dispose of it by Authority of Parliament desiring also That He would make His Abode near London and the Parliament The King 's absolute Refusal to their Second Petition for the Militia The Parliament's Publick Declaration hereupon and continue the Prince at some of His Houses near the City for the better carrying on of Affairs and preventing the People's Jealousies and Fears All which not being then fit to be granted and therefore refused they presently order That the Kingdome be put into a Posture of Defence in such a Way as was agreed upon by the Parliament and a Committee to prepare a publick Declaration from these Two Heads 1. 1. The Just Causes of the Fears and Jealousies given to the Parliament 2. 2. To consider of all Matters arising from His Majesty's Message and what was fit to be done IN the mean time the Bishops were so threatned and terrifyed by the Tumults and Rabble that Twelve of Them absented themselves from the House Protesting against all Laws Orders Votes The Bishop's Protestation Resolutions and Determinations as in Themselves Null and of Non-effect which had Passed or should Pass during their forced Absence desiring their Protestation might be Registred by the Clerk of the House of Lords But immediately after at a Conference between Both Houses it was agreed That this Protestation of the Twelve Bishops did extend to the deep intrenching upon the Fundamental Privileges and Being of Parliaments and presently after They are Accused of High-Treason seized and Ten of them Committed they were Accused of High-Treason seized and brought on their Knees at the Bar of the House of Peers Ten of them were Committed to the Tower and the Other Two in regard of their Age to the Black-Rod NOW the Parliament proceed to make Great Preparations both by Sea and Land and ordered the Admiral of England The Parliament now makes great Preparations both by Sea and Land Pamphlets dispers'd to Rigg the King's Ships and fit them to Sea and likewise all Masters and Owners of Ships were perswaded to do the like The Beacons were repaired Sea-Marks set up and extraordinary Posting up and down with Pacquets Pamphlets flew abroad and all the Other sad Prognosticks of a Civil War did appear THUS did Our late Execrable Troubles begin That were attended with all the Calamities of Domestick Broyls the Parliament every Day pretending to entertain New Jealousies and Suspicions of the King's Actions that so they might have a Pretext to Arm their Party which having done and provided Moneys for the Defraying the Expences of the War they unmasked Themselves and the King and all the Good People of the Nation began to discover That all their Assurances of making His Majesty the Most Glorious Prince that ever swayed the English Scepter was no otherwise to be understood than that they designed to Crown Him with the Crown of Martyrdom and that all the Out-cry they had made and the Fears and Jealousies they had spread abroad of the Loss of their Priviledges and the danger that Religion Liberty and Property were in was like Pick-pockets who bawl out and accuse Passers by of Picking their Pockets that so they might get a Crowd together and really deprive Them of what they had falsly accused Others of who not discovering the Cheat till it was too late and that all was gone had nothing left them but Regret for having been drawn into their Own and their Friends Ruine and Destruction AND now being come so far as to have a full but sad View of all those Devastations and Horrours of those Torrents of Blood and Mountains of Carkasses which are the usual Effects nay inevitable Consequences of a Civil War I must beg Leave to retire from so Deplorable and Dreadful a Prospect and give you a short Account of the Crew that occasioned all these Desolations and Miseries and from whence they sucked their Poysonous Principles with which they infected the whole State DURING the Reign of Queen Mary The Rise of the Presbyterians several of the Reformed flying the Persecutions of Her Government retired to Geneva where sucking in Doctrine and Principles that were no wayes conformable nor consistent with Monarchy at their return Home under Queen Elizabeth they spoke even with Adoration of the Discipline of that Place assuring and perswading People that It and only It was what was taught and directed by our Saviour and His Disciples and practised in the Primitive Times accusing all others of Impurity Superstition and Popery THE Iesuits quickly took notice of these Weeds in Protestanisme Taken Notice of by the Jesuits and took great Care to humour and cultivate them hoping that They One Day might cause such a Breach in Our Church as that they might enter through it and compleat Our Ruin And indeed these People what by the Forced Modesty and Austerity of their Lives what by the Novelty of their Doctrine and their being opposed by Publick Authority that was no wayes consistent with their Tenets they came at first to be Pittyed and then to be Loved and Admired by the Common People THUS growing at length to be very numerous that ever-tobe-admired Princess Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth's Care to depress them thought fit to hinder this Contagion from spreading and by the Advice of Her Parliament as well as Her Council enacted very severe Laws against them and put several of them to Death as Disturbers of the Peace both of Church and State And though they expected more Favour under the Reign of King Iames King James did the like yet that Wise Prince thought fit to curb their Zeal and bridle their Invading Humour Notwithstanding having once allowed them a Conference and taking upon Himself to be the Arbitrator it rendered them so Insolent and Confident and brought their Party into such Repute that towards the Latter End of His Reign they began to have great Influence in the House of Commons which they dayly augmented and encreased by their seeming Abhorrence of Popery and Superstition But with everto-be-lamented Methods till at length by their Arts and Practices they brought into Ruin and Destruction that Prince and Government they all along pretended their whole Design was to Defend Support and Maintain and under the Cloak of Religion let in all Manger of Impiety Atheism and Superstition THE Great Influences the Doctrines of these Men have had amongst the Factious Parties of this Kingdom of late Times too since the Happy Restauration of His Sacred Majesty to the great Disturbance of the Publick Peace to the Dis-uniting the Members of the Church of England and raising Schism and Divisions in the Communities of Men in Matters of Religion to the utter Subversion of Religion it self nay Morality too I say of the Truth of This we have daily Demonstrations and Experiences of The Iesuits of Geneva and Those of St. Omers I dare affirm in their Damnable Tenets with relation to Monarchy and Episcopacy
