanding of ingenuous and judicious beholders that thus I say the dangers being seriously considered and worthily weighed the mercies may the more gloriously break forth like the Suns glorious rayes and heart-cheering bright beams after a thick and black cloudie storm and heart-damping tempest and that thus I say the god y Reader ruminating and recollecting Both in his sad and serious re-cogitations may justly and ingenuously acknowledge that God was in the Mount for our Deliverance Now herein for my better and more methodicall proceeding in this renowned Storie I have resolved to make our most famous and renowned Parliamentarie-Worthies first Remonstrance wherein all our Kingdoms heavie pressures and oppressions are summarily and succinctly even to the life delineated my most worthily imitable copie and pattern to write by but in these I intend to be as concise and brief as conveniently may be because my chief ayme and resolution is â—o hasten to the copious and comfortable narration and description of our Parliamentarie-Mercies and Deliverances to the everlasting glorie and precious praise of our great and good God and that at the rare and faire sight and cordiall contemplation of them the godly Reader may break out in an extasie of holy and heavenly joy and say with holy David Truly God is good to his English Israel and to all therein of an upright heart Wherefore now to pretermit all further ambages and circumlocutions and to addresse my self seriously to the matter intended I shall first with my most worthie-Masters briefly declare the root and growth of their mischievous designes and the rice of our dangerous estate thereby Secondly the maturity and ripenesse to which the malignant partie had hatcht and cherisht it before the beginning of this Parliament Thirdly the efficacious means used for the eradicating and rooting up of this evill weed so rank-grown in the garden of the Kingdom both by the Kings royall assistance and Heavens blessing on the Parliaments great wisdom industrie and providence Fourthly the bold affronts and audacious obstructions and oppositions to interrupt and check the Parliaments fair and faithfull progresse and proceedings therein all along Fifthly and lastly the counter-checking means used to annihilate and make void those obstacles and impediments which so retarded the fair fabrick and comely structure of a happie reformation of those superfluous and rank-grown evils and of redintegrating and re-establishing the ancient honour and security of this Crown and Nation even by a Parliamentarie-power the onely remedie left under God to prop-up the tottering State to force away our over-flowing fears and to heal the mortall wounds and sores of our distressed Land Now the root and rice of all the plot was found to be a pernicious woven knot of malignant active spirits combining and confederating together for the supplanting and utter subverting of the fundamentall Laws and principles of government on which the religion and government of the Kingdom were firmly establisht And those actors and promoters were fiâ—st and principally Jesuited-Papists whose teeth had long
watered for and whose eager appetites had long hungred after the subversion of our Religion Secondly perfidious and rotten-hearted Prelates and Arminian-pontificians who mightily and maliciously cherishing formality or conformity and superstition greedily also gaped after a change in Religion or at the least the outragious supporting of their Eeclesiasticall-tyrannie and usurpation Thirdly profane irreligious and even atheisticall Courtiers and Councellours of State who for their own private and beggarly ends had engaged themselves as being doubtlesse mercenarie pensioners to forrein Princes to the prejudice of their own naturall King and the State at home And as you have seen the agents were potent and politick So the common principles by which they moulded and managed their craftie counsels and impious actions were as pragmaticall as prejudiciall As fiâ—st to work and win the King to stand stifly to his Royall-prerogative and the people for the maintenance of their Priviledges and Liberties that thus they might have the advantage by siding with the King against the Subject and so to be counted his fastest friends and trustie servants and thereby engrosse to themselves and their factious confederates all places of greatest trusâ— and power in the Kingdom that so they might the more safely fish in troubled waters Secondly to suppresse and stifle the sacred puritie and power of religion and to curb and keep-under all of all degrees that were best affected to it in profession and practise these being sore pearls in their eyes and the greatest impediments to that change which their voracicus and eager appetites extremely longed and laboured to introduce among us Thirdly to countenance and encourage their own fast faction and on all colourable occasions to disgrace vilifie and dishearten all the opposite partie Fourthly and lastly by slanders and false imputations to work the King to an utter-dislike of Parliaments and putting him on unjust and forcible wayes of supply yet masking them with fair pretences of great and just advantage to his Majestie though indeed they brought more losse than gain to him and great distresse and distractions to the whole Kingdom And thus have you summarily seen the Basis or foundation of their building now be pleased with as much brevitie as may be to behold what a fair fabrick and stately structure they raised and erected on it And here by the way take notice of this diffusive sememting-materiall or bracing-piece conglutinating or holding fast the body of the whole ensuing frame namely that in all the compacted and conioyned ligaments of this omiâ—ousarchitecture the Jesuites craftie counsell and as wicked as wittie wilinesse was instead of a prime architector or Master Builder of the whole edifice and had they not all been by Gods overpow'ring providence timely prevented these Jesuiticall-Artificers would undoubtedly have over-builded the Prelaticall-Labourers and instead of a new have pul'd down an old-house on the heads of all the rest of those as credulous as accursed cooperating Carpinters or work-men with them in this their Babell of confusion And now in the first yeer of the Kings reign their work began to be revived and hotly to be set upon again For it is here to be considered that in the last yeer of King James his reign it had been somewhat dampt and quâ—sht both by the breach with Spain that yeer as also by his Majesties marriage with France whose people were not so contrary unto nor so hotly active against the good of Religion and prosperitie of this Kingdom as those of Spain and besides the Papists in England being more zealously addicted and affected for matter of Religion to Spain than France yet still they retained a resolution to weaken the Protestant-partie in all parts and places of Europe yea even in France thereby to make way for an intended change at home The first effect and evidence of which their recoverie of strength was the dissolution of the first Parliament at Oxford after two Subsidies granted but no grievances removed After which many other bitter effects of this bad begiâ—â—ing followed or rather flowed and gushed-out apace as namely the losse of Rochel Fleet yea of Rochel it self a lamentable evill to the French-Protestants by the unhappie help of our ships The diversion of a most facile and hopefull war from the Wâ—st-Indies to a most expensive and successelesse attempt on Calâ—s raâ—her to make us weary of warre than prospeâ—ous in it The precipitate breach of peace with France A peace concluded with Spain without consent of a Parliament contrary to promise made by King James to both Houses whereby the Palatine câ—uâ—e was shamefully deserted by us The Kingdom soon charged with billetted Souldiers together with the concomitant project of Germane-horses to enforce men by â—ear to all arbitrarie taxations The dissolution of a second Parliament in the second yeer of his Majesties reign after a declarative intention of granting five Subsidies Violent exacting the said summe or a sum equivalent to it by a Commission of Loan Divers worthy gentlemen imprisoned for refusing to pay it Great summes of money extorted from subjects by Privie-Seals and Excise The most hopefull Petition of Right blasted in the blossome of it A third Parliament called and as quickly broken and therein Parliamentariâ— priviledges violated by after ill-usage of some of the best and worthiâ—st Members thereof who were clapt up in close-imprisonment denied all ordinarie and extraordinarie comforts of this life and preservation of health no not so much as their wives permitted to come unto them yea deprived of spirituall consolation for their souls not suffering them to go to Gods House for enjoyment of publike Ordinances or godly Ministers to come to them but kept them still in this oppressive condition not admitting them to be bailed according to Law And this crueltie might have been perpetuall to them and others had not another Parliament been necessitated to relieve and release them Upon the dissolution of those Parliaments O what scandalous and opprobrious Declarations were published to asperse and besmear their proceedings and some of their woâ—thiest Members unjustly to make them odious and the better to colour their exorbitant violence exercised on them Proclamations set out to those effects thereby also extremely disheartning the Subjects yea and forbidding them once so much as to speak of any mo Parliaments this being in the fourth yeer of the Kings reign Then injustice violence and heavie oppressions without all limits oâ— moderation brake-out upon the people like unresistible floods gushing out of a broken-down Dam or stoppage with huge inundations checking yea even choaking all our freedomes and fast fettering our free-born hearts with manacles and chains of most intolerable taxations Witnesse the mighty sums of money gotten by that plot of Knighthood under a fair colour of Law but iâ—deed a meer violation of justice Tonnage also and poundage received without any pretext or colour of Law The
book of Ratâ—s inhansed to an high proportion A new and unheard of yet most heavie taxation over the whole Kingdom by Ship-money Both these under a colour of guarding the Seas by which there was charged on the Subject neer upon 700000 li. some yeers and yet Merchants constantly left naked to the violent robberies of Turkish-pirates to the great losâ—e of many fair Ships and much goods and imprisonment of their bodies in most miserable bonds of Turkish-slaverie The enlargement of Forrests contrary to Magna Charta The exaction of Coat and Conduct-money The forcible taking away of the Train'd-band Arms. The desperate designe of Gunpowder engrossed into their hands and kept from the Subject in the Tower of London and not to be had thence but at excessive rates and prices The destruction of the Forrest of Dean that famous timber-Magazine or Store-house of the whole Kingdom sold to Papists The canker-eating Monopolies of Sope Salt Wine Leather Sea-cole and almost all things in the Kingdom of most necessarie and common use Restraint of Subjects liberties in their habitations and trades and other just interests together with many other intolerable burthens which poore Isachars shoulders were not able to bear but grievously to groan under and which for brevities sake I desire to passe over as not being my main intention to insist on but to hasten to our most happie deliverance from them for refusall of which fore-said heavie pressures O what great numbers of his Majesties loyall Subjects have been vext with long and languishing suits some fined and confined to prisons to the losse of health in many of life in some some having their houses broke-open and their goods seized on some interrupted in their Sea voyages and their ships taken in an hostile manner by Projectors as by a common enemie The Court of Star-Chamber having chiefly fomented and encreased these such like most extravagant censures most unjust suits both for the improvement of devouring Monopolies and of divers other causes wherein hath been none or very small offences yea sometimes for meer pretences and surmises without any proofs yet punisht as severely as foulest malefactors yea and that in matters of Religion and spirituall cases of conscience for which the good Subject hath been grievously oppressed by Fines Imprisonments stigmatizings mutilations whippings pillories gaggs confinements banishments yea and that into perpetuall close-imprisonments in the most desolate remote and as they hoped and intended â—emorslesse parts of the Kingdom and that also in such rough and rigid manner as hath not onely deprived them of the societie of neer and dear friends exercise of their professions comfort of books use of poper or ink but even violating that neerest-union which God hath establisht twixt men and their wives by forced and constrained separation Judges also put out of their places for refusing to do ought against their oaths and consciences others so over-awed that they durst not do their duties Lawyers checkt for faithfulnesse to their Clients and threatned yea punished for honestly following lawfull suits The Privie Councill also a mightie maintainer and prosecuter of illegall-suits against the Subject The Court of Honour Chancery Exchequer-Chamber Court of Wards and almost all other English-Courts have been exceeding grievous in their excessive iurisdictions Titles of Honour places of Judicature Serieant-ships at Law and other offices of trust have been sold for great summes of money and they that buy must needs sell And thereby also occasion hath been given too frequently of bribâ—rie extortion and partiality it being indeed seldome seen that places ill-gotten should be well-used These and such like Land-devouring enormities