full Parliament within four years after with some other of his Confederates c 4 E. 3. Rot Par. n. 1. to 7. 23 E. 3. Rot. Parl. n. 9. to 14. Plea for the Lords p. 275. to 283. impeached condemned and executed as a Traytor and Enemy to the King and Kingdom by the Judgement of the Lords and that by King Edward the third his own assent without any legal hearing or triall just as he had there deposed this King without it for murthering King Edward in Berkley Castle after his deposall and d 4 E. 3. n. 16â— Sir Thomas de Berkley in whose Castle he was slain being indicted of Treason likewise for the same murther before the Lords in Parliament pleaded not guilty thereunto and was tried at the Lords Bar in a legal manner by a Jury of 12 Knights there sworn and impanelled and by them acquitted upon full evidence and trial when as e 4 E 3. n. 35 Sir Simon de Bereford was impeached condemned and executed by a Judgement given against him by the Lords alone without any Trial for murthering this deposed King 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 parallel'd to our times or the Kings case Who having upon the late Treaty granted us for the speedy settlement and security of our bleeding Kingdoms Churches and Religion whatever we could in honour justice or reason desire and far greater advantages and security than 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 above two whole daies and one whole nights debate thought and voted f See My Speech Dec. 4. 1648. and vindication of the secured and secluded Members Jan. 20. 1648. a sufficient ground for them to proceed with the King to the speedy setling of the Kingdoms peace how you or the Army after such large concessions contrary to the Votes of both Houses of Parliament when full and free can in honour justice reason discretion or conscience proceed to depose or decapitate the King as a violater of his faith a Traytor c. without making your selves more perjured treacherous and greater Traytors in all kinds than you repute the King and without g Rom 2.1,2,3 incurring the same judgement and execution as you shall passe and inflict upon him I leave to your saddest consultations to advâ—…e of I have thus freely faithfully and plainly discharged my mind and conscience to you without fear or flattery for the Kings the Kingdoms Parliaments Protestant Religions I am certain for Irelands almost irrecoverably lost Scotlands your own and the Armies weal and safety too if God in mercy please to give you heads or hearts to make timely use of this Memento 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 souls to save or lose both here and hereafter If this and all the precedent considerations will not prevail with you to take you off from your present desperate Counsels and proceedings for your own the Kingdoms Churches Religions Irelands Scotlands the Parliaments your own posterities and the Armies Honour Peace Welfare and safety too Ride on triumphantly still in Ignatius Loyola his fiery Chariot like so many young Phaetons till you fall and perish It is sufficient for me however you digest this present friendly Memento to you that I can truly say liberavi animam meam what ever becomâ— of you or me Who do here solemnly protest to all the World against these your proceedings as altogether null void unparliamentary illegal unchristian antichristian if not Perfidious and Treasonable in these respects I shall close up all with that Golden sentence of God himself 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 publick affairâ— as we are now fallen into Prov. 22.3 and 27.12 A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself but the simple passe on and are punished And with that which is parallel to it Pro. 14.14,15,16 The simple believeth every word but the prudent mâ—n looketh well to his goings A wise man feareth and departeth from evil but the fool rageth and is confident and shall be filled with his own wayes which is thus interpreted Prov. 1.18,16,32,33 They lye in wait for their own blood they lurk privily for their own lives whose feet run to evil and who make â—aste to shed others blood For the turning away of the simple shall sâ—ay them and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them But who so hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil From the Kings head in the Strand Jan. 1. 1648. Your affectionate friend and servant as far as you appear to be Gods your Soveraigns the Kingdoms the Parliaments Religions theirs who have intrusted you or your own true Friends WILLIAM PRYNNE Prov. 28.23 He that rebuketh a man afterward shall find more favour than he that flattereth him with his lips A POSTSCRIPT I Am confident that if the Members now meeting at Westminster will but perswade the General and his Protestant Officers immediately to tender the Oath of Supremacy and Allegiance the solemn League and Covenant and the New Oath of Abjuration for the better discovery and speedier conviction of Iesuits Popish Priests and Papists consented to by the King in the late Treaty to all the Officers Agitators and Souldiers in the Army they will presently discover an whole Conclave of Jesuits Popish Priests and Iesuited Papists amongst them who have instigated them to disobey and force both Houses imprison their Members to impeach try execute the King dissolve the present Parliament subvert our Kingly Government and constitution of Parliaments betray Ireland to the Rebels and involve us in new Wars and confusion instead of Peace and settlement the practices designs and studies of none but Iesuits and Papists which all true Protestants cannot but abhor FINIS