to be Surprized and having timely Notice they absented themselves from the House The Commons Vote against the putting it in Execution whereupon the Commons Voted the same day That if any Persons shall attempt to Seize the Persons or Papers of any Parliament Men such Members shall require the Aid of the Constable to Secure such Persons till further order of the House and that it is Lawful for any Person to Assist the said Members and that the said Members may stand upon their Guard and make Resistance according to the Protestation for Defence of Priviledges of Parliament HEREUPON the King charges the Lord Kimbolton and the Five Members with several Articles and acquaints Both Houses The Lord Kimbolton and five Members Impeached of High-Treason by the King That He did intend to prosecute them for High-Treason and required That their Persons might be Secured The Day after the King went to the House of Commons and sitting in the Speaker's Chair He viewed the House round and perceived the Birds He aimed at were flown for having Warning they had with-drawn into London Whereupon He tells them That He came to look for those Five Members whom He had Accused of High-Treason and was resolved to have them where-ever He found them and expected to have them sent to Him as soon as they should come to the House But would not have them think that this Act of His was any Violation of Parliament THOUGH the King took only the Palsgrave with Him The King 's coming in person to the House of Commons is Voted a Breach of their Priviledge and Scandals raised c. and the Gentlemen of His Ordinary Retinue Yet this Act of the King 's was so highly resented by the House that the next Day the Commons voted it a Breach of Priviledge and Scandals were raised in the City that He intended Violence against the House of Commons and came thither with Force to Murther several Members and used Threatning Speeches against the Parliament With which the City was so possessed that unusual Guards and Watches were set as if some desperate Assault were to be made upon the City And then the Houses publish a Declaration that whosoever shall Arrest any Member of Parliament by Warrant from the King only is guilty of the Breach of Priviledges of Parliament And likewise That all those who attended the King when He came to demand the Five Members were guilty of a Traiterous Designe against the King and Parliament That the Proclamation for Apprehending and Imprisoning the said Members was False Scandalous and Illegal and not of Validity enough to hinder them from Attending the House And that the Publishing of the several Articles of High-Treason was a Breach of Priviledge wherefore they intreat His Majesty to discover the Names of those Informers and Evil Counsellors declaring all such Persons to be Publick Enemies to the State AND now what they had been so long aiming at came to pass for Petitions came crowding from all Parts to put the Kingdome in a Posture of Defence as they termed the Arming of Their Party and Dis-arming all Those whose Loyalty obliged them to adhere to the King And though His Majesty before this unlucky Accident happened out of a Transcendant Goodness The Earl of Warwick made Vice-Admiral in the Room of Sir John Pennington Sir Thomas Glemham Removed Sir John Hotham made Governour of Hull upon their Desires dis-placed Two Lieutenants of the Tower committed the Fleet to the Earl of Warwick as Vice-Admiral removing Sir John Pennington and put out Sir Thomas Glemham from the Government of Hull and put it into the Hands of Sir John Hotham who both unfortunately to himself and the whole Kingdom made His Majesty an ill Requital for His Trust But still this was not Satisfactory and though He had granted them all they could have defired they would hardly have been contented AND now such Tumults and Numbers of the Rabble dayly flocked to Westminster and Whitehal and being Countenanced by the Impeached Members and their Adherents grew so Insolent that the King doubting of their Intentions The Tumults Illegal Proceedings of the Commons make the King retire to Hampton-Court thought fit to withdraw to Hampton-Court taking with Him the Queen Prince and Duke of York where His Retinue and Guards was soon considerably Augmented by the Accession of the Gentry from all Parts THE next Day the Five Members were Conducted in Tryumph to Westminster The 5. Members brought to the Parliament in Great Tryumph c. by great Numbers of the Citizens and Seamen with Hundreds of Boats and Barges with Guns in them shouting hollowing and Insulting as they passed by White-hall and at Westminster welcomed them with an Harangue as if they came from performing some Glorious Action in the Service of the Nation AND now the Commons move the Lords to joyn with them to Petition the King to leave the Militia at their Disposal The Commons petition for the Militia and Tower to be put into then Hands c. as likewise the Command of the Tower But they not Complying the House of Commons singly of themselves request the King To put Them into the Hands of the Parliament but the King not thinking fit to part with the Main Support of His Throne did however make them such Gracious Replyes as would have satisfyed all reasonable Men. THERE was a Rumour that the Parliament designed to Impeach the Queen of High-Treason The Queen goes for Holland upon a designed Impeachment whereupon She provides against the Danger and prevails with the King That She might accompany Her Eldest Daughter the Princess of Orange into Holland and the King seeing Things grow worse and worse consented to it and Attended them to the Sea-side and saw them go on Board for Holland and having ordered the Prince to wait His Returns at Greenwich did thereby prevent His Surprize which had the King staid a Quarter of an Hour longer had been effected they having designed Him for an Hostage and Security against all Cross Events THE Parliament having again Petitioned for the Militia The King's Answer to the Common's Petition the King sends them an Answer That He is willing to condescend to all the Proposals concerning the Militia of the Counties and the Persons mentioned but not of London and other Corporations whose Government in that Particular He thought it neither Justice nor Policy to alter but would not consent to Divest Himself of the Power of the County-Militia for an Indefinite Time but for some Limited Space THIS Answer not being Satisfactory and the Breach growing dayly wider He Removes from London to Theobalds Royston c. the King thought it not safe to stay in These Parts but Removed to Theobalds Royston and so to York But on His Way He received a Petition demanding the Militia more resolutely than before affirming That in Case of Denyal the Imminent Dangers would constrain them to