have been countenanced and practised in our long-languishing Common-wealth And if we look into the course and carriage of things in the Church also O how many impieties and irregularities have we there long beheld abounding and surrounding us to the high dishonour of God and disgrace of true Religion The Bishops and the rest of the Pontifician or rotten-hearted Clergie and Arminian-faction under a pretence forsooth of peace uniformitie and conformitie have like so many siâ—ly Cesars triumphed in the chariots of their Spirituall Courts by their suspensions Excommunications Deprivations and Degradations of divers painfull learned and pious Pastors of our Church and in the vexatious and grievous grinding oppressions of great numbers of his Majesties good Subjects In which cases the high Commission-Courts pragmaticall pranks have been unsufferable the sharpnesse and severity whereof grew to such an unlimited monstrous growth heighth and strength as was not much unlike and very little inferiour to the Romish or Spanish-Inquisition yea and in many cases by the Archbishops super-superlative power it was made much heavier it being as often as they pleased assisted and strengthened both by the furious power and authoritie of the Star-Chamber and Councill-Table when the wrath and rage of their own-Courts could not reach as high as their hatred extended to the utter wracking and worrying of the innocent and holy lambes of Christ whom indeed the world was not worthie of This they did both in Cities and countreys extremely vexing and perplexing those of the meaner sort Tradesmen and Artificers even to the deep impoverishing of many thousands of them and so afflicting and troubling others with threats and expensive suits that great numbers to avoid these miseries and mischievous molestations departed out of the Kingdom some into Holland some into New-England and other desert and uninhabited parts of America thereby exposing themselves their wives children and estates to the great danger of windes and waves by Sea and many other inevitable hazards by Land Those onely were held fittest for preferments at home and obtained them soonest who were most officious and sedulous to promote and propagate idolatrie superstition innovations and profanenesse and were most violent and virulent sons of Belial in railing against and reviling godlinesse and honestie Now all this while also the most publike and solemn sermons at Court before the King were nothing else for the most part but either to advance the Kings prerogative above Laws and to beat-down the Subiects just propriety in their estate and goods or full of such like frothie kind of invectives the onely way in those dayes to get fat morsels rich benefices and Ecclesiasticall preferments the onely-prey they sought after And thus also labouring as the second main part of their play to make those men odious to the King and State who conscientiously sought to maintain Religion Laws and liberties of the Kingdom and such men were sure still to be wrung and wrested out of their livings if Ministers And out of the Commission of peace if of the gentrie and all other places of imployment and power in the government of the Common-wealth Yea and those few godly and religious Noble personages which were of the privy-Councill though Councellors in name yet not
malice of the malignant-partie then about him a fair and friendly Pacification was speedily agreed on and the King returned to London with much honour to himself and sweet content to all but those that wisht to have ruinated all And now tell me did not God here begin to be seen in the Mount for our deliverance in thus at the very fâ—rst on-set of their devillish designe stopping the intended current of Christan-bloodshed And as the holy Prophet David sweetly The Lord bringeth the counsell of the wicked to nougâ—â— and maâ—es their devises of none effect But the counsels of the Lord stand fast for ever and the thoughts of his heart to all generations Blessed therefore is the Nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his inheritance This unexpected reconciliation was I say most welcome and acceptable to all the Kingdom except the malignant partie who like envious elves gnashed their teeth and with malice gnawed rancorously on their own hearts and therefore began again to spit yet more envie and spight out of their mischievous mouthes against the Scots and this happie peace especially William Laud the Arch-Prelate of Canterbury and the Earl of Straford the two monstrous heads of their faithlesse faction who I say began again mightily to maligne and bitterly to inveigh against the peace and to aggravate matters and exasperate the Kings wrath against the proceedings of those Peers that promoved it making his Majesty beleeve that it was a very dishonorable peace and disgracefull to the Kingdom insomuch that the King forthwith prepared again for war with them And such was their confidence or rather immarbled impudence that having by all means fore-mentioned corrupted and distempered at least as they thought the whole frame and government of the Kingdom they now also hoped to corrupt that fâ—â—â—â—tain which was the onely means under God to restore all to a right framâ— and temper again a Parliament to which end they perswaded his Majestie to call one but not to seek counselâ— of them but to draw countenance and supplie from them and to engage the whole Kingdom in their wicked quarrell and so to make the mischief and misâ—rie too Nationall In which mean time they continued all their unjust levies of money resolving either to make the Parliament pliant to their will and as the Prophet said of the wicked in his daies to establish mischief by a law or else to break it up again at their pleasure and to shift otherwise as well as they could by colourable violence as formerly to go-on to take what might not be had with consent Now the ground alledged for the iustification of this war was this namely the undutifull demands of the Scots in their Parliament which they conceived was cause enough for his Majestie to war against them without once hearing their iustification of those their demands and so thereupon a new Armie was mustered and prepared against them their ships were seized on in all Ports and parts of our Kingdom and of Ireland also their Petitions reiected and their Commissioners refused audience In summe the whole Kingdom was thus miserably distracted and distempered with leavies of money and imprisonment of those who denied to submit and crouch to those Leavies In which interim the Earl of Strafford posted into Ireland call'd a Parliament there out of hand quickly caused them to declare against the Scots and to grant foure Subsidies toward the warre yea and to engage themselves their lives and fortunes for the prosecution of it to the utmost of their power and to give direction for an Armie of 8000. foot and 1000 horse to be immediately mustered up which were all for the most part Papists O Ireland Ireland even this verie deed of thine above all thy other high provocations of generall profanenesse and especially of complacencie with base idolatrous Papists all over thy Kingdom in thus obliging thy Self in such a most uniust warre against thine honest and harmlesse Brethren of Scotland hath I am confidently perswaded most unhappily plunged thee into that most lamentable plight of blood and miserie which now of late thou hast grievously found and felt to thy unspeakable and unparalell'd sorrow and smart and hath made thee such a deplorable prey to their most barbarous mawes and bloody teeth of those Popish-rebels or rather inhumane Caniballs and unnaturall Vipers whom thou so lately so lovingly yet most irrelegiously didst nourish and cherish as so many venemous Snakes in thy bosome And I pray God this be not too frequent a fault among us in England namely to embrace in the armes of our foolish love a Papist as equally as a Protestant to this thy utter and inevitable destruction had not the Lord in wonderfull free mercie and favour prevented it in preserving Dublin The Earl of Straford having thus acted Sinons part in Ireland to his most wicked hearts content triumphing in his treacherie with more haste than good speed returned to England where this most subtill Sinon or rather scelerous Simeon and Laud his lewd brother Levi right brothers in iniquitie together with the rest of that pernicious partie at our Parliament in England which began April 13 th 1640. had so prevailed with his Maiestie that the said Parliament was most urgently incited and stimulated to yeeld supply toward the maintenance of this war with Scotland and that before there was any provision for the relief of those great pressures and groaning grievances of the people as have been fore-mentioned But by Gods overswaying power and good providence before any such thing could be to the purpose debated or resolved on base fears and jealousies preocupating the hearts of the malignant partie they suddenly and scelerously advised the King by all means to break-off thus Parliament also and to return to their former wayes of waste and confusion in which they hoped their own evill intentions were most like to proceed and prosper But here by the way take along with thee good Reader this note or observation on these premises namely that had our Parliament afforded the least supply to that wicked war yea though but one 6. d with their consent they had made the quarrell Nationall and thereby the plague and punishment of such a great sin most justly Epidâ—micall Take this then O England as no small mercie from thy gracious God who thus mercifully freed thee from such a Land-devouring sin and heinous provocation as Ireland does wofully witnesse it Now that Parliament thus fruitlesly ended they again fell to their former tyrannicall practises and squeezing course of enforcing supplies out of the peoples estates by the Kings own power and prerogative at his own will and without their consent yea the very next day after the dissolution of that Parliament some eminent Members of both Houses had their Chambers and Studies yea their Cabinets and very pockets
and Oath were made their proiects prospered not all their devisâ—s were on the declining hand Gods vindicative indignation continually prosecuting them to their shame and I hope to the utter ruine of their most insolent and unsufferable Antichristian tyrannie as the sequill shall manifestly make clear in the description of our deliverances whereunto I mainly addresse my thoughts and intention Now for the yet more absolute furthering of their most pâ—stiferous proiects they in that Synod laid great taxations on the whole Clâ—rgie as namely 6. Subsidies besides a bountifull contribution to forward the intended war against Scotland to which they all of the pontifician and scandalous rout especially shewed themselves generally very free and affectionate and which war some of them in their mad and hair-braind zeal were not asham'd to stile and entitle the Bishops War yea a solemn prayer was composed and enjoyned by the Bishops to be used in all Churches calling the Scots Rebels in it thus as much as in them lay to embrew both Nations in blood and to make the wrath and furie between them irreconcilible And here now the Reader must be pleased to take notice that the Armie was now going forward for York and therefore we may here not unfitly observe as a first demonstration of Gods beginning to crosse countercheck their malevolent machinations how the souldiers which were pressed and now passing forward to York did most strangely and uncontroulably turn rude-reformers as they marched through the Countreys forcibly intruding and getting into Churches and there irresistibly pulling-down altar-rails turning altars into Communion-Table postures making enquirie in the Towns where they came how the Ministers carried themselves in their pastorall charges if godly and diligent Preachers they reverendly and respectively used them but if Romes Minions I mean Arminians superstitious lazie drones rotten-hearted Baals priests or covetous pluralists where-ere they came and found such they vexed derided and most contemptuously used them utterly disdaining also and refusing to be ordered or commanded by popish-Leaders Now although I do not I may not justifie these their mis-carriages yet who can denie a speciall hand of divine providence taking most high displeasure and just offence against our Prelates and Pontificians former violent and furious practises and beginning thus at the very first on-set in this their great designe to blast their bloodie intentions And certainly if prudent Deborah did curse Meros iustly and the inhabitants thereof with bitter curses because they went not out to help the Lord against the mightie What bitter curses think we then shall fall upon those who most affectionately afforded strong aid to mightie and most malicious Popish enemies against the Lord and his dear saints and servants Even so O Lord as she goes on let all thine enemies perish but let those that love thee be as the bright and glorious sun when he goeth forth in his resplendent might But to go forward At this time also the Popish faction enjoyed such exemptions and exceptions against the penall Laws of the Land as amounted very neer to a full toleration of their religion Besides many other favours and Court-encouragements They had a Secretarie of State Sir Francis Windibank a powerfull agâ—nt for the expediting of all the Papists desires a Popes Nuncio residing here to act and govern them according to Romes influences and to mediate for them with the concurrence of forrein Popish Princes By this Nuncio's authority the Papists of all sorts Nobilitie Gentrie and Clergie were convocated after the manner of a private Parliament new Popish jurisdiction erected of Romish Archbishops taxes leavied a new government of State contrived independant to ours