ever shall be dear unto them Now put it to your souls and consciences whether yours and the Armies present Councels and actions do not really justifie the Kings and his parties former suggestions and give the ly to all these Declarations of both Houses who certainly when ever restored to a condition of freedom and liberty of meeting together again will crave publick reparations and justice against you if you violate both their Honor Faith and engagements to the King Kingdom and forre a States against all these their Declarations and Protestations too 5ly Remember that the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament * Exact Collection p. 663. 664 666 687. 686 907 911. Octob. 22. 1642. in the presence of Almighty God which is the strongest obligation that any Christian and the most solemn publick faith that any State or a Parliament can give for the satisfaction of their own consciences and discharge of that great trust that lyes upon them did make this Protestation and Declaration to all this Kingdom and Nation and to the whole world That no private passion or respect No evil intention to his Majesties Person no designe to prejudice his just Honor and Authority engaged them to raise forces or take up Armes That if he would return to his Parliament in peace and by their counsel and advice compose the distempers and confusions abounding in his Kingdoms They would receive him with all Honor yeild him all true obedience subjection and faithfully endeavour to defend his Person and 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 intentions or desire to hurt or injure his Majesty either in his Person or just power Which they seconded by many subsequent Declarations Since which both Houses and the three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland have entred into * A Collection c. p. 327. 359. 399. 404. 416. 410 to 418 806. 887. 898. 878 888. 889. Asolemn League and Covenant for the honour 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 Majesties person and authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion Liberties of the Kingdome that the world may bear witness with their consciences of their Loyalty that they have no thoughts nor intentions to diminish his Majesties just power and greatnesse That they will with all faithfulness endeavour to discover all evil instruments and incendiaries * Those who depose or divide his Head from his shoulders must be most guilty of this dividing dividing the King from his people that they may be brought to publick trial and receive condign punishment And shall never suffer themselves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination perswasion or terrour to be withdrawn from this blessed union c. which so much concerneth the glory of God the good of the Kingdoms and the honour of the King but shall all the days of their lives zealously and canstantly 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 shall be disclosed This Covenant you have all taken your selves some of you often * A Collection c. p. 420. c. Imposed it on all our three Kingdoms And will it not stare in your faces your consciences and engage God himself and all three Kingdomes as one man against you if you should proceed to depose the King destroy his person or disinherit his posterity yea bring certain ruine upon you and yours as the greatest * 1 Tim. 3.3.4 Covenant breakers and most perjured creatures under heaven O think and think most seriously upon it before you proceed to further perjuries * Rot. Par. An. 24 F. 3. part 3. m. 2. in dor Rot Par. n. 25 E. 3. par 1. m. 17. Rot. Par. 25 E. 3. n. 30. Cooks 3 Instit p. 145. 146. In 24 E 3 William Thorpe chief Justice of the Kings Bench for taking 80 l. bribes of several persons was by special Commission indicted 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 erga populum habuit custodiendum fregit malicose false rebelliter quantum in ipso 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. nu 10. If then this chief Justice for breaking his Oath to the King and his people as a Judge onely in taking two or three small bribes deserved to be hanged to forfeit all his Lands goods and life by the judgement of a full Parliament then what will such Members deserve to suffer who shall not onlie violate their Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy to the King his heirs but likewise the several Protestations solemn League Covenant and the multiplied publick Faiths engagements Declarations Remonstrances and promises of both Houses of Parliament made to God the King the whole Kingdoms and people of England Scotland and Ireland the States of the united Provinces and all the world and that maliciously falsely and rebelliously as much as in them lies and their own private Faith Oaths Vows and Covenants involved in them by deposing and executing the King disinheriting the Prince violating the privileges 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 Privileges and freedome of all Parliaments this being one article against King R. the 2d in 1 H. 4. Rot. Par. n. 25. 66. 70. when he was deposed That in the Parliament held at Salop intending 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 remain with certain persons h 21 R. 2. c. 16. Lords and Commons to determine certain Petitions then delivered but not dispatched after the Parliament ended by colour whereof the said deputed persons proceeded by the Kings pleasure and will to other things generally concerning the said Parliament to the great derogation of the State and Privileges of the Parliament and the great detriment and pernicious example of the whole Realm and to gain some colour and authority to their doings the King caused the Parliament Rolls to be altered and deleted according to his Vote contrary to the effect of the foresaid concession as you have presumed to null repeal and * Dec. 12 and 13. 1648. unvote divers Votes Orders and Ordinances