Paces towards a Rebellion a Design of Petitioning their Soveraign But the King not able to bear His being Affronted at this Rate does likewise Arm to Defend His Crown The King Raises an Army to go against the Scots and the Lives and Estates of His Subjects here and Recover the Rights and Prerogatives they had Usurped in that Kingdom But notwithstanding the Justice of His Cause and the Gallantry and Vigour of His Army when He came in Sight of the Enemy He was moved out of a Compassion and a Desire to Save so many Lives both of His Loyal and Rebellious Subjects A Treaty is held a Second time to Condescend to a Treaty which He was likewise perswaded to by some of the English Nobility that were Secret Friends to the Scots DURING this Treaty the Factious Spirits of the Two Nations had by Feeling one anothers Pulses found their Tempers to be so alike and their Inclinations so sutable that they easily and quickly agreed of the Measures for a future Correspondence and of the means of putting in Execution their Designs Which however would have been impossible for them to have Effected had they had the least Sense of Religion Loyalty Honour and Honesty But the Scots had no sooner seen the English Army Disbanded and the People Dissatisfied with the Ill Success of that Expedition than that having Broken almost as soon as Signed The Pacification broken and the Scots Raise another Army every Article of that Pacification they Raised a New Army to Petition withal which they were Invited to by their Brethren or Presbyterian Party here who Encouraged them to this Invasion by assuring them That the King was not in a Capacity to make Head against them nor could be without Calling a Parliament wherein they would be sure to find so many Friends in Both Houses that nothing should be done there to their Disadvantage Which proved but too True for the King having Summoned a Parliament and proposed to them the Raising of Money for the suppressing the Insolence of the Scots some of the Members began to Question the Grounds and Justice of the War which they were Resolved to be Satisfied in before Moneys should be Raised In short the Scottish Party had that Influence in this Parliament as to put it to Question Whether the Grievances of the People or the King's Supply should first be Considered And tho the King told that Parliament That if they would Supply Him so as to Suppress the Insolence of the Scots He would Acquit His Claim to Ship-Money and give Satisfaction to their Just Demands They growing still more sensible by these Proposals of the Necessities the King was in instead of making such Returns as so Gracious an Offer merited Voted 1. The Clearing the property of the Subject 2. The Establishing the True Religion And 3. The Priviledges of Parliament and then fell into such Extravagances that the Privy-Council Advised their Dissolving The Parliament's Dissolved being assured the Heats of the House of Commons were so great that they intended that very Day to have Voted against the War with Scotland whereby the King would have been in a worse Condition than before their Sitting Yet though the City of London refused to lend Money to the King the Gentry contributed indifferently freely so that with their Assistance He raised a Second Army A Second Army raised by the King and having with much Difficulty and the great Murmuring of the Presbyterian Party drawn them together as far as York He designed to have Marched in person to the Borders of Scotland But the ill success My Lord Conoway had broke all His Measures for Lesley had no sooner forced His passage over the River Tine and faced New-Castle where the King had reposited His Magazine of Arms and Ammunition and His Stores of Provision for His Army but that the Gates were opened to them they having more Friends than Enemies in the Town The Scots Declaration Hereupon the Scots declare the Intention of the Army to be Not to lay down Armes till the Reformed Religion was setled in both Nations upon sure Grounds and the Causes and Abettors of their present Troubles that is Arch-Bishop Laud and the Earl of Strafford were brought to publick Justice in Parliament Whereupon Twelve English Peers Petitioned the King for the Sitting of the Parliament Some Lords and the City c. do Petition for the sitting of the Parliament and the City of London and several other parts of the Kingdom did the like all centring in this that Nothing else could relieve the pressures of the Nation And now the King condescends to their Desires and Summoned a Parliament A Parliament's called which instead of redressing Grievances defending Liberty Property and Laws Trampled all things both Civil and Sacred under their Feet and the People found at length that instead of the Arbitrary Government they had been so much afraid of they had brought upon themselves the Rankest Tyranny THIS Parliament was no sooner met than that they fell to Impeaching the Earl of Strafford Arch-Bishop Laud The Earl of Strafford and Arch-Bishop Laud impeach't with several others several of the Judges and other Ministers of State But tho the Earl had been forewarned of their Designs against Him yet relying upon His Great Innocence and His Courage rendring Him uncapable of Fear He could not be perswaded to with-draw till the Storm was over least His Flight might be interpreted as Guilt and should blast His Sovereign's as well as His own Reputation Upon this Impeachment He is Sequestred from the House of Lords and likewise His Friend Sir George Ratcliffe is sent for out of Ireland by a Serjeant at Arms In the mean time the Bishop of Lincolne who was Prisoner in the Tower is Released who had been Committed there for some dishonourable Speeches that He had spoken of the King and having endeavoured by some indirect means to Appear Innocent He had been therefore Sentenced Ten Thousand Pounds Fine to the King Imprisonment in the Tower during Pleasure to be suspended Ab Officiis Beneficiis from His Bishoprick and the Profits thereof and to be referred to the High Commission Court as to what concerned them And likewise Mr. Pryn Mr. Burton and Dr. Bastnick who had received a very just Censure for Writing against the Bishops and their Government they being all Three Sentenced to pay Five Thousand Pounds apiece Fine to the King to lose their Ears in the Pillory and to be Imprisoned which they accordingly Suffered were now brought in great Triumph to London and December the Third they presented their Petition against their Prosecutors THEN the Commons fell to Voting Ship-Money with the Opinion of the Judges thereupon to be Illegal who with Noy then esteemed the Oracle of the Law had assured the King of the Legality of it and a Charge of High-Treason was ordered to be drawn up against Eight of them and they resolved to
