you doe it without asking or receiving their consents you engage both Kingdomes to make a just Warre against you to proclaime and to Crowne the Prince of Wales their King though you should lay him aside as being next heire apparent And no Ordinance you can now make will be any legal barre against him to the Crown of Eng. where he will find ten thousand persons for one who will joyn with Scotland and Ireland to set him upon his Fathers Throne as king of England and avenge his blood upon all who shall be aiding or assisting to its spillings or his dethroning And what then will become of you and your army when thus deserted by most opposed by all 3 kingdomes all the Kings Queens Princes Allies united forces where will you where will your St. Cromwell St. Ireton St. Pride Saint Peters that fast and loose carnall prophet and Arch Jesuited Incendiary in these present tumults with other Grand Saints of the Army who now force you the Generall Army and whole kingdome upon such dangerous councels as these by the Jesuites principles and practises then appeer to save either themselves or you or your posterities from exemplary justice without mercy or hopes of pardon Consider this then seriously if not as Christians yet as Polititians and selfe ended men and then repent and be wise in time Tenthly Remember that you have neither Law nor direct president for what you are going about Edward the 2d and Richard the 2d were forced by Mortimer and Henry the 4th to resign their Crowns in a formall manner the one to his Son the other to his conquering successor neither of them to the parliament then deposed by a subsequent sentence in Parliament as unfit to reign without any formall legall tryall or answer and that not in an empty Parliament under a force as now when most Members were forced away and secluded but in a full Parliament wherein the articles drawen up against them were never so much as read and their depositions made upon their own voluntary concessions only to confirme their precedent Resignations Besides neither of these Kings though very bad and Papists were ever condemned to loose their heads or lives but were to be well and honourably Treated And those proceedings were only by Popish parliaments in time of ignorance who had no such Oaths Vowes Covenants Protestations and other forementioned considerations to tye their hands as you and we all have now Yea this very Parl. hath solemnly particularly protected that they did never suffer these Presidents to enter into their thoughts and they should never be their practise what ever they suffered from the King or hiâ— and that for the honor of our Religion and the most zealous in it But that which is very observable Roger Mortimer the principle actor in deposing King Edward the 2. Crowning his Son Edward the 3. King in his stead as you must now Crown the Prince of Wales in his Fathers stead if you depose the King else you pursue not this president as you should do in the Parliament of E. 3. In which I find no record concerning this deposall was in a full Parliament within four years after with some other of his Confederates impeached condemned and executed as a Traytor and Enemy to the King and Kingdom by the Iudgement of the Lords and that by King Edward the third his owne assent without any legall hearing or tryall just as he had there deposed this King without it for murthering King Edward in Berkeley Castle after his deposall and Sir Thomas de Berkeley in whose Castle he was slain being indicted of Treason likewise for the same murther before the Lords in Parliament pleaded not guilty thereunto was tried at the Lords Bar in a legall manner by a Iury of 12 Knights there sworn and impannelled and by them acquitted upon ful evidence and tryal when as Sir Simon de Bereford was impeached condemned and executed by a judgement given against him by the Lords alone without any tryall for murthering this deposed King and Thomas de Gourney William Ocle adjudged Traytors by them for the same offence without any evidence appearing on record These Presidents then will be of very hard digestion and not parall'd to our times or the Kings case Who having upon the late Treaty granted us for the speedy settâ—ement and security of our bleeding Kingdoms Churches and Religion what ever we could in honor justice or reason desire and farre greater advantages and security then any of our ancestors or any Kingdom under heaven from the creation to this present demanded or enjoyed from any of their Princes as I dare make good to you and all the world and that which the Commons House after two whole dayes and one whole nights debate thought and voted a sufficient ground for them to proceed with the King to the speedy seâ—ling of the Kingdoms peace now you or the army after such large concessions contrary to the votes of both houses when full and free can in honor justice reason discretion or conscience proceed to depose or decapitate the King as a violater of his faith a Traitor c. Without making your selves more perjured treacherous and greater Traytors in all kinds then he incurring the same judgement execution as you shall passe inflict upon him I leave to your saddest consultations to advise of I have thus freely faithfully and plainly discharged my mind and conscience to you without fear or flattery for the Kings Kingdomes Parliaments protestant Religions