yea contrarie to ours both in interest and affection secretly corrupting the ignorant or negligent professors of our religion and closely combining and uniting themselves against such as were sound professours and in this posture onely watching and waiting for an opportunity by force to destroy those whom by fear or fraud they were hopelesse to seduce For the full effecting whereof they were strongly strengthened with all kind of war-like ammunition encouraged by Popish prayers weekly enjoyned by their Nuncio and such power had they then procured at Court that secretly a Commission was issued out intended for some great Ones of the Popish profession both for leavying and martiall command of Souldiers according to those private instructions His Majesties treasure also was extremely exhausted and consumed his revenews anticipated his Servants and Officers compelled to lend him great summes of money multitudes tyred with attendance on the Councill-Table for refusall of illegall payments prisons were filled with their commitments and many Sheriffes summoned into the Star-chamber and some imprisoned for not being quick enough in leavying the Ship-money and generally all the people over the whole Kingdom languished twixt grief and fear of the issue of these strong and strange snares and entanglements no visible signe nor hope of humane help being left us but in dolour and desperation And was not England now brought into a Mount of straits indeed Could hell it self or the fiercest fiends and furies the rein have hatcht a more horrid and hideous contrivement and that under a colourable pretence of law and right forsooth and royallprerogative Were not these like to prove rare Common-wealths-men and States-men who as the Prophet David complains and as toucht before would establish and set up wickednesse by a Law Yea these were truly Those many fishers which the Lord threatens to send against his sinning people to fish them and many hunters to hunt them Yea I say those most nefarious Nimrods those mightie hunters even most audaciously before the Lord who to raise-up and erect this their Babel of confusion hunted not beasts but the best of men not for recreation but for rapine and the utter ruine of true Religion Wherefore now at last the Lord our great Jehovah whose eyes run to and fro through-out the whole earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him hearing the groanes and crying prayers of his poor afflicted people to whose throne of grace and mercie they now made their onely earnest addresses and pressing approaches who I say being a God hearing prayers pardoning sins and a present help in greatest straits and distresses gives them a gracious return bids them be of good comfort and fearlesse yea bids them stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which he will shew them For to me saith the Lord belongeth vengeance and recompence your enemies foot shall slip in due time for the day of their calamitie is at hand and the the things that shall come upon them do make haste For the Lord will judge his own people and repent himself for his servants iniuries when he seeth that their power is gone and there is none else to help I am therefore graciously resolved
saies our God to make England a School of mercies and to set it in the highest form thereof yea and to make it the captain of the School and thereby intend to set him one-lesson to get by heart even a lesson of true gratitude and holy obedience for the mercies which now I intend to shew and bestow upon it Such mercies indeed good Reader as thou shalt now see and to thy souls admiration and comfortable contemplation behold that had I as many tongues hands and pâ—ns as I have hairs on my head and exquisite dexteritie fitly to manage and make use of them all they would not suffice to set out the praises of our good God for them being indeed such mercies as none but God himself could miraculously conser upon us by such a mightie and admirably strange overture and turn of things which God now began to work by this Parliament and all for the better yea more and more admirable mercies to us within these two yeers than hath been bestowed on others in many ages Which now by Gods gracious assistance I shall abundantly make most clear and conspicuous to the high honour and glory of God and the unspeakable consolation and ioy of his saints and holy ones For now behold the Lord began to open the eyes and to touch the hearts of our Nobles now at York with the King and to make them wearie of their too-long silence and patience if I may so call it and to lay to heart the Kingdoms great distractions and deep distempers to be thereupon impatient of any longer delayes and very sensible of the dutie and trust which belongs to them some therefore of the most eminent of them adventured to petition the King who being now at York had there advanced his royall Standard and gathered thither the cream of the whole Kingdom yea and at such a time too when as ill Counsellours were so powerfull and prevalent with his Majestie that they had reason to expect more hazard to themselves than fair and facile redresses of those palpable and publike evils for which they then interceded At which time also of this Kingdoms deadly burning-fever or violently shaking-ague of intestine miseries and oppr ssions the Scots having been long time restrained in their trades impoverished by losse of many of their ships and goods bereaved of all possibilitie of satisfying his Majestie by any naked Supplication wherein they had been long time tired and even quite wearied-out being as frequently as fruitlesly denied their desires and now at last to shut-up quite all doors of hope from them an armie marching to the gates of their Kingdom to force them to slavish subiection and obedience They hereupon resolving to stand on their most just defence and with their swords since words would not prevail to make their own passage for audience to the King with a strong armie as their last remedy of Saints rather than Souldiers entred the Kingdom and without any hostile act or spoil in the countrey as they passed save onely being affronted by some of the Kings armie to force their passage over the Tyne at Newburn neer Newcastle and had a fair opportunitie to presse on further upon the Kings armie out that dutie and reverence to his Majestie and brotherly love and true Christian affection to our English Nation according to the tenour of a most excellent Declaration printed and dispersed over the Kingdom immediately upon their entring the Realm intituled The Scots mind and intention with their Armie which gave great satisfaction therein made them stay there piously and patiently as loving friends not foes voluntarily to wait and supplicate again to his Majestie at York for iustice in their innocent cause against their wicked enemies Whereby the King had the better leasure to entertain better Counsell according to those Noble Peers Petition also fore-mentioned wherein the Lord our God so blessed him that he summoned a great Councell of Peers then at York to meet together with him on Sept. 24 1640. The Scots hereupon the first day of the great Councill presented another most humble petition to his Majestie whereupon a treatie was appointed at Rippon in which things were so wisely and worthily agitated by the Commissioners on both sides and in all that interim a sweet cessation of Arms agreed upon that at last it was resolved that the full conclusion of all differences between is and the Scots should be referred to the wisdom and care of a Parliament declared to begin Novemb. 3 d then next ensuing as the sole means under heaven to cure all these foresaid maladies and to recover the Kingdom of its heart sick diseases and otherwise incurable mortall wounds and to settle the State of things which otherwise seemed insuperable into a right frame and posture For as hath been abundantly manifested all things were so out of joynt the King and whole Kingdom brought to such exigents and precipitating sad and bad issues that had not God thus timously struck in and thus necessitated this Parliament England undoubtedly had been made long ere this a confused Chaos of confusion a gastly Golgotha and a most foule field of Blood and posteritie might have sighiâ—gly sobd out not sung of it Ah England England once call'd Albion for thy white rocks now too justly mayest be call'd Olbion for thy black deformitie of destruction and desolation O London famous London Englands once glorious Troynovant now become a desolate wildernesse the plowmaâ—s fallow-plains or vast fields of corn or as the Prophet Jeremie by his Jerusalem might most properly have painted thee out also as in the 1 of his Lamentations But now behold thy God is come unto thee is now seen yea now I say if ever in the Mount of Mercies for thy admirable deliverance from this most profound abyss of deepest danger in this mightie mercie of thâ— Lord to thee but new-now poor gasping-England in that the English and Scottish-armies should lie so neer each other in a martiall manner and yet seem Both to shake hands together should onely look one another in the face and not embrue their hands in the blood of each other but sit still rest together in peace and at length part as they did like good friends O who can forbear but in a transcendent rapture of ioy and gratitude break-out with holy David and say or rather cheerfully sing Ascribe unto the Lord worship and honour ascribe unto the Lord the glory of his name Sing unto God ye Kingdoms of the earth O sing praises unto our God Who maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth who breaks the bowe and cuts the spear in sunder and burns the chariots in the fire Who daily loadeth us with his benefits and is the onely God of our salvation Who infatuates the wisdom of the wise and prudent and makes the counsels of Princes to come to nought
But now to proceed where I left A Parliament was I say appointed to begin Novem. the third a Parliament said I strange word what a Parliament why who durst once be so bold as onely to whisper his desires of a Parliament who once durst mutter much lesse utter-out such a word A Parliament in England again Yet thus it was yea and thus timely too yea and such a Parliament too as this Kingdom never saw â—he like for length and strength of goodnesse for Church and State to Gods due glorie and everlasting praise be it spoken Certainly then if ever now was our God gloriously seen in the Mount of Merci s for Englands greatest good and hoped happinesse But now see again as I premised at the beginning the serpentine-seed Satans agents must be still working and plotting against all the springing hopes and budding comforts of Gods people if it were possible to blast them in the blossomes For now since they saw to their secret sorrow a Parliament must needs be this omen also unavoidable all their crafty pates were contriving and casting about how to stifle this conception of comfort in the very wombe For the malignant partie spying well that they could not as I said put off the Parliament they therefore cunningly and closely endeavour by their Courtly agents to have such Members of it chosen in every Corporation City and Shire as might onely advance their mischievous Machinations and base designes in Parliament They therefore procure the Kings and Queens Letters to Counties and Shires get both Earls Lords Knights and Gentlemen to ride in person and rove up and down to all parts and places of the Kingdom to make parties for them in choice of such as they should nominate Yet see again on the other side how the Lord counter-plotted and infatuated all their craft care and industrie therein for notwithstanding all their cost and coyl all their running and riding God I say frustrated their impious expectation in most places The Lord who holds the hearts of all men in his hands caused the willing people from all parts spontaneously to flock and assemble together like such unheard of numerous swarmes of bees of all requisite sorts and qualities with most unbended courage and irrefragable resolutions to chuse-out and select such pious prudent and every way accomplisht Worthies for this high and honourable work as are most hopefull by Gods gracious support and assistance to strike the stroke of a most blessed and long looked for yea longed-for happie Reformation yea I say making up such a blessed Colledge of Phisicians as are likely by Gods benediction on them and protection over them to cure the else almost curelesse maladies and infirmities of Church and State which were readie to sink into the inevitable gulf of wo and wretchednesse and to drink the last draft of deadly destruction O who can passe-by such a remarkable passage of Gods admirable providence surpassing admiration in this speciall piece of comfort to us yea I may justly say this master-peece of the whole ensuing frame of all our succeeding parliamentarie-rejoycings and not cry-out with most emphaticall cheerfulnesse with holy Moses Who is like unto thee O Lord among the gods Who is like unto thee glorious in holinesse fearfull in praises doing wonders And with the sweet Psalmograph holy David The heavens shall praise thy wonders O Lord thy faithfulnesse also in the assembly of Saints For who in heaven can be compared to the Lord Who among the sons of the mightie can be likened to our God Now at the first sitting and meeting of this blessed Parliament though all oppositions seemed to vanish the fore-mentioned mischiefs of the malignant partie being so evident which their accursed counsels and co-operations produced that no man durst stand-up to defend them yet the whole work it self afforded difficulty enough if you cast your eyes on these particulars First the multiplied evils and long-rooted corruptions of 16. yeers growth at least by custome and authority of the concurrent interest of many powerfull delinquents who were