begin with the Lord-Keeper Finch Petitions from the City against Church Discipline and Ceremonies c. About that time an Alderman and some Hundreds of Citizens presented a Petition Subscribed by Fifteen Thousand Hands against Church-Discipline and Ceremonies and a while after the House of Commons Voted That the Clergy in a Synod or Convocation The Commons Vote thereupon have no Power to make Canons or Laws without Parliaments and that the Canons are against the Fundamental Laws of this Realm the King's Prerogative the Property of the Subject the Right of Parliaments and tend to Faction and Sedition And hereupon a Charge was ordered to be drawn up against Arch-Bishop Laud as the Principal framer of those Canons and other Delinquencies which Impeachment was seconded by another from the Scotch Commissioners Arch-Bishop Land impeach't and sent to the Black-Rod upon which He was Committed to the Black-Rod and Ten Weeks after Voted Guilty of High-Treason and sent to the Tower The Scots likewise prefer a Charge against the Earl of Strafford then in Custody demanding Justice against them both Five Articles against Sir George Ratcliffe as the great Incendiaries and Disturbers both of Church and State and Sir George Ratcliffe the Earl's Bosom Friend had Articles also drawn against Him to this purpose THAT He had Conspired with the Earl 1. to bring Ireland under an Arbitrary Government and to Subvert the Fundamental Laws and to bring an Army from Ireland to subdue the Subjects of England That He perswaded the Earl to use Regal Power and to deprive the Subjects of their Liberties and Properties 2. That He countenanced Papists 3. and built Monasteries to alienate the Affections of the Irish from the English That He withdrew the Subjects of Scotland from their King And Lastly That to preserve Himself and the Earl of Strafford 4. He laboured to Subvert the Liberties 5. and Priviledges of Parliament in Ireland THE Lord Keeper Finch was the next Person designed to be Censured Lord-Keeper Finch Voted a Traitor and notwithstanding a Speech He made in His own Vindication He was Voted a Traitor upon several accounts but foreseeing the Storm to avoid the Danger He withdrew Beyond-Sea THE House of Commons having by these means removed their Enemies were preparing a Bill for a Triennial Parliament Petitions procured for a Triennial-Parliament to promote which they procured Petitions to come from several Places One whereof was Subscribed with Eight Hundred Hands aiming principally to destroy Episcopacy which the King took Notice of One with 800. Hands and calling Both Houses together tells them Of their Slowness and the Charge of Two Armies in the Kingdom and that he would Have them avoid Two Rocks the One about the Hierarchy of the Bishops which He was willing to Reform but not alter the Other concerning Frequent Parliaments which He liked well but not to give His Power to Sheriffs and Constables and upon their Remonstrances against the Toleration of Papists the King assured them The King protests an Aversion to Popery that the increase of Popery and Papists was extreamly against His Mind and that He would use all possible means for the Restraining of it DURING the Five Months the Scots had Quartered in England a Cessation having been Concluded at Rippon yet the full Pacification was reserved for London and the Commissioners of both Parties fat there to hear the Demands of the Scots and to make Answer thereunto The Scotch Armies great Charge 514128. l 9. s Whereupon the Scots presented the great account of their Charges which was Five Hundred Fourteen Thousand One Hundred Twenty Eight Pounds Nine Shillings besides the Loss of their Nation which was Four Hundred and Forty Thousand Pounds This Reckoning startled the English Commissioners The Loss of Scotlands Charges 440000. till the Scots told them they did not give in that Account as expecting a Total Reparation of their Charges and Losses but were content to bear a part of it hoping for the rest from the Justice and Kindness of England These Demands met with some Oppositions However Moneys were raised at the present from the City of London for the supply of both the Northern Armies as the Parliament had done once before MUCH about this time Four Members of the House of Commons delivered a Message to the Lords of a Popish Design of levying an Army of Fifteen Thousand Men in Lancashire and Eight Thousand in Ireland and that the main Promoters thereof were the Earls of Strafford and Worcester THEN they fell to Accuse Sir Robert Berkly One of the Judges about Ship-Money of High-Treason Sir Robert Berkley accused of High-Treason The Act passed for a Triennial-Parliament and Committed him Prisoner to the Black-Rod About the same time the King passed that Act for a Triennial Parliament and that they might know how much He valued this great Favour He told the Two Houses That hitherto they had gone on in those things which concerned themselves and now He expected they should proceed upon what concerned Him THE King likewise signed then the Bill of Subsidies The Bill of Subsidies likewise passed which so generally pleased them that Sir Edward Littleton Lord-Keeper was ordered to return the Humble Thanks of both Houses to His Majesty at White-Hall Arch-Bishop Land Committed to the Tower for High-Treason Presently after the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury having been Accused of High-Treason by the Commons was Committed to the Tower and now Episcopacy it self was called in Question and notwithstanding several learned and weighty Speeches were made in the Defence of it The Bishops outed from Parliament-Power Judicial or Temporal the Commons Voted that No Bishop should have any Vote in Parliament nor any judicial Power in the Star-Chamber nor be concerned in any Temporal Matters THEN began the Trial of the Earl of Strafford which after it had lasted some Weeks The Earl of Straffords Trial. and all the Evidence against Him not amounting to so much as to be Legally capable to take away His Life had they gone the antient Legal way to work of Trying Peers His Enemies be-thought themselves of a New Expedient to take off His Head despairing of ever effecting their Designs as long as He assisted at the Helm they had therefore procured the Parliament of Ireland to Prosecute Him there also as Guilty of High-Treason Whereupon a Bill was brought into the House of Commons to attaint Him of Accumulative High-Treason and tho it passed that House with a kind of surprize yet it so opened the Eyes of several who before had been His violent Enemies that they became His Advocates tho this made them lose that Kindness Esteem and Favour which that House and the People before had had for them And the Lords considering how much it concerned them and their Posterity and that it might come to be their Own Case were not generally so Zealous and eager for a