I am certaine Irelands almost irrecoverably lost your own and the Armies weale and safety too if God in mercy please to give you heads or hearts to make timely use of it and not suffer your selves to be Jesuit-ridden any longer Consider you have most of you Estates all of you Heads or lives and soules to save or loose both here and hereafter If this and all the precedent considerations will not prevaile with you to take you off from your present desperate Councels and proceedings for your own the Kingdoms Churches Religions Irelands Parliaments your owne posterities and the Armies safety too Ride on triumphantly still in Ignatius Loyola his fiery chariot like so many young Phaitons till you fall and perish It is sufficient for me hower you digest this present friendly Memento to you and I can truly say liberavi animam meam what ever becomes of you or me Who doe here solemnely protest to all the world against these your proceedings as altogether nul void unparliamentary illegall unchristian if not perfidious and Treasonable in these respects I shall close up all with that Golden sentance of God himselfe and the wisest of men King Solomon which is twice repeated verbatim that it might be the better remembred and considered by you and all others in such Exigences of publique affaires as we are now fallen into Prov. 22.3 27 12. A prudent man
your acting herein the Popes and Iesuits designes 3dly That your selves among other Members have in above one hundred Remonstrances Declarations Petitions Ordinances and printed papers published in the name and by the authority of one or both Houses of Parliament professed both to the King himselfe Kingdome World and forraign States that you never intended the least hurt injury or violence to the Kings Person Crown Dignity or Posterity but intended to him and his Royall Posterity more honour happinesse Glory and Greatnesse then ever was yet enjoyed by any of his Royall Predecessours That you will ever make good to the uttermost with your lives and fortunes the faith and allegiance which in truth and sinceritie you have alwayes horne to his Majesty that you have proposed no other ends to your selves but the performance of all duty and loyalty to his Majesties Person That all Contributions and loanes upon the publike faith should be imployed only to maintain the Proteâ—â—ant Religion the Kings authority his Person his Royall Dignity the Lawes of the land Peace of the Kingdome and priviledges of Parliament and not to be imployed against his Majesties person or authority That the Armies and forces raised by the Houses were raised for the safety and defence of the Kings Person and of both Houses of Parliament c. That his Majestes Personall safety honour and greatnesse are much dearer to you then your owne lives and fortunes which you do most heartily dedicate and shall most willingly imploy for the maintenance and support thereof That the Parliament will ever have a care to prevent any danger which his Majesty may justly apprehend to his person That both Houses are resolved to expose their lives and fortunes for the defence and maintenance of the true Religion The Kings person honour and State the power and priviledges of Parliament That notwithstanding his Majesties proclamations against the General and Army as Traytors yet to witnesse their constant and unshaken Loyalty to his Maiesty both houses do solemny declare That upon his disbanding his forces return harkning to the advise of his Great Councel They will really endeavour to make both him his as much beloved at Home feared abroad as any Pr. that ever swayed this Septer which is their firm and constant Resolution from which they wil not be diverted for any private or self respects whatsoever That they will faithfully endeavour to secure his Maiesties Person Crown from all dangers inculcating the apparent danger to his Royal Person among his popish Malignants Armies ill Councelors upon that reason perswading and inviting him to desert them and close with his Parliament protesting that the Parliament hath been is ever wil be more ready then they to secure and uphold the â—uthority Prerogative and Honor of the King and preserve the safety of his Royal Person which they have oft times testified by many humble Petitions and Declarations to Him the World and Kingdome with many other such like expressions Which whether your present Actings and Counsels do not directly oppose contradict and give the lye unto to your eternall infamy and breach of publique faith as much as in you lies let both Houses the world and all men judge as they will doe in due season 4thly Consider That when the King and his party did taxe the Houses for insinuating That if they should make the highest presidents of other Parliaments their pattern there would be no cause to complain of want of modesty or duty in them That is they may depose the King when they wil and are not to be blamed for so doing and that the army raised by the Parliament was to murther and depose the King Both houses by two solemne Declarations did most professedly declare and protest against it as the falsest and most malicious accusation that could be imagined that the thoughts of it never entred nor should enter into their loyal hearts That as God is witnesse of their thoughts so shall their actions witnesse to all the world that to the honor of