sincerely acknowledge and swear according to these expresse words and their plain and common sence without any equivocation or mental evasion or secret reservation whatsoever And that you did make this Recognition and acknowledgement heartily willingly and truly upon the true faith of a Christian Now whether your present intentions and proceedings against the King be not diametrically repugnant to this solemn Oath which most of you have taken sithence these wars and some of you since the Treaty when sworn Serjeants of Law c. let God and the world before whom you swore and your own Consciences in which you then swore determine you acting herein the d See Watsons Quodlibets Th. Campanela de Monarchia Hisp c. 25. Popes and Jesuits designs 3ly That your selves among other Members have in above one hundred e Exact Collections p. 6. 19. 59. 66. 67. 83. 102. 103. 118. 123. 125. 141 142 143. 173. 180. 195. 219. 259. 281. 307. 380. 312. 360 376. 457. c. 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 himself Kingdome world and forein States that you never intended the least injury hurt or violence to the Kings Person Crown Dignity or Posterity but intended to him and his Royal Posterity more honour happinesse Glory and greatnesse than ever was yet enjoyed by any of his Royal Predecessors that you will ever make good to the uttermost with your lives and fortunes the faith and allegiance which in truth and sincerity you have alwayes born to his Majesty that you have proposed to no other ends to your selves but the performance of all duty and loyalty to his Majesties Person That all Contributions and loans upon the publick faith should be imployed onely to mantain the Protestant Religion the Kings authority his Person his Royal dignity the Laws of the Land Peace of the Kingdome and Priviledges of Parliament and not to be imployed against his Majesties person or authority That the f A Collection c p. 18 13. 41 43 44. 49. 51. 51 61. 64. 96. 181 182. 310. 321. 324 325. 496 599. 623. 696. 806 807 879. Appendix p. 15. 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 Majesties Personal safety honour and greatnesse are much dearer to you than your own lives and fortunes which you do most heartily dedicate to and 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 Majesty both Houses do solemnly declare That upon his disbanding his forces return and hearkning to the advice of his Great Council They will really endeavor to make both him and his as much beloved at home and feared abroad as any Prince that swayed the Scepter which is their firm and constant resolution from which they will not be diverted for any private or self-respects whatsoever That they will faithfully endeavour to secure his Majesties person and Crown from all dangers inculcating the apparent danger to his Royal Person among his Popish and Malignant Armies and ill Counsellours and upon that reason perswading and inviting him to desert them and close with his Parliament protesting that the Parliament hath been and ever will be more ready than they to secure and uphold the Prerogative and Honour 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 Kingdoms with many other such like expressions Which whether your present Actings Counsels do not directly oppose contradict falsifie and give the lie unto to your eternal infamy and breach of publick Parliamentary faith as much as in you lies let both Houses the world and all â—…en judge as they will do in due season your own consciences too 4ly Consider That when the g Exact Collection p. â—98 695 696. 657 658. 991. King and his party did tax 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 will 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 solemn Declarations did most professâ—dly 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 Nota. That as God is witness of their thoughts so shall their actions witness to all the world that to the honour of our Religion and of those who are most zealous in it they shall suffer far more for and from their Soveraign than they hoped God would ever permit the malice of his wicked Counsellors to put them to since the happiness of the Kingdome doth so mainly depend upon his Majesty and the Royal 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 us to raise such a Scandal 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 Majesties Person The promise and Protestation made by the Members of both Houses upon the Nomination of the Lord of Essex to be General to live and die with him wherein is expressed That * Which they oft professed both of the Army under the Earl of Essex and Sir Thomas Fairfax too Collection of all Orders c. 8. 13 41 43 44 49 51 61 64 96 99 623 696 879. Apendix p. 15. this Army was raised for the defence of the Kings Person Their often earnest and most humble Adresses to His Majesty to leave that desperate and dangerous Army wherewith he is now incompassed raised and upheld to the hazard of his Own and the Kingdomâ— Ruin and to come in Person to his Parliament where he should be sure to remain in Honor 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 been