President that might be of such dangerous Consequence But the Factious Spirits knowing that as long as His Head was upon His Shoulders it would be impossible for them to Compass their Designs procured and stirred up the Rabble in a most insolent and tumultuary manner The Rabbles Tumult and Madness against the Earl c. to come down to the Parliament Houses and Cry for Justice It was in vain for the Lords to Complain of the Force that was offered and the violation of the Freedom of Parliament The Commons took no Notice of it insomuch that the Mobile being hereby encouraged proceeded to that point of Insolence as to post up such Members of the House of Commons as had Voted against the Bill of Attainder and Stigmatizing them with the Name of Straffordians as they did likewise to the Lords who had done the same threatning that these and All other Enemies of the Common-Wealth should Perish with Him bawling out Justice and Execution nay One of the Rabble was heard to say If we have not the Lieutenant's Life we will have the King 's The Lords being thus Terrified absented themselves from the House insomuch that there was not half the Number when the Bill passed and of those then present but Seven more for it than those that were against it The King used His utmost endeavours to overcome the Difficulties of signing the Bill But at length through the importunities of those who were continually telling him how requisite it was for Him to please the People and perpetually Alarmed Him with the Apprehensions of an eminent Rebellion but most especially by the generous Request of the Earl Himself who thus concluded in a Letter to the King Sir The Earl of Strafford's Letter to the King To set Your Majesties Conscience at Liberty I do most humbly beseech You for the preventing of such Mischiefs as may happen by Your Refusal to pass the Bill by this means to remove Praised be God I cannot say this Accursed but this Unfortunate thing forth of the way towards that blessed Agreement which God I trust shall for ever Establish between You and Your Subjects My Consent herein shall more acquit You to God than all the World can do besides to a willing Man there is no Injury done I say The Bill passed by Commission principally by this Generous Request His Majesty was prevailed upon to pass it by Commission and therein to do an Action contrary to the Sentiments of His own Conscience and which as Himself tells Us Lay heavy upon Him to His last Breath HE gave likewise at the same time another Commission to several Lords to pass another Bill for continuing the Parliament A Bill passed for the Parliaments sitting during their own Pleasure during the pleasure of both Houses which Act of His was the main Foundation of our Subsequent Ruine and the Chief Engine the Malecontents made use of to bring upon the Kingdom those Desolations and Horrous that so long Afflicted it tho He designed it as a Means to Re-instate Himself in the Affections of His People and to remove the very Root of all those Fears and Jealousies which are so uneasy both to Prince and People But what were the Returns they made to all these Unparalelled Acts of Grace and Condescentions to please His People they made Great Vows indeed and Protestations of their Loyalty Duty and Sincerity of their Intentions for the Good of the King and Kingdom and that their main Aim was to render Him the Most Glorious Prince that ever sat upon the English Throne but how different their Designs were from their Words the Sequel made but too Apparent THE Fall of that Great Man the Earl of Strafford so startled several other of the Principal Officers of State Many principal Officers resign their Places upon the Earl of Strafford's Death that many of them resigned their Places About the same time some Discontents arose between the Parliament and the English Army in the North but a while after both Armies were Disbanded The payment of Tonnage and Poundage had been much Questioned since 1628. But now the King at the request of the Commons was content to relinguish His Right to it and afterwards passed a Bill for Pole-Money and two others for putting down the Star-Chamber and High-Commission-Courts And Four Dayes after the English and Scoth Armies were Disbanded the King went towards Scotland notwithstanding all the endeavours and allegations of the Presbyterian Faction in England to hinder that Journey But seeing the King resolute to keep His Word with the Scots being unwilling to disoblige them who seemed Zealous for His Majesties Presence among them they used their utmost Efforts to obtain a Vice-Roy a Creature of their own who in the King's absence might give the Royal-Assent to such Acts as they had then in Hand But upon His Majesties Assurances that His stay there should be very short this hopeful Project was strangled in the Birth THE King was received in Scotland with great Testimonies of Affection by that Nation His Majesty goes for Scotland and Conferred several Places of Honour and Power upon divers of them confirming likewise the Treaty between the two Nations by Act of Parliament assenting to whatever they offered and indeed passed so many Acts of unparalelled Bounty Grace and Condescention as extorted from them the Revival and Confirmation of an Act of their Parliament which they caused to be solemnly published throughout the Realm The Scots Parliament publish a Loyal Act. That it should be damnable and detestable Treason in the highest Degree for any of the Scots Nation conjunctly or singly to levy Arms or any Military Forces upon any Pretext whatsoever without the King 's Royal Commission But the Presbyterians as if their Tenets and Consciences were fuller of Abominations than the Romanists and Jesuits did with as little Tenderness of Conscience not long after violate this promise as if no such thing had ever been made and have made it appear to all the World that No Laws not even of their own making have any Obligation or Power over them to restrain them from a tempting opportunity to Rebel DURING His Majesties abode in Scotland The Rebellion in Ireland there broke out in Ireland a most horrible and notorious Rebellion and which was managed with such Secresy that it was not discovered till the Night before it was to have been put in Execution The great Massacre of 200000. which was in divers Places carried on with such Fury that Two Hundred Thousand English Men Women and Children were in a short time barbarously Murdered by all manner of most Cruel Torments that their Devilish Minds could invent Many were the Conjectures about the Occasion of this Conspiracy but tho the Parliament endeavoured all they could to asperse the Reputation and blast the Honour of His Sacred Majesty and to that intent charged Him with that Rebellion whereas indeed they themselves