our Religion of those who are most zealous in it they shal suffer far more for from their Soveraign then they hoped God would ever permit the malice of his wicked Councellors to put them to since the happinesse of the Kingdome doth so mainly depend upon hiâ— Majesty and the Royall Authority of that root That they hoped the contrivers of these false and scandalous reports or any that professed the name of a Christian could not have so little charity as to raise such a scandall especially when they must needs know the Protestation made by the Members of both houses whereby they promise in the presence of Almighty God to defend and preserve his Maiesties Person The Promise and Protestation made by the Members of both houses upon the Nomination of the Lord of Essex to be Generall and to live and die with him wherein is expressed That this Army was raised for defence of the Kings Person Their often earnest and most humble addresses to His Majesty to leave that desperate and dangerous Army wherewith he is now encompassed raised and upheld to the hazard of his own and the Kingdomes ruine and to come in Person to his Parliament where he should be sure to remain in honour and safety and their humble petition directed to be presented to him by the hands of the Earl of Essex before any blow given to remove his Royal person from the Army a request inconsistent with any purpose to offer the least violence to his person which hath and ever shall be dear unto them Now put it to your soules and consciences whether yours and the Armies present Councels and actions doe not really justifie the Kings and his parties former suggestions and give the lye to these Declarations of both Houses who certainly when ever restored to a condition of freedome and liberty of meeting together againe will crave publike reparations and justice against you if you violate both their Honour faith and engagements to the King Kingdome and forraign States against these their Declarations and Protestations too 5thly Remember that the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament Octob. 2â— 1642. did in the presence of Almighty God which is the strongest obligation that any Christian and the most solemne publik faith that any state as a Parliament can give for the satisfaction of their own consciences and discharge of that great trust that lyes upon them make this Protestation and Declaration to all this Kingdome and Nat on and to the whole world That no private passion or respect No evil intention to his Maiesties person no designe to preiudice his iust honour and Authority engaged them to raise forces or take up Armes That if he would return to his Parliament in peace and by their counsels and advice compose the distempers and confusions abounding in his Kingdomes They would receive him with all Honour yeeld
him all true obedience subjection and faithfully endeavour to defend his Person Estate from all danger and to the uttermost of their power establish him in all the blessings of a glorious and happy Reign And that they had no intention or desire to hurt or iniure his Maiesty either in his Person or iust power Which they seconded by many subsequent Declarations Since which both Houses and the three Kindomes of England Scotland and Ireland have entred into A solemn League and Covenant For the Honor and happinesse of the Kings Majesty and his posterity among other ends therein specified That they shall sincerely really and constantly endeavour with their estates and lives to preserve and defend the Kings maiesties person and authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms that the world may beare witnesse with their consciences of their Loyalty and that they have no thoughts nor intention to diminish his maiesties iust power and greatnesse That they will with all faithfulnesse endeavour to discover all evill Instruments and Incendiaries dividing the King from his people that they may be brought to publike tryall and receive condigne punishment And shall never suffer themselves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination perswasion or terrour to be withdrawne from this blessed union c. which so much concerneth the glory of God the good of the Kingdomes and the honor of the King but shall all the dayes of their lives zealously and constantly continue therein against all opposition And conclude This Covenant we make in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of all hearts with a true intention to observe the same as we shall answer at the great day when the secrets of all hearts shal be disclosed This Covenant you have all taken your selves some of you often and * imposed it on all three Kingdomes And will it not stare in your faces your consciences and engage God himselfe and all three Kingdoms as one man against you if you should proceed to depose the King destroy his person or disinherit his posterity yea bring certaine ruine upon you and yours as the greatest Covenant-breakers and most perjured Creatures under Heaven O think and think most seriously upon it before you proceed to further perjuries In 24. E 3. William Thrope cheife Iustice of the Kings Bench for taking 80 l. bribes of severall persons was by speciall Commission indited convicted and condemned to be hanged and to forfeit all his Lands Tenements Goods and chattels to the King because thereby Sacramentum