secret treasonable plots practises had any hand in my last close restraints I cannot certainly resolve seeing my Imprisoners themselves have protested to me they know not by whose or upon what information I was Imprisoned But this some of my Restrainers have confessed to me and my friends That they believe the chief reason of my long close Restraints was to hinder me from writing any thing against their late proceedings and publique Alterations Lawes Liberties which I formerly averred in my Speech in Parliament and Memento when they were first put them in execution to be originally contrived and secretly fomented by the Jesuites to destroy our King Kingdome and Religion That Speech of the Parliament of Paris to King Henry the fourth of France Anno 1603. when he resolved to restore the banished Jesuites against his Parliaments arrest and advise being then my constant asseveration Faxit Deus ut sim falsus vates sed prospicio animo tandem HOC REGNVM OPERA JESUITARUM IN CINERES ABITURUM and that I verily feared and believed the vissible Instruments most active in those dismall Proceedings Changes Subversions then intended and since effected were but the Jesuites deluded seduced Instruments in reality And that which may now at last convince them thereof beyond contradiction is not only the irrefragable evidences lately published in my Epistle to A Seasonable Legal an Historical Vindication of the good old Fundamentall Liberties Rights Lawes Governments of England compared with the excellent Proclamations of Queen Elizabeth and King James against Jesuites but likewise that memorable Piece presented to the states and Nobility of Poland assembled in Parliament 1607. to prevent the Seditious practises tumults of the Jesuites in that Realm intitutled Consilium derecuperonda in posteram stabilienda Paâ—a Regni Poloniae per IESVITARVM ELECTIONEM Which clearly demonstrated That the Jesuites Society was purposely instituted by the Pope and Spaniard to advance their intended universall Monarchies and to be their principle Spies Intelligencers Instruments for this purpose the generall of the Jesuites being alwayes a Spaniard by birth or Allegiance and keeping his constant residence at Rome and their Order a most dangerous sharpe active sword whose blade secretly heathed in the bowels of all other Realmes States but the bilt thereof alwayes held in the Popes and Spaniards hands who weild it at their pleasure That the Jesuites instill this Treasonable Principle into their Schollers and Auditors That all Christian Kings and Princes as well Papists as Protestants who shall by any meanes whatsoever fall under the Popes indignation or Sentence or in any sort hinder the Jesuites Projects or not obey them in all things ARE HERETICKS and TYRANTS that thereby their Subjects are actually absolved from all Oathes Obedience and future Subjection to them Whereupon not only the people in generall but any particular person MAY LAWFULLY KILL and DESTROY THEM not without punishmemt only but likewise with GREATEST APPLAVSE and MERIT even of a CANONIZATION FOR A SAINT By which Jesuiticall Decree THE LIFE and DEâ—TH OF ALL KINGS and ALL THE CIVIL MAGISTRATES OF EVROPE IS SUSPENDED ON THE IESVITES PLEASURE If they favour them they may live and prosper If not THEY MUST PERISH Which the Jesuites proclaiming of the State of Venice through all Italy for most PESTILENT HERETICKS ABOMINABLE TYRANTS only for making lawes to bridle their covetousnes and banishing them for their disobedience and Treachery to the State though professed Roman Catholickes Their fury against Henry the 3. of France in stabbing him to deathâ— though never accused of Heresy and continuing till his death in the Roman Communion only for this reason Quod Seeptrum Regium non ei tradere volebat quem sibi Hi Socij tanquam idoneum mâ—litiâ—num suarum administrum gallicae Regem destinaveránt branding him both for an HEREâ—ICKE TYRANT for this cause alone after his death in severall Bookes REGIS BRITANNIAE PERPETVA PERICVLA the perpetual dangers of the King of great Britain by the Jesuites and the feare of all others who finde this Order offended with them aboundantly testifie After which ensues this considerable Passage touching the Jesuites restlesse eâ—deavours to subvert all Christian States and the Fundamentall Lawes of all Kingdomes crosse to their Designes especially such as concernc the Succession of their Kings or the Peace and Liberty of their Kingdomes and People which I desire the Newmâ—dellers of our Lawes Government and Subverters of our liberties sadly to consider DIXI quanta vis sit Aculei Jesuitici contrareges statumque regium quoties hunc molitionibus suis obstare inte Higunt Hic autem vos notare velim EJVSDEM PESTIS non minorem efficaciam esse IN OPPUGNANDA EXPUGNANDA REPVBLICA ATTERENDIS LEGIBVS quoties nempe sentiunt se ab his in institu◠â suâ venatione impediri Et quod AD LEGES attinet Hae politicae tineae illas praecipue arrodere consueverunt et exedere quibus jus successionis in regno continetur libertasque et pax publica confirmatur Qualem in Galliis praecipue invererunt Legem illam Salicam matriculam et Fundamentum illius regni perquam stirpis regiae mascula proles exclusis femeles ad Regnum sola admittitur Cujus Legis vigore successio Regni post interfectum Henricum 3. ad Henricum 4. Regem tunc Navarrae devolvebatur Quod ipsum cum SECTA JESVITICA suam interitum interpretaretur Tantum efficere potuit ut Galli hoc reipublicae suae fundamentum ipsimet subruere conarentur ascitâ contra hanc legem Philippi 2. Hispaniarum Regis Filia quam ex Henrici 2. Galliarum Regis filia susceperat in Regni sui haeredem Operis totius promotoribus internuntiis Jesuitis Quod autem Gallis Lex Salica praestat hoc Polonis ad huc Regum Juramenta conferunt per quae hactenus Reipublicae Liberae electionis jus conservatur quam periculose vero Hoc etiam libertatis nostrae fulcimentum ab his cetineisarrosum sit egomet dicere nolo necpublicum dedecus ipsomet divulgabo Ejusdem virtutiâ— illustre specimen coram oculis nostris in vicina Hungaria Austria Styria Carinthia c. ediderunt eo nimirum successu Vt obtritis legibus quibus praedictarum nationum libertas nitebatur partemearum Penitus oppresserint partem ad Extremam desperationem adegirint Hoc quidem rumor publicus hactenus constanter affirmat in praedictis Provincijs alicubi Illustribus et antiquissimae nobilitatis familiis publicè diem dictum esse intra quem se aut coram Jesuitarum tribunali sistant aut relictis patriis sedibus alio migrent Which a Noble Polonian Knight in his Oration against the Jesuites seconded in that Parliament of Polonia who relating the bloudy warres and tumults raysed by these Gibeanites throughout the Christian world India hath this memorable Passage concerning England Scotland Eodem motuab istis Jesuiticis Gabaonitis
excitato impulsa est Anglia Scotia quae Regna cum antea externorum hostium impetum depulerunt Nunc domesticis dissidijs debiltata et ad interitum jam inclinata sunt Id verò totum acceptum referrendum est istis sanctissimis patribus Gabaonitis Jesuiticis Which he ushers in with this precedent Observation concerning their carriage in America to subject it to the Spanish vassallage Eisdem artibus et hoc Religionis Nomine illas Provincias Hispanico Regi potentissimo subjicerunt à quo illi emissi Ut exploratores eo consilia omnia retulerunt Ut primum domestica dissidia excitarent deinde Hispanicos exercius in regna convulsa dissidiis domesticis debilitata adducerent Quod assecuti sunt omnia caedibus sanguine ita replent ut non solum Consilij Capiendi sed etiam Ne respirandi quidem spacium relinquant illis a quibus amanter humaniter fuerant excepti All which particulars being likewise more largly justified demonstrated in that elegant Solid Oration of the Parliament of Paris to King Henry 4. Anno. 1603. against the Jesuites restitution contrary to the former Parliamentary Arrest for their perpetual banishment out of France which they therein predicted would prove fatall to him as it did in truth by their manifold attempts against not only against the French Kings lives Crownes but also against the Lawes and Liberties both of the Realme and Church of France thus poetically expressed in an Epigram presented to King Henry the fourth the same year upon the same occasion by a true French Philopater Cui nam hominum ignotum est ' Jesuita nocte dieque ' Nil meditari aliud quam qua ratione modove ' Prisca statuta queant patriasque evertere Lege Inque locum ' antiquis totum in contraria nobis ' Jura dare sanctos privata ad commoda Ritus Flectere nulli unquam quod post mutare licebit ' Antique deflet proh libertatis honorem ' Auria libertas sic sic calcabere Sione ' Illa tibi fraenum injiciet Jesuitica pestis Vltima Fex hominum Satanaeque Excrementum Quo nil terra tulit pejus necfaedius unquam Mortem norant animare Et Tumultos Suscitare Hi submittant Proditores Hi subornant Percussores Excitant Seditiones Nutriunt Rebelliones Modo jubeat Romanus Vel sic postulat Hispanus Servit his Cor Sermo Manus Adds another In Officinam Jesuiticam I now referre it to the consciences of all my late Imprisoners and all other Subvertors Underminers New-Modellers of our ancient Fundamentall Lawes Liberties Parliaments Governments Kings and hereditary Regall Succession contrary to their former Oathes Protestations Covenants Declarations Remonstrances Professions Principles Resolves Commissions Trusts Advices Votes of the Majority of both Houses of Parliament and our three Kingdomes sadly to consider without passion or partiallity whether all our late intestine bloudy warres with their strange unparalleld Proceedings and Changes of this Nature which I opposed to my power proceeded not originally from the Jesuites projection suggestion and solicitation to ruine our Protestant Kings Kingdomes Lawes Liberties Churches Parliaments and whether they were not the very Jesuites reall though deluded circumvented Instruments in promoting accomplishing them with all earnestnesse violence zeal fury against the votes of the