Twenty-Nineth of May for giving Thanks for the Upsetting an Usurping Power destroying the Interest of the Church in the Land which is to set up the Creature to be Worship't in the Room of our Great Redeemer and to consent to the assuming the Power that is proper to the Lord alone for the Appointing of Ordinances in His Church as particularly the Government thereof and the Keeping of Holy-Dayes and all other Sinful and Unlawful Acts emitted and executed by them And for Confirmation of This our Testimony We do hereby this Day being the Twenty-Nineth of May 1679. publickly burn them at the Cross of Glasgow most justly as they perfidiously and blasphemously had burnt our Holy Covenants thro several Cities of the Covenanted Kingdoms We judge none will take Exception at our not Subscribing this our Testimony being so solemnly gone about for we are ready alwayes to do it if judged necessary with all the Faithful Suffering Brethren in the Land The Effect the Declaration bad THIS gained a great Addition to their Number and every day Fresh Rabbles came and Listed themselves under their Rebellious Banner so that within few Dayes their Body became considerable amounting to Fourteen or Fifteen Thousand Men. But as in the thickest Brambles there are to be found some Roses so in this Country the King found some Loyal Hearts who endeavoured to quell their Insolence For on the Eight of May Five Dayes after the Murther of the Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews Captain Graham of Claver-house Capt. Graham's Rencounter with the Rebels upon notice he had of a great Number of Men who were gathered together upon Lowdon-Hill marched thither with his Troop and a Company of Dragoons and found there Fourteen or Fifteen Thousand Men well Armed and in good Order The Foot commanded by one Weir and the Horse by Robert Hamilton one Patton Balfour and Hackston the Two last being the Murtherers of the Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews The Revels upon Captain Graham's Approach sent out Two Parties to skirmish with him which he beat into their main Body Then they advanced with their whole Force upon him who after a considerable Slaughter of the Revels and the Loss of his Cornet Two Brigadiers about Eight Horse and Twenty Dragoons his own Horse being killed under him and mounting another being so much over-power'd in number he made his Retreat to Glasgow being in his way forced to Fight his Passage through the Towns-Men of Streven who were got together to oppose it leaving Ten or Twelve of them dead upon the Place THE Revels had the Confidence to attack the City of Glasgow The City of Glasgow Attacked at Two several Times but all the Streets were so Barricadoed by the Lord Rosse and the Souldiers put into so good a Posture that the Revels were beat off with a Considerable Loss besides many Prisoners that were taken THE Council the City of Edinborough several Noble Men and Persons of Quality use their utmost endeavours to suppress these Rebels amongst which the Son of the Lord Rosse The Son of the Lord Rosse his Skirmish with the Rebels having only with him Forty Horse and a Company of Dragoons totally defeats a party of Three Hundred Horse and Foot of the Rebels leaving Sixty Six Dead upon the Place taking Ten Prisoners the rest being scattered As likewise The Lord Murray's Stuward puts to the rout a 100. the Lord Murray's Deputy-Stuward in Downe assembling the Vassals and Tenants of His Lordships Stewardry upon an Alarm of One Hundred Rebels on Horseback coming from Fisse to joyn with their main Body pursues them Sixteen Miles through the Mountains and at last coming up to them Killed several of them took Forty Prisoners amongst which was one Henderson one of the Murtherers of the Arch-Bishop of Saint Andrews and forced them to scatter and fly into the adjacent Woods and Moors Of which The Lord Elphingston took 30. Prisoners the Lord Elphingston having notice with some Gentlemen under his Command pursued them killed some and took above Thirty more Prisoners and amongst these Two of the name of Balfour and one Hamilton of Kinkel Three more of the Murtherers of the said Arch-Bishop THE Gentlemen of Stratherne fell upon another Party coming from Fiffe of which they killed some and took above Forty The Gentlemen of Stratherne's Re-encounter with them and carried them Prisoners to Pearth THUS these Bebels met with great Opposition from all parts They meet with extraordinary Supplies upon extraordinary Opposition but still like the Serpent Hydra they had fresh Supplies and their Numbers grew great This allaruming the King and Parliament here they presently resolve to dispatch with all Expedition imaginable a considerable Force against them consisting of a Body of Ten Thousand Men under the Conduct of the Illustrious James Duke of Monmouth The Duke of Monmouth goes for Scotland a person of whose Prudence Courage and Fidelity we have had large Demonstrations and Proofs The Duke with this Body of Men all Loyal brave Spirits and couragious resolute Lads sets out for Scotland And His Grace arrived at Edinborough the 18th of June 79. by Post and parting the 19th following joyned the King's Forces at Blackburne Major Oglethorpe causes a Party or Two of the Rebels to retire and that Evening sent out Major Oglethorpe with a Detachment of Horse and Dragoons who Met with a Party or Two of the Rebels who presently retired The next day June 20th His Grace decamped with His Army and advanced within Six Miles of Hamilton whither the Rebels were retreated The Duke advances towards Hamilton having encamped their Foot in the Little Park there and Posted their Horse along the River being 6. or 7000. strong besides one Robert Stewart Brother to the Earl of Galioway and two or three more came in to them JUNE the 22d the Duke drew up His Majesties Forces at Bothwell-Bridge which the Rebels lying on the other side had barricadoed Here a Paper is brought to the Lord General by one of the ‖ David Hume The Message of the Rebels Rebels representing That they would lay down their Arms upon no other Terms than those exprest in their Declaration to which The Duke's Answer His Grace gave Answer That those were destructive to the King's Authority and contrary to the Fundamental Laws and Constitutions of this Kingdom and that they were to expect no other Articles from him but to lay down their Armes and render themselves to the King's Mercy With this Answer they return desiring some time to consider which His Grace granted them About half an hour after the Rebels sent a Paper by a Drummer representing That they were informed Their 2d Message That His Grace came from England with Terms to be offered to them that they desired to know what He had to propose that they might advise whether the Terms were such they could accept of Upon which His Grace sent them word That their