now to be brought to judgement and reformation Secondly the Kings houshold was to be provided for for they had brought him to that want that he could not supply his meer ordinarie and necessarie expenses without the assistance of his people Thirdly two armies were then to be paid which amounted very neer to 80 thousand pounds a moneth and yet the people over the Kingdom must be tenderly charged having been formerly miserably exhausted with many burthensome projects Fourthly the contraâ—ieties they met with in all these were very incompatible which yet in a great measure they calmly reconciled these difficulties therefore seemed to be invincible yet by Gods good providence and these most renowned Worthies indefatigable care and diligence they comfortably over came them At the beginning of the Parliament six Subsidies were freely granted together with the passing of a Bill of Pole-money for speedie supply of present occasions which could not amount to lesse than 600000. l. besides the said six Subsidies Yea these prudent patriots contracted that great arrere-of charges due to our faithfull brethren of Scotland to 220 thousand pounds And notwithstanding all these most urgent and inevitable charges and pressing occasions the Lord so blessed the proceedings of this precious Parliament that the kingdom is for the present and will be much more for the future by Gods mercie a great gainer by all those charges as will evidently appear by the subsequent cloud of witnesses the many remarkable parliamentarie mercies which our great Jehovah hath graciously strewed into our happie laps and bosomes by them And this is here the rathe toucht and mentioned to stop the mouthes of those repining envious elves of ingratitude who notwithstanding these so conspicuous and egregious restimonies of these ever to be honoured Worthies most impregnable pains and industrie yet would fain fasten their fangs of calumnie and detraction on their most honourable actions and proceedings which even their infâ—rnall black-mouth'd mother Envie her self cannot but though contrarie to her nature most justly commend As first that uncouth and till of late unheard of heavie taxation of Ship-money by this Parliament abolished which drained from the Kingdome above 200 thousand pounds a yeer Coat and Conduct-money taken away from unjustly troubling the Subject which in many countreys amounted to little lesse than Ship-money That scouring project of New-sope also overthrown which brought an hundreth thousand pounds a yeer into private proiectors purses That soaking plot also on Wine which amounted to above three hundred thousand pound And that of Leather which rightly computed could not chuse but exceed both those former put together this is also annihilated Yea that unseasonable and indeed unreasonable patent for Salt puld out of their enhansing hands which could not but countervail in value that of Leather Besides many
of Fame shall most worthily sound out to posteritie and crown his temples with never withering-wreathes of laurell-branches who had no sooner espied them but most fiercely and furiously he set upon their whole formidable Spanish Fleet gave them such battering broad sides and such Canon-thundring and powder-roaring salutations as quickly puld down their so late so lofty Spanish pride and maugre all their espaniâ—lized bravadoes the utmost strength of their strongest vessels was so batter'd and bruis'd their falsly suppos'd impenitrable ribs and big-swoln bellies so peirâ—'t and pestred that they quickly queld their courage fir'd sunk and took many of their greatest ships and dissipated and scatter'd the rest from our coasts few of them escaping the heroick Hollanders martiall violence to our great though unsensible yet unspeakable comfort and security we our selves not having strook one streak in our own defence nay t is well if we did not yeeld the Spaniards supplie of powder and other necessaries that time to our own destruction had not God thus strangely and strongly withstood it Say then O England did not Jehovah our great Lord and God most apparently appear now in the Mount for thy mightie deliverance did he not make good his word and promise by his holy Prophet That no weapon forged against thee shall prosper and every tongue that riseth against thee in judgement thou shalt condemne Certainly if ever at this time was this prophesie most exactly made good to England and to our faithfull brethren of Scotland For what sharp and death-wounding weapons have been forged against us both abroad and at home what slanderous tongues have risen up in judgement yea in most false iudgement against both us and them calling and counting Gods beloved ones among us factious and seditious and among our honest brethren of Scotland traitors and rebels as hath been formerly touched but now we have seen to the high honour of God and ioy of our hearts that none of their weapons have prosper'd against us yea their slanderous tongues which so falsely iudged us and our beloved brethren we have condemned to the clear eyes of all men that wilfully look not a squint on all iust things For hath not this our most noble and renowned Parliament together with the Kings full content and consent therein proclaimed our brethren of Scotland the Kings most faithfull and loyall Subiects Confirmed a fair and full Pacification and union of firm love and mutuall defence twixt us and them and the Kingdom of Ireland with an Act of oblivion of all mistakes and misconceits on either side all these I say ratified by a blessed Act of Parliament Yea and that which adds no small lustre to it that it hath hereby freed us from civill-wars which of all warres are most uncivill from intestine wars wars that would have eaten-out our own bowels from wars I say of Christians with Christians yea of Protestants with Protestants which of all wars could not but have been most fell and fatall O who then can see these things these miracles of mercies without deep admiration and holy adoration of our great God Who can forbear to break-out into cordiall praises to raise-up trophies of everlasting fame and honour to our great and glorious Lord and King Who can chuse but ingenuously acknowledge with holy David That we got not these good things into our possession by our own sword neither did our own arm save us But thy right hand O Lord and thine arm and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a love unto us Thou art our King O command deliverance still to thy poor worm Jacob. For through thee alone shall we pull-down our enemies through thy Name onely shall we tread them under that rise up against us Tâ—â— thou O God that risest up in judgement to save all thy weak-ones on earth turning the rage and furie of man into thy praise and making the remainder of their wrath to obey thee A most remarkable mercie was it also that the Lord put into the hearts of the renowned Scaligers of our corrupted times for the better purifying not onely of the conduit-pipes of Justice to begin as about this time to put pious and noble Peers into places of honour trust and power that thus the stern of government may be the more happily steered with uprightnesse and impartialitie To which purpose as a main help thereto they have most happily taken away that State-staggering Star-Chamber-Court dissolved and dissipated into smoke the crushing-Courts of the President and Councell of the North and limited and co fined the unlimited bounds of businesses at the Councell-Table but also to scoure the muddie and even stinking channels of wrong and oppression by easing the Common-wealth of those living-grievances thereof a great advantage to the peace and tranquility of the State I mean those evill Counsellers and Officers of State who had been principall actors of all our foresaid miscries and mischiefs making thereby as it were a plaster to heal the deadly wounds of Church and State and most hopefully to recover the almost incureable diseases of the Kingdom by a plaister I say of the blood of that insulting arch-traitor the Earl of Straford who as he had well-nigh stabd the State to the heart by his deep and most dangerous plots both abroad and at home So the stroak of Justice retaliated with blood his most bold and bloodie designes maugre all his slyest shufflings and crafty jeerings of the Law to have eluded it and thereby hoping to have prevented the said just vengeance on him And here by the way I desire the Reader to take notice of Gods most equall and upright wayes and dealings with wicked ungodly and blood-thirstie men how exactly he repayes the bloody plots and purposes of all proud and ambitious Hamans in their own coyn as here is most perspicuously seen in this our English-Haman who in his heart had vow'd the wrack and ruine of all Gods faithfull ones in England Scotland and Ireland at the least But we have happily seen this proud Haman the first that felt the due stroke of justice to the honour of God and the terrour of all such daring traytors And as for the rest of that rabble I may here take-up that of the holy Prophet David How long will ye imagine mischief against men ye shall be slain all the pack of you for as a bowing or tottering-wall shall ye be and as a rotten fence Tremble therefore at this all ye perfidious conspiring Shâ—ba's and fear in time such just retaliation Certainly There is none like unto thee O Lord thou art great and thy Name is great in might Who would not fear thee O King of Nations for to thee it doth indeed appertain to do justice and take revenge for as much as among all the wise men of the world and in all their Kingdoms there is none like unto thee
intimation from this House be made to the Justices of Peace in all the Counties of England and Wales And the Knights of the Shire of the severall Counties are to take care that copies of this order be accordingly sent to the Justices of Peace in the severall Counties And also by setting our Printing-Presses open whereby a happie way was laid open again for Gods learned and loyall Servants by their pious pens and elaborate labours to vindicate the Sabbaths most glorious lustre to the honour of godlinesse and purity of Religi n. And was not the Lord herein also seen in the Mount of Mercies for Englands preservation from the guilt of such a wrath provoking sin of such a Land-scourging râ—â— as this might have proved to out Kingdom had it so continued as by the hellish zeal of out Prelates it was intended Sing praises therefore O England sing praises unto God O sing praises sing praises to our glorious King For God is the King of all the earth sing praises therefore O England to thy God with understanding Thy God O England reigns over the whole world and sits gloriously triumphing on the throne of his holinesse Yet here 's not all for our ever to be honoured heroick Parliamentarie Worthies have added to that former pious pains oâ— theirs this their godly care also namely to 〈◊〉 and purifie the holy worship of our God from the filthie lâ—â—s and dregs of Popish Ceremonies whereby the tender â—onsciences or godly Ministers are not so tyed to Romish trumperâ—â— of vestures and gestures crouchings and cringings and Jesu-worshippings and a multitude of such like mimicall actions in Gods worship and service as formerly they had been most tyrannically pressed and enforced to Yea all Images Crucifixes and any pictures or representations of any of the persons of the Trinity or of the Virgin Mary quite dimolished and extirpated out of Gods house All corporall Jesu-worship I say and altar-adoration sure and infallible signes of Popish ignorance and of the Romish-Strumpets outward-paintings but inward rottennesse what ever fair yet false pretences foolish men and women would like Jeroboam for his golden calves-worship impiously put upon them most piously prohibited and Altar-rails pull'd-down and Communion-Tables set in their proper postures yea all high-steps and ascents to their Altars clean contrary to Gods prescript word by degrees commanded to be levelled burthens and conscience-grievances which neither we nor our fore-fathers that truly loved the Lord Jesus Christ and were tenderly-affected to his pure worship could possibly bear But now they are most happily taken from our tyred necks and almost broken-backs as by an Order of Parliament may and doth most comfortably appear which for the precious excellency and rare memory thereof I have thought good here to insert exactly and verbatim as it came from the Parliament to the everlasting glorie of our great and good God the honour of our Worthies in Parliament and the unexpressibly joy and consolation of all Gods people that peruse it An Order from the Parliament against divers Popish Innovations Dated Sept. 8. 