secluded majority of both Houses and of our three Protestant Nations to the Jesuites and Papist great content the grief of most Zealous Protestants the intollerable Scandall Infamy Dishonour of the most Zealous professors of the Protestant Religion and the exiting of many late and present bloudy persecutions against them by Popish Princes in Bohemia Austria Styria Savoy and other parts as a generation of Seditious Factious Antimonarchicall turbulent perfidious disloyall treacherous spirits and dangerous Regicides as they now repute them and publish us be in printed bookes and hereupon let them now resolve their own consciences and the world with what colour of Christianity Law Justice they could so illegally maliciously despitefully close imprison restrain my person seise all my Papers Records c. only to debar me from detecting opposing these their Jesuiticall Journey workers with my pen and indeavouring to translate the Odium of these their true originall Architects the Jesuites who are so impudent and malicious Vt etiam sua suorumque FACINORA AC PARRICIDIA EV ANGELICIS TRANSCRIBERE NON VERANTVR as Ludovicus Lucius proves by severall instances to render the Doctrine and Persons of the Protestants odious and detestable to the whole world And whose principall scope and designe is by severall stratagems to engage all Protestant Princes Kingdomes States Churches in unchristian divisions tumults warres between themselves and against each other Vt continuis se vonficient et atterent viribus ut COMMUNI MOX SUPER VENTVRO HOSTI RESISTERE NEQUEANT Sub nomine et praetextu Religionis Catholicae praesidioque authoritate Papae Hispaniarum Regis ubique locorum sese insinuare OMNIA DE NOVO PRO ARBITRIO SUO INSTITUERE ET AD JESUITICUM FUSORIUM CONFORMARE omnes Evangelicos igne ferro veneno pulvere tormentario BELLIS alijs Machinationibus opprimere viriliter extirpare Sicque SEIPSOS DOMINOS AC MAGISTROS TOTIUS MUNDI EFFICERE as those who please may read at large in Johannis Cambilhonus De abstrusioribus Jesuitarum artibus studijs in Hasenmullerus Hospinian Ludovicus Lucius their Historia Jesuitica Speculum Jesuiticum Watsons Quodlibets with others our New Statizers may do well most seriously to peruse and study the better to countermine the Jesuites pernicious plots against us for the future which have wrought such strange confusions warres alterations various Revolutions in Church and State amongst us in few years last past as all former ages can not parallel If any of my imprisoners or others demand why I did not during all the time of my close Restraints sue out an Habeas Corpus to procure my Liberty in a Legall way or why upon my Enlargement I brought not an action of false Imprisonment against my Committers or their under-Goalers to recover Dammages for my illegall Restrains or a Writt of Restitution to re-invest me in my Recordership of Bath of which I was injuriously dispossessed without cause or hearing by a Whitehall Letter and another time-serving Member introduced during my restraint I Answere 1. That the want of a true Legal Power Jurisdiction and Court of Justice from whom to demand sue and before whom to prosecute these Legal Writts disabled me to pursue them And to demand them from or prosecute them under those illegall Usurped New self-created Powers and Jurisdictions of the Jesuites projection which illegally committed and ejected me from my Recordership had been a reall acknowledgment of and submission to them on record as Lawfull against my Science Conscience Judgement Oathes Protestation Vow League Covenant our known Lawes Statutes and Parliamentary Declarations which I durst not in conscience or prudence violate to
Saints and Servants Rev. 2 16. And further assures us That Christ at the last Judgement will say to those who did but only not feed cloth and visit the least of his Saints when they were in Prison Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the â—evil and his Angels What an heavy Doom then will he passe against those who against all Rules of Law and Justice cast them into Prison and will there neither feed cloth nor visit but starvâ— their bodies and souls too as much as in them lyeth by depriving them of Gods Ordinances and all means of livelihood as you do me after all my former great losses and long-continued suffrings I cannot as yet be so uncharitable as to believe you design the ruine of my soul body and wasted Estate but if you de facto do it by this injurious restraint your sinne is as great as if you did design it If you think to justifie or excuse these Irregularities and unjust violent Proceedings against me by pretext of Necessity and publike Danger the only thing in Justification I yet hear alleged by your Instruments As this will be no Plea at all before Christs Tribunal in the great day of Judgment who prohibits all kind of violonce injustice oppression injury upon any Pretence what soever and will severely punish it their Damnation being most just who do evill upon this unrighteous ground that good may come of it So it will not hold water before mans Tribunal being resolved declared by the Judgement of both Houses and an Act of Parliament in cases of Shipmony Excise Loans to be no cause nor Justification of a Distresse much lesse of an Imprisonment And it being a Necessity and Danger of your own making not mine the Rule of Law is That noman shall take advantage of his own wrong to the prejudice of another The late Beheaded King in his Answer to the Petition of both Houses 26 Martii 1 642. is so ingenious as to confesse That the violating of Laws by his Ministers and the mischief that then grew by Arbitrary Power was made plausible to Us by the suggestion of Necessity and Imminent danger and thereupon he gave both Houses this caution And take you heed you fall not into the same Error upon the same suggestions which in his Answer to the Remonstrance of the Lords and Commons of the 9th of May 1642. he thus seconds And therefore we had good cause to bestow that Admonition for we assure you it was an Admonition of our own upon both Houses of Parliament to take heed of inclining under the specious shews of Necessity and Danger to the exercise of such an arbitrary Power they before complained of The Admonition will do no harm and we shall be glad to see it followed And therefore for you or those now acting after these two serious Admonitions to pretend Necessity and Imminent Danger for these with other Arbitrary courses Proceedings condemned in and by the King himself and the whole Parliament must be the hight of Oppression Injustice and will render you more detestable to the Nation and World than ever they did the King or his Evil Counsellors To trouble you no further at present I shall only inform you That the Commons in their Remenstrance of the State of the Kingdom Decemb. 15. 1641. Yea both Lords and Commonâ— in their Declaration of 4 August 1642. among other Designs Practices of the Malignant Party and Counsellors about the King complained of this as one of the most dangerous That they endeavoured to make those odious under the name of Puritans who sought to maintain the Religion Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom and such men were sure to be weeded out of the Commission of the Peace and out of all other imployments of Power and Authority in the Government of the Country Many Noble Personages were Counsellors in name but the Power and Authority remained in a â—ew of such as were most addicted to this Pâ—rty whose Resolutions and Determinationâ— were brought to the Table for countenance and execution and not for Debate and Deliberation and no man could offer to oppose them without disgrace and hazard to himself Nay those that did not wholly concurr and actually contribute to the furtherance of their Designs though otherwise Persons of never so great honour and abilities were so far from being imployed in any Place of Trust and Power that they were neglected discountenanced and upon all occasions injured and oppressed The Laws were no Defence or Protection to any Mans Right all was subject to Will and Power which imposed what payments they thought sit to drain the Subjects purses and to supply those Necessities which their ill Counsels had brought upon the King and gratifie such as were Instruments in promoting these illegal and oppressive Courses They who yielded and complyed were countenanced and advanced all others disgraced and kept under that so Mens minds made poor and base and their Liberties lost and gone they might be ready to let go their Religion and submit to the subversion and alteration of the Laws and Government which they designed And whether your Proceedings in the self-same kind against my self others who have suffered and stood so much for Religion Laws and publike Liberties in the worst of former times thus complained against and securing restraining us to boot in a more more violent way than the King and his evill Counsellors proceeded against us heretofore will not draw a greater guilt disreputation heavier judgement upon you and your Associates then they complained of did upon them if you persevere impenitently in such execrable Machiavilian carnal Practices I leave to your own Consciences to determine Sir I was never yet a flatterer of any Person or pâ—rsons how great soever in arbitrary and illegal wâ—ys and my present extremities will be a sufficient Apology for this my boldnesse and plain dealing with you as well as others heretofore in like cases wherein the whole Nâ—tions Liberties are concerned as much as mine own wherefore I do once more upon the premised Votes and Groâ—nds of right demand my present â—nlargement the restitution of my seised Papers Writings Records Books Trâ—â—â—ks from you and your Associates with reparations for these injurious proceedings against me from your selves 〈◊〉 the Originâ—l Authors and Principal Actors in them And so expâ—cting your undelayed Answer to my former and present Demands who amidst your manifold imployments may spare as much time to doe me right as wrong that so I may know how to steer my course I must and shall till then remain Your unjustly close restrained Captive WILL. PRYNNE For his quodam kind Friend Mr. Serjeant Iohn Bradshaw at Whitehall these Dunster Castle 16 July An. Dom. 1650. The third Letter to Mr. Bradshaw SIR I And my Servant attending on me have for above 6 weeks space against all Rules of Law Justice and the