sincere Conscience or else that they held it as an Article of their Faith should think That within Forty Years by a necessary Consequence the same or like Occurrences must needs happen to a Nation and therefore if they acted never so contrary to God's Word Nature nay Common Honesty still it must be look't upon as flowing from the supream Cause or those concurrent hidden Causes which usually attend the Revolutions of States However it be This I must needs confess No one Evil comes alone The late King's time tho attended with continual Vicissitudes and repeated Troubles yet we find still some dreadful Additional Circumstance or other to befall them to hasten their way to Ruine THE Scotch Rebellion His losing His Priviledges dayly His publick Ministers impeach'd His legal Proceeding censured thwarted His Honour beginning to dwindle His Majesty exclipsed His Subjects here at Home Mutinous and Seditious but to add to these a cursed hellish Rebellion in Ireland breaks forth to the Massacring above Two Hundred Thousand of His Subjects in one Night Now do we but look upon our Times We have through the unspeakable Bounty of a Gracious GOD Para'el a hellish Popish Plot which terrified and frightned every poor Soul of this Our English Nation Discovered to Us by those who were to be the Executioners of Our Ruine the Grandees and Pillars of the Government are taken into Custody as Accessories to this execrable Design of destroying Prince and People several others have been taken and Suffered The People have been disquieted and disturbed at such a Surprize The Government aspersed by Incendiaries Loyalty despised Laws contemned Authority neglected Magistracy villifyed c. And to augment the Obscurity of those dark Clouds which hang over our Heads and threatned Subversion of Monarchy Religion and All A Plot in Ireland discoverd a Cursed Irish Plot too is Discovered broached and fomented by the same Ministers whom the Pope and the Devil had employed in that profound Mystery of Iniquity The English Plot. Upon the Miraculous Discovery of which His Majesty was pleased to take all the Care He could for the through detecting This Damnable Plot and Proclamations and Warrants are issued out for the Apprehending the Conspirators upon the putting in Execution of which several betake themselves to Flight leave their Country and get into Forreign Parts Some are taken Prisoners amongst which was those Two notorious Traitors Plunket and Fitz-harris taken the Titular Primate of Ireland Plunket One whose Hands were imbrued in the late Bloody Massacre There So that we see the Old Saying true Quo semel est imbuta recens servabit Odorem Testa diu and one Fitz-barris both which were lately Tryed Convicted and Executed And Others come in and take hold of the Mercy of their Prince and as far as they were knowing give their several Evidences concerning this Hellish Designe Which was for the Murthering His Majesty's Person The Designe of the Plot in Ireland the Destroying and Subverting the True Protestant Religion the Deposing His Majesty from the Crown and Government of that Kingdome and the Establishing of the Roman Catholick Religion there c. Thus as the Wise-man sayes There shall no Reward be to the Evil Man the Candle of the wicked shall be put out My Son Fear thou the Lord and the King and medle not with them that are given to Change For their Calamity shall rise suddenly and Who knoweth the Ruin of them AND Lastly As in those Times the Press was open to receive the Dictates of every Male-content to the Aspersion of the King and His Ministers and the Censuring and Exposing the Government So in these Times we see the like every Day affording us fresh Pacquets But of This more here-after I will therefore desist the Tracing thus Particulars and do what I promised before I entred upon this Digression viz. Lay down in Impartial General Terms The Present State of this poor Nation through the needless Fear of Popery Arbitrary Government and the Subversion of our Religion Laws and Liverties I shall begin then with Religion THERE is no Stuff so proper to make a Cloak on Religion as Religion nothing so Profitable nor indeed so Fashionable It is a Livery How understood now wherein a Wise Man may easily serve Two Masters God and the World and make a gainful and advantageous Service by Either For when once a Man hath got a Publick Opinion of a Holy and Regular Life the Goodness and Sincerity of his Conscience is cryed up to that height that his Trade will lack no Custome his wares want no Price his Words need Credit or his Actions tho never so Enormous and Immoral be destitute of Praise and Applause In Summer this keeps him cool in Winter warm and hides the Nasty Bag of all his beloved Secret Lusts Under this Cloak he walks in Publickly fairly with Applause and in Private sin securely without Offence and officiate Wisely without Discovery c. AT a Fast I cry Geneva at a Feast I cry Rome Under this Cloak I compass Sea and Land to make a Proselyte and no sooner made but He Makes me I most frequent Schismatical Lectures which I find most Profitable from whence learning to Divulge and Maintain New Doctrines they maintain me in Suppers Thrice a Week Charity I hold as an Extraordinary Duty therefore not Ordinarily to be performed c. Thus our Great Religiosi understands Religion but as a Trick they make use of to advance their Interests and Improve their Advantage In fine 'T is Religion which hath been the sole pretended Directrix to the Commission of the most Nefarious Conspiracies and Damnable Contrivances which have for several Years distracted the Peace and Order of the Government of the Kingdom of England Scotland and Ireland The sad Effects of it in those Late Times of Rebellion here in Forty-One we have as is before said to our Sorrow felt and those direful Consequences of Ruin and Destruction of our King and Kingdom brooded and hatch't under her Wings now in these present Times Which would have inevitably followed the Damnable Designs of the Wicked Conspirators of the Hellish Popish Plots had it not pleased the Omnipotent Power to infatuate their Intentions and disclose their Diabolical Secrets I say These Two sad and notorious Instances are sufficient to convince any Reasonable Man how far Religion has blind-folded and carryed Men on thro the most uncouth and execrable Designs to destroy both Prince and People 'T was under her Banner the Boid Regicides flourish't their Colours over the Murthered Body of His Late Sacred Majesty whom they durst not to have approach't when Living 'T was under her Banner the Audacious Heroes of the Romish Party were now Marching on armed with Fury Violence Rapine Murther and Destruction ready upon a Minutes Call to Massacre Prince and People without Distinction of Sex or Family As if the Gospel of Peace which was first Planted by the