1641. being Wednesday VVHereas divers Innovations in or about the worship of God have been lately practised in this Kingdom by enjoyning some things and prohibiting others without warrant of Law to the great grievance and discontent of his Majesties Subiects for the suppressing of such Innovations and for preservation of the publike peace it is this day ordered by the Commons in Parliament assembled that the Church-wardens of every Parish and Chappell respectively do forthwith remove the Communion-Table from the East end of the Church Chappell or Chancell into some other convenient place and that they take away the Rails and levell the Chancels as heretofore they were before the late innovations That all crucifixes scandalous pictures of any one or more persons of the Trinitie and all Images of the Virgin Mary shall be taken away and abolished and that all tapers candlesticks and basons be removed from the Communion-Table That all corporall bowing at the Name Jesus or toward the East end of the Church Chappell or Chancell or toward the Communion-Table be henceforth forborn That the Orders aforesaid be observed in all the severall Cathedrall Churches of this Kingdom and all the Collegiate Churches or Chappels in the two Vniversities or any other part of the Kingdom and in the Temple-Church and the Chappels of the other Innes of Court by the Deans of the said Cathedrals by the Vice-chancellours of the said Vniversities and by the Heads and Governors of the severall Colledges and Halls aforesaid and by the Benchers and Readers in the said Innes of Court respectively That the Lords day be duely observed and sanctified all dancing and other sports either before or after Divine Service be forborn and restrained and that the preaching of Gods Word be permitted in the afternoon in the severall Churches and Chappels of this Kingdom and that Preachers and Ministers be encouraged thereunto That the Vice-chancellors of the Vniversities Heads and Governours of Colledges all Parsons Vicars and Church-warden do make certificates of the performance of these Orders and if the same shall not be observed in any the places afore-mentioned upon complaint thereof made to the two next Justices of Peace Major or Head-officers of Cities or Towns Corporate It is ordered that the said Justices Major or other Head-officers respectively shall examine the truth of all such complaints and certifie by whose default the same are committed All which Certificates are to be delivered in Parliament before the thirtieth of Octob. next Resolv'd upon the Question That this Order now read shall be an Order of it self without any addition for the present and that it shall be printed and published Nay here 's not all yet for our God whose hands are still open to replenish and satisfie our souls with ioy and gladnesse yea now to nourish and cherish our formerly sad hearts with the failings of his over-flowing favours hath taken from us our accustomed terrours and restraints of free libertie to hear the sweet sound of Aarons bâ—ls especially on the Lords dayes As is more fully seen and assisted by a blessed Order from the Parliament to our unexpressible comfort which Order I have thought fit to be here inserted Die Mercurii Sept. 8. 1641. IT is this day ordered by the House of Commons now assembled in Parliament That it shall be lawfull for the Parishioners of any Parish within the Kingdom of England and Wales to set up a Lecture and to maintain an orthodox Minister at their own charge to preach every Lords-day where there is no preaching and to preach one day in the week where there is no weekly Lecture He. Elsyn Cler. Dom. Com. Whereby no man now is enforced to stay at his own Church where there is no preaching to promote the honour of the day and to feed hungrie souls with that heavenly manna whereof the Lord knows many thousand
good friend in the time of his imprisonment he brake prison or stole away and left the poore Clerk of Newgate in great distresse and danger thereby and a man indeed most iustly excepted against by our grave parliamentarie Senators as most unfit to have such a trust and power entrusted to him especially in times of such great and constant fears and distractions of the State and City of London Whereupon this man also was much and long petitioned against both by the Citizens of London to the Parliament and by the Parliament to the King to have him remov'd and a man of known and approved integritie on whom they might safely confide to be chosen into the place and to have the safe custodie thereof committed to him Whose removeall was also at length with much adoe condescended unto by his Maisstio and the said Collonel Lunsford put out the King putting in one Sir John Byron a gentleman though of no such ill-savour of life as the former yet not answerable to the desires of our prudent Worthies in Parliament whose wisdom and circumspection fore-saw that to be amisse in the choice likewise which much discontented them and enforced them to petition his Maiestie for his removeall also as it was the joynt desire likewise of Citie and Countrey Here therefore we may now see the great goodnesse of our God in thus wisely disposing and ordering things that though the malignant partie seemed so far to prevail and get advantages against Gods people yet even in these also the Lord still crost them and their devillish designes and regarded the desires and cleared the fears of his servants for his own Names sake Much about which time a most impious and malicious-hearted fellow audaciously sent a letter to the Parliament directed and endorsed to that ever most highly honoured Member of the House of Commons Mr. Pim a most pious patriot of his countrey and in it a filthie fresh plaster taken from a plague-sore expressing in the letter what it was and why t was sent namely in hope that the very sudden sight and thought on it he being then in the Parliament House might and would damp and dead his heart with fear and so have infected the worthie gentleman to death with it A copie of which letter I have thought fit here to insert that the Reader may see the odiousnesse of it and this action more fully The copie of the Letter sent to Mr. Pim in the Parliament House with a filthy plague-sore plasture in it MAster Pim do not think that a guard of men can protect you if you persist in your traiterous courses and wicked designes I have sent a paper-messenger to you and if this do not touch your heart a Dagger shall so soon as I am recovered of my plague-sore In the mean time you may be forborn because no better man may be indangered for you Repent Traitour Which letter was delivered I say as Mr. Pim went into the Parliament But contrary to the wicked intention of the master and message God whose will all his creatures obey to save or slay as he pleaseth as was remarkably evident in that fiery fornace seven times hotter than ordinarily yet not able so much as to singe the hair or clothes of that pair royall of God-adoring Hebrews cast thereinto preserved this Noble Gentleman from the intended evill thereof For this undaunted and conscience-unspotted couragious Worthie like that magnanimous Romane Camillus of whom Plutarch in his Lives makes mention who whiles he was delivering his Embassage to the heathen Prince to whom he was sent by the Senators of Rome and with whom the Romans that time waged war this Princes Nobles had suddenly and unknown to Camillus set a mightie Elephant close behind his back and made it suddenly and extremly to roar therby thinking to have startled and frighted this famous Romane but he was nothing moved therewith but went-on smoothly and undauntedly with his Embassage to the wonder and amazement of this Prince and his Nobles who were mightily taken with the unbended resolution of this couragious Romane so I say this piously valourous-hearted gentleman Mr Pim was nothing at all dis-heartned or distempered at the sight of the plaisture nor with the wicked threats which that atheisticall wretch sent besides in the letter to stab him with his Dagger if that plasture failed God having hitherto preserved him and I trust so will a most loyall subject to his Soveraign and a most prudent and painfull promoter of the best good in Church and Common-wealth And although it may peradventure be objected that this was but a private or particular passage and therefore not so pertinent to our purpose yet considering the eminencie of the person and his employments and use in Parliament for the publike good and the transcendent malice and envie of that malignant person whoever he was ayming at a publike mischief therein I could not conceive it impertinent to the present occasion but very worthy our observation and gratification to God for it Much about this time also it pleased the Lord to put into the hearts of the worthy Citizens of London to take into their serious consideration the great retarding and delaying of the weightie affairs of the Kingdom and the unhappie protraction of punishing Delinquents together with the uncomfortable reluctancies and disunion between both the Houses and all this by reason of an ill-affected potent and pernicious destructive partie especially in the House of Lords by Prelates and Popish-Lords striving and contriving to hinder or quite make void all good Votes among them and to advance all evill Therefore I say the most and best-affected and pious-hearted Citizens of London unanimously petitioned Both Houses of Parliament touching those and such like serious and important matters being I say most of them men of the best note and qualitie of the whole Citie both for piety and ability Who went with their Petition to the Parliament in a most grave and substantiall equipage in fiftie or sixtie Coaches at the least and were there most graciously and gratefully entertained both by the Lords and Commons and received a most cordiall and comfortable answer to their Petitions which act of theirs they being the samplar and pattern even of the whole Kingdom and upon whom the eyes of the whole Land were cast to be by them encouraged and directed begat such an honest and happie emulation in all the Counties of the Kingdom as by Gods great mercie produced most blessed effects to us all as shall be more particularly and punctually declared in its proper place Not long after also the honest Apprentises of the said Citie of London being very sensible of their Masters sufferings by those distractions in the Common-wealth and the generall decay of trading and thereby also of their own present and future great discouragements in their hope of comfortable subsistence and livelyhood when they
were to be free-men of the Citie if these inconveniences continued They also hereupon took the courage and resolution to exhibite their Petition to the Parliament for speedy and timely redresse of these encroaching and growing evils Which act of theirs was so modestly and orderly managed by them that the Parliament received their petition most courteously and returned them a very fair and favourable answer in brief for the present with promise of a more full and satisfactorie answer in convenient time After whom also the Porters of London pinched with extreme povertie by reason of the decay of trading were thereby necessitated and by Gods providence thousands of them stirred up and stimulated to petition the Parliament for speedie redresse of their present pressures whose Petition also was very lovingly received by the Parliament and they received a well-pleasing replie for the present Now what an admirable and rare effect these Petitions produced to adde most justly to this catalogue of our parliamentarie mercies this subsequent passage shall clearly demonstrate to the godly Reader viz. Not long after a certain convenient number of Apprentises being very modest in carriage and well-spoken young men went very civilly and peaceably to Westminster to the Parliament for a further satisfactorie answer to their Petition as was promised to them But it pleased the Lord it so fell out that that desperate and furious Collonel Lunsford and very many ruffian-like fellows with him being at that time in Westminster-hall and there walking up and down at last took occasion by uncivill and provoking words to the said Apprentises and Citizens at that time also walking there to make a great disturbance and hubbub among them and from mocking and jeering of them and quarreling about Bishops whom the Apprentises and Citizens had indeed petitioned against in all their Petitions threatning those that durst once speak against their reverend Bishops at last they drew out their swords and the said Collonel Lunsford and his quarrelling comrades flew in the faces of the Citizens and furiously beat them out of Westminster-hall before them being all unweaponed and coming onely in a fair and unoffensive manner as aforesaid to receive an answer to their petition and as they departed home from Westminster by Whitehall they were there again most grosly abused and beaten by the Courtiers and such like so that divers of them were sorely wounded and some thereby killed by them Whereupon the next day these things falling-out about Newyeers-tyde or in Christmas-holy-dayes very many Citizens and apprentises went again to Westminster armed and better prepared than the day before for such affronts if any were offered to them But now see how it pleased the Lord it should come to passe some of the Apprentises and Citizens were again affronted about Westminster-Abbey and a great noise and hubbub fell out thereabouts othersome of them watched as it seems by the sequell the Bishops coming to the Parliament who considering the great noise and disquiet which was by land all about Westminster durst not come to the Parliament that way for fear of the Apprentises and therefore intended to have come to the Parliament by water in barges but the apprentises watched them that way also and as they thought to have come to land were so pelted with stones and frighted at the sight of such a company of them that they durst not land but were rowed back and went away to their places Now see herein good Reader a most notable over-powering impression of divine providence on this businesse and learn hence so much wisdom as not to despise seeming contemptible things and small beginnings as I have formerly touched on a like occasion These lordly and loftie Prelates among whom and a prime one too it seemed was that supercilious Arch-prelate of York Bishop Williams took foul scorn and high indignation at this affront by Boyes and prentises thus to be debarred from the Parliament especially fearing lest any thing might passe in the House against them touching their lordly dignities by their absence on which they had great cause to keep continuall jealouseyes and vigilant watch they now standing on very ticklish terms with the State and being so perpetually and universally petitioned against from all parts of the Kingdom as a prime branch of the malignant partie and speciall perturbers of all good for Church or Common-wealth therefore I say being ve xt to the heart and deeply stung