the Sâ—eriffs and Justices only are to suâ—presse all force and sumults if there be any need by the Posse Comitatus in which cases Souldiers are only to assist them as auxil ariâ—s not as sole as princible Officers or Executioners as in and by your Warrants they are now usually made against Law and the practices of all former ages Which late illegall Vsage of imploying Souldiers in this kind to arest mens Persons break up and search their Houses reputed High Treason and a levying of Warr against the King and his People in Straffords case the very last Parliament as it hath allready occasioned many Barbarous Murders dangerous Burglares and Roberies in sundry places and in the very heart of of London it self by Souldiers and others pretending Warrants from your New Council of State or others in present power to apprehend Delinquents or search for Armes Papers c. so it is like to produce many more sad Tragedies and outrages of this kind to the endangering of all mens Persons lives estates thus prostituted to the violence rapine of every Rogue Thief Villain who shall but counterfeit himself a Souldier and pretend your Warrant for search of any mans house study or apprehension of any mans Person he hath a design to rob or murther Which common mischief can be no otherwise prevented but by directing all warrants only to known Officers according to Law â— publick Declaration to all the Kingdom that no Souldiers or others under Pain of death shall dare presume to execute or counterfeit any such Warrants for the future it being no part of their calling or imployment and a great oppression and terror to the People contrary to the expresse clause of the Commissions of the Peace and of Oyer and Terminer against such who ride armed in companies to the Terrror of the Kings people who cannot easily distinguish who are Souldiers really imployed and who are Counterfeits and have sometimes been affrighted not only to sicknesse and great distempers of spirit but even to death it self by the sudden violent Attachments and searches of Souldiers of whose rudeness and incivility in their executions others have much complained though those who seised me were as respective towards me as your warrant would permit transgressing only in the unseasonablenesse of the time and illegalities you injoyned them 2. Your warrant is directly contrary to Law and the Subjects Liberty in that it commits me Prisoner yea close Prisoner â—efore without the least Accusation conviction of any particular Crime any hearing â—xaminingâ— what I can say for my self and so a meer forejudging of me going to â—xecution before the fact examined contrary to all forms of Legal proceedings in all criminal causes whatsoever where the accused Persons for any Trespasse Felony or Treason are first sent for examined in the presence of their Accusers before they be committed Contrary to the very proceedings of the most exorbitant High Commisioners who at first only summoned not attached me for my Perpetuity after that for my Cosens cozening Devotions to appear answer the same before them Contrary to the proceeding of the Lords atthe Councill Table it self for my Histriomast ix suggested to be Seditious and Scandalous in the Superlative degree to the King Queen Court Councill Kingdome Government who yet thereupon only summoned me by a single sworn Messenger to appear in the Inner Star-chamber before them to answer such things as should be there objected against me for that Book but never once seized or Committed my Person untill after they had examined and heard me concerning iâ— such was their Iustice and moderation towards me in their first Processe whereas you now commit me close Prisoner at a great distance before yea without any Summons hearing or examination I know not for what pretended writings So much do you now out-strip them in violence injustice Whereas if you had ought against me you might have summoned me to appear before you whiles I was in London the last Term in commons or since that residing openly constantly at my country House without absenting my self or being ever yet a fugitive and examined me as they did before you thus rashly committed me hand over head in such a notorious way of violence in the face of all the County and Kingdome who cannot but conclude you are more Tyrannically exorbitant herein than ever the King or Prelates were against me and have hereby most notoriously infringed Magna Charta c. 29. the Statutes of 25. E. 1. c. 1. 2. 28. E. 1. c. 1. 5. E. 3. c. 4. 37. and 42. E. 3. With other Acts collected by Rastall in his Abridgment tittle accusation the Petition of Right the Resolation of the three last Parliaments and all our Law-books which directly enact adjudge and declare That no Freeman ought to be attached or imprisoned upon any Accusation or suggestion made to the King or his Councell much less then unto you unlesse it be by Inditement impeachment of his good and lawfull Neighbours or by Processe made by a writ originall at the common Law And if any thing be dâ—ne against the same it shall be reversed and holden for none Which Laws you have sworn professed covenanted to observe and are bound to do it as a Lawyer much more as a Christian it being the very Law of the Pagan Romans Acts. 25. 16. and of the very Jews themselves Iohn 7. 44 c. whose Officerâ— refuse to apprehend our saviours Person upon the High Priests warrant because never man spake as he did and their Law judged not any man to be apprehended much lesse imprisoned before it heard him and knew what he doth Wherefore you cannot but recalâ— and condemn this Warrant and its execution as most repugnant to these Statutes and the very Law of Nature of Nations and Gods own Proceedings with the worst of men 3. Every Warrant of Attachment Sr. Edward Cook proves at large in his 2 Institutes On Magna Charta c. 29. ought to be to summon or bring the parties to be examined before they be committed and every Mittimus after examination ought to expresse the cause justly and time for which they are to be imprisoned as during pleasure or till further order or till they shall put in bayl or be delivered by Law as likewise the manner how they shall be tryed for what they are accused and not be absolute as a Iudgement or sentence after hearing But your Warrant is a meer Iudgement before hearing or examination without any such causes committing me close Prisoner without any limitation of time and so for ought I know during life or ever intending to bring me to any legall examination or Tryall Therefore altogether illegall in this respect 4. The Statutes of 5. E. 3 c 8. 23. H. 8. c. 2 and 5. H. 4. cap. 10. enact That the Prisons to which evill doors shall be committed for their evil offences shall be in the most eminent
sustained by this Imprisonment And whereas we both with Dr. Bastwick for pretended seditâ—ous Books and Practices were after a kind of heaâ—ing in Sâ—archamber sentenced and ordered To be kept close Prisoners in 3 remote Castle and after that by Order and Warrant of the old Council Table removed into 3 Castles in the Ifles of Jersy Gerxsey and Silly and there for preventing the danger of spreading our pretended schismatical and seditious opinions ordered to be kept close Prisoners and none to be permitted to have free conference with or accesse unto us but only such faithful and discreet persons as should be appointed to attend us and that no Letters or Writings should be permitted to be brought to us or sent from us to any person or persons and if there should be any such brought or sent that the same should be opened by the Governors or their Deputies and if they contained any thing material or considerable that the same should be sent to one of his Majesties principle Secretaries the substance of your present Warrant which seems but the Copy of it in this particular the whole House of Commons three several times upon the question resolved and the Lords upon our three distinct hearings thrice adjudged Those Sentences Orders Warrants and restraâ—nts therein contâ—ined TO BE AGAINST THE LAW AND LIBERTY OF THE SVBIECT the Great Charter of England and other fore-cited Statutes and that we ought to receive Dammages for the same from those who had a vote or hand therein Which illegal Sentences Warrants of Restraint and Exile as you and your associates well know were the principal occasion of Suppressing both the High Commission Starchamber and Council Tables exceâ—ses by two special Acts of Parliament and one principle charge against beheaded Canterbury Wherefore I cannot but stand amazed to find you not only imitating but in some sort exceeding them in this your Warrant being privy to these Votes and of Counsel to some of us declaiming as bitterly against such illegal restraints and the Authors of them as any which yet now you practice with an high hand against all these Votes in my very case which will fall heavy on you I beseech you therefore sadly to consider what all my Friends yea your best Friends and Enemies too will think report of you for the present and register to posterity and what our whole 3 Kingdoms and Forein Nations will judge of you and your Associates for this your warrant and close restraint of me thereby Will they not report publish to all the world that you are more cruel tyrannical extravagant unjust than the beheaded King condemned by your own Sentence for a Tyrant or than Canterbury Strafford the High Commission Star-chamber or old Council Table and that your little singer is now grown heavier than their whole loyns not only to your Enemies but Friends Yea that you deal worse with me than the most bloudy Tyrant Nero did with Paul when Prisoner under him at Rome though charged for a pestilent fellow stirrer up of Sedition among the Jews throughout the World who yet had there free liberty without the least restraint publikely and privately to confer with send for yea preach to whom he pleased and to receive all persons and Letters too that came unto him no man forbidding him Acts 28. 