Domini Regis quod ergo populum habuit custodiendum fregit maliciose falso rebelliter quantum in ipse fuit which Judgement was affirmed to be just and reasonable in full Parliament where it was openly read by the Kings command as is evident by 25. E 3. Rot. Parl. nul 10. If then this chief Justice for breaking his Oath to the King and his people as a Iudge only in taking two or three small bribes deserved to be hanged and to forfeit all his Lands Goods and Life by the judgement of full Parliament then what will such Members deserve to suffer who shall violate not only their Oaths of Allegiance and Supreamicy to the King and his heires but likewise the several Protestations solemn League Covenant and the multiplied publique faith engagements declarations Remonstrances promises of both houses of Parliament made to God the King the whole Kingdomes people of England Scotland and Ireland the States of the united Provinces and all the world an that maliciously falsely and Rebelliously as much as in them lies and their own private Faith Oaths Vowes and Covenants involved in them in deposing and executing the King disinheriting the Prince violating the priviledges usurping the power of the parliament to themselves when most of the other Members are violently secluded by the army to the subversion of the freedom liberties of all Parliaments this being one article against King Rich. the 2d in 1. H 4. Rot. Parl. 25 66 70. when he was deposed That in the Parliament held at Salop intended to oppresse his people he did subtilly procure and cause to be granted by consent of all the States in the kingdom which you have not that the power of the Parliament should remaine with certain persons * Lords and Commons to determine certaine Petitions then delivered but not dispatched after the Parl. ended by colour whereof the said deputed persons proceeded by the Kings pleasure and wil to other things generally concerning the said Parliament to the great derogation of the State and priviledges of the Parliament and the great inconveniences pernicious example of the whole Realme and to gain some colour and authority to their doings the King caused the Parliament Rolls to be altered and deleated according to his Vote contrary to the effect of the foresaid Confession as you have presumed to nul repeale and unvote divers Votes Orders and Ordinances of both Houses made in pursuance of the foresaid oathes protestations the solemn League Covenant Remonstrances Declarations of both houses the treaty when the houses were full not under the Armies force or violence And if their proceedings the whole Parliament of 21. R were declared null and void and the King worthy to be deposed for such proceedings then let Serjeant Thorp and other Lawyers now acting with you consider and informe you what punishment you deserve for such breach of faith priviledge of Parliament usurpation of a monopoly of parliamentary power to your selves now whiles under the Armies force and most Members forced thence in which case you ought not to sit vote or conclude any thing but only to adjourn till the force removed all Members may freely meet in full Parl. as is clear by that memorable Record of 6 E. 3. Par. apud Ebor n. 1.2 Dor. claus 6. E. 3. m. 4.6 E. 3. apud West parl 2. n. 1.13.3 parl 2. n. 4.15 E. n 5.17 E. 3. n 2.6.18 E. 3. n. 1.2.5 2â— E 3. n. 5.21 E. 3. n. 4.22 E 3. n. 1.25 E. 3. n. 1.29 E. 3. n. 4.36 E. 3. n. 1.37 E. 3. n. 1.42 E. 3. n. 1.50 E 3. n. 1.51 E. 3. n. 3.1 R. 2. n. 1.3 R. 2. n. 1.4 R 2 n 1. R. 2. n. 1 4. R. 2. n. 1.5 R 2. parl 1. n. 1. parl 2 n 1.6 R. 2 parl 1. n. 1. parl 2. n. 18. H. 4. n. 28.30.54 9. H. 4. n. 1.13 H. 4 n. 1. and many more rolls where the Par. when any considerable number of the Members of either house were absent was constantly adjourned refused to sit or do any thing though not under any force till the houses were full much more then when under the Armies sword it being against Magna Charta as the Barons declared in Parl Anno Dom. 1257 in the reign of K. H. the third for a few Members to
sit when the rest are absent 6thly Consider that though many of the Kings of Iudah and Israel were extraordinary sinfull and Idelatrous bloody and tyrannicall great oppressours of their people yea shedders of Priests of Prophets and other good mens innocent blood not only in the wars but in peace yet there is not one president in the old Testament of any one King ever juditially impeached arraigned deposed or put to death by the Congregation Shanhedrin or Parliaments of Iudah or Israel That those who slew any of them in a tumultuous or treacherous manner were for the most part slaine themselves either in a tumult or else put to death by their Children who succeeded to the Crown or people of the Land that the Israelites after their revolt from Rehoboham had never any one good King or good day almost among them but were over-run with Idolatry prophanenesse tyranny invaded by enemies involved in perpetuall Wars Civill or Forraign and at last all destroyed and carried away Captives into Babylon as the Books of Kings and Chronicles will informe you That the rule in the Old Testament is not to take any wicked Kings from their Thrones and behead them but Take away the wicked from before the King and his Throne shall be established in righteousnesse And the rule in the New Testament To be subject to Kings and