with discontent they vowed revenge and thereupon gathered together into their secret Conclave full fraught with Stygian-rancour and rage and assisted no doubt with some Jesuiticall influence of Romish spirits they contrived and contracted a peice of mischief or mischievous petition to the King and House of Peers which they wholly intended against the happy and successefull proceedings of the Parliament but our good God diverted it to their own further ruine and destruction Now that you may see their own act and deed attested and avouched under their own hands I have thought fit here to insert it verbatim as they themselves penned and exhibited it to the King To the Kings most excellent Majesty and the Lords and Peers now assembled in Parliament The humble Petition and Protestation of all the Bishops and Prelates now called by His Majesties Writs to attend the Parliament and present about London and Westminster for that Service THat whereas the Petitioners are called-up by severall and respective Writs and under great penalties to attend the Parliament and have a clear and indubitable right to vote in Bils and other matters whatsoever debateable in Parliament by the ancient customes Laws and Statutes of this Realm and ought to be protected by your Majestie quietly to attend and prosecute that great Service They humbly remonstrate and protest before God your Majestie and the noble Lords and Peers now assembled in Parliament that as they have an indubitate right to sit and vote in the House of the Lords so are they if they may be protected from force and violence most ready and willing to perform their duties accordingly And that they do abhominate all actions or opinions tending to Poperie and the maintenance thereof as also all propension and inclination to any malignant partie or any other side or partie whatsoever to the which their own reasons and conscience shall not move them to adhere But whereas they have been at severall times violently menaced affronted and assaulted by multitudes of people in their coming to perform their services in that Honourable House and lately chased away and put in danger of their lives and can find no redresse or protection upon sundrie complaints made to both Houses in these particulars They likewise humbly protest before your Majestie and the noble House of Peers that saving unto themselves all their rights and interests of sitting and voting in that House at other times they dare not sit or vote in the House of
necessarie provision Now then tell me good Reader whether the Lord appeared not in a Mount of Mercie in this so unexpectible an act of long desired reformation in this kind In these two so extremly deified Diana's of our English Ephesus so long setled upon their olâ— lees and so generally applauded by the Pontifician and other ignorant and malignant partie of our land so as it was thought a thing almost impossible to be effected Yet see I say what ouâ— God can do what mountains of difficulties and disturbances he is able to remove when he once resolves it according to that of the Prophet I have spoken it saith the Lord I will also bring it to passe I have purpos'd it I will also do it Hearken unto this ye stout-hearted that are far from righteousnesse I will bring neer my righteousnesse it shall not be so far off and my salvation shall not carry and I will place salvation in Sion for Israel my glorie Yet see still the malignancie of the serpentine-brood breeding and breathing more and more threats and vexations to the sacredseed of the woman For not long after that aforesaid hopefull amiable symphonic of sweet accord between the King and his Parliament began to be besmeard with the black-coal of evil counsell and his Majesties affections to be so alienated and estranged from his grand and grave Councell of Parliament that in discontent he most unhappily sequestred his person from it almost as far as his affection even from the Southern toward the Northern parts of his Kingdom to the universall and great grief of his loyall Subjects who made their earnest desires poste as fast after him by their humble Petitions to return to his Parliament but alas all in vain for in deep discontent his Majestie goes on in his journey takes the Prince along with him was accompanied or attended on by a company of furious Cavaliers who shewed themselves in an hostile manner about Hampton Court and Kingstone upon Thames past on thence to New-market and so into the North where an attempt was made by the Earl of Newcastle to have taken in Hull and the full fraught Magazine thereof varietie of martiall ammunition for the Kings use but he was prevented and Sir John Hotham a worthie Member of the House of Commons was put in possession thereof for the use of his Majestie and the good of the whole Kingdom Not long after the King went himself in person to Hull requiring the rendition of the Town and Magazine into his Majesties hands but Sir John Hotham having order to the contrary from the Parliament refused so to do and was therefore by his Majesties command declared a traitor Propositions were made to the Gentrie of York to assist his Majesties proceedings against Sir John Hotham for the taking in of Hull into his Majesties possession by compulsion since he could not obtain it of him by perswasion About which time Sir Francis Worthly and divers others siding together and pretending themselves to be for the King with their swords drawn in an unaccustomed and unexpected manner demanded who was and would be on the Kings side By this evill act act of theirs in an especiall manner manifesting themselves â—o be truly of the serpentine-seed and therein imitating their father the devill that grand seedsman of all sedition whose main plot is and ever was to divide and separate what God hath united Making a false and foolish discrepancie and difference first between the King and the Parliament which ought not to be and secondly between the Parliament and the people which cannot be For what is the Parliament but a representative-Bodie of all the people in the whole Kingdom and therefore to make men beleeve that the Parliament intends to wrong the people by bringing in an arbitrarie government the thing which they mainly hate and labour against is to make men mad with discretion to make us think the Parliament labours to undo themselves with us and to provoke us madly to rush on them to our own certain ruin To ask a man therefore whether he be for the King or the Parliament is to ask him whether he be for the King or for himself See then discreet Reader the drift of this devillish design and false distinction which is meerly to make men fall together by the eares and to sheath their swords in one anothers bowels But now the King receiving no content in this their fruitlesse meeting the Geâ—trie but not Free-holders which was taken ill were again summoned to assemble together before the King May the 23 th being Friday to resolve upon a guard of horse and foot to safeguard his person this also was a long time fruitlesly agitated About which time or not long before his Majestie published his resolution to go in person to Ireland to subdue the Rebels which was utterly disliked by the Parliament as a businesse of very dangerous consequence The Gentrie Yeomen and Free-holders of York again are summoned together to York but the honest yeomen were discourteously and uncivilly used by many of the Cavaliers or attendants about his Majestie complaints were made thereof to the King but not answered to their desire His Majestie much about this time also forbade the exercise of the Militia contrarie to the Parliaments constitution over the Kingdom and about the 15. or 16. of May 1642. directed his Letter to Captain Philip Skippon Sergeant Major generall for the Militia of the Citie of London a brave and expert old Souldier and Commander in Arms and a most pious and vertuous Gentleman requiring his personall attendance at York all excuses set apart and that there he should know his Majesties pleasure But this command was inhibited and contradicted to the said Captain Skippon by the authority of Both Houses of Parliament as is afterward more fully declared After this about May the 26 th the King sending a letter to the Lord Keeper to remove Midsommer Term from London to York this also was opposed by the Parliament as shall also be farther declared in its proper place Much about this time also or not long after this the said Lord Keeper and seven or eight other Lords left the Parliament on a sudden and without the consent thereof and departed from London to York to the King In all which time the Parliament sending many submisse Messages and humble Petitions to his Majestie at York all of them full of wisdom pietie and patience yet receive austere and unpleasing replies even as his Majestie found unsatisfactorie returns to his expectation and desires in all or most of his negotiations in those Northern parts ever since his unhappie aboad there But what is all this it may be objected to the present intention of parliamentarie mercies to be manifested to us I answer this fore-past brief discourse serves greatly to shew us in the first place a mightie
fume and smoak now readie to break out into a most combustuous and furious flame by the perverse and most pernicious counsell of the malignant partie about the King as the Parliament had often enformed his Majestie in severall Messages if the Lords over-powering providence had not cast on the water of opâ—rtune qualification and timely quenching of the same by the admirable wisdom and singular moderation of this pious and prudent Parliament hindring the boysterous breaking-out thereof both by their modest grave and gracious Declarations their most humble Petitions their prudent and provident Votes and Orders and their patient and most submisse Messages to his Majestie at York especially by those two Declarations or Remonstrances of Both Houses March 12. and March 23. their most humble wise and moderate Petition March 26. About which time also it pleased the Lord to stir up the hearts of the Nobles and gentrie estated in Ireland but then residing in London to petition his Majesties return to London and gracious agreement with his great and highest Court of Parliament Together with the Gentrie and Commons of the County of Lincoln Staffordshire and Munmouth in Wales as also a most excellent and patheticall Petition from those of Cheshire and another cut of Lancashire all of them with an unanimous concurrence of Votes and suffrages beseeching and imploring his Majesties speedie and propitious affection and return to his Parliament Yea our ever to be honoured and intimately to be loved Brethren of Scotland also were not wanting in their love and loyaltie to send their faithfull Commissioners and among them the noble and renowned pious and prudent Lord Louthen to advise and beseech his Majestie to return and listen to his loyall and faithfull Subjects in Parliament The Gentrie also and Commons of the County of York most humbly and earnestly besought and petitioned his Majestie April the 30 th to reflect his favourable and princely affections on his great Councell at London and to cohere and adhere to their wholesome and honourable advise for his Majesties honour and welfare Together with the Knights Gentlemen and others of the County of Yorks wise and modest answer to his Majesties demands of them not long after in these words May it please your most excellent Majestie VVE shall all be ready to defend your royall Person from violence by all such wayes and means as the Law and our dutie bind us And as for the means to vindicate your Majesties honour and to put you into possession of your own we conceive that the best advise that we can offer to your Majestie is humbly to desire you to hearken to the counsell of your Parliament who we assure our selves will be carefull of your Majesties person and honour and to whom your Majestie hath already been pleased to direct a Message to that purpose Again a full and fair Declaration or Remonstrance was sent to his Majestie from Both Houses of Parliament and to the whole Kingdom bearing date May the 19 th wherein were expressed the severall Depositions of divers about the bringing in of the Armie formerly in the North and then intended against ouâ— Brethren of Scotland to London against this Parliament And since that another Declaration or Remonstrance bearing date May 26 th 1642 in answer to one under his Majesties name concerning the businesse of Hull sent in a message to Both Houses of Parliament May 21. In which Remonstrance was fully set forth the Kings of Englands deep tye of regall stipulation to rule the Kingdom according to the fundamentall Laws made by the Commons thereof or people of the Kingdom and ratifying and maintaining the Subjects immunities and freedoms to the reciprocall and harmonious happinesse of King and Subject Therein also fully and fairly clearing Sir John Hotham from the imputation of treason in his holding the town of Hull to his Majesties and the Kingdoms just use and welfare The safe transportation and removall of that great Magazine of warlike ammunition from Hull to London notwithstanding the Kings interdiction of the same The timely and happie discoverie of that dangerous plot against Hull by one Thomas Beckwith gentleman a Popish-recusant and an inhabitant of Beverly in Yorkeshire and others his confederates signified most fully and exactly by Sir John Hothams own letter to a worthy Member of the House of Commons and published in print June 3 1642. Both Houses of Parliament ratifying and confirming by their Orders unto York Lancas and all the whole Kingdom the exercise of the Militia for the better securitie and safeguard thereof both against homebred conspiring Popish recusants and forrein confederating Romish invaders of the land The Parliaments clearing of that most worthie and pious gentleman Captain Phillip Skippon from any legall disobedience to his Majesties command in not tender ng his personall attendance on him at York which was confirmed by 3. severall Votes in Parliament which for the Readers more full satisfaction I have here inserted May 17 th 1642. 