14. to the end Nay worse than men by Law can deal with their Trespassers or ill-Tenants Beasts which ought to be kept in â—n overt open Pound where the Owners and all others may freely visit feed relieve replevy them at their pleasures without restraint and not shut up in a close room where none may see or feed them but by the oversight and leave of others as the Statute of 1 2 Phil. Mary c. 12. 5 H. 7. 9. with other Law-books resolve Nay worse than the late Parliament dealt with Strafford or Canterbury when impeached of High Treasons of the greatest magnitude against the King and Kingdom by all the Commons of England who had no such restraints of Conference or Letters on them as you now lay upon me but absolute freedom of both and full liberty of the Tower till Strafford endeavoured an escape from thence And will you deal more rigorously with me than the Parliament did with these Arch-Traytors Let not such an oppression an exorbitancy as this be ever heard of in Askelon or published of you in Gath lest all your and my Enemies should rejoyce thereat If you pretend necessity of State or the publike Peace and safety for these Illegal Proceâ—dings it is but the very same Plea the Prelates pretended for my close Imprisonment and banishment heretofore the King for the Loans Excise Shipmoney and the Army for my last restraint violence to both Houses and their secured secluded Members A plea which soon resolveâ— into Scelera sceleribus tuenda and necessitates men at last to commit one violence sin wickednesse after another till they perish in their villanies and sink down quick into Hell and is at this day the greatest Argument Instrument the Devil hath to precipitate men formerly moderate mercifull just religious into most â—xorbitant scandalous violent unrighteous Actions Designs and to induce them to proceed impenitently from one extremity to another which they formerly most severely censured sentenced in others yet now approve and justifie in themselves when they find their own interest concerned or their carnal fâ—ars or jealousies of others really Innocent suggesting any thoughts of some close designs against their wayes of violence and publike desolation instead of sincere repentance confession and reformation of what their own consciences inform them secretly to be evill and unjust Wherefore I desire you in this case to beware of this most dangerous snarâ— of the Devill and that maxim now in many mens mouths unworthy men or Christians Over shooâ—s over Boots We are engaged and therefore can neither with honor safety nor prudence recede from what we have done amisse When as all our honor safety prudence and eternall salvation too consists only in our retreating actuall repentance and satisfaction to the parties injurâ—d in suh c ases by our unrighteous dealings aâ—d oppressions because we have onely present power in our hands to oppresse and injure them 6. Your warrant orders them to search all my Chambers ' studies and places in my house for Papers Writings Records and before any accusation or conviction the highest strain of Regall Prelaticall high-Commission and councill-Table Tyranny râ—solved by the two late Parliaments and whole house of Câ—mmons to be an high intrenchment upon the Subjeâ—ts Liberties and property contrary to Magna Chartâ— the Petition of Right the Judgment in Sâ—maiâ—s case much censured by Sir Edward Cook in his 4th Institutes in the Chapter of Justices of the Peace and in the cases of Mr. Creâ— Mr. Pym and other members oâ— Parliament â— and such a one I yet am if the former Parliament
is your new Free-State Whitehall transcendent Iustice worthy to be registred for your Honour to all Posterity towards this Remonstrant instead of recompencing his former voted Dammages Losses Services for the publick to his extraordinary Prejudice and Oppression the exceeding grief of his kinred friends and most religious truly publique spirited men to the great rejoycing of his Iesuitical and Prelatical Malignant Enemies and no great honour to your Iustice or Government And that only as most conjecture in imitation of the Prelates heretofore of purpose to disable and â—inder him from writing or publishing any thing more in Defence or vindication of our endangered invaded Religion Government Laws Liberties Franchises Properties Freeholds Lives against the manifold new encrochments on them and subversions of them under pretext of their support or making any frâ—sh discoveries of the Jesuites Papists and their confederates various plots and practises now very rife and visible to undermine them and engage our own and all other Protestant Kingdomes States Churches in destru ctiveunreconcilable Wars and differences agreeth either to their mutuall and the Protestants Religions ruine or to countermine these their designes as he hath done formerly to his power Or else as others conceive to force him by tedious uncomfortable imprisonments and extreame penury to turn a practicall Apostate and perjured abjurer of all his former Orthodox loyall Principles Writings Books Oaths Covenants Protestations concerning King Kingdome Lawes Liberties Properties Taxes Parliaments Government Lords hereditary just right to sit vote judge in our Parliaments as Peers and thereby to verifie all the Prelates malicious Aspersions upon all Puritans in generall and himself in particular in their two late Star-chamber Bils and Speeches there exhibited against him and render him really guilty of beheaded Canterburies Treasons in an higher degree then he after his injoyned printing and publication of his Charge Tryall and Condemnation for them by the Commons House speciall Order to his eternall infamy here and damnation hereafter neither of which through the assistance of heaven no Prisons Tortures Powers on earth shall ever compell or perswade him to do or in case of his resolved Non-compliance herein under seigned Machivilian pretexts of his wilfull obstinacy and contempt of your new-created authority whose legality it must be no lesse then High Treason for him to dispute in law or conscience being now as absolutely to be submitted to by all men as the Popes it self in Rome by an implicit faith and blinde obedience even to break his heart with grief if possible by depriving him of the comfort of his Friends Kindred Books Calling all free converse with men by Letters or conference all publick Trusts and private usefull imployments to passe away his solitary houres laying him quite aside like a broken uselesse vessell restraining him under strictest Gards as the most dangerous enemy instrument to his Countries weal after all his reall losses studies sufferings for its benefit whose truest welfare he hath ever cordially studied to his private prejudice whiles others under pretext thereof have wholly sought their own particular emoluments to its irreparable dammage if Vox Populi be truth and by such ingratefull usage ill requitals of all his former merits by his very late pretended friends to hasten his passage from these strong earthly purgatives to a better world Or else if this plot prevail not through Gods supporting power as hither it hath not to starve or kill him outright in forain incommodious prisons for want of legall matter or proof to take away his head after your Whitehall Predecessors double cropping off his ears as some of his friends conceive You having of late refused as he is informed to receive any more Petitions in his behalfe from his own Sister or any others or to release or remove him from his ill winter prison or to pay his publick debt allow him diet or do him any common right or justice which though due Ex officio mero from all Kings Powers Governments Magistrates whatsoever by the Lawes of God Nature Nations and Oaths to their meanest subjects and particularly by our own Kings Judges Justices and great Officers usuall Oathes the great Charters and other Statutes resolutions to every English freeman upon their respective demands of or motions for it yea upon bare information from others without any suit or motion by for or from the oppressed injured parties in such cases as his is without any formall Petition to them for it as the Formes of most legall Writs sued forth of course and most Plaints and Declarations manifest every reall demand of right by word or writing being in truth a reall Petition for it and every Petition of Right but a more bashfull demand thereof as all Dictionaries in the words Peto Petitio the usuall Law phrases Petere Debitum Petere Judicium c. the ordinary motions of the Councell or Parties in all our Courts of Justice for Law or Right without written or verball Petitions for them and the Scripture it self resolve yet such is your unparalleld injustice toward him that unlesse he will present a submissive Petition to you after the new mode wherewith he is unacquainted subscribed with his own hand you will neither release nor right him in any kind Which as it seems very strange unto him he desiring not meer grace or mercy from you but only common known right and Justice against undeniable oppressions by your selves and instruments so all his former Letters and his friends addresses to you being reall legall though not formall Petitions for right and justice yet denied him and formall Petitions even for right it self by the resolution of our Law-books the Records of our ancient Parliaments and late Petition of Right Petitions of this nature being originally due to our English Kings alone as their unseparable regall prerogative not to any Subjects whatsoever nor yet to the very House of Lords Commons or any other Courts of Justice Councell Judges Justices Great Officers or Grandees whatsoever being no King but Subjects which anciently were but the inferiour peoples hands or Masters of Requests to receive and present their formall Petitions to our Kings both in and out of Parliament and had no other Bils of Parliaments but meer Petitions of Right or Grace to the King whose Royall answer to them by way of concession made them Acts Lawes and his disassent meer Nullities as our old Parliament Records and the late Petition of Right 3. Caroli resolve Which transcendent Prerogative of our Kings alone by Law of meer Right incommunicable to any other Subjects he hopes you will not now arrogate to your selves by enforcing him through duresse to a formall submissive Petition to you as his Soveraignes before you will enlarge or do him common right or justice having both abolished and publickly engaged your selves and also others to your power against