Restriction so long as the Honour Dignity and Safety of the Crown was their first and immediate Regard and Care as I said before A Parliament is the Magnum Anglie Concilium The Great Council of the Land called together by the King as the proper and most genuine Means for the Consulting or advising of and providing against publick Evils wherein every private Man is concerned and in order to the Administring necessary Remedies And therefore to pretend that their Priviledges enable them to Act contrary to what their Head the King shall propose to them towards the Regulating Misunderstandings Composing Differences and the Securing Peace and Order is if it may be so said a Casting off that Supream Power which gave them those Priviledges and a Breach of the King's Prerogative And if once Regal Prerdgative is invaded the Regal Power will be in great Danger This we have lately had notorious Testimonies of and I hope and pray we may never see the like again THE last Dissolution of the Parliament met at Oxford perhaps doth and may Amuse the World exceedingly and drive them into a profound Admiration Unde hoc Whence proceeded His Majesties Displeasure But the Papers called Intelligences pretended to satisfy Us with a great deal and every Coffes-House Whisper'd out Reasons or at least Suspicions and Surmises upon it For my part I do and shall ever continue my Resolution in this particular which I mentioned but a little before That I think it mine and every Honest Man and Loyal Subject's Duty to Acquiesce in the Pleasure of my Prince and not to Censure the Authority or Reasonableness of His Proceedings in the least I mean so far as my Conscience shall give me leave I shall not therefore any further dilate on this point but Conclude with the saying of a Wife States-Man viz. Many things sayes He in the world resemble Smoak their Beginning is but small their End great And many things resemble the Wind whose Reginning is Boisterous and End Weak He saves himself from the former who suffers them not to Increase from the latter He who suffers them to Blow over Progress of Time may be expected in the One where the Other ought to be Smother'd in the Cradle HAVING thus far run thro Our proposed Parallel under those Three Heads of Religion Liberty and Priviledges of Parliament and therein shewn how dangerous they are to a Common-Wealth when mis-understood and mis-applyed As GOD knows they have been too much of late here in England the more is the pitty and Our shame I shall therefore in this place look back on the large Concessions and bountiful Condescentions of the late King which was so much abused and made as so many Helps towards the subsequent Evils and Ruine to this poor Kingdome of England and see how Our Times have met with the like and what unsutable Returns have been made to the Royal Grace and Favour THE pressing Necessities for Supplies of Money to the empty drain'd Coffers of the Royal Treasury thro a long War which I have spoken of before coming in a Time when the Subject's Purse was full and that now the Parliament City and the Disaffected Parties knew well enough was a fit time to perpetrate their Designs to bring the KING to their Beck to make Him condescend to what Terms they pleased Which to avoid Repetition of I desire the Impartial Reader to consider in the Beginning of this Discourse Where you see after that they had brought the KING to do what they demanded they at last to compleat all perswade the People that the KING meant to introduce Popery Arbitrary-Government destroy the Protestant Religion and the Liberty of the Subject The unwarrantable Practices of the Parliament 1640 41. c. This nettles the Giddy Crowd and induces them to believe that whatsoever the Parliament did was for their Good and according to Conscience and the like They forget their King 's Gracious Concessions and Graunts they stop their Ears to His crying Wants turn their Backs to His friendly and just Demands neglect His Authority despise His Dignity contemn His Administration of the Government thwart His just and lawful Proceedings and thus Topsy turvy per fas nefasque No King no Laws no Religion I mean of the Church of England In exitium rount NOW in brief His now Majesties Concessions Let Us examine Our own Times and here We shall find Mercy Bounty and Liberality still swaying the Scepter of these Kingdomes We see His Sacred Majesty was no sooner sat Him in His Throne and had graspt the Scepter in His Hand but He as soon begins to display the Influences of His Royal Bounty and Mercy by the Act of Oblivion The Act of Oblivion Granted whereby every Individual Person who had been Actors on that late Bloody Stage of Rebellion and Treason the Cruel and Blood-Thirsty Regicides or those who were the Unjust Judges and Murtherers of His Father of Blessed Memory only exempted from the Beginning of the Civil-War unto His Happy Restauration the New Epocha of our English Nation that Annus Restauratae Libertatis Nay to dispossess those who Held their Estates in Capite of the Fears of the just Demands and Pretentions so long a time 's Killing and Slaying had given Him upon their Tenures and Knight Service What vast Sums were coming to Him from the Court of Wards and Liveries c. which unless He remitted would render the Act of Oblivion in effect no Pardon since it gave not their Estates with their Lives His Majesty was Graciously pleased to prevent those Fears by Act of Parliament The Act of Parliament 12 Ch. 2. ca. 24. 12 Ch. 2. cap. 24. depriving Himself of the Richest Jewel of His Crown a Prerogative so truly Royal and so hugely advantagious That in the Judgement of the Learned in the Law The People of England were never truly Free till then WHEN thro repeated Affronts War with Holland Calumnies and Injuries He was forced to make War with the Hollanders for His own Honour We no sooner find Him informed That it was prejudicial to His People but He shuffles up a Peace upon very hard Terms for Himself when had He stood off but a little while the State of His Enemies being such He might have made what Conditions He would Peace made Nay further To shew His Love to His Good Subjects when He entred into a War for Injuries offered to them Vide The Articles of Peace in Aug. 1667. and those 1674. no Considerations neither Plague nor Fire which had then impoverisht the Land by the Loss of so much People and Money would induce Him to a Peace till ample Satisfaction made WHEN He had upon Advice Granted a Tolleration of Religion and was satisfied afterwards by the Parliament of the Dangerous Consequences of such a Liberty He immediately is induced to Recall it and did so The Act for Toleration of Religion made Did He not consent to