1. THat this command of his Majestie to call Captain Phillip Skippon Serjeant Major generall of the Forces of London to attend his Majesties person at York is against the Law of the Land and the liberties of the Subject 2. That this command of his Majestie to call Captain Phillip Skippon Serjeant Major generall of the Forces of London to attend his Majesties person being employed by Both Houses to attend their service without their consent is against the priviledge of Parliament 3. That Captain Phillip Skippon Serjeant Major generall of the Forces of London shall continue to attend the service of Both Houses according to their former commands The same day also which was May 17 1642. It having been rumoured that Midsommer-Term should be adjourned to York and the Parliament understanding thereof the Lord Keeper was required to declare whether he had 〈…〉 any command from his Majestie to that purpose which being answered and satisfied by him to the Lords that he had such a command and the Lords conceiving how inconsistent the same was to a Parliament sitting at Westminster not to be dissolved or adjourned without their consent the Records being carried to York whereof Both Houses were to have daily use and that the Judges whose advise and assistance the House of Peers daily required should be so remote from them They therefore voted That the Kings removeall of the Term from Westminster to York the Parliament sitting at Westminster is illegall And therefore further ordered That the said Lord Keeper should not issue-out any Writs or seal any Proclamation for adjourning the said Term from Westminster to York as aforesaid About the 20. or 21. of May 1642. a Committee of Both Houses was nominated to consider how they should bring to con dign punishment those parties who are Delinquents and yet â—protected against proceedings in Parliament At which tim also the House took into consideration his Majesties
summons of the 14. of May commanding the gentrie to appear before him in their equipage And thereupon voted 1. That it appeared that his Majestie seduced by wicked Counseâ—â— intends to make war against the Parliament who in all their consultations and actions have proposed no other end unto themselves but the care of his Kingdom and the performance of all dutie and loyaltie to his person 3. That whensoever the King maketh war upon the Parliament it is a breach of the trust reposed in him contrary to his Oath and tending to the dissolution of this government 3. That whosoever shall serve or assist him in such wars are traitors to the fundamentall Laws of this Kingdom and have been so adjudged in two Acts of Parliament namely 11 of Ric. 2. and 1 of Hen. 4. and ought to suffer as traitors Which said two Acts taken out oâ— the Records in the Tower of London containing divers Articles 〈◊〉 treason then exhibited in the Parliament against the Archbishop of York Michael de la Pool and others in the time of Ric. 2. most exquisitely and punctually depainting the present state of things with us now were by Both Houses of Parliament voted to be printed and published in French English and Latine on May 26 1642. Since this about May the 25 a dispatch was made from the Parliament to their Committee at York with an Ordinance of Parliament to be published in all Market-towns over that whole Countie declaring that the Train'd-bands ought not to be raised by his Majesties personall command as the affairs of the Kingdom now stand And on May 27. and 28. 1642. two Orders from both Houses were printed and published The one to all high Sheriffs and all other Officers within the Countie of Lancaster and in generall to all the Counties of England and dominion of Wales Both of them to this effect that In regard of their just jealousies and grounded-fears that his Majestie seduced by wicked Counsell intended to make war against the Parliament therefore no Arms and Ammunition should be conveyed toward York And for keeping a strict watch within their severall limits and jurisdictions and to search for and seize on all such arms and ammunition and to apprehend all such persons going to York with any such and to suppresse and hinder the raising and coming together of any Souldiers horse or foot by any Warrant or Commission from his Majestie alone without the advise and consent of his Parliament By this and all other fore-mentioned means to stop and hinder the breaking out of civill broils and dissentions in the Kingdom and to maintain and propagate the blessed and happie peace thereof yea the care and providence of this Parliament continually contriving and casting about for the welfare of the King and Kingdom gave order that the severall Societies of Sadlers Aâ—mourers and Gun-smiths should forthwith certifie to the Houses of Parliament what numbers of Arms and Sadles they were to provide weekly and for whom And have been most vigilant and circumspect to cause their Ordinance for the Militia of the Kingdom for the better strengthening of it to be put into execution in Lincolnshire which his Majestie had opposed by a Proclamation which Ordinance of Parliament was notwithstanding obediently observed and exercised in Buckinghamshire Middlesex Essex Leicestershire and other Counties And about the 29. or 30. of May 1642. It having been enformed to the Parliament that an Ancient of Sir John Hothams was apprehended and imprisoned at York the Parliament presently sent to the Committee there to know the ground of his detenor and if for being in the service of both Houses then they hold it an act of hostilitie against the Parliament and are likewise to return the names of all such Members of the House as are at York their presence there tending to countenance the war intended against the Parliament And about June the second this most pious and prudent Parliament sent a most submissive Petition with 19 Propositions from Both Houses of Parliament all of them containing matters of high concernment for the singular good as they providently conceived both of Church and Common-wealth which in their most religious and prudent aymes might extraordinarily tend to a most blessed happie and deeply desired accommodation and reconciliation of differences and misunderstandings betwixt his Majestie and them protesting and seriously assuring his Majestie that if he would vouchsafe to grant those their most humble and behoofefull requests they would with all alacrity of mind and celerity of endeavour apply themselves so to regulate his Majesties revenues and to settle such an extraordinarie and constant increase of it as should be abundantly sufficient to support his royall dignitie in majesticall honour and princely plentie beyond the proportion of any of his Subjects grants to any of his Majesties predecessours But this so humble submission these fair propositions and this so loyall a protestation of fidelity and integritie toward his Majestie conceived and brought forth shortly after a very harsh and unpleasing replie unto them to theirs and our no small sorrow and continued yea and aggravated grief and discontent Now the summe of all these premised particulars so summarily mentioned together comes to thus much that all these many weightie and various premises seriously considered and impartially preponderated cannot but most copiously discover and lay open to the eyes of all that are not wilfully and obstinately blind and too extremly incredulous even against clearest sight sense and most resplendent demonstrations on the one side the most sturdie and untyred though hitherto blessed be the Lord most fruitlesse projects plots and craftie contrivements of the malignant partie under a specious colour and pernicious pretence of advancing regall authority prerogative and the Kings prosperitie and yet all of these by them most egregiously injured and abused to the slie subversion of both King and Kingdom First as a most eminent worthie and pious Member of the House of Commons lately related it most pithily and pertinently by weakning and invalidating the proceedings and power of the Parliament and making way for the utter subversion of it Secondly for this end by gathering forces together at York under a pretence of a guard for his Majesties person but purposely to make opposition against the Parliament and thereby also to support Delinquents to slight and scorn the power and orders of the Parliament and to make them of no esteem or reputation Thirdly to send out bitter invectives and unjust aspersions in his Majesties name as Declarations and messages from him onely to perplex the Parliament with â—edious expense of their precious time to answer them and thereby also by false colours and glosses to make the people disaffect the Parliament yea and if possibly to stir them up to destroy it and all Parliaments for ever and with it themselves their wives and children Fourthly and lastly to draw the
in their consciences of what is already done yet extremly extenuate and under-value the same saying what have they done in so long time what is yet reformed by them that was amisse before Nay are not things say some spurious imps of Envie worse than they were before for so they count the works of reformation alreadie wrought and farther endeavours of pure ordinances in Religion right rules of justice which indeed is the main thing that vexeth them and which they extremly fear lest it cut them short of the former libertie of their base lusts This I say and much more dares black-mouth'd malignitie belch out against these our never-sufficiently to be praised and prized Heroes notwithstanding all those most admirable and amiable white-clouds of witnesses of their mightie and blessed pains and pietie as have been by me abundantly made known in all those fore-mentioned parliamentarie-mercies wherein as I have fully and fairly I think told my Readers what they have done So I could yet farther tell them what more they would have done had not the most notorious envie and malice of impious and irreligious opposers the malignant Elymasses of our times and enemies of all righteousnesse and true goodnesse mightily molested and perniciously opposed their pious purposes and religious resolutions therein As namely a full removeall of the inordinate power vexation and usurpation of Bishops the reformation of the pride and idlenesse of many others of the Clergie the casing of the peoples consciences from unnecessarie ceremonies in Gods worship the censuring and removing of unworthie and unprofitable Ministers and contrariwise the maintaining and setting-up of godly and diligent Preachers through the whole Kingdom together with many other things of great importance for the singular good of the Kingdom which long have been in proposition and agitation in Parliament which the Reader may see most particularly set forth by our Parliamentarie-Worthies themselves but which have been extremly and necessitously retarded and hindred by plots and projects of the malignant partie but which God I trust will in his own good time ripen and bring to maturity of a through reformation to the praise of his grace and wonder-working glorie The third serious consideration and observation of all these rich and rare Parliamentarie-mercies incomparable mercies and gracious deliverances of ouâ— land and Nation so deeply designed to destruction but so admirably pluckt as a brand out of the fire of confusion should most justly make us more faithfull and lesse fearfull The Prophet David made it a ground of comfort and encouragement to him to consider what God had done for his Church and children in former times We have heard saies he with our eares O God and our fathers have told us what works thou didst in their dayes and in the times of old But what a ground of comfort and heart-stablishing encouragement may it be to us who have not onely heard our fathers tell us of Gods former wonders but have visibly seen with our own eyes and found by our own present experience how our God hath with his mightie hand and stretched-out arm supplanted our enemies and blessedly begun to plant us How the Lords right hand and mightie arm and the light of his countenance because he had a favour to us hath put us into much present possession of our hearts desires and gloriously commanded great deliverances for us It was also and that most justly a strong strengthening supp rtation to loyall-hearted and royally-affectionated King David to assure himself of an undoubted conquest over that seeming unconquerable uncircumcised Philistine great Goliah namely the sweet heart-fortifying experience he had had of Gods assisting power and preservation against the paw of the Lion and the paw of the Bear And shall not these our so many and so marvellous great deliverances and so sweetly and so freshly tasting-merci s cause us to be confident that our God will deliver us also from the great Goliah-like and Philistine fears of future most dangerous designes by our most private and pernicious plotting enemies O foule shame if they should not Certainly Christian Reader experimentall faith must needs be an unmoveable an impregnable rock not to be dasht out of countenance or driven from its so fast hold by base and slavish fears but to be the more setled and confirmed in faith O saies couragious and noble Nehemiah shall such a man as I am flie for fear of any enemies So may I say to thee good Reader and to all my Christian brethren of England shall men of so many mercies so many rare pledges of farther purposed deliverances all readie put into our hands faint and be afraid Shall we damp and dead our hearts with base servile fear and slavish doubts of infidelity and thereby extremly discountenance our glorious cause and mightily encourage our insulting enemies who would gladly triumph in our pusillanimous terrours and effeminate faintings Ouâ— God forbid Let us call to remembrance and lay it sadly and seriously to our hearts for t is a most certain and undeniable truth that nothing did so cut short the children of Israel from entring into Canaan fruitfull Canaan the desire of their souls because the promised land of peace and plentie as godlesse infidelity still questioning and as it were catechising Gods power and faithfulnes O so let us take great heed that infidelitie and false-fears cut us not short of our hopes of a pure reformation the desire of our souls and of a perfect deliverance from ensuing dangers the promised heart-chearing happinesse of us and our posterity But here I desire I may not be mistaken I have not so prest this dutie of faithfull repose in God out of former happie experiments as to cast any of Gods children into a lethargi of supine securitie or improvident carelesnesse No God forbid this also For I hereby forbid not all fear but do desire we may still and over retain that godly fear which may graciously keep our hearts in such an humble posture and disposition as may preserve us from carnall securitie as may make us fear the Lord tremble at his judgements and not dare to sin against him fear thus still on Gods name and spare not for doubtlesse blessed is the man that thus fears alwayes But I hereby desire onely to beat down and keep-under that slavish f ar and cowardly fainting of spirit which I observe to be too frequent in Gods dearest children to the dishonour of our gracious and bountifull God and the wonderfull weakning and wounding of so glorious a cause as we are interessed in and blessed be our God that ever we had a part in it especially having God on our side and his sure word of promise to support us to back and bear us up in our strictest straits Wherefore my Brethren let us seriously and sincerely often check and controul such unsound and unwarrantable fears with that fair