of Pendennis Castle to detain him Prisoner there as by Law it ought to be for the first warrant is directed by you only to Major Robinson the second only to Colonel Disbrow who are neither Military nor Civil Governours nor Officers in Pendennis and keep your originall Warrants for their own indemnity sending only a bare copy of them without time or date to the Governour of Peâ—dennis to whom neither of them are directed by you to detain him Prisoner by which can be no Plea nor Warrant in Law in any Court to justifie his imprisonment in this place by Captain Shrubsoll who yet without any other Warrant but this Copy alone of yours to Disbrow hath injuriously restrained oppressed and close imprisoned and kept him from Gods publick Ordinances as aforesaid beyond and against all Warrants by colour only of this his datelesse Copy forecited 10. Because this Warrant doth not so much as mention his known Christian name WILLIAM as by Law it ought but his Surname only nor so much as expresly command him to be kept Prisoner but barely kept at Pendennis Castle which he may be and yet not as a Prisoner or close Prisoner upon the same void illegall expired Warrant upon which he hath been Prisoner at Dunster Besides it neither commands or requires but only desires Colonel Disbrow that he may be removed and kept here not for any certain time or till delivered by Law or brought to his legall Tryall for that nothing in this warrant for which he stands here committed but meerly till further Order from you which may be till death or doomesday if you please and yet seem to resolve for all which causes as well as the former it is both void and illegall as Sir Edward Coke resolves in his Institutes on Magna Charta c. 29. ratified by the Commons own Order for its impression 11. Because it gives no expresse command nor precept either for his translation hither or restraint here nor concludes as all legall Warrants do And for your so doing this shall be your Warrant and hereof fail not at your perill but barely desires his removall by Disbrow and keeping here rather as a cuortesie then commanded duty concluding only And WE DESIRE YOU to certifie any other as well as you for us is not expressed if intended what you shall do herein in his removall thither not in his keeping there where he is no Officer nor Governour Therefore illegall and no Warrant at all 12. Because if this Copy be true as they both attest under their hands then this Warrant hath neither time when nor place where it was dated nor person to whom it was directed Therefore illegall null invalid Now how much it will redound to the Honour of your wisdome justice reputation of your Clerks and those Lawyers associated with you to advise you in points of Law to issue forth such a defâ—ctive null void illegall absurd impâ—ssible nugatory Warrant as this in all the 12. forecited regards and so long to restrain imprison close imprison him in this remote Castle upon a bare Copy thereof and still to detain him Prisoner thereupon notwithstanding all former addresses to you by himself or friends for his enlargement hence and what all rationall men in present in future ages will judge of your strange exorbitant proceedings of such nature or how you will clear justifie or excuse them before any future Parliament or new pretended but as most now think never really intended Representative of the Nation so often promised but still as long deferred as his liberty or any other impartiall Court of Justice on earth if ever there legally examined upon complaint or before Christs own inpartiall unavoidable Tribunâ—ll at last where you must shortly render a strict account thereof to this Righteous Judge of all the earth without any armed Gardians to secure you against his Justice in the presence of all his holy Angels and the whole world of Mankinde Where himself hath resolved beforehand in his very Gospell that he will passe this irrevocable sentence against all such who only refuse or neglect to resort unto visit feed cloth and relieve his imprisoned believing members for this their bare omission Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels FOR I WAS SICK AND IN PRISON AND YE VISITED ME NOT c. And will therefore certainly pronounce a severer doom against all such unrighteous Grandees who actually without cause crime tryall maliciously cast his formerly suffering members into Prisons and detain them close Prisoners under terrifying armed Gards and Sentinels in remote obscure Castles far from all friends or acquaintance of purpose to disable deter all others from visiting feeding clothing and relieving comforting them in their necessities or sicknesse therein and yet year after year most inhumanly refuse upon their Oaths frequent sad complaints and impoâ—tunities to release visite relieve or right them And what you will then be able to alledge for your selves to prevent any human censures here or such a fatall sentence from Christs own mouth hereafter for the premises he most seriously refers to your own awaked consciences and most serious contemplations if now after this his Remonstrance and full information of your Warrants Illegality and Nullity by which he hath been restrained you shall wilfully neglect or peremptorily refuse immediately to release and fully to repair him who by colour thereof hath been kept a closâ—r Prisoner under you before any charge or hearing then formerly under your tyrannicall condemned Predecessors at Whitehall after two bils hearings and their severest censures and denyed so much Prison freedome as very Popish Priests and Jesuites formerly obtained did and still enjoy if you have any such now Prisoners under your Regency even in their very strictest prisons when convicted condemned even of the greatest highesâ— treasons both against King and Kingdome And seeing you have freshly exhorted enjoyned all sorts of person in the Nation to make publick and private confessions to God of all their personall and nationall sins which have provoked his wrath kindled new warres with our very formerly confederated Brethren and threaten many heavy judgements to the Nation if not cordially lamented speedily and really reformed and for this end have appointed a generall solemne Fast and day of Humiliation on the 13. of October next to divert Gods incumbent imminent judgements and procure peace And for as much as God himselfe the God of Judgements Vengeance Warre Mercy Peace hath frequently declared in his sacred Oracles that Oppression Injâ—stice Violenâ—e Spoyle Cruelty depriving any of their just Liberties Rights Inheritances Estates by meer arbitrary Power and the oppressing Sword without just cause Right Title or Legal tryall imposing heavy yâ—akes of bondage on the neckes and intolerable burthens on the backs Estates of men by illegall Taxes or Exactions next to Apostasie and most grosse Idolatry are the greatest Wrath-procuring State subverting Realm-destroying
Warre-ingendring Land-desolating Soul condemning sins of all others which have utterly destroyed subverted extirpated and brought to nought not only many potent Kings Princes Potentates Nobles Grandees of all sorts with their posterities but even whole Kingdomes States Republicks beyond all humane probability as the Histories of all former ages and recent Presidents of your immediate Whitehall Predecessors experimentally confirm whose injurious oppressive proceedings Sentences against him causelesse long imprisonments ofâ—this Remonstrant were one principall occasion of their downfall and of that very Star-chamber Court wherein they censured him And because God hath likewise positively resolved Isa 58. 6 7 8. That this is the chiefest the only fast which he hath chosen and appointed to pacifie his wrath avert his judgements cease all Warres restore establish Wealth Peace Setlement and prosperity the proper effects fruites of Righteousnesse and true Justice to an afflicted Realm or Nation to loose the bonds of wickednesse and such are all injurious illegall Warrants close Imprisonments Restraints and his fore-remonstrated in the highest degreen to undoe the heavy burdens and are not his and the other long continued unwarrantable publick Taxes Excises extraordinary Prison expences and grievouâ— unredressed pressures imposâ—d by you such to let the oppressed go free and is not he such an one in the highest degree as well now as heretoâ—ore in his person freedome calling estate friends and all earthly comforts by your forain close imprisonments so long continued on him after all his ancient oppressions and that ye break every yoak and are not his present restraints from all free private or publick converse with any rankes of men by word or writing by muing him up in forâ—in Prisons under armed Guards Centinels debarring him from all Gods own Ordinances all legall wayes or writs for his enlargement yoaks nay iron yoaks to him Your keeping oâ— him and the whole Nation so many years together when the King and both Houses would and might have setled a most desired blessed Peace without further armes or bloud-shed under the overâ—wing Parliament-subverting Law-oppressing Sword Power Discipline of a disobedient Army subverting those very ends powers persons for whose preservation and defence they were professedly raised waged continuing them still in extraordinary pay both Winter and Summer with little or no diminution of their number to the totall consumption of all the Lands Rents Revenues of Archbishops Bishops Deanes Chapters King Queen Prince of many thousands of Delinquents the undoing of some thousands of well affected persons the generall impoverishing of most men throughout the Nation and threatning a speedy consumption of all yet remaining if longer continued and that rather to enslave then enfranchise us to promote their own Officers and others private Wealth Greatnesse then our reall publick weal liberty safety or our Religion The maintaining of many superfluous Garisons Castles more to imprison secure him and the other causelesse Prisoners in them then defend the Nation by them the usefullest of them even at the entrance of our chiefest Harbours being experimentally found to be meer Scare-crowes to fright cowardly unexperienced Seamen only but unable with all their mounted Canons discharged suddenly if there be occasion only one by one at Rovers and great uncertain distance and that but once or twice at most with round bals by none of the skilfulest Gunners unable to hit unlesse by chance much lesse to stop hurt spoyle strike any single Ship or Vessell passing in or out of the Harbors when as old late and present experience in our latest Sea fights prove that 10 20 30 40 50 100 whole broad sides and greater better tyres of Ordinance then any in our Forts discharged together at one stout ship by skilfullest Gunners at nearest distance with better aime with key or crosse chain shot will hardly split or sink it which no Fort no Castle that we read of ever yet did nor stay take any resisting Vessell without grappling with and boarding her which Forts cannot do much lesse can they hinder the ingresse egresse or regresse of any considerable Squadron of Ships or a whole Navie or impeach the landing of an Army by or under their very noses or in places out of their Guns command as ignorant people dream as the forcible landings of your forces though small in the late reduced Islands of Silly Jersie the Barbadoes under their very Forts and Canons without the losse of any one Ship or Vessell by their Canons and Blockhouses and of the losse of very few Mariners or Land Souldiers with the taking of Cadez and many fortified Towns in the Indies heretofore by Sir Francis Drake and others without the losse of any one ship by Canon-shot manifest beyond all contradiction such Forts serving only in truth to maintain many â—asie Gunners and Montrosses at 8 10 12 l. pay a week or more in many Forts meerly to shoot away vast proportions in a year of Powder and Bullet in meer complement and salutes of men of war and other Ships who waste more Powder Bullet in saluting resaluting Ships and in other idle frolicks upon Visitants and Newes of good successes then their salaries amount to and to maintain many thousands of lasie idle Souldiers whose labour would be far more profitable to the Nation then their service at 5 s. 10 d. pay each week and their Officers at double treble 4 6 or 8. times as much more only to burn Match to take Tobacco stand Centinel to walke or look about them some two or three houres in three or four whole dayes space or more which they call Duty and exercise once in two or three months time for so many houres to shoot away their powder when as poor Labouring men of all sorts must work hard all the week long for lesser gain and wages then these idlebees receive for this their lasie uselesse duty and yet pay heavy weekly Taxes duly under pain of plundering to maintain these Lurdánes to so little purpose Are not these think you yoaks nay heavy unsupportable Iron yoaks far heavier then those wooden ones of a little Shipmony only once a year under which we formerly groaned till we brake them fit now to be broaken on your Fast-day after so long a continuance of them by you on our Nations galled wearied necks There is yet a second part of that Fast which God now cals for from you to deal your bread to the hungry and are there not now many such amongst us by your unrighteous depriving them of their Liberties Callings Imployments Revenues Husbands Servants Children Estates publick Offices and the benefit of our very Lawes to regain their own and detaining their publick debts as you do his To satisfie the afflicted soul and is not his soul such by your remonstrated pressures and thousands of souls more by other grievances To bring the poor that is cast out as he is by you from his House Liberty Calling Family Kindred Friends all
my self with many of the sincerest Eminentest members of the Commons House whom they then most honored for their Piety Ability Fidelity to the publique Interest impeach condemne behead their Lawfull Protestant King disinherit his Posterity Secâ—ude thâ— greatest part of their fellow Commoners vote downe the whole house of Lords create 50. or 60. of themselves A Parliament of England without King Lords or their secluded Associates Arraignes execute the King Nobles Peers Knights and other English Freemen in a New misintituled High Court of Justice created by themselves alone without any Lawfull Triall by their Peers alter the ancient Hereditary Monarchicall Government of our three Kingdomes into a pretended Free State Common Wealth and other New-modles erect New formes of Parliaments sâ—als Coynes Writs Courts Legall Procedings create New Treasons diametrically contrary to old ones Suppresse the Presbyterian Government and party for which they were then so Zealous cut off the head of a Presbyterian Eminent Minister of their owne party imprison sequester divers other godly Ministers whom they then most countenanced preferred Suspent all Penall Lawes against Heretickes Sâ—hismatickes Blasphemers Priests Jesuites Sell all the ancient Church Revenues formerly devoted by their Ancesters and voted by themselves for the better maintenance of the Ministry and propagation of the gospel With the ancient Crowne Revenues which should defray the Ordinary expences of the government Repeal the Oathes of Supremacy and Allegiance which themselves had taken as Members together with the Solemne Protestation Vow League Covenant made and prescribed by themselves under strict penalties and set up a New Engagement point blank against them by which they were all abjured under such disabilities forfâ—itures paines as they inflicted on such who out of conscience and detestation of Perjury could not submit thereto impose strange illegall oppressing uncessant oft-condemned Excises Imposts Tonnage Poundage Monthly Contributions Shipmony Arrayes Militiaes and publique Charges on the whole Nation without grant or consent in any free or Lawfull English Parliament as no former times can parallel and themselves so frequently voted declared and passed particular Acts and Judgements against at the beginning of the Parliament together with forcible Presses of Souldiers Mariners Seamen from time to time against sundry New Acts and Declarations to which themselves were parties and that only to keep up a constant standing Army in the three Kingdomes to enforce these Illegall Taxes from them and keep them under perpetuall Bondage to their arbitrary new illegall selfe created Powers That they should hostily invade their nearest dearest Protestant Christian brethren of Scotland with an Army against the Act of Oblivion Solemne League Covenant and all their late Obligations to them for their Brotherly assistance assault beseige pillage all their Cities Castles strong Holds and burne some of them with â—â—re slay many thousands of their bravest Soldiers who assisted them and â—heir stoutest young men with the sword yea hack wound maime thousands more of them in a barbarous manner with a rage reaching up to heaven slay some persecute imprison others of their eminentest Protestant Ministers Nobles Gentry in remotest Castles sell many of them for Bondslaves to remote Plantations forrage Wast deâ—troy much of their Country with fire and sword kill many of them with famine keep all their whole Nation like Bondslaves under constant Garrisons and Tributes subvert their old Civill and Ecclesiasticall Laws Parliaments Government imposing New upon them by the sword and be so far from repenting or being greived humbled for these unchristian Cruelties towards them upon no other knowne accompt but their Loyalty to their lawfull King and conscientious adhering to their former Government Lawfull Oathes Covenants that though some of them appointed General day of humiliation throughout the land by an Ordinance of the 15. Febr. 1642. For the cruel and crying Sin of bloud shed especially of the Protestants in Queen Maries time and before amounting but to some hundreds yet they should after prescribe days of publikethanksgiving for the bloudy slaughters of many thousands of their godly Protestant Brethren victories over them hang up all their Captivated Ensignes in triumph in Westminster Hall for a perpetual testimony of this their unprotestant unbrotherly carriage towards them contrary to the Practise of all godly people in former ages and many Gosple Precepts That after this they should picke a quarrell with our old Protestant Friends and Confederates of the united Provinces by putting New restraints upon their Trading beyond all former presidents seising their Ships Merchandize as consiscate and then ingage them in a most bloudy warre and fights against them by Sea to the destruction of many thousand Merchants Mariners and their Families the impoverishing of both Nations the great decay obstruction of Trade and grand advantage rejoycing of our Spanish and other Popish Enemies That they should pull down the Kings Armes by speciall Order out of all Churches Courts and other publique places yet set up the bloudy Crosse as the only Coat of England for the future as it hath since been and is still like to be in its place though they formerly pulled downe demolished all Crosses in such places by special Orders as Superstitious and still