the Higher Powers and to submit unto them even for Conscience and the Lords sake and to make Prayers Supplications and Intercessions for them that under them we may lead a peacable and quiet life in all Godlinesse and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour not to depose or shed their bloud for which there is no precept And is not this plaine way of God the safest for you and the Army to follow yea the only short cut to Peace and settlement Ruminate upon it and then be wise both for your soules good and the Kingdomes too 7thly Consider that you now meet and sit under the armed force and violence of a mutinous Army who have leavyed Warre against the houses to dissolve them imprison'd many of your Members forcibly secluded more and driven away almost all from the Houses That til the removal of this horrid force reassembling of all your scattered Members with freedome and safety in the Houses al you Vote Act Order or Ordaine by the Armies owne Doctrine in their Remonstrance of August 18 and the Declaration and Ordinance of both Houses made at the Armies instance August 20 1647. is nul and void even at and from the time it was voted acted ordered ordained and so declared by your selves even by this unrepealed Ordinance and by former Parliaments to as 21. R. 2. c 12.1 H 4 c 3.31 H 6 c 1 39 H 6 c 1. And however you may take upon you the name and power of the Houses of Parliament and unvote vote order and ordaine what you please yet take it for an infallible Truth that none of the secluded and absent Members none of the Counties Cities and Burroughs for which they serve not those for whom you serve and represent nor yet the Kingdomes of England Scoâ—land and Ireland who have as great or greater shares and interest in the person of the King as their lawfull Soveraign and are engaged by Oaths Covenant and all the forecited premises to protect his person and Crown with their lives and estates against all violence danger with Queen Children and Allies in forraigne parts of what Religion soever will never own you in your present condition and constitutâ—on to be a Parliament but rather a Conventicle or Iuncto nor any thing you vote order or ordain to be vailed And therefore what ever you vote Order or Ordaine concerning the Treaty the deposing or executing the King the Disinheriting or Banishing the Prince dissolving the present Parliament setting up a new confused Representative or new forme of State Goverment only to please the Officers and Army or rather those Jesuits and popish Priests who have overreached instigated them forcibly to prosecute these their treasonable designes and accomplish this their long expected desire work you must do only as private men not as a Parliament and if so what lesser offence then High Treason against the King Parliament and kingdom your present actings and proceedings will prove in the conclusion if you persevere and persist in them I leave to a free Parliament the learned Judges and all Lawyers now sitting and voting among you to consider and resolve Which the Officers and Councell of the Army considering would cast the Odium and danger of all upon you the better to exempt and acquit themselves if after reckonings should come as probably they may and certainely will in Gods due time if you and they repent not give over and crave pardon ere it be over late 8ly Remember That no protestant Kingdome or State ever yet defiled their hands or stained the purity and honour of their Reformed Religion with the deposition or blood of any of their Kings or Princes much lesse of a protestant King oâ— Prince of a temperate and sober life as the King is who never immediately imbrued his owne hands in any one mans blood in any tyranical or bloody way before or since the wars for ought I can heare but only in a Military And for a Reforming protestant Parl. pretending the most of any to piety religion to stain their profession or honour by the deposition or defile their hands with the blood of a protestant King or for an army of Saints to do it or they to please a Saint-seeming Army and that against so many fore-mentioned oathes protestations declarations Remonstrances Solemn League and covenants one after another to the contrary would be such an unparall'd scandall to the protestant Religion all professors of it who have upbraided the Iesuits and papists with this perfidious treasonable practise of which they have been deeply guilty themselves innocent both in our owne 3 kingdoms and the whole Christian world as would give the greatest occasion advantage and encouragement to the Jesuites papists and all licentious persons to joyne their hands heads purses to suppresse and extirpate it and all the professors of it both at home and abroad that ever yet they had and make Parliaments for ever hereafter execrable and detestable both to Kings and people 9ly Consider that Scotland Ireland are joynt tenants at least wise tenants in Common with us in the King as their lawfull Soveraigne and King as well as ours and that the Scots delivered and left his person to our Commissioners at Newcastle upon this expresse condition That no violence should be offered to his Person c. according to the Covenant How then you can un-king or depose him as to them or take away his life upon pretext of justice without their concurrent assents is worthy your saddest thoughts If