From which so high and dangerous an indignitie to our good God the Lord for Christs sake by the irresistible power of his good Spirit preserve and uphold England Scotland and Ireland and all thaâ— have by Gods gracious power and good providence shaken-off and broken in pieces that heavy yea that hellish yoke of Romes Anti-Christian tyrannie Amen and Amen All glorie be to God alone FINIS Gods 2. royall Prerogatives or attributes Mercie and Iustice Mans happinesse Satans fall foâ— pride Satan tempts man Mans fall Iob 33. 24. â—uk 1. 69. Mans restauration by the promised-Seed A combat denounced twixt the womans seed and the Serpents-seed Matt. 28. 20. The cause of the Combate 1 Ioh. 3. 1â— True religion The prosecution of the Combate In France Germanie England Scotland c. The ill-successe of the malignant Combatants The blood of the Saints is the seed of the Church Matth. 28. 20. Psal 34. 19. Mans necessity is Gods opportunitie Psal 35. 17. England the Land-mark of Gods mercies The Pope began to be pusht-down by King Hen. 8. King Edw. 6. Queen Elizabeth Spanish-Armado 1588. Powder-plot by Papists 1605. The main occasion of this Treatise Parliamentarie-Mercies The Mount of Straits The Mount of Mercies Iesuiticall-Priests and pontifick Prelates like Simeon and Levi. Contrarie juxta se posita mag is illucescunt Dangers and Deliverances opposed shew the more gloriously The first Parliamentarie-Remonstrance Psal 73. 1. The root and growth of this their plot The ripenesse of it The means of curing it The boyling obstructions against the cure The counter-checking of thoseobstacles The root and râ—ce of the plot was The Complotters Jesuited-Papists Prelates and Pontificians Profane and irreligious Courtiers Their Principles to work by To set the King people at jarres about Prerogatives and Liberties To suppresse the power and purity of Religion To countenance all their own and to disgrace all the opposite party To cause the King to disaffect Parliaments Note this wel Primo regis Caroli oâ—us servesâ—ere caepit This plot waâ— first machinated in King Iames his dayes The first Parliament at Oxford dissolved Sad effects of the dissolution of that first Parliament Rochel lost West Indie voyage diverted Câ—â—es attempted Peace with Spain without Parliaments consent The Palsgraves cause deserted Billetted Souldiers over the Kingdom German horse A second Parliament dissolved Sad events on the breach of this Parliament also A third Parliamentdissolved By which cruell usage Sir Iohn Ellâ—ot a most worthy Member of the House and pious patriot died then in prison More bad issues on the breach of the third Parliament Parliaments Parliament Members mightily vilified and disgraced Quarto Caroli Knight-hood money Tonnage and Poundage Book of Rates Ship-money Forrests enlarged Coat Conduct-money Traind-bands Arms taken away Gun-powder engrossâ—d The Forrest of Dean Many Moth-eating Monopolies Restraint of habitations trading Corporall â—â—xations and punishments inflicted on many good Subjects Star-Chamber Court a main fomenter of Suits and Censures Oppressions for Religion and Cases of Conscience No lâ—sse than transcendent barbarous crueltie Iudges displaced and discountenanced for their honestie The Privie-Councill Table a great favourer of these illegalities Selling of justice and places of judicature Prelatespranks in the Church Suspensions excommunications The high-Commission-Court little inferiour to the Spanish-Inquisition In Citie and Countrey men and women forced to flie into forrein parts Into Holland and New-England Who they were which got most preferments Court sermons what and to what end Godly Ministers thrust from their livings The faction now grown to its heighth Three parts of now perfecting thewhole plot Psal 62 9. Malum consâ—lium consultori pessimum Psal 7. 14 15 16. How they began to put their threefold plot aforesaid into full execution Scotland attempted A new Liturgie and Canons put upon them But rejected Dux faemina facti Virg. in his Aen. Zach. 4. 10. * Cap 3. 9. A great disturbance in the Church 1 Kin. 18. 44. All Scotland opposeth it They are proclaimed Rebels in all Churches in England An armie raised against them The Scots do the like The first Pacification God in the Mount Psal 33. 10 11 12. The malignant partie displeased with the Pacification Chiefly the Arch-Prelate Laud and the Earl of Straford Preparation for war again A Parliament motioned to an ill intent Psal 94. 20 The Scots prosecuted again The Earl of Straford in Ireland cals a Parliament whereby they deeply engage themselves for this war A Prosopopoeia to Ireland as touching this act and her present state A short yet sharp check to England also The Earl of Straf returned home Simeon and Levi. A fourth Parliament called April 13. 1640. The said 4th Parliament dissolved Mark this O England for thy comfort Reverend Mr. Case in his 12. Arguments of comfort to England May 5. 1640. Violent courses again exercised to get money Very ill usage to some eminent Parliament Members A scandalous Declaration published A forced loan of money urged in the city of London Aldermen imprisoned for refusing it The Apprentises rising in Southwark side and at Lambeth Exod. 8. 19. The Clergie continue their Convocation New Canons made A new-forged Oath with a monstrous c. in it Punishments on those that refused to take it Exod. 1. 9 10. Pharaohs speech to his Nobles Pharaohs policie proved meer follie The Arch-Prelate of Canterbury his speech to his Pontificians in the Synod Exod. 18. 11. Large taxations laid on the Clergie towâ—â—d the war Bellum Episcopale Praiers against the Scots as against rebels The Souldiers marching forward to York Turn rude-Reformers Non omninâ— laudo admirer tamen Iudg. 5. 23. 31. The Papists did enjoy almost a full toleration Sir Francis Windibank their great friend A Popes Nuncio Great libertie to the Papists A Popish private Parliament in England Divers notable private contrivements of the Popish partie for the full perfecting of the plot See here by all these particulars if England was not bought and sold to destruction England brought into a Mount of Straits Psal 94. 20. Jer. 16. 16. Gen. 10. 8 9. Nimrod a mighty hunter 2 Chron. 16. 9. Psal 65. 2. Nehem 9. 17. Psal 46. 1. Luk 8. 48. Exod. 14. 13. Deut. 3â— 35 36. Admirable comfort in deepest distresse Mr Cala. Fast-Ser The introduction to the now subsequent Parliamentarie-mercies A mightie and strange overture of things for the better The Nobility begins to be sensible of our sorrows The Kings royall Standard set up at York The Peers do petition the King The Scots also were vexed as well as we They enter our Kingdom with a strong Armie The Scots at New-castle The intention of the Scots Armyâ— printed and published in private The King entertains good counsell at York Sept. 24 1640. A treatie at Rippon A cessation of Armes agreed A fifth Parliament called to begin Novem 3. 1640. Râ—dis indigestaque moles Seges ubi Trâ—jâ— fuit God in the Mount Psal 68. 34. 32. Psal 46. 9. Psal
made between the King and Parliament Insanire cum ratione Who is for the King and who for the Parliament interpreted The gentrie at York assembled again The King resolved for Ireland but contradicted therin by the Parliament Freeholders of Yorkshire discourteously used The Militia interdicted to be exercised by the King Captain Phillip Skippon summoned to York to the King The K sends to the Lord Keeper to remove Midsommer Term. The L. Keeper and divers other Lords leave the Parliament An objection The Answer Gods over-powring wisdom and mercie still preventing our hastning mischiefs Instrumentally by the pious prudent demeanour of the Parliament The Lords gentry of Ireland petition his Majesties return to London So do others Our dear Brethren of Scotland also mediate with his Majestie to return The gentry Commons of Yorkshire petitioned his Majesties return to London The Knights Gentlemen others of York-shires Answer to his Majesties demands The Declaration or Remonstrance May 19. 1642. Another Declaration or Remonstrance May 26. 1642. Sir Io Hotham cleared from the imputation of treason laid on him The Magazine brought to the Tower of London The Popish pernicious plot against Hull timely discovered The exercise of the Militia ratified by the Parliament in York Lancas c. Serjeant Major Skippon cleared by the Parliament Parliamentarie Votes clearing Serjeant Major Skippon See here one notable advantage of the legall continuation of this Parliament Midsommer Term not to be adjourned from Westm to York Delinquents to be proceeded against Votes of ParliameÌ„t against the Kings proceedings in York Two Acts of Parliament in Ric. 2. Hen. 4. proving such proceedings to be flat treason An Ordinance of Parliament sent to York touching their train'd-bands Two Orders of both Houses sent into Lancas and to all Counties in England and Wales To oppose the illegall proceedings at York The Parliaments care to see to the arms and ammunition of the Kingdom The Militia exercised in divers Counties An Ancient of Sir Ioh. Hothams imprisoned at York The 19. Propositions sent to his Majesty from the Parliament for an accommodation A harsh message returned to the Parliament in replie to their 19. Propositions The summe of all these former passages considered together A clear deseâ—ption of the ayms of the malignant partie Mr Denzell Holles in his most excellent Speech to the Lords June 15. 1642. The loyall laudable ayms and ends of 〈◊〉 the Parliament in all the forecited particulars An irrefragable testimonie of the Parliaments integrity A most blessed marriage twixt Peace Truth 2 Kin. 20 19. God in the Mount 2 King 6. 11 12. Num. 23. 23. No enchantment against England no divination against the Parliament Deut. 32. 31. We have a Rock to rest on our adversaries have but an Egyptian Reed to relie on Psal 103. 1 2 3 4. The summe of all A fourfold Vse or Observation Observation To admire adore Gods free grace and mercie Ezek. 36. 22 23. Isa 16. 11 1â— How to look on our sins Mark this wel Deut. 7 6 7 8. Psal 50 15. Gods way of saving a people by free mercy Psal 147. 20. Observation Thankfulnesse and obedience To God Psal 115 1. Psal 108. 1 2 3 4 5. Thankfulnesse must produce universall obedience True repentance is the golden-key to open the doorâ— of Gods treasurie To our renowned Parliament-Worthies Mr Calamie in his Fast Sermon p. 1â— A sutable simile Why we ought to be most obligedly thankfull to this blessed Parliament The Parliaments most just Panegyrick or due praise Envie and ingratitude against this present Parliaments proceedings The true cause of Parliament calumniations and slanders Act. 13. 10. What the Parliament intends yet farther to do * The first and famous Remonstrance of the State of the Kingdom set forth Decemb 15. 1641. Observation To make ' us more faithfull and lesse fearfull King Davids encouragement Psal 44. 1. Ver. 2. 3 4. Davids experimental faith 1 Sam. 17. 37. Nehem. 6. 11. Sweet encouragements to relie on God Infidelitie a mostdangerous means to deprive us of our happie hopes Advise not to be secure or carelesse also What fear is requisite in times of danger A great failing in Gods people Isa 51. â— A precious preservative against false fears in Gods children Observation God onely is our salvation therefore to wait on him for deliverance Psal 3. 8. Isa 36. 6. 2 Chron. 22. 20. Isa 21. 9 Ier. 51. 8. Mr Carall Pastour of Lincolnes-Inne Haba 2 2 3 Infidelitie is the root of slavish fear Deut. 32. 4 5 6 Ezra 9. 13 14. Exod. 34. 5 6 7 Isa 26. 10. Mr Calamie in his Sermon on the Fast 2 Sam. 12 20 21 22 23 24. O England take heed of Romish idolatrie and superstitious innovations Mark 5. 19. Go tell whaâ— great things God hath doâ—â— for thee Ioh. 5 14. Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee The sin of Romish idolatrie a most dangerous sin A â—it simile Luk. 22. 32.