permit the Kings Armes and Images too upon his coyn where they yet passe currant That whereas Christ himself in his Gospel commands all Christians not only to make Prayers Supplications and Intercessions for all men in general and for KINGS and their very enemies in particular but also not to hate but love their Enemies to do good to them that hate them and pray for those who dispitefully use and persecute them That they may be the Children of their father which is in heaven For he maketh his Sun to rise upon the evill and the good and sendeth raine both on the just and the unjust Backing it with this reason For if you love them that love you what reward have you do not even the Publicans the same Be you therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Therefore if thine Enemy hunger feed him if he thurst give him drink Be not overcome with evill but overcome evill with goodnesse In pursuance of which Precepts our King William the I. though now branded for an inhumane tyrant by many was so christianly Charitable Noble Heroicke toward Edgar Athelirig after he gained the Crowne of England from the perjured usurper Harold by the sword that although he was right heire and his only Competitor to the Crowne of England twice set up in Armes against him by the English Nobility and King of Scots to force him from the Thron yet after all his Forces broken when he was quite deserted by his friends upon his addresses to him in Normandy he courteously received him into his favour entertained him for sundry yeares together even in his owne Court Allowed him an Honourable pension of one pound of Silver every day besides a large Donation After which
aliter at que ii qui vino adobruuntur ebrius esset IN INNOXIOS FVRERET c. Vnde PERICV LOSSISSIMA RES EST QVIQVAM COMMITTERE IMPERIVM To pretermit all other forraign presidents of like nature enough to fill whole Volumes I shall instance only in one domestick one not unseasonable for and very parallel to our times related by sundry of our Historians William Langchamp being advanced from an inferiour condition by King Richard the first to be Bishop of Ely Popes Legate Lord Chancellor Chiefe Justice and Protector of England the first who enjoyed that title to my remembrance during the Kings absence in the holy Wars Ann. 1191 c. Was so strangely infatuated intoxicated metamorphosed by these his new honours and powers that he acted many things not onely indiscreetly and untowardly but also most arrogantly insolently tyranically unconscionably covetuously and cruelly tyrannizing beyond all measure over his Fellow Commissioners the Kings own Brethren all the Nobility Clergy Gentry and Commonalty of the Râ—aâ—me whom he perpetually greived oppressed with manifold continual and needlesse illegal exactions pressures proud insolent Speeches and behaviour purveyances proling Officers Troopers Guards Garrisons who by some means or other got all the wealth of the kingdome into his and their hands by placing displacing all Officers and disposing all Offices preferments in the Realme at his pleasure by imprisoning crushing trampling under feet all such who durst oppose or appeal against his Tyrannicall Exactions Procedings Usurpations against their ancient Liberties Priviledges Rights Laws AS GUILTY OF HIGH TREASON OR SEDITION And to keep the Nobility Clergy People in this servile condition under him he kept a perpetuall Guard of Frenchmen and Flemings about him never riding abroad with lesse then 1500. Horse to guard him and commanded all the Nobility and their Sonnes to attend upon him and matched his Neeces and kinswomen to them the better to secure and strengthen himself Yea he displaced all the Officers appointed by the King and under pretext of suppressing Thieves and tumults placed garrisons of his own creatures rather to destroy then govern it who kept great troops of cruel and barbarous Souldiers which rode about armed in every place to terrifie the people and be the most wicked executioners of his Violence rapine coveteousnes Exactions sparing neither Clergy man Monke nor Layman and committing many outrages and cruelties in all places without punishment And not contented herewith being sensible of the Nobilities Clergies and peoples indignation against him for these his Exorbitances and Oppressions he sent for divâ—rs forraigne forces of his Friends and Confederates placing them in the Castles and Garrisons of the Kingdome for his greater security By which Tyranicall courses Multis Terrorem incussit Siluit Regnum Angliae à facie ejus nec fuit qui obmurmuraret â—um sibi in Anglia nihil ad exâ—vgnandum restaret writes Mathew Paris In briefe Nuâ—rigensts records That the Laity oâ— England experimentally found him MORE THEN A KING And the Clergie MORE THEN A POPE but both of them AN INTOLLERABLE TYRANT Solis complicibus et copriâ—toribus suis innoxius caeteris indifferentur non tantum PECVNIARVM AMBITV verum etiam DOMINANDI VOLVPTATE ERAT INFESTVS For by reason of HIS DOVBLE POWER or rather treble civill Ecclesiastical Military he usurping the Militia into his own hands alone HE PUT ON THE PERSON OF A DOUBLE TYRANT most arrogâ—ntly domineering both over the Clergie and people making use of both his powers the more easily to accomplish his designes and crushiug those with his Military and royall power whom he could not subdue with his Ecclesiasticall Authority Non erat qui se absoonderet à calore ejus cum secularis in eo virgam vel GLADIVM Apostolicae potestatis timeret His pompe and pride was more then royall almost in all things Yet such was his secret fear in the midst of his greatness That Clericorum stipatus Catervis MILITVMQVE VALLATVS AGMINIâ—VS Orientalium more Regum TANQVAM IN EXPEDITIONE JVGITER POSITVS ARMATORVM CIRCA CVBICVLVM SVVM HABERE EXCVBIAS VOLVIT keeping great armed guards about him day and night wheresoever he was or went Hereupon the Nobility and People unable to suffer his intollerable insolencies and oppressions any longer complained most greivously of them â—o the King who thereupon writ to some Nobles to examine and redresse these Greivances And upon the instigation of Earl John the Kings Brother the Nobles of England raysing great forces to suppresse and eject this Tyrant met in a kinde of Parliament the Saturday after Michaelmas Anno. 1191. at Lâ—don Bridge between Reading and Windsâ—r and after that in Pauls Church and on the East part of the Tower of London where all the Archbishops Bishops Earls and Barons there assembled agreed and resolved the unanimous conscent of all Vt talis de caetero in Regno Angliae non dominaretur per quem Ecclesia Dei ad ignominiam et POPVâ—VS AD INOPIAM TRAHEBAâ—VR Ipse enim Cancellarius et satellitâ—s ejus OMNES REGNI DIVITIAS IT A EXHAVSERANT Vt nec viri Baltheum argento redimitum ne faeminae monile nec viri nobili annulum vel Judaeo relinquerent the saurum vel quidlibet precioâ—i The sauruÌ„ quoque domini regis adeo evacua verant ut in scriniis auâ—â—litâ—llis Nihil praeter câ—aves et vasa vacua possent de elapsa Biennio inveniri Provisum est etiam Vt oâ—â—ia castella quae pro libitu suo idem cancellarius cuâ—todiae satellitum suorum commisserat redderentur in primis Ipsa turris Londinensis This insolent Oppressor now finding himselfe unable to resist the nobles most of his Freinds rebellious forces deserting him in his distresses fled to the Tower of London refusing to appear before the Lords for fear of violence notwithstanding security tendered to him but at last being necessitated thereunto he sware to perform whatsoever the Lords had Decreed giving sureties to surrender up all the Castles to them and to depart the Realm Whereupon laying down his Offices and Legates Crosse he came to Dover thinking in a clandestine manner to passe the Seas and the better to deceive the Marriners eyes he disguised himself in womens apparel virum in faeminum convertit dum vestem Sacerdotis in meretricis habitum commutavit tunica virida faeminea indutus But being casually discovered by a Mariner to be a man who desired to make use of him as his strumpet and that hatefull Chancellour whom so many had cursed and feared a company of women and vulgar people in great despite threw him to the ground spit upon and beat him very sorely dragged him by the heeles along the Sands and would no doubt have torn him in pieces had not some of the Burgesses of the Town rescued him out of their hands and thrust him into a Seller where he was detained prisoner till they knew the Lords pleasure concerning him Thus he who but a
love thee Give instruction to a wise man and he will yet be wiser teach a just man and he will increase in learning FINIS Courteous Reader I shall desire thee to excuse these many Errata's through the Authors absence by the Printers IN the Epistle to the Reader p. r. l. 2. read Philotas l. 6. r. hominus l. 8. r. ipse p. 2. l. 29. r. years p. 4. l. 1. r. to our laws l. 3. r. putting l. 18 r. and l. 26. r. posterum pace l. 27. ejectionem l. 34. blade was secretly p. 6. l. 27 28. r. hisce tineis p. 7 19. r. quod cum assecuti l. 36. Jesuitas p. 9. l. 16. r. odium of them to these p. 10. l. 3 r. whom our p. 11. l. 29. r. preposterously or preproperously In the Letters p. 4. l. 24. r. all our p. 8. l. 23. as Sir l. 27. cause justly the certain cause p. 15. l. 17. r. and that before p. 16. l. 11. r. I am resolved l. 23. r. to Canterbury p. 27. l 12. r. that Justice p. 39. l. 15. r. to Whitehall p. 36. l. 4. 12. r. 1 2. l. 5. 18. Ed. 1. l. 12. Tyrany p. 39. l. 33. c. 19. r. 1 p. 41. l. 21. r. and Tryall In the Margin of the Letters p. 5. l. 11. E. 3. r. 2 l. 18 19. E. 1. r. 3 p. 9. l. 4. Hunny r. Hunne p. 10. l. 2. r. Wenderhagen l. 11. Sperots r. Specots p. 39. l. 151. r. 551 l. 14. r. dangerous manner p. 39. l. 6. 12. r. 1 2. l. 10. r. now no such l. 30. E. 8. r. 3 p. 40. l. 8. r. but by l. 9. freed r. tryed l. 27. with r. by p. 42. l. 10. there r. therefore In the Remonstrance c. p. 3. l. 3. 10. r. 60 l. 24. r. Tuall p. 4. l. 21. r. forceably l. 28. r. sort p. 5. l. 11. r. hand p. 6. l. 35. r. to carry to her p. 7. l. 12. Gear r. Clerke p. 9. l. 10. r. Gorges l. 38. r. years p. 11. l. 3. r. any l. 20. borders r. boards p. 22. releasing r. relieving p. 12. l. 27. r. and muskets p. 13. l. 26. r. Letters l. 32. r. this p. 14 l. 1. r. dispersed p. 15. l. 8. eyes r. legs l. 18. r. putrid p. 16. l. 2. r. binde up l. 15. estates r. State p. 18. l. 1. r. Liberty p. 21. l. 7. in r. or the r. your l. 37. r. changes p. 23. l. 3 r. dele and to defray his extraordinary prison expences p. 24. l. 17. r. motion l. 27. r. Recordership p. 25. l. 9. r. against each other p. 26. l. 15. r. strange Purgatories l. 25. r. and all other Petitions p. 28 l. 11. r. all l. 24. r. they had p. 29. l. 23. r. you rather p. 30. l. 3. r. prosecute l. 13. r. by your l. 29. r. at law p. 32. l. 7. r. expuing l. 34 r. as impiously p. 32. l. 15. or r. of p. 35. l. 15. r. parties to l. 26. r. privities l. 29. 12. r. 1. 2 p. 36. l. 35. one r. owne p. 37. l. 36. for a r. this colonel p. 38. l. 16. r. be kept l. 18. H. 7. r. H. 4 p. 40. l. 37. dele and p. 42. l. 22. him r. and p. 44. l. 34. Matrosses p. 47. l. 1. r. really l. â— r. power p. 48. l. 14. r. sensuall l. 27. r. Plunderers p. 49. l. 26. the p. 51. l. 1. if p. 52. l. 22. which p. 54. l. 28. r. intelligat l. 30. sim p. 58. l. 16. r. branch of p. 60. l. 17. concessions l. 37. 2. r. 42. E. 3 p. 61. l. 10. r. their l. 25. if that p. 62. l. 5. r. dangers l. 11. r. obtaine * Qu. Curtlus hist l. 6. p. 262 * Psal â—4 18. 19. 32. 2 Tim. 3. 10. 11. * Dated Febr. 5. 1652. * Dated Febr 28. 1652. * Jo. Cambilhonius de abstrusioribus Jesuitarum Artibus et Studijs Lud. Lucius Hist Jesuitica l. 1. c. 7. p. 17â— l. 4. c. 1. p 364. Speculum Jesuiticum P. 306. 307. * 〈…〉 Hist 〈◊〉 l. 3. c. 2. p. 306. * See that of 18 Octob. 1591. 15. Nov. 1602. * Thuanushist l. 138. Hospinian Hist Jesuit l 3 and 4. Speculum Jesuitiâ—um p119 and Ludovicus Lucius Hist Jesuitica l. 4. c. 〈◊〉 where it is printed at large * See Lud. Lucius Hist Jesuitica l. 2. c. 3. and Hospinian Hist Jesuit l. â— * See Lud. Lucius Hist Jesuitica l. 4. c. 8. p. 640. * Lud. Lucius Hist Jesuitica l. 4 c. 5. p. 53 5. * And did they not corrode and devour our Lawes of this Nature * And have not they instigated the English themselves to do as much of late * And is not ours more dangerously corroded amongst us * Lud. Lucius Hist Jesuitica l. 3. c. 3. p. 329. * Lud. Lucius Hist Jesuitica l. 3. c. 2. Hospinian Hist Jesuitica l. 4. * See Lud. Lucius Hist Jesuitica l. 3. c. 2. p. 318. 319. * Hath not this been their Study and Meditation of late years amongst us * See Militiere his Victory of Truth Cornelius Cornelij Praefatio ad S. Trinitatem Commentarlis in Minores Prophetas * See Cooks 4. Instit c. 1. 6 7. â— 10. 11. 27. H â—8 c. 24. 26. Cromptous Jurisdiction of Courts Brooke Rastall Ash Title Courts Iustices and Coram non Iudice * See The Arraihnment of the engagment Packe of old English Puritans and other printed Treatises against the Engagement Job 7. 11. * 2. Cor. 11. 23. * Math. 5. 12. Rev. 22. 12. * Bâ— means I 〈◊〉 against * It is the â—â—â—perty of 〈…〉 Robbers â—â— break up enter Mens houses in the night being no legall time for arrests 〈◊〉 2 〈◊〉 43. Lu. 12. 39. 1 Thess 5. 2. * If the late Kings definition of the malignant party be true Exact Collection P. 288. By â—â—e Maligant party they intend all the members of both Houses who agree not with them in their opinion and all the Persons of the Kingdome who aprove not of their Actions they who have stood â—toutly and manfully for the Religion the Liberties the Laws for all Publick Intereâ—â— so long as there were any to be stood for They who have allway s been and are as â—ealous Professors and able and earnest Defenders of the Proâ—estant Doctrine againâ—â— Church of Rome as any are They to whose wisdome courage and counsell â—â—e Kingdome oweth so much as it can to subjects and upon whose unblemished w ays eaâ—y â—t self can lay no imputations then I am a malignant else not * See B ooks Abridgâ—mâ—nt Tit. Officers Raâ—â—als â—bridgmâ—nts Tit. Sherifâ—s Justices of Peace constables 〈◊〉 Maâ—ors c. and Oath 9. E. 3. Stat. of Lincolne 1. â— 3. c 4. 14. E. 3. c. 11. 13. E. 1. â— 37. 13 â— 2. c. 7. 18. H. 6. c. 11. 27. Elâ—z c. 12 12. E. 1. c. 10. 14 E. 1 c. 8. 28. E. 3. c. 6. * M. St. Johns Argument at Law at his
7. Jam. 5. 14. 15. s Rom. 12. 20 Mat 5. 44 45. Luke 6. 27. Prov. 25. 21. 2. Chr. 28. 15. t Acts. 28. 8 9. 30. v Luke 9. 1. 6. Acts. 10. 38. x Luke 22. 50 51 54. y Ephe. 4. 31 32. c. 5. 1 2. z A new Discovery c. p. 84. 86. a 1 Eliz c. 2. 5 Eliz. c. 1. 3 Jac. c. 4 5. 7 Jac. c. 6. 17 Caroli The Act for Triennial Parliaments b See the printed Pâ—oposiâ—ions sent to the King the last Treaty mâ— Speech in Parl. p. 57 58. c Exact Collâ—ction p. 20. 208. 309. 9 8 909 911. d Exact Col. p. 1 4 5 12 13. 665 669. e Exact Col. p. 1 to 21. 91 98. 106 108 145 199. 206 207. 308 310. 461 to 465. 490 491 492. 508 516 567 570 574. 616 625 628 637 639 640 648 651 to 656 659 to 754 755 764 769 786. 813 814 816 827 832 834 845 861 890 891 896 902 904 907 to 919 932. A Collection of Oâ—dinances p. 23. 30 39. 95 96 97 98. 167 169 185 187. 203 204 210 217 218 227 249 to 267 275 283 309 310 314 360 363 371 379. 412 413 417 424 432 457 458 470 483. 514 517 537 548 576. 616 623 624 666. 704 705 706 724 761 to 829 834 to 870 872 880 883. Appendix p. 1. 15 f 5 El. c. 1 13 El. c. 1. 23 El. c. 1. 27 Elâ—â— c. 2. * See the Stationers Reacoâ— fired * See Canterburies Doom p. 26 27. 178 to 350. g In his Soveraign power of Parliaments and Kingdoms h In his Peâ—petuity of a Regenerate mans estate Anti-Aâ—mâ—anisme c. i In his Breviate Cosens cozening Devotions Quench coal Lame Giles his Haltings A Pleasant Purge for a Roman Catholike Romes Master-Pâ—ece The Popish Royal Favourite Hidden works of Darknesse brought to publique Light Antipathy of the English Prelacy Cant. Doom Speech in Parliament k A New Dâ—scovery of the Prelates Tyranny p. 141 142. * In the Declaration of 17 Martii 1648 and others l 2 Sam. 19. 43. m Magna Cha ta c. 29. and Câ—â—ks Institutes thereon 1 Sam. 8. 4 19 20 22. 2 Sam. 19. 41 42 43. c. 16. 18. 2 Kâ—ngs 2. 23 24. 2 Chr. 23 tâ—â—oughout c. 26. 1. 23 24. 25. c. 36. 1. The Lords and Commâ—â—s Declaration 23 Octâ—b 1642. Exact Collect p. 660. We must own it AS OUR DUTY that the meanest of the Commonalty may enjoy their own Birth-right Freedom and Liberty of the Laws of the Land BEING EQUALLY INTITULED THEREUNTO WITH THE GREATEST SUBJECT n A New Discovery of the Prelates Tyranny P. 86 87 88. o Maintained in his Soveraign power of Parliaments licenced by the Commons His plea for the Lords The Levellers Levelled Antiquity triumphing over Novelty A brief Historicall Collection of the ancient Parliaments of England and Prynne the Member reconciled to Prynne the Barrister IreÌ„arches Redivivus p No Bishop no King c. Conference of Hampton Court The Bishop of Downes Sermon The antipathy of the English Prelacy to Unity and Monarchy Epistle Dedicatory to the Parliament q Câ—nterburies Doome Written and Printed by their speciall Order r Psal 69. 19 20. Å¿ Psal 31. 12. t Phil. 2. 20 21 22. u Psal 55. 12 13 14. x 2 Cor. 1. 4 5 6 9 10. C. 4 8 9 10. y Rex Omnibus singulis Regni sui Justiâ—iae est debitor Register of Writs and the Prologues of our ancient Statutes Exact Collection p. 494 498 712 713 714 660. z 1 Sam. 8. 5 20. 2 Sam. 23. 3. 1 King 16. 9. Chap. 10. 9. 2 Chron. 8 9. Chap 10 5 6 7. 2 Sam. 8. 15. Chap 15. 2 5. Psal 82 3. Prov. 8. 15. Jer. 7. 5. Chap. 23. 5. Chap. 33. 15. a Exact Collection p. 268 269 290 291 36â— 370 706 to 716. 18 20. E. 3. Rastall Justices Totelâ— Magna Charta b Brookes Office des Court Job 29. 12 to 18. Isa 65. 1. c Questus est Nobis I. S. ex gravi querela I. S. occepimus Petit Judicium c. Register of Writs and Natura Brevium d Calâ—pine Holiâ—kâ— Rider Eliot Calvini Lexicon Medicum e Register of Writs Natura Brevium Old and new Books of Entries and all Declarations c. f Luk. 18. 1 2 3 c. Mat. 7. 7 to 13. 1 Joh. 5. 15. g Fitzherbert Brooke Ash Title Petition and Prerogative h See the beginning of most ancient Parliament Rols Title Receivers of Petitions to the King only not them and the Kings Answers to the Petitions of the Lords and Commons i 1 Jac. c. 1. Cokes 4. Instit c. 1. Brooke Title Parliaments Cromptons Jurisdiction of Courts Title Parliaments Sir Tho. Smith De Republica Angl. l 2. c. 2 3 4. Mr. Hackwels manner of passing Bils in Parliament The Petition of Right 3. Car. Exact Collection p. 163 164 250 310 311 317 319 320 468 477 764 768 794 872 873. A Collection of Ordinances 221 222 c. 110 111 756 757. k Exact Collection p. 660 459 28 29 852 854. l 1 Thess 2. 2. m The like we read of the Centurion who beat and imprisoned him mentioned Act. 22. 24 to 30. n A new Discovery c. p. 113 114 115. o Ibidem p. 141 142. p Coke Instit on Magna Charta c. 29. Brooke Habeas Corpus q Exact Collect p. 8 20 28 29 450 660 652 894. r Exact Collection pag. 252 278 285 289 869 871 883 885 866 559 560. t Mat. 5. 15. Luk. 8. 16. Chap. 10. 35. s A new Discovery p. 86 87 88. u Psal 31. 12. y A new Discovery pag. 137 to 143. z 2 Cor. 5. 10. Read Master Strongs his Printed Sermon thereon a Mat. 25. 31 32. 2 Thess 1 7 8 9 Jude 14 15. Jer. 51. 6 11. b Isa 26. 9 11. c Psal 94. 1 2 c. Rom. 12. 19. d Exod. 15. 3. Isa 45. 7. e Psal 59. 10. 17. f Rom. 15. 33. 16. 20. 2 Cor. 13. 11. g Psal 12. 5. 72 4. Isa 49 26. Jer. 6. 6. 22. 15 to 20. 51 35 36. Ezek. 7 11 to 25. 8 17 18 12. 19 20. 21. 6 7 8 9 12 13 20 21 29 30 45 9. Isa 33. 1 2. Jer. 22. Job 20. 15 to 29. Amos 2. 1 2 3 c 3. throughout Hab. 2. 7 8 â—oel 3. 19. Obad. 8. 9 10 to 21. Zeph. 3. 5 6. Lâ—k 3. 19 20 Act. 12 1 to 10. Exod. 3 7 8. 2. 23 24 25. Mat. 25 41 42 43. h See Exact Collection p. 917 918. An Ordinance of the Lords and Commons â—xhorting all to Repentance Confession and Humiliation for our enormous sins procuring Gods wrath i A New Discovery of the Prelates tyranny p. 115 116. k Isa 32. 17. l See the Vindication of the secured and secluded Members and my Speech in Parliament m Jer 46. 16. 50. 16. n Jer. 28. â—3 14. 27. â— Ezech. 30. 18. 34. 27.