and popish Priests who have over-reached and instigated them forcibly to prosecute these their Treasonable designâ— and accomplish this their long-expected desired work you must do only as private men not as a Parliament and if so what lesser offence than High Treason against the King Parl and Kingdom your present actings and proceedings will amount to in the conclusion if you persevere and persist in them I leave to a free and full Parliament the learned Å¿ See Mr. Saint-Johns Argument at Law at Straffords attainder and Cooks 3 Instit c. 1. 3 Jac. c. 1 2. Judges and all Lawyers now sitting and voting among you to consider and resolve Which the Officers and Council 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 t 1 Kings 2.9,10.28 to 46. 2 Kings 14.6 c. 15.30 c. 21.23,24 certainly will do 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 Kingdom 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 hereditary Kings or Princes much lesse of a Protestant King or Prince of a temperate and sober life as the King is who never immediately imbrued his own hands in any one mans blood in any Tyrannical or bloody way before or since the Wars for ought I can hear but only in a Military by his forces in the field And for a Reforming Protestant Parliament pretending the most of any to Piety Religion and Loyalty 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 Oaths Protestations Declarations Remonstrances Solemn Leagues and Covenants one after another obliging them to the contrary would be such an unparallel'd scandal to the Protestant Religion and all professors of it who have upbraided the v 3 Jac. c. 4. Dr. John whites Sermon at Pauls Crosse and defence of the Way c. 10 11. Jesuits and Papists with this persidious and Treasonable practice of which they have been deeply guilty and themselves yet innocent both in our own 3. Kingdoms and the whole Christian world as would give the greatest occasion advantage and encouragement to the Jesuits Papists and all licentious persons to join their hands heads purses to suppress and extirpate it and all the * See Ludovicus Lucius Hist Iesuitica 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 and Ireland are jointenants at leastwise tenants in common with us in the Kings person as their lawfull Soveraign and King as well as ours and that the Scots delivered up 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 unking 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 you do it without asking or receiving their consents you engage both Kingdoms to make a just War against you to * This fell out accordingly Proclaim and to Crown the Prince of Wases their King though you should lay him aside as being next heir apparent And no Ordinance you can now make will be any legal bar against him to his * 1 Iac. c. 1. hereditarie declared right to the Crown of England where he will probably find a 1000 persons for one who will join 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 spilling or his dethroning And what then will become of you and your army when thus deserted by most opposed by all three kingdoms and all the Kings Queens and Princes Allies united forces Where will your new St. Cromwel St. Ireton St. Pride St. Peters that fast and loose carnal Prophet and Areb-Jesuited incendiary in these present tumults with other Grand Officers of the Army who now force you the General Armie and whole kingdome upon such dangerous Counsels as these by the Jesuites principles and practices then appear to save either themselves or you or their and your posterities from exemplary justice without mercy or hopes of pardon Consider this then seriously if not as Christians yet as Politicians and self ended men and then repent and be wise in time 10ly Remember that you have neither Law nor direct president for what you are going about a Walsingham Hist Ang. 107. 108 109. Polichron 1 cap. 44. See Speed Hollinshed Grafton in Ed. 2. and Rich. 2. Henry the 4th 1 H. 4. Rot. Par. n. 1. to 60. My Plea for the Lords P. 424. to 429. where the whole proceedings are at large related Edward the 2d and Richard the 2d were forced by Mortimer and Henry the 4th to resign their Crowns in a formal manner the one to his Son the other to his conquering successors neither of them to the Parliament then deposed by a subsequent sentence in Parliament as unfit to reign without any formal legal trial 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 drawn up against them were never so much as read before them and their depositions made upon their own voluntary confessions only to confirm their precedent Resignations Besides neither of these Kings though very bad and Papists were ever condemned to lose their heads or lives but were to be well and honourably treated And those proceedings were onely by Popish Parliaments in times of ignorance who had no such Oaths of Supremacy Allegiance Vows Covenants Protestations and other forementioned considerations to tye their hands as you and we all have now yea this very Parliament hath very solemnly and particularly protested b Exact Col. P 695. 699. That they did never suffer these Presidents to enter into their thoughts and they should never be their practice whatever they suffered from the King or his and that for the honor of our Religion and the most zealous in it But that which is very observable Roger Mortimer the principal actor in deposing King Edward the 2. and 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 Parl. of 1 E. 3. In